Compare and Contrast how the use of irony in " Just Lather, That's All" and "The Gift of the Magi" affects the mood of each story.

In the short story "Just Lather, That's All," the barber has the colonel in his barber chair.  The man has killed many of the barber’s cohorts in a terrible public manner.  The barber is a revolutionary.  He has the man in front of him.  It is the man who hunts down revolutionaries and executes them. 

The barber could kill the man so easily and he toys with the idea.  He agonizes over the idea, but i the end he just lets it go because he doesn't want his life to change.  The irony is that because he did not kill the man, he will probably be killed by the man because the man knew the whole time that he was a revolutionary.  He reveals this at the end of the story.  It is ironic that he did not kill the man and now he will be killed.

The mood in the lottery is stressful and very tense as the barber toys with his decision.

I the story "The Gift of the Magi"  young couple are married and waiting for Christmas to come.  They have no money to buy each other gifts.  She has looked at some combs she liked a lot but knew she would never have them for her hair.  She sees he has an old watch hang and would look good with a new one.  She sacrifices her hair to buy him the watch attachment.  He sells his watch to buy her the hair combs.  When he finds out what she has done he shows her his gift.  He then laughs and they decide to put their gifts away.

The tone in the story is one of kindness and comfort and love.  There is no anger or terror.  There is only a warm sense of love even as the irony of the situation is revealed.

Is Amanda is really unstable or is she just eccentric? In other words, many readers believe that she’s got expectations for her family that...

I don't think that Amanda's expectations are absurd fantasies, she is a mother who, like many parents, wants her children to have a better life than she did.  She does not want her children to have to suffer the way she did, choosing a charming man, marrying him, only to be abandoned with two children to raise on her own.

Amanda is more stable then first appears.  She did struggle and raise her children alone, she has managed to keep a home together for them, in a time when government assistance, food stamps and welfare did not exist.  Amanda is a survivor, she is smart, and resourceful.  She is very brave, having to live like a widow, but with a stigma, her husband did not die, she was abandoned.

Amanda escapes the confines of her life by slipping into her memories and thinking about the days when she was a girl in Blue Mountain and was popular with lots of young gentleman seeking her hand in marriage.  The reader does not know if her memories are real or imagined, I think they are real, just a little exaggerated. 

Amanda's desire for her children is logical and rational.  She recognizes that Tom wants to find adventure, she understands that he wants to live his own life, free from the burden of caring for his mother and sister.  She makes a deal with him, find Laura a husband, then you can leave.  Her desire for Laura to have a stable future is very understandable, it is quite normal for a mother to want a daughter to get married, have a family, a home of her own.

What command does Hannah impose upon herself to numb the shock in "Devil's Arithmetic"?Chapters 11-13

To numb the shock of the conditions at the concentration camp, and to increase the chances of her own survival, Hannah imposes upon herself the command "Don't think.  Do" (Chapter 12).

Hannah, who has been transported back in time, knows the full implications of what is happening to the Jews in Poland during World War II.  She tries to warn her relatives and the people of the village, but no one will listen to her.  When the Jews are indeed arrested and taken under horrendous conditions by boxcar to the camp, she continues to try to make them understand that the Germans are going to kill them, but Gitl tells her to allow them to continue to "live moment by moment", because "what is here is bad enough".  Upon reflection, Hannah realizes that "her knowledge of the ovens, of the brutal guards, of names like Auschwitz and Dachau" can do nothing for them "except to take away that moment by moment of hope".  She resolves to stop thinking about what she knows, to just live in the moment, and to do whatever is necessary to survive (Chapter 11).

Hannah makes two other promises to herself in the camp.  She resolves with Gitl never to cry, because by not crying she is stronger (Chapter 11).  And she promises to remember, no matter what happens, whom she is and what has happened.  That is all she can do, for herself and those who will come after (Chapter 12).

In "Lord of the Flies", what happens to the Percival when he takes the conch to speak?plz help

When Percival takes the conch to speak, he is unable to get any words to come out of his mouth. He finally must whisper his words to Piggy who then tells the rest of the boys what Percival is saying. This is ironic because at the beginning of the story, Percival's response to everything was to repeat his name, phone number and address. Now, he has forgotten what was obviously very important information that he parents had taught him in case of emergency. Thus, we can see the deteriorating effect of civilization on the rest of the boys through Percival's inability to speak.

What is the exact quote about "...words left unsaid or deeds left undone" from "The Little Foxes"?

It's from Chapter 1 of "The Little Foxes" as you correctly suggest:

The bitterest tears shed over graves are for
words left unsaid and deeds left undone. "She
never knew how I loved her." "He never
knew what he was to me." "I always meant
to make more of our friendship." " I did not
know what he was to me till he was gone."
Such words are the poisoned arrows which
cruel Death shoots backward at us from the
door of the sepulchre.

Hope this helps!

In "The Crucible", how does John Proctor show a voice of reason?

We see John's reason in some of his first interactions with the townspeople.  Parris bemoans that people are spreading rumors about witchcraft, and John states simply, "Then let you come out call them wrong."  Putnam insists children are dying, and Proctor says, "I see none dyin'".  He is the first to voice the reasonable argument that of course people will confess if they avoid hanging:  "There are them that will swear to anything before they'll hang; have you never thought of that?"  He considers Mary having sewn the poppet reasonable proof enough to dismiss the officials from his house: "Bid him begone.  Your mind is surely settled now."  He asks the very pertinent question:  "Why do you never wonder if Parris be innocent, or Abigail?"  He leads the many attempts to prove the girls a fraud (the petition, Giles' testimony, Mary Warren), eventually ousting his affair to show that vengeance is at play:  "it is a whore's vengeance, and you must see it."  When they try to post his confession to the church door he logically proclaims, "God does not need my name nailed upon the church!...I have three children-how may I teach them to walk like men in the world, and I sold my friends?"

These are just a few examples of John's reason, logic and common sense, that unfortunately did not hold back the tide of hysteria and accusations.

Why is stream-of-consciousness appropriate in "The Jilting of Granny Weatherall"? What about Ellen Weatherall's condition does this narrative...

Granny Weatherall is dying. She is not thinking clearly so by using the stream of consciousness, the author gives a spontaneous feeling to her thoughts, and to the confusion Granny experiences. Because she is confused and also ill, her thoughts are jumbled. Yet the way they are presented makes it easy for the reader to establish what was important to her. Events occur in the story, not in chronological order, but in the order Granny remembers them. This seems like it would be confusing, but the lack of clarity gives the story an authentic feeling and we end up admiring Granny's life and the obstacles she overcame.

Why was it so difficult to unify Italy?

There were at least two reasons why it was not easy to unify Italy.  One of the reasons was internal to Italy while the other was external.

The external reason was that there were foreign countries who had interests in the Italian peninsula.  It was not simply a matter of getting various Italian states to agree to unify.  Instead, there were the French and the Austrians to contend with.  Both of these powers had interests in Italy and had to be dealt with in the course of the move to unify.

The internal reason is that there was a strong sense of regionalism in what is now Italy.  Even today, there is a great deal of animosity between the northern and the southern parts of Italy.  In the 1860s and 1870s there was even more.  Many Italians were more accustomed to thinking of themselves as citizens of a given small state, not as ethnic Italians.  This made them less likely to be interested in becoming part of a larger Italian state.

For these two main reasons, it was hard to unify Italy.

In Act 3, Scene 1, what does Mercutio think is the reason Romeo refuses to fight?

Here's what Romeo says:

I do protest I never injur'd thee,
but love thee better than thou canst devise.
And so, dear Capulet, whose name I tender
As dearly as my own, be satisfied.

Mercutio is the next to speak:

O calm, dishonourable, vile submission.
Alla stoccata carries it away.

Draws.
Tybalt, you ratcatcher, will you walk?

You're right to assert as you do that Mercutio does not know that Romeo's love for the Capulet's name is anything to do with Juliet: in fact, he dies never knowing about Romeo and Juliet's relationship.

Mercutio simply thinks that Romeo's refusal to fight is because of cowardice, and because he is scared of Tybalt: and his submission to Tybalt is "calm, dishonourable, vile". As his friend won't fight Tybalt, he draws his sword to fight him himself. And the rest, as they say, is history.

In Animal Farm, what does the song "The Beasts of England" symbolize?

The song is both a battle cry for the rebellion on Manor Farm and an anthem that helps the animals keep the spirit of the rebellion alive in their hearts.  After Manor Farm becomes Animal Farm, the feeling among the animals is that things will be better now that they are ruling themselves.  They are no longer under the rule of the humans who has taken us for granted.  The beasts of England are the humans who have abused the animals.

When the animals successfully defend the farm against the humans in the Battle of Cowshed, the song is even more important to the animals. 

"News of the Rebellion at Animal Farmbegins to spread, and animals across the countryside are singing "Beasts of England." The neighboring farmers, led by Mr. Pilkington of Foxwood and Mr. Frederick of Pinchfield Farm, attempt to retake Animal Farm by force."

Also 

The “Beast of England song” song is important because it is what unites the animals in the beginning of the book it is a symbol of change for the animals. “Bright will shine the fields of England, purer shall its waters be, sweeter yet shall blow breezes on the day that sets us free.”  The animals are singing a song of freedom, the animals are expecting their desire to leave the dictatorship of Mr. Jones and start a democracy. The fact that the animals sang the song after the battle of cowshed is an example of how it was a symbol of freedom because they were finally free from human rule the animals could now rule themselves.

Also, when the animals are no longer aloud to sing the song it shows that the animals are slipping back into the type of leadership that was in place when Mr. Jones was in charge of the farm. It was also one of the last straws that the animals took before over throwing the pigs. The song being taken away symbolizes that the animal’s freedoms are also being taken away, the freedom that they fought so hard to take from Mr. Jones and now the animals must now fight for freedom once again.

In the song there is also a theme of things being better on the other side, if they get their freedom then the animals will live in perfect harmony for the rest of their life’s, which is not the case. The song represents a false assumption that life will be better if the animals are no longer ruled by humans.

What are isotopes? Please explain clearly and in detail.

