What else is blamed on Snowball? How does Napoleon deal with the problem?

Snowball is blamed for many things on Animal Farm. It is alleged that Snowball is coming in at night and wreaking havoc on the farm, breaking eggs knocking over milk pails.

Rumors are being circulated that Snowball is in cahoots with farmers to attack and take over Animal Farm.

It is also reported by Squealer that the Battle of the Cowshed, which had previously been touted as Snowball's victory, was really carried out due to Napoleon's bravery. By taking away Snowball's merits, and attributing them to himself, he is gaining more  power.

He calls for a complete investigation into the current activities of Snowball.

In "The Cask of Amontillado," why does Montresor warn Fortunato about the air in the vaults?

The purpose that Montresor had in telling Fortunato about the air in the vaults was to give him a false sense of security as they went deeper. Montresor wanted Fortunato to believe that he had his "friend's" best interest at heart so that when he ensnared him in the trap and began to bury him alive he would be completely stunned by the act.

This also acts as a bit of foreshadowing toward the future event because we know from our narrator that revenge is being sought, there is no friendship attempting to be forged here.

What is the significance of the word PORTRAIT in the title The Portrait of a Lady?

A portrait is usually an image meant to portray (note the word similarity there) a person is a realistic manner. It can be a photograph but usually refers to a painting, although may also refer to a literary portrait. Even if the image is a realistic representation of a person, it is still from the artist's singular perspective. In James' novel, Isobel Archer is a woman who is observed and judged by many people, but whose main goal is to try and discover her own desires and ultimately be true to herself. She behaves in a socially acceptable way, thinking she is something of a maverick, but it is her desire to appear independent and iconoclastic, as well as to win the approval of others, that leads her to make bad choices in her marriage. The quality of her life is very much affected by how others view her and how she wishes to be viewed; in this way, her story is one of trying to create a suitable image or portrait for the consumption of others. What matters most is her own happiness, but she learns this too late, because she is too concerned about her image, her portrait, and not her inner values and self worth.

What is the summary of chapter one of Fifth Business by Robertson Davies?

1.1

· Dunstan’s involvement with Mrs. Dempster began on December 27, 1908

· He was 10 years 7 months

· Percy comes from a rich family; father is a doctor

· Percy jealous because Dunstan’s sled was faster

· Made fun of Dunstan, said that his father was better than his

· He threw many snowballs at Dunstan, and hit Mrs. Dempster at the back of the head

· She fell to the ground and burst into tears

· Dunstan arrives home late and tells his story

· Description of Dunstan’s mother ß Pg6

· Birth of Paul Dempster; Morning of December 28, 1908 ßPg6

1.2

· In the present day talks about Packer and his article (titled “farewell to the cork”)

· Dunstan is a History professor

1.3

· Description of the village (Deptford) with population, religions, one lawyer, one backer, two doctors, dentist, veterinarian, canning factory, few shops, one only three story house

· Dunstan’s father is the owner of the Deptford Banner

· Description of Dunstan’s father and mother’s history

· Description of house and cleanliness ß Pg 12

1.4

· Paul’s birth description

· Description of Dunstan’s mother, miserable time for Dunstan

· Mrs. Dempster’s tragedy, Description of Paul ß Pg14

· Amasa baptizes Paul, theatre theme

· Prays to God to take away Mrs. Dempster’s soul

· Paul becomes healthy

· Dunstan is guilty so he goes and talks about the birth of Paul with Percy

· Mention of Dante inferno, Dunstan is 11

· Dunstan believes he is responsible for the birth of Paul

· Talk about who threw the snowball and if Dunstan knows who threw it

1.5

· Description of Mrs. Dempster, Description of Amasa Dempster

· Although Mrs. Dempster is healthy, she is sloppy and treats Paul like a doll ßPg21

· She is found many times naked at home, considered simple

· Paul is a healthy, Christian looking boy

· Dunstan has to do the chores at the Dempster's and watch over Paul

· Mrs. Dempster gives everything away (story about the vase)

· Description of Willie Ramsay

1.6

· Description of Percy ( nicknamed Pidgy boy-boy by his mother)

· Description of Dunstan

· Dunstan nicknamed Nursie

· Dunstan loves Leola Cruikshank and Mrs. Dempster ß Pg24

· Dunstan stick up for Mrs Dempster

· Description of Milo Papple and his father

1.7

· Dunstan is 13 years old

· Dunstan’s sloppiness in the Printing business

· Dunstan is a Librarian

· He reads Magic books, he wants to become a Magician (conjurer)

· Practices with an egg from his mother’s kitchen

· Lies to his mother and gets beatings ß Pg 24

1.8

· Started learning card tricks

· Showed Paul his tricks and taught Paul a lot

· Reads to Paul “ A child’s book of Saints”

· Started with coin tricks ßPg32

· Paul does the card tricks perfectly

· Description of Paul

1.9

· Description of Amasa Dempster, he loves Mrs. Dempster on principle

· Demspter shouts at Dunstan for teaching his son magic tricks and telling Paul about Saints

· Dunstan is Fifteen

· Dunstan ill wishes Dempster ßPg37

· Description of Mrs. Dempster and Mrs. Ramsay

1.10

· Description of Willie

· Mrs Dempster ( Mary Dempster) disappears

· Found in the gravel pit copulating with a tramp

What are some examples of racism towards the Hazaras in The Kite Runner?

The Hazaras are a race of people who descended from the Mongolian race.  In the book "The Kite Runner" Hassan is a Hazara.  On page 9 it mentions in a book that Amir is reading that "the Pashtuns had persecuted and oppressed the Hazaras."

Ali, who is a Hazara, is mocked by the neighborhood people on page 10.

When the boys, Hassan and Amir, run into Assef, he taunts Hassan by calling him flat nose.  He makes reference to Hitler being a great man and that had he completed what he had intended the world would be a better place.  He is referring to the extinction of the Hazaras.  This is foreshadowing as later on it will be Assef who will kill the Hazaras to help rid his country of them.

Assef asks Amir "How can you play with him?  How can you touch him?"(41)

Hassan as an adult and his wife were interrogated by investigators.  They had done nothing but were caring for Baba's home while Baba was in America.  They shot him in the back of the head.  When his wife came out screaming they killed her as well.  Then they took the son and used him as a sex toy.  They had no rights as Hazaras. (Page 219)

Name the six places the second spirit took Scrooge in A Christmas Carol.

The Spirit of Christmas Present takes Scrooge to a busy city on Christmas morning, where he sees happy people enjoying the sights and wishing each other Merry Christmas. Next, the spirit takes Scrooge to the poor but happy home of Bob Cratchit as Mrs. Cratchit and her children are preparing a Christmas goose and the few Christmas treats they can afford. This is the first time Scrooge sees Tiny Tim, and he learns that his chair will be empty next Christmas.

The two then visit several other Christmas gatherings, including an isolated miners camp and a shipboard party. After this, they visit Fred’s Christmas party, where Scrooge thoroughly enjoys himself, but as the night grows darker, they visit a bleak place where the Spirit shows him the two starving children who travel with him beneath his robe, named Ignorance and Want.

