Describe the scarlet letter Hester makes.

As a Puritan Hester should make a letter that is plain and simple.  Anything other is a show of vanity; however, in rebellious pride, Hester fashioned an A that is very ornate; the "goodwives" remark on the audacity of the young woman who "mades a pride out of what they, worthy gentlemen, meant for a punishment." 

In fine red cloth, surrounded with an elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold-thread... It was illuminated upon her bosom.  It had the effect of a spell, taking her out of the ordinary relation with humanity, and enclosing her in a sphere by herself.

In his introductory chapter, "The Custom-House," Hawthorne describes having found the letter on the floor upstairs.  He writes that the letter had been formed with

wonderful skill and a stitch [that] gives evidence of a now forgotten art, not to be recovered even by the process of picking out the threads.

Thus, the letter becomes more than just a letter or badge.  It identifies Hester and it is an identification that she will not shed.

In "The Odyssey", what had Odysseus received from Maron at Ismarus?what laws of behavior and attitude does polyhemus violate?

When Odysseus and his men sacked Ismarus, they spared Maron and his family (out of respect) and Maron then gave them gifts in return.  He gave them "seven talents of fine gold, and a bowl of silver, with twelve jars of sweet wine, unblended."

This wine is so strong that it must be mixed with 20 parts of water to one part of wine.  As Odysseus walks to the cave of Polyphemus, he carries with him the "goatskin of sweet black wine" in case he faces "some savage who would be of great strength, and would respect neither right nor law."

Polyphemus does not follow the Hospitality Rule that says strangers and beggars should be given food/drink/clothing if needed before they are asked who they are and why they are there.  (This rule is important because the stranger could be a god.) Polyphemus instead eats Odysseus' men.  He doesn't care about the law because his father is Poseidon.  He feels that he can do whatever he wants and get away with it.  He is huge and strong and thinks he is more powerful than the gods, so he doesn't follow the rules.  This is where the powerful wine comes in handy.  Odysseus offers it up to him, calling it the "wine of the gods" and Polyphemus passes out (drunk).  This is when they blind him and are able to escape.

In "The Scarlet Letter", what is Dimmesdale's "secret poison his milignity, infecting all air about him?"

His secret poison is that he has violated who he is;  he has not just commited a forbidden act as is the case with Hester.  He spends the rest of his life after the act knowing that he has violated his nature, but unable to acknowledge it because of his need to continue as a minister.  As with "The Minister's Black Veil," Dimmesdale's acquaintance with evil ironically makes him a better minister.

That being said, I think the quote you cite is about Chillingworth and not Dimmesdale, and refers to the hatred that consumes him and that all but oozes out of him when in Dimmesdale's presence.  Let me know if I read this incorrectly.

7 cats and 3 dogs weigh as much as 4 monkeys. 1 monkey weighs as much as 1 cat and 1 dog. How many cats weigh as much as one dog?

This is an exercise in adding equations.  So c, d, and m for cat, dog and monkey leads us to:

1)  7c + 3d = 4m

2)  1c + 1d = 1m

Adding these 2 equations gives:

3)  8c + 4d = 5m

Eight cats plus four dogs weighs the same as 5 monkeys. But by eq. 2, a monkey weighs as much as a cat and dog, so we can eliminate monkeys by substituting eq. 2 for m in eq. 3:

4)  8c + 4d = 5(1c + 1d)

5)  8c + 4d = 5c + 5d

6)  3c = 1d

So 3 cats weigh as much as a dog! If you substitute this value into eq. 2, you'll see also that a monkey weighs 4 cats.

Who are the characters in "The Minister's Black Veil"?

In Hawthorne's enigmatic story, "The Minister's Black Veil," the main character is the Reverend Mr. Hooper, his fiancee is named Elizabeth.  No other character is named other than "Goodman Gray," who is symbolic of all the Puritan men and Mr. Clark.  At the end of the story as Mr. Hooper dies, the Reverend Mr. Clark of Westbury arrives; he is "a young and zealous divine, who had ridden in haste to pray by the bedside of the expiring minister."  In the congregation of Mr. Hooper, there are people referred to in common noun identity as "a faithful woman at his pillow," or "one of the procession," or "a superstitious old woman," or "an old woman." 

This use of few names by Hawthorne suggests the lack of individuality in the congregation; they are but types of Puritans.  Because they lack individuality, they lack the individual strength to respond to the wearing of the veil by Mr. Hooper.  No one will step forward and acknowledge his/her sins.  In fact, they are frightened by the veil that Mr. Hooper has donned.  Perhaps he knows one of their secrets.

But that piece of crape, to their imagination, seemed to hang down before his heart, the symbol of a fearful secret between him and them.

How do I use the words to, too, and two?

