The effects of osmosis Essay Example for Free

The effects of osmosis Essay Introduction: Osmosis is a movement of water across a semi-permeable membrane. This may only happen when there is a difference in concentration between the two sides of the membrane. The water moves from low concentrations to high concentrations. That is because the low concentrated area tries to dilute the opposite via osmosis. The effects osmosis has on a cell are either that it becomes turgid and hard as water enters the cell or it becomes dehydrated (this is called plasmolysing in plant cells) as water leaves the cell and the solution enters. There is a change of mass, volume, texture and length. Aim: The aim is to investigate the effects of varying concentrations of a salt solution on the amount of osmotic activity between the solution and a potato of a given size. Osmosis: Process of Osmosis Osmosis is the process of the flow of one constituent of a solution (in this case salt) through a membrane while the other constituents are blocked and unable to pass through the membrane. Experimentation is necessary to determine which membranes permit selective flow, or osmosis, because not all membranes act in this way. Many membranes allow all or none of the constituents of a solution to pass through; only a few allow a selective flow. That is why I have chosen potatoes as my semi-permeable membrane. In osmosis, a solvent (often water) moves from a region of low concentration to a region of high concentration through a semi-permeable membrane. Here,  water molecules diffuse into the concentrated salt solution because the water molecules are small enough to move through the semi permeable membrane. The larger salt molecules are unable to move through the membrane into the water solution because the membrane acts as a net. Osmosis will stop when the two solutions reach equal concentrations on either side of the membrane. Hypothesis: The hypothesis is that as the solvent, the water enters the potato cell to dilute the concentrated salt solution in side the cells. As the salt solution gets weaker more water will enter the cell. This is because more water is needed to dilute the stronger salt solution concentration in the potato cells. The water will try to flow in and out of the potato continuously until it will reach an isotonic equilibrium. The potato cells become turgid and hydrated. However the potato is a plant therefore it has a cell wall that means that at some point the cell wall will stop letting in water or slow it?s flow down. If the plant cells did not have a rigid cell wall they would burst, like in animal cells which have soft cell walls. In this particular investigation I intend to prove that the lower the concentration of the salt solution in the petri dish, the greater the mass of the potato will be. This is because the water molecules pass from a high concentration, i.e. in the water itself, to a low concentration, i.e. in the potato chip. Therefore, the 4 cm core bored potato ?chips? in higher water concentrations will have a larger mass than in higher salt concentrations. If the concentrated salt solution is stronger than the isotonic solution then the cell will lose water. Water will leave the cell and dilute the strong salt solution outside the cell. It will make the concentration gradient equalize. As the strength of the concentrated solution increases the more water will leave the cell. The potatoes cell wall will only shrink because it is only the cell wall that will dehydrate or plasmolyse, but only up to a certain extent because it is only the vacuole that will seriously shrink. The plasmolysed plant cell can be seen under a microscope. My prediction for this particular investigation is at about 0.4 / 0.6 [molar] concentration the salt solution there will be an increase in both mass and length of the potato. The weaker the salt solution the further the solution the quicker will cause decrease in mass and length in the potato. To examine and create an appropriate range of results. For this experiment six petri dishes were used each with five 4 cm core-bored pieces of potato. As evidence of osmosis occurring I used the difference of weight before (after being blotted for six minutes) and after being in the salt solution. The control is five core-bored potatoes in a distilled water solution. Here nothing anomalous should occur. To make the results valuable the experiment is replicated five times in each petri dish. Any anomalous results in the potatoes it will be noticed and recorded To ensure reliability of results, the whole experiment will be replicated to increase the accuracy of the results. Further information on potato plant cells: Plant cells always have a strong cell wall surrounding them. When they take up water by osmosis they start to swell, but the cell wall prevents them from bursting, unlike animal cells ie. cheek cells, which explode if they take up to much water. Plant cells become turgid when they are put in dilute solutions. Turgid means swollen, stiff and hard. The pressure inside the cell rises and eventually the internal pressure of the cell is so high that no more water can enter the cell. This liquid or hydrostatic pressure works against osmosis. Turgidity is very important to plants because this is what makes the green parts of the plant stand up into the sunlight. When plant cells are placed in concentrated salt solutions they lose water by osmosis and they become flaccid. This is the exact opposite of turgid. The content of the potato cells shrinks and pulls away from the cell wall. These cells are said to be plasmolysed. When plant cells are placed in a solution, which has exactly the same osmotic strength as the cells they are in a state between turgidity and flaccidity. We call this incipient plasmolysis. Incipient means, about to be.

