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Crime: presentation

Saving the environment

     Our planet earth is continuously changing. Mother Earth has been experiencing crucial changes since the Ice Age and, more specifically, the hallmark in world history, the Industrial Revolution. Today, human and animal species are experiencing numerous environmental problems that pose a dire threat of extinction. These environmental concerns range from harsh climate changes, global warming, air, land and water pollution, acid rain, ozone layer depletion, depletion of natural resources and deforestation to endangered plant and animal species.

     A healthy environment is imperative for the continued existence of humans, animals and plants alike. There is an urgent need to preserve Nature’s wealth and handle the indispensable resources which Mother Earth generously provided us with. There are several pressing efforts that can be undertaken in order to safeguard our environment and save the planet before we are completely wiped out.

     One of the most important measures we can embark on is reducing our usage of electricity – the source of energy that powers our everyday appliances: inclusively – air conditioners, refrigerators, computers, lights and fans. There is an escalating demand for electricity which has led to pollution. The first step we could easily take is switching off unnecessary electricity. We should switch off lights and unplug other electrical appliances when they are not in use.

     The second most important step to sustain our environment is using renewable energy sources. We should reduce our demand for fossil fuels. Instead of burning coal or fuels, which result in harmful emission of greenhouse gases, we could resort to using solar, wind and hydro power. Households could install solar panels and wind turbines and utilize them for water and heaters and to generate power. Using renewable energy as a primary source of power would make a positive contribution to saving energy and eventually, reducing air pollution and greenhouse gases. The lesser we pollute our environment, the more we prevent Earth from global warming.

     The third most vital step to curb global warming is to plant more trees. The government should discourage and ban cutting of trees, burning forests and introduce environmental-friendly products. Planting trees assists in quick absorption of carbon dioxide. We could ask our peers or relatives to join us and plant a tree near our homes.

    We should also consider using products that do not contain chlorofluorocarbons [CFC’s]. These are released from sprays, air conditioners, refrigerators and cosmetics. They contribute to the greenhouse effect – a process in which the harmful ultra-violet [UV] rays of the sun are filtered in the earth’s atmosphere which increases the average climate on Earth and ultimately, rapid depletion of the ozone layer.

     Additionally, the government should discourage use of old vehicles. Our part of the contribution in reducing air pollution involves giving cars regular servicing, frequently checking and cleaning exhaust pipes, checking for emitted pollutants and checking air-pressure in tires because under-inflated tires consume more fuel.

     Water is a fundamental natural resource for survival of species. However, on a daily basis, we waste large amounts of it and pollute lakes, rivers and seas by dumping garbage and killing marine life, which is also a significant food source for humans. We should save water by turning off taps after use and avoid littering the water bodies.

     Moreover, we should pursue the habit of recycling and reusing whatever we can. It is crucial to reduce usage of rubber and plastic and avoid using disposable items. Plastic never dies and leads to poisoning and death. This could be prevented if we use paper bags instead of plastic bags for shopping and consider a healthier alternative of using glass bottles instead of water bottles.

     Likewise, we should consider walking more instead of driving. It is necessary to save energy and fuel. The environment can be protected from air pollution if we consider walking to short, local distances – which are five to ten miles from home, or purchase a bicycle which is good for our health in terms of exercise as well as the environment in terms of reducing pollution.

     Environmental protection also concerns rights of and justice towards animals. In order to fully save the planet, it is vital to protect and save animal species. This involves reducing usage of animal products; animal fur is excessively used, particularly for clothing items worldwide. Animals are poached for their skin, used in scientific research and killed in large numbers. These have expansively put them under the threat of extinction. This can be prevented by resolving not to hunt animals, discouraging poaching, providing donations for animal schemes and effectively promoting animal rights’ campaigns, working for animal shelters and looking after animals.

     Last of all, everyone has a vital role to play in creating awareness in order to awaken the masses to the gravity of environmental problems and working on their solutions. People should be encouraged to save the environment. This could be done by putting up posters and banners in neighbourhood, school, college or workplace; organizing environmental awareness campaigns, getting t-shirts or caps made with environmental awareness slogans written and spreading the word. Persuade people to participate in attempts to reduce global warming.

     Through these acts, we can save our planet from extinction. Every small act can make a huge difference. Immediate precautionary measures have to be put into effect before Mother Earth starts cleansing herself of anything that is creating an imbalance.