Isotopes (from Greek words meaning "same position") refer to the different versions of a given element.  They occupy the "same position" of an element in the Periodic Table, and are chemically identical.  Each element is composed of a number of positively charged protons which are surrounded by negatively charged electrons.  Hydrogen, being the simplest element, is composed of a single electron moving around a single proton.  However, elements may possess various number of neutrons in the nucleus of the atom; the various number of neutrons determine the various number of isotopes (some elements have many isotopes, some have none.) Each isotope has a different atomic weight, since the nucleus may have different quantities of neutrons in the nucleus.  In 1816, an English physician named William Prout (1785-1850) suggested that all atoms were constructed of multiple units of the hydrogen atom. However, his theory was disregarded; as atomic weights began to be determined, many elements had fractional weights instead of whole numbers as the theory required.  Around the turn of last century chemists and physicists began experimenting with radioactivity, and began to realize that elements can have multiple forms, and therefore multiple weights, varying only by the number of neutrons, and it was this variation that caused the fractional weights in the atomic weight.  Once the neutrons were considered, Prout's theory was vindicated, as each element and each of its isotopes all have integer weights.

"The New Intelligent Man's Guide to Science," I. Asimov, Basic Books, Inc.,  1965, pg. 258. 

What does Jem find under Scout's bed?

Jem finds Dill hiding under the bed.

In chapter 14 when Scout and Jem are sent to bed early for fighting, Scout goes in to her room and steps on something "warm, resilient, and rather smooth" (Lee, chapter 14). Scout assumes that it is a snake and calls Jem to help her. He gets a broom and jabs the broom stick under the bed. After hearing grunts, Jem sees a dirty person run out from under the bed. He swings the broom and luckily misses because it is Dill. 

Dill has run away from home because he feels mistreated and he also misses Scout and Jem.  

Analyse two monologues highlighting the mental state of Hamlet.

You might want to start with Act I Scene 2, with Hamlet's monologue that begins "O, that this too too solid flesh would melt...But break, my heart; for I must hold my tongue."

Hamlet delivers this soliloquy as a consequence of seeing his mother happy in her new position as wife to Hamlet's uncle. She appears to have forgotten her former husband (Hamlet's father) and appears to all intents and purposes to be happy in her new state as the wife of Claudius. Hamlet, obviously still grieving his father, cannot understand this attitude of his mother's and is shocked by it, producing one of the most famous quotes from Hamlet: "Frailty, thy name is woman!" Hamlet is so upset by it that he wishes he could commit suicide. In a world where love and affection can be so quickly forgotten and are so transient, what is there to live for? We can see how this affects the way Hamlet views the world: "How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable / Seem to me all the uses of this world!"

Secondly, you might want to select Hamlet's soliloque in Act I Scene 5 which begins: "O all you host of heaven! O earth! what else?....I have sworn 't."

Another high-drama moment for poor Hamlet, as this soliloquy is delivered after the Ghost of his father discloses to him how he was killed and that Claudius was the murderer. Hamlet is overwhelmed by hatred for both Claudius and his mother: "O most pernicious woman! / O villain, villain, smiling, damned villain!" Hamlet, at the ghost's urgings, promises to "Remember [him]" and pledges himself to avenging his murder by killing Claudius. He is so dedicated and fixed on this objective that he vows to forget all else except this task of achieving revenge:

    Yea, from the table of my memory
    I'll wipe away all trivial fond records,
    All saws of books, all forms, all pressures past,
    That youth and observation copied there;
    And thy commandment all alone shall live
    Within the book and volume of my brain,
    Unmix'd with baser matter

Now, everything comes second place to his desire to achieve revenge.

In Brave New World, what is each caste's designated color?

Each caste in Aldous Huxley's Brave New World is distinguished by the color of its work clothes. In order of caste from lowest to highest, Epsilons dress in black, Deltas wear khaki, Gammas wear leaf green, Betas dress in mulberry, and Alphas wear grey. 

This color division system to differentiate castes is in place so that people can quickly and easily know what caste a person is in. The dystopian world described in Huxley's novel is very superficial, so of course they would use a superficial designation like color coding. It is surface-level symbolism, but also very effective psychologically. The world is also one that relies heavily on simplistic psychological conditioning, as seen with the Pavlovian type conditioning and the electric shocks. 

In such a world, it is incredibly important to know at all times who is in which caste, which the color system perpetuates and concretizes. It is vital for the continuation of the oppressive state because the caste system is the absolute most powerful tool the dystopian government, the World State, has to oppress and brainwash their citizens. Using genetic modification techniques, the World State makes the lower castes physically unable to rebel. In their fetal state, they are introduced to alcohol in their blood, deprived of oxygen, and then afterwards they must undergo extreme brainwashing and conditioning. Thus, lower class citizens are created to be servile and lesser. It is in their "nature," as manipulated as it is. This system allows for the dominance of certain people over others, and the systematic nature of the oppression makes it extremely difficult to challenge. In fact, one could argue that it's even impossible to challenge based on the way in which the oppression has taken root. So although it seems arbitrary, the color system in the World State castes is actually an incredibly systematic way of keeping the status quo. 

Why does an exothermic reaction take place faster than an endothermic reaction?i had to do a lab in chemistry class and now i have to write a lab...

The Heat of Formation for a compound is the heat generated when elements combine to form the compound.  A positive Heat of Formation is otherwise known as an exothermic reaction, and these by far are the most numerous, as reactions tend towards the more stable, and less energetic compounds, the energy given off as heat.  So as soon as combination occurs, heat is released.  The other process, a negative Heat of Formation, or endothermic reaction, happens less often, as these reactions tend towards the creation of less stable and more energetic compounds, absorbing energy during the reaction in the form of heat.  These are slower, as it is the equivalent of "running uphill" to add energy, or absorb heat to create the compound, and the addition of energy makes it harder for the elements to react with each other, because the more energetic they are, the less likely they are to combine.  The products of endothermic reactions are almost always unstable, and some can break down to their components with explosive violence.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th ed. vol. 6 pg 46 and vol. 26 pg 807.

How does Atticus put himself in Tom Robinson's shoes in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Jem and Scout were "horrified" when they watched Atticus do something they had never seen him do before during his final summation to the jury in the trial of Tom Robinson. Perhaps attempting to alter his own appearance to present himself as more of a "common man," Atticus took off his coat, loosened his tie, and unbuttoned his vest and collar. He removed his pocket watch and chain and put them on his table.

He never loosened a scrap of his clothing until he undressed at bedtime... this was the equivalent of him standing before us stark naked.

He took off his glasses, and Scout saw that he was also perspiring--and she had never seen him sweat. Atticus was not only unburdening himself of his attorney's garb, but he was about to unburden his soul before the jury. It was the closest he could come in a courtroom to standing in Tom's own shoes.

How did Beth die in "Little Women"?

Elizabeth March, called "Beth," and the circumstances of her death in Louisa May Alcott's book Little Women, is based on the real life sister of the author. Louisa May Alcott's most beloved sister, Lizzie Alcott, was the "real" Beth. Lizzie Alcott died of scarlet fever when she was twenty-three. 

In the fictional story, the circumstances are mostly the same. Beth March, who has dedicated her life to quiet and unassuming charity, is visiting the Hummels. The Hummels are their neighbors, a poor German family with a widowed mother and six children. They live in dire poverty, and the Marches often provide them with gifts of food, firewood, blankets, and other necessities. When the children contract scarlet fever, Beth goes to help nurse them, fully knowing that she is at risk. Her self sacrifice is enormous. 

Beth contracts scarlet fever from this, and becomes terribly ill. The family, especially Jo, nurse her back to health. However, although she gets over the scarlet fever, her health is NEVER the same again. She is permanently weakened by this illness. Over time, she becomes weaker and weaker and sicker and sicker. The family grieves, eventually realizing that Beth will not live for much longer. 

Her death is the main tragedy of the novel. Although Beth seems to have the least agency of all the sisters, being the most shy and unambitious one, she is the one to have the most impact on the others. She is angelically selfless, and absolutely unconditionally compassionate at all times in her life. Even as she lays in her bed dying, she knits and sews clothes for the neighborhood children.

In conclusion, Beth March (mirrored by the real-life Lizzie Alcott), does not die directly from scarlet fever, but dies some time later of complications from scarlet fever. 

In the poem, "The Soul's Prayer" by Sarojini Naidu, can you help to explain the 6th stanza?

The entire poem is about a prayer that a person offers up to God, asking him to give them everything-all of life's experiences, and to spare them nothing so that they can experience it all.  In the sixth stanza, the Lord is answering that prayer.  Before this, he has stated that he will do just that, that their soul will "know all passionate rapture and despair...drink deep of joy and fame...love shall burn thee like a fire, and pain shall cleanse thee like a flame."  So the Lord will answer her request, and let her experience it all-good and bad.

Then, he states, "So shall thy chastened spirit yearn/To seek from its blind prayer release,/And spent and pardoned, /sue to learn/The simple secret of My peace."  In this stanza he says that her spirit, through these experiences will be chastened or humbled, and she will wish a release from the prayer she offered-a release from all of these experiences.  Her soul, "spent and pardoned", or tired and exhausted, will want to know how to be peaceful.  It will want to know how to leave the fire and flame behind, the burning and cleansing, and simply experience quite, underrated peace.

All in all the poet will learn that all of the drama and excitement in life is not necessarily what makes it good; sometimes, it is the peaceful, quiet moments, and in these, we are closest to God.  I hope that helped!

What does the conversation between Abigail, Mercy Lewis, Mary Warren, and Betty reveal about their recent activities?

The conversation provides an opportunity for the girls to express their fear about what has been started by their escapades in the forest.  They are worried about the punishment that they will have to endure at the hands of the community. 

Especially from Betty, who is terrified at what is being said, particularly by Mary Warren who understands the seriousness of an accusation of witchcraft. 

"What'll we do? The village is out! I just come from the farm; the whole country's talkin' witchcraft! They'll be callin us witches.  Abby!" Miller  (ActI)

"Witchery's a hangin error, a hangin like they done in Boston two year ago!" Miller (Act I)

Betty screams for her mother, Abigail becomes violent with Betty, she slaps her hard across the face, screaming at her to shut up, to never speak of what they did in the forest again.

The conversation also shows the reader that Abigail is the leader of the group.  She is in command of the girls behavior from this point on in the play, they will follow her lead, mimicking her as she pretends to see spirits. 

What was prophesied in the Abrahamic Covenant and how was it fulfilled in Christ?

A messiah was promised based on Abraham's willingness do as God had asked (told) him to do. This included leaving his home country and going into a different land, trusting God regarding an heir, and then offering his only (legitimate) son as a sacrifice.