The Causes of Deficit Financing in Pakistan

The Causes of Deficit Financing in Pakistan The aim of any government is to fulfill the socioeconomic responsibilities in order to break the vicious cycle of poverty and also uplift the economic conditions. In Pakistan it has been practiced that the aggregate of tax collection and no tax collection revenues are not ample to meet the government expenditure. To fulfill the gap between the spending and revenues so the economist used the perception of deficit financing. The government borrowing from banking and non banking sector and printing new currency is called deficit financing. Deficit financing shows the difference between projected expenditure and projected spending. To fill the gap of government borrows from 1) state bank of the country 2) borrow from commercial banks 3) borrows from non financial sector such as saving centers, insurance companies 4) the last source is printing new notes known as deficit financing. Deficit financing is a situation where government spends more money than its revenue collection. Deficit financing is used for different purposes the main purpose of deficit financing is used to end the recession when the economic activity slow down in order to retrieve the economy in the better situation. In the third world countries like Pakistan the deficit financing becomes the requirement due to bad governance, insufficient spending policies, corruption, tax evasion, and insufficient tax collection. In the west the phrase Deficit Financing is used to explain the intentionally create a difference between public revenues and expenditures or the budget deficit. This gap or difference can be filled by public borrowing, commercial banks, and central bank. The idle saving of is used to fill this gap that in turn increase the employment and output of the country. Deficit financing is the most important tool of generating capital in developing and underdeveloped countries. In developed nation the new currency notes are used to support the public investment that in turn increases the growth rate of a country. The government used the borrowed money for the development purposes i.e. railways, roads, air services, social overhead capital, schools, hospitals etc. The deficit financing is also used to increase the economic activity of a private sector in the country. The monetary expansion in developing countries attached with high rate of borrowing from banks and international sources to finance their budget deficit, budget deficit is the one factor that contributes in disequilibrium in the balances of payments. In developing countries governments are unable to mobilize or use their domestic resources due to inefficient tax system, in such countries the capital market are also underdeveloped and the interest rate determines institutionally. In such circumstances the supply of money increase that causes an increase in the price level. There are different sources of financing the economic development; these resources are domestic resources and foreign resources. Domestic resources are those in which the government finances through taxation, public borrowing, and the saving of government that include the surplus and also include the deficit financing. The foreign source of finance consists of loans, grants, and private investment. The significance of both domestic and foreign resources has their own in developing countries. The most important thing is used to execute these resources in a way that maximum benefit can be achieved for rapid development. Background of the problem Pakistan is a large country with a population of 17.50 million in 2010. The economy of Pakistan is still facing the low level of per capita income that is stranded at 699 US $ in December 2012. In Pakistan the ratio of the budget deficit is different in different years. From last two decades the budget deficit is 5.4% to 8.7% of GDP. The average deficit rate was 6% in the period of 1970and it was 7.6% in the period of 1980.In 1990s the deficit ratio was decreased to 6.4% of GDP due to a reduction in development expenditure. The ratio was not achieved by enhancing the tax system but due to the reduction in the development expenditure. The Pakistan tax system is still narrow and punctured due to the poor and weak tax administration. The balance of payments deficit has become a permanent problem of Pakistans economy. For the last fifty years Pakistan has been facing continuously from a current account deficit. The international loans are used to finance the deficit. The debt service charged more than 5% of the GDP of the country. With large budget deficit there is need of rapid growth of domestic credit. In underdeveloped countries the role of free capital markets is limited. The main source of government deficit is financed by the banking system. Like other developing countries Pakistan is also facing a large budget deficit as the most outstanding problem. Deficit financing is also responsible for high inflation rate, decrease growth rate, and low opportunities for private investment. Pakistan faces different rates of the budget deficit in different years. In last two decade the budget deficit ratio was 5.4% -8.7% of GDP. The ratio was 7.6% in 1980s the ratio