What is the point of view of the short story "Just Lather, That's All" and how does it affect the story?

The point of view of this short story is first person.  The barber is telling his own story.

This affects the story because it gives us great insight into the major conflict of the story.  The major conflict of the story is the dilemma that is going on inside the head of the barber.  He is having to decide what to do about this man who is really an enemy to him.  He holds the enemy's life in his hands and must decide what to do.

By using a first person point of view, the author lets us see quite clearly all the tension that goes on in the protagonists mind and all the things he must consider.

What are some differences between Hamlet, Fortinbras, and Laertes in the play Hamlet?

Fortinbras is decisive and warrior-like whereas Hamlet vacillates and is much more peace-loving.  Fortibras is willing to conquer a relatively useless piece of land simply to enlarge the conquests of his kingdom:  (Truly to speak, and with no addition,
We go to gain a little patch of ground / That hath in it no profit but the name. To pay five ducats, five, I would not farm it;
Nor will it yield to Norway or the Pole / A ranker rate, should it be sold in fee (4.4.119-125). 

Laertes is easily led while Hamlet needs to be sure of everything before he makes a move, yet he feels stymied by doubt, as evidence in his famous "To be or not to be" soliloquy (Act 3.1).  But Laeretes is all to ready to believe the worst, and be sucked in by Claudius' deceit, becoming a pawn to his deadly games.

Do you think that diversity training is neccesary in the work place? Why or why not?

The world has become a smaller place I once heard said.  This simply means that we are now able to interact with more cultures than ever before.  Travel and computers have enabled us to work directly with people from diverse cultures.  Knowing cultural mores can be very helpful in the workforce.

When I attended college in Germany I had an Arabic teacher.  I was taking Algebra.  He would never look me in the eye, and he never responded to my questions.  There were only two females in the class and the rest were men.  He always responded to them.  We became very upset and went to the administrative staff.  They explained to me that he was an excellent math teacher but he did not culturally believe that women should be in college and especially not in math or science classes.

The response in Germany was to change my classmate and I to a different teacher.  Had this happened in America he would have had to learn about our culture and known that to keep his job he needed to work with females as well.

The problem goes both ways though.  My freind is a Muslim and very devout.  He was hired at a factory and certain times each day he would go in the yard to pray.  He always tried to find a private place so as not to appear as a spectacle or make a statement.  He moved to America to escape discrimination. 

People on his job thought that he was anti-social and just never wanted to hang-out with them.  He was raised that when one works, one works, when one prays, one prays, and when one socializes, one socializes.  Once the workers learned more about his culture they began to find out what a nice guy he was, but it would have helped had they been better prepared and him be better prepared.

Why do you like the story?

I have always liked this story for several reasons.  First, I like the irony.  The son finally convinces his father to wish for money, only to lose his life at work in order for his father to get the money in the form of compensation.  Second, I like the power of suggestion.  In the final scene, where the mother has wished for her son's return and the son, presumably, is pounding on the door, we can only imagine what is really out there on the front step.  How mutilated is he from his accident?  What intentions does he have?  We never know, though, because the father uses the final wish to get rid of whatever was on the front porch.  Yet, we are left wondering just what was out there.  Finally, I like the famous quote, "He wanted to show that fate ruled people's lives, and that those who interfered with it did so to their sorrow."  This reveals a theme in the story: fate vs. freewill.  How many of us would love to have the chance to wish for something and have it granted.  But at what price?  Maybe we should be happy with the things we are blessed with instead of trying to manipulate fate.

In The Crucible, what is the terrible irony of Francis Nurse's attempt to help his wife?

Trying to help his wife, along with Giles Corey and Proctor, Francis Nurse brought a "testament" with ninety-one signatures on it of people who are farmers and members of the church. The people who signed it attest to the fact that they've known Rebecca and Martha Corey for many years, and they've never seen them have anything to do with the devil. They are swearing that both Rebecca and Martha are good women. Because their friends and neighbors were willing to sign this testament, they will now be arrested and brought in for questioning. So in his attempt to help his wife, Francis Nurse has now brought the wrath of the court down on ninety-one more people.

Could scientist clone a complete human, with stem cell research?Is it possible to clone someone?

Is it possible?  Surely.  Scientists have already successfully cloned animals, though I suppose it depends on your definition of "success".  Humans are animals too, and a collection of tissues and organs, so certainly the scientific potential is there.

It is controversial and illegal for a number of reasons, moral in terms of our definition of humanity and life.  Unethical in that most people would agree that humans are not meant to be the basis of experimentation, or at least not have that be the purpose of their existence.  All humans have rights, so would clones?  It is so legally problematic it boggles the mind.

So while I hope it does not happen, scientific history suggests that it will at some point.

Is Mark Twain considered racist or is he just a reflection of his time? If the "N" word were removed, would the novel still be impactful?

My students are dealing with this same issue right now.  We must take into consideration that the word "nigger" was not objectionable nor was it offensive during Twain's time.  Huck and his friends were born into the slave culture and knew no other way of life.  To them, this word was just another word... no connotation whatsoever.  Nothing like the offenive word it has become today.

The novel would not be as impactful, honest, or truthful if the word were removed.  It must be there to completely depict the time period in American history.

On the contrary for the racist issue, Twain fully recognized slaves as people with feelings and dreams.  One look at the character of Jim should be proof enough.  Jim is a well-rounded character whom we all come to love and root for as he faces adversity.  Twain consistently satirizes the hypocrisy of the church and the Southern Bible belt folks with their Christian beliefs juxtaposed with the buying and selling of slaves daily.

What are some Marez vs. Luna scenes in the novel "Bless Me, Ultima"?

Marez vs. Luna scenes present the opposing forces of the sea vs. the moon, freedom vs. domesticity, adventure vs. the earth.  Antonio feels the pull of both influences in the heritages received from his father and his mother, and the book is filled with scenes which demonstrate the contrast.

In his dreams, Antonio's parents argue over which influence is stronger in their youngest son, especially in the matter of religion.  Antonio's mother says, "my Antonio...we who were baptized in the water of the moon which was made by our Holy Mother the Church are saved", while his father retorts, "Lies! Antonio was not baptized in the holy water of the moon, but in the salt water of the sea" (Once).

When Ultima speaks to Antonio and his father about her wish to be cremated after her death, Antonio's father expresses his approval, pointing out that the forces of Marez vs. Luna would be in harmony in such a ritual.  He says, "it is a good way to return to the earth...this way the spirit soars immediately into the wind of the llano, and the ashes blend quickly into the earth" (Veinte).

At the end of the book, Antonio's father explains the necessity for the forces of Marez vs. Luna to be reconciled.  He tells Antonio, "I came from a people who held the wind as brother, because he is free...and your mother...came from men who hold the earth as brother...perhaps it is time we gave up the old differences" (Veintidos).

Analyze the characters of Leontes and Hermione in Act I and Act II.

Even limiting discussion to Acts One and Two, this is quite a topic, so I will keep my answer more general.

