How did the Vietnam war affect the outcome of the election of 1968?I need three supporting details.

As with the previous post, check a textbook or class reference for an answer to this.  I would say that the Vietnam War impacted the election hopes of President Johnson in 1968, as he decided not to run again for the office of President, convinced that he would not win reelection from his own party.  The issue of Vietnam, at this point, injected other people into the discussion of Presidential aspirations.  I would indicate that the Vietnam War significantly affected the candidacies of Eugene McCarthy, who posted a sizeable showing in the New Hampshire Primary, convincing President Johnson to not seek reelection.  It also allowed Senator Robert Kennedy to enter the political fray, appealing to the youth vote in that he was going to end the conflict in Vietnam.  Finally, the Vietnam War impacted the election of President Nixon in 1968 because, with the death of Kennedy via assassination, and the belief that the Democrats could not navigate their way through a convention, not to mention the Vietnam War, Americans became convinced that a Republican like Nixon was needed to ensure that America could reassert its rightful place in the world with a sense of dignity and with the belief that peace can be sought, but "not at any price."

In Act II please identify and explain an example of dramatic irony.

In addition to the other answers, consider the tension created in the first two scenes.  In Scene 1, the witches gather to discuss what a rotten piece of work Macbeth is:

First Witch: ‘When shall we meet again,
In Thunder, lightning, or in rain?
Where the place?’
Second Witch: ‘Upon the heath.’
Third Witch: ‘There to meet with Macbeth.’
All: ‘Fair is foul and foul is fair
Hover through the fog and filthy air.’

The audience, therefore, already has an opinion of Mabeth before the man is even seen on stage.

In Scene 2, however, we hear the soliders and nobles discussing what a swell guy their leader is. 

King Duncan: O valiant cousin! Worthy gentleman!
Sergeant: I must report they (Macbeth and Banquo, another soldier) were as cannons overcharged with double cracks, so they doubly redoubled strokes upon the foe.

Dramatic irony is created in the tension between the two portraits.  Is Macbeth a hero or a villian? 

Explain the poem "The Village Schoolmaster" in full details.

The village Goldsmith is writing about is called "Auburn": it is not  real, but  an imaginary ideal one, possibly one of the villages he had observed as a child and a young man in Ireland and England. Goldsmith, the poet, returns to the village that he knew as vibrant and alive, and finds it deserted and overgrown.

The setting of the particular passage is described in the first three lines. Then Goldsmith discusses the character of the schoolmaster himself.  In his appearance, he is very severe and stern.  The reader would suppose him humourless, except that he likes to tell jokes.  When Goldsmith says "the boding tremblers learn'd to trace/The days disasters in his morning face," the reader comes to understand that the schoolmaster does not mince his words. In the last two lines, he indicates that the schoolmaster was no more.  All of his fame has gone and "the spot/Where many a time he triumph'd is forgot” 

The schoolmaster was a big presence in the village. In an age when literacy and numeracy were powerful the people of the village, looked up to him. He seems a kind of god. The children are fearful of him. They laugh at his jokes, even if they are not funny. “Full well “(9-10)

 The adults are equally impressed with the way he can survey fields ("lands he could measure", 17) and work out boundaries or the times of holy-days like Easter. He can even do more complex calculations ("gauge", 18). This is all ironic: the school-teacher appears knowledgeable to the "gazing rustics" (22).

The poem's jokes are gentle. The tone of the poem is balanced  and gentleness and humour imply a frame of mind that Goldsmith sees as important, as having a moral value in itself.

Goldsmith is quietly mocking the schoolmaster: he is big fish in a small pond. He can impress the villagers with his learning, just because he can read a bit of Latin and knows how to do his sums. The parson, as the religious leader of the village, is of course the most respected man, but the schoolmaster loves a good argument and keeps arguing even when defeated(19-20). On the other hand, this is a loving, endearing portrait. Here's a man who is modest and doing a good job in a quiet and simple place: helping to spread a little literacy and numeracy among the people of the village, helping them in doing calculations about "terms". He is at the centre of a community - and Goldsmith is mourning the passing away of that community, the passing away of the village itself. That is why the lovely yellow flowers on the furze are "unprofitably gay" (2) - there is now no-one about to enjoy their beauty. The schoolmaster is gone long ago, with all the children of his school. A fine community has been lost.

So, this is an affectionate portrait of a community that is no more, and the school-house now deserted. The affectionate portrait of the schoolmaster is a part of this world that has passed away.  

How does Shakespeare's use of figurative language during the party scene convey Romeo and Juliet's feelings for each other?William Shakespeare's...

There is little question that the poetry of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is absolutely stellar (forgive the pun).  The light/dark imagery extends from the opening prologue which mentions the "star-crossed" lovers until the end of the play.  Each line is written in iambic pentatmeter, giving a melodic lilt to each passage.

When Romeo first sees Juliet, he is star-struck:

Oh, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!

It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night

Like a rich jewel in an Ethiop's ear--

Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear!

So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows

As yonder lady o'er her fellows shows.

(I,v,41-46)

In this passage, Shakespeare employs simile, alliteration,and light/dark imagery to express Romeo's infatuation with the lovely Juliet.  Then, when Romeo does speak to Juliet for the first time, their language is elevated to the form of a sonnet in which each speaks seven lines of the extended metaphor of his lips being pilgrims on their way to the "holy shrine" of Juliet's lips. Romeo falls immediately in love; he adores Juliet, and begs her to grant him a kiss, "lest faith turn to despair."  He tells Juliet, "Thus from my lips by thine my sin is purged." [perfect meter!]

The imagery of the sonnet is that of reverent devotion; Romeo and Juliet's love is pure and holy, unlike the infatuation that Romeo has felt for Rosalind.  Rosalind now becomes associated with darkness and Juliet with lightness.

Identify and explain two examples of irony in the novel Walk Two Moons.

One example of irony in Walk Two Moons concerns Salamanca's perception of her father's relationship with Mrs. Cadaver. Mrs. Cadaver has helped her father find a home and a job in Euclid, Ohio. When Mr. Hiddle and Sal move there, Sal is resentful and uncomfortable because her father seems to have such a good rapport with Margaret Cadaver, and because he spends an inordinate amount of time in her company. Sal's unspoken suspicion is that her father and Margaret Cadaver are becoming romantically involved, when the exact opposite is true. Sal's father is drawn to Mrs. Cadaver because the woman was in the bus accident that killed his wife. Margaret Cadaver was sitting in the seat next to Sal's mother on the bus, and was with her when she died. The connection that Margaret provides Mr. Hiddle with his deceased wife is what draws him to spend time with her, which is an ironic contrast to what Sal dimly suspects is going on between the her father and his newfound friend.

Another example of irony in the story is the situation involving the "lunatic" who visits Phoeby's house. A nervous young man comes around asking for Phoeby's mother, and when her mother disappears, Phoeby's imagination gets the better of her. She begins to believe that her mother may have come to harm at the hands of the stranger she calls the "lunatic." In fact, the young man is Phoeby's mother's son from a previous relationship. Instead of being a sinister, threatening stranger, the "lunatic" ironically turns out to be Phoeby's own half-brother.

Why does the ghost reappear in Act 3, Scene 4?

