Raisin in the Sun Play Response Essay

I thought the play â€Å"A Raisin in The Sun† was very good because it accurately displayed so many aspects of what life would be like in the 1950’s for African Americans. Full of conflict and racial tension, Hansberry creates a strong distinction between her different and unique characters. The main theme of dreams creates conflicts that are evident in the play because the family is aiming for an individual dream that seems to never happen; however, in the end, they get away form the individual dream and finally reach a common ground. Almost every character in Raisin in the Sun had a dream or goal, and it seemed like their dreams dictated their happiness or value in life. Walter is obsessed with becoming successful and rich in order to afford things for his family, why his sister Beneatha’s original dream to become a doctor ends up directing the choices she will make when she realizes that Walter has wasted the money to be put aside for her. Throughout everyone’s dreams and aspirations, it seems to me that Mama’s dream is probably the most important. For Mama, all she desires is to keep the family together. She realizes the importance of a strong and close family, and struggles to keep them together despite all of the failings and mishaps that the characters experience. To Mama, a strong and close family is the most important aspect of her life, and something she will constantly struggle to protect. I also found it very uplifting when the family is able to overcome all of the struggles and adversity, and still manage to reject Mr. Lindner’s offers to move out of the all-white neighborhood. In my opinion, this is the perfect conclusion to the play, as I believe it shows that Mama’s dream of having a strong and cohesive family is directly connected to the rest of the family’s goals as well. Despite the offers by Mr.  Lindner to help the individuals of the family in exchange for leaving the neighborhood, the family is able to put Mama’s dream in front of their own, which enabled the family to become a closer, happier family in the end, despite their individual struggles. While it seemed like the Youngers’ dreams were going to fester up and die, they were able to understand the importance of family that helped them to keep their dreams alive and achievable.

Derived Classes and Base Classes

Derived Classes and Base Classes Mario Padilla IT/218 September 2, 2011 University of Phoenix/Axia College Derived Classes and Base Classes Considering that the ostrich is a flightless bird, it is reasonable to derive a class CHawk from CBird, but not a COstrich. This is mainly because the function fly () sets an altitude of 100 and, as everyone knows, the ostrich cannot fly. If we had to derive COstrich from CBird probably need to provide a function fly () to return 0, and this could break existing code, which sets the altitude to 100. This could be a derivation of a class avian; class CAvian { protected: int wingSpan; nt eggSize; }; class CFlyingBird : public CAvian { protected: int airSpeed; int altitude; public: virtual void fly() { altitude = 100; } }; class CFlightlessBird : public CAvian { // Arguments involving flightless birds }; class CHawk: public CFlyingBird { }; class COstrich : public CFlightlessBird { }; One of the main properties of the classes is inheritance. This pr operty allows us to create new classes from existing classes, retaining the properties of the original class and adding new ones. Each new class obtained through inheritance is known as derived class, and classes from which it derives are called base classes. In addition, each derived class can be used as a base class for a new derived class. And each derived class can be one or more base classes. In the latter case are referred to bypass manifold. This allows us to create a class hierarchy as complex as necessary. Well, but what are the advantages derived classes? Actually, that's the principle of object oriented programming. This property allows us to encapsulate different parts of any real or imaginary object, and links to objects made of the same basic type, will inherit all its features.

Shadow – Creative Writing

Despite it's been two years since I last saw my father, the shadow of his back still remain vivid and clear in my memories. That winter, mother died and father lost his job. It was a day of tragedy and sadness. I left London for Stoke-On-Trent to join my father in hastening home, the sight of the disorderly mess in the courtyard reminded me of mother. I couldn't help but shed tears. â€Å"Now that things have come to such a pass, let's get over it, after all every cloud has a silver lining,† he said. When father arrived home, he pawned and sold things in order to pay off his debt, then he borrowed new loans to hold the funeral. During these days our family was in such a state of sorrow and distress due to both the events of the funeral and the near-collapse of father's firm. Once the funeral ended, father had to return to America in a hopeless attempt to save his firm, and I had to return to London to finish my degree. Since we hardly had chance to see each other, we decided to depart together. After an old friend took me for a tour around Manchester, I was supposed to catch a train heading for London in the afternoon the following day. Father was over occupied by his business matters so instead of seeing me off at the train station, he asked a hotel waiter to accompany me. Anxious and worried, he relentlessly urged him to take good care of me. However, he didn't feel reassured and mulled over it. Ironically, his concern was completely unnecessary. I was already a grown up and had travelled to and from Manchester several times before, but he insisted and said, â€Å"It's better off this way. These days people simply can't be trusted. † Getting out of the taxi, we entered the train station. While I bought my ticket at the ticket booth father tended to my luggage, which was quite a huge load. When I came back father was busy bargaining with the porter over the fee. I was then such â€Å"smart aleck†. I felt that he was so terrible at haggling over the price that I was about to chip in words when the bargain was finally clinched. Boarding the train with me, he selected a seat right next to the carriage door for me. I spread the overcoat he got tailor-made for over the seat and sat down. Then for the tenth time, he reminded me to be watchful on the way and be careful not to catch cold at night. Miraculously, he somehow still managed to summoned up the courage and plead the train attendants to look after me. The disapproving and disbelieving eyes they gave us, it was so hilarious! I laughed at father for being so impractical and naive. These days people only cared about money, it would be unlikely that they'd take of me. Besides, at age twenty I was obviously capable of taking care of myself. Alas, when I come to think of it now, I can see that I was really too â€Å"smart† back then. â€Å"Dad, you better hurry for your appointment now,† I said. But he looked out of the window and said, â€Å"You'll need some refreshments on the way. Stay here don't go anywhere, I'll be back in a few minutes. † Outside the railing and beyond the other railroad platform were several vendors waiting for customers. To reach that platform, he'd have jump down the railway tracks, cross them and climb up the platform. For an exceptionally fat man in his mid-fifties, this proved to a physically demanding and strenuous task for father. I volunteered to go, but he insisted, so I reluctantly let him off. Dressed in a top black hat, worn-out morning dress and stripped trousers, I watched him totter towards the railway track. He climbed down the tracks with ease,but after crossing the tracks he struggled when climbing up the platform. Fingers gripped tightly onto the platform, legs huddled up, his corpulent body tipped slightly to the left. He was obviously exerting a huge amount of energy. Then I noticed the shadow casted off his back, tears gradually streamed out of my eyes. I quickly wiped them off for fear of embarrassment. When I gazed of of the window, father had just turned away from one of the vendors, holding two fists full of brightly-packaged chocolate bars. As he reached the edge of the platform, he placed he bars down, climbed down cautiously and then retrieved them back again. As he approached near the train, I ran out to help him. Back on board, he laid all the bars on my overcoat. Patting the dirt off his clothes, his expression looked somewhat relieved and after a while he said, â€Å"Go back to your seat. Don't leave yours things unattended. † I, however, did not return to my seat until his shadow was lost among crowds of people hurrying to and fro, and could no longer see him again. Then returning into the train and settling down, my eyes were again streaming out tears. In recent years, both father and I have been constantly on the move traveling here and there, and circumstances of our family got even worser. When father was young he left home to seek a livelihood and did achieve quite a few things on his own. To think that his fate should now be so bleak and gloomy at old age! Series after series of discouraging and unfortunate events filled him with a sense of dread and sorrow. He could no longer retain his emotions, as a result he would often vent his emotions on small mishaps and treat me harshly. However, after two years of separation, he has become soft and forgiving, and he dearly misses me and my son. A upon my arrival in London, I received a letter from him, in which he said, † My dearest son, I'm in an excellent state of health except there is much pain in my shoulders, causing me undesirable pain whenever I try to hold a pen or use chopstick. Perhaps it won't be long now before I rejoin your mother†¦ † Amid the glistening and bitter tears which these words brought to my eyes, I once again saw he familiar shadow casted off the back of father's corpulent form in the top black hat, worn-out morning dress and stripped trouser. Alas, how I long to see him again! Yet, little did I know that it was the last time I'd ever see him again.

Assigment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Assigment - Essay Example So all these conversations for the period 1941-1944 were recorded at Hitler’s headquarters and were published later on in media in several languages. Hitler’s reputation in the public and media reflects his mindset about the politics and will power that he had. Hitler was considered political genius, a man with will power, decisive nature, personality and ideas to bring humankind in darkness (Cameron & Stevens 2000). For understanding Hitler, it is important to go deep in his mind and understand the main point of a discussion. It is important to know the facts from his personal words and not from the speeches and statements, he made. On night 11th-12th 1941, Hitler says, the man who considers universe with open eyes, that man has the greatest natural goodness (Cameron & Stevens 2000). He insisted that mankind must know the laws by which life in governed. On night 22nd-23rd 1941, he says, Germans are hardworking people but they get less wages as compared to their work (C ameron & Stevens 2000). Hard work enabled us to produce cheap and mass produced articles in the fields of chemistry and optical instruments to compete English markets. He also said that England and America are about to start a bloodiest war that will eliminate one of them. We should increase live stock and energy resources. Water power electricity must be adopted at fast pace to overcome energy crisis. Germany should use 100000 acres for cultivation of rubber (Cameron & Stevens 2000). In august 1941 Hitler says, Germans must see a war after every 15 years for their good (Cameron & Stevens 2000). If I sacrifice thousand or two thousand lives, that can be answered. I understand the first encounter of a woman with a man. This can be compared with a soldier’s facing the war for the first time. Germany is the only country that has no unemployment so we are not the slaves of import. In October 1941, we must keep two aims in front, one to keep the war away from our frontiers and sec ond to hold our positions at the eastern fronts at all cost. If someone does not hold respect than he falls below the level of an animal. Hitler said that Jews are responsible for two world wars. Two million deaths of First World War and now thousands in Second World War because of Jews. Christianity has damaged the world badly by destroying the libraries of the ancient world (Cameron & Stevens 2000). Party should keep itself away from religion. Church friendship is too costly to bear. The second part of table talk consists of the period from 1st January to 5th February 1942. In January 1942, he met under secretary of the state and said that prisoners of war be used for constructing tunnels during the hostilities (Cameron & Stevens 2000). Any fool can be made in charge of them and German labour should not be wasted on such a work. He said that we have not lost war against England; Rommel can get two hundred tanks in desert to capture Malta. England knows our strength so cannot use t he route of Mediterranean to reach India. President Roosevelt is a sick brain; Americans are the most stupid people in the world. They will further fall in all affairs. Freemasonry is corrupting the complete world (Cameron & Stevens 2000). Every Englishman speaks against the Churchill that he is off his head. He cannot win the war by lying and corruption. Churchill would not listen to American command asking for abandoning Far East. On 8th