The promises God made to Abraham are unconditional and everlasting. There are no "if" clauses in the Abrahamic covenant.

This covenant promises land  (Gen 12:1, 13:14-18), descendants (Gen 12:2) and blessings (Gen 12:3). Gen 15:3 promises that all nations of the earth will be blessed through the seed of Abraham. This is a foreshadowing of the coming messiah that Christians believe is Jesus Christ. The Abrahamic Covenant finds its ultimate fulfillment in connection with the return of Messiah to rescue and bless His people Israel. (http://www.gotquestions.org/Abrahamic-covenant.html)

Christians believe that Christ is the fulfillment of the promises God made to Abraham

(Gal 3:29 KJV) And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

(Gal 3:7-8 KJV) Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. {8} And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.

15 The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time 16 and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18 and through your offspringb all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.” (NIV GEN 22: 15-18)

"That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith" (Galatians 6:14 NIV).

The Jews are still awaiting the messiah to come and restore Israel. Christians believe the messiah (Jesus glorified) will return in "glory" to set up his righteous kingdom on earth.

Compare the effects of the different narrative voices in "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge."

In the first section of the story, Bierce describes the setting of the execution up to the point where "the sergeant stepped aside" and Peyton begins his last journey to the bottom of the rope. The second section of the story is told from a standard, third person point of view. In this section, Bierce gives the reasons why Farquhar is being hanged. It seems he was tricked by a Union spy into believing the Owl Creek Bridge was not well-guarded and Farquhar had tried to burn down the bridge. The second part does vary a little from the first section of the story because some of Farquhar's perceptions are described.

The third section picks up after "the sergeant stepped aside". Here, the narrator tells of Farquhar's sensation of the rope breaking and his struggle to escape from the Union army. The perceptions of Farquhar seem somewhat supernatural because he can see insects on trees and even the color of the eyes of the Union soldier shooting at him. At the end of this section, the narration suddenly changes back to the third person and the reader discovers that Farquhar is dead. The narration has shifted to show the confusion and disorientation that Farquhar feels as he is dying on the end of the rope.

What are some examples of foreshadowing in Ethan Frome?

The main example that Wharton uses is when Ethan describes the sledding hill for the first time and tells Mattie about how the tree could really do some damage, should anyone hit it.

Chapter 1: Ethan is on his way to pick up his wife’s cousin, Mattie Silver, who is attending a church dance. The night is cold;the village buried under snow. He stops for a moment to look over the long hill behind the church, a favorite place for coasters—a scene that foreshadows the tragedy of Chapter 9.

Chapter 2:As Ethan and Mattie walk home, they pass the big elm at the bottom of the hill, and Mattie mentions that her engaged friends, Ned Hale and Ruth Varnum, had almost run into it while coasting.

Chapter 3: Ethan recalls how sickly-looking Mattie had been when she arrived in Starkfield and how healthy and strong she has become--foreshadows her sickly future.

Chapter 4: Gives us more background on Ethan's mother who was energetic and chatty in her youth but became quiet and withdrawn after her illness.  This also happens to Zeena within a year of their marriage.

Chapter 5: Ethan is able to savor his evening with Mattie, although Zeena’s absence causes some constraint. Mattie serves the pickles in one of Zeena’s best cut-glass dishes, and when the cat accidentally breaks it, both she and Ethan are terrified.

How does doing the right thing not, necessarily, lead to happiness in the play?By the end of the play, Antigone's views on "doing the right thing"...

thanks pmiranda--yes, Creon is wrong for most of the play--he's the tragic hero, whose in his hubris, his overweening pride, encroaches on the gods realm-- he elevates himself above their law.  Similarly, Oedipus encroaches with "Your birds-- / what good were they?  or the gods, for the matter that? / But I came by, / Oedipus, the simple man, who knows nothing-- / I thought it out for myself, no birds helped me," and the play single action dramatizes his being put back in his place--the gods show his his moral limits--and Oedipus feels great misery and he suffers but now that he recognizes his identity, he knows himself and only in that knowledge can he be happy.  

In Antigone, Creon encroaches with "the gods? / Intolerable!  The gods favor this corpse? Why?  How had he served them? / Tried to loot their temples . . . / Is it your senile opinion that the gods love to honor bad men? / A pious thought!"  Creon raises his proclamation, his view of the law above the gods' law, and for the rest of he play, the dramatic action brings him in line with the fundamental law of the gods--"Nothing too much."  The artistic expression of the tragic hero's fall is an absolute good that celebrates a universal order--Necessity always rights man's place beneath the gods. 

So when the play brings Creon in line--when he tragic falls in line--with the moral order of the universe, Creon feels bad, of course, but happiness is that he knows his limits.

In "The Crucible", what evidence is used to support Abigail William's assertion that Elizabeth Proctor is guilty of witchcraft?The Crucible - Act II

At the end of Act II of "The Crucible", Elizabeth Proctor is taken away by Cheever because she has been accused of witchcraft by Abigail Williams. According to Cheever, when Abigail had been eating dinner with the judges and other magistrates of the Salem courts, Abigail pulled a long needle out of her stomach, claiming that Elizabeth had sent her spirit to stab her with it. Abigail claimed that Elizabeth had a poppet that she used almost as a “voodoo doll” and that they would find a needle in the doll exactly where the needle was in Abigail’s stomach. The doll had actually been made by Mary Warren in court, and Abigail had seen Mary stick the needle in the doll so that she would not lose it.

Why is the universe so vast, huge and immense?

The scientific answer to your question is would be that before the "big bang" all matter in the universe was condensed into a tiny fragment called "the singularity". Scientists and physicists are still trying to figure out what happened but somehow the matter exploded and began expanding. According to scientists, this occurred millions of years ago. But the expansion is still occurring so the matter in the universe has had quite a long time to grow larger. What is also interesting is that much of the matter in the universe is "dark", in other words invisible to our eyes. This means that we truly do not know how vast or immense the universe is, or even if other dimensions exist which contain other universes. You have an excellent question, one that mankind has been asking for centuries. We think we know part of the answer, but the entire answer remains unknown.

Briefly summarize Chapter 6 of "The Hound of The Baskervilles."

Chapter 6 begins at the railway platform at London with Holmes seeing off Dr.Watson. Dr.Watson was accompanying Sir Henry Baskerville and Dr.Mortimer to Devonshire. Holmes instructs  Dr.Watson to report to him regularly and in complete detail whatever  happens at Baskerville Hall. He also advises Dr.Watson to carry his gun with him. After a short but pleasant journey they arrive at Devonshire.

As they drive down to Baskerville Hall they learn that Selden "the Notting Hill murderer" has escaped from the prison at Princetown and is now hiding in the moor. Soon they arrive at Baskerville Hall. Dr.Mortimer excuses himself and drives straightaway to his house. Dr.Watson and Sir Henry are welcomed by the butler Barrymore who takes care of all their personal needs and makes them feel at home. Barrymore announces that he and his wife intend to quit the place as they were both deeply affected by the death of Sir Charles, the father of Sir Henry.

Both of them, Sir Henry and Dr.Watson have their dinner and retire to their rooms for the night. Dr.Watson went to bed soon, but he couldn't sleep and he was tossing about in his bed "seeking for the sleep which would not come." Then suddenly he heard the sound of a woman sobbing and he listened  carefully and was convinced that the sound definitely came from inside the house. 

Who is Hassan in The Kite Runner?

Hassan is a critical figure in The Kite Runner.  A poor boy, he is the best kite runner in Kabul, Afghanistan, and has grown up with the story’s wealthy protagonist, Amir.  Hassan and Amir are best friends despite the fact that Hassan is Amir’s servant.  The relationships between these two are key threads of the story’s plot.  One betrays the other, and we also learn that they are related by blood.  I won’t spoil the story by telling you how.  I do hope you will actually read this book, as it is wonderful!!

Explain the pair of couplets at the end of Act 1.2 of Macbeth. In Act I scene II, explain: "Go pronounce his present death, And with his...

Here we see King Duncan interacting with one of the other distinguished noblemen of his court.  He has declared that one of his noblemen, the Thane of Cawdor, has been deemed a traitor and will suffer the punishment of death for his crimes.  He also declares that Macbeth will receive this title due to his distinction in battle (in warding off two approaching armies!).  Simultaneously, Macbeth receives a prophesy from the three witches in the woods and is apprehensive in believing what they tell him (that he will be Thane of Cawdor first and subsequently King of Scotland).  The nobleman announcing to Macbeth that he has become the Thane of Cawdor is the moment in the play that sets off a domino effect causing all of the other events which occur later.  For example, because Macbeth learns that he will be Thane of Cawdor he also believes that the prophesy about becoming king is true as well.  Further, he goes through plotting and killing in order to attain the title of King due to the first prophesy coming true and leading him to believe that this order of events is in fact preordained to occur.  Moreover, this rise in rank and corresponding prophesy are enough to encourage Lady Macbeth to begin her own plotting and prepare Macbeth to murder Duncan.  This sequence of events serves to cause a cascade of events leading to Macbeth's downfall.  This particular moment is what many believe brings into question the idea that Macbeth controls his own destiny.  Between the prophesy that spurs Macbeth to kill in cold blood and the manipulation from his wife, Macbeth's thirst for ambition cannot be squelched by his conscience.  

What is the impact of the venerable bede on Christians?

The Venerable Bede had an extraordinary impact on Christians in that he is largely responsible for helping to spread Christianity throughout England in the eighth century.  It would first be appropriate to mention Bede's innovation of what is often called "Christian chronology," which begins dating important events relative to the birth of Christ.  This became common throughout England as well as throughout Europe.  Secondly, one can't mention Bede's impact on Christians without mentioning his Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum (or A History of the English Church and People).  In addition to reporting a thorough history of England dating back to Cesar, Bede also details the differences between Celtic Christianity and Roman Catholic Christianity.  Although the work itself is a "history," Bede doesn't shy away from reporting legend and often reports contested miracles as fact.  Most importantly, Bede is famously credited for what is sometimes called the "Christian renaissance" in England that happened during the eighth century.  In fact, the spread of Christianity throughout England was a dominant theme of that time in addition to England's political unification.

In "The Crucible" why does Elizabeth think that John should go to Ezekiel Cheever?

