In "Fahrenheit 451" compare and contrast Montag and Beatty. What do they have in common?

They have more in common than you might think when looking at the ending and how that turned out.  Other than both being firemen, they have both read books, and had that curiosity about books.  Beatty even admits this to Montag; he states that he himself was once like Montag, who "read a few lines and off you go over the cliff.  Bang, you're ready to blow up the world...I know, I've been through it all." So he's read some books and felt that change of heart that Montag is experiencing, and that desire to change the awfulness that exists in the world.  Montag feels that desire also, and it leads him into disillusionment and rebellion, and to eventually completely turn against his entire world and life.  Beatty however, seems to have delved into books and then formed the bitter opinion that "What traitors  books can be!  You think they're backing you up, and they turn on you."  He thinks that they end up just being words that anyone can use to their purpose.  Knowledge is useless because it doesn't do anything-it's just words people throw at each other.  So, he goes back to burning books, possibly with more vengeance than before.

Montag and Beatty are both men of strong passions, more educated than the average person in their society, and familiar with a different choice for society.  However, Montag embraces that choice, and Beatty rejects it. 

What is the story "The Devil and Tom Walker" about and what does it mean?

What is the story about?

A cheap, hen-pecked husband who is constantly cheating his wife (just as she cheats him) out of money is met by the devil one day and is offered a large sum of money.  Tom refuses the offer, knowing that his wife would also benefit if he takes the offer. One day, his wife mysteriously disappears, probably killed by the devil, and Tom finds the devil and takes him up on his offer.  Tom becomes a rich usurer and lives to be a rich old man but is still just a cheap as he was before.  As Tom becomes older he tries very hard to make sure that the dvil never comes back for him, but his plans fail.  The devil comes one day and takes Tom and his soul away, never to be seen or heard from again.

What does it mean?

This is an American folktale, and just as with all American folktales its purpose was to teach a lesson.  The lesson of this story is that people should not be greedy; they should share what they have and help others out because there is no telling when they will need help one day.

What were the sports and fads during the 1920s?

Not only did the sporting world emerge during the 1920s, but the rise of Hollywood, radio shows, and music spread through the United States like wildfire.  The mass media like radio, moves, newspapers, and magazines helped reach a broader audience.  Fads strongly emerged throughout the United States just as much as sports.  Some fads that rapidly changed during the 1920s were clothing styles, music, art and literature.  Examples of clothing styles changing were modern clothing for women had gone from covering up most of the boy to a new style of shortening dresses and skirts to show more of the body.  Also, women wore stylish hats that emphasized bold colors and a freer design.  The clothing styles during the 1920s reflected the carefree, happy-go-lucky feeling of the time.  The music in the 1920s also helped change peoples attitudes and ways of living.  The African American culture was greatly influenced by music during the 1920s, especially by the Harlem Renaissance.  Two examples were the jazz age rhythm and blues.  Famous musicians during the 1920s were Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington.  Artists and writers challenged the traditional ideas by exploring the emerging challenges of the modern world.  Famous artists were John Marin, Charles Scheeler, and Edward Hopper.  Famous writers during this time were F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway.

How many moons does the sun have?

The sun doesn't have any moons. A moon is a natural satellite that orbits around a planet. Since the sun is classified as a star and not as a planet, it has no moons. There are 9 planets that orbit around the sun--Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. A few years ago, astronomers decided that Pluto is too small to be considered a planet, even though it does have moons. Now it is called a dwarf planet. Since 2005, two more dwarf planets, Eris and Ceres, have been discovered in our solar system.

Visit the links below for more information.

In 1984, what quotes show us that relationships were not allowed in the Party?

The sex instinct was another area of human life that the Party sought to kill or at least distort. Only the “proles,” the so-called lower class people who did not actually qualify to belong to the Party, were allowed to have sexual instincts. Among Party members all love and eroticism was removed from the sex act. Marriages were permitted, but they had to be officially approved and were to be undertaken for the sole purpose of begetting children who would grow up to be responsible Party members. Permission would be denied if the couple showed any signs of being physically attracted to each other. Ideally the Party would prefer complete celibacy, which would mean that men and women would forge fewer bonds of individual loyalties and children could be produced artificially. Failing this, it tried to present the sex act as a rather disgusting preliminary necessity.
 Winston would not have minded remaining celibate, but Katharine insisted they go through the process at fixed intervals to “fulfill their duty to the Party” by producing a child.  

"Sexual intercourse was to be looked on as a slightly disgusting minor operation, like having an enema." Part 1, Chapter 6, pg. 69

"What was more important was that sexual privation induced hysteria, which was desirable because it could be transformed into war fever and leader worship." Part 2, Chapter 3, pg. 134

In the second book, "New Moon", does Edward come back before the book ends or is he just in the beginning of the book? After Edward decides to...

No you dont have to wai =]

Edward appers at the beginning of the book which you already know, and then after a while [a long one] he reappers! which is when the book becomes great again! lol

And if you havnt already read the book then boy are you going to hate Jacob in these book! I know I did and I cant speak for everyone, but plenty of the people I have to talk to HATE jacob during this book and most of the rest of it!

Why is Thomas Putnam bitter in "The Crucible"?this is in the crucible act one

Thomas Putnam is bitter for several reasons.  Miller tells the reader in the narration in Chapter I that he had many grievances with people. 

The first grievance mentioned is that his wife's brother-in-law, James Bayley, was rejected as minister of Salem even though he was highly qualified for the position.  There was a faction (large political party) who kept him from being voted into that position. 

Second, he tried to break his father's will, which left a disproportionate amount of wealth to his stepbrother.

Because Thomas Putnam viewed himself "as the intellectual superior of most of the people around him" (Miller 14), he took it personally when the faction rejected James Bayley.  He felt it was an attack upon his honor and his good name.  In addition, his failure at breaking his father's will was again humiliation of his honor and his what he believed his good name.

As a result of this humiliation, Thomas Putnam found his revenge by accusing many people of witchcraft and also having his daughter cry out against the innocent people of Salem Village.

What is Hamlets' new philosophy by the end of the play?

Basically, Hamlet is a play about growing up. At the start of the play Hamlet still believes life should be beautiful and perfect and people should be good and honest. He is shocked and angry when he discovers that many people are not good nor honest. He thinks life should have deep meaning but he can find no meaning at all.

Through the play he struggles to accept that life is painful and difficult. All the beautiful things he believed are gradually destroyed and he becomes depressed and suicidal.

Near the end of the play he changes, he becomes colder and less emotional. He has no hope but he no longer cares. He accepts life is meaningless. Instead of 'thinking about everything', he acts. He has his old friends murdered. He kills his Uncle and Laertes and accepts his own death.

Why is The Glass Menagerie an appropriate title for this play?

"The Glass Menagerie"  is the perfect title for the play as Laura's collection of glass animals is a major symbol in the play.  Tennessee Williams used a LOT of symbols in the play (the victrola, the dad's portrait, the ballroom outside, etc.), but this collection underlies one of his major themes.  In many of his plays, Williams is interested in what happens to society's outcasts.  Certainly, Laura is one of those outcasts.  Because of her handicap, she developed into an extremely shy young woman.  A very fragile young woman.  Just like her glass animals, in whom she finds comfort and escape.

One of the most poignant moments in the play comes when she talks to Jim about the unicorn, her favorite piece.  He asks about them being "extinct in the modern world."  He may have been talking about Laura - her type does not have a place in the modern world either.  After they dance a bit, the table is bumped and the unicorn loses its horn.  Laura assures Jim that it is all right, that now the unicorn may feel less "freakish" and will be able to play with the other horses.  The hope may have been that Jim was able to get Laura to also be less "freakish" and connect with someone outside of the immediate family.  Unfortunately, that hope is dashed when it is discovered that Jim as a fiance.

What is the summary for Chapter 13 of Into the Wild?

Chris McCandless's younger sister Carine "looks enough like him that people frequently asked if they were twins".  She is "energetic and self-assured", and, like Chris, "clashed fiercely" with her father and mother as an adolescent.  Carine eventually made peace with her parents, however, And although she "shares Chris's outrage over racial injustice", she has no objection to the pursuit of wealth.  Chris lives in a nice Virginia Beach home with her husband, Chris Fish, and Buckley, the Shetland sheepdog her brother so loved.

It was Chris Fish who told Carine that her brother had been found dead.  When Chris McCandless's identity had been confirmed through dental records, Carine and Walt McCandless's oldest son Sam went down to Fairbanks to bring back their brother's remains.  They were given Chris McCandless's ashes in a plastic box, with a label on which his name was spelled incorrectly.

Chris and Carine McCandless had been "uncommonly close".  In a letter describing his conflicts with his parents, Chris once wrote to Carine that she was "the only one in the world who could possibly understand what (he was) saying".  Her brother's death left a huge void in Carine's life, and, ten months later, she still "grieves deeply".  Their mother, Billie, too, has been acutely affected by the loss of her son, and still cries frequently, saying, "I just don't understand it at all" (Chapter 13).

what is the conflict between israel and palestine?

This conflict, contrary to popular belief, is not over religion, as most would assume; rather, it is a long-standing, unresolved argument over the division of the land. The religion does play a part because of the history of the region, but it comes down to the land. This area of land is small, about 10,000 square miles (or the size of the state of Maryland) and following a war in 1948-1949, it was divided into three parts: the state of Israel, the West Bank (of the Jordan River) and the Gaza Strip.

The Jewish people believe that their claim to this land is based upon the Biblical history of Abraham and his descendants. This site is the historical Jewish claim to the Kingdom of Israel (which was destroyed by Rome) and the Jewish need for freedom of from anti-Semitic European countries.

The Palestinian/Arab people claim that this is their land based on continuous residency on the land for hundreds of years and that they have the demographic majority. Additionally, they reject the notion that a biblical-era kingdom is a valid argument for a modern-day world. If the Arab people entertain the religious argument at all, they state that Abraham's son, Ishmael, is the forefather of the Arab nation and therefore, God's promise of the land to Abraham's descendants should include Arabs as well. The Palestinian people believe that they should not have to give up their land to the Jewish people simply because of Europe's crimes against the Jewish nation.

I hope this helps! Good luck!

How does Amiens' song at the end of Act II, Scene VII apply to the motivation of Duke Frederick and Oliver in the Act III, Scene I in As You Like It?

