Why do people use heroin?heroin is a drug that is usuall injected or snorted

A good question, with a difficult answer. People use heroin for several reasons, and unfortunately they are not all simple and straight forward. When you look at the populations involved in the use of heroin, you can break them up into two seperate groups, those that use the substance recreationally, and those that are dependant, and unfortunately dependant users are the ones that we see and hear about in the media. If we look at the dependant group of users, there are several main issues around the use of the drug within this population. There are health issues, what is called Dual Diagnosis, or the concept of a major health condition co-existing with the drug use, and where as this health condition can be physical, it is more usually some form of psychiatric or psychological issue. there are also social issues as well, including social normalisation, and learned behaviour, unfortunately in some cities with in the UK and indeed probably in other parts of the world, we now have third, and even fourth generation drug users. This is how the behaviour becomes normalised, the younger people within the family unit see drug use as normal, and this becomes an issue, when we look at the practice of injecting as people do as they see which is not always correct. These kids or teens would see the use of drugs especially in significant others as a coping strategy for dealing with problems , because unlike non drug users, they will not have seen or learned how to cope with family problems without drugs. Another big factor is the conditions within inner cities, and the lack of jobs or college , and this leads to people using drugs as a form of escape. They basically blot out their feelings of boredom and depression.

In Summary@

People use heroin for many reasons, but the main issues or reasons that people use heroin are

• Socialisation: they are living in and around heroin users, and the behaviour demonstrated by these users becomes the norm within the house


• Dual Diagnosis: people use heroin to help deal with symptoms of both Physical Health Issues ( e.g.pain )
  & Mental Health Issues (blotting out the voices in schizophrenia dulling the feelings of hopelessness in depression))


• Poor social & living conditions ( No Job, Poor Housing, Lack of Education)

Is Kurtz important as a character in himself or because of his effect on Marlow? (up to the beginning of Book 2) I though of analysing in what way...

Kurtz is important as a character because he is central to the plot. In Chapters One and Two, you hear a lot about Kurtz but yet Marlow has not yet met him in person.  This builds up a sense of mystery and helps drive the plot along.  The reader soon becomes as interested in Kurtz as Marlow is.  

For examples, the brick-maker mentions Kurtz and the Manager as well.  Marlow overhears the leader of the Eldorado Expedition (the Manager's Uncle) and the Manager talking about Kurtz.  Also, Marlow runs into the Russian who is totally enamored by his meeting Kurtz and repeats over and over again, "He enlarged my mind".  All of these 'rumours' about Kurtz help develop the plot. There are other examples - I marked a book up once with tags at every time Kurtz is mentioned by someone before we ever met him.

That would be my argument that he is important as a character.  Of course Kurtz is vital to Marlow because he serves as an example of Marlow's internal journey and the danger Marlow himself could find himself in, in the heart of darkness.  However, I think you could argue Kurtz as being important just based on his role of building up mystery and suspense in the story. 

How does the verbal irony in "A Modest Proposal" help make his point?IN general why do people use verbal irony..?What is its effect/function?

Concerning Swift's "A Modest Proposal," Swift had previously tried conventional writing methods in attempts to convince the wealthy English, the wealthy Irish, and the English government that oppression of the Irish poor needed to be stopped.  Near the end of this ironic essay, Swift actually lists the solutions he had previously suggested:  they're in italics, to separate them from his ironical proposal and to let the reader know that these are, indeed, serious proposals.  He lists, for instance, the idea that landlords "have at least one degree of mercy toward their tenants."  The italics are Swift's. 

Since his previous efforts showed little results, he wrote "A Modest Proposal" in an attempt to shock his targets into doing something positive to help the Irish poor.  The verbal irony allows him to do this.  He couldn't seriously propose something like this, people would have just dismissed him as a lunatic, and, since he was on the Irish side of the situation, he couldn't honestly have done so, he wouldn't have wanted to.  So, since it would make no sense to do it seriously, he does it ironically. 

The essay is shocking, but once the reader "gets" the irony, it's also hilarious and entertaining. 

