Deviance Behavior and the Possible Causes Essay Example for Free

Deviance Behavior and the Possible Causes Essay Some may say its biological or psychological and even sociological reasons. There have been many studies to try and determine why people have deviant behavior and what happens to individuals when norms are broken. Not all behaviors are judged the same by all groups. For example, some may question if there are conditions under which suicide is an acceptable behavior. Lets same one person commits suicide in the face of a terminal illness but another person is a despondent person who jumps from a window, the second person may be judged differently. The first person’s suicide may be looked at with pity which the second person would be looked at in a shameful way. Another behavior that would highly be considered deviant would be committing a crime. For example, juvenile gangs provide an environment where young people learn to become criminals. Gang members glorify violence and retaliation as means to achieve social status. Whether it is an act of a crime or gang violence, criminals learn to be deviant as they embrace and conform to their street or gang’s norms. Americans consider such activities as alcoholism, excessive gambling, being nude in public, starting fires, stealing, lying, prostitution, and being gay to name only a few as being deviant. Therefore people who engage in deviant behavior are referred to as deviants. References Richard T. Schaefer. (2012). Sociology A Brief Introduction (Tenth Edition). McGraw-Hill Companies Inc, New York. Sociology of Deviance and Crime. (2013) By Ashley Crossman.

Face Recognition Using PCA Algorithm

Face Recognition Using PCA Algorithm Bollini Lokesh, Abhishek Nallamothu, Mr.S.Planiappan ABSTRACT Day by day technology is changing and way of securing and automation is also trending. Facial recognition (or face recognition) is a type of biometric software application that can identify a specific individual in a digital image by analyzing and comparing patterns. Facial recognition systems are commonly used for security purposes but are increasingly being used in a variety of other automation applications. In real time, face recognition algorithms deal with large data base. Execution of these face recognition algorithms take high computational power and time on large database. Our objective is to improve speed of face recognition on large data base by using PCA algorithm. The goal of our proposing PCA algorithm is to reduce the dimensionality of the data by mapping the data into a lower dimensionality subspace while retaining as much as possible of the variation present in the original dataset. We formally prove this algorithm on ORL face data base with best precision. Keywords: PCA: Principle Component Analysis, MATLAB: Matrix Laboratory, ORL: Olivetti Research Laboratory INTRODUCTION Facial recognition (or face recognition) is a type of biometric software application that can identify a specific individual in a digital image by analyzing and comparing patterns. Facial recognition systems are commonly used for security purposes but are increasingly being used in a variety of other applications. The Kinect motion gaming system, for example, uses facial recognition to differentiate among players. Currently, a lot of facial recognition development is focused on smartphone applications. Smartphone facial recognition capacities include image tagging and other social networking integration purposes as well as personalized marketing. A research team at Carnegie Mellon has developed a proof-of-concept iPhone app that can take a picture of an individual and within seconds return the individuals name, date of birth and social security number. Facebook uses facial recognition software to help automate user tagging in photographs. Here’s how facial recognition works in Facebook: Each time an individual is tagged in a photograph, the software application stores information about that person’s facial characteristics. When enough data has been collected about a person to identify them, the system uses that information to identify the same face in different photographs, and will subsequently suggest tagging those pictures with that person’s name. Facial recognition software also enhances marketing personalization. For example, billboards have been developed with integrated software that identifies the gender, ethnicity and approximate age of passersby to deliver targeted advertising. The main aim of this project is to improve the computational speed of face recognition by using PCA algorithm. This can be done by reducing the dimensionality of images, while doing computations on images in data base. We propose a PCA algorithm with reduced dimensionality in calculations, and we formally prove this algorithm on ORL face data base of ten different images of each of 40 distinct subjects with best precision. RELATED WORK The proposed face recognition system by using PCA algorithm overcomes certain limitations of the existing face recognition system. It is based on reduction of dimensionality and extracting the dominating features of a set of human faces stored in the database and performing mathematical operations on the values corresponding to them. Hence when a new image is fed into the system for recognition then it will reduce dimensionality of new image and extract the main features to compute and find the distance between the input image and the stored images. Thus, some variations in the new face image to be recognized can be tolerated. When the new image of a person differs from the images of that person stored in the database, the system will be able to recognize the new face and identify who the person is. The proposed system is better mainly due to the use of facial features rather than the entire