How does Gatsby represent the idea of American dream?

Yes, Gatsby exemplifies the American Dream. The American Dream can be looked at in two different ways.

1) The sense of limitless possibility at teh heart of America in that every American can make something of themselves so long they make use of their natural talents  and hard work and the likes. It is the embodiment of human potential and this is seen in Gatsby's "extraordinary gift for hope". Gatsby has hope that he can recapture/relive the past with Daisy Buchanan and he believes in this illusion so much that he has made Daisy the object of his dream. And he lives his life in such a way that Daisy is the basis. There is the green light at the end of Daisy's dock, the lavish parties hoping that Daisy may someday return, etc. Everything he does is for the belief that Daisy may declare true love for him and they may live happily ever after.

2) The materialistic aspect of the American Dream where everyone's main focus is on getting rich - which ever way. Gatsby had a dream (you can even argue, a hope) to be a better man. To make something of himself. Rise above his father's material status because he was/is a nobody and also he wanted to get rich for this "excitingly desirable" girl, Daisy. He does this through corrupt means and this is the negativity portrayed in the American Dream in that people are so engrossed in getting materialistc wealth that they end up failing in terms of morality.

There is an idea of moral failure and material success (and vice versa) and Gatsby has failed morally but succeeded materially (contrasting with his father who is poor but presumably generally good.)

Discuss William Congreve's play The Way of the World as a comedy.

The Way of the World is developed as a comedy, written by William Congreve, in keeping with the conventions of the Restoration comedy of manners. These comedies, following Cromwell's government and the restoration of a king in England upon the return of Charles II to the throne in 1660. George Farquhar was another Restoration comedy playwright. Restoration comedy, seeming to be a backlash to Cromwell's rigid religiosity, features sexual adventures and misadventures; marriages of convenience within strict constraints of behavior; affairs, jealousies and coy coquettes. Congreve wrote neither to alter nor condemn but to give an accurate glimpse of the background villainy underpinning superficially impeccable social deportment.

He uses the comedic dramatic devices of counterplot, the foil, comic relief, hyperbole and impersonation with disguise. His settings allow views of men collected together; couples in public places with private conversation; and a house in which private places allow for hiding from and spying on the social relationships that are conducted within its walls. Counterplots repeat the theme of the main drama. The foil stands in contrast with the hero making the hero's virtues look better in light of the foil's bad qualities. Comic relief interrupts the tragedy at the heart of good comedy by reducing the danger or tension to a point of ridicule or hilarity. Hyperbole works with understatement, the former being exaggeration and the latter being ironic restraint, to expose the ridiculousness of social convention and cultural stereotypes. Impersonation is familiar as a standard Shakespearean device in which one person pretends to be another for the purpose of manipulating events to reach their own desired ends (e.g., Shakespeare's Viola, Rosalind, Hero).

What are the roles of both philosophy and religion in Matthew Arnold's "Dover Beach" and in "The Second Coming," by W. B. Yeats?

Thoughts about philosophy and religion play important roles not only in Matthew Arnold’s poem “Dover Beach” but also in “The Second Coming,” a poem by W. B. Yeats. Indeed, it is not unlikely that Arnold’s poem may have influenced the poem by Yeats.

Arnold’s poem is philosophical in several ways. In the first place, it is meditative and thoughtful. Arnold’s speaker is obviously concerned with issues of belief, truth, and suffering, as when he says that Sophocles, the Greek dramatist, long ago thought about

. . . the turbid ebb and flow

Of human misery . . . (17-18)

The speaker says that he and his companion are also, like Sophocles, inspired to think by the sound of ocean waters moving up and down a beach (19). Issues of religion enter the poem at line 21 and are emphasized especially until line 28. The speaker implies that Christianity is losing its influence:

. . .  I only hear

Its melancholy, long, withdrawing roar,

Retreating . . . (24-26)

The present seems a time of chaos and conflict, partly because of the loss of religious faith and also because of a loss of faith in practically any kind of truth (29-37).

Yeats’ “The Second Coming” is also philosophical in the sense that it is a thoughtful, meditative poem, although it also contains strong elements of prophecy. Yeats, of course, had developed his own highly complicated philosophical system to explain historical change (and much else), and that system is explicitly alluded to throughout the poem, especially in lines 1-3.  Yet Yeats, like Arnold, also senses that the Christian era may be coming to an end and that something bleak and destructive may replace it, at least at first. Thus Yeats explicitly alludes to “the Second Coming” (10-11) – a Christian concept, and an event thought to be preceded by the coming of “the Beast of the Apocalypse, or Antichrist” (1. John 2.18).  (See The Norton Anthology of English Literature, 8th ed., 2:2037)

In the final lines of his poem, Yeats seems to anticipate the coming of such a creature:

. . . what rough beast, its hour come round at last,

Slouches toward Bethlehem to be born? (21-22)

Both poems, them, anticipate a major historical transition – a loss of faith (in Arnold’s poem) and a loss of Christian influence followed by a kind of apocalypse (in Yeats’ poem). Both poems imply that the Christian era may be ending, and both seem unsure about what (if anything) may valuably replace it. Both poems are philosophically pessimistic, and both suggest that religions almost inevitably rise and fall over time, without much regard to whether or not they are “true.”

What might the incident involving Asher asking for a smack instead of a snack indicate about the community?

I would say it could show a few things:

• It shows that they are really into discipline.


• It shows they are very regimented -- they always use the same punishment and it is always called the same thing.


• It shows that they care very deeply about being sure that people use the correct words.


• These things, together, show how seriously the community takes having everyone be the same.  The community does not even like it if some little kid says something wrong.  They want everyone to be the same all the time.


• It shows that they don't have much of a sense of humor.  If they did, they would just let him get away with it.

Of these, I think the best answer is the next-to-last one.

What is a definition of Christian values, their historical relevance and their relevance to Othello?

Essentially Christian "values" include the belief that human nature is inherently sinful (because of the Fall), the belief that a universal battle between good evil exists and is ongoing, and the belief that humans must rely on the redemption of Jesus Christ (because of His work on the cross) in order to be "good" or to obtain perfection (in Heaven).

That being said, many of Shakespeare's plays reflect the universal battle between good and evil, but Othello more than his other plays contains many references to the Garden of Eden and the struggle between the serpent (Iago) and the "happy" couple (in this case Othello and Desdemona instead of Adam and Eve).  What I find interesting about Shakespeare's portrayal of the serpent tempting humans is that Iago is constantly suggesting ideas and doubts to Othello rather than the Edenic version of the serpent tempting the woman first.  Perhaps Shakespeare was trying to demonstrate that males are just as susceptible to being manipulated as women are.

In regards to historical relevance, Shakespeare was not a pioneer in using Christian themes or allusions to discuss universal truths or ideas.  Because the Church maintained such power during the playwright's time period and far beyond it, writers were schooled in "Christian" values and often used them in their works because not only were they easily recognized by their audience, but the use of them pleased wealthy patrons such as Queen Elizabeth and King James.

What is personification in English literature?Describe it.

Personification is a figure of speech.  It is not supposed to be realistic or believable.  It is not literal.  A poet, or any writer for that matter, can use personification in order to convey an idea, entertain, make a point, create a tone.  For instance, Emily Dickinson personifies death as as kindly gentleman who stops for the speaker to take her to her final resting place in "Because I Could Not Stop for Death."  Here death drives a carriage, politely gives the speaker a ride, and points the horses' heads to eternity.  Dickinson is not trying to make this portrayal of death realistic.  Instead, she is conveying the idea that death is not to be feared, that there is an afterlife, and that the grave is our next home.  An apostrophe can include personification, if the object is treated as if it is human.  For instance, Donne's sonnet "Death Be Not Proud" is an apostrophe.  The speaker addresses death as one who is vain, boastful, conceited.  Death dwells in the worst of places with sickness, war, and hunger.  It thinks it has dominion over men, but in actuality, it does not.  It thinks it can kill, but it cannot.  But, again, Donne is not trying to be realistic here; he is showing us by using a figure of speech, personification, that death is nothing to fear.  We can transcend death in the afterlife.

You probably use personification in your everyday life when you say such things as Lady Luck or call your car a "she," or even refer to your stomach growling, or call your computer "baby" (Well, that's what I do anyway, especially when she's being ornery and slow).

What is the difference between pure vowels and diphthongs?

The diphthong in English

The diphthongs are vowels in the production of which the tongue moves from one position in the mouth towards another position. In order to indicate this glide (movement) from one position towards another, the phonetic symbols for each diphthong is a combination of the two vowels- one in which the tongue is in position initially and the towards which the tongue moves. The two symbols represent a single sound and not two sounds. Of the eight diphthongs,

(a)    in the three tongue glides towards/I/, that is, /ei,ai/

(b)   in the two tongue glides towards /u/, that is,/au,au/, and

(c)    In the three the tongue glides towards /a/, that is,/ea,ua/.

The diphthongs in which the tongue moves towards the vowels/I, and U/are called closing diphthongs and those in which the tongue moves towards /a/ are called centering diphthongs. Closing diphthongs gliding to/I/ /

/er/as/in gate

The glide starts from a point just below the front, half-close position and moves in the direction of /I/. With the movement of the tongue towards/I/, the lower jaw moves upwards closer to the upper jaw than it was for /e/, the first element of the diphthong. The lips are spread.

/ai/as/in bite

For the production of /ai/ the tongue glides from a point near the front open position, towards the RP vowel /I//. Along with the glide the lower jaw moves from an open position to an appreciably closer position. The lips, which are in the neutral position at the beginning gradually change to a loosely spread position as for /I/. The vowel occurs in both accented and unaccented positions.

/oi/as boy

For the production of /oi/ first the back of the tongue moves towards the position between open and half-open and the lips are open rounded. Then the tongue glides in the direction of the vowel /I/.the lips, which open rounded at first, change the neutral towards the end. The jaw movement is less than for the diphthong/ai/.

Generally, the vowel occurs in accented syllables. Its occurrence syllables are rare. Closing diphthongs gliding to /u///:/au,au/.

/au/as in boat

For the diphthong/au/ the glide is from the central position between half-close and half-open, and moves in the direction of/u/. The movement of the jaw is very slight. The lips are neutral at the beginning of the glide and become rounded towards the end.

