What do you think is the key message of Dutchman by Leroi Jones/Amiri Baraka?

Leroi Jones wrote Dutchman as he was about to change his name into Amiri Baraka and embrace black nationalism. The play mirrors this transition as it retains some experimental and avant-garde techniques of the artists' earlier career, but anticipates the political militancy of his later pieces. Dutchman depicts the murder of Clay, a black middle-class male by Lula, a white female. The fact that Lula is preparing to murder again as the play closes shows that Jones conceives the act of violence as a ritual that is constantly repeating itself. Therefore, the key message of the text is to encourage black people to rebel against a violent, white world that exploits and kills them. Through the character of Clay, a bourgeois African American who has adopted a lifestyle acceptable to the white middle-classes, Jones shows that assimilation to white society and values is not a solution to racism. On the contrary, this attitude costs Clay his own life.

Where is racism present in "An Occurence at the Owl Creek Bridge"?

 "In some cases racism is a prominent, or even the chief theme, while in other works critics have revealed racist attitudes that serve as underlying assumptions, but may not be immediately evident to the reader."

In An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge, there is no overt racism in the story, the prisoner is white and so are his executioners.  But it is an underlying theme because the plot involves the conflict between the North and the South, the Civil War.  Peyton Farquhar has risked his life to help the South gain an advantage in the war. 

Although he is not a soldier, he longs to perform some task that will bring honor and recognition to his name.  Therefore, it is easy for the Federal (Northern) Scout, undercover spy, to interest him in the plot to blow up Owl Creek Bridge.

Even though Farquhar knows that if he is caught, he will be executed, he agrees to carry out the mission.   

The actions of Farquhar, who is an Alabama plantation owner, a supporter of slavery, has risked his life to help the South maintain the status quo, the institution of slavery. Therefore, the underlying racism lies in the motivation of the main character's actions. 

His desire to help the South win the Civil War is based on his need to maintain the plantation society, his whole life, is rooted in racism.

What do you think it is the main theme of "The Grave" and why?

In Katherine Anne Porter's short story, "The Grave," I believe the main theme would reflect the story's title.

The story's plot revolves around the grave of the Miranda and Paul's grandfather (and other relatives), that has been moved, and the property where it rested has been sold.

Miranda, nine, and her brother Paul, twelve, find the open graves while out hunting, and with innocence, jump in to explore.  Each finds something of interest: a silver dove and a gold ring. They trade their "treasures," and continue hunting .

When Miranda places the gold ring on her finger and looks at the boyish clothes she wears, she has a sudden urge to dress more like a girl, wearing a dress.  In that moment she begins to become aware of her femininity.

Meanwhile, Paul has shot a rabbit.  After he skins it, they realize it was pregnant.  Opening the flesh that has held the unborn animals, they are both saddened and awed, and decide to tell no one.  However, as Miranda looks at the lovely dead creatures, she also becomes aware of the cycle of life--of birth, and coming close on the heels of the grave: death, not only of those in the cemetery, but also of the mother rabbit and her unborn offspring.  There is a poignant moment of awakening for young Miranda.  They replace the bunnies in the mother's womb, making it their grave: they wrap the carcasses in the animal's skin, hide it in the bushes and leave.

Many years later, Miranda is on the street in a foreign city.  A man is selling dyed candy, molded in the shapes of small animals.  There is meat being sold in the marketplace, as well as wilting flowers.  All of these things come together to take Miranda back to the day in the woods when she was nine years old--where she had crossed the threshold from innocence into knowledge of the world, where her own femininity and the inevitability of birth to death had been realized.  The harshness of that enlightening moment is softened in her mind with a glimpse of a memory of her brother on that day.  He stands in brilliant sunshine, wearing a serious smile while studying the silver dove in his palm.

The grave literally refers to the resting place of Miranda's dead relatives.  It also brings to mind the womb where the bunnies are buried in the underbrush.

It can symbolize, as well, the death of Miranda's innocence.  However, the vision of the brilliant sunshine and the dove her brother carries in her flashback remind her of images of rebirth associated with the sun and dove; in this way the memory does not have to be associated with the darkness that so often accompanies the perception of a grave, but can give her hope in the rebirth that can follow that perception. This is the main theme. In other words, when she left her innocence behind her, it also opened a world of possibilities to her that had been hidden from her prior to that moment.  This ending provides the reader with a sense of hope at the story's end, rather than a feeling of loss.

Why did Lennie deny having a mouse in "Of Mice and Men"?Was Lennie upset?Mention story about rabbits.What does this tell us about Lennie?

The early dialogue between George and Lennie indicates the relationship between the two: George is Lennie's friend as well as caretaker since he has promised Lennie's dying aunt that he will look out for her nephew because she realizes that Lennie is mentally disabled.  This mental disability makes Lennie childlike.  He likes to pet furry animals, but his unthinking herculean strength leads him to pet too vigorously or react when they nip him and kill the animals in spite of his loving them.

Steinbeck writes,

Slowly, like a terrier who doesn't want to bring a ball to its master, Lennie approached, drew back, approached again....'I wasn't doin' nothing bad with it, George.  Jus' stroking it.

This passage clearly indicates the dominance of George over Lennie, while at the same time it shows that Lennie does want to follow his own will. Here, too, is foreshadowing of further conflicts in the novella as it suggests that Lennie may disobey George, albeit unwittingly.

Another significant passage in the exposition of "Of Mice and Men" is in the repetition of their dream which becomes almost a mantra for them.  Childishly, Lennie asks George to repeat their dream about the ranch for which they are saving.  On this ranch Lennie hopes to have rabbits. After his scolding about the mouse, Lennie childishly resorts to talking about the rabbits as both consolation for and explanation of the death of the mice:  "They [ain't] so little."

What is Dee's present attitude toward her mother and sister, and how does the narrator feel about Dee?

Mrs. Johnson feels very disconnected from and uncomfortable around her daughter, Dee. Although she admires Dee as beautiful, stylish, and poised, and sees her as the daughter "who has made it," she makes sure to point out her "faultfinding" and condescending ways. Mama is distrustful of Dee and believes that her superficial daughter was happy when their house burnt down. She sees Dee as cold and selfish. Mama is also a lot more sympathetic towards Maggie and demonstrates these feelings when she takes the quilts from Dee in order to give them to her less successful daughter.

Dee's attitude towards her family has gone from one of shame to one of false admiration. Dee was once embarrassed of her roots, her home, and her family. She now embraces what she believes is her heritage, ironically denying her real background. She changes her name from Dee, a family name, to Wangero, which she believes is more African. She also does not understand the importance of the items her mother and sister still use, but rather sees them as artifacts and believes Maggie to be "backwards" for wanting to use them. Through her words and actions, she demonstrates just how disconnected and out-of-touch she really is when it comes to her family.

In Death and the King's Horseman how does each Act relate to the other?

One way of understanding the structure of this play is to consider how the play presents two very different worlds that are shown to be completely separate and which have very little understanding of each other. This theme is something that is developed through the structure of the play, with scenes 1 and 3 focusing on the Yoruba culture and scenes 2 and 4 focusing mainly on the British Imperial culture represented by Jane and Pilkings. At the end of scene 4, these two cultures are shown to collide with the appearance of Elesin, and in scene 5, the impact of these two cultures colliding produces an explosion that rocks the very centre of both. The relation of the different scenes to each other in this play can therefore be seen as exemplifying the cultural dissonance that exists between the Yoruba culture and the white culture, which sets the scene for the final tragedy that occurs when Pilkings interferes in Yoruba culture without fully understanding what is going on. Note how Olunde draws attention to this in his conversation with Jane in scene 4:

Yet another error into which your people fall. You believe that everything which appears to make sense was learnt from you.

Olunde therefore understands how Pilkings sees Elesin's suicide as a "savage" and "barbaric" custom and feels he should be thanked by Olunde for stopping his father killing himself. He fails to understand the very different perception of death and duty that the Yoruba possess, even though Olunde and Jane's conversation draws out an interesting parallel through reference to the ship's captain who willingly sacrifices himself to save the lives of many. Structurally, the play presents the audience with two very separate worlds that are shown to be radically different in the way they view the world. As the play develops and these two worlds collide, the audience has little expectation of an amicable interchange of views.

how can my boyfriend get custody of his son when he has a criminal record, but has completly turned his life around?The mother has a different guy...

Child custody laws vary from state to state, but generally speaking it is only a court that can grant a change in custody or approve a change in a parenting plan.  It might be difficult to get a change in custody with a criminal record. It might not seem fair but the law is not always fair, unfortunately.

Having said that, a criminal record is not the only factor a judge will consider in child custody matters.  The best interests of the child will always be paramount.

You would be best served consulting with a lawyer familiar with child custody issues in your jurisdiction.  Most likely, an attorney will tell you that your options are 1) trying to get a change in custody approved by the court or 2) making an agreement with the mother and getting that agreement approved by the court.

What symbol in "The Catcher in the Rye" has to do with the theme loss of innocence?

As lizbv mentioned the profanity on the wall. Another example would be the Little Shirley beans record.

The Shirley Beans Record represents a world without phoniness (innocence). Holden mentions the fact that he hates phonies several times in the book, and when he first talks about the record he mentions the fact that he enjoys the singer’s voice, and how she doesn’t sing in an overly cutesy way, as some children would. The breaking of the record symbolizes the loss of innocence, him fumbling to put it back together is a symbol of him trying to save the innocence that once was.

What does the "child is the father of the man" mean in "My Heart Leaps Up"?

MY heart leaps up when I behold  
  A rainbow in the sky:  
So was it when my life began,  
  So is it now I am a man,  
So be it when I shall grow old         
    Or let me die!  
The child is father of the man:  
And I could wish my days to be  
Bound each to each by natural piety.

When the speaker sees the rainbow, his heart "leaps up" with joy. He was happy to see rainbows as a baby, is still happy to see them as an adult, and hopes - one day - to be happy to see them as an old man.

Thus, his childhood enjoyment of the rainbow connects his childhood to his adulthood - and hopefully, will connect his adulthood to his old age. The rainbow and the pleasure the speaker takes in it is a constant point in his life: an unchanging pleasure in a changing world.

It is because his childhood enjoyment of the rainbow connects him as a child and an adult: hence, the man he is grew from the child he was. For that reason, the child might be thought to be father of the man.

Is there mimesis in "Hamlet"?

