In "Twelfth Night", why does Viola want to serve Orsino?

Good question! Viola initially says she wants to serve Olivia, because Olivia has recently lost a brother:

A virtuous maid, the daughter of a count
That died some twelvemonth since: then leaving her
In the protection of his son, her brother,
Who shortly also died... 

Viola, of course, sees Olivia as a kindred spirit: Viola fears at this point that her brother, Sebastian, has died. Yet the Captain then tells her Olivia

...will admit no kind of suit
No, not the Duke's.

Viola wants to keep her estate unknown, until such a time as she knows better what to do - and, perhaps, until she knows whether Sebastian has survived. So, she resolves,

I'll serve this duke
Thou shalt present me as an eunuch to him...

Why a eunuch? Well, because it explains her feminine voice. And, in Renaissance courts, eunuchs were often employed as musicians and singers: and Viola goes on to say that she can sing and play several instruments.

Comment on the denouement of "Lord of the Flies". Is it realistic?

Yes. I think the denouement pulls an amazing trick. The reader has completely accepted Ralph, Jack and the boys as adults: you forget how young they are. And the way the ending makes its impact is by shifting the narrative focus - no longer do we see things through the boys' eyes, but the camera pulls back and puts an adult in. We realise - horribly - that these atrocities have been committed by little boys.

Here's the moment it happens:

Then he [Ralph] was down, rolling over and over in the warm sand, crouching with arm to ward off, trying to cry for mercy.

He staggered to his feet, tensed for more terrors, and looked up at a huge peaked cap.

The naval officer also locates the boys back in a civilisation at war, and "in ruins": he even has a "sub machine gun" on board his ship. It reminds us that these boys' violence is located within a world which is very violent at an adult level. And these boys are the product of something.

Golding hammers home how small they are:

Dumbly, Ralph shook his head. He turned a halfpace on the sand. A semicircle of little boys, their bodies streaked with colored clay, sharp sticks in their hands, were standing on the beach making no noise at all.

[...]

Ralph nodded. The officer inspected the little scarecrow in front of him. The kid needed a bath, a haircut, a nose-wipe and a good deal of ointment.

These are little, little boys. And at the end of the novel, with them all in tears, Ralph cries for the "end of innocence", and "the darkness of man's heart". It is a return to reality, a horrible realisation that this is not a symbolic novel but a naturalistic presentation of young boys creating hell for themselves. It's a harrowing denouement.

What is the resolution of Mark Twain's "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County"?

First we have to establish the conflict.  The conflict is that the narrator of the original story (not the framed story which is narrated by Simon Wheeler) is looking for Leonidas W. Smiley and is told to look to Simon Wheeler for information.  Upon going to this man, he is forced to sit through story after story about a man named Jim Smiley.  After sitting through this in boredom, the narrator's conflict is finally resolved when Wheeler is called away from his storytelling; therefore, freeing the narrator from listening to anymore of his nonsensical stories about Jim Smiley.  

In A Gathering of Old Men, what is symbolic about all the men waiting in the graveyard? It is in the Chapter "Grant Bello aka Cherry".

The men who are waiting in the graveyard are about to do something they have never done before.  They are, as a group, going to stand up to the oppression of white society.  A bigoted white farmer, Beau Boutan, has been killed, and Mathu, a powerful black man in his eighties, is accused of committing the crime.  The men who are waiting in the graveyard are planning to come forth, each claiming to have been the one to have really done the deed, in order to stymie a justice system that has always treated them unfairly.

The men are taking their stand to vindicate themselves and their ancestors, many of whom lie buried in the graveyard.  Their place of meeting is fitting, because, in finally standing up and asserting their manhood, they are speaking not only for themselves, but for generations that have gone before, all of whom have lived under the oppression of slavery and its residual attitudes which still permeate their home in Louisiana in the 1970s.  The fact that they have chosen the graveyard in which to wait and prepare is also significant because, for the most part, the men are old; each of them are very much aware that their time on earth, before they too are buried with their forefathers, is rapidly growing short ("Grant Bello aka Cherry").

In the quote, "The Governor was eager to scrape a few barnacles off the ship of state", what literary device is used?I don't understand why these...

This quote is a metaphor. A metaphor compares two unlike things. In this case the barnacles probably represent something old, something or someone who has been clinging to the "ship" or "the state" for a long time. Here the governor is being compared to a captain of a ship, a leader, who must make decisions about who is on board.

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In Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, what point is Mama trying to make the children understand when she takes them to see the Berrys?

Mama takes her children to see the Berrys because she wants to impress upon them just how dangerous the world in which they live is for African Americans. 

Mr. Berry lies in bed in agony, horribly disfigured.  He "can't hardly stand to have nothin' touch him...his face (has) no nose, and the head no hair, the skin (is) scarred, burned, and the lips...wizened black, like charcoal...(a) wheezing sound echoe(s) from the opening that (is) a mouth".  Mr. Berry's nephew had been accused by some drunken white men of flirting with a white woman, and when he sought refuge at his uncle's house, the men took both Mr. Berry and his nephew, poured kerosene over them, and set them afire.  Everyone knows who did it, but because the perpetrators are white and the victims black, nothing was ever done about it.  Mr. Berry's nephew died of his injuries, and Mr. Berry lies tortured and helpless, waiting to either die or get well enough to resume his life terribly disfigured.

Mama's children are at an age where they recognize the blatant inequalities and injustices with which those of their race must live in the South during the 1930s.  Their natural inclination is to fight against what they see as wrong, but they have no concept of the magnitude of the consequences which might result.  Mama takes them to see Mr. Berry to give them an understanding of the realities of the world.  It is her hope that seeing Mr. Berry will help them temper their rightful feelings of anger and indignation with a practicality which will enable to survive these difficult times (Chapter 4).

Why is the officer's question in Chapter 12 of "Lord of the Flies" ironic? the officer asks Ralph if they were having "a war or something."

A possible irony exists in that the officer is himself in a war, a World War, something created and fought by adults, so he finds it a bit humorous that children, who adults believe are innocent and naive, would be "having a war or something." Since adults generally believe that children are innocent, that they have not had enough exposure to the harsh realities of the world and of life, they would not be capable of war. Perhaps Wiliam Golding, the author, wants his readers to think about whether or not all humans, regardless of age, are capable of meanness, physical violence, even war. After all, these seemingly innocent boys, after only a couple of days of isolation from civilization, quickly devolve into savage behavior. 

How do Annie and Helen feel about each other at the end of The Miracle Worker? How is this made clear?

How do the two main characters feel on the final page of one of the most emotional exchanges in a play ever?  For the first time, love exists between them.  Helen is desperately thankful, and Annie is finally in love with her prize pupil.  (This is in direct contrast to earlier in the play where Helen feels only contempt and frustration in regards to Annie.  Annie, in turn, feels no love for this spoiled child.)

Now for the evidence (which is actually very hard to give without relating the entire last scene of the play).  With the help of the water pump and the water, Helen has finally grasped that these finger signs that Annie has been doing over and over again actually stand for the thing she is touching.  Helen begs for more and more before Annie calls for Kate and the Captain.  They clutch her tightly, but then comes some evidence of Helen's new preference for Annie, for Helen wants only to leave their grasp:

Then Helen gropes, feels nothing, turns all around, pulls free, and comes with both hands groping, to find Annie.  She encounters Annie's thighs, Annie kneels to her, Helen's hadn pats Annie's cheek impatiently, points a finger, and waits; and Annie spells into it:  Teacher. (120)

It is not Helen's parents, full of pity, who have opened up this glorious door for Helen.  It is Annie, Helen's teacher.  Helen's parents try to embrace her again, but Helen will have none of it, reaching only for the keys to give to Annie, . . . the very same ones that she stole away at the beginning of the play.  Further, Helen's thanks is expressed in another way, through Kate:

Helen spells a word to her.  Kate comprehends it, their first act of verbal communication, and she can hardly utter the word aloud, in wonder, gratitude, and deprivation; it is a moment in which she simultaneously finds and loses a child.

Kate:  Teacher? (121)

The great love between Annie and Helen finally bursts forth then:

Then she holds out the keys and places them in Annie's hand.  For a moment neither of them moves.  Then Helen slides into Annie's arms, and lifting away her smoked glasses, kisses her on the cheek.  Annie gathers her in. . . . She clutches the child to her, tight this time, not spelling, whispering into her hair. 

Annie:  I, love, Helen.  Forever, and--ever. (122)

In "A Raisin in the Sun" certain characters change and grow as a result of their experiences. Explain which character changes the most.answer needs...

The greatest amount of change is in Walter.  Walter Younger is a dreamer and is very immature at the beginning of the play.  Walter complains and alienates his family by his constant talk of money.  He wants his mother to give him the insurance money and when he doesn't get his way he runs out and drinks and pouts.  When his mother does trust him with a portion of the money, which he is supposed to deposit half of in savings, he gives it all to a friend of his to open a liquor store.  His friend runs off with the money and Walter can't believe that this is happening to him.  This again demonstrates his immaturity.  Still his growth by the end of the novel is very evident.  "By standing up to Karl Lindner when it would have been easier to accept Lindner's financial offer, Walter asserts himself forcefully into his culture—and although his choices may make his life difficult in some ways, he will not be spiritually defeated."  Even his mother recognizes this growth and says to Ruth at the end of the play that "he has come into his manhood."

What are the similarities between the tragic end of Fortunato from "The Cask of Amontillado" and other victims in Poe's stories? Edgar A. Poe is...

Fortunato is like other victims in Poe's tales in that he is innocent of any major wrong-doing, unable to defend himself, entombed in the home, and murdered by an insane man. In "The Tell-Tale Heart," the narrator murders an innocent, helpless old man simply because his discolored eye irritated him. He buries him under the floorboards but continues (or imagines) to hear his heart beat louder and louder. In "The Fall of the House of Usher," Roderick Usher buries his innocent, sickly and weak sister, Madeline, alive in a coffin in the dungeon. He begins to hear her stir below which signals the beginning of his own demise. Ironically, he is ultimately buried alive when his house collapses on him.

Montresor, like the murderers in the previous tales, had no real reason for murdering Fortunato. His insanity helps him rationalize his actions as he incapacitates the victim with wine and buries his old "friend" alive in a wall until he can no longer hear the screams for help.

What is the scientific name of the python? What does it mainly feed on?

The scientific name of the python is Pythonidae and depends upon the location or we can say the species like they are ...

Indian python is called as Python molorus

African rock python is called as Python sebae...

These are nonvennomous snakes, they mostly feed on prey in size of house cat but it was also found that african Python was known to take down a deer and antelope...