Amiens' song in Act II, Scene VII applies to Duke Frederick's and Oliver's motivations in Act III, Scene I in that the song is all about "man's ingratitude" and friends "remembered not." Starting with Oliver, Oliver is Orlando's brother and, by the concepts of the 16th century, his friend also, meaning a person who is pledged to the good of another person in love and loyalty. Duke Frederick, as a ruler, is also positioned as a friend--in the same sense of doing good in a loving and loyal manner--to Oliver because Oliver is one of the Duke landholders and supporters, who exchange support and loyalty for beneficencies like land grants, positions at court and such.

Amiens' song perfectly describes Duke Frederick's and Oliver's motivations and mind sets in this scene because Oliver is trying to murder Orlando and has declared that, though his brother, he has never loved Orlando. Also, Frederick is threatening Oliver with the confiscation of his lands and wealth if he fails to deliver Oralndo "dead or living" to him.

What is the conclusion of The Outsiders?

The novel ends with many important events.

First of all, Johnny Cade dies as a result of the injuries he suffered when he entered the burning church to save the children trapped inside.  This is significant not only because he is a major character in the novel, but because he leaves Ponyboy with the important message to "stay gold".  This refers back to the poem that was embedded in the text in an earlier chapter.  

Next, Dally Winston is killed by the police after holding up an unloaded gun. After learning of Johnny's death, Dally holds up a store and then flees in fright. He contacts his friends, the Greasers, and tries to escape.  When he is confronted by the police he takes out a gun that is unloaded and is shot and killed.

Then, the trial for the death the Social occurs.  During the trial Ponyboy is found innocent and it is decided that the Curtis brothers can remain together. 

Ponyboy is left to deal with the physical and emotional injuries of the events in the novel. His physical woulds heal much quicker than his emotional ones.

Finally, the book ends using the exact words that it began with.  This is  a symbol of the journey that Ponyboy has been on.  It shows that he was able to work through all of the destruction that occurred throughout the story.  It provides symmetry in the novel as well. 

What is the point of view in Kincaid's "Girl"?

I would like to qualify Mshum's answer.  She is right, of course, that there is no narrative presentation of setting, description, or exposition, but the implied setting of this story is very important.  Clearly, the advice given to the daughter suggests the implied island setting as well as its values and routines.  Critics suggest that the mother actually symbolizes the repressive British Colonialism, and that interpretation also depends on the understanding of the island setting.  Students doing a close reading of this story should go through it and cite specific clauses that do suggest its setting.  Another possibility to consider is that instead of a monologue, the story could be considered the girl's interior monologue.  Would the mother actually say all these directives at once? It is possible, of course, but it's also possible that the girl hears all this advice in her head as she reviews things her mother has told her and other things she's observed in her mother's behavior and puts it all together.

In "Paul's Case," why does the author mention pictures of George Washington and John Calvin?

This story the two pictures above Paul's bed are symbolic. On the surface, it is noted in the story that his mother had framed these pictures  with the quote "feed my lambs,"and she is now dead. These pictures are all he has of her and they symbolize. He however has grown to hate the pictures.

The theme of predestination is symbolized by the picture of John Calvin who was a famous theologian. The idea that our lives are predetermined from birth and nothing we do can change the way things will happen to us is evident in the way that Paul looks at his life.  He feels that he is meant to live differently than his life circumstances have him living.   According to Calvin, Paul's suicide was predetermined at his birth. 

George Washington is a symbol of honesty and truth.  He is a symbol of all that was "right" in American.  Paul lied, cheated and stole his way off of Cordelia Street.  Paul believed in "the American Dream," but was the exact opposite of what Washington symbolized.

Paul decided he would rather die than be taken back to the mundane life of no money, music, art and the finer things in life. He at one point realizes "money is everything."  To live in Washington's America you need money, but Calvin would say Paul didn't have a choice.

In chapter 5, Simon asks "what is the dirtiest thing there is?". What is he referring to and what does this reveal about human nature?

In chapter five of "The Lord of The Flies" the boys are at a meeting and Ralph is trying to get the boys to take things more seriously. Simon tries to make a point.  “Simon became inarticulate in his efforts to express mankind's essential illness.” He attempts to explain by asking what they believe is the dirtiest thing of all."  "As an answer Jack dropped into the uncomprehending silence that followed it the one crude expressive syllable." (pg 103). This means that Simon's "effort results in a crudely anonymous response, a one-syllable word referring to a bowel movement, and his point is not made." What this says about the human nature of man is what Golding was trying to say throughout the novel, and "It is Simon who recognizes Golding’s thesis, that mankind’s evil nature is inherent in man. Unfortunately, Simon is also acutely aware of his own defect, his inability to communicate his knowledge to the others. This arises from his terror of the true beast, one that is harder to fight than any physical beast: the evil nature of mankind." The idea that man is basically evil and will if put in the right circumstances act like an animal.

In "The Island of the Blue Dolphins", why did Chowig reveal his secret name after introducing himself to Orlov?

It is inexplicable to the islanders why Chief Chowig gives his secret name after introducing himself to Orlov, a stranger.  Karana, who is narrating the story, expresses surprise at his action.  Everyone in the tribe has two names, one which is common and the other which is "secret and...seldom used".  The members of the tribe believe that "if people use your secret name it becomes worn out and loses its magic" (Chapter 1).  Indeed, when Orlov's and his treacherous men doublecross the islanders and Chowig lies dead on the beach after a fierce but brief battle, everyone concludes that he should not have revealed his secret name, because in doing so he had weakened himself to the extent that "he had not lived through the fight with the Aleuts and the dishonest Russian" (Chapter 4).

Although no reason is given in the book for Chowig's apparently rash action, I wonder if he might have given his secret name because he felt need of utmost power in facing the Aleuts who had come to the island.  Chowig had told Karana about "those men from the north whom (the) people feared"; the last time the strangers had come, they had basically enslaved the islanders, making them "hunt from one moon to the next, never ceasing", catching otter for the Russians to take away on their boats.  The Russians are many, and well-supplied; against such a formidable force which had previously proved itself to be unscrupulous and belligerent, perhaps Chowig feels that he needs all the power and magic he has at his disposal.

What does the narrator do to free himself from the frame to which he is attached in "The Pit and the Pendulum"?summarize

In the "Pit and the Pendulum" the narrator is secured to a wooden frame by a long strap that encircles almost his entire body, with the exception of his head and his left arm, which he uses to reach the food that is left nearby for him to eat.  As he lay upon this contraption contemplating his dilemma, he observes an army of rats drawn to the smell of the meat that is on a plate in close proximity to the narrator.  He reaches out to the small portion of meat that the rats have left uneaten, places it in his left hand with the hope of enticing the rats to navigate towards him and the bandages that looped around his arm from his elbow to his hand.  Ultimately, the rats surged upon his body and in their frenzy to devour the last morsel of meat, they inadvertantly chewed through the binds that tethered the narrator to his lamented area of repose.

Why was Zora Neale Hurston criticized in her lifetime by fellow African Americans for accepting endowments from white people who supported her?

In addition to the criticism for not writing protest literature, as ladyvols1 discusses very well, Hurston was also criticized more generally for her performance of black identity. Hurston was criticized by many black intellectuals and artists of her time for what they saw as her "playing the darky" to amuse and secure the support of whites.

For one brief discussion of this topic, see Nancy A. Walker's book A Very Serious Thing: Women's Humor and American Culture, p. 113. For another, see the web source cited below, on "The Problem of White Patronage: Charlotte Osgood Mason and Zora Neale Hurston." Wallace Thurman's novel Infants of the Spring offers a very developed and entertaining (although pretty mean-spirited) literary portrait of Hurston that, for me, captures the essence of this criticism of her.

Not all of the Harlem Renaissance writers wrote protest literature. Hughes consistently walked the line, for example; it may be fair to say that half his writings can be called protest literature. There's protest in Hurston, too (e.g. in her short story "Sweat" and in sections of Their Eyes Were Watching God).

In The Scarlet Letter, why does Chillingworth not want Dimmesdale to go up on the scaffold near the end of the novel?Thanks for any help

In chapter 23, which is the end of the story of Dimmesdale and Hester, Arthur Dimmesdale already knows that his end is coming. He finally goes to the scaffold and he, in a sort of delirium, begins his last speech. 

Chillingworth, who had a strong hold on his victim, noticed this and ran to prevent the clergyman from doing this. 

"Madman, hold! What is your purpose?" whispered he. "Wave back that woman! Cast off this child! All shall be well! Do not blacken your fame, and perish in dishonor! I can yet save you! Would you bring infamy on your sacred profession?"

It is interesting to ponder Chillingworth's real concern. He obviously could have cared less that Dimmesdale falls to disgrace...but what about himself? He knew that he would be a collateral product of this disgrace. He would be the cuckold husband if he is found out. Chillingworth's disgrace would be equally proportional. 

There is another thing to consider. Chillingworth made his sole purpose in life to suck the life away from Dimmesdale. This was to be done methodically, slowly, and coldly calculated. Having the prey leave before the predator has all his fun completely defeats the purpose. 

That, however, is precisely what Dimmesdale does. He even gloats to Chillingworth that he beat him at his own game; that he will die, but not because of Chillingworth. 

Therefore, what happens after Dimmesdale dies? Chillingworth dies shortly after. This demonstrates that Dimmesdale ultimately fueled the little life left on Roger Chillingworth; that their symbiosis was toxic, and that Dimmesdale cut it from its core by going to the scaffold to show his own scarlet letter.

As the guests discuss the Trojan War, what effect does it have on them? How does Helen help them? How does Nestor help Telemachos?From The Odyssey...

In Book 3 Telemachos lands on Pylos, the home of the great Trojan War hero Nestor.  Telemachus is welcomed by Nestor, and then Telemachus asks of news of his own father, Odysseus.  Nestor doesn't have much specific knowledge of Odysseus after the Trojan War, but Nestor does give Telemachus encouragement in for the matter of his mother's menacing suitors:

Friend, since you have recalled to my mind these matters and spoken,
men do talk of the suitors who seek your mother, the many
there are in your house who against your will are devising you evils. 
Tell me, are you subdued quite willingly, or do the people
hate you there in your land in response to a god's injunction?
Who is to know whether he will return some day and requite their
violence, either alone or with all the Achaians to aid him?
For if bright-eyed Athena so wanted to favor and love you
as at the tim she cared for Odysseus the glorious hero,
when in the land of the Trojans Achaians were suffering sorrows --
never have I seen gods so openly showing their favor
as beside him stood openly, aiding him, Pallas Athena--
if in her heart she wanted to love you and care for you that much,
then at least some of those men would surely forget aout marriage? (III. 210-24)

Nestor tells Telemachus and Peisistratos to go to Sparta, where King Menelaus and Queen Helen may have more news of Odysseus.  Helen recognizes Telemachus from his resemblance to Odysseus.  Peisistratos reveals Telemachus' identity, and they tell Helen and Menelaus the reason for their visit.  They all weep, mourning the loss of all the Achaians at Troy.  They become so sad that Helen resorts to giving them a drug to curb their sorrow.