Mimesis is simply the imitation of life in art: holding the mirror up to nature, as Hamlet himself says in his advice to the players. Acting and theatre are key to "Hamlet", as the exceptional Shakespearean critic Anne Barton points out in her writings on the play.

Where does mimesis appear then? You could look almost anywhere:

• Claudius, who can smile and smile (acting!) and still be a villain.
• The ghost, who might be some "goblin damned" acting like Hamlet's father in order to trick him.
• Hamlet himself acts - and does a speech for the players...
• The players, who perform a play at Hamlet's request.
• Polonius claims to have acted Julius Caesar when he was at university.
• Rosencrantz and Guildenstern pretend to be genuinely concerned about Hamlet; in fact, they are only acting.
• And, not least, Hamlet's "antic disposition" - his madness - which even he admits is "put on" in the play (though critics disagree about whether it stays under his control).
• And, if you know anything about revenge tragedy, you might consider Hamlet's failure to revenge (a failure to act, be active) as a failure to act like a revenger.

Any point in the play where someone uses art or craft to seem like something they are not can be said to be mimetic. And the acting impulse runs right through the very heart of "Hamlet" - all plays, after all, are mimetic, holding the mirror up to nature.

Is there any relation between the structure and function of DNA?

There is indeed a relationship between the structure and function of DNA. DNA contains the genetic code. This means it contains the instructions for whatever characteristics an organism has. In order to perform its job, DNA needs to do two things:

• It must be copied exactly into every cell in the organism, and


• It needs to be able to be interpreted by the cells.

DNA's structure suits it to both of these functions.

Being Copied Exactly. DNA is a double helix. This means it is composed of two strands. The two strands are complementary to each other. This means they have the same information in much the same way that a photograph and a negative have the same information. DNA strands are made of four types of chemicals called bases attached end to end. The four bases are called cytosine (C), guanine (G), thyamine (T), and adenine (A). It is the bases that enable the strands of DNA to be complementary, because cytosine (C) is attracted to guanine (G), and thyamine (T) is attracted to adenine (A). As a result, wherever one strand has cytosine, the complementary stand will have guanine opposite it, and wherever one strand has thyamine, the other will have adenine opposite it. When DNA replicates (duplicates itself), the two stands separate from each other, and a new complementary strand forms along each. In this way, two identical double stranded DNAs form. When a cell reproduces, each gets one of the duplicate DNAs.

Being Interpreted By Cells. The four DNA bases also serve as a code that contains the information on the DNA. Our alphabet contains 26 letters, but a huge number of words can be produced by arranging them in different orders. The DNA code consists of groups of three bases. It is possible to form 64 different combinations of 4 bases arranged in groups of 3. For example, the arrangement of three adenines in a row (AAA) or adenine-thyamine-adenine (ATA) could be codes. Each of these codes stands for an amino acid, the building blocks of proteins. The order of these codes on the DNA strands corresponds to the order of the amino acids in the polypeptide chains that make up the proteins a cell needs to make. Of course, complementary codes need to stand for the same amino acid. (AAA and TTT stand for the same thing.) This means there are 32 different complementary codes, more than enough to code for the 20 amino acids found in proteins, and some left over to signal the start and end of a set of instructions. The cell uses the information on the DNA to make messenger RNAs (mRNA) by complementary base pairing. The mRNA attaches to a ribosome and transfer RNAs (tRNA) carrying the appropriate amino acid line up along the mRNA. Adjacent amino acids are joined chemically building up the protein strands. As the amino acids are joined they let go of the tRNA, and the tRNA falls off the messenger so it can return to the cytoplasm to pick up another amino acid.

The sequence of bases, complementary base pairing, and double strandedness are all structural features of DNA that enable it to work.

What comment does Benjamin the donkey make that shows his cynicism and bad temper in "Animal Farm"?

At the beginning of the novel we are introduced to all the animals.  The reader is told that, "Benjamin is the oldest animal on the farm, and the worst tempered.  He seldom talked and when he did it was usually to make some cynical remark - for instance, he would say the God had given him a tail to keep the files off, but that he would sooner have had no tail and no flies."

We also read that Benjamin never laughs.  He is the only animal on the farm that never laughs.  When the animals asked him why he never laughed Benjamin replies, "I didn't see anything funny."

There is more information on Animal Farm at the link listed below.

Who is the antagonist in the "The Necklace" and what is the theme?

The antagonist causes conflict for the protagonist.  Since Madame Loisel is the protagonist, I would say that the necklace, itself, is the antagonist.  It is at the center of the conflict that is created for the Loisels.

It is after the necklace is lost that all the trouble begins.  So the necklace causes the misery.

The theme that stands out in this story for me is Madame Loisel's misconception about what makes life worthwhile.  Before she went to the fancy party, wearing the dress and the necklace, she longed for this type of society.  The only thing that she believes is worthwhile in life is to be able to attend fancy parties and wear party dresses.  It is very superficial.

She comes to feel true misery in her life, as both she and her husband must dedicate themselves, like slaves, to earning money to pay off the debt created when they borrowed money to buy a new necklace. 

Madame Loisel had a much better life before she went to the party.  

Why does Albany cede the kingdom to Edgar and Kent at the end of King Lear? Shouldn't he, by rights, be king?

You are right, of course. By rights, Albany would have the strongest claim to the crown by the end of the play. However, let us briefly consider the Duke of Albany and his role in the play. He is shown to be basically a good man. However, he allows himself to be dominated and manipulated by his evil wife, Goneril. Even when he becomes aware of his wife's more sinister actions and motivations in the second half of the play, he still does very little to actually stop her. As a result, he is showing the way in which even good characters in this play are shown to be rather weak and ineffectual.

Perhaps, then, his ceding of the kingdom in the final lines of the play to Edgar and Kent is an indication of his own inability to be the kind of ruler that Britain needs at this particular point. Note how he actually phrases this bestowing of power:

Friends of my soul, you twain
Rule in this realm, and the gored state sustain.

Albany perhaps is able to see with clarity that Britain, in its current "gored" condition, needs a strong ruler that can give it direction, strength, and stability. He has been able to reflect on the fact that the way his wife dominated him indicates that he is not that kind of ruler. His goodness is therefore shown through the way that he puts the needs of the nation over his own personal ambition and chooses two characters who he thinks will do a better job than he will.

In William Blake's "The Lamb" and "The Tyger", what questions do the speakers ask?

"The Tyger" and "The Lamb" are both poems from Blake's work "Songs of Innocence and Experience". The title of the volume itself gives you a hint about their meaning. In "The Tyger", the narrator asks "What immortal hand or eye could frame thy fearful symmetry?". The speaker in "The Lamb" asks, "Little lamb who made thee?". Both speakers are asking who created these creatures. Blake is asking how God could have created both the monstrous tyger and the innocent lamb? How do we as human beings reconcile the existence of both good and evil?

what is pareto chart?

A pareto chart is a basic quality management tool that displays the area of data you're collecting. Typically, the right vertical axis is the percentage of total number of occurances (totalling 100%). The left vertical axis is usually frequency of occurance, but could be cost or any other major descriptor you may be using to measure. The pareto chart looks similar to a bar chart, however, each "bar" of information added together equals 100%. Also, included in the chart is a line graph showing the cumulative total of each category.

This chart is used most often to point out the points of negative growth. IE reasons for customer complaints, employee dissatisfaction, or lack of productivity. 

You can create this type of chart using Microsoft Office Suite.

In what ways does Lennie meet George's need for a companion and what is the dominant contrast in Chapter 1 of "Of Mice and Men"?

Of Mice and Men is set during the Great Depression, a time of unmitigated poverty in the States. George and Lennie are two migrant workers. Steinbeck uses animal comparisons to describe them, as if to suggest that the desperate poverty in which they live has reduced them to this state. Lennie is described as a clumsy, stupid bear and George as a scheming, clever rodent of an individual. Animal similes are used in particular with Lennie: he drags his feet "the way a bear drags his paws" and drinks from a pool "like a horse".

Apart from their physical description, they are also opposite in outlook. George is incredibly suspicious and cynical of the world, whereas Lennie sees the world as a beautiful playground, full of fluffy toys for him to play with. George sees darkness whilst Lennie sees light.

Although both George and Lennie talk about life without each other, these are seen to be hollow threats. Despite George's complaints, it is as if he needs Lennie's innocence just as much as Lennie needs George's worldly-wise attitude to survive. Together they complete each other and as a pair they are more than if they were just individuals.

Paraphrase Wordsworth's poem "My heart leaps up when I behold..."

MY heart leaps up when I behold  
  A rainbow in the sky:  
So was it when my life began,  
  So is it now I am a man,  
So be it when I shall grow old         
    Or let me die!  
The child is father of the man:  
And I could wish my days to be  
Bound each to each by natural piety

The speaker says that their heart "leaps up" for joy, when he sees (beholds) a rainbow in the sky. Rainbows were in the sky when he was born, now that he is a man, and he hopes - if not, he'd rather die! - that they'll be there as he grows old.

The child is like the man's father, he says, because - if you look at it chronologically - the child grows into the father, and so is in a strange way "older", belonging to the past. And, as a child is "bound" (tied) to the man he becomes, Wordsworth's speaker hopes that each day of his life will be bound to the next with "natural piety" (piousness - respectfulness - for nature [or just, "that comes naturally"]).

Hope this helps!

What is the interpretation and meaning behind Shakespeare's "Sonnet 73"?

Shakespeare's first 126 sonnets constitute a cycle with  controlling themes that unite sections of the sonnets.  He begins his sonnets with the speaker's "unqualified love for a young man whose youthful beauty is praised."  He further talks about the destructive effects of time upon "youthful beauty."  The sonnets then imply that the poet's beloved has either left him for another or that "the poet's affection has not been returned by the young man."  At this point, sonnet 73 begins.  For example, "That time of year thou mayst in me behold," implies the autumnal stage of life symbolically represented that the poet believes his beloved sees him as growing old as indicated in the following lines:

         In me thou see'st the twilight of such day
         As after sunset fadeth in the west;
         Which by and by black night doth take away,
         Death's second self, that seals up all in rest.

The poet then suggests that rather than the young man being repulsed by the decay of his old age, his lover should embrace him more fully and urgently as indicated in the following lines:

        This thou perceiv'st, which makes thy love more strong,
        To love that well, which thou must leave ere long.

How does one deal with women who smoke or drink during pregnancy?