/ea/as in rare

 For the diphthong/ea/ the glide begins in the front between the half-close and half open, closer to the half-open position, and moves in the direction of /a/. The glide moves in the direction of the opener /a/if/ea/occurs finally as in bear, and in the direction of the less open variety of /a/if it occurs non-finally as in scarce, various. The lips are neutrally open throughout the production of the glide.

What is the significance of the suitcases, the stockings and the fact the woman Willy is having an affair with has no name?

All three have one thing in common: They represent three items with which Willy felt dominant, and which represent the power he no longer has. They are the power symbols of his past and the doom of his present.

The suitcase is the symbol of his job; the traveling salesman who, at one point, was successful (but now isn't).

The woman with no name represents how Willy is willing to ruin his marriage and be unfaithful to his family with someone who may have no importance in his life. Yet, for this very item of no importance, he basically ruins his relationship with his son.

The stockings, an expensive item back in the time of the story, again represents Willy as a powerful, lusty, businessman who can provide for a fling with expensive gifts (even if the woman will eventually disappear). If you notice, Willy continues to ramble about his wife's condition of her stockings, perhaps in a sense of guilt of what he did to her years ago, which was to give the other woman his wife's stockings.

In all, they are all fragments of Willy's past, and the symbols of his days of yore, who are now gone forever, and which he still mourns in bouts of insanity.

How does Scout characterize the First Purchase cemetery?

This can be found in Chapter 12.  Scout sees the cemetery when Atticus has to go to Montgomery.  He leaves Scout and Jem with Calpurnia.  They go with her to her church, the First Purchase African ME Church.

Overall, Scout describes the cemetery as a "happy cemetery."  I think that she says this because it has so many different kinds of things that show that it is much-visited.  The graves of babies have burned down candles in front of them.  The newer graves were outlined in colored glass taken from broken soda bottles.

Which of the following explorers would you consider most significant to the age of Exploration and why?Cabral: Reached Brazil and claimed it for...

I'd have to agree that Magellan remains the most important out of the group you list.  His voyage proved conclusively what Gautier de Metz wrote in L'Image du Monde in the 14th century, that a man could make a journey around the world "as a fly makes the tour of an apple."  I'd have to point out, though, that Columbus, as vilified as we was late in life, was certainly the most important of early Spanish-Portuguese explorers for having been able to mount the first major voyage across the Atlantic and into the unknown.  Despite earlier landings in the New World over a period of centuries by some variety of others, he was the first to do so with the blessing of, and in the interests of, an actual nation-state which could follow up on his success.

The link below leads to an account of the voyage around the world begun by Magellan in 1519, written by a Portuguese who was a pilot with the expedition.

Give two example of exclusive distribution being in the market along with the reason.

Exclusive distribution refers to a system of distribution in which a distribution channel partner, particularly a retail outlet,  handles products of only one company among all the competitors in that product category. Whether or not a manufacturer uses exclusive retail outlets depends is to a large extent on the company policy and strategy.

Two factors have substantial influence on on a company's policy in this respect. First, the products that are exclusive or costly, requiring more personal selling effort during the actual sales process, tend to be more suitable for exclusive distribution. Secondly, the sales turnover of the for each retail outlet mus be substantial to justify the higher cost of exclusive distribution.

Perhaps the exclusive dealership is most commonly used for automobiles. Another, class of product where exclusive distribution is used is premium sport shoes and accessories. For example, both Nike and Adidas use exclusive retail outlets extensively.

What does the author do well in A Raisin in the Sun?

The play A Raisin in the Sun has a couple of things that I enjoy every time I read it, so those are the things that I would identify as being done well:

1. Clear but light symbolism: I always enjoy the little potted plant that Mama tries to nurture but that just doesn't get enough light in the cramped apartment. I also always enjoy the hallway bathroom, shared with the other apartment residents. When I teach Hansberry's play, I usually also give students a copy of Gwendolyn Brooks' short poem "Kitchenette Building," which uses memorable details (including a shared bathroom) to depict the less-than-desirable living conditions of some urban black families in the mid-twentieth century.

2. Conflict between generations: I agree with akannan that the play does a good job depicting the conflicts between generations. Mama is an especially important character and representative of the older generation, who insists that life much include a place for God (her conflict with Beneatha really brings out this idea) and that individuals must value a free and moral life over a wealthy one (see her conflict with Walter). I also really like how the play brings in black nationalism and the "Back-to-Africa" sensibilities of the younger generations in the 1960s.

Other people are going to have different answers, of course. Each answer is likely to depend on what each person knows about black history, drama, and their own values.

In Dryden's tragic play All for Love, comment on the significance of the subtitle The World Well Lost. Is it apt?All for Love: or, The World Well...

Dryden's story of the joint tragedy of Antony and Cleopatra (and Egypt) titled All for Love with the subtitle The World Well Lost is a poignant Restoration tragedy that shows the hero realizing that even at his most successful, his qualities were not adequate to the needs of the moment, (e.g., his victories against Octavius were minor ones). In Dryden's tragedy, Antony loses his major confrontation with Octavius in large part because of Cleopatra's actions and cowardly behavior. When Antony comes out of seclusion in the temple of Isis in Alexandria, he says in front of Venticus, his trusted general, that he curses the day he was born and he and Venticus weep together over the reality that Antony destroyed much of the Roman Empire because of his love for Cleopatra. It was said that the Roman Empire covered "the world." This then is the source of Dryden's title All for Love; it lies in Antony's confession that the Roman Empire was devastated by his love for Cleopatra.

The subtitle contains a play on the word "well" that makes it an ironically befitting addition. At first reading, The World Well Lost seems a calloused praise of the blindness and folly of love. In the most common sense, "well" means to do something in a good or satisfactory manner (Dictionary.com). However, other meanings are "certainly; without doubt" and "fitting" and "thoroughly." When "well" in the subtitle is considered in light of any of these latter definitions, a picture of ironic finality emerges that is absolutely in keeping with Antony's thoughts, feelings and end. Yes, I'd say that the subtitle is apt, indeed.

Briefly describe the setting of "An Occurence at Owl Creek Bridge."

Setting, according to Literature:  An Introduction to Reading and Writing, is:

...the natural, manufactured, political, cultural, and temporal [time] environment, including everything that characters know and own.

So if you've read "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" all you have to do is apply the above to the story.  I can't write your paragraphs for you, but I'll mention some details to get you started.

Natural environment:  northern Alabama, a bridge at Owl Creek, near a local farmer's home.

Political/cultural:  North vs. the South, at war during the Civil War. 

Temporal:  during the Civil War. 

What characters know:  the importance of bridges during war time.

You can fill in the details and elaborate just by rereading or skimming the story.

How does “Newspeak” help the party maintain control in 1984?part 1

Newspeak is a way of deconstructing the language to a point that no original thought is needed to express your elements of conversation.  Instead of "amazing", "incredible", and "scintillating" a Newspeak speaker would use the word "Doubleplusgood" to indicate that something was an exemplified form of "good". 

Getting rid of original thought--no books, no debates, no free thought--makes it easy to move into brainwashing and mind control of masses of people.

This is one reason why in governments who attempt to squash Democracy, the first thing the controlling party does is get rid of the teachers and free-thinkers since these are the people who are able to motivate others to stand up for themselves and for what is right.

What was the main hair style of the 1920's jazz age?what made the women of the 1920's jazz age cut there hair?

The most usual hairstyle for young women in the 1920s (especially the "flappers") was a very short hairstyle usually called a "bob."

Of course, it is hard to say what made women of that age adopt this hairstyle.  It would be hard to explain why women today wear their hair the way they do.

The usual explanation, however, is that short hair was a way of expressing their new freedom.  During this time, women started doing many things that they had not previously been allowed to do.  In general, they started acting in more independent ways and they started spending more of their lives outside the home.  The short hair was a symbol of this new freedom.

I have to cite internet film review MLA style. I have chosen RogerEbert. com how do I present this in my works cited page?

To cite a general website:

Name of website. Editor(s) of website. Date of electronic publication. Associated institution. Date of access <URL>.

To cite a specific article from a website:

Author(s) of internet article. "Name of internet article." Name of website. Editor(s) of website. Date of electronic publication. Associated institution. Date of access <URL>.

Examples:

A general website example:

BBC on the Internet. 2005. British Broadcasting Company. 12 Apr. 2005 <http://www.bbc.com>.

An example of a website with an article:

Smith, Fred. "New Football Recruits." Northwestern Football. Ed. Alex Shokey. 2004. Northwestern University. 6 Jun. 2004 <http://www.football.northwestern.edu/recruits>.

What part do the frequent anecdotes play in the book Beowulf?

In my opinion, the frequent anecdotes are in this book mainly because it was not written as a modern book.  Instead, it was passed down from generation to generation of story tellers before it was ever written down in the form we now have.

In the days when this story was being told, story telling would have been a major source of entertainment.  There was nothing else to do on long winter nights.  So you would not want your story to end quickly.  Because of that, a story teller would put lots of anecdotes into a story to make it last longer.

Why does Scout say, "It was not until many years later that i realized he wanted me to hear every word he said"?The quote is the last line of...

Scout is referring to the incident when her father, Atticus, and her uncle are discussing how difficult it's going to be for Scout and Jem during the trial of Tom Robinson. Atticus wants Scout to hear what he is saying because he hopes it will make a deeper impression upon her than if he just told her not to have a fight every time someone says something against Atticus. He knows many of the people in the town are prejudiced, and he wants Scout to understand how mean and cruel people can be. Scout thinks she's hearing her father pour out his heart to her uncle, so his "message" seems more sincere to her. It would be more difficult for Atticus to express his concerns directly to her. This way, she knows how he feels, and she wants to respect her father's wishes even more. If he tells her not to fight everyone who says something, Scout will probably not take it to heart the way she does by overhearing Atticus. By listening to Atticus talk about it, she feels she's in on a secret, and she doesn't want to upset or disappoint her father by her actions.

What is the main idea of the poem "Little Feet" by Gabriela Mistral?

"Little Feet" was written by a Chilean author who writes under the pseudonym Gabriela Mistral. She began to publish her works in the early 1900s. The themes of her poems are most often love, death, betrayal, sadness and loss. 

Mistral worked as an educator and took up the cause of mistreated children and education as a Director of Primary Education for the Chilean government. During travels to Europe and her native country of Chile, she noticed the mistreatment and neglect of children. 