Leadership Development Plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Leadership Development Plan - Assignment Example With the help of these techniques, individuals can make sure that they identify their strengths and weaknesses and carry out necessary initiatives for capitalizing on the requirements of the corporate world. One of the most effective framework developed for evaluating the competencies of an individual is MBTI which was developed by Isabel Meyers and Katherine Briggs. The main idea behind this inventory model is that everyone needs to appreciate the individual differences and look for developmental opportunities so that the skills are further polished and refined. Considering the matrix developed by the experts, there are four sets of preferences of individuals which are as follows: According to the developers, there are sixteen classes in which people’s personalities can fall. I believe that I belong to the class ‘ESFJ’ which means that I have high extroversion, sensing, feeling and judging capabilities. I believe that this reading is true to a great extent as I am friendly and outgoing person. I can easily express my feelings and make sure that people around me have a good time to cherish. Moreover, I make decisions on the basis of feelings which means that the decisions are already made either by my traditions, culture or ingrained perceptions. Moreover, I have the ability of leading people as I am aware of the techniques of inducing others to motivate towards achieving the desired objectives. In various life situations, I get a bit hard with myself. There is a gap between my own perceived performance and my ideal behavior and due to this discrepancy I struggle against the feeling of guilt and depression. Sometimes, I get overwhelmed with these feelings and I end up in moments of emotional pain. I try to motivate myself by showing the brighter side of various aspects of my life such as my kind, unselfish and charitable nature. I am always ready to help people out and

Other than the September 11, 2001 attacks, and later than 2000, Term Paper

Other than the September 11, 2001 attacks, and later than 2000, identify and describe one event that has influenced (changed, modified, added, subtracted) homel - Term Paper Example Hurricane Katrina turned out to be the worst thing that could happen to our homeland and the pieces were left for Department of Homeland Security to pick up. Katrina was a category 4 hurricane and FEMA, part of the Department for Homeland Security, reacted to it according to a prepared plan. But nothing could have prepared Americans for the destruction brought on by the hurricane. No one had anticipated the ruin and damage (Borja 2008). Before the development of one Department of Homeland Security, these activities were carried out by more than 40 federal agencies. Although there had always been talk of bringing all of them under one banner; the need for one entity was truly felt after the 9/11 attacks. A March 2001 bill proposed that FEMA, Border Patrol, Customs along with several other offices be merged into one agency that will be responsible for all security related services for homeland. The Office of Homeland Security was announced 11 days after the 9/11 attacks. Its main purpose was to safeguard the country against any threats of terrorism is the future (Borja 2008). This report will discuss how the hurricane forever changed homeland security and led to the introduction of a whole new set of previously ignored challenges. Hurricane Katrina was unprecedented due to its sheer force and size. It was a huge challenge and the most destructive event in American history. It challenged our disaster response capabilities to the extreme and brought out the deficiencies in our nation’s preparedness and response facilities (Townsend 2006). According to a presidential address in 2002, the Department of Homeland Security had four goals that became the responsibility of four of its divisions accordingly. The Border Security Division is responsible for guarding the borders and preventing terrorists from entering the country. The Emergency preparedness and Response Centre has to work in tandem

Dr. Browns Medical Office Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Dr. Browns Medical Office - Case Study Example The physician's office is an independently run office that also functions as a business organization in itself, and it must compete with other local physician's offices. The organization is named after the physician, Dr. Brown, and is referred to as "Dr. Brown's Medical Office." The medical office, which focuses in dermatology, has provided a good organizational structure to assist adult learners and those working to gain knowledge of the field. Trainees, for instance, are always working under somebody, and they usually participate in several aspects of examinations and do other jobs around the office. The training is a very hands on experience. The office also continues to offer training courses and opportunities to learn one on one with the doctor as necessary, thus encouraging the learners. The business is attempting to improve its prospects by moving its skin care products online and thus reaching a larger target audience, since it had always been recognized as a local business. Therefore, an analysis of this organization and its interactions with its adult learners is necessary to understanding how the business could better focus on use of technology and the Internet to achieve goals. Dr. Brown's office has been in business for twenty-one years. They are a local business venture and provide many services. Since the dermatology services offered at this office are not always covered by health insurance, the company must do what they can to keep prices low and attract customers. A variety of local advertising is used in local newspapers and pamphlets. The advertising focuses on the services offered, and the fact that the services here are usually better priced than services at other local offices. The company has been successful, even regardless of the recent recession. It has been able to retain its customers by offering price slashes and returning customer discounts. Furthermore, it has also ventured into offering its own skin care line, which can be sold nationwide on a website, and thus increase the target audience of the company. Therefore, while the company has been hurt a bit by the recession, it has managed to keep itself progressing. It has always welcomed students and adult learners into its environment to assist them with learning about various skin procedures. Sometimes these adult learners work under internship status, and others are assistants that are hired by the company. Both of these adult learners are usually still attending college and learning about both skin care and the business aspects of this type of industry. The environment of the office is very friendly and very clean. It emulates the feeling of a very well-taken care of office. The office itself is located in an old house, and when renovating the office it was decided to keep some of the more "homey" aspects of the house. The waiting room is setup with couches for comfortability, as it is very inviting to the customers. However, the actual rooms set up for patients to visit the doctors are all setup to meet medical standards. Each has a sink, the necessary medical supplies for the various procedures and check-ups involved, and a place for the patients to lie down. The environment itself has the employees function on a variety of levels. Depending on the procedures that occur that day, the adult learners may or may not be

Brainscapes Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Brainscapes - Case Study Example Concentration of sodium (Na+) ions in the intracellular and extracellular space of tissues was the major identifier of hippocampus atrophy (with dead neurons). According to this case, brain tissues showing signs of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) had dead neurons and appear smaller than usual by expansion of the extracellular space and shrinkage of intracellular space. 2. Expected Sodium Concentration Changes The change of sodium concentration in the hippocampus region is used to differentiate healthy tissues from diseased ones in that unhealthy tissues have shrunk. It follows then that the hippocampus volume or processes are directly correlated with sodium concentration within and without the extracellular and intracellular space. Decreased volume of the hippocampus can possibly occur when neurons inside have died or are not functioning at their optimum levels. One expected change or difference is a difference in concentration of sodium ions in extracellular space and intracellular space commonly called a gradient difference. This differential concentration of sodium gradient normally occurs due to defects of Na+/K+ ATPase pump which may be blocked. Brain tissues afflicted by AD usually have a smaller volume than normal ones and identified by extracellular space that is expanded as well as shrinkage of the intracellular space. 3. Additional Information from Outside Sources Journal Article: Tissue Sodium Concentration in Human Brain Tumors as Measured with 23Na MR Imaging. Sourced from Radiology Journal Journal article: Brain tissue sodium concentration in multiple sclerosis: a sodium imaging study at 3 tesla. Sourced from National Center for Biotechnology Information database Journal Article: Na+ and K+ ion imbalances in Alzheimer's disease. Sourced from National Center for Biotechnology Information database Journal article: Distribution of Brain Sodium Accumulation Correlates with Disability in Multiple Sclerosis: A Cross-sectional 23Na MR Imaging Study. Sour ced from Radiology Journal 4. Outside Sources Contribution to the case The source (Ouwerkerk, Ronald, et al.) asserts that the concentration gradient difference of Na in tissues can be used to differentiate healthy tissues from affected one. Another source (Inglese, M., et al.) has findings that mechanisms of injury can be diagnosed through Na magnetic imaging. The third source (Vitvitsky V.M.) is of the opinion that failure of previous research come up with findings on cell homeostasis can be a basis of understanding development and progression of AD. Finally the last source (Zaaraoui, Wafaa, et al.) comes up with the finding that tissue injury can be diagnosed with NA imaging. 5. Case Study Finding that is Consistent with other Sources All the sources normally use differential concentration gradient of sodium in the intracellular space and extracellular space to come up with their findings. In this manner, atrophic tissues are identified from healthy ones after imaging. 6. Inconcl usive information with Sodium Concentration Changes Although using differential concentration to assay for atrophic tissues and organs can be very effective, it can also give wrong misdiagnosis especially when movement of sodium ions is impeded by other factors. For example, there can be sodium ions leakage due to a defective Na+K+ ATPase pump. 7. Resolution of the Case Sodium imaging can be a helpful technique

One Work of Art from Michelangelo Buonarroti and One work of Art from Assignment

One Work of Art from Michelangelo Buonarroti and One work of Art from Leonardo da Vinci - Assignment Example Through the art we are able to see how they have dressed and also in the picture we see one person at the center representing the religious leaders also being involved (Meyer, 2011). It’s seen as the last judgment presented to people on the account of their evil deeds in church. In the Mona Lisa art Leonardo tried to put across the beauty by her curves on her long hair with the color on her face being toned bringing out her beauty. Her hands joined together showed her being calm or relaxed. The clothing can be seen as an ideal woman from her decency showing how mature she is. Her skin color is evenly distributed through da Vinci’s painting. Buonarroti picture symbolizes the kind of activities in the society. The nude picture represents the church followers back scenes which are not in line with Christianity. Michelangelo was a religious person and through his artistic talent he portrayed human anatomy and movements in most of his arts. He was able to blend the colors well the blue shade and the brown shade. The blue showing the sky and the white clouds with people around with actions like asking for a favor from someone (Meyer, 2011). Leonardo da Vinci used blurred and dark outlines contrast of light and dark bringing an ambiguous effect. It has been able to convey an ideal woman as she is conservative and the looks on her face cannot be really told as blank expression as you cannot really determine if she’s smiling or not. Leonardo da Vinci used the technique in framing, use of lighting and composition (Perry, 2009).He used observations and understanding in coming up with his art. Mona Lisa’s eyebrows and eyelashes are visible portraying her beauty. Through glazing technique to show realism achieved through variation in color and shading. He tried to portray her inner beauty by using the dull colors portraying calmness (Perry, 2009). He also used the oil layering on wooden palette. The brush strokes can be seen as

