In "Eveline," how is the character Eveline a symbol of Ireland?

Ireland has had many episodes of mass emigrations in order to avoid circumstances like the Potato Famine and English conquest. Eveline's story is one centering on her decision about whether to emigrate or not, in this way, Eveline symbolizes Ireland. Further, because of English conquest and disdain for the conquered Irish, the Irish people have been second-rate citizens in their own homeland. Eveline was a second-rate member of her family and was used for financial support and family chores when, as a young woman of nineteen years old, her family should have considered her future happiness as the primary objective. In this way Eveline also symbolizes Ireland as both are second-rate and those whose duty it was to care about their well-being, didn't care.

Finally, emigration is a form of escape. The Irish people who chose to emigrate to escape unbearable circumstances were nonetheless torn by the resultant abandonment of their duty to their homeland; many more Irish people chose to stay and remain true to what they felt was their responsibility to their duty. Eveline had a similar need to escape unbearable circumstances and a similar compulsion to honor what she was taught was her higher duty. Eveline symbolizes Ireland because of the presence of a feeling of duty.

Joyce may have been posing the idea that just as Eveline's sense of duty was misguided (abuse absolves much of the demand of duty) and based on paralyzing confusion, so was the general Irish sense of duty to a homeland that couldn't care for them. On the other hand, Joyce may have been suggesting that just as Eveline was compelled to obey her sense of duty even though it paralyzed and tormented her, so the Irish people had to obey their sense of duty to Ireland even if such adherence to duty destroyed them.

What are the characteristics of Romanticism in the essays of Charles Lamb?

Many of the works of Charles Lamb are reflective of the literary  Romanticism of his age. He was more interested in content over form; the expression of thought and feeling was paramount in his writing. His work was imaginative, frequently examining with some wonderment those aspects of life that cannot be explained through rational thought or analysis, life's mysteries. Like other Romantics, Lamb was fascinated with the past, with antiquity, and with fantasy.

Why does Ms.Defarge put a rose in her hair in A Tale of Two Cities?

Mrs. Defarge puts the rose in her hat in Book 2 Chapter 16 Still Knitting. The previous day the Defarges learn of a new spy for the nobles. This spy is named John Barsad, he is 5'9", about 40 years old, black haired, thin faced, and overall rather handsome. These traits are told to Mr. Defarge from a member of the Jacques who is also a police officer.

So connecting back to the rose. These traits are used by Mrs. Defarge to easily identify the stranger that enters their wine shop.  Upon his entrance Mrs. Defarge knows he is a spy trying to seek out revolutionaries and have them killed.  The rose is then placed in her hat as a warning sign for the rest of the third estate. It acts as a red flag to signal people to stay away from the area.  

The reason she wants people to stay away is because Barsad is a spy and majority of the third estate are revolutionaries who seek a change.  If the spy heard of any revolutionary talk he would inform the aristocrats and those individuals would be killed. This rose is a warning which acts as a way to save the lives of the third estate. 

Why does Bassanio set his sights on Portia in The Merchant of Venice? What stands in his way? How does he plan to overcome tose barnies?

Bassanio would appear to be a bit of a chancer however 'nice' he might be as a personality. He has already squandered a lot of Antonio's money on some unspecified failed venture and now he's embarking on another very risky enterprise which depends on a lottery. He seems to have no gainful employment and spends his time with other men-about-town doing nothing very productive. His attempt to win Portia seems to be purely financial - he refers to her wealth in his very first mention of her - and designed to improve his own position. However, as with any business venture, he must put out money to gain money and presumably he must put on a good show of wealth to get anywhere near Portia, which is why he borrows so heavily from Antonio. The other two suitors are wealthy aristocrats, so obviously not any Tom, Dick or Harry is allowed to try the casket test. The real mystery for me is why the astute Portia doesn't see what a chancer Bassanio is under the show of wealth. We are told that she has found him attractive in some previous encounter but he seems a rather bland 'catch' for such an intelligent and dominant lady as Portia appears to be.

What does the title of the story "Woman Hollering Creek" mean? Was the Woman Hollering Creek from I 10 by Texas?

Cisneros employs much symbolism in the names she chooses for her characters. Notably, Cleofilas' neighborson either side are widowed women named Dolores and Soledad, which mean "sorrow" and "alone,"respectively. The two women who come to her aid are Graciela, which is a Hispanic version of the nameGrace, and Felice, which means "happiness." Cleofilas's name is clarified by Graciela, who tries to explain it to Felice over the phone: ''One of those Mexican saints, I guess. A martyr or something." This point is underscored by Jean Wyatt who notes that Mexican culture reveres women who suffer, as Cleofilas admiresthe tortured souls on the telenovelas.

The borderlands formed by Woman Hollering Creek are important images in Cisneros's story just as they are in the writing of many of her Chicana colleagues, such as Gloria Anzaldua. For people who live on the edges of cultures and languages different from their own, the concept of borders and borderlands is importantbecause it symbolizes places where life is hard and losses are monumental. Yet they are also places where the fluidity of cultures allows new formulations and transformations to occur. For example, Cleofilas did not imagine the changes that would take place in her life on the banks of Woman Hollering Creek when she was a teenager watching telenovelas in Mexico. Only by moving across the border through marriage, to the edges ofa linguistic community in which she is truly silenced by her inability to speak English, does she find herself in the care and company of two women like Graciela, her doctor, and Felice, her driver to safety.

Only through her contact with these women, who have found the space in the fluidity of the borderlands to recreate themselves outside of their assigned sex roles, can Cleofilas imagine a new life where suffering for love is not the central motive.

Why does Hamlet tell Ophelia to go "to a nunnery" and what does he give as his reason?

When he states "get thee to a nunnery" to Ophelia, he is expressing pent-up anger towards his mother, who he feels has been unfaithful and incestuous when she married his uncle.  At the beginning of the play itself, we see a brooding Hamlet who seems almost more upset by his mother's marriage than by his father's death.  He speaks of it with such bitter disgust:  "She married, O, most wicked speed, to post with such dexterity to incestuous sheets!" (I.ii.156-7) and is so upset with his mother that he pronounces a curse on ALL women, not just her:  "Frailty, thy name is woman!" (I.ii.147).  So, that curse includes Ophelia, and from that point on, he avoids her.  Then, when she confronts him, he lets out a huge rant on all women in general-it is a way to indirectly vent his rage at his mother, since he suspects she is listening.

So, think of a nunnery.  There, women cannot marry at all; they cannot be under the influence of any men, or influence men in any way.  Hamlet feels that is where a woman has a best chance at being faithful, and where she will cause the least amount of damage.  After all, as he tells Ophelia also, "why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners?"; in a nunnery, she won't have children and bear wicked men-like his uncle-that do awful things.  A nunnery will keep her from marrying, but if she were to marry, Hamlet says, "be thou as chaste as ice, as pure as snow...[or] marry a fool" who doesn't know "what monsters you make of them" (III.i.122-146).

I hope that explanation helps a bit!  Good luck!

Compare and contrast the characters of Calphurnia and Portia in Shakespeare's play Julius Caeser.

Calphurnia and Portia are women married to very strong men, during a time when men were stronger than usual.  They must be equally strong, in order to endure the trials and tribulations that come with their husbands' positions.  Calphurnia's husband, Caesar, is on a mission to conquer Rome; while Portia's husband, Brutus, is out to stop him.

Calphurnia's role in the play is fairly small, in terms of lines of text, etc.  However, her role is significant, because she tries to stop her husband's death.  She warns Caesar to stay home from the senate, and if he had listened to her, he would have escaped the plot to murder him.  Instead, he was coerced by the murderers not to listen to his wife, for such a thing might weaken his image.  Calphurnia's dream is foreshadowing, and Caesar's pride causes him to ignore her dream and her warning (and we all know how well that worked out for him).

Now Portia, that's a tough woman.  She is desperate to understand what Brutus goes through, even though he tries to shield her from the truth.  She stabs herself in the leg to prove she's strong enough to handle that truth, and later swallows hot coals to end her own life.  It doesn't get much tougher than that.  Her role is more vocal than Calphurnia's, and she tries to keep her husband out of trouble as well, but neither woman can prevent her husband's demise.

Can you please tell me what this quote means "The bravest of individuals is one who obeys his or her conscience?" Support this quote with three...

The quote is saying that sometimes the hardest thing to do is to listen to your conscience (that inner voice that tells you what is right and wrong) rather than to go along with what everyone else is doing.  People (in books and in life) are frequently tempted to follow the lead of others, which is often not brave at all.  Instead, sometimes a character is more brave when they challenge what others are saying or doing, and act on their own, choosing to do what the believe is right, regardless of the potential consequences.

In tackling this topic, look back over the stories you have read and identify three characters who chose to do what they believed was right, even though there was some risk in doing so.  (The risk might have been to their physical well being, as in Nazi Germany when people who spoke out could be killed, or, it could be emotional, as in a student who speaks out against a bully who is popular an may then lose all of his or her friends.)  Identify what their conscience told them to do, and why doing so was so brave, and then find a quote to support each example. This will become the body of your analysis.

Has Achebe fully been able to write a novel that is appreciative of the female gender?

Excellent question! In Anthills of the Savannah it is clear that by having two main female characters (Beatrice and Elewa), Achebe is focussing on women to an extent that he has not really done in his other novels. And what women they are! In particular Beatrice is the most rounded character in this novel and Achebe goes to some lengths to present her in mythical terms - representing her as Idemili, the goddess who oversees mortality. It is Beatrice who connects with the culture of her land and who grows in wisdom throughout the novel and defies cultural norms at the end by naming Ikem and Elewa (a responsibility that was strictly male) with a boys name, meaning "May the Path never close".

From Beatrice's name, which means "A woman is also something", we can see that Achebe is clearly trying to make a claim for equality through the character of Beatrice. Beatrice is clearly intelligent and well-educated, having a degree from London. She writes fiction and is also attuned to the common people, represented in the character of Elewa.

So, on the whole, we see Achebe giving a very positive representation of women in this novel. However, to criticise this view, I find it interesting that Ikem only enjoys Beatrice's fiction because of its "masculine qualities". This presents a slightly sour note in the representation of women in this novel. Women should not be appreciated for their ability to imitate male gender qualities. However, on the whole, this is a slight niggle that does not take away from the overall positive impression of women. Key to, for me, is the way that Beatrice has not sought power yet has found herself in a position of some responsibility. She cannot understand why others find her ambitious. The exact oposite of Sam and his attitude to power.

