In "To Kill a Mockingbird," what is a "hot steam"?

Hot steams are lost, wandering ghosts who still have some sort of business to take care of on earth.  They are restless spirts who, according to Jem, can suck the soul out of you.  Jem tells Dill about hot steams and teaches him the rhyme, "Angel bright, life in death; get off the road, don't suck my breath,” to ward off the phantoms who walk in the imaginations of the children in To Kill a Mockingbird.

The novel, To Kill a Mockingbird has many southern sayings and superstitions in it.  The superstition that it is a “sin to kill a mockingbird” drives the title and major theme concerning the innocence of its characters.  Perhaps the one person in the story who is surrounded most by rumors and superstitions is Boo Radley.  He is blamed for freezing azaleas, peeping in windows, and eating squirrels.  Children, like Scout, Jem, and Dill, always have scary stories and superstitions whether they are about “Bloody Mary” or “hot steams.”

Discuss two characters in My Antonia who work both with and against each other to bring the narrative's intrigue full circle by its end.

In Willa Cather's My Ántonia, the two characters that work both with and against each other are Jim and Ántonia.

Both arrive as children on the harsh Nebraska frontier, where they grow up together. Whereas Jim's family is comfortable enough to survive his first winter, Ántonia's family is just beginning, and the winter is a bleak and tragic one.

Jim has certain advantages that Ántonia and her family do not: after all, Antonia and her kin are foreigners hoping to find a new life in this country, but are still considered foreigners. Jim's grandparents have been settled on their land for sometime.

Jim works the farm, but eventually goes to school. Antonia works her farm as hard as any boy, but is only able to learn through Jim's schooling—but she works very hard. (Eventually she is hired by a family in Black Hawk to help around the house.) The two young people become great friends, but although Jim cares deeply for her, he has certain expectations of her and finds it difficult to look past her failure to live up to them. (We see this, eventually, when she gets pregnant.)

While both care for the other, they ultimately must pursue different paths: Antonia likes to go out with her friends and dance and have fun. Jim knows certain behaviors are expected of him by his family, and he does his best to adhere to their wishes. Where Antonia is hardworking, but life-loving, Jim is cautious and careful. He always opts for the safest path.

After high school, Jim goes to college and then law school, and Antonia works in town until she leaves to get married and comes home in disgrace.

By the time they come together again at the end of the novel, Jim and Ántonia are joined within their hearts like the grasses that are a permanent part of the Nebraskan landscape. Neither has lost the attachment of their childhood. However, their lives are very different.

Jim has a respectable job, but travels around a great deal. He has no family—no children. It seems, too, that he has lost his connection with the Nebraska plains where he grew up.

On the other hand, Antonia has a large family, a loving husband, and a successful farm. They have worked hard for what they have, and their lives are complete. Antonia is full of enthusiasm for every aspect of her life, feeling every bit at home with her children as well as her orchards.

Jim has lost his grounding, while Antonia has realized all that she ever wanted. Ironically, where Jim followed the strict dictates of society, he was never encouraged to embrace life with his entire being, and now leads an isolated existence. But by ignoring society's dictates, Antonia has achieved a full and happy life, which she would not trade. Even in light of their differing circumstances, Jim is able to see the woman Ántonia has become, a heroic figure in her own right.

I need help with Hughes' poem, "The City." What is the structure? Theme? Symbols? Moral and historical context?

Hughes' poem appears here:

In the morning the city

Spreads its wings

Making a song

In stone that sings.

In the evening the city

Goes to bed

Hanging lights

About its head.

The poem is structured in two stanzas with a regular rhyme scheme. Through imagery, Hughes develops the idea that the city is beautiful, both by day and by night. The beauty is expressed in the first four lines, ironically, through a nature image: The city is a bird, spreading its wings and singing. In the second stanza, the city is personified as a living being decorating itself with lights, another image of beauty.

The city becomes a symbol of beauty found  in an unexpected place in unexpected ways. One would not expect to find music in stone, but Huges does. Hughes was long associated with Harlem in New York City, identified as a major artist in the Harlem Renaissance movement. This poem could reflect his love for New York; it could address another city or cities in general. Hughes travelled a great deal during his life.

What are the point of view, conflict, setting, and theme of the story "Moonlight"?

