In "The Crucible", what relationship does Hale suggest exists between the church and the court?In act II of The Crucible

As an authority on witchcraft called upon to help identify witches and cure those afflicted from a witch.  He goes to visit the Proctors to interview them to get to know them better.  Hale makes a clear connection between what the court can prove as far as accusations against people, based on their level of devotion to their faith.

"Hale says: Goody Proctor, I do not judge you.  My duty is to add what I may to the godly wisdom of the court." (Miller)

But the fact is that he is making judgements on these people.  His theory about people of faith being free from the temptations of witchcraft falls apart, when Rebecca Nurse, a person he revered when he arrived in Salem,  is arrested.

It is Hale's belief that Salem is in the grip of the Devil.

"There is a misty plot afoot so subtle we should be criminal to cling to old respects and ancient friendships.  I have seen too many frightful proofs in court, the Devil is alive in Salem, and we dare not quail to follow wherever the accusing finger points." (Miller)

"Man, remember, until an hour before the Devil fell, God thought him beautiful in Heaven." (Miller)

What was the physical appearance and dress of the Monk in "The Canterbury Tales"?I need a descriptive answer. Please

The Monk is not dressed as a typical Monk.  He doesn't wear the traditional simple habit and rosary, but wears a fur-trimmed cloak with a gold pin. He is also described as more portly than the usual thin Monk (from fasting).  All of this reveals that he is probably not a Monk because of his religious zeal, as he doesn't live the ascetic lifestyle.

How can I learn the 14 points of Quaid-e-Azam in short terms?I want to learn the 14 points of Quaid-e-Azam in short.

Here is a short form version of Muhammad al Jinnah’s attempt to reform the Indian constitution to protect the rights of Muslims in 1929.

1. The government should be federal. (This meant there would be a central government and provincial governments, and any powers not given to the central government would belong to the provinces.)
2. All provinces will have equal autonomy.
3. Minorities must have effective representation in the legislatures and other elected groups in every province.
4. At least 1/3 of the central legislature will be Muslim.
5. Communities can choose whether to have a separate or joint electorate.
6. No territorial changes can be made which affect the Muslim majority in Punjab, Bengal and the North West Frontier Province (NWFP).
7. Full religious liberty – belief, observance, education, etc.
8. If ¾ of a community’s representatives in a legislature think a bill would hurt their interests, the bill cannot be passed.
9. Sindh should be separated from the Bombay Presidency.
10. Implement reforms in NWFP and Baluchistan.
11. Muslims should get an adequate share of government services.
12. Muslim culture (education, language, religion, charities, etc.) should be protected and get a fair share of government money.
13. Both central and provincial cabinets must have at least 1/3 Muslim ministers.
14. Changes to the Constitution must be approved by States.

These points were approved by the All India Muslim League, but rejected by India’s Congress party.

What is the central conflict in "Death of a Salesman"?

There are five principal characters in Death of a Salesman. They are Willy, Linda, Biff, Happy, and Charley. The only big conflict between any two of these characters is between Willy and Biff, and it has been going on for years. Biff has just recently arrived back at home. His mother tells him:

When you write you're coming, he's all smiles, and talks about the future, and--he's just wonderful. And then the closer you seem to come, the more shaky he gets, and then, by the time you get here, he's arguing, and he seems angry at you. I think it's just that maybe he can't bring himself to--to open up to you. Why are you so hateful to each other? Why is that?

Willy has known for a long time that he is never going to realize his youthful dreams of success. When a father starts to wonder if his life has had any meaning or purpose, he is likely to remind himself that at least he has been a biological success. He has produced one or more children and has managed to support them to adulthood. But having children is not success unless at least one of those children is successful. Many fathers, as well as many mothers, put too much pressure on their children to succeed in order to make up for the parents' lack of success in life. Willy must be a good salesman, because he has sold his illusion to his entire family. Willy has pinned his hopes on Biff because Biff was such a big success in high school. In various subtle ways Willy has conditioned Biff to want to succeed in the business world and make a lot of money in order to please his father. But Biff has come to realize that he hates big-city life, that he is not qualified to be a big success in business, and that he has been living a lie because of his love for his father and his desire for his father's approval. This is what causes the conflict between father and son. It also causes Biff's internal conflict. He would like to live a simple life and have an undemanding outdoor job, but he still has this more-or-less unconscious compulsion to try to please his father.The climax comes when Biff, as a result of the fiasco at Bill Oliver's office, realizes the whole truth and tells his father:

I am not a leader of men, Willy, and neither are you. You were never anything but a hard-working drummer who landed in the ash can like all the rest of them! I'm one dollar an hour, Willy! I tried seven states and couldn't raise it. A buck an hour! Do you gather my meaning? I'm not bringing home any prizes any more, and you're going to stop waiting for me to bring them home!

Biff is young enough to see the truth and to change his life; but it is too late for Willy to change. He says:

You vengeful, spiteful mut!

The only thing that can break Willy's emotional hold on his son is death. Biff is free after that and can go his own way, but this love-hate, father-son conflict has been driving the play from the beginning. 

I need a passage where you can see the separation between the people of East and West Egg in The Great Gatsby.Would be Gatsby's party be an example?

Gatsby's parties would be a perfect example to show you the separation between the two social classes that live in East Egg and West Egg; however, you would have to look more at the party that Daisy and Tom attend rather than the first party that appears in the novel would not really provide this information. 

In the chapter after the first party -- Chapter 4 -- Nick lists a bunch of people who attend Gatsby's parties and although you do not really know which Egg the people are from, you can make general assumptions based upon their description.  The corruption and deceptive naturla of these people is revealed. 

Then, in Chapter 6, Tom and Daisy go to their first and last party at Gatsby's house.  Tom and Daisy would be your sample of the East Egg people who do not really fit into the party -- they (especially Tom, a true East Egg, old wealth character) do not seem to feel as though they fit in with the other people.  They feel that they are much more refined and well-groomed and seem to look down on those of West Egg who are more into socializing with those they do not know, getting drunk on illegal alcohol, and acting ridiculus.

How the use of the family of black people related to the theme of "A Small, Good Thing"?

I think that the inclusion of Franklin's family in the narrative is significant because it triggers the change in Ann that we see come full circle at the end of the story.  Prior to Scotty's accident, Ann was consumed with the magnitude of herself.  Her life, her world, her family, and her state of being compelled her to make plans and live her life as if there was nothing else nor anyone else in it.  Ann is not the type of person who widens her scope of compassion to genuinely include anyone or anything that does not fit into her own appropriation of the world.  Scotty's accident throws her world into a fundamental tailspin.  Carver's construction of Ann's world as one with perfectly designed interiors and meticulously laid plans is thrown into limbo with both Scotty's accident and the overall helplessness that she feels.  It is at this moment where she begins to experience sensations and feeling that she might not have previously explored.  This comes in the form of living with constant uncertainty regarding Scotty's condition.  Even though she and Howard can afford the finest medical care, they are still unable to ascertain any answers as to Scotty's condition or how to help him.  Additionally, Ann is left in a position that is unfamiliar to her in that she needs people not to help her accomplish her own ends, but in order to simply "be."  It is here where Ann runs into Franklin's family and understands that their predicament is similar to her own.  While there are class, social, and racial barriers that would keep her family different from this family of color whose son is the victim to urban violence, Ann recognizes that she holds more in common with them, at that moment, than anything else.  Both she and Howard as well as Franklin's mother and father are struggling with a lack of control over their own children and one in which there is pain and suffering in simply being in the world.  It is here where Ann begins to experience change.  When she asks the nurse what became of Franklin, it is a moment where she changes.  This change is what will drive her character towards the end of the short story, especially highlighted in the her interaction with the baker.  Carver might be suggesting that the idea of a "small, good thing" could be the expansion of our own scopes of compassion in both good and bad times, allowing us to hear both our own and others' cries of suffering.  Something small, something good like hearing how others suffer and allowing this to wash over us in order to understand our own pain might be the path the Carver suggests is the way to redemption.  It is for this reason that I think that the inclusion of this family of color in the story is so very important.

According to Scene vi in Act II, what fears does Friar Lawrence have about the marriage? Explain his advice to Romeo.

Friar: These violent delights have violent ends
And in their triumph die, like fire and powder,
Which, as they kiss, consume. The sweetest honey
Is loathsome in his own deliciousness
And in the taste confounds the appetite.
Therefore love moderately: long love doth so;
Too swift arrives as tardy as too slow. (II.vi.9-15)

Friar Lawrence is telling Romeo to be moderate in his love.  He uses the analogies of fire and gunpowder and the taste of honey to explain how the excess of anything is unhealthy and dangerous.  He says that fire and gunpowder (powder) turn into fire when they touch (kiss).  He is implying that an excess of emotion -- namely an infatuation or obsessive love -- can be combustible and lead to disaster.  This is a neat bit of foreshadowing, as the example of gunpowder is a grim one, implying future destruction.

The example of the taste of honey becoming "loathsome in its own deliciousness" is a somewhat more orthodox example of love.  The sensual pleasures, if too deeply, or "violently" indulged in (such as the pleasure of love) can, in time, become distasteful to the indulger.  Also, the excess of sweets can cause the lack of appetite for other things; this analogy would liken the excess of love to a decreased love of life.  No doubt this is a direful warning, and is in Romeo's case particularly apt.  At the end of the play Romeo no longer wants to go on living, because he believes that his love, Juliet, is dead.

Then the Friar counsels that Romeo "love moderately: long love doth so".  If Romeo loves Juliet moderately, rather than extremely or violently, the Friar is saying, there is a better chance of their love being a long love.  This is fairly typical advice someone would give a young bridegroom on the day of his wedding.  "Too swift arrives as tardy as too slow" means that it is just as disastrous to love too much too soon as it is to love not enough.  In either case the result is the same: the destruction of the love.  Friar Lawrence is worried that Romeo loves too much, and that this will cause a sad end for the lovers.  This is all meant to foreshadow the tragic end of the play.

In A Separate Peace, Gene says there was always something "deadly" in the things he loved. What is he acknowledging about himself?

Gene makes this observation in Chapter 7:

The war would be deadly all right. But I was used to finding something deadly in things that attracted me; there was always something deadly lurking in anything I wanted, anything I loved. And if it wasn't there, as for example with Phineas, then I put it there myself.