 Then other things were devised y Helen the daughter of great Zeus:
straightaway into the wine they were drinking she cast an elixir
banishing sorrow and anger and ridding the mind of all evils.
He who swallowed the potion when it had been mixed in the wine bowl
would not shed any tears from his cheeks fo rthe day that he drank it, (IV. 219-223)

After this Menelaos tells Telemachus all he knows about what happened after the Trojan War to Odysseus.  The last Menelaos had heard of Odysseus, he was alive.

Source: Homer.  The Odyssey. Rodney Merrill, trans.   Ann Arbor, Michigan: University of Michigan Press, 2006.

Atticus tells the childern they're not to kill mockingbirds because doing so is a sin. How does Miss Maudie explain Atticus' reasoning to Scout?

In Chapter 10 of "To Kill a Mockingbird,"Mis Maudie tells the children,

Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy.  They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us.  That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird.

Of course, this passage is significant in its symbolism.  Tom Robinson, the mockingbird of the town, is kind and innocent.  He does not bother anyone; he only helps the Ewell girl out of human charity.  Thus, the sin that the Ewells and the townspeople commit is in their distorted perception that Tom has crossed a civil line.  A man of his word and moral conscience, Atticus recognizes this sin and feels compelled to defend Tom because the moral rules supercede any man-made rule.

Why were boycotts an effective method of protest during the revolution?Why were boycotts an effective method of protest during the American...

Refusing to trade may hurt you, but if you've got nothing to lose, it may convince the other party to change their ways if they're suddenly losing lots of money. Charles Boycott (1832-1897) was an Irish landlord whose rent practices caused tenants to refuse to work on his farms.  The workers went further, destroying his property and equipment, burning him in effigy, and socially isolating ("shunning") him and all that might to business with him.  "To boycott" now means to apply these actions towards a given business or individual.  Although the term did not exist at the time of the American Revolution, these were the same practices colonists exercised to convey their displeasure over Parliament's governance.  In 1765, the Royal Lieutenant Governor in Boston, Thomas Hutchinson (descended from Anne Hutchinson) along with other tax agents had their homes ransacked, were beaten, and burned in effigy.  In 1767, after the passage of the Townsend Acts, which taxed a variety of British manufactured goods, merchants along the Atlantic coast organized a boycott of all British goods.  In addition to hurting British merchants, it stimulated manufacturing within the colonies. The boycott caused huge losses to British merchants; the duties imposed by the Townsend Acts, if they could even be collected, wouldn't have offset the deficit.  Parliament, pressured by the merchants, was forced to alter course and repealed the Acts, excepting the tax on tea, which lead to the "boycotting" of that item in Boston on December 16, 1773.

What is the summary for Chapter 5 of Into the Wild?

Chris enters Bullhead City, Colorado in early October of 1991.  The town is described as a place that is full of tourist traps and strip malls.  Although described as a place that one would not expect Chris to visit or stay for very long, he actually enjoyed his stay in this town – staying there for two consecutive months, even considering staying there for longer.  During his stay Chris got a job working at a local McDonalds, giving his real name on the application, and even opened up an account at a local bank. Described by those he knew there as a hard working and dependable person, Chris had to be reminded and forced by his manager to wear socks to work on a daily basis.  Also during this time period that he met a man named Charlie who instructed him to live in a trailer that he had not been using instead of living out of his backpack and on the streets.  Upon leaving, he went to live in “The Slabs”, a hippie community where Jan and her boyfriend lived.  There he lived with Jan and Bob in their trailer.  All of the people that Chris came in contact with during this time, including a 17-year old girl who had a crush on him, described him as enjoying himself and having a good time during his stay.  Nevertheless, after a few weeks Chris decided to leave The Slabs as well and make his way closer to his Alaskan adventure.

In "The Road Not Taken," what is the tone or attitude?

The tone of attitude of the poem changes as the traveller considers his choice of roads. The first attitude is reveals the speaker to be somewhat indecisive. He comes across a fork in the road and wishes to “travel both” but then decides that would be impractical. So, he selects “the one less traveled by...  '" This suggests a feeling of independence and adventure. However, he quickly questions his own description. “Though as for that the passing there/ Had worn them really about the same.” He still decides to take the other route on another day. Then he says he will will be “telling this with a sigh,” which seems to imply a tone of regret. But by the end of the poem, the tone turns to a feeling of inevitability and acceptance. He writes:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

The speaker has finally reconciled the fact that he made a choice and that choice was important and simply leaves it at that. Many people think that Frost was explaining his choice to become a poet in this poem. However,several times, Frost himself said the poem was about his friend, fellow poet Edward Thomas who was known for his indecisiveness and habit of "habit of dwelling on the irrevocability of

decisions". If so, then Thomas' habit has been immortalized by Frost and we will be telling of his experience “with a sigh/ Somewhere ages and ages hence” .

How can Winston be seen as an unlikely hero?In George Orwell's novel '1984.'

I also think Winston isn't a hero, not even 'an unlikely one', but I also think he never wanted to be a hero, he collaborated with the state he lived in, certainly through the means of his job, but I think he had problems with that from (despite the fact of it seems, at times liking his job) the very first beginning, these problems only evolve as the story continues, to my opinion Winston is very charismatic, he's of course not the guy, who can rally people together 'for a common cause', but who can in such a society, Winston was the kind of thoughtful guy who kept (his) reality high in mind, and therefore of course he not so easily acted, he also seemed to have been someone who despite his 'very' bad health (easily tired, pain in one of his shoulders, varicose ulcer!) was anyway prepared to help, and care for, his fellow people, his fellow people - very much aware of that, they seemed - seemed to have been easily turning toward him when they for example were in search for razor blades, but that, luckily, was the one 'luxury' - in case he had any spare - that he was not willing to provide them with. Yes, I have to say, I like Winston very much, and I think he's the kind of guy I am very much willing to stand up for!

What is the true "gift" in "The Gift of the Magi"?

Have you ever heard the expression "It's the thought that counts"? That's the gist of this story. Jim and Della loved each other so much that each was willing to give up the material thing that was most precious to them in order to buy a gift for the other. In the end, neither of them could use the gift they received, but it didn't matter. The love that inspired them to do something special for each other was the true gift.

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What are the benefits of Gregor Mendel's genetic research?

Among other things, Mendel provided Biology with two very important tools: the laws of inheritance and a set of methods to determine inheritance.

Those laws state that we can predict the outcome of a progeny by defining the distribution of relevant genes in the sex cells (gametes). Thus it is stated that

1. hereditary factors (genes) are what is inherited, not the traits that they determine;


2. genes are present in pairs at least in the zygote (egg) and will segregate after meiosis, such that half of the resulting haploid cells bear one of the genes of each pair, and only one;


3. genes from different pairs may segregate independently, such that they combine randomly in the products of meiosis.

Those methods, applied in a suitable species, involve:

1. The production of pure lines (homozygotes) to start a genetic analysis experiment;


2. The precise control of every mating/pollination, such that each generation to be analysed, be from a cross or from selfing, is produced homogeneously;


3. The extension of the experiment at least to the second generation (F2) after the initial cross to enable the application of the laws of inheritance.

Why does Jing-Mei rebel throughout the story in "Two Kinds"?Even thought most children do at one point in time?

Jing-Mei feels the need to rebel throughout the story because her mother, who emigrated to America from China, is unreasonably insistent on trying to fulfill her own hopes and dreams through her only daughter.

Jing-Mei's mother is worldly and competitive, determined to prove that her daughter is better than the daughter of her friend, Lindo Jong.  When Jing-Mei is young, her mother decides that she will be a prodigy, because in her eyes, in America, anything is possible.  She first believes that Jing-Mei might be "a Chinese Shirley Temple", and takes her to have her hair done in "big fat curls" like the child actress, only to have her daughter emerge "with an uneven mass of crinkly black fuzz".  Disappointed, she tells Jing-Mei that she looks "like Negro Chinese", and has her hair cut into a Peter Pan bob instead.  She then reads about a three-year-old boy "who knew the capitals of all the states and even most of the European countries", and sets about drilling Jing-Mei so that she too might be recognized as an academic prodigy.  At first, Jing-Mei is "just as excited as (her) mother" for the chance to become "perfect" so that her parents "would adore (her)", but after meeting with failure after failure, she begins to hate herself.  Realizing she will never be what her mother wants her to be, she finally determines that she will no longer let her mother change her; she will not be what she is not.

How to teach about land or earth with kindergarten games to let the students have fun?

One way to teach them about the earth / land / soil is to discuss how the earth allows things to grow with the help of other elements like the sun and rain.

In class project:

You need to get your hands on some seeds for small plants; one per child and some soil.  You might ask the principal if you can have some of the soil from outside. You will also need a gardening shovel.

Have each child bring in a sock (preferable one that has lost its mate, lol).

Have each child identify his/her sock.

Have a discussion about how things grow; conditions; what is needed, etc.

Place some soil in each sock along with the seed. Water the sock.

Have students track the growth of their plants through the weaves of the sock.

It's a cute project; have them take their sock home after they have tracked growth.

You could even extend the project to see if rate of growth changes if you place the socks in a sunny place as opposed to a shady place - some socks get plant growth; others don't.  Do a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast growth.  You can do a bunch of extention activities.

Good Luck.

Where did the king sit in the arena?

The King sits in the arena as well, but sits in a high position so as to be above the crowd and to be able to observe and judge all of the action, as well as the response from the people.   

"When all the people had assembled in the galleries, and the king, surrounded by his court, sat high up on his throne of royal state on one side of the arena, he gave a signal, a door beneath him opened, and the accused subject stepped out into the amphitheater. Directly opposite him, on the other side of the inclosed space, were two doors, exactly alike and side by side." (Stockton)

How is Winston and Julia's relationship a rebellion against the Party in 1984?

Their relationship is a form of "ownlife" which is antithetical to the party's ideal of a collective. Because they become emotionally attatched to each other it becomes concievable that they will put individual desires ahead of state needs. This is at the very heart of what unorthodoxy means, and is the reason for loveless marriage and "artsem". Thus, because their relationship is built on mutual attraction, sexuality, and personal consideration they are underming the heart of Engsoc. There is, however, a difference in the form rebellion takes with Winston and Julia.