Some facts on both behaviors might be relevant. The March of Dimes has excellent references and statistics that may prove useful for your research.

According to statistics provided by the March of Dimes. Smoking during pregnancy can result in low-birth weight, premature birth, placenta praevia (low lying placenta), placenta abruption (placenta peels away from the uterine wall before delivery), and stillbirth. SIDS or sudden infant death syndrome is another risk associated with post-delivery infants of smoking moms. I did not find any information regarding how much tobacco use was considered safe for a pregnant mother.  So, we might assume that no levels of tobacco use are safe.

Alcohol consumption is another of those situations where personal choice is always going to be an issue. According to the March of Dimes as little as one drink per week caused a smaller brain circumference in newborn infants. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is associated with heavy users of alcohol, but Fetal Alcohol Affect is associated with more minimal use of alcohol.

"We must prevent all injury and illness that is preventable in society, and alcohol-related birth defects are completely preventable," Dr. Carmona said. "We do not know what, if any, amount of alcohol is safe. But we do know that the risk of a baby being born with any of the fetal alcohol spectrum disorders increases with the amount of alcohol a pregnant woman drinks, as does the likely severity of the condition. And when a pregnant woman drinks alcohol, so does her baby. Therefore, it's in the child's best interest for a pregnant woman to simply not drink alcohol." (http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/pressreleases/sg02222005.html)

I will encourage you to be supportive of this pregnant person and try to avoid nagging. Pregnancy does not last forever, and maybe if this person is aware of the facts associated with her substance use, she will make the quality decision to avoid using for the duration of her pregnancy.  If this person's alcohol use is "out of control" an intervention might be useful.  As a last resort, you might consider a referral to the department of children's protective services, but, only as a last resort.

What is Friction?It's a force

Friction is a force that resists the movement of one object along another object.  If they aren’t moving – that is, if the force trying to move them is weaker than the friction -- the friction is static.  If they are moving – so the force trying to move them is stronger than the friction – the friction is kinetic.

If one of the objects is a wheel or ball, you may get rolling friction.  If the force trying to move it is enough to overcome the static friction, the wheel or ball will slide.  However, if it is not enough to overcome the static friction, it will start to roll.  There is still friction during rolling, but it is weaker.

Finally, there is fluid friction.  If one of the substances is a fluid (liquid or gas) there will still be friction. The viscosity of the fluid determines how much friction there is.  So, if you stuff a tube with heavy grease, it will take a lot more force to move it than if it were filled with water.

The cause of friction is electromagnetic attraction between the two objects called molecular adhesion.  To slide the objects you have to break those bonds.  Friction can be increased if the surfaces are very rough or if one is soft enough that one object digs into the softer one.

How is sugar made by photosynthesis in a plant cell?Describe the process of photosynthesis and its outcomes.

In a plant, the leaves have pigments (chlorophyll) that absorb light and have openings to let  CO2 through called stroma.

Photosynthesis is the process that plant use to trap the suns energy to build glucose as food.  It happens in the chloroplast. It happens in two stages: the light dependent reaction (happens in the thylakoid membrane of the chloroplast) and the Calvin cycle (happens in the stroma)

The equation for photosynthesis is: C02 + H20 -> C6H12O6 + 02

 The light dependent reaction produced ATP and NADPH, energies that are needed to produce glucose (sugar)

The light dependent reaction has these steps: 

1. The light hits the chlorophyll in the thylakoid membrane, which excites electrons and releases enzymes that split H20 into Oxygen ( which is one of the products of photosynthesis and is released) 

2. The electrons are gained by NADP+, an energy in the electron carrier proteins, which are connected a chain called electron transport chain (ETC, we are gonna call it that from now on, since its shorter to type). Since electrons and hydrogens are gained NADP+ is reduced to NADPH. 

3. As energy goes through the ETC, it is lost.The energy will be used by ADP syththase ( an enzyme) to add PHOSPHATE and produce ATP.

The second stage is the Calvin cycle. The Calvin cycle uses the ATP and NADPH to produce carbon. 

The Calvin Cycle goes as following:

1. 3 molecules of CO2 combine w 3 molecules of RuBp to form 6 molecules of the three carbon sugar PGA (this is called carbon fixation because it fixes CO2 gas into an organic compound) [catalyzed by Rubisco]
2. PGA gains phosphate from ATP and be reduced by NADPH to produced 6 molecules of G3P (PGAL)
3. 1 molecules of PGAL leaves chloroplast to the cytoplasm to be involved in the production of gluclose
4. The 5 molecules of G3P will be used to regenerate RuBP (ATP is required)

The Calvin Cycle produced glucose(C6 H12 06)  

Do you think that the narrator is to blame for Doodle's death in "The Scarlet Ibis"?

Now, of course, this is an opinion question, so the answer is up to you, as well as the evidence to support that answer.

In my opinion, however, the narrator is not at all responsible for Doodle's death.  Although, of course, he feels terribly to blame.

Doodle was destined to die.  To use this course of reasoning, you really have to argue that fate has a huge role in this story.  This is evident in the scarlet ibis's presence, which was a foreshadowing of what was to come.  Doodle was represented by this brilliant bird, and the bird died.  Doodle was supposed to die.

The narrator was only 13.  He was cruel, it's true, but he was also only 13.  He was acting how most boys his age do when confronted with something uncomfortable, like a disabled brother.  He was jealous of the attention Doodle got, and he was embarrassed by Doodle's difference.  He was probably also disappointed that he didn't have a brother who could run, wrestle, and play with him as he'd probably originally hoped.  There was a lot of emotion flooding through the narrator.  There is really no way he could have known that Doodle was hurt as badly as he was.  Plus, Doodle sustained a head injury and died so quickly that he would have died even if the narrator had run back sooner to help him.

And regardless of the narrator's motives for helping Doodle to walk, he did improve Doodle's quality of life for a short while, regardless of how frustrated Doodle sometimes got.

What do you think accounts for the mixed feelings Orwell describes in "Shooting an Elephant"?In the story "Shooting an Elephant". As a member of...

Orwell is not comfortable with the way the British have treated the Burmese.  He does not agree with what he represents, but it is his job.  Then on top of that, he is made fun of by the Burmese because of what he represents.  So he is torn between what he believes is right and moral and wanting to get back at the aggressive Burmese who ridicule him.

He says in the story, "All I knew was that I was stuck between my hatred of the empire I served and my rage against the evil-spirited little beasts who tried to make my job impossible."  He understands how the Burmese feel about Britain, yet he hates how they treat him since he represents what they hate.

In "Macbeth", what does the phrase "heat oppressed brain" mean?

The phrase comes from the end of Act II scene 1, where Macbeth ponders killing Duncan.  He clutches a dagger, and proceeds to consider and examine his thoughts about murder, the dagger itself becoming the physical embodiment of the act.  He then questions himself, "Is this just a dagger, or is this murder?" Or in other words, "am I really going through with this act?" and these heavy thoughts cause and continue to cause more heavy thoughts, originating from a "heat oppressed" (headache?) brain.

Later in the soliloquy, he mentions the phrase "heat of deeds," heat in the passage suggesting passion; he's therefore not thinking logically, but reacting emotionally to the murder he's about to commit.

What does Aguanile mean?

"Generally, the vocable “Aguanile” (originally written AGGUANILE) is used in the Yoruba chants in honour of the Orisha Eleggua... but AGGUAN means cleaning and ILE means house, property, plot of land, espace... call it as you wish..." so that AGGUANILE would be “Cleaning of your home or cleaning of your earthly possessions...”  However, there are other interpretations which indicate the word Aguanile translates to "nile river," and "holy water" according to an African language.  Either translation is correct, and each tranlation is spiritually commiting one's self to a higher power.

What are the salient features of Bacon's prose style?

Bacon’s prose style includes a number of features common to the Elizabethans and the Jacobeans: 

1) The of Bacon remains for the main part aphoristic. These are a terseness of expression and epigrammatic brevity in the essays of Bacon. In fact, the essays of Bacon have to be read slowly because of the compact and condensed thought. There are a number of lines, which are read like proverbs. As for example we can quote the essay Of Truth. In this essay Bacon says“ A lie faces God and shrinks pleasure. These sentences show that Bacon is a man of practical wisdom. 

2) This aphoristic style always depends on the device of balance and antithesis. In the essay Of Studies. Bacon says, Studies serve for ornament and for ability In the essay Of Studies he says “ Read not to contradict, nor to believe, but to weigh and consider. He scrupulously presents the advantages and the disadvantages of a particular issue. In the essay Of Mavriage and Single life. Bacon says that an unmarried man is a good friend, good master and good servant, but he is unreliable as a good citizen. In Of Parents and Children Bacon says that children sweeten labour lent they make misfortune bitterer; they increase the care of life but they mitigate the remembrance of death. This sort of weighing and balancing makes his style antithetical. 

3) In Bacon’s style there is an over luxuriance of figures of speech. Bacon is a past master of simile and metaphor. The fact is that Bacon’s mind was wonderfully quick in perceiving analogies of ass types. His similes and metaphors are telling. They strike, they charm and sometimes they thrill. As for example in the essay Of Truth Bacon writes: A mixture of falsehood is like alloy in coin of gold and silver which may make the metal work better, but it debaseth it. In Of Study he says: Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed and some few to be chewed and digested. 

4) Bacon is a master of rhetoric and pithy sentences in his essays. Indeed, the secu of Bacon’s strength lies in his conciseness. We ignored the unnecessary conceits and over crowded imagery of the Enthusiast; but he knew, how to high up his thought with well-placed figures and give to it an imaginative glow and charm when required. 

Bacon’s style was suited for all occasions. His prose style was eminently fitted for such dignified subjects as Truth, Atheism and Love and also such ordinary subjects as ‘Marriage and single life’ and gardening.’The adaptability to the subject matter was a characteristic quality of his writings. 

To conclude we may say that Bacon’s style is compact yet polished and indeed some of its conciseness is due to the skillful adaptation of Latin idiom and phrase. But its wealth of metaphor is characteristically Elizabethan and reflects the exuberance of the Renaissance. No man in English literature is so fertile in pregnant and pithy comparisons. Bacon set up a new method of prose writing, which was at once easy, simple, graceful, rhetorical, musical and condensed.

Describe Odysseus' scar and his identity from Book 19 of "The Odyssey".

