Upon seeing Tom, what is the first concern of both Ma and Pa? What is Ma's second worry?chapter eight

When Tom first approaches his pa, his father at first does not recognize him, and then asks him if he has broken out of prison. Tom experiences the same question when he goes in to greet his ma.

Ma's second question is if being in prison has caused Tom to go "mad". She is concerned because she knew Pretty Boy Floyd, and says that after he went to prison he became "mean mad". Ma worries about the effect prison has had on her son, and while not asking any more questions of him, she wants to know if he is still the same son she had before he went to prison.

What was it like to be alive during William Shakespeare's era?How did these times affect the writer?

Life during the second half of the sixteenth century was difficult for most.  Perhaps the only part of the population who had a somewhat easier time of it, was the nobility.  Shakespeare's life as a playwright and actor is indicative of this.  He certainly was not wealthy, and he did not enjoy the notoriety or fame during his own life that he does now. 

That being said, much of what Shakespeare incorporates into his plays deal with matters beyond the realm of most commoners.  He does relatively little to address the concerns of those other than the nobility or politically active.  His plays often reflect political intrigue, the family life of the wealthy, and sometimes a combination of both.  In Richard III, his depiction of the title character is a direct reaction to the political realities of the Elizabethan era.  As the granddaughter of Henry VII, the founder of the Tudor line and the man who killed Richard III at Bosworth field in 1485, Shakespeare certainly realized that depicting Richard III as anything other than an evil usurper would have been out of the question.  He would not dare cast doubt on the legitimacy of the Tudor line (and Elizabeth I's rule specifically).

In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare addresses the issue of life for, as well as the practices of aristocratic families.  Romeo and Juliet, two lovers who come from competing houses, spark the rivalry and mutual disdain the two families have for one another.  In addition, the idea that marriages happened at 14 and 16 years of age would not have been a stretch during the sixteenth century.

As with any writer, Shakespeare did not write in a vacuum.  All of his writing, to varying extents, reflect the period in which he lived.  Some of the influences, however, are a bit more apparent than others.

Without a doubt, Shakespeare examines more transcendent themes relating to human psychology and human nature.

What is point of view in Carver's "Neighbors"?

The speaker of Raymond Carver's "Neighbors," a story with a theme that it is not appropriate to spy on other people's belongings or intrude on other's property when one has permission, but is not admirable to do, is an unnamed observer whose attention is focused on Bill Miller, the major character, and his wife Arlene. The point of view is thus third-person limited. This is discovered early on in the narrative when the speaker discusses objective and factual things about the Millers, but is also able to tell what is happening in Bill Miller's mind. This characteristic of the point of view of third-person limited.

How does Byron's personality change over the course of this story?

Byron changes over the course of the story by becoming less antagonistic towards his family. In the beginning, he  goes out of his way to torture Kenny. He is always taunting him, or using physical force against him. He finds the gang life and causing trouble to be appealing. Their time in Birmingham brings racial issues and tragedy that cause Byron to be a good brother to Kenny. After the church bombing, Kenny is devastated. It is Byron who is able to make him feel better by telling him that Joey is alive because she went after Kenny and that it was incredibly brave of Kenny to go into the church. He also tries to explain to him how something like this happens. By would not have been this caring at the beginning of the story.

What is the resolution of Chapter 6 in "Of Mice and Men"?

     Lennie returns to the pond after killing Curly's wife, just as George had instructed him to do.  Shortly thereafter, George arrives at the site and shoots Lennie with Carlson's Luger.  When the other men from the ranch arrive at the scene, only Slim understands what has just happened.  George lets the men think that Lennie had taken Carlson's gun and that George had killed him when he took the gun from Lennie. 

     George's shooting of Lennie is foreshadowed by Carlson's shooting of Candy's dog.  While Candy had allowed someone else to kill his dog, George takes responsibility for "putting Lennie down."  Slim affirms George's obligation to Lennie when he says, "You hadda, George."  Had George not killed Lennie when he did, mercifully and peacefully, Curly and his posse would have tormented Lennie before killing him.

How have cell phones affected society as they have developed technologically? What ethical and moral issues have been encountered along the...

While an inanimate object such as a cell phone cannot be either moral or ethical, the usage of it can present certain ethical dilemmas.  One of the most salient is the invasion of one's privacy and personal freedoms.  For instance, people surreptitiously photgraph and record others without their knowing it.  Then, these recordings are employed in plots against the people such as the cases of students taping their teachers only at certain moments so that they can manipulate the teacher's words, taken out of context, to implicate the teacher in order to retaliate against the disciplinary measures of the teacher, etc. Likewise, photos of people, taken out of context--or even in context--can implicate them in various ways.  In schools, cell phones are used for cheating, also:  students photograph tests, text each other answers, etc., or they look up answers on search engines when they have phones that access the internet.

In another example, without people's knowledge, sexually perverted people can "steal" photographs of people without their knowledge.  Or, treacherous people can use photographs or taped words stolen from private moments of people in order to extort money from them.  Photos of credit cards have been taken and card numbers have been used to purchase merchandise illegally.

While the unethical use of cell phones has negatively affected society, there are certainly many positive affects, such as the access of significant information that can enable investigators in the solving of crimes.

See the site listed below for more information.

Do you have any suggestions for another title for the story Freak the Mighty?Helppp!!!! I have to submit this thing tomorrow.

Interestingly, my paperback copy of the Rodman Philbrick novel is actually entitled The Mighty rather than its earlier original title of Freak the Mighty. The 1998 film version (starring Sharon Stone as Gwen, Harry Dean Stanton as Grim, Gena Rowlands as Gram, and Kieran Culkin as Kevin/Freak) was also retitled The Mighty. Philbrick's sequel was titled Max the Mighty (1998). My guess is that the word "freak" was considered too politically incorrect to continue its useage. However, I think that is ridiculous since the main character, Kevin, apparently didn't mind being called Freak; and the two-some of Max and Kevin seemed to thrive on their combined Freak the Mighty nom de pleur.

So, what would I call the book? I think the original title (and the two boys' self-given nickname) is one of the book's strengths. I wouldn't change it. But, since you asked, how about "Two Heads are Better Than One."