In the poem "Little Feet", the main idea is that the society allows children to walk around neglected and hurting from a lack of basic resources such as shoes so that their little feet do not hurt. Further, she writes that often people ignore the children or just look the other way so they do not have to see that they hurt from the lack of basic resources. 

Children’s little feet, jewels of suffering,

how can those who pass you not see!

What change happens to Jonas during the book?

In the beginning of the book Jonas is a lot like everyone else in his community.  He is satisfied with his life, does what he is supposed to, and believes the things that he is taught.  He lives with his parental unit and his younger sister and accepts the idea of release in his society.  He functions well in a world of sameness.

After he becomes the receiver, he begins to get memories from the Giver.  The memories open his mental understanding of concepts unknown to the others in the community.  He becomes awae of color, and sensations, emotions, and fear.  He experiences the terror of death on a battle field.  Finally, he observes his father releasing a twin, and he realizes that it is death/murder.

Jonas becomes aware that he will have a very lonely life in his role as the receiver.  He has an understanding about life that no one else other than the Giver can realte to.  The Giver plans to ask for release once the memories are changed over.

Unhappy about the things he has realized about the society, Jonas can no longer function in it.  He makes plans to run away and he takes the baby Gabriel with him.

What is the nature of Lennie's attack on Curley's wife from both their points of view?

Lennie sees his attack as unintentional from the start, but upon finishing the job, he realizes that he "done a bad thing." Throughout the attack, his point of view was that he was trying to play defense. He knew he wasn't supposed to be with her in the first place (and he warned her). He thought he was settling her down and keeping her quiet. She thought he was intentionally hurting her.

Curley's wife likely sees his attack as possibly leading to a molesting-type of situation. She allowed him to touch her hair and it started out pleasant enough, but as a woman, she could have clearly read his behavior as if he was getting a rise out of this and turned violent to take it further. She grew angry.

How do Gonzalo, Antonio and Sebastian behave during the storm? What clues to their characters do you get in this scene?

In Act I Sc.1 of "The Tempest" we witness a ship caught in the storm and breaking into pieces. The lines spoken by these characters in this life threatening situation just before their ship sinks reveals their true nature and personalities. What these three people have in common is that just like any other ordinary human being they are frightened of death, more so when they have to face it by drowning in the high seas.

Gonzalo is the old councillor who sympathises with Prospero the rightful Duke of Milan.  What is striking about him is that he is very superstitious. In Shakespeare's time it was believed that the complexion of a person would reveal how that particular person would meet his end. Gonzalo looks at the face of the boatswain and intuits that his complexion reveals that he will be hanged at the gallows:

"methinks he
hath no drowning mark upon him; his complexion isperfect gallows. Stand fast, good Fate, to his
hanging: make the rope of his destiny our cable,
for our own doth little advantage. If he be not
born to be hanged, our case is miserable."

Gonzalo hopes against hope that this superstition would be true because only then all of them would be able to reach shore safely. This is also a good example of what is known as 'black humour,' because Gonzalo wants the boatswain to die by hanging so that he could escape death by drowning. Gonzalo is an old and mature person who is able to keep his equanimity by joking even in a life threatening situation. This is revealed when he describes the ship as,

"no stronger than a nutshell and as leaky as an
unstanched wench."

Gonzalo gives vent to his nervous anxiety by his use of the racy metaphor, "unstanched wench" which means a woman who is bleeding heavily during her monthly periods. Finally he goes down to pray along with the King and the Prince, revealing to us that he is also a christian believer.

On the contrary Antonio who is Prospero's brother and who has usurped his rightful position, and Sebastianwho is Alonso's brother-Alonso being the king of Naples who conspired with Antonio to usurp Prospero's kingdom-are frightened out of their wits. Even in such a critical situation the villains arrogantly order the boatswain and disturb him in his task of saving the ship. The captain of the ship has given his orders to the boatswain and he has rushed off to another area of the ship to salvage the situation, but Antonio and Sebastian mistakenly believe that the captain is shirking his duty and angrily demand that they speak to the captain.

Whereas Gonzalo's diction was colourful and racy, Antonio's is downright rude, insulting and abusive: "Hang, cur! hang, you whoreson, insolent noisemaker!" Sebastian is no different when he abuses the industrious boatswain in the following manner: "A pox o' your throat, you bawling, blasphemous, incharitable dog!"

In the book The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, who is Geraldine? Why did Geraldine call Pecola an ugly name?

In the book by Toni Morrison "The Bluest Eye" Pecola gets picked on by almost everyone because of her dark skin.  She is told that she is ugly by her father and yet he still rapes her. 

Geraldine is Juniors' mother.  Junior tricks Pecola into going to his home saying he has kittens to show her. He throws his mother's black cat onto her and makes her scream.  When he finds out that she is not scared after he closes the door, he tries to get the cat away.  They struggle and the cat is flung behind a radiator and it does not move.  Geraldine hears the commotion and enters the room.

Junior tells her that Pecola killed the cat.  Geraldine finds the girl's appearance disgusting. To Geraldine, Pecola is a collective unit of the poverty and degradation of the black female who grows up so poor with 6 children to a bed.  Geraldine is very clean and orderly.

She calmly tells Pecola. "Get out, her voice quiet," you nasty little black bitch.  Get out of my house."(92)

Comment on the phrase "antique land" in Shelley's "Ozymandias?"

I would like to add that the phrase "antique land" sounds unsual. It's odd to hear the adjective "antique" applied to the noun "land"; a more natural combination (for me) would be "ancient land" or "old land." Of course, Shelley's poem "Ozymandias" is dated 1818, so it's possible that the word combination would have passed as natural for his readers.

A quick review of the meanings of the adjective "antique" in the Oxford English Dictionary shows that the range of meanings discussed by pohnpei397 were all well in use by the time the poem was published. There's one possibly important meaning that this previous poster doesn't discuss, and that's the understanding of "antique" to mean "Of, belonging to, or after the manner of the ancients (of Greece and Rome)." If Ozymandias is indeed another name for Ramses II, which some anthologies claim, then the speaker in Shelley's poem may indeed come from (or, at least, have travelled in) Egypt, and the ruins of the statue, much like the ruins from ancient Greece, become a subject worthy of attention in the work of a Romantic poet.

What philosophical insight do you find in the last stanza of "To a Louse" by Robert Burns ?

I don't know if I'd term it "philosophical," I'm not in that field, but I can explain the insight revealed in the final stanza of "To a Louse," by Robert Burns.

The turn of the poem comes between the second-to-the-last stanza and the final stanza you ask about.  Before the turn Jenny tosses her hair, which reveals the louse in her locks.  The implication is that she shakes her head and hair out of vanity.  If she were not so vain about her hair, then, she would not have tossed her hair and the louse would not have been seen by anyone except the speaker.

After the turn, the speaker says that if we could just see ourselves the way others see us, we might be spared blunders and foolish notions. 

The speaker applies this insight specifically to our obsessiveness with our appearance:

What airs in dress an' gait wad lea'e us,

And ev'n devotion.

We would be spared the putting on of airs that we do when it comes to our dress and walk, our appearance.  And we would be spared of even our devotion--to our appearance.

Whether or not you want to apply this insight to other areas of one's life is up to you.  But to make it apply to life in general might be a bit of a stretch.

Describe some of the moral developments of Huck throughout the novel.

In the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the central character, Huck, a prepubescent boy that has escaped captivity from his abusive father goes through several moral dilemmas as he attempts to run away. The most significant moral dilemma involves Huck's relationship with a runaway slave named Jim that had been the property of the Widow Douglas whom for a time had taken care of Huck. To Huck, there was no greater insult than to be called an abolitionist, and by helping Jim escape to freedom, Huck thinks that he is a terrible person. Huck's friendship with Jim grows over time and Huck is torn between his feelings for Jim, and the property rights of the Widow. On two occasions in the novel, Huck has the opportunity to turn Jim in but does not do so and tells himself that he may in fact go to hell for being a bad person. Ironically, most readers agree with Huck's decision to help Jim, but Huck thinks that what he is doing as wrong and that he may suffer dire consequences as a result. Also, the evolution of Huck's perception of Jim is an interesting development. In the beginning of their "flight" together, Huck plays practical jokes on Jim, and treats him with a degree of disrespect, but as the two continue their journey, Huck feels bad about his treatment of Jim, and begins to see Jim as a person. Interestingly enough, Jim becomes a critical character in the big and Twain's sense of morality. At the end of the novel, Huck and Tom Sawyer are attempting to free Jim from captivity again, and Tom is shot. Jim, knowing what the consequences of being caught are, stays with tom until help arrives. Jim risks his own safety and freedom to help the young boy, thus becoming the central moral figure.

What advice should be given to President Barack Obama about the current recession?What caused the recession? What are some solutions?

Again, opinion, but he should look at what happened during President Hoover's administration, during the Great Depression, and how doing too little, too late, doomed us to a decade of economic depression.  He moved quickly to stabilize the banking system, to stimulate the housing and construction industries, and he's investing in infrastructure - all good strategies.

If I had to give him more advice, I would say he need to follow FDR's reform path from the New Deal, and apply some common sense regulations to banking, finance and the insurance industries, so that it will be more difficult for them to get us into an economic crisis in the future. Irresponsible lending and high risk investing were not the only cause of the recession, but they were a major one, as is the current health care cost crisis.

Provide disease imagery and quotes for the play Macbeth.

That is an interesting question! Shakespeare actually uses the idea of disease throughout the play, I would assume as a metaphor for the corruption that has crept into Scotland in the form of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth on the throne.

Lady Macbeth talks of life as a "fitful fever" in Act III, scene ii; she also tells Macbeth he is "infirm of purpose" in Act II, scene ii, indicating that he is sick with regards to being able to follow through on their plans. And in Act V, scene iii, Macbeth has a conversation with the doctor concerning whether or not a memory that is torturing someone can be plucked from their mind, thus curing the patient. The doctor replies, however, that the "patient must minister himself" - he (or she) has to repent to cure himself as that is not something a doctor can treat the way he would the body.

Check the links below for these quotes, and also check the other quotes from at shakespeare-quotes (on e-Notes) for more possibilities.  Good luck!

