How did two revolutions and a civil war bring about Communist control of Russia?

The two revolutions and the civil war brought about communist control of Russia by destroying the Tsar's government and then by destroying the opposition to the communists.

In the February Revolution, the various factions that were opposed to the Tsar overthrew his government.  This led to the governemnt of Kerensky.  Then, the October Revolution overthrew that government.

From then, there was the long civil war between the Whites and the Reds tht ended up with the communists in complete control of the country.

Why was the Schlieffen Plan significant to World War I?

The real significance of the Schlieffen Plan is that it was short-sighted, and actually ensured that the war would turn into the bloodbath of a general European war. The plan, as well stated above, was for a massive preponderance of German forces (including reserves mixed with active units) to swing through Belgium and across the north of France, enveloping the French Army outside Paris and ending decisively within six weeks.  Initiated by Count Alfred von Schlieffen long before the war and finalized in 1905, the plan called for 34 divisions to form the right flank, a division being a force of approximately 15,000 men usually commanded by a major general.  Only small forces (eight corps, 320,000 troops) would mask the defenses of Germany in the south, just enough for a defensive battle, and leaving mostly token forces in East Prussia to hold off the Russians until victory was won in the west.  The problem was Belgium and Belgian nuetrality.

A neutral Belgium was the creation of Great Britain, and the Belgian Army although small did have the capability to throw off the finely-tuned timetable of the German General Staff.  Belgium under King Leopold probably would not have fought the Germans, but his successor Albert was quite different.  His forces did hold up the Germans, although very briefly, and the violation of Belgian neutrality of course brought Great Britain into the war.  The Germans expected the war to be over so swiftly that this would not matter, but a series of incidents intervened.  The Germans worried about Prussia and bled forces off the west; they were so successful at throwing back French attacks in the south that they pushed forward and in turn were rebuffed, causing more reinforcements to be withdrawn from the right wing; the pace of the German advance on the right was so fast it exhausted the troops; and most of all, the British Army did not act in the expected manner.  All together, these things caused the German forces to falter at the Marne, and when the British (thought to be beaten and withdrawn from battle) appeared in the gap between the two right German armies, the offensive collapsed.

With this it became impossible for the Germans to end the war quickly, and with the stalemate of trench warfare subsequent to the "Race to the Sea" the war bogged down.  The sea power of Britain then became the dominant factor, and the slow strangulation of German food and materials from overseas eventually ground down both the military and the home front.

In Act 4, Scene 2, what happens to Lady Macduff and her son?

Several things happen to Lady Macduff and her son in IV.ii. She talks with Ross, asserting that her husband's flight from home was madness because his fear has made him a traitor to his duty: "His flight was madness: ... / Our fears do make us traitors." She talks to her son, asserting that he is now fathered but fatherless: "Sirrah, your father's dead; / And what will you do now?" She and her son listen to the warning words the Messenger addresses to her after Ross exits: "Be not found here; hence, with your little ones." Astounded, she puzzles over to which place she should flee and why she has need to flee: "Whither should I fly? / ... to do good sometime [is] / Accounted dangerous folly." Finally, she and her son encounter murderers, sent to find Macduff on Macbeth's orders: "Where is your husband?" Ultimately, she and her son exit, although through different means: "[Stage directions]. Exit LADY MACDUFF, crying 'Murder!'"

The previous scene to this one, Act IV, scene i, ends with Macbeth swearing to act according to his heart's purpose as soon as he thinks a thought. The thought to hand for Macbeth now is that all living persons in Macduff castle should be killed so no lineage of Macduff's should carry on from that day forward.

MACBETH. To crown my thoughts with acts, be it thought and done:
The castle of Macduff I will surprise;
Seize upon Fife; give to the edge o' the sword
His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls
That trace him in his line. No boasting like a fool;
This deed I'll do before this purpose cool.

To examine the foregoing in some detail, in the opening of IV.ii, Lady Macduff and her young son are listening to and she is speaking with Ross, Macbeth's cousin and a Scottish nobleman who chooses to reject Macbeth and join Malcolm, Macduff and the English. While Macduff's son is listening, Lady Macduff and Ross are debating whether or not Macduff's flight from home was traitorous. Lady Macduff says that he acted like a traitor: "What had he done, to make him fly the land? [...] Our fears do make us traitors." Ross rebukes her, replying that it was as likely his wisdom that made him fly: "You know not / Whether it was his wisdom or his fear." Lady Macduff challenges Ross, saying that wisdom doesn't abandon love, although fear leads to flight--and flight manifests only fear--and that flight that betrays reason shows no wisdom.

LADY MACDUFF. Wisdom! to leave his wife, to leave his babes,
...
All is the fear and nothing is the love;
As little is the wisdom, where the flight
So runs against all reason.

After Lady Macbeth laments that Macduff is dead (as she assumes must be the case and as she metaphorically asserts to be the case: he is a traitor to lie about his love then to betray her, and traitors die) and that his son is fatherless, Ross, asserting that it would be his "disgrace" to stay (since she is asserting what Ross believes to be untruths about Macduff), quickly takes his leave. She and her son debate his fatherless state, ending with the son's claim that Macduff is not dead (thus not a traitor by her own argument): "If he were dead, you'ld weep for him: if you would not, it were a good sign."

Upon this note, the Messenger, a person unknown to Lady Macduff, walks in and apologetically delivers a warning message to her, advising her to take her children and leave. The use of the word "doubt" indicates that he feels unsure about whether danger approaches or not. His suggestion of advice, "If you will take a homely man's advice," underscores his feeling of uncertainty: if he had been certain that Macbeth could have fallen so low as to order the deaths of lady and children, his "advice" would have been more in the form of a command, whether he was known to her or not. Still demurring, he regrets being "savage" by causing her fright, then begs for her preservation and hastily departs. His actions speak louder than his demurring because, in the end, he "dare abide no longer," giving the proof to his encroaching conviction that Macbeth could indeed have been bent so far as to murder a whole family.