The reappearance of the ghost has symbolic significance beyond simply spurring Hamlet on to revenge or clearing Gertrude of any wrongdoing.  It seems that Shakespeare wishes to associate the depth of his characters’ sensibilities and levels of awareness to their relative sensory experiences of the ghost.  For example, the sentries are able to see the ghost but neither hear him nor speak to him.  They, as a whole, are aware that something is rotten in the state of Denmark, although they cannot quite deduce the cause of the disintegration.  Hamlet, on the other hand, is not only able to see the ghost but he is also able to hear the ghost’s words and speak to him.  Hamlet is, of course, fully aware of how rotten the State of Denmark is, as well as of the cause of its disease.  The reappearance of the ghost in Act 3, Scene 4, therefore, guides the audience to a more favorable interpretation of the naive Gertrude. Shakespeare intends the audience to regard her as a wholly innocent victim, oblivious to the gambits of her current husband and unaware of the depths of both Hamlet’s psyche and mandate. This interpretation allows the audience to regard Claudius as the true antagonist of the play instead of mistakenly believing Gertrude might serve in this capacity, a grave misinterpretation committed by even some renowned scholars such as T. S. Eliot.

In the book A Separate Peace, what are the prizes that Finny gives out in Chapter 9?

Finny has an interesting assortment of prizes to be given out at the Winter Carnival. These include

"Finny's icebox, hidden all these months in the dormitory basement, a Webster's Collegiate Dictionary with all the most stimulating words marked, a set of York barbells, the Illiad with the English translation of each sentence written above it, Brinker's file of Betty Grable photographs, a lock of hair cut under duress from the head of Hazel Brewster, the professional town belle, a handwoven rope ladder with the proviso that it should be awarded to someone occupying a room on the third floor or highter, a forged draft registration card, and $4.13 from the Headmaster's Discretionary Benevlent Fund."

Ironically, the prizes so carefully selected and collected by Finny are never handed out. The copy of the Illiad is burned when it is discovered that the boys have nothing to represent "the sacred fire from Olympus" to open the games. As the games get underway, Finny does "a droll dance among the prizes, springing and spinning from one bare space to another" with only one leg on the table, in a scene representative of his own vision of reality, "a choreography of peace." The dance and the Games themselves are rudely interrupted, however, when a telegram arrives for Gene from Leper. Leper, who was the first to join the military and participate in the War in totality, is in trouble, and Finny's idyllic creation of how things should be is abruptly overcome by harsh reality (Chapter 9).

In the poem Harlem by Langston Hughes can there be more than one figure of speech?

The poem is a series of similes that appeal to different senses (taste, touch, smell, visual, sound). Hughes expertly manipulates the reader via these metaphors. He posits a question in the first line and then offers six tentative answers in the form of five similes and one metaphor (the last line). However, because of the repetition, the reader could turn that metaphor into a simile on their own (Or does it explode . . . like a bomb?).

Each of these questions refers to, of course, racial equality. The first line of the poem is an allusion to Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech. Together these questions, phrases as similes, gives up a greater idea of the depth and seriousness of the problem of racial equality.

How does Polonius proceed to prove his theory about the cause of Hamlet's madness?act 2 scene 2

Polonius, in Shakespeare's, Hamlet, first tries to convince Claudius and Gertrude that he knows the cause of Hamlet's odd behavior, then he and Claudius try to prove or disprove the theory by sending Ophelia to engage Hamlet in a conversation while they listen in. 

The section begins at line 86 of Act 2.2, although if you skim through Polonius's long-winded introduction it really begins at line 102:

Mad let us grant him [Hamlet] then.  And now remains

That we find out the cause of this effect,

Or rather say, the cause of this defect,

For this effect defective comes by cause [he's still talking in circles].

thus it remains, and the remainder thus.  Perpend.

I have a daughter--have while she is mine--

Who in her duty and obedience, mark,

Hath given me this.  Now gather and surmise.

(reads a letter) "To the celestial and my soul's idol, the most

beautified Ophelia"--That's an ill phrase, a vile phrase....

Polonius continues attempting to convince the king and queen that unrequited love from Ophelia has led to Hamlet's madness until they accept that it is a possiblity.  Polonius then says he'll attempt to prove it:

At such a time I'll loose my daughter to him.

(to CLAUDIUS) Be you and I behind an arras then,

Mark the encounter.  If he love her not

And be not from his reason fall'n thereon,

Let me be no assistant for a state

But keep a farm and carters.  (Act 2.2.163-168)

Polonius wages his position as adviser to the king that his theory will be proven correct.

Of course, their spying proves nothing, and Polonius's fondness for listening in behind an arras gets him killed later in the play.

How do Proctor's feelings toward Abby change in "The Crucible"?

I the play "The Crucible" John Procter had been involved in an affair with Abigail.  He realizes he was wrong and tells her that he has to end the relationship.  He did not want to hurt her in the beginning but was aware that his actions were wrong.

After Abigail starts going against  John's wife and falsely accusing her of witchcraft, John is aware that she still wants him or to hurt his wife.  Abigail makes some derogatory comments to John about his wife.  John pleads with her to drop the charges.

As John sees more evidence of Abigail's willingness to allow his wife to die for her own selfishness, he becomes angry and enraged with ehr. 

Why does Abigail accuse Tituba of conjuring the devil?no

Children in Puritan Massachusetts were to be seen and not heard. The adults totally controlled their lives. The girls were sent to work in the homes of couples with children so they could learn how to be a good wife and mother. They were given no pay and were sometimes treated unkindly. Abigail knows that the penalty for dancing  and conjuring in the woods is at the minimum a public whipping, but it could also be worse, such as accusing the girls of performing witchcraft. This really scares the girls since it is a "hanging offense". As some people tend to do when they're trouble, Abigail tries to lie her way out of trouble. When the questioning becomes harsher, she puts the blame on Tituba since she's a black slave, and no one will believe her over the girls. This is typical human nature. When we get into trouble, we always try to blame it on someone else, and this is what Abigail does. She doesn't realize at the time how far things will go, but she enjoys the power over adults so much that she allows innocent people to die.

What happens in chapters 5 and 6 of Tom Sawyer?

In church, the minister tells the story of how at the Millennium, the lion and lam will lie together and the child will lead the. Tom decides that it sounds exciting and wants to be that child, as long as the lion was tame.

When Tom becomes bored with the sermon, he takes a pinch-bug from his pocket and starts to play with it. It pinches him, he drops it, and it scurries away. A poodle that wandered into the church inadvertently sits on it, and cries out when it pinches him. This creates a spectacle as the dog runs around the church yelping until his owner finally pitches him out the window. This disruption tickles Tom.

In chapter six, Tom attempts to stay home from school, but he is not successful. Tom encounters Huck, whom he finds fascinating. Huck is experimenting with cures for warts, and is taking a dead cat to the cemetery to try out one of the theories. Tom decides to go with him.

Tom is late to school and ends up sitting by Becky Thatcher by telling the teacher why he was late. All the adults forbid children to hang out with Huckleberry Finn because of his drunken father and his antics. Tom knew he would be punished in this way. He has a crush on Becky. After several attempts to get her attention, he finally does and she sits with him during lunch. He writes "I love you" on his chalkboard before the teacher makes him sit back on the boys side of the room.

In Chapter 9 of Animal Farm, what species of animal is increasing and which is decreasing?

Pigs are the obvious animals that are increasing thanks to Napoleon.

"In the autumn the four sows had all littered about simultaneously, producing thirty-one young pigs between them."