Most Significant Events in American History Essay

Most Significant Events in American History - Essay Example Nevertheless, America has not been immune to pitfalls and struggle during its journey of success and it is by the dint of hard work, keen foresight and sharp business acumen of its citizens that it has come to occupy the enviable position it enjoys in the world today. American history is replete with events which marked the shaping of this massive nation into its present entity. Some of the prominent events which gave direction to the overall character of the nation involved social change as well as the individual contributions of some of the most colorful and characteristic personalities churned up by the American culture. World War II was an event which left no corner of the globe unscathed with almost every country being involved in one way or the other. It fuelled a struggle for survival in its aftermath and America was no exception to the dent this event made on world history. In the post war scenario most countries initiated specific plans to rebuild their social and economic infrastructure. The following decades after the end of World War II saw a variety of influences that shaped American history. In the 1950s, one of the most prominent issues addressed was that of segregation of the minority black population in society that had plagued America for long. The notion of black people being inferior had carried over from the colonial era and was still practiced in the American society. It was unusual for a black person to be seen in certain sections of society and blacks were denied admission to some of the top educational institutions in the country. This naturally evinced pain and resentment in the intellectuals within the black population who initiated a number of legal suits to challenge this discrimination. In the year 1950, the Supreme Court of the United States was besotted with a series of cases which challenged the legal

Jeremy Bentham Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Jeremy Bentham - Essay Example The main basis behind this theory is that an act can be considered to be good or bad depending on the amount of people it is able to help against the number of people who may be inconvenienced so to speak by that same act. In short it can be said that the theory tends to focus on the greater good capacity of an act when determining whether the subject matter is to be considered good or detrimental towards the society (Bykvist, 2009). This is clearly seen in Jeremy Bentham’s claim that it is actually the largest happiness from the biggest number of people that can be considered to be the measure of right and wrong. To put it simply, whether an act is good or not is determined upon the maximization of that utility in question. Something can be considered to be good or bad based on whether it brings more good or bad as an end result. This theory can be said to be both supported and contradicted by a number of nursing and healthcare practices. This can be explained by the diversity of the healthcare sector which means that hardly any two cases are exactly the same thus there are times when the theory may apply to healthcare practices while at other times it does not (Bykvist, 2009). A good example of a healthcare practice that supports this theory is the action of quarantining an individual with a contagious disease. Though such a move may be considered reclusive and even impersonal as the person is kept away from family and friends or any other support system to help them get through such hard times, it is for the greater good that it is done as allowing them contact with others may prove deadly to those who remain uninfected. A practice that may not fit into the greater good system would be the elimination of a ground zero subject who is putting other people at risk as the code of ethics does not support murder under any circumstance. In this instance the greater good is not enough to justify such an act. Two sections of the ANA Code of Ethics

Icici Bank and Bank of Rajasthan Merger Essay Example for Free

Icici Bank and Bank of Rajasthan Merger Essay Meaning : A general term used to refer to the consolidation of companies. A merger is a combination of two companies to form a new company, while an acquisition is the purchase of one company by another in which no new company is formed. Basic information of icici bank (Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India Bank): ICICI Bank was established by the Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India, an Indian financial institution, as a wholly owned subsidiary in 1994. The parent company was formed in 1955 as a joint-venture of the World Bank, Indias public-sector banks and public-sector insurance companies to provide project financing to Indian industry. [10][11] The bank was initially known as theIndustrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India Bank, before it changed its name to the abbreviated ICICI Bank. The parent company was later merged with the bank. Current information: Based on 2013 information, it is the second largest bank in India by assets and third largest by market capitalisation. It offers a wide range of banking products and financial services to corporate and retail customer through a variety of delivery channels and through its specialised subsidiaries in the areas of investment banking. life and non-life insurance, venture capital and asset management. The Bank has a network of 3,350 branches and 10,486 ATMs in India, and has a presence in 19 countries. ICICI Bank is one of the big four banks of India, along with SBI,PNB,CANARA BANK BANK OF RAJASTHAN : It was set up at Udaipur in 1943 with an initial capital of Rs.10.00 lacs. An eminent Industrialist Late Seth Shri Govind Ram Seksaria was the founder chairman. It was classified as the Scheduled Bank in 1948. The Bank also established a rural (Gramin) bank Mewar Anchlik Gramin Bank in Udaipur District in Rajasthan on 26 January 1983. The banks central office is located at Jaipur, although its registered office is in Udaipur. Presently the bank has 463 branches, in 24 states, with 294 of the branches being in Rajasthan. †¢ 1. Merger of ICICI and BoR Submitted †¢ 2. About BoR and Merger private sector lender Bank of Rajasthan on 18 may 2010 agreed to merge with ICICI Bank, Indias second largest private sector lender Bank of Rajasthan has a market value of $296 million The acquisition of Bank of Rajasthan by ICICI bank is the first consolidation of countrys crowded banking sector since 2008.ICICI Bank and Bank of Rajasthan (BoR) boards on Sunday cleared their merger through an all-share deal, valued at about 30.41 billion rupees. †¢ 3. ICICI offered to BoR ICICI offered to pay 188.42 rupees per share, in an all-share deal, for Bank of Rajasthan, a premium of 89 percent to the small lenders closing price on Tuesday, valuing the business at $668 million .ICICI is offering the smaller banks controlling shareholders 25 shares in ICICI for 118 shares of Bank of Rajasthan. †¢ 4. The Big Deal The deal, which will give ICICI a sizeable presence in the northwestern desert state of Rajasthan, values the small bank at about 2.9 times its book value, compared with an Indian banking sector average of 1.84.Bank of Rajasthan has a network of 463 branches and a loan book of 77.81 billion rupees ($1.7 billion). †¢ 5. Why MergerIn March, the Reserve Bank of India appointed consulting firms to conduct a special audit of the books and accounts of Bank of Rajasthan .The government has called for consolidation in the banking sector in order to make lenders more competitive but there has been little activity.RBI had imposed a penalty of Rs 25 lakh on Bank of Rajasthan for various violations. †¢ 6. Totals of BoR F or the nine-month ended December’09, the bank had net loss of Rs 9 crore with total income of Rs 1,086 crore. For the year ended March’09, Bank of Rajasthan had net profit of Rs 117 crore with total income of Rs 1,507 crore .Operating income fell 11% to Rs 373.78 crore in Q3 December 2009 over Q3 December 2008. †¢ 7. Advantage for ICICI and BoR ICICI Bank will gain marginally from the merger as Bank of Rajasthan has a reasonable penetration in its home state. As of March’09, it had 463 branches across the country. The deal will also help ICICI tackle increasing competition by HDFC Bank. the deal values BoR at about 2.9 times its book value, compared with an Indian banking sector average of 1.84. †¢ 8. Comparison OF ICICI and BoRICICI bank added CASA deposits totaling over 210 billion rupees in the year ended March 2010, compared with 41.63 billion rupees of BoR .ICICI recorded a business per branch of 3 billion rupees compared with 47 million rupees of BoR for fiscal 2009.For the quarter ended Dec 09, BoR recorded 1.05 percent of advances as NPA’s, which is far better than 2.1 percent recorded by ICICI Bank. †¢ 9. Why is RBI allowing the merger of this bank? This is very intriguing factor; when RBI claims that there is corporate governance. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee claims that there is corporate governance prevailing in SEBI, RBI and Finance Ministry. †¢ 10. Hurdles To protest the Bank of Rajasthans management plan to merge with the ICICI Bank, more than 4200 employees of Bank of Rajasthan went on a two-day countrywide strike .SEBI maintains that Tayals hold 55% in the bank and that would make them owners of nearly 1.87 crore ICICI Bank shares from new dilution by ICICI Bank, amounting to around 1.75% stake in the bank .ICICI Bank found it economic as always to invest in this deal on a 100% stock swap basis. †¢ 11. Impact of the Deal The deal is very expensive The proposed amalgamation would substantially enhance branch network and presence in  northern and western India for ICICIBank of Rajasthan has a network of 463 branches and a loan book of 77.81 billion rupees ($1.7 billion).As on March 2009, BoR had 463 branches and 111 ATMs, total assets of Rs 17,224 crore, deposits of Rs 15,187 crore and advances of Rs 7,781 crore. †¢ 12. ICICI After merger PE ratio22.97 10/06/10EPS (Rs)36.10 Mar, 10Sales (Rs crore)5,826.98 Mar, 10Face Value (Rs)10 Net profit margin (%)9.74 Mar, 09Last dividend (%)120 26/04/10Return on average equity7.58 Mar, 09 1 millions = 10 lakhs 1 billions = 100 crores 1 trillions = 100,000 crores