What is the tone of A Separate Peace?

A Separate Peace has a dark tone throughout the novel because of the back and forth feelings that Gene has about Finny.  It's a good vs. evil theme which transpires through the carefree innocence that occurs in the summer time and their feelings of freedom--and then takes the reader through the loss of innocence when not only does Finny get hurt, he eventually dies because of surgery complications. 

The tone almost gives off a sense of foreboding (fear of what's to come).  The reader feels for Gene, and is struggling right along with him and his jealousy in the beginning and his guilt throughout the rest of the story.  This is not a happy, light story.  It's intense.

Can someone tell me what happens in Chapter 12 of "In the Time of the Butterflies"? The BIG ideas.

Under house arrest, Minerva tries to settle her nerves and adjust to life back at home.  She and her sisters can only leave the house with permission from Pena, a SIM guard, and regularly go only to church and to visit their incarcerated husbands.  The sisters, as Las Mariposas, have become symbols of the revolution to the Dominican people.  

Minerva, at her husband's request, visits some doctors to find out if any of the old revolutionaries is still active.  She learns that the movement has been scattered and is waiting for the gringos to overthrow Trujillo, and then they will step in again.  The Mirabal sisters receive a warning that Trujillo is annoyed by the favor the "Butterflies" have found with the people.  The husbands fear they will soon be killed in prison, and, mysteriously, Manolo and Leandro are transferred to another prison, which can be reached only by driving through dangerous mountain passes.

Although Dede warns that they are vulnerable to a SIM attack, Minerva, Patria, and Mate go to visit their husbands.  They arrive safely, but a storm is brewing as they leave, and Manolo begs them to stay the night with friends and go home in the morning.  They stop at a restaurant with their driver Rufino, and, unable to get through to the house by phone, decide to travel on home that night (Chapter 12).

What are 2 quotes from the book Of Mice and Men that proves that Candy is lonely?

There are no direct quotes that clearly state that Candy is lonely, rather you have to infer his loneliness from what he says and does. For example when he overhears George telling Lennie about the dream of owning a patch of land, he is eager to jump in and join them in this dream, offering his own money to help them purchase some land:

"Tell you what -" He leanded forward eagerly. "S'pose I went in with you guys. Tha's three hundred an' fifty bucks I'd put in. I ain't much good, but I could cook and tend the chickens and hoe the garden some. How'd that be?"

He is even willing to leave his money to George and Lennie if he dies. We can see here his desperation for companionship and fellowship because of his loneliness.

Likewise we can infer his loneliness by his reluctance to let his dog be shot. He tries again and again to put of Carlson from shooting his dog, and he reveals the friendship he has had with him:

"Well - hell! I had him so long. Had him since he was a pup. I herded sheep with him."

His reluctance to let his dog be killed and the way he keeps on trying to change the subject and put Carlson off clearly indicates how important this dog is to Candy - he only friend.

In Of Mice and Men, how does Slim react to Lennie and George's traveling together?

When Slim is introduced into the novel, Steinbeck immediately draws a very distinct contrast between him and the other characters. In addition to his extraordinary skills as a jerkline skinner (Steinbeck refers to Slim as "the prince of the ranch"), Slim possesses personal qualities that set him apart in a spiritual way: "His ear heard more than was said to him, and his slow speech had overtones not of thought, but of understanding beyond thought." Having established Slim's nature, Steinbeck then introduces him to George and Lennie in Chapter 2.

Slim approves of George and Lennie immediately. Taking a seat across from George, Slim expresses the hope that he and Lennie will join his team on the ranch. When George gives Lennie a compliment, Slim approves, noticing George's smile. It is at this point that Slim asks, "You guys travel around together?" His tone is "friendly," one that "invited confidence without demanding it." George explains, "Sure . . . We kinda look after each other." Slim's reaction reveals his wisdom as he recognizes a profound truth of the human condition:

Ain't many guys travel around together . . . I don't know why. Maybe ever'body in the whole damn world is scared of each other.

What breakthroughs has Jerry acheived by the story's end?Consider: the tunnel, his feelings about himself, & his dependence on his mother.

By the end of the story Jerry has gone through a journey from childhood to manhood, symbolised most stridently in his journey through the tunnel.

At the beginning of the story we are introduced to a character who is on the cusp of adolescense, and very clearly feels responsible for his mother due to their enforced intimacy. Yet despite his feelings of responsibility towards his mother, he nonetheless feels drawn to the "wild beach", which is away from the "safe beach" and his mother's attentive care. The wild beach here can be said to symbolise independence and life away from the protection of a parent figure - note how Lessing describes the two beaches to draw out this comparison.

His discovery of the tunnel and the challenge that the French boys set him through swimming through the tunnel spur Jerry on to train hard and eventually succeed in his attempt to go through the tunnel. Although certainly at the beginning of the story it is Jerry's need to be accepted by the older group of French boys that drives his desire to go through the tunnel, it is interesting that at the end of the story he no longer feels this is the case, as he is happy to go back home and spend time with his mother. This indicates that the tunnel was more about a process of self-acceptance and doing something to show he could do it for himself rather than for any other reason.

His relationship with his mother likewise has changed by the end of the story. Jerry deliberately witholds his triumph, only relating his ability to hold his breath. The dramatic irony in his mother's response ("I wouldn't overdo it, dear") indicates the independence that Jerry has achieved in his journey through the tunnel - he has now entered an arena where he has secrets from his mother and is able to engage in activities, dangerous activies, away from his mother's protection.

Who was John Adams?I don't no

John Adams, born in 1735, was one of the Founding Fathers, a member of the committee who wrote the Declaration of Independence, a Diplomat, a lawyer, a great writer, first minister to Great Britain,  George Washington's Vice President and the 2nd President of the United States. 

John Adams, a tireless patriot who gave his life to the service of the people was the man who recognized the leadership potential of George Washington, nominating him to be Commander of the Continental Army.  He was instrumental in securing funding for the American Revolution and a passionate defender of the Declaration of Independence.  Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration, but it was Adams who stood up in Congress and convinced the other representatives to support it. 

He was also the father of the 6th President of the United States, John Quincy Adams.

John Adams, misunderstood and often overlooked for his countless contributions to the founding of our nation and the securing of its future, like Washington, Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin was a giant among men while he lived.    He died on July 4, 1826, the same day as Thomas Jefferson, 50 years to the day from the signing of the Declaration of Independence.  

What important decision does Rev. Hale makes in Act III of "The Crucible" and why does he make that decision?

By the end of Act III of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, the trial has become a total farce, with testimonies given under duress, refuted and then changed again until the prospect of a just resolution, already impossible, is rendered even more remote.  Mary Warren’s attacks on John Proctor are putting the final nails in his coffin following Abigail’s machinations, prompting Parris to exclaim of Mary, “Cast the Devil out! Look him in the face! Trample him! We’ll save you, Mary, only stand fast against him and . . .”

As the proceedings continue to deteriorate into a chaotic atmosphere of panic and innuendo, Deputy Governor Danforth feeds the frenzy, while Reverend Hale, a rare voice of reason at this point, attempts to intervene:

Danforth, to Proctor: What are you? Proctor is beyond speech in his anger. You are combined with anti-Christ, are you not? I have seen your power; you will not deny it! What say you, Mister?

Hale: Excellency -

Danforth: I will have nothing from you, Mr. Hale! To Proctor: Will you confess yourself befouled with Hell, or do you keep that black allegiance yet? What say you?

Proctor, his mind wild, breathless: I say - I say - God is dead'

The shouting and accusations continue, with the fate of John Proctor, once the town’s most respected citizen, hanging in the balance – a balance tilting increasingly against him.  It is then that Hale angrily shouts, “I denounce these proceedings, I quit this court!”

Reverend Hale’s decision is to divorce himself from the proceedings because he recognizes that the lies and manipulations that have been occurring preclude any kind of just resolution pertaining to charges of sorcery.  

Why are there no women in "Waiting for Godot"?

Why are there only two women in "Julius Caesar"? Where is King Lear's wife? Where is Leonato's wife in "Much Ado About Nothing"? How many plays can you name with all female cast? (Thought not).

Remember drama started as an activity only carried out by men, in Greek times, but also in Elizabethan and Restoration times: it was only relatively recently that women were allowed on stage. The culture of drama, then, has always favoured actors rather than actresses: feminist critics might argue that it has something to do with a patriarchal bias in society, but for me, it's simply a habit that writers are still getting out of.

That said, maybe Beckett just wanted an all-male cast so that the post-apocalyptic world of "Waiting for Godot" had absolutely no hopes of regeneration or producing children. Who knows?

What happened at Hiroshima in 1945?In World War II

On August 6, 1945 the Japanese city of Hiroshima was the site of the first use in war of an atomic bomb (the second and, so far, last was at Nagasaki three days later).  The bomb was dropped by a B-29 nicknamed 'Enola Gay' piloted by Col. Paul Tibbets, and was an uranium bomb.  An estimated 70,000 persons were killed in the initial blast and firestorm, with perhaps another 30,000 perishing from radiation effects within the year.  The long term death toll may have been twice that.

The bombings convinced the Emperor of Japan to signify to the government that he believed it was time for the war to end.   Many today believe the bombing to have been cruel and unnecessary, since the Japanese Navy was completely destroyed already, and all overseas posts throughout the Pacific had already been conquered by the US forces.  However, the Japanese military government prior to the Emperor Hirohito's statement had no intention of surrenduring.  Their plan was for total defense of the homeland by all members of the armed forces and the civilian population, with the national slogan "Ten Million Die Together".  It was estimated by the US Chiefs of Staff that American casualties in an invasion would probably top one million, and there was a strong possibility that a successful invasion would still not have ended the war.  There was great support within the Japanese military for the plan that, in the event of defeat in Japan itself, the government would relocate to the Asian mainland, where Japan still had over one million soldiers under arms.

What do grains amount to in medical dosages and what is "v iss?"

grains is a measurement from the old apothacary system. The previous cburr is correct that one grain is approx. 65 milligrams. A common prescription we used to see was ASA v gr. this meant asprin (ASA is the abbreviation for the chemical name of aspirin) 5 grains (325mg-one regular strength asprin tablet). so v iss was probably vi ss.  ss = 1/2 in medical speak. this would be 6 1/2 grains, or 422mg. --probably rounded to 425mg.

hope that helps

What is the difference between soliloquy and a dramatic monologue?