When Odysseus was hunting on Mount Parnassus as a boy, he was injured by a wild boar.  He did kill it, but it got a piece of him as well.  It was a cut that ran just up from his knee.  That wound ended up scarring his leg, and only a few people know if it.  His nurse Eurycleia would be one who knew that scar.  Men wore their long tunics down just past their knees, so very few people would be able to see it.  She saw it and knew right away who he was.  Although he was disguised as an old beggar, she knew that Odysseus was finally home to reclaim what was rightfully his.

"Out of the nursery, into the college, and then back into the nursery". What does this quote from Fahrenheit 451 mean??

This is a quote spoken by Beatty toward the end of the first part of the book.  He says this when he is talking to Montag on the day that Montag decided to stay home from work because he was sick.  Beatty knows that Montag's belief in the system is wavering and he is trying to let Montag see the logic behind their current society's ways.  The specific quote is part of his explanation of how people are educated in their society.  He means that people are given such small bits of true literature and education and they are passed through the educational system quickly and efficiently with no real emphasis or concern about whether or not the students are learning anything of value.  Once through with college, the students aren't really any smarter, more aware, or enlightened than they were when they started out in nursery school.  Furthermore, the government has taken over the job of deciding what is to be taught and parents are essentially out of the loop.

How does the "Pit and the Pendulum" relate to Edgar Allan Poe's life?

“Some scholars have interpreted the story as an existential allegory about the human condition at large. Even if individuals are fortunate enough the escape the accidental death of the pit, all mortals are subject to the relentless approach of inevitable death from Time.”  If this is the true interpretation of the meaning of “The Pit and the Pendulum” it relates directly to Poe.  Edgar Allan Poe's life was one of the complete ups and downs of the human condition.  His time in the army and at West Point prepared Poe to write this story of the prisoner tortured by officers of the Spanish Inquisition.  After he got out of the army and quit West Point he began to seriously turn to his writing.  Though he tried over and over to become a successful writer and editor, he went from job to job.  His depression is well documented as was his drinking.  When he lost his young wife, Virginia, he collapsed.  He recovered, but continued to wander from newspaper to newspaper.  Each and everyone either fired him or he failed.  He was a strong believer in the belief of the relentless approach of inevitable death from time.  Even though his death remains somewhat of a mystery, his time was too short.

Could I have a summary of the play "The Green Helmet"?

The prior answer is incorrect.  The Green Helmet --is-- a play, and was put on in the Abbey Theater, if memory serves.  It was published as PART of a tome which included poetry, but it is one of Yeats' several works dealing with the Cuchulain myth.

It is a short play, and relatively easy to read, despite being in verse.  The short summary is:  Cuchulain comes back from his wandering and battling.  He finds out that one of his pals owes a Red Man (a supernatural force) a head -- the Red Man let his be lopped off.  It turned out that the Red Man didn't need his head (parallel to Gawain and the Green Knight).  After arguments and calamities, all of which Cuchulain calms down, Cuchulain offers to pay his friends' debt.  the red Man rewards Cuchulain with the championship of all Ireland.

The play is found on page 51 of the text as legally svcanned by Google (it is out of copyright).  Read it.  It is well worth the effort, especially the Red Man's final speech.

What are Antigone's positive traits and what are her negative traits?

Antigone's positive traits are her loyalty and independence.  Though her brother is considered a traitor by their Uncle Creon, the reigning king, and though Creon's decree is that he is not to be buried, Antigone still displays her family loyalty when she goes against her uncle's decree and buries him. Burial upon death was extremely important to the Ancient Greek Culture because they believed a soul could not rest until the body was buried.  Her independence is also shown here, as well as courageousness, in that she does what she thinks is right, even though her own sister Ismene tells her she is crazy for her actions, and even though she knows she will surely face death for her actions.

Her negative trait would have to be her stubbornness.  Perhaps if Antigone had considered a different way of getting her brother's body buried without having gone against her uncle, she could have lived and made bigger changes in the kingdom.  She did not agree with her uncle's rule, believing that he was more concerned with the city instead of his own family and cared more about how the people of the city viewed him.  If she had remained alive then perhaps she could have accomplished more.  Instead, her stubborness caused her to act before thinking and eventually to commit suicide.  

What is the nature of Alexander the Great's contribution as a cosmopolitan leader to the idea of empire and empire building?

The contributions of Alexander the Great to the idea of empire and empire building cannot be underestimated.  It is generally agreed that Alexander the Great was the founder of the first global empire in World History.  The more profitable question is how Alexander the Great achieved such a feat.

The most telling feature of Alexander the Great's outlook on empire building was the importance of cosmopolitanism to the maintenance of an expansive empire.  Alexander realized the impracticality of ruling very diverse groups of people from Southern Europe to Egypt to India and Central Asia by enforcing a uniform cultural standard.  He concluded that subjects of his empire, while they must demonstrate allegiance to him, should have the ability to retain the various aspects of their own cultures.

Alexander the Great, however, did not stop at the simple realization that he ruled numerous different peoples with different customs and cultures; in the government of his empire, he encouraged his territorial officials to intermarry with the local population.  Alexander understood that it was crucial to establish a connection between the incoming conquerors and the conquered.  Doing so established a rapport between the two sides and actually encouraged effective government, while discouraging the temptations of tyrannical behavior.

This practice of intermarriage between officials and the local populations actually contributed to Alexander the Great's ideas about governing such an empire.  After Alexander the Great died in 323 B.C.E., his view of empire allowed for a reasonably smooth transition.  The areas of his empire already under the control of his generals - Ptolemy (Egypt), Seleucus (Babylon), Antigonus (India and the east) - did not significantly change in the way they were governed.

Empire builders who followed Alexander the Great continued to look at his campaigns and government models as indicators of how to rule an expansive empire effectively.  The influence of Alexander the Great's empire building and cosmopolitan outlook on the leaders who followed him - the Romans and Napoleon among others - provide the most compelling evidence for his contribution to the idea of empires and empire building.

Discuss each of the steps in the strategic staffing process.This has to do with human resource management.

Staffing is part of the basic management function of organizing. Some experts consider staffing and organizing as two separate functions. The other basic management function are planning or decision making, leading or motivating, and controlling.

Staffing function is concerned with ensuring that various positions identified in the organization structure of an enterprise are staffed by persons with required skills, knowledge and other capabilities. Strategic staffing and staffing are not two separate functions. The only difference between the two is the way the two functions are performed. Strategic staffing is staffing function performed keeping in view the overall, long term needs of the enterprise. It not only meets the immediate needs of the environment, but also prepares to meet the future requirements. Also it gives explicit attention to the need to achieve balance between requirements of different functions and organizational levels within the enterprise.

We can identify the following steps in the strategic staffing for an existing organization.

• Examine and finalize the organization structure of the enterprise. The organization structure must be designed that in addition to meeting the immediate requirements of the enterprise it also prepares people to take up positions likely to be created in future. For example, a company with fast expanding chain of retail store must provide for an organization structure that prepares some of its junior managers to take up the position of Managers of retail outlets.


• Identify the current and future requirements for manning the required position in the company.


• Identify the likely shortage in manpower for current and future operations. In doing so the the likely attribution of people as well as increase in skill and knowledge with working within the organization must be considered.


• Identify the sources of filling the shortages, This will include internal transfer and promotions and recruitment.


• Identify the need for training and development to prepare existing employees to take up new positions upon transfer or promotion. This training will include, in addition to formal training, on the job training. Also, job rotation system will be considered for preparing persons to take higher management positions requiring a wider organizational perspective.


• Prepare short- and long-term recruitment and human resources development (training) plan.


• Take appropriate recruitment and human resources management action as per the short-term plans.


• Periodically review performance and based on thet prepare prepare short-term plan for the next short-term period, and if necessary, revise the long term-plans.


• Staff the organization using new recruitment, transfer and promotions as and when required.

What kind of person is Narciso in chapter 14 of "Bless Me, Ultima"?

In chapter 14 of “Bless Me, Ultima,” Antonio comes upon Narciso and Tenrorio fighting in the snow outside the saloon. Tenorio stumbles away and vows to kill Untima because he blames her for the sickness of his second daughter. He leaves towards the direction of Tony’s house where Ultima resides. Narciso sets off to warn Andrew of the ominous threat, but Tony’s brother refuses to take him seriously and does nothing to protect Ultima and his family. Narciso decides to follow Tenorio through the blizzard in order to protect Ultima from his revenge.  Narciso is then shot and killed by Tenorio when he confronts Ultima’s enemy. He confesses his sins to Tony just before he dies.

Narciso’s actions show that he was selfless, loyal, and brave. He lost his life to protect the lives of others when, in all actuality, it wasn't his responsibility to do so. Andrew neglected his responsibility, and through his neglect, Narciso proved himself to be the better man. He redeemed himself of his reputation of worthless town drunk, and demonstrated nothing but heroism and concern for the welfare of others.

What is the summary for Chapter 3 of Twilight?

Bella wakes up to an ice and snow covered world, and carefully making her way to school, wonders to herself why she the boys at Forks High School seem so interested in her. As she parks her truck, noticing that her father had put snow chains on the tires, a van slides across the ice straight towards her. As if in slow motion, she notices Edward, four cars down away from her, watching in horror. Then, before she can even blink, Edward is on top of her, pushing the van out of the way. In the chaos after the accident, Bella tries to ask Edward how he got to her so fast, but he assures her he was right next to her. She remains unconvinced, especially after seeing his family looking disapproving instead of worried.

At the hospital, the driver, Tyler, apologizes. Dr. Cullen turns out to be Bella’s doctor, and she tells him the Edward saved her. He politely moves on to another patient, and Bella becomes even more suspicious. But when she pushes Edward for an explanation, he refuses to give her one, saying, “I hope you enjoy disappointment.”

Her father meets her in the waiting room and tells her to call home to Renee, her mother. As she calms her hysterical mother who implores her to come home, Bella realizes that she doesn’t want to leave, because she is intrigued by Edward. That night, as she sleeps, she dreams of Edward.

Discuss Smith's leadership style as portrayed in "Love and Hate in Jamestown". Offer your opinion as to whether or not you consider him to have...

Smith was a bit of a dictatorial leader.  He had his own view of how the settling of Jamestown should occur and had no trouble ignoring those people who were his superiors.  Although he was not the President of the colony (the colonists did not like him), he took it upon himself to make moves against the Native Americans, particularly Powhatan's tribe.  The other English settlers wanted as little to do with the Native Americans as possible - they recognized that the "noble savages" really consisted of well-established tribes with their own cultures and tensions between each other.  Smith felt that a relationship should be established, and believed he could manipulate that relationship to his benefit.