What is the climax and resolution of Paul Fleischman's book, "Whirligig"?

The construction of this novel is especially interesting because the climax, which usually comes closer to the end of the book, actually occurs about a third of the way through, in Chapter 3, when Brent meets the mother of the girl he killed face-to-face. In this courtroom encounter, Mrs. Zamora gives him a bus pass and requests that he place a whirligig at each of the four corners of the country in memory of her daughter, and as a form of restitution for her death. This opens the door to the resolution of the story, which is Brent's journey of self-discovery. Through his experiences while traveling to complete his mission, Brent begins to resolve his feelings of isolation and disconnectedness with others and the world, and finds a sense of his own self-worth.

In Scene 2: what three men are leading troops into battle against Duncan? whats the answer

In this scene, Duncan's forces have been attacked by a number of different forces.  The forces that are attacking Duncan's are led by the following three men:

• McDonald (or MacDonwald), who was leading Irish troops


• The Thane of Cawdor, who was rising up against his own king


• Sweno, the King of Norway.

We find this out because the Thane of Ross has come to tell Duncan about how the battle has turned out.  He tells the king that his forces were in danger for a while but that Macbeth was the one who saved the day.

Describe Jessie's thoughts and feelings the first time he must make the slaves dance? Why do you think he feels this way?i need this for TODAY

In the book The Slave Dancer thirteen year old Jessie is kidnapped and brought on board a ship where they make him play his fife to get the slaves to dance.  Jessie learns that they have them dance to keep the slaves muscles in shape because they will be sold.  No owner wants to buy a "sick nigger" he is told by Smith. 

Jessie becomes afraid of the crew on the ship after he hears what he will be doing.  He is not happy about his task.  The holds had been horrible for the slaves and they were ill treated and lived in stench.  Several men are found dead.  The bodies of the dead slaves were just dumped into the sea.  He witnesses Stout take a little girl and hold her by one leg tossing her into the sea. 

One night the slaves are brought up for Jessie to play for them.  They look in terrible shape and very miserable.  Some of them are naked.  He witnesses Stout whipping the slaves with a cat-o'-nine to get them on their feet.   Small children grab onto their mothers.

Jessie plays on but all he feels is self disgust.  He has to play for three groups of slaves.   He is to continue with this duty every other day with different groups.  He dreads each morning because of the duty.  (pages 87-88)

What is the difference between fixed costs and variable costs?

prkqupta,

Fixed costs are expenses whose total does not change in proportion to the activity of a business, within the relevant time period. For example, a retailer must pay rent and utility bills irrespective of sales

Variable costs by contrast change in relation to the activity of a business such as sales or production volume. In the example of the retailer, variable costs may primarily be composed of inventory (goods purchased for sale), and the cost of goods is therefore almost entirely variable. In manufacturing, direct material costs are an example of a variable cost.

Along with variable costs, fixed costs make up one of the two components of total cost. In the most simple production function, total cost is equal to fixed costs plus variable costs.

Compare and contrast the movies 1984 and The enemy of the stateWhat are some major points I should include?

Both movies deal with the conspiratorial surveillance and profiling of its citizens by the state.  Both comment on the 4th Amendment laws that should protect privacy, not lead to its invasion by illegal search and seizure and intrusion.  In the growing Age of Global Terrorism, both films are relevant in depicting the US (Enemy of the State) and Great Britain (1984) as police states who set double standards in protecting its citizens from their own war on terror.

1984 shows a much more bleak, dystopic depiction of the state monitoring its citizens, whereas Enemy of the State attempts to be more realistic.

Big Brother never appears in 1984; instead, we meet the double agent O'Brien.  In Enemy of the State, we know from the beginning that Thomas Reynolds (Jon Voit) is the antagonist who can summon surveillance teams at the drop of a hat.  Both villains target and spy on the protagonists, but in 1984 Winston never knows why.  He is not in possession of state secrets, unlike Robert Clayton Dean (Will Smith), who has a tape that exposes the villain.

1984 is a satire--an attack of an authoritarian regime.  It exaggerates the powers of the state to an extreme in order to point out their cruelty and oppression.  Enemy of the State is an action political thriller, more escapist drama.  It does not attack the U.S. government specifically the way Radford targets the former USSR and Nazi Germany.

What are 6 important/interesting facts about the Battle of Horseshoe Bend? Who were the battle leaders?What were interesting location details? What...

The Battle of Horseshoe Bend happened in 1814.  In it the Creek tribe was defeated by a joint American and Indian (enemies of the Creeks) force led by Andrew Jackson, who was then a militia general and would later become president of the United States.

The Creeks who opposed Jackson were known as the Red Sticks.  On their side, about 800 out of 1000 fighters died in the battle.  On Jackson's side, 49 were killed out of almost 3000, and 154 were wounded, many of whom died later.

The battle forced the Creeks to give up huge chunks of land to the US.

In The Outsiders, why do you think Dally would have wanted to die?

People like Dally who wear an extremely tough-guy demeanor are protecting themselves fiercely from getting hurt.  If they don't care about anything or don't let anyone get close to them, then nothing can cause them harm.  As Ponyboy realizes, Dally only loved one person in his life - Johnny - and when Johnny died, "he couldn't take it", and the Greasers knew that he was "gonna blow up". Dally loved Johnny as he would love a brother, or a child; Johnny's vulnerability and innocence brought out something noble in him, and when Johnny died Dally was left with a huge void and tumultuous feelings he had no idea how to deal with.  When Dally was shot down in a hail of police bullets, he had "a look of grim triumph on his face", and Ponyboy knew that death was what Dally wanted (Chapter 10).

How can I identify the elements of transcendentalism in Emersons' "Nature"?

One of the major elements of Transcendentalism is the idea that nature and the person (each person) are really part of each other.  Transcendentalism says that you cannot separate the two from each other.  If you are talking solely about the chapter entitled "Nature" from Emerson's larger book (also entitled "Nature") this is the only aspect of Transcendentalism that is discussed.

You can see this very clearly in Emerson's essay.  He argues that there are two parts of the universe.  There is the self (each person's self) and there is nature (everything else).  He argues that the two of them are linked together inextricably.  As Emerson says in the essay:

Standing on the bare ground, -- my head bathed by the blithe air, and uplifted into infinite space, -- all mean egotism vanishes. I become a transparent eye-ball; I am nothing; I see all; the currents of the Universal Being circulate through me; I am part or particle of God.

This shows that he sees himself as part of nature and that nature is part of him.

What were Tom Robinson's last words to Atticus Fitch? PLEASE!!!!!

This occurred on the day when they  took Tom to the prison camp. Tom's last words to Atticus were "Good-bye Mr. Finch, there ain't nothing you can do now, so there ain't no use tryin'" (ch 24). Tom had given up all hope in finding justice.

Atticus offered him no false assurances of making it right, because Atticus did not want to give him false hope.

Describe the relationship between Jimmy and his wife Alison in Look Back in Anger.

In Look Back in Anger, Jimmy Porter really loves his wife Alison. He asked her to marry him because she made him forget that the world wasn't worth liking after becoming bitter and disillusioned following his father's six-month struggle with death, during which time Jimmy sat with him and listened to him talk and talk. After their marriage, Jimmy is still chafing inside, and out loud, against the restrictions and limits and absurdities he sees in the English class system.

It is Alison to whom most of Jimmy's vehemence is directed because Alison is from the upper class (her father didn't give his permission for her marriage) and exemplifies the staid, unemotional, priveleged existence that Jimmy finds so repulsive, which is painfully ironic since he does actually love her and the inner comfort she gives him. Jimmy's monomania is to arouse some form of sincere emotion in Alison so that she can be fully alive, fully human. It's as if his personal suffering is so great that he can't recognize the humanity in anyone who isn't likewise torn by personal anguish and angst.

Why had Miles' wife left him and taken their children in Tuck Everlasting?

Miles' wife had left him because after they had been together for a number of years, she realized that oddly, he was not aging. This was just too weird for her to handle, and, thinking that he had done something unnatural, such as perhaps sold his soul to the Devil, she left him, taking their two children along with her (Chapter 7).

At the time Miles' wife had left him, the Tucks did not know what the magic waters had done to them. They only knew that strangely, nothing seemed to be able to hurt them, and that while their friends and acquaintances were aging normally, they themselves were not. By the time they figured out that they had somehow been rendered incapable of growing old and dying because of the supernatural powers of the magic spring, it was too late for Miles and his wife. Miles, who should have been in his forties, still looked like he was twenty-two, not too much older than his own children.

When the Tucks figured out about the powers of the magic spring, Miles considered going out and searching for his wife and children so that they could drink the water and live forever too, but after thinking about it, he had decided that it would be no use. His wife would have been nearly forty by then, and his children grown, while he was still stuck in his early twenties. As Miles explains, "it'd all have been so mixed-up and peculiar, it just wouldn't have worked," so he just left it alone. When Miles tells Winnie about his family, he reflects that his daughter, whose name was Anna, would "be close to eighty now, if she's even still alive." His son, who is older, would be eighty-two" (Chapter 17).

Miles' situation illustrates the truth behind Pa Tuck's insistence that the powers of the magic spring be kept secret. Although the idea of living forever might seem appealing at first, the reality is that it would remove the recipient of this benefit from the natural stream of life, resulting in confusion and ultimate isolation.

Would you talk about the ending of The Elegance of the Hedgehog, especially the last several pages?Explain Palome's feelings about...

Throughout the novel, Renee and Paloma discuss and grapple with the meaning of life, death, beauty, friendship and many other weighty topics. Renee and Paloma had just discovered each other and, under the guidance of Mr. Ozu, were becoming "kindred souls." The novel ends with Renee running out into the street, trying to help the neighborhood vagrant. As she does so, she is struck by a dry cleaner's van and killed. She then utters some thoughts as she is dying, one of which is that the beauty in her life she realizes has come from simple things: her cat, her friends, Paloma, Ozu, her dead husband, etc., NOT philosophy, art, music, etc. These are the real "camillias" in her life, not her books. People have provided what is truly beautiful. Even though she has enjoyed books, art, music, philosophy, etc., they have not brought her happiness.