The two are very similar, and I suppose they could essentially be considered to be the same thing. But as genres, there is a sort of difference. That is, a soliloquy can be thought of as a dramatic monologue - a monologue set within a drama. But a "dramatic monologue" (i.e. the genre) is a separate thing all of its own - a form of poem.

A soliloquy is something you'd find in a play, usually in a Renaissance play (and certainly one by Shakespeare!). It is a speech a character makes while alone on stage, usually to work out his thoughts. It's a bit like a sort of film-voiceover shot, where you hear the character speak but no-one within the world of the film can hear it.

So a soliloquy is a dramatic monologue: it's a self-addressed monologue within a drama.

But - a dramatic monologue is ALSO a specific Victorian style of poem. It's not within a drama but a poem all on its own, but written entirely in the voice of a single character (i.e. not a neutral speaker, nor the poet's own voice). Robert Browning is the poet most famous for using the form: the most famous examples being "My Last Duchess" and "Porphyria's Lover". Usually a character in a dramatic monologue will reveal more about themselves than they intend to - and a dramatic monologue usually contains rather a lot of irony! Unlike a soliloquy, there's also usually an "auditor" - someone listening to the character speaking the monologue.

Hope it helps!

I need three pieces of textual evidence each for the characterization of Jarvis Lorry and Lucie Manette (chapter 4).

Jarvis Lorry is characterized as an impeccable gentleman,

"very orderly and methodical...with a hand on each knee...(sitting) so still he might have been sitting for his portrait". 

Although he maintains a completely controlled demeanor, he is a man of strong emotions; his face,

"habitually suppressed and quieted, (is) still lighted up...by a pair of moist bright eyes that it must have cost their owner, in years gone by, some pains to drill to the composed and reserved expression of Tellson's Bank".

Mr. Lorry is the consumate professional.  The information with which he has been charged to reveal to Miss Manette is quite personal to him, yet he manages to maintain an objectivity and detachment throughout the telling, by repeatedly reminding himself that it is

"a matter of business".

Lucie Manette is portrayed as a fragile, sensitive character, almost like a doll.  She is

"a short, slight, pretty figure" with "flowing golden hair" and lovely "blue eyes",

dressed in a riding cloak and holding a traveling hat with ribbons.  In her manner she is courteous and submissive, curtseying before Lorry

"with a pretty desire to convey to him that she (feels) how much older and wiser he (is) than she".

Lucie is a fragile young woman, rendered senseless at the news Lorry conveys to her, with her

"pretty pale face and her cold hands...(laying her) drooping head on (the) shoulder"

of her caretaker, Miss Pross (Book 1, Chapter 4).

In Toni Morrison's Beloved, in what sense is Sethe in danger, and what ultimately saves her?

Sethe is in grave danger because of Beloved's death grasp upon Sethe's fragile mental and physical condition.  "The thirty-eight dollars of life savings went to feed [Sethe & Beloved] with fancy food and decorate themselves with ribbon, . . . shiny buttons and bits of black lace" (240).  Physically, Sethe is dying from hunger while she gives Beloved every ounce of the meager food she has left after their thoughtless splurge on frivolity.  Sethe no longer has any knowledge of or desire for the future for her little family.  Beloved has, literally, taken Sethe out of the real world and given Sethe only one goal:  to plead her case to Beloved (indirectly) as to why Sethe ended her baby's life.  There is no winning this battle, which is breaking Sethe mentally; therefore, Sethe wastes away to practically nothing.

The reason behind Sethe's salvation remains open to interpretation.  A case can be made that the townspeople save Sethe from Beloved through exorcism.  Likewise, one could argue that the simple disappearance of Beloved in itself saves Sethe.  Yet another idea could be that Paul D saves Sethe through his strength by convincing Sethe, "You your best thing, Sethe.  You are" (273).

Ultimately, however, it is Denver who saves Sethe.  Denver, the girl who was always afraid to leave the house, now becomes Sethe's salvation by doing just that.  "Little by little it dawned on Denver that if Sethe didn't wake up one morning and pick up a knife, Beloved might" (242).  Denver has a revelation and realizes "so it was [Beloved] who had to step off the edge of the world and die because if she didn't, they all would" (239).  Physically, Denver's emergence from the home sustains the family.  Mentally, Denver's emergence from the home renews the family's strength.  Indirectly, Denver's emergence sparks the "exorcism" that happens near the end of the book.  Denver, then, is the savior in Toni Morrison's Beloved.

In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, what dare of Dill's does Jem accept?

At the very beginning of To Kill a Mockingbird, Dill dare's Jem to touch the side of Boo Radley's house (in an attempt to make him come out).  It all begins when Dill wonders what Boo really looks like and if they could make him appear.  "Our first raid came to pass only because Dill bet Jem The Gray Ghost against two Tom Swifts that Jem wouldn't get any farther than the Radley gate.  In all his life, Jem had never declined a dare" (13).  Jem considers the dare for three days until Dill gets a bit more specific about it.  "I won't say you aran out on a dare an' I'll swap you The Gray Ghost if you just go up and touch the house" (14).  Jem not only accepts the dare, but succeeds.  After the kids return, panting, they simply think they see one of the Radley's inside shutters move.  This is the dare that begins it all and sets Jem and Scout on the journey that will eventually lead them to understand and love our dear and misunderstood Boo Radley.

Why does Holden say that he misses people at the end?

At the end of the story, Holden has undergone psychoanalysis.  He tells us in Chapter 26, that his:

"Psychoanalyst guy they have here, keeps asking me if I'm going to apply myself when I go back to school next September." (Salinger)

Holden's admission of missing people is a sign that he is getting better.  He has been in a mental institution and now, he is anticipating the future, the next school he will attend, how he will do once he gets there.

And, now that he has undergone treatment for his depression and can reflect with accuracy on his experience at Pencey Prep, he realizes that he actually liked Stradlater and Ackley.  

In the novel Night, what happens at the end of the book?

In the end of Night, Elie and his weakened father arrive at Buchenwald after enduring a forced march and a death-train transport. In the train, food was thrown into the cars by people in the passing villages who then watched as the starving prisoners fought and killed each other to get food. Dead bodies, whether dead from starvation or illness or agedness, were thrown out of the train cars by guards, bodies left in a naked, untended condition by the rail tracks.

With this experience behind them, and now imprisoned in a new camp, Elie's father, although Elie forces him to continue trying, becomes deathly ill. Elie arranges to stay in the same cell block with his father--and when his father cried for water, while Elie hesitated because of his father's dysentery, a guard beat his father in the head. On the last night of his life, while Elie slept unsoundly above him, Elie heard his father call his name once. In the morning, someone else was in his father's bed. He had cried out when they came to take him to the death chamber, the crematory. Stunned and numbed by his grief and by his release into freedom (he is by himself now and can concentrate his thoughts and efforts on his own survival, "free at last!"), he is uncaring when transferred to the children's block.

One day the Nazis announce their plan to assemble the prisoners, evacuate them (the prisoners forming the resistance thought "evacuate" meant a final, total extermination), then blow up the camp. The plan was formed because the Germans were losing the war and the Allies were advancing, liberating all those suffering from the prolonged, horrible war. On the day announced, because of a delay caused by a siren alert, the call for all prisoners to assemble was moved to the next day. Next day when assembly was called, one member of the resistance movement told Elie and the other young ones to retreat and hide in the children's block. Once all were assembled, the resistance members turned on the Nazi soldiers. They defeated them fairly easily because the soldiers no longer had the will to be there nor to shed their blood there. Later that same day, the miracle that no one believed in any more happened: the first American tank rolled up to the guard-abandoned gate of the camp. The prisoners were liberated and fed.

   Hunger was tormenting us; we had not eaten for nearly six days....   
... At six o'clock that afternoon, the first American tank stood at the gates of Buchenwald.
   Our first act as free men was to throw ourselves onto the provisions....

In another cruel act of an unloving fate, Elie developed a life-threatening case of food poisoning (food, the thing he dreamed about and clung to the hope of after his father's death nearly killed him) and, while being treated in the hospital, chose to look at his reflection for the first time since the Nazis had rounded him and his fellow Jews up to kill or use as slaves. What he saw in the mirror became seared in his mind's eye. Changed beyond recognition, Elie saw a living corpse staring back at him. Still, his consolation was that night had ended. Day might now come.

    And now the boy is turning to me. "Tell me," he asks, "what have you done with my future, what have you done with your life?" And I tell him that I have tried. That I have tried to keep memory alive, that I have tried to fight those who would forget. Because is we forget, we are guilty, we are accomplices. (from The Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech delivered by Elie Wiesel, appended in Night)

In "The Scarlet Letter", how does Hawthorne's description of the letter "A" relate to Hester's character?

In the beginning, Hawthorne goes into great detail to describe the elaborate, intense, beautiful letter A that Hester makes.  This type of ornate decor was highly unusual, even looked down upon, in the Puritan community where she lived.  This relates to Hester herself; she was beautiful, intense, and stood out in her community-and even did things that were looked down upon.

Later however, Hawthorne describes how the letter A comes to symbolize something different to the community; through Hester's unceasing good works, she becomes a symbol of good, of reverence to many.  Likewise, the A's bright colors and ornate stitchery are seen as a symbol of bright goodness and angelic tokens of kindness.

From beginning to end, the A symbolizes Hester's progression-from rejected but beautiful outcast, to a respected figure of mercy.

Why was Theo in the hospital in "The Westing Game"?

Theo is in the hospital because of an accident he caused at his high school chemistry lab (Chapter 20).

In trying to decipher the clues he has been given in the Westing Game, Theo discovers that if he arranges the words in a certain way, the clues present a formula for an explosive (Chapter 17).  He experiments with the formula using chemical fertilizers, but makes "a slight miscalculation", causing the lab to blow up.  Fortunately, no one else is around at the time; Theo himself is injured and ends up in the hospital emergency room.  Theo's injuries are minor, and after removing glass shards from his shoulder and patching him up, the doctor releases him with "a warning about careless chemistry" (Chapter 20).

Can you describe Emily's life from infancy to the present in "I Stand Here Ironing"?

Emily was born the first of five children.  She was a beautiful baby who loved "motion...light...color and music and textures".  Her mother, who was only nineteen, raised her "with all the fierce rigidity of first motherhood", nursing her on a schedule like the experts recommended.