Since they are nonvenomous snakes they mostly swallow, it grasp the prey around and coil and apply pressure to stop the blood flow and inhaling and finally kills the prey and swallow the prey...

In Night, the scene of Wiesel and his father approaching the inferno is particulary vivid. How is such artistry achieved?

Wiesel walks us through step by step as he and his father get closer to the inferno.  The scene opens dramatically with Elie watching as a cartload of babies is burned right before his eyes.  He goes through denial, rebellion, suicidal thoughts, and a denial of God all in the few minutes and few steps that it takes to get closer to the fire.  He listens as his father prayers the prayer of the dead.  Amidst the description of his thoughts and feelings, Wiesel counts down from 15 steps to 2 steps right before he and his father are to enter the flames.  In his thoughts, Elie prepares to meet "the Angel of Death".  And then in the last moment he is 'saved' when he is directed to the barracks instead.  The scene is a climactic one similar to what you might see in a movie where the timer on a bomb is ticking down even as the hero is trying to save the day.  Most often the hero finds a way to stop the timer with just a second or two left.  In Elie's situation, he has no control over the situation, and although his life is saved, he goes on to live the tortuous life of a Jew in a concentration camp.

What is the summary for Chapter 9 in "Hound of the Baskervilles"?

In Chapter 9, Watson reports to Holmes that he examined the room in which Barrymore had spent the night and noticed that the window out of which the man had been gazing has a good view of the moor.  He concludes that Barrymore "must have been looking out for something or somebody upon the moor", possibly "some love intrigue".  Watson met with the baronet, Sir Henry, after breakfast, and told him what he had observed concerning Barrymore, and to his surprise, Sir Henry seemed unperturbed by the information.  He said he knew that "Barrymore walked about nights", and suggested that he and Watson should "shadow him" tonight to see what Barrymore is up to. 

Watson informs Holmes that Sir Henry has been working hard to renovate and refurbish the estate, and that "great changes (should) begin...soon".  He adds that all Sir Henry will need "will be a wife to make (the grandeur of his family) complete", and suggests that since it is obvious that Sir Henry is infatuated with his "beautiful neighbor, Miss Stapleton", that should not be a problem, "if the lady is willing". 

Watson then recounts that Sir Henry made preparations to go out, and when Watson, who had been instructed by Holmes to stay with him at all times, made ready to accompany him, he was told by the baronet that he "must go out alone".  Watson, at a loss, let him go, then regretted his decision, and determines to "set off at once" after him (Chapter 9).

How would you characterize Macbeth’s state of mind in Act 5? Who issues the commands for the battle plan? Why did Macduff go to England?

Macbeth's state of mind isn't good. Firstly, he's absolutely numb with all of the horrific things that have happened - he doesn't feel anything any more. When he is threatened, when his wife dies - he doesn't respond, hardly. He is completely cold:

I have almost forgot the taste of fears:
The time has been, my senses would have cool'd
To hear a night-shriek, and my fell of hair
Would at a dismal treatise rouse and stir
As life were in't: I have supp'd full with horrors...

And this isn't just a local thing. Macbeth's coldness gives rise to a nihilistic philosophy where absolutely nothing matters or is of anything important. This is the bitter, empty talk of a life thrown away, a life wasted:

Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.

Yet Shakespeare always complicates the tone by balancing one thing with another. Macbeth is still a brave warrior, right to the end:

Blow, wind! Come, wrack!
At least we'll die with harness on our back.

In Act 5, Scene 6, it is Malcolm handing out the battle plans:

You, worthy uncle,
Shall, with my cousin, your right noble son,
Lead our first battle. Worthy Macduff and we
Shall take upon's what else remains to do,
According to our order.

And Macduff goes to England (you see him there in the famous Act IV England scene) to find Malcolm and agree a battle strategy to go forward and "shake" Macbeth's rule. It's a meeting to try and form an alliance to bring Macbeth down and get him off the throne.

Dev cover a distance of 15 km, partly by foot at 6km/h & partly by cycle at 18km/h. If he takes 1h 10min to finish, find how far he walks?

Start off by picking some variables.  I walk for "x" km.  I cycle for "y" km.  So, x+y=15.  It's a start.

Now, I start playing with the speeds and time.

x km at 6km/hour.  If I multiply that, I get km squared over hours. That doesn't help. But if I travel 6 km per hour, that also means in one hour I travel 6 km. I can switch the fraction.  That's important.  If I multiply x km times 1hr/6km, I get that I travel x/6 hours by walking.

So, I travel x/6 hours walking and y/18 hours cycling.  I do have a time reference.  I traveled a total of one hour and ten minutes.  But I want to have everything in only hours.  So, I traveled 1 and 10/60th of an hour.  So, I can use the improper fraction 1 1/6 or 7/6.

x/6 + y/18 = 7/6    solving that out....

3x/18 + y/18 = 21/18

3x + y = 21

y = 21 - 3x

This seems useless until we look at the first equation we wrote... x+y=15

Every time you see "y," put in what you know y is... 21 - 3x

x + (21-3x) = 15  Solving, you get x = 3

So, what the heck is x?  Right up front, we said that I walk for "x" km.  So, if x = 3, I walk for 3 km.

The hard part to remember is to flip those km/hr fractions so that the "km" measurements cancel each other out.

What are the symbolic meanings of the color yellow in "The Yellow Wallpaper"?

The color yellow can be used to symbolize many things depending on the context of the story. In the case of "The Yellow Wallpaper", you have to consider the treatment of the main character. She is treated as weak and sickly, which yellow is often used to symbolize. For instance, a sickly baby who is jaundiced is yellow and a cowardly person is often labeled as yellow. In this case, the protagonist is seen by both her husband and sister-in-law as weak, both mentally and physically. Thus, the choice of yellow is an appropriate symbol for the wallpaper that becomes her obsession. The wallpaper also has other characteristics that seem to represent the main character. It contains "pointless patterns" and "lame uncertain curves". These descriptions also point to a weak woman. Then the pattern takes off into "outrageous angles" and seems to destroy itself " in unheard of contradictions." Once again, the wallpaper mirrors the behavior of the woman, who is slowly going insane because she is not allowed to make any of her own decisions. As "Elaine R. Hedges wrote in the afterword to the 1973 edition of the story that "the paper symbolizes [the narrator's] situation as seen by the men who control her and hence her situation as seen by herself. How can she define herself?"

Who is the protagonist and the antagonist in "The Necklace"?

First of all, do you know what the terms in the question mean? The protagonist is the character the story is centered around, or the main character. In longer stories or novels, there may even be more than one. I like to look at the protagonist as the one who changes or is changed by the events in the story. The antagonist is the person or force that stands in the way of what the protagonist wants or tries to do. Sometimes, the antagonist is the same person as the protagonist, or a part of that person.

In "The Necklace," no-one is working against Madeleine, per se, but her own dissatisfaction with her place in life (or her envy) gets in the way of her happiness. You could say that she is both.

In "A Rose For Emily," why is it implied that Homer Barron is gay?Is it because Faulkner is seeking revenge on a real-life Homer Barron? It was...

That may be.  HOWEVER, let's not look at the story through the lens of the modern world.  The story takes place in the South in the 1930s.  Open homosexuality in the context of the story's setting would probably not be encouraged, to say the least.  The text reads exactly as follows: "When she had first begun to be seen with Homer Barron, we said, 'She will marry him.'  Then we said, 'She will persuade him yet,' because Homer had remarked--he liked men, and it was known that he drank with the younger men in the Elks' Club--that he was not a marrying man."  That doesn't automatically mean he is gay. Let's take the text at face value.  Perhaps he just prefers the company of men.  There are plenty of men who choose to not marry or have families.  That doesn't mean they are gay.  They date and have relationships, but fail to commit.  Now, if we put a contemporary spin on Faulkner's words, then a man who likes to hang out and drink with younger men and specifically states that he likes men, well that is hard to ignore.  Perhaps he is bisexual.  This brings up the classic example of how important it is to work with the text and only the text.  Faulkner may have written these lines without giving any thought to Barron's sexuality.  He may have wanted to just establish that there would be no way that Homer Barron was going to marry Emily Grierson or anyone else for that matter.  In this sense, we must view Barron as a "free spirit" and nothing more.  We have to be careful when discussing what an author "intends."  The text is the ultimate authority, and in this case, there is clearly more than one way to interpret Faulkner's words.  Ultimately, gay, straight, or otherwise, Homer Barron ends up absolutely dead!

In "The Snows of Kilimanjaro," does Harry love his wife, despite his saying that he does not love her?

Harry does not love his wife. He treats her less harshly as he approaches death, but he does not love her. At some point in their marriage, "the woman" became for Harry both the cause and the symbol of his professional failure. He blames her for his own betrayal of his profession. Harry is a writer who sold out, choosing to live the life of the wealthy and the privileged that he despised. The more Harry loathes himself, the more he punishes his wife. He hates her money; he hates her social class. Most of all, he hates himself for abandoning his work and becoming a part of her world.

Harry is aware that he treats his wife with contempt. At one point, he recognizes that "he had been cruel and unjust" earlier. When he realizes he will die, Harry examines the truth about his marriage to "the woman":

He had never quarrelled much with this woman, while with the women that he loved he had quarrelled so much they had finally, always, with the corrosion of the quarrelling, killed what they had together.

Harry and his wife had not lost their love for each other. She loved him, but he had never loved her.

In "Hamlet", what is the main point in his first soliloquy?

In Act I, Scene II, Hamlet is bemoaning the fact that shortly after the death of his father, his mother married his uncle. He begins with the famous line:

"O, that this too too sullied flesh would melt,

Thaw and resolve itself into a dew...( I,ii,131-133)

If you read this carefully, you can see that Hamlet is using a play on words in the second line with the words "a dew". In French, this could be written "adieu", meaning good-bye. In other words, Hamlet that his flesh would bid "adieu" and die. He reinforces this idea in the next line with,

"Or that the Everlasting had not fix'd

His canon 'gainst self-slaughter! O God! God!" ( I,ii,134-135)

In other words, he wishes suicide was not a sin.

After remarking how awful the world seems to him, in line 140, he begins to complain about his mother's marriage to a "satyr" or a sex-crazed goat. He remembers how she used to "hang on" his father and then is furious with her for marrying his uncle "within a month" of his father's death. He then announces the famous line, "Frailty, thy name is woman" and criticizes his mother for her short time in mourning. He claims she only married "to post with such dexterity to incestuous sheet", thus accusing Gertrude of incest. He forecasts the marriage "cannot come to good" but wisely tells himself to "hold [his] tongue." Immediately following his complaint, he learns about the ghost of his father and the plot immediately thickens.

