What is the message of "The Story Of An Hour"? Does Kate Chopin want women to come out of the shackles of man? I want to know whether Kate had the...

"The Story of an Hour" deals with the role of women in marriage, and this does reflect Chopin's own opinions on the plight of women in society with respect to their roles in marriage. It can certainly be seen that a she might have felt like her protagonist during her marriage. However, the Mrs. Mallard and Chopin's lives are not exactly parallel.

Chopin married a man who adored her independence and had six children, but the family struggled financially. Oscar, Chopin's husband, was not a great provider due to his poor business sense and later became ill, so it can be seen that Chopin might have felt trapped in her marriage with few options available to her. When Oscar died, Chopin was in an even darker financial state, and began writing to bring in an income. Chopin's female characters often struggle with the expectations society places on women, and seem to echo Chopin's own feelings. It would be interesting to know if she felt the relief that Mrs. Mallard does at the supposed death of her husband.

In this particular story, the woman feels a tremendous freedom when she is told her husband is dead, as if she is finally free of the obligations forced on her. Of course, the irony is, it was all a mistake and he was very much alive. This leads to her breakdown, as she thrust back into her prison of expectations.

How would you write an introduction to: Compare and contrast Laertes, Fortinbras and Horatio in the action of the play Hamlet.

Fortinbras and Laertes both have fathers killed by either King Hamlet or Prince Hamlet.  Fortinbras takes action to avenge his father's death and reclaim the lands lost by his father to King Hamlet.  Fortinbras uses any means available to him to accomplish this, including in Act 4, sc. 4, fighting and jeopardizing his soldiers' lives in order to get a worthless piece of land.  Laertes immediately returns to Denmark to avenge his father's death.  He wants immediate action taken or he will take action himself until Claudius calms him by telling him of a plan to kill Hamlet (Act 4, scenes 5 and 7).  Both Fortinbras and Laertes are men of action.  Horatio shows action when, in Act 1, sc. 1, upon seeing the ghost of King Hamlet says that they must tell Prince Hamlet and then in Act 5, sc. 2, when Hamlet is dying, Horatio says he wants to kill himself, but instead obeys Hamlet's wish that he live and tell the truth of what's happened.

One similarity among the three characters is their ability to see truth and justice when presented with it.  When Laertes realizes he's been used by Claudius to kill Hamlet in Act 5, sc. 2, he immediately regrets his part and tells Hamlet the truth.  Fortinbras respects Hamlet and justly honors him by having his officers bear Hamlet's body.  Horatio knows what has gone on in the kingdom and honors Hamlet's wishes, telling Fortinbras he will share his knowledge. 

In The Great Gatsby, what indication is there that Tom and Daisy are closely linked despite their marital difficulties?

In answer to your question concerning Tom and Daisy in The Great Gatsby, I suggest that there isn't much indication that Tom and Daisy are closely linked. 

The only bit of evidence that they are, occurs when Tom mentions a few good times they once had and Daisy is convinced that she did at one time love Tom.  She refuses to announce, as Gatsby wants her to, that she never loved Tom. 

This is hardly conclusive evidence of how closely linked they are.  All this amounts to is that Daisy wasn't pining for Gatsby the last five years like Gatsby was for her.  That's the point in this scene. 

Tom and Daisy have a terrible marriage.  They do not respect each other, they do not communicate in any meaningful way, they both have affairs.  In a time of stress they choose to maintain the status quo.  And Daisy, showing her realism and character, refuses to pretend that Gatsby's illusion is true when it isn't.

How does Jack not being able to kill a pig and daring the others to contradict that next time he will mercilessly kill one, show his growing power?

This shows Jack's new character emerging from a choir leader to a savage hunter. He's angry that he didn't kill the pig and is afraid it will be perceived as weakness by the other boys, so he rants and raves about what will happen the next time to make them think he's capable of killing mercilessly. He doesn't want the other boys to doubt him or his abilities as a hunter, especially since they have found no meat. It shows Jack's insecurity, and he swears no mercy the next time as much for himself as he does for the other boys. This scene also begins the split between Jack and Ralph and foreshadows what Jack will become.

What is the feeling among the white neighbors on Atticus's defeat? ( miss maudie excluded) can be found in chapter 22

This is a rich chapter on how people responded to the trial. 

First, Jem knew at the core of his hear that the outcome was not right. He could not believe the injustice. 

It was Jem’s turn to cry. His face was streaked with angry tears as we made our way through the cheerful crowd. “It ain’t right,” he muttered, all the way to the corner of the square where we found Atticus waiting.

Aunt Alexandra commiserated with Atticus. She knew the truth as well.

She was in her dressing gown, and I could have sworn she had on her corset underneath it. “I’m sorry, brother,” she murmured.

The black townspeople knew that Tom was innocent and was judged wrongly, but they really appreciated Atticus. They knew that Atticus was a heroic man who sacrificed much. They brought so much food for him in a very touching way. It was their way of honoring him. 

Calpurnia said, “Tom Robinson’s daddy sent you along this chicken this morning. I fixed it.”

We followed him. The kitchen table was loaded with enough food to bury the family: hunks of salt pork, tomatoes, beans, even scuppernongs. Atticus grinned when he found a jar of pickled pigs’ knuckles. “Reckon Aunty’ll let me eat these in the diningroom?”

Calpurnia said, “This was all ‘round the back steps when I got here this morning. They—they ’preciate what you did, Mr. Finch. They—they aren’t oversteppin‘ themselves, are they?”

Finally, Miss Maudie helped Jem to see that there were others in the town who were on Tom's side. She says:

“His colored friends for one thing, and people like us. People like Judge Taylor. People like Mr. Heck Tate. Stop eating and start thinking, Jem. Did it ever strike you that Judge Taylor naming Atticus to defend that boy was no accident? That Judge Taylor might have had his reasons for naming him?”

So, even if the town was still racist, there were a few good people. 

Describe the author`s diction?

Poe uses a variety of literary devices in his diction.  Poe uses irony in “The Cask of Amontillado.”  The irony that Poe employs foreshadows the imminent death of Fortunato.  In Italian Fortunato means “Fortunate” but it is clear to see that Fortunato was unfortunate at the end of the story. Irony is also used in reference to Fortunato’s cough. Montresor tells Fortunato that he should not go into the vault with his cough and Fortunato tells Montressor that his cough isn't going to kill him.  Montresor tells him that's true because he knows he is plotting his death by burying him alive behind a wall of stone. Visual irony is also evident when Fortunato wants proof that Montresor is a mason and part of the Mason Secret Society. Montresor shows Fortunato his trowel, which indicates his knowledge of construction with stone.  This foreshadows Montresor's planning of Fortunato's entombment and eventual death. Finally, Poe utilizes irony when Montresor keeps asking Fortunato if he would like to turn back. Even though Fortunato is terribly drunk and stumbling, he is determined to keep going. Montresor's final statement to Fortunato, before he delivers his death sentence, being chained to the wall is, “Once more let me implore you to return."  If Fortunato hadn't been so bound and determined to make his trek through the vault, there is a possibility that he wouldn't have met such a terrible fate.

Why does the SRAS curve shift due to changes in the prices of factors of production, if the short run is the "time when the price of FoP are...

I believe that the concept of short run as given by both the question of Abctest and response of Pohnpei are not correct. There is no reason why prices of any factor of production cannot change in short run. As a matter of fact a close examination of the definition of short run in the source referred by Pohnpei does not rule out such changes. TH site defines short run as:

In terms of the macroeconomic analysis of the aggregate market, a period of time in which some prices, especially wages, are rigid, inflexible, or otherwise in the process of adjusting.

The phrase "or otherwise in the process of adjusting" clearly implies that changes do take place. A little thought will make it clear that though the process of adjustment  to any changes in economy may take a long time, any long term changes in price cannot take place without these happening in short terms also.