To teach the differences between to, two, and too; I like to come up with sentences using all three.

I am too busy with my two children to answer your question.

It is too early to have two sodas to drink.

Now let's review what these words actually mean.

Too- This form of the word can mean excessively, very, or additionally. It is an adverb.

"Don't stand too close to the fire." 

Two- This is the number 2.

"I have two fireplaces at home, so I know not to stand near the fire."

To- This is a preposition, or something that describes a location or direction. It can also describe a movement or a point in time. It can also act as part of an infinitive verb as in "to stand" in "going to stand."

"I'm going to stand near the door instead of near the fireplace."

To can also be an adverb. This can describe an action or a state of unconsciousness.

"I stood too close and I passed out. When I came to, I was embarrassed." ( "Came to" means that you woke up from being unconscious")

What is the summary for Chapter 14 of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone?

Chapter Fourteen:  Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback

Fluffy seems to be keeping the Sorcerer’s Stone safe as Hermione nags the boys about exams approaching.  Hagrid, who is hiding something behind his back and secretly researching dragons, delays conversation as Harry, Ron, and Hermione ask more about the Sorcerer’s Stone. 

Later, the three go to visit Hagrid’s now sweltering hut to discover that Hagrid has acquired a dragon egg that needs to be kept incredibly warm.  The three press Hagrid for more information about the enchantments protecting the stone and find out that many teachers, including Snape, have created some of the many protective enchantments.  While they are there, the dragon hatches.  Unfortunately, Malfoy is spying on them through the window.

In another week, the dragon has grown three times in length and has been named Norbert.  Hagrid loves his Norwegian Ridgeback, but Norbert causes so much trouble (such as giving Ron a nasty bite, for example) that Harry, Ron, and Hermione convince Charlie (Ron’s brother who studies dragons in Romania) to take Norbert away from the tallest tower at midnight on Saturday.  Hagrid reluctantly agrees.  Unfortunately, Malfoy swipes the letter from Charlie containing that information, too. 

Harry and Hermione use the invisibility cloak to smuggle Norbert up to the tallest tower at the appointed time.  Meanwhile, Malfoy tries to sneak around in order to catch Harry and friends; however, Malfoy is caught by Professor McGonagall and given detention.  After Charlie and his friends take Norbert to safety, Filch catches Harry and Hermione at the foot of the stairs because they left the invisibility cloak at the top of the tower.

In Act III of "The Crucible," what can Mary Warren not do when requested, and what point does Judge Hathorne make about it?

When asked to pretend to faint, Mary is unable to do so. The judge makes the point that if she cannot pretend to faint at that point then perhaps she did not pretend to faint before. This casts a lot of doubt on Mary's claim that Abigail and the rest of the girls are also pretending. Mary's credibility is also destroyed and eventually she rejoins Abigail in making accusations against John Proctor.

Which element does the story "A Rose for Emily" emphasize?(Does this story emphasize character, symbol, theme, plot, or setting?)

While arguments can be made for each of the literary elements as significant in "A Rose for Emily," character seems essential to setting both as a gothic tale and as an allegory for relations between the North and the South, the themes of Death, Community vs. Isolation, the Old South vs. the New South, the sequence of events in plot, and, finally, as a symbol herself.

Emily, a character both tragic and gothic, is symbolic as her persona has meaning beyond that of a personage in the plot.  She is tragic in her desperate and forlorn clinging to the vestiges of the old world that she has known, the world in which her patriarchal father wielded power not only his family, but withing the society of Jefferson.  The townspeople describe Emily as "decaying"; like her house, she is "a fallen monument"  who seems mentally deranged (she thinks her father is alive), suggesting both gothic characteristics and symbolism.  The physical description of Emily indicates that she has already "decayed":

A small fat woman in black...She looked bloated, like a body long submerged in motionless water...and of that pallid hue.

As a symbol the character of Emily represents a vestige of the Old South, a lady who teaches china painting; her solitary life with an "old Negro manservant" who leaves upon her death suggests the disintegration of this Old South as also does her acceptance of the Northern Homer as a suitor. As the gothic "fallen monument," Emily murders this suitor and the townspeople make this grotesque discovery.

Indeed, it is the character of Emily Grierson that gives meaning to all other elements of "A Rose for Emily."

What do you think are the 3 main tones used by Malcolm?