Messenger. Bless you, fair dame! I am not to you known,
    Though in your state of honour I am perfect.
    I doubt some danger does approach you nearly:
    If you will take a homely man's advice,
    Be not found here; hence, with your little ones.
    To fright you thus, methinks, I am too savage;
    To do worse to you were fell cruelty,
    Which is too nigh your person. Heaven preserve you!
    I dare abide no longer.
    Exit

Astounded and bewildered, she puzzles aloud over where she has to go to and why she has to go, concluding that to do "no harm" is inadequate when "to do harm / Is often laudable" and to "do good sometime [is] / ... dangerous folly." It is at this moment, while Lady Macduff is caught in the grip of a cruel conundrum without answer or solution, that the murderers walk in looking for Macduff (but under Macbeth's orders to kill "His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls" who abide in Macduff castle), asserting that he is a traitor (which Lady Macduff asserted earlier to Ross, although--when compared to the murderers--clearly in a more philosophical or metaphorical vein). Young Macduff, after having loosened his tongue up through witty exchange with his mother, shouts out in his father's defense: "Thou liest, thou shag-hair'd villain!" His reward--and the last thing that happens to him in this scene--is to be slain by stabbing and accused of "treachery": "[Stabbing him] Young fry of treachery!" In a bitter death scene, he has time before he dies to cry out to his mother, "He has kill'd me, mother: / Run away, I pray you!" The last thing that happens to Lady Macduff is that she runs off "crying 'Murder!'" with the murderers in deadly earnest pursuit after her.

How do Solanio and Salerio prove dramatically useful again in Act 3 Scene I?act3 scene 1

Through dialogue the two characters tell us that Antonio’s ship has been lost at sea, and while doing so reinforce what a good man he is. This provides intensity to the next piece of information they offer, which concerns Shylock, whom they introduce as the “devil” as he walks on stage. They then taunt the man with the fact that his daughter has run away from his house, aggravating his hurt over this, and then proceed to cause more trouble by saying “do you hear whether Antonio  have had any loss at sea or no” (46). Of course Shylock responds with anger, saying “let him look to his bond.” It seems as though they unwittingly make a bad situation worse, heightening the dramatic tension in the process.

What does Nick see as his "cardinal virtue" in Chapter 3 of The Great Gatsby?

There is certainly a degree of irony in Nick's remark that honesty is his cardinal virtue. Nick is playing a part too, like Gatsby and, to a lesser extent, like Daisy. We cannot trust everything Nick says about himself just as Nick cannot trust everything said by Jordan (a cheater and a shirker), Daisy (a consummate performer) or Gatsby (the greatest "truth artist" of them all).

For instance, Nicks says of himself, "I’m inclined to reserve all judgments," yet he opens the novel with a series of judgments and clearly disdains Tom upon introducing him in the second chapter. Nick's self-descriptions of honesty and objectivity are dubious. What are we to make of this fact? What does it mean that Nick, like the others, is a dishonest person?

Dishonesty takes many forms in The Great Gatsby and the moral value of honesty is brought into question at several points. 

Jay Gatsby is a thorough "pretender," yet he is the sole character capable of maintaining any innocence. He is even capable of acting on it. So despite the fact that he is a criminal and a fraud, Gatsby stands as perhaps the only "honest" character in the book. He does what he says he is going to do (tries to marry Daisy) and refuses to leave Daisy and run away while he can at the end of the novel, despite the fact that Daisy turns her back on him. This integrity in Gatsby, while it is demonstrative of his dedication to a dream/illusion, suggests a contrast to the "honesty" that Tom displays in the novel. 

Tom does not hide his feelings. He has an affair with Myrtle and everyone knows about it. In a way, his brutality and philandering are proof of his honesty, yet Tom is certainly the most villainous character in the novel. 

Truth-telling and transparency are not necessarily pure virtues then in Gatsby. Nick's "cardinal virtue" would not be worth much if he didn't also have a few things in common with Jay Gatsby - a sense of loyalty, a willingness to suspend disbelief in favor of a romantic illusion, etc. 

The fact that Nick is not entirely honest and that he is often judgmental and even petty serves to make his claim of honesty ironic. This irony includes Nick in the multi-layered irony that surrounds Jay Gatsby. There are levels and layers of "truth" and meaning around each of these characters. 

Not entirely pure in their motivations, they are nonetheless capable of real friendship and possess a sense of beauty that is not entirely materialistic. 

Nick's intentions to become a bondman and climb the ladder of professional and self-improvement ends up coming to nothing - and actually comes to nothing rather quickly. The hollowness of his ambitions are readily apparent even as he shares them in the opening chapters. 

Nick's journey, insofar as he is a figure on a quest, is to find something real that might supplant the frivolous and conventional ambitions he arrived with on the east coast. What he ends up finding is a kind of honesty in Jay Gatsby, though Nick has to sift through many layers of deceit to reach that final honesty. This is what Nick prepares us for at the outset in his initial description of Gatsby and it is where he leaves us in the end. 

Who is the protagonist and who is the antagonist of the story?

Because most of our attention is focused on Marlow, he is the protagonist. Determining the antagonist is more difficult because he is not in conflict with another specific character as a protagonist usually is. Instead, what he recounts to his friends on board the Nellie is a scathing account of the devastation wrought by the white Europeans engaged in ivory trade in Africa. Rather than being the "emissary of trade" that Marlow's aunt believes him and other white Europeans to be, those seeking ivory are destroying the "savages" and Africa in search of profit. Marlow goes to Africa so that he can pilot a steamboat up the Congo. Only one white is worthy of his admiration, the Boilermaker, because this man is meticulous and hard-working while all others allow disorder, cruel treatment of the Africans, and laziness among themselves. In fact, Marlow also admires the cannibals because they possess restraint, a quality entirely missing in the white Europeans. Although Marlow is not in direct conflict with these men, Conrad uses them to be symbolic of the damage Europeans are thoughtlessly causing in Africa; therefore, the white Europeans are the antagonists. Perhaps Kurtz is the most important of these. On another level, you can also identify a man vs. self conflict in which Marlow plays both parts.

What is Hawthorne's attitude toward Roger Chillingworth?

There are some oddly human characteristics of Roger, though, and these present themselves at different times. For instance, when Hester and Roger talk as Hester is in jail early in the book, they have a remarkably civil conversation, where they honestly describe their loveless marraige. While Roger does indicate that he will try to find out who the real father is, and it's obviously for nefarious purposes, he is civil and respectful with Hester. He even gets indignant when she thinks, in her half-crazed state, that he might actually be trying to harm Pearl. In that way, I think, Roger isn't as bad as we might first think.

The best example, though, of Roger being human is how he treats Pearl after death; he leaves his estate to her, something that is certainly unusual compared to how he has acted previously, but demonstrates that he might have had a heart after all.

David Becker

What can the reader infer about Lee's purpose of introducing Uncle Jack in chapter 9?