Emily's father left before she was a year old, and her mother was forced to leave her with a neighbor, and then with relatives, so she could work.  When Emily was two, she was enrolled in nursery school, which she hated.  After a couple of years, Emily was again sent away to live with relatives, and when she returned home, she had "a new daddy...to learn to love".

When Emily was five, she caught the measles right at the time her sister Susan was born.  Emily did not get well, and was sent to a convalescent home in the country for eight months.  She came home a somber child, had difficulties at school, and did not make friends easily, possibly because the family moved so much. 

By the time she entered high school, Emily had four younger siblings, including her sister Susan, who was everything Emily was not.  Saddled with responsibilities at home and struggling at school, Emily became withdrawn and self-conscious about her looks.

In high school, almost by accident, Emily discovered she had a gift for comedy and acting.  Her talent gave her confidence, and although she still had difficulties, she blossomed, and her mother knew, "She (would) find her way".

In Chapter 16 of To Kill a Mockingbird, where do the children end up sitting in the courtroom?

In chapter 16 in To Kill a Mockingbird, the trial of Tom Robinson is starting. Jem, Scout and Dill race to the courthouse and realize what a big deal this trial is. The courtroom is packed and it seems everyone in town has come. The children are worried about Atticus seeing them, so they wait to go in. In the rush of people they see Reverend Sykes, and he offers to go and see if he can find the children a seat.

Reverend Sykes edged his way upstairs. In a few moments he was back. "There's not a seat downstairs. Do you all reckon it'll be all right of you all came to the balcony with me?"
"Gosh, yes," said Jem. Happily, we sped ahead of Reverend Sykes to the courtroom floor. There, we went up a covered staircase and waited at the door. Reverend Sykes came puffing behind us, and steered us gently through the black people in the balcony. Four Negroes rose and gave us their front-row seats."

This is a beautiful gesture that Reverend Sykes gives to the children. All the black people in the balcony welcome the children because they know that their father is Atticus, and Atticus is defending Tom. They have the utmost respect for Atticus and treat his children with that same respect. 

What is the distinction between Mama's use of the churn and Dee's purposed use of it in "Everyday Use"?

For Dee, the churn and its parts are primitive objets d'art. She wants to make a nice centerpiece with the top. For Mama, the churn is more than just an everyday utensil. It is a part of her history. Uncle Buddy whittled the churn top, and Aunt Dee's first husband, Henry (who was called Stash), whittled the dasher.

When she finished wrapping the dasher the handle stuck out. I took it for a moment in my hands. You didn't even have to look close to see where hands pushing the dasher up and down to make butter had left a kind of sink in the wood. In fact, there were a lot of small sinks; you could see where thumbs and fingers had sunk into the wood. It was beautiful light yellow wood, from a tree that grew in the yard where Big Dee and Stash had lived.

Every time Mama and Maggie used the churn, their fingers would rest in the sinks left by family members who had used it before. Dee wants it just because of the attention having it will bring her. Dee wants it for materialistic reasons. Mama and Maggie want it for sentimental reasons.

What did Italy do in World War 1? are there any good websites about Italy in WW1

Curiously, in both World Wars, Italy has tacitly switched sides! In 1882, a relatively recently unified Italy joined with Germany and Austria-Hungary, thereby creating the Triple Alliance, which lasted until the spring of 1915.  In 1911, Italy declared war on the Ottoman Empire during what became to be known as the "Second Balkan Crisis" conquering Tripoli and the Dodecanese Islands, competing in the colonial race in which the other major European powers were engaged.  Italy had unified from city-states to a nation in the 1860's; however, there were areas of mixed Italian populations, mostly around its eastern borders, known as Italia irredenta, or "unredeemed Italy," from where the English word "Irredentism" derives.  These areas included Trieste, Dalmatians Nice, and Savoy, and Italian Nationalists wanted them incorporated.  In 1915, having come into conflict with Austria-Hungary over these border areas, Italy quietly drifted away from the Triple Alliance, and signed a secret treaty (Treaty of London) where, if the Triple Entente (Britain, France and Russia) proved victorious, Italy would gain these areas. Italy also desired to expand colonial operations in Africa at German expense, but at the conclusion of World War I, the former Germanic colonies in Africa and the Near East all went to France and Great Britain.

A History of the Modern World, Palmer & Colton, pg. 680-686, 1978.

Why aren't the men identified by name, and why is the oiler the only one whose name is given in "The Open Boat"?

In Stephen Crane's story, "The Open Boat," we are introduced to four men who have survived the sinking of their ship.

The four occupants of the small life boat are the ship's cook, the oiler (Billie), the ship's injured captain, and a correspondent (reporter).

The story is based upon an actual event Crane personally experienced when a ship he was traveling on sank in 1897.  Crane (a newspaper correspondent) was stranded at sea for thirty hours in the company of three other men.  One was an oiler by the name of Billy Higgins, who--as occurs in the story--drowns while attempting to swim to shore.

The two reasons I see for the anonymity of the three other men in the boat and the identification of Billie are related.

When men lose their lives at sea, usually at the memorial, the names of those who have died are read aloud to the tolling of a bell.  In this way, they are honored and memorialized.  Billie is the only member of "this crew" who dies.  I believe he is named to memorialize him as would be done for a sailor "lost at sea."

I believe that for Crane, he feels the need to do the same in the pages of his story.  Crane identifies the man whose life is lost when he comes so close to being rescued.

A recurring message from the men in the story, as they near the shore, is 'how could we come this far only to die when deliverance is so near...how tragic this would be.'  I believe that Crane may well have heard this while he was lost at sea, and that he recognizes the enormous tragedy for just this reason.  The rest of the crew survives; Crane pays homage to, and recognizes the valuable life lost, in the person of Billie.  The others will be able to return to home and move on--given a second chance, but Billie will go home to rest, with no second chances.

In "The Story of an Hour" analyze the tone of paragraph 5. How is the imagery here appropriate for her developing mood?

Mrs. Mallard, unlike the expected reaction that a grieving widow would have, is later elated.  She feels "Free, free!" for the first time since she married.  This reaction, unconventional for her time, and the mindset of most people of Chopin's time period, is foreshadowed in the story, in paragraph 5.  In a typical story of grief and loss, the author would have Mrs. Mallard look outside and see rain, stormy clouds, thunder, chaos and destruction.  But no, Mrs. Mallard, after being told her husband is dead, looks out the window at "the tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life. The delicious breath of rain was in the air...The notes of a distant song which some one was singing reached her faintly, and countless sparrows were twittering in the eaves. There were patches of blue sky showing."  This sunny spring day, birds singing, blue sky, are all symbolic of Mrs. Mallard's coming feeling of freedom (blue sky through the clouds), of a new beginning ("acquiver with the new spring life"), of a free life that is just around the corner ("a distant song").

The tone and imagery of the paragraph-and following paragraphs-is happy, calm, uplifting, refreshing, like a breath of fresh air after a long winter, and all of it symbolic of Mrs. Mallard's attitude towards her husband's death.

What kind of character is General Zaroff in the "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell?

General Zaroff is the antagonist in the short story, "The Most Dangerous Game." In challenging Rainsford to a wicked game, Zaroff is the character who presents the external conflict for the protagonist. Richard Connell, the author of the story, uses lots of direct and indirect characterization to develop Zaroff's round character. He is characterized as aristocratic, refined, unscruplous, cold-blooded, eccentric, and a bit insane. Although he hunts men on his island, he does does not believe he is a heartless murderer because he has set up rules for his "game" and provides his prey with resources. He displays these characteristics and beliefs from begining to end with no change, which makes him a static character.

As Mayella is developed in Chapters 18 and 19 of "To Kill a Mockingbird", is she different from her father or like him?

At Tom Robinson's trial, Mayella reveals herself to be much like her father in several ways, but one significant difference between them emerges. Like her father's, Mayella's behavior is hateful and antagonistic. Her testimony is frequently bitter, sarcastic, and belligerent. Like her father--and most of Maycomb--she is a racist.

Mayella's character, however, is significantly different from her father's in that she is frightened and vulnerable. When she grows a little more confident in her testimony, hers is described as a "stealthy" kind of confidence, not "brash" like her father's. In order to survive, Mayella has learned to view the world with wariness. When Atticus treats her with respect, she assumes he is mocking her. She is not accustomed to kindness.

There is a softness in Mayella that Bob Ewell lacks. She longed for human companionship and love, which led her to attempt the seduction of Tom Robinson. Scout realizes that Mayella "must have been the loneliest person in the world." In Scout's estimation, even Boo Radley's loneliness was less intense than Mayella Ewell's.

What's a good thesis statement for Inherit the Wind?

I think that you can go into a variety of domains with a thesis statement on the drama.  A very relevant thesis statement would discuss the balance between local and external colliding realities.  For example, the Hillsboro predilection for spirituality and the belief that Darwin was wrong collides with the scientific principle of discussion and with freedom of thought.  This might be a very interesting topic to explore in terms of how American History has navigated its path when local interests run counter to national or external belief systems.  This has been seen in our nation's history with issues of artistic expression and Civil Rights.

Another interesting thesis statement to bring out would be the role of religion in American History.  The dominant force of religion in Hillsboro, led by Reverend Brown, is one that seeks to gain power from silencing dissent.  It might be interesting to explore how this pattern has also been a part of American History.  Whether one wants to pull from the Salem Witch Trials or the rise of the Religious Right in the 1980s, the role of religion has played a vital role in the development of American culture.

Given how the trial and the fundamentalism surrounding it emerged in the 1920s, a period known for its liberal moral stance and permissive social attitudes, it might be real interesting to explore how religion operates in such a dynamic.  Finally, I think that it might be interesting to explore how Darwinian thought is viewed today.  In the modern setting, Darwinian thought is viewed with some degree of the same skepticism with which it was viewed in the time period of the drama.  The emergence of intelligent design as well as school boards that demand guidelines be followed on how human origin is taught is reflective of the same tension that is seen in the play. These might be possible areas upon which to focus regarding your thesis statement.

In "Fahrenheit 451", when and how does Beatty find out that Montag possesses books and how does he react?