First, Leontes fits into the same category that other protagonists in Shakespeare's plays fit into, which is to say that they share their thoughts, through soliloquies, directly with the audience.  Other examples of this are Hamlet, Richard III, Iago, Macbeth, etc.  This is important to notice because we, the audience, get a certain insight into these characters' thought processes that gives us some of the reasoning behind their actions.

For Hermione, this is not true.  What we know of her and her actions can only be gleaned from her behaviour and conversation with other characters.

Leontes is, from almost the first moment he is onstage, consumed with jealousy.  There doesn't seem to be any evidence for this, but that doesn't stop him from weaving more and more fantastical and far-fetched reasons to believe what he does.  I think that it is genius on Shakespeare's part to make Leontes' behaviour so outlandish and unexplainable.  For, unfortunately, that is often the case in human life when it comes to jealousy.

As for Hermione's behaviour:  She spends most of Acts One and Two patiently playing the hostess to Leontes friend Polixenes (with whom Leontes has cast her as an adulterer) and caring for he son.  She does these things even though she is very visibly pregnant, a state that couldn't make these duties very enjoyable.  Yet she remains pleasant and dignified.  Though Hermione potentially could be very unstable emotionally (all those raging hormones!) she is even-tempered and calm.

An interesting note about Leontes is that, though he goes on and on, listing reason and explanation to support his ludicrous claim of adultery between Hermione and Polixines, Shakespeare is able to make it evident (through how erratic and choppy the rhythm of the verse that Leontes speaks is) that this man is not in his right mind.

In contrast, Hermione's speech is even, balanced and clear, even when she is accused out of the blue.   She stands up for herself with dignity and grace.

What does this quotation from Macbeth mean? ''The eye wink at the hand yet let that be. Which the eye fears when it is done, to see.''

This is something that Macbeth says in response to hearing that Malcolm, King Duncan's son will be the heir to the throne. The entire quote reads;

Stars hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep desires: The eye wink at the hand: yet let that be. Which the eye fears, when it is done to see.

What Macbeth is asking for here is impossible. He would like the stars to go out (Stars hide your fears) so that no one can see what he wants, not even himself (Let not light see my black and deep desires). He asks that his own eye wink, or go blind, so that his eye cannot see what it is that his hand wishes or desires to do (The eye wink at the hand;). The final part of the quote is saying that he wants to just wants to let it be even though he knows that his own eye will be afraid to look at what it is that he's done (yet let that be. Which the eye fears, when it is done to see).

What comparison can be made between "The Declaration of Independence" and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from the Birmingham Jail"? How do...

Interesting questions, one of the better ones I've seen recently.  The Declaration of Independence was mainly a charging document, starting clearly and innocently enough with declaring "the causes which impel them to the separation", but then it goes on to blast the King and the Empire with a long list of charges of tyranny and oppression.

Martin Luther King Jr. also starts calmly enough as he explains why he has become involved with the Birmingham movement for civil rights, then his argument gains force and momentum as he begins to quote scripture and to blast the white preachers who have written him by arguing "justice too long delayed is justice denied" and "privileged groups seldom give up their privileges voluntarily".

Both are compelling, eloquent and powerful arguments against the injustices of their time.  In terms of contradictions, Jefferson was arguing for freedom essentially for white males from the King, while he owned slaves and protected the social status quo in the colonies.  King, on the other hand argues equality for all.

Why does Zaroff think that Rainsford "hasn't played the game"?

Zaroff believes that Rainsford has "quit" the game rather than play it out to the death. Rainsford is on the run and finds that his only escape- rather than death- is to jump into the sea. Zaroff sees this action and believes that his one worthy adversary has quit the game and chosen death by the sea rather than playing the game. Little does Zaroff know that Rainsford has not quit the game he has tried a strategy that ensures his eventual victory.

How does the structure of Sonnet 18 influence its content?

As you'll find in the analysis for this sonnet (see link below), the way Shakespeare would pose a rhetorical question in his sonnets, then only allow for one answer (his own), was important in getting the point of his sonnet across to his reader, and most especially, to the intended recipient of the sonnet.

Shakespeare used the traditional sonnet form for all but three of his sonnets, which is 14 lines, broken into three quatrains (stanzas with four lines) and one concluding couplet (two lines with end rhymes). The rhetorical question is typically posed within the first quatrain, then expounded upon through the other two quatrains, and finally, a conclusion/answer is offered in the couplet.

This form - 14-line sonnet in iambic pentameter - was very conducive to the meaning of the sonnet. It works particularly well with Sonnet 18, as he is positing the fact that his beloved, when compared to the beauty of nature, is far more lovely, more calm, etc. Shakespeare is also making the point that his beloved can be immortal, despite the usual deteriorating effects of aging and nature. He presents this in the quatrains, leading up to his final point in the couplet, which reads:

"So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee."

He is saying at the end that as long as his sonnet exists, and as long as people are still living and can read it, his beloved will be immortal through the lines of his sonnet.

Last chapter= in what ways does scout demonstrate sensivity and compassion in the previous and in the final chapter?

I think a key moment for Scout is when she walks Boo Radley home.  Here is one of the key moments of her life so far.  She has been looking forward to this since she can remember.  But she handles it with compassion and class, just like Atticus would advise her.  Then as she drops him off at his house, she sees his window and puts herself in Boo's shoes, envisioning what it must have been like to watch the kids play their games and grow up and then finally need his help.  She is finally doing what Atticus has always encouraged her to do, put herself in someone else's shoes and try to see things from their point of view.  While Lee claims that the walk back from the Halloween pageant was one of the longest of their lives, I think the walk back to her house is another important journey, for it is in this walk that we see just how much Scout has grown from a naive, tom boy to a sensitive and compassionate young lady.

Why was the windmill so hard to build ?

The reason the windmill is so hard to build in Chapter 6 is that it is a bunch of animals that is trying to build it.  So they don't have many tools and they don't have hands.

For example, to break rocks up to be used for the walls, they have to drag huge boulders up to the top of the quarry.  From there, they topple them over so the get crushed when they fall.  They have to do that since they have no way to crush the rocks with tools.

Because of problems like this (symbolizing how technologically backward Russia was) the animals have a hard time building the windmill.

How does the novel's title, To Kill a Mockingbird, relate to the themes in the book? The themes: don't judge people by appearance, have moral...

A few additional comments on the title and meaning:  Lee uses the mockingbird as a symbol of innocence, joy, and freedom, borrowing from other American writers, such as Walt Whitman in “Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking,” who use the bird in this way. Although it is a sin to kill a mockingbird, Atticus says it’s permissible to shoot blue jays, thus making blue jays the opposite of mockingbirds.  Loud, territorial, and very aggressive, blue jays can be understood as the bullies of the bird world.  The finch, the family name of Atticus, means a songbird like the mockingbird, and he pits himself against the evil in the town.