Uncle Jack is sort of a character who straddles both sides of the theme that ignorance and pre-judgement often lead to disaster. He is quick to punish Scout after she quarrels and fights with her cousin, without, as Scout puts it, "Hearing my side of the story." He is also quick to judge Scout regarding her cursing. The readers, of course, know the whole story: they know that Scout was provoked to the breaking point and they also know that Scout is a compassionate, thoughtful kid who will grow up to be just fine someday. Ultimately, Atticus explains the situation to Jack and puts his mind to rest. So, Jack is illustrative of that group of people in Maycomb, and the world, who almost have it right, but not quite. Or, they still need things spelled out to them in order to see things clearly. Jack serves as a kind of "everyman", a basically good person who still suffers from the same problem so many people in the world do: pre-judgement and not bothering to find out both sides of the story. This chapter also comes before the trial - when the idea that both sides of a story must be fully exposed in order for right action to be taken.

Why you do feel or not feel sympathy for Lady Macbeth after Act 5, Scene 1?plzzzzzz help me in this paragraph

A bit of both perhaps? Honestly, Lady Macbeths ruthless and absolutely dismissive nature, set in the beginning of the play, elivits a lot of negative feelings for her in the minds of the audience. But we also realsie that she was an excellent wife, caring and undertsnaidng of her husband's flaws and very often, willing to put he rown life on hold and on risk, for his betterment and success (ex: the time she volunteered to put the daggers near Duncan's chamberlains who were later accused of murderng the former intheir 'drunken stupor'). She was completely and soemtimes, unreasonbly committed to her husband's upliftment and would always help him in all his actions.

For this, one feels a little sympathy for the woman. However, killing anyone, no matter whom, has no excuse. And for that one is to be punsihed. Assassinating Duncan, a virtuous leader, a man aid to be blessed and graced By God, was unjustifiable and the husband-wife duo deserved reprimand for it.

Another occassion on which one feels sympathy for the woman, is the time she was caught sleepwalikng by a gentlewoman and a concerned doctor. The abrupt, short words used by her and references she made to Banquo's ghost (that was seen by her husband at the first feast after his coronation), Duncan's rich blood, hell being murky and the guilt they bore in their hearts is heart rendering. Also her constant action of trying to wipe off the lood stained on her hands, elicits some sympathy for the woman.

Why do you think Thacia refuses to greet Daniel?

Thacia’s reaction to Daniel when he enters her home characterizes her as a very different sort of person than the one he first sees on the mountain. There he notices “the way that her hair had sprung, clean and alive and shining, like a bird’s wing, aback from the smooth forehead.” Her effect on him is temporarily profound, for the “grace” he sees in her reminds him of Leah, the thought of which “stirred in him an old wound” (24). Thacia’s “shrinking” from Daniel when he enters her house corresponds to Leah doing the same when he first returns home to Leah. While Thacia is, as Josh explains, “putting on city airs,” Leah has been deeply traumatized, but in both cases Daniel must in some way prove himself to these women to garner their affection and respect. Daniel does this with Thacia when he returns for help after he is wounded, demonstrating a form of bravery, devotion, and vulnerability that she admires, and he does this with Leah when he cares for her day after day, indicating he will not abandon her again.  In the first case, the girl cares for the boy, reminding him (in his delirium) of his mother, in the other case the boy cares for the girl, providing the nurturance of a mother.

what is the purpose of the Board of Trustees for charter school their duty. why aren't traditional public school govern by a board of trustees.

Typically, a Board of Trustees for a charter school is meant to provide leadership for the school.  It is a level above the principal that would set goals for the school and do other sort of strategic types of thinking.

The reason that regular public schools are not governed by these types of boards is that they are already governed by various other boards.  Typically, public schools are governed by an administrative office.  Where I live, this is called the office of the superintendent.  The office of the superintendent is responsible for setting the overall goals and strategies for the school district.

Charter schools are meant to be outside this system so they can do their own thing, but they still need some administration.

How are Lucie Manette and Madame Defarge different in A Tale of Two Cities?

Although neither Lucie Manette nor Madame Defarge are well-developed as characters in themselves, both are symbols of opposing forces in The Tale of Two Cities.  Lucie is lovely, golden-haired, and good, a symbol of light.  Although she herself is not complex, by her very presence she draws people together and brings them to find the best in themselves.  She enables Dr. Manette to return to health and peace, and inspires Sydney Carton to find redemption for his degenerate living in the ultimate sacrifice of his life.  Madame DeFarge, on the other hand, is symbolic of evil and the uncontrollable forces of the coming French Revolution.  Driven by the ravages of the aristocrats to an inconsumable hatred, she sits, patient and sinister, knitting the names of the tormentors soon to be doomed.

What is the main objective of CNC applications in the product manufacturing?

The main objective is to obtain products at a much lower manufacturing cost, compared to the one resulted from conventional applications.

 CNC applications, by their complexity, allow the obtaining of much more reduced manufacturing times, compared to the conventional ones.

The use of modular systems for orientation equipments, has reduced, substantially, the cost of fixtures. Also, the increase of the cutter life, has allowed the decreasing of tools purchasing costs. Tools magazines which are present in all manufacturing centers, have significantly reduced the problem of storage of tools, lowering the costs of warehousing spaces.

How can I talk about representations of madness in The Turn of the Screw?

I know what you mean because recently I was assigned to argue the book as a case of insanity and I could only see the ghosts. But after speaking with the other members in my group I can now see it the other way.

The most important thing (I think) to concentrate on to would be her motives for imagining the ghosts and their possesion of the children (this assumes that imagining ghosts would be classified as insanity). She originally sees the children as completely perfect (an assumption based almost entirely on their beautiful outward appearance, another theme in the book) so when they begin to misbehave she immedeately jumps to the conclusion that it must be the fault of their previous caretakers. If you really look at it, all the children's antics that she blames on possesion and coercion by the ghosts are really the actions of normal children acting out.

Another cause of her "hallucinations" is her sexual frustration/hysteria. She believes herself in love with the master and her first vision of Peter Quint is after she fantasizes about meeting the master in the garden.

There's lots more to be said and much more evidence, but these are the main themes and causes.

Hope this helps!

What does the orange tomcat symbolize?

The orange tom cat is a symbol for survivors. He has managed to escape many calamities throughout the story. He escaped the intended drowning the captain had planned for all the cats, he lived in the ghost house without incident, he escaped capture when they tried to gather up all the cats to give them away, and he survived the hurricane, which few cats managed to do.