Late in the first section of the book, the day that Montag stays home from work sick, Beatty comes to see him.  He knows then that Montag has books.  He comments to Montag, "At least once in his career, every fireman gets an itch."  He is referring to books.  He says that they (the government presumably) understand this "itch" and they allow a fireman to keep the book for a day, then burn it without penalty.  After that, Beatty seems to fully recognize the fact that Montag has books and that Montag is turning his allegiance away from the government and toward the secret society of books.  Beatty doesn't do anything to Montag right away because he hopes that Montag will turn in the books on his own.  When that doesn't happen and Mildren turns in Montag, Beatty is there to taunt Montag as the firemen prepare to burn Montag's house.  Beatty taunts Montag to the point that Montag burns him and then Montag realizes that Beatty wanted to die.

How did John Proctor give his life for what he believed in?

John Proctor wasn't going to die at first; he confessed to witchcraft to save his life.  He did so because he felt himself a weak and sinful man.  In the end, John tears up his confession after they attempted to get him to post the confession on the church door where his sons would see it, and live their lives thinking that their father either was a witch, or that he gave a cowardly lie to save himself.  He gives his life to protect what he believes in most:  honesty and integrity, two things that he always had, but had previously shown in rather unconventional ways.  Elizabeth summed it up at the end of Act 4:  "He has his goodness now."  John finally felt at peace with his past, like he had paid for his sins, and was walking to the gallows with a clean slate. His death was his final testament to living honestly, owning your sins and walking with your head high in the world. 

Why was Thornton camping alone in The Call of the Wild and why was he the ideal master?

John Thornton was camping alone because while navigating the North the previous December, he had frozen his feet.  His companions, realizing that he was unable to go on with them, "had made him comfortable and left him to get well, going on themselves up the river to get out a raft of saw-logs for Dawson".  By the time Buck came into his life, Thornton was much improved, limping only slightly, and with further time for recuperation in the spring, he and Buck gradually regained their strength and were ready to travel again when the partners returned.

John Thornton was the ideal master because he of his kind and generous nature.  While "other men saw to the welfare of their dogs from a sense of duty and business expediency, he saw to the welfare of his as if they were his own children, because he could not help it".  Thornton sincerely cared about his dogs, and spending time with them "was as much his delight as theirs".  He took interest in his dogs in a way that transcended just what they could do for him; he got to know them as individuals and treated them with dignity and respect (Chapter 6).

How does Shakespeare represent women in "Antony and Cleopatra"?

You could write a doctoral thesis on Shakespeare’s attitude towards women there is so much contrasting material to work with. The one thing that is beyond doubt is that he never described them as equals, even though he created such strong characters as Helena (All’s Well That Ends Well) and Beatrice (Much Ado about Nothing).

The contrast between Rome and Egypt in Anthony and Cleopatra is very much one of masculine versus feminine. Octavius is the proper Roman, strong, self-disciplined, humorless and intelligent. Cleopatra is the Eastern temptress, sensual, clinging, self-indulgent and weak. She causes the downfall of the once proper Roman, Anthony, because she cannot help herself. It is her nature, just it was Eve’s nature to tempt Adam and cause his downfall.

How much Shakespeare really knew about either Anthony or Cleopatra is a guess. He had access to the standard Roman historians, who would have told him that Cleopatra reigned against all the odds for 16 years from the age of 18. Shakespeare could have made her the female equivalent of Octavian. Probably that would have shocked and displeased the audience of the day, and Shakespeare knew his audience.

Whether any of this reflects Shakespeare’s own view of women, we will never know. This is the man who wrote both Hero and Beatrice into Much Ado About Nothing. It is his incredible ability to write into his plays whatever *you* want to see that makes him so amazing.

In "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" define the term irony and cite three incidents that are good examples of your definition.

Irony is when the opposite of what is expected occurs.  "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" is full of irony.  A lot of it occurs in Huck's attitude towards slavery; he feels that slavery is right, and that helping Jim escape is wrong.  Now, given the context of the novel, and its setting, that might not be considered unusual.  Huck was raised in a slave-holding state where slavery was considered the way of life.  Abolitionists at the time were considered "low-down" or immoral.  But if you hold Huck's attitude up to the light of our society's expectations, it is ironic.   You would expect him to be glad to help Jim-a man with a family only searching after freedom, after all-and to be happy to help him escape and obtain his independence form an immoral system.  So, we feel the irony of Huck's attitude.  You could find all three examples of irony within this one concept:  When Huck runs across Jim on the island, he agrees to help Jim even though people would think he was a "low-down abolitionist";  when Huck hears Jim getting excited about earning money to free his family, Huck experiences anger that he would be so ungrateful to steal "children that belonged to a man I didn't even know; a man that hadn't ever done me no harm"; and when writing a letter to Miss Watson to tell on Jim, Huck tears the paper up and thinks to himself, "All right then,  I'll go to hell!"

These three examples demonstrate Huck's rather ironic attitude about slavery and the very noble and kind thing he is doing for Jim in helping him to escape.

What are the moral lessons found in the story "Through the Tunnel" written by Doris Lessing?

Very interesting question. Overtly, "Through the Tunnel" is not a moral story, rather it focuses on the "rite of passage" that Jerry goes through to move from childhood into manhood. However, one of the larger moral questions which I think this story asks concerns our fears in Western society about exposing our children to risk and danger, and therefore robbing them of the chance to prove themselves and go through a "rite of passage" existence such as Jerry did.

There is an interesting theory that argues that in the West we have such problems with adolescents going through the teenage years precisely because we, unlike more primitive, tribal societies, do not have clearly demarcated transitions from childhood to adulthood. Such tribes have a variety of initiation rituals that usually involve some sort of danger, risk or physical pain. Once the child has completed this task or trial, he or she has become an adult. Ngugi wa Thiongo, an African author, describes such a ritual, involving circumcision, in his book A River Between.

In Western society, however, because we protect our children too much, they do not have an equivalent ritual, and thus like Jerry, either need to find one for themselves or they exist in this in-between state between adulthood and childhood and problems result as a consequence. "Through the Tunnel" seems to argue for a certain amount of healthy danger to allow adolescents the chance to grow up on their own terms.

Why does Hawthorne begin The Scarlet Letter with a refection about the need for a cemetery and a prison?

Hawthorne writes:

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

 Hawthorne suggests that whatever Utopia is established, there always will be death, and there always will be crime, that this is just part of humans living in a community.  This isn't just applicable to Puritan New England, but to any new colony at any time in history.  However, the Puritan settlers established a theocracy, and the prison was for moral as well as civil infractions, both being the same in their eyes. Similarly, the cemetery serves as an extension of the prison, incarcerating those who challenged or broke civil/moral law in the extreme. These two institutions, prison and cemetary, are tightly related in a theocracy, and in this case, express the rigid Puritannical philosophy of crime and punishment.  Later in this chapter he mentions Anne Hutchinson, who was hanged for expressing her own belief about God, a belief which opposed the moral/civil authorities, who condemned her to death.  She, like Hester, was a resident in the same prison, but Hester fortunately escapes hanging, although the Puritan matrons consider it an appropriate punishment for her crime. 

What are in vitro tests and their limitations and applications?what are the methods or test available for testing efficacy and safety of drug....

In vitro tests are done in test tubes or petri dishes; in vivo is the opposite, and literally means that it is done in a living organism.

The advantages of in vitro tests are that they can be done quickly and cheaply; tests can be done on different types of cells in vitro that could not ethically (or easily) be done on animals. A disadvantage is that because the test is NOT done on a complete organism, the results obtained may not apply in an intact plant or animal because of other systems functioning in the organism.

Could I have an explanation of "Ozymandias" by Percy Byssche Shelley, line by line? To whom does the word "them" in line 8 refer?

Ozymandias by Percy Byssche Shelley relates the tale of the once proud and defiant Ozymandias, king of all he surveyed. The story is told by a narrator who "met a traveler from an antique land." The "antique" land to which he refers suggests that it is an exotic and interesting place of, no doubt, much historical importance. The narrator goes on to tell the "traveler's" story of nothing more than "Two vast and trunkless legs," which he came across in the desert. On closer inspection, the traveler spots something that is partially buried by the sand and realizes that it is an image of a face, " a shattered visage."

The traveler notices the "sneer of cold command" immediately, inferring that this was the face of someone of enormous influence or "command" but also someone with a high opinion of himself but with little regard for his subjects as indicated by "sneer..." and "cold..." The traveler complements the sculptor who "well those passions read," revealing that the sculptor was obviously not fooled by Ozymandias's commanding presence and recognized his arrogance. The traveler is enjoying the irony that what has remained of the apparent, unpleasant character of the man is "stamped on these lifeless things," rather than any indication of his greatness.

"The hand that mocked them," refers to the sculptor's ability to sculpt this image and reveal Ozymandias's weakness and arrogance, which character flaws he describes as "them," and, unknown to Ozymandias, to mock him whereas Ozymandias only thought about his own greatness - which "fed" him. There is also a plaque still visible which sets out to describe Ozymandias, the great leader and "king of kings," in his own words as he calls on other great leaders to, " Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!" He thinks that other leaders will despair because he has so much more than they could ever wish for. This is particularly ironic as "Nothing beside remains." There is only "that colossal wreck, boundless and bare," a stark reminder of how Ozymandias's greatness is nothing when compared to the "lone and level sands" as they "stretch far away." Ozymandias's perceived greatness should serve as a warning to anyone, that vanity serves no one and that any personal vision of grandeur is fleeting and inadvisable. 

When Miyax gets accepted by the wolf pack in Julie of the Wolves, what is the impact on the pack?

It's first important to mention the exact moment that Miyax is accepted into the tribe:  when she pats the leader, Amaroq, under the chin because "as his eyes softened, ... Miyax was one of the pack."  The key to this answer is actually found within something Miyax says after she is accepted by Amaroq:

Wolves are shy, Kapugen had said, and they desert their dens if discovered by man; yet this pack had not.  Did Amaroq not know she was human?  Perhaps not; she had never walked in his presence, the two-legged signal of "man" to wild animals. ... She concluded that Amaroq tolerated her because she was young, had no gun, and was sad--a lost child.

In short, Amaroq is the leader of the pack, but it is obvious here that Amaroq is not following normal "wolfish" behavior.  This is bound to cause issues and different opinions among the pack.  This is certainly the case. It should be noted, however, that the impact on the pups is non-existent.  Why?  They accepted Miyax even before she was accepted by Amaroq.  They were already playing/roughhousing with Miyax before she patted Amaroq under the chin.