The point of view is perspective from which the story is told. In this story, the narrator is outside the characters, looking in. We call that the 3rd-person point of view. Additionally, the narrator knows the thoughts of both characters, so we call that the omniscient (all-knowing) 3rd person.

The setting is the parlor of the home of Madame Julie Roubere.

The overriding conflict in this story is man vs. self. When Henriette arrives, Julie is struck by the fact that she has two white locks in her black hair. Henriette is in her early twenties, and so should not have any white hairs. Julie knows something is wrong and begs her sister to tell her. Henriette is dissatisfied in her marriage and believes she has had an affair with a phantom. The conflict is not man vs. man because Henriette's husband is not aware of her conflict. She struggles within herself, searching for the romance that is missing in her marriage.

A theme of this story may be what Julie says in the last paragraph: "...very often it is not a man that we love, but love itself." Would Henriette be satisfied by any man?

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In chapter five of Frankenstein what does it reveal about the character Victor Frankenstein how is this any different from the rest of the novel ?

Interesting question... In chapter 5 the reader and Victor simultaneously begin to contemplate the gravity of Frankenstein's actions. The duality of Frankenstein's thoughts about the monster's looks suggests uncertainity. Frankenstein's creation is starting to take a toll on his conscience, he is physically exhausted, has dreams consumed with the monster, and is unable to escape the mental anguish he is beginning to harbor. Chapter 5 is the moment that Frankenstein realizes that there will be consequences for his actions, a revelation he cannot change nor escape from.

When we first see the witches in Macbeth, they are planning to meet Macbeth on the heath. Why do they want to meet him?

The witches want to meet with Macbeth in order to plant the seed of kingship in a brain already full of ambition.  The witches are not definite in their reasoning the first time the reader hears them speak; however, they give a clue as to their purpose in the following lines:  "Fair is foul, and foul is fair. / Hover through the fog and filthy air" (1.1.10-11).  Macbeth (we assume) has never had the gall enough to usurp the throne from Duncan.  Therefore, when the witches arrive and make a prediction the question arises whether they are putting a new idea in his head or whether they are simply fueling the fire of Macbeth's ambition making it that very "vaulting ambition" that Macbeth has become so famous for.  In my opinion, it can be true and supported through evidence either way.  That is the beauty and the ambiguity of Shakespeare's genius.

In the final scene Ralph weeps because he has lost his innocence. Why? In comparison to others, he was good.

Ralph actually weeps for three things in the final chapter of the novel:

And in the middle of them, with filthy body, matted hair, and unwiped nose, Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy.

Ralph has lost his innocence. He thought, at the beginning of the novel, that it was a "good island", but, by the end of the novel, has realised the truth: that the boys themselves have turned the island from an Edenic paradise into a burning, fiery hell. He has realised the "darkness of man's heart", the badness and evil within all human beings. He is aware - and he has witnessed (and, with Simon, participated in) the deaths of two young boys.

He was better behaved than some others. But he did join into the hunts, he did feel the "desire to squeeze and hurt". He failed as a chief to hold things together, and to present a viable challenge to the glamour and excitement of Jack's hunting. He didn't have the strength of Piggy or Simon, both of whom repelled the idea of the beast. The beast won out in the end, and destroyed the island.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, what type of narration is being used?

In Harper Lee's  "To Kill A Mockingbird," the narration being used is First Person.  Scout Finch is an 11 year-old girl who lives in Macomb.  The setting is during the depression.  Scout tells the story of Jem, Atticus, Tom Robinson, and Boo Radley in her own voice.  She talks about the town of Macomb and all the people who live there.  The story is mostly centered around the trial of a black man and the under-current of prejudice in her small town.  It is about the loss of innocence and the maturation of Scout, Jem and Dill.  This was Ms. Lee's only novel, which is very sad because she is a wonderful writer and this is a great novel.

Compare the similarities and difference between Daisy and Jordan in "The Great Gatsby".

Daisy and Jordan can be compared and contrasted in some interesting ways. They knew each other as friends, growing up in Louisville together. Both are young, beautiful, and wealthy, having come from prominent families. Both are dishonest and self-centered, very much accustomed to doing what they want to do at the expense of others. Daisy cheats in her marriage; Jordan cheats at golf, her only pursuit. Both women bore easily, having nothing much to do of any importance, and both have raised flirting to an art form.