How did the Allies win WWI?

The Allies "won" World War I by simply outlasting the Central Powers.  Germany was fighting a two front war for most of the conflict, an was bled by a long, grinding, attrition style of trench warfare that took millions of her young men.  When the United States entered the war in 1917 on the Allied side, it was fresh, with a huge industrial base already manufacturing war materiel, and a population unbloodied as of yet.  There was no way Germany could have competed long term with America allied against her.

Specifically, Germany failed to conquer Paris in the final 1918 offensive, in large part due to the presence of American troops.  Germany's economy was bankrupt and teetering, its reserves of manpower exhausted, and it was forced to sue for peace.

Define the following terms in the book: Climate Control, Sameness,The GiverThe Book is Called The Giver

In the book "The Giver" climate control means that there are no weather changes.  Jonas' first experiences cold as the first memory that the giver transfers to him.  He feels his skin tingle and then feels the cold on his tongue.  When the community made changes they decided to do away with anything that could create discomfort.  One of the things was weather.

Sameness becomes awareness for Jonas when he begins to experience color.  The color red is his first color that he sees.  He learns that once people were different but now they are all the same.  However, when he has some of the new memories he can see his friend's red hair.  Despite having sameness meaning al the people wear the same color and style clothing with the exception of the year of their aging, some might have buttons on the back of their shirts or another age group wears bows, there is a different in Jonas and Gabriel's eyes.  The book talks about them as having eyes which are lighter than the others.

The Giver was once the holder of the memories.  He calls himself the Giver when he passes his memnories to Jonas.  Jonas in the same way gives some of his memories to the baby Gabriel.

What kind of people are Tom Walker and his wife in "The Devil and Tom Walker"? Describe what you know about them.

Both Tom Walker and his wife are miserly, greedy, selfish people.  The narrator describes the state of the Walker house as being one with little amenities and decoration--Tom and his wife both want to keep their money rather than to spend it on anything extra.  After Tom meets the devil, his wife goes "behind his back" to try to make a deal with the devil instead; she cannot stand to think that Tom might get riches and keep them from her.  Tom and his wife always hide their money from each other, so one never knows what the other has.  At the end of the story, Tom exhibits his selfishness by agreeing to cheat honest workers out of their money through outrageous interest rates on his loans; even when the devil comes calling, Tom tries to hide the profits from him.  So both Tom and his wife only want riches at all costs for themselves.

How does the Nymph's Reply follow up Marlowe's original proposal? What assumption was assumed in the beginning of the poem?

The Nymph also mentions that IF love would last forever, and also all the things that the Shepherd offers her--the belts and kirtles and beds of roses, etc.--then she WOULD accept.  This is true to the carpe diem attitude of the time period, and also to the category of pastoral poetry, to which these poems belong.  We know, however, as the Nymph does, that these things do not last forever, so her very realistic answer is "no, I will not come with you and be your love."  Raleigh follows Marlow's poem stanza by stanza and matches it in tone, subject, and form/structure.

The Sorrows of Young Werther is an epistolary novel. How would the story be different if it were told from a different point of view?

Epistolary novels have certain limitations and advantages;  the advantage is the person speaking (often the protagonist, but by no means always) can say exactly what he or she means.  That person's thoughts and desires can be expressed directly by them, in the thoughtful and planned way that people often choose when describing things in a letter.  This, of course, leads to a disadvantage -- if the person writing the letter is mistaken, deliberately deceitful, or simply unaware of some of the action of the novel, they cannot effectively (or believably) describe it.  Also, the ability of the author to describe (or use literary devices) is limited by the abilities of the person ostensibly writing the "letter".    The action of epistolary novels is often slower, too, and often limited as to length -- a very long novel of letters would be impracticable and would strain the readers' ability to suspend disbelief.  Also, some actions that the protagonist cannot describe (such as Werther's suicide) have to be supplied by someone else; so the contrivance of other letter writers must be worked believably into the story.

The Sorrows of Young Werther  is a short novel, and masterfully written, so the advantages are generally maximized while the disadvantages are minimized.  Werther is extremely emotional and volatile, and his letters reflect that.  If the novel had been written from Lotte's perspective (or even Albert's) it would be a very different story.  We would know about Werther's actions and words, but not necessarily every single emotion he has, or their extremity.  We would not be able to fully understand, also, the path that let Werther to suicide.

Written from Lotte's point of view the novel could be almost comic (which it could never be from Werther's perspective).  She is comfortably promised to another man, and then Werther comes into her life with such extreme passion and inability to listen to reason that he affects everyone around him (usually negatively).  His inability to accept that Lotte cannot (or will not -- and that question would be answered once and for all if Lotte had written the letters that became this novel!) marry him, and his conviction that his state of mind is somehow defensible, could be mocked by another letter writer.  It could be written as tragic, too, or simply as a story of a troubled young man.  It would not be the florid emotion-poem that Werther is -- it would be an entirely different story.

Whom does Faber blame for book burning in Fahrenheit 451?

I think the best way to answer this is to say that Faber blames himself and other people like him for the burning.

There is a quote I've seen from someone who survived the Holocaust -- he wasn't a Jew but was another kind of person that Hitler didn't like.  He said something to the effect that when the police came for other people, he didn't defend them and by the time the police came for him, there was no one to defend him.

This is what Faber is saying about him and books. He says that he was an innocent person back when the book burning type of thing started.  He says he could have spoken out against it and maybe stopped it.  But instead he was afraid to speak out, and then it was too late.

Besides Eddie, who is the next most important character in Buried Onions, and what's so important about him or her?

I would say another important character is Eddie's coach.  The coach believes in him, despite the problems that exist in the barrio (drugs, crime, etc.).  The coach acts as a mentor, friend, brother, and father figure.  Eddie says, "He'd known all of us glue sniffers—Angel, Lupe, dead Jesus, and me—since we were on bikes with training wheels. He'd known that most of us would mess up, some more than others. Still, it pained him."

The coach provides hope and dignity when others outside the community assume the boys are both doomed and useless. 

What does the following quote from To Kill a Mockingbird mean?"School started. The second grade was as bad as the first they still flashed cards...

One final comment: the use of the generic "they" for the school system, together with "flash cards" and "wouldn't let" you signify the authoritative methodology of the school system, where knowledge was obtained passively rather than uncovered actively and with ambition. Such a system would necessarily teach that each of us has a place in society, and that place should be accepted rather than resisted. In this way, the school reflects the larger social structure of Maycomb in regards to gender and race:  it flashes small sound bites of words rather than complicated ideas and "won't let you" do various things, depending on your position, gender, and color.  As for what this says about Scout's character:  this system is the context in which she will have to forge her character, in part by resisting its message but also by learning its rules.