Another key is that "in order to be fed by wolves one had to be helpless."  Once Amaroq gave Miyax the soft-eyed symbol of acceptance, the entire pack warmed up to her easily.  Even Nails and Silver think nothing of Miyax joining them in their den. The pack has accepted her!  Well, almost the entire pack, that is.

Acceptance isn't so easy for the outsider named Jello, but he is happy when Miyax shows more submission than he who enjoys "acting like the boss" even though he most certainly is not.  When Miyax tries to assert her own authority, Jello refuses to regurgitate and feed her.  It is the pup, Kapu, who gets Jello to do this.  This episode then is the perfect example of rejection (by Jello) and acceptance (by Kapu).  And Jello will continue to reject Miyax until the bitter end.

The climax of the play "Silence! the court is in session" by Vijay Tendulkar.

The climax of Tendulkar's play comes with the final judgement that Miss Benare is 'public enemy number one' and that the child in her womb must be destroyed. Benare is thunderstruck at the traumatic consequences of the game which turns into a planned hunt. Patriarchy has finally silenced her. "Silence! the Court is in Session!" is a play about silencing the woman's voice and this is successfully attained through the court which itself is one of the strongest of patriarchal institutions. The apparently innocent nursery rhyme that ends the play has been much misinterpreted by critics as a ploy to lighten the burden of the extremely gruesome atmosphere of the play. But on close reading it can easily be seen as an allegorical commentary on the gruesome nature of patriarchal society. The 'sparrow', the most diminutive of birds, is too weak to resist the onslaughts of the big brother, 'crow' who actually has stolen her nest, and who presents a careless non-chalance about the theft. The nest is of course the symbol of the much-sought-after home of the woman, her safe and secure haven, and the crow steals it. The 'crow' thus symbolises the masters of patriarchal society. The parrots are the typical average self-centred middle class, who pose innocence and only guard their own selfish private interests in life. They have no individual voice and can only clamour in unison the patriarchalised notions. They are selfishly blunt to the sufferings of the 'sparrow'/woman. The climax of Tendulkar's play highlights the casual brutality of the androcentric society that can mercilessly crush and pulverise deviant voices, particularly the voice of the woman.

What animals are used to describe Stryver and Carton in Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities?

In the second book of Charles Dickens’ novel A Tale of Two Cities, the author dedicates a chapter to the characters known as C.J. Stryver, a lawyer of questionable ethics and of even more questionable competency, and Sydney Carton. Lawyers endure endless barbs and criticisms, some good-natured, others not, and some legitimate, others not, regarding their ethics or moral compasses and their oft-times seemingly avaricious nature. The chapter devoted to these two lawyers is titled “The Jackal,” a reference to a member of canine species known for its opportunistic and omnivores nature. They can be considered scavengers, as they generally feed off of already-dead animals, as well as plants (hence, “omnivores”). In short, to compare an individual to this particular animal is to suggest someone of a somewhat menacing and opportunistic character. Note in the following passage from this chapter of A Tale of Two Cities the author’s description of the relationship between Stryver and Carton:

“Sydney Carton, idlest and most unpromising of men, was Stryver’s great ally. What the two drank together, between Hilary Term and Michaelmas, might have floated a king’s ship. Stryver never had a case in hand, anywhere, but Carton was there, with his hands in his pockets, staring at the ceiling of the court; they went the same Circuit, and even there they prolonged their usual orgies late into the night, and Carton was rumoured to be seen at broad day, going home stealthily and unsteadily to his lodgings, like a dissipated cat. At last, it began to get about, among such as were interested in the matter, that although Sydney Carton would never be a lion, he was an amazingly good jackal, and that he rendered suit and service to Stryver in that humble capacity.”

These two attorneys, then, could be said to complement each other quite well. If the lion, ‘the king of beasts,’ is considered the more noble creature, however, it is the jackal who is revealed as the more noble of the two men. In the next passage, again from the chapter titled “The Jackal,” the dialogue between Stryver and Carton reveals something of the latter’s nature that will prove instrumental to the story’s outcome:

“The old Sydney Carton of old Shrewsbury School,” said Stryver, nodding his head over him as he reviewed him in the present and the past, “the old seesaw Sydney. Up one minute and down the next; now in spirits and now in despondency!”

“Ah!” returned the other, sighing: “yes! The same Sydney, with the same luck. Even then, I did exercises for other boys, and seldom did my own.”

Combined with the narrator’s description of Carton’s demeanor and mode of dress (“his torn gown half off him, his untidy wig put on just as it had happened to fight on his head after its removal, his hands in his pockets, and his eyes on the ceiling as they had been all day”), and giving some consideration to the suggestion that Carton is bipolar, this exchange could denote a more hapless individual than perhaps is fair to the character of Sydney Carton. Notable, however, is Dickens’ emphasis on the physical similarity between Carton and the man these two lawyers are representing in court, Charles Darnay. Read again Carton’s self-deprecating comment: “Even then, I did exercises for other boys, and seldom did my own.” As readers of A Tale of Two Cities learn, Carton will ultimately sacrifice his life for Darnay, exploiting their physical similarities for a noble cause. Carton may be the jackal—and Dickens employs the animal metaphor extensively in this chapter—but Stryver is associated with the lion for his more dominating personality and professionally-successful career. As the narrator points out later in the novel, “Mr. Stryver shouldered his way through the law, like some great engine forcing itself through turbid water, and dragged his useful friend in his wake, like a boat towed astern.” Carton is destined to live a life of ignominy. At best, he can pick up the scraps left behind by his more forceful partner, although the latter can hardly be accused of being particularly capable (“a glib man, and an unscrupulous, and a ready, and a bold, he had not that faculty of extracting the essence from a heap of statements”).  In any event, Stryver is the lion; Carton is the jackal.

How is it shown in Act 1 and 2 of The Crucible that a general belief is too strong for an individual to resit?

In Act I of "The Crucible," there is an assumption made that Betty and Ruth are sick due to bewitching or witchcraft.  Even though the reader knows that Betty is pretending to be sick and refuses to open her eyes because she is afraid of what her father will do to her since he caught her and others in the woods the night before, dancing and conjuring spirits.

Reverend Parris does not believe Rebecca Nurse when she tells him that little Betty will wake up when she is good and ready, when she tires of playing her game.  He is convinced, or rather wants an instant remedy, one that the local doctor cannot provide, so he turns to Reverend Hale of Beverly, once the doctor tells him that there is nothing physically wrong with Betty.

Reverend Parris's assumption that witchcraft is to blame for Betty's illness starts a process that is validated by the arrival of Reverend Hale who lends his credibility and authority on the subject to the situation in Salem.

Before the first act is finished, Abigail and the girls have decreed that witchcraft is afoot in Salem in the presence of Sarah Good and Goody Osburne.  The hysteria feeds itself through the demands of the court for the names of others who were seen with the devil. 

As the hysteria spreads, it takes on a life of its own, self justifying itself everytime another person is accused of witchcraft and with the confessions that emerge from innocent people who simply want to save their lives come the concrete proof that witches are, in fact walking around in Salem.

The town becomes consumed with the cry of witchcraft for different reasons.  Some, like the Putnams see the opportunity to exploit or blame their neighbors for tragic circumstances beyond their control, such as when Anne Putnam accuses Rebecca Nurse of bewitching her seven babies who died at birth.

Or when Thomas Putnam has his daughter Ruth accuse Mr. Jacobs of witchcraft so that he can purchase his land, which is adjacent to the Putnams,  as those accused have their property taken away and sold at a discount.

The whole town is consumed by the craze, the madness seeps into every home, even the Proctors, who try to stay out of the whole process.  Even the finest citizens of Salem are not safe from the cry of the accuser. 

In "The Crucible" what had Mary Warren to do with the accusing of Goody Osburn?

Mary Warren, as "an official of the court", is there every day during the proceedings, and so she was present when Goody Osburn was brought in and questioned.  The first time Goody Osburn was accused was at Reverend Parris's house when Tituba, to get out of being hanged or whipped, claimed she saw Goody Osburn with the devil.  While Osburn is being questioned in the courts, Mary states that, "I feel a misty coldness climbin' up my back, and the skin on my skull begin to creep, and I feel a clamp around my neck and I cannot breathe air; and then-I hear a voice, a screamin' voice, and it were my voice-and all at once I remembered everything she done to me!"  Mary goes on to explain that once when she turned Osburn away from the door without food, Osburn mumbled and she "thought [her] guts would burst for two days after."  The implication is that Osburn mumbled some sort of curse or witchcraft to make Mary sick.  When asked to repeat what she mumbled, Osburn claimed it was her commandments, but then couldn't repeat them, and so Mary says that "they had her in a flat lie!"

So, although Osburn was not there on Mary's accusation, she is the one that brings forth the damning evidence that "proves" Osburn is a witch, at least in the eyes of the court.

Why was The Pony Express so short lived?

The Pony Express was always looking for riders.  The job was so dangerous, deadly really, that their employment posters sought out young men, teenagers, and especially orphans. Below is an actual ad seeking Pony Express riders.

"Wanted, young skinny, wiry fellows not over eighteen, must be expert riders willing to risk death daily, orphans preferred."

Although, only one Pony Express rider was killed by Indians during the 19 months of operation, also lost, only one bag of mail.  

The real reason that the Pony Express could not keep its riders was because the hard working young men, who rode in all types of weather had a hard time collecting their earnings. They often did not get paid, the company complained about being cash poor, they kept terrible records and seemed to have a hard time collecting the fees owed them for the delivery service. 

Is the society of "Animal Farm" a classless one?

The animal farm as originally conceived was meant to be a classless society. One of the seven commandments was "All animals are equal." However,in practice this was never the case. The pigs assumed a leading role and continued to grab power until the commandment read: Some animals are equal, but some are more equal that others. You can trace the loss of equality by watching the different commandments as they are broken and then re-written. The first commandment is "Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy." However, at the end of the novel, the pigs are walking on their hind legs. As an allegory, Orwell is commenting on the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. It was supposed to be a classless society, too. From the beginning, the revolution needed leaders. Lenin was the first to lead but died ( as Old Major) before many of the reforms he backed could be initiated. Sadly, the end result was the rule of Stalin (Napoleon) who killed millions in his surge to power.

How did geography affect the World War I plans of the participants?can anyone help me in this as soon as possible please list them as points!