The species that are decreasing are horses and chickens. There were only three horses on the farm and in Chapter 9, Boxer the most loyal and steadfast horse is worn out, he hurts his lung working too hard. He is looking forward to retirement, but instead Napoleon has him sent to the Knacker's to be slaughtered. Chickens have been decreasing ever since Napoleon demanded that they surrender all their eggs to be sold so that the farm would have money for supplies.  

Grade 8 Science and Technology Strand 5: Water Systems Have you ever seen a river before?Science Grade 8

I have lost count of the number of rivers I have seen. Presently, the city I live in has two rivers, Mula and Mutha flowing through it, in which merge into a single river within the city limits. In the past I have lived in cities that were located on Banks of two greatest rivers of India, Ganges (called Ganga locally) and Yamuna.

The first river I distinctly remember having seen is Verupa river, which flows along the town of Cuttak in Orissa state of India. I saw this river about 59 years back when I was 5 years old. And I have crossed this river several times riding in a jeep that drove along a ford built on this river.

I have close association with the river Ganges also. I lived in Kanpur situated along the bank of this river for two years, and grew up there from age 9 to 11. While living in Kanpur, I bathed in Ganges several times.

What is the significance of the view from Gregor’s window?Trace Gregor’s adaptation to his new body. In what was do the satisfactions of his...

The view out Gregor's window is simply that of the buildings across the street. When he first tries to look out his window on the morning of his transformation, it is dark, grey, and rainy. The rain obscures his vision, and of course parallels his own mood. When he has lived with his change for awhile, he returns to looking out the window, but it offers him no satisfaction.

Then he crept up on the window sill and, braced on the chair, leaned against the window to look out, obviously with some memory or other of the liberating sense which looking out the window used to bring him in earlier times. For, in fact, from day to day he perceived things with less and less clarity, even those only a short distance away: the hospital across the street, the all-too-frequent sight of which he had previously cursed, was not visible at all any more, and if he had not been very well aware that he lived in the quiet but completely urban Charlotte Street, he could have believed that from his window he was peering out at a featureless wasteland, in which the gray heaven and the gray earth had merged and were indistinguishable.

So what he first saw after his transformation has becomes his world. His vision is slowly going, and his life has merged into meaningless greys. However, this new world offers him satisfaction which was lacking in his previous life. As a traveling salesman, Gregor's only joy came in knowing that he was providing for his family. After he changes, he soon finds out that this belief isn't exactly true; in that his father had squirrelled away some money, more than enough to keep the family living, and that Gregor could have quit his job long before, if only his father would have told him.

But that's part of Gregor's tale. his family (parents especially) are useless, parasitic, even cruel people, who have sucked his youth and vitality from him for nothing. As an insect, Gregor takes pleasure in eating and sleeping, but also in subtly torturing those who have made his life so difficult.

Briefly, what is the exposition, rising/falling action, climax, and resolution of "The Gift of the Magi?"

The exposition, or introduction, of the short story "The Gift of the Magi" is the reader's introduction to Della, Jim, and their situation.  Jim and Della are a married couple.  It's obvious that Della loves Jim very much, because her desire to buy him a present is discussed early on in the story.  The exposition also tells the reader that Della and Jim are very poor.  

The rising action is focused on Della's efforts to get enough money to buy Jim a Christmas present.  She can't think of anything except selling her beautiful hair.  She gets $20 for selling her hair, and spends the rest of the afternoon trying to find the perfect gift.  

The climax occurs when Jim gets home and sees Della's newly shortened hair.  

The falling action is Jim and Della discovering that they each bought a present to go with the other person's most prized possession.  Jim bought Della beautiful combs for her hair, which is now gone.  Della bought Jim a chain to go with his watch, which he sold to buy the combs.  

The resolution occurs when Jim and Della happily sit down together to eat dinner.  They know that their love for each other is worth more than any gift that they could have given or received.  

Who is the protagonist and antagonist in Amy Tan's short story The Rules of the Game?

Waverly Jong is the protagonist in Amy Tan's short story The Rules of the Game. There are certain essential clues that a reader should look for in identifying the protagonist and the antagonist in any story.

1. The protagonist will be central to the theme and the person whom the reader most wants to succeed (or fail). Note that not all protagonists are clasically "good." 

2. He or she must face conflict whether it be any real threat, physical impediment which must be struggled against, another character or a psychological barrier. Conflict involves the struggle of man versus nature, man versus man, man versus himself and so on. 

3. He must make difficult choices and decisions and those choices will affect the development of the plot. 

Recognizing an antagonist can be difficult as he or she does not have to be the typical "villain." The antagonist can be someone whose views oppose the ideals of the protagonist such as in this story where Waverly's mother is the antagonist because her choices, opinions and her expectations threaten Waverly's future and Waverly is forced to make choices against her mother's wishes. To a lesser extent, the aunt is also an antagonist as she tries to hamper Waverly's progress by promoting rivalry between Waverly and her cousin. In recognizing the antagonist, there are certain essential elements to consider.

1. The antagonist helps to identify the conflict and as conflict drives the plot forward and helps to bring a story to a climax, the antagonist helps develop the protagonist.

2. The antagonist does not have to be a character. In terms of its association with conflict it can be tangible or intangible but is that element which is central to the conflict and forces the protagonist to make choices. It should be noted that conflict may exist without an actual antagonist because conflict may be a series of challenges which are not necessarily contrary to the protagonist's own goals.

3. Further to the point above, there must be a distinction between something which is an obstacle to the protagonist's future and the actual antagonist. Those things which simply impede the protagonist, but do not necessarily oppose him or threaten him are stumbling blocks and help develop character but they cannot be considered to be antagonists. They do not actively or purposefully oppose the protagonist.  

4. The protagonist has to fight against the influence of the antagonist. The antagonist has contrary goals and characteristics which clash with those of the protagonist.

Where do the speakers allegiances lie in a modest proposal? WHat social groups does he identify himself??

In Swift's "A Modest Proposal," the speaker's allegiances certainly lie with the Irish poor.  He is speaking with irony when he says all of the nasty things he says about the poor.

Specifically, he mimics the English view of Irish people.  He imitates their bigotry and prejudice.

He certainly degrades the Irish poor if you take what he says literally.  But he goes so far overboard, that once the speaker reveals what his proposal actually is--use poor Irish children for food to alleviate poverty--the reader understands that he is being ironic.

Concerning the second part of your question, the speaker doesn't really identify himself as part of any particular social group.   That's not relevant.  He certainly identifies himself with the Irish poor, however.

What is the summary of Chapter 10 in Katherine Paterson's Lyddie?

A true "Lowell Factory Girl," Lyddie spends her first day finally working in the dismal textile factory.  Lyddie's day begins even before the sun comes up.  It is a horrid, thirteen-hour day.  Even the time for meals is cut short during the two short breaks to nourish herself.  Breathing in the small cloth fibers into her lungs and dodging the dangerous "shuttles" as they fly back and forth between the weaving looms becomes commonplace for Lyddie as she tries desperately to adjust to the horrible factory conditions, as even the air is "laden with ... debris."  A further problem is the noise in the factory, the looms and shuttles are so very loud that they eventually can damage a young woman's hearing.  After growing up in a small cabin in Vermont and being proud enough to refuse all charity donations, this adjustment to the bad conditions in the Lowell factories is hard for Lyddie.  After this first day of work among the looms, meeting some of her coworkers and her overseer, Lyddie returns to her bed completely exhausted. Her feet are swollen and her head is aching beyond belief.  At this point, Lyddie's only desire is one thing:  sleep.