In The Great Gatsby, how was Jimmy Gatz's childhood schedule consistent with the adult Gatsby's behavior?

Perhaps the most amazing fact about the daily schedule Jimmy Gatz' followed during his boyhood in North Dakota is the fact that he kept one. Furthermore, reading the carefully structured division of the hours in Jimmy's young life gave Nick much insight into the man Jimmy Gatz became--Jay Gatsby of West Egg. The enormously wealthy Gatsby seems far removed from the poor farm boy he once was, but in some essential ways, he never changed.

As a boy, Gatsby was completely focused and self-disciplined in the pursuit of his goals. Out of his entire day, for instance, only thirty minutes was set aside for play (baseball and sports). The rest of his day consisted of work and self-improvement activities, such as "Study needed inventions." Even as a boy, he was determined to succeed and wasted no time in the effort.

As an adult, that focus, concentration, and self-discipline remained an integral part of his character. Once he loved and lost Daisy, getting her back into his life and recreating their past became his one --and only--goal, the entire focus of his life. And so Gatsby worked to make money, not for the wealth itself but because wealth became his means to the end--Daisy. His work consisted of criminal activities (the fastest route to money), but work he did. Gatsby did not drink, and he still did not play. He still wasted no time. He didn't attend his own parties. Staging his elaborate parties was merely another way of working toward his objective, to lure Daisy to his home some evening. The fabulous West Egg figure of mystery and glamour was still the North Dakota farm boy; he just had more money.

plz tell me the entries that are made in a Trading Account.plz tell me the maximum possible entries

Trading Account means an account which prepare for calculation of gross profit of the business by its trading activities.

so firstly you classify the entries in direct and indirect natute.

Those accounts which are in the nature of Nominal Account Firstly classify them.

Than choose those nominal account which are in Direct nature means directly related to Business trading activities like purchase of goods, sales of goods, wages paid for purchase of goods, purchase returns, sales returns, Opening stock of goods, closing stock of goods, Any other Direct exp. which are directly related to business and any othe direct income of business which are related directly to business.

Trading account has two part left side and right side

left side is called Debit side or expenses side.

Right side is called credit side or receipt side.

opening stock and Any direct exp. is shown in left side or debit side or expenses side.

any direct receipt of business and closing stock of that period is shown in credit side of the trading A/c.

list of enteries that is made in trading A/c

debit side

1. opening stock


2. Purchase less puchase return


3. freight


4. wages


5. fuel & power


6. excise duty


7. factory rent


8. heating & lighting


9. Factory rent & insurance


10. work manager salary

Credit side

1. Sales less sales return


2. clsoing stock

important items of trading account

1 stock  stocks refers to the goods lying unsold on a particular date. It can be of two types:
(a) opening stock and (b) clsoing stock
(a) opening stock: refers to the value of goods lying unsold at the beginning of the accounting year. it is shown on the debit side of the trading account. in the first year of business there is no opening stock.
(b) clsoing stock: It is the value of goods lying unsold at the end of the accounting year. It is valued at the cost price or market price whichever is less. It is shown on the credit side of the trading Account.

Purchases: purchases mean total items purchased for resale during the year. It can be both in cash and on crdit. purchases are shown on the debit side of the trading account. these are always shown as net purchases i.e. amount of purchases returned ( Purchases return or return outwards) is deducted from the total amount of purchses made. goods received on consignment basis are never treated as purchases. similarly, goods received on 'sale or return' basis ar never treated as purchase.

Sales: sales refer to the total revenue from sale of goods of the business enterprises for which the trading account is being prepared. it includes both cash sales and credit sales. these are recorded on the credit side of the trading account. sales are shown at their net value i.e. sales return or return inward si deducted from the total sales. cash sales plus credit sales minus sales return constitute net sales. Goods sent on 'sale or approval' are not part of sale until approval is received.

Gross profit / Gross loss

it is the excess of net sales revenue over cost of goods sold. Gross profit is equal to net sales minus cost of goods sold. If total of the credit side exceeds the total of debit side the excess amount is termed

as ‘gross profit’ and is shownon the debit side of Trading Account. On the other hand if debit side is more

than the credit side, the difference in amount is called gross loss and is shown on the credit side of the Trading Account.

Gross profit = Net sales – Cost of goods sold

Gross loss = Cost of goods sold – Net sales

Chapter 6 question from "Animal Farm":The discovery of pig footprints leading away from the windmill into the hedge is given as proof that Snowball...

There are several logical flaws in the argument. The argument is that there were pig footprints leading from the windmill. Snowball is a pig. Therefore the footprints belong to Snowball. However, this is a hasty generalization because there is more than one pig on the farm. The footprints could belong to Napoleon, Squealer or any one of the other pigs. The other assumption is that the footprints were left by the one who sabotaged the windmill. This is an example of post hoc, or attributing false causes to an event. It is also an example of jumping to conclusions before there is an adequate amount of evidence and non sequitur because just because there were pig footprints left at the windmill, it does not follow that the prints were left specifically by Snowball or the saboteur.

What is the moral, theme or lesson that is being taught in "Once Upon a Time"?

The central theme brought out through this short story is the idea that human fear represents the greatest obstacle to human happiness.  The family "loves each other very much," as indicated in the opening details.  This love for one another creates a perpetual and increasing fear of the disruption in the outside world.  The family's fear of crime, urban unrest, and overall freight of "the other," compels them to increasingly insulate themselves without an examination of these feelings.  Each time someone in the story suggests a protective measure, the family does not hesitate to acquiesce with their general refrain "Let's take heed of their advice."  The family seeks to keep the outside world and its threats at bay, but in the process, they actually end up bringing greater harm within their protected world of wealth and privilege.  Their desire to protect themselves driven by the fear of what lies outside their electronically controlled gates, actually sows the seed of their own destruction, as the boy climbs the wall at the end and is repeateadly pierced by the glass shards that lie at the top of the wall.  The penultimate measure of protection ends up becoming the undoing of the family.  Each step towards the accomplishment of an impossible ideal is a step toward their own personal destruction.  I think it's important to not try to ascribe morals to a writer who is as complex as Nadine Gordimer.  The opening of the story indicates that she is not going to be fit into some arbitrary box of what a writer "should be."  Rather, in telling the story of this family, Gordimer raises a serious theme of the results of acting out of irrational fear and not examining one's values in a thorough and lucid manner.  The family consistently believes that the outside world is the monster, yet through their fear, the monster actually walks amongst them.  In the desire to eradicate insecurity, disastrous consequences result.  It seems that Gordimer is suggesting that in the modern setting, fear and insecurity is constant companions.  Rather than seeking to eliminate them, one might be better off in attempting to simply understand their presence and their function.

What is the meaning of the word "vanity," and how is it used?

The primary meaning of vanity is being exceedingly conceited or arrogant about one's abilities, looks, intelligence, etc.  Sample sentences include the following:

1.  His vanity about his appearance made him spend 2 hours each morning primping and pruning his hair and clothes.

2. Angeline told Frank, "I am the smartest person you know, the smartest person you will ever know. You are worthless without me." When Frank heard Angeline's words, he knew her vanity was a trait with which he no longer wanted to deal, and he told her, "You might believe that you are the smartest person I know and will ever know, but I know something important. You, my dear Angelline, are the most vain person I know, and your vanity will be your downfall."

3.  Some people might say that the magazine, Vanity, showcases the various vanities of people -- their obsessions over beauty, appearance, clothing, having the best job, making the most money, knowing the "right people" -- but others might argue that Vanity allows people to seek to improve these qualities in themselves rather than to become overly arrogant about them.

Vanity also means

In "Hamlet" why does Hamlet delay killing Claudius? What are his thoughts on revenge?

One reason that Hamlet delays killing Claudius is that he wants to make sure that Claudius actually killed his father.  He doesn't want to take the word of a ghost; he wants actual proof, because the ghost could be a "goblin damn'd" bringing "blasts from hell" who has "intents wicked" (I.iv.40-42).  He doesn't want to go and commit murder based on a ghost's word.  So, he seeks proof.  To do this, he puts on "an antic disposition" (I.v.172), or the visage of madness and silliness in order to go about investigating the murder without arousing suspicion.

So, he sets up the play, and based on his uncle's reaction to it, he is pretty sure that Claudius is guilty. But he still doesn't act; armed with a confirmation of his uncle's guilt, he comes across his uncle praying.  But, he doesn't do it.  His reason?  He needs to kill Claudius while his is "drunk asleep, or in his rage, or in the incestuous pleasure of his bed", not while he is praying, so that he can make sure "his soul may be as damn'd and black as hell, whereto it goes" (III.iii.89-95).  It's a rather lame excuse if you ask me; in reality, I just don't think he's ready yet.

Readiness finally comes with the insidious Rosencrantz and Guildenstern plot; something about this conspiracy is a catalyst that prompts Hamlet to action-finally.  But before this, he ho-hums his way through the play, armed with excuses and procrastination.

What connection does Scout make that causes her to cry in "To Kill a Mockingbird"?Chapter 16

Scout makes a connection between the events that had happened the night before at the jail, and the time when Atticus shot a rabid dog which had threatened the neighborhood.  As she is drifting into sleep, "the memory of Atticus calmly folding his newspaper and pushing back his hat became Atticus standing in the middle of an empty waiting street, pushing up his glasses".  The connection brings to Scout "the full meaning of the night's events", and she begins crying (Ch.17).

Atticus had been sitting at the jail to protect Tom Robinson from those who might take the law into their own hands.  When the children sneak out to make sure he is all right, they see that mob has indeed arrived to confront him.  Since Atticus has carefully downplayed the danger of the situation to the children, Scout, with her childishly limited understanding, at first thinks that the mob is made up of friends and neighbors she knows, and is startled to discover "that these men (are) strangers".  She recognizes only one member of the group, Mr. Cunningham, and although she is able to unwittingly defuse the situation by talking to him and reminding him about the ties they have to each other and the community, the danger that the Finches faced was real, and deadly beyond her understanding (Ch.16).  She has known fear and danger like that only once before, and understands the gravity of what has happened only when she remembers Atticus standing alone on "a deserted, waiting street" to face a mad dog with only a small caliber rifle (Ch.10).

What is the Plowman's tale in "The Canterbury Tales"?