With Renee's death, Paloma decides to live. She decides not to burn down the apartment building and kill herself. Renee and Ozu have shown her that she should continue living (in fact, Renee states this as her dying wish, that Paloma would continue on) to search for the beauty in life. Paloma's reaction to Renee's death is hurt, but this is the first time in her life that she is able to experience hurt, so it is a good thing. Ozu's reaction to Renee's death is also sad, but he is respectful and takes Paloma down to Renee's "loge" for a final contemplative moment of silence. Paloma says she now realizes what hurt looks like "on a wise face."

Paloma has grown up at the end of the novel.

Notice, too, that the rich people in the apartment building have a very different reaction. Madame Josse, Paloma's mother, sighs with relief when she realizes that it is ONLY the concierge that has been killed, not one of her elite friends. The author is criticizing the French class structure throughout the novel, so this is significant. Remember that when Renee goes out to dinner with Ozu, they pass two tenants and the tenants do not even recognize Renee because she is dressed up, looks lovely, and is with Mr. Ozu. They can't even concieve of something like this in their haughty opinions of themselves.

Capital Budgeting decision is one of the most important decisions management can make. Why is this so?

Capital Budgeting is a process that is closely concerned with determining the nature of investment a company makes in capital equipments and other facilities. These capital decision generally involve substantial amount of investments, cannot be reversed easily, take long time to implement, and continue to impact the ability and performance of the company over long period. All these features of capital decision make the capital budgeting one of the most important decision that managers of any company are required to make.

Compare the elements of rock music, including tone color, rhythm, form, melody, and harmony, with those same elements from another musical period...

This is a fairly interesting topic.  I would say that we could broaden the topic to include "popular music" with Classical music.  If this can be done, the link below could be an excellent opportunity.  You can compare Mussorgsky's "Night on Bald Mountain" or Beethoven's "Fifth Symphony" to the disco versions of each song featured on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack.  This might be an excellent opportunity to examine tone color, rhythm prevalent in a disco version of the classical piece, as well as the different harmonies present in each.  If this cannot be done, I would suggest using Beethoven's Ninth Symphony and the multiple remixes and variations of it, most notably by Billy Joel as well as UNKLE.

Why is Buck angry in The Call of the Wild?What does anybody do to him?

Lots of people and animals do things to Buck or to people he loves that make him angry.  Let me list a few of them.

First, the man in the red sweater beats Buck to make him be obedient.  Buck, of course, gets angry about that but cannot do anything about it.

Second, he gets mad at Spitz for laughing when Curly is killed.  He continues to hate Spitz when Spitz is the lead dog.  Finally, Buck kills him.

Last, he gets mad at the Indians after they kill John Thornton and the other gold prospectors.  That makes him really angry because he loved Thornton.

There are other times when he gets mad as well, but these are three major ones.

In the Grapes of Wrath how has the Joad family and all the people in general lost their way spiritually?I've already narrowed what I think to...

Lack of unity is another way to look at this novel with regards to the changing the Joads undergo.

At the beginning of their journey, Ma Joad was adamant that the family should stick together. Her outlook was family first before all else. She valiantly attempts to hold the family together, but life on the road proved too much for them.

The deaths of Granma and Grampa Joad due to the stress of the travelling conditions starts the family's unravelling.  Noah does not wish to continue either, and just stays put, never to be seen again. Connie buckles under the strain and leaves his pregnant wife to fend for herself. Ma Joad's vision of family unity disintegrates.

In the end, Tom finds he has to leave his family, as well. He found his calling as a voice for the migrants. Ironically, Al had always wanted to go off on his own, yet stays loyal to his mother's wishes.

While Ma's vision of family unity does not stay together, she finds a unity in the plight of all the migrants. The "poor folks" form their own type of family. They do this of necessity, as they are all finding that families are splitting  apart due to the conditions they are faced with.

Ma learns she is duty bound to care for more than just family. Tom, who previously shied away from personal interaction outside the family, becomes a leader, and Rose of Sharon gives life , not to her own baby, but to a stranger-with her unused milk. The Joads find connections apart from family.

Why does the General seem to be studying Rainsford during their first dinner?I asked this question because my students keep asking me this question.

I would think it is because General Zaroff is trying to size Rainsford up, to see what he is "made of" and to try to predict how his coming will affect Zaroff's life and hobby on the island.

Zaroff has been here on the island with no other people that he would see as his equals.  Now here comes Sanger Rainsford who is a great big game hunter just as Zaroff thinks of himself.  This would naturally make Zaroff curious.

He will wonder how Rainsford's presence will change things.  Will Rainsford join him in the hunt?  Will they compete with one another to see who will be the better hunter?  Will (as it turns out) Rainsford be repulsed by the idea.  If so, will Zaroff be able to successfully hunt him?

All of these questions must be going through Zaroff's mind and this is why he studies Rainsford.

The Framers of the Constitution understood “democracy” and “republic” to mean different things. Explain this difference... The Framers of...

In those days, "democracy" was sort of a dirty word.  It meant something like "rule by the unenlightened masses."  The Framers were really quite worried about democracy.  They thought it would cause a lot of problems.

Instead, they wanted a republic.  By this, they meant a government where the masses had some say, but which was really ruled more by elites than by the masses.

Not all the Framers wanted this.  The Democratic-Republicans pretty much wanted democracy (this is Jefferson and his bunch) but the Federalists (Washington, Monroe, Madison) wanted a republic.

So, democracy = more power for the regular people.  Republic = less power for them.

The Constitution clearly favored a republic.  It had a House of Representatives elected by the people, but the President was elected by the Electoral College, the Senate by state legislatures, and the Supreme Court selected by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate -- so you can see that the people didn't control the government very directly.  That's what the Framers wanted.

In "The Storm" how do the personalities of the main characters affect the purpose? What is Chopin's purpose?

Many of Kate Chopin's stories show women who find happiness in rather unconventional, and, for the time period that they were written, rather scandalous ways.  In her time period, women were often born and bred to be married, and were expected to be perfectly content in that role.  Chopin, in many of her stories, showed women who were not content, but rather repressed and dissatisfied.  These women often sought freedom or fulfillment through other means.  In "The Storm," the chosen means is through an affair with another man.  And, after the affair, Chopin writes into the story that Calixta is happier, more laid-back, and treats her husband and young son much better.  Because of this, it is logical to conclude that Chopin's purpose was to show that women should seek fulfillment in whatever way they need to, even if it means seeking it outside of marriage.

Calixta's personality lends itself well to this purpose, because she is a bit of an anxious, bored housewife who seeks comfort and distraction in the armes of Alcee.  She seems, at the beginning dissatisfied and tied up on minute details of the day; she is pent up and anxious over the storm and her family, and seeks release with Alcee.  Alcee's personality lends itself well to the purpose because he is a man who is not necessarily content with his marriage, a bit of a loner, and still slightly infatuated with Calixta from earlier times.  He is willing to be with her, even though both of them are still married.  Calixta's husband and on lend themselves well to the story's purpose because they are kind, unsuspecting, and a bit afraid of their mother--this makes them even more surprised and pleased when they come home to find her happy.  All they want to do is make her happy, and this desire to please is something that makes them more susceptible to being content when Calixta is content.

I hope that those thoughts helped a bit; good luck!

What is Ralph's personality in Lord of the Flies?

Ralph is charismatic and a natural leader. He is empathetic and observant and a problem-solver. For example, he tells the boys, "We can help them to find us. If a ship comes near the island they may not notice us. So we must make smoke on top of the mountain. We must make a fire." Ralph tries to assess problems intelligently and not emotionally, asking for example, "What was the sensible thing to do? " His friendliness and logic make him a natural choice to assume a leadership role.

For more on Ralph and other character's in Golding's novel, please visit the link below.

How does the Death of a Salesman compare to Glengary Glenross?

The similarities between Death of a Salesman and Glengarry Glenross are quite evident in the setting (the everyday life of a salesman), the problem of the story (the need to be on top and enjoy a life of economic freedom in search of the American Dream, the atmosphere (hard times, tough competition), and the sad ending in both stories.

First. Glengarry Glenross premiered in London 35 years after Death of a Salesman was first premiered. Mamet was aware of the success of Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman and basically tried to visualize how Willy's surrounding world would turn into now that the American Dream is officially dead.

In Death of a Salesman, the American insurance salesman is seen as a character who had opportunities and he failed himself. In Glengarry, the salesmen are each other's enemies and they are every man for themselves.

Also, in Death of a Salesman, Willy's only enemy is his own inability to move on and choose the right things while in Glengarry, the character of Williamson has decidedly destroyed Levene, Ricky Roma ruined Lingk's marriage, and Aaronnow and Moss are each other's Nemesis.

Lastly, Ricky Roma is the Anti Willy Loman. Willy still held the traditional and conservative ideal that a good position in life, a good position in the football team, and a good standing with the ladies made you a prosperous provider to your family, and the embodiment of the American Dream.  In contrast, Ricky is ruthless and ambitious because he just wants to be somebody- he hardly cares for being a fruitful member of society, but to be a man on top. This shows his avarice, and lack of morality. Even more so than Willy's at his lowest moments.

What is wit and satire in Twelfth Night by Shakespeare?

The play Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare is one of Romantic Comedy.  Hi play features a female protagonist who disguises herself as a young man. (In his day these roles had to be played by women). 

The satire evolves around the Duke who pies away for Olivia.  Olivia is grieving over her dead brother.  A man washes on shore, who is really a woman dressed as a man, and she/he gets hired as a page by the Duke.  The Duke enlists the woman disguised as man to help him to get Olivia's attention. However, the plan backfires when Olivia falls in love with the page (a female) who she believes is the man of her dreams. 

The satire is the manner in which Shakespeare has set up his plots.  The audience expects one thing and gets another.  He uses ridicule and joking to get the audience to laugh at the turn of events.

Shakespeare's wit is evident in the way he words things. 

"Toby: I will mediate the while upon some horrid message for a challenge." 

Olivia mocks Viola after she has presented information about her background and that she is a gentleman.  In the play Olivia repeats what she has said (believing she is a male) and repeats her words back in a witty and stuck-up manner.  She is making her remark witty as she says it.

Wit is performed by the cast in the play as they banter back and forth in witty ways.  The words are their swords as each one tries to outdo the other.

In what ways are the pigs abusing their leadership offices?

The pigs are exploiting the other animals efforts for their own personal gain. The other animals are working 60 ours a week to build the windmill, and carry out other back-breaking labor, while all the pigs do is give orders.