Some readers suggest that Gregor is actually insane and only believes that he has been transformed into an insect. Do you agree? Disagree? in...

Numerous interpretations of Kafka's "The Metamorphosis" have been suggested.  So many in fact that one might be inclined to think that no single interpretation will ever reach the state of consensus.  When trying to interpret the work looking for a linear (beginning-middle-end, etc.), rational interpretation, one might be trying to do the impossible.

At the same time, whatever one does conclude about the story must be based on evidence from within the story, and evidence from the story, I suggest, disproves any theory that concludes Gregor is insane and only imagines himself turned into a "monstrous vermin." 

And I believe one only has to look at the first two lines to conclude this:

When Gregor Samsa woke up one morning from unsettling dreams, he found himself changed in his bed into a monstrous vermin.

Gregor is not the narrator.  He might be hallucinating if he were the narrator, but he isn't.  Thus, he is not hallucinating.

In order for Gregor to be only imagining his condition, or for Gregor to not really be transformed, the story would have to be told by an insane narrator. 

And I don't believe there is any evidence of that. 

Are all the animals equal? Describe any classes or rankings of animals that you see.

Animal Farm more specifically has two classes:  elite and proletariat. The pigs strategize and act as propagandists (Squealer).  Boxer and Clover, both cart horses, represent the proletariat most dramatically, but all of the animals are in this class.  There is no middle class because class distinctions are based on race being a pig or not being a pig.  Dogs are an exception, for some are trained to be fierce to protect the pigs in power. The dogs represent the KGB of the Communist regime in Russia, but they are hardly middle class because Orwell treats them as mindless killing machines. It is true that Mollie, loving ribbons and sugar, does not accept the ideologies of the pigs as readily as the rest, but after she is caught being petted by a human, she quietly leaves the farm. Animal farm has no place for an animal with bourgeois tastes or refinements. Finally, some animals are more enthusiastic than others in accepting the new regime, but they are nevertheless part of it.  The raven is the one exception.  He flies to other places with reports of a beautiful land--perhaps he represents some aspect of religion.

In Act 2, scene 2, what makes Hamlet distrust Rosencrantz and Guildenstern?

I believe Hamlet distrusts Rosencrantz and Guildenstern because they don't seem to be giving him a straight answer.  He tries to get them to admit why they have just suddenly shown up at Elsinore, and they say that it is only to visit him.  He questions further, and Guildenstern says, "What should we say, my lord?"  I think by this time Hamlet is getting a bit frustrated, and he comes right out and asks if they were sent for.  Finally they admit that they were sent for by the king and queen.

Hamlet is probably to the point now where he doesn't know who he can trust, except Horatio.  These guys show up and it's just two more people for him to be on the watch for.

Check the links below for more information on this scene and the characters!

What three literary elements are the strongest in "The Tyger" by William Blake and why?

Concerning Blake's, "The Tyger," one doesn't normally talk about which literary devices are the "strongest."  I can point out literary devices that are used and are central to the poem, but I can't guarantee that they are the "strongest."

The theme or idea that the same being that made the lamb made the tiger is central to the poem.  Blake is dealing with perceptions and the elimination of dichotomies.  The lamb and tiger are not created by two different beings, but by the same being.  Thus, the being that made them has something of the lamb in him, but also something of the tiger.  By extension, then, all of creation, humans included, have the lamb and tiger in them, as well:  they are just two sides of every being.

Imagery is also central to the work.  You can pick out virtually any line in the poem and find powerful imagery.  The image of God hammering out the frame of the tiger on an anvil is a powerful one, located in stanza four.

Finally, allusion plays an important role in the poem.  Stanza two includes an allusion to Icarus, who in classic myth attempts to fly to the sun ("...what wings...").  The allusion mixes with the fire imagery, and the idea that the creator forges the tiger in fire, like a blacksmith.

Stanza five contains an allusion to the fall of Satan from heaven (the stars throwing down their spears), and the speaker asks if after the fall of Satan, did the creator look on the tiger and smile. 

Discuss the satire revealed in the amounts of the rewards.

I assume that you are talking about the part in Chapter 11 where we find out what rewards are being offered for Pap (because people believe he killed Huck) and for Jim (because he has run away from slavery).  The reward for Jim is $300 while the reward for Huck's dad is only $200.

The satire here, to me, is that the reward for Jim is higher.  You would think the higher reward would be for the person who committed the more horrible crime.  So Twain is satirizing a society where it is more of a crime to try to be free (if you are a slave) than it is to kill your own son.

In The Pearl, what three things does Juan Tomas urge Kino to do? What is leprosy?

I am not sure which three things you are referring to that Juan Tomas urges Kino to do. Juan Tomas is Kino's older brother and friend, and when Kino is in trouble, he goes to his brother for help and advice. When Kino first finds the pearl and determines to go to the pearl dealers to sell it, Juan Tomas warns him to be careful that they do not cheat him. He essentially tells his younger brother that the system is stacked against him, but Kino is determined to sell the pearl and reap the benefits of its worth. When Kino does not get a satisfactory offer from the pearl dealers in the village, he decides to go to town to sell his treasure. Juan Tomas gently warns against this action as well, telling his brother that "it is new ground (he is) walking on." Again, Kino does not listen to Juan Tomas, so intent is he on making his fortune off the pearl.

When Kino returns to Juan Tomas in desperation, after having killed a man who had tried to steal his pearl, Juan Tomas tells Kino that he should have sold the pearl even if he did not think the price was fair. Juan Tomas says, "there is a devil in this pearl," and he thinks Kino should get rid of it "to buy peace for (him)self." Kino feels that it is too late for that, however, so Juan Tomas urges him to hide in his house until he can make an escape. When it is safe for Kino to run, Juan Tomas gives him one last piece of advice, telling him to "avoid the shore," as that is where his enemies will be searching for him.

Leprosy is a disfiguring disease that was much dreaded in those times. Before the advent of antibiotics, it was highly contagious, and lepers were shunned from the communities in which they lived so that they would not spread their illness to others. When Kino, having nowhere else to turn, goes to his brother after he has killed a man, he says apologetically, "I do not want to bring danger to you...I know I am like a leprosy."
Kino is a wanted man, and by staying with his brother, he is putting him in danger at the hands of those who would wreak vengeance on him, Kino. Like a man with leprosy, Kino has the capability to infect all with whom he comes in contact with the devastation brought upon him by the pearl.