In Saint-Exupery's The Little Prince, why does the prince think his flower is unique?

At first, the Little Prince believes his flower is unique. Then, the sight of the rose garden first leads the prince to believe that his flower is not, in fact, unique. However, with the fox's guidance, the prince realizes that even so many similar flowers cannot stop his own rose from being unique.

I believe this is an analogy for relationships everywhere between people. Think of it this way: a boy meets a girl and the girl becomes special to him. He may go to a party and see many other girls that are tempting to him who look equally attractive. However, after much thought, he realizes that HIS girl is special because she loves HIM.

I love this quote in the book,

"Men have forgotten this truth," said the fox.
"But you must not forget it.
You become responsible, forever,
for what you have tamed.
You are responsible for your rose. . ."

"I am responsible for my rose,"
the little prince repeated,
so that he would be sure to remember.

I believe that you become responsible for upholding the relationship with those that you love (or, as Antoine de Saint-Exupery says--those that you have "tamed").

 Thus, the Little Prince's rose IS unique because she loves him and he loves her. This makes her different from any other rose in the garden.

Who is the antagonist of The Pearl?

There are several "bad guys" in this story, starting with the village doctor. He is so corrupt he even makes the baby Coyotito sick to appear as a lifesaver and then get more money. The disease of greed spreads (as the evil song from the pearl), corrupting even the priest, who can't help but think of how the church might profit from Kino's sudden fortune. And so it goes with the merchants of the town and then the pearl buyers, who go in collusion against Kino to break the price of the great pearl well below its market value. Finally, the posse tracks down Kino and his family much as hunting animals, and in the flight Coyotito is killed. It is only when Kino hurls the pearl back into the bay that the spell of greed and corruption over the village is broken.

Note that although the pearl is sometimes personified, it is not considered an antagonist itself; evil is rather spawned (as a pearl in an oyster) within the recesses of the heart.

What part of country does Nick originally come from?

Nick originally comes from the Midwest--Minnesota, to be specific. In literature, the Midwest gives a settled feel to characters. The Midwest is where the farms are, the food is grown and the farmers are. The coasts, on the other hand, both east and west, give a sense of excitement and glamour.

Nick moves to the East Coast, and that is where he finds the lavish and empty lifestyles and the wickedness he condemns in the first chapter. He eventually moves back to the Midwest, hoping to find more stability and less wicked people.

In "Beowulf," what does Beowulf's speech to King Hrothgar reveal about his personality?

In his speech, Beowulf gives his ancestry and how he heard about Grendel.  He also tells us why he came to help--that Hrothgar helped Beowulf's father in his time of need, and now out of sense of honor and duty to Hrothgar, Beowulf returns the favor.  He also tells why he is the man for the job.  Later, he tells Hrothgar's party that he killed nine sea monsters while swimming with Brecca in the sea.

So, from his speech, we learn that he is confident, bold, brave, loyal, perhaps a bit boastful (but remember that the Anglo-Saxons didn't necessarily believe in an after-life...they believed that the only way to "live forever" was to perform amazing feats that people would tell stories about forever), and strong. 

It goes without saying that he is welcomed and believed...the party Hrothgar threw for him in preparation for Beowulf's encounter with Grendel is proof enough of their confidence in him.

In the book "To Kill a Mockingbird" who is Judge Taylor? What is some information on him/her?

At the end of chapter 16, Judge Taylor is introduced and described.  He is the judge in Atticus' case of Tom Robinson. Judge Taylor is described as "amiable, white-haired, slightly ruddy-faced, he was a man who ran his court with an alarming informality--he sometimes propped his feet up, he often cleaned his fingernails with his pocket knife."

In some of the longer hearings, Taylor sometimes appeared to be sleeping.  However, he was never unaware of what was going on.  One other interesting habit of his was that he didn't smoke cigars, but slowly chewed them down. 

"If one was lucky, one had the privilege of watching him put a long dry cigar into his mouth and munch it slowly up.  Bit by bit the dead cigar would disappear, to reappear some hours later as a flat slick mess, its essence extracted and mingling with Judge Taylor's digestive juices."

Later after the trial is over, the judge is spoken of again.  He has a late night visitor one Sunday night.  Maycomb knew it was Bob Ewell coming after him.  Taylor made Bob look like a fool on the stand, and Bob was trying to get even, so Bob cut his screen that night.

How are metaphors and imagery used in the story?

Metaphor and imagery are used in "The Monkey's Paw" to enhance the horror of this story.  The amputated paw of a monkey is rather macabre of itself, but when it is taken by the old soldier and first thrown into the fire, the metaphor of a "talisman" suggests evil. As the story progresses, so does the metaphor of evil extend to the evil repercussions of greed and the desire to defy Fate. 

Alone before the fire, Herbert, the son, has a presentiment of his death in the "simian and horrible face." Yet, despite this disturbing image and a shiver running through him, Herbert dismisses his presentiment.  And, so, the White family first make a wish for wealth; then, when the wish proves fateful for the son, they wish to defy their fate.  This wish ends the macabre results of their second wish, foreshadowed in the "postman's knock" (imagery) and the image of the "mysterious man" who pauses three times at their gate.  The ghastly image of Herbert having been "caught in the machinery"  dazes Mrs. White as she contemplates the loss of her only child.  Mr. and Mrs. White must make a final wish, relenting to the course of Fate and its macabre events.

"Mending Wall" suggests that walls exist between people, as well as properties. How can such "walls" be torn down?

The stone wall in the poem is not the only wall that stands between the speaker and his neighbor. They are quite different in their philosophies, and they do not understand each other's beliefs and feelings.

One way they could bring down this second wall between them would be to listen to each other, to really consider what each has to say. Instead, the speaker and his neighbor each hold on to their own points of view without really listening to the other. The speaker maintains, "Something there is that doesn't love a wall," while his neighbor repeats, "Good fences make good neighbors."

Active listening requires a dialog. Each man could simply say, "Why?" Why do good fences make good neighbors? Why do you think this is true? Why is there something that doesn't love a wall? What would that something be? If they talked to each other rather than at each other, they might begin to understand each other's point of view.

It is easier to respect that which we understand. If the speaker and his neighbor understood and respected each other, there would be no real wall between them, even if they disagreed.

How long does the kidnapping of Catherine and Nelly last in Chapter 28 of Wuthering Heights?

Cathy is physically freed from the room in the morning, although she remains emotionally trapped. She is forced into marriage with Linton, & is not allowed to return to the Grange to see her dying father. In order to cover up the kidnapping, Heathcliff concocts a story, saying he rescued Nelly and Cathy from drowning.

Nelly is kept locked in the room for four days. When she is released, she finds out about Heathcliff's story, as well as the fact that Edgar may only have a day to live. She escapes, & attempts to change his will. Cathy finally convinces Linton to help her sneak out as well, arriving in time to say goodbye to her father. However, both women are taken once again with Heathcliff, so you may say that their imprisonment continues up until Heathcliff's death.

What is the page number of the passage where Jem loses his innocence?

All throughout the trial, as Jem watches, listens, and pieces together the evidence (or lack thereof) that his father brings to the jury's attention, he has hope. Jem says things like "He's just gone over the evidence . . . and we're gonna win, Scout. I don't see how we can't" (202). Jem believes in his father, he understands the case, and he knows that the prosecution has not provided any substantial evidence to prove that Tom Robinson raped Mayella Ewell. Jem is only eleven or twelve at this point and if he can understand the facts and determine that Tom is innocent, then it should be sure that twelve intelligent adult men could come to the same conclusion—right? Unfortunately, Jem's heart and hope are shattered as the word "Guilty" rings through the courtroom after the jury's long deliberation. As Jem's hope in humanity crashes to the floor, so does his childhood innocence. It is at this point that Jem gains a major life experience. Scout describes it as follows:

"It was Jem's turn to cry. His face was streaked with angry tears as we made our way through the cheerful crowd. 'It ain't right,' he muttered, all the way to the corner of the square where we found Atticus waiting. . . . 'It ain't right, Atticus,' said Jem. 'No son, it's not right'" (212).

In the Warner Books edition of To Kill a Mockingbird, this passage is found on page 212 as noted above. However, it is also the opening paragraph of chapter 22 and may be more easily found that way in a different edition.

When are the three witches to meet again and for what purpose?

The witches first meet in Act 1 scene 1 of Macbeth asking just that question with the famous "When shall we three meet again?" as the Scottish nobility fight and slaughter each other around them.

The answer is "When the hurlyburly's done, When the battle's lost and won" which means by sunset that day according to the third witch's prophecy.

The reason that they are to meet again is simply "There to meet with Macbeth".

What is the conclusion of "Hamlet?"

Hamlet is a tortured soul. His father's ghost keeps visiting him and he learns that his uncle, Claudius, is the one who killed him. Claudius has now become king and married Hamlet's mother. Hamlet is bent of revenge, but it can be said that Hamlet was not crazy. He was a man driven by grief and revenge for the wrongs that were done to him.

When Ophelia commits suicide after her father's death, her brother, Laertes, comes and is angry and the king tells him that it was all Hamlet's fault. Laertes agrees to a sword fight with Hamlet and the king has dipped the tip of the sword with poison. He has also poisoned a goblet of wine in case Hamlet doesn't get cut by the sword. After Hamlet and Laertes are both cut by the sword, Laertes tells Hamlet the truth. He tells him that Claudius is the one behind the death of his mother and is the one who poisoned the sword. Hamlet rams the sword through Claudius and forces him to drink the poisoned wine, eventually killing him. Hamlet succumbs to the poison from the sword, but tells Horatio that he wants it to be known what really happened there. Horatio tells Fortinbras, the Norwegian prince, the whole story of Hamlet. Fortinbras orders that Hamlet be carried away in a manner fitting a fallen solider. 

Hamlet is such a tragic story. Hamlet was a man bent on revenge on the wrongs done to the people he loved. He was not crazy, he was just a man that loved his family and wanted justice for them.

What things bother Ralph most about the breakdown of order on the island? What is the reason for the breakdown?I was told to really think about it,...