Analysis of iPad and Samsung Galaxy Tablet

 

   During the course of the 21^st century, technology has undergone tremendous and dramatic changes. Man’s life has become significantly easier as compared to the former generations. Owing to the availability of an extensive range of gadgets at our disposal, information and networking are just clicks away. The mind-boggling, unpredictable pioneering powers of the human brain have rapidly hit broad dimensions and they continue to explore wider horizons. Two of the most remarkable inventions in today’s era that have yet again astonished the world are iPad, which was brought forth by United States’ giant company Apple and Samsung Galaxy Tablet which hit the markets shortly after Apple launched iPad. The iPad is considerably better than Samsung’s tablet. In this essay, I shall throw light on those particular aspects of the iPad that distinguish it from Tablet and make it more appealing and preferable. I shall also highlight those underlying facets of the iPad that render it similar to Tablet.

     The foremost similarity is that iPad and Tablet offer a multi-touch screen. All we have to do is simply move our fingers to operate these gadgets. The user interfaces require neither a separate mouse nor a separate keyboard in order to perform. They offer a virtual keyboard which we can use when need arises. Applications in such technology are merely a touch away. In addition, running them is no rocket science because they are endowed with uncomplicated built-in features.

     The second most apparent features are the designs. Both the gadgets are thinly designed and light-weighted with barely slight variances in size. These characteristics make the gadgets portable and reliable; they can be easily carried around anywhere as they do not occupy much space. Moreover, their outward appearance is arresting.

     The third fundamental resemblance is their efficiency and speed of operation. They have made our lives relatively simpler as compared to laptops and desktop computers. In the modern fast-paced and globalized world, they make communication, networking and access to information quick and more convenient. Information is now more readily available than before.

     Along with the parallels, there are aspects of iPad and Tablet that make them dissimilar to each other. Firstly, there are stark differences in the storage capacities of the gadgets. Whereas the latest iPad provides a storage capacity of 64 GB, Tablet only provides consumers with 16 GB. Considering their high prices, purchasing an iPad is a more reliable option than Tablet since we can download music, videos and ebooks – which make our experiences as iPad consumers more enriching. Ipads also have longer battery lives.

     Secondly, iPad comes with plentiful applications to keep consumers entertained and engaged in daily life. In its latest generation of iPad, Apple presented a staggering number of applications that amounted to over 900,000. On the contrary, Samsung offered a limited number of applications, which implied utilizing time downloading them off the internet. IPad and Tablet have in-built wifi, a switchable camera that can face the back as well as the front, music and video player, social networking as well as GPS navigator. Conversely, Tablet is limited to these few applications only; the rest are up to the consumer to download. When Apple can put forward countless applications at a costly price, purchasing an iPad, according to my opinion, is a more feasible alternative. Several professionals may favour Samsung over iPad due to their lack of interest in applications that Apple can proffer – such as books, organizers and games. Samsung’s Tablet could be gratifying enough for them as applications are more occupational.

     Finally, it is the cost of these gadgets that drive customers more towards iPad. Of course, iPad comes with multitudes of applications and a huge storage capacity that make it particularly delightful. In contrast, Tablet offers less storage capacity. Hence, consumer satisfaction is elevated with the possession of iPad.

     Having considered the comparisons and differentiations of iPad and Tablet, I conclude with my statement that iPads are more striking than Samsung’s tablets. Using iPads is more enjoyable. We get to learn, play and work more on iPads – which is pleasing. Nevertheless, tablets are not completely meaningless. They may well be praiseworthy for professionals. 

19th Century Language portrayed in Bernard Shaw’s ‘Plays Pleasant’ – “Arms and the Man”

“I have frequently been accused of handling people rather recklessly…..do not mistake my journalistic utterances for final estimates of their worth as dramatic artists. My remarks are not intended to be a series of judgments aiming at impartiality, but a siege laid…by an author who had to cut his way into it at the point of a pen.” – Bernard Shaw.

    Born in Dublin, Ireland on July 26^th, 1856, Bernard Shaw was one of the greatest playwrights of age prominent for his thought-provoking comedies produced for the entertainment and amusement of audiences.  In London, he established himself as the dominant music and theatre critic and became the leading member of the Fabian Society. He started his literary career by writing novels and plays that demonstrated his criticism of the English stage.

     One of his most widely enjoyed plays is “Arms and the Man” – a satire on the intimate perspective of war, military and heroism. It is the first of the ‘Plays Pleasant’ and its title was derived from John Dryden’s translation of Virgil’s “Aeneid” – ‘Arma virumque cano’. Written in 1894 with a setting in 1885 during the Serbo-Bulgarian War, the play comprises a story of a Bulgarian woman, Raina, who comes across Bluntschli – a Swiss soldier of the Serbian army – when he tries to hide from enemies in her room. As the play progresses, Raina’s intimacy for her fiancé, Sergius, shifts to the Serbian soldier.