The contrast between the two is also strong. Daisy is a passive personality who observes conventional manners, but deals in subterfuge and insincerity. Rather than deal directly with Tom or Gatsby, Daisy lies to them both, avoiding conflict until it is unavoidable. She is not faithful in her marriage, but she enjoys the social and financial security of being married, even though she is well aware that Tom is carrying on an affair of his own.

Jordan is Fitzgerald's flapper. She is unmarried, but feels no compunction to behave as a "proper" woman would be expected to behave. She leaves her family home to spend the summer alone in New York, which Tom Buchanan, of all people, sees as "inappropriate" behavior. Jordan is blunt and direct, not caring what she says. In fact, Jordan frequently enjoys saying that which shocks. Jordan is in no way passive; she is quite aggressive. For example, consider the conversation when Nick goes to see her, as a gentleman would, to say goodbye because their relationship is over. Jordan first lies, saying that she is engaged to another man. She then attacks:

Nevertheless, you did throw me over . . . You threw me over on the telephone. I don't give a damn about you now but it was a new experience for me and I felt a little dizzy for a while.

Nick shakes her hand, without comment, but Jordan isn't through:

I mean it was careless of me to make such a wrong guess. I thought you were rather an honest, straightforward person. I thought it was your secret pride.

Thus, Jordan ends her part of their relationship by accusing Nick of lying to her and deceiving her--hardly passive behavior.

What are the major themes in Jude the Obscure?

Hardy's "Jude The Obscure" has several themes, but the most evident is one that recurs in several of Hardy's writings.  The morality issue is large.  Jude does what he can do the best he can do it.  He tries to remain a moral man and he makes the best decisions he knows how to make after looking closely at whatever situation he finds himself in.  He tries to follow an ethical and moral path.  They may not seem to be ethical and moral to the surrounding community but he is true to his values and when he sees that he has been wrong in his thinking or made a wrong choice, he accepts responsibility for his actions.

This novel is also about the freedom of choice for women.  Sue is considered to be a "new woman" who acts on her impulses and does not try to live her life by Victorian standards.

In The Odyssey, why doesn't Odysseus tell his men the perils of the journey they will be undertaking?

There are two very different reasons Odysseus didn't tell his men about the risks of the voyage. First and most simply, he didn't know most of them. He didn't know how magical people like Circe would be, he didn't know about the Cyclops, etc. (Some of the risk he generated himself, too, like bragging to the Cyclops.) Second, it's not in his character. Odysseus is the great deceiver and manipulator. He's always improvising, and he primarily tells the truth when it best serves his purpose. Other times, a lie or an omission will do just as well, and that's definitely the case here.

Why is Don Pedro so melancholy?

The straight answer is 'we just don't know'. It's up to the actor and the director in any given production make a decision about him, and play that. But whatever is making him sad is in the subtext. There are two main clues, I  For a start, he seems to be "friendly" towards Claudio in an incredibly passionate and committed sort of way:

My love is thine to teach. Teach it but how,
And thou shalt see how apt it is to learn
Any hard lesson that may do thee good.

It's difficult not to notice too the speed with which he joins in with Claudio to decide that Hero is a whore.

He also makes a rather sad, immediately rejected marriage proposal to Beatrice at the party:

BEATRICE:
I would rather have one of your father's getting.
Hath your Grace ne'er a brother like you? Your father got excellent husbands, if a maid could come by them.

DON PEDRO:
Will you have me, lady?

BEATRICE:
No, my lord, unless I might have another for working days: your Grace is too costly to wear every day. But I beseech your Grace pardon me. I was born to speak all mirth and no matter.

But that isn't the only suspicious thing: at the end, after Claudio is remarried to the newly-alive Hero, everyone else is happy and the ending has worked out. And at the end, he's left with no wife at all. Benedick shouts to him, just before the end,

Prince, thou art sad. Get thee a wife, get thee a wife!

And he doesn't respond. Maybe it's because Don John, his brother, has just been recaptured and will have to be punished. Maybe it's because he was in love with Claudio or Beatrice; and now both of them are married. Who knows? Make of it what you will!

Hope it helps!

What is an example of osmosis?

Examples of Osmosis Applied

The following are examples of osmosis for those of you who need to see an example to clearly understand science (like me)…

Example of osmosis 1.

If you put rice into a bowl of water, the water will move into the rice causing them to swell, while causing the water level to drop.