became 7.6% in 2001- 2002. The rate of budget deficit in Pakistan has grown consistently with the passage of time. At the time of 80sthe budget deficit has increased as much as faster than the early periods and touched the ratio of 8.4% in 1987-88. The rate of budget deficits has decreased to 7% but that ratio was also considered high one of the experts. Due to large budget deficit there was a high rate borrowing is used to responsible for an increase in the domestic debts since 1980-81. In the period of 90s the severe situation faced by the State Bank of Pakistan to control inflation within the targeted limit and make sure the macroeconomic stability. In the fiscal year of 1998 and 2003 the rate of inflation was 4.6% that were relatively lesser the best rate. In early 1973 and 1980 the inflation rate was two digit figures that were 14.3%. The rate of inflation controlled in the period of 1980 that was 7.2% per annum but unfortunately the rate of inflation again grown to 10% per annum. The high rate of inflation also caused due to excess money supply, fiscal imbalances, and deficit finance sources. Problem Formulation Chaudary and Hamid (2001)Pakistan are facing severe obstacles of generating public revenue. The persistent failure in attainment of public revenue leads the public sector to depend on public borrowing. The result is that the public debt goes to increase the rate of 90% of GDP and the rate of budget deficit increase to 8% of GDP. The figure of budget deficit lead to double digit inflation (ref). These imbalances adversely affect the economy. These problems all are interconnected with each other in order to decrease the public revenues that in turn create the hindrance to meet the needs of the public expenditures. In this regard the efforts are made to improve the taxation system that is not based on the scientific approach, thats why the to attain the target of achieving the projected target failed continuously. The result is that it is not only used to meet the demands of development projects because at that time it not able to meet the demand of the current expenditure. In Pakistan the less than 1% population is taxpayer. According to the economic survey of (1998-99) Pakistan has experienced the sustainable growth rate more than three decades till 1990. Pakistans economy grew at the rate of 6% per annum more than three decades but the situation became adverse in 1990. The collection of tax also became very adverse at a satisfactory level. The other developing nations like Pakistan at the age of early growth need to get higher revenue than the developed nations. Due to the obstacles that prevail in getting the higher growth rate this could lead to the unsustanability to survive. According to the economic survey of 1998-99 the growth rate of Pakistan goes to down at 4.5% per annum, the ratio was about 6% in the last 3 decades and same ratio was 3% for few years. The deficit finance is the result of failure in an increase in the public sector to increase their savings. The trend shows that the efforts made in collecting taxes do not meet the demand of the public. It is important to note that Pakistan is not attaining the targeting revenue through tax. According to world development report (1979, 1991and 1997) the rate of tax collecting in the other developing countries is 25%. In the period of 1998-99 the tax shortfall was approximately 20%; it shows that there is need of detailed study of the tax reform system. The economic crises over in 2008, Pakistan have enjoyed greater economic activity. The policy maker in Pakistans fights a battle against the crisis hit in 2008-2009. The sudden increase in the oil prices also causes the alarming situation for the deficit in foreign debt and also decrease the value of the rupee. Pakistan made efforts to seek the international monetary fund after the allies of China, USA, and Saudi Arabia to refuse to provide the funds to the country in October 2008. Pakistan has provided the US$ 1 billion loan for 23 months. Pakistan asked the IMF to raise their loan from US47.6 billion to US$ 12.1 billion in February 2009. In august 2009 the IMF increases the time span to 25 months and increase the grant to US$11. 3 billion to meet their financial needs. Previous studies Ishfaq and Chaudhary (1999)The debt history of Pakistan started in 1984-85, when the surplus revenues turned into a deficit. The fiscal deficit and debt converted into multiple rates. The total deficit rate was Rs 89.2 billion in 1990-91 that rate was increased to 66% in 1997-98 and approximately to Rs 148 billion. The domestic debt was increased to 185 percent the amount increased Rs 448 billion to Rs 1280 billion and foreign debt increased to 156 percent the amount was Rs 272 billion to Rs 697 billion in the same time period. Pakistan has an opportunity to do some measures for the establishment of the macroeconomic indicator rather than to go for deficit financing for generating the revenue. In the mid of the 2008 the Pakistan started registering the imbalance in the overall economy. At the end of the 2008 the Pakistan fiscal deficit was increased to $ 5.6 billion that exceed to $ 8 billion. The trade deficit also increases to $ 13 billion to $ 18 billion. Foreign reserve