I sense that there are three main tones that Malcolm uses in The Autobiography of Malcolm X.  The first can be termed as Malcolm of the streets and of the time.  In this tone, Malcolm is a youth and, invariably, becomes a product of the street culture.  Word choice that highlights this would be "conk," a process used to straighten out his naturally curly hair.  In addition to this, one can sense that he is speaking slang of the hustle, the notion of "running numbers" or "being slick" are all evidenced of this.  In this particular tone, Malcolm is living a life that is preoccupied with the present, the eternal now, and his actions indicate that his life is only of the temporal moment that will not envision the future.  In the second tone, Malcolm is of "the Nation of Islam."  In this phase, Malcolm awakens to understanding what the nature of being Black in America is.  The word choice we can see relates to the historical examination of "oppression" and "systematic abuse of the darker races at the hands of the lighter ones."  Malcolm awakens to understanding that the person he is is borne out of the experiences he has had.  In the final phase or tone, Malcolm envisions the future.  Still being a follower of Islam, Malcolm breaks from the Nation and seeks to identify a new understanding of Islam that will embrace a stronger sense of racial consciousness and harmony.  Some of the language here is discussion of "the future" and a tone that seek to transform what is into what can be.  This sense of progress and attempting to articulate the future carries with it a premonition that he will not live long enough to see it, proving in his mind the need for the Autobiography in the first place.

What does the scene, in "Phase the Second: Maiden No More, XIV," between Tess and the village parson, and its aftermath, reveal about Thomas Hardy,...

This question presupposes that Hardy intrudes into the text through the ideas or voice of the third person narrator. While in some works of literature, this may be a faulty presupposition, it happens that it is correct in this case: Hardy is intruding into the text through the thoughts and voice of the narrator. As a result, it is fairly easy to analyze the narrator's remarks to learn what ideas and convictions Hardy himself holds.

The scene you mention occurs immediately after Tess's infant unexpectedly dies and her father has refused to allow her to call the village parson to christen the unnamed infant and to perform death rites for the babe. Durbeyfield has locked the door and taken the key with him to bed. When the parson calls at the house, having heard of the baby's illness, the door is locked and no one allows him to enter. This is important later when Tess has her conversation with the parson because he is annoyed that he was rejected by the household. The "aftermath" you mention is the infant's burial in the dark of night in a remote and unhallowed "shabby corner" of the cemetery where "unbaptized infants" were laid out with diverse sinners.

the strange tenderness in her voice, combined to affect his nobler impulses—or rather those that he had left in him after ten years of endeavour to graft technical belief on actual scepticism.

This quote spoken by the narrator subtly reveals that Hardy has no confidence--one might say no belief--in clergymen's belief in Scriptural precepts they teach and uphold. He is understood as thinking that ecclesiastic's religion is "technical belief" rather than true religion and true spirituality. In other words, Hardy can be understood as thinking clergymen are unthinking, unbelieving, skeptical hypocrites whose religious training destroys their human and noble feelings and impulses.

So the baby was carried in a small deal box, ... and buried by lantern-light, ... in that shabby corner of God's allotment where He lets the nettles grow, and where all unbaptized infants, notorious drunkards, suicides, and others ... are laid.

This statement by the narrator reveals that Hardy blames the Christian God (or the Christian idea of their God) for the unmerciful events that happen to the unfortunate in life, such as the laying of an innocent babe next to social outcasts thus confirming the baby as an outcast as well. It can be extrapolated from this that Hardy was not an adherent of the Christian religion as it was conceived and practiced in his culture.

If you examine the rest of the intrusive narrator's remarks in this scene, you may be able to identify other traits of Hardy's beliefs or personality. For instance, you might think about what the narrator's ironic wit reveals about Hardy: "[a job] had been unskillfully botched by his customers." You might also think about what Hardy's allusion to the philosophy of humanism reveals about him or about his ideas of the clergy: "The man and the ecclesiastic fought within him,...."

In "Lord of the Flies", why does Jack’s group kill Piggy?

Piggy dies because he is speaking the truth.  His last words are, "Which is better, law and rescue, or hunting and breaking things up?"  Piggy has represented the thinker, the intellect, throughout the story. He tries to be the voice of reason but he is ignored and ridiculed.  Golding is saying, through this, that reason in all of society is ignored and ridiculed.  People would rather fight and break up things than listen to sense and intelligence.  Golding felt that only the constrictions of society kept man from letting his true savage nature out most of the time.  He attempts to show, in this book, that once the rules of society are no longer in place, then people become evil and savage.  That's what happened to the boys in the story.  Ralph's side, the side of order and reason, gets devoured by Jack's side, the side of chaos and savagery.  Piggy is killed because he tries to speak the truth of reason and Golding is saying that truth gets silenced when it tries to speak up.

In "The Crucible", what does Mary Warren say to frighten Elizabeth Proctor?Act 2

When Mary Warren returns from her day in the court, John Proctor is very angry at her because she has neglected her household duties again.  He is ready to strike her when she blurts out, pointing at Elizabeth: "I saved her life today."