face. Its advantages are in terms of: Recognition accuracy and better discriminatory power Computational cost because of reduction in dimensionality and removing of noise from data set Concentrating on main features require less processing to train the PCA. Because of the use of dominant features and hence can be used as an effective means of authentication Principle Component Analysis Principal Components Analysis (PCA) was invented by Karl Pearson in 1901 and is now used in many fields of science. It is a way of identifying patterns in data, and expressing the data in such a way as to highlight their similarities and differences. Since patterns in data can be hard to find in data of high dimension, where the luxury of graphical representation is not available, PCA is a powerful tool for analyzing data. The other main advantage of PCA is that once you have found these patterns in the data, and you compress the data, ie. by reducing the number of dimensions, without much loss of information. The main aim of this project is to improve the computational speed of face recognition by using PCA algorithm. This can be done by reducing the dimensionality of images, while doing computations on images in data base. We propose a PCA algorithm with reduced dimensionality in calculations, and we formally prove this algorithm on ORL face data base of ten different images of each of 40 distinct subjects with best precision. Actually issues arise once performing arts face recognition in a very high-dimensional area (curse of dimensionality). therefore we have a tendency to area unit managing spatiality issues in face recognition performance. important enhancements will be achieved by 1st mapping the information into a lower-dimensional sub-space. Mapping knowledge|of knowledge|of information} into lower dimensional data is feasible by PCA formula. In PCA formula, 1st itll convert all face pictures (N X N pixel) in knowledge base into face vector (N2X1 dimensionality).It hundreds of these face vectors into one matrix (N2X M matrix; here M=number of face pictures in database).It cipher average face vector(N2X1 dimensionality) by doing mean on all face vectors. It calculate normalized face vectors matrix (N2X M dimensionality) by subtracting average face vector from every face vector. It calculate variance matrix to search out out best Eigen|chemist}|chemist} vectors (best Eigen vectors represent best Eigen faces).It calculate signature of image and place it in( M X S dimensionality; here S=number of signatures). PCA converts input image (image for face recognition) into face vector, then it converts into normalized face vector and thereby it verify weight vector of input image. Finally it compare weight vectors and thereby it verify the person. Face recognition bioscience is that the science of programming a laptop to acknowledge a personalitys face. once someone is listed during a face recognition system, a video camera takes a series of snapshots of the face and so represents it by a singular holistic code. once somebody has their face verified by the pc, it captures their current look and compares it with the facial codes already hold on within the system. The faces match, the person receives authorization; otherwise, the person wont be known. the prevailing face recognition system identifies solely static face pictures that just about specifically match with one among the photographs hold on within the information. once this image captured nearly specifically matches with one among the photographs hold on then the person is known and granted access. once this image of someone is significantly totally different, say, in terms of facial features from the photographs of that person that area unit already hold on within the information the system doesnt acknowledge the person and thence access are denied. The existing or ancient face recognition system has some limitations which may  be overcome by adopting new ways of face recognition: The existing system cannot tolerate variations within the new face image. It needs the new image to be nearly specifically matching with one among the photographs within the information which can otherwise end in denial of access for the individual. The performance level of the prevailing system isnt considerable. CONCLUSION The PCA method is an unsupervised technique of learning that is mostly suitable for databases that contain images with no class labels. PCA improve speed of face recognition by mapping higher dimensionality of face image into lower dimensionality. PCA provides best precision in face recognition process. In future we are planning to implement automation in security and automation in attendance by using this algorithm. We will try to get more efficiency and precision by combining this algorithm with other algorithms. We are planning to implement this algorithm for recognizing multi faces by combining this algorithm with other face recognition algorithms. REFERENCES: [1] A.S Syed navaz, T. Dhevi sri Pratap mazumdar â€Å"Face recognition using principle component analysis and neural networks† International Journal of Computer Networking, Wireless and Mobile Communications (IJCNWMC) ISSN 2250-1568 Vol. 3, Issue 1, Mar 2013, 245-256 [2] Lindsay I Smith â€Å"A tutorial on Principal Components Analysis†February 26, 2002 [3] Sasan Karamizadeh, Shahidan M. Abdullah, Azizah A. Manaf, Mazdak Zamani, Alireza Hooman â€Å" An Overview of Principal Component Analysis† Journal of Signal and Information Processing 2013, 4, 173-175 [4] Toshiyuki Sakai, M. Nagao, Takeo Kanade, â€Å"Computer analysis and classification of photographs of human face,† First USA Japan Computer Conference, 1972 [5] Yuille, A. L., Cohen, D. S., and Hallinan, P. W., Feature extraction from faces using deformable templates, Proc. of CVPR, (1989).