This insight comes from Gene the adult narrator, not Gene the boy at Devon. In this passage, Gene recognizes and acknowledges that at the time he was at school, he was both insecure and self-destructive. Never at peace with himself, Gene existed in a perpetual state of conflict with the world around him and those in it. He defined himself through conflict and competition; only by "winning" did he feel any relief from his own self-contempt. 

In Finny's goodness and open friendship, Gene found nothing to pit himself against; consequently, he manufactured competition and conflict, which was completely one-sided, of course, existing only in his own mind. Gene created the psychological scenario that Finny felt jealous of him, that Finny was sabotaging his grades, that Finny was secretly maneuvering to spoil whatever success Gene could eek out for himself at Devon. Once he had established this "straw man," Gene then went about "proving" himself--to himself, keeping his world intact.

When Gene grasped the truth that Finny did not harbor a secret agenda and had never meant Gene harm, he was psychologically shaken beyond endurance:

Any fear I had ever had of the tree was nothing beside this. It wasn't my neck, but my understanding which was menaced. He had never been jealous of me for a second. Now I knew that there never was and never could have been any rivalry between us. I was not of the same quality as he. I couldn't stand this.

It was within minutes of this realization that Gene "jounced" the limb throwing Finny to the ground, an act of aggression and violence born of Gene's sense of worthlessness. 

What is Ponyboy's greatest fear when he is unconscious? Why?

Ponyboy was in no condition to join the rumble, and after taking a good beating in the greasers' victory that night, he added to his problems by witnessing Johnny's death and then Dallas'. Suddenly, as Dally's friends stood above his body, "the ground rushed up to meet me very suddenly." Suffering from exhaustion, shock, a fever and a concussion, Ponyboy remained in and out of consciousness for the next day or so. When he finally awakened, Darry told him that in his delirium, he had been asking for his mom and dad--and Soda. Suddenly, he felt a wave of guilt.

    Something in his tone of voice made me look at him. Mostly for Soda. Did I ask for Darry at all, or was he just saying that?... I had a sick feeling that maybe I hadn't called for him while I was delirious, maybe I had only wanted Soda.

Ponyboy felt guilty that he hadn't called out for Darry, too, and that subconsciously, perhaps he didn't really love his oldest brother.

What is the summary of "Moonlight" by Guy de Maupassant?

Madame Letore had gone to visit her sister Madame Roubere after vacationing with her husband. Roubere noticed that in her sister's jet-black hair, she had two white streaks at each temple and asked why she had them all of a sudden. Letore told Roubere about her vacation with her husband. Letore's husband had returned home early to attend to some business that was calling him. On the vacation though, They were walking and looking at a beautiful nature scene when Letore asked her husband to kiss her because she was overcome with the beauty of the landscape. Her husband merely said that he didn't understand why he should kiss her just because she though the scene was pretty. After her husband departed, she was left crying when a young man who was traveling with his mother happened upon her and began to console her. One thing led to another, passion flew, and she ended up cheating on her husband (she did get his card though!). Letore is adamant on telling her sister that she loves her husband and never thought she would cheat on him. He is a good man, treats her well, provides for her and is nice, but at the same time he is very stifling and not very emotionally connected to her. Roubere replies that it is all too often that women don't necessarily fall in love with the man they "love" but more-so with the idea of love and love itself. She says "And your real lover that night was the moonlight." meaning that she didn't cheat with a man, but with an idea.

What is John's excuse for confessing in Act IV of "The Crucible"?

In Act IV of the play Elizabeth and Rev. Hale try to convince  John to confess to witchcraft.  Rev. Hale really does not do much to change John's mind but when John and Elizabeth talk privately, he begins to think about his life.  He realizes that he has already sinned by having an affair with Abigail and decides that it would not be much of a stretch for him to commit another sin by lying.  Therefore, he decides that he will confess to witchcraft. 

After he does this, Danforth forces him to sign a written statement of confession.  In response to this, John decides to take back his confession saying that he can not sign his name to lies basically because he will be defaming his name.  He states, "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!"

Unbalanced forces can cause an object to do three things. What are they?

Forces are considered balanced when all of the combined forces lead to no change in the motion of the object.  For example, when a book is sitting on a table, the force of gravity is pushing downward and the normal force is pushing upward with exactly the  same amount of force.  Since they are equal and opposite forces, the book does not move.

Unbalanced forces exist when there are unequal forces acting upon the object, which leads to a change in the state of motion.  Unbalanced forces can lead to a change in direction, a change in speed, or both a change in direction and in speed.

In Julius Caesar, what is the significance of omens?

Shakespeare derived his information for Julius Caesar from an English translation of Plutarch’s Life of Julius Caesar, Life of Brutus, and Life of Antony. Plutarch, a Greek historian, lived from 46 AD to 120 AD and obviously believed in the supernatural phenomena he records in these three biographical essays. Here is an example from his Life of Julius Caesar:

But destiny, it would seem, is not so much unexpected as it is unavoidable, since they say that amazing signs and apparitions were seen. Now, as for lights in the heavens, crashing sounds borne all about by night, and birds of omen coming down into the Forum, it is perhaps not worth while to mention these precursors of so great an event; but Strabo the philosopher says that multitudes of men all on fire were seen rushing up, and a soldier’s slave threw from his hand a copious flame and seemed to the spectators to be burning, but when the flame ceased the man was uninjured; he says, moreover, that when Caesar himself was sacrificing, the heart of the victim was not to be found, and the prodigy caused fear, since in the course of nature, certainly, an animal without a heart could not exist. The following story, too, is told by many. A certain seer warned Caesar to be on his guard against a great peril on the day of the month of March which the Romans call the Ides; and when the day had come and Caesar was on his way to the senate-house, he greeted the seer with a jest and said: “Well, the Ides of March are come,” and the seer said to him softly: “Ay, they are come, but they are not gone.”

Shakespeare himself, however, found these anecdotes useful for dramatic purposes. For one thing, they obviously help to recreate the atmosphere of a time when superstition was science. More importantly, Shakespeare uses the phenomena reported by Plutarch, including Calpurnia’s prophetic dreams, to create a heavy sense of foreboding and expectation in his audience—which he fully intends to disappoint. The audience should be expecting the big climax to come when--after all their planning and after all the strange wonders--the conspirators finally kill Caesar. But the anticipated cathartic assassination scene does not come off. It actually “fizzles”--as it is intended to fizzle. Here are the stage directions.

They stab Caesar, Casca first, Brutus last.

The assassins are thoroughly confused and disorganized. The effect is anticlimactic. Shakespeare’s magic is always in his words, and he fully intended to have Antony’s funeral oration stir his audience as no awkward action on a little wooden stage could have done.

Antony’s speech is pivotal. It not only turns the story around, but it turns the audience around. They have been identifying with Brutus and Cassius--but now they are identifying with Antony and Octavius. After all, these two Romans represent the winning side; and the audience, like the Roman mob, has been strongly moved by Antony’s words. They want to see Brutus and Cassius defeated, even though they feel sympathetic to Brutus right up to his death.

The omens Shakespeare borrows wholesale from Plutarch are used to create a strong dramatic effect. But the modern viewer understands that they must all have had rational explanations. Calpurnia’s dreams especially seem to show her feminine intuition rather than being warnings from nonexistent deities. She sensed the truth about Caesar’s flatterers, and she saw their dire intentions enacted in her dreams.

How is Macduff a foil to Macbeth? Which scene can prove i?

While he is supposed to be attending a banquet, Macduff sneaks away to England to consort with Malcom and raise an army to attack Macbeth.

He is the mysterious person "not of woman born" (he was saved as a baby by a Caeserian section) who approaches Macbeth's castle with his soldiers hidden behind tree branches. (In such a way the forest "moves" as foretold in the prophecy.)

Macduff uses stealth, cunning and ruse to overpower Macbeth.

Check out the reference below to locate the exact lines you are looking for. If you are after the final confrontation scene justs before he kills Macbeth, it is Act V.Scene viii.lines 15-16.

Which chapter in Walden discusses the time Thoreau got arrested for not paying taxes?

It is in chapter 8 that Thoreau discusses his arrest for failing to pay taxes. Although Thoreau's arrest was caused by his failure to pay taxes, what is most significant is his reasons why. His reasoning was based in his protest of slavery. Thoreau believed that the U.S. war with Mexico in 1846 was rooted in an attempt to extend slvery west. He believed the Mass. poll tax was immoral since it would further the war effort, and as a result he had no alternative but to deny his money go to such a cause. Thoreau was part of the Transcendentalist movement in the U.S. which believed that one should side with morality, something that man made laws sometimes ignored. Thoreau's experience would result in his essay 'Civil Disobedience' which has left its mark on India's independence from Britain, as well as the American Civil Rights movement.

What does the death of Simon in "Lord of the Flies" signify?specify the relation between this death and the threatening of the piglets head, that...

Simon's death is the beginning of the end in the novel.  It signifies the end of civilization,  and goodness.  It is as if "good" is being destroyed.

He actually dies as he is trying to explain the "beast" to the other boys. He never had the opportunity to explain that the beast was within all of them. The boys continued to become more and more savage until this point.  They do not realize how bad they have become until Simon is killed in their chaos.

Are there any literary devices in "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" by Mark Twain?

Twain uses several literary devices in "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County". The first technique we notice is that the tale is a "frame story". That means that one story, the story about Twain's conversation with Simon Wheeler, is a frame for a second story, that about Jim Smiley and his jumping frog. The author uses parallel structure to hold together long sentences when describing his characters. For instance, he writes,"

He never smiled, he never frowned, he never changed his voice from the gentle-flowing key to which he tuned the initial sentence, he never betrayed the slightest suspicion of enthusiasm. . ."

In addition,, Twain uses colloquial diction to give an authenticity to the dialogue of the story. For example, "Wheeler ignores many grammatical rules, and speaks with an "accent'' of sorts. He says "feller'' instead of "fellow," "reg'lar" instead of "regular," and even "Dan'l" for "Daniel." Twain uses personification when he describes the animals in the story. "Andrew Jackson, Jim Smiley's dog, is described as proud, ornery, and determined." The frog is described as "indifferent as if he hadn't been doin' any more than any frog might do".  Using similes, the frog is also "like a cat" and whirls "like a doughnut." Finally, the story is full of satire, especially when it come to depicting the stereotypes people believed about uncultured Westerners and educated Easterners.

According to Zaroff, why is Rainsford the ideal prey in "The Most Dangerous Game"?