It is not possible to give a fully satisfactorily reply to the original question because on one hand it assumes that by definition of short term "the prices of the factors of production are fixed", on the other hand it assumes that these prices are changing. However I will say this much:

When prices of factors of production change, while other factors like demand function remains unchanged, the marginal cost of producers change. If the costs reduce the producers will be ready to supply more. Similarly when costs rise they would like to cut down their supplies.

How can I speak fluent foreign languages?

There are many different approaches to learning foreign languages. It depends on each person. 

For many people a great way to learn is through taking a class or getting a tutor. However, for me, whenever I have started a new language I prefer to get a lot of vocabulary down and I learn that better independently. So, if a teacher/tutor doesn't work for you, independent study might. Both takes patience and persistence. 

I use different apps and go about other sources for learning. The apps are great for flashcard features to teach me vocabulary and I just put them onto my ipod or tablet so whenever I have a bit of free time or I'm feeling bored I can just pull one of the devices out and practice.

PRACTICE IS A MUST. If you are going to be pursuing a new language you need to practice often. I try to practice every day or every other day. It can be difficult to keep up with this, but it is very helpful as well.

Listen to music in that language and watch TV shows and movies. This can really help you differentiate words and learn pronunciation. I use this method since I am not doing immersion. 

If you can, go live in a place that speaks that language. This is said to be one of the easiest ways to learn a new language.

Try to think in the language as often as you can. I do this a lot and, despite my thoughts turning into a mixture of foreign and English words, it does help me to remember.

One other tip is to try and find someone who speaks that language, even someone online. They can help to correct you with any mistakes you make in writing or speaking.

How does Steinbeck show compassion for Lennie when he is killed?

When George kills Lennie, his dear friend and only true companion, the compassion Steinbeck demonstrates is overwhelming.  George did not want to lose his friend, but he understands that a quick, clean death is much more preferrable than the brutal and torturous death Lennie would face at the hands of the angry mob.  Lennie will die.  That much is certain.  To have the killing be as painless as possible is definitely compassionate.  Before George has to pull the trigger, he makes sure he and Lennie understand one another and his love for his friend, and he gives his friend the gift of their dream one more time:

Lennie said, "I thought you was mad at me George. "

"No," said George.  "I ain't mad.  I never been mad, an' I ain't now.  That's a thing I want ya to know." 

The voices came close now.  George raised the gun and listened to the voices. 

Lennie begged, "Le's do it now.  Le's get that place now."

"Sure, right now.  I gotta.  We gotta." 

And as George raised the gun and steadied it, and he brought the muzzle of it close to the back of Lennie's head.  The hand shook violently, but his face set and his hand steadied.  He pulled the trigger.

How does Dickens use setting to convey the mood right at the opening of Great Expectations?

Interestingly, the opening scene of Great Expectations is similar to that of Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter:  the motif of a prison looms over the greyness of the garb of the personages who appear in both these opening scenes.  Thus, what is relative to these separate narratives is the concept of both the Victorian and the Puritan societies as being restrictive, even punitive.

Both Dickens and Hawthorne perceived the societies about which they write as repressive.  In the religiously restrictive Puritan society of Hawthorne's novel, one can not sin. If one does sin, one is severely punished as is Hester Prynne, and is ostracized as was Arthur Dimmesdale. If one conceals sin, one suffers from severe guilt behind one's veil of hypocrisy.  In Great Expectations the motif of a restrictive society wherein one is condemned to the class in which he/she is born is pivotal to the plot.  For instance, Magwitch was punished more severely than Compeyson because he came from an impoverished state whereas Compeyson was born in the upper class.  Mr. Jaggers rescues Estella from the life of the streets to which she would be destined since there is no upward mobility socially in Victorian society.

Which of the following quotations contains an allusion?"His foray had failed;/the harm-wrecker rued his raid on Heoret." "Where had the horse...

Only one of the four quotations, I suspect, is from Beowulf: the first (because of the reference to Heoret). The second is from The Wanderer. The third is from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The fourth is from the Cantebury Tales.

At first, I didn't think any of them contained an obvious allusion, because I was thinking of an allusion as "an indirect reference." A common (and probably more accurate) definition of allusion is "a quick or passing reference." Using this second definition, the two previous posters are absolutely right: the fourth quotation, with the passing reference to a book of the Bible, is the one with the allusion.

In Act 5 Scene 1 , is Portia really angry with Bassanio when she finds that he had given away his ring?

While I agree with the first answer that Shakespeare does not characterize Portia as angry with Bassanio's giving away her ring, I do think that the scene (and the whole ring plot for that matter) has more significance than simply serving as comic relief after Act 4's intense trial.  Admittedly, it is humorous that Bassanio gives away his wife's ring without even knowing that he is bestowing it upon his wife, but Shakespeare also uses the ring plot to demonstrate what he perceives as a weakness in men. Throughout the play, Shakespeare portrays Portia as wise--wiser than any of the male characters in Merchant--and seems to imply that men are easily fooled and manipulated by women.  Portia promotes this view when she explains toNerissa what she plans to do in Venice by being disguised as a man; Portia harps on male weaknesses and what she views as their foolishness. Similarly, Portia sets up the ring plot to "test" her husband, and surely enough he fails the test.  When she gives the ring back, she does not do so with anger, but she does demonstrate a patronizing, superior attitude; it is as if she is chiding a younger person for his foolishness.  Realistically, most men would not appreciate their wives manipulating them in such a manner.

As to why Shakespeare characterizes Portia in this manner, we most likely will never know--it could have been to praise the independent Elizabeth who reigned during part of Shakespeare's career, or it could have been a warning to fellow men to be wary of intelligent, take-charge women.

A review by Elizabeth Rigby,says"Jane Eyre is pre-eminently an anti-CHristian composition"is this true?Is there any part that is christian

I do not agree with Rigby's assertion that Jane Eyre is an "anti-Christian" composition.  I would say that it is rather an anti-church composition. Bronte is disgusted with Christians who do reflect true Christian values.  For example, Brocklehurst, who runs the Lowood institute is hypocritical:  he claims generosity but is really parsimonious,  perverting words of the Bible for his own purposes.  St. John Rivers claims spirituality, and wants to be a missionary but he is very cold and one wonders if he wants to be a missionary to help people and bring them God's Word, or if he wants to go for his own self image and the pride that can be associated with martyrdom. 

Helen Burns, however, does show true Christian virtue and is a complete contrast to most of the other characters.  She is loving, patient, longsuffering, and kind.  She embodies the biblical "fruits of the spirit" found in Galations 5:22-23.  She is a true Christian in Bronte's eyes.  Even Rochester, who is a sinner wanting to involve her in a bigamous marriage, shows more Christian virtue than many other characters.  He is kind, longsuffering, and moved by character rather than riches.  At the end of the novel, he "thanks God" for Jane's return and I think a Christian metaphor can be seen in that he who was made blind, was able to once again see.

What experiences have made Jem change in To Kill a Mockingbird?

To Kill a Mockingbird is a coming of age novel, with both Jem and Scout learning much through their experiences with Boo and through their father's defense of and the town's reaction to Tom Robinson. Jem also learns from his experiences reading to Mrs. Dubose, although that happens only after Atticus explains to him that he must not lose his temper in a violent way, that he must be kind to people who are not kind to him, and that the mean old lady whom he hated so much was in fact, as Atticus tells him quite clearly, a brave woman. "I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what." Mrs. Dubose decided to cure herself of her drug addiction before she died, and did. similarly, Atticus knows he is doomed to lose in defending Tom, but he defends him anyway, facing overwhelming odds. It is the facing the impossible that makes him victorious. Through both the incident of a cantankerous old woman and his father's convictions concerning Tom, Jem learns what heroism and character mean.