Research Design

Research Design This chapter described the methodology that has been used to conduct this research. It included the research approaches, research design, population and sampling, data collection techniques, research instrument, data analysis, validity and reliability test, pilot study, and the ethics related to this research. Research Approaches There are three types of approaches to conduct research; which are * Qualitative * Quantitative * Mixed In this research quantitative approach has been used because the researcher had determined the relationship between variables. Quantitative research approach is used when it is important to establish out the relationship between one thing (an independent variable) and another (a dependent or outcome variable) in a population. Hopkins (2000) had defined quantitative research that precisely measure variables and that aim to determine the relationship between dependent and independent variables to determine an association. Quantitative research design is an outstanding way of finalizing results and proving or disproving a hypothesis. The structure has not changed for centuries, so is standard across many scientific fields and disciplines. Research Design There are three types of research design: * Descriptive * Correlational * Causal-comparative * Experimental correlational research design is used to relate two or more variables and correlation results show whether the relationship exists among variables or not. After analyzing the correlations results the regression describe the variability in dependent variable due to the explanatory variables. The over all reasoning for using correlation was to analyze the relationship and regression to analyze how well the prediction can be made. In this research multiple regression analysis has been used. The reason for using correlational design in this research was to analyze the relationship between products new features and brand choice and Correlation coefficients was used to provide the degree and direction of relationship between the product new features and brand choice. In this research regression analysis described that how much variability in brand choice was caused by new features. Population and sampling Statisticians define a population as the entire collection of items that is the focus of concern. Sampling is indispensable technique of behavioral research; the research work cannot be undertaken without use of sampling. (David S.Fox) suggested that â€Å"In the social sciences, it is not possible to collect data from fractional part of the respondents to our study but only from some fractional part of the respondents. The process of selecting the fractional part is called sampling†. In this research Karachi has been taken as the population and Business University students selected as sample. The sample size was 150. There are two types of sampling â€Å"Random† and â€Å"Non-Random Sampling† in this research â€Å"Simple Random Sampling† has been used. Simple random sampling is defined by Castillo, Joan Joseph (2009) â€Å"In this technique, each member of the population has an equal chance of being selected as subject. The entire process of sampling is done in a single step with each subject selected independently of the other members of the population.† In this research simple random sampling was used because it represents whole population and covered different demographics which were needed. Moreover, it is unbiased selection and important to draw conclusion from the results of study. Data collection For conducting any research it is very important to collect relevant data that suits the methodology and research design. Mark Saunders et. Al (2006) explained that in primary data collection different methods are used such as survey, observation, focus group. There are two types of data collection techniques â€Å"Primary and Secondary Data Collection†. In this research primary data has been used. Data that never gathered before is called primary data. The reason for selecting primary data source was that through primary data the needed information could be gathered that suited the purpose of research as it is not published. Research instrument Research instrument is a testing device for measuring a given phenomenon. In this research, questionnaires were used to gather information which are the most widely used survey data collection techniques. Through questionnaire each person (respondent) is asked to respond to the same set of questions, it provides efficient way of collecting responses from a large sample prior to quantitative analysis. This research involved survey with structured questionnaire to gather complete details. Although people generally use the term survey and questionnaire interchangeably, the term survey is used as a general category with questionnaire and interviews as specific methodologies to conduct survey research (Gay, 1992). The reason for using structured questionnaire was the questions asked were precisely decided in advance. Close-ended questions are particularly useful where the study topic concerns to factual issues with a limited range of responses.The overall reason for using structured questionnaire and close ended questions was that it supported the research technique that have been used in this research for the testing. Validity and Reliability Reliability is used to measure the consistency of the data which is used to analyze the instrument whether it provides the same results if it is used in the same way and same conditions with the same objects repeatedly. One thing that is very important to remember that reliability is not measured, it is estimated. Shuttleworth, Martyn (2008) suggested that before analyzing any data, however, and even before testing any subjects, the issues of variable selection and control, reliability, and validity must be addressed. The simplest definition of validity is that degree to which a test measures what it is supposed to measure Gay (1992). Validity is the accuracy of the results and the strength of the conclusions. Cook and Campbell (1979) define it as the â€Å"best available approximation to the truth or falsity of a given inference, proposition or conclusion†. Each type of validity would highlight a different aspect of the relationship between treatment and observed outcome. There are four types of validity Conclusion, Internal, Construct and External validity. In this research internal validity was used as it analyzed the relationship between the program and the outcome and causal relationship. Validity is more important than reliability because if an instrument does not accurately measure there is no reason to use it even if it measures consistently. The objective of analyzing the reliability and the validity of the data is to check how much accurate relationship between the measure and underlying trait it is trying to measure. Pilot study Pilot study is the small scale rehearsal of the larger research design. This technique refers to a smaller scale version of the experiment and equipment tests are the important part of sub-group of experiments. Pilot studies can be based on quantitative and/or qualitative methods and large-scale studies might employ a number of pilot studies before the main survey is conducted. Thus researchers may start with qualitative data collection and analysis on a relatively unexplored topic, using the results to design a subsequent quantitative phase of the study (Tashakkori Teddlie 1998: 47). In this study the reasons for using pilot testing was to develop and test adequacy of research instruments. It was also used for assessing the feasibility of full scale study, designing research protocol, analyzing the sample frame and research technique and collecting preliminary data. In this study 30 out of 150 respondents were used for the purpose of pilot study. Ethical Consideration Ethics refers to the appropriateness of researcher behavior in relation to the right of subject of work which is affected by research. Wells (1994) defines â€Å"ethics in terms of a code of behavior appropriate to academics and the code of conduct of research â€Å". In this research by following rules of ethics, all details of participants were remained confidential and they were completely informed related to the nature of the study, they were given fair consideration and personal biasness didnt hamper the way of research, and the results were accurately represented as they were told and observed. Data Analysis