In The Most Dangerous Game, Zaroff is an extremely competitive hunter. He has hunted wild animals for many years with great success; however, he is tired of the same experience all the time. To that end, Zaroff has decided to create his own hunt: he thinks that hunting humans is an ideal hunting experience. Rainsford is another great hunter, but he thinks Zaroff is completely crazy. Zaroff is trying to explain to Rainsford why he is the ideal prey for him:

"I wanted an ideal animal to hunt," explained the general. "So I said: 'What are the attributes of an ideal quarry?' And the answer was of course: 'It must have courage, cunning, and, above all, it must be able to reason.'"

Zaroff thinks that Rainsford is the ideal prey because of everything else, he can reason. An animal cannot reason, but a human can reason anything. Rainsford is also just as accomplished at hunting as Zaroff, so this will be the ultimate challenge for Zaroff. Zaroff, however, underestimates his prey this time.

In "The Story of an Hour" paragraphs 5 to 9, do these pargraphs add to the stories effectiveness? Why or why not?

These paragraphs add a lot of depth and layers to the story itself.  In these paragraphs, Chopin uses the setting as symbol to represent Louise's coming exaltation of freedom.  She has just heard of her husband's death; in a typical storyline, you might expect her to look out her window and see stormy clouds, lightning, and thunder-all symbols of the traumatic and awful event that has just occurred, and the loneliness she will experience because of it.  Instead, Chopin describes

"the tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life... and countless sparrows were twittering in the eaves...There were patches of blue sky showing here and there through the clouds."

This symbolizes her coming feeling of happiness.  She hasn't felt it yet, but we get a bit of foreshadowing here in the sunshiney day out her window.  There is also a key description of her face, "whose lines bespoke repression and even a certain strength"; this is the only physical description of her, and hints at the fact that she felt "repressed" in her life.  Before this, we knew nothing about her marriage, but here we get a clue.  Also, out the window she hears "The notes of a distant song which some one was singing," which symbolizes the coming song of freedom that she herself will feel.  It is still distant, like the song, but she can sense the emotion coming; she feels it there.

In all of these paragraphs, Chopin add great literary value to her story by adding symbolism, foreshadowing, and using the setting as a way to pave the way for the coming elation that Louise will feel.  This definitely adds to the story's effectiveness; it makes her reaction more believable, and is a great precursor for the rest of the plot.

Describe the second scaffold scene, including who Dimmesdale runs into at night and what is found on the scaffold the next day.

Dimmesdale decides that he will stand on the scaffold, the place of public humiliation to live with the sin and pain represented on whatever is on his chest. He screams aloud.

The Reverend Mr. Wilson walks by holding a latern and Dimmesdale tries to call out to him but is not heard. He fears that he will not be able to move his body from the scaffold and the townspeople will find him in the morning. He laughs at this thought and hears childish laughter answer.

It is Hester and Pearl. They join him on the scaffold and they all hold hands. The sky is lit up by a giant meteor. The light reveals another figure who turns out to be Roger Chillingworth.

The next day a church official returns Dimmesdale's glove that was found on the scaffold.

In The Epic of Gilgamesh why is Enkidu created as a wild human being?

Enkidu and Gilgamesh create a dichotomy (a system of two contrasting elements) between civilization and pre-civilized peoples.  Enkidu is also 2/3 animal whereas Gilgamesh is 2/3 divine.  Gilgamesh is a powerful ruler, wise in the ways of society, while Enkidu is wise in animal-like ways. 

The two men are thus almost total opposites.  But they are also very similar.  Enkidu is Gilgamesh's soulmate, but a more animal-like and innocent version of him.  Many heroes in literature beat their opponent and then instead of killing them take them as a friend--King Arthur and Lancelot, Robin Hood and Little John. 

Gilgamesh sends a woman to the wilderness to teach Enkidu how to be civilized, but Enkidu also "humanizes" Gilgamesh.  He teaches him how to share and grow, and makes him less arrogant and lonely.  The effect on Gilgamesh's life is so great that when Enkidu dies, Gilgamesh is inspired to go on a quest for immortality. 

Thus the whole plot is unleashed by Gilgamesh at first being incomplete, defeating a man who is his opposite and yet his peer, befriending him and becoming whole, losing him, and then realizing the dangers of death and becoming inspired to find eternal life.

It could be read as the story of how we need to be whole to understand how precious life is.

What are examples of symbolism in "Chee's Daughter"?

Two major symbols develop the story: Chee's land and Old Man Fat's house and trading store. They symbolize the values of the traditional Navajo way of life and the loss of those values in modern life.

Chee's land, Little Canyon, is beautiful: "Springtime transformed the mesas. The peach trees in the canyon were shedding fragrance and pink blossoms . . . ."Chee loves the land; it sustains him in body and spirit just as it had sustained his people for generations. When his wife dies and he loses his daughter to her parents, Old Man Fat and his wife, as custom demanded, the land produces the crops that allow Chee to bring her back home.

Old Man Fat's place at Red Sands, however, is ugly. The store was built "like two log hogans side by side, with red gas pumps in front and a sign across tarpaper roofs." The house and outbuildings behind the store were unpainted, "squatted on the drab, treeless land." The old man had moved off the land and built his business next to a highway, visualizing money earned without effort. When a new highway diverted traffic, Old Man Fat lost his customers and sank into poverty with no natural resources to draw upon. His granddaughter became "just another mouth to feed," and he gladly gave her up.

Because Chee has remained true to his heritage, he is able to bring his daughter home to live well in Little Canyon. Because Old Man Fat had abandoned his heritage, he lives a miserable life surrounded by squalor.

How do I have to write a four-page paper on Rupert Brooke for my English class?My teacher wasn't very specific. She said we can use just about...

Good question. Is there a specific work by Brooke that interests you? I would suggest literary criticism. Perhaps Letters from America or Puritanism in the Early English Drama, as I find his prose work to be a easier to work with than his poetry.

Now, that doesn't mean you can't or shouldn't look at or consider his poems, ("Sleeping Out: Full Moon" is a favorite of mine) but when it comes to poems, I would suggest comparing/contrasting two works, perhaps from his eariler and later periods. Then again, a criticism is usually a good way to get yourself thinking about a work. I hope this helps.

What are the motifs in Two Kinds?

One of the most important motifs in this short story is that of the American Dream and the power it exerts throughout the story, on both Jing-Mei and her mother, but also on the other characters mentioned (for example Waverley and the other Chinese families that Jing-Mei's mother brags to).

The American Dream is expressed most succinctly by Jing-Mei's mother who says "you can be anything you wanted to be in America." Coming to the land of unfettered possibilities gives so many more opportunities to immigrant families - far more than we know Jing-Mei's mother had in China. Thus we can understand the power this has on immigrants, and in particular the pressure there is for second-generation immigrants (immigrants who have been born in the States) to make the most of these opportunities. Thus we can perhaps understand the pressure that Jing-Mei is under.

The problem that Jing-Mei's mother does not forsee that although there are unlimited choices in the States, those choices also include the choice to not excel and the choice to be normal, which is what Jing-Mei chooses to do. Coming to a land of freedom necessarily involves more freedom than perhaps we would expect.

I'm having trouble focusing on the overall theme in "The Road Not Taken". I can't seem to zone in one what it is exactly. I'm writing a paper...

First, consider what is being "symbolized." Did the narrator literally walk down a road and then choose a path? Probably not because Frost wants the reader to consider significant life decisions. For example, you graduate high school and you can go to a college that will train you to be a tax auditor or you can go to a different college that will train you to be a chemical engineer. That is a significant, life-changing decision to make. One of them may appear to be a less travled "path" than the other. In the narrator's case, he chose the "path less traveled." However, the most controversial part of this poem is the ending where Frost writes, "And that has made all the difference." At no point did he write that it was a difference for the better or worse; it is for the reader to decide.

Therefore, it can be said that Frost uses symbolism to convey the consequences and contemplation involved in decision-making.

The sentencec directly above would be a good thesis assertion/topic sentence. For the next sentence, cite the specific line when Frost uses the symbol. Lastly, use the rest of the paragraph for analysis. Most students have a hard time with analysis and end up summarizing instead. From your question, it seems like your struggling with the same transition.

(con't. on next response)

What are some examples of homogeneous mixtures and heterogeneous mixtures?

These mixtures are made up of more than one phase or of different parts and can be separated physically. The different components are visibly distinguishable from one another. A chocolate chip cookie, a piece of quartz containing a vein of gold. granite, oil and vinegar, a tossed salad, halo-halo,pizza and a bowl of raisin bran cereal are some examples of hetergeneous mixtures.

Homogeneous Mixture

Homogeneous mixtures have only one phase, or have a uniform appearance throughout, and any portion of the sample has the same properties and composition. Each region of a sample is identical to all other regions of the sample. Solutions like salt water and rubbing alcohol, are considered homogeneous because they are in one phase. The first is a mixture of salt dissolved in water, while the second is mainly isopropyl alcohol and water.A sample of milk appears to be uniform to the eye, but simple microscopic examination shows it to be heterogeneous. It is a hetergeneous misture containting water,proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and some vitamins and minerals. Mixtures cab be separated physcally. Physical separation methods include filtering, evaporationg, distilling, decanting, crystallizing, sieving, and the use of magnet.

Does Gatsby appear in the motifs violence, colors, race, and sports? If so, where does the motif appear in The Great Gatsby?

Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby is replete with color imagery and Gatsby is greatly involved with this:

• White - Normally symbolic of purity, this color's connotations are inverted in this novel as it signifies just the opposite, impurity and loss of innocence.  Gatsby's involvement with this color is that he chases Daisy as almost an ideal like the maidens in the Arthurian legends, perceiving her as perfection.

In Chapter 8, Fitzgerald writes of Gatsby's visit long ago to Daisy's house:

...he found that he had committed himself to the following of a grail....

Her name suggests the appearance of this purity, but at the center is yellow, a symbol of corruption.

• Gold - This is probably the color most associated with Gatsby.  His car is gold/yellow, representing his riches and corruption, both.  In his library, the leather books are bound in red and gold.


• Rose - Symbolic of romance, Gatsby wears rose-tinted spectacles, but in Chapter 8, in remembrance of his romanticized first visit to Daisy's house, rose, among other colors, is mentioned:

All night the saxophones wailed the hopeless comment of the "Beale Street Blues" while a hundred pairs of golden and silver slippers [money] shuffled the shining dust.  At the grey tea hour [decadence] there were always rooms that throbbed incessantly with this low sweet ever, while fresh faces drited here and there like rose petals blown by the sad horns around the floor.