"Elizabeth's answer: I am accused?" (Miller)

"Mary Warren: Somewhat mentioned.  But I said I never see no sign you ever sent your spirit out to hurt no one and seeing I do live so closely with you, they dismissed it." (Miller)     

Immediately, Proctor is taken back, and Elizabeth is terribly frightened, she says, its Abigail, its Abigail, John, she wants me dead.  She won't stop until they, the authorities, come and take me away.

Its not long after that the Proctors are visited by Reverend Hale who comes to interview them because Elizabeth's name was mentioned in the court.  He decides that the Proctors faith is suspect, especially since John can't remember all the ten commandments and Elizabeth denies the existence of witches.

It is because of Mary Warren's gift of the Poppet that she sewed while in court that day, that Elizabeth is arrested at the end of Act II.  The Poppet serves as evidence that Elizabeth sent out her spirit to injure Abigail Williams who has a needle stuck in her stomach, the same as the Poppet.

In "Hamlet," Osric goes from being "hot" to "cold" to "sultry" in order to be agreeable. Why?

Osric is a foolish courtier. His career is based on the gossip and back-biting of court life, where to be unpopular means social exclusion and rejection by all. So Osric doesn't want to disagree with anyone because that may make people dislike him. And to disagree with someone as powerful as Prince Hamlet is extremely socially risky. Osric won't dare disagree with Hamlet, who could destroy his social reputation and popularity with one nasty joke or one social snub.

Hamlet knows this, so he bullies Osric to prove to Horatio how shallow and grovelling people are. He plays a game by repeatedly changing his mind about if the room is hot or cold and if Osric should wear his hat or not. 

So, basically, Hamlet says "Gosh, it's hot in this room. Hats off"

So Osric says, "Yes, it is hot, isn't it?" and takes off his hat.

Then Hamlet says, "Oooh, but isn't it cold now? Hats on."

So Osric says, "Errr... Yes it is cold, how strange" and puts his hat on.

Then Hamlet says, "And yet, now, it is hot again, isn't it? Hats off."

And poor Osric, now very embarrassed and confused, desparately tries to keep his petty dignity without disagreeing with Hamlet.

What is the main idea of the Richard Wright's "Black Boy"?

"Black Boy" was first published in 1945. It is Richard Wright's autobiography. In it, he shows how he was able to break away from the system of racial segregation that existed at that time. One of the things Wright focuses on is his discovery of literature and his ability to use language to cope with the inequities of Black life in 1940's America. One of the main ideas of the book is his struggle and ultimate victory learning to express himself as a writer.

In the story "The Ransom Of Red Chief" what is the kidnappers' first clue that the Dorsets are not alarmed at their son's kidnapping?

This story is a comic story of reversals - that is the way things are or happen are directly opposite from what one would expect.

For example, the lazy rural town of Summit is as flat as a pancake, with no summit or vantage point in sight.

The kidnappers supposed that Southern families would be more protectionalist towards their children, but they learn rather quickly that this is not the case, at least with the Dorsets.

They want to extort money from Mr Dorset by kidnapping his son, but true to his name (his first name being "Ebenezer," the same first name as Dicken's Scrooge!), they confront a hard-nosed penny-pincher greedier than they could ever hope to be!

They should have "flaired the scent," so to speak, when the Dorsets were in no hurry to reply to their ransom note. That should have been a clear sign that they were not typical parents,  besides themselves with worry over the whereabouts and well-being of their progeniture. Instead, they take a "station break" before offering to take their pest of a son back -  that is, after being paid a "compensation" for their trouble, of course....

How significant is the symbol of the pomegrante tree throughout the book "The Kite Runner?"I have an oral presentation that needs to be 15 minutes...

The pomegranate tree is significant throughout "The Kite Runner," because it symbolizes the friendship between Amir and Hassan.  In chapter 4, page 27, Amir tells us that he and Hassan would grab a book and run to an old cemetery. "There was a pomegranate tree near the entrance to the cemetery.  One summer day, I used one of Ali's kitchen knives to carve our names on it:"Amir and Hassan, the sultans of Kabul.  Those words made it formal the tree was ours."  It was under this tree, full of fruit that the friendship was also full.  The boys shared stories and dreams. In chapter 8, it is winter.  After Hassan is raped and Amir is beginning to be sick with guilt, the two boys climb up the hill again but Amir can't stand to see the carving in the tree so he refuses to read and they leave.  Later in the same chapter on pages 91-92, Amier talks of the boys being back near the tree.  He says they picked a dozen pomegranates from the tree.  Amir begins to throw the fruit at Hassan and tells him to "Get up! Hit me!.  Hassan takes one of the over-ripe pomegranates and smashes it into his own face, turns and walks away.  Here ends the friendship.  Later when Amir goes back to Kabul as an adult he goes to the tree and realizes that the tree has not "born fruit in many years."  Just as his friendship with Hassan had died and not born the fruit of friendship, so the tree had died and not born any fruit.