The Scarlet Letter: Governor Bellingham And Hypocrisy :: essays research papers

Governor Bellingham is the leader of the Boston Colony. He is therefore supposed to be one of the most pious and upstanding members of the community. As he â€Å"makes the rules†, he is supposed to follow them to the letter. This is why, when Hester visits his house to deliver his gloves, she is so surprised at its state. Instead of a humble abode tastefully decorated in the muted pastels and earthtones of the Puritan lifestyle, she was slightly amused (but not particularly surprised) to find very near the opposite. Before they even enter, she is struck by the opulence of the house. It had walls which were â€Å"overspread with a kind of stucco, in which fragments of broken glass were plentifully intermixed; so that, when the sun fell aslant-wise over the front of the edifice, it glittered and sparkled as if diamonds had been flung against it by the double handful. The brilliancy might have befitted Aladdin’s palace rather than the mansion of a grave old Puritan ruler . It was further decorated with strange and seemingly cabalistic features and diagrams, suitable to the quaint taste of the age, which had been drawn in the stucco when newly laid on, and had now grown hard and durable, for the admiration of after times.† This was not in accordance of the laws of hard work, sacrifice, and the â€Å"swearing off† of earthly pleasures that the Puritans abided by. In fact, it was garish and nearly gaudy, and not fitting for a man of his rank. These descriptions in The Scarlet Letter further illustrate the hypocrisy and pretense of virtue of the Bostonians. Inside, Hester is confronted with more show and splendor. Not only is the house itself well made and well decorated, but the pair is greeted at the door by one of Bellingham’s bond-servants. For a Puritan who is taught (and teaching) that each should be compassionate to his fellow man, owning one as property is fairly misleading to the rest of the colony. The house is fashioned after those of the lords and ladies of England, and contains lofty ceilings, steepled arches, and knickknacks of all shapes, sizes, and purposes (including a tankard for the purpose of swilling ale). A leader of a community as â€Å"committed to the Lord† as Boston should be spending his time reading his Bible and praying rather than imbibing, should he not?