As bullies, however, blue jays embody the meanness of racism and people such as Bob Ewell (his last name sounds similar to “evil”) . While Atticus is  uncomfortable with covering the fact that Boo killed Ewell in defending his children against Ewell’s attack, he is  willing to overlook the details of the law to protect the mockingbird that is Boo and dismiss the dead blue jay that is Ewell.  Atticus also “attacks” blue jays when he shoots the mad dog.  The dog represents prejudice, and how, like a rabid dog, it spread its disease throughout the South.  In shooting the dog Atticus kills a blue jay, and in so doing also kills racism and prejudice, trying to prevent it from spreading any further.

What is Snowball's role in the Battle of the Cowshed in Animal Farm?

Snowball's strategic prowess mirrors his Russian Revolution counterparts quite effectively. Trotsy was an incredibly strategic military leader who got the job done under Lenin as he was supposed to.

Likewise, Snowball's effectiveness earned him an honor among the animals: "Animal Hero, First Class." He also gave an inspirational speech that moved and motivated the animals. He spoke of the need for all animals to be willing to die for Animal Farm. At this point, Snowball appears an appropriate fulltime leader for the animals.

What is the plot (sequence of events around which the story is told) of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow"?

Ichabod Crane is a schoolteacher who has come to the village of Sleepy Hollow. He is liked by the local people, and his intelligence is much admired. Ichabod is well-read, and he especially likes ghost stories, of which the local lore abounds. There is an especially favored story widely shared about a headless horseman that rides in the night.

Attracted as much by her wealth as by her beauty and charm, Ichabod begins to court Katrina Van Tassel. His rival is Brom Bones, who is handsome and athletic, and everything the bookish Ichabod is not. Brom wants to fight Ichabod, but Ichabod will not oblige.

One evening, the Van Tassels have a party, and after a night of merry-making and scary story-telling, Ichabod proposes to Katrina and is apparently denied. On the way home, he is pursued by a headless horseman, knocked unconscious, and never seen again. Some believe that Brom was behind the disappearance of Ichabod, while others maintain that Ichabod was a victim of the much-storied headless horseman. Ichabod lives on as the subject of one of the ghost stories he loved to tell.

Lizzy and Charlotte discuss the consequences of Jane's not showing her feelings towards Bingley. What does this foreshadow?

In Ch. 6 Elizabeth remarks to Charlotte her friend how Jane who is admired by Bingley is careful not to make public her feelings of love and admiration for him:

It was generally evident whenever they met, that he did admire her; and to her it was equally evident that Jane was yielding to the preference which she had begun to entertain for him from the first, and was in a way to be very much in love; but she considered with pleasure that it was not likely to be discovered by the world in general, since Jane united with great strength of feeling a composure of temper and a uniform cheerfulness of manner, which would guard her from the suspicions of the impertinent.

Elizabeth feels that Jane is doing the right thing because this would protect her from becoming a victim of the local village gossip.

But Charlotte very perspicaciously remarks that if Jane doesn't reveal it to Bingley very plainly that she loves him and that she will accept him if he proposes marriage then there is the real danger that she might lose him:

it is sometimes a disadvantage to be so very guarded. If a woman conceals her affection with the same skill from the object of it, she may lose the opportunity of fixing him.

Charlotte's statement is proved true when we read Darcy's letter in Ch.35 in which while defending himself against Elizabeth's accusation that he was responsible for preventing Bingley from marrying her sister Jane, he states that on observing Jane and Bingley together he was convinced that Jane was very reserved and that it did not appear to him that she was in love with Bingley:

I observed my friend's  behaviour attentively; and I could then perceive that his partiality for Miss Bennet was beyond what I had ever witnessed in him. Your sister  I also watched. -- Her look and manners were open, cheerful, and engaging as ever, but without any symptom of peculiar regard, and I remained convinced from the evening's scrutiny, that though she received his attentions with pleasure, she did not invite them by any participation of sentiment.

Thus, the conversation between Elizabeth and Charlotte and Charlotte's astute remarks in Ch.6 foreshadow Bingley's temporary separation from Jane.

Which characters in The Kite Runner would you consider paradoxical and why?

The greatest paradox in the story is Hassan. Hassan has an almost mystical ability to read and understand Amir (examples, his dream before the kite competition, his confession that he likes his home (p.55) and Amir's confession; "That was another thing about Hassan. He always knew when to say the right thing" (p. 35)). This extends outside of Hassan's relationship with Amir. He is able to run misleading kites, and later in life, when the Taliban took over (p.197) he says "God help the Hazaras now", just before the announcement that the Hazara are massacred.But for all of this 'mystic foresight', Hassan seems completely baffled by Amir's emotions after witnessing the rape. He says "I don't know what I've done Amir agha. I wish you'd tell me. I don't know why we don't play anymore." (p.82). Surely someone with such insight into Amir, and into everything, should have understood Amir's emotions that day at the pomegranate tree (p. 86). He'd have understood that when Amir yelled 'Hit me back" it was because he "wished (Hassan) would give (him) the punishment he craved." Instead, the Hassan loses his great skills at interpreting his friend, and instead, makes matters worse when he picked up a pomegranate "and crushed it into his own forehead".Hassan's double character makes him the most paradoxical character in the story. It's a flaw in the book, a plot hole that is not satisfactorily explained.

What happened to the team after Buck "stood up" to Spitz in The Call of the Wild?

After Buck stands up to Spitz and beats him in a fight to the death, Sol-leks is made the lead dog.  Buck repeatedly challenges him too, and is finally allowed to lead the team.  Under Buck's leadership, "the general tone of the team picked up immediately...it recovered its old-time solidarity", and the team makes record runs, averaging forty miles a day for fourteen days (Chapter 4).  After a short time of celebrity, the exhausted team is capriciously sold to another handler to run the mail from Dawson to Skagway.

Aunt Nicey thinks the caul was important? Why?

When Aunt Nicey delivers Doodle, he is  born with a caul. A caul is a membrane that usually covers the head at birth, and in some religious traditional beliefs is known as  "Jesus' nightgown".

Aunt Nicey feels that this is a sign, and that the family should treat Doodle carefully and respectfully, as he may someday be a saint. It is symbolic because Doodle does have a spiritual nature, and does seem to be pure of heart.

velocityA 50.0 g object is attached to a horizontal spring with a force constant of 10.0 N/m and released from rest with an amplitude of 25.0 cm. ...

F = -10x, where 10/m is the spring constant, when the object is x distance from the equilibrium point, (or the middle point of the 25 cm amplitude).

Therefore, the acceleration d2x/dt^2 = (F/mass) = --10/(50gm) = 10x/(0.05) = -200x.

Therefore, d/dt (v) = -200x, where v =dx/dt is the velocity of the object.

d/dt(v) = (dv/dx)(dx/dt) = vd/dx= -200x. Or. vdv =-200x*dx

( v^2)/2 =( -200x^2)/2 + C  on integration.

But when  v=12.5cm= 0.125m, v =0. Therefore,

v^2 = 200*(0.125^2-x^2 ). When x is the position of the particle from the mean position

At the half way of equilibrium position(or mean position), x=0. So  v = [200(0.125^2)]^(1/2) =  1.7678 m/s

What year does Sign of the Beaver take place?