The geography of the border areas had every effect on war plans.  The Germans, since the War of 1870, were certain that another war with France was inevitable, with much larger armies. French and German armies at the beginning of the war numbered over one million troops.  The German plan, masterminded by Count Alfred von Schlieffen, involved a mass advance across the entire frontier of France from the Swiss border to the English Channel, with the right wing heavily weighted.  While the German left and center would hold the French in place, the German right would swing through Belgium and descend upon the French rear, crushing their armies and seizing Paris in six weeks.  The plan involved violating the neutrality of Belgium; there was no other way of getting the troops into position above and behind the French army.  They realized this would bring Britian into the war, but the British army was very small in comparison, and the General Staff believed the war would be over too soon for the Brits to be a factor.  They also believed that the Belgians would offer only token resistance.

The second part of the German plan involved Russia, which also hinged on geography.  The only possible approaches to East Prussia was for the Russian force to split in two, to pas north and south of the Masurian Lakes.  The Germans planned to retreat, sacrifing eastern Prussia, and hold the Russians until the decision was won in the West.

The French plan was the infamous Plan 17, possibly the worst war plan ever made by a nation.  They intended to attack directly into Germany regardless of the German right wing.  This was foolish for three reasons: 1, the Germans would descend en masse on their rear; 2, on the French left (German center) they would be attacking into the Ardennes, an area with few roads and difficult terrain; and 3, on the French right they would be attacking into the Vosges, a mountain range no one (until the American 7th Army in WW II) had ever seized from an opposing force in all of history.

The British plan was to take their very tiny army and attach it to the French left wing, where they would be outnumbered massively as well as outflanked by the Germans.

The Russian plan was simply to throw themselves on the Germans in East Prussia, the First and Second Armies passing on both sides on the Masurian Lakes with no hope of coordinating their movements.  Against the Austro-Hungarians, the Russian plans were better, although they were nothing more than to counter the obvious movements planned by the Austrians.  Through the use of a spy (who had been head of the Austrian intelligence service) they knew the full Austrian plans, which were simply to attack along the most obvious geographic lines.

The Italians didn't really have much in the way of plans.  They were a member of an alliance with the Germans and Austrians, but did not take part in the war initially and then entered on the side of France and Britain.

The Bulgarians, Romanians, etc. had no plans for large scale warfare involving a general European war, just the usual Balkan plans to seize whatever they can.

Where are some examples of consonance, allusion, hyperbole, onomatopoeia, and personification, in "Do not go gentle into that good night" by Dylan...

An example of consonance from the poem comes from lines 17 and states,

      “Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray ”

The consonance exists here in the words “curse” and “bless” and then in the words “fierce” and “tears”.

The example of allusion, although there is more than one can be found in stanza 4, lines 10-12.  Here, the speaker says,

     “Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
      And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
      Do not go gentle into that good night.”

The speaker is alluding to “wild men” – possibly men in battle.

An example of hyperbole, or extreme exaggeration used for emphasis, can be found in lines 3, 9, 15, and 19 in the repetitious line,

     “Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”

Onomatopoeia can be found in line 14, with the use of the word “blaze” in the following:

     “Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay”

Finally, two examples of personification can be found in lines 2 and 5.  In line 2 the speaker personifies old age when he says,

     “Old age should burn and rave at close of day”

Additionally, he uses personification when he gives human qualities to words in line 5:

     ”Because their words had forked no lightning they”.

Who does Old Hamlet fight against?Now, there are two answers. One of which is clearly Norway. The other, it would be England. But I do have a point...

Good detective work! And I think you've got something...

Old Hamlet definitely does fight against the Norweigans, the sledded Polacks, and so on - as you know. Though I'm not sure you can assume that a king would always serve in military service. Moreover, I'm not sure you can assume that a king would always fight in a military conflict.

But the real crux is this: the actual line reads like this -

Two months since
Here was a gentleman of Normandy -
I have seen myself and served against the French
And they can well on horseback - but this gallant
Had witchcraft in't...

It was two months ago that Claudius saw the gentlemen from Normandy, but probably many, many years before - as a young man - that he served against the French. So no guarantee that Old Hamlet (not that much Claudius' elder, presumably) would have been king back then. 

But oddly - there is no other reference to this French war in the text. Maybe it was a composite army (an allegiance between France and another country). Maybe they were French mercenaries. Maybe Shakespeare was accidentally or deliberately voicing the anti-French feeling of his time! Who knows?  

Who are the five people Eddie meets in Mitch Albom's novel "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" and why are they important?

The five people Eddie meets are (in order): the Blue Man, the Captain, Ruby, Marguerite and Tala. Each person is important because they capture a part of Eddie's life in a snapshot. Their lives helped make him who he became.

The Blue Man: Eddie was partially responsible for the Blue Man's death. Eddie learns that humans are all connected in one way or another.

The Captain: Eddie's time in war taught him many life lessons. Meeting the Captain allowed Eddie to learn the truth of his injury, but also the truth about how the Captain died. The lesson Eddie learned from him was sacrifice.

Ruby: Although Ruby wasn't alive during Eddie's time at Ruby Pier, his life would have been much different without the existence of the park his father and Eddie worked at their entire lives. Ruby teaches Eddie to forgive, particularly his father.

Marguerite: The shining light in Eddie's life was his love, Maruerite. She appeared in his heaven to remind him that the love he felt for her was an eternal love.

Tala: Another one of the consequences of Eddie's decisions in war was the lost of Tala's life. Although she passed away, Eddie died saving another little girl. Tala helped Eddie learn what his life purpose was.

Who sells Jim?

The King sells Jim for forty dollars to the Phelps', who turn out to be Tom Sawyer's aunt and uncle. Huck finds this out when he comes across the Duke who is trying to set up another scam in the most recent town they've stopped in. The Duke tells Huck that the King sold Jim and that the King didn't even split the money with them. Then the Duke tries to send Huck on a wild goose chase just to get him out of town so that he won't tell the villagers about the scams that the conniving pair are about to pull on them. Huck, being the crafty kid that he is, knows the Duke is trying to get him out of town, so he pretends to go along with it, but then heads out to look for Jim.

This might be broad, but in "Lord of the Flies", what is the main theme, what is the author of this book trying to say?As I said before, what is...

On the whole I believe the message Golding is trying to get across is that all of us- regardless of race, culture, social background, sex- are equally capable of acts of cruelty as we are of goodness towards one another.  Put simply Golding seems to be holding up these boys as mirrors for us to see ourselves and, especially, the two conflicting states that exist within each of us, namely good and evil. 

This is most clearly seen in Ralph who simulataneously bullies and confers great acts of humanity upon Piggy in the opening chapters of the novel.  Take for example when he comes to the defense of Piggy when it is his turn to speak because he is holding the conch, but is almost denied this democratic right by Jack who clearly dislikes him and uses this to treat him unfairly; and then not too long after this joins in with the same ruthless Jack and the others in berating him for his glasses, which he knows he is hopeless without as he cannot see properly, to start the fire.  

Also pointing to this is the fact that Ralph, who is presented as the just and moral leader, further participates in the mob mentality or what could be described as the 'witch hunt' of Simon which starts off jokingly, but eventually leads to his death in the closing moments of the novel.

Help with literary terms in "The Catcher in the Rye."clichecolloquial (ism)sarcasmdiction

Let's start with the definition of each term, and then an example of each device as it is used in Salinger's novel.

Cliche:  a cliche is a trite, overused expression (like "hitting the nail on the head.")  Mr. Spencer often uses cliches, such as this line from Ch 2: 

 "Life is a game that one plays according to the rules."

Colloquialism:  common, informal speech.  Of course, Holden uses colloquialisms all the time.  Here's an example from Ch. 6: 

 "All morons hate it when you call them a moron."

Sarcasm:  language that is intended to insult or harm someone emotionally.  Holden is often sarcastic.  From Chapter 3:

He said he talked to Jesus all the time. Even when he was driving in his car. That killed me. I can just see the big phony bastard shifting into first gear and asking Jesus to send him a few more stiffs.

Diction:  Diction simply means the speaker's style and tone.  Holden's diction includes all of the other literary devices listed above.  An example of his diction, from Chapter 8: 

Sensitive. That killed me. That guy Morrow was about as sensitive as a toilet seat.

Could you give an example of imagery in King Henry V, and explain how it helps the reader understand the play?

Imagery is everywhere in Shakespeare: open your play at any page, and there'll be something interesting there which deepens or makes more complex the meaning of the passage.

Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more,
Or close the wall up with our English dead.
In peace there's nothing so becomes a man
As modest stillness and humility;
But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
Then imitate the action of the tiger;
Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood,
Disguise fair nature with hard-favour'd rage...

This very famous example is usually talked about as a jingoistic, bloodthirsty call to arms; a patriotic speech from the King to his loyal soldiers. Yet, a closer glance at some of the imagery suggests another layer of meaning within the speech.

Note the number of duplicities that Henry incites his men to perform: "disguise fair nature with hard-favoured rage", "imitate the action of the tigers", "lend the eye a terrible aspect", and so on. What's the difference between asking someone to act like a tiger, and be like a tiger?

Well, Henry seems to be acknowledging that the bravery and courage summoned up will be faked, acted, performed, rather than real. What then, is usually read as jingoistic, is revealed as far more desperate: Henry knows that his men don't want to return to the battle, but he tries to help them to physically perform bravery even if they feel terrified. And all that comes from the imagery!

How does Daisy respond to the phone call from Tom's "woman in new york" in "The Great Gatsby"?Chapter 1, at Daisy and Tom's house

At first, when Tom is called away, Daisy ignores it, only seeming to react as the call had "quickened something within her."  However, after calling Nick "a rose" and saying it was delight to have him there, she gets up from the table and goes into the hosue. 

When she comes back with Tom, Daisy babbles a bit about how "romantic" the evening is.  She is obviously rattled by the phone call, but tries to play it off in high spirits.  The rest of the dinner is tense and mostly quiet.

It isn't until after dinner, when Nick goes outside with Daisy, that she betrays some of what she was really feeling.  Daisy says this this:

“Well, I’ve had a very bad time, Nick, and I’m pretty cynical about everything.”

It is clear that Daisy is fully aware of her husband's indiscretions, and is unhappy.  She goes on to talk about her daughter, and says that she wishes her daughter would grow up a "fool".  Daisy suggests here that to be a fool would be to have happiness - as if she believes that if she didn't know about Tom's woman, she herself would be happier.

What is an example of a continental divergent boundary?Give an example of divergent boundary.