In Chapter 27 of To Kill a Mockingbird, what three incidents concerning the Ewells occur and what is learned about Bob Ewell?

Scout lists three things that happened: first, Ewell "acquired and lost a job in a mater of days; second, Judge Taylor suspects someone is poking around his yard in the night, with the implication that it is Ewell, and therefore pulls out a shotgun and puts it in his lap; third, Ewell harrasses Tom's widow, causing her employer to come to her defense.  We learn from these incidents that Ewell seeks revenge from those that humiliated him in the trial.

What is the importance of the “wind” in the poem?

In the poem "Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost, the poet first suggests a scene to us. then, by a combination of imagery and language choices he makes it real for us to experience. By adding a description of the wind to the scene of wintry soft white, Frost puts us in it. we can feel the chill touch of the wind on our cheek, and almost feel the landing of the flakes gentle on our face and hair. The addition of the wind enables us to feel a virtual temperature in the poem, adding to the vivid depiction of winter solitude. It also, along with the Christmassy jingling sound of the harness, adds a dimension of sound to the poem, contrasting with and highlighting the silence. All in all, it adds to the atmosphere of solitude.

What were each of the characters sin and their salvation?What other meanings does the Scarlet Letter "A" have throughout the story? What does the...

To answer your other questions, the scarlet letter changes in meaning throughout the novel.  At first it means adultery, but then as the novel progresses, some people in the town begin to think it means 'able' because Hester is known throughout the town as one who sits by the bed of the sick and helps the needy.  She goes about these tasks silently without every asking for payment of thanks, and the townspeople eventually notice and some change their opinion of Hester.  In one other part of the novel, when Dimmesdale, Hester, and Pearl are standing on the scaffold at night, a letter 'A' shows up in the sky from a meteor.  Dimmesdale feels that is a symbol for his adultery, but many of the townspeople interpret it to mean 'angel' because the Governor had just passed away.

The term 'Black Man' is a term used by the Puritan people to mean the devil.  'Black' was referring to soot on his face from hell as well as an indication of evil.  The term in the story is used to refer to Chillingworth after he begins to torture Dimmesdale.  Little by little, as he seeks revenge, Chillingworth becomes more and more evil looking, and is described as looking like Satan himself. 

Who are the characters in "A Jury of her Peers"?

The characters are:

John and Minnie Wright: John's murder (his wife is the main suspect) is what sets the story in motion. Neither of them actually appear in the story.

Martha Hale: The only character to appear in the entire story, she is sympathetic to Minnie and helps conceal evidence.

Sheriff Peters: The lawman who wants to close the case and doesn't listen to the women in the story.

Peters' Wife: She is also sympathetic to Minnie Wright and helps Martha.

Lewis Hale: Considered the principal witness, he also misses clues as to what really happened.

George Henderson: He is the lawyer whose job it is to convict Mrs. Wright.

What does the grandmother mean when she says, "Why you're one of my babies. You're one of my own children"?

O’Connor’s apocalyptic fiction attempts to show her readers their limitless need for God’s mercy. In "A Good Man is Hard to Find," she does this through the interaction of the grandmother and the Misfit. We would normally expect that a grandmother should represents goodness while a serial killer should represent evil. O’Connor, however, seems to hold precisely the reverse in this case. Similarly, we would expect the old woman to represent life and the Misfit death; again, O’Connor suggests the opposite, believing that life without spirituality is a living death, and through meeting the Misfit -- even though the meeting is fatal -- the old woman gains a chance of attaining salvation. In saying, "Why, you're one of my babies!" she recognizes his cosmic function. Like the old woman’s children, the Misfit has been raised without spirituality; and without spirituality, as the Misfit remarks himself, one might as well "enjoy the few minutes you got left the best way you can -- by killing somebody or burning down his house or doing some other meanness to him." In effect, the Misfit has said that if a person is not willing to accept God, then he or she might as well throw propriety to the winds, and go out and become a serial killer. In O’Connor’s view, to reject God’s love in small ways is just as sinful as rejecting his love in big ones, because without God there is no value system left. 

In the book Tuesdays with Morrie, what did Morrie say you should commit to in your life?

Morrie says that you should commit your efforts for the good of others, to offer others "what you have to give." He believes that this is the key to achieving a meaningful life.

Morrie and Mitch had been discussing the destructive focus in our society on the accumulation of material wealth. Morrie points out that "things" do not satisfy the human yearning for tenderness and love which is at the root of all aquisitiveness. He goes on to explain that the only thing that brings true satisfaction in life is giving to others. He says,

"I don't mean money...I mean your time. Your concern. Your storytelling...If you're a young man or young woman and you have a skill, you are asked to come and teach it...You are very welcome there. And they are very grateful. This is how you start to get respect, by offering something that you have."

Morrie says that "there are plenty of places to do this," and mentions senior centers, hospitals, and shelters. Even in his condition, Morrie feels a need to give to other people because it "makes (him) feel alive." Morrie tells Mitch to commit to

"...do the kinds of things that cme from the heart. When you do, you won't be dissatisfied, you won't be envious, you won't be longing for somebody else's things. On the contrary, you'll be overwhelmed with what comes back" ("The Eighth Tuesday - We Talk About Money").

In the book "Lyddie," what happens on Lyddie's way to Lowell, Massachusetts?

On the way to Lowell, Massachusetts, the coach in which Lyddie is riding gets stuck in the mud. The coachman tells the gentlemen passengers to push the coach out, but, being arrogant city people, they do not know how to go about the task and labor futilely for a spell. Lyddie watches for awhile, then, frustrated by their ineptness, she takes off her shawl and tucks up her skirts. From working on the farm, Lyddie knows that the men will never free the coach the way they are going about things. Taking things into her own hands, she finds a flat stone and puts it under the stuck wheel. She then squeezes in between the struggling men and sets "her own strong right shoulder against the rear wheel, order(ing) the men to the rear boot, and call(ing) out; "One, two, three, heave!" Before long, the coach is freed, but the gentlemen, humiliated to have had to be rescued by "a slip of a farm girl," do not thank Lyddie. Muddied, Lyddie asks the coachman if she can sit up with him instead of riding inside the foul-smelling and disagreeable coach, and he amiably agrees.

As it turns out, the coachman had known that the men would not know how to free the coach, but had not instructed them in the proper procedure because he perversely enjoyed seeing the pompous men discomfitted. As they continue on to Lowell, the coachman learns from Lyddie that she is going "for the factory life" to earn some money to save her farm, and he kindly asks if she has anyone "to look out for (her)" in Lowell. Finding that Lyddie knows no one in the city, he offers to introduce her to his sister, who runs a boardinghouse near the Concord Manufacturing Corporation. Although she is at first reluctant to accept the coachman's help, Lyddie finally relents, and is thankful when the kind man walks her to the boardinghouse and makes the introductions (Chapter 7).

Why does the speaker say that each person's singing "should be blithe and strong"?Walt Whitman's poem "I Hear America Singing"

The speaker says this because that is how he thinks the spirits of average Americans should be.  This is what he thinks the American soul is like.

In this poem, the speaker is talking about his vision of America.  It is a vision in which all sorts of regular (not elite) Americans are showing their spirits -- showing what kind of people they are.

Blithe means something like happy and carefree, lighthearted.  To the speaker, the typical American is like this.  The typical American feels free and lighthearted but is, at the same time, strong.

What dare of Dill's does Jem finally accept in Chapter 14 of To Kill a Mockingbird?

In Chapter 14 of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, there is not the overt dare of Chapter 1, but the reader may interpret one passage as containing a dare of sorts from Dill to Jem.  That is, when Dill has run away from Meridian, Mississippi, and caught the train to Maycomb in order to be with Scout and Jem in a home where he is happy, the children discover him hiding under a bed.  Jem remarks to Dill that his family must not know that he is in Maycomb:

'Think they're still searchin' all the picture shows in Meridian.' Dill grinned.