Middle Class in India Sociology

Middle Class in India Sociology Is there something called the Indian Middle Class? How does this manifest in everyday India ? Illustrate this from Mother Pious Lady Reference? Indian middle class; is it a group or a phenomenon? Who are the people who form the Indian middle class, what are their culture? The Indian middle class has grown from a minority in pre-independence era to a vast majority taking the grip of the whole nation and playing a major role in driving it towards development. The book Mother Pious Lady by Mr Santosh Desai portrays the Indian middle class in vivid detail. The following writing takes the headings of the book and tries to explain Indian middle class with illustration from the book. I have tried covering the topics which I was able to connect to. Economic reform has provided the Indian middle class the most needed the liberation in terms of living life to the most. There has been a constant shift in the cultural sign and symbols adapted through ages. Disappearance of girls pig tail, freedom of mobility through scooterette, providing the elders their own space of living, telecommunication evolution, explosion in the passenger car segment , changing clothing pattern are few of the visible patterns in society. Girls pony tail were a symbol of desired feminine reserved nature which has seen a change both in length and its handling. The shortening of hair gives a girl a sense of personal control displayed metaphorically. The scooty revolution has helped the female to expand her boundaries without being dependent on any family member providing her a sense of independence. Even the car owned has seen a shift towards adapting more compact cars. The recent shift from petrol to electric and LPG based cars not only signifies the change in attitude towards efficiency but also the urge to keep up technologically. Dhoni has been one the true middle class iconic figures which has altered the way Indian see a small town boy. The can do attitude along with the lack of fear of failure and unmindfulness of hierarchy has been the reason behind success of Dhoni. Any Indian middle class can draw inspiration from him in the way towards dealing with pressure and performing without fear of failure. The increase in disposable income has led to the change in attitude towards life, attitude towards savings. The Indian middle class is not afraid to take risks in life to get a bigger return. He is in constant search of avenues of making money. An age where money has its own language, and the person in possession of money is in possession of power. It has become the source of energy which drives the entire economy, of which Indian middle class has played the most important role. Arranged marriage in a typical middle class families is still not openly accepted, reasons may be preference for same caste bride which may not be guaranteed in love marriage. It may also be due to unfamiliarity or not being comfortable to other caste customs being brought and practiced in one family. Arrange marriage is not seen as marriage of two individuals but two families as well. The idea of prospective bride and groom to know each other before marriage is not given preference as the custom of these individuals having the luxury of spending time together is quite rare in any joint family. Also, the societal pressure is also a big factor which forces one to look into same caste bride or groom. The priority of selection bride or groom also is quite typical in middle class family and exchange of dowry which comes as unsaid package plays a major role in this decision. The education qualification in higher of engineer or doctor may fetch enough dowry to groom family to cover almost all the family members lifetime expenditure. Its agreed that many a times this money only changes hand in case the same family has a girl to be married away. All these factors doesnt provide the luxury to place the freedom to choose the bride in the hand of the prospective groom himself. The power to choose the family needs to be closely guarded and the sense of freedom even need to be made to felt to the groom. Also, the custom of preparing and matching kundli of prospective bride and groom to formally accept marriage proposal also affects the decision. The decision to go against the familys belief of marrying someone who technically doesnt match on paper may lead to social seclusion. The present has become poor indicator of the future indicates that current reputation, societal status, family acceptance takes preference over the prospective future of those two individuals living together happily. The middle path of arranged love marriage seems to provide the best possible solution in the current middle class society. It comes with best of both the worlds. Even though, this may not be happening at an encouraging level provides enough encouragement to other families to try to adapt for the benefit of those two individuals in question. Other reason for further acceptance of this phenomenon is the trend of growing number of nuclear families. The tradition of newly wed bride to stay with the family is becoming less frequent, leading to providing both the individuals to start their life with their own rules. The importance given to the caste is also decreasing due to importance given to education qualification and economic status in the society. The essence of middle class can be truly experienced while travelling across country via any means be it train, bus, jugaad or be it airplane. Out of all these means Train definitely displays the middle class in true sense. Indian Railways carries millions of Indians mostly middle class people through length and breadth of this huge nation on a daily basis. A typical middle class passenger takes a train journey not just as travel but as ritual. He is worried about the co-passengers destination more than his own. The train coupe forms a perfect blend of many cultures and their practices. It is clearly visible during the meal time. Any Gujarati family travels in a group of min 4-5 members with a plethora of food varieties in their stock. The ritual of cutting and preparing salad, preparing for the meal by arranging the plates and laying out the pre made food contents. The daily routine of having daily meal is still maintained irrespective of the place they may be. After Gold, probably Stainless steel is the metal which places itself highly in the life of typical Indian middle class family. The metal is a reliable carrier of memories. It stands for pride, trust and assurance. Stainless steel makes its presence very eminent in daily life of middle class family through vessels, utensils. It is the true representation of aspirations of middle class family, to be able to shine even after being put to test on a daily basis. It serves to utility to max. But due to recent advent of polymer technology and post liberalization era, Stainless steel is being slowly being replaced by more cheaper and easily replaceable elements like plastics, aluminium. This trend not only displays the changing attitude of the middle class towards daily life approach. There has been a constant shift from need for longevity, durability to alternatives which would serve the utility at best price. This change is evident of the fact of the fast changing life, non belief in long standing commitment. Ease of manufacturing, handling, disposal, multi utility and economy of use Need for Communication places itself on a very high scale for any Indian, specially a middle class family. The urge to stay connected through any possible means forms a strong bond among geographically spread and settled of the community. Even Post card saw its evolution in the form of launch of competition postcards, travel postcards etc, which formed an important part of a typical middle class family. Post card, in pre telecommunication era, was the perfect carrier of messages which contained message not for individuals but for the whole family from another family as such. Post card was like the facebook wall for the whole family. After the advent to telecommunication era, the ease of message transmission was shifted to audio content from textual content. But the current shift to electronic mail or e-mail has detached the flavour of writing letter to near and dear ones. Its well acknowledged that it has made life simpler, but the shift from paper letter to e-mail has shifted the le tter only as intention. Middle class is best known for its ability to excel at the time of scarcity. The backbone of this feat comes from the culture of staying in joint families. Joint family is a true representation of Marxist institute where the fruits of toil of the family is equally shared among the members. The belief in sharing everyone materialistic property among the members gives it a strong sense of binding. Every member works for the family not for his self individual. But, there has been a constant erosion in the concept of living through sharing. This is clearly evident in the rising conflict in land claiming issues in joint families. The constant shift from joint to nuclear families, constant movement of families from rural areas to urban areas, rising living costs and at the base of all the changing attitude of middle class towards living through sharing has led to this crude change. Summer break was usually associated with long break from school, summer holidays and trip to either native place or to a holiday destination with the family. It was a time to spend quality time with our near and dear ones. It was a time to take up some hobby at leisure be it reading comics, take up painting or music classes. But the true essence of the break was that it provided an opportunity to connect to our real self, to our places and culture of origin. It was a time to experience the new, refuel with fresh change of much needed air. There has been a constant shift in the attitude of middle class towards the summer break as well. The shift from leisure spending to time to more serious way on engagement has been created due to constant peer pressure and to prove oneself distinct from the lot. The mushrooming of summer camps for children for sports, music and arts classes is not due to self interest of children as such but also to satisfy the aspiration of typical middle class par ents to see their children develop a multi faceted personality. Mothers role is universally given the top priority in any human being relationship pyramid. Indian Mother plays an even more important role in any middle class family. Gender Role of mother is very prominent in a middle class family. She is the person responsible for binding the family, its health and even for counselling. She plays multiple roles in a family with varied responsibilities. She is the one who is more bothered about her sons exams. She portrays the true values of middle class through her aspirations for the family at the cost of sacrificing her own life. The affinity of a typical middle class family with white cloth reflects its aspiration levels of getting noticed in the society. This portrays the notion of purity in the era of corruption. The analogue of usage of ultramarine on white cloth is clearly with thin film of elite culture which every middle class aspires to be a part of. Ultramarine actually doesnt help in whitening the cloth but only provides a blue coat to cover up the real patches of yellow dirt resting on the cloth. It signifies the constant urge of Indian middle class to stand apart, its constant urge to excel through continuous trial. The recent adaption of dye based cloth dye from ultramarine depicts a change in time. The spike in demand of English medium school for middle class and associating children education with English displays the attitude towards thin film culture to hide their true image. The obsession with order and discipline is a typical characteristic of Indian middle class. The sense of belonging is one of the implicit needs of the Indian middle class. Well creased and iron clothes are one of the symbols used to strengthen the need for order. It gives them the strength to fight against the chaos of nature. Straight Line represents their triumph of humanness. In the pre-liberalization era when people were not suffering from ADD(attention deficit disorder), people had vivid means of entertainment ranging from coffee house debating, fishing, travelling or be it sitting idle with friends with corner tea shops and having friendly chat. Even the perception of viewing something in motion could be termed as entertainment. Here the house window played an important role in opening. It was the theatre of our imagination which would let your creativity do the talking. The recent expansion in the media domain has increased the options of entertainment but also reduced the interest in the outside real world. The role of window has changed from taking interest in real world to secluding oneself from the society. The ritual of visiting our relatives and near and dear ones without pre-announcement and even without a purpose was a common habit among middle class families having geographically scattered members. Even the purpose of the visit was not important. But recently due changing relationship among people and with growing linearity among it, the visit is associated with a purpose. Even the acceptance of un announced visit are not welcomed. The reasons of the trend can be varying ranging from improving communication technology to shrinking of family size to engulfing oneself in their own word. One place where the true middle class can be found congregating is the 4 pages of weekly matrimonial ads in daily newspapers. The ads are structured as per the caste requirement. The place becomes the marketing platform where packaging the individual in the form of few highlighted well