John Proctor and Ezekiel Cheever are friends; Elizabeth feels that if John goes to talk to him about what Abby told him regarding the dancing in the woods, Cheever could pass it on to the courts, and maybe some of the madness would stop.  She says, "Let you go to Ezekiel Cheever-he knows you well.  And tell him what she said to you last week in her uncle's house.  She said it had naught to do with witchcraft, did she not...God forbid you keep that from the court, John."  When Abby spoke to John at the Parris household, she said that when her uncle jumped in on the girls, the "took fright is all", and that Betty was certainly not bewitched, just spooked.  So Elizabeth feels that is John shares that with the courts, all the chaos would be halted.  John agrees, but worries about sharing the information since Abby and he were alone at the time.  This sparks an argument between John and Elizabeth that is ended as Mary Warren comes in.  In the end, he doesn't need to go to Cheever, because Hale shows up and John tells him.  That information being out there didn't do any good, unfortunately, but John tried.

Why does Macbeth believe the witches in Shakespeare's Macbeth?

Macbeth believes the witches because it is an easy excuse for him to foster his "vaulting ambition."  Considering that ambition is Macbeth's tragic flaw, Macbeth was not in a situation to further his position more than he had already done before the play begins.  Thane of Glamis is a wonderful title, but not as exciting as that of King.  It is important to note, however, that it isn't the witches alone who convince Macbeth.  To say so would be neglecting one of English Literature's most infamous villains:  Lady Macbeth.  Macbeth doubts himself (and doubts himself again) before finally being convinced by Lady Macbeth that the witches prophesy should be taken as truth.  Lady Macbeth, then, shares a similar tragic flaw with her husband, . . . in fact, perhaps more so.

Why does Poe preface "The Fall of the House of Usher" with an excerpt from a poem by De Beranger?What do the lines suggest and howapt are they for...

Poe prefaces his story "The Fall of the House of Usher" with a line written in French that can be translated, "His heart is a hanging lute, which need only to be touched to resound." This suggests that Roderick Usher is meant to represent some kind of creative artist. The paradox with being an artist is that one needs solitude in order to create but an artist also needs contact with people in order to get ideas for their creations. Usher is an artist who has not left his house, the symbol of his mind, for many years. He paints "ideas" not people or things because he has not contact with them. The only way that he has kept his sanity is because of Madeline, who gives him some connection to the outside world. When Madeline becomes ill, that connection is gone and he begins to go mad. The" lute" of his heart is no longer touched so it ceases to "resound" and eventually breaks. The line by DeBeranger foreshadows this collapse.

What is a good Poem for the book "The Gift of the Magi"?Using a short to medium length poem, provide a poem (not a song) that would accompany...

"Those Three Wise Men" by Kathryn Neff Perry was written just this year (2008). 

The sky was blackOn that eerie nightWe wondered thenWhat was that sight? There was a starThat led the wayThose three menThey stopped to pray Those Three WisemenWho came to seeA sight to shareWith you and me They each brought giftsTo share with YouThey saw a babeSo brand new.  In the manger on that nightThat tiny babeWhat a sight. How could we knowWhen we saw His faceHe’d be the oneTo change this place? We offered frankincenseAnd myrrhOn that nightNo one did stir. The northern lightThat guided themIs there untilHe comes again.Written by Kathryn Neff Perry©Copyright 2008All Rights Reserved. 

Summarize Hale's argument favoring Proctor's confession. What does Proctor have "no tongue for"?

In Act 4 of The Crucible, Reverend Hale returns to the court to persuade those who were falsely accused to confess to witchcraft so that they will not give their lives for something that they have not done -- this is evident when he says, "There is blood on my head. Can you not see the blood on my head?"

Hale's argument favoring John's confession is along the same lines as this.  At this point, Hale realizes that Proctor is not a witch, has never practiced witchcraft and is a product of the mass hysteria that has overtaken Salem.  Hale wants Proctor to confess because he knows that he is telling the truth and that the girls were total liars. 

Furthermore,  Proctor states, "I speak my own sins; I cannot judge another. I have no tongue for it," in Act 4 after he confesses to witchcraft.  The judges ask him who else he has seen with the devil.  Because John has committed the sin of adultery, he does not think that he can "judge another"  -- that is what Proctor does not have the tongue for. 

What is the role of weather and religion in Things Fall Apart? How are rain and drought significant?

Rain and drought become symbols of spiritual and emotional emptiness, especially for Okonkwo. Weather, particularly rain, is essential to the livelihood of the Ibo people. Without rain, the yams cannot grow, & without yams, a man cannot feed his family. Therefore he is not a man. For Okonkwo, this drought comes to reflect his inner drought, a metaphorical sterility in his heart. He feels no love for Nwoye, his first son, & he has difficulty expressing any kind of feelings for any other members of his family.

The Ibo are a polytheistic society, & they believe in particular gods for various aspects of nature. Often, they identify the source of a drought as some sort of blasphemous act that has occurred on their soil. It is much the same with Okonkwo. His blasphemy was the murder of Ikemefuna, which led to his own internal emptiness. In order to restore the rain & the land, one must make a sacrifice of some kind, a penance for sin, if you will. Okonkwo does this through his suicide. It becomes the ultimate offering for the village and the gods, atoning for the sins he visited upon the society.

How does Rebecca Nurse explain the children's strange behaviour in "The Crucible"? what reasons does john proctor give for staying away from...

Rebecca Nurse, explains that the children are engaging in silly behavior, or pretending.  She says that Betty will wake up when she gets hungry enough, or tires of playing her games.

"I think she'll wake in time.  Pray calm yourselves.  I have seen them through their silly seasons,  and when it comes on them they will run the Devil bowlegged keeping up with their mischief.  A child's spirit is like a child, you can never catch it by running after it;" (Miller)

John Proctor stays away from the church because he does not like the pastor, Reverend Parris.  He feels that Parris is too concerned with worldy possessions and not really a spiritual man concerned with the salvation of souls.  He feels that Parris spends his Sunday sermons on asking for donations so that he can, for example, buy gold candlesticks for the altar.  Proctor feels that the Pewter candlesticks, are perfectly fine.

Parris has made demands on the congregation, such as, wanting the deed to the house he lives in and demanding extra money in his salary in the form of fire wood.  Proctor believes that Parris is anything but a holy man.

There are other reasons that Proctor gives for staying away from church, he says that he needs to work extra hard on his farm to produce food.  His wife has been sick, and he could not leave her side. 

And, I believe that he feels guilty for having had an affair with Abigail, by staying away from church, he avoids her. 

In The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, who is the protagonist, and why should this character be considered the play's protagonist?

The protagonist is the central character in a story. The writer intends for the audience to identify with and feel sympathy for his or her protagonist. In this tragedy, Brutus is Shakespeare's protagonist, even though the play bears Julius Caesar's name.

Brutus is the play's central character. It is his story that unfolds from the beginning of Act I through the conclusion of Act V. Shakespeare develops Brutus as an honorable man who struggles with a terrible conflict: to remain loyal to his good friend or to his beloved country. Brutus tries hard to do what he perceives to be right.

Brutus becomes even more sympathetic when the audience realizes that Cassius is not only encouraging Brutus to join the conspiracy to murder Caesar, but also tricking him. Cassius deceives Brutus by making him believe the citizens of Rome are begging him to protect their freedom. When Brutus does join the conspiracy, he does so believing that their cause is noble. After Caesar's assassination, when he disapproves of actions taken by Cassius, he reminds Cassius in a very emotional speech why they killed Caesar. He must  believe that Caesar's death was for the good of Rome.

At the play's end, a defeated Brutus chooses to die with honor. Shakespeare reminds the audience that his protagonist was an exceptional man, worthy of admiration and sympathy. Antony says, "This was the noblest Roman of them all." Furthermore, Antony adds that Nature herself should tell the world, "This was a man."

How does isolation in space raise the tension of "Oedipus Rex"?

Well, as per Aristotle's unities, the play is all set in one space, which represents only a single setting: in front of the royal palace at Thebes.

As a setting, this does a lot of work. Firstly, the royal house of Thebes represents the whole city, which is beset by a plague when the curtain goes up. Oedipus himself is both the cause of the plague, and the king of Thebes: and the play occuring against the backdrop of Thebes' central building reminds us of his dual roles as Thebes' king, and as plague-bringer.

Secondly, Oedipus is currently the King of Thebes, and of course, his father, Laius (whom he killed, and whose wife he married) was the previous incumbent of the throne. Again, the royal palace of Thebes is the central hotpoint in the way that this tragedy is structured: and again, we can never escape the fact, watching the play, that Oedipus is indeed the King of Thebes; that, even before a word is spoken, his fate as father-murderer and mother-marrier is sealed.

How does the isolation raise the tension? Purely and simply because the story is never interrupted. The symbol of Thebes looms over all the action, which zooms towards its painful conclusion without break or respite. And somehow the focus on one single location heightens the pressure: focusses the spotlight more tightly on this one man and this one city.

Hope it helps!

What is the Ultra-Glide?

The Watsons plan to set out on a 1,000 mile car trip from Flint, Michigan to Birmingham, Alabama. Mr. Watson buys a TrueTone AB-700 Ultra-Glide for the car. This is a record player that you mount on the dashboard of a car and that is specially designed not to skip from the movement of the car while driving. The Ultra-Glide plays 45 rpm records, which were about twice the diameter of a CD and played one song per side. Ultra-Glides really did exist, and were sold for about 10 years beginning in the late 1950s.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, how does Bob Ewell die?

Atticus believes that Jem killed Bob Ewell.  When Jem and Scout were on their way back from the Halloween Party, there was a scuffle between Jem, Scout, Bob Ewell, and a mysterious figure (believed to be Boo Radley).  Bob Ewell died as a result of that scuffle and being that Atticus only saw Jem as a result of it, he believed that Jem took Bob's life.

What is the significance of The Book of Ecclesiastes in "Fahrenheit 451"?

Most obviously, it is the book that Montag has partially memorized, and that he will, in their future society, teach to other people.  Part of Granger's plan, and those that return to the city to rebuild, is to use books that they have all memorized, so that they can share the wisdom from them, and pass that wisdom on to future generations.  Montag says that he has a little bit of Ecclesiastes in his head, so he will be in charge of guarding it safely so that it isn't lost forever.