• Green - As previously mentioned, Gatsby looks from his lawn across to East Egg (symbol of the wealthy elite) as the green light at the end of Daisy's pier.  His car is upholstered in green, as well, connoting his love of money.


• Gray/Ash - Gatsby drives through the Valley of Ashes and is affected by the death contained in this area.  On one drive with Nick in Chapter Four, Nick narrates,

Then the valley of ashes opened out on both side of us, and I had a glimpse of Mrs. Wilson straining at the garage pump with panting vitality as we went by.  (This passage presages the tragedy to come) 

In his disillusionment in Chapter 8, Gatsby "shoulders his mattress" as though carrying a cross, and heads for the pool.  Nick narrates a passage containing several color images:

He must have looked up at an unfamiliar sky through frightening leaves and shivered as he found what a grotesque thing a rose is and how raw sunlight was upon the scarcely created grass.  A new world, material without being real, where poor ghosts, breathing dreams like air, drifted fortuitously about...like that ashen, fantastic figure gliding toward him through the amorphous trees.

 

 

In "Lord of the Flies," chapter 8, why does Ralph believe he and his following are beaten?

Ralph realizes that rational thought has been beaten as he and Piggy have lost their authority over the other boys.  Physical prowess has usurped power from rationality as Jack draws the bigg'uns to the hunters' group.  In a way, the fire has been stolen as Jack and the hunters claim the top of the mountain.  This action has been perceived by readers as an allusion to the mythological theft of fire from the gods by Promethesus who gave it to man, thereby unleashing violence.  In the control of Jack, fire now represents his control of the boys on the island as the conch has lost its effectiveness just as Piggy is no longer listened to.

For the first time, Ralph knows fear, recognizing that the savage nature of the boys has arisen to dominate many of their actions.  Even Simon who has gone into the forest for peace, finds none.  Instead, in his state of seizure, Simon speaks with the "Lord of the Flies" who tells him, "You knew, didn't you?....I'm the reason it's no go."

Having seen Jack transformed into a naked, painted savage, Ralph  realizes that the remnants of civiliation are in tatters.  With such sadistic boys as Roger, there is little hope for Piggy and Jack and anyone who is rational to have control. 

What is the setting and summary of the story, "A Rose for Emily"?

In response to the setting--

Intrinsic to the development of both character and conflict, the setting of "A Rose for Emily" is Jefferson, the county seat of Faulkner's fictional kingdom that he named Yoknapatawpha county, a county in which Colonel Sartoris is an important figure.

Devasted by the emancipation of slaves after the Civil War, the South was inundated by Northern opportunists, known as carpetbaggers. Against the Northerners who had no code of conduct, the newly-poor plantation owners retained their aristocratic arrogance.  And, the code of chivalry of such men as Emily Grierson's father protected the women against encounters with men such as Homer Barron. This code of chivalry keeps Colonel Sartoris from taxing the poor spinster and Judge Stevens from confronting Emily about the smell emanating from her house.

However, the new generations of the South are removed from these antiquated ways, and it is this conflict between twentieth century and antebellum ways that is presented in Emily's character.

What does Marlow mean when he says "[Kurtz's] appetite for more ivory had got the better of--what shall I say?"

Marlow means that the Kurtz' search for ivory has gotten the better of his judgement. He had become so greedy for the product that he had set up his own little kingdom inside the Congo. He had the natives working for him alone, not for the company that Kurtz supposedly worked for. Because of that, Kurtz had lost his own humanity and began to be a "big fish in a small pond", so to speak. He separated himself from the rest of the Europeans and began to identify more and more with in savage ways. He became totally immersed in his own world, and lied to himself that the other world did not really exist. As a result, he also lost his sanity and eventually his life because he did not remember what his original intentions were.
Marlow, whose hatred for lies does not allow him to become enveloped in the Congo, eventually returns to his own culture to tell us Kurtz' sad tale.

What is Simon's function in Lord of the Flies?

Simon is a sort of religious mystic, a prophet, and a figure for Christ in the novel. He is the only boy who realises, instinctively, that the beast is "only us", that it is the "darkness of man's heart" that the boys are afraid of and which constitutes the "beast". It is as he comes down the mountain to bring the good news to his friends that it is only the parachutist, and not the beast, on the hill, that he is killed by them.

Simon constantly has a close identification with nature, going to his special place, surrounded by candle buds, on a couple of occasions: and being unafraid to travel across the island alone to help Piggy with the littluns. Simon isn't afraid.

Even when everyone is frightened of the parachutist on the mountain, Simon volunteers to go up the mountain: "What else is there to do?" he asks.

Yet Simon's clearsightedness and insight is juxtaposed with his physical weakness, and epilepsy. He is always throwing faints, Jack tells us early on, and after his encounter - in his imagination - with the Lord of the Flies, he loses consciousness and falls into the imaginary mouth of the beast.

Simon has the insight, the fundamental understanding, that would save the boys on the island. Yet he never manages to communicate it.

With what are the littl'uns preoccupied in Chapter 5, how do the older boys respond to their concern in "Lord of the Flies"?

When Ralph calls a meeting, the littl'uns in Chapter 5 of "Lord of the Flies" are concerned with their fear of the beast. Ralph's attempts to maintain order and discuss the importance of keeping a fire going are countermanded by Jack, who capitalizes on the fear of the boys, for he perceives that Ralph has their attention only when they are worried about his anger.  By using their fear and by intimidating the littl'uns, Jack gains control over them.  They are more interested in building a fire to cook the pig than in maintaining the fire as an alert to any search party; the primal self-gratification of Jack's fire supersedes the sensible warning fire. This begins the breakdown in the reasoning of the boys and ultimate control of Jack, the savage.  Ralph realizes, "We're all drifing and things are going rotten.  At home there was always a grownup..."  There are no perimeters set by civilization on the island.

Although he is unable to speak coherently. Terrified, he understands the true nature of the beast:  It is the beast within the boys, the evil inherent in them, that frightens them, but they do not recognize it.  This realization terrifies Simon so much that he cannot communicate:  "Simon's effort fell about him in ruins..." 

What does the term home economicus refer to?

The term "homo economicus" means "economic man." This Latin phrase refers to a specific model of humanity that was developed, logically enough, in the field of economics. In this model, humans are seen as selfish, rational beings motivated through self-interest. They act to make things better for themselves, or, to use economic language, to maximize "utility function." This model has been criticized over the years for being too narrow. It doesn’t do a good job of explaining unselfish action, and it doesn't do a good job of explaining acts that make emotional sense but no economic sense.

What did the delegates eat during the Constitutional Convention in 1787?

The delegates to the Constitutional Convention had to eat while they were discussing the main points of the Constitution. Unlike today, where their meetings would be catered, the delegates had to go out to eat in order to get their food. Most likely, they ate at pubs or at inns where they were staying. It is very likely there were spirited debates at these establishments. The men debating the issues were passionate about their beliefs. Of course, they had to be careful about what they said in public because the convention was held in a private setting with no windows open. The delegates ate standard fare and probably had a few drinks also. It was very hot in Philadelphia that summer so they needed to consume a lot of liquid. Meals would have been similar to those found in English pubs. Fish and chips, Shepard’s Pie, as well as Bangers and mash, would have been some of the foods they ate. The delegates had to eat while attending the convention, and the pubs and the inns were good places to visit for food.

Why does the Misfit kill the Grandmother when she does the right thing? What statement about faith does this make?At the end of Flannery...

The key to this question is that first of all, it hasn't been established that the grandmother does the right thing at the end of the story. That is a highly debatable point. Consider the following line, which is found just before she reaches out to the Misfit:

" "Maybe He didn't raise the dead," the old lady mumbled, not knowing what she was saying and feeling so dizzy that she sank down in the ditch with her legs twisted under her."

 

O'Connor says that the older woman doesn't really know what she is saying, and that she feels dizzy. She even recants part of her supposed faith at that moment, challenging one of the miracles Jesus is said to have done. Therefore, one could say—and I would say—that the grandmother doesn't do the right thing. She just flails around, trying to save her own life. Her faith is false.

However, if you think she does the right thing, and really means those final lines, you could argue that O'Connor is showing that faith and reward in this world have nothing to do with one another.

In his stage directions for "The Crucible", what are some good and bad points that Miller observes about the Puritans?I want to know the exact answer.

Miller characterizes the Puritans as being "purposeful", self-reliant, and community-oriented.  Their practice of "self-denial" and focus on "hard work" made them perfect candidates to survive off the unforgiving land.  They were "forced to fight the land like heroes for every grain of corn", and did so with unwavering zeal; soon after establishing their colony in Massachusetts they "were shipping out products of slowly increasing quantity and value".  The Puritans were united.  They set up "a communal society which...was...an autocracy by consent, for they were united from top to bottom by a commonly held ideology whose perpetuation was the reason and justification for all their sufferings".  They worked tirelessly in support of each other in their just endeavors; "when a new farmhouse was built, friends assembled to 'raise the roof'".

On the negative side, Miller describes the Puritans as prone to a "parochial snobbery".  Having been persecuted themselves in England, they ironically "found it necessary to deny any other sect its freedom".  Even within their own ranks, they were so intent on protecting their "New Jerusalem" that they established patrols to take notice of those who were not "giving good account" of themselves.  These they would present before the magistrates, "whereby they (might) be accordingly proceeded against".

How does Scrooge feel about the spirits?

Not sure which spirit you are talking about, so I will cover all of them.

Marley- Scrooge does not believe Marley is really there. He is fairly confrontational with Marley. "The truth is, that he tried to be smart, as a means of distracting his own attention, and keeping down his terror; for the spectre's voice disturbed the very marrow in his bones." He is surprised, but becomes a little calmer the longer they talk.

Ghost of Christmas Past-He was a little more mellow with the first of the three spirits. He tried very politely to decline going with the spirit, but he was not able to do so.

Scrooge reverently disclaimed all intention to offend or any knowledge of having willfully bonneted the Spirit at any period of his life. He then made bold to inquire what business brought him there.

"Your welfare," said the Ghost.

Scrooge expressed himself much obliged, but could not help thinking that a night of unbroken rest would have been more conducive to that end. The Spirit must have heard him thinking, for it said immediately:

"Your reclamation, then. Take heed."

Ghost of Christmas Present-Scrooge was awake and waiting for the spirit because he did not want to be taken by surprise and so, made nervous. He was ready to see something strange looking and would not have been surprised by just about anything. He was more timid and less confrontational this time. He was also ready to learn.