The pigs are also selling much needed food for their own profit, even though rations are getting scarce. To quiet any questioning of this practice, the pigs use the intimidation of growling dogs to ward off protests.

The pigs also move into the farmhouse and sleep in beds, while the other animals must sleep outside in the barn in their stalls.

how is Faulkner's Nobel Prize speech related to his story "Barn Burning" ?

The Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech by Faulkner helped the world understand "Barn Burning" and many other of his writings. As of the moment he won the award, people were used to accept Faulkner as a naturalist who used scientific detail to describe specific moments in the lives of persons. However, when he gave his speech he gave another side of his persona, bringing out his most humanistic and sincere self. Among his words, it is quotable:

I feel that this award was not made to me as a man, but to my work--a life's work in the agony and sweat of the human spirit….I decline to accept the end of man. It is easy enough to say that man is immortal because he will endure:…I refuse to accept this. I believe that man will not merely endure: he will prevail. He is immortal, not because he alone among creatures has an
inexhaustible voice, but because he has a soul, a spirit capable of compassion and sacrifice and endurance. The poet's, the writer's, duty is to write about these things. It is his privilege to help man endure by lifting his heart, by reminding him of the courage and honor and hope and pride and compassion and pity and sacrifice which have been the glory of his past. The poet's voice need not merely be the record of man, it can be one of the props, the pillars to help him endure and prevail.

Sarty has much to do with his fate. He was dragged into a life of evil and crime because of his father. After alerting the deSpain family that his father was going to burn their barn, he was actually declaring his independence from this man, and his eventual mental freedom. In Barn Burning, the sacrifices that Sarty has endured and eventually end up in the deaths of his brothers and fathers (the barn burners), will in time present itself as a future glory, because he was able to liberate himself from that Hades he lived in. This is the most humanistic aspect of his speech, and of his novel.

List five events from the person's life you read about in the order which they occurred.

1.  From his earliest memories on a Mississippi plantation, Richard Wright's formative years were characterized by poverty and instability after the desertion of his father and his mother's severe illnesses.

2.  Highlighted by the murder of his Uncle Hoskins by white men jealous of his modest business success, Richard's life was irrevocably influenced by the oppressive racial climate of the early 1900's.

3.  As soon as he was old enough, Richard escaped the deep South, moved to Memphis, and worked a variety of jobs. In each of these he experienced the degradation of being a black man in a white man's world.

4.  In spite of his struggles, Richard discovered he had a gift for writing and a hunger for books which he sought to satisfy by borrowing a library card from a white man, since black men were at the time denied this priviledge.

5.  Richard finally escaped the South altogether by moving to Chicago, where he found racial barriers less rigid, but still experienced a vast 'psychological distance" between the races.

Macduff says, "Oh Scotland, Scotland!" Why?

This occurs in Act IV, scene iii, when Macduff and Malcolm are speaking about the sad state of affairs in their beloved country of Scotland.  Malcolm, the son of the slain king Duncan and rightful heir to the throne, is testing the loyalty of Macduff, making sure that Macduff is really there to support him and his effort at raising an army to take the throne away from Macbeth.  This quote, "O Scotland, Scotland!" is a sincere, heartfelt plea of sadness at the state of his beloved country on the part of Macduff.

Check the links below for more information.  Good luck!

Please comment on black literary expression in nineteenth-century America.

In the 19th century, one of the defining events is the Civil War (1861-65).  Around this time, a Women's Liberation Movement began, correlating with the Abolitionists. Elizabeth Blackwell was the first female medical student (1848 I think). So these two movements were parallel and encouraged by each other. This is comparable to the Civil Rights Movement a century later in the 1960s, although the 1960s took it to a whole new level - such is the nature, hopefully, of progress.  Given that background at least during that time, much of African-American literature in the 19th century was autobiographical/historical or the novel, the prime example being Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin.  But I think the most significant genre was the slave narrative.  I think one of the most important works was Frederick Douglass' Narative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself (1845).  It gave a lot of authenticity to the Abolition movement because it was so insightful and profound and because it was written by an African-American. (Lots of abolitionist literature was penned by whites).  Perhaps even more importantly, Douglass stressed the need for education and literacy.  One of his famous quotes, and I'm paraphrasing here, was something along these lines: "The more I read, the more I desire freedom."

This is not the one I'm thinking of, but it fits as well:

"To educate a man is to unfit him to be a slave."

In the poem "The Wife's Lament", whom does the wife refer as "her lord"?

Depending on the translation, it usually refers to her husband. Richard Hammer's translation is the most critically acclaimed. The speaker of the poem is a wife who is suffering in exile from her husband and people. The first part of the poem suggests that the wife married into an enemy clan that has not received her in a friendly manner. She accuses her husband's family of plotting to separate her and her husband.

her husband may have committed a crime because he is sent to a distant place, and she is banished to a forest where she lives alone. There, the wife mourns her loss of her husband and home. She ends her lament believing that her husband feels grief just as she does.

In Heart of Darkness, could Marlow's journey symbolize one walking through Hell?

Marlow's journey is usually seen as symbolic of a journey into the mind and soul of a person. Light and dark are used to represent good and evil. As Marlow progresses into the African continent, he's going into darkness. This darkness of Africa then can be representative of the darkness of a person's soul. Marlow learns on his journey that all men are capable of evil, and he sees this in Kurtz and others. We see him come out of the darkness into the light. He returns with the knowledge that he is capable of evil, but he won't allow it to control him. We never know what another person is truly thinking or what he/she is deep down in his/her soul, do we? That is the darkness/evil that lies in each of us. I guess the trip could be compared to hell, but those who go to hell aren't allowed to return, whereas Marlow is. 

How do I solve this equation? 5x^2 = -8x

To solve 5x^2 = -8x.

Solution:

Method (1):

5x^2= -8x . Dividing bot sides by x, we get:

5x=-8 or x= -8/5 = - 1.6.

Also 5x^2+8x = 0 has noconstant term . So x =0 is root of it.

Method 2:

5x^2+8x = 0 This is a quadratic equation of the form ax^2+bx+c = 0, Where, a=5, b= 8 and c= 0. Therefore,the roots are:

x1 =(-b+(b^2-4ac)^0.5)/(2a)  and

x2 = (-b-(b^2-4ac)^0.5)/(2a).

X1 = (-8+(8^2-4*8*0)^0.5)/(2*5) = 0

X2 = (-8-(8^2-4*8*0)^0.5)/(2*5) =-16/10 =-1.6

Method (3):

5x^2 =-8x  or

5x^2+8x = 0. We can write this like,

5(x^2+1.6x+0.8^2)^2 - 5*0.8^2 = 0 or

5(x+0.8)^2 = 5*0.8^2. Dividing both sides by 5,

(x+0.8)^2 = 0.8^2 . Taking square root, we get:

x+0.8 = +0.8 ............(1) or

x+0.8 =-0.8..............(2)

From(1) we get: x= 0

From (2) we get: x =  -0.8-0.8 = -1.6

What does Ralph tell the boys they must do to facilitate rescue and what changes had to be made as a result of the fire?

What Ralph tells the boys they have to do is have a fire that will make smoke.  If they can do that, then a passing ship or airplane could see the smoke and know that there are people on the island that need to be rescued.

When they first make a fire, it gets out of control and one of the littleuns is killed.  Because of this, they have to make changes.  They decide to have the fire in a given place and they decide to have people assigned to take care of the fire all the time.

Why does Theseus choose to see the play about Pyramus and Thisbe rather than the other entertainments?explain in much detail

Theseus calls for his master of ceremonies to inform him what entertainments are available for them as a part of wedding feast activities.  Philostrate, the master of ceremonies, first offers a story about a battle between Centaurs.  This is to be performed by an Athenian eunuch, accompanying himself on the harp.

Theseus says that he has already told this story to his bride-to-be, when he was giving her details about one of his relatives, Hercules. Therefore, there is no need to have this entertainment at this time.

On the program of possibilities is also the story of a drunken brawl, in which a singer is torn apart!  But Theseus argues that this is such an old story, and has been so often told, that it is of no interest here.

Another offering is that of the three Muses, who will mourn for the death of Learning.  But Theseus says that this is too mournful and unappealing a subject for such a joyful occasion as the wedding feast.

The play of Pyramus and Thisbe is then offered.  This is supposed to be a play which is both tragic and funny.  Theseus believes this something which would be difficult to accomplish and wishes to see how it is done.  But Philostrate informs Theseus that he has already seen their rehearsal, and that the play is not worth seeing.

Theseus demands to know who has written the play.  When Philostrate tells him that it has been produced by common labourers, who have never before tried to use their brains instead of their brawn, Theseus in intrigued. He decides that it must be heard.

Theseus further declares that it might be fun to see what the royal party could make of the play, that even those who offer it may not understand.  He says that something offered in simplicity is often superior to those works struggled over by more cerebral authors, yet without real meaning and depth of feeling.

Obviously, Shakespeare is making the point that some authors, who might be highly thought of at the time, might not actually offering literature as appealing and understandable as others who write from the heart.  Perhaps he is making a plea for his own plays?

How is the setting important to Frankenstein?

Shelly’s novel responds to the notion of the “sublime,” central to Romanticism, that nature can inspire and reflect the human soul.  I quote here from an excellent discussion by Heather Mah on the topic of landscape in Frankenstein.  “Mary Shelley made use of the landscape to communicate Victor's fluctuating mentality. Because he has successfully cross over the boundary separating God from man to bring something inanimate to life, Victor has removed himself far from ordinary human-kind. He now possessed an unearthly power that sets him apart from his fellow human beings. Thus, unlike ordinary humans who find picturesque landscapes awe-inspiring, Victor finds such landscapes indifferent and incapable of curing his troubled mind. Rather he can only identify with enormous, sublime landscapes because these are the only landscapes great and powerful enough to take his mind away from his problems and to offer him some sort of comfort in his present unstable state.”  She provides a fuller discussion on the topic at the url listed below.

The mass of a body is the quantity of matter it contains. so-i) Under what condition the mass of the body is generally referred to be constant? ii)...

Mass is defined as the amount of matter contained in a given body. Unless the matter in the body is added or removed there will not be change in the mass of the body. This mass is different from the weight or the force exerted by gravity on the body. This force may vary slightly from place to place on the earth as the force of gravity itself changes. For example the gravitational pull reduces as the altitude of the object increase. The changes in the gravitational force can be substantial when we consider the entire universe.