More symbolically, in the actual book of Ecclesiastes in the bible, a lot of its main theme focuses on how worldy pleasures, vanity, material goods, and worldly pursuits are worthless, meaningless, and empty.  Pursuing the world, filling your life with pursuits of money and pleasure will leave you without anything of real import in the end.  That theme represents the society that Montag lived in, and how it is empty and meaningless, despite its full and busy schedule as it pursues worldy pleasures.  That is a significant book in the bible to memorize, because it contains important lessons on how to rebuild a society that is based on real, meaningful values instead of emptiness.

What does Ann Putnam mean when she tells Rebecca: "there are wheels within wheels in the village and fires within fires"?

Since Mrs. Putnam is an antagonist and Rebecca is a protagonist in the story, Mrs. Putnam is probably trying to threaten Rebecca.  Mrs. Putnam is jealous of Rebecca because Rebecca had so many children and Mrs. Putnam didn't.  Mrs. Putnam subtly tries to suggest that maybe Rebecca had help from the devil in having so many children.  She also is suggesting that there are mysterious forces operating beneath the surface of Salem, and maybe some of these forces and relationships among citizens have a hidden purpose.

What is the imagery in "The Tell-Tale Heart"?

There is great imagery (5 senses) in this story.  The first is the descriptions of the old man's eye, which is the catlyst for the murder:  "He had the eye of a vulture—a pale blue eye, with a film over it. Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold." and then later, "all a dull blue, with a hideous veil over it that chilled the very marrow in my bones." Then, in the first half, you have repeated descriptions of the narrator's cautious, steady, silent stalking and waiting.  The most effective repeated imagery is that of the heartbeat, which starts off as "a low, dull, quick sound, such as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton," increases to a "hellish tattoo", and keeps getting "louder, louder!".  The sound of the heartbeat increases the tension just as a movie soundtrack would, and leads to the murder and confession.

Poe uses images and imagery to help the reader feel like they are actually there, experiencing the situations and emotions, and it makes for a really great story.

What is the main motivation of John Protor, Thomas Putnam, Rev. Jale, Tituba, Giles Corey and Rev. Parris in Act 1 of "The Crucible"?

John Proctor's motivation is to stay out of the witchcraft hysteria.  After he speaks to Abigail and learns that the girls in the woods were not engaging in anything but fun, he thinks that the whole thing will blow over. 

Thomas Putnam has a desire to buy his neighbor's land at a discount price.  Plus, the witchcraft hysteria allows him to place the blame for the death of his 7 babies squarely on Rebecca Nurse, who is arrested and executed.

Rev Hale comes to Salem as an authority on witchcraft and identifying a witch, as well as curing those who are bewitched.  He is determined to find a mark on Betty Parris.  He gets Tituba to confess, which leads to Abigail's confession. 

Tituba, the black slave of Rev Parris, her motivation is to stay alive.  She confesses to witchcraft to stop from being beaten by Parris and to save herself from the hangman's noose.

Giles Corey, in Act I, mentions to Rev Hale that his wife Martha reads strange books and that he can't say his prayers one night while she is reading.  Once she stops, he can pray again.  He just wants an explanation for why his third wife, Martha reads so many books.

Rev Parris, in Act I, is interested in protecting his job and his reputation.  He does not feel accepted by the congregation in Salem, and when Betty gets sick, and the Doctor can't help her, he sends for Rev. Hale to help her.  He is really helping himself.  

How are women portrayed within "Macbeth"?

'Macbeth' is essentially a tragedy of ambition that presents a male world of war, murder, conspiracy and violence. Women and all that is traditionally believed to be feminine seem heavily marginalised in the Macbeth world of moral topsy-turvy. Lady Macbeth and Lady Macduff are the two women portrayed as foils to each other: Lady Macbeth sacrificing her female self to stand by her ambitious husband's side and Lady Macduff sacrificing her life in the hands of killers commissioned by Macbeth and still holding on to her identity of an innocent wife & a caring mother. Macbeth's 'vaulting ambition' flared up by the Witches' prophecy leads to Lady Macbeth's unwomanly cruelty and her assumption of the powers of evil. She chooses to step into the shady world of villainy, secrecy, conspiracy & lust for power. She suffers from psychological crises leading to somnambulism and suicidal death. She is, indeed, a victim of circumstances.Lady Macduff appears in only one scene and she dies an unnatural death.

We have three witches and their queen Hecate. The queen and her uncanny followers remain objects of supernatural awe and fear. The Witches appear as old, wizened women wearing male costumes, and even growing beards; they stoke up the seed of evil ambition in Macbeth, just as Lady Macbeth keeps the ambition growing in her husband's mind. The witches possess an ambiguous sexuality, and their dubious nature is always suspect. They equivocate to Macbeth's doing and undoing.

What time period does the story take place in The Lightning Thief?

Rick Riordan's novel series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians (of which The Lightning Thief is a part), is set in "the modern day." This means that at the time of its writing and publication, the series was meant to reflect the settings, cultural mores and other issues of the day - that day being the early 2000s. 

A little research shows that The Lightning Theif, the first novel in this series, was written and published in the early 2000s (published in 2005) and that the book includes the subject of ADHD, in part, because author Riordan's young son was dealing with learning issues at the time.

In this way, the temporal (time) setting of the novel is given additional specificity as the novel is dealing with real-world issues drawn from the author's own life at the time the book was being written. 

Why does Horatio consider killing himself and what does Hamlet say to stop him?

The play doesn't actually make it quite clear what Horatio's motives are. But he sees it, just like a historical Roman, as more noble to commit suicide. When Hamlet says

Horatio, I am dead;
Thou livest; report me and my cause aright
To the unsatisfied.

Horatio disagrees -

Never believe it.
I am more an antique Romanthan a Dane.
Here's yet some liquor left.

Hamlet says

As th'art a man,
Give me the cup. Let go! By heaven, I'll have't.
O God, Horatio, what a wounded name,
Things standing thus unknown, shall live behind me!
If thou didst ever hold me in thy heart,
Absent thee from felicity awhile,
And in this harsh world draw thy breath in pain,
To tell my story.

In short, Hamlet wants Horatio to be around to tell the story of why Hamlet did what he did, and exactly what happened. There needs to be a witness for history to judge him kindly. And what Hamlet doesn't realise within the play, but Shakespeare realises without it, is that history, is of course his story. The play - Hamlet - does exactly what Hamlet asks Horatio to do.

What is resolution of the novel "To Kill A Mockingbird"?i need the answer to be simple.

'Resolution' means that a story reaches an ending and that all or most questions that the reader may have about the story are answered. In To Kill a Mockingbird two stories come to an end in one episode. First, in the main story and theme of the novel, concerning racial prejudice, the man who has caused the death of Tom Robinson, that is Bob Ewell, is himself killed. The sheriff Heck Tate thinks that this is a kind of justice and says, 'Let the dead bury the dead.' The other story that comes to an end is the Boo Radley one. In the first part of the novel the children have been fascinated by Boo and have been trying to make him come out so that they can see him. In fact, Boo has been watching them and enjoying their play all through the novel without them realizing it. As Jem and Scout come home from the pageant and Bob Ewell attacks them, Boo is still watching out for them and saves them by killing Bob Ewell with a kitchen knife. And so Scout finally gets to meet Boo but in very unexpected circumstances. In this way the two main stories of the novel are resolved or come to a resolution at the same time and the result is a very satisfying conclusion for the reader.

Could you explain Jane Austen’s own attitude toward love and marriage in Emma?

Suffice it to say that no character who marries for status or for financial gain is portrayed as having a happy marriage in Jane Austen's novels. The imprudence of marrying for security is shown many times as responsible for unhappy marriages where a couple tolerate each other, but grow more and more aware of their lack of love for one another.

The social stigma of marrying above or below one's social circle is a constant theme causing turmoil in her character's lives. Think how characters who marry above their circle are portrayed (are you led to like or dislike them?).

In Emma, I think that we are led to like characters who marry for love regardless of social rank, but be wary of characters who marry to gain rank. It would not be wise, in my opinion to assert that Jane Austen promotes marriage outside rank (Mr. Knightley reminds Emma of Harriet's lack of rank and warns that she ought not become too puffed up in her marital hopes. Since his reasoning is portrayed as clearer than Emma's, his would seem to be the opinion the author intends to emphasize as the norm.).

If you see examples clearly in opposition to this, cite them and stun your professor.  :)

Describe the car that Johnny recalled seeing the night he was jumped by the Socs in "The Outsiders".The Outsiders: Chapters 1-2

This passage is on page 33 of my edition, in Chapter 2 (Puffin Books, 1995):

" 'There was a whole bunch of them,' Johnny went on, swallowing, ignoring Soda's command. 'A blue Mustang full...I got so scared" ... He had been hunting our football to practice a few kicks when a blue Mustang had pulled up beside the lot. There were four Socs in it."

What does this quote from Chapter 22 (XXII) The Procession mean?Quote: "The sainted minister in the church! The woman of the scarlet letter in the...

Even though their reputations are completely differ, Dimmesdale being revered as a saint and Hester being the town adulterer, their sin is the same. They both committed adultery, and they both let their passions led them where they should not have gone. The scorching stigma is the scarlet letter itself. Hawthorne makes many references to it being hot or burning, possibly referencing the flames of Hell or the purifying touch of fire. The difference between the two is that Hester's stigma is emblazoned on her chest, but Dimmesdale's his hidden from everyone except himself.

Define artificial selection and give a real life example?

Artificial selection is the process of changing the characteristics of animals by artificial means. It was originally defined by Charles Darwin in contrast to the process of natural selection, in which the differential reproduction of organisms with certain traits is attributed to improved survival and reproductive ability in the natural habitat of the organism. For example, animal breeders are often able to change the characteristics of domestic animals by selecting for reproduction those individuals with the most desirable qualities such as speed in racehorses, milk production in cows, trail scenting in dogs.  Another example is the crossing of white corn, or field corn, with yellow corn, or sweet corn and creating a new type of corn for human consumption called Peaches and Cream corn.  When the husk is pulled back you can see an even mix between the white and yellow corn.

Compare and contrast the characters of Brutus and Caesar in Julius Caesar.

Caesar, the title character of William Shakespeare's play "Julius Caesar," and Brutus are both incredibly rich, expertly drawn characters for a play that has everything for everyone.