The book The Sign of the Beaver takes place around 1768.  In the book the boy, Matt, states that his father and family had worked out a plan in 1768.  Matt's father had purchased some land in Maine and Matt and his father had traveled there to build a cabin and start a homestead. Once the homestead was finished, Matt's father went back to get the rest of the family leaving Matt behind to protect their new home.

The two had built a log house.  The house had temporary fixtures in the window and a clay lined fireplace.  Matt's father was supposed to be gone for six weeks.

Analyze the characters of Estragon and Vladimir.

Estragon and Vladimir, or Gogo and Didi, are the two protagonists of this play.  They live out their life waiting for man named Godot, believing that Godot will come to them.  A boy comes at the end of each day and announces that Godot is not coming, but will come soon.  They continue to wait.  The two both have names of seven letters, and both have two syllable repeating nicknames - Beckett is calling attention to their connection.

The way their clothing is described suggests that these two characters, who are only shown on a roadside waiting, may have been gentlemen of financial means at some point.  They have on jackets and boots of a respectable nature.  They are now homeless, though, as evident in their torn and dirty description.

Vladimir has the better memory of the two, and seems more intelligent.  He tries to encourage Estragon to be optimistic, and helps him to pass the time.  He is philosophical, and more likely to consider their purpose in being where they are.  Estragon is more child-like.  He is emotional, and allows himself to be led by Vladimir.  He spends quite a bit of time concerned with his feet and his boots, while Vladimir spends a lot of time concerned with his hat.  Beckett suggests that these two characters represent the two sides of a human being - Vladimir is the mind (intellect), and Estragon is the body (the emotional/physical).

From which act in "The Tempest" does the quote below come, and what are the circumstances in which it is spoken?But this rough magic I here abjure;...

It is from Act Five, Scene One of The Tempest and occurs when Prospero, a magician, decides to abandon his magic potions and his communion with magic powers and return to a common humanity. Often identified with Shakespeare at career’s end, an old man with flowing robes and beard, bidding adieu to his books and magic and to “ye elves of hills, brooks, standing lakes, and groves” (5.1.33), with a fifteen-year-old daughter Prospero could be anywhere between thirty and ninety. The Tempest portrays Prospero’s brush with revenge, and can be viewed as an expression of an old man’s indignation, pique and superior power but he learns an important lesson which includes qualities of forgiveness, peace, and humanity.

Prospero is saying goodbye to a life time of magic that, while impressive to others, meant nothing to him while trapped on an Island after being banished and disgraced.

This was Shakespeare's last play and as such, his farewell to the magic of the theatre and the wonder of words. When Prospero says this line, we can imagine Shakespeare speaking through him.

In the book Bless Me, Ultima, what is a good quote to Antonio from his father about being a priest?

Tony's father is none too excited about his youngest son becoming a priest.  He would be much happier if Tony would follow in his footsteps, and that of his brothers, and adopt the roaming, nomadic lifestyle of the Marez clan.  Tony's mother and father argue about his future early on in the story, when Tony has been shaken by witnessing Lupito's death:

"Be sensible!" my father stood up.  "The boy has not even been through his Catechism.  And it is not the priest who will decide when the time comes, but Tony himself!"  He stalked past me.  The smell of gunpowder was still on his clothes.

They say the Devil smells of sulfur.

Tony is still a young boy at this stage of the story, with much to learn, and is as confused as anyone is at that age.  It is this sort of raw template that is Antonio that Ultima has to work with.

What does the narrator mean when said,"Alive, Miss Emily had been a tradition, a duty, a sort of hereditary obligation upon the town"?

Emily's family was entrenched in a socially prominent position. Emily was awarded special privileges based upon her father's achievements, not her own. While she was not loved, or cherished, it was accepted in the town that she was special. She was an obligation that the town had no choice to defer to, protect, and revere. Because it was done since the time of herfather, it was natural to continue the special treatment. 

Describe the events that lead up to the death of Bob Ewell in To Kill a Mockingbird.

Bob Ewell is angry at Atticus for making him look like a fool in front of all of Maycomb (see Ch. 24). First he spits in Atticus's face. Then he warns him that one person is down (Tom Robinson) but there are still about two more to go. This likely suggests Atticus and the Judge Taylor.

Next Bob is fired from the WPA - one of the only jobs he has ever had. Then Judge Taylor is home alone reading in his parlor one night when sees a shadow. He notices that someone has entered his house and finished reading with a shotgun in his lap. This was obviously Bob.

Then Bob is warned harshly be Link Deas to stop stocking Helen, Tom's widow.

These factors lead up to attack on Jem and Scout Halloween night. He was drunk and leaped on the kids from the trees. Boo sees this and rushes to their aid, killing Bob in the process.

When Atticus is told, he automatically assumes Jem killed Bob in the scuffle. However, Heck Tate covers up the real murderer, Boo. He says that Bob simply fell on his own knife. Here is where you have to make some inferences. Bob is dead with a kitchen knife sticking in him. But was the Bob's weapon?

Notice that Tate tells Atticus - when reenacting the murder - that he took the switch blade knife from a drunk man earlier (he is not lying - Bob was drunk and going after the kids with that very knife); however, if you read closely, you can infer that Boo killed him and that Tate is trying to cover things up to protect him.

What is the plot of "Out, Out" by Robert Frost?

In Frost's "OUT, OUT--" only one person is sawing wood:  the boy who ends up dying.  He is relatively alone and relatively unsupervised.  When the speaker writes:

And from there those that lifted eyes could count

Five mountain ranges one behind the other

Under the sunset far into Vermont....

he is establishing setting, not suggesting that there is a crowd in the yard, just as he is establishing setting when he describes the smell of the wood in the previous line:

Sweet-scented stuff when the breeze drew across it.

The speaker doesn't write that people do lift their eyes and see the mountains, he just says that if people do, they see the mountains.  And if there are other people present, which there may be, they certainly aren't sawing wood:  there's only one saw, since the word is used in the singular.

Thus, the boy is sawing wood at least relatively unsupervised, and after he dies, the family:

...since they

Were not the one dead, turned to their affairs.

The speaker uses understatement to describe the situation and the family's reaction, so the fact that the boy is sawing wood relatively alone is vital to the understanding of the poem.

The major points in the plot follow:

1. The boy is sawing wood, uneventfully.


2. The speaker wishes someone would have told the boy to stop early.


3. His sister yells to him that it's time for supper, and at that moment the saw deeply cuts the boy's hand.


4. The boy realizes the danger, being a "big boy/Doing a man's work," although he underestimates it.  He worries only that the doctor will have to cut off the hand.


5. The doctor uses ether to put the boy to sleep, and the boy's heart stops and he dies.


6. The family goes about their affairs.

The boy is "a child at heart," but he is doing a man's job on his own and the consequences are tragic.

In The Catcher in the Rye, how do Holden's feelings for women compare to his feelings for men?