seeked off words becomes the success criteria of finding any mate through those ads. A typical middle class arranged marriage doesnt takes place between individuals but between the families and in turn their relatives. It doesnt remains an event affecting 2 individuals but goes far beyond. The typical middle class phenomenon of intra caste marriage even at the cost of not finding suitable bride/groom can have unwelcomed effect. It not only affects those individuals but also the society. This menace can only be dealt with if the priority of suitability for partner selection is shifted from caste to their personal attitude matching. Any vehicle which is typically associated with a middle class family has to be a scooter. A scooter is analogues to a mule; comparable in strength and obedience for load carriage. A vehicle providing mobility with multi utility and an aura of safety around it was the perfect companion of any Indian middle class family. Scooter portrays the middle class persona to perfection. The ability of carry person well above rated number and weight, the ability to transform from people carriage vehicle to goods carrier in both front compartment and side deck, never asking for maintenance and providing the security of spare wheel made it the most suitable vehicle on Indian roads for any middle class family. Auto rickshaw has been an integral part of our lives which provides personalised travelling mode at near affordable price. Auto rickshaw was a vehicle which provided freedom from wait for public transport and provided door to door connectivity. The vehicle was a true image of the growing aspirations of the Indian middle class providing them the much needed differentiation in terms of image perception. The vehicle itself was positioned between the affordable but not comfortable mode of transportation , ie 2 wheelers and un-affordable 4 wheelers for a typical middle class. Of late due to improving public transportation in cities and increasing fares of auto transport, there has been a shift towards other modes but auto rickshaw is here to stay to its USP. In the pre-liberalization era, buying of any household appliance was an occasion in itself. The long term association with the appliances bought made it even further a special occasion. The appliances ranged from TV, fridge, Tape recorder, scooter, cooker, sewing machine etc. The appliance almost became a part of the family itself with special handling care taken care by the head of the family. The TV remote was the power centre which needs to be wrapped in polythene and handled only under guided supervision. Of late with the advent of consumerism and even increasing appliances buying and replacement rate, the importance of any appliance has reduced drastically. The role of appliance has shifted from being centrally used by the family to personalized usage. The concept of personalized appliance for every member of the family be it mobile phones, music systems or even vehicles has reduced the emotional elements attached with the appliance. The behaviour has changed from repair mentali ty to exchange mentality. This has further reduced the need for caring for the appliance as the life cycle of the technology considered upto date has also reduced drastically with new models being churned out every few models with better and improved features. The medical service was and is still considered luxury for many strata of our society. The affordability and notions attached with medical service and doctor are still alien in many parts of the society where the sole responsibility of the family health either lies in the hands of god or local medicine practitioners. But in other well off places doctors are almost next to god. The typical Indian middle class finds itself stuck between the affordability factor and belief factor. Of late a typical Indian middle class tries to over smart the well trained doctor through primary research on internet. To him the advice given by an unknown on internet appeals to him with greater truth factor than the advice given to him by doctor. Radio was a very strong binding medium in pre TV era connecting people from across the geography, occupation etc. There has been a constant shift in the methodology of popularity calculation of songs. Not only radio but also TV has been affected by the consumerism. The method of popularity is not only based on artists performance but also on the no. of sms send during the event. The Indian middle class is an upfront participant in the era of consumerism. The power of voting for their favourite performer has engaged the middle class into ever longer participation and increased its loyalty for the event. A typical Indian middle class finds pleasure in seeing someone alike performing well and progressing in the event. Cinema is trying to woo the middle class by providing much demand exclusive comfort through various class in shows. Typical Indian street food is a moving map of Indian culture whether you eat paani poori or idli dosa or Chinese. Its a place where hygiene is typically overlooked and is subsided by taste. Its a place for any typical calorie conscious individual to indulge and forget about extra calories. Its also a place where people across religion, caste and race are binded without issues. Indians love their cinemas and Songs and heroes are an integral part of it. Of late, there has been a constant shift from emotion based poetic songs to meaningless songs which are getting more encouragement from the society. Society doesnt have the quest for meaning through songs anymore, reasons may be varied. May be the middle class doesnt come to cinema anymore as a issue solver but as a mere entertainer. Cinema provides them escape from daily life issues for a couple of hours. And thats the reason, people look up to todays heroes as mere epitome of excess.The need of the hour is to encourage the real heroes to bring change in the society. Middle class need to rise to true heroism, be it being entrepreneur; helping generate jobs, generate income for people, be it working for societal development. Indian middle class is obsessed with power which really comes hard and short lived at times. The phenomenon is clearly evident in political hierarchy, power associated with official cars, its red sirens, the issue associated with security frisking. The reasons may be in the cultures acceptance of power distance, the need to show power at hand to society to gain importance. PSUs were set with mind set of socialism, but apparently they are the power house of the Indian industries. This scenario has been constantly shifting due to increasing entry of MNCs in India who preach exactly the opposite with its flat office structure, its open door policy, its transparency, its priority to performance over age based seniority etc. Film, politics and corporate are biggest institutions providing transfer of legacy through free passage of the baton to their next generation. License raj period was a black era where ones ability to survive directly depended on the bureaucratic contacts he/she had. T he Indian middle class was a complete misfit in this zone. The scene is also changing fast due to increased concern over the companys performance even at the cost of baton going to an outsider fit for the role. We need to watch for similar happenings in politics as well. Indian middle class are the true carriers of ancient Indian culture in todays Indian culture. This is represented clearly in the food and our existence around it. The food acts as the centre of our existence and stomach the seat of our soul. Food may be the barometer of our lives. The reasons could be due to immigration of varied cultures in India through ages, providing an enriching mix of food culture. One of unique form of food serving can be found in Thali. It forms a unique contrast with the western food culture of serving food in linear courses. The food itself is arranged all a time providing the connoisseur the option of selecting his course order accordingly. The reason why we enjoy Thali may be due to our finding pleasure in chaos. Another, interesting food form ie Pickle forms a central part of a typical middle class diet. Pickle tries to preserve its ingredient in interesting form. It acts like the culture distillate. The availability of thali food in restaurant and pickl e available in jars in retail stores reflect the changes in society. The hectic and fast moving lifestyle in urban areas doesnt provide an opportunity to families in either engaging in pickle preparation at home, neither do they find time to have meals at a time with the whole family at once. Even the food habits have seen constant change from Indian food to western food. The need to have the food on the move has seen shift in food and catering culture. Indians have always felt fuzzy in declaring their love towards their loved ones and the concept of expressing oneself through words, day celebration etc was of alien in nature. With liberalization and adoption of western culture, there has a constant shift towards need for verbal and visual expression of love and care. The growth of cards culture in form of Archies, Hallmark etc., celebration of fathers day, mothers day, and even valentines day has come under accepted and much needed norms. The major reasons may be increasing spatial, cultural and generation gap among the family members. The middle class in the run to keep up with the society has replaced bhai dooj with brothers day, the daily expressed silent care with valentines day, the parental respect with fathers day. The reason could be the need to make every occasion big and reason to celebrate with public display. The love in some cases may also be weighed in terms of the value of the gift exchanged. The Indian middle class obsession with English is not a new phenomenon, whether in the form of English pet names, obsession with English medium schools, the urge to communicate in English. This market is very well served by the growing tutorial classes promising to teach English in 30 days. Even though the excessive obsession has led to corrosion of native Indian culture but it also has a silver lining along with it. The booming IT outsourcing industry has been successful majorly due to the proficiency achieved by Indian middle class to international acceptable standards which has led to opening of job horizons for many. The Indian middle class believes in sharing and living, but sometimes at the cost of others inconvenience. This is clearly evident in the missing mobile etiquettes, throwing garbage in public places, listening TV at home at full volume. The lack of need to respect others space may be the outcome of the feeling of one with the society. This seem an issue of little relevance but with times there arises the need to educate people about respecting for others feeling and space essential for peaceful coexistence. Few rituals find peculiar adaptation in typical Indian middle class society. The traffic system portrays a system of chaos working perfectly in harmony. Every driver has his own meaning of traffic rule, he drives focused only on his objective. The myopic objective getting ahead of others even at the cost of creating traffic jam later. Honking is used for power display with safety put to backseat. Indian traffic is a perfect smaller version of Indian middle class culture. Many cities operate with no traffic signal nor with traffic policemen, which display almost magically the understanding amongst motorist. Indians always find hard to follow rules carved by someone else but are always apt to form their own. The rules are there to be bent which is evident in the way drivers do when they jus hang the seat belt to escape fine only to release it at the first possible opportunity, two wheelers carry helmets in hand only to be worn when faced with a traffic policeman. The chalta hai proves to be major deterrent to arrive at a lasting solution. The lack of desire for quality may be due to lack of desire for lasting solution. The major beneficiary is Indian politics where criminals are forgotten and re-elected, where scams are forgone with time. India has come a long way from 64 crore bofors scam to 1.76 lakh crore 2G telecom scam of which Indian middle class was a mere spectator. Indian middle seem to be good at forgiving and even better at forgetting. Even sports remains untouched when come to the scandals like cricket and recent common wealth games. The reason may be the attitude of disinterest of people towards apt punishment. The need of the hour is to educate the mass about the importance and benefit of following traffic rules. The need of the hour is to make the Indian middle class realize the power they have in their hands to elect capable and apt people. Liquor was always looked up as a menace in the Indian middle class and its association with ability to take the human out of oneself. The elite and extreme lower class always some occasion or reason associated with liquor consumption. But the middle class always took it as an unwinding tool, as a medium to hang out with. Our trip to Hill stations have always been associated with family, as a place to escape the heat and noise of the city. Indians always have been worshiping Sun, but also has always been looked with harshness of its nature which is quite opposite to western culture where they tend to welcome sun. Amitabh Bacchan is one those iconic figures who has lived through Indians for almost four decades now. He has lived almost all his characters too real life like. He has given every Indian the sense of his own existence through his reel characters. He has been the icon of credibility for most if the Indian middle class. He is the one who can be trusted by any brand either for publicity or damage control, ranging from Gujarat tourism to Cadbury worm controversy.