Caesar is portrayed as a physically weak but shrewd politician. Caesar refuses to be crowned emperor three times to demonstrate that he is unambitious, but in his position, he didn't feel he had to accept a crown as he was already "the man in charge."

Caesar is also physically weaker. He suffers from seizures and during the swimming match with Cassius, he cries,"Help me, Cassius or I sink" (i.2.12). When his wife tries to persuade him not to go the senate because of her premonition, Caesar wavering between magic and his own ego, decides to go anyway.

Brutus is motivated by his love of country, rather than self. He does not act out of selfish reasons but believes his actions will make Rome stronger. Both men are loved by the citizenry.

Caesar is then assassinated, and later Brutus commits suicide. A fitting end for both characters as they put their trust in the wrong people. Brutus puts his trust in Cassius, and ends up ruined, Caesar puts his trust in himself and doesn't realize people will rise against him.

How should I write an in-depth analysis for Abigail in "The Lovely Bones"?I need to write a 6 pager paper, analysis, on the character, Abigail....

This story in large part deals with how to handle grief - each member of the family, including Susie, has to process his/her own grief and each one does it very differently.  Abigail is a prime example.  A no-nonsense type woman to begin with, she isn't quite sure what to do with her overwhelming feelings of loss and guilt.  Unlike her husband, she is not in touch with her emotions.  She reacts in a personally destructive way, seeking physical connection (with Len Fenerman) first, and finally running away.

Much of Abigail's failure stems from her own lack of individuality.  Although she gets mad at her own mother for behaving in a "unique" way, it is Grandma Lynn who is better equipped to handle grief.  Abigail is just lost, as her own individuality is lost:

When the roll came back from the Kodak plant … I could see the difference immediately. There was only one picture in which my mother was Abigail. It was that first one, the one taken of her unawares, the one captured before the click startled her into the mother of the birthday girl, owner of the happy dog, wife to a loving man, and mother again to another girl and a cherished boy. Homemaker. Gardner. Sunny neighbor.

I've included a link below that deals with the stages of grief and the stages of growth.  You might want to review them in connection to your analysis of how Abigail is portrayed in this novel.

what is the mood of the crowd, and why is their attention focused on the door?

Chapter I of "The Scarlet Letter" presents a tableau of the Puritans.  Standing outside the prison door "studded with iron spikes" is "a throng of bearded men, in sad-couloured garment, and grey, steeple-crowned hoods..."   The picture here is of a people devoid of the emotion of a less stringent culture.  Later in his novel, Hawthorne writes of the New England holiday and, again, remarks upon the Puritans have lost the art of joy like their English ancestors.  Here is a people whose faith has removed the color of life from them.  Yet, devoid as they are of passion and the joie de vivre that other people free in a new country might have, these Puritans who fled religious persecution are now persecuting one of their own.  And, ironically, if they are so pure and strict, why is there the need of a prison?

The mood of the crowd is grey like their clothing, accusatory like their prison.  In the midst of this somber mood, there stands a solitary rose, suggestive of Hester's passion and stalwart pride.

What are two symbols of the newly created United States of America that Rip Van Winkle does not recognize?from short story Rip Van Winkle. 2...

When Rip Van Winkle comes back to his village after he has been asleep for 20 years he first visits his house and finds it in a state of shambles.  He then goes directly to his favorite bar and this is where the reader notices symbols of the newly created United States.  When he gets there he notices that "Instead of the great tree that used to shelter the quiet little Dutch inn of yore, there now was reared a tall naked pole, with something on the top that looked like a red night-cap, and from it was fluttering a flag, on which was a singular assemblage of stars and stripes--all this was strange and incomprehensible."  In this quote, it is clear that Rip notices the first United States flag but has no idea what it is.  The second symbol occurs right after the first when he sees that "the ruby face of King George ... was singularly metamorphosed. The red coat was changed for one of blue and buff, a sword was held in the hand instead of a sceptre, the head was decorated with a cocked hat, and underneath was painted in large characters, GENERAL Washington."  It should be clear to the reader at this point that Rip slept through the entire Revolutionary War. 

What are some people and events in "The Catcher in the Rye" that change Holden?Disscuse the changes in Holden's physical, mental, and emotional...

When Allie died, Holden slept in the garage, he didn't want to go into the house.  He broke all the windows in the garage, breaking his hand, which still hurts three years later. 

Holden should have received therapy three years ago, he didn't get the help he needed and has since failed out of every private high school that he attended.

Holden has also been influenced by Jane Gallagher, his dream girl.  He met Jane when they were in Maine and each had a summer home there.  Holden and Jane were very close, they shared their troubled lives, Jane's crazy step-father and the death of Holden's brother.  He feels deeply for Jane, very protective, but never calls her.

At Pencey Prep, Holden rooms with Ward Stradlater, who puts up with him, but is not his friend.  Stradlater influences Holden's state of emotional and mental health when he goes out with Jane Gallagher.

In Chapter 6 Holden confronts Stradlater about his date with Jane and they get into a fist fight.  After this, Holden feels that he must physically leave Pencey Prep and he sneaks out of school, before he is supposed to, and goes to New York City.

Holden does not go home, he can't, he doesn't want to face his parents who don't seem to see that Holden is in a great deal of personal emotional pain.

Holden's encounter with various characters like Maurice the pimp, who beats him up in the hotel and the girls in the Lavender Room all bring him down emotionally. 

What solution does the nurse offer to Juliet's predicament? How does Juliet's relationship with the nurse change?

The nurse offers the following solution to Juliet's predicament, after she has been the subject of a furious attack from her father:

Faith, here it is.
Romeo is banish'd; and all the world to nothing
That he dares ne'er come back to challenge you;
Or if he do, it needs must be by stealth.
Then, since the case so stands as now it doth,
I think it best you married with the County.
O, he's a lovely gentleman!
Romeo's a dishclout to him. An eagle, madam,
Hath not so green, so quick, so fair an eye
As Paris hath. Beshrew my very heart,
I think you are happy in this second match,
For it excels your first; or if it did not,
Your first is dead—or 'twere as good he were
As living here and you no use of him.

The nurse doesn't think of it as a betrayal, but in a way, it is. The nurse's advice - to marry Paris and forget about Romeo - is practical, and honest. But it doesn't acknowledge Juliet's passion, or the strength of the love she feels for Romeo, or indeed, that this love is such that marrying Paris and settling for second would be absolutely unthinkable.

Juliet's response - and the final moment in her relationship with the nurse (who will next see Juliet when she finds her apparently dead two mornings later) is bleak: her heart, and the nurse's, will be two separate things.

Go, counsellor!
Thou and my bosom henceforth shall be twain.

What methods did government use to counter the loss of enthusiasm and opposition to World War I at home?

Jeanette Keith wrote a great book on this subject it is called “Rich Man’s War, Poor Man’s Fight.”  The Wilson administration was so concerned about opposition to U.S. entry into the raging European conflict that it pushed through Congress the Espionage and Sedition Acts, which were vigorously used against people who spoke out against the war. Neither the effusive pro-war rhetoric of Wilson and his allies nor the crackdown on civil liberties was, however, able to extinguish the sentiment among many Americans that the war was a horrible blunder.  “Within days of its enactment, a barber in Roanoke, Virginia, was arrested by federal agents for having distributed a flyer entitled “A Rich Man’s War and a Poor Man’s Fight.” Freedom of speech was unimportant to Wilson and his backers. Maximizing the war effort trumped every other consideration, including the Constitution.”

In "The Scarlet Letter," how does Hester become acquainted with the captain of the ship?Chapter 20 "The Minister in a Maze"

Hester becomes acquainted with the captain while she was helping the poor. That is why people see no problem with her talking to him while she books passage for herself, Dimmesdale and Pearl. However, Chillingworth must also have noticed the conversation, or the change in the minister's deameanor. He talks to the ship captain also and books passage. Then the captain tells Hester the "good news" that they will have a doctor on board because Chillingworth will be going on the journey as well. For Hester, this means her plan of escape is greatly endangered.

In "Lamb to the Slaughter", who are the central characters?

The central characters of this story are Mary Maloney and her husband, Mr. Maloney. We actually are told far more about Mary Maloney so I will focus on her in this response, as she is by far the more interesting character.

This story is frequently taught in schools as an excellent example of irony, and what is absolutely key to this is how Dahl builds up his picture of her as a loving wife. Consider how she is first introduced:

Now and again she would glance up at the clock, but without anxiety, merely to please herself with the thought that each minute gone by made it nearer the time when he could come. There was a slow smiling air about her, and about everything she did.

Note too how her actions are stereotypical of a loving wife: she greets her husband with a kiss, takes his coat, makes him a drink. Note how Dahl continues to develop this image of her as a loving, perfect wife:

She loved to luxuriate in the presence of this man, and to feel - almost as a sunbather feels the sun - that warm male glow that came out of him to her when they were alone together. She loved him for the way he sat loosely in a chair, for the way he came in a door, or moved slowly across the room with long strides.

This is almost an obsessed kind of love but it serves to set the stage for the situational irony of what is to come. When Patrick Maloney tells her that he is leaving him, she strikes him on the head with a leg of lamb and then shrewdly engineers the removal of the murder weapon and thus all evidence of her crime. Such an act is unexpected and at variance with the image of her that we are led to believe at the beginning of the story, and perhaps suggests the darker message of the story - that love and hate are not so strictly separated after all and that a thin dividing line is all that separates them.

What are three symbols in The Glass Menagerie and how are they tied to theme?

The Glass Menagerie contains many symbols, for example, the glass animals that Laura keeps are symbolic of her own fragile nature, both physically and emotionally. Disappointment and disallusionment are two themes that run through the play.  Laura is distracted by her interest in the fake world that she enjoys as she polishes her glass animals.  Too afraid to mix in the real world, afraid of rejection or criticism, or failure.

The apartment's closeness to the dance hall is symbolic of the Wingfield's being just on the edge of real happiness in life, but never included. This ties in with the surreal quality that exists in the Wingfields apartment, not quite reality, but a dream-like hell for the characters, one that they cannot wake from.

The lights going out during the dinner with the gentleman caller, Jim, is symbolic of the darkness that will descend on the family, since Tom has decided to abandon the family, just like his father so many years before.  Appearances vs. reality, the family almost looks normal, but underneath the appearance, the reality is very different.