has fallen to decrease to $ 6.5 billion. (Baig, 2011) Pakistan forced to take the help from the IMF in order to get financing for the deficit finance of their economy. The help provided by the IMF was the package of $6.7 billion that was later increased to $ 11.3 billion in 2009. The IMF also helped Pakistan by providing bilateral and multilateral aid that also causes to increase external debt and liabilities to $ 54 billion from $ 41 billion in January 2008. Pakistan is also used to sovereign bonds and sindak bonds in order to use another form of deficit financing. This also creates a problem for a country to repurchase these bonds according to their specified time table or schedule because different countries have different foreign currencies. In these situation investors does not show their concern toward the investment. (Baig, 2011) These both measures are taken by the international market that is not so enough for the needs of the Pakistan and then government compelled toward the third mode of deficit finance monetization. The Pakistani government relies on the domestic borrowing that is the cause of disparities in the debt dynamics. The domestic debt borrowing increased to 24% in the mid of 2008. Pakistan domestic debt was multiplied from Rs 2610 to Rs 4490 in the fiscal year of 2007.At the end of March 2010 Pakistan domestic debt was $ 53.2 billion which was appoximately30.6% of GDP. All the source of the deficit finance is failing to attain the desired results and lead the economy toward the negative direction. By the mid of 2010 Pakistans total domestic debt reached to $ 100 billion and there is already paid interest about $5.6 billion and debt servicing amounted $ 7.6 billion annually that was expected to cross the limit of $ 10 billion after the fiscal year of 2010-11. (Baig, 2011) Deficit finance works only when there are such sound policies that direct the planners that how to spend money in a way that raise debt, generate revenues and also plan some actionable ideas that directs that how to repay the debt. For the attainment of all these targets there should be a need of honest and sincere governors that Pakistan does not have. In this way we are able to increase the debt and rising the liabilities that is useful for the upcoming generation to pay off that. The money that is used to spend on the future of the Pakistani people should also be spent on the future of Pakistan that could be served as the bureaucracy, foreign visit, corruption and government functionaries. Today the Pakistan debt situation is alarming and we have no plans that how to raise sustainable revenues and having no idea that how to accumulate the external and domestic debt. We have very few and tough choices to make serious and valuable decisions. (Baig, 2011) Causes of Deficit Financing in Pakistan The main causes of deficit financing in Pakistan are: Increase in government expenditure: The government expenditures both development and non development are increasing as time passes. The government has not been able to meet the expenditure by its revenues. Ineffective budget deficit: There are ineffective fiscal policies implemented in Pakistan and fiscal indiscipline also result the public debt. Fiscal deficit: The average fiscal deficit in 1990s was 7% of GDP. The public debt increased from 66% of GDP in 1980 that almost 100% by the mid of 2000. In 2004-2005 the fiscal deficit was 3.3% of GDP however; it increased to 4.2% in 2006-2007. Low saving: The people of Pakistan are consumption oriented. Due to high consumption rate the saving ratio was lower than 16%. Rapid population growth: The rapid population growth also a main cause to slow down the economic activity of a country. According to economic survey of 2007-2008 the population growth was 1.8%. In underdeveloped countries the increase in money supply is one of the major causes of disequilibrium in the balance of payment with heavy government borrowing from banks and as well as from international source of finance. In such developing countries government relies on the deficit financing due to unable to use their domestic sources due to the inflexible tax structure. The capital market of such underdeveloped nations is not able to determine the interest rate and the interest rate was determined by the institutions that in case the result of excess money supply. Purpose Statement The rationale of this study is used to test the theory of association that relates the dependent variables and independent variables. Here in this study the factors (exchange rate, inflation, tax, interest rate) that is affected by the deficit financing are independent variables and GDP is dependent variable. Its individuality will be statistically restricted in this study. Objective of Study The following objective will be paying consideration to guide the study. To study the impact of deficit finance on the exchange rate To analyze the effect of deficit financing on the tax rates. To study the impact of deficit finance on the interest rate. Significance of Study Our study is about the impact of exchange rate, inflation, taxes and interest rate on deficit financing. In which we will see that how the factors are directly or indirectly affect by the deficit financing.