Remember at the beginning of the novel Ralph is described as the "fair haired" boy" "sunny and decent, sensible and considerate.",.  Ralph is the "good guy."  His father is an officer in the Royal Navy.  This indicates to me that Ralph's life before the "island experience" was one of order.  He has been raised to strongly believe in honor, integrity, and doing what is right. Yet, Ralph lacks the "charisma and strategic skills to get the other boys to recognize what the conch represents—order, authority, dialogue, democracy." The break-down of the order on the island occurs because Jack becomes more savage as time passes "he can be a wily strategist. In other ways, however, Jack is careless and destructive, as when he accidentally steps on Piggy's glasses and breaks a lens.."  He begins to ignore the rules.  An example of this is when he lets the fire die to go off and hunt.  Jack pursuades many of the other boys to follow his lead.  He is intimidating and he scares most of the boys.  Ralph believes in doing the responsible thing because it is the right thing to do.  Yet, more and more of the order disappears because Jack becomes stronger and stronger.

"Golding himself has said that the writing of Lord of the Files was an attempt to trace the defects of society back to the defects of human nature."

In chapter 2 in A Tale of Two Cities in the following quotation what are the advantages of this type of narration for the author?"jerry left alone...

Jerry Cruncher is the porter at Tellson's Bank, London. In Ch.2 he is dispatched with an urgent message to be delivered to Mr. Jarvis Lorry who is on his way to Paris on the coach-The Dover Mail-and to take Mr.Jarvis Lorry's reply back to the bank.

It's 11.10 on a dark, damp foggy night when Jerry Cruncher catches up with The Dover Mail at Shooter's Hill. He completes his mission successfully and receives Mr.Jarvis Lorry's cryptic reply, "Recalled to life" to be conveyed to the people at Tellson's Bank.

After he sees The Dover Mail trundle down Shooter's Hill on its way to Dover, Jerry Cruncher takes a breather. He has been travelling at break neck speed to catch up with The Dover Mail and he is covered with mud from top to toe and the brim of his hat is full of water:

The rider's horse was blown, and both horse and rider were covered with mud, from the hoofs of the horse to the hat of the man.

He refreshes himself as any normal person would who is covered with mud by wiping off the mud on his face and shaking out the water from the brim of his hat before he returns to London.

What the reader has to take note of is Dickens' eye for the minute details when describing  even the minor characters. The fact that Jerry Cruncher has been riding so fast to somehow accomplish his mission in such awful weather conditions tells us how duty conscious he is. He could have paused on his way from London to wipe the mud off his face, but he knew that that would entail a loss of precious seconds which would result in not being able to convey the letter to Mr. Jarvis Lorry. So, the fact that Jerry Cruncher wipes the mud off his face ONLY AFTER he has accomplished his mission and not a moment before clearly testifies to his sincerity in accomplishing his mission.

It is attention to minute details like these even in the case of minor characters that testifies to Dickens' talent and genius.

What are 5 quotes that use figurative language in A Separate Peace?

"This was the tree, and it seemed to me standing there to resemble those men, the giants of your childhood, whom you encounter years later and find that they are not merely smaller in relation to your growth..."

This is figurative because the tree is being used as a metaphor for how children perceive adults, and how adults look back on their childhood.  Things that seemed so large/important then seem to shrink with age. 

"The tree tremendous, an irate, steely black steeple beside the river."

Here, the same tree is being compared to a "steeple", as in a church steeple, giving it a religious and more important significance.

"The beach shed its deadness...and finally it was totally white and stainless, as pure as the shores of Eden. Phineas, still asleep...made me think of Lazarus, brought back to life by the touch of God."

Here, there are two allusions to the Bible in how Gene describes Finny.

"[Up above] the cold Yankee stars ruled this night. They did not invoke in me thoughts of God, or sailing before the mast, or some great love as crowded night skies at home had done...."

The stars have multiple meanings - they could bring thoughts of heaven or of celestial navigation, but instead for Gene they indicate his feeling of insignificance in the universe.

"The early snow was commandeered as its advance guard."

The snow is metaphorically described in terms of war, which was on the minds of all the students.

What are the main benefits and consequences for the Finzi-Continis in isolating themselves fom other Jews within the Corso Ercole I d’Este?

It is debatable that the Finzi Continis really live in such isolation through the whole novel. It is true that they are introduced as a family that lives apart from the Jewish community and from the town of Ferrara as a whole. Their mansion is surrounded by gates and walls, they use a different synagogues and don't go where the majority of Jews go, the children Alberto and Micol do not go to state school but are privately tutored. The nameless narrator, who is involved in the events of the novel, describes them as elusive and mysterious. The narrator's father goes as far as defining them with the paradox of aristocratic anti-Semites.

Yet, in the course of the novel, the family does open its mansion to the outside world. The Jews who have been banned by the tennis club as the result of the racial laws in 1938 are invited by the Finzi Continis to play in their courts. This creates a world apart from the pervasive racism that is sweeping Ferrara (a microcosm for Italy as a whole and for Europe). This world, however, proves ephemeral as the Fascist persecution of Jews tightens its grip. In this respect too, the Finzi Continis are just like all the other Jews. What the future holds for them is deportation and an anonymous death in a concentration camp, the fate of millions of Jews during Fascism and Nazism.

Compare Gatsby's parties at West Egg and Tom's parties in New York. How do they differ and how are they similar?

Gatsby's parties are large, flamboyant, over-the-top affairs which cater to the guests' every whim. Although formal invitations are sent, the parties are attended by everyone who wishes to have a good time. As such, the parties are attended by a cornucopia of guests, from those with "old" money from East Egg, to those with "new" money from West Egg and those with no money who wish to create the impression that they have money or are on the up-and-up.

Evidently, some of Gatsby's more sinister companions also attend these parties as well as characters such as Klipspringer, who is a parasite. Anyway, most of the attendees are self-indulgent and self-absorbed characters who have no whim other than to exploit and abuse Gatsby's generosity at no cost to themselves. F. Scott Fitzgerald satirizes the empty and shallow self-indulgence commonly displayed during the so-called "Jazz-Age." 

The parties are obviously enormously public and well-attended occasions and the raucous and ill-disciplined behavior of many of the guests is well-documented in the novel. The purpose of these parties is an attempt by Jay Gatsby to draw Daisy closer. He hopes that the parties will pique her interest and that she will attend so that he can rekindle their relationship. It is his ideal that they should be together again.

Tom Buchanan's parties in his New York apartment differ from Gatsby's in that they are private little affairs between Tom and a select number of guests, mostly companions related to Myrtle in some way or another. The actual purpose is for Tom to indulge his affair with Myrtle, a married woman. It soothes his ego that he can openly have this affair without being concerned about any complications which may arise, for his money would take care of any difficulty in this regard. 

In both instances, the guests freely indulge in alcohol and let go of any inhibitions they otherwise might have. Nick Carraway, for example, gets completely drunk at one of Tom's get-togethers. Tom also displays his true colors and affections during one of these occasions - firstly, when he breaks Myrtle's nose when she derisively calls out Daisy's name and secondly, when he is involved in a confrontation with Gatsby about his affair with Daisy and it is here that he makes known his suspicions about Jay's criminal activities. The guests at both parties are similar in the sense that they are parasites feeding off the generosity of their hosts.   

In "Everyday Use," why is the mother reluctant to let Dee have the quilts?

The mother is reluctant to let Dee have the quilts because they have been promised to Maggie who is about to be married. Also, she knows that Maggie cherishes the quilts as part of her family heritage. Maggie's tender feelings are shown clearly when she speaks so lovingly of her grandmother who made one of the quilts. Dee, however, values them only as material possessions, objects of art that she can carry away to hang on her walls where they will look fashionable in a folk-art kind of way. Although Maggie is prepared to give them up, her mother will not allow it. The quilts will go to Maggie, where they will be treasured.

Who was sleeping in the second chamber in "Macbeth"? Why did Shakesphere include that information in the play?In Act II, who was sleeping in the...

According to Lady Macbeth, Donalbain (Duncan's son) was sleeping in the second chamber in Act II, and the second person with him is assumed to be his brother Malcolm.  After killing the King, Macbeth told Lady Macbeth,

"There's one did laugh in's sleep, and one cried
'Murder!'
That they did wake each other: I stood and heard them:
But they did say their prayers, and address'd them
Again to sleep."

This is important because this is the point where Macbeth realizes he can no longer say "Amen."  He has gone past the point of forgiveness and can no longer pray. 
These two characters (sons of Duncan) are important because after they flee, the blame immediately goes on them and Macbeth is next in line for king.

In "There Will Come Soft Rains," what literary device does Bradbury use most when he relates to the house?

I agree with mrs-campbell and would like to expand upon her answer a bit more.  I must say that after scouring the story, I could find no new examples of personification because she mentioned them all (and even included a couple that weren't exactly personification).  However, just because they are mentioned, doesn't mean they are explained.  My answer will explain how each example is an example of the literary element of personification.

First, when the stove "gave a hissing sigh."  This specifically refers to the house as a person.  A stove cannot make the sound of a sigh, only a person can.  And that sign often can mean boredom or resentment, but definitely something negative (and nothing good).

Second, the house mechanics are focused upon when the "tapes glided under electric eyes."  Note that it is a human that has eyes, nothing else does.  Giving mechanization such human qualities gives an ominous quality to the house and its contents, as if they were alive.

[Next, I have to say that, in my opinion, the third example (even though it is a great example of sound and touch imagery) is not an example of personification.  "Chimed" and "lifted" are not human, but mechanical qualities, so I must go on to the fourth to continue discussion.]

Fourth, the water goes down "a metal throat which digested it."  No doubt that it is only a human (or an animal) that has a "throat," therefore even though that is not a "quality" per se, it is actually a body part!  This is definitely personification here!

Further, shutting the doors and the windows tightly showed "old-maidenly preoccupation with self ... mechanical paranoia."  Yes, both "preoccupation with self" and "paranoia" are human qualities that actually prove to be quite advanced of thought.  Further, any concept of "self" is inherently human.

[Again, I have to disagree with the sixth example being personification specifically of the house.  It is personification of the mice, but yes, they are "angry" as only a human could be "angry."  Mice simply react out of instinct.  So in that case it IS personification, just not that of the house.]

Finally, "the house began to die."  Only living things can die and, although not innately human (but also relating to plants and animals) this could be considered personification as well.

Therefore, due to at least five of the above examples being perfect representations of personification, I must agree that personification is the most used literary element pertaining to the house.

When the police arrive to the scene, how does Thurber use hyperbole?

In James Thurber's short story, "The Night the Ghost Got In," two young brothers think that they hear footsteps from the first floor of their family's house at about 1:15 in the morning.  The narrator, who apparently is Thurber himself, at first concludes that the footsteps belong to a burglar, but later he decides that they must be from a ghost.