'You oughta let your mother know where you are,' said Jem.  'You oughta let her know you're here....'

Dill's eyes flickered at Jem, and Jem looked at the floor.  Then he rose and broke the remaining code of our childhood.  He went out of the room and down the hall. 'Atticus,' his voice was distant, 'can you come here a minute, sir?'

Beneath its sweat-streaked dirt Dill's face went white.  I felt sick.  Atticus was in the doorway.

Dill dares Jem not to break "the code of [their] childhood" not to tell on each other to adults.  When Jem calls his father, Dill and Scout are appalled that he would do such a thing.  Of course, Jem is maturing and realizes that Dill's mother is probably extremely worried about Dill, but Dill and Scout do not yet understand. This action of Jem represents the motif of the novel as bildungsroman, or "novel of maturation."

What are some personal qualities of the three characters Ichabod, Brom, and Katrina from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow?

Ichabod is awkward, bookish, and attracted to the prospect of wealth. He thinks he is manly in a reserved kind of way, and the town think he is "a kind of idle gentleman".

Katrina is self-involved and flirtatious. She loves the attention from men, and does not discourage Ichabod until he professes his intentions.

Brom is popular, manly, good-natured skilled, and mischievous. The people believe him to be "the hero of the country round, which rang with his feats of strength and erudition".

why does brutus decide to go along with the conspiracy?why did he finally make the choice to go against julius?

Brutus has listened to Cassius and has been given evidence that Caesar is an ambitious man who craves power--he denies the crown, but it is made obvious to the crowd and to Brutus that Caesar does crave the position and the power.  It will only be a matter of time before Caesar is Rome's Emperor when Rome had always been ruled by a group of men in order to prevent power from overwhelming and tempting a single man into dictatorship.

Brutus is at war with himself since he has no ill will toward Caesar.  However, with the best interests of Rome at heart, Brutus agrees that Caesar is dangerous with the following quote:  “And therefore think him as a serpent’s egg, / Which, hatched, would, as his kind, grow mischievous, / And kill him in the shell.”  Therefore, he deserves to die, and he agrees to join the conspiracy to rid Rome of its poisonous serpent. 

In "A Good Man is Hard to Find", what would it have taken for the grandmother to have been a good woman?

The grandmother is seemingly irredeemable in O'Connor's "A Good Man is Hard to Find."  I suggest the previous answer misses the point.  There's nothing good or redeemable about the grandmother.  She is totally unlikeable.  She is racist, bigoted, superior, negative toward everyone.  I don't know about other readers, but I've never met anyone that sees her as redeemable at the end.  That is a misreading.

What would make her redeemable at the end?  The story tells you:  there's no reason for speculation and applying one's own sentimentality to her.  The story says:

"She would of been a good woman,"  The Misfit said, "if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life."

That's what the story says.  Anything else is putting your own personality into the interpretation of the story and is absolutely irrelevant.

That's what it would have taken for this woman to have been a good woman.  She was absolutely worthless.  Only a man ready to shoot her every minute of her miserable life could have convinced her of the truth of existence.

And that's the point.  O'Connor did want to say that God's grace was for everybody--even this absolutely miserable and irredeemable woman.

How does The Misfit know this would have worked?  Because his putting a gun to her head brought about an epiphany in her.  That's what it took.

What Is The Difference Between "Knowing That" and "Knowing How"?

"Knowing that" has only to do with the fact that a person knows "what" happens or has happened.  "Knowing how" implies that the person understands the mechanism that makes something happen.

For example, I know that the internet works and I know that computers work.  However, I do not really know how either of those work.  I cannot really explain to you how my typing is made into letters on this page or how the page is made or how the information I type is transmitted to the computer where this site is.

How is the setting of The Sun Also Rises symbolic?

All of the places in the novel show the difference between meaningless and empty values. The novel opens in Paris, and this city represents a difference in the value of work and idleness. The Left Bank of Paris consists of those who do nothing except make a mess of their lives. The Right Bank is the people who work, are realistic, and tough-minded.

The Pyrenees Mountains where Jake takes his friend on a fishing trip symbolizes the true beauty of nature, peace, and tranquility. It's the opposite of Paris, for it's a healing experience, and a place where Jake is able to sleep, unlike Paris.

Roncesvalles is a Spanish town with a medieval monastery that turns into a pilgrimage for Jake and Bill. This becomes a place where the value of friendship is shown, that it can have real worth and meaning.

Pamplona also represents those who have empty values and those who have meaningful ones. Pedro Romero, the bullfighter, symbolizes the best values because he takes the violence out of a violent sport through his artistry. Brett represents those with empty values, the partygoers who do nothing with their lives.

what is the significance of the storm in act i scene iii

Cassius's reply to Casca's observation about the storm--that it represents the heaven's response to the events about to take place--is significant. Cassius tells Casca that he is "dull," that that "those sparks of life / That should be in a Roman [he does] want." In other words, Cassius says Casca is being foolish in responding to the storm in this way.  In the previous scene Cassius tells Brutus, "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in the stars but in ourselves that we are underlings" (140-141) again, as he does with Casca, dismissing "the heavens" as an indicator of or influence on or having responsibility for the events on earth. Cassius is a man of action, and Casca more cautious, here expressing his fear that the conspirators are not doing the right thing.

In The Cay, why does Timothy decide to abandon the raft and go to the desolate island that contains no drinking water?

Timothy, as we see as the novel unfolds on the island, is knowledgeable in survival skills. While he does not come out and say directly why he went to the island, he knew that survival for any longer period of time was not going to be possible on the raft no matter what he knew how to do. He also saw how miserable Phillip was on the raft and knew that he needed to be a safer environment. Timothy, weighing his options, knew that survival would be more likely on an island with no drinking water. Considering the region they were in as well, it's safe to assume that Timothy knew that it would rain often enough and he obviously has the skills to capture rain water for drinking. Timothy knew how to survive and he knew he had to take care of Phillip because Phillip was completely and utterly without survival skills when the ship went down.

How do you write a percent into a decimal?115.9%

For these kinds of questions, you have to know that 100%=1.0

So, to put it simply, you have to get rid of the % sign and then move the decimal points 2 times to the left.

115.9% is equal to 100%+15.9%

so, as mentioned before, 100% is equal to 1, 115.9% is 1+15.9%

15.9%, if the decimal point is moved twice to the left, is equal to 0.159 in decimal points.

To total up,

115.9%=100%+15.9%

=1+0.159

=1.159

To do it another way, just divide this by 100%

So, this way, it will be:

115.9%/100%

=115.9/100

=1+15.9/100

=1+ 159/1000

=1+0.159

=1.159

integral [(4^x + 10^x)/ 2^x]dx show steps

We know that  (i) Integral (a^x) = (a^x)/ln(a) +C1 and Integral {u(x)+v(x)}dx= Integral u(x) dx+ Integral v(x) +C2

We use the results of the diffrential calculus to resolve

Integral [[4^x+10^x)/2^x] dx.

= Integral { (2^x)(2^x)+5^x)(2^x)]/2^x}dx

=Integral{(2^x+5^x)*2^x/2^x} dx

=Integral(2^x+5^x)dx, . Now using the results ar (ii),

=Integral(2^x)dx+Integral(5^x) dx

= [2^x/(ln2) +C1] +[5^x/(ln5) + C2], C1 and C2 are constants of integration.

=2^x/(ln2)+5^x/(ln5) + C , where C = C1+C2  is the constant of integration.

What is the purpose of imagery in poetry?What is the purpose of imagery in odes, elegies, haikus, sonnets and lyrics? Thanks

There are numerous answers to your question about the purpose of imagery in poetry.  I'll mention one that is particularly relevant to poetry, as opposed to prose.