Holden perceives men as sexual deviants, annoying bores or as phonies. He projects his insecurities about himself onto every male person he meets. His roommate, classmates and teachers are all used as projection devices for himself. He lumps them together into broad categories and dismisses them. The common theme of all these attributed qualities is that men should not be trusted around females. The one male person in his life that escapes his condemnation is, interestingly enough, his father.

Holden then views females as objects to adore and protect. Although he is cruel to some women, he is generally chivalrous towards the women he meets, regardless of social station. Whether it is Jane Gallagher or Phoebe, Holden feels women should be kept safe. This completes the earlier projected feelings about men. He then is unable to let himself have a real relationship with any female, except Phoebe, since that would violate rule number one, men should not be trusted with women.

In Sister Carrie, did Carrie and Drouet have sex?

Yes, they had sex. Drouet was keeping Carrie as his mistress in an apartment. Probably everybody thought they were married. The plain fact was that Carrie decided it was easier to be a "kept woman" than to support herself by doing grueling work in a factory. The reason this may not be clear is that these things could not be spelled out explicitly in any stories or novels at the time Sister Carrie was published. I believe the publisher's wife read the novel in manuscript and was shocked by the story, as innocuous as it was. She wanted her husband to renege on his commitment to publish the book, but he was forced to bring out a small edition under his contract with Dreiser. The novel did not do well because it received no advertising or other promotion. This was in 1900. When Carrie ran away with Hurstwood there was no mention of sex either. In fact, if I remember correctly, there was no explicit mention of sexual activity even in Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, a novel about the Roaring Twenties when women were supposedly becoming liberated.

How does Orwell's use of symbols in the novel reveal themes in 1984?

Most of the symbols represent the freedom of thought and choice to do what one wants when one wants--for example, the diary Winston purchases and writes in just out of the view of the telescreen, and then hides each time he leaves the apartment.  In it, he writes about how he hates Big Brother (another symbol--since he is not a true person...just a figure head of the society).

"The Bells of St. Clements" and the paperweight Winston purchases in the black market are also symbols of this freedom...a time in the past when people could do nothing or everything as they chose to.  Of course, the paperweight also symbolizes the love affair Winston has with Julia--it's transparent, beautiful, and fragile just like their relationship.  The coral center represents their love, but since it is easily seen, it also represents the fact that they have been observed the entire time of their trist even if they didn't realize it entirely.

The Prole Woman and her song is also a symbol of freedom and a time that has been which Winston hopes will come again.

There is also the Chestnut Tree Cafe. A place that Winston sees as an area to exchange ideas, but turns out to be more of a "holding cell" for the doomed.  The three conspirators drink and eat there until they finally disappear forever, and this is where Winston basically lives at the end of the book.

In The Giver, how did Jonas react to the children’s war game?

Jonas, unlike all the other children in the community, understands what war really is.  Since the other children have no conception of what death means, they are unable to truly grasp what war is.  Jonas knows because he has received memories of war from the Giver and realizes that war means death, and that death means horrible pain for the one dying. It means loneliness, sadness, and grief for those still living. 

Because of this, Jonas gets very upset when he finds the other children "playing at war". He gets choked up and tells the others to stop playing that game, that they don't know what they are doing. They respond by saying that it's just a game. Jonas knows better, though, and can't participate, so he leaves.

What does Shakespeare's use of euphemism in Macbeth's soliloquies show about Macbeth? Esp. in the soliloquy of Act 1, Scene 7

That is a very good answer!
I thought I might add an interesting point that merely conforms with what you have said as a sideline illustration.
In Act IV scene I the witches describe what they do as –a deed without a name-
In his soliloquies prior to Duncans murder Macbeth refers to the act in much the same way. He uses the word do rather than name the deed.
-If it were done, when tis done, then twere well / It were done quickly (I.vii.1-2)-
-I go and it is done (II.i.62)-
Done is a funny word in Shakespeare as it usually refers to sex, equalising the act of murder with consummation.
Elsewhere the deed is it… Macbeth speaks the forbidden word but once
-My thought, whose murther yet is still fantastical-
And this is equivocation, while admitting he is thinking of murder he also suggests that thought itself is murdered.
Throughout Macbeth dialogue dwells obsessively on the unnameable, both action and identity are lost in the confounded language of the play.

Read- Shakespeare: Violation and Identity, by Alexander Leggatt for more detail

How does Romeo and Juliet's marriage in Act 2, Scene 6 foreshadow future events?

The fact that the couple secretly marries without benefit of Juliet's father's permission hints to us that something will go wrong because the rules for marriage have been broken. Paris follows these rules, but Romeo breaks them. The Friar's agreement to marry them is a huge faux pas on his part as well. 

The impetuousity on the part of the Friar, Romeo, and Juliet to marry foreshadows the later rash decisions of Romeo and Juliet to immediately kill themselves without thinking it through. Even the Friar's rashness in marrying the couple foreshadows his act later on of making the potion for Juliet to get her out of the marriage to Paris.

Of course, the fact that Romeo and Juliet are the only children of feuding families foreshadows that this cannot end well. Tybalt became very angry with Romeo at the party, and we know that his hot temper won't leave this alone. The marriage further complicates this situation, foreshadowing the duel to come later between Tybalt and Romeo.

What games are being played in Chapter 5? (Hint-more than just the ones in the game room.)

As mentioned above, besides the games found in the game rooms, mind games are also played in this chapter. Various people play mind games on others in order to achieve a desired end. For instance, the mind game on Ender by the authorities still continues as he is moved to a new dormitory where he undergoes further isolation. In a discussion between Colonel Graff and an unnamed individual, it is evident that the plan is to ensure that Ender’s experiences foster independence and strength. Ender is so distraught that he cries in bed on the first night at his new dormitory. Ender also plays a mind game on Bernard and the rest of the boys. By devising a strategy that would strip Bernard of his popularity, Ender succeeded at making the rest warm up to him. He used a technology gimmick to embarrass Bernard for his bullying.

What memories does Jonas gets after those of war, and why does Jonas dislike the good guys/bad guys game now?

After having received the memory of war, Jonas doesn't want to play the goodguys/badguys game because he knows the pain the reality of war, the concept on which the game is based. The Giver gives Jonas tidbits of happy memories after the memory of war which include the beauty of art, the wonder of nature and a relationship with animals, solitude, and his favorite, families. Jonas learns he can find the names of his grandparents at the Hall of Open Records, and expriences warmth, happiness, and love at the holiday celebration (Chapter 16)

Twins are unacceptable is they are identical because of the confusion they might cause in the community, which values order above all things (Chapter 17).

Rosemary was the person who was supposed to be the Keeper of Memories before Jonas.  She was also the Giver's daughter.  During her training she was overwhelmed by the trauma of memories such as loneliness, loss, poverty, hunger,and terror, and asked for release. At her release those memories returned to the community, which itself was overwhelmed for a time, because the Giver was too distraught himself to help them through (Chapter 18). Recent and present day examples of release might be the killing of millions of Jews by the Nazis during World War II, and abortion of unborn children.

In the turtle and birds story, does the turtle represent the colonizers and the birds the Igbo?Am I correct to say that in the story about the...