Another benefit of verbal irony is that the reader experiences a feeling of discovery and even superiority.  The reader discovers the true meaning behind the essay, and feels superior because he knows something the "targets" apparently do not.

In the end, however, the last bitter irony was at Swift's expense.  Though the essay is still read and admired today, it accomplished nothing to help the Irish poor.            

Who did Boo{Arthur Radley} affect? How did he affect the characters in the book, what did he do to make the characters grow, what was some of his...

Boo namely affects Scout and Jem.  Initially in the novel they (along with Dill) become obsessed with Boo and all of the sensational rumors that swirl through the neighborhood about him and his family.  But as the two grow up, Boo tries to interact with them, such as leaving the gifts in the old knot in the neighborhood tree.  One of the saddest moments comes when Jem sees that the knot has been filled in and that Boo's family is trying to keep him secluded from the outside world.  Another key moment occurs when Jem is trying to sneak a note into Boo and is scared away by a shotgun blast.  In his escape, Jem tears his jeans to shreds and leaves them tangled in the Radley fence.  Later when he returns to get them, he sees that they have been mended, likely by Boo.  This has a profound affect on him for it shows a very human side to this mythical figure.

Boo also has quite an impact on Scout, not only through the gifts in the tree but also by placing a blanket around her the night Miss Maudie's house burns.  Of course, his greatest act is saving Jem and Scout from Bob Ewell's attack.

Finally, Boo is a 'mockingbird' (along with Tom Robinson).  He does nothing but help others and it would be a 'sin' to drag this shy, quiet man out into the public's attention with a murder trail, so Heck Tate quietly covers up the fact that Boo stabbed Bob Ewell and says that Bob simply fell on his knife.

In 'ONE' paragraph, why is it important to recognise moral and ethical issues in relation to scientific and technological developments?

There are two commonly used definitions of scientific ethics.  In one case, ethics are rules, standards, or guidelines that govern the conduct of the members of the scientific community.  Bronowski, in Science and Human Values, states:

The world is made, it is powered by science; and for any man to abdicate an interest [for ethics] in science is to walk with open eyes toward slavery.

The second and more widely used definition of ethics deals with moral choices made by the individual in his relationship with others.  The fear, here, is the rogue scientist, who--like Victor Frankenstein--develops madman technology that is used to threaten values and standards.   Again, Bronowski:

Those who think that science is ethically neutral confuse the findings of science, which are, with the activity of science, which is not.

Who invented the first telescope and discovered the 4 moon of Jupiter?

Four centuries ago, in the Netherlands, it had began to talk about achieving of a lens device through which the considerable distances could be seen. Initially, having poor performance, the invention has evolved rapidly, becoming a high-precision optical instrument, able even to track satellites of Jupiter. Today, people consider the Dutchman Hans Lippershey as the first man who had assembled, in 1608, the lenses so he could see close objects, although Galileo Galilei was credited as the inventor of the telescope. And yet, perhaps, to neither of these scientists, does not belong the paternity of telescope discovery.

The true inventor of the telescope could be, according to the latest historical assumptions, a modest Spanish merchant, Juan Roget, who died between 1617 and 1624. His idea has not been received well in his country of origin, but paradoxically, in another country located in a full war with the Spanish Empire - Netherlands, where three individuals have stolen the idea - believes the British historian Nick Pelling.

In The Crucible, why does Hale denounce the proceedings of the court?

Hale denounces the proceedings at the end of Act II scene 2, after Proctor brings Mary Warren before the court and tells of the fraudulant nature of the accusations.  Proctor goes so far as to admit to his own sin of fornication before Danforth, the judge.  Danforth brings the other girls in and they begin accusing Proctor of witchcraft.  Mary can not hold the truth under the pressure of the other girls and also turns against Proctor.  At this point, Hale, who has been suspicious of the accusations for some time, finally becomes sure that the girls are frauds and that Danforth is refusing to listen to reason so he denounces the proceedings and leaves the court.