Classes of Chemical Reactions :: essays research papers

Classes of Chemical Reactions   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Whenever a reaction takes place, energy is changed as well when the substances react chemically. Scientists have taken these changes in energy and generalized them. Scientists can take these generalizations and discover more about the nature and tendencies of matter. In this lab, the purpose was to perform seven reactions, write down their equations, and identify the type of reaction. In this lab report, several methods of displaying this information will be applied. Synthesis 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A piece of Magnesium was obtained at about two centimeters in length. The strip was thin and easily bent or twisted. It had a metallic surface and was brittle. It was silver in color. A flame from a Bunsen burner was held to the Mg, and it ignited, giving off a brilliant white light. Looking directly into the light resulted in temporary blindness, which would explain the warning on the procedures that strongly suggested not looking directly into the light. After the flame had extinguished itself due to lack of fuel, the Mg had turned from a metallic strip to an off-white powder, which crumbled at the slightest irritation. The magnesium had bonded with the oxygen gas in the air from the energy that was applied to it and formed magnesium oxide. The type of reaction was a synthesis reaction, as is shown by this equation. 2Mg(s) + O2(g) = 2MgO(s) 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A piece of copper was obtained. It was a small, rounded wire that could be bent, although with a greater difficulty than the Mg strip from the previous account. It was copper in color (never saw that one coming, didja) and had a metallic luster. The copper was put in the flame of a Bunsen burner and after several seconds, it began to blacken. The flame was applied to it for about a minute and a half, and the copper appeared silvery under intense heat, but when it was removed from the flame, the silver color quickly faded. The copper strip was now black all over, and the change in color suggested that a chemical change had occurred. The Cu had reacted with the oxygen in the air and formed copper oxide. The black color could be scraped off, but only in small slivers. It would crumble when it was irritated with a great deal of pressure, respectively. It was a synthesis reaction as displayed by the equation here. Cu(s) + O2(o) = CuO2