How is Ophelia a foil as well as a parallel to Hamlet?

First, a foil, in literary terms, is "a character in a work whose behavior and values contrast with those of another character in order to highlight the distinctive temperament of that character (usually the protagonist)."  Ophelia is one of Hamlet's foils in her complete innocence of his plan to feign madness.  Hamlet appears all the more mad when Ophelia is being used as a sounding board for his plan to be believed.  Hamlet goes to great lengths to "highlight his distinctive temperment", as in this famous exchange in Act 3, Scene 1:

HAMLET

If thou dost marry, I'll give thee this plague for
thy dowry: be thou as chaste as ice, as pure as
snow, thou shalt not escape calumny. Get thee to a
nunnery, go: farewell. Or, if thou wilt needs
marry, marry a fool; for wise men know well enough
what monsters you make of them. To a nunnery, go,
and quickly too. Farewell.

OPHELIA

O heavenly powers, restore him!

As a parallel, both come from pretty messed up families.  Ophelia has her brother, Laeretes, but he leaves her to go to college.  Hamlet had his father, the king, but he is murdered.  Those left behind, Gertrude, Claudius, and Polonius, do not have their children's best interest at heart.  Additionally, Hamlet and Ophelia do seem to have shared a comraderie earlier, but Hamlet chooses to abandon their connection in favor of revenge.   

What happened in the woods the night Before Act 1 begins?

In addition to Rene's answer, it must be understood that the girls willingly participate in this activity. None were coerced.  They are intrigued by the mysticism of Tituba's Caribbean occultism; they feel oppressed by the stricture of their Purtian upbringing. 

Furthermore, Purtians believed that behavior such as this would surely paint both the participants and their family as doomed, and not among the "elect" (those pre-destined for salvation.)  The girls' illicit activities in the woods, therefore, had ramifications not only for their own souls, but the salvation of their family members.  This is one of the many reasons Abigail becomes so intent on keeping their "sin" a secret. 

My name means follower of Christ, but that name doesn't fit me. I need 3 reasons why it doesn't. I only have 1. cuz I'm not very religious.I...

You say you're not religious. Let's start there:

1) Jesus Christ was religious; he was Jewish. He believed in the ten commandments and he adhered to Jewish rituals. Christians do the same: they believe in and adhere to the ten commandments and they follow religious rituals. If you do none of the above, then you are not a follower of Christ.

2) Followers of Christ believe in a higher power: God. God, to the Christian, is a three-part God: the Father, the Son, And the Holy Ghost. If you do not believe in God, then you are not a follower of Christ.

3) Most followers of Christ believe in an afterlife. They believe that when you die, if you have lived a good life and have taken Jesus as your saviour, then you will go to heaven where you will be one with Christ. If you do not believe in an afterlife and rather believe that when it's over you just cease to exist, then you are not a follower of Christ.

The hardest part for you may be that, although you were given a name the means "follower of Christ," you don't believe in anything that the followers of Christ believe. So be it.

One last thing, though: don't worry that you don't match the meaning of your name. Just act according to this rule, and things should work out for you: Don't do anything to anyone else that you wouldn't want done to you.

In "The Rocking-Horse Winner" by D.H. Lawerence who is the protagonist and who is the antagonist?

The protagonist is Paul, the little boy.  He is striving to, through the riding of his rocking-horse, win the affections of his cold and distant mother.  We can't help but relate to that plight, and our hearts go out to him in his quest.  The antagonist would have to be his mother, her aloof nature, and her incessant quest for more money that, in the end, takes the life of her son.  She is painted as shallow and vapid, unwilling to work hard or manage her money well, and as uncaring and cold.  She is the "bad guy."  Another possibility for the antagonist is greed itself; it is the evil demon that drives this family to tragedy and ruin.

For your other questions, try submitting them separately, as the guidelines for this website allow for one a day.  I hope that helped; good luck.

What entities are marketed in marketing?

Kotler and Keller (2006) have identified the the following 10 types of entities which may be marketed:

Goods: Physical goods that may be manufactured, produced in farms or mined. These account for the bulk of the marketing efforts in most of the countries.

Services: These are intangible products that involve performing some service for the customers. This may be service performed on the customer, like a haircut, on customer's possessions, like servicing of car, or for the customer, like screening of a movie. Services account the maximum marketing effort after products in most of the countries. In many developed countries the volume of services has exceeded that of goods.

Events: Time based shows such as new year celebration, or a sporting event.

Experiences: Experiences which results from a combination of products and services. The customer is interested in the total experience such as an organized holiday tour package rather than the individual products and services included in the package.

Persons: Like marketing of a celebrity or of a candidate in a public election.

Places: Like cities, state, nations, for purposes such as attracting tourists and investment.

Properties: This could be physical properties like real estate or intangible rights in properties.

Organizations: This basically refers to building positive image of organizations, such as companies, universities, and charitable organizations.

Information: Books are the traditional means of selling information, but there are many other type of information marketed. For example market intelligence, economic analysis and mailing lists.

Ideas: Every market offering includes a basic idea. In addition ideas may be marketed by themselves. For examples, some religious bodies try to promote their ideas of what constitutes the right behavior.

Reference:

Kotler, P. and Keller K.L., 2006, Marketing Management Twelfth Edition, Prentice Hall, New Delhi.

If you were to compare a more traditional film version of Twelfth Night to She's the Man, which would be closest to the actual spirit of the play?

It's difficult to say - I'll consider 'She's the Man' alongside the most famous film of the play, directed by Trevor Nunn in 1996.

Nunn's version is not entirely 'traditional': it is set in Edwardian, rather than Elizabethan dress, and it makes several cuts to the text (including adapting some sections of the play into montage, such as Feste's song 'O Mistress Mine'). Nunn also adds a prologue, written by Nunn and not Shakespeare, which details the storm and states explicitly the background to the story.

Particularly in his use of Feste, who knows from the beginning that Viola is really a woman and not a man, Nunn makes bold interpretative choices (you can support this reading of Feste with the text but it is by no means the only one). Yet  with its historical setting, with an emphasis on well-spoken, lyrical acting, and with its casting of largely British theatre actors rather than 'film' names, the film is 'traditional'.