"Scrooge entered timidly, and hung his head before this Spirit. He was not the dogged Scrooge he had been; and though the Spirit's eyes were clear and kind, he did not like to meet them.

"I am the Ghost of Christmas Present," said the Spirit. "Look upon me."

Scrooge reverently did so...

"Spirit," said Scrooge submissively, "conduct me where you will. I went forth last night on compulsion, and I learnt a lesson which is working now. To-night, if you have aught to teach me, let me profit by it."

Ghost of Christmas Future- By the time that the third spirit came, Scrooge was almost eager to learn whatever the spirit had to teach him. However, he found the last spirit to be terrifying.

Although well used to ghostly company by this time, Scrooge feared the silent shape so much that his legs trembled beneath him, and he found that he could hardly stand when he prepared to follow it. The Spirit pauses a moment, as observing his condition, and giving him time to recover.

But Scrooge was all the worse for this. It thrilled him with a vague uncertain horror, to know that behind the dusky shroud there were ghostly eyes intently fixed upon him, while he, though he stretched his own to the utmost, could see nothing but a spectral hand and one great heap of black.

"Ghost of the Future!" he exclaimed, "I fear you more than any spectre I have seen. But as I know your purpose is to do me good, and as I hope to live to be another man from what I was, I am prepared to bear you company, and do it with a thankful heart. Will you not speak to me?"

It gave him no reply. The hand was pointed straight before them.

"Lead on," said Scrooge. "Lead on. The night is waning fast, and it is precious time to me, I know. Lead on, Spirit."

What story does Enfield tell when he and Utterson pass the door? What does hearing the story cause Utterson to do?

Mr. Enfield tells Mr. Utterson about being on the streets late one evening and seeing a strange man trample a little girl. The strange man just kept going, but Mr. Enfield caught up with him and brought him back to where a crowd of the girl's family and a doctor had gathered. The crowd was angry and the girl's family demanded payment from the strange man of 100 pounds. The man finally agreed. He took them to his house, using a key to enter the door and came out with 10 pounds in gold and a check for the rest.  In the morning, Mr. Enfield and the crowd demanded that he go with them to cash the check. Mr. Enfield noticed a strange address on the check, somewhere on a square, and noted that the check was probably a forgery. He was surprised when the check was genuine.

Mr. Enfield told Mr. Utterson the man's name was Hyde and that he had used a key to get in. Then, Mr. Utterson went home and looked over Dr. Jekyll's will, for he had recognized the name Hyde as his beneficiary. Mr. Utterson had always thought the will odd because Dr. Jekyll left all his possessions to Mr. Hyde in the event of his death or disappearance for a period of three months. Now, in Mr. Utterson was even more suspicious of the will and Mr. Hyde. Here begins Mr. Utterson's investigation into Mr. Hyde/Dr. Jekyll even though at this point he does not know they are one and the same. After reading over the will, he goes to see Dr. Lanyon, who also knows Dr. Jekyll.

In the story "The Most Dangerous Game", what was the irony of the whole story and how does it create the theme and author's tone?

In "The Most Dangerous Game" the irony--a contrast between what is expected and what actually happens--is the fact that Rainsford, who responds with umbrage to General Zaroff at dinner the first night that he does "not condone cold-blooded murder,"  becomes a cold-blooded murderer himself.  For, after being filled with terrror and feeling like "an animal at bay," Rainsford escapes his predators and returns to become himself the predator, who after killing General Zaroff, feels as did Zaroff, no compunction:  "He had never slept in a better bed, Rainsford decided."

What do the poems "The Songs of Innocence" and "The Songs of Experience" by William Blake mean?

William Blake's two-in-one volume Songs of Innocence and of Experience bears a sub-title 'the contrary states of human soul', the state of Innocence being seen as contrary to the state of Experience. Blake's presupposition is that progression is possible only through contraries. Innocence is associated with childhood, while Experience is associated with adulthood.

'The Lamb' is a theme poem of the section dealing with Innocence, whereas 'The Tyger' is a theme poem of the section dealing with Experience. In 'The Lamb', a child speaks to a little lamb, questions if the lamb knows who its maker is. The child speaker then proceeds to answer the question: 'Little lamb I'll tell thee'. In his answer, the child and the lamb cease to be different entities and merge together into the holy iconography of Christ:

He is called by thy name,

For he calls himself a Lamb.

He is meek and he is mild,

He became a little child,

I a child and thou a lamb,

We are called by His name.

In 'The Tyger', Blake envisions an apocalyptic beast, both frightening and beautiful-- a 'fearful symmetry'. This is no familiar tiger, but a burning object of awe and wonder, a creature presumably made by the same maker as symbolic of the world of Experience.

What is mounted around General Zaroff's dining room in "The Most Dangerous Game"? why does the author mentions this detail

In "The Most Dangerous Game," while there is a "medieval magnificence" to the dining room with its oaken panels and high ceiling and expansive table, there are innumerable animals, stuffed, mounted on the walls. These animals are perfect specimens, more perfect than Rainsford had ever seen.  "At the great table the general was sitting alone"--alone with  his jaded pleasures.  Bored with this magnificence, the general seeks prey more "magnificent" than what he has caught.  It is during their dinner that Zaroff reveals to  Rainsford that his "game" is chasing men as prey.

How does the writer handle the appearance of Boo Radley in "To Kill a Mockingbird"?

Early in the story, Boo is kept shrouded in mystery and intrigue. We suspect that he "appears" in places like the burning of Miss Maudie's house, where he covers Scout with a blanket. We are also given evidence that he is sending trinkets and treasures to the children using the knot hole in the tree until it is sealed up by Nathan Radley, Arthur's father.

When at last we do get to "see" Boo in Chapter 29, his appearance matches the predictions we may have made as readers: He is pale from having been kept indoors, his hair is described as thin and wispy, and he is also described as exceedingly thin or gaunt. The reader, by this time in the novel, should have established or "guesstimated" a mental picture of Boo, and Lee delivers that picture down to the last detail. 

What is the setting, tone, style, irony, theme, and symbols in the story "A Rose for Emily"?In the tone I mean the authors feelings toward the...

It takes place in Yoknapatawpha, Mississippi, which is Faulkner's fictional town.  Jefferson is the county seat of Yoknapatawpha.

The tone, the style and the themes all kind of blend together in this story.  The themes cover death, the decline of the south, and the isolation that follows both death and the decline.  Death is evident in the beginning because it begins with Emily's funeral.  It then flashes back to the death of her father, which she has a very hard time dealing with--she doesn't let them come get her dead father for a couple days.  Then at the end we find that she killed Homer. The decline of the south flows back and forth with the decline of Emily.  Her condition worsens as she ages, both with her father's death and with the fact that she can't "have" Homer for herself.  (until she kills him) The isolation occurs because of her criminal act of murder.  Emily won't have anyone near her and she never is close to family.

Because of these themes, the tone allows the reader to see some humor in Emily and we almost admire her for pulling off the murder.  It is also somewhat depressing because of how pitiful and isolated she is.

An example of irony is in the title.  A rose is something that should represent love and endearment.  There was no love for Emily.  She had to kill to keep a lover with her.

What does the quote "Thou canst not speak of that thou dost not feel" from "Romeo and Juliet" mean?i dont know what Romeo and juliet quotes mean......

In this line from Act 3, Scene 3 of "Romeo and Juliet", Romeo is speaking to the Friar and says:

Thou canst not speak of that thou dost not feel.(65)

Wert thou as young as I, Juliet thy love,

An hour but married, Tybalt murdered,

Doting like me, and like me banished,

Then mightst thou speak, then mightst thou tear thy hair

And fall upon the ground, as I do now,(70

Taking the measure of an unmade grave."

A modern translation is

"You can’t speak about something you don’t feel.
If you were as young as I, Juliet your love,
Married only an hour, Tybalt murdered,
Foolish like me, and, like me, banished,
Then you might speak, then you might tear your hair,
And fall upon the ground, as I do now,
Thinking about an unmade grave." 

 In other words, it you haven't felt what I've felt, you really cannot offer an opinion or advice.

In chapter 2, what does the swamper mean by the statement, "Curley's pretty handy"?

In chapter two of Steinbeck's novella Of Mice and Men, Candy, the old swamper, describes the main characters who live on the ranch, including the Boss, Crooks, Slim, Curley and Curley's wife. When he describes Curley he uses the term "handy," and Steinbeck refers to Curley as "pugnacious." He is a good fighter, and, more than that, enjoys fighting. He was an excellent boxer and competed in the Golden Gloves competition. Golden Gloves is an amateur boxing association which holds tournaments. 

Curley likes to fight and Candy says he often picks on bigger men to prove how tough he is. Candy explains,

“Never did seem right to me. S’pose Curley jumps a big guy an’ licks him. Ever’body says what a game guy Curley is. And s’pose he does the same thing and gets licked. Then ever’body says the big guy oughtta pick somebody his own size, and maybe they gang up on the big guy. Never did seem right to me. Seems like Curley ain’t givin’ nobody a chance.”

This statement foreshadows the fight between Curley and the much bigger Lennie. Because he is a trained boxer and "handy" with his fists, Curley gets the best of Lennie until George unleashes the big man. Curley is reduced to a "flopping fish" as Lennie brutally crushes the smaller man's hand.

What are some critical approaches to the poem titled "The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd"?

Sir Walter Ralegh's poem (also called "Answer to Marlowe") is a philosophically satirical poem, so approaching it critically requires an understanding of the poem's meaning and references.  Ralegh is specifically answering Christopher Marlowe's "The Passionate Shepherd to his Love", so it's important to read and understand Marlowe's poem first, and then apply criticism to Ralegh's poem with Marlowe's poem in mind. Ralegh's poem is self-conscious and satirical because it bursts the bubble of Marlowe's beautiful pastoral world.  It's humorous in the way Ralegh turns all of Marlowe's constructions ("coral clasps and amber studs," "beds of roses") into absurdities; but it is more than that.  Ralegh is making a philosophical point (a Platonic one, about the dangers of poetry) that the world created by love-poets is unreal and out of the temporal world.  Marlowe's Shepherd, says Ralegh, could not possibly exist.So some critical approaches would be: feminist criticism might have the practical nymph representing clear-headed humanity against Marlowe's flighty Shepherd, a Marxist criticism would question how the rural worker Shepherd would be able to afford the finery he's offering, and a New Historical criticism would look at this poem in the light of conditions in the political hotbed of Ralegh's day.  It's a poem ripe for exploration, and provides good material for many different types of criticism.