According to the analysis available at the following link, you are correct about what the story represents.  Even the introduction of the tortoise is clearly indicating the European powers who heard of this feast in which they wanted to take part but weren't sure how to do it.  They saw Africa as a new place to get raw materials and cheap labor and so descended upon it just as the tortoise found a way to rise into the air.

The tortoise used his great skill with language to trick the birds into giving him all the best things at the feast, just so the colonists find ways to convince the natives that they are going to be helpful and not harm the native customs, etc.

What happens when Nat tries to bury the birds at the beach in "The Birds"?

It is interesting that nature itself seems to try to conspire against Nat's attempts to dispose of the corpses of the birds with his man-like logic, perhaps indicating the larger conflict between nature and man at play in this terrifying short story. Note the reference to the intense cold that Nat experiences when he goes to the beach and the way it is described as being colder than he had ever known. The description of what happens follows:

He crunched his way over the shingle to the softer sand and then, his back to the wind, ground a pit in the sand with his heel. He meant to drop the birds into it, but as he opened up the sack the force of the wind carried them, lifted them, as though in flight again, and they were blown away from him along the beach, tossed like feathers, spread and scattered, the bodies of the fity frozen birds. There was something ugly in the sight.

Note the way in which nature temporarily resurrects the corpses of the birds, giving them flight once more throught he wind, which could perhaps foreshadow the relentless way that the birds attack the humans in spite of the high cost in terms of their lives. Either way, Nat finds something abhorrent in the sight, indicating the unnatural way in which the birds have behaved.

A typical silo on a farm has many bands wrapped around its perimeter. Why is the spacing between successive bands smaller toward the bottom?

This has to do with pressure.  If you think about it, where is there going to be the most pressure on the walls of a silo?  It's going to be at the bottom.

The reason for this is that there is going to be all the silage at the top of the silo that will be pressing down on the silage at the bottom.  So the stuff at the bottom is really being pressured and it will push outward much more strongly than the silage farther up.

Because of this, you need more bands lower down to counteract the extra pressure.

What does Nick mean in chapter 4 when he says: "There are only the pursued, the pursuing, the busy, and the tired"?

Nick's thoughts reflect the angst of modern life.  As he holds the superficial Jordan in his arms, he wonders why any of the pursuit of love, riches, and so-called "happiness" are worth anything at all. 

Break this quote down into pieces and it is much more understandable.  For example, the "pursued" are Daisy by Gatsby, and Tom by Myrtle.  The pursuing are Gatsby, trying to "capture" Daisy, and Myrtle trying to snare Tom.

I would argue that "the busy and the tired" include all of the characters.  These traits, again, are indicative of the shallowness of modern life.  It seems that no one really wants to play the game of predator and prey, yet no one truly wishes to give up the thrill of the hunt either. 

But thrill is temporary, and its promises of pay-off illusory.  In the end, the characters lack rest and contentment, a price they have paid for the more temporal benefits of a quick fix (that is, parties, false camaraderies, fleeting fame.) 

Who are the round and dynamic characters?

When the wall is almost finished, Montresor shows a moment of concern for Fortunato, when the prisoner does not answer to the call of his name. Montresor throws the torch over the wall. Is he having second thoughts? Has he learned something from this conflict? At this moment Montresor seems to venture near the line of becoming a dynamic character, but then he returns to his wall-building and exacts his revenge, staying firmly in the realm of being a static character. As for being round or flat, we learn very little about either character, though a bit more about Fortunato. He is seen as a Carnival reveler, but we also learn that he is a wine afficionado and seems to have Montresor's respect in that regard. So, we do learn a little about who he is outside of what is happening to him in the story. As for Montresor's character, it seems as flat as can be: he is a person relaying the story of an incident that happened to him many years ago - as if it were yesterday. His character seems very flat.

Why did the coachman call Lyddie "a chip of Vermont granite?"

The coachman introduced Lyddie to his sister, who runs a boarding house in Lowell, Massachusetts, as "a chip of Vermont granite." Lyddie was from Vermont, and granite is a very hard rock; the name was a tribute to Lyddie's intelligence and physical strength, which she had had to demonstrate along the way from her home in Vermont to her new destination.

There had been a number of haughty gentlemen riding the coach with Lyddie. When the coach had gotten stuck in the mud, the coachman, irritated with the gentlemen's pompousness, tried to have a little fun at their expense and ordered them to get out and push. The men complied, futilely trying to extricate the coach by simply pushing from behind. Lyddie, watching the men, became frustrated by their ineffectual demonstration, and stepped in to show them the proper way to get the coach out of the mud. Taking off her shawl and tucking up her skirts, she stepped forward and placed a flat stone under the mired wheel, then put her own shoulder against the rear wheel, ordering the others to join her and push in unison. The men had been embarrassed at having had to be rescued by "a slip of a farm girl," but the coachman, amused, was impressed by her efficiency and strength. He told Lyddie "you're a hardy one, you are," and later, expressed his admiration again, saying "You're a stout one." He said it would be a pleasure to help her out by introducing her to his sister and finding her a place to stay, and called her "a chip of Vermont granite" in recognition of her hardiness and spirit (Chapter 7).

What do the various people/groups in the book symbolize?

In Ralph Ellison’s novel “Invisible Man,” a cast of characters symbolize societal outcasts who are disillusioned and truth telling. Ironically, the people with a clear view of the world are those who are looked down upon by society as outcasts. Trueblood, the vet and blueprint man illustrate this point, the price one pays for knowing and telling the truth is removal from society.

The protagonist completes the circle. The prologue begins with the end. The reader learns the protagonist lives in a hole.  Battle Royal and other situations demonstrates his position in society, subservient and enraged. The circle is completed in the epilogue, when he decides to live in a hole.

The prologue begins with “I am an invisible man” (3). He is invisible “because people refuse to see [him] (3). He finds “a home or hole” to live.  Although Trueblood and the blueprint man were ridiculed during their brief appearances, they shows us verity.  The epilogue provides the protagonist with understanding as to why he is “in a hole.”  His experiences “showed [him] the hole [he] was in” (572). In the hole, he meditates, and is in a state of contemplation.  Throughout the novel, Ellison stresses that while legitimacy is valuable in society, it seems unattainable unless one sacrifices their responsibility to humanity.  The protagonist desires to become one of the symbolic disillusioned and truth telling outcasts, similar to Trueblood, the vet and blueprint man. 

What impact does Miss Maudie have on the children's life in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Miss Maudie has an especially strong impact on Scout's life, teaching her the ways of the world from the point of view of a woman not as deeply entrenched in traditional southern notions of womanhood as other women, such as Scout's aunt.  Also, Maudie has known Atticus for a long time, and therefore can explain certain things about him (such as his ability to shoot) that no one else would.  Maudie is outspoken, has values similar to those of Atticus, and can bake fine cakes to boot, all three attributes comprising a type of nourishment that the children need.  Here's an example:  Not long after the trial, Scout is participating in a missionary ladies' party that her aunt gives, and Miss Maudie is there.  Scout is called upon to act "like a lady" in ways she abhors, and even worse, tease her about goiong to court and sitting with Negroes during the trial.  She wants to lash out, but then Maudie reaches over and quietly holds her hand, consoling her and silently advising her to say nothing.  "Miss Maudie's hand closed tightly on mine, and I said nothing," Scout reveals.  She is one more example of womanhood which contributes to several other (her aunt, her teacher, Cal, Miss Stephanie, etc) against which she defines herself as she grows up.  More than the other female characters, Maudie fills in the vacuum of "mother" in Scout's life.