There probably is no accurate definition (in our current literary climate) of poetry, that covers everything that today is considered poetry.  For instance, what we accept today as prose poetry doesn't fit any standard definitions from the past of what poetry is.  If there is a single characteristic that at least fits most of what is considered poetry, it may be compressed language.

Poetry has a need to say as much as possible in as few words as possible.  That is true with most successful writing, of course, but the need is more pronounced in poetry.

Imagery is an important form of compressed language, and is therefore vital in poetry.  Other forms of compressed language, such as simile and metaphor, often create imagery.  They help a writer to accomplish as much as possible in as few lines as possible. 

Consider Randall Jarrell's "The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner":

From my mother's sleep I fell into the State

And I hunched in its belly till my wet fur froze.

Six miles from earth, loosed from its dream of life,

I woke to black flak and the nightmare fighters.

When I died they washed me out of the turret with a hose.

Looking at only the final line, the image of fellow soldiers washing the leftover bits of a man ripped to shreds by shrapnel creates multiple meanings, reactions, and emotions:

• Horror


• Shock


• Disgust


• Disbelief or at least discomfort at the nonchalance that seems to be involved


• anti-war sentiment


• irony


• pity

Notice that none of the words I use to describe the meanings, etc. of the image are used by the writer:  they are all revealed by the image.  That's what imagery does for poetry. 

What does Gatsby represent to Nick?

In The Great Gatsby, Gatsby represents several things to Nick, and Nick's feelings and thoughts about Gatsby are complex.

Nick says at one point that Gatsby is everything he hates.  Financially, Gatsby is the corrupted American dream.  His partner fixed the World Series--messed with America's past time.

Romantically, Gatsby is naive and foolish.  He's spent five years constructing his persona and life in such a way as to lure Daisy back to him, hoping to recapture a relationship that never really was.   

Yet, Gatsby is also an attractive character to Nick.  Gatsby's love was "pure" and all-consuming. Gatsby loves like everybody should love.  And Daisy would have been better off with Gatsby.

By the end of the novel, Nick makes Gatsby's funeral arrangements, hunts down people to try to get them to attend the funeral, takes care of Gatsby's father when he arrives at the house, and, significantly, tells Gatsby he is worth far more than all of "them," worth far more than everybody else in the novel.  Gatsby was special.

What is the genre classification of The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt?

As more than one literary terminology educator has said, genre classification in literature is a subject that may prompt debate and conflict between critics and literature authors alike as it is certainly changeable and reliant on the tastes of the reading climate of the time. The Wednesday Wars gives a hint of how this may be true. Literature has major classifications and minor classifications. Classic literary divisions are derived from Greek classifications of drama (e.g., Antigone), poetry (e.g., The Iliad) and prose (e.g., Poetics). The fiction classification was added much later and comprises novels, novellas, and short stories. The recognized classifications in fiction are literary fiction and genre fiction.

According to the California Department of Education, the major divisions in genre fiction (excluding drama, poetry, and mythology) are fable, fairy tale, fantasy, folklore, historical fiction, horror, humor, legend, mystery, realistic fiction, science fiction, and tall tales. Other sources give the major genres as children's, fantasy, horror, mystery, romance, science fiction, thriller/suspense, westerns, and young adult.

There are also minor divisions under these major genre divisions (whichever list strikes your fancy) that are called sub-genres. Some sub-genres are adventure, African-American, coming of age, detective, gothic, and magical realism. There may be some controversy as to whether the divisions such as fable, fantasy, historical, and folklore are major genre classifications or sub-genres.

With this as the background, it will be understandable that The Wednesday Wars have been given a couple of different genre identifications. For some, the novel is Comedy and Humor with the sub-genre Historical Fiction. For others the genre classification is Children's Literature. For still others this novel is Coming of Age Fiction. Yet others classify it as Historical Fiction.

With all this in mind (and all the fine points about genre and sub-genre not herein included), it might be useful to give The Wednesday Wars a complex classification of Children's Fiction (for 9- to 12-year-olds) in the Middle or Junior Readers sub-genre that combines with the additional sub-genres of Coming of Age / Comedy and Humor / Historical.

How is John intellectually and emotionally different from the Alphas of civilized society?

John is innocent and pure of heart. Having been raised by the Indians of New Mexico, he has been taught the values that we all respect today, but these values are taboo in the civilized world of the Alphas. The only books John has been exposed to are those of Shakespeare, and it is Shakespeare's plays and sonnets that have influenced John to think the way he does. He views the world and humanity through these works, but his views are totally opposite of the Alphas. John doesn't understand why the civilized world doesn't value the things he does, but mostly he cannot understand why his father doesn't want him or care about him. John doesn't fit into his father's world and never could. His beliefs and values are too different to ever be reconciled.

What does "horse and foot" mean in paragraph 15 of "A Rose for Emily"?

" Vanquish" is a potent in this story that looks back to the time of the civil war for its context.  To "vanquish" means to overcome, to conquer, and "vanquish horse and foot" resonates with civil war battles that the south ultimately lost. For a woman to vanquish men shows an upset of traditional roles, and indeed Emily, even though she is a traditional, southern lady--in fact, because she is a traditional southern lady-- has power over the town in such a way that they are afraid of her, and it is this distance that enables (or causes) her to deteriorate in the way she does in murdering (vanquishing) Homer and then preserving his body. 

What are the different themes in Hamlet and how would you develop them?

Revenge is the main theme in Hamlet. There are many ways to look at revenge in this play. I would think the fact that Hamlet is grappling with his task of avenging his father, the king's, murder is a good way to go. The ghost implores Hamlet to seek revenge for his untimely death. Yet, in this play, revenge is not carried out rapidly. Hamlet contemplates his task and does not act until the end, and it results in his death, as well.

The theme of death is great to explore, as well. The murder of the king is the first in this play, but certainly not the last. There are many characters whose deaths are intentional rather than natural. Hamlet, his father, Claudius, Ophelia, Laertes, Polonius, and Gertrude all died in this play. (With the exception of the king, that has already happened when the play opens). You could explore the causes and impact of each of their deaths, and relate it to Hamlet's demise.

In Hamlet, what trick is Reynaldo supposed to use to get information about Laertes?

It isn't so much of a trick as just passive-aggressive information gathering.  At Polonious' behest, Reynaldo (who has just thirteen lines in the entire play, by the way) is sent off to Paris to find out if Laeretes is behaving properly, or at least in the way his father has deemed acceptable.  Polonius instructs Reynaldo to inquire about his activites from other Danes ("Danskers") in the city who can provide this information. 

You can view the entire text of Hamlet by following the link below.  The eText provides side-by-side text of the original play and its modern translation. 

Why does Hamlet reveal his plans to trick Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to his mother. Why doesn't his mother tell the king of the plans?act 3...

It is also very possible that up to this point in the play, Gertrude has been completely innocent of the real reason her husband, King Hamlet, has died.  Since there was no CSI in this time period, his death in the garden appears to have a natural cause behind it.  When young Hamlet speaks to his mother in her bedchamber he raises questions regarding the too quick marriage of his mother to his uncle-father and plants the seed that perhaps Claudius has planned this all the while by murdering the former King.  With all this in mind, it stands to reason that Gertrude does not tell Claudius what young Hamlet's plans are not only because she has told him she won't, but also because she is uncertain of Claudius now.  What is to keep him from murdering again?  In fact, we, the reader, know that he has been planning all along to murder young Hamlet as well.  So, with all this in mind, it stands to reason that Gertrude probably fears her current husband and his intent, and so keeps young Hamlet's counsel.

Is tomato a fruit or vegetable?

When we consider tomato as a part of plant or tree classified in botany, tomato falls under the category of fruits, just like many other vegetables like bottle gourd, beans, drumsticks, cucumbers, okra, pumpkin, and chillies.