          Shaw was always asserting something. Through this play, he reveals himself as a master of illustrations, controlling metaphors and similes through comedy, sharp wit and straight-forwardness.  He was resourceful in ordering facts and arguments which made him an excellent pamphleteer. James L. Roberts commented that Shaw’s “style illustrates his great self-confidence, partly through controlled amazement and shock. This type causes the reader’s mind to be dazed, and it then takes in assertions without realizing that it is doing so.” 

     Shaw’s writing was followed by his personal experiences as a platform speaker which effectively shaped him as a great playwright. He did not entirely depend on the subject matter to yield style. His lengthy sentences with many statements clearly show that many ideas were coming to his mind simultaneously, which gives off an effect of simplicity and quick speed. His use of adjectives is limited and he is resourceful with nouns and consonants. James L. Roberts further added on Shaw’s style, “balance, rhythm, economy and exquisite timing are so calculated that, while one supposes his senses to be alert, they are, in fact, dulled….when the critical faculties are dazed, Shaw’s meaning enters the mind.”

     He uses ridicule as a weapon to grasp the attention and interest of audiences. He uses exaggeration as well as well to startle the audiences and keep them attentive. On this, Shaw said, “unless you exaggerate an ignored half-truth to the point at which it poses as a truth startling enough to shock people out of their complacency, they will continue to ignore it.” There is sometimes no truth in his statements. They are rather, as James L. Robert exclaimed, “exaggerated half-truths, over-emphatic assertions of one side of a complex truth….he attacked the equally one-sided truths of Victorian religious orthodoxy and moral prudery.” The very description reveals Shaw’s keen observation, speed, terseness of expression and skill in creating an effectively picturesque background for the action of the play.

     A custom among Victorian audiences was to hear their voices of reason and sentiments, which were conveyed by stage characters themselves which is what made the stage heroes highly fascinating and comical. The play, “Arms and the Man” is comical in a serious way to appeal audiences. Witticism is prominent is Shaw’s ideas rather than external situations. He spoke of his father having a “humorous sense of anti-climax or a penchant for pricking conventions with laughter.” His apparently inherited style of comedy depends on unanticipated remarks, exchanged ideas, paradox and candour of characters.

     Through his plays, Shaw deals with universal questions and problems which the ordinary man can emphasize with. He addresses timeless, real problems or question that might arise in the ordinary, daily lives of the people. “Arms and the Man” focuses on the romance of love and war. Had the enemy in the play been provided with the wrong ammunition, Sergius – the Bulgarian hero – would have been unsuccessful. Raina finds an appropriate mate only when she becomes natural and forges her romantic attitude of mind. Shaw aimed to present his ideas to the general public, who were unlikely to read his philosophical works, in a way to shake them into remembering his ideas.

     The play is like a pre-Raphaelite drama and a form of art in its purely naturalistic terms – where sincerity and truth replace conventionalism. The real essence of a pre-Raphaelite drama must consist of a conflict with the old drama or commencement of a new drama. This conflict can only be shown when the new drama is fully developed and by the time it becomes old, a newer version starts developing. The artist can foresee what is expected, enabling it to penetrate into the common mind. This vision elevates the drama and dramatist to a level above the entertainment material.

     The reason this play has been so successful is that it contains a theme. The characters are three-dimensional – the audience is made aware of their social, physical and psychological nature. Characters grow and develop throughout the play. Overall, they are people whose actions, deterministic of their characteristics, produce conflicts. This is how their plots and circumstances then develop. The casts are no larger than they are needed to be and the settings are not too complex. The beauty of Shaw’s plays lies in being appreciated by the senses and intellects of the audience or readers. Everything is made simple and clear through definite descriptions. The play has received criticism for having very little action. In actuality, the characters progress only when there is a reason for doing so in order to advance the plot.

     Shaw gives the audience or readers insights into the outer appearances, social backgrounds and the cognitive workings of his characters. The characters are in a balance – in the case of “Arms and the Man” – the romantic against the realist. They develop – for instance, Raina from an idealist and poser to a woman who gets honest with herself and others.  

     Shaw’s plays are largely inspirations and dramatic voices of his desires to alter the complacent attitudes of audiences, actors and playwrights of that period towards life. According to Rex Harrison, “Shaw had a piercing mind and eye for truth as he saw it”. Shaw himself said, “ The English do not know what to think until they are coached laboriously for years in the proper opinion….I have been dinning into the public head that I am an extraordinary, witty and brilliant man.”