What is the effect of Situational Irony?What is the effect of Situational Irony?Dramatic Irony?I know what they are... but what are their...

The above answers do an excellent job of treating situational irony, so I'll deal with dramatic irony.

Dramatic irony occurs when the reader/audience knows more about a character's situation than the character does.  The one main effect is that it gives the reader a sense of superiority, or detached superiority.  The reader not only seemingly discovers what is revealed, but feels superior for doing so.

An example of dramatic irony is in the beginning of Shakespeare's Macbeth Act 1.6, when King Duncan and Banquo describe Macbeth's castle and the atmosphere around it with words like sweetly, pleasant, and delicate.  The reader knows something they don't:  that Macbeth and his wife are inside plotting to assassinate Duncan.  Macbeth's castle is anything but a place of sweetness, pleasantness, or delicateness.  This is dramatic irony.    

What is one point of comparison between July's People and The Great Gatsby?

One comparison between July's People by South African Nadine Gordimer and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is that of counterfeit identities. One of the themes running through July's People is the idea Afrikaner Maureen Smales has of her African servant July, properly named Mwawate, a theme is underscored by his two names: his Afrikaner servant name and his own tribal name. Maureen has conjured an identity for July that encompasses her notion of dignity and makes excuses for July's acts of dishonesty, like taking small personal belongings. Maureen comes to understand that this imposition of a counterfeit dignity on July humiliates him and that he measures himself and his own innate dignity by his village and not by his white Afrikaner position of servitude. In the end, Maureen runs away from this exposure of the counterfeit identity she has created.

In The Great Gatsby Jay Gatsby counterfeits his own identity. The son of Midwestern farmers, he pridefully and arrogantly rejects having to work as a janitor to put himself through school and embraces the first entrance to Easy Street of wealth and fine living that he encounters, that being the via the yacht of Dan Cody. Once Gatsby inherits Cody's money and meets Daisy, he swears to attain the kind of wealth that will find, gain, and keep Daisy, his Holy Grail. In order to achieve his conquest of his Grail, he counterfeits a life as large as the mansion he keeps as a beacon to Daisy. In the end, the things that Maureen in July's People and Jay in The Great Gatsby run after bring them face to face with death. Though the novel ends before Maureen finds out if her chase leads to her death or not, Gatsby ends his part in his story in his own funeral.

In what ways, if any, are riots rational acts of collective behavior? In what ways, if any, are riots productive? Counterproductive? With all of...

We do not have to look back all that long to see cases of minority riots in the US and what impact they had.  Back in the 1960s, there were many racially based riots in the US.

These riots had some "positive" effects for blacks in that they did call attention to the problems faced by that community.  However, they also caused a serious backlash against blacks.  In my opinion, they played a major role in bringing conservative Republicans to power (not that it happened right away).

I suppose you could argue that riots are rational for people who have no other way of being heard by those with power.  However, they tend to be counterproductive in that they destroy the rioters' own neighborhoods and end up hurting them more than they help.

Why is Thoreau still important?

There are lots of reasons, but I'll suggest the one that I think is more important for today.  Thoreau was a minimalist, a person who believed that we could be happier with less than we can with more "SIMPLIFY! SIMPLIFY!"  This is quite contrary to the way we think today where what we have often seems to be a substitute for what we are.

For what I understand, much of the problem we have today is due to credit cards, or unwillingness to delay gratification and to live within our means.  I am old enough to remember life before credit cards, when the best you could do was "lay away,' where you essentially had to pay as you go.  Today we have built a false prosperity based on consumption we cannot afford.  Worse than that, we are being told that they way "out" of our current economic problem is --- more spending we can't afford.  I don't know who this makes sense to, but I'm sure it would baffle Thoreau --- I know it baffles me.

And this is without mentioning Thoreau's emphasis on individuality ... :)

What does the arabic word "maktub" mean and how is it used in Coelho's novel, The Alchemist?

"Maktub," the merchant said, finally. "What does that mean?" "You would have to have been born an Arab to understand," he answered. "But in your language it would be something like 'It is written."

                                                            -- The Alchemist, pg. 31

And, as the camel driver had said, to die tomorrow was no worse than dying on any other day. Every day was there to be lived or to mark one's departure from this world. Everything depended on one word: "Maktub."

                                                             -- The Alchemist, pg. 60

"Maktub" is a word that comes up again and again in The Alchemist. As is mentioned in the first quote, it is Arabic for "it is written." Maktub means fate or destiny. The concept comes from the Islamic notion that Allah writes one's destiny and whatever we experience occurs because it is meant to be. The idea of destiny that is inevitable is emphasized throughout this book.

"Maktub" also exists in Farsi along with some other languages that borrow heavily from Farsi and Arabic. In contemporary Farsi and Turkish, for example, "maktub" or "mektup" means "letter." But its meaning in The Alchemist is "destiny."

In ONE paragraph, what do you think of the moral and ethical arguments for and against 'animal testing', and why?

The moral and ethical arguments for and against animal testing are based on the animal's lack of advocacy and for  being unable to consent or defend itself against certain types of treatment. Animal testing can be considered a good thing when it is used to treat a human condition which may be dangerous enough to attack others and endanger the species. It is also a good thing if it helps in the elimination of genetic illnesses or inherited diseases that attack human. Unethical treatment of animals during testing would be the argument against it, and whether the animal is being put to suffer for research that is unnecessary and worthless. In the end, it is the fact that a living thing should be respected what makes for the argument against animal testing.

Can you provide an analysis of "Sonnet 14" by Sir Philip Sidney? What does Sir Philip Sidney mean in his sonnet 14?

It is from Astrophel and Stella, a fictional account of a love story - which might have some relevance to Sidney himself, but that is debate-able. "Astrophel" means star (astro) and lover (phil) and Stella refers to star (stellar). So, Astrophel is the star lover and Stella is his star. In this particular sonnet, the speaker is just asking if love, or more to the point, Desire is sinful and he concludes that if love is sinful, then call him a sinner. The idea he's toying with is this: if love and desire leads one to sinful thoughts, then is love sort of a primrose path to sinfulness?

"Love on me doth all his quiver spend" - Cupid's arrow has got his heart.

The speaker is talking to a critic: someone who is critical of his love. The speaker refutes the idea that his love, since it pains him, is sinful. Then he says, even if it is sinful, then "let me sinful be!" Speaker describes the critic's words with rhubarb (bitter, sour). Speaker is essentially defending his love, saying it is constant and pure: "Well stayed with truth in word and faith of deed."