However as used in common language the word fruit is used for a fleshy, juicy part of plant used for eating raw and which is generally sweet, and is usually eaten raw without cooking. In contrast vegetable in general language refers to any part of plan which is used for eating, generally after cooking.

Though vegetables as understood in common language are used in cooking, many vegetables may be eaten raw also. Similarly some fruits, particularly when they are not fully ripe may be cooked and eaten.

Horticulturists define fruits as edible seed bearing structure that consists of fleshy tissues and is produced by plants that lives for more than 2 years without being replaced. In contrast, most vegetables are produced by plants that live for only one season.

What is the meaning of the following quote: "It is only in the heart that one can see rightly, what is essensial is invisible to the eye".

The quote is talking about the inability of most adults to be able to believe in things that they cannot see with their eyes. By the time we have reached adulthood, we have lost that child-like quality that allows us to imagine what can't be proven. As adults, we see only the outward appearances of people and things. We no longer see a person's inner beauty, for example, or appreciate the beautiful things in nature. As adults, we have become cynical and have lost our child-like innocence. We concern ourselves with the daily, "serious" subjects of life, such as paying bills, getting a better job, or buying a bigger, better car. The love we feel for other people in our lives is not something we can see, but we know that it's there because we feel it within our hearts. The differences between our childhood and our adulthood are vast. As a child, we use our imaginations and feel wonder at such small things that most of us as adults don't see anymore. The child can see the magic in the world and believe in it. Unfortunately, most of us lose that by the time we have become adults.

How did the townspeople feel about Janie going out with Teacake?

The townspeople were very critical of her choice to see Teacake.  From an external point of view, the marriage of Janie and Joe Starks has everything required for success: wealth, respect, a business and stability.  For African Americans of this time period, these were nearly impossible goals, and Janie and Joe are proof that blacks can succeed. The people in town never realize that Starks is slowly killing Janie by trying to force her into a role which she never wanted.

So, when she starts to see Teacake, the town sees this as a betrayal. Before, the town has held up Janie as evidence that a black woman could achieve success, but instead of appreciating the wealth and respectablity that Joe provided, she is giving that up for "love."  Many of them believe that Janie is too sexual, giving up the responsibilities of an adult woman for the frivolous and silly infatuation of a girl. This is why, when Janie returns, the women want to hear all the gossip.  They assume that Janie has come home because Teacake has betrayed her.  They see this as suitable punishment for her unwillingness to follow the social rules.

That conflict is central to the book.  The analysis link below explains the metaphor of the ship offered in the very first chapter.  The narrator explains that men wait for their ship to come in, meaning they are at the mercy of luck.  Women, however, “forget all of those things they don’t want to remember, and remember everything they don’t want to forget.”  According to the link, that means that they control their own lives.  Janie has taken control of her own life, but the people in town will always see her as someone who turned her back on them and their community.

What are the main character changes, from Act I to II, for Septimus? I was wondering if in Act II Septimus feels somewhat trapped in the Croon...

Septimus is a romantic.  He believes in the existence of genius and finds beauty in that belief.  He sees life as an adventure to discover and experience all the secrets of the universe -- secrets of the flesh, secrets of the mind, secrets of the heart. 
As the play continues, however, he loses his idealism.  Life at the Croon Estate continues to bring him complications and disappoints.  He becomes bitter about the realities of the world.  This is symbolized in his slow acceptance of Thomasina's mathematical experiment.  He realizes Thomasina is right, and her theory suggests the eventual end of the universe. What he mourns, however, is not the end of life but the loss of innocence. "When we have found all the mysteries and lost all the meaning, we will be alone, on an empty shore,’’ he laments before joining Thomasina in her first, and last, waltz.

What is the main theme of Twelfth Night?

Love as a Cause of Suffering

Twelfth Night is a romantic comedy, and romantic love is the play’s main focus. Despite the fact that the play offers a happy ending, in which the various lovers find one another and achieve wedded bliss, Shakespeare shows that love can cause pain. Many of the characters seem to view love as a kind of curse, a feeling that attacks its victims suddenly and disruptively. Various characters claim to suffer painfully from being in love, or, rather, from the pangs of unrequited love.

Love is also exclusionary: some people achieve romantic happiness, while others do not. At the end of the play, as the happy lovers rejoice, both Malvolio and Antonio are prevented from having the objects of their desire. Malvolio, who has pursued Olivia, must ultimately face the realization that he is a fool, socially unworthy of his noble mistress. Antonio is in a more difficult situation, as social norms do not allow for the gratification of his apparently sexual attraction to Sebastian. Love, thus, cannot conquer all obstacles, and those whose desires go unfulfilled remain no less in love but feel the sting of its absence all the more severely.

The Uncertainty of Gender

Gender is one of the most obvious and much-discussed topics in the play.Twelfth Night is one of Shakespeare’s so-called transvestite comedies, in which a female character—in this case, Viola—disguises herself as a man. This situation creates a sexual mess: Viola falls in love with Orsino but cannot tell him, because he thinks she is a man, while Olivia, the object of Orsino’s affection, falls for Viola in her guise as Cesario. There is a clear homoerotic subtext here: Olivia is in love with a woman, even if she thinks he is a man, and Orsino often remarks on Cesario’s beauty, suggesting that he is attracted to Viola even before her male disguise is removed. This latent homoeroticism finds an explicit echo in the minor character of Antonio, who is clearly in love with his male friend, Sebastian. But Antonio’s desires cannot be satisfied, while Orsino and Olivia both find tidy heterosexual gratification once the sexual ambiguities and deceptions are straightened out.

The Folly of Ambition

The problem of social ambition works itself out largely through the character of Malvolio, the steward, who seems to be a competent servant, if prudish and dour, but proves to be, in fact, a supreme egotist, with tremendous ambitions to rise out of his social class. Maria plays on these ambitions when she forges a letter from Olivia that makes Malvolio believe that Olivia is in love with him and wishes to marry him. Sir Toby and the others find this fantasy hysterically funny, of course—not only because of Malvolio’s unattractive personality but also because Malvolio is not of noble blood. In the class system of Shakespeare’s time, a noblewoman would generally not sully her reputation by marrying a man of lower social status.

What would be a Marxist approach to Hamlet's act 3 scene 4?

In Act 3 Scene 4 Hamlet murders Polonius hiding behind a curtain, thinking it was Claudius. Then Hamlet attacks his mother verbally for her disloyalty to his father. While he is yelling at his mother, the Ghost appears and reminds him that it is not his job to punish his mother, only to avenge his father's death. Gertrude thinks that her son has lost his mind because she cannot see the ghost so she believes he is talking to himself. The Marxist approach or view of Hamlet's situation might be that his state of mind is a reflection of his position as the avenger to his father's death, a job he never wanted. Marxism holds a belief that people's consciousness of the conditions of their lives reflects these material conditions and relations. Hamlet feels alienated from his family because his mother betrayed his dead father, murdered at the hands of her new husband. In other words, he is aware of his condition in life and so it is a reflection of his relationship now with his mother and his own self.

Adult tickets cost $4 and children tickets cost $1. 285 tickets are sold. And $765 is collected. How many adult tickets were sold.?Use substitution...

In the question the need is to determine the number of adult and child tickets  tickets sold out. So one of the unknown  is x.

We presume  x number of tickets for sdults are sold. The child tickets is automatically must be 285-x.

The collection of revenue from x adult tickets =  number of tickets* rate of tickets = 4x

The collection of revenue from 285-x child tickets = number*rate = (285*x)*1 =285-x.