Aristotles Legacy in the Federalist Papers -- Federalist Papers Essay

Aristotle's Legacy in the Federalist Papers While the government of the United States owes its existence to the contents and careful thought behind the Constitution, some attention must be given to the contributions of a series of essays called the Federalist Papers towards this same institution. Espousing the virtues of equal representation, these documents also promote the ideals of competent representation for the populace and were instrumental in addressing opposition to the ratification of the Constitution during the fledgling years of the United States. With further reflection, the Federalists, as these essays are called, may in turn owe their existence, in terms of their intellectual underpinnings, to the writings of the philosopher and teacher, Aristotle. In 1789, the Confederation of the United States, faced with the very real threat of dissolution, found a renewed future with the ratification of the Constitution of the United States. This document created a structure upon which the citizens could build a future free of the unwanted pitfalls and hazards of tyrannies, dictatorship, or monarchies, while securing the best possible prospects for a good life. However, before the establishment of the new United States government, there was a period of dissent over the need for a strong centralized government. Furthermore, there was some belief that the new constitution failed to provide adequate protection for small businessmen and farmers and even less clear protection for fundamental human rights. To counter these and a variety of other arguments, statesmen Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay composed a series of articles that would logically and critically address the grievances of those opposed to the... ...Federalist Papers: The House of Representatives," The New York Packet, No. 52, 1788. 6. Hamilton, Alexander and James Madison, "Federalist Papers: Method of Guarding Against the Encroachments of Any One Department of Government by Appealing to the People Through a Convention," The New York Packet, No. 49, 1788. 7. Aristotle, The Politics, Trans. Benjamin Jowett, Book 3, Part XV. http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/politics.html 8. Hamilton, Alexander and James Madison, "Federalist Papers: Method of Guarding Against the Encroachments of Any One Department of Government by Appealing to the People Through a Convention," The New York Packet, No. 49, 1788. 9. Hamilton, Alexander and James Madison, "Federalist Papers: The Structure of the Government Must Furnish the Proper Checks and Balances Between the Different Departments," The New York Packet, No. 51, 1788.

Computer Fanatics - Good or Evil? :: essays papers

Computer Fanatics - Good or Evil? Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Charles Manson, and David Koresh were all fanatics of some nature. These fanatics did not have a helpful side effect for people but caused death and one of them a World War. Fanatics don’t all have to be bad though some fanatics helped our way of life or increased it with entertainment. Such fanatics like Michael Jordan and Larry Bird have made basketball a more enjoyable sport to watch. A fanatic is a person with an extreme and uncritical enthusiasm or zeal. All of the above mentioned have had or have these qualities. One type of fanatic that has grown larger in numbers is the computer fanatic. With the rise of technology and the Internet kids and adults are becoming fanatical with computers. Some of the traits of a computer fanatic are a need or want to be around a computer most of the time, talks a lot about computers, and there incredible knowledge for them. A computer fanatic always wants to be around a computer and if he isn’t it’s almost like a withdrawal from a drug. To a computer fanatic a computer is almost like a drug and if he doesn’t get a constant supply of it then he gets moody or restless. Programmers and other computer technicians are almost all computer fanatics and they spend at least 40 hours a week on a computer. Computers to these people are basically there life and that is why the coined term computer nerd was created. A good example of a computer fanatic can be seen in the movie Matrix that the main actor is seen next to his computer asleep and it looks as if he hasn’t moved all day. They love computers like someone might love their wife. When a computer fanatic isn’t around their computer they are always talking about them. They will always at some point have to talk about some thing related to computers. They have a difficult time separating their computer from any other part of their life. It’s hard to carry a conversation with a computer fanatic because sooner or later they will mention something related to computers. Sometimes it can be interesting but usually they speak at a level of understanding that a non-computer fanatic would not understand. There level of understanding is above most normal people and that is another way to tell if they are computer fanatics.

Robert Frosts Desert Places and Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening :: Robert Frost Poet Poems Desert Woods Essays

Robert Frost's "Desert Places" and "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" Robert Frost takes our imaginations to a journey through wintertime with his two poems "Desert Places" and "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening". Frost comes from a New England background and these two poems reflect the beautiful scenery that is present in that part of the country. Even though these poems both have winter settings they contain very different tones. One has a feeling of depressing loneliness and the other a feeling of welcome solitude. They show how the same setting can have totally different impacts on a person depending on their mindset at the time. These poems are both made up of simple stanzas and diction but they are not simple poems.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the poem "Desert Places" the speaker is a man who is traveling through the countryside on a beautiful winter eventing. He is completely surrounded with feelings of loneliness. The speaker views a snow covered field as a deserted place. "A blanker whiteness of benighted snow/ With no expression, nothing to express". Whiteness and blankness are two key ideas in this poem. The white sybolizes open and empty spaces. The snow is a white blanket that covers up everything living. The blankness sybolizes the emptyness that the speaker feels. To him there is nothing else around except for the unfeeling snow and his lonely thoughts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The speaker in this poem is jealous of the woods. "The woods around it have it - it is theirs." The woods symbolizes people and society. They have something that belongs to them, something to feel a part of. The woods has its place in nature and it is also a part of a bigger picture. The speaker is so alone inside that he feels that he is not a part of anything. Nature has a way of bringing all of her parts together to act as one. Even the animals are a part of this wintery scene. "All animals are smothered in their lairs,/ I am too absent-spirited to count". The snow throws its blanket of whiteness over everything and to him it is a feeling of numbness.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  "The loneliness includes me unawares". The speaker has lost his enthusiasm for life. He can not express his feelings easily because of this feeling of numbness. The speaker is also in denial about feeling alone. He is at a stage where he just does not care about too much and he is feeling a bit paranoid. "They cannot scare me with their empty space." He is saying who cares how I feel, I do not need anyone else.