Image Deblurring with Sparse Representation

Image Deblurring with Sparse Representation AN APPROACH FOR IMAGE DEBLURRING: BASED ON SPARSE REPRESENTATION AND REGULARIZED FILTER AbstractDeblurring of the image is most the fundamental problem in image restoration. The existing methods utilize prior statistics learned from a set of additional images for deblurring. To overcome this issue, an approach for deblurring of an image based on the sparse representation and regularized filter has been proposed. The input image is split into image patches and processed one by one. For each image patch, the sparse coefficient has been estimated and the dictionaries were learned. The estimation and learning were repeated for all patches and finally merge the patches. The merged patches are subtracted from blurred input image the deblur kernel to be obtained. The deblur kernel then applied to regularized filter algorithm the original image to be recovered without blurring. The proposed deblur algorithm has been simulated using MATLAB R2013a (8.1.0.604). The metrics and visual analysis shows that the proposed approach gives better performance compared to existing methods. Keywords-Image deblurring, Dictionary learning based image sparse representation, Regularized filter. I. INTRODUCTION Deblurring is one of the problems in image restoration. The image deblurring due to camera shake. The image blur can be modelled by a latent image convolving with a kernel K. B = K à ¢Ã…  -I + n, (1) where B, I and n represent the input blurred image, latent image and noise respectively. The à ¢Ã…  - denotes convolution operator and the deblurring problem in image is thus posed as deconvolution problem [13]. The process of removing blurring artifacts from images caused by motion blur is called deblurring. The blur is typically modeled as the convolution of a point spread function with a latent input image, where both the latent input image and the point spread function are unknown. Image deblurring has received a lot of attention in computer vision community. Deblurring is the combination of two sub-problems: Point spread function (PSF) estimation and non-blind image deconvolution. These problems are both independently in computer graphics, computer vision, and image processing [13]. Finding a sparse representation of input data in the form of a linear combination of basic elements. It is called sparse dictionary learning and this is learning method. These elements are compose a dictionary. Atoms in the dictionary are not required to be orthogonal [10]. One of the key principles of dictionary learning is that the dictionary has to be inferred from the input data. The sparse dictionary learning method has been stimulated by the signal processing to represent the input data using as few possible components. To unblurred an image the non-blind deconvolution blur Point Spread Function (PSF) has been used [14]. The previous works to restore an image based on Richardson-Lucy (RL) or Weiner à ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ltering have more noise sensitivity [15 16]. Total Variation regularizer heavy-tailed normal image priors and Hyper-Laplacian priors were also widely studied [17]. Blind deconvolution can be performing iteratively, whereby each iteration improves the estimation of the PSF [8]. In [3] found that a new iterative optimization to solve the kernel estimation of images. To deblur images with very large blur kernels is very difficult. to reduce this difficulty using the iterative methods to deblur the image. From [1] found that to solve the kernel estimation and large scale optimization is used unnatural l0 sparse representation [1]. The properties for latent text image and the difficulty of applying the properties to text image de-blurring is discussed in [2]. Two motion blurred images with different blur directions and its restoration quality is superior than when using only a single image [5]. A deblurring methods can be modelled as the observed blurry image as the convolution of a latent image with a blur kernel [6]. The camera moves primarily forward or backward caused by a special type of motion blur it is very difficult to handle. To solve this type of blur is distinctive practical importance. A solution to solve using depth variation [8]. The feature-sign search for solving the l1-least squares problem to learn coefficients of problem optimization [9][10] and a Lagrange dual method for the l2-constrained least squares problem to learn the bases for any sparsity penalty function. II. IMAGE DEBLURRING WITH DICTIONARY LEARNING To estimate the deblur kernel, an iterative method to alternately estimate the unknown variables, one at a time, which divides the optimization problem into several simple ones in each iteration. Were performed more importantly, the dictionary D is learned from the input image during this optimization process. The algorithm iteratively optimizes one of K, D, ÃŽÂ ± by à ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ xing the other two, and à ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ nally obtains the deblurring kernel. With the estimated kernel, any standard deconvolution algorithm to recover the latent image can be applied. The initial dictionary and the initial kernel value is convoluted and this result will be called as dictionary and this dictionary is subtracted by blur image. Fig.1 block diagaram for deblurring algorithm is shown in below A. Estimate Sparse Coefficient To follow the below algorithm to estimating the sparse coefficients of the given input blurred image. ALGORITHM I Step 1: Get the blurred input image B Step 2: Spilt the B into four patches as p1,p2,p3,p4. Step 3: Consider first image patch p1 and find the sparse coefficient to fix K using Gaussian kernel and D as identity matrix. ÃŽÂ ±(n+1) = argmin||ÃŽÂ ±||1 (2) s.t. b =(K(n) à ¢Ã…  -D(n))ÃŽÂ ± (3) Step 4: For each iteration the ÃŽÂ ± value should be updated into D Step 5: Take N iterations to estimating the ÃŽÂ ±(n+1). Step 6: Repeat the above 5 steps to all image patches and estimate the ÃŽÂ ±(n+1). B. Updating Dictonary In the knowledge of previous algorithm using the sprase coefficient to updating the dictionary of the image. ALGORITHM II Step 1: To update the dictionary, deconvolve blurred image with kernel up to Last iteration using any deconvolution algorithm and get Ip. Step 2: Ip image is split into four patches. Step 3: Update the dictionary using ÃŽÂ ±(n+1) and D. D(n+1) = min||Ip à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢D(n)ÃŽÂ ±(n+1)||22.(4) Step 4: Repeat the steps 1 to 3 to all image patches and estimating the D(n+1). C.Recovering Deblur Image Consider previous algorithm to estimate the deblur kernel of the image and finally to recovered the deblur image. ALGORITHM III Step 1: Find the latent image patch using Ip(n+1) = D(n+1)ÃŽÂ ±(n+1)(5) Step 2: Merge the all image patches of Ip. Step 3: The reconstructed image is subtracted from the blurred input image to obtain the deblur kernel. Step 4: Perform the deconvolution with the input blurred image and Deblur kernel using wiener deconvolution method. Step 5: Apply the regularization filter to the wiener deconvolution image to recover the original image. After that the RMSE, PSNR, SSIM and visual perception were analyzed for various images. III. SIMULATION RESULTS To implement the deblur algorithm is simulated using MATLAB R2013a (8.1.0.604). The root mean square error, power to signal noise ratio, structural similarity index metric and visual perception were analyzed for various images. From the analysis, it is observed that the deblurring were efficiently performed. Also carry out experiments with images blurred by randomly generated kernel. The existing deblurring algorithms are usually developed to deal with motion blur problems in which the kernels are oriented and simple. However, the camera shakes are complex and cannot be modeled well with simple blur kernels. This algorithm is able to recover the latent image with more details and better contrast. The initial kernel K0 is set to be theGaussian kernel with à Ã†â€™ =1, and ÃŽâ€Å" is set as 1 and identity matrix I. The colour images are used for experiments and crop a small portion ( e.g. 512ÃÆ'-512 pixels) of the tested image to estimate kernel using the algorithm as given in Chapter 2.The regularized filter algorithm has been used to reconstruct image I. The à ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ nal deblurred image can be recovered once the deblur kernel is estimated. (a) (b) (c) Fig.2. Experimentel results of deblurring algorithm. (a) blurred image (original size is 256 ÃÆ'- 256);(b) deblurred image 1;(c)final deblurred image; A. Performance Measurement The root mean square error(RMSE), power to signal noise ratio(PSNR), structural similarity index metric(SSIM) and visual perception were analyzed for various images. From the analysis, it is observed that the deblurring were efficiently performed for the use sparse representation of the image. If the accuracy of the estimated kernel is improved at each iteration, the proposed algorithm will à ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ nd a reasonably good solution. Further reducing the RMSE comparable to other methods. TABLE I:RMSE VALUES UNDER DIFFERENT ALGORITHMS Image Fergus [11] Shan [12] Zhe Hu [13] Deblur Image(1) Deblur Image(2) Barbara 5.53 7.02 4.61 3.51 1.27 Koala 5.41 6.57 5.10 3.21 1.06 Castle 1 7.87 7.46 6.73 3.12 1.05 TABLE 2:PSNR VALUES UNDER DIFFERENT ALGORITHMS Image Fergus [11] Shan [12] Zhe Hu [13] Deblur Image(1) Deblur Image(2) Barbara 33.27 31.20 34.85 37.21 46.03 Koala 33.46 31.77 33.97 37.87 47.54 Castle 1 30.21 30.67 31.57 38.23 47.57 RMSE and PSNR comparison for different deblurring methods shown in the table. The experiments are conducted using four test images, namely Barbara, koala, castle1. TABLE 3:SSIM VALUES FOR OUR ALGORITHMS Image Deblur Image(1) Deblur Image(2) Barbara 0.7354 0.5427 Koala 0.7592 0.5486 Castle 1 0.8124 0.6495 From the analysis, it is observed that the deblurring were efficiently performed. Because of the ssim value should be less than 1. IV. CONCULSION AND FUTURE WORK In this paper, we propose an effective deblurring algorithm with dictionary learning using one single image were simulated. By decomposing the blind deconvolution problem into three portions deblurring and learning sparse dictionary from the image, our method is able to estimate blur kernels and thereby deblurred images. Experimental results show that this algorithm achieves favourable performance. In future the deblurring algorithm is to be implement on FPGA with suitable architectures. V. REFERENCES [1] L. Xu, S. Zheng, and J. Jia, Unnatural 0 sparse representation for natural image deblurring, in Proc. IEEE Conf. Comput. Vis. Pattern Recognit. (CVPR), Jun. 2013, pp. 1107-1114. [2] H. Cho, J. Wang, and S. Lee, Text image deblurring using text specià ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ c properties, in Proc. Eur. Conf. Comput. Vis. (ECCV), Oct. 2012, pp. 524-537. [3] L. Xu and J. Jia, Two-phase kernel estimation for robust motion deblurring, in Proc. Eur. Conf. Comput. Vis. (ECCV), Sep. 2010, pp. 157-170. [4] J. P. Oliveira, M. A. T. Figueiredo, and J. M. Bioucas-Dias, Parametric blur estimation for blind restoration of natural images: Linear motion and out-of-focus, IEEE Trans. Image Process., vol. 23, no. 1, pp. 466-477, Jan. 2014. [5] H. Zhang, D. Wipf, and Y. Zhang, Multi-observation blind deconvolution with an adaptive sparse prior, IEEE Trans. Pattern Anal. Mach. Intell., vol. 36, no. 8, pp. 1628-1643, Aug. 2014. [6] O. Whyte, J. Sivic, A. Zisserman, and J. Ponce, Non-uniform deblurring for shaken images, Int. J. Comput. Vis., vol. 98, no. 2, pp. 168-186, 2012. [7] A. Gupta, N. Joshi, C. L. Zitnick, M. Cohen, and B. Curless, Single image deblurring using motion density functions, in Proc. 11th Eur. Conf. Comput. Vis.(ECCV), Sep. 2010, pp. 171-184. [8] S. Zheng, L. Xu, and J. Jia, Forward motion deblurring, in Proc. IEEE Int. Conf. Comput. Vis. (ICCV), Dec. 2013, pp. 1465-1472. [9] T. Goldstein and S. Osher, The split Bregman method for L1-regularized problems, SIAM J. Imag. Sci., vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 323-343, 2009. [10] H. Lee, A. Battle, R. Raina, and A. Y. Ng, Efà ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ cient sparse coding algorithms, in Advances in Neural Information Processing Systems 19. Cambridge, MA, USA: MIT Press, 2007, pp. 801-808. [11] R. Fergus, B. Singh, A. Hertzmann, S. T. Rowels, and W. T. Freeman. Removing camera shake from a single photograph. In SIGGRAPH, 2006. [12] Q. Shan, J. Jia, and A. Agarwala. High-quality motion deblurring from a single image. In SIGGRAPH, 2008. [13] Z. Hu, J.-B. Huang, and M.-H. Yang, Single image deblurring with adaptive dictionary learning, in Proc. 17th IEEE Int. Conf. Image Process. (ICIP), Sep. 2010, pp. 1169-1172. [14] L.Lucy.An iterative technique for the rectià ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ cation of observed distributions. Astronomical Journal, 79(6):745-754, 1974. [15] W. Richardson. Bayesian-based iterative method of image restoration. Journal of the Optical Society of America, 62(1):55-59, 1972. [16] N.Wiener, Extrapolation, Interpolation and Smoothing of Stationary Time Series. MIT Press, 1964. [17] A. Levin, Y. Weiss, F. Durand, and W. T. Freeman, Understanding blind deconvolution algorithms, IEEE Trans. Pattern Anal. Mach. Intell., vol. 33, no. 12, pp. 2354-2367, Dec. 2011.