The character of Betsy now becomes a very important character in the story.  The author, Katherine Paterson, uses Betsy to introduce the importance of reading novels to improve one's quality of life.  After this first day working in the Lowell factories, Lyddie's roommate, Betsy, simply asks if she can read some of Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist to Lyddie as she tries to sleep.  Betsy's reading of Dickens has the opposite effect that Lyddie originally expects.  In fact, Lyddie is so engrossed in the storyline and factory conditions in England within the novel of Oliver Twist that Lyddie tries desperately to keep her eyes open so that she can listen to more of Dickens' words.  Not one to put things lightly, Lyddie exclaims that, instead of being "silly," Charles Dickens' novel truly "was life or death." 

It is this concept and this first listening to Charles Dickens' novel that inspires Lyddie to learn to read on her own.  It is stories like Oliver Twist that give Lyddie a reason to keep on living, even in the horrible conditions to which she is subjected.  In Oliver, Lyddie finds a character whose life rivals her own in regards to misery.  Lyddie's heart goes out to the orphaned Oliver who is threatened with death when he "dares" to ask for more to eat and is forced, also, to work under horrible conditions during the England of the Industrial Revolution.  Further, the character of Oliver reminds Lyddie of her own little Charlie and draws her heart further into the story.  Both Lyddie and Charlie (even back home in Vermont) had many days when neither of them had enough to eat.  With these thoughts in Lyddie's head, she finally falls asleep and prepares to meet yet another day in the grueling factories at Lowell.

What are some conflicts in the play?

There are several conflicts worth mentioning in this play. First, Professor Higgins and Colonel Pickering have a playful "bet" that Higgins can't make a common flower girl speak and act like a duchess.  There is the issue of language, pronunciation, and what we actually hear and say as opposed to what we think we hear and say.

There is the issue that Eliza Doolittle does want to improve her situation in life, but is rather stuck in her position as flower girl since her income fluctuates and her education is limited.

There is the issue of what to do with Eliza once she learns to speak and act properly.  She can't go back to selling flowers, yet she has no real place among the aristocratic society she has been trained to infiltrate.

There is the conflict with Higgins and everyone else--including his mother--since he considerably rude, late, and isn't really the ideal role model for Eliza's "proper" education.

There is also the minor conflict of Eliza's father, who has come into some money himself and is struggling about his impending marriage and adjusting to suddenly becoming "a gentleman".

There is also the conflict of Eliza's romantic feelings for Higgins and for Freddy whom she meets at one of the outings to test her ability to fool others into thinking that she is high society.

How is "Neighbors" classified?

Carver's narration in "Neighbors" is objective narration that is sometimes referred to as "Fly on the wall."  Today, we might think of it as similar to a security camera on the wall.  The idea is that only what is seen and heard is revealed to the reader.  No comment or interpretation is used by the narrator, and no character thoughts are revealed, either.

"Neighbors" is a story about voyeurism.  The husband and wife become fascinated and obsessed with the lives of their neighbors.  So much so that merely being in their apartment creates erotic feelings or, at least, since we do not have access to their thoughts, creates erotic behavior on the part of the husband, and possibly on the part of the wife--she is the one who reveals the pictures. 

It's important to notice that the husband and wife behave normally before we see them behind closed doors with no one, except the reader of course, watching.  They are just a normal couple like every other couple.

Discuss the characterization of Feste using dialogue and what the other characters say about him. What is Feste's function in the play?

What a fabulous question! I have to admit to really liking the character of Feste in this play. Your interpretation of what he contributes to the play will depend a lot on how you play him, and this varies from director to director. Some, for example, choose to play him as being in love with Olivia, others choose to play him as the one character that is free from the "disease" that inflicts all other characters in the play. Here are some general observations though for you to base your own reading of his character on.

Feste seems to have an uncanny ability of "reading" situations and understanding motives of characters. For example, the first time we see him in Act I scene 5, he already seems to know that Maria is hoping to marry Sir Toby:

Well, go thy way; if Sir Toby would leave drinking, though wert as witty a piece of Eve´s flesh as any in Illyria.

Notice Maria´s response - it is clear that Feste has struck truth with this comment. Also note Feste´s comment to Caesario in Act III scene 1:

Now Jove, in his next commodity of hair, send thee a beard!

Is this just dramatic irony, or, as some directors have suggested, is this Feste hinting that he knows the truth about Caesarió´s disguise and is poking gentle fun at the situation?

Note too how Feste uses his position as a "fool" to say in apparent folly truths about other characters. For example, in Act II scene 3, he mocks Sir Toby under the guise of singing a song with him whilst Sir Toby is challenging Malvolio. Look how his responses to Sir Toby´s lines actually goad Sir Toby and challenge what he is saying. Note too how in Act II scene 4 he also basically calls Orsino inconstant in his affections:

Now the melancholy god protect thee, and the tailor make they doublet of changeable taffeta, for thy mind is a very opal.

Taffeta is a silk woven of various coloured threads that it is constantly changing colour because of the light. He is the one character who is able to detect that Orsino´s apparent love for Olivia is not as constant as he would make out.

Another important element of his character is the music that Feste sings. He ends the play with a song about growing up and the melancholy aspects of life, and in Act II scene 4 sings a very morose song about love to Orsino and Viola. Note how this music gives a very depressing, perhaps more realistic tone to an otherwise bawdy comedy. His end song is worth focussing on in particular - it certainly creates a complete counterpoint to the "happy ending" of the other characters.

You also need to consider how Feste fits in to the whole festivity of the Twelfth Night. Some directors have him opposed to Malvolio and implicitly involved in his gulling. Feste then represents a force of chaos in the play. Others have him removed from this conflict, making it more about Sir Toby than Feste.

However, in conclusion, with all of these issues, the most compelling assessment of Feste´s character is given by Viola in Act III scene 1.

This fellow is wise enough to play the fool,

And to do that well craves a kind of wit.

Viola seems to recognise Feste´s intelligence and how, to be a fool, actually necessitates a high level of ability and perception, which other characters definitely do not have in the play. This perhaps supports the view that Feste is the one character who is not blinded by the "disease" love - he retains his vision, and watches with great amusement the events that surround him.

Can you summarize the poem, "Elegy for Anne Frank," by Jessica Smith?PLEASE ANSWER THE QUESTION

Jessica Smith's lovely remembrance of the Holocaust hero in her poem, "Elegy for Anne Frank," reminds us of the life that was ended so tragically. The poem begins by comparing Anne with  "A sidewalk-surrounded flower / pushed up through the cracks." Like a flower straining for light and a place to stretch her roots, Anne was restricted to the lonely warehouse attic at a time when most teens were allowed to begin their adventurous world into adulthood. Anne "made family trees" as a way to comfort the others around her. Despite her captive life, Anne never gave up hope of eventually becoming free to continue her life, and "dreamed of the sun and / the love you'd find when the doors / of your prison were unlocked."

The writer absorbs Anne's diary completely, feeling "your heartbeat / pulse with my own," and in the end is "thankful" that Anne died before being executed. The poem serves as a heartfelt reminder of the hope and the gamut of emotions that Anne revealed through her diary.

What are the themes in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows"?

The Themes are:

1. Good over Evil - Harry defeats Voldemort

2. Friendship - especially between Harry and Ron when Ron gets angry

3.Love - Harry and Ginny, Ron and hermione, remus and tonks, etc.