If killing Duncan took so much out of Macbeth, why does he continue to murder?

Once Macbeth kills Duncan and becomes king, he experiences a sense of paranoia, a fear that his throne, his crown will be challenged or taken away by various people.  He is also thinking of the witches prophecy.  Remember, he goes to the witches a second time, for more information about his future.  Some of the prophecy he does not understand.

He suspects that there are members of his kingdom who want his crown, so he murders them before they get the jump on him.  He murders Banquo and Fleance because the witches told him that Banquo would be father to kings.  Macbeth gets rid of them in advance of Fleance challenging his crown, except Fleance escapes the murderers.

He sends murderers to kill Macduff,  because the witches told him "Beware Macduff," except he is not home, so the killers slaughter Macduff's family just for insurance against Macduff thinking he should ever turn against Macbeth.

Macbeth continues to murder to protect his power.  He took the throne through violence, so he fears violence will overtake him and seize his crown, since he is not a rightful King. His succession is false, Malcolm, the older son of King Duncan is the rightful heir to the throne.  Macbeth knows that he will have to fight to keep his crown. 

How can I compare the discussion between Whitney and Rainsford to the conversation between Rainsford and Zaroff after dinner?

Unquestionably, there is irony in the responses of Rainsford, both to Whitney and to General Zaroff.  For, unknown to Rainsford, his developing feelings later in the story contradict both of his statements to the Whitney and Zaroff. 

After he himself becomes "an animal at bay," Rainsford understands what he negated in his conversation with Whitney in the exposition of "The Most Dangerous Game."  For, as a hunted "animal at bay" in a tree waiting for the hunter, General Zaroff to discover him, Rainsford comes to know the icy fear of the jaguar, whose feelings he has dismissed earlier in the story.  Then, at the story's end, Rainsford again contradicts a statement of his own made at dinner with Zaroff when he rebuffs the general's remarks about hunting men, declaring that there was no excuse for killing another human being outside of wartime.  Having escaped into the sea, Rainsford appears in Zaroff's bedroom as the general prepares to retire for the night.  They fight a duel with swords and Rainsford, who has decared that hunting another man is reprehensible, slays his foe without remorse:  "He had never slept in a better bed," Rainsford decides.  He has become the hunter of men, a hunter with no sympathy for the hunted.

How does the story of the Lord of the Rings start?

The Lord of the Rings is an epic of the fate of the world of Middle Earth, a classic tale of good vs. evil.  Middle Earth is populated by four main races: Elves, Dwarves, Men, and an evil race of orcs, goblins, and wraiths.

The story begins with the creation of the Rings of Power.  The most powerful of each race (including the evil races) created magic rings which held the power to govern its members.  The Lord of the evil races, Sauron, created a "master" ring that held power over each of the others and, as a result, all races of Middle Earth.

Sauron proceeds to establish and expand an empire marked by war, fire, and darkness.  The races of elves and men unite to defeat the armies of Sauron and cut off the hand upon which he wore the One Ring.  They physical form of Sauron dissipates, but the Ring remains.  To destroy evil forever, the Ring had to have been cast into the volcanic fires of Mount Doom, where it was forged.

But the very evil that lives in the Ring influences King Isildur to keep it for himself.  This proves fatal as Isildur is later killed over the Ring, but during the attack the Ring itself is lost to the bottom of a lake.

After many years, the evil has laid dormant long enough and Sauron seeks to retake physical form and his place as Lord of all Middle Earth.  He sends forth his minions to bring him the Ring, which has been found, from a hobbit living in the Shire.  The three book series that is The Lord of the Rings begins with a small band that includes and elf, dwarf, men, and hobbits and their quest to destroy the Ring while they are actively hunted my all evil.

The climax of the story would be the Battle of Minas Tirith and Frodo and Sam's final approach to Mount Doom.  It is an epic battle between a monstrous army of evil and a terribly outnumbered collection of men and elves from different parts of Middle Earth, while at the same time two hobbits have the Ring in the very center of the evil lordship of Mordor and must slip past thousands of orcs to reach Mount Doom.

The Ring is destroyed and with it all evil.  A king returns to the throne of men for the first time in thousands of years and a new golden age dawns for Middle Earth.  The hobbits return to the Shire heroes and a select group finally sails off to a land of immortality.

What are the effects of erosion on earth?

In regard to erosion, the surface of the Earth is constantly changing.  The time over which this erosion occurs is dependant upon your reference to time; days, months, years, decades or more.  For example, if we are talking about erosion of sedimentary rocks, the time period is relatively short compared to the erosion of igneous rock.

That being said, generally, erosion occurs from the forces of wind, rain, heat, and grinding - usually associated with the erosion of continental plates.  This will not be an environmental answer as much as a physical science answer.

The breaking down of rock may follow the following cycle (a process that eventually returns to the starting point);

1. Erosion- the breaking down of a substance to small particles, increasing the surface area of a rock


2. Deposition- The depositing of the broken down material from erosion settling.  This deposited material may then pick up other materials other than what may have been broken down by the erosion, i.e., shells, bones, organic fragments


3. Compaction- As the deposited material settles, over time (see the reference to time, above), the layers a squeezed together.  Often the squeezed layers are visible if the deposited material eventually becomes exposed


4. Cementation- With the addition of water, a glue, so to speak, is formed that seepes between all the weak points in the compacted material, bonding the layers together. 

See the URLs below for ADDED information, as this answer did not come from these sources.

What happens to Odysseus and his men when they visit the Land of the Lotus Eaters?

In Book IX of The Odyssey, Odysseus begins the tale of his wanderings, starting with the journey's second part, that from Ogygia through Phaeacia. Odysseus begins by describing the departure from Troy:

Following Odysseus's and his men's plundering of the Ciconians, Zeus roused a storm against the ships, driving some of them to death; the other ships were brought to the nearest place that was sheltered from the wind by the strength of the sailors who rowed with their oars. After the storm, the men set sail again and made progress until they came round Malea and the current drew them farther out to sea. They drifted nine days; on the tenth day, they landed on a coastline belonging to the Lotus-Eaters. After a meal, Odysseus sent sailors to learn who dwelt there. These men came upon the Lotus-eaters who, meaning no harm, 

...gave them lotus to taste; but whosoever of them ate the lotus's honeyed fruit wished to bring tidings back no more and never to leave the place, but with the Lotus-eater there desired to stay, to feed on lotus and forget his going home.

This tale is not dissimilar to the tales of the American soldiers during the Vietnam Conflict. There were some who became so addicted to drugs which were , so disillusioned with America and the protests at home against the "war" and insults toward soldiers that they went AWOL and did not return to the States. In their disillusionment and drug-induced state, they lost sight of duty and country, and any meaning to life.

Similarly, Odysseus's men who have been through battles and terrible storms at sea are lured by the euphoria of the lotus, and they lose their mental strength, caring no more if they ever reach home, content on the island of the Lotus-Eaters and losing their souls.

What are some points of comparison between Faulkner's Emily in "A Rose for Emily" with Williams' Blanche in A Streetcar Named Desire?

Emily in "A Rose for Emily" and Blanche du Bois in Streetcar Named Desire, though very dissimilar, are nonetheless similar in several ways. First and foremost they are both formerly wealthy Southern women at historic and cultural crossroads where definitions of culture, society, and behavior--even appearances--are being rewritten and neither Emily not Blanche successfully make the transition.

Emily fails in her transition from pre-Civil War ideals to post-Civil War realities because she cannot grasp a life without her father taking care and control of her; a life in which society is defined by the best families in town instead of by the Town Hall that assigns house addresses and taxes.

Blanche du Bois fails in her transition from twentieth-century, post-turn of the century, beauty and elegance to mid-twentieth achievement and license built on greater industrialization and greater personal choice. Blanche seems forever stranded by the streetcar named "desire" that seems to transport her to places that she doesn't understand as she disrupts marriages, disrespects pregnancy, hobbles household routine and hysterically idolizes beauty.

In "Hamlet," why does Hamlet insist that Horatio remain alive? What must Horatio do for Denmark?

In the last act and the last scene, Hamlet insists that Horatio remain alive to tell his story. To make sure that everyone knows Claudius was the one who murdeered his father and that he, Hamlet, was not responsible for the deaths of  his mother.  Horatio, was to make sure that everyone knew that Fortinbras was to get his vote for King.

“O good Horatio, what a wounded name that is,
“O, I’m dying, Horatio,
The potent poison quite conquers my soul.
I cannot live to hear the news from England,
But I do predict that the throne belongs
To Fortinbras. He has my dying vote,
Tell him so, with the news, more and less,
Which has been asked for. The rest is silence.”

How does Dill show courage in the first eleven chapters of To Kill a Mockingbird?

Dill is the daredevil who bets Jem that he won't have the courage to go up and touch the Radley house. (This triggers the incident where Jem loses his pants.) Dill also brags about the father he doesn't even have. He has learned to tell "whoppers" and get away with it, so he "spins yarns" by the yard. Later in the story, it is he who gets the idea to go down to the courthouse to see where Boo had been chained up before his father brought him home. Dill puts a little spice in the Finch children's lives by inciting them to take risks and enjoy the thrill it brings. A bit naughty, Dill does not "mind" his aunt as well as Jem and Scout do their father. He defies adult authority in a way that the Finch children would never dare.

Note that Dill comes from somewhere else and he has experienced other things. He has even seen "Dracula!" His very presence helps Jem and Scout "grow" by extending their horizons beyond the little town of Maycomb and life with Atticus and Calpurnia.

In "The Cay" I read that Timothy thought Stew Cat was an evil jumbi. What is a jumbi?

The web site Word Detective has this to say about the word "jumbi":

According to the OED, "jumbi" (also spelled "jumby" and "jumbee," among other variations) is a West Indian word for "ghost" or "evil spirit," based on the African Kongo language word "zumbi," meaning charm or fetish. A very old copy of the Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology and Legend (a marvelous two-volume set that I inherited from my father) adds that jumbies are usually the spirits of dead people that haunt the forests of Caribbean islands, and that the term may be related to the Haitian word "zombi," or what every horror-movie aficionado knows as "zombies."