The Canterbury Tales are stories told by a group of medieval pilgrims from London Medieval England, whom can be best described as many different characters such as a monk and a pardoner, travelling alongside a sailor, miller, carpenter, and a knight, among others. When the group stops for the night, the host of the pilgrimage proposes that they all tell stories to each other along the way. The pilgrims agree to tell four stories each, two on the way to Canterbury ( to where they are going to Canterbury to pay their respects to the tomb of Saint Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral).

As the Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories, some tales borrowed portions of previous stories from earlier stories, as well as from the general state of the literary world. The Plowman comes to scene when The Canterbury Tales introduces a Plowman who never receives a tale. This omission seems to have sparked the creativity of others from an early date.

Canterbury tale. Author: Geoffrey ChaucerI guess you can now figure "what is the plowman's tale in Canterbury tale?"

How do you find the value of x in a pair of similar polygons?

To prove similarity, corresponding angles must be the same, and also the ratio of the corresponding sides must be proportional, meaning a/b and c/d must get the same value.

So, if x is an angle, you will get information like 2 known angle values and one unknown angle value, or all three known angle values.  angle a= angle b

If x is an length, you will get three sides of any polygon being proportionate to the corresponding sides of another similar polygon or only two pairs of corresponding sides  a/b=c/d

In The Outsiders, how do Johnny and Ponyboy disguise themselves?

In "The Outsiders," by S.E. Hinton, the characters of Ponyboy and Johnny were involved in an attack by the Socs.  Johnny stabbed and killed Bob in order to save Ponyboy's life.  They ran to Jay Mountain and hid in an old church.  To disguise themselves they cut and washed their hair.  Ponyboy dyed his blond.  Johnny says he would dye his also but it was so dark the dye wouldn't take.  They tried to hide out and changed as much as they could.  They lost weight because of lack of meals and with the short hair and Ponyboy's dye job they were disguised. 

In The Crucible, what does Hale want Tituba to confess and how does he achieve this?

In Act one, Rev. Hale wants Tituba to confess to witchcraft and then requires her to confess that she has seen other women of the village working with the devil.  He does this after Abigail tells him that it was Tituba who forced her and the other girls to attempt to conjure spirits in the forest the night before.  Clearly, Tituba is not a witch but after he questions her over and over again, she has no choice but to eventually confess for fear of her life.  After this occurs, the other girls decide that if they expect to be free from the witchcraft persecutons, they must name as many names as they can of people that they claim to have seen working with the devil; so at the end of Act 1, the girls star shouting out the names of people who they are accusing of withccraft.

What are some examples of satire and social criticism in the book "Slaughterhouse Five"?

There are many examples of satire and social criticism in Slaughterhouse Five. The first, and most obvious, topic that Vonnegut satirizes is war. While Billy is trying to come to grips with his war experiences, Vonnegut makes the statements that soldiers are merely babies when they go to war, that soldiers are ill-equipped to handle war (like Billy Pilgrim) and even if they are equipped, it doesn't help (Roland Weary). Sending these boys off to war is like sending them to the slaughterhouse--to certain death. And if these men do survive, they are significantly altered (like Billy).

Vonnegut also comments on the advancement of technology in warfare--the Tralfamadorians blow up the world experimenting with new fuels. Rumfoord receives a message indicating that we can now completely and totally eradicate the Japanese much more quickly than we used to be able to.

Vonnegut does his best to make war seem unglamorous by describing the conditions in the box car and at the war camps. The men become so passive, just allowing things to happen to them rather than being the gung-ho war heroes portrayed in most movies and books.

Vonnegut also makes commentary on religion, materialism, revenge (Paul Lazzaro) and death.

What is your opinion of Benjamin in Chapter 9 of Animal Farm?

Benjamin shows quick thinking but his warning about Boxer comes too late. When Boxer's lung collapses, Squealer lies to the animals and tells them that Boxer will be treated in a hospital in Wilmington. However, when the horse cart arrives to take Boxer to the "hospital", Benjamin, who can read as well as the pigs, notices the side of the cart says “Alfred Simmonds, Horse Slaughterer and Glue Boiler, Willingdon, Dealer in Hides and Bone-Meal. Kennels Supplied. This means that Boxer is really being taken to the knacker where he will be slaughtered and made into dog food and glue. Benjamin figures this out and immediately tells Clover. They try to save Boxer, but they are too late. Squealer lies and says the cart used to belong to the knacker and the hospital just didn't have time to paint over the old name. Squealer says Boxer died happily but after the funeral, a van delivers another crate of whiskey. The reader can infer that Benjamin's skepticism is correct and that the pigs really did sell Boxer to the knacker.

What are two examples of themes that appear in Act 1 of "The Crucible"? Specifically human cruelty in the name of righteousness, individuality vs...

Human cruelty/righteousness 

Tituba being whipped by Reverend Parris, in order to get to the truth about what was going on in the woods.

Tituba confesses to witchcraft, naming the names of innocent people because Parris and Hale demand it.

Individuality/community

John Proctor is acting in an individual way when he chooses to not attend church because he does not like Parris.  The community demands that all members attend church without question.

The community rises up in an act of hysteria against those who are accused of witchcraft.  As individuals they are powerless against the community.

Justice/Retribution 

Thomas Putnam seeks retribution against Nurse because she did not vote for his candidate for Pastor.

Mrs. Putnam seeks retribution for the death of her 7 infants, she claims it is justice, but it is revenge.

Ignorance/wisdom

The causes of things that the Puritans did not understand were blamed on witchcraft.

Betty's illness, which is faked, Parris is too ignorant to see it. Rebecca Nurse is smarter she knows the girl is faking.

Proctor has a singular wisdom regarding the whole witchcraft hysteria, he thinks that people will see the truth, but ignorance and fear win out.

Order/individual freedom

In an effort to restore order to the town hundreds are arrested and accused of witchcraft to protect the village.  Individual freedom has no value, people are simply thrown in jail.

In the story "Of Mice and Men", Lennie tells Crooks about the land. What is his reply at first?

At first Crooks doesn't think much about the dream Lennie and George have. He's very cynical and doesn't believe it can come true. But after talking with Candy and discovering that there's a possibility that the Candy, George and Lennie may have enough money to but a farm, Crooks offers to come and work for nothing.

The volume of water in a cell governed mainly by the amount of ____ in the cytoplasm. is it protein, NA+, or K+ ?

Potassium (K+) and sodium (Na+), both ions of positive charge, or cations, both regulate the amount of water moving in and out of cells.  Water moves across the cell membrane in either direction, entering or leaving the cell; which direction it goes is contingent upon the relative concentrations of these two ions.  Sodium is an extracellular (outside the cell) cation, whereas potassium is an intracellular (inside the cell) cation.

What was the Mesopotamian view of the afterlife?

There are many examples of the Mesopotamians and Greeks view of the afterlife. Around 2000 B.C.E., ancient Mesopotamians faced hardships in their daily lives, and the afterlife they envisioned mirrored these hardships. In "The Epic of Gilgamesh," we see a good example of these views.  Their philosophy is also laid out in graphic details in Homer’s “The Odyssey.”  The Mesopotamians and the Greeks held a view of the afterlife that was unenviable. Although Enkidu's vision was much more dark and anguished, Homer did not see the afterlife as a place to be desired either. To the contrary, the Romans' view of life after death can be seen as Heavenly and serene, a place that all desired to be as soon as was possible, rather than be trapped in the earthly prison that is the physical body.

Why do you think it’s important to Beowulf and to his image as an epic hero that he meet Grendel without a weapon?

An epic hero is supposed to be greater than all other men, descended from the gods.  If Beowulf is so, than he must prove that he is strong enough to take on a supernatural being on his own strength.  To use a weapon would be to admit that he needs help - and admitting that is a struggle for him throughout the story.  This is why, in Beowulf's last battle, he must finally accept the help of Wiglaf.  This shows that he has grown as a person, exchanging his own hubris for the good of his people.  This underscores Beowulf's wisdom, which works to make him more of a hero.

Of course, Beowulf has also basically been dared by Unferth to prove his own abilities:

I anticipate worse luck for your adventure—though you've braved the blows of battle in grim struggle—if you wait through the night of Grendel's approach!”

Beowulf stands up to this comment be retelling his stories of previous conquests - and so he must follow through with what he says he did before, in order to be believed and respected:

“I say in truth that I have proved more might in the sea than any other man, and more endurance in the ocean. ...A fierce creature held me firm and pulled me to the bottom with the strongest grip. Nevertheless, it was granted to me that I pierce the monster with my sword point; by my hand and battle-blade was the giant sea-beast conquered."

What is an office automation system?

Office automation refers to the process of taking office tasks normally performed by human staff and creating mechanical processes to complete them. Many different forms of office tasks may be automated.

In terms of telephone technology, automated answering and switching systems replace human receptionists and switchboard operators. Such systems can allow callers to look up extensions in a company directory, route incoming calls, and store, retrieve and forward voice messages.

Photocopying machines and scanners automate much of the process of storing and replicating paperwork. Increasingly, computerized systems automate maintaining document archives by scanning and storing documents in electronic form.

Perhaps the best known type of office automation device is the computer, which automates many traditional office tasks. For example, email automates what used to be the process of composing and circulating memos and correspondence. Software automates many standard accounting procedures including payables and receivables, purchasing, estimating, and project management.

Why is Romeo so sad?

Romeo's emotions are a rollercoaster through the play: when we first hear of him in Act 1 scene 1 he is love-sick over Rosaline and "Many a morning hath he there been seen / With tears augmenting the fresh morning's dew" and is sick because he is "Out of her favour where I am in love". He speaks almost entirely in this scene in rhyming couplets which may be being used by Shakespeare to either ennoble his feelings or, in my opinion more likely, to alert the reader to their artificiality.

In contrast, when he first sees Juliet in Act 1 scene 5, he and Juliet share a sonnet which Shakespeare most certainly uses to indicate a genuine and true connection.

Thereafter, Romeo is emboldened by his love for Juliet, allowing him to enter the Capulet garden, to belittle the dangers there which Juliet is painfully aware of.

After Act 3 scene 1 where Romeo kills Tybalt, true all-consuming grief encompasses Romeo as it does with Juliet. Romeo now banished on pain of death, their marriage seems destined never to be consummated and they both contemplate suicide. I think Shakespeare intends us to assume that they are genuinely suicidal, as opposed to traditional courtly protestations.

Finally, after a litany of mistakes, Romeo is convinced that Juliet is dead and is heartbroken, taking poison so as to remain with her in death as he could not in life.

In regards to Angels in America, what is the origin of the four emanations of an angel--fluor, phosphor, lumen, candle?