In "Fahrenheit 451," what do you think Montag learns from reading the last page of the script?

Montag probably learns that the script is so blandly generic and meaningless that it could apply to anyone.  Millie is excited because she thinks that she has an actual part in the play and that the characters are truly waiting for her script lines alone.  In reality, the script shows that the lines that Millie speaks are bland enough that a million others could have the exact same script -and they probably do after having dutifully sent in their boxtops to get their scripts.  Also, the plot of the script is most likely one that is mindless as is most of what is on the shows that Millie watches.  Bradbury was trying to show how neutral and politically correct everything had become.  He wanted to show that entertainment was more important than enlightenment in the society of "Fahrenheit 451".

What foreshadowing is present in each scene of Act 3 of "Macbeth"?

In scene i, Banquo wonders aloud about the prophecies and admits he does not trust Macbeth:

BANQUO: Thou hast it now: King, Cawdor, Glamis, all,
content. 

In scene 3, the murderers attack Banquo.  The dialogue is not as thick as in other scenes, but when the murderer complains that Macbeth doesn't trust him, this is foreshadowing Macbeth's own dissent into madness, and a paranoia that no one is trustworthy:

The foreshadowing of Macbeth's downfall comes further in scene 4, as Macbeth faces off against the "ghost" of Banquo that only he can see.  The following line in particular gives a hint that Macbeth's crime will itself be avenged - and the method of that revenge (the coming of the soldiers in the way that makes the trees seem to move).

MACBETH: It will have blood: they say blood will have blood.
Stones have been known to move and trees to speak;

What does "ghost" mean in the context of line 8 in "The Raven"?

"And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor."

This metaphor is the same idea as the idiom "giving up the ghost."  The death of the embers is like a person dying and the spirit, or ghost, remaining.  In this poem by Poe, the narrator is at home in a cozy room with a fire.  He is dozing and realizes the fire is dying down and the sparks, or embers, are going out on the floor.  This metaphor is giving the reader a sense of the setting for the poem.  To set the mood, Poe uses mysterious and depressing words in these descriptions: “bleak,” “dying,” and “ghost.” We can imagine the cold December night and the narrator sitting by a warm fire, lightly sleeping.  The narrator goes on to tell us he has been reading and wishing for daylight.  He is trying to find peace from his memories of Lenore:

"Eagerly I wished the morrow;—vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow—sorrow for the lost Lenore"

Is Atticus Finch is in the same in his house as he is in the public? What does that mean? What is the big difference between Atticus and others in...

What they mean by stating that Atticus is the same in his house as he is in public is just that he does not put on a show in public to make others think he is better than he really is. Atticus does not change the way he acts or the way he treats people to earn their good opinion. He really is just a good person no matter who is around. 

It is often easy to be on our best behavior in public, with our manners and courtesies in tact, but often when we enter our own homes, we treat our families in a much less kind manner than we do complete strangers. Atticus is not that way. He treats his children with as much respect as he does anyone in the community.

Atticus is different from others in town for just the reason described above. He is a good person through and through. He does not harbor resentments or revenge in his heart. He treats everyone with respect, regardless of wealth, race, or family. Most of the townspeople judge others based on their own ignorance, condemning them for the color of their skin or, in the case of Boo Radley, because they just don't understand them. 

Good luck with your assignment! I hope this helps.

What led to the downfall of the Federalists?

The Federalists simply lost touch with the majority of the people. Their political philosophy was based on the idea that the rich and upper classes had an obligation to rule the lower classes. Alexander Hamilton even lobbied to name George Washington a king. However, after the presidency of John Adams, most Americans disliked the idea of one class ruling another, or even the idea of having different classes in a society. They had fought a war for individual freedoms, something Thomas Jefferson understood. The Jeffersonian idea of allowing individuals, no matter what their economic status, to rule themselves, became the prevailing political philosophy in America and Federalists ideas died out or were incorporated in other political parties.

What are examples of figurative language in the song lyrics "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz?

Figurative Language

Simile:  a figure of speech in which one thing is explicitly compared to another, as in “she is like a rose.”

Metaphor: a term or phrase is applied to something to which it is not literally applicable in order to suggest a resemblance, as in “I am a rock, I am an island” meaning I can not be harmed and I am independent

Onomatopoeia: the formation of a word, as cuckoo,  boom, buzz, zip, bang by imitation of a sound made by or associated with its referent.

Personification: the attribution of a personal nature or character to inanimate objects or abstract notions  Example: The sun opened its sleepy eyes and smiled down on the Earth as a new day began.