Timothy is an elderly black sailor, probably the descendant of African slaves. The original religion of these slaves mixed with Catholicism when they were forced to convert, which resulted in what we call voodoo. Timothy may not practice voodoo, but he is superstitious and believes in voodoo curses. He believes that Stew Cat is an evil spirit, jumbi, that has taken the form of a cat.

Visit the links below for more information.

What does Atticus tell Scout about why the jury took so long to convict Tom in "To Kill a Mockingbird"?Chapter 23

Atticus tells Scout and Jem that the jury took longer than he expected to come to a verdict because "there was one fellow who took considerable wearing down - in the beginning he was rarin' for an outright acquittal".  To the children's surprise, that fellow was a relation of the Cunninghams.

Atticus says that the verdict was inevitable, and that usually, it would have taken the jury "just a few minutes" to convict Tom Robinson.  This time, however, because of the one holdout, it took "a few hours".  Atticus is heartened by this fact; he thinks that "this may be the shadow of a beginning" of change in attitudes and social realities concerning the relations between blacks and whites in Maycomb.

Even though the night before the trial Walter Cunningham had been among those who wanted take justice in their own hands and lynch Tom Robinson, Atticus "had a feeling" that after tangling with Atticus and Scout that night, the Cunninghams left with "considerable respect" for the Finches.  Atticus could have stricken the Cunningham kin from the jury, but, knowing that "once you earned their respect (the Cunninghams) were for you tooth and nail", he decided to take a risk.  Atticus had reasoned that "there's a faint difference between a man who's going to convict and a man who's a little disturbed in his mind".  As it turned out, the Cunningham relative was "the only uncertainty on the whole list", and he did indeed stand up for the truth by holding out in favor of acquittal for Tom Robinson (Chapter 23).

In "Bright Star! Would I Were as Steadfast as Thou Art," the speaker repeats "still" (13).What relevant denotations does the word evoke? How does...

The possible denotations of that repeated "still" are the possible literal definitions of what still means.  First of all, it means holding one's position for a long time, not moving, remaining immobilized.  This is significant because he wants to remain with his love, feeling her "ripening breast" and "tender-taken breath", while remaining completely still and motionless, just like the stars are, which he talks about in the first part of the poem.  The second possible definition of still is to remain somewhere, to continue to be there.  This signifies his desire to be forever with his love, and to never leave her.  So, "still" refers to how he wants to lie motionless, with his love, forever and ever.

It adds intensity to repeat "still" because it brings to mind a child asking impatiently, "Are you still busy?"  or something to that effect.  The parental response is, "Yes, still", so to repeat it twice is to emphasize it, to repeat it to any inquiring minds.  Yes, he is still there, still with her, and please be still about it.  This is more effective than describing the star, because it encapsulates the quality of a star that he is desiring the most-its immovable eternal nature-without having to decribe it in detail.  It conveys the emotion behind that much more efficiently than long and wordy details.

In "To Kill a Mockingbird", what is Aunt Alexandra's definition of fine folks? What are some problems with her definition?

According to Aunt Alexandra, families who have settled in one place for many generations are deemed as being "fine folks." They have a history; they have roots and are a part of the fibre of the local community. Even the Ewells fit into this category as they had been living by the town dump for such a long time.

What is the theme of Washington Square by Henry James?

The short novel has a fairly simple construction. The conflict involves two men fighting over a woman. In this case one of the men is her father. The other is a handsome fortune hunter. The woman is neither the protagonist nor the antagonist but what used to be called "the bone of contention," i.e., the thing over which the protagonist and antagonist are fighting. In Hollywood the bone of contention is called "the MacGuffin." James' Washington Square offers an excellent opportunity to study the mechanics of story writing because of the handling of the conflict. Catherine Sloper is the viewpoint character and the person most strongly affected by the contest between the two men, but she is helpless to determine her fate. Men care more about money and power than they do about love. Poor Catherine cares more about love than about money or social position or personal pride--but she finds out that love is a scarce commodity, at least in the world of the upper classes. The theme of people marrying for money was one of Henry James's favorites, as can be seen in such novels as The Wings of the Dove and Portrait of a Lady.

Why is athens, in Pericles's words, "the school of hellas"?

The actual ref to school of Athens was at the funeral service (so how we commemorate those lost in our 2 world wars for example), pericles oration to athens in his campaign for war after fighting the peloponnesian war against Sparta for only a year. The phrase ref to athens being not an imitator but rather a school to the rest of the world to learn from. So he refers to democratic athens and all her achievements which by this time the Parthanon had been built also equal justice under the law.

What kind of a person is Ralph in chapter 1 of "Lord of the Flies"?

The opening chapter suggests that Ralph is clearly the best boy to lead the group.  He is physically superior to most of the other boys, seems able to win their confidence, and seems to genuinely iterested in helping the stranded boys best deal with their situation.  Keeping reading to see how this works out :)

What is the setting of the novel, "The Cay?"

The novel "The Cay" by Theodore Langhans Taylor was a young adult novel with the setting in the Caribbean islands.  The story is narrated by a blind man named Phillip. He is recalling his youth in the story, and begins when he is 11 years old.  "The Cay opens in February 1942 on the island of Curacao, then part of the Dutch West Indies. When Phillip is ship-wrecked, the setting shifts to an unnamed cay deep in the Devil's Mouth, long U-shaped coral banks in the Caribbean."

In "To Kill a Mockingbird", what does the presence of a few pots of geraniums at the Ewell place suggest about Mayella?

When Scout is describing the Ewell house, after mentioning the dirt and trash, she says there are red geraniums in pots outside the house that look so beautiful and cared for, it was as if Miss Maudie (a superb gardener) had been looking after them. Scout assumes that these geraniums belong to Mayella. This image complements the one Scout describes when she describes Mayella's appearance--that it looked as though Mayella tried to keep clean on a regular basis, as opposed to the rest of the Ewells who took baths once a year.

These two images combined give the reader (and Scout) the sense that Mayella wants to be better than she is--"just a Ewell"--but it's difficult when everyone in the town only associates her with her last name. This leads Scout to the conclusion that Mayella must be the most lonely person in the world--even lonelier than Boo Radley--because white folks didn't want anything to do with the Ewells because the Ewells are trash, and black folks didn't want to have anything to do with the Ewells because the Ewells were white. So, no matter how hard Mayella tries, she won't be able to rise beyond her last name.

What political theory does the concept of "self-evident" truths fall under?

The idea that certain ideas were "self-evident" or that certain truth was so plain anyone could see it, came from the Enlightenment thinkers. Thomas Jefferson borrowed these Enlightenment ideals from the philosophers Jean Jacques Rousseau, Charles De Montesquieu, John Locke, and Voltaire and many other minds of the day who agreed in the ideas that God has created certain truths that were clear and needed no proof. He incorporated those ideals into the Declaration of Independence. In addition to self-evident truths, Enlightenment thinkers also believed that government had a contract with the people in order to govern wisely. When the government broke that contract, the people had a right to form a new government. The new government would ensure the "self-evident" truths of life, liberty, and property ( as Jefferson wrote in a first draft of the Declaration of Independence) plus the idea that every man had a right to pursue happiness. In order to do that, he must be guaranteed certain personal freedoms. These ideas were in conflict with those who believed in the divine right of kings. They believed man needed to strictly obey a king, not matter how badly her ruled, because God had given him that right. Jefferson, and others, believed that God had given the rights to the people and the people were the ones that should chose their own governments, ones that preserved their God-given rights and that they could obey in good conscience.

In "Antigone," what is the significance of blindness and seeing? and also what is the significance of Creons statement to Haemon "you'll never...

The blind prophet Teiresias warns Creon ,who can physically see but is figuratively blind to the consequences of his decisions, that by ignoring the laws of the gods, he will bring tragedy upon his family. Creon ignores Teiresias warning and his predictions do come true. His niece is dead, his son and wife are dead and he loses his power because of Creon's hubris or pride would not allow him to change a decree he made concerning Polyneices. The motif of blindness becomes important because a blind prophet wisely tries to warn Creon of his downfall, yet Creon believes he can "see" what's better for the state than a prophet whose predictions have come true many times. Even when Haemon asks that Antigone's life be spared, Creon's answer is a cold "you'll never marry her..." Thus Haemon commits suicide to end his father's power over him.

In "The Crucible" what was Mary Warren's explanation for leaving the house and going into Salem that day?

Since the first accusations were made in Reverend Parris's house, Mary has been a part of most of the proceedings in the courtroom.  So when Johh Proctor demands to know where she has been all day her response is that she is "an official of the court now", meaning, she has been given a title of "official" at the court, and is duty-bound to be there for the proceedings each day.  Also, she feels it it is "weighty work" that she does; for once, Mary Warren feels important, wanted, listened to, and brave.  So, she tells John that she will "be gone every day for some time."  However, once Elizabeth is arrested, she stays at home "strivin' with her soul", trying to get the true courage to go against Abigail and all of the other girls.

what is the difference in the book between loss and release? how is it different?

The difference between Loss and Release is pretty simple, on the surface.  In either case the person is dead and it seems like everyone forgets are them.  In the case of Release, the forgetting  takes longer.  In the case of Loss, the person has died an accidental death and things are so tightly controlled that this is quite unusual.  They perform a ceremony where they repeat the person’s name until they pretty much forget him or her, and then give a newborn the person’s name.

Release is the death penalty or euthanasia.  When a person breaks a rule three times or commits one serious infraction, he or she is given lethal injection.  When a person is old, he or she is euthanized.  Babies are also euthanized when they don’t live up to expectations.  Release is also sad, except in the case of the Old because they are considered to have lived long enough lives.

After the first night, what is Santiago's attitude towards the large fish in "Old Man and the Sea"?As well: How is this similar to the attitude he...

After the first night, Santiago's attitude towards the large fish remains full of respect and determination.  When the sun shows on the horizon, he says,

"Fish...I love and you and respect you very much.  But I will kill you dead before this day ends".

Santiago, in all his dealings with nature, maintains a fine harmonic balance between taking and appreciating life.  He knows that, in order to survive, he must catch and kill the creatures of the sea, yet he has a deep respect and love for them as well.  Santiago is one with nature, and the wildlife are his brothers.  As he expresses when he speaks to the warbler who stops to rest on the stern of his boat, Santiago understands that each creature, man included, must go out "and take (his) chance like any man or bird or fish".

While doing what he must do to survive, Santiago treats his prey with dignity and compassion, just as he would want to be treated.  When he catches the small albacore at the beginning of his fateful voyage, he hits the captured fish on the head "for kindness", so it will not suffer in its dying.  He will then use the fish's meat for bait. 