The total collection  = 4x+285-x algebraically.......(1)

The actual collection = $765..............................(2)

Therefore the required equation of the problem:

Algebraic collection as at (1)  = actual collection as at (2). So,

$(4x+285-x) = %765. Or

4x-x +285 = 765. Or

3x- 765 - 285 = 480. Or

3x = 480. Or

3x/3 = 480/3. So

x = 160  is the number of adult tickets sold.

285 - x = 285 - 160 = 125 is the number of child tickets sold.

Check: 160+125 = 285 and revenue $(160*4+125) =$ (640+125) = $765

How does a musician express his/her fellings through music, especially with the Blues????

Music is very representational of peoples emotions and feelings and has been over the course of history. People have written music to share their feelings, thoughts, and to tell stories.

Blues originated from African slaves in the south. They wrote music and sang while they worked in the fields. They put their feelings of back breaking labor into words. During this time, their singing was called "field hollers" and served as the origination of blues music.

After the civil war many black men went on to work as musicians. The music they sang was very soulful and emotional and focused on the life of the typical black American. They sang about  everyday life, including hard work, love, poverty, drinking, railroads, etc.

Show that Claudius is courageous resourceful, and unscrupulous in his behaviour during act 4.act 4

In short, in Act 4 of Shakespeare's Hamlet, Claudius is courageous when Laertes breaks through the king's guards and comes after him.  Laertes suspects Claudius had a part in the death of Polonius, and he wants revenge.  Claudius does not run or hide, but meets Laertes face to face.

Claudius is resourceful in Act 4 when he maneuvers to send Hamlet to England to be executed, and then, when that fails, hatches the plan for a duel between Laertes and Hamlet for which Laertes will poison the tip of his sword and Claudius will poison a drink.

Finally, Claudius is also unscrupolous when he sends Hamlet to England, and when he devises the duel.  He definitely has no scruples about doing whatever it takes to maintain power.

Discuss the relationship between Mrs. Bennet and her children, especially Elizabeth and Lydia.

Because Mrs. Bennet has only daughters, none of them can inherit the family estate, it will instead go to a distant cousin.  It chafes her pride that she may potentially have to live with relations as a "poor relation" in her old age if her daughters do not marry and Mr. Bennet passes before her.  It is vital to Mrs. Bennet to see her daughters married well, that is her main driving force in the book and she will stop at nothing (including socially embarassing herself and her daughters) to try to achieve this goal.

It can be argued that Mrs. Bennet favors Lydia who reminds her of herself, as Lydia is rather silly and boy crazy.  Mrs. Bennet allows Lydia more liberties than she should because Lydia is too irresponsible to handle them and proves this when she gets herself in a situation that requires marriage to avoid complete social ruin.    

Mrs. Bennet does not favor Elizabeth as she is more like her father and very head strong and sensible.  Elizabeth thwarts Mrs. Bennet's plans to marry her tiresome cousin who would inherit the family estate which would make Mrs. Bennet's life easier and initially thwarts her plans to marry Darcy as well.  Their relationship is much more adversarial.

What is a brief summary for "Cue for Treason" by Geoffrey Treaser? Can you please describe the characters from the story (brave, independant,...

In Cue for Treason by Geoffrey Trease Peter and Kit are both running away from Sir Phillip Morton of Cumberland, England, and they meet up in an acting troupe headed by the Desmonds. Their meeting soon leads to a fist fight during which Peter discovers that Kit is really Katherine. Peter is running from Sir Phillip because he had the misfortune of hitting Sir Phillip with a stone during a political protest. Kit is running from Sir Phillip because she was being forced to marry him; he wants her fortune.

When Peter and Kit get to London, with out Desmond who injured his led, they are taken on by William Shakespeare as apprentices. Now the intrigue starts. Peter see a man working for Sir Phillip steal one of Shakespeare's scripts and acts courageously to steal it back. While doing so, Peter overhears a terrible plan to murder Queen Elizabeth I. Peter rushes to the head of the Queen's Secret Service and them he and Kit are sent undercover to learn the details of the plot to murder the Queen.

After being captured and escaping, Peter and Kit rush back to London with the secret of a planned new regime for England after the Queen is murdered. Encountering Desmond and the troupe on the road, Peter enlists them in capturing Sir Phillip. Peter and Kit resume their mad dash for London and in just the nick of time the Queen's guards capture the villainous  John Somers moments before he pulls the trigger on the Queen. All is well because of the intelligence, determination, courage, foresight, daring, wisdom, quick wits and strength of Peter and Kit, who marry and live in peace in Cumberland.

Discuss Poe's use of irony and black humor in the story."The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe

Perhaps the most salient irony and black humor is in Montresor's mention of Fortunato's throwing up of the bottle "with a gesticulation" I did not understand--"He repeated the movement--a grotesque one." [but Montresor's actions are not?=irony]  Then, when Fortunato asks if Montresor is not a mason, the narrator ironically replies, "Yes, yes."  Of course, he is a brick mason this night that he buries Fortunato.  And, herein lies the black humor.

After Montesor fetters Fortunato to the wall, he tells Fortunato to run his hand along the wall and feel the niter that he has ironically brought to Fortunato's attention earlier as though he were concerned about him.  Now with black humor again, Montesor instructs Fortunato that he must notice it.

Once more let me implore you to return.  No?  Then I must positively leave you.  But I must first render you all the little attentions in my powers.

This passage contains black humor, as well, since Montresor is merely toying with Fortunato, having no intention of letting the man return and since Montresor will, indeed, leave Fortunato--leave him to die and rot.

When Fortunato tries to tease Montresor out of his sinister intentions, there is much contrast between what is said and what is meant.  Fortunato starts,

'But is it not getting late?....Let us be gone.'  (Let us get out of this place.)

'Yes,' I said, 'let us be gone'  (Fortunato will die/be gone, but Montresor will leave/be gone)

'For the love of God, Montresor.'  (begging)

'Yes,' I said, 'for the love of God.' (making an oath: he will be revenged)

The cost of producing x units of a product is given by C(x)=200+50x-50 ln x, x>=1. Find the minimum average cost.

The cost function is C(x) 200+50x-50lnx. x>=1

To find the minimum.

Solution:

We use the calculus criteria for minimum. A continuous derivable  function  f(x) has its minimum at  x= c if f'(c) = 0 and f '' (c)  is positive. This we apply to the cost function C(x):

C(x) = 200+50x-50lnx. Differentiating we get

C'(x) = (200+50x-50lnx)'

= (200)'+(50x)' - (50ln x)'

=0+50-1/x. Equate the C'(x) to zero and find x:

C'(x) = 0. gives 50-50/x = 0,  Or x = 50/50 = 1.

C''(1) = (C'(x))' at x= 1

=(50-50/x)' at x =1

=(50/x^2)at x=1

=50. So  at x=1,  C"(x) is positive. So C(x) is minimum for x = 1.

Therefore, the minimum average cost is C(1) = 200+50*1-50 ln 1

= 200+50-50*0 as ln1 =0

= 250

What happens in the end of the book, Monster?

At the end of the novel Monster, by Walter Dean Myers, many different things happen.  A guard tells both King and Steve that a verdict is awaiting them.  They enter into the courtroom.  O'Brien, Steve's lawyer, asks him if he is okay and he says, "NO".  The judge calls to see if the defense and prosecution are ready and both state they are.  The jury is then called in.

It is here, in the text, where it returns to the scrolling words repeating the opening of the novel:

This is the true story of Steve Harmon.  This is the story of his life and his trial.

The judge reads the verdicts. The verdicts are not stated outright in the text.

Two guards begin to put handcuffs on James King as color changes to black and white.  It is clear that the jury has found him guilty.

The text then describes a "Cut to" to Steve's mother.  His mother is lifting her hands high and closing her eyes.  It is here where readers can assume that Steve has been found innocent.

After the verdict has been read, Steve moves closer to his attorney (O'Brien) to hug her.  She moves away from him.