     He wrote fifty-seven plays – most of them revolutionary in terms of themes and all enlightening, supporting his belief that “great art can never be anything else”. In Europe and America, his brilliantly dramatic works and wit made him notoriously famous, the most admired and equally the most scorned.

     His brilliant works comprise perils of women’s independence, marriages and everything else that he felt passionately about. He is considered to be the most significant English playwright since Shakespeare. His works are plays of ideas. Through plays, his purpose was not merely to entertain: laughter was a means to comprehend and accept an idea. He claimed himself to be an enemy of the established order. He touched upon aspects of the English character – marriage, family, romantic love and poor or middle class that were a consistent part of his comedy. It is, as he said, “It annoys me to see people comfortable when they ought to be uncomfortable.” His audiences often did not tolerate his extraordinary gift for arousing laughter through multi-faceted dramatic arts. Laughter is his most effective tool that makes him a master dramatist.

     The play is an excellent example of Shaw’s genius and his skills to produce a brilliant play. It shows the extent to which he can go to, to mock the Victorian society – the troublesome fears and evils that were prevalent during his period as a dramatist. “His pleasant drama”, as W. J. Mc Cormack wrote in December 2002, “had been an art of provocation.” 

Cinema as an inter-text in 'Midnight’s Children' by Salman Rushdie

“Nobody from Bombay should be without a basic film vocabulary”. The given quotation has been said by Saleem Sinai, the protagonist of the novel Midnight’s Children, written by author Salman Rushdie.

     The movie capital of the world, Bollywood, also known as Hindi cinema, is the largest producer of motion pictures with its foundations based in Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay. The industry typically features fictional musical romances, drama and comedies with a great deal of dancing to songs and hungama, usually lasting for three to four hours in duration. The industry is hugely appreciated by Indians who take pride in it and consider it a positively significant showcase of their cultural heritage, traditions and their grotesque way of life. Its distinct features, including extravagance in music and dance during every important event, differentiate it from the rest of the film industries of the world and perhaps this stark contrast is what has contributed to a flourishing and prosperous Indian cinema.

     The desire of the Indians to distinguish themselves from the Western ideals is what makes Bollywood so successful and reveals their profound obsession with movies. The influence of cinema on Salman Rushdie’s state of mind is apparent in the novel and is relevant through fragmented love, confined and altered perception of life, extravagance of decorum at the time of marriages, family structures and typical Indian style of life in the post-colonial period.

     Throughout the novel, there are scattered references to the cinema. The first instance of cinematic influence is apparent in sexual love that emerges through a perforated sheet, symbolizing forbidden love, between Aadam and Naseem. The incident portrays a typical Indian way of falling in love. The experience is similar to watching two Indian lovers on screen. The idea of a man falling in love with a woman without knowing her completely and only in segments and through mere observation of parts of the body is highly reflective of the 1982 movie ‘Namak Halaal’, where Shashi Kapoor falls for the gorgeous dancer Parveen Babi after she showcases her talent at a hotel. A similar example is that of 1981 movie, Silsila, where Rekha’s dancing immediately causes Amitabh Bachan to get attracted to her.

     Another typical Indian style of falling in love is apparent when Mumtaz meets Ahmed Sinai at her sister’s wedding and later receives a proposal for marriage from him. Such a case of love-at-first-sight can also be seen in Major Zulfiqar’s case when he falls in love with Emerald after seeing her picture. Love-at-first-sight reminds the reader of the movie Kabhi Kabhi where Shashi Kapoor falls in love with the spectator, Nitu Singh, who supports him during his big race and wildly waves at him.

     In another incident, rickshaw driver Rashid comes out of the cinema after watching and eastern-western cowboy film. This shows that despite being a significant part of Indian culture, Bollywood, to an extent, is also shaped by Western ideals. The film portrays a Western-Indian influence. The incident that follows after watching the cowboy film is representative of Indian culture. It is important because it is a reflection of alterations in Indian culture following the Independence. Cinema has played a significant role in shaping the lives of Indians. Saleem’s perception of life in the novel is shaped by the cinema.

     The novel has also portrayed middle-class life in India. The movies ‘Kaagaz ka phool’ of 1959 and ‘Anwaar’ are reminders of working classes in India. It shows the real face and everyday common lives of Indians.

     The ‘’many-headed monster’’, Ravana, immediately presents a picture of the movie ‘Ramayana’. The monster is symbolic of destruction and exploits people, destroys their lives, inundates properties and causes mass devastation. The influence of ‘Ramayana’ is also revealed through side-by-side narration of history and the present. It is similar to a story being told within a story. Historical events in the novel mould history of events.