In many ways, Smith was right.  Ignoring the Native Americans was not going to make them ignore the settlers.  Smith was right, too, when he later intervened to stop the settlement being abandoned by English "gentlemen".  However, Smith consistently put himself into harm's way through his actions.  His neck was often - literally - put on the chopping block.  It is as much his ingenuity as outside influences that saved him.  It is hard to argue that such a reckless and unpredictable character could be a good leader.

In Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, what is the relationship between George and Lennie like?

Many people have posted questions about the relationship between George and Lennie. A few have asked if they have a homosexual relationship. I believe it is impossible for a critic to talk about these two characters as if they were real people. They are only creations of the author John Steinbeck. What is important is understanding his purpose in creating them, just as it is important to understand why he created all the other characters, including the pugnacious Curley and his adolescent wife. None of these people are real. Steinbeck created them to serve specific purposes in a story about farm workers in California during the 1930s.

Steinbeck wanted to dramatize his depiction of the hard, lonely, dead-end lives of the men called "bindlestiffs," who carried all their worldly belongings in bed-rolls on their backs (like the jolly swagman in the Australian song “Waltzing Matilda”) and went from ranch to ranch looking for unskilled agricultural work. During the spring and summer months there was a demand for fruit pickers, and the growers provided some kind of accommodations for these workers. But they could never stay in one place for long. They had to "follow the crops," and the different fruits grew in different parts of the state. All of the work was back-breaking and low-paying.

Steinbeck painted a much broader picture in his masterpiece, The Grapes of Wrath. His novelette Of Mice and Men was almost like a practice exercise or a sketch book in preparation for the much more powerful novel about the Okies and Arkies who had to come out to California when the great drought created a Dust Bowl in the mid-1930s and tenant farmers were being evicted from their homes.

In Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck wanted to focus on a couple of men who travel around together working on ranches all the way from Bakersfield to Weed. It is important to understand that while writing his book, Steinbeck was already planning to turn it into a stage play. The play opened in New York in 1937, the same year the book was published. Steinbeck wanted to have, not one, but two central characters, because that way he could handle all his exposition by having them talk to each other. Most of the bindlestiffs were "loners," but he needed two who were partners mainly in order to write dialogue that would inform the reader, and the future theater audience, of all the information they needed to know. A good example of how Steinbeck uses dialogue for exposition is found in Chapter 1.

[George] took on the elaborate manner of little girls when they are mimicking one another. “Jus’ wanted to feel that girl’s dress—jus’ wanted to pet it like it was a mouse—Well, how the hell did she know you jus’ wanted to feel her dress? She jerks back and you hold on like it was a mouse. She yells and we got to hide in a irrigation ditch all day with guys lookin’ for us, and we got to sneak out in the dark and get outta the country.

By making Lennie mentally retarded, Steinbeck was able to have George explain everything to him and to the reader at the same time. These two bindlestiffs have a symbiotic relationship. George tells Lennie what to do, and Lennie’s size and strength provide protection for George, who is described as “a little guy,” in the tough world of freight cars and hobo jungles.

In analyzing characters in fiction, it is useful to keep in mind that they are only creations of the human imagination, whether they are called Hamlet or Holden Caulfield--or whatever.

In "The Gift of the Magi," why does the author describe Della and Jim as "two foolish children who sacrifice their greatest treasures"?

They were foolish in that they did not consult each other before deciding on what gifts to give. For this reason, Della sold her magnificent hair for a watch chain to put on Jim's fob (a family heirloom), which he unfortunately sold for a turtleshell hair clasp (which evidently Della couldn't use anymore).

They were wise (therefore, like the Magi) in that they gave in the true spirit of sacrifice. Their "useless" gifts were the demonstration of their love for each other, which was beyond price. O. Henry uses this contrast to make the point that sincere giving is a state of the heart, which in itself is more precious than any object which can simply be bought or sold.

The juxtaposition of two opposites which at first glance seem to contradict each other (but really don't upon closer scrutiny) is a literary device called an oxymoron. Calling Della and Jim both "foolish children" and "the Magi" is an example of this.

See the reference below for further insight into other elements of the "O. Henry formula."

Besides Betty hearing the Lord's name in Act 1, what other incidents do the characters use to support that there is witchcraft?

Looking at each act, in Act 2 Abigail tries to claim that Elizabeth used a doll or "poppet" to stab her while she was dining with the Salem judges. In Act 3, there are many incidents that are discussed. Ruth Putnam claims that George Jacobs sent his spirit on her. The Walcotts claim that Martha Corey used her "secret books" to bewitch and murder pigs that they purchased from her years ago. Mrs. Putnam claims that Rebecca Nurse murdered her seven babies who died before or during childbirth. Also, in Act 3, Abigail and the other girls try to claim that Mary Warren is sending out her spirit in the form of a bird and is trying to attack them.

How is Fortunato's name ironic in Poe's story "A Cask of Amontillado?"

Montresor opens Poe's short story "The Cask of Amontillado" by speaking of his desire to revenge some unknown insult to him by Fortuanato.  He lures Fortuanato into his wine cellar by telling him of this wonderful wine that Fortuanato must sample.  As they go deeper and deeper underground Montresor and Fortuanato continue a conversation.  Finally when they get to the part of the cellar that Montresor has prepared he seals Fortuanato up into a wall.  The irony of the name Fortuanato is that the name itself means fortune.  When we think of fortune we think of riches and good fortune.  Through the imprisonment of Fortuanato into the wall and his impending death it is ironic that the character's name fortells of his bad fortune in following Montresor into the wine cellar. 

Explain the statement, “He [Chillingworth] became, thenceforth, not a spectator only, but a chief actor, in the poor minister’s interior...

This line is from Chapter XI of "The Scarlet Letter." In the previous chapter, Chillingworth proposes to Dimmesdale that in order to heal the minister, he must know of all ailments of body and of spirit. To this Dimmesdale reacts with great passion and frantic gestures, crying out that he will not reveal to an earthy physician what ails his spirit. After the minister leaves the room, Chillingworth mutters to himself, "A rare case...I must needs look deeper into it! A strange sympathy betwixt body and soul! Were it only for art's sake, I must search this matter to the bottom!"

While Dimmesdale is asleep, Chillingworth enters with no fear of his waking. (He must have drugged the minister.) He pulls open the vestment of the minister and makes a startling discovery, reacting with a wild look of wonder and horror. And, had a man seen him at that moment, Hawthorne writes, he would know how Satan behaves when he has won a soul. Yet, C. differs from Satan in his look of wonder.

So, Chillingworth works to gain insight into the heart of Dimmesdale and to give more significance to his statement in Chapter IV: "He must needs be mine!" Dimmesdale becomes a victim to "the machinations of Chillingworth"; the physician no longer is so interested in healing his patient; now he wishes to get the minister to reveal what tortures his soul.

What meter is used in Sonnet 18 of "Twelfth Night"?

I think you've got a little muddled here. Shakespeare wrote "Sonnets" and also "Twelfth Night": though "Twelfth Night" is a play, not poetry.

Shakespeare's "Sonnet 18" is below - and it's written in iambic pentameter. (de DUM de DUM de DUM de DUM de DUM - five weak beats alternating with five strong beats). It ends in a rhyming couplet.

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date;
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st:

So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

Where are specific instances of anti-semitism in Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice"?

There are not, actually, that many instances of anti-semitism depicted by the play itself (in fact, unless you count calling Shylock "Jew" - of which there are several instances - it's difficult to think of a specific anti-semitic action that a character undertakes). More usually a character describes something anti-semitic that has happened before.

So, Shylock, in Act 1, Scene 3, repeatedly says that Antonio has spat upon him:

You call me,—misbeliever, cut-throat dog,
And spet upon my Jewish gaberdine,
And all for use of that which is mine own.

And here's Shylock in Act 3, Scene 1 arguing to Salerio and Solanio that Antonio treats him consistently in a racist way:

He hath disgraced me, and hindered me half a million; laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends, heated mine enemies; and what's his reason? I am a Jew.

There are lots of other, similar examples. But the key point here is that Shakespeare didn't write down the stage directions that usually appear in printed versions of his texts - the words are all we know are his. Never forget that these plays are meant to be acted out; and, if you think a little about what an actor might do in saying a certain speech (look at Solario in Act 3, Scene 1) you might find reasons to accuse characters of being still more anti-semitic!

How is Nick affected by West Egg and East Egg in The Great Gatsby? Explain how these changes are related to the nature of the places themselves.

Nick Carraway is so greatly affected by the shallowness, immorality, and dishonesty of East Egg and West Egg that, by the end of the novel, he feels compelled to move back to the Midwest.  When Nick first moves to New England he, quite honestly, doesn't know what to think.  Throughout the book, however, Nick learns the difference between the "two unusual formations of land" that are East Egg and West Egg (4).  West Egg is "the less fashionable of the two" (the land of the "new" rich) while East Egg is "across the courtesy bay [where] the white palaces of fashionable East Egg glittered along the water" (the land of the "old" rich).

Ironically, it doesn't matter which "Egg" Nick is visiting.  He sees only shallowness, dishonesty, and immorality. Gatsby wants to couple with Daisy, but continually uses Nick to do so. Tom tells Wilson who owned the yellow car, hoping to implicate Gatsby.  Daisy falls in love with Gatsby, but doesn’t even attend his funeral.  The only difference is that at least those in West Egg are familiar with "earning" their money where those in East Egg are just used to having money be "there."  Jordan Baker serves as a great example of Nick's observation of East Egg.  “She was incurably dishonest” (59) Nick notes as he observes Jordan’s reckless driving.  Similarly, Gatsby serves as a great example of Nick's observation of West Egg.  Any of Gatsby's frivolous parties are fine examples.  As for Gatsby himself, even after complimenting him, Nick says that "it was the only compliment I ever gave him, because I disapproved of him from beginning to end" (154).  An honest person in a dishonest society doesn’t make a good match.  Therefore, finally understanding the wretched existence of the people both in East Egg and West Egg, Nick moves back to the Midwest. 

How is the point of view used in "A Rose For Emily" to unveil the theme of reality and appearance?