The boys' mother calls the police.  When the police arrive, the author begins to use one of his favorite techniques: humorous hyperbole. In other words, he exaggerates in order to create a humorous situation. 

*Rather than simply turning on the house's lights, the police use flashlights to examine the situation:

Their lights played all over the living room and crisscrossed nervously in the dining room, stabbed into hallways, shot up the front stairs and finally up the back. 

*The narrator has just stepped out of the bathtub when he first hears the footsteps.   By the time the police come, he is wearing a pair of pants on the bottom and a bath towel on top, not exactly an outfit for a burglar.  Still, the police treat him like a suspect:

“Who are you?” he demanded....

I went to my room and pulled on some trousers. On my way out, a cop stuck a gun into my ribs. “Whatta you doin’ here?” he demanded. 

*When "a creaking in the attic" is heard, "Five or six cops sprang for the attic door"--obviously more officers than would respond to a simple burglary call. 

*The noise from the attic is neither from a burglar or ghost; rather, it is from Grandfather, a Civil War veteran who often imagines that the war is still in progress.  Grandfather grabs an officer's gun and releases a shot.  In Thurber's world of hyperbole, it is quite a shot:

The report seemed to crack the rafters; smoke filled the attic.

All of this hyperbole helps to create a hectic, out-of-control scene that the author refers to as, "a hullabaloo of misunderstanding."

Can someone tell me about "illusion" in "King Lear"?

I think in terms of appearance versus reality, there are a number of illusions being used.

First, Lear's two daughters, Regan and Goneril, fool Lear into thinking that they are his most loving and trusted daughters when, in fact, they are going to strip him of his power and belittle him.  

Likewise, Cordelia, with her silence, appears to be insolent and disrespectful.  However, in reality she is his most loving and loyal daughter.

This is reflected in Gloucester and his sons.

Edmund tricks his father into thinking that he is really his most trusted son.  However, that is far from the truth and he treats hif father much the same way Regan and Goneril treat Lear.

Edgar, on the other hand, appears to be the bad son and is banished under the threat of death, yet in reality, he proves himself to be as loyal to his father and Cordelia is to hers.

Now, the concept of illusion can be carried one step further when you think of the disguises that Edgar and Kent adopt in order to stay in Lear's kingdom to help him.

You could also explore whether Lear's madness is really an illusion or not, for it seems that in the beginning of the play when he appeared normal and had all of his power, he was acting very foolish.  Now compare that to when he is kicked out by his daughters and left to wander the hearth, where he seems to be insane, yet he begins to regain some of his common sense and royal nature. 

From what acts in The Crucible do these quotes come from?1. “… there are wheels within wheels in this village, and fires with in fires!”...

From what acts in The Crucible do these quotes come from?

1. “… there are wheels within wheels in this village, and fires with in fires!”

2.“If the crop is good I’ll buy George Jacob’s heifer. How would that please you?... [With a grin] I mean to please you, Elizabeth... [He gets up, goes to her, kisses her. She receives it. With a certain disappointment, he returns to the table.]

3.“Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life!  Because I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang!  How may I live without my name?  I have given you my soul, leave me my name!”

4."There is a faction that is sworn to drive me from my pulplit...I have foughthere three long years to bend these stiff-necked people to me."

5."I mean to please you Elizabeth"...(He gets up, goes to her, kisses her.  She receives it.  With a certain disappointment, he returns to the table.)"

Compare and contrast the presentation of grief in the poems "Remember" by Christina Rossetti and "The Voice" by Thomas Hardy.

The similarity between the poems is that grief is presented, and that they speak of a loved one being lost.  However, there are more differences.  First of all, the poems come from the opposite perspectives.  Hardy's poem is from the perspective of the mourner, the person who lost a loved one, and Rossetti's poem comes from the perspective of the person who was lost.  So, there is that major difference.

There is also a difference in overall message.  Hardy is very mournful, very sad, and haunted by his wife-the image of her, and her entire self.  He longs to see her "Let me view you, then,/Standing as when I drew near to the town/...Yes, as I knew you then."  He longs for her again.  He feels the wind carries a message from her, and is dragged by her memory out into the wind, "faltering forward/leaves around me falling,/wind oozing thin through the thorn from norward."  So the poem ends with an image of him out in the cold, covered in leaves and rain, mourning his lost love.  On the other hand, Rossetti's poem forbids her love to mourn her loss.  She says instead that "If you should forget me for a while and afterwards remember,/ do not grieve:/...Better by far that you should forget and smile/Than that you should remember and be sad."  She wants him to be happy, even if it means to forget her for a while.  

Both are unique presentations of grief, but have very different feels and messages.

In "Bless Me, Ultima," what connotations are attached to the owl?

In "Bless Me, Ultima," the owl symbolizes Ultima's soul. It is a benign spirit that accompanies Tony whenever Ultima cannot and warns of trouble to come. To Tony and Ultima's other friends, the owl has a positive connotation: protection, goodness, and wisdom.

However, the townsfolk see the owl as proof that Ultima is a witch. They believe it to be her familiar, an evil animal that serves its wicked master. To Ultima's enemies, the owl has a negative connotation: evil, witchery, and malevolence.

In the play Hamlet, why is Hamlet disgusted with his mother’s behavior?

Hamlet's mother, while his father was alive, was completely enamored with her husband the king.  Hamlet himself describes how "she would hang on him, as if increase of appetite had grown by what it fed on" (I.ii.143-144).  So after her husband dies, the "expected" reaction would be devastated grieving for a very long time.  If she was so in love with him, his death would have shattered her.  However, Hamlet is very upset because "yet, within a month-Let me not think on't-Frailty, thy name is woman!-A little month...married with my uncle, My father's brother...within a month...she married"  (I.ii.145-155).  He is disgusted because she, whose love was so strong for his father, with seeming no regard or mourning, quickly married his uncle.  First of all, it is an insult to his father, and secondly, it is his father's uncle, which Hamlet considers "incestuous" and vile.

He becomes even more disgusted when the ghost informs him that it was most likely his uncle that killed his father.  So not only did Gertrude marry his father's brother, but a man who was a murderer to boot.  His anger towards his mother flavors much of the mood of the play; because of it, he unleashes an angry tirade upon Ophelia about the fickle nature of all women, which contributes in part to her unfortunate turn to madness, and later he verbally assaults his mother after the play.

What is the meaning of the last three lines in the poem "Dover Beach"?"And we are here as on a darkling plain..."Also, how does "Dover Bitch" by...

The last three lines of Arnold's poem "Dover Beach",

"And we are here as on a darkling plain...swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight...where ignorant armies clash by night",

express the author's bewilderment at the state of the world, which, instead of being filled with "joy...love...and light", is more like a battleground, where confusion and destruction reign.  It is the author's hope that the love he shares with the woman to whom the poem is addressed will transcend a reality where comfort and peace are lacking.

I think that in his poem "Dover Bitch", Hecht is both making fun of Arnold's pessimistic belief and affirming it as well.  His crass portrayal of the object of Arnold's affections as a woman who is, unbeknownst to him, vulgar and unfaithful, is told with an earthy realism which makes Arnold's flowery, romantic notions seem ludicrous.  Ironically, the effect of this portrayal affirms Arnold's pessimistic fears at the same time as it mocks them.  The world is indeed not a place where high-mindedness and noble ideals prevail, and Arnold's hope for refuge in an untainted love is empty and meaningless as well.

What is John Proctors background in "The Crucible"?His date of birth, the day he died and how many kids he had.

John Proctor's family emigrated from England to America in 1635, when he was 3 years old. They settled in Ipswich, Massachusetts, but later bought land and built a farm in Salem. According to "The New England Historical and Genealogical Register," Proctor was married twice and had 9 children. The Elizabeth Proctor in the play is the second wife, and she was spared execution because she was pregnant. The register also notes that some of their children were also imprisoned for suspicion of witchcraft, but were released.

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Comment on the woodthrush image in T.S. Eliot's "Marina"

A wood thrush is a bird common in the Northeastern part of the United States; it is known for its "loud clear song."  In the poem, Eliot refers to hearing the wood thrush "singing through the fog".  He mentions this in the opening of the poem, and again at the closing of the poem.

The mentioning of the woodthrush can serve several purposes.  One is to set the scene, to use imagery (the 5 senses) to create a mood and help the reader to feel like they are right there, where the poet is describing.  The entire opening and closing stanzas set the scene through sights and sounds ("What seas what shores what grey rocks and what islands/ What water lapping the bow /And scent of pin"), and he puts the woodthrush in the fog in there too.  Now the reader can feel like they are actually there, in body.  It also sets a mood; he's in a boat, it is foggy, and you can hear the singing of a bird somewhere close by.

The second purpose in mentioning the woodthrush is for structure and closure.  He opens and closes with a repeated mentioning of it; this helps "sandwich" the poem, and gives it a nice, tidy, closure, almost like the beginning and ending of a story.

A third reason for the mentioning of the wood thrush is symbolism.  It is known for its loud and clear song.  Note that Eliot put it in a fog; a fog is confusing and disorienting, but the woodthrush's song was heard clearly through it, piercing through the fog.  This could symbolize the clarity that Eliot is having at that moment, in regards to death.  The entire poem discusses death and its impact.  It discusses his confusion and lack of clarity in the past and how he wants to "resign my life for this life".  So, as he sits there, in that spot and time, in that fog, he has a moment of clear, calm thinking where his eyes are opened, and that could be symbolized by the thrush's song through the murky fog.

I hope that helps a bit!  Good luck!

In "To Kill a Mockingbird", how does Atticus define rape for Scout?

This is a good question. Let me give you the context. Scout and Jem heard that there would be a trial and that Tom Robinson was accused of raping Mayella Ewell. The natural question for a curious young girl was to ask what rape was. Scout asked Calpurnia, but Calpurnia did not feel comfortable answering. Instead, she directed the question to Atticus and changed the subject and asked Scout if she was hungry. 

When Scout finally asked Atticus, Atticus gave her a very legal sounding definition - carnal knowledge of a woman without her consent. Scout acted like she understood. Atticus knew that Scout was too young to understand but he also knew that he had to give an answer. From this perspective, Atticus's words were wise. Here is the conversation:

Atticus looked around from behind his paper. He was in his chair by the window. As we grew older, Jem and I thought it generous to allow Atticus thirty minutes to himself after supper.