Blue Roses, Jim's high school name for Laura is symbolic of how different she is from other girls.  Not red like most roses, or pink or white or yellow, but blue, also relevant to the way that she feels, and how she will be disappointed by Jim.  Appearances vs. reality again, Laura is not really that different from other girls.

The fire escape symbolically provides the only relief that Tom can get from the frustration that he feels with his mother.  Like a tool used to run from real fires, the fire escape allows Tom breathing room when things get too heated inside the apartment.  Escape is a theme that is consistent with the character of Tom, who longs to leave his life in the apartment behind.

Compare and contrast the protagonsits' isolation from the world and people around them in "To Room Nineteen" and "Death by Landascape."

In the short stories, "Death By Landscape" and "To Room Nineteen," both protagonists are isolated by the circumstances in which they find themselves, but the isolation is for very different reasons.

In "To Room Nineteen," Susan is isolated because of the time in which she lives (the 1960s) because she has no friends, her husband is cheating on her, she has no idea who she is as a person, and society provides no avenue of escape for her.  She is totally alone and does not have any idea how to cope with the circumstances of her unhappy life.

In "Death By Landscape," Lois is also isolated in that she is a widow, and she does not have a husband to lean on or look to for support.  In Lois' case, however, she is haunted by the past--not the present--and a terrible experience that has had a hold on her for many years.

In this story, Lois did have a friend and their connection grew over the years that they attended summer camp together. During their last year at camp, the girls went on a canoeing trip, and Lois and Lucy separated themselves from the rest of the group.  Lucy left Lois for a minute, Lois heard a scream, and Lucy never returned, neither was her body ever found.  Without any valid reason, the head of the camp, Cappie, accuses Lois of pushing Lucy [off a cliff].

In both stories, our protagonists face the conflict of man vs. man.  Susan is isolated in the midst of her problems, and her husband is not there to support her while he carries on an adulterous affair.  Susan also faces man vs. society, when she is forced to keep up appearances because that is what society expects.

Lois' conflict with "man" is in the form of Cappie's accusations of Lois' part in Lucy's disappearance/death.  However, Lois is able to rationalize Cappie's behavior when she reaches adulthood, knowing that the woman simply needed someone to blame.

The major difference it that Susan gives in to her isolation and distress, while Lois learns to deal with it as best she can.

Although Lois never quite recovers from the experience, she finally accepts that part of her was left in the wilderness when Lucy disappeared, and Lois chooses to move on.

On the other hand, Susan can find no way to put the events in her life into a perspective that allows her to cope, and at the end of the story, she takes her own life.

In "My Heart Leaps Up When I Behold", in what way is the child the father of the person that the eventually grows up to be ?

Wordsworth begins his poem by stating how his "heart leaps up when I behold/A rainbow in the sky", and how it did this when he was a child too, and it will when he is old.  So what he means by the quote "The Child is father of the Man" is simply that as a child, he felt the same awe and respect for nature that he does as a man, and how the child, in its simplicity and innocence, is often wiser than the man, and can teach the man a few things, like a father. 

A major theme of a lot of Worsdworth's poetry is the beauty of childhood-he thinks that "Heaven lies about us in our infancy!", that we are closer to wisdom and God when a child than when an adult.  As an adult, we don't still have that awe and reverence that children do, "The things which I have seen I now can see no more" and the world ruins us.  So Wordsworth feels that the child, having more wisdom and being closer to God, can be the greater teacher, or father, to the man.  I provided links to another Wordsworth poem that follows this theme also ("Ode:  Intimations of Immortality"). 

Why is energy released when glucose is oxidized during aerobic respiration?

During aerobic respiration which takes place in the mitochondria of cells, glucose reacts with oxygen to form 36 molecules of adenosine triphosphate or A.T.P. as well as the wastes carbon dioxide and water vapor. A.T.P. provides the cell with the energy to live. Glucose contains chemical energy that originated with light energy from the sun. Plants capture that energy in their chloroplasts and the inorganic molecules carbon dioxide and water are joined forming glucose(an organic molecule) and oxygen. In the bonds between the atoms of glucose, there is chemical energy, which gets released during respiration.

Describe the narration in "Snow" by Ann Beattie.

Ann Beattie, an American Author, captures little moments of truth and significance in upper-middle-class American life usually occurring in the suburbs.  Her story "Snow" is found in the collection Where You'll Find Me and Other Stories.

The setting for "Snow" is a country suburb.  The point of view is first person with the narrator serving as the main character in the story.  The time during most of the story is winter with much of the details supplied during a snow storm.  This a story told entirely in flashback.  Later in the story, the narrator recalls a scene which takes place in April. 

The story portrays a young woman who with her lover has moved to the country to start a fresh life.  They completely remodel their house and discover as the narrator calls it:

...Finding some of the house's secrets, like wallpaper under wallpaper...a pattern of white-gold trellises supported purple grapes as big and round as ping-pong balls. 

The narrator recalls a chipmunk running into the house and stopping at the front door as though it knew where to go. From the big snow, the many people who visited, and the ice cream truck fiasco---All of her memories are pleasant and loving.

Just as the book title explains, Men Are From Mars and Women Are From Venus,  so too was this couple.  Everything the man remembers is cut and dry.  The snow was no big deal; the chipmunk ran to hide; and the visitors were boring. Trying to teach her a lesson, he sarcastically relates: "Any life will seem dramatic if you omit mention of most of it."

Love comes, and it goes.  After the couple part ways, the narrator returns to the neighborhood because a friend Allen  has passed away. As she sits with Allen's wife, the reader learns that Allen was supportive of the narrator during the bad times with the  break up with her lover.  When the narrator leaves, she passes by her old house and sees some white flowers blooming. Obviously, the flowers cannot match the beautiful snow covered yard.

Beattie does not believe in writing superfluously. Her words are chosenly carefully,  and her intention is to be succinct.  Her figurative language comparisons add flavor to her scenes. 

Allen's pool covering like a black shroud.

...saying "snow," my lips move so that they kiss the air.

Love, in its shortest form, becomes a word.

This woman's experience was devastating for her.  The man moved on, but she is still there with him inside their house sitting in front of the fireplace with snow coming down outside. As people look back on their lives, they remember moments not days or weeks. That is the intent of this story: recalling a somewhat pleasant yet difficult time for the narrator. Cleverly, the author uses a snowplow to relate this trying time for the woman.  The snow plow had cleared a path down the middle of the narrow road like a symbolic artery which never found its way to their hearts.

In "Animal Farm", why does Old Major command so much respect?

Old Major represents the intellectual basis, the ideology, for the revolution.  He may be Marx or Engles or another thinker, but because he presents the animals with a vision untouched by the messiness of making it happen, he has a kind of nobility that often attaches itself to the intellectual.

In terms of the plot, the story needs a reason to undertake the revolution, and a clear and noble vision is necessary.  It's also interesting that the noble vision comes from the same family of animals as the "rulers" who return the farm to the same (or worse) situation that it had under Mr. Jones.

Summary of "The Weir" by Conor McPherson and the characters?

“The Weir’s” setting is a fictional town, near "Carrick," that resembles Leitrim. In an interview McPherson stated that his grandfather's life in the Irish countryside as an inspiration for the play. The play takes place in a pub where three guys in various stages of middle age, together with the landlord are swapping ghost stories to impress an attractive young woman, Valerie, recently arrived from Dublin. What begins as a simple visit to the local pub soon turns out to be an evening of both ghost stories, until the final tale, told by Valerie herself, takes a strange twist and changes the whole mood of the evening.  The interior of pub is very familiar. McPherson balances the traditional pub by populating the setting with new characters: small-time real estate developers, career women from Dublin, and sons of the publicans. One of the ghostliest characters is the “weir” of the title.  A weir is a small boundary; it is literally a damn on a river. In an island culture, the power of water to grant or take life hardly has to be symbolic. The Weir depicts characters which stand at just such a psychological passage trying to account for their drives to regain things and to understand why they go to certain places, and why they have come to this place as home. One story within the play revolves around one of the most difficult of all losses to understand-the loss of a child.

What are some quotes from Frankenstein said by The Creature showing his view of the natural world?

The Creature takes over the narrative voice, in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, in chapters eleven through sixteen. Given his recent "birth," the Creature is relatively inexperienced. Although he learns rather quickly (which could be the result of the matured brain used to complete his creation), the Creature's beginning is a new experience for him. That said, his first real experiences with the world are with those which are natural.

The Creature's first experience with nature is seen when he opens his eyes. The light of the sun hurts him so badly that he must close his eyes--which then makes him troubled.

"By degrees, I remember, a stronger light pressed upon my nerves, so that I was obliged to shut my eyes. Darkness then came over me, and troubled me."

Initially, the natural elements around him were extremely oppressive.

"The light became more and more oppressive to me; and, the heat wearying me as I walked."

After the sun set, the Creature understood cold, fear, and alone.

“It was dark when I awoke; I felt cold also, and half frightened, as it were instinctively, finding myself so desolate."

Later, after the sun rose again, the Creature understood the pleasure which nature could bring.

"Soon a gentle light stole over the heavens, and gave me a sensation of pleasure."

The Creature continues to describe how he felt about nature as chapter eleven continued. Not only does the moon bring the Creature pleasure, the "pleasant sounds" of the birds, the"radiant roof of light" and the streams brought him pleasure.

The prevalent theme of science versus nature, Victor representing science and the Creature representing nature, proves that the Creature is more in-tune with the natural world. A few times in the novel, the Creature states that he will be fine living in the icy mountain bounds of the earth. It is his acceptance that he belongs with nature, given his alienation by mankind, which proves his positive view of nature.

What is the significance of "what larks"?

This expression belongs to Joe, an illiterate, but loving man who shelters Pip as a child from the harsh treatment of his wife, Pip's sister who must raise her little brother since their parents are dead.  Pip and Joe have enjoyable, loving times on the marsh and at the forge:  "What larks!" Joe remarks on these times.

In the "Second Stage" of the novel while Pip resides in London with Herbert Pocket, Biddy writes on behalf of Joe.  She tells Pip that Joe and she wonder what he does

for the love of poor old days...he[Joe] wishes me most particular to write what larks.

But, when Joe visits, Pip is ashamed of the man's awkward behavior and inappropriate appearance.  Joe apologizes to Pip, saying that he belongs on the forge; he leaves and Pip wants to make "Joe less ignorant and common" that he might be "worthier" of Pip's society.