Oxymoron, n. A figure of speech in which a pair of opposite or contradictory terms are used together for emphasis. Example: Organized chaos, a wise fool

Paradox, n. A statement or proposition which is self-contradictory, unreasonable, or illogical. Example: There is no absolute truth.

Hyperbole, n. A figure of speech which uses an extravagant or exaggerated statement to express strong feelings. Example: I’ve told you millions of times to go away.

Extended Metaphor, n. A metaphor that is continued over multiple sentences.[8]Example: Suzie is a beautiful young flowering girl. Her cheeks are flush with the spring of life. She has the fragrance of youth about her.

EXAMPLES IN I'M YOURS LYRICS

I tried to be chill but your so hot that I melted This is a metaphore because he describes himself as ice and his lover as fire.  If he had said “it was as if I melted” then it would be a simile, not a metaphore.

I fell right through the cracks is a metaphore.  It isn’t litterarly true.

and nothin's gonna stop me but divine intervention This is hyperbole.  It probably would take something less than God’s intervention to make him change his mind about her. 

Well open up your mind and see like me
open up your plans and damn you're free 
look into your heart and you'll find love love love love

These three are metaphors.  You can not literary open your mind, but you can consider new points of vies.  You can’t look inside your heart, but you can be aware of your feelings.

checkin' my tongue in the mirror . I don’t know what he means by this, but I don’t think he actually does this in a real mirror, so it’s a metaphore.

and bendin' over backwards metaphore meaning he’s going against his own nature doing things he would never do just to please her.

I've been spendin' way too long checkin' my tongue in the mirror
and bendin' over backwards just to try to see it clearer 
But my breath fogged up the glass 
and so I drew a new face and I laughed

This is an extended metaphore where looking in a  mirror has something to do with trying to express how he feels about her.

just go with the seasons metaphore, be in tune with what is happening.

Why did they call Benjamin Franklin the first fireman?

Saminnick... Ben Franklin did not invent the first fire alarm system. Assuming you are referring to a system other than word of mouth.

In 1852, the first fire alarm telegraph system was installed in Boston. Invented by William F. Channing. The idea was taken over by John Gamewell who saw the potential and eventually cornered about 95% of the market.

As for the first fireman...  Have you ever heard of "Greek fire", it is the original napalm. The Knights of St. John (back in the crusades) were attacked with this substance and many burned alive. The others ran to help save their bothers from their fiery death. These are the true first firemen. The emblem used on their shields is still worn today by firefighters all over the world. Being that these firemen were from a small island called Malta, it became known as the Maltese Cross.

However, Ben Franklin does get credit as is due in the fact that he formed the first organized fire departments focused on protection of life and property. He also researched the science of fire and fire behavior and passed this knowledge on to his firemen.

David_Grubbs@hotmail.com

State of Florida Firefighter II, Fire Officer II, & Fire Instructor II

What is the significance or meaning of chapter seven's title "The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn" from The Wind in the Willows?

The Otter's boy is missing.  Portly, has been lost and Rat informs Mole of the missing child.  They set out on the river at night to go look for the child of Mr. and Mrs. Otter.  As dawn is breaking Mole begins to hear beautiful music from a pipe.  Rat does not hear it at first, but as they go farther down river and the dawn becomes lighter Rat also hears the beautiful music.  The two friends realize that they don't hear anything but the music.

"..the two animals moored their boat at the flowery edge of the island....the piping had stopped... There in the clearing stood the Friend and Helper.  They could see the backward sweep of the curved horns, gleaming in the growing daylight.  ...the long graceful hadn still holding the pan pipes.  Last of all, nestling between His very hooves, sleeping soundly, Mole saw the little, round, pudgy, childish form of the baby otter."

The mythical creature had protected the baby and summoned the two friends with his musical pipe at dawn.  This is the meaning of the title "The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn." 

Please explain Romeo's quote about the glove in Romeo and Juliet. ..."see how she leans her cheek upon her hand! o that i were a glove upon that...

This line is from the balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet. Romeo is the speaker. Juliet appears at the window and is looking out into the night. Romeo stands outside Juliet's window and professes his love for the young Juliet.

"See how she leans her cheek upon her hand!" implies a stage direction. Shakespeare didn't write directions like 'Juliet sits on the bed' however he gives clues to the actor within the text. Juliet has propped her head up on her hand as she gazes out at the stars. Romeo would like to be near enough to touch the lovely Juliet in much the same way that a glove on her hand would touch her cheek. He wishes he could touch her face. 

Why were Finsterwald's front steps "the only un-sat-on front steps in town" in Maniac Magee?