The four words are all deal with the production of light. I'm not a technician or chemist, so please check my facts for accuracy, but here's a quick explanation:

candle = obvious source of light; also "candlepower" and related terms are used to measure the strength of a lightsource

lumen = a Latin word for "light," giving us "luminous," "illuminate," etc.; it's also a measure of the perceived power of light

phosphor = a type of metal compound that emits a sustained glow when exposed to a certain energy source

fluor = a mineral group, probably also capable of glowing (and thus somehow connected to light production, as in the word "fluorescent lamp")

Who is the longest-serving president in American history?

I thought there was a catch to this question, but the longest serving president in U.S. history was Franklin D. Roosevelt who was elected to four terms as U.S. president. His first term began on March 4, 1933 and lasted until his death on April 12, 1945. That means that he served a total of 12 years, one month and 8 days as president of the United States. Other men have had long careers serving in government before they finally became president, but FDR served the longest as President of the United States.

What figure of speech is in "Macbeth" II.1: "a heavy summons drowsiness lies like lead upon me,/and yet i would not sleep"?

You have two different comparisons at work in this line. First, drowsiness is called a "heavy summons." That figure of speech is a metaphor. The Guide to Literary Terms defines metaphor as:

a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to a person, idea, or object to which it is not literally applicable.

The other comparison also involves drowsiness, which "lies like lead upon me." This kind of comparison is a simile, and The Guide to Literary Terms gives it this definition:

a figure of speech in which two things, essentially different but thought to be alike in one or more respects, are compared using “like,” “as,” “as if,” or “such” for the purpose of explanation, allusion, or ornament.

Visit the links below for more information and examples.

Do you think the Macbeths are finished with their killing? If so, why? If not, whom do you think they might kill next?

I'm guessing your question is supposed to slot into a specific chronological moment in the play; after the Macbeths have murdered Duncan. And the answer then is - well, the sons of the crowned king are the next logical targets: Malcolm and Donalbain, but they run off to England and Ireland respectively.

When Macbeth is on the throne, he immediately thinks of the person who the witches said would prove father to kings: Banquo. And it's Banquo who Macbeth orders to have killed next.

Except that "the Macbeths" don't kill anyone. Don't forget that Lady Macbeth says that she would have killed Duncan, but she didn't:

Had he not resembled
My father as he slept, I had done't.

It's Macbeth who actually does the deed. And when it comes to killing off their next victim, it's Macbeth on his own. When Lady M asks him who he wants to kill, he doesn't tell her:

Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck,
Till thou applaud the deed.

The murders which follow that of Duncan: the grooms, Banquo, Macduff's wife and family... and many nameless others, are all Macbeth acting by himself. One of the crucial points about Duncan's murder is that it also kills the Macbeths' marriage.

What was the John Cheever's attitude towards affluent suburbia in "The Swimmer"?

As expressed in his short story "The Swimmer", John Cheever's attitude towards affluent suburbia is one of scorn.  He believes that their values are shallow and unfulfilling, and their lives are hypocritical.

Cheever targets the habits of excess of the rich as his central theme.  Swimming pools, normally considered a luxury, are so numerous in the community in which the story is set that the central character, Neddy, can make an eight-mile journey home by swimming from one pool to another.  Also, the denizens of Cheever's affluent suburbia enjoy having parties which further emphasize their propensity towards obscene spending habits - multiple parties seem to occur every night, they are all catered, and there is too much to drink.

Cheever indicates that the appearance of extreme wealth and well-being presented in the community is actually a facade.  Neddy, who lives the good life, is in reality in financial trouble, and he, as well as the people around him, have not found happiness throught their riches.  The citizens are petty and disingenuous, unfaithful to their families and judgmental of those not included in their social classes.  Neddy himself is desperately seeking meaning in life and a feeling of accomplishment through his bizarre swim through the neighborhood.  Symbolically, he finally manages to get home, to a house that is dark, locked, and empty.

How do you say it is ok to sightsee in a national park in japanese in hiragana?Umm... i can't really use a translator because they translate it...

Your question reads:

How do you say it is OK to sight-see in a national park in Japanese in hiragana?

If you were asking how to askif it's OK to sight-see in a national park, I'd like to turn your attention to the answer already written above.

If you were actually asking how to state the decision/fact that it is, indeed, OK to sight-see in a national park, you'll need to change it a little bit as follows:

国立公園内で見物しても構いません。

こくりつこうえんないでけんべつしてもかまいません。

I (we) don't mind people sightseeing inside the national park.

(please the first reference)

You could also take the first part of the answer above and simply remove the か to make it into a statement rather than a question.

こくりつこうえんでけんぶつしてもいいです。

In fact, depending on the situation, you could even remove the です as well.

こくりつこうえんでけんぶつしてもいい。

(please see the second entry in the second reference)

In terms of speaking, remember to lower your tone at the end to make it clear that it's a statement. If you raise the tone it might be misconstrued as a question if people didn't hear you clearly.

It really depends on whether it's being said or written for something (like a sign inside a park).

Hope that helps!

In "Tuck Everlasting", what is the proposition the man in the yellow suit gives the Tucks?

The man in the yellow suit proposes that the Tucks show him the spring and help him sell it to wealthy people. He would do things to them in demonstrations to people to show the people that the Tucks are immortal. He essentially wants the Tucks to be "freaks...in a patent-medicine show" as Jesse describes it (Chapter 19). The Tucks find the idea appalling and refuse to help him, so he grabs Winnie and tells them that he will make Winnie drink the water and be his advertisement.

How can I write a description of an oil painting?What elements should I mention?

 It is important to know the date of the work, the era of the work will aid you in researching the piece. Is it oil on canvas or something else, panel, frescoe, etc. Is it representational (something that looks like the object represented) or abstract? There are different painting techniques depending on the era and style. Is the paint thick or smooth and clean like a glaze? Be aware of the play of light, is it dark and shadowy or bright and colorful. The size of the painting is also relevant, some works may cover a whole wall while others are more intimate. words to look up that will be helpful; Fauvism, narrative painting, Impressionism, compositional content, chiaroscuro, vanishing point, provenance.  Also a few artists from different times and styles: Vermeer, Goya,  Matisse, El Greco, De Koonig, Thomas Hart Benton, these  are a few painters of a wide range of  historical times and styles. The museum will have a brief history of the work posted with the picture that will aid you in your research. Youmight also point out the changes in emphasis in images and technique compared to earlier works.

Who is Robert in chapter 7 of "Lord of the Flies?" Can you please give me an answer?"Lord of the Flies"

"Robert is one of the medium-sized boys on the lower end of the biguns' spectrum. In the stripped-down world of the island where the physical assumes more weight, Robert finds his niche guarding Castle Rock. Robert is more comfortable taking orders than giving them. The one time he takes any initiative, pretending to be the pig in a ritual game, he is quickly reduced to a sniveling child. He also serves with Jack and Maurice on the committee that welcomes Ralph's group to Jack's feast."

In chapter 7 Robert is the boy in the middle of the circle of hunters who is being roughed up by the boys.  He becomes scared, especially when Jack puts a knife to his neck and screams "kill the pig, kill the pig!"

What are three elements of romanticism in "Rip Van Winkle"?

1. The story is about individual freedom. At the beginning, Rip wants to be free to converse with his neighbors and spend time fishing and hunting, but his wife is always nagging him to work on their farm. By the end of the story, Rip's wife is dead and Rip is able to enjoy being free of her tyranny.

2. Nature plays an important role in the story. Rip falls asleep in the middle of a clearing in the forest. This event is what frees him from the tyranny of everyday life because when he awakens, many of the things which bound him are either gone or dead.

3. The supernatural also plays a large role in the story. Evidently, it is the men of explorer Henry Hudson who lure Rip into the hollow of the forest. These men have supposedly been dead a long time, and they never speak to Rip. However, they do motion to him to drink from their liquor and that causes him to fall asleep for 20 years. The supernatural plays a large role in many romantic stories and Rip's story would be impossible unless something supernatural occurs to make it possible for him to sleep for 20 years and survive.

Why does William Faulkner title this story "A Rose for Emily”?

There are a couple reasons why the title includes a rose in it.  First of all, two main subjects are apparent in this story: death and love.  The opening scene has Emily after she has passed away.  The rose could be the parting flower used to bury a loved one.  Roses represent death in this aspect. Death occurs 3 times in this story, too.  Her father died, Homer died, and finally Emily died.

Second, the rose is known for romance and love.  Emily never received love from anyone.  Her father never let men near her, and Homer only wanted to move on with his life.  He would never settle down.  So the title could mean that she finally TOOK a rose for herself.  She had to do what she had to do in order to keep "love" in her life.  In doing so, she had to kill her lover.  So death and love are intertwined in this aspect.

From whose point of view is "Eveline" written?

The story is told from Eveline's point of view. However, it isn't a straightforward relating of events; we are inside her head, reading her thoughts. Eveline's story is told by the battle of her conscience, the struggle over whether she can abandon her abusive father for a new life. The story takes shape through her conflicting emotions, fears and desires as well as her impressions of the people around her.

How and why did Rachel's arrival change Lyddie's attidude toward Brigid in Lyddie?

Lyddie loves Rachel and immediately recognizes her little sister's helplessness and vulnerability; she is moved to do everything she can to make life better for her.  Having Rachel with her to care for increases Lyddie's burden, but also expands her capacity for sympathy and compassion.  When the overseer has Lyddie relay the message to Brigid that she will have to speed up or she will be fired, Lyddie is at first annoyed.  Her attitude is that Brigid needs to learn "to bear her own troubles"; Lyddie does not want to be saddled with the responsibility of taking care of her.

When Lyddie delivers the overseer's message to Brigid,

"the girl's eyes (widen) in fear, reminding Lyddie, oh cuss it, of Rachel's silent face as the child sat crouched within herself in the corner of Mrs. Bedlow's kitchen". 

Despite herself, she is moved to help the new girl, telling her gruffly,

"Oh, tarnation...I'll help you...we'll do the five looms together for a few days - just till you get on better, ey?"

Lyddie's recognition of Rachel's need enables to recognize that same need in others.  Even though she is annoyed and frustrated at having to take responsibility for Brigid at the expense of her own work, Lyddie is moved to be kind and help her get by (Chapter 15).

How does Orwell make fun of the animal committees in "Animal Farm"?

This is actually a stab at Trotsky, who instigated several reform projects which didn't turn out very well.

At Animal Farm, some committees prove to be more "successful" than others, but they are not necessary. For example, the purpose of the Egg Production Committee is to assure that the chickens lay eggs, but they do that anyway! The Clean Tails League for the cows is of dubious efficiency, and the Wild Comrades' Re-education Committee is an absolute flop. Putting these untamed animals in a "system" does not change their basic nature.