He sighed, and said rape was carnal knowledge of a female by force and without consent.

“Well if that’s all it is why did Calpurnia dry me up when I asked her what it was?”

In "Wuthering Heights" what does Catherine's diary reveal about Heathcliff as a boy?

In Ch.3 Lockwood the primary narrator in "Wuthering Heights" is forced to spend the night at the elder Catherine's room in Wuthering Heights because of stormy weather. He spends a restless and sleepless night and to while away the time he begins skimming through the books he discovered by chance on the window ledge of the room. The elder Catherine had "covered every morsel of blank that the printer had left" of all these books with her own commentaries. "Some were detached sentences; other parts took the form of a regular diary, scrawled in an unformed, childish hand."

From these "diary" entries we learn of the unhappy childhood of Heathcliff: "Hindley's conduct to Heathcliff is atrocious." Now that Mr.Earnshaw is dead and Hindley has become the master of Wuthering Heights, he begins to abuse and ill treat Heathcliff. Catherine records that even Frances, Hindley's wife joins in hurting Heathcliff: "Frances pulled his hair heartily." To make matters worse Joseph the puritan servant, constantly sermonises to Heathcliff and prevents him from enjoying his childhood. Joseph is instrumental in doing his utmost to separate him from Catherine his soulmate and only source of comfort and joy in this cheerless and miserable place. Once he seaprates them when  "they had made ourselves as snug as our means allowed in the arch of the dresser." Heathcliff and Catherine rebel, but they are punished severely by Hindley.

How did Sam choose these names for his animal friends in "My Side of the Mountain"?(Frightful, The Baron, Jesse C. James, Mr. Bracket, Mrs....

Sam calls his falcon "Frightful" because of "the difficulties (they)...had in getting together".  Sam had to scramble up a mountain and tussle with the young bird's mother when he stole her from her nest (Chapter 7).

"The Baron" is a weasel Sam catches in a trap.  Despite his discomfiture at being so ignominously treated, the weasel maintains a noble bearing, "as stately as royalty" (Chapter 9).

Jesse C. James, is a young raccoon, a masked bandit who reminds Sam of the notorious Jesse James.  His middle initial, "C", stands for "Coon" (Chapter 12).

When Sam is watching the chickadees, he thinks of his neighbors on Third Avenue.  Mr. Bracket used to sit on his front step and chase everyone who approached his apartment away, so Sam names a most cantankerous chickadee after him.  Mrs. O'Brien, Mrs. Callaway, and Mrs. Federio always went to market together on Third Avenue, talking and pushing as they went.  Sam names "three busy chickadees...(who)...flit and rush around and cluck and fly", after these three ladies (Chapter 18).

Sam discovers that "when you don't have a newspaper or radio to give you weather bulletins, watch the birds and animals...they can tell you when a storm is coming".  Sam observes the behavior of a little nuthatch, whom he names "Barometer", in particular, and "when he hole(s) up, (Sam) hole(s) up" (Chapter 19).

Explain Employee Remuneration?

When people work for a company, they expect to receive from the company something in return for their efforts. Employee remuneration refers the Compensation and reward given by companies to their employees.

The remuneration to employees can be broadly divided in two types. The first is the pay, which they can spend as they please. The second is the job facilities provided to them to improve their effectiveness and comfort on the job. These can be provides in physical form such as company car, or as payment of expenses like travel, lodging, dining and entertaining incurred while performing company work.]

Companies also provide to their employees “fringe benefits” which combines the features of pay as well as on the job facilities. Employeees also expect to derive job satisfaction from their work – this is the feeling of satisfaction and enjoyment they feel in the process of performing their work, and not something given in return for their work.

The amount of the remuneration as well as the form and way in which it is paid has major implication on employee performance and cost.

The pay can have two components. A fixed pay independent of the performance levels of individual or groups of employee, and a variable pay linked to the performance levels. Fixed amount is to satisfy need for income stability, and the variable component is to stimulate and reward greater effort.

The fixed pay may be paid in several different forms and under different names – like basic salary, dearness allowance, city compensatory allowance, and house rent allowance. Here it will be useful to clarify that although dearness allowance varies with the price index, it forms part of fixed component of employees earning as it is not linked to on the job performance.

The variable pay is also paid by companies under different names like incentive, commission, and bonus. To simplify our discussion here we will use the term incentive to include all types of variable components monetary compensation. The incentives can be of different types, and can be linked to the performance in different ways.

In "The Giver", where do you think the idea of "sameness" came from?

In terms, Jonas's community chose the path of "sameness" so "unfair" things wouldn't exist.

As an example, Jonas cant choose his partner in adult hood so the elders can choose the match least likely to get a divorce or act uncertain of eachother.

Another is job choices. If Jonas chose a job, he may choose the wrong one and have a terrible life. Instead, the elders choose the job he is best for.

Then there is sucsess. Some people might choose wrong choices and end up lest sucsessful than others. The "unfair" factor plays best here.

What does the quote "Jem, how can you hate Hitler so bad and be so ugly about folks right at home" mean?

In chapter 26, Scout was at school and Miss Gates,her "hypocritical third-grade teacher who condemns Hitler's persecution of the Jews even as she discriminates against her own students and complains about blacks "getting above themselves." was teaching about the lesson about Hitler and how terrible he was to the Jewish people.  She made a point to talk to the children about prejudice and that it was wrong.  Scout had over heard her make that remark about the black people in Macomb.  Scout did not understand how Miss Gates could talk so badly about Hitler for hating the Jewish people during WWII, and still make terrible remarks about the blacks living right there in Macomb.  Scout couldn't grasp the difference.  This is a great section of the book and I have used it often to teach against the hatred of any group or person because they are different than we are.

What is the summary for Volume 3, Chapter 3 of The Monk?

Lorenzo arrives back in Madrid with a representative of the Inquisition. During the procession honoring St. Clare, the prioress is arrested. Mother St. Ursula publicly relates the account of Agnes’s trial by the sisters. The majority voted for the most extreme punishment, which would entail Agnes being thrown in a dungeon and left for dead. However, at Mother St. Ursula’s instigation, the punishment is mitigated to death by poison. Agnes is then forced to drink the potion, which causes her to expire.

At Mother St. Ursula’s revelation that the prioress is a murderer, the crowd turns to rioting. Despite the Inquisitor’s pleas, she is attacked and killed by the crowd. Then they turn on the other nuns, vowing that all of them must be destroyed and the convent torn down. 

In the confusion, Lorenzo finds a group of nuns and a young woman named Virginia hiding in the cemetery vault near the statue of St. Clare. Groans coming from the statue arouse Lorenzo’s suspicions. He manages to move the statue to find a passage leading down into a dungeon, where he finds Agnes, alive and holding the body of her baby. Lorenzo removes Agnes from the dungeon and with Virginia’s help, takes the group of nuns to safety.

Why is the Norman Conquest of 1066 so important to us as we read English literature?

Because of the Norman Conquest, the written language, that of the Norman nobles who virtually slaughtered most of the Saxons at the Battle of Hastings, became French.  This Old French was the language of the Arthurian legends (e.g. "La Morte d'Arthur".  But, when Geoffrey Chaucer wrote "The Canterbury Tales" he broke with tradition and wrote in Old English. 

Nevertheless, the sentence structure of Old English is much like French (e.g. of + noun for possessives, adjectives follow nouns )and meanings of many of the words are the French meanings.  If a student has had French, he/she can more easily read this Old English literature.  In fact even in modern English, more than 60% of the words are derived from French.  So, this French influence continues today as French is a parent language of English. 

In "Lord of the Flies", why do Ralph and Jack decide to go find the beast?

sunday morning rain is falling

Jack was singing this song when Ralph was up on the hills with Piggy doing its best work of having the fire going. Here, the province of the islands were the mastermind animals of the greatest leader Ralph with the mans of their kind. The animals of the park were the greatest after all the movement of the "beastie" was any better than the moments of tremendous amounts of feeling bad about any loss of life on either side of the conflict, but I think it was a justified decision based on what we knew at the time. I did it, and as I say in the book, I had to move on. I was still Secretary of state. I couldn't go in a corner and go fetal.

Where does Orwell start telling the story of the elephant? What information did he need you to have before you began reading?

Orwell actually begins telling about the elephant in the title of the essay "Shooting an Elephant". However, before he begins to give the details of this incident, he explains the predicament that he finds himself in. He is a British police officer who hates colonialism but he also hates the colonial people of Burma, whom he is expected to police. He says, " 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." This irony is then exemplified in his story about shooting the elephant. In that episode, Orwell is able to show that, even though he did not want to shoot the elephant, he represented the British empire, and therefore was forced to take an action which he did not believe in or think was right. He did this because the "evil little beasts" expected him to shoot the elephant and to not do so would reflect badly on the empire. He had been given so much power by the local people who did not realize his hatred for his job nor for them. Even more ironically, he also did not know how to shoot the elephant so it did not suffer. Thus, Orwell is "stuck" as he mentions at the beginning of the essay. As he says at the end," I often wondered whether any of the others grasped that I had done it solely to avoid looking like a fool." He thus reaffirms the selfish motives for much of colonialism.

In "The Gift of the Magi" How does O.Henry define wisdom? O.Henry says of these "two foolish children" that they were "the wisest." I didn't get...

"...These are the wisest," O. Henry says at the short story's end; "They are the magi." He is referring here to Jim and Della, who were wise enough to see past themselves and their own importance to give something of real worth to another. While their actions resulted in unfavorable outcomes for both, the generosity of their selfless giving is what made them "wise" in the opinion of the author.

By story's end, Della had sold her beautiful hair to buy Jim's watch chain, and Jim had likewise sold his treasured watch for Della's hair combs. The situation may have seemed like a stalemate, but in fact, O. Henry tells us that their sacrifices were what made them "wise" or "magi."

What was the purpose of altering the text of the Lord's prayer?

This Hemingway story, more than any of his others, expresses the theme of "nada" or nothingness. The philosophy of "nada" as he develops it in numerous works is the idea that beyond human lives lies only a great nothingness--no God and no moral order in the universe. A "dark" void. The "light" motif represents man's attempts to find a way to endure the personal loneliness this philosophy evokes. Hemingway's characters frequently fear the dark, from Frederick Henry in A Farewell to Arms to the older waiter in this story. They cannot sleep in the dark.

In writing his ironic parody of The Lord's Prayer , followed immediately by the opening words of the Hail Mary, Hemingway replaces the comfort of traditional religious faith with the disturbing concept of nothingness. The older waiter and the old man drinking on the patio feel the loneliness and isolation of "nada," while the younger waiter is far too young to understand. It is the old man and the older waiter who need a clean, well-lighted place.