The narrator in this story is a first-person participant.  The narrator is one of the townspeople, most likely a male, who is very objective in presenting the facts of the story.  The narrator tells us about what the townspeople think of Miss Emily at various points in the story, but he does not judge her.  He even lends an air of sympathy for Emily, really.  One can tell that the narrator does not want to judge her.  He is trying to present her situation as objectively as possible.  The narrator clearly presents a reality, not an illusion. Miss Emily is the one who is struggling with the concept of reality vs. illusion, etc.  She also is living one way while hiding a terrible secret (reality vs. appearance).

What is the major theme of the play "The Ecstasy of Rita"?I'm writing a theme statement for the play and having difficulty chosing what theme to...

The main theme that comes from the work is the theme of white society's inabilty to understand or appreciate Native Americans and their culture. Some critics have suggested that play is

"about the white culture’s denial of the American Indian’s humanity. In particular, George Ryga points to the inadequacy of those organizations that deal with Indians; according to him, the Church, social services, the schools, and the legal system all dole out humiliation in the guise of charity and fail American Indians because they expect them simply to shed their cultural differences and assume white society’s ways." -- Magill's Literary Annual

According to "Fahrenheit 451", what is the most dangerous enemy to truth and freedom?

Captain Beatty describes the slow process that led the people of his society to be so close-minded, calloused, and shallow.  He describes how people became too busy and lazy to read, too involved in the immediate to want to stop and think about life, or the deeper meaning of existence.  As a result, books faded into non-existence.  Government helped the process along, because thinkers cause problems and revolution.  The other issue was political correctness; societies are so intent on not offending anyone that everything becomes edited and bland.  The government took this and ran with it too, because "we can't have our minorities upset and stirred...People want to be happy". Those that do have opposing viewpoints are shut down, like Clarisse and her family.

The bottom line is that in Montag's society, the powers that be are touting great freedom, great fun, great busyness, and taking care of the people, when in reality they are limiting their freedom by editing and filtering truth.  People are spoon-fed what they are to believe, through mass media, and eventually just stop thinking for themselves altogether.   Truth is what the media tells them it is.  Bradbury seems to be stating that the greatest enemy to freedom and truth is our own laziness and lack of desire to work and think, which is manipulated by powerful leaders and governments that use the media to promote messages that keep them in power.

Was Boo Radley poor in "To Kill a Mockingbird"?

The Radley family, as a whole, was not poor. Having said that, they also were not rich. They, like the Finches, were average, middle-class residents of Maycomb County, but their property appeared downtrodden because of Boo Radley's social reputation, among other factors.

Poor families in Maycomb County include others like the Cunninghams and the Ewells. In the case of the Ewells, local authorities overlook their legal transgressions due to the family's poor nature, including their drunken father.

Cunninghams, however, are "poor but proud:" While they may be lacking in money, they do not readily accept charity from the community or others, as demonstrated by Walter's refusal to accept a quarter for his lunch from Miss Fisher, Scout's first grade teacher.

What are the differences between monocots and dicots?

The difference between Dicotyledons and Monocotyledons are summoned below:-

Dicotyledons

1  They have tap root system.

2  The leaves have reticulate venation.

3  The leaves are dorsiventral.

4  Seed has two cotyledons.

5  The flowers are usually tetra or pentamarous.

6  The transverse section of root contain 2 to 6 bundles of xylem or pheolem.

7  In stem, vascular bundles are arranged in a ring.

8  There is secondary growth.

Monocotyledons

1  They have adventitious root system.

2  The leaves have parallel veniation.

3  The leaves are isobilateral.

4  Seed has only one cotyledon.

5  The flowers are usually trimarous.

6  The transverse section of root contains 8-20 bundles of xylem and pheolem.

7  Instem, vascular bundles are scattered.

8  There is no secondary growth.

What are the climax and resolution for "The Devil and Tom Walker"?

This is a short story so you should be able to re-read it to verify this answer...

The way to identify the climax of a story is to find the point everything else in the story is leading up to. After that point the rest of the story changes.

For this story--By the middle of the plot Tom has become a loan shark and is constantly cheating people out of money. Eventually he becomes fearful for the after-life. (this is leading up to the climax--hinting at a problem to come) He then starts to become fiercely dedicated to God, always keeping a Bible at hand. One day, a person who had borrowed money from him and is asking for mercy blames Tom for taking his money. Tom says, "The Devil take me if I have made but a farthing!" (this is right before the climax)

CLIMAX POINT--At this time, there are three loud knocks at the door. Tom is drawn towards the black cloaked figure and realizes, in horror, that he has left his Bible at his desk.

RESOLUTION--Tom Walker is then taken away by the Devil on the back of a black horse and is never seen again. All his assets vanished and his house burned to the ground. The ghost of the miser - haunts the site of the old fort.

The resolution is just the end of the story where all the loose ends are tied up. Basically "what finally happened"

What is the message in John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath?

Steinbeck's novel offers a message about the importance of community. People need to stick together and help each other if they want to survive and prosper. The Great Depression is the backdrop to this novel, a time when the conomy had collapsed due to the 1929 stock market crash, and millions of people were unemployed. During the 1930s, debates raged about how to solve this crisis. Steinbeck saw the answer in ordinary people coming together to organize and work on behalf of one other.

The rich, he believed, would do their best to keep ordinary people divided. The rich benefited when they kept average workers at each other's throats and competing for lower and lower wages.

An example of two ideologies, cooperation and competition, coming into conflict emerges early in the novel, in chapter two. A trucker is forbidden by his company to pick up hitchhikers. The trucker, however, reluctantly stops for a hitchhiker, though he fears he will get in trouble for it, because to help another person is to be a "good guy." That, in a nutshell, illustrates the novel's message: good guys stick together and help each other out. Steinbeck hoped people would unite in bigger way, but stresses in his novel that  every act in which people lend each other a hand, no matter how small, is valuable. 

In "Julie of the Wolves", what do the wolf signals mean - biting, nose, ears?

When the wolves want to express their admiration and homage towards their leader, they bite him gently under the chin.  To signal his approval in response to their expression of love, the leader wags his tail and bites the top of the underling's nose.  Miyax first witnesses this behavior when Nails and Silver approach Amaroq in this manner.  Nails spanks the ground with his forepaws and carefully takes Amaroq'a jaw in his mouth, and "the leader bit(es) the top of his nose.  Silver, who is Amaroq's mate, licks his cheek and "lovingly bit(es) his lower jaw".  Her mouthing "charge(s) him with vitality", and his tail flashes high as "he noes(s) her affectionately.

Miyax then learns that when a wolf pulls his ears together and back, he is expressing fear and submission.  Jello does this when Silver shoots "a fierce glance at him" when he makes a move to join the puppies surrounding Amaroq.  Silver later presses her ears forward aggressively towards Jello, demonstrating her dominance and forcing him to perform the lowly task of remaining behind to "babysit" the pups while the others go to hunt.

The puppies express express their respect for their leader a little differently than the adult wolves.  Instead of biting him under the chin, they approach him, lie down before him, wagging their tails vigorously and "gaz(ing) up at Amaroq in pure adoration" (Part 1).

In Chapter 1 of The Great Gatsby, why does Nick feel "confused and a little disgusted" after he leaves Daisy's house?

While Nick is having dinner with Tom, Daisy, and Jordan Baker at the Buchanans' home, they are interrupted by a telephone call that Tom takes privately. Daisy suddenly leaves the table, too, and Nick can hear them talking in "[a] subdued impassioned murmur." Jordan explains the situation to Nick: "Tom's got some woman in New York . . . . She might have the decency not to telephone him at dinner-time." It takes Nick a moment to realize what Jordan is telling him, that Tom is having an extra-marital affair. From her reaction, Daisy clearly knows what's going on. The telephone rings again, but Daisy sends Tom a clear signal not to answer it and an uncomfortable silence ensues. When they are alone, Daisy tells Nick how unhappy she is, without mentioning specifically what has just happened. The evening then continues, as if nothing unusual had occurred.

Nick leaves the Buchanans feeling "confused and a little disgusted." He is shocked by Tom's behavior, but he is also shocked and confused by Daisy's reaction to Tom's infidelity: "It seemed to me that the thing for Daisy to do was to rush out of the house child in arms--but apparently there were no such intentions in her head." This encounter is Nick's first exposure to the immorality and amorality that he will observe in the East throughout that summer, behavior that is very much at odds with his Midwestern upbringing.

What is the irony when Mr. Shiftlet "felt that rottenness of the world was about to engulf him"?

The irony is in the fact that Mr. Shiftlet, himself is a perfect example of the rottenness of the world.  He is saying that he is afraid of people like himself. 

And the significance of this statement at the end of the story, because he is so shocked by the comments made by the boy, who is angry at him, because Shiftlet said his mother was an angel.  The boy has had a difficult life. 

Shiftlet's response is very ironic, he prays for help.  This is the same man who married a simple woman, so he could steal her mother's car, and has abandoned this woman, his wife, in a diner and driven away.

The irony that Mr. Shiftlet would pray for help, and ask the Lord to cleanse the earth of slime, the true irony is that he is part of the SLIME THAT HE WANTS CLEANSED.

 

In "The Ransom of Red Chief", who are the main characters?

Sam (the narrator) and Bill are con-men passing through a small, rural Alabama town when they concoct a scheme to kidnap a child.  The kidnappers need money to finance a land fraud scheme they are planning to pull off later in Illinois.  Sam and Bill are the protagonists in the story.

The antagonist is the story is Johnny Dorsett, the only child of the town's most prominant citizen, and a terrible brat.  Johnny is kidnapped by the unsuspecting con-men to be held for ransom.

The entire premise of the story is ironic.  O. Henry was a master of irony and the ironic twist ending.  One would think the child, Johnny, would be the protagonist (usually the good guy) and the antagonists would be the kidnappers ( usually the bad guy), but the irony is that the kid turns out to be a giant pain-in-the-neck and the kidnappers can't wait to take him back.  The kidnappers are basically good guys who never intended to the harm the kid and actually take good care of him. 

Ebenezer Dorsett, the kidnapped child's father, is a minor character in the story.  He is a prominant citizen, a banker, and a church-going man so it is presumed that he would be anxious to pay the ransom for the return of his only son.  Of course, since the whole premise of the story is ironic, not only is Mr. Dorsett unwilling to pay the ransom, but in the end requires the kidnappers to pay him to take his child back.