The 3 types of tectonic plate boundaries are convergent, transform, and divergent.  A convergent boundary is one where two plates are moving toward each other.  Typically one plate is forced beneath the other (ex: the Andes mountains and the Japanese islands).  A transform boundary is one were two plates move past each other.  One in a sinistral motion, and the other in a dextral motion (ex: the San Andreas Fault).  A divergent boundary is characterized by two plates moving away from each other.  A fissure is formed.  Magma enters the fissure, forming new crust.  When divergent boundaries occur in the ocean they are termed "oceanic divergent boundaries."  When they occur beneath continents they are termed "continental divergent boundaries."  Examples of divergent boundaries are the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the Great Rift Valley. 

Iceland is an example of a country undergoing a continental divergent boundary.  The Mid-Atlantic Ridge divides Iceland and is the boundary between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates.  The North American plate is slowly moving westward; while the Eurasian plate is slowly moving eastward.  The country of Iceland is slowly being pulled apart.

What is the symbolism found in Chapter 19 of "To Kill A Mockingbird?"

In chapter 19 of "To kill a Mockingird" some of the symbols are the Bible which Tom has to take an oath on.  This is to symbolize justice and this is ironic because Tom isn't getting any justice.  Tom is also a symbol of innocence.  Even though he is being treated as a guilty man by the prosecuting attorney.

What might have made Gregor feel dehumanized even before the metamorphosis took place?

Interesting question! In the story The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, Gregor feels dehumanized even before his transformation from human to bug! This is especially evident in his reaction to his transformation.

At the beginning of the story, Gregor realizes his transformation. Instead of responding with fear or astonishment, Gregor focuses primarily on his work. For example, as Gregor's thoughts reveal:

“what a demanding job I’ve chosen! Day in, day out on the road. The stresses of trade are much greater than the work going on at head office, and, in addition to that, I have to deal with the problems of traveling, the worries about train connections, irregular bad food, temporary and constantly changing human relationships which never come from the heart.”

Furthermore, Gregor fails to realize that something is wrong with him. As Gregor thinks about being late for his work, he considers calling in sick. However, he fears that his boss would have a doctor check on him and that the doctor would indicate that Gregor is simply making excuses. As the text illustrates:

“The boss would certainly come with the doctor from the health insurance company and would reproach his parents for their lazy son and cut short all objections with the insurance doctor’s comments; for him everyone was completely healthy but really lazy about work. And besides, would the doctor in this case be totally wrong? Apart from a really excessive drowsiness after the long sleep, Gregor in fact felt quite well and even had a really strong appetite.”

Thus, Gregor’s reaction to his transformation illustrates that he already feels dehumanized. Although Gregor is aware of his physical transformation, he still believes that he must continue working and that he is capable of doing so. His excessive focus on work and the pressure from his boss, family, and even himself cause Gregor to feel less human, even before becoming a bug.

What do these lines from Act 2, Scene 6 of "Romeo and Juliet" mean?These violent delights have violent endsAnd in their triumph die, like fire and...

These words are spoken by friar Laurence in response to Romeo's request that he should hurry up to conduct his and Juliet's marriage. The words are actually advisory in nature and the friar uses metaphors to allude to Romeo and Juliet's rushed conjugation.

Friar Laurence is saying that the couple's fiery and aggressive passion would end just as savagely as it had begun, implying that this great desire for each other would suddenly die at its pinnacle, just as fire and gunpowder do. The one ignites the other, and the burst they create exists for a brief but exhilaratingly profound period and then quickly fizzles out. 

Friar Laurence uses another comparison when he further states that honey which is very sweet ironically becomes abhorrent because it contains too much sweetness. Such honey is distasteful and when one has a taste of it, one is put off. Because of its gross sweetness, the honey's true value cannot be appreciated and its taste cannot be truly savored.

The friar advises Romeo to love in moderation since this is the quality of an enduring love. If he rushes into love, he might never achieve true, meaningful and lasting love (more haste, less speed). It would only be a short, bright flame that would quickly die out. 

How light is related to matter?Describe how light is related to matter.

Consider Einstein's equation:

  E=mc^2, or  m = E / c^2

This last equation suggests that matter (m)  is nothing more than extremely concentrated energy (E), or to think of it another way, a tiny amount of matter converts to an enormous amount of energy.

Light, or at least the visible light we see, is defined as a narrow band of wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum.  Consider your usage of the term "Light" to mean all of the electomagnetic radiation that could be found in all of the electromagnetic spectrum.  Energy can be measured in terms of electromagnetic wavelengths, so light, as we've defined it, means nothing more than energy, and enough concentrated energy is nothing more than matter, so

Electromagnetic wavelengths = Light

Light = Energy

Energy = Matter

so

Light = Energy = Matter

I need a good thesis statement for Scout's life lessons through churches, family, law, school, or any character.I need a thesis for my essay about...

It might be a bit late, but try this one on for size.

To Kill a Mockingbird is not only the story of the injustice suffered at the hands of ignorance and hatred. It is also the story of a young girl coming of age in a time of great change and turmoil.  At the center of this odyssey is the protagonist and narrator of the story, Scout Finch.   Through her interactions at Calpurnia's church, the sage advice of her father, her experiences at school, and the many dramatic events that make up this novel, the reader is able to see Scout grow as a person, learning some of the toughest life lessons in a little place called Maycomb. 

In "The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World", describe the common characteristics of the village people.

This is an interesting question because there appears to be a distinction between the male and female members of the village, though at the end of the story all are united in their acceptance of the drowned man as "Esteban", who they claim for their own.

It is the women who initially care for the corpse of the dead man - they remove the debris of the sea and are amazed to discover what they find when they have scraped off all of the seaweed, shells and barnacles:

Not only was he the tallest, strongest, most virile, and best-built man they had ever seen, but even though they were looking at him there was no room for him in their imagination.

It is the women then who first fall under the drowned man's spell, if we can use that term. They create a mythical life for him, and then a more hum-drum existence, calling him "Esteban" and imagining the difficulties that he had in life because of his size. It is the women who insist on a lavish funeral.

The men, who go out to other villages to check that the dead man is not from nearby, dismiss the "fuss" the women are making as "womanish frivolity" and just want to get rid of the corpse. As the women protest and try and adorn the litter with charms, the men argue with the women, which leads one of them to remove the handkerchief covering the corpse's face and then the men "recognise" Esteban for themselves. After this the villagers, both male and female, are united in creating a lavish funeral for the drowned corpse and are likewise united in their determination to transcend their limitations and transform their lives.

Thus the villagers, at first, differ in their response to the drowned corpse - the women quickly are drawn in by his magic, whereas the men take a little longer to fall under his spell, but by the end of the story all villagers are united in their desire to honour Esteban's life and change their community.

What were the working conditions of skilled laborers in the 1920s?

A universal answer might be taken from my own trade which was sanctioned in Ohio in 1900. One issue that has never changed is weather exposure with insufficient outerware, gloves; "street shoes" or cumbersome rubber "galoshes" that picked up every ounce of mud or snow underfoot. Lunch would have been cold sandwiches as today and a 1920's thermos wouldn't have kept anything warm an hour after arriving. Many europeans, even to the time I began in the '70's, brought bottles of beer in their lunchsack and many guys "drank their lunch." On large construction jobs there would have been everpresent smoke from burn-barrels and trash; fumes from equipment; boiling tar; coal smoke from boilers. Tools were heavy, cumbersome and required immense maintenance. On some jobs, horses and mules were still used so you can imagine what that added. Journeymen brought age old skills to America along with the culture of the indentured apprentice, who in England and Germany often lived in the journeyman's home under servant conditions. In America, apprentices are still indentured and depending on the trade (like plumbers and steamfitters) can spend five years in training, mostly at night after the workday. New materials and equip. have made work easier but the nature of manual work's toll on the body is as tough today as it always was.

Is "House" based on Dr. Paul Farmer?Dr. Paul Farmer

According to the creator of the show,David Shore, the character of House was not even in the original idea for the drama. Shore has stated that "the show was sold as a crime/police procedural, but instead of bad guys, the germs were the suspects. So it was more of a CSI kind of idea." It was only after the show was sold to the networks that the character of House originated because, says Shore, "This is going to get very dry because germs don't have motives."Shore credits the series star, Hugh Laurie for the characterization of the main characters. . . . In the wrong hands, he [House] could just be hateful. Somehow, Hugh Laurie has managed to turn this role into one of People magazine's sexiest men in America. When I was writing the character that was not what I had in mind." If you believe the creator, it's a case of coincidence that there are some similarities between the two characters.

In the poem "If" by Rudyard Kipling, what does "unforgiving minute" suggest?

"If" is filled with advice on how to best spend your time, and best react in each situation that is presented to you, no matter how diverse it is.  So, when Kipling states, "If you can fill the unforgiving minute/With sixty seconds' worth of distance run," he is saying that with every minute that you are given, make the absolute most of it that you can.  "Unforgiving minute" refers to the fact that every single minute is 60 seconds long-no more, and no less.  So when that minute is up, it is gone, forever.  You can't call it back to spend that time differently.  A minute is not merciful; it doesn't slow itself down to give you more time, or tack on a few seconds, or take a few of here or there.  It is unforgiving time; always constant, always running.  So, Kipling's advice is to fill every minute "with sixty seconds' worth of distance run," or to get as much good, effort, energy and distance out of every minute that you are given.  I hope that helps!

Compare and contrast the attitudes of Daru and Balducci toward the prisoner and the situation in "The Guest".

Balducci is a French "gendarme," or police officer. He is very disciplined and obeys orders that are given to him.  He does not understand anyone who does not obey orders. He is polite and friendly enough, but he is very abrupt.  He is all business and does not appear to hate his job, but there are parts of it he remarks that he doesn't like.  He knows Daru because Daru is the local school teacher.

Daru is a sensitive and quiet person. He is respectful to both men and he demonstrates compassion by having the prisoner's hands unbound before he serves him tea.  He doesn't mind living alone, and he really cares about his students.  This is most likely because he was raised in this area of Albania.  He does not like conflict.  He does not want to get involved politically with the French control or the Albanian rebels.  He simply wants to teach and live in peace.  This is the main reason he refuses to turn the Arab prisoner over to the French authorities.  He feels that if he does indeed deliver the prisoner, he will be taking a stand against the Arab community.  Daru is emotional, unsure of himself, and frightened of his future being disrupted. He says if he has to fight he will, but he isn't going to jump into the conflict prematurely.