To what extent is Madame Loisel’s life molded by the necklace and to what extent is her fate the result of her own personality?this is for a...

Like the necklace itself, Madame Loisel is "only paste," not genuine. Although she has attended the same school as Mme. Forestier, Mme Loisel does not have the polish of a lady.  She rudely asks Mme. Forestier, "Haven't you something else?" when her friend graciously asks her to select whatever she wants from the jewelry presented her. 

At the ball, she dances madly, "giving no thought to anything in ... the pride of her success..." Ignoring her husband, she revels in the elusive moment that is no more real than her necklace.  Later, after having lost the necklace, she gives little thought to the sacrifices that her husband makes;  Mme Loisel "played her part...with sudden heroism," too proud to apologize to her husband for her error.  Finally, when her debt is paid and she has replaced the necklace, Mme Loisel blames her friend for the loss of her looks:  "I've had ...misfortunes--and all on account of you."  Even in the end Mme. Loisel fails to recognize what is of real worth and what is not.  The irony of her proud and simple joy when she asks Mme Forestier "You never noticed [the difference in necklaces]?" cannot be missed by the reader.

In "Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963" what does Dad tell the family there is in downtown Birmingham?

Dad tells the family that in downtown Birmingham there are "Coloreds Only" bathrooms.

Momma and Dad are having a discussion on the relative benefits of living in Flint, Michigan vs. Birmingham, Alabama.  It is bitterly cold in Flint, and Momma, who comes from the South, is lamenting, in a teasing way, that she ever allowed herself to marry Dad and be relocated to the "far north in Flint, Mitch-again".  She says that in Birmingham, not only is the weather better, but the life is slower and the people are friendlier as well.  Dad counters with the observation that in Birmingham, there are "Coloreds Only" bathrooms downtown".

In 1963, when the story takes place, the Civil Rights movement was just getting started.  Although Negroes were making progress in obtaining equal rights in the northern states, in the deep South, segregation and racial hatred was rampant.  The Watson children, having grown up in Flint, were oblivious to the challenges and hardships still endured by the Negroes in the South, but Momma and Dad know them only too well.  It is for this reason that Momma and Dad are so concerned that Byron get serious about his life, and it is also why they have to plan their trip to Birmingham so carefully.  They know that in many places along their way, blacks cannot use the same facilities as whites, and that resentment and hatred of blacks is rampant (Chapter 1). 

In chapter 9 of To Kill a Mockingbird, what is Maycomb's "usual disease"?

When Atticus says this, he is talking to Uncle Jack about the upcoming trial of Tom Robinson, and expressing his fears of how the trial might impact Jem and Scout.  He is worried that Scout will let her temper get the better of her, and that she will try to fight anyone who brings it up; he indirectly warns her against this and asks her to refrain (she is listening behind the door and he knows).  Then, he says that he hopes that he can "get Jem and Scout through it without bitterness, and most of all, without catching Maycomb's usual disease.  Why reasonable people go stark raving mad when anything involving a Negro comes up, is something I don't pretend to understand."  So, the "usual disease" that Atticus is referring to is how people do horrible things because of racism.  Take for example the mob that gathers outside the jailhouse; otherwise decent, law-abiding citizens are overrun by fear and racism, and it prompts them to violence and evil.  This disease-racism infects their blood and makes them behave crazily, just like some real, actual physical diseases can.  So Atticus hopes that Jem and Scout get through the trial without catching the infectious hatred that will be spewed, and that they will "come to [him] for answers instead of listening to the town."

How do the concepts of 'wyrd' and 'fate' influence or affect Beowulf's actions throughout the poem?

My only issue with your question is that the Anglo Saxon concept of "wyrd" and our word "fate" mean precisely the same thing.  (The more "Christian" word for it all would be "providence.")  Once you begin thinking of it as wyrd/fate, it's much easier to understand.

There are many quotes that can exemplify this idea.  For example, even though Grendel was notorious, he could have killed more men, but it was wyrd/fate that kept him from doing so.  The narrator says that Grendel would have slain more

except God in his wisdom and the man's courageous spirit had withstood that wyrd and him. The Lord ruled all the human race as he still does.

There is also no way of getting around the Christian influence of wyrd/fate here in the hand of "providence."  Note the words "God" and "wisdom" and "the Lord" and "ruled."  One god.  Monotheism.  Christianity.  Not the original paganism of the Anglo Saxons.  Here it is precisely God that moves the actions and the doings of all men.  There is a plan in place for what happens on the earth.  And yet, all things that happen are due to free will.  In this regard wyrd/fate is more than just some kind of "blind force" that determines everything.  Free will prevents that. 

Another perfect example of wyrd/fate can be found later in the book and is said by Beowulf himself:

Each of us must await the end of his path in this world, and he who can, should achieve renown before death! That is the best memorial when life is past and a warrior's days are recounted!

Here Beowulf reflects on the "path" that everyone must take in the world.  Note the idea of free will in the phrase "who can."  Beowulf is saying that if you can achieve fame or "renown" before death by doing something good for the country and its people, that is the best epitaph anyone can have. This not only reflects Beowulf's belief in wyrd/fate, but also his impression of immortality.

How does the division of stanzas reflect the passage of time in"The Tide Rises, the Tide Falls," and what do stanzas two and three represent?

The passage of time in is reflected in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's "The Tide Rises, the Tide Falls" because the first stanza starts at evening time "twilight," then moves to the dark of night in stanza two, finally arriving at dawn in stanza three. Thus time is reflected as passing.

Stanza two represents the dark of night during which the tide rises to "efface," like a soft white hand, the footprints that the hastening "traveller" of stanza 1 left upon the sand. Stanza three takes the poem to morning with horses wakening in their stables and waiting for their trainer ("hostler").

The main point of the poem is now spoken: Even though the day returns and the animals awaken, the "traveller" of stanzas one and two will never return home any more. Something has happened to him, seemingly he was overcome by the rising tide despite the haste he was making. His footprints aren't the only thing that the "soft, white hands / Efface."

In Of Mice and Men, how does Candy become involved in George and Lennie's "dream ranch"?

After Carlson kills Candy's dog, he overhears Lennie to Crooks about his dream with George to have a farm of their own. Candy mentions how he fears being fired because he only has one good arm. He also is still upset about the way his dog was killed simply because it was "no good" anymore. Candy does not want what happened to his dog to happen to him. He also has $300 he received after his hand was cut off. So, seeing an opportunity to get off the ranch and be somewhat independent, he offers the money to Lennie and George in exchange for a permanent place to stay. Suddenly, George and Lennie's dream becomes a possibility because they now see how they can afford to buy a farm.

Who is the main character in The Glass Menagerie, is he/she also the protagonist, and is there an antagonist?

Tom Wingfield is the protagonist or main character in the play, he is also the narrator.

"The protagonist of a literary work is the main character, who must change in some way during the course of the events, even if the change is entirely internal. Tom is clearly the protagonist of The Glass Menagerie. Although he is not heroic and will probably never triumph over his obstacles, he does take action by the end of the play."

Amanda Wingfield, Tom's mother is the closest thing to an antagonist in the play, she is the clearest villain in Tom's life. She presents him with the greatest conflict, blocking him from having a life of choice and freedom.  He must overcome her constant, demanding and nagging behavior to escape from the confining apartment. 

Tom must contend with the guilt of leaving his sister Laura behind, in the same way that Mr. Wingfield, his father abandoned the family so many years ago.  Tom struggles with the dismal life that he shares with his mother and sister, but her criticism of his every move eventually becomes too much for him to bear. 

In the end of the play, Tom must escape to survive, even though he tells the reader that he is haunted by the spectre of his sister, Laura, who he left behind.  

In "The Lottery," what seems to have been the lottery's original purpose?

The lottery which has been going on for at least 77 years as Old Man Warner tells us, is for the purpose of human sacrifice.  Each year, in June, the town holds a lottery, a selection process, whereby each family chooses from the black box, a slip of paper.  If your family is unlucky enough to select a slip of paper with a black dot, then your family is chosen. 

Then your family members, children included must choose from a group of slips of paper to determine which member of the selected family will be sacrificed.  The winner of the lottery is stoned to death by the other members of the town who display little or no sympathy, mercy, compassion or interest in the death of one of their neighbors. 

What is so striking about this short story is that the author, Shirley Jackson, allows the reader to believe that the lottery is accepted by the townspeople the same as a dance, or picnic.  It is a deeply held tradition embedded in the culture of the town. 

No one can remember what the original reason for the lottery was, they can't remember the ceremonial songs that were part of the ritual, but they keep holding the lottery anyhow.

Fear that their crops will not be full and hearty is suggested as one reason for the lottery.  Some ancient cultures believed that human sacrifice satisfied the gods and therefore, the village would be granted a plentiful harvest in return. 

One is sacrificed so that many may live.  

Can you tell me the x-intercept and the y-intercept of the equation:y=5-2x? Also, how can I complete the table? x:1 2 3 4 5 y:? ? ? ? ?please help

For finding x-intercept, you need to substitute the value of y as zero in the given equation y=5-2x.

Similarly, For finding y-intercept, you need to substitute the value of x as zero in the given equation y=5-2x.

In the table, it is asked to find the different value of y-intercepts for the given valuyes of x 1, 2, 3, 4  and 5.

Put the values of x as 1,2,3,4 and 5 and find the relevant y values for them. fill the tabel.So simple!

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http://www.examville.com/materialListForGivenSubCategory.html?subCategoryId=254 

What steps lead to the Trojan War in "The Iliad"?

There is also an other account of the causes of the Trojan war which says that Zeus planned it long before the "apple incident" along with Themis (I think Themis, I don't remember exactly but one of Titanesses) in order to alleviate the pain of mother earth because she is burdened with the great number of men peopling it. Thus, the Trojan war was planned in order to decrease the number of men on earth.

But the account given by jamie-wheeler is the "official" cause given in the poem, though I have to say something about the last part of the answer. It is not certain whether Helen was in love with Paris. Already, this is quite obvious in the poem that she sympathises too much with the Greeks. Plus, in different sources on mythology, it is highlighted that Helen is not really in love with Paris.

One last thing, the revenge retaliation is not triggered by Agamemnon but by the oath that Ulysses had made all the suitors of Helen take: that whoever takes her from Menelaus will have to answer to all others. Of course, that's another part of the myth.