4. Loyalty - harry towards dumbledore, dobby and kreacher towards harry

5. Death - Fred, mad-eye, lupin, tonks, pettigrew, etc.

6. War - Acc. to JKR in an interview, war is a predominant theme. One moment you're talking to your friend, next - he's dead - like fred.

7. Prejudice - against house-elves and muggle-borns

In Ch 16, what does the phrase "he bent his neck to the Roman yoke" mean when Daniel and Thacia carry the soldier's pack? I don't think it is...

It is not coincidental that Daniel first bends his "neck to the Roman yoke" when he is with Thacia for Daniel's growing interest in and acceptance of the teachings of Jesus correspond to his ability to understand and make a place in his life for women. When the story opens, he has moved away from his grandmother and sister, leaving them vulnerable.  Even when he begins caring for Leah, he cannot understand anything about her as a feminine being and feels shackled by having to care for her. She limits his freedom. Similarly, while his early attitudes toward Thacia show some admiration, they are also full of  resentment. He tells her when she wants to join him and Josh in their vow, "This is a man's vow! It's not for a pretty child," demonstrating how he would prefer to compartmentalize her in a space far from his feelings(85). As begins to feel brotherly love and grows in ability to nurture Leah, so he grows in real affection and something approaching love for Thacia. He shoulders the burden, bends his "neck to the Roman yoke" because of that soft spot of love that Rosh so despises in him.

In The Great Gatsby, what are some examples of character blindness?

In The Great Gatsby, if you name a character, he or she is probably figuratively blind.

Set against the backdrop of the eye doctor overlooking the wasteland, Nick thinks he's objective and doesn't judge people, but he's subjective and very judgmental.  Tom doesn't see that he's a bully, arrogant, closed-minded and hypocritical.  Jordan doesn't realize she's elitist and condescending (although, maybe she does, come to think of it).  Wilson doesn't realize his wife is having an affair with Tom. 

Of course, the character whose blindness dominates the novel is Gatsby.   He spends the novel trying to recapture a past that never really was:  Daisy never loved him like he loves her.    

Why would the discipline of geography be helpful when talking about suicide?Why would someone want to write a part about geography in their paper...

I am not sure if there is supposed to be anything about Shakespeare in our answer -- I do not see how to bring Shakespeare in here...

If a person is writing a paper about suicide, geography can be important.  Specifically, it would be very helpful to know about the distribution of suicide over space.  In other words, do suicides happen a lot in some places and not so much in others.  If you look at data on suicide and find that suicide rates are very different in different countries or regions, you can start to ask good questions about suicide.

You can ask whether there is something about some regions that make suicide more likely.  Is the culture of the region the cause?  Is the climate?  By asking such questions, you can better understand the causes of suicide.

Act 2:How has Hale changed since he arrived in Salem?Why is he testing Proctor and Elizabeth?Why hasn`t Proctor been in church?

Hale realizes the evil nature the court has taken.  Originally, Hale thought it would expel Satan from Salem, but he comes to realize that something far worse is there: lies and vengeance.  Once he realizes that the girls are lying and that there never was any real evidence of witch craft, he removes himself from the court.  He tests Proctor and Elizabeth because at that time he was still an agent of the court.  It was his job to make sure they were good and upstanding Puritans and that the charges against Elizabeth were unfounded.  Proctor refuses to go to church mainly because of his dislike for Rev Parris.  Proctor believes Parris is a greedy person.  Note how Proctor tells Hale how Parris kept asking the congregation for golden candle sticks.  Also Parris focuses very little of his sermons, again according to Proctor, on God, focusing instead of hell and damnation.

When does the story "The Open Window" take place?

No specific dates are mentioned, but it's been assumed that it takes place in the early twentieth century, most likely during the reign of King Edward VII. The where part of the setting is much easier since it's entirely set in one room of an English country home that belongs to Mr. and Mrs. Sappleton.

The rustics play a significant role in The Return of the Native. Elucidate. How do the rustics contribute to the action of the plot?

Your question could be interpreted in a couple of ways; so I've listed below examples of those interpretations below.

Rustics (in reference to rustic elements): In Native, Hardy devotes much of the first section of the novel to describing the rustic heath upon which life for Eustacia, Wildeve, and so many other characters centers. The heath, especially the lighting of the fires, represents not only the countryside way of life and traditions, but it also symbolizes Eustacia's isolation from the urbane life she so desires.  In that sense, the rustics are all-important to the novel's plot because Eustacia's longing to alienate herself from the traditions and manners of the heath is the novel's main conflict.

Rustics (in reference to specific characters)--While Hardy does include several rustic characters in the novel, none is more important to the plot than Diggory Venn, the reddleman.  Diggory is a commoner who longs for Thomasin's love.  Because of his love-from-afar, he is involved in and advance most of the novel's subplots and affects its main plot. He tries to foil Eustacia's relationship with Wildeve (Thomasin's husband); he observes much of the novel's actions and uses his observations to influence the actions of other characters, and in the end, he "saves" Thomasin.

Why has Mary Warren disobeyed her employers and gone to Salem?

Mary Warren is also gaining a sense of power, as part of the court, that she has never had before.  As a simple servant, she has been at the mercy of the Proctor's, but now, as part of the court, she is the one wielding the power.  After all, when she returns and is nearly whipped by John, she tells them that Elizabeth has been accused of witch craft but she stood up for her good name.  Like the other young girls in the court, Mary is now getting power and attention that she never had in her life.

In act 2, scene 1 of Julius Caesar, what is Brutus deliberating about in this quote: "and therefore think him as a serpants egg ...."?

Here Brutus is deliberating about killing Caesar. He is talking about killing Caesar, even though as he speaks there is no real solid proof that Caesar is going to become a corrupt tyrant (which is their fear). However, he is trying to rationalize becoming part of the conspiracy. He is comparing killing Caesar before he can become a tyrant and do considerable harm to killing a serpent's egg before it can hatch and bite someone and cause them harm.

If you examine Brutus closely, you will see him constantly trying to convince himself that killing Caesar - without any real proof that he will become evil - is the right thing to do. Also note when Brutus states that if it should make Rome a better place, he would gladly kill himself. Brutus, unlike Cassius, is only interested in the good of Rome. Cassius, on the other hand, is motivated by power and greed. In an ultimate irony, Cassius is more likely to become an evil tyrant than Caesar.

In The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, how does the Mariner continue to show remorse in Part IV?Why is he unable to pray? What act causes him to be...

In Part IV, the Mariner's soul is "in agony" (line 32).  He views himself as unworthy to count himself among humankind, calling the men who died "so beautiful" (line 33), while comparing himself to "the thousand thousand slimy things" that, like him, live on (lines 34-35). He expresses his remorse by trying to pray, but finds that he cannot because his heart is "dry as dust" (line 44). Because he has killed the albatross, the mariner has cut himself off from the natural world; he is disconnected from life; his spirit is dead. In his suffering, he wishes he would die, but he cannot even do that. He is doomed to endure the "curse in a dead man's eye" for "seven days and seven nights" (lines 57-58).

At the end of this period of unrelenting suffering, the Mariner is granted a reprieve of sorts. As he stands alone on the ship and watches the water-snakes swimming in the moonlight, he is struck by their beauty. He describes their movements and colors and says,

"O happy living things! No tongue

Their beauty might declare:

A spring of love gushed from my heart,

And I blessed them unaware" (lines 271-82).

Through his heartfelt appreciation of the natural world, the Mariner's isolation is relieved. The albatross falls off his neck into the sea, and the Mariner, reborn, finds he can pray again.