Osmosis example 2.

If a cell is placed in a container which is full of a hypotonic solution (not many solutes) than the fluid in that container will naturally want to be drawn into the cell and this will cause the cell to swell up and rupture (lyse).

Example of osmosis 3.

If a cell is placed in a container which is full of a hypertonic solution, than the cell will lose fluid as it is diffused outof the cell into the area of greater solute concentration. This will cause the cell to shrink (crenate).

Example of osmosis 4.

In medicine, if a patient drawns in salt water, the hypertonic water in the lungs will cause more fluid to be drawn out of the pulmonary arteries into the alvioli and lungs. This will more often result in pulmonary oedema than a patient who has drawned in fresh water.

Example of osmosis 5.

If you admister normal saline to a patient intraveneously (which has the same osmolarity as blood / the same amount of solutes as blood) it will mean that the fluid remains unchanged, because their is no osmotic gradient (basically all the fluid stays the same). Now, if you were to give mannitol (which is a very hypertonic solution) the fluid within the blood will be drawn out of the cells and into the mannitol solution.

Examples of Osmosis in Cells?

This becomes important when looking at the structure of cells in biology.

If a cell has a high concentration of a solute (salt) it will draw fluid into its cell. If allowed to continue to do this, it will eventually swell up and rupture (this is called cell lysis).

If a cell has a low concentration of a solute it will lose fluid as the fluid within its cell is allowed to be drawn out of the cell through osmosis and into the intersitial space. This will cause the cell to shrink (this is called cell crenation).

Practical Examples of Osmosis in Medicine

Basically, this concept becomes important when we start to administer hypertonic or hypotonic solutions. We understand that if we were to admister 100% sterile water intraveneously to patients who are dehydrated, the cells within the vasculature (blood vessels) would draw up all that fluid due to the osmotic gradient shift (this basically means that the fluid will want to shift into the cells) and this will cause the local cells to swell and lyse (rupture). This means that the red blood cells themselves will no longer be capable of carrying oxygen and serving their purpose.

Likewise, if you were to administer 50% glucose intravenously, the hypertonic solution (lots of solutes) will cause a lot of fluid to shift towards it. Now, so long as the canula is in a large vein, it will be able to draw fluid from a large area. However, if the canula is inserted in a small vein or accidentally inserted into the intersitial space and not a vein, it will not be able to draw fluid from all over, and consequently draw all the fluid from the surrounding cells. This will cause the cells to shrink (crenate) and again, become unable to sustain life. In these circumstance, patients may develop cellulitis or damaged veins.

In A Doll's House, what is the “miracle of miracles” of which Nora speaks near the end of the play?

At the conclusion of the play, Nora speaks to Torvald of "the wonderful thing" that she had waited for patiently for eight years during their marriage. When her secret came out about the illegal loan she had taken from the bank, Nora explains, she thought "the wonderful thing" might happen then, but it had not:

It was to-night, when the wonderful thing did not happen; then I saw you were not the man I had thought you were.

As her conversation with Torvald continues, Nora tells him what "the wonderful thing" would have been:

. . . I was so absolutely certain [sic] you would come forward and take everything upon yourself, and say: I am the guilty one.

What Nora had longed for was proof that her husband loved her for the person she was, even more than he loved himself, instead of relating to her as a "doll-wife" and source of amusement. After eight years of living in a superficial marriage, Nora needed truth and validation. When "the wonderful thing" did not occur, Nora saw Torvald for the totally self-centered man he really was, concerned only for himself. At that point, Nora stops waiting for anything wonderful to come of her marriage; she leaves her husband.

Can I sue the apartment complex for my car being stolen from there?I had my car stolen from my apartment complex which is gated. The apartment...

The American legal system allows you to sue just about anybody you want. What you are asking is whether your suit would have merit, and not be dismissed on pretrial motion.

There are a couple theories at play. The place to start is with your leasing contract. Is there language in the contract that talks about secure parking or gives some indication of the security of the parking garage? Most likely there isn't.  But bringing a suit on contract is always most often where you start, because contract is in writing and provides certainty.  Judges and juries want certainty. If the contract says we guarantee secure parking and your car was stolen you have contractual language to stand on.