Night and Dawn †A Comparison of Elie Wisel’s writings Essay

Night and Dawn, both written by Elie Wiesel, are two books that have changed the way people view life and death. Night is a story of the Holocaust that occurs in the time frame of the mid-1900s. Elie, the author and the main character of Night, tells of the horrific years he spent in Germany’s concentration camps. During this time period, millions of Jewish people were shot by merciless Nazis. Dawn focuses on a young boy Elisha who is recruited into a terrorist organization after the Holocaust. He eventually finds himself caught in the middle of the war between the Jewish and the British fighting for freedom. Both of Wiesel’s stories involve poignant emotions. Night shows the reader the horror of being murdered. Similarly, Dawn is about the horror of murdering someone. It is interesting to note that in Night, the Jewish is in front of the gun; in Dawn, the Jewish man is behind a gun. Both situations contain the predominant emotion of fear. The two stories vary, but behind their covers, these stories deal with the same topic–cruel murder. Elie Wiesel deals with this topic through the characters, the character’s histories, and their similarities and differences. Elie Wiesel’s journey begins in Sighet where his family believed strongly in their religion. The Nazis have set the goal — genocide of the Jewish citizens. He is sent to a concentration camp in Germany where he must endure the harsh brutality of the Nazis. It is only at these concentration camps that Elie discovers the truth about himself. Dawn is about a scarred Jewish man Elisha who is recruited to join an extremist group that is fighting for their freedom against the English. One of the terrorist party members, David, is captured by the English during an operation of smuggling arms and is threatened to be killed for committing this crime. The Jewish freedom fighters suddenly become enraged and devise their own plan; The capture of their own hostage, Captain Dawson. The Jewish then plan to exchange the Captain for David. Elisha, who just joined the group, is then assigned his first task–the harsh mission of murdering the Captain. While Elisha may not have a physically painful task, he must endure the mental anguish that murder brings. Once the murdered, now the murderer. Wiesel utilizes the characters to emphasize his purposes. The two main characters in Night and Dawn, Elie and Elisha, share both similarities and differences. Elie keeps his feelings and his actions within his mind. His thoughts tell the story and provide readers with emotion. On the other hand, Elisha tends to act his thoughts out, which is the main reason that he joined the terrorist group. For example, Elie prays regularly in order to fuel his hope that one day he will find freedom; Elisha contrastingly kills and destructs out of his emotional and horrendous past. This they both lost their precious childhood at such an early age. Their childhood provides us with the chance to be naà ¯ve and more importantly, the chance to be innocent. Innocence is the only time in life, where you do not possess the knowledge to differentiate between right and wrong. Unfortunately, the main characters did not have the time to slowly explore maturity. Instead, they were forced into the scary and unstable life of adulthood ultimately leading Elie and Elisha down to the fork in the path. The two narrators try to convince themselves that their actions are helpful to society or to themselves. For example, Elisha says, â€Å"I’ll think of David too, I reflected. He’ll protect me. John Dawson may try to make me laugh, but I won’t do it. David will come to my rescue† (79). Elisha is trying to reassure himself that David, the Jewish hostage, is a good reason to murder the Captain. Similarly, Elie had many thoughts toward his commitment to God. When he finally questions his faith he claims, â€Å"I felt very strong. I was the accuser, God the accused† (65). As shown through these examples, throughout the novels, the reader is able to grasp and feel Wiesel’s thoughts and ideas by carefully observing and analyzing the characters of Elie and Elisha. Wiesel wrote Night in an attempt to leave the reader feeling as if he were a Jewish citizen during the time of the Holocaust. The author achieves this through his vivid descriptions and emotional family affairs, such as the time where Elie is separated from his family. When connecting with a character, one understands the character’s dilemmas, such as Elie’s questioning of his religious faith. In Dawn, Wiesel’s purpose was to make the reader see through the eyes of a murderer, and the difficulty of murdering without a reason in which he believes. Elisha struggles because he  cannot find the answer to the question within himself: â€Å"Why am I killing Captain Dawson?† Both stories try to make the reader empathize with the main character. Both Elie and Elisha have a difficult time living in Night and Dawn. The author exaggerates this in Dawn by using the phrase â€Å"Poor boy!† to describe Elisha. In Night, the author tried to gain sympathy for Eli e by putting him into painful situations. One event that represents this was the time where Elie was whipped by a Kapo, â€Å"He took his time between each stroke. Only the first ones really hurt me. I could hear him counting† (55). Going into more depth, Wiesel writes about how each character deals with his pain. Elie copes with loss through his belief in God and his strength; Elisha copes with his loss by communicating with apparitions of the people by which he has been influenced, and the people he has influenced. While making the readers sympathize with the main characters, Wiesel also uses both stories as important information that reflect on our past and our present. Night and Dawn serve as documentations that show readers some of the darkest moments in our history. In these two novels, the author compares the past to the present. While the audience reads this book, it may realize that we still face the same problems today as we did fifty years ago. Perhaps Wiesel wrote these books in attempt to change the future for the better of mankind. Even though there are many similarities between Night and Dawn, the books also have significant differences. Foremost, in Dawn, The tables have turned, and this time they are in control. Many times throughout Dawn, the terrorists say, â€Å"This is war,† in an attempt to give reason to the assassination of the English man. However, they are simply â€Å"putting on the field-gray uniform of the SS† (30). Perhaps the Nazis used this same excuse while brutally slaughtering thousands of Jewish people. The attacker must put himself in the victim’s shoes; likewise, the reader must put himself into the main character’s shoes. And although the tables have turned for the Jewish man, the reader can still relate to the main character because he is in his shoes. This slaughtering inevitably scars each victim. Of course, each character deals with his pain in a different way. In Night, Elie uses his thoughts to heal his wounds constructively. In Dawn, Elisha acts out his thoughts and seeks revenge destructively. A prime example that is  representative of Elie is the time when he sees the young boy that is being hung. At this event, a man asks, â€Å"Where is God now?† Elie then responds with the following thought: â€Å"Where is He? Here He is–He is hanging here on this gallows†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (62). However, Elie does not speak out; rather, he keeps his thoughts within himself. On the other hand, Elisha uses his instinct to guide him into sin. As Elisha bitterly states: I understood Gad’s bitterness; indeed I envied it. He was losing a friend, and it hurt. But when you lose a friend every day it doesn’t hurt so much. And I’d lost plenty of friends in my time; sometimes I thought of myself as a living graveyard. That was the real reason I followed Gad to Palestine and became a terrorist: I had no more friends to lose (35). This suggests that Elie has become totally numb to the idea of death. He has been set free to the burden of mourning. This is why Elisha does not cry or yell out in pain after he murders Captain Dawson. It is interesting to note that even though Elie and Elisha find themselves in similar situations, they each deal with their problems in their own unique ways. These two novels carry the same purpose–touching the hearts of the readers from their history, to their agonizing life during the Holocaust. In Dawn, Wiesel states that â€Å"War is like night†¦ It covers everything†. This statement proved true for both Elie and Elisha; however, the war did not give them the same view on life or of the Holocaust. Dawn and Night show the good and the bad that resulted from living in a painful past. Elie searches within himself to discover inner peace, even during such a painful period in his life. Similarly, Elisha also searches within himself but unlike Elie, he discovers extreme hatred. Dawn and Night are stunning novels that bring the reader into some of the most painful and agonizing scenario; this was what Wiesel desired–and he has been successful.