She's the Man is an update, an entire rewriting of the play, preserving only the drive of the story, none of the language, and none of the details (a rewriting similar to that Shakespeare often carried out on his sources). Perhaps, in one sense, then 'She's The Man' is the sort of thing Shakespeare would do: certainly, its modern, gender-bending comic spirit is close to the spirit of Twelfth Night. But Nunn's film is undoubtedly closer to Twelfth Night as Shakespeare wrote it.

In Act I of Julius Caesar, what incident does Casca describe to Cassius and Brutus, and what is Casca’s attitude toward the incident?

It is the feast of Lupercal, a celebration of fertility in Ancient Rome, and Mark Antony won a laurel crown in the annual foot race.  Casca witnesses Mark Antony attempting to offer the crown to Julius Caesar, indicating that he should be crowned king.  Caesar, knowing that the people do not wish to have a monarchy, refuses to accept the crown from Antony, yet Casca tells Cassius and Brutus that he was sure that Caesar really wanted it.  Three times Antony offered the crown, and three times Caesar refused, each time, according to Casca, less enthusiastically than the time before.  It is Cassius' and Casca's belief that Caesar wants to make himself king of Rome.  Caasca's report is filled with sarcasm and loathing.

How and why does Miss Maudie's house look like a pumpkin?

It looks like a pumpkin because it is on fire. Scout says, "The fire was well into the second floor and had eaten its way to the roof: window frames were black against a vivid orange center." More accurately, the house looks like a jack-o-lantern, a big orange ball with its eyes cut out (Chapter 8).

What are some of the female characters in the canterbury tales?What personalities do these female characters possess

The female character that stands out most to me is the Wife of Bath. She is one of the most interesting characters in The Canterbury Tales. Some of her characteristics are manipulative, controlling, intelligent, and honesty.

In the prologue to her tale, she makes it clear how she has been able to manipulate her various husbands (and at the time it would have been unthinkable for a woman to marry more than once, let alone as many times as the Wife of Bath does) into giving her all of the land and money (another rarity of the time). She also goes into great detail about how she is willing to do whatever it takes to control them. For example, if she has a husband who cheats on her, she will cheat twice as much on him. If she has a husband who wants to control her, she will go out of her way to be uncontrollable. The Wife of Bath, whose name is Alice in our text, is obviously intelligent, for she quotes scripture and other classical texts to illustrate her argument for women's rights. She is well traveled and dressed too. And, ultimately, she is brutally honest for talking about such things so unabashedly in front of the other travelers. But these are just a few of the characteristics that make her such a wonderful personality.

How many muscles are in the brain?

Human brain consists of billions of nerve cells an nerve fires located at the upper end of spinal cord and covered by the bones of the head, which performs function such as learning, thinking, remembering, and controlling body functions. Though brain performs very useful work requiring about 20 percent of the total blood supply of the body, it does not have any muscles. The brain performs its work by flow and processing of information between and within the brain cells, rather than by any physical movement of any body parts requiring muscle action. Thus there are no muscles in the brain.

Some people do talk of brain muscle in a figurative way because the capabilities of the brains can be developed by exercising the brain, just as strength of muscles can be increased by physical exercise.

Jem has been acting odd since he went to get to his pants that night. What surprised him that night in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Pohnpei is exactly right. This element of surprise with every possible interaction with Boo is what leads the reader to think it's possible that the original discussions about Boo may have been not completely true.

In Jem's 10 or 11 year-old mind, he probably had a variety of thoughts at play. He likely wondered who all knew those were his pants. We wonder what our parents really know about what we do wrong, we wonder how much they know. Then, we are careful not to lie, or if we do lie, we try to follow it carefully. If these pants were folded and mended, Jem is probably still wondering if the person responsible shared the information about the pants with Atticus, since the boys made up a lie to explain the missing pants originally.  

Why is Trifles not an example of a modern feminist Play?

Glaspell's Trifles is absolutely feminist, and was written and performed (1916) during the time of modern literature and modern drama. 

But it's form is realistic and naturalistic, rather than modern. 

It is rural (rather than urban, as is most modern theatre), and, as mentioned, is realistic (rather than abstract, as is most modern theatre). 

The play is naturalistic in the sense that it centers on a character that is victimized by society and its gender roles. 

Thus, while the play is feminist, it is realistic and naturalistic, rather than modern.  Modernism is a reaction against realism and naturalism. 

Just in case my answer seems a bit jumbled, let me put it into bullets for you.  Trifles is:

• rural, not urban


• realistic, not abstract


• naturalistic, not abstract


• therefore, realistic and naturalistic, not modern

In his poem "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard," does Thomas Gray condemn poverty or does he criticize educating the poor?

In "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard," Gray, or his speaker, certainly does not criticize educating the poor.  His sentiment is that among the poor buried in the churchyard there may well be people like Oliver Cromwell (but kinder) or like ruling senators, except that they had no education.

And what kept them from having education was their poverty.  Penury, or poverty, is cited as what keeps poor people, like those buried in the cemetery, from achieving successes like those achieved by leaders such as Cromwell and senators.

Thus, in the poem, the speaker certainly condemns poverty, but does not criticize educating the poor.

How would you describe the form of the poem, "I felt a funeral, in my brain"? Is it an appropriate form for a poem that seems to be about dying?

The poem "I felt a Funeral in my Brain" by Emily Dickinson is in the form of an allegory, a tale with a literal level and one or more symbolic levels; the funeral is an exterior structure that gives coherence to the speaker's mental state.  Because the loss of the speaker's mind is simultaneous and tortured, the funeral provides a symbol for what transpires in the speaker's mind, a symbol that does not reveal the inner thoughts of the speaker, thus allowing her feelings some privacy.

Without the structure of the funeral, the reader might have no idea what happens with the speaker's mind.  The images in the second and third stanzas clearly convey the speaker's growing sense of despair, and the images in the fourth stanza convey her sense of isolation.  Finally, when a "Plank in Reason, broke" the reader understands that the speaker has lost her mind.

Why can The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn be considered a classic in American literature?What aspects of the novel; themes, plot or characters...

Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been called the first modern American novel. Its strengths are found in numerous ways. The narrator, Huck Finn, is virtually unique in American literature: an uneducated, undisciplined poor boy who tells his story in his own unusual language. The novel was one of the first to use native dialects of the South and Mid-West, and Twain's use of colloquial language and humorous satire were also groundsbreaking at the time of its publication. The many underlying themes--including racism, slavery, human rights, prejudice and social consciousness--and symbolism separated it from other adventure novels, including its predecessor, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Sadly, the novel has been repressed and dismissed by many critics because of the flagrant use of one word--the "N" word--and it continues to be one of the most banned books in this nation. But most critics still agree with Ernest Hemingway, who probably described it best:

"All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huck Finn... There was nothing before. There has been nothing as good since."