Which event is the story’s climax in Lord of the Flies?

I've done a lot of research on this, and have found these to be the promient answers to the climax. I have added my comments in the "**"

1) When Piggy is Killed.  *Maybe.*

2)When Simon encounters the Lord of the Flies, and realizes the beast is not a physical entity, but lies within each boy.  He tries to this knowledge but is killed.  *I take this to mean, in Laymen's terms, when Simon is killed.  Well... based on the definition of "Climax", I don't agree. . . .*

3)When Jack rebels and forms his own tribe. *Seems to be so*

 4) Ralph fights jack.  *Okay. . . .*

Well, it's open for your interpritation.  What I originally thought (before I looked online) was number 3.  Well, a mix of 3 and 2, if that's possible.

 Well, hope that you have your question answered!

Why does Amir let Hassan take the blame for stealing the watch and money in Chapter 9 of The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini?

In the book The Kite Runner,Amir has always had a deep rooted sense of jealousy over Hassan's ability to stand up for himself and others  which Amir did not have.  His father, Baba, looked down on Amir because he did not possess this quality.  In addition, Hassan had also taken up and protected Amir.

When Hassan is cornered by Assef and his friends and is raped by Assef.   Amir is witness to the incident but hides.  He does not have the courage to stand up and to try and protect Hassan.  He can not even bring himself to face Hassan and projects his self hatred and shame onto Hassan.  Everytime he sees Hassan it reminds him of his own shame.

In order to get rid of having to see Hassan and to keep being reminded of the shame, Amir sets Hassan up by planting the items in his bed in order to have him sent away.

In this work by Keats, what are strong images and language used?

Concerning your question about "When I Have Fears" by Keats, identifying images and specific language in the poem is just the first step to analyzing images and language.  What matters more is how these contribute to the work as a whole.

This Elizabethan sonnet is, of course, divided into three quatrains (four-line stanzas), followed by a closing couplet (pair of rhyming lines). 

The first quatrain uses diction associated with growing crops to create the image of future books of poetry stacked in a storehouse:  gleaned, teeming, garners, full ripened grain.  The speaker's poetic ideas transformed into books are like the growing and harvesting of crops.  And his worry about dying before he can finish all that he wants to write, is like a farmer worrying that his crops, his livelihood, will fail.

The second quatrain moves from the fecundity of nature to the romance of nature, and the speaker worries that he will die before his imagination fully develops and he is capable of tracing their shadows (figuratively speaking) with his poetry.  The metaphor of tracing shadows is also an image, making concrete his act of writing.

The speaker's anxiety shifts from his future fame as poet to his future as a lover in the third quatrain.  He worries that he will die before he has loved a woman, and been loved by her.  He may never look upon a "fair creature," or "relish" in the "fairy power" of love. 

The three stanzas begin:  "When I have...," "When I behold..., "And when I feel...."  The thoughts begun with these subordinate whens are completed by the main clause in the form of an image:

Of the wide world I stand alone, and think

Till love and fame to nothingness do sink.

This closing couplet reveals the speaker feeling alone, and his hopes for a remarkable life dimmed.  If he doesn't have time, he has no hope of fame and love. 

What strengths and what weaknesses does Achebe show in traditional Igbo society?

There are different definitions of strength within the society, depending on gender and communal roles. For men, strength involves some sort of physical prowess, as demonstrated by the importance placed upon the wrestling competitions. The ability to provide factors into the definition of strength as well, as one who can harvest vast amounts of crops can not only feed his family, but may sell the rest for extra wealth. Thus farming and growing healthy yams is a sign of male strength also. Finally, strength on the battlefield is respected in the culture. A man who brings home the heads of the enemy is considered a hero, and carries the sign of virility.

Okonkwo, however, takes each of these to the extreme. He was a successful wrestler and warrior, as evidenced by his defeat of "The Cat" and his 5 heads from which he drinks at celebrations. Yet he is so afraid of becoming his father that he overcompensates. He beats his wives mercilessly, even breaking the truce during the Week of Peace. He also kills Ikemefuna, for which he is looked down upon by others in the village. his attempts to prove himself a man essentially strip strength from him. A more accurate picture of Ibo male strength would be his friend, Obierika.

For women, strength is defined in another way. Women who show strength are able to bear children, grow and harvest women's crops, and take care of their husbands without complaint. They suffer blows, guide their children through sickness, and remain steadfast in the face of abuse. Their strength becomes a moral, internal strength, opposed to the brute physical strength of the men.

Weakness for men is defined through the derogatory term "agbala": meaning "old woman". Weakness is also characterized by laziness (perceived or actual) and an inability to provide for one's family. Okonkwo is tormented his entire life by the thought of being weak, thus driving him to hypermasculinity. Everyone is involved in important decisions, and each member of the village shares in its triumphs and failures. A weakness would be the lack of compassion for certain members of the society, including twins. Because twins are considered evil, when they are born they are left in the forest to die. Other people spend their entire lives in the forest because they have no place in the social structure of the community. These divisions are magnified when the Christian missionaries come into the village, and lead to the eventual downfall of the society.

Scene - 1, A Street Car Named Desire What is the opening stage direction indicate about the playwright's style and dramatic technique?street car...

In the opening scene also shows a poor, blue collar neighborhood and is infused with jazz and blues piano notes that consistently put the audience in the mood of a New Orleans 1940's urban poor town. That descriptive technique is what sets out the atmosphere.

When Blanche appears,she says the memorable words:

I rode a streetcar named Desire, then transferred to a streetcar named Cemeteries, which brought me to a street named Elysian Fields

That entire phrase is the complete foreshadowing of what her life is and will become: She lived for lust, and found the death of her persona, and ended up in an Asylum.

Yet, there is more: She is impeccably wearing white clothes *blanche=white (in French) and symbolizes the fake purity and clarity she pretends to illustrate* and her presence is a massive contrast against the background, foreshadowing that there will be a clash of characters, histories, stories, and personalities. That would be a second technique.

The fact that Blanche is dressed in white against a dirty background also foreshadows in the audience that inevitably those clothes are very prone to become dirty and stained in that environment and that is another foreshadowing of what will go on.

What this indicates is that Williams is already alerting the audience that the characters are indeed all extremely different one from another, and while some may be co-dependent, each has unique and independent perspective in the story line, and each has a unique set of psychologies to be analyzed.

What are the six prophesies in Macbeth?

When Macbeth meets with the witches in Act 4 Scene 1, the witches call up an apparition, an Armed Head, which tells Macbeth “Beware Macduff,” who ends up killing Macbeth. Then, a Bloody Child appears, that says “none of woman born / Shall harm Macbeth,” which reassures him, because he doesn’t know Macduff had a Caesarean birth. A Crowned Child appears next, holding a tree in his hand, who tells him that he will not be “vanquished” until “Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill / Shall come against him,” which turns out to be the way his enemies creep up on  him, hidden in trees cut from Birnam Wood, at the final battle on Dunsinane Hill. The fourth apparition is a “row of eight kings,” the last holding a mirror, and then Banquo, smiling. The apparition says nothing, but the image foretells that Banquo will not be king but related to a king, clearly the subsequent king, of Scotland.  These follow the 2 earlier prophesies made at the beginning in Act 1, Scene 3, when the witches predict Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor, then King of Scotland (54). However, they follow this up by telling Banquo, “thou shalt get kings, though thou be none,” meaning kings will be in his lineage, although he himself will not be king (70). All the predictions come true.