What effect does Defoe create by using first person point of view in his account?This question came out of an "Elements of Literature" book. The...

Daniel Defoe wrote "A Journal of The Plague Year," in the first person to make this historical fiction more creditable.  By writing this Defoe was able to combine his journalism skills with his creative side.  He developed a fictional narrative in the style of a journal.  According to "Prentice Hall Literature,

"The story is "true history,' but it is narrated by a fictional character identified only as H.F..  By using the first person point of view Defoe created a feeling of immediacy and reality."(pg 408).

Defoe began a new style of writing with this piece of work.  He was born about 4 years before the actual plague so there are many historical facts which are related by a fictional character.

What definition of manhood or humanity does A Lesson Before Dying provide?

In the beginning of the novel A Lesson Before Dying Jefferson's lawyer in an attempt to defend him calls him a pig.  He indicates that Jefferson has no ability to think so he could not have done things with thought.  He is trying to help but had deprived Jefferson of his own self-worth as a man.

Grant’s aunt wants Grant to help Jefferson to feel like a man before he dies.  The idea of what makes a man is central to the idea of the story.  As Grant helps to teach and educate Jefferson he helps to establish a bond with the man.  As Jefferson has the chance to talk with Grant and learn he becomes more aware that he is a man with ideas and thoughts and not an animal.

Grant helps Jefferson to identify himself as a man by giving him a voices to be heard.  Being a man is about recognizing that one is a man first.  Grant in many ways had not fully recognized his own manhood.

In the book In the Time of the Butterflies, what are three quotes for foreshadowing, and 3 for strange details in Chapter 1? That would be very...

Chapter 1 of In the Time of the Butterflies is filled with foreshadowing. One example is when the interviewer stands before the portraits of Minerva, Patria, and Maria Teresa.  Although she does not mean it the way Dede interprets it, the interviewer asks her, "And where are you?" This quote foreshadows that all the sisters will die except Dede, and that Ded will often torment herself that she had not been with them when they are killed.

Later in the Chapter, the whole family is sitting in the front yard, telling stories.  Papa plays around with the girls about how the three oldest, Patria, Minerva, and Dede, were born in such close proximity, one after another, saying "Bang-bang-bang...aiming a finger pistol at each one, as if he were shooting them, not boasting about having sired them".  Although it is Maria Teresa and not Dede who is martyred along with the other two, his action foreshadows that three of his daughters will be killed.

In that same conversation, Papa says about Dede, "She'll bury us all".  Indeed, Dede does outlive her parents and all her sisters, being the only one alive in 1999 when the story in the book is retold.

I am not sure what you mean by "strange" details, but some unusual and especially effective details in the chapter include the image of "a kitten (lying) recklessly under the runners" of the rocking chair, repeated references to the anacahuita tree in the Mirabals' front yard (the family sits "under the anacahuita tree", and Dede tells the interviewer, "where you see a great big anacahuita tree, you turn left"), and vivid descriptions of the many different, exotic flowers Dede handles as she is waiting for and talking to the interviewer, including "her bird of paradise (on) its dead brances" and "a silk orchid in a vase on the little table below them" (Chapter 1).

Why is the story called "Raymond's Run" instead of Squeaky's run?

Besides the aliteration in the title "Raymond Runs," sounds better than Squeak's Run, "As the title suggests, not only Hazel’s but Raymond’s run has implications for both characters. The title points not only to Raymond’s own potential as an athlete, but also to Hazel’s intuitive recognition of his possibilities, a recognition that redefines her. " 

"When Hazel, is in the May race, she looks over and sees Raymond running along the outside of the fense.  She is able to see him in a new way.  Raymond is not just modeling her, but ‘‘running in his very own style.’’ Through him, her difficult and somewhat lonely struggle to define herself suddenly widens to include a connection that empowers them both. The realization of Raymond’s potential, something that has always been there, enriches Hazel’s sense of her own possibilities."

Please provide a plot diagram for "White Heron".

Exposition:  Maine, late 19th century

Main Characters:   Sylvia, 9 year old girl living in country with grandmother;  Grandmother (Mrs. Tilley); Hunter (also identifites himself as an ornithologist

Conflict:  Man vs. Self;  Sylvia must decide if $10.00 is enough money for her to give away the location of the rare White Heron to the hunter.

Rising Action:  Sylvia is enjoying one of her walks in the woods, enjoying the nature around her.  She used to live in the city with her parents, but much prefers the country.  She comes across a young man with a gun who has been hunting birds and is lost.  She leads the man to the farmhouse and Mrs. Tilley invites him to stay the night.  In conversation, the young man learns that Sylvia has explored all of the woods.  The hunter offers Sylvia ten dollars to show him the where the heron is.  They go out together the next day, and Sylvia comes to like the hunter, but is still not sure if she should tell where there heron is.

Climax:  Sylvia goes out early to see the heron's nest.  While there, she watches the sunrise, and in the beauty of the morning, knows that she can not betray nature for the money or the man.

Falling Action:  The hunter leaves the farm, disappointed.

Resolution:  The narrator asks nature directly to bless ‘‘this lonely country child.’’

When Abigail is questioned by Reverend Hale in "The Crucible", who does she blame? What proof does she offer?

Abigail does blame Tituba, but then, to save herself, Tituba confesses that she has seen many witches with the devil.  Abigail switches her focus, along with Tituba, and they both confess to Reverend Hale at the end of Act I that they conspired with the devil.  Abigail claims that she signed the devil's book.

As a result of this shift of focus both Abigail and Tituba start naming and names, ultimately, Sarah Good and Goody Osburn are blamed. They are accused of being witches, of consorting with the devil.

"Abigail sees the enthusiasm with which Tituba’s accusations are received and decides to try the tactic herself. She, too, begins to name names. Finally, Betty also rises and joins in. The three women have discovered a way out of their predicament. Far from being punished for their behavior, they are now heroes of the community, chosen to help cleanse Salem. The naming of names is taken as an outward sign of their repentance and desire to be better Christians."  

In chapter 16 of "To Kill a Mockingbird", what is Miss Maudie's reaction to everyone wanting to go to the trial?

When people were on their way to the courthouse Jem yelled to Miss Maudie Atchinson to ask if she was going to the trial.  She responed "I am not, 't's morbid watching a poor devil on trial for his life.  Look at all those folks, it's like a Roman carnival."

What are the eight best chronological written list of events in "The Cask of Amontillado"?

"The Cask of Amontillado" begins in a flashback:

1. To wreak revenge against Fortunato, he invites F, a connoisseur, to taste wine from his new cask of Amontillado.

2.  M takes F to his home, leading him into his vaults. When F coughs, M feigns concern to deceive him.

3. After a draft of Medoc to fortify themselves against the damp, they pass through piled bones into the inmost part of the catacombs where they drink another draft of Medoc; F makes a strange gesture.  He asks M if he is not a Mason (a secret organization); M replies ironically that he is a mason (bricklayer).

4.  They continue through low arches as the air becomes fouler. and the area becomes more ominous; F cannot see into the depth of the recess, but M distracts him from danger by again playing upon his ego and feigning more concern.

5. As F is stopped by a wall, M quickly fetters him with chain connected to iron rings; he padlocks the chain and begins to wall the drunken F in.

6. After a succession of screams, M hesitates, then gropes with his sword in the recess and checks the wall as he matches F's screams.

7. M finishes the wall; finally, a "sad voice" utters a laugh, suggesting that a jest was made and now "let us be gone." M responds ironically, "Yes...let us be gone. F pleads, M mocks him again.

8. No reply to this. M calls to F, but hears only a jingling of bells as he forces the last stone into position.

In "The Grapes of Wrath", Casy goes to jail. In what chapter does he go to jail?

Chapter 20 contains the scene where Jim Casy is taken to jail. The Joads and Casy are at the first squatter's camp they stay in when they finally arrive in California.  At this camp, some men come into the camp claiming they have work to offer, picking fruit.  One man from the camp, Floyd, asks some questions such as how much will the pickers get paid, how many workers are needed, and such.  One of the work contractors gets mad and claims that Floyd is creating trouble.  A scuffle follows, Floyd runs, and one of the sheriff's deputies who is with the men who drove into the camp, shoots wildly at the running Floyd.  Tom trips the deputy.  Casy knows that when the other sheriff's deputies arrive, Tom will be in trouble since he's already broken parole by leaving the state of Oklahoma.  Therefore, Casy takes the blame for tripping up the deputy.  This is important to the story because as the Christ figure, Casy must spend time among the downtrodden in the jails to come to a full realization of what needs to be done for the migrant people.  This is his opportunity to symbolically go into the "wilderness" and come to personal realizations.

In "Lord of the Flies", what is the relation between Simon's death and the warning of the piglet's head to him?Please specify why the piglet made...

The pig's head or "Lord of the Flies" warned Simon when he says "I am part of you." In other words, the evil that the Lord of the Flies represents is inside of everyone. That why we can't eliminate it. Simon's death is an example of that assertion. Simon runs down the mountain thinking that once he explains that the beast is simply a parachutist, all will be fine. He underestimates the evil inside of the boys and ignores their behavior which shows they are in the middle of a ritualistic dance where the evil inside of them is controlling their behavior. The mass reaction to Simon is an indication that the evil is part of inside all of the boys and Simon's news will not change that. In fact, he is never given even the chance to share his news because he is killed as the boys turn into an evil pack bent on his destruction.

How is Horatio a foil to Hamlet?

Horatio, unlike Hamlet, is calm, level-headed, reasonable, and cautious more often than not. He initially doubts the existence of the Ghost, but once he sees it, Horatio logically decides that Hamlet must be informed. When the Ghost beckons Hamlet to follow him, Horatio is fearful that the Ghost may be an evil spirit, and he warns Hamlet, who recklessly ignores any potential danger.

Hamlet "puts an antic disposition" on, thereby pretending to be someone he is not, but Horatio is "not passion's slave." He is a stalwart friend, a reliable source of information for both Hamlet and at the end of the play for Fortinbras when Horatio explains the carnage. Although Horatio loves his friend and at first wants to follow him in death, Hamlet convinces him that Horatio must live to tell Hamlet's story to the world. Horatio is the only person whom Hamlet trusted enough to share his plans with before he eventually revealed to his mother that he wasn't actually mad.