All the kids in the neighborhood are afraid to tread on Finsterwald's property.  Finsterwald is known as a menacing character, and although tales of what happens to those who dare venture close to his house are exaggerated to the point that they are almost mythical, they are enough to keep even the most adventurous individuals far away.

Finsterwald is an oddity in a town where people are generally neighborly.  It is the kind of community where the children run from house to house playing with their friends and might often be seen gathered on each others' front steps or those of their neighbors in pleasant comaraderie.  In stark contrast, Finsterwald's address is "infamous", and "kids (stay) away...the way old people stay away from Saturday afternoon matinees at a two-dollar movie".  According to local lore, anyone who makes the mistake of "blundering onto Finsterwald's property" may very well turn up years later as "some poor, raggedy, nicotine-stained wretch...shuffling through town".  Going too close to Finsterwald's can apparently lead to ultimate ruin; "if you valued your life", you stayed away under all circumstances (Chapter 5).

In "A Worn Path," how does Phoenix Jackson demonstrate unconscious heroism?

Phoenix does demonstrate tremendous heroism without being aware of it. She doesn't think of herself as being brave. She is just doing what she must do to take care of her little grandson, and she has done it many times. Her path to town is "worn," suggesting that she has traveled it many times.

Phoenix faces great danger making her trip to town. She is very old and frail and almost blind. The weather is cold because it is December, hard winter. Phoenix climbs a hill, makes her way through briars, climbs through a fence, and crosses a stream by walking on a log fallen over the water. If she had fallen into the stream, she would have frozen to death. When she falls in a ditch after the hunter's dog comes after her, the hunter has to help her up. She cannot get to her feet by herself and would have died there without his help.

When Phoenix gets to town, she is treated very hatefully by one of the women in the doctor's office. Phoenix swallows her pride and ignores the woman's insults so that she can get what she came for--her grandson's medicine. That took courage, also. Phoenix is very heroic; she risks her life and sacrifices her pride for one she loves.

In "Fahrenheit 451", what is Mildred's main concern as she runs out of the house?

Mildred mumbles as she's running out, "Poor family, poor family, oh everything gone, everything, everything gone now...".  By "family" she means the t.v. walls that she had in the house that she and her friends were so emotionally attached to.  Mildred brushes right past her husband, and instead mourns her fake television family.  And not only that-because her t.v. family is gone, "everything" is gone.  Nothing else really mattered.  It's a sad ending for her and Montag, but not a surprising one, considering their society.

In "Hamlet," why does Hamlet become to angry with Ophelia in Act 3, Scene 1?

Hamlet is unjustly transferring his mother's guilt onto Ophelia, presuming she is unchaste simply because that is (according to the role model of his mother) the nature of the weaker sex. In psychology, this kind of presumption based solely on one's own experience is called "supposition of the similitude."

It is Polonius' duty as a father to look after his daughter's comings and goings, and Hamlet thinks he should be paying closer attention to his daughter's whereabouts (since surely she must be up to no good!) Hamlet shows contempt for Ophelia because she inaccessible to him (and therefore eventually available to the next courtier which comes along).  By complying to her father's demands of keeping her distance from Hamlet, Ophelia seems to be rejecting his love and giving reason to her father. 

What evidence is there that Hamlet is in "the interrogative mood"?Maynard Mack said it is, but I do not know why.

Maynard Mack did indeed write that Hamlet is "pre-eminently in the interrogative mood". What Mack might actually have simply said is "Hamlet is a play obsessed with asking questions". Some arguments to support this (I think, fairly indisputable) reading of the play might begin with the fact that the play opens (is it the only Shakespeare play do to so - anyone?) with a direct question: "Who's there?". That initial question endlessly reverberates down the play:

•  The ghost (of course, the character in mind when the question is asked) comes in "questionable shape", and the play expresses real doubts about whether it is a spirit of health or goblin damned. Shakespeare never resolves whether it is in fact the spirit of Hamlet's father or not.
  
• In the same way, Claudius can "smile and smile and be villain" - in other words, can act in a way which does not fit with the way he appears.
  
• In the same way, the actors visit Hamlet - it is , of course, their job to appear other from that they are. 

Shakespeare encourages to question what we see - and what appears to be. Everyone is spying on everyone and trying to interpret (Hamlet watches Claudius at the play, Polonius spies from behind the arras, Claudius and Polonius watch Hamlet...). The whole play is full of "questionable shapes" - nothing is certain. 

And - of course - the play is full of actual questions. Not least, one that begins "to be..." 

How does the setting at the beginning of "The Monkey's Paw" set the mood for the story?