Freedom VS Security Essay

Many theories and assumptions have been fabricated upon the basis of man’s desires and beliefs. H. L. Mencken wrote, â€Å"The average man does not want to be free, only to be safe. † However, this observation does not correlate with what has been witnessed over the course of contemporary society. Since the 18th century, man has sacrificed safety for a reward that is much more paramount, freedom. Patrick Henry, an orator for freedom in the middle to late 1700’s, knew that liberty was a vital necessity in every man’s life, and that one must do whatever it takes, including sacrificing their security, in order to achieve it. In his speech to the Virginia House of Burgesses, he is most memorably quoted for his concluding antithesis, â€Å"Give me liberty, or give me death! † Henry conveyed to his audience, as well as the entire nation, that freedom is a virtue worth dying for. Mencken’s allegation fails to attribute this instance, even though Patrick Henry was able to convince a whole nation that their liberty was worth dying for. In the past we have had many examples of security vs. freedom. During the civil war we had soldiers and people fighting to be free. They risked their own life everyday stepping out on the battle field just so they could have their own rights. This also happens in the American Revolution; people fight and risk their lives for freedom. Many events in history show how much people truly care about their freedom. Our Founding Fathers created this nation so we wouldn’t have to be living in a society full of regulation. Freedom vs. Security is a non-stop debate in our country. However, freedom is unalienable. Freedom is what keeps the common man happy. Freedom allows us to treat every day as a new day, knowing that we can do and accomplish anything because we are free. On the other hand, while safety is what keeps man calm and secure, it is not what our nation thrives off of. Security is a blanket, while freedom is a threshold. Therefore it is desired, while security is expected. No man cries out for safety, but the same cannot be said about freedom. Freedom gives us hope and excitement, while security gives assurance. Both are essential, yet only one is craved. Mencken’s presumption of what man wants, and what man deserves are in disarray. Freedom is everything, and not even safety can over shadow it.

Politics and society in Italy during World War 2 Essay

Roberto Benigni’s movie â€Å"Life is beautiful† was a successful attempt of making a tragic-comedy. Roberto Benigni directed the movie, wrote it and acted in it. Previously, he worked as a comedian in several movies. The movie won many awards including, Grand Prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 1998 and an Oscar award for the best actor. The movie makes sure that as Benigni can very well make people laugh, he can also be a serious actor at the same time and is able to entertain people with his serious acting as well. Before I start writing about the movie, I would like to discuss the main idea of it. World War II, its disasters, its effects on the people and of course on the country – both physically and psychologically is being discussed in the movie and Benigni was successful in depicting it in the movie. George Holmes in the chapter 10 of his book â€Å"The Oxford Illustrated History of Italy† has excellently defined that period of Italy’s history on which the movie was made. According to Holmes: â€Å"Italy had entered the war both materially and psychologically unprepared, uncertain about her war aims and about how they were to be achieved. None the less the conviction that the war was represented some kind of spiritual apotheosis for Italy had been common to many interventionists, whether rightwing authoritarian like Salandra or democratic and reformist socialist like Bissolati. † (pg 265) The movie’s first half was really comic and enjoyable but the second half, according to many critics, was very tragic as the most of it was shot in concentration camps, showing all the miseries people had during that period. But on the other side, a good compensation for the second half is the sweet love story of a lady Dora (Nicoletta Braschi, Benigni’s real-life spouse) and a man (Benigni). The love story prepares the viewers for the upcoming tragic drama. In short, the movie is a good way of informing about the daily life during war and how the victims have to bare the pains and pressures. It seems that the movie is a mixture of two movies, a comedy and a very light one in the first half and a very tragic and to some extent indigestible in the other half. The movie starts with a powerful comedy which had an impression that the movie contains humor, comedy, romance and nothing else. The credit for this pretension goes to the production and direction team completely which did not let us think that the movie could contain those wretched scenes. The reason of plotting the movie this way might suggests that in the first half it prepares the viewers for the second half. It might be possible that the first half gives the viewers clue of attaching their sympathy with the main characters which would help them in understanding the last part of the movie. Roberto Benigni was successful in depicting the tragedy and sorrowfulness into comedy. As in Nazi death camp, the way he turned that calamity into adventure is really admirable. In fact, this is