Computer Languages :: essays research papers

Computer Languages   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Differences in computer languages is a topic that many people are not familiar with. I was one of those kinds of people before I started researching on this topic. There many different computer languages and each one of them are similar in some ways, but are also different in other ways, such as: program syntax, the format of the language, and the limitations of the language.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most computer programmers start programming in languages such as turbo pascal or one of the various types of basic. Turbo pascal, Basic, and Fortran are some of the oldest computer languages. Many of today's modern languages have been a result of one of these three languages, but are greatly improved. Both turbo pascal and basic are languages that are easy to understand and the syntax is very easy and straightforward. In Basic when printing to the screen you simply type the word 'print', in turbo pascal you would type 'writeln'. These are very simple commands that the computer executes. To execute a line of code in a language such as C, or C++, you would have to type in much more sophisticated lines of code that are much more confusing than the previous two.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The format and layout of the various languages are very diverse between some, and between others are somewhat similar. When programming in Basic the user has to type in line numbers before each new line of code. In an updated version of Basic called QBasic, numbers are optional. Turbo pascal does not allow the user to input numbers, it has preset commands that seperate each part of the program. This is similar to QBasic, but is much more sophisticated. Instead of using the command gosub in Basic, the user would make a procedure call.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another new language is C. C is a spinoff of turbo pascal but is capable of doing more things than turbo. The format and layout are similar, but the syntax is much more complex than turbo is. When C first came out, there were many major flaws in the language so a new version had to be put out, C++. The main addition from C to C++ is the concept of classes and templates. Many other small flaws were fixed when this new version of C came out also.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many of the languages have different limitations on the tasks that they

Full-Day vs. Half-Day Kindergarten Essay -- essays papers

Full-Day vs. Half-Day Kindergarten Which is more effective? Abstract: This paper gives a brief history of kindergarten; where and why it was created. It describes both full-day and half-day programs, examines the advantages, and disadvantages of full-day and half-day kindergarten, and comes to a conclusion as to which program is more effective in educating the young. Kindergarten plays an important role in the growth, and development of a child. It is here that children begin the foundation for the rest of there education. Educators are constantly looking for ways to improve the kindergarten program for optimal success, however change never occurs easily. There is always some opposition; as in the case with the change from half-day to full-day kindergarten. After carefully researching the controversial topic I have been able to come to some conclusions, as to which program is more effective, and practical. However it is important to first look into where kindergarten all began. There is no denying the importance of the care and education of young children. That is why early childhood educators have been motivated for centuries to create high quality programs for the young. One of the most innovative and lasting programs that was created was German educator Friedrich Froebel’s concept of kindergarten. Froebel sought to develop a program that would stress the natural growth of children through play, and in 1837 he developed the first kindergarten (Froebel’s Kindergarten). Froebel believed that children after the age of three should be placed in the care of properly trained teachers for part of the day (A Comparison of the Reading Performance). In 1849 the training of kindergarten teachers began, and in the 1850’s kin... ...from Academic Search/ EBSCO database Kurtz, Jill. (2004, October 15). Starting School for Kindergarten Parents. Retrieved December 4, 2004, from http://www.fcps.k12.va.us/start/kday.htm Mathur, Sangeeta, Elicker, James (1997). What Do They Do All Day? Comprehensive Evaluation of a Full-Day Kindergarten. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 12(4), p.459 +. Retrieved October 3, 2004, from ERIC database Schubert, Ellen (1997). Half-day kindergarten perspective. [Electronic Version]. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 12(4) p.481+. Viadero, Debra (2002). Full-Day Kindergarten Boosts Academic Performance. Education Week, 21(31), p.14. Retrieved September 26, 2004, from Academic search/ EBSCO database Wood, Daniel B. (2004, January 28). Learning trend: Kindergarten becomes and all-day affair. Retrieved December 4, 2004, from http:www.matr.net/print-9643.html