Have a look at the essay posted below. It explains Orwell's own disenchantment with the socialist system.

In "The Odyssey", what does Penelope wish would happent to her rather than marry the suitor?

At one point in despair, Penelope actually prays to the goddess Diana for death so that she can avoid having to marry one of the suitors. Penelope has waited so long for Odysseus for return, and she has been told numerous times that he is near Ithaca or that he will return soon, yet he has not appeared. The suitors are becoming more and more impatient, especially after they finally figure out the trick she used to fool them by weaving the funeral shroud for Laertes by day and unraveling part of it by night. She believes she has virtually exhausted her options---but, of course, Odysseus does return.

"Donkeys live a long time. None of you has ever seen a dead donkey." What does Benjamin mean by this comment? In 'Animal Farm,' Chapter Three

this sentence is actually a summarising of the whole book. it reflects Orwell's opinion, expressed more obviously in "1984", that things can be changed for the time being, but they will always go back to being bad, in a circle. in other words, the sentence means "if you will live as long as i do you will see how things go back to being bad" (the sentence being an answer to the question "aren't you happy now after the revolution?") this predicament is fulfilled in the end of the book: things have gone back to being bad, but Benjamin is one of the only animals that lived long inoff to witness this. other animals, like boxer, died peacefully, unaware of the inevitable circle and of things going back to being bad.

What does The Ghost of Christmas Past answer when Scrooge asks him what business brought him here?

"Your Welfare!"  The Ghost of Christmas Past responds to Scrooge's question.  When Scrooge infers that a night of unbroken rest would be more conducive to that end, the spirit replies with "Your Reclamation, then.  Take heed!" and leads him out through his window.

What effects has Scrooge past experiences had on the person he become,based on his past should he be excused for his behavior/attitude in the book?

The reader finds out through Scrooge's visits to Christmases past that Scrooge was a very lonely little boy who wasn't shown much love.  He is alone most days at school, although there are certain characters who do show him affection, kindness, and acceptance--the characters he imagines out of Ali Baba and Robinson Crusoe as well as his little sister, Fan, and his former employer, Mr. Fezziwig.  Through these memories, Scrooge realizes that it takes very little money to make others happy--the parties that Fezziwig threw for his employees is the perfect example of this--and we see the icy shell of Scrooge beginning to melt.

The visits to Christmases present and future focus on Tiny Tim and his disease and the death of Scrooge himself, which no one really mourns.  The small and emaciated figure of Tiny Tim touches Scrooge in such a way that he inwardly vows to do something about it...in his change of character and outward show of feeling toward his fellow man--the boy who gets money to buy the biggest turkey, the Christmas dinner for the Cratchit family, and Scrooge's attendance at his nephew's dinner party--ensures that he will be a man whose death is mourned and who will be missed more than just someone whose bed curtains are torn down and whose clothes are collected and sold by the servants of the house.

Scrooge's past is not one to be proud of...if his change is genuine, he deserves a second chance and forgiveness.

What do Scout's reasons for wanting to stop the game foreshadow in Chapter Four?

At the end ofchapter 4 Scout says there were two reasons she wanted to quit playing the "Radley game."  One was because Atticus showed up and caught them.  Jem doesn't think that Atticus knew what they were doing, but in chapter 5 we find out that Atticus did know. 

In chapter 5 Atticus catches them trying to give Boo a note with the fishing pole.  When he delivers his tirade about leaving Boo alone, he mentions the "asinine game he had seen us playing" and they were not to "make fun of anybody on this street or in this town."  That line shut Jem up right away.

The second thing that Scout mentioned in Chapter 4 was the laughing she heard in the Radley house.  Not until the end do we know that Boo had been watching them all of this time and that they provided his daily entertainment.  Boo was amused at Scout rolling up to his porch.  But she doesn't realize this until the last chapter when she's on his porch.

How does Cassius describe the "enterprise of honourable-dangerous consequence" that he and other "noble minded Romans" are to undergo?

You've said it yourself, really. Cassius, particularly as he is trying to persuade Brutus to join him in leading the conspiracy, emphasises the "honourable" before the "dangerous", and tries to paint the whole affair as being a noble, worthy office. Cassius, of course, does not actually describe the murder much beyond the quotes you include. Though when he does, he is at pains to make it seem noble.

Brutus takes up the same theme later in the play, arguing that the conspirators all attack only "the spirit of Caesar / and in the spirit of men there is no blood" - an idealistic, noble thought which is somewhat crushed, when, after murdering Caesar, blood pours out onto the floor.

Brutus has to improvise the hand-washing-in-blood to make the very real blood into another supposedly noble symbol - though, by this stage of the play, there's a definite sense that all of the nobility and idealism has been compromised.

How does Golding use language like metaphors, similes, and sensory details to communicate the tone of Lord of the Flies?

As well as his use of metaphor and simile, Golding's use of epithets for the boys is significant.  Immediately Ralph, the golden-haired leader, delights in a name that the fat boy abhors:  Piggy. Thenceforth, the boy who looks adultlike with his myopia and thinning hair is known by this epithet.  This name is extremely symbolic too, as Piggy, like the sow, in Chapter 11 is slaughtered.  His death signifies the total rejection of adult-like society, reason, and order.  Another boy, the one with the mulberry mark who is immediately lost is not even named, and the indistinguishable twins, are given an elided epithet, Samneric denoting the insignifiance of their individuality.  There are simply manipulated by the older boys, specifically Jack who terrifies them (they "protested out of the heart of civilization"--metaphor) and forces them to join with the hunters.  Then, as Jack degenerates into savagery, Golding uses such epithets for him as "savage" and "the green and black mask" (mask is also a metaphor for the savage nature covering the civilized one).  Even Ralph calls Jack "a beast and a swine and a bloody, bloody thief" and the others "painted fools." (Ch 11)

An interesting metaphor is the description of the water as a "leviathan," (ch 6) hitting the rocks sending a "thunderous plume of spray leaping half-way up the cliff." The rocks and spray as metaphor for a whale come to mind later when Piggy is killed and his head dashes against this rock and water--so powerful--that takes Piggy's life.

Of course, the final simile, uttered in dramatic irony by the rescuing officer, is his surmising that the boys have experienced an adventure "Like the Coral Island," a children's adventure story.

What is the summary for Chapter 1 of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao?

In the section, "The Golden Age" Junot Diaz introduces the hero, Oscar de Leon, to his readers. Oscar is "a Dominican boy raised in a relatively 'normal' Dominican family." Even at the relatively young age of seven he began taking a keen interest in girls. He was a great hit in the parties of the seventies when he would entertain the adults who would force him to be hitched to any other little girl at the party. His mother was proud of his premature display of his manliness.

Once, Oscar even had two girl friends at the same time. They were Maritza Chacon and Olga Polanca his schoolmates. However, this "threesome lasted only a week." Maritza insisted that Oscar choose between herself and Olga. Oscar didn't find it difficult to choose Maritza because she was more beautiful than Olga.  Olga cried her heart out when Oscar broke up with her, but Oscar responded nonchalantly saying, "don't be a baby."

However the Monday after he had dumped Olga he sees Maritza at the bust stop holding the hands of another boy, Nelson Pardo. Maritza refused to smile at him and pretended that she didn't even see him. At first Oscar couldn't believe his eyes but when he heard Maritza tell Nelson that they should get married, he sits down on the curb and begins to cry. He was still crying when he go into the school bus which arrived shortly.

The rejection by Maritza afttected him deeply: "his life shot straight down the tubes."  In two years he became fatter and fatter and consequently avoided any contact with girls because they found him repulsive: "he did not kiss another girl for a long, long time." Olga was similarly afftected and she also became fat and repulsive: "even her breasts, when they finally emerged, were huge and scary."  However, Maritza on the contrary got prettier and prettier, "Maritza blew up into the flyest girl in Paterson, New Jersey."

In "The Scarlet Letter", how does Pearl behave towards Dimmesdale?

Pearl seems to have some intuitive belief that Dimmesdale is her father. Because of that, she assumes that he should publicly acknowledge her. When he refuses, she is not kind to him. For example, in the second scaffold scene which occurs in the middle of the night, Pearl asks Dimmesdale is he will stand on the same scaffold in the middle of the day with her and her mother. What she is asking is for Dimmesdale to publicly acknowledge she is his daughter. Dimmesdale's response is that he will not stand on the scaffold in the middle of the day with her but will eventually acknowledge her "on judgement day", at the end of the world. That's a long time to wait for a little girl. When Hester and Dimmesdale meet in the forest, Pearl keeps asking why the minister keeps holding his hand over his heart. Then, after Pearl plays in the brook, Hester and Dimmesdale return from the forest. Dimmesdale tries to kiss Pearl and she washes his kiss off in the brook. The only time she seems to treat Dimmesdale with respect is when he is dying on the scaffold after finally admitting her is father. That action seems to quiet the longing she has for acknowledgment and the rest of her life seems rather happy.

In "To Kill a Mockingbird", how does Jem realize that Atticus is a hero to him when he shoots the dog?need some quotes or e.g. to prove that jem...

Like a scene from "High Noon," the street is deserted as the children, Calpurnia, Mr. Tate, and Atticus Finch wait for the mad dog to come along:  "Nothing is more deadly than a deserted, waiting street" remarks Scout.  As the dog staggers into sight, Mr. Tate confirms it is mad.  The sherriff, who has been holding a rifle, hands it to Atticus: "Take him, Mr. Finch."   Atticus refuses, telling Tate not to waste time.  Mr. Tate retorts,"For God's sake, Mr. Finch, ...I can't shoot that well and you know it!"

Atticus, who will not teach his boy to shoot, and who has not fired a rifle in thirty years, takes off his glasses, aims, and shoots the dog cleanly.  Speechless, Jem sits in "numb confusion."  Finally, impressed by his father's skill, he says how his father relaxed and "it looked like that gun was a part of him...an' he did it so quick...I hafta aim for ten minutes 'fore I can hit somethin'." Contrary to what he and Scout have  thought, their father can do something! (Previously, they had criticized him.)

When Scout says that Atticus should be proud of his abilitiy, Miss Maudie replies, "People in their right minds never take pride in their talents."  To this remark Jem gives much thought.  Then, he tells Scout not to say a word at school about what happened.  At this point Jem proudly realizes the integrity of his father:  "I wouldn't care if he couldn't do a blessed thing."

In "The Stranger", what is ironic about Mersault's relationship with the chaplain and what is Mersault's view of the afterlife?