The novel ends with Steve's thoughts five months after the trial.  King has been sentenced to 25 years to life, Bobo is still in jail, and Osvaldo has recently been arrested for stealing a car.  Steve admits that his mother does not understand him and that his father has moved away.  Steve gives the reasoning behind still filming:

I want to know who I am. I want to look at myself a thousand times to look for the one true image.

Are there any controversial issues in the novel Frankenstein?

And how!  First, the whole idea of playing God is very controversial.  In fact, when she first wrote the novel, her husband, Percy Shelley, burned it because it was so horrifying a story--much less written by a female!  Even so, when she rewrote it from memory, most people still considered Percy to have been the author due to its dark and sinister nature.  Dead things coming back to life, creating life and controlling who dies, etc.  Manipulating science to do the will of man (similar to the controversies today of selecting certain genes for your future baby so he/she will have blue eyes, higher intelligence, no freckles and also the whole cloning thing).  There is also the idea that if and when man plays in the world of God, man loses control since he is without the necessary information to make it work.  For instance, Victor doesn't think beyond his own hubris and fame while he works on his creature.  He never considers where or how it will live, that it will be an outcast, that it will be stronger and smarter (despite the fact that he creates it to be superhuman, 8 feet tall, and chooses the brain of an amazingly smart recently passed person to create his man), and that it will eventually turn on him and seek revenge.

What does Mrs. Murrow suspect is the reason for Holden's going home late on a Saturday night?

Mrs. Murrow asks Holden if he is going home because someone in his family is sick. Holden lies and says that he has to go home because he is having an operation. She is so sympathetic that Holden begins to feel guilty for the lies he has told. Since Holden lies to her, seemingly just for fun, we, as the reader, have to question how much truth he, as the narrator, tells us.

In Act 5, Scene 4 of Shakespeare's Macbeth, what is Malcolm's plan?

In Act 5, scene 4, of Shakespeare's Macbeth, Malcolm (Duncan's oldest son, named to be the dead king's successor) has decided to attack Macbeth at Inverness. Upon defeating the tyrant who murdered his father, Malcolm plans to take back the throne and rid Scotland of its murderous king. In order to accomplish this, Malcolm gives strategic instructions to his men.

As they approach the castle, Malcolm and his army come to a wooded area that Menteith identifies as Birnam Wood. In order to camouflage their numbers and surprise Macbeth (covering the sizable force moving to engage him), Malcolm tells his soldiers to cut branches from the trees and use them to shield themselves. (It is in this way that Birnam Wood appears to move.)

MALCOLM:

Let every soldier hew him down a bough,
And bear't before him: thereby shall we shadow
The numbers of our host, and make discovery
Err in report of us. (V.iv.6-9)

Malcolm's plan is to show Macbeth's lookouts a false front so they will be unable to ascertain the true number of soldiers preparing to attack. The lookouts will provide Macbeth with a number smaller than the actual army advancing on Inverness. By the time Macbeth realizes the mistake, it will be too late for him to defend against such vast numbers, especially because (as Malcolm reports) aristocrats and commoners (everyone with a heart) have fled, abandoning Macbeth to his fate. (15-18)

What is the theme of "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been"?

One other theme that could be addressed is just what, exactly, is Arnold Friend?

There are clues sprinkled throughout the story that suggest that not only is he not a Friend, he may not even be human. Pay attention to his shoes/boots. Pay attention to the numbers on his car. And, when all is said and done, what exactly happens to Connie?

OK, I won't leave you in suspense; there's every indication that Arnold ("An old fiend") is the devil.

Dave Becker

What is Winston's job in book 3, chapter 6 of 1984?

Winston's job was to constantly rewrite minor "historical" occurrences so that they reflected the current politics.  Keep in mind that the politics changed rapidly and frequently in Winston's world, so his job security was good.  If a news report had previously said that, for instance, the wheat crop was going to be good and the price of flour would decrease, but with new political shifts in fighting, several flour mills were destroyed, Winston would rewrite this news item so it read that people were going to have to tighten their belts for the good of the party because the price of flour would go up.  Winston's job is an example of sinecure in that it was an easy job requiring little effort, but it was secure, if not lucrative.

How does the Trujillo regime portray itself?

The Trujillo regime is a military dictatorship, and while the novel depicts its stanglehold on the country and the fear by which it rules, it more particularly depicts it as patriarchal--ruled by a man by force, reflecting the sort of cruelty and power relationship also seen in a patriarchal marriage.  Trujillo is a womanizer; he uses young women as a way to assert his masculinity and power, which coincides with the way he runs the country. He is vain--he wears make-up for example, and always is over-dressed in his medals and uniform. The novel implicitly compares him to the girls' father, who, like Trujillo, calls Minerva his "national treasure," and who abuses power in his marriage by, in a gentler but still similar way, ruling the girls in the family and having a mistress--just as Trujillo has many mistresses.

What are the problems/conflicts encountered by the main characters in the play As You Like It?

The main problem encountered by Orlando at the beginning of the play is his rejection by his brother Oliver and, as the play continues, Oliver's plot to take Orlando's life.  This is what sends him fleeing into the forest to take refuge there.  Rosalind faces a similar challenge.  Her father has been usurped by his brother and has fled into the forest.  At first Rosalind was allowed to stay at court, then she was also banished and forced to flee into the forest.

 Orlando's situation is complicated by the fact that he has fallen in love with Rosalind and cannot approach her because of his situation.  Furthermore, Duke Frederick was an enemy of Orlando's father and would never approve the match.  When Frederick's daughter disappears with Rosalind, Frederick is sure that Orlando is involved and gets Oliver involved with the search.  As the plot thickens, Oliver falls in love with Celia, Fredericks daughter.

These situations lead to the disguises and games of love that go on in the forest until the situations are resolved and the loving couples in the play all get together as they want.

You are a police planner and you have been asked to plan a futuristic police organization for 2050. What would the future society look like...

In the US in 2050, I imagine that policing will not be all that much different from what it is today.

I think there will be a couple of differences.  First of all, I would think that even ordinary police officers (as opposed to detectives) will need to use a wider range of computer technology than they do today.  They will need to be trained for this.

I think the major difference in 2050 will be one that will not be technological -- it will be more social.  By that year, the population of the US will be much more diverse.  If your organization is in a racially diverse area, your officers are going to need to know how to deal with a loto of different kinds of people.  You will need to hire people who are able to do this and/or you will need to train them in dealing with people from the appropriate other cultures.

Did Chris's ultimate goal from Into the Wild show that he had an inferiority complex?

It can't be proved that Chris had a specific inferiority complex, but it can't be denied that he felt the need to constantly prove himself against nature. He seemed to feel that proving himself against society was a meaningless gesture; everyone around him was also working to prove themselves against society, and he saw that as a trap, leading to an endless cycle of work and failure. Instead, he wanted to prove himself against a constant, nature, something that humanity can affect but ultimately never change. By working through his personal issues and personal growth via isolation, Chris wanted to become a stronger person with a more complex outlook, not the office drone that he saw in most of society. A comment by Wayne Westerberg may shed some light on Chris's feelings:

"I got the impression that this Alaska escapade was going to be his last big adventure," Westerberg offers, "and that he wanted to settle down some. He said he wasgoing to write a book about his travels."
(Krakauer, Into the Wild, Amazon.com)

It seems that the journey to Alaska was in itself the destination, the experience of living in isolation and surviving off the land. Chris may have felt inferior to his heroes, like Thoreau and London, who experienced the world in a harsher time compared to his relative comfort. Instead of sitting back and letting himself exist in stagnation, as he saw others as doing, Chris intended to create a base of experiences for himself on which to create his later life. If Chris felt inferior to anything, it was to the high expectations that he placed on himself; most of the people he met thought very highly of Chris, and said so often.