Bhagavad Gita Critique

Well I would first like to start off by saying that after I let go of my personal beliefs for a moment, and actually let myself be open to the ideas of the Bhagavad-Gita I rather enjoyed it and I feel like I actually can see how the â€Å"ways of life† (for loss of a better term) that are expressed in this make a lot of sense. I can actually sit and think about what kind of people today would possibly be categorized as Tamasic, Rajasic and Sattvic. I also can see some very similar concepts in the book that follow modern Christian beliefs and values which made it a lot more interesting. For example from the time I wake up to the time I go to bed I thank God and Jesus for the blessings and positive moments in my life. I pray throughout the day when things are good or bad. I also try to live a â€Å"good Christian† life as well as just trying to be a good person. I guess my ideas of a good person stem from my influences and morals, as well as my new found belief in God and Jesus. I try to worship, pray and give thanks everyday. I try to read my bible as often as I can, seeing I’m so busy all the time it has been hard to even find the time to pick it up, but I do try to think before I act, speak and think. I think â€Å"what would Jesus and God and all my loved ones think of the thing I am about to do† or â€Å"what would Jesus say if I completed that not nice thought about that person†. Seeing how I believe every one of us is a child of Gods and that God knows everything we do, say, think and so on; I try to keep my life to a pure as I can standard. I think about all that I have been given and the least I can do is try my best to be my best for Jesus, God and all that I am connected to in this lifetime. This brings me to my topic, spiritual beliefs. There are so many different types of religion. Catholicism, Hinduism, Christianity, etc. They all have various ways of â€Å"being† when it comes to being a member of the church or religion. No two parties are alike that is why no two peoples beliefs are the same completely. Yet when you read the Bhagavad-Gita it puts it so simple. Do your life this way you are worthy of finally passing on into the next life for eternity. Do your life that way you come back and suffer a circle of never ending lives. Try but not quit there you come back to life but in a higher level of caste so you can start off close to where you left off. It is all pretty simple. In the book it is basically Arjuna asking guidance from Krishna. At first it is whether he should fight or not fight, then it turns into a â€Å"how do I live my life for you in your way† topic. Krishna basically starts out very slow in explaining that all life is connected and is stemmed from his existence. That life is here in the body form but continues into the spirit world with him, and that life is a never ending circle until you reach the highest point of understanding and are worthy of being with him in the spirit world forever. That when you realize that life never truly ends, that it is just the body that dies you cannot feel sad for such things as fighting wars and killing men. Then he explains such things as the importance of ceremony and living a pure life, then about the Brahmas and literally tells him the secrets of life. Krishna reveals his true great form to Arjuna and covers all the possible topics you could think of when it comes to being Hindu. The story is so filling that you literally wonder how it could possibly have an end to it. The main point I got from the book was that it is important to live your life according to first what you think is right and then second to what you believe Krishna and the other Gods (which are Krishna and they are him) say is the way to live. In the book it speaks of how to perform ceremonies and the importance of not just performing them but to perform them with heart. You are to serve good foods and give great offerings to your God. You yourself are to eat good foods and take care of your body for the Gods as well. You are to drink and perform the ceremonies the way the scriptures say and to keep your heart and mind on God (Krishna). Then it sort of ends weird; It says that you are to live your life well and good and pure but that you have to follow the path you think is the right one. And that when you think you have reached that level of true knowledge you are to try to share that with others. So I guess what I got out of it is just that; live your life to the best you think you can. Don’t be a selfish, greedy, rude, etc. person. Don’t have false beliefs even if that means you have none. And to try to give your heart over to the beliefs you do have. If they were the right ones then you win the ultimate prize, eternity with Krishna. If it was the wrong one you just have to keep trying until you get it right. I read this book and I pretty much decided that it is great to help guide you no matter what religion you believe in. Just the base principles and sort of guide it lays out for the individual, so you can clearly see the different ways and the different options is so clear and simple it cant not make sense. And I love the fact that the idea is that everything comes from one God initially even if there are other gods now everything is God and he is everything, even if you are not in god, he is in you. I am so happy I had the opportunity to be exposed to such a great experience. It will stay with me forever.