Failing that, you fall to the more encompassing legal theory of tort.  Tort law most often means negligence; that someone should have provided a duty of care but failed to do so. In your case, basic measures that should have been taken to secure your parking garage were not taken. For example, doors were not left locked, or the the garage doors did not function properly and were left open for long periods of time.

But having a good legal theory and actually taking steps to file a suit are totally different.  Taking a legal action is expensive and time consuming.  This is where insurance comes into play. Did you have insurance on your car? Does it cover theft?  These are important because the costs you would  incur to take legal action against the apartment complex could easily exceed the cost of buying a new car.

How can I predict who is going to be my husband?

Depending on your cultural background, your future husband can be determined by a number of factors. In some cultures, your husband may be chosen for you by your parents so ask them! However times have dictated that one can choose a husband based on various factors within an individual's life experiences. Some get married based on circumstances such as pregnancy, or an overwhelming urge to please family, friends or society's expectation. Other circumstances could include financial or immigration status.When a mature individual meets a likely mate, it may depend on a deep physical, intellectual, spiritual connection they have made and would like to continue the rest of their life. They may want children of their own or to adopt and marriage supports those goals financially and legally. They may fall in love and have no specific reason, just "chemistry". It is important to compare similar interests and compatibility. It takes time to find the partner who is one most likely to be ones future husband as well as a deep commitment, similar goals, compatibility, and of course LOVE.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, when should the reader experience an epiphany regarding Mr. Ewell's left hand?

Atticus establishes during Sheriff Heck Tate's testimony that the bruises on Mayella's face were under her right eye; the sheriff also testifies that there were other bruises found all the way around her neck. When Atticus questions Bob Ewell about his writing hand, Bob signs his name with his left hand. This clearly indicates that it could have been Bob who beat and strangled Mayella. But, as Scout quickly realized,

... Tom Robinson could easily be left-handed, too... I looked down at him. His back was to us, but I could see his broad shoulders and bull-thick neck. He could easily have done it.

The true epiphany concerning the importance of Bob's left hand comes later when Atticus requests Tom to stand and allow Mayella to identify him. Scout had never seen Tom stand before; Tom had been sitting behind a table with Atticus, but when he stood, Scout saw that

His left arm was fully twelve inches shorter than his right, and hung dead at his side. It ended in a small, shriveled hand, and from as far away as the balcony I could see that it was no use to him.
     "Scout," breathed Jem. "Scout, look! Reverend, he's crippled!"

It was only then that Jem and Scout--and the reader--became aware that Tom could not have physically caused the injuries to Mayella. Her injuries could only have been caused by the left hand of Bob Ewell.

What happens to a substance when it melts and freezes?i don't know what will happen

The most obvious thing that will happen is that there will be a change of state, from liquid to solid at the melting/freezing point (they are really the same thing--the temperature at which this state change occurs.) In general, as well, is that the volume decreases as temperature decreases. This is easiest to see with gasses, but also happens with liquids and solids. A major exception is water. When it freezes (ie, goes from a liquid to a solid state), its volume increases. This is because the water molecules form a crystal. As the same weight of water is now taking up more space (as ice), the density of the ice is less. You see this in action when you have ice cubes floating in your drink. If water did not have this property, there is a good chance that life would not be possible on earth, because when a body of water froze, it would do it from the bottom up, rather than the top down. It would then remain frozen, as it would be impossible for the sun to thaw it--if the surface melted a bit, it would re-freeze as the underlying layers would stay frozen.

What are the differences and usages between technology of the late 1800s and the 21st century?i was wondering how i could in corporate this into my...

By the late 1800's, industrialization was in full gear in much of Europe and North America.  Almost all the industrialization during this era was the result of the maturing steam technology, which had already been evolving for about 100 years.  The steam engine, being the critical device developed at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, continued to be refined; it application had revolutionized land and water transportation, textile manufacture, mining, and agriculture during that century, and most importantly, allowed for mass production to fully take hold.  These "heavy industries" created more goods at cheaper prices, and raised the standard of living for millions.

In parallel, or perhaps as an extension, the Information Revolution of our time is a direct result of the Industrial Revolution.  The critical device, the integrated circuit or computer chip, has, like its predecessor, altered industry to unrecognizability from a century ago and created devices and processes that were unconceivable even 20 years ago.  The mass of data available to any individual has again enabled the standard of living to rise, and the speed at which new devices and techniques are created can only continue to increase the rate of improvement.