the basis of the plot and all the characters did their best in it. The relationship of the father and a son sometimes brought tears into the eyes of the viewers as they were suffering from the torture and sometimes it also brought a smile on the positivity they kept throughout the movie. The name of the movie really meant it. â€Å"Life is Beautiful† doesn’t mean that whatever life gives to us is always beautiful, but how we perceive it actually make it beautiful or ugly. It is always on the person that how he’s reacting to the events in the life he’s coming up to, and this is what this beautiful movie is trying to make us understand. The starting fifty minutes of the movie has a beautiful and a very pretty girl called la Principessa (the Princess) who is an elementary school teacher and is engaged to some Fascist officials. That was those fifty minutes which was the development of the movie. Viewers had to change their attitude towards the movie in those fifty minutes. It was a shift from an imponderous effect of movie to a farce. No doubt, it could a shock for some people for a sudden change in the movie, but I think this is a best part of it and it’s also an essence of a good plot. A good plot doesn’t allow viewer or reader to predict its climax but yes, can give sometimes a clue. In this movie, â€Å"Life is beautiful†, the happiness in the starting till its fifty minutes, in a sense give a clue that the disaster and woefulness is still waiting for its turn! The credit of the shift of the movie goes to the xenophobic uncle of Guido. He is prejudiced and a narrow-minded guy for which Guido and his family had to suffer later. The writer of the movie wrote this event and about his uncle in a very light manner, although its not. Guido’s shop was sooner labeled as a â€Å"Jewish store†. The couple has a five year old baby boy now named, Joshua (Giorgio Cantarini). This is the year 1945. â€Å"Jews and dogs aren’t allowed into the pastry shop†, this is what the son asks his father to be explained. The father was very well conscious of whatever was happening during the time. He had to protect his son from the mental disturbance in anyway and he started telling his son that whatever is happening is only a drama and has no reality in it. â€Å"Tomorrow, we’re going to write: ‘No Spiders and No Visigoths Allowed†, father replied to son as he never wanted his son to be pressurized in that political situation. George Holmes says: â€Å"Emblematic of the Italian authorities’ attitude to its own soldiers was its behavior in respect of those Italians who had fallen prisoner to the Austrians and Germans. Of the 600,000 soldiers who became prisoners in the course of the war, more than 100,000 died in captivity-a far higher proportion than for any other country. † (pg 267) The Guido’s family soon became imprisoned by the police. They were taken to some prisoner-of-war camp. Dora took a difficult decision to move with her family instead of following them in the train. It was an abhorrent place. People there were made to perform laborious work like melting down the weapons and the weak ones, old ones and the children were made pouring down the water. According to George Holmes: â€Å"The war proved to be a shock of massive proportions, which tried the politically unstable, economically backward, and weakly united society to its limit and which bequeathed a legacy no one had been able to predict. Indeed, the divisions which the war exposed and the lacerations which the conflict provoked would have consequences which went well beyond the Armistice of November 1918. † (pg 264) The best thing of the movie which kept the interest of the viewers till the end is the fatherhood which never let his son feel fearful although living in the death camp. He kept on explaining that it was just a game and we are not supposed to lose it at any cost. He made sure his son by showing the numbers on his arm. He told him that the bad people were not letting them to register them but he did it so that they can also enjoy the game. The son assimilated all as he is a child of five year only and he hasn’t learnt not to trust his father until now. Father told the son that the goal of the game is to score 1000 and the winner will get an original tank and not the toy with which Joshua plays with. The rules of the game kept on changing as the story moves on and the torture increases but mostly they used to play hide-and-seek, make believe and a rule called â€Å"silence†. Simultaneously, the father kept on making sure the son that the police, in reality aren’t bad, and the way they behave is only because of the game. This attitude of a father of never letting a child know that from what torture they have been going through suggests a very pure, strong and trustworthy relationship of a father and son. Father also prepares his son for the future if he doesn’t get the food. He says that if he cries for the food, he’ll be failed. Throughout the time the father and son spend in the death camp, Guido made his son feel that they are on vacations. â€Å"†¦Camp prisoners are all going to be â€Å"cooked in the oven† to become â€Å"buttons and soap† is one of the examples form the movie which Guido tell his son, almost depicting the tragedy into comic. Benigni deserves a special award on the part when he shows that he knows German and translates the orders to his son. When death was announced to the prisoners, the