As in many of his plays, Shakespeare has included a young man about the same age as the protagonist who shares some traits with him but contrasts in others. Horatio is a student as Hamlet is. His role is to serve as a confidant to Hamlet and to offer advice. As a foil, he calls out attention to Hamlet's main character traits as well.

What type of government was presented in the novel and what type of contact did people have with it? How did the government help shape society?

One can infer that the type of government is some form of totalitarianism. It is one in which the people seem to have little contact and no control. It's purpose, besides sustaining itself, seems to be to try to make people happy so they will not question or even need to meet with government officials. However, Bradbury purposely leaves out many specifics about the government in order for it to seem more monolithic and mysterious. This adds to Montag's sense of frustration and helplessness because he cannot find the answers he seeks. The only contact he seems to have with any kind of authority is through Beatty. Thus, society is shaped through the media and the media substitute for any real human contact, with the government or anyone else. As long as people are entertained, the government seems to believe, they will be subservient and easily manipulated. If not, there is always the mechanical hound, another symbol for lack of significant contact, to seek out and destroy any protest. Ironically, this lack of contact backfires with Montag, and apparently others, or there would have been no need for the mechanical hound or for the "book covers" to exist. Luckily, the government does not seem that effective in dealing with foreign policy and seems to ignore a real problem that leads to its own destruction.

According to Hawthorne, what are the first two places allotted for in any new community in "Scarlet Letter"?

According to Hawthorne, the first two places allotted for in any new community are a cemetery and a prison. 

In the context of the early days of colonial New England, Hawthorne says,

"The founders of a new colony, whatever Utopia of human virtue and happiness they might originally project, have invariably recognized it among their earliest practical necessities to allot a protion of the virgin soil as a cemetery, and another portion as the site of a prison".

The practical reality of having to account early on for death and crime in any plan for community establishment is a stark testimony to the inescapability of "human frailty and sorrow" (Chapter 1).

List the main characters and their internal and external characteristics in "The Outsiders".I'm reading The Outsiders.

Johnny is the quiet kid who ends up stabbing a Soc after he and Ponyboy were jumped. He has really soft features, quiet, and "a beaten puppy-dog" way about him.

Darrel(Darry) is the oldest brother and in charge of keeping all of the brothers together ever since their parents died. He is more mature than the rest of the guys and doesn't really like the whole gang-aspect of their lives. He physically is a pretty big guy and a looker at that.

Ponyboy is a natural softie. Although he lives the greaser lifestyle, he is very into poetry, sunsets and conversation. He is a dreamer and a wonderer of things to come in his life. He thinks that Darry hates him and there is a lot of friction in their strained relationship. His looks are comparable to the other boys in his family (Darry and Soadapop) but he is not the most attractive of them all.

Dallas(Dally) is the heart of the gang in a way. He is the one who has been arrested, doesn't care about going back, and likes to cause a general problem where ever he goes. The only thing he loves is Johnny and when he dies, he loses it.

How does the use of authentic dialect add to "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County"?

Humorists such as Mark Twain make use of exaggertion.  Certain exaggerated details and incidents are described by a storyteller in a very serious tone, a tone which makes the story even funnier because the reader gets the impression that the teller is unaware of the ridiculousness of what he is describing (i.e. satire).

The regional dialect is an important element of Twain's humor and use of the ridiculous. These dialects capture the local color and make the characters more interesting and amusing.  Simon Wheeler makes for such an interesting character, and his use of unexpected words adds much to the humor of the story.  For example, Simon relates, " This-yer Smiley had a mare--the boys called her the fifteen-minute nag...."  Such colorful language creates humorous images in the mind of the reader.

Why was James II important? why was he executed

James II (1633-1701) Lord Admiral of the Navy, British king who converted to Catholicism in 1672 in order to marry Mary of Modena.  Anti-Catholic feeling running high, Parliament responded by passing the Test Act, which forbid Catholics from holding public office and forced James from his, whereupon he vacated Britain and lived in exile a number of years.  Eventually Charles II recalled him back to the admiral's office.  James became king in 1685, and attempted to reintegrate Catholics into British political and military offices, going to the extreme measure of dissolving Parliament when it didn't conform to his wishes.  Protestant nobles within Britain countered by negotiating with William of Orange to become king; James, losing his support, eventually fled Britain again.  Since the transition of power occurred without bloodshed, it was termed the "Glorious Revolution," and affirmed that, at least in Britain, the legislative body of government (Parliament) was supreme over the executive (king.)  After he was deposed, he became religious, living in France until his death.   

Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th ed., vol. 15,  pg. 138.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, how is Aunt Alexandra "the last of her kind," and how is she described in the novel?

Aunt Alexandra is the picture of Southern womanhood. She could be considered antebellum, as many of her societal values are derivative of the customs and mores present during and immediately after the civil war. Women were to be ladies in every respect: mannerly, feminine, graceful, and when necessary, steel-willed.

It is her personality and her sense of propriety that makes Aunt Alexandra the "last of her kind," as the south of her day is rapidly passing even in the 1930s, and the area is slowly becoming more open-minded. The expectations for girls, in particular, are quickly becoming outmoded and obsolete, and Aunt Alexandra doesn't quite know how to adapt. 

Was Martin Luther King Jr. ever President of the United States of America?

Martin Luther King Jr. was not a president. He was a civil rights leader who led marches for freedom, was imprisoned for his beliefs, spoke to the heart of the people, and inspired millions. Martin Luther King Jr. was a minister, a teacher, and a leader. His influence on American society is pervasive. He was assassinated in 1968 while making a speech. He is definitely one of the most influential leaders America has ever had, but he was not President of the United States of America.

What were the jobs of each social class in the feudal manors of the Middle Ages?

The social classes of the  Middle Ages in Europe developed as a result of the fall and or exodus of the Roman Empire post 476 A.D. The collaspe of Roman power in the west gave wat to feudalism in Europe. Feudalism was a class system which depicted a hierarchy of power beginning with the king or lord of the manor, followed by the nobles, knights, vassals, and lastly the peasants which were further broken down to freemen, serfs, and cotters.

As for jobs the hierarchy was the backbone of protection during the Middle Ages. Social status was defined by the obligation one had to the lord of the manor. Jobs ranged from the political connections of the nobles, the military prowess of the knights, the goods and services produced by the vassals otherwise known as the merchant class, and finally the masses of peasants all of who worked and farmed the land with a small distinction between those who were bound to the land and those who could leave but had no place to go, so they usually stayed.

In "By the Waters of Babylon" what container type makes the food and drink the boy finds edible and drinkable?

"They got their food from enchanted boxes and jars.'  These enchanted boxes were refrigerators, and cabinets, the drink was in bottles and made his head swim.  This was probably a liquor of some type, maybe beer.  The reason these foods are still edible and drinkable is because they are stored in steel cans and glass jars. It would be as if there were a catastrophic event today and someone came years later.  They would still find food in our cabinets and refrigerators that would still be edible.  Not all food would spoil if it was canned properly or jarred properly. 

Justify the title "Ghosts" for Ibsen's play.

The title has two different meanings in this play. The first meaning relates to the expression "skeletons in the closet." Everyone in the play has a closet filled with skeletons, ghosts of things that they did or were done to them in the past and that haunt them now. Mrs. Alving is haunted by her husband's infidelities. Oswald, too, is haunted by his father's past and by the "legacy" his father left him. Regina, unknown to her at first, is the third victim of Captain Alving's haunting. All three must cope with what being related to that man has done to them.

Another meaning for the title is that, like Oswald, we are ourselves ghosts, just waiting for our deaths. He knows he is going to die, and waiting for death nearly makes him commit suicide.

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Describe the lifestyle of the Rajputs.Please give a detailed and well explained answer, with GOOD vocabulary.

I believe this question is directed more at historic traditions of Rajputs rather than their lifestyle as it exists today, and I will answer accordingly.

Rajputs hail from the western part of India– the region roughly corresponding to the present state of Rajasthan. However, now they have settled in many other stated of India, particularly to the states adjoining Rajasthan.

They belong to the Kshatriya(or warrior) cast – one of the four main casts in of hindus. The word Rajput means ‘son or descendants of kings’. 

The origin of  can be traced back to 606 A.D. when King Harshvardhana of Kannauj was crowned as Rajputra Siladitya. They  rose to prominence during the 9th to 11th centuries.

The land of Rajputs is mostly desert and arid area. To adapt to this environment they had no option but to become hardy, independent and fearless. Thus they developed  a martial spirit, and fiercely proud and independent temperament. They become very capable, and brave soldiers.

Rajputs had high sense of honour, honesty, and loyalty. They were very touchy about being disrespected, and often made great sacrifices to avoid domination by others. However, once they pledged their loyalty to someone, they were very reliable. It was this loyalty of Rajputs, made the great Mogul King Akbar, a mohmedan, appoint so many Rajputs in senior position in his court and army.

Rajput valued their honour and word above their lives. They would risk their own to protect a person who has taken refuge under them. They never forgot favour done to them, and when opportunity arose returned the favour many times over.

Rajputs prefered to die in battle rather than accept defeat. There are many recorded incidents in history when Rajputs soldiers and their womenfolk, under condition of certain defeat at the hands of enemy, preferred to lay down their lives, rather than surrender. In such incidents, the ladies of the fort would commit collective self-immolation in a  collective pyre, thereby escaping molestation and dishonour at the hands of the invading army. This  Then the fort gates would be opened and men would ride out to meet the enemy, dying gloriously on the battlefield. This collective self-immolation by ladies is calle Jauhar, and fight until death of men is called Saka. The famous fort of Chittor was the site of the three most famous Jauhars recorded in history.

These qualities enabled Rajputs to carve out many small and medium kigdoms for themselves. Out of about 600 kingdoms that existed within British India, prior to independence in 1947, two thirds were ruled by Rajputs. However Rajputs could nould not establish very big kingdoms, perhaps because of their rigidity fostered by self respect, which at times turned in to ego.

Lifestyle of Rajputs, which stood them in good stead in the past, is no longer that relevant now. Also withtime, the soldierly qualities have wasted away due to lack of use. The current lifestyle has both positive and negative features with respect to needs of modern time.

Rajputs today are proud of their lineage and tradition. While they have an egalitarian approach within their clan and sub clan, they tend to look down upon people of lower cast. Their past tendency to resist domination comes in way of becoming effective players in organizational setup. Instead of being self respecting they end up being rude and arrogant. Also they have become vain and extravagant in their effort to establish a higher status in the society.