I am not so sure that Newton's Second Law Motion defines mass at all. The second law states that "the rate of change of momentum is directly proportional to the impressed force and takes place in the same direction in which the force acts. Though Newton's first Law of Motion does relate to inertia when it states that "every body continues in its state of rest or of uniform motion in a straight line, unless acted upon some external force", as inertia is is defined as that property of matter, by virtue of which  a body cannot move itself nor change the motion imparted to it.

Although Newton did not recognize this fact, matter can be converted in energy and energy into matter. In this way when a body, by virtue of its motion gains kinetic energy, the increase energy actually increases the mass of the body. However at the speeds that we normally encounter, this change in mass is too insignificant to be considered.

Did Shawn die at the end of Stuck in Neutral?

The ending of the story is ambiguous, meaning that the author leaves it to the reader to decide if Shawn dies nor not. In the last paragraph of the book, Shawn's father is sitting in the room with him, a pillow on his lap. Shawn feels a seizure coming on, and as he surrenders to it, he wonders, "What will my dad do?" Shawn reflects that whatever happens, it will be all right, and on that note, the story ends.

The author leaves the ending completely open-ended, providing evidence that can be used either way, whether the reader decides that Shawn lives or dies. Shawn's father's words in the minutes leading up to the end show that he is clearly still wrestling with the question of what to do. He says,

"what if you know what I've been thinking of doing, but you can't do anything about it?...What would you tell me to do, Shawn?"

The fact that he is holding a pillow is an ominous sign; a father in a similar situation, Earl Detraux, had smothered his severely handicapped son with a pillow. Shawn notes that his father sounds exhausted; perhaps he has come to the end of his endurance, and is prepared to end it all for his son. It is clear that Shawn's father loves him, and believes that his seizures are very painful for him. Perhaps when that final seizure strikes, he will kill his son to end what he sees as his terrible suffering.

On the other hand, Shawn's father's words show that he is still unsure as to what is the right thing to do, so maybe he does not kill his son at the end of the book. There is a moment where Shawn's and his father's eyes lock, and they

"are somehow together again...in all (Shawn's) life (they) have never been like this before."

It can be argued that perhaps in that moment, father and son experience a connection, and Shawn's father might have seen the life that exists so vibrantly in the damaged body. Perhaps, in the moments before the final seizure, Shawn's silent declaration of love for his father is heard, and his father does not, in fact, kill his son (Chapter 16). 

What does Emerson say about traveling, and what does he mean by "whim"?

"whim" means "for the slightest reason," and Emerson uses this term to refer to the need for a person to respond to the genius within him and to rely on himself rather than wait for responses from others.  He says "I shun father and mother and wife and brother, when my genius calls me" (he does not mention husband, suggesting the gendered nature of his argument), and he should not need to give an explanation for his departure. Emerson goes on to say that hopefully it will be more than a whim that calls a man away, and he does this to temper what seems to be a hyperbole in the original statement.  But his point is that a man needs to rely on his intuition and to dare to be different.

Discuss the types of insurance policies that affect individual consumers. Why are these policies important?What do they cover? Who should carry...

There are a few other kinds of insurance available to people, disability insurance and liability insurance. Not as many people want or need these particular kinds of insurance, but they can be quite important.

Many people do not realize that if they are unable to work, they cannot always collect worker's compensation or disability income through Social Security. The only people who are entitled to worker's compensation are those injured on the job. The requirements for collecting Social Security disability payments are quite strict, and few people qualify.  Therefore, unless an employer provides short and long-term disability coverage to its employees, a private disability insurance policy can be quite a good thing to have.

Liability insurance is important for people who are doctors, lawyers, therapists, and contractors. This insurance covers what is called "malpractice," which means that the person covered has made done something wrong in the delivery of a service and is liable for the error.  Other kinds of liability insurance are often covered under homeowners' policies, so that if someone slips and falls on your sidewalk, the liability is covered. 

How does the scene between Portia and the Prince of Morocco further Portia’s characterization?It is in Act II of the play.

Portia flatters Prince Morocco that he looks as "ari as any comer I have looked on yet," yet we doubt her (2.1.20-21). But she would not like him, I would guess, not just because of his color (in this play that does explore prejudice) but because he is so insufferably vain.  He is quick to tell her that "I swear /The best regarded virgins of our clime/ Have loved it [his color] too (2.1.8-10.) Before he chooses the casket he continues to brag about his exploits, comparing himself, for example, to a Persian ruler and Hercules (25-32). Interestingly, we do not see him again until 2.7 (six scenes later), when he finally makes his choice. In these scene we learn about the avariciousness of Shylock. Then, when Morocco chooses, we learn again he is vain and too confident by the casket he chooses: "in love I do deserve" (2.7.38).  Portia is obedient, however, for she is fully prepared to follow her father's orders even if this vain, unpleasant man chooses correctly. When she says "Let all of his complxion choose me so" she comments on his character every bit as much as his color, and we are uncertain as to which offends her more.

What are a couple of quotes about how the sisters stood up for what was right and sacrifices they made in the process?i am doing a paper for...

In the book In the Time of the Butterflies Minerva and her husband Manolo already part of the underground which Minerva explains to Maria Teresa, the baby sister. 

"I told Minerva right out, I wanted to join."(142)

Maria Teresa then is placed in an apartment in a rundown neighborhood so that items can be dropped off with her.  The place is not very nice and they are being seen by neighbors as prostitutes.

"The apartment is in a humble part of town." (143)

El  Jefe is very angry at the girl's behavior.  He was once insulted by Minerva slapping him when he had tried to get to close physically to her body.

"El Jefe was going to punish us Mirabels." (223)

The girls were incarcerated for political crimes.  They are taken away from their children and locked in a small cell with other political prisoners and  prostitutes. 

"Minerva and I are on a hunger strike."  (236)

The end of the book addresses the murder of the sisters.  They were beaten and strangled and their vehicle was sent over a cliff so it would look like an accident.

"Rufino and Minerva were on gurneys, Patria and Mate on mats on the floor." (307)

Give a real-world example of how permutations and combinations can be used.Explain what your numeric result means in context of the real-world...

A very simple example of combinations would be in the number of pizzas one could create given a certain number of criteria. In other word, given that a pizza place has:

3 types of crust -thin, regular,  thick

4 types of toppings - pepperoni, sausage, ham, bacon

3 types of cheese - American, cheddar, Swiss

How many different one topping, one cheese pizzas could be made?? Answer - multiply them all together because the order of choice does not matter here, so 3*4*3 =36

An example of permutations would be the arrangement of books on a shelf. An easy one is to say there are 5 different books...how many ways can you arrange them on the shelf (in the typical upright position of libraries) ?? Answer - then you have 5 choices for the first book, 4 choices for the second (because you cannot use the one you have already placed on the shelf), 3 choices, etc. So multiply 5*4*3*2*1 = 120 ways. Now you can see why the chances of winning a lottery can be so slim. (Consider the number of ways you can arrange ten (0-9) digits in a given number of slots.)

Which form of learning (classical conditioning vs. operant conditioning) has the greatest real world implications? The greatest role in your own...

There are numerous examples of classical conditioning that any one person, if they understand what it is, can cite as having had an impact in their lives.  For example, most of us have gotten sick after eating a particular type of food, and experience nausea or distaste for quite some time afterwards whenever that food is even mentioned or thought of.  That is an example of classical conditioning, and is just one type that many people experience.  It happens every day, all of the time.  But, on the other hand, operant conditioning also happens all of the time too.

In real life implications, operant conditioning is probably more useful to know and implement.  It is useful for managers, parents, teachers, coaches and anyone who is trying to teach anyone anything.  Research supports and backs operant conditioning as an ethical, humane and effective tool for teaching.  Classical conditioning isn't as friendly. For example, alcoholics can use classical conditioning to overcome their addiction; they can take a medication that makes them sick every time they drink.  It can be effective, but it sure isn't pleasant.  Operant conditioning can be used in more pleasant and less dangerous ways to enhance learning.

Take a kid learning how to ride a bike, for instance. Operant conditioning principles can be applied.  The primary reinforcer is the parent's praise, and the thrill of learning to ride a bike.  A secondary reinforcer might be treats or money that the parent offers when the kid learns different aspects of the task at hand.  Positive reinforcement is encouragement from the parent, and acceptance by other peers who ride their bikes.  Negative reinforcers could be injuries while learning.  These principles can be applied to almost anything that one learns.  I hope that those thoughts helped; good luck!

What are the subject, verb, and object of "Has he made another serious error?" and "Why do babies eat soft food?"

A group of words in the form of a question should be turned around and made into a statement to easily find the sentence parts: "He has made another serious mistake." "Babies do eat soft food why."

Find the verb first, then see if there is a helping verb in front of it. To find the object, put the subject and verb together and ask what. If there is a "what" word, it is a direct object (if following an action verb).

#1: made is the verb; has is a helper, so the simple predicate is has made. Ask who has made? The answer is "he". He is the simple subject. He has made what? mistake. Mistake follows an action verb so it is a direct object. The words "a" and "serious" modify or describe the mistake.

#2: eat is the verb and do is its helper. What do(es) eat? babies. Babies do eat what? food, which is a direct object. Soft is a modifier of the noun "food".

In complete subjects and predicates, the complete predicate usually begins with the verb, unless the verb has a helper (which both of your sentences do have). The predicate and its objects, including modifiers, are the complete predicate. All of the remaining words are the complete subject.

"He has made another serious mistake." He is the complete subject; the remaining words are the complete predicate.

"Babies do eat soft food why?" Babies is the complete subject; the remaining words are the complete predicate.

What are the main themes in "Hamlet"?I'm making a scale to represent the Elizabethians' value of balance and order. What else could the scale...

The first and most important theme would be revenge. In Act I Sc. 5 the Ghost of Hamlet's father asks Hamlet to murder Claudius and thus avenge his murder:

Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder.