father introduced three new and FINAL rules to his son: â€Å"There are three cases in which you lose all your points,† he says. â€Å"One: Those who cry. Two: Those who want to see their mamma. Three: Those who are hungry and want some snack. Forget about it! † According to some people it’s a cheapo way of letting the kid into dark till the end. Viewers have remarks that he should have told him at the end about the actual thing happening to them. But its too late to tell anything to the innocent kid now because it’s the end. An American was driving that tank which was arrived, and yes, Joshua really played well. In World War II, about 8,000 Italian Jews were imprisoned and murdered. The criticisms on Benigni are open after the movie. He depicted himself as an inhuman person who couldn’t feel the territory which the people went through during the World War II. But on the other side of the picture, we also see people’s remarks saying that a person without a brave heart cannot think, write and act in a manner he did. He, through the period of World War II is trying to tell that no matter what circumstances you are present in, don’t let the life go out of your hands, as your life really worth to be lived! The theme of the movie â€Å"Life is beautiful† is also that a person will always try to protect his loved one in the difficult situation and never let him go in depression and this is what a father did to his son. Benigni also depicts the value of family in this movie. He showed the real essence of fatherhood, a husband and a lover. Self sacrifice and believe in one-self is the other minor theme of the movie which kept the last part of the movie really active. It also gives us the lesson of being calm, active and reality based in all odds of the life. Although there was a terror and horror all around, he knew how to use his brain and where. It’s not easy for a person to maintain his spirits and powers in such a hectic situation of life. This is not at all easy for a person to act like him in other situations, keeping the spirits and hopes high but what he tries to convinces is that its not even impossible. A person can make his life beautiful if he wants to, it’s all in his hands how he values the time he has. According to George Holmes: â€Å"The enthusiasm which greeted the Italian decision to end neutrality and intervene in the First World War was something which left a profound impression on observers;†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (pg 264) The above extract is the very starting part of Chapter 10 of the book, the title of the chapter is â€Å"Italy 1915-1945: Politics and Society†. Just like the way viewers of the movie were drowned into the profound effect of the war, when we go through the book, the same way we indulge in the miseries of the War. Holmes has written it so well that a person could feel the pains himself as he’s experiencing it. As said earlier, the title â€Å"Life is beautiful†, is not just a title but it’s a message of Benigni to Holocaust. This is Benigni’s very positive approach that he is calling Life â€Å"beautiful† avoiding the facts that there are hell lot factors which can make a person perceive life very sorrowful and bad, especially a person who has tortured in a death camp. According to Gerald Peary, Benigni only wanted to depict father’s love in his movie and this was the best way of depicting it. If his main focus would only be on imprisonment of the victims of the wars, he would have made a documentary or a real imitation sort of a movie. But he was not failed in depicting the sorrows, tears and torture of the prisoners in World War II and side by side he also successfully portrayed the social and cultural decline in Italy during that period. George Holmes has written a very well-embellished book on the history of Italy. The book â€Å"The Oxford Illustrated History of Italy† has a rich material on whatever happened during World War II. It tells about the early days of Roman Empire in the beginning of 1990. He has given several pictures in the book to illustrate its culture and social ethical norms. The book tells us the story of the Italy from the Roman Empire till today. Italy did not exist as a separate individual political unit before a century ago but it had a rich culture. In fact, it always had a powerful culture which started from the period of Renaissance. During the middle ages, the exporter from Florence, Venice and Genoa started their trading with Asia and Europe. After the nineteenth century, Italy was actually created and their political establishment started transcending. The twelve great leaders captivate the history and culture of Italy which is very well written in the above discussed book written by George Holmes. â€Å"Problems of reconversions and stabilization were exacerbated by the political tensions created in course of 1919. Those tensions which had been present at the front between officers and soldiers were reproduced in civilian life in much of the same terms. Socialist party organizers never failed to point out that the war had been a useless slaughter, as they had always maintained, and that the Italian State before a heavy responsibility for this. † (Holmes pg 268-269) Works Cited Holmes, George. (2001) The Oxford Illustrated History Stone, A. A. (2000). Escape from Auschwitz: ‘Life Is Beautiful’ turned the Holocaust into a sentimental fable. Psychiatric Times. 17(4).