Later, when Pip returns to the forge for the burial of his sister

 larks sang high above it[the earth] and the light wind strewed it with beautiful shadows of clouds and trees.

This is a symbolic sentence as the larks of innocence and happiness have been shadowed by Pip's materialistic and selfish desires to raise his social status. 

Then, in "Stage Three" of the novel, Pip is overcome with a fever and falls ill after trying to help Magwitch escape.  When he become conscious, he sees his old friend Joe beside him:  "...And when you're well enogh to go out for a ride--what larks!"

This joyous phrase of Joe's evokes the good times, the "good old days of Pip and him together, the hopes for Pip's happiness that Joe has always possessed.  "What larks"; what fun, what wholesome joy in those we love, in those who are genuine and unpretentious.

In Frankenstein, how does the creature cause the deaths of William and Justine?

As a result of his suffering, first with the De Lacey’s rejection and then after he is nearly shot following his rescue of a young girl, the Creature reveals a wrathful temperament:

“My daily vows rose for revenge – a deep and deadly revenge, such as would alone compensate for the outrages and anguish I had endured.”

The creature tries to talk to William because:

“This little creature was unprejudiced, and had lived too short a time to have imbibed a horror of deformity. If, therefore, I could seize him and educate him as my companion and friend, I should not be so desolate in this peopled earth.”  

Yet William struggles against the Creature, calling him an ‘ogre’ and urging his captor to let him go because he believes the Creature wishes to “eat me and tear me to pieces”. As he grows increasingly desperate, young William announces that his father is “a syndic – he is M. Frankenstein – he will punish you”. This sees the Creature fly into a mad rage and the Creature resolves that William will be his first victim:

“Frankenstein! you belong then to my enemy – to him towards whom I have sworn eternal revenge; you shall be my first victim.”

Entering a barn which he believes to be empty, the Creature comes across the sleeping figure of Justine. He notes her “loveliness of youth” and bitterly realises that her “joy-imparting smiles are bestowed on all but me”. Resentful of this, the Creature decides to frame Justine for the murder:

“Not I, but she, shall suffer; the murder I have committed because I am forever robbed of all that she could give me, she shall atone. The crime had its source in her: be hers the punishment!”

This leads to Justine’s death because the locket which the Creature leaves in her pocket, along with the fact that “she had been out the whole of the night the murder had been committed” seem to incriminate her. It is revealed that Justine confesses to the murder upon being pressed to by a churchman:

“He threatened and menaced until I almost began to think that I was the monster that he said I was.”

In this way, Justine fulfils the role of the weak female character, a typical feature of the Gothic genre. She is the victim of the Creature’s ‘mischief’ and by extension, Frankenstein’s ambition, as well as the clergyman’s persistence.

There is no doubt in the mind of the reader that Justine and William are innocent; it is this certainty which makes their untimely deaths so much harder to process and Frankenstein's transgression so devastating.    

Can you tell me the link between the American dream and the places in The Great Gatsby?Is valley of ashes the place where the American dream dies?

This book has a wealth of symbolism through out. The concept of East Egg and West Egg are literary representatioins of old and new money. East Egg referring to old money and West Egg referring to new money. This can be thought of in a broader sense as the world that is ever expanding seems to have roots and foundations in the east (hence the correlation of old money), and is growing toward a newer and prosperous west (the correlation to new money). While the story is staged in the East, it really is about it's path toward the west, and the movement from old money to new money. There is a great deal of cynicism in the older, more traditional thought with regard to money, where the newer more modest ideas and wealth seem to come from the north and the west.

You asked if the valley of ashes is where the American Dream ends and to this I would have to say I think, no. I would say the valley of ashes represents the waste products of what wealth has created when people living in opulence indulge themselves, what is left can often be devistating. But, also consider, maneur is the waste product of animals, and it is the very thing that fertalizes growth for the next round of life. So, the valley of ashes represents a burning of old soil, and represents a new begining for what is next to come.

What is a unit of mass?

The ammount of matter contained in a body is can be termed as mass.

According to different system of unit are used in the different parts of the world. These systems are mainly the methods of defining the three fundamental units. The most widely used system of units is CGS or French or metric system.

In 1960, at Eleventh General Conference on Weights and Measures held at Paris, an international system of units is adopted to have a consitent system of units and also to simplify the communications amon the scientists. This system of units is known as Le Systeme International d' Unites abbreviated as SI units.

• C.G.S. or French or Metric System: This system was originated in France but now it is used in the scientific measurements and also is widely used throughout the world. In this system, the unit of length is centimetre, the unit of mass in gram and the units of time is second. From the initial letters of the words centimetre, gram and second this system is called the C.G.S. system.


• S.I. units: In this system in addition to units of length, mass and time, units of electric current, temperature, luminous intensity and quantity of substance i.e., seven basic units in all are adopted. These are-

PHYSICAL QUANTITY                     UNIT                           SYMBOL

1. length                                      metre                           m

2. mass                                       kilogram                       kg

3. time                                        second                         s

4. electric current                         ampere                         A

5. temperature                             kelvin                           K

6. luminious intensity                    candela                         cd

7. quantity of a substance             mole                            mol

In Othello, how is the contrast in the characters of Othello and Iago expressed and developed through their use of language?

Shakespeare crafts the characters to reflect each in their current state as the play progesses. Othello, in the beginning, reveals himself to be eloquent, respectful, and very much in control of himself. He weighs his words carefully, and his eloquence reflect both his opinion of himself and the esteem in which Venice holds him. See Act I.ii-iii for examples. Iago reveals his true character from the outset of the play, speaking in base terms as he wakes Brabantio with images of animals copulating to refer to Othello and Desdemona's marriage. As the play progresses, there is a tangible shift in Othello's language as he slowly begins to mirror Iago's language, especially concerning women, and Othello unravels at each of Iago's innuendos. The height of which is when Othello, choking Desdemona on her wedding sheets, calls her a strumpet as she begs for her life.

What happens between Act 2, Scene 2 and Act 3, Scene 4 of "Macbeth"?I have been given a shortened text of Macbeth to write an essay about which...

There's a detailed summary at the link below, but here's the gist of each of the scenes you're missing:

Act 2, Scene 3: The Porter provides some light comic relief, and then morning comes and everyone discovers the body of Duncan. Macbeth reveals that he's killed both the porters at Duncan's door - whom Lady M was hoping to blame for the murder. Malcolm and Donalbain resort to escape, to England and Ireland respectively.

Act 2, Scene 4: A largely expositional scene that reveals that nature has gone haywire since the murder, and that Macbeth is to be crowned king at Scone. Macduff is going to Fife, and not going to the coronation.  Duncan's sons, Malcolm and Donalbain are suspected of the murder.

Act 3, Scene 1: Banquo suspects Macbeth of having done some "foul play" to get the throne. Banquo goes off riding, and Macbeth orders two murderers to kill Banquo and Fleance.

Act 3, Scene 2: Lady M asks about Macbeth's plan to kill Banquo. He doesn't tell her. Their relationship is starting to crack.

Act 3, Scene 3: A mysterious third murderer joins the original two. The three murderers kill Banquo in the dark, but Fleance (his son) escapes.

In Book VI of Vergil's Aeneid, which deals with Aeneas' journey to the underworld, how does Dido respond to Aeneas?

In Book 6 of Vergil's Aeneid, when Aeneas sees Dido in the underworld, she remains silent, turns away from him, and returns to the spirit of her first husband, Sychaeus, who was murdered in Sidon.

Dido ignoring Aeneas in the underworld is meant to recall Ajax's ignoring of Odysseus in their underworld encounter in Book 11 of Homer's Odyssey. Both Dido and Ajax ended up killing themselves because of their anger at Aeneas and Odysseus, respectively.

It is also interesting that both Dido and Ajax kill themselves with swords. Typically, the women of mythology hang themselves. In Sophocles' Ajax, Greek Ajax kills himself with a sword he received as a gift from the Trojan Hector. In Aeneid 4, Sidonian Dido kills herself with a sword that she received from Trojan Aeneas.

In Chapters 1-3 of Brave New World, how is the conditioning reinforced?

Conditioning is reinforced in the BNW through hypnopaedia and the power of the hypnopaedic slogan. The members of BNW are conditioned by sleep teaching to internalize and sublimate the slogans, values, and beliefs of the society. More conditioning occurs in the rampant use of soma in the novel as well. People are conditioned from a young age. They are taught to play erotic games with other children and are taught that words such as monogamy, mother, father, and family are bad things contra to their worldview. Lenina's conversation is juxtaposed against the controllers explanation of BNW tenets to demonstrate how deep seated the conditioning is and how it continues to be reinforced in adulthood.

In "After Twenty Years," how does the author prepare for the ending of his story?

This story is largely about a man who causes his old friend to be arrested. It must have been a hard decision for Jimmy to make, but it is interesting to note how O. Henry softens the betrayal in order to keep the reader from forming too unfavorable an opinion of Jimmy the cop. 

Bob is treated courteously by the plain clothes man. He is not handcuffed. He is not physically or verbally abused. 

The two men started up the street, arm in arm.

An arrest could hardly be more cordial than that. The arresting officer says:

"Going quietly, are you? That's sensible."

Bob offers no resistance. If he were wanted for a serious crime he might try to break away and run for it. 

The detective tells him:

"Chicago thinks you may have dropped over our way and wires us she wants to have a chat with you."

Evidently Bob is not wanted for a specific crime. The questioning may be a little more than a "chat," but it seems possible that Bob can talk his way out of it. He is a smooth talker. We the readers do not believe he has committed a really serious crime such as murder or robbery. That is not his style. He must be a con artist. It is interesting to note that the arresting officer refers to Chicago as "she." This, along with the word "chat," suggests something like a social visit. Although the officer is using understatement for humor, it still seems to indicate that Bob is not in really serious trouble.

Furthermore, Bob is prosperous. He can hire a lawyer. He doesn't even have to go to Chicago immediately if he doesn't want to. He would have to be extradited by the state of Illinois. Or else Chicago would have to send a couple of detectives to New York to interview him there. They might decide that it isn't worth the trouble and expense.

So all of this is intended to mitigate Jimmy's betrayal of his old pal. We do not end up disliking Jimmy, although we feel some sympathy for Bob because he liked and trusted Jimmy so much and came such a long distance to meet him after twenty years.