The second important theme is procrastination. Hamlet has to confirm first of all whether what the Ghost told him was true or not and he has to carefully plan his revenge in total secrecy. Consequently, Hamlet delays the act of killing Claudius. In Act III Sc. 3, he sees Claudius all alone praying but he gives the excuse that if he murders him now his soul will go straight to heaven:

And so he goes to heaven;
And so am I revenged. That would be scann'd:
A villain kills my father; and for that,
I, his sole son, do this same villain send
To heaven.

In Act IV Sc.4 Hamlet even contrasts himself unfavorably with young Fortinbras who is exactly the opposite of him when it comes to executing his plans:

Witness this army of such mass and charge
Led by a delicate and tender prince, [Fortinbras]
Whose spirit with divine ambition puff'd
Makes mouths at the invisible event,
Exposing what is mortal and unsure
To all that fortune, death and danger dare,
Even for an egg-shell.

Last but not the least would be theme of friendship. Shakespeare contrasts the true and sincere friendship of Horatio with that of the false friendship of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. In Act V Sc.2 Hamlet reveals to Horatio how he managed to forge a letter to the King of England asking him to have Rosencrantz and Guildenstern executed:

That, on the view and knowing of these contents,
Without debatement further, more or less,
He should the bearers put to sudden death,
Not shriving-time allow'd.

What news does Atticus bring about Tom Robinson and what does he explain about what Tom has done?

Because Atticus respects Tom Robinson and his wife and family, he personally brings Helen the sad news that Tom has been shot trying to escape.  Tom is shot 17 times by the guards at the prison as he was trying to climb (with one good arm) the surrounding fence.   Atticus tells Helen that he feels Tom understood he didn’t have a chance in an appeal so that is why he probably tried to escape.  Tom’s escape attempt says a lot about Tom’s character who does not want to leave his family destitute and unable to provide for themselves. Atticus takes Calpurnia with him when he delivers the news in hopes that Calpurnia can give her some comfort. As Atticus breaks the news, Jem and Dill witness the tender respect Atticus gives to Tom’s family.

What is the rising action in the story, "Black Cat?"

In "The Black Cat" by Edgar Allen Poe, the rising action begins when the narrator starts drinking and abusing the cat.  The situation escalates because he feels remorse but once again drink causes him to abuse the cat and then he hangs it outside.  The narrator and his wife get a second cat and here the ultimate downfall of the narrator starts.  The narrator begins abusing his wife and is afraid of the new cat.  

Does A Man for all Seasons have relevance in today's world?

I believe this play does have relevance in any society, in any time period in history, including today. Ultimately, once you break past the constraints of the Tudor society and politics it is specifically discussing, it is a play about conscience and doing what one feels to be right and moral, rather than bending under the pressure of a government or a best friend.

Sir Thomas More, though a dear friend and supporter of Henry VIII, could not condone the idea that Henry was going to divorce his wife, Katharine of Aragon, in order to marry his mistress, Anne Boleyn. More was a devout Catholic, and says right before his beheading, "I die the king's good servant, but God's first." (I believe that to be accurate from the play - I'm not sure if it is historically accurate, but it does definitely illustrate the character of More.)

List an example(s) of a metaphor in Maniac Magee? Need Chapter and page #.

 "A metaphor is an analogy between two objects or ideas, conveyed by the use of a word instead of another."

In the book "Maniac Magee" Jeffrey shows up at a high school field where the students are playing soccer. Some are also playing football.  The football goes into play and instead of thequarterback catching it Maniac/Jeffrey catches the ball and runs with it. 

"Nobody laid a paw on him." (14)

It is a metaphor which means no one caught him.

Maniac continues to run with the ball.  He then throws it into a perfect spiral.  Maniac had done it all with one hand with a book in his other hand.

Later on he goes to the Finsterwald's . The author uses the term

"a mouth in front of the yawning maw of a python."(18) 

 This is used to represent the boy Arnold who is facing a crowd of potentially harmful Finsterwalds.

On page 89 Maniac has been with Grayson and discussing what it is like to stay with someone who is black.  Grayson is puzzled to learn things that he had not thought about before.  He contemplates things in his head.  The author uses the following metaphor to represent Grayson thinking about an idea and then expressing it.

"The worm in Grayson's head had long since ceased to be a tiny tickle; it was now a maddening itch. As with all such itch-worms, it would exit by only one route, the mouth."(89)

What are men's attitudes towards women in Romeo and Juliet?How should I structure the question? Should I divide it into an inferior attitude...

In writing an ssignment on men's attitudes towards women in the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, a lot depends upon the depth and scope of your background study. If you are compiling notes, or character sketches, I would keep it simple.

Go through the text, male character by male character. Note down whether the character expects of a female character (subservience, obedience, requited love,loyalty, faithfulness etc.) Be prepared to be unique and different however (add in characters such as Mercutio and the gang of guys who are making fun - such as when the Nurse crosses the square - they are not motivated by hurtfulness but humor yet their cruel remarks must be hurtful all the same.)

remember types of relationship too (father/daughter. husband/wife,employer/servant.)

Macbeth Act IV questionHow does Macbeth feel after his second meeting with the witches? What things might reassure him, and what things might...

Like much of Shakespeare's Macbeth, the predictions and advice given to Macbeth by the apparitions in Act 4.1 are a mixture of opposites, as are Macbeth's reactions. 

On the one hand, the First Apparition tells Macbeth to "Beware Macduff."  But on the other hand, the second apparition tells Macbeth:

Be bloody, bold, and resolute; laugh to scorn

The pow'r of man, for none of woman born

Shall harm Macbeth.  (Act 4.1.79-81)

And the Third Apparition gives Macbeth more reassurance:

Be lion-mettled, proud, and take no care

Who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are.

Macbeth shall never vanquished be until

Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill

Shall come against him.  (Act 4.1.90-94)

Macbeth seems to react to the above by being reassured:

That will never be.

Who can impress the forest, bid the tree

Unfix his earth-bound root?  Sweet bodements [omens, prophecies], good.  (Act 4.1.94-96)

Yet, seconds later when the witches vanish and Macbeth finds out that MacDuff has fled to England, he announces that he will order MacDuff's family killed.   

These oppositions contribute to the themes of equivocation and opposition in the play.  Since the witches first introduce the idea of fair and foul being interchanged, oppositions abound.  And the witches equivocate here as they do elsewhere in the play.

Macbeth's reaction also reveals that he is at least smart enough to know better than to place complete confidence in the witches, though he would like to.  Repeatedly as the play progresses, Macbeth will one moment seem to believe he is invincible, while the next moment seem to know the predictions are too good to be true.

In The Book Thief how does Hans gain Liesel's love?

Hans, who is an incredibly kind, decent and patient man, easily wins over Liesel's affections after she comes to the Hubermann household.  He does this through several different acts of kindness, all of which help Liesel to feel loved, supported, and okay with who she is.

Liesel is afflicted with horrible nightmares about her brother's death.  Every single night, she sees his body in her dreams again, and wakes up screaming from the trauma that created within her.  Hans, every single night, goes in to her and comforts her while she calms down and is able to go back to sleep.  He hugs her, speaks soothing words, listens to her, and stays with her for hours. This helps Liesel to feel loved instead of like a burden.  Hans demonstrates total patience and love for her through this hard time.

Also, Hans teaches Liesel how to read and write--Liesel, who doesn't know how, snatches books that Hans then patiently teaches her to decipher.  He does this during their nightime nightmare hours, and also in the basement, using Hans' paints to teach her how to write.  He is incredibly patient, as this is a very difficult and slow process, and he never shows impatience or frustration with Liesel's slow progress.  One last way that Hans shows love is by shielding Liesel from the more gruff style of Rosa, joking with Liesel, and teaching her through example how to respond to Rosa's rather unconventional way of dealing with her.

Overall, Hans is a stabilizing and life-saving force in Liesel's life, one that allows her to overcome the difficult circumstances that she has faced, and be strong.  I hope that those thoughts helped; good luck!

Who started the newspaper Indian Mirror?

A quick internet search for the founders of Indian Mirror newspaper leads to different answers. While many links point to Devendra Nath Tagore, Wikipedia has a more detailed answer on this. 

According to Wikipedia, the Indian Mirror was founded by Monomohun Ghosh and Keshub Chandur Sen around 1861-1862. The two met while Monomohun Ghosh was a student at the Presidency College in Calcutta, India.

It is also interesting to note that the Indian Mirror was among the first Indian newspapers. The founder, Monomohun Ghosh, is no less distinguished. He, along with Satyendranath Tagore, was the first Indian to appear for Indian Civil Services (though he failed in both his attempts). He is also one of the founders of the Indian National Congress, the party that led India to independence.

Please compare and contrast the character Willie Loman in "Death of a Salesman" and Othello in "Othello".

You might consider some of the following to get you started:

(1) Their treatment of their wives.  Both men have loyal wives who love them dearly.  Both men misjudge and underestimate their wives.

(2) Their influences.  Willy's dreams of success are influenced by his brother Ben;  Othello is influenced by Iago.  For each, these influences lead to poor decisions.

(3) Their pride.  Willy's pride keeps him from accepting a job from Charley. Thoughts of Desdemona cheating on him wound Othello's pride in his manhoood.

(4) Their sense of alienation.  Willy fears being ridiculed and underappreciated; Othello is acutely aware that he is black, "declined into the vale of years," and has "not those soft parts of conversation that chamberers have."

(5) Reminders of infidelity.  For Willy it is Linda mending her stockings.  This sight makes him aware of his own unfaithfulness.  For Othello, it is his lost handkerchief which makes him believe that Desdemona is unfaithful.

(6) Their illusions.  Willy's illusions concern his ideas of the American dream and how to attain it.  Othello's illusions concern Desdemona's unfaithfulness.

(7) Their mental instability.  Willy's disappointment in Biff, the pressures of his job, and the guilt from the past cause him to talk to himself or to others who are not truly present.  Iago's words cause Othello to be "perplexed in the extreme," almost to madness.  Indeed, Othello goes into a seizure-like fit when Iago gives him the "ocular proof."

(7) Their deaths.  Both commit suicide.  Willy commits suicide to give his son another chance with the insurance money; Othello commits suicide when he becomes fully aware of Desdemona's innocence.  The difference here lies, though, in that Willy dies without ever becoming disabused of his dreams or beliefs.  He thinks his death is one last business venture that will make Biff a financial success;  Othello dies without any illusions, with full realization of the crime he committed and of the "dearerst pearl" that he threw away.