Mersault says he is more certain about his own beliefs that the chaplain is about his. He dismisses the chaplains concern about him because at least he knew the truth and he also knew he was going to die. Camus says, “none of [the priest’s] certainties was worth one strand of a woman’s hair. Living as he did, like a corpse, he couldn’t even be sure of being alive. It might look as if my hands were empty. Actually, I was sure of myself, sure about everything, far surer than he; sure of my present life and of the death that was coming. That, no doubt, was all I had.” So Meursalt understands that he was convicted, not so much because he killed a man, but because he didn't show any remorse at his mother's funeral. And, like Christ whom the priest worships, he dies because no one else understands him. Yet he is not willing to accept the priest's beliefs about anything, including the afterlife.

The Kite Runner is primarily about the power of the fathers over sons--their love, their sacrifices and their lies. Discuss.

This is so true, especially in the case of Baba, and to a lesser degree with Ali and Hassan. Baba has a great deal of trouble expressing his love to Amir, in part because of the blame he places upon his son for the death of Amir's mother during childbirth. His love for his son grows as Amir becomes an adult in California, and he is willing to give more of himself as his illness takes its toll. Baba works long hours at a lowly job to make ends meet for him and his son, and the two of them seem to bond on their flea market weekends. Baba's past lies, however, come to haunt Amir, and cause him to question his father's sincerity and intentions.

Ali keeps the knowledge of the true paternity from Hassan, yet his love for his "son" is unquestioned. He accepts the child as his own and continues his humble position until his own pride forces him to leave Baba's house following the theft accusations against Hassan.

How does Mark Twain portray small-town life in "The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn"?

Mark Twain's portrayal of small-town life is especially accurate for this time period. As he leads us to conclude that the lifestyle of this era and place was rustic, charming, and close-knit. When something happens,the whole community knows about it, for instance. In addition, some characters (especially female characters), have a tendency to diagnose and critique all of the town's happenings at various points throughout the novel. Some would call it gossip, but most of their facts are pretty straight.

Twain shows us that the politics and beliefs of the setting were primarily conservative, as any "rippling of the water" is frowned upon. Beyond the big issue of Jim's slavery, the lifestyle that is portrayed is one of laid-back southern leisure, where people take care of their families, friends, and neighbors, go to church on Sundays, and live a hard-working but satisfying life.

In "The Scarlet Letter," does Hester stand during the procession and during Dimmesdale's sermon in the church?

In Chapter XXII of "The Scarlet Letter" as the Rev. Dimmesdale begins his "discourse," Hester, feeling an irresistible pull, remains close, taking her position close beside the scaffold of the pillory because the crowd will not permit her entering the church.  She is close enough that she hears the ministers voice in a "varied murmur and flow" (this reminds the reader of the melancholic brook in Chapter XVI).  Hester listens so intently that the sermon has a meaning for her that transcends the words. She hears Dimmesdale's "plaintiveness" and expressions of anguish, of "suffering humanity."  Hester, standing statue-like at the foot of the scaffold, senses Dimmesdale's heart telling its secret as well as feeling a magnetic pull to the place of her initial ignominy.  Pearl, full of nervous energy, plays around the marketplace.  But, Hester, feels now that her life, before and after this moment, is connected with the spot where she stands.

Why does Beowulf ask Wiglaf to build him a tomb and call it Beowulf's tower?

Beowulf wants the tall tower built at the edge of the water so that sailors can see it from a distance and remember his name. Thus Beowulf wishes to be remembered after his death. Also, as a man of the sea, he identifies with those who will come in their own journeys over the sea after his death. He wants the tower built so that "boats in the darkness / And mist, crossing the sea, will know it."

As recounted in "The Burning of Beowulf's Body," Beowulf's request is honored. The Geats build the tower "strong and tall," working on it for "ten long days." After Beowulf's monument is completed, the Geats seal his ashes within its walls and also bury the treasures won by Beowulf and Wiglaf. Once Beowulf's burial is complete, "twelve of the bravest Geats / Rode their horses around the tower, / Telling their sorrow . . . ."

What are the ironies between the characters in "The Kite Runner?"

The ironies found in the relationship between Amir and Hassan are numerous and frequently very poignant.

Hassan, small and somewhat frail, risks his own safety to save Amir from bullies. His is an act of love and courage. Subsequently, however, Amir makes no attempt to save Hassan from the same young thugs and wordlessly allows the sexual assault of his friend.

Shamed by his own cowardice, Amir cannot bear to be in Hassan's presence. Hassan is a living reminder to Amir of what he perceives to be his own worthlessness. This situation leads to another irony. Amir selfishly plants some of his birthday gifts in Hassan's room, and then deceives his father by naming Hassan as the thief. Hassan leaves the household, losing the only home he has ever really known. Ironically, however, Hassan never stops loving his friend Amir, even though he knows Amir has betrayed him.

Hassan is the catalyst for Amir's spiritual downfall. Ironically, he is also the catalyst for Amir's spiritual redemption. Years later, Amir returns to Afghanistan, risks his life, and suffers great physical injury to save Sorab, Hassan's orphaned son. His courage and his growing love for Sorab allow him to atone for his earlier cowardice and betrayals of Hassan.

Perhaps the greatest irony is this. As children, Amir and Hassan defied their culture's class structure to bond as brothers, not knowing they are brothers--both sons of Baba.

In "To Kill a Mockingbird", why does Lee select a Cunningham to be a juror who cast the not-guilty vote?

Cunningham recognizes in Tom Robinson his own disenfranchised status in the town.  He can relate to the prejudice against Tom's race, having experienced the same prejudice against his own class.  Scout's recognition of Cunningham in the lynch mob would have reminded him of his connection to the Finches through the kindness to his son, and to himself, in former days.  The novel's shifting contrasts between characters, emphasizing on one hand their differences (as when Cunningham is part of the lynch mob) and their similarities (as when Cunningham is reminded of his lowly status) is a theme borne out by Lee's choice of Cunningham as the one holdout in favor of Tom Robinson's acquittal.  When Cunningham walks in Robinson's shoes, he can fairly judge him.

What evidence can you find that the narrator's state of mind may be deteriorating?

In "The Fall of the House of Usher," Poe builds a mood of gloom and foreboding in his Gothic tale.  The narrator declares,

During the whole of a dull, ark, and soundless day ...when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens, I had been passing alone,...through a singularly dreary tract of country;  and...found myself, as the shades of the evening drew on, within view of the melancholy House of Usher....but, with the first glimpse...a sense of insufferable gloom pervaded my spirit.

After reflecting upon the history of his friend, the narrator looks up at the House of Usher and feels a "superstition" which continues after he enters the mansion. where he feels that he breathes

an atmosphere of sorrow.  An air of stern, deep, and irredeemable  gloom hung over and pervaded all.

Through this story, the narrator absorbs "the depression of soul" that the decaying trees and crumbling building generate.  When he encounters his old school friend, Roderick Usher, the narrator is astonished by the appearance of the man.  His "sickening of the heart" continues to pervade him as he becomes increasingly concerned with the friend's mental state, reflected in the "ghastly pallor" of the man.  And, although the narrator makes great efforts to alleviate the melancholy of Roderick, only one unceasing radiation of gloom" prevails. 

However, as the narrator attends Roderick in his painting, he experiences "intolerable awe" at his work.  But, a "nervousness" comes upon the narrator, "irrepressible tremors" pervade his heart, and he experiences "an intense sentiment of horror, unaccountable yet unendurable."  In his efforts to calm Roderick, the narrator reads to him from the "Mad Trist," but he hears a scream and a grating sound which unnerves and oppresses him.  As Madeline stands "lofty and enshrouded"  at the door, she falls and makes him the victim of the very terrors he has anticipated.  The narrator, too, is terrorized.

In the "mansion of gloom,"

Is the painting of Peter Keating which he showed to Howard Roark in "The Fountainhead" any good?

In part 4 of Rand's "The Fountainhead," Peter's career is in decline. He is desperate for a big project.  He decides he wants to tackle the design for Cortlandt Homes, a project for low-income housing.  He stays up all night and draws sketches of the project.  He realizes he can't do it so he calls Roark.  After Keating and Roark make a deal for Roark to design Cortlandt Homes, and Keating to take the credit for it Peter decides on his way out the door to share the sketches he has drawn with Roark.  He tells Roark as he hands him the sketches of the buildings he has drawn that he had not shown them to anyone else. 

"Peter says, " I just want you to tell me if there's any..."

He handed to Roark six of his canvases.  Roark looked at them, one after another.  He took longer time than he needed.  When he could trust himself to lift his eyes, he shook his head in silent answer to the word Keating had not pronounced.  pgs.599-609

"It's too late, Peter," he said gently.  Keating nodded. "Guess I...knew that.'" (pg, 608)

Roark means it is too late for Peter to try and become a good architech.  He bowed to public opinion so long that Peter just can't design and the sketches of the Cortlandt Homes that Peter drew, and that he is now showing to Roark just are not good.

What is the central conflict in "Beauty"?

The central conflict in Beauty is twofold:

Beauty has to go live with the Beast in order to save her father, and confronts the fear that she will never see her family again and adapt to life with the Beast (which turns out to not be so terrible after all once she falls in love with him) and also

the Beast must confront his own demons and prove his love to Beauty in order to get her to stay. She begins the journey to the castle to save her father, but ultimately also saves the Beast.

In Macbeth, how have the three witches commonly been interpreted?

The three witches in Macbeth have traditionally been interpreted to represent the presence of evil in the play.  They stir up the dark passions in Macbeth enough so that he ends up becoming an instrument of evil, creating chaos in Scotland, disturbing the natural order of things.  Usurping a good and rightful king, damaging the very order of nature with his act of regicide.

The witches represent the supernatural element in the play, they inspire evil in men's souls, control the elements of nature to a degree, and influence men's decisions as is evident in the way that they instruct Macbeth on how he can satisfy his lust for power.  Rising up, as if it had been hiding in the depth of his soul waiting for the right inspiration, Macbeth's lust for power consumes him blocking out reason, logic, ethics and morality.  

The three witches tempt Macbeth with a prophecy that includes him being crowned king, they tantalize without providing details or time lines or any information other than that he will be king.  This leaves Macbeth with a lot of questions, that go unanswered. 

Choosing murder as his method of fulfilling the prophecy, he becomes obsessed with keeping his power, something else that the witches never told him.  His preoccupation with murder is also helped along by the instigation of Lady Macbeth, who sees nothing wrong in murdering the king to obtain power. Macbeth proceeds on a course, which is destined to see him lose his humanity, his sanity and his soul, encouraged and guided by the witches prophecy, of murder and mayhem, crowned king in the absence of the rightful heir, Malcolm.