Santiago also loves the big sea turtles, and eats their white eggs to "give himself strength".  He notes that "most people are heartless about turtles because a turtle's heart will beat for hours after he has been cut up and butchered", but he himself appreciates the turtles because he has "such a heart too and (his) feet and hands are like theirs".

Can you explain "The Devil and Tom Walker" in the simplest of terms?I read the story, and I don't understand it.

Tom Walker, who was a greedy man, traded his soul to the Devil for pirate treasure.  Tom's wife, who believed herself a better bargainer than Tom, never returned after leaving to meet with the Devil.  When Tom went looking for his wife, he found only her apron with a heart and liver in it; afterward, Tom met with the Devil to finalize their arrangements.

In exchange for Kidd's treasure, the Devil accepted Tom's soul and his service as someone who gives high-interest loans.  Pleased with those terms, Tom embraced life as a usurer and became extremely wealthy.

 As Tom grew older, he became fearful of the Devil claiming what has rightfully his.  He began to attend church devotedly and take any other evasive steps he could think of. 

One afternoon, Tom undertook a business transaction that would cause the financial ruin one of his friends.  When the man begged for mercy, Tom began to deny having made any profit from the man's business.  Just then, the Devil knocked at the door and carried Tom away on a black horse.

Tom never returned and was rumored to have been seen being carried toward the swamp where he first met the Devil.  When Tom's matters were turned over to trustees, they found that all of his money and material possessions were worthless. Tom Walker's ghost still haunts the Indian fort where he met with the Devil.

What is the importance of purple non sulfur bacteria?

The understanding of some of the most fundamental processes of life, such as the photosynthetic generation of cellular energy, or the metabolic fixation of carbon dioxide and nitrogen, has been driven largely by investigating a unique group of photosynthetic bacterial organisms, the purple non-sulfur bacteria (Rhodospirillaceae).  Specifically, these bacteria have been extensively employed for studying principles of photosynthetic and respiratory electron transport, and more recently, for investigating the regulation of gene expression in response to reduction-oxygenation (redox) signals.

In A Christmas Carol, what does the Ghost of Christmas Present represent?

The Ghost of Christmas Present represents what an authentic life, truly lived, with family, friends, love and celebration really looks like.  Scrooge does not know what it is like to live a real life; his life is dark and gloomy, dominated by the pursuit of material wealth.  He is alone, choosing to cut himself off from any associations with family or others.  He even treats himself in a miserly way; his home is dark and cold, bare and empty.

His wealth has not made him happy, in fact in stark contrast to The Ghost of Christmas Present, Scrooge's wealth is insignificant compared to what this spirit shows him. 

It is a wealth that does not bring him happiness, a wealth that he does not share but rather uses as protection from the world.  He blocks any and all contact with family or members of society by shielding himself behind his fortune.

The bounty that The Ghost of Christmas Present shows Scrooge is in direct contrast to his meager life.  This ghost is careful to show Scrooge not only his own nephew, Fred, who lives comfortably and is happy, but also Bob Cratchit, who lives on the small salary he earns working for Mr. Scrooge yet is happy and surrounded by family.

This ghost's job is to show Scrooge that money is not the path to happiness, a truth that he will discover but must first be forced to look upon. 

Why does Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing accept the gull so willingly? Why is she able to surrender her faults so freely?What does this tell...

The "gull", of course, is the trick played on Beatrice by her cousin Hero and her waiting gentlewoman, Ursula, inthe "pleached bower", (an arbor)  (III.i.7) that misleads Beatrice into thinking Benedick loves her "so entirely" (38).  This is a simple theatrical trick, in which the butt of the ruse is tricked into "overhearing" a conversation between two conspirators.  This conversation leads the hearer to believe something that is not true (because the conversation is planned beforehand and staged by the conspirators) and, subsequently, to act on this wrong information.  It is the basis of many of the plots of comedies and farces.

Beatrice wants to, deep down inside, believe that Benedick loves her, because she truly loves him.  She remembers Benedick "of old" (I.i.123-4) and has, we are to believe, loved him, secretly, for a long time.  This is also borne out by the fact that Beatrice turns down the marriage proposal of the Duke (in Act II Scene 1) -- a marriage alliance which would be envied by everyone, the Duke being the highest-ranking person in the whole company.  Beatrice, if she were not in love with Benedick, would at least consider the Duke's proposal; but she turns him down flat.  So, this revealing fact about Beatrice's character gives the audience a clue as to why she'd fall for the transparent "gull" of Ursula and Hero:  everything in Beatrice has hoped for a revelation of this sort, and, psychologically, humans are very well-disposed to believe things that they have long wished to be true. 

As far a surrendering her faults, Beatrice is nothing if not intelligent.  She has always owned her faults, and been rather proud of her sharp tongue, quick wit, and brilliant (if sometimes too caustic) conversation.  In order to win her heart's desire, she is only too willing to amend her fault -- who would not be, when faced with the possibility of getting the one thing in the world they want the most?  ("Contempt, farewell! and maiden pride, adieu!/No glory lives behind the back of such./And, Benedick, love on; I will requite thee," III.i. 111-113).  

As to Beatrice's true character, it is said many times in the play that she is "proud".  Like many of the women in Shakespeare's comedies, she is proud, witty, and strong-willed - and very unwilling to be shown up by a man.  This kind of character was a staple of drama at the time, and part of the elaborate game of repartee that makes up most of the love stories in the comedies of this era. Men are, in Beatrice's mind "constant never" (II.i.63), so her heart must be protected at all times.  She feels that she has been "played" a bit by Benedick in the past, so she is wary of letting him know her feelings.  In this, Beatrice shows her independence in addition to her pride.  She may love deeply, but she doesn't want to be humiliated by it, in case the one she loves does not requite her.  But, now that Beatrice "knows" that he does, she is free to love him and to stifle her pride somewhat. 

Describe the causes of the failure of the animals' rebellion to bring about an ideal society in "Animal Farm".

The utopia which was the original purpose of the animal rebellion did not become a way of life because of greed, arrogance, and power.  The "pigs" decided by the end of the novel that they were "better than all the other animals." They became rich from the labor of the other animals on the farm.  Many of the original members of the rebellion were gone or dead and the pigs began acting more and more like the humans they said they hated.  By the end of the novel the cold, hungry, and overworked farm animals couldn't even tell the difference between the men and the pigs.  The constant desire for power, control, greed, and arrogance ruined the Utopian ideals.

The term "Puck's Apostasy" is used in an Emily Dickinson poem. What is Puck's role in A Midsummer Night's Dream and what might be his "apostasy"?

The poem you're referring to is Dickinson's "The Way to know the Bobolink". Here are the first three stanzas:

The Way to know the Bobolink
From every other Bird
Precisely as the Joy of him --
Obliged to be inferred.

Of impudent Habiliment
Attired to defy,
Impertinence subordinate
At times to Majesty.

Of Sentiments seditious
Amenable to Law --
As Heresies of Transport
Or Puck's Apostacy.

It's an almost child-like poem, written in ballad meter (a line of iambic pentameter followed by a line of iambic trimeter) and, I suppose, to answer your question, there are two key things you need to know.

Firstly, it's that the "Bobolink" is a type of fast-moving, small blackbird, and that - as the first stanza states - Dickinson (in more than one poem) uses it as a symbol of joy and energy.

Secondly, "apostacy" is a term used when people turn away from or reject their former religion. Quite how Puck can be considered to forego religion - or, in some more metaphorical sense, turn away from something - is where it becomes interesting. Is that he gets Oberon's orders (to put the love-juice on Demetrius' eyes) wrong - and then enjoys his mistake? Is it perhaps, his turn to the audience at the end of the play?

It's not, I would argue, a question to do with Puck's role in the play, his potential for mischief, for trickery and trouble-causing and for glee in the face of pain and mayhem, but more to do with precisely what might be his "apostacy".

In "The Crucible," why did John Proctor decide to tear up his signed confession?

John confessed in order to save his life. His wife was expecting, and he thought it best to lie in order to be around for his family. After his confession, he is urged to sign. At this request, he begins to have reservations, and he responds, "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!" Despite his reservations, he signs the confession.

Then, he hears that Giles Corey refused to answer the charge and died by being pressed to death. The straw that broke the camel's back is when Rebecca is brought in. She also refused to confess and will be hanged as a witch. John realizes that honor is more important. He also decides to stop living a sinful life of lies and become a better person.  He refuses to play the evil game by naming others and tears up his false confession. Elizabeth is urged to try to persuade him, but she refuses and understands his need for redemption.

3/5 of what number = 15?

3/5 of what number = 15

I believe that many students who struggle with these types of problems, struggle because they do not understand the language of the problem and how some words used in reading or writing may mean something very different in mathematics.

For this problem, it is very important to understand that in mathematics we use the term “of” to indicate multiplication. We also will use a “variable”, a symbol used in mathematics, to represent an unknown in a problem.

You may use any variable you would like. Let’s set up an equation by selecting a variable for our unknown. The most common symbol we use as a variable is x. Though I may choose any symbol I want I will also use x. x = what number (the unknown) Therefore,

3/5*x=15 or 3/5 x=15 Solving for x:

Step 1: Multiply both sides by 5 to clear the fraction on the left.

            5* 3/5 x=15*5      The 5’s on the left will cancel out.

=         3x = 75

Step 2: Divide both sides by 3 to solve for x.

          3x/3 = 75/3              The 3’s on the left will cancel out.

          x = 25

Therefore, 3/5 of 25 = 15 !! 

In The House on Mango Street, what figure of speech is "tortilla star" and what does it mean?

I believe the "tortilla star" is an example of synechdoche, a figure of speech whereby a less comprehensive term is used to indicate a more comprehensive one.  In this case, the "tortilla star" is a play on the conventional term "morning star", by which people are awakened.  The substitution of "tortilla" for "morning" gives the original word an ethnic element, conveying the author's point that Alicia must rise very early each day because of cultural obligations she cannot escape.  The "tortilla" is symbolic of the familial duties Alicia must fulfill as an Hispanic woman in a patriarchal family.  Although Alicia is intelligent and has dreams of bettering herself through education, her aspirations must take a backseat to her family's needs.  Since her mother is dead, she must rise early each day to make "the lunchbox tortillas" for her father and younger siblings.  Her culture dictates that it is "a woman's place" to "wake up early" and care for the family and the home.