Here is the film adaptation of the witch scene:

What was Macbeth's desire?no

Macbeth's main desire in Shakespeare's Macbeth is for ambition.  He wants to be king. 

He is predicted to be king by the witches, but they predict no time-line for his being king.  He doesn't want to wait and see, however, so he immediately thinks of the quickest way to the throne--assassination. 

Being king, however, soon is not enough for Macbeth.  Once he has the throne, he wants more--a dynasty.  At the time he is predicted to be king and Banquo's heirs are predicted to be kings, Macbeth doesn't give Banquo's heirs a second thought.  But once he has the throne, then he wants more.  He wants his heirs to rule. 

Macbeth's desire is for power, and whatever else comes with it. 

Other desires are mentioned at different points in the play--he'd like to get away with what he does and to rule without worries, and he desires that life actually had some meaning in his famous "Tomorrow" speech--but his overwhelming desire is his ambition. 

act II. scen I. what purpose does the scene between Macbeth and Banquo serve? What evidence is there that Banquo is suspicious of Macbeth?

This short scene shows some characterization of both Macbeth and Banquo.  Macbeth asks for Banquo's support when the time comes without telling him why which shows the importance of this alliance is to Macbeth.  Banquo replies by saying that he will support Banquo with anything as long as his (Banquo's) conscience can remain clear and he won't lose any honor because of his actions.  This should show the cautious support of Macbeth given by Banquo, but also that Banquo is beginning to suspect the Macbeth has poor intentions in mind.  Both of these men have been thinking about the prophecies quite a bit.  Macbeth is inclined to take action, but Banquo would prefer to wait and see what happens.

What does "Of Mice and Men" symbolize?I just would like to know what the general symbolism of this book means.

In referring to the "general symbolism", I assume you are referring to what the story represents.  You could also be asking about the symbolism of the title.  I will present you with both answers.

The title refers to a poem by Robert Burns which includes these lines:

"the best laid plans o' mice and men/often do go wrong"

The book demonstrates this title through the characters of George and Lenny primarily.  They have big plans of having their own place, being their own family and their own boss.  Their plans seem possible when they meet Candy, who wants very much to join them.  However, the disability of Lenny and the tragic events that cause him to mistakenly kill Curley's wife, put  these plans to an end. 

Overall, this book represents the isolation caused by the depression.  The men and the one woman of this story have been isolated by a lack of choices and by poverty.  They are all struggling to survive and have to abandon many dreams in order to do so.  This causes them to become closed off, angry, and despondent.  They turn on one another in their attempt to get ahead.  The exceptions are George and Lenny, who have each other - until the end, when they two are isolated by their situation.

What character trait do Jem and Scout illustrate with their ambivalence about taking the pennies?Chapter 4

Jem and Scout find the pennies in the tree. Indian head pennies are supposedly good luck, so it is understandable that the children would be excited and motivated to take the pennies. Yet, they also know right from wrong, and they know that these pennies are someone else's property, and taking them from someone else is stealing. The fact that they are hesitant to take them shows them to have a strong moral background, and a good sense of right and wrong.

what is the symbolic retribution for canto 8?go into great detail about it

One example is the Wrathful in the mud, that so angers Dante. A Wrathful soul is one who showed only cruelty, no compassion or pity in his lifetime. The trapped soul in the mud does not draw Dante's pity-and this is fitting since the wrathful is receiving the same treatment he was guilty of.

Another example is that of Phlegyas. Phlegyas burned Apollo's temple down because Apollo was in love with his daughter.  For this, Apollo killed him and condemned him to Hades. It is appropriate that he was appointed an oarsman between the Wrathful and the Impious souls.

What happened during the red scare of the late 1910s and early 1920s?What started the red scare?

As fear of communism specifically, but radicals in general, grew after World War I, the potential for a Red Scare overreaction grew along with it.  There had been many, many recent immigrants to America, and many carried with them some radical ideas, especially anarchy.

Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer, his own home attacked by a radical, conducted the Palmer Raids in 1919 and 1920, arresting several thousands suspects (most of them innocent) and deporting about 500 of them.  People with Russian last names were a common target, as we suspected that they had brought communist ideas to the US, or were working as communist agents.  We deported them back to Russia where many were arrested and killed.

A piece of trivia for you - One of Palmer's right hand men during the First Red Scare was one J. Edgar Hoover, later FBI Director during the Second Red Scare and the Justice Department in Washington DC still bears his name.

In The Old Man and the Sea, why does Santiago thank Manolin in the beginning?

As the story opens, Manolin, the boy, is helping Santiago through his day, even though Manolin's parents disapprove. Manolin has helped Santiago fish in the past, and loves Santiago's skill. They discuss baseball, and then Manolin compliments Santiago:

"Que Va," the boy said. "There are many good fishermen and some great ones. But there is only you."

"Thank you. You make me happy. I hope no fish will come along so great that he will prove us wrong."

"There is no such fish if you are still strong as you say."
(Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea, Google Books)

Manolin, in typical youthful exaggeration, attributes extraordinary skill to Santiago. Santiago has lost his wife and is alone in the world, and his relationship with Manolin is father-like; he loves Manolin because of the boy's devotion and his efforts to make Santiago's life easier. Of course, the compliments make him emotionally happy as well. However, these lines foreshadow the coming events as Santiago fights the enormous marlin, which almost proves too much to handle; in the end, Manolin's belief in Santiago is not damaged, and he still says that Santiago has proven himself the greatest fisherman of all.

What is the overall significance of the story's extensive use of animal symbolism?

I would add that the animal motif suggests O'Connor's fascination with the grotesque.  Many of her stories, including "Good Man," are concerned with our flawed nature as a result of orginal sin, a fall from grace.  Using images that show her characters as bizarre in appearance, which is an aspect of the grotesque, is one way of communicating this theme.

Who is the only living relative of Roderick in the book The Fall of the House of Usher?

It is his sister, Madeleine Usher.  The wonderful thing about this story is that the house is also portrayed as a living, breathing entity.  Once Roderick buries his sister, whom he has watched waste away until what he believes is her death, the house reacts!  She has been buried alive, and as they attempt to get her out of the cript, the house begins to break apart.  Only the narrator survives, and he watches the house fall into the crevice in the ground.  So, the House of Usher has figuratively fallen with the deaths of Roderick and Madeleine, but it has also literally "fallen" to the ground.

Both Alexander Pope and Jonathan Swift satirized society. Compare and contrast the styles of Pope in The Rape of the Lock with the styles of Swift...

Pope and Swift, contemporaries of one another in the eighteenth century, both used their famous works to satirize the society they lived in. However, the two writers used different styles of satire to address their appointed audiences.

Pope uses Horatian satire, which is a form of mild satire that teases the follies of individuals as part of the whole of society. Pope executes this through the mock-heroic form of The Rape of the Lock, his poem based on true events amongst his friends. Mock-heroic poems ridicule the heroic style and characters of classical epics. In the poem, we see members of high society engaging in a battle of cards, surrounded by many spirits, called sylphs, who encourage the intense emotions of the heroine, Belinda, and her antagonist, the Baron. Pope dramatizes the Baron’s petty prank of cutting off Belinda’s hair lock, escalating the feud to a battle of sylphs and catty insults. By poking fun at the individuals at this party, Pope is making a light-hearted commentary on the social customs of society as a whole. The audience finds themselves laughing both at the characters and themselves.