Hemingway: The Relevance of Biography to Interpretation Essay

Even a cursory examination of the literature addressing Hemingway’s writing and his life can seem overwhelming. The purpose of this paper, however, is to demonstrate that some of Hemingway’s writing can be best understood through reference to his own life experiences. This is not meant to suggest that the text does not at times provide some internal textual evidence regarding the meaning of the piece as a whole, for it most certainly does, but that external biographical evidence must also be considered and weighed when interpreting Hemingway’s work. In this paper it will be suggested that an examination of the external evidence, as it relates to Hemingway’s own life experiences, is particularly relevant to any interpretation of Ten Indians or Hills like White Elephants and that in these short stories a reconciliation of the external biographical evidence with the internal textual evidence may better aid in understanding the stories themselves. Significant Biographical Characteristics: Machismo and Gender Relations In order to better understand Hemingway’s writing it is necessary to know about the man himself and some of the major events and experiences which shaped his thought process. With reference to the short stories specifically addressed in this paper there are two biographical characteristics which seem to aid in efforts to interpret meaning or to otherwise try to make sense of the text. The first biographical characteristic is often referred to as Hemingway’s extremely masculine lifestyle or what some scholars have referred to as his macho orientation. It is well-established among scholars and historians, for instance, that Hemingway thoroughly enjoyed rigorous physical activities and pursuits; it has been noted that Hemingway was known for his â€Å"highly developed skills in such ‘manly’ fields as hunting, fishing, boxing and sailing. ( Harry Sylvester, who used to box with Hemingway frequently, once told me that Hemingway was the strongest man he had ever known. )† (McCaffery 12). He was, in short, an independent-minded writer whom enjoyed physical exertion, challenging himself through a variety of pursuits, and outdoor activities. While some scholars, such as McCaffery, have viewed Hemingway’s manliness in a positive light there are some whom have viewed him in a less flattering light; indeed, as a leading Hemingway scholar has pointed out â€Å"Others view his masculinity as negative machismo. They consider him the worst example of a sexist, racist, homophobic man, and often refuse to read or teach Hemingway, or make apologies when they do. † (Moddelmog 2). Whether loved or hated, therefore, scholars seem to agree on his manliness and his abrasively macho view of life. For purposes of interpretation, this informs us that though a gifted writer, and an artist, Hemingway was not the sort of intellectual that was confined to a library or a desk at home; quite the contrary, unlike many other writers, he actually did live in many respects the very type of life which he wrote about. His were not speculative musings, or romantic idealizations, but reflections and comments on situations and characters with which he was intimately familiar. Any attempt to understand or interpret his written work, therefore, must to some extant take note of Hemingway’s own life experiences and philosophical mind-set.. The second biographical characteristic which can aid in the interpretation of Hemingway’s text more specifically, with respect to Ten Indians and Hills like White Elephants, involves his personal experiences with women and how he dealt with gender issues such as relationships and fatherhood in his writings. Hemingway, to put it mildly, experienced the company of many women and seemed almost forever to have troublesome or difficult relations with the opposite sex. He loved women and yet he seemed to struggle to understand them in reference to his own lifestyle and psychology. Referring to Hills like White Elephants, one researcher has observed that â€Å"the subtle and dramatic dialogue in ‘Hills Like White Elephants’ reveals a clear, sensitive portrait of two strong personalities caught in a pattern of miscommunication due to gender-linked language patterns† (Smiley 92); another researcher, referring to Hemingway’s writing more generally, has argued that he must be understood as a human being whom was never quite comfortable about â€Å"his own failed or failing marital and/or extramarital relations. † (Spilka 299). Gender communication or the lack thereof, particularly that dealing with romantic relationships, is pervasive in Hemingway’s writing and can to some degree be related to his own life. In sum, external biographical evidence is extraordinarily relevant when attempting to interpret Hemingway’s writing and it must be considered alongside the internal textual evidence of each written piece of work. Ten Indians An initial and superficial reading of Hemingway’s Ten Indians suggests a rather common plot in which a young boy falls in love, in which he is subsequently betrayed, and in which innocence is lost or diminished in the process. In the instant story, the protagonist is Nick Adams and he falls in love with a young Indian girl whom he apparently adores and whom he trusts feels the same as he does; the twist is that she has been spotted with another boy and that Nick is forced to confront the betrayal. The betrayal, however, is not easily predicted; it is not easily predicted because Hemingway creates a pleasant setting and a happy family atmosphere within which to develop his more depressing plot. Indeed, the protagonist Nick Adams returns home to his father after spending a happy Fourth of July with his friends the Garners. Over a late meal of cold chicken and huckleberry pie the father, who â€Å"made a big shadow on the kitchen wall,† informs Nick that his Indian girlfriend Prudence Mitchell spent her Fourth of July â€Å"threshing around† in the woods with one Frank Washburn (Carter 103) Everyone had seemed quite happy. The Fourth of July is a joyous occasion for friends and family, and young Nick Adams is in love. Although scholars have debated Hemingway’s intentions, because of different conclusions discovered in preliminary and final drafts of the manuscript, it is true that â€Å"In the final part of the published story, Nick goes into his room after the conversation with his father, gets undressed, and climbs into bed, lying with his face in the pillow and thinking, ‘My heart’s broken†¦. If I feel this way my heart must be broken'† (Nolan n. p. ). Thus, the story would appear to be a familiar one of trust, betrayal, and heartache. Further and more careful readings of the text, however, suggest deeper and, possibly, more metaphorical intentions by Hemingway. If from a superficial point of view the story appears to characterize the fallen world of young love then from a more careful examination of the text, reference to the aforementioned biographical characteristics and the relevant scholarly literature the story may also be said to characterize the fallen world of a man’s sense of orderly nature itself. This notion of metaphor, that the text sets forth a young boy’s broken heart to represent a larger type of destruction, is persuasive given the context in which Hemingway set the story and given the way in which the destruction of the wilderness is simultaneously presented in the text. As an initial matter, it is important to understand that Ten Indians was one of many short stories written by Hemingway which detailed and explored the coming of age of Nick Adams. Some scholars have suggested that the protagonist, Nick Adams, was in many ways a personal reflection of Hemingway’s own coming of age story and that he was an autobiographical figure for Hemingway in certain respects. Indeed, there are several interesting connections between Hemingway’s personal history and the people and places created in the short story, Ten Indians. First, although Hemingway was born in Illinois, it is commonly understood that he considered his spiritual home to be in Michigan. This area served as the setting for this particular short story. Second, he relied upon the local Indians of the region to create some of his important characters; in fact, he drew upon his real life observations of the Ottawa and Ojibwa Indian tribes. Indeed, the Indians and their country had a profound effect on Hemingway’s imagination. From his first attempts at fiction and in his later Nick Adams stories, he would draw upon his experiences at Walloon Lake, using Indian characters and wilderness settings. (Nagel 108) Together, these real life experiences helped Hemingway to create both the setting and many of the main characters for his short stories. In addition to providing inspiration for his setting and characters, there was a deeper conflict which Hemingway’s real-life experiences contributed to his writing design in Ten Indians; more specifically, drawing upon Indian tribes whose lives had become fundamentally changed through close contact and interaction with a different American culture, Hemingway was able to cleverly depict a metaphorical illustration of innocence lost through the betrayal of Nick Adams by the Indian girl. Nick’s innocence, it can be argued, has been destroyed in much the same way as the Indian wilderness. Hemingway lamented the modernization which infringed on the forests of northern Michigan and the parallels between the destruction of the wilderness and the destruction of Nick Adams’ heart are striking. These parallels have been noted by one scholar whom has suggested that: Hemingway shows the wilderness being destroyed and, with the loss of the trees, the end of the Indian way of life. This fallen world is the setting of â€Å"Ten Indians,† a story that centers on the adolescent Nick Adams’s first disappointment in love as he learns that his Indian girlfriend, Prudence Mitchell, has been unfaithful (Nagel 108-109) When examining the text of Ten Indians, therefore, it is important to note these important parallels, Hemingway’s love of nature and his view of man’s place in nature. Literally speaking, Hemingway drew on a familiar and beloved setting and populated much of the story with the type of Indian characters that were well-known to him. Figuratively speaking, or metaphorically speaking, Hemingway managed to link the fallen world of the pristine natural wilderness with the fallen world of a young man’s broken heart. It is against this contextual framework that any analysis of Ten Indians must proceed. This is not meant to suggest that either fallen world was the predominant theme; to be sure, both the text and the scholarly literature would seem to demonstrate that Hemingway found both the destruction of the wilderness and the destruction of a first love as betrayals that would inevitable shatter an individual’s innocence and mark another stage in the coming of age of young boys. A young boy, reconciling the external evidence with the internal evidence, might be better advised enjoying the beauty of the forests than the beauty of insincere wiles of young girls. Hills like White Elephants Although a comparatively short story, Hemingway’s Hills like White Elephants is full of tension and moral dilemma; more specifically, the text appears to suggest that the man and the woman are debating whether the woman should have an abortion and what the implications will be depending on whether the abortion is done or not done. What is most striking, from a textual analysis, is the contrast between the rather relaxed atmosphere or setting and the deeply personal nature of the discussion. On the one hand, for instance, the man and the woman are relaxing at a train station, drinking alcohol, and waiting for a train. This would seem to imply a happy couple, an anticipated journey, and a relationship that will endure at least until the train arrives. These contextual clues, however, are sharply betrayed by the underlying discussion regarding whether the woman, Jig, will undergo an operation to have an abortion. One might anticipate some form of closure, some final decision arrived at by the main characters, but instead Hemingway leaves the reader grasping for answers as the story comes to a conclusion. He leaves them grasping for answers because rather than stating what decision has been made, and whether the American and Jig will actually ever see each other again, Hemingway finishes his story without a definitive declaration in either respect. With respect to the operation for the abortion, the woman states that she is willing to have the operation; the American man, however, doubts her sincerity. The reader is therefore forced to wonder, as the American wonders, whether the woman is agreeing or temporarily attempting to placate her partner and lover. With respect to the relationship itself, the reader desiring a firm and resolute statement is left grasping for straws. This is because, rather than departing on the train to Madrid together as planned, the American places their bags or luggage at different positions on the platform before rejoining Jig. The story then finishes up with the man being suspicious of the woman’s true motives and convictions and with the placement of the bags providing a possible clue that the relationship is doomed. The couple is together and yet the bags are separate; this is where Hemingway leaves his readers and scholars themselves have grappled with both the meaning of the story and the likely outcomes. The scholarly analysis of Hills like White Elephants has traditionally tended to focus upon the use of internal textual clues to determine whether Jig intended to have the operation and the fate of the relationship between Jig and the America; more recently, however, some scholars have begun to analyze whether and to what extant the short story may have been influenced or otherwise inspired by Hemingway’s own life. This bifurcated focus has been summed up, analyzed, and synthesized by one leading Hemingway scholar whom has stated the scholarly emphasis thusly: â€Å"Two recurring themes in analyses of Ernest Hemingway’s ‘Hills Like White Elephants’ are the debate over whether or not Jig will carry her pregnancy to term and the search for biographical experiences that may have inspired and influenced the story. † (Wyche n. p). This section will examine each of these scholarly inquiries in turn. The traditional scholarly interest has involved an examination of the text for clues in order to determine whether an abortion was actually pursued and the fate of the couple. A review of the literature reveals at least four possibilities: Three different scenarios have been seriously considered: the girl will have the abortion (albeit reluctantly) and stay with the man; the girl will have the abortion and leave the man; or, the girl will not have the abortion, having won the man over to her point of view. However, there is strong support in the narrative for a fourth outcome that fits in, with the dark overall prognosis presented in other scholarly interpretations: the girl will indeed have the abortion, expecting in this way to stay on with the man, but after the operation has been performed, he will abandon her. Various verbal and non-verbal indications found in the story support this interpretation of the narrative, as does the very symbolism of the title itself. (Hashmi n. p. ) Although an extended analysis of each scenario is beyond the scope of this paper, a rationale for selecting the most plausible outcome based upon the text is not. The most persuasive outcome would appear to be the fourth; more specifically, a superficial reading of the text suggests that Jig will indeed have an abortion and that the American will abandon her despite her attempt to maintain the relationship. First, the American places their bags in different parts of the platform. Analyzed literally, this seems to suggest that he doubts her sincerity regarding the abortion and that he is preparing for a separation. Second, they stand together and Jig tells the American that despite the strain of the abortion decision she remains fine. The man has made the decision to separate the bags whereas Jig would appear to believe that things will work out in such a way as to maintain the relationship. The man’s actions represent separation whereas Jig’s actions and words represent togetherness. It is therefore plausible to argue that she will pursue togetherness by having the abortion and that the man will pursue separation by encouraging the abortion and then abandoning or otherwise terminating the relationship. Although never explicitly stating such a conclusion, the fourth scenario is supported by the aforementioned textual clues. Other scholars have instead focused on Hemingway’s own life in order to understand the story; in this way, the abortion issue is treated figuratively rather than literally. As one scholar pursuing this biographically-oriented type of analysis explains â€Å"While the figurative abortion in ‘Hills Like White Elephants’ can be understood on the basis of internal evidence, the concept of abortion as metaphor invites consideration of a number of biographical influences on the story,† (Wyche n.  p. ). While such an analysis requires a reconciling of certain parts of the text with information known about Hemingway’s personal life there are interesting parallels. One illustration involves the fact that Hemingway has been reported to have said that the birth of his first child led to the dissolution of his first marriage, that he was at the time too young to have become a father, and that â€Å"the author’s ambivalence toward fatherhood is well-documented† (Wyche, n. p. ). Against this larger framework, comparing the author’s real life with his written work, it may become plausible to argue that the scholarship dealing with the outcomes regarding the abortion and the relationship are in actuality tangential or irrelevant concerns insofar as the author was concerned; more precisely, it might be argued that Hemingway was merely incorporating difficult moments from his own coming of age experience without intending to offer concrete conclusions. In the final analysis, while it is both challenging and interesting to explore what Hemingway may have intended as a conclusion, it is perhaps more enlightening to view Hills like White Elephants as a writer’s reflections about his own past in which firm and absolute conclusions were never intended. Hemingway was placing the reader in his own shoes and asking what the reader might do, what the reader ought to do, in similar circumstances. Such an interpretation is consistent with the biographical data known about Hemingway and makes the story more powerful and personal by forcing the reader to draw his or her own conclusions rather than being force-fed a set of conclusions by the author. Conclusion In conclusion, what makes Hemingway so alluring is that he actually lived the type of life that he wrote about. It is therefore impossible to completely separate his own life from his writing as one might be able to do with other writers. As a consequence, interpretation must necessarily involve a balancing act in which external biographical evidence is weighed and considered alongside the internal textual evidence. It is this interplay, between real life and fiction, that perhaps makes Hemingway appear larger than life.