Will someone help me figure out the resolution and conclusion of The Most Dangerous Game.

The resolution of the story happens when Rainsford is found hiding in Zaroff's bedchamber the night that Zaroff thought he had won his game by default because Rainsford jumped off a cliff. Rainsford comes out from his hiding place behind the curtains and surprises Zaroff with the fact that he has outsmarted him and beat him at his own game (resolution- Rainsford wins the "game"). Rainsford managed to survive until the sun set on the final day. Defeated Zaroff is sent out into the night to become the victim of his own killer hounds or whatever perils await him on his island. Rainsford wins and sleeps the restful sleep of the victorious (conclusion). 

how does the Great Gatsby follow the steps of narrative structure(exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution/denouement)

Just think of Gatsby as your central character and place events involving him in order of the narrative structure.

Early in the novel we learn that people know who Gatsby is, that he has a ton of money, and that he lives close to our other characters.  We also learn a little about Tom and Daisy's marriage.  This is introduction, or exposition.

Then, we learn that Daisy and Gatsby had a relationship earlier and that Gatsby's intentions in coming back were to win back Daisy.  He goes through great pains to arrange this.  These are acts of rising action.

The climax, or conflict, occurs when our central character faces a change in power.  Up until this point, Gatsby was slowly gaining power in the wooing of Daisy.  The conflict occurs in the hotel room when Gatsby and Tom force Daisy to make a decision and she doesn't make a clear-cut one.

Falling action happens very rapidly in the novel with Daisy and Tom going home and staying there.  Most of the falling action occurs outside the narration as Tom has a secret conversation with Wilson leading Wilson to head over to Gatsby's house.

The obvious resolution of this novel is the killing of our central character and the attempt of Tom and Daisy to stay together.

What is a metaphor? Can you give some examples?

There is also such a thing as a metaphysical conceit--also a metaphor, but a comparsion between two seemingly unrelated things.

John Donne is a master at this, and an example of this is in his poem, "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning" where he compares his love for his wife to a compass and also where he compares his love for his wife to gold.

The man is leaving his wife for a business trip and he tells her their love above all the crying and physical mourning.  He says you are the fixed foot (of the compass) and I am the part with the pencil...the farther away I travel, we never really part.  You just lean toward me until I come home again and we are again together.

He also compares their love to gold.  He says we never leave each other--absence makes our hearts grow fonder and we are connected not just physically, but spiritually and emotionally.  So, like gold, when you beat it, it never breaks.  It only expands to an airy thinness like gold foil.  We are like that.

Metaphors are a comparison between two things without the words "like" or "as".  Usually the comparison is fairly obvious or take little thought to make the connection.

Metaphysical conceits are metaphors taken to the next level. 

In "Of Mice and Men", why does George say Lennie will want to sleep in the barn that Friday night?

Because of Lennie's fascination with soft things such as the dead mouse and Curley's wife's hair, he wants to go to the barn and pet the puppies. It appears that soft things are mentally soothing to Lennie. They give him a sense belonging in a world where he is considered an outcast.

Act 4: Why does John Proctor ultimately choose his "goodness" ? What motivations does he have for confessing ?

I want to add to the depth of the above answer by including two important quotations that will help you understand John Proctor's thinking.  The first is the source of your question.  It is spoken by Elizabeth Proctor:

He have his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him! 

Proctor's original decision (NOT "his goodness") is to lie in order to save himself.  It is when the confession is put in writing that Proctor hesitates at his lie.  But Proctor's eventual decision ("his goodness") is to refuse to lie on paper.  He tears his confession to pieces.  His death is imminent.  HOWEVER, he has his good name back, ... his loyalty, ... his integrity.  The quote above is Elizabeth, his wife, standing by her husband's decision.

Also keep in mind what Arthur Miller, himself, says about John Proctor:

John Proctor’s flaw is his failure, until the last moment, to distinguish guilt from responsibility; America’s is to believe that it is at the same time both guilty and without flaw.

In other words, it is the difference between responsibility and guilt that is important to master (especially in the context of this play).  John Proctor was never able to master this.  But Miller goes even further and says that America has a flaw and a failure as well, to think that guilt can exist without any flaws present.

What is the final temperature of this reaction ?150.0 mL of 0.50 M HCl is added to 50.0 mL of 1.00 M NaOH to make 200.0 g of solution. Other data...

Given

Mass of solution (m) = 200g

Initial Temp. of Solution (T1) = 42.3 degrees C + 273 = 315.3 K

Specific heat capacity of solution (Cp) = 4.184 J/g degrees C

Enthalpy change for neutralization (Q)  = 56 kj/mol = 56000 j/mol

Final Temp. of solution (T2) = ?

Formula...

Q = m * Cp (T2 - T1)

56000 = 200 (T2 - 315.3)

56000 = 200T2 - 63060

56000 + 63060 = 200T2

119060 = 200 T2

T2 = 119060/200

T2 = 595.3 K

The final temperature of reaction is 595.3 K.

What role do ghosts play in Song of Solomon?

So much of this book is built around the memories that the characters have of past events that rise up like ghosts and still have such a strong impact on the present, even though the events happened so long ago. Note how the novel is really various retellings from different characters' perspectives of the same story. This means that the various ghosts that people have in the form of memories and past events still haunt the present to an unprecedented extent. Consider, for example, how Pilate responds when Guitar tries to find out what year she is talking about:

The year they shot them Irish people down in the streets. Was a good year for guns and gravediggers, I know that... One morning we woke up when the sun was nearly a quarter way cross the sky. Bright as anything. And blue. Blue like the ribbons on my mother’s bonnet.

It is important to note that Pilate's response is not specific in terms of time, which contributes to the rather nebulous relationship with time that the novel creates. For Pilate, time is measured not by chronological means, but by the big events that happen and then by nature, or the exact positioning of the sun. The memories that are allowed to resurrect themselves therefore become even more vague and indistinct, detached from time as they are. Eventually, the reader sees that although memories are recalled in this novel, the ghosts of the past seem to have more power than the realities of the present, and many characters still live in a world where they are haunted by those ghosts.