In Othello, why is Othello considered a "tragic hero"?

Othello fits all of the criteria of a tragic hero that Aristotle outlined in his work, "Poetics" According to Aristotle:

1. The tragic hero has a noble stature and a high position in his culture.

Othello is a general and commander of the Venician armed forces. Later he his governor of Cyprus.

2. The tragic hero, is great, but not perfect. The audience relates to him as a human being.

The lack of self esteem because he is a Moor is a problem for Othello.

3. The hero's downfall is the result of a "fatal flaw" in his character. It is the result of free will, not of an accident or mere fate.

His lack of self esteem allows him to be manipulated by Iago into thinking his wife is having an affair.

4. The hero's misfortune is not wholly deserved. The punishment exceeds the "crime."

He kills his wife and then himself.

5. The hero's fall is not pure loss. The is an increase in awareness, a gain in self-knowledge, or some sort of discovery on the part of the tragic hero.

Before he dies he says, "one that lov'd not wisely but too well". Othello realizes that he was manipulated but it is too late.

Who tells the king and queen that they have been unable to find the cause of Hamlet's madness?

Have I, my lord? Assure you, my good liege,
I hold my duty as I hold my soul,
Both to my God and to my gracious King.
And I do think, or else this brain of mine
Hunts not the trail of policy so sure
As it hath used to do, that I have found
The very cause of Hamlet's lunacy.

Polonius tells the King and Queen that he's actually found the cause of Hamlet's madness, and that the cause is that he's in love with Ophelia. This is tested out by putting Ophelia where Hamlet will meet her, Claudius and Polonius hiding and watching unseen, and watching what happens.

And the conclusion? Here's Claudius, straight afterward:

Love? His affections do not that way tend;
Nor what he spake, though it lack'd form a little,
Was not like madness.

And so Polonius has to accept that love probably isn't the cause. But the two of them resolve to let Polonius watch Hamlet talk to his mother. And - of course - that's when Polonius ends up killed. So he never finds out why Hamlet is mad.

Discuss instances of suspense in Jane Eyre.

The suspense in Jane Eyre is the mystery that surrounds Thornfield. For the duration of her stay, Jane hears a strange laughter coming from the supposedly abandoned wing of the manor. She suspects she is being lied to by the other staff and by Mr. Rochester himself. When Jane concludes that it is Grace Poole who is responsible for the strange laughter as well as the fire that nearly kills Mr. Rochester, there is a great deal of animosity between the women as Jane tries to discover why the strange maid is kept on staff when she is obviously more harm than help. Another great moment of suspense occurs when Jane wakes to find a savage looking woman looming over her. Jane discovers that her wedding veil has been ripped in two and that is suspenseful because it appears that someone in Thornfield is after Jane and against her marriage to Mr. Rochester. Of course, the suspense reaches its climax at Jane and Mr. Rochester's wedding when the mysteries of Thornefield are finally revealed.

In "The Soul has Bandaged moments," what is the metaphor of "With shackles on the plumed feet?"

Crucial to understanding this excellent poem by Emily Dickinson is recognising how it is structured. The poem is divided into three sections, each containing two stanzas, and each section describes a condition of the soul. The first two stanzas suggest constraint, restriction, and a violation of the soul, which seems to be described as if it were almost a kind of rape. The middle two stanzas celebrate the moments when the soul is free from such constraints - the sense of freedom experienced is compared to the feelings of a bee which has been forbidden but finally allowed access to the rose. The last two stanzas describe the moment of recapture, when the soul is again put under restraint and, like an escaped criminal, taken back to meet the "Horror."

Your metaphor comes in the latter section of this poem:

The Soul's retaken moments -

When, Felon led along,

With shackles on the plumed feet,

And staples, in the Song...

This stanza gives us a very visual image to convey the restraint that has been imposed: she is a "Felon led along." The metaphor you have highlighted indicates that the feet which were "plumed", feathered, which emphasises the comparison of the soul as a bird that has just been flying free, are now "shackled," limiting any possibility or hope for freedom.

When can we start new sentences with the coordinating conjunction AND?

Marilynn07, I feel bad for your students. You're punishing them for something that is often used in formal, acedemic, and technical writing. Using "and" at the beginning of a sentence is similar to using, say, "additionally" at the beginning of a sentence. And I don't think you'd have a problem with that.

Also, your sources don't support your post at all.

Why do you think Ray Bradbury would have mentioned Gandhi in "Fahrenheit 451?"

When Montage escapes from the “hounds” he wanders into the woods and meets Granger.  Granger welcomes Montage into the community and introduces him to men and women who have memorized books so they won’t be lost to society.  "'I want you to meet Jonathan Swift [i.e., a person who has memorized his writing]... and this other fellow is Charles Darwin, and this one is Schopenhauer... and Mahatma Gandhi and Gautama Buddha and Confucius and Thomas Love Peacock...' "He mentions authors of all the great classics  of fiction, non-fiction, and philosophy.  Each person in this community has memorized an important book so that even though the book is burned, it won’t be lost.

What is the summary of the Epilogue in "Into The Wild"?

Ten months after receiving the news of their son Chris's death, Billie and Walt McCandless visit the place where he met his end.  At first their plan was to have had Butch Killian drive them in on his all-terrain vehicle, but at the last minute, Killian calls to tell them that the Teklanika River, the same river that Chris had been finally unable to cross, was running "too high...to cross safely".  Billie and Walt arrange to go in by helicopter instead, and were able to cover in "fifteen minutes...the distance it took Chris four days to walk".  Walt is "distracted, irritable, (and) edgy" at the prospect of this return, while Billie feels "calm and centered and has been looking forward to this trip for some time".

When they arrive at the bus, Billie and Walt spend time exploring the area in and around where their son died.  Billie sits on the mattress where Chris's body was found, and thinks "He must have been very brave...at the end, not to do himself in".  Walt, after a time, admits that he is glad they came, and that he is "a little less baffled" about what drove his son to do what he did.  Billie leaves a suitcase stocked with supplies in the bus for anyone who might happen to need it.  Although "the fact that Chris is gone is a sharp hurt (she will) feel every single day", she is glad she came...and finds it "comforting to know Chris was (there)" (Epilogue).

What is the theme of the book "Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl?'

There are several themes in the novel "Anne Frank: The Diary of A Young Girl."  One of the themes is the sacrifice of one human being for another.  The act of hiding people at the risk of your own life and giving of your food, living space, and friendship to spare the lives of people around you.

"An underlying theme of Anne's account is man's inhumanity to man. Simply because of her religious beliefs, Anne is confined and lives in constant fear of death. Eventually, she does die, along with over six million other Jews during World War II."

Yet another theme is what happens to people when they are imprisoned.  How do they change?  What happens to people when they try to live, as the Franks did, for two years in a small area with little food, space, entertainment, and no freedom?

In "Beowulf", how does Grendel's head "travel" to Herot and why?

Grendel's head is brought back to Herot by Beowulf after he kills Grendel's mother.  Though Grendel was not fully dead when Beowulf left him in his lair, he has died in the meantime.  The head is a trophy and proof that Hrothgar'sland is now free from monsters.

Is The Cherry Orchard a tragedy or a comedy? What are the comedic or dramatic elements in the play?

Anton Chekhov conceived of this play, which turned out to be his last, as a comedy,designating it “A Comedy in Four Acts” and even emphasizing to the Moscow Art Theatre that the last act should be “merry and frivolous.”  He suggested that some portions were even farcical.  Nevertheless, most interpretations and theatrical productions have emphasized its tragic aspects. It is understandable why the playwright’s intentions have been largely disregarded; the subject is a serious and depressing one including the family’s loss of their ancestral home and removal from it and other sad developments as well.  The destruction of the orchard also represents the destruction of illusions—sad, to be sure, but perhaps hopeful.

Thus, as the inevitable change in society with the dawning of the 20th Century comes, the play represents this time period and portrays an end of an aristocratic era with both tragic and comic elements.  The play is best characterized as a tragicomedy.

In Fahrenheit 451 why do Millie, Mrs. Phelps and Mrs. Bowles cry when Montag reads a book?

Mildred, Mrs. Phelps, and Mrs. Bowles are products of the society in which they live.  Unlike Montag, they have never experienced real emotions or feelings.  Mildred's emotionless personality is evident in her relationship with her husband, and the reader can assume that Mrs. Phelps and Mrs. Bowles are the same way.  When Montag reads the poem "Dover Beach" to the women, they are introduced to words and feelings that they have never felt before; therefore, they cry because they (if only for a few seconds) begin to feel something when the words are read to them.

In "Winter Dreams," why does Dexter lie about his hometown?

In Fitzgerald's story, Dexter Green is a young man who comes from limited economic circumstances, works hard, and becomes wealthy. He patterns himself after the wealthy people he had observed as boy, in his dress, for instance, as well as in his manners. Dexter tries hard to remake himself in the image of those he considers glamorous, the social "insiders."

Dexter was born in Keeble, described as a "Minnesota village," fifty miles north of Black Bear Village where he grew up. Dexter always claimed Keeble, rather than Black Bear, because it seemed more socially acceptable. Black Bear Village seemed unacceptable to him because it was filled with those who provided services for the wealthy class who inhabited Sherry Island nearby. Dexter observed about Keeble, "Country towns were well enough to come from if they weren't inconveniently in sight and used as footstools by fashionable lakes."

Dexter claims Keeble because he is ashamed to identify himself with Black Bear Village and those who lived there. Dexter remembers that his mother was a Bohemian peasant who had spoken in broken English all her life. His father owned the second-best grocery store. Dexter claims Keeble instead of Black Bear Village because he seeks to separate himself from the social class into which he was born.

Why is the novel divided into three parts: mosque, caves and temple? What is the novel describing?

Forster uses the titles of the sections to foreshadow what is to come in each part. Each section focuses on a specific group of people, a specific season, and a certain kind of behavior in each of the three sections.

In "Mosque" the focus is on the Muslim characters. Recall that we meet Aziz and his friends in Chapter II; Aziz meets Mrs. Moore in a mosque. The season is spring, a time of cool weather in India; the behavior will be characterized by relative restraint and sanity.

In "Caves" the British are the major characters. The hot weather of summer is associated with irrationality, nightmares, hallucination, and visions of cosmic disorder.

In "Temple," the final section, the season is autumn, which is rainy in India. The setting focuses on a Hindu festival (the birth of Krishna); rains accompany revival and refreshment, a renewal of the earth and of life itself.