     Later on in the novel, tensions start rising, leading to unrest among the Indian community. This is apparent when a mob of Muslim adults and children gathers and attempts to attack the Hindu Lifafa Das. The simultaneous screaming of women and a hurl of abuses is like a typical movie scene from ‘Sholay’ where the culprit and perpetrator, Amjad Khan, looted village and practiced corruption, devastating the lives of villagers and is eventually killed.

    Lifafa Das is an Indian arch-type eccentric person who is verbally harassed, attacked and forced to leave. He is then thrown into the basement where Mumtaz lived and that is where cinema comes into play. An intensely melodramatic incident occurs when he is saved by an expecting Amina Sinai, who unexpectedly breaks the news of her pregnancy to the infuriated mob in an attempt to save Lifafa Das’s life. The cinematic influence is that a long-hidden secret is suddenly disclosed in public and its revelation saves a person’s life.

        

      Other incidents of intense drama are when Doctor Aziz’s mother transforms into a lizard and sticks her tongue out at him and in another case, Amina’s face “bursts into flames”. The drum-beating, singing and dancing is a dominant feature of Indian cinema. A typical scene from an Indian film is presented in the form of cobras and monkeys dancing, mongeese leaping and snakes swaying in baskets. The high amount of hungama is a reminder of the movie ‘Qurbani’. It shows the celebrations of Indians and reveals their conventions. An example of this particular situation is where Saleem narrates:

“…..monkeys dancing; mongeese leaping; snakes swaying in baskets; and on the parapet, the silhouettes of large birds, whose bodies are as hooked and cruel as their beaks: vultures” and again:

“And while monkeys dance on a roof behind the post office, Hanuman the monkey dances with rage………rocking and pulling, pulling and rocking…..rip! rap! rop!”

Another example of cinematic drama is when Ramran Seth says:

“He will have sons without having sons! He will be old before he is old! And he will die….before he is dead.”

     One of the elements Salman Rushdie has ingeniously used is stream of consciousness. The narrator talks about the past and then suddenly switches to the present. There are many things that do not happen but are narrated at the same time. He is physically in once place, but mentally elsewhere, contemplating over history. Moreover, the shift in settings from Kashmir, Amritsar and Agra to Delhi represents the dynamics of cinema – where the picture keeps changing.

     The huge Bollywood influence shapes events in the novel. It takes us on a journey of fantasy, allowing us to experience suspense and arousing our curiosity of what happens next. The events are so full of life and energy that the reader feels a part of it, as if everything is happening before our very eyes, on a big screen. Indian cinema shapes Saleem’s perspective of reality. His perception of life is moulded by the cinema.

     Cinema also becomes a driving vehicle for magic realism – a device that closely integrates Indian culture with the contemporary society. It reflects the post-colonial Indian society and culture. The novel shows the ability of films to alter our perceptions. Indians are obsessed with films and love Bollywood. For them, Bollywood is something that expressed their identity and rich culture. The novel moves slowly at first, it then picks up pace when a lot of incidents start occurring simultaneously. Important incidents in the novel coincide with a major event in history. For instance, the day Reverend Mother breaks her vows of silence is when United States of America drops the bomb in Hiroshima. In another case, Saleem’s birth coincides with India’s Independence from British post-colonial power.

     When writing the novel, Salman Rushdie was thinking of a lost time. The novel is not a memoir, it’s a “recovery of last time”, which shrewdly develops the sequence of the novel. He was experiencing “erratic nature of memory”. Many problems were going through his head at the same time, which he calls, “misremembering”, which, where the novel is concerned, “becomes more important than the truth.” He further added that the “erratic nature of remembering” became his strategy for the novel. “How we remember”, “what we remember” and “misremember” affects our perspective of the world. Cinematic influence on Indian culture is presented in an enjoyable manner and perhaps this element is what makes our reading thrilling, exhilarating and fulfilling.

  

     Throughout the novel, something is always going on somewhere. The novel connects with history through its characters. The Bombay cinema of 1960’s and 1970’s had a big influence on Salman Rushdie’s writing. As Rushdie said, part of the novel “has to do with growing up in a movie city” and “having it going on all around you”. He further added that he felt lucky to be young at a time when the Indian cinema was at its peak, constituting a Golden Age of mid-twentieth century of Bollywood. He exclaimed to have learnt a huge deal from classical movies of the “world cinema” of 60’s and 70’s. According to Rushdie, “film language” was one his techniques for novel writing. His works portray the ability of films to transform our imagination and alter our perspective. The history and defiant structure of families are the “pieces of architecture” for Midnight’s Children.