Jonathan Swift, on the other hand, is using the more caustic Juvenalian satire in his novel Gulliver’s Travels. Juvenalian satire is used to vehemently criticize an individual or institution. Unlike Pope’s light-hearted commentary on social customs, Swift is criticizing the England’s political structure and national attitude. Gulliver’s Travels is a parody of travellers' tales, a popular subgenre of the day. As Gulliver travels to various remote locations, Swift explores the many vices of the institutions around him, from political parties to societal entitlement. By attacking society as a whole, Swift aims to anger his readers and spur action for change.

Both writers encourage change in society by looking at the flaws of their contemporaries; however Pope mildly teases the individual to speak to the whole while Swift bitterly criticizes the whole to speak to the individual. 

How do the Titans of Greek mythology relate to the Odyssey?I'm interested in specific examples and explanations.

Look no further than Book I:

Tell me, O muse, of that ingenious hero who travelled far and wide
after he had sacked the famous town of Troy. Many cities did he visit,
and many were the nations with whose manners and customs he was acquainted;
moreover he suffered much by sea while trying to save his own life
and bring his men safely home; but do what he might he could not save
his men, for they perished through their own sheer folly in eating
the cattle of the Sun-god Hyperion; so the god prevented them from
ever reaching home. Tell me, too, about all these things, O daughter
of Jove, from whatsoever source you may know them.

Hyperion is mentioned 4 times, namely when Odysseus' men eat his cattle.  In Book XII:

'You will now come to the Thrinacian island, and here you will see
many herds of cattle and flocks of sheep belonging to the sun-god-
seven herds of cattle and seven flocks of sheep, with fifty head in
each flock. They do not breed, nor do they become fewer in number,
and they are tended by the goddesses Phaethusa and Lampetie, who are
children of the sun-god Hyperion by Neaera. Their mother when she
had borne them and had done suckling them sent them to the Thrinacian
island, which was a long way off, to live there and look after their
father's flocks and herds. If you leave these flocks unharmed, and
think of nothing but getting home, you may yet after much hardship
reach Ithaca; but if you harm them, then I forewarn you of the destruction
both of your ship and of your comrades; and even though you may yourself
escape, you will return late, in bad plight, after losing all your
men.'

Atlas is also mentioned in Book I:

It is an island covered with forest, in the very middle of the sea, and a goddess
lives there, daughter of the magician Atlas, who looks after the bottom
of the ocean, and carries the great columns that keep heaven and earth
asunder. This daughter of Atlas has got hold of poor unhappy Ulysses,
and keeps trying by every kind of blandishment to make him forget
his home,

The Titan Oceanus is mentioned in Book IV:

"'The third man,' he answered, 'is Ulysses who dwells in Ithaca. I
can see him in an island sorrowing bitterly in the house of the nymph
Calypso, who is keeping him prisoner, and he cannot reach his home
for he has no ships nor sailors to take him over the sea. As for your
own end, Menelaus, you shall not die in Argos, but the gods will take
you to the Elysian plain, which is at the ends of the world. There
fair-haired Rhadamanthus reigns, and men lead an easier life than
any where else in the world, for in Elysium there falls not rain,
nor hail, nor snow, but Oceanus breathes ever with a West wind that
sings softly from the sea, and gives fresh life to all men. This will
happen to you because you have married Helen, and are Jove's son-in-law.'

Brutus justifies his actions by comparing Caesar to a serpent’s egg. Explain how this is an example of a false analogy.

Analogies between human beings and animals aften prove to be false, for unlike animals (much less an egg) human beings have minds and wills rather than instinct.  In trying to consider reasons to participate in the plot against Caesar, Brutus tries to convince himself that though Caesar is not a tyrant now, he might become one, and so better kill him now rather than allow that to happen later. Brutus suggests that it is natural for a serpent to grow mischievous, and so it is better to kill it before it is born (in his egg) rather than later. Similarly, he argues, Caesar is a serpent in an egg--he has the potential to be mischievous, and so should be killed now, before that mischievousness (meaning evil) actually becomes alive.  The analogy is false because Caesar is born (not in an egg), and has not shown himself to be evil yet; he has not shown himself a potential serpent; and even if he had, what would be the shell? A pretense of good?  It doesn't make sense that someone who acts good has the potential of being evil so that we should eliminate him before he becomes so.  The analogy is false, but Brutus seems desperate to build a case to join the conspirators.

Describe the cultural importance of Harlem Reniassance,its impact on black self esteem, and how it helped change the opinion many whites had on...

While Hubert Harrison in the 1927 Pittsburgh Courier challenged the notion of a renaissance as principally a white invention, he did recognize the "flowering of Negro literature" as James Weldon Johnson preferred to call it.  The burgeoning of creative efforts in music and literature came with the massive migration of African Americans to the North.  There, they lived in sections of large cities of the United States, giving voice to their dreams and desires through the arts.

By the 1910s, the black community had established a middle class, and a greater market grew for their art, literature, Jazz, and the Blues.  With the premiere of Three Plays for a Negro Theatre, written by a white playwright, Ridgely Torrence, black actors played roles with human emotions and feelings, not stereotypes of blackface or minstrel show traditions. 

Soon, the musical style of piano jazz and blues became very popular with the white community.  White novelists and composers began to exploit the musical tendencies and themes of the blacks into their works.  And, whites began to attend the Cotton Club, the Savoy Ballroom, and the Apollo Theatre, much to the dislike of many of the black community as these were venues where blacks felt free to express themselves without restraint and as a unified group.

In Book 4 of The Aeneid, why does Virgil uses the word "furtive" when he does?

The Latin adverb 'furtim', which is presumably what is translated as 'furtively' in this connection, means literally 'in the manner of a thief', coming as it does from the noun 'fur', a thief. It thus came to mean 'stealthily', used in connection with actions that someone is trying to keep hidden, behind the backs of others. I have not been able to check precisely where it occurs in Book 4 of the Aeneid, but it might be worth making the general point that Book 4 contains much more of a sense of intrigue than any other of the 11 books of the poem. The love affair between Dido and Aeneas, while not illicit in an objective sense, has the feel of an illicit liaison on account of the guilt that both partners feel because their greater destiny is the foundation of great cities and the establishment of their people on a secure homeland. Their spontaneous passion for each other, consummated in a chance thunderstorm and before their respective followers have had a chance to anticipate any formal union between them, creates a sense of unease and disquiet from the start and this grows as the story progresses. Messages through the intermediary Anna, the malign influence of rumour and 'fama', Dido's growing anticipation of betrayal...all these help to create an atmosphere in which the word 'furtim' seems entirely at home.

Whom does the poet call the 'Sylvan historian'? Why?

The Urn is the sylvan historian because it is rather like a picture frame.  It has many carvings along its sides which tell the story--and each story will never change as long as the urn itself is in tact.

Among those scenes are the trees (sylvan reference) which will never lose their leaves and will stand forever strong against all elements of weather.

Under the trees are the lovers who are caught forever just before they kiss...the moment of highest expectation and the height of love...which will never be lost as they are frozen in time.  They will always be young with the buds of spring blushing in their cheeks.

The town which is deserted of people will always stand peacefully overlooking the water as the priest leads the garlanded heifer to her sacrificial ceremony.

The lute player will always be playing his "silent" music which is even more beautiful than that music we can hear because we each imagine our own version of the music--guaranteed to be lovely to our ears.

The urn is a historian because it captures each of these scenes and preserves it forever in time.  "Beauty is truth, truth beauty and that is all you need to know."