This story begins at night with the White family safe and warm inside their home while a storm rages outside. The contrast between the coziness inside the house and the threat outside the house suggests that danger is coming from outside. Mr. White and Herbert are playing chess, and Mr. White, "seeing a fatal mistake [in moving one of his chess pieces] after it was too late," tries to distract Herbert during the game. This comment foreshadows Mr. White's first wish. When Sgt. Maj. Morris arrives, the action of the story begins, and we learn the strange history of the monkey's paw. 

Consider how different the mood for the story would be if the story had been set during a bright, sunny day. What would we have to fear? The author wants to create a suspenseful atmosphere in the opening paragraphs to prepare us for the bizarre events to come.

Analyze Stienbeck's portrayal of Curley's wife as the lone female on the all-male ranch in "Of Mice and Men".

Curley's wife is only ever known as just that, Curley's wife.  This shows how little respect women were given in the time period in which this novel took place.  Curley's wife is a woman, and therefore not good enough to have an actual name.  Curley's wife is avoided by everybody on the ranch because they fear she is trying to seduce them. They only think of her as a sex object, and never as a real person with feelings. We learn that she never actually liked Curley, and only married him when she learned she couldn't become an actress like is her dream.  This contributes to her loneliness, but nobody will listen to her because she is a woman.

Throughout the novel, women only have two functions:  caretakers of men, and sex objects. Lennie's Aunt Clara represents taking care of men, namely Lennie, and the multiple references to whorehouses in town show women as sex objects.  Curley's wife is both; the men think of her only as a sex object, and her only job is to take care of Curley. Female sexuality is consistently described negatively, only as a trap to ensnare and ruin men. George and Lennie's dream consists of them alone, without women, and their attitude toward women is more that of a temptation than of a person.

In Chapter 6 of To Kill a Mockingbird, why does Scout say that cards are fatal?

When Jem shows up before a gathering of the neighbors without his pants, Dill makes up the excuse that he lost his garment playing strip poker.  When Atticus, suspicious, asks if they were playing cards, Jem answers that they were only playing with matches.  Scout thinks, "matches (are) dangerous, but cards (are) fatal".  She means that to be caught gambling at all would invite punishment, but to be caught actually using cards would bring far more severe consequences.  To be playing with matches, even when an element of gambling is involved, indicates a certain naivete and lack of sophistication , but to be gambling with actual cards is the real thing.

The children are in this predicament because Jem and Dill had decided to trespass at the Radley place to look in the window in hopes of catching a glimpse of the infamous Boo.  Unfortunately for them, Mr. Nathan Radley saw them, and, not recognizing them as children, let off a shotgun blast to scare them off.  When the young interlopers tried to flee, Jem caught his pants on the fence, and wriggled out of them to escape.  When he, Scout, and Dill were confronted by the neighbors, Jem was embarrassingly pants-less, and had to quickly come up with an excuse for his situation.  It is then that Dill offered that Jem lost his pants playing strip poker (Chapter 6).

What is the major theme in the story "In Another Country"?

There are several themes that are intertwined all relating to the effects of war on the human body and spirit.  In a hospital in Milan, Italy, soldiers wounded in action during WWI are recovering.  At this hospital, the wounded are treated with new advances in physical therapy, they share the experience of having faced death and survived, one of the main themes of the story.

The theme of courage or cowardice is also examined through the perspective of each man's sacrifice.  The narrator has a leg wound, he receives physical therapy for his injury while an Italian Major's hand has been injured, which will likely mean that he will never fence again. Is a hero defined by his desire to charge into war without care for his own life, only concerned with fighting the good fight?  Is it wrong to want to survive, and to hold back a little and be protective of your life?  Is this what defines a coward?      

The atmosphere of the hospital, created by the doctor, who tries to convince the men that these new machines can transform an injury and restore function, offers a view of another theme, dignity and the human condition.  Even though the doctor shows them before and after pictures, the men don't believe the machines will actually work.

Hemingway is very gifted as depicting the loss and loneliness of these wounded soldiers, especially the narrator who is literally in another country.  He witnesses the event when the proud Italian Major, so stoic with his injury receives news that his young wife has died after a brief illness. Here Hemingway brings in a sense of loss, so deep that the Major loses his will or desire to understand life.  Life for him is meaningless.  

"The major’s resulting understanding of life’s cruel lack of meaning puts him in ‘‘another country’’ from the younger, still somewhat idealistic narrator. The mind set of the major is both alien to him and lonely, yet it is inevitable to all human beings. After all, the story suggests, attempts to avoid loss are only temporary."

How is it that the animals (except Benjamin) are unable to see that Squealer is rewriting the commandments in Chapter 8 of 'Animal Farm?'

It's because they don't take the time or put in the effort (or perhaps have the skills, but I think this interpretation takes a significant meaning out of the book) to find out what is "true."  It takes a great deal of effort to sift through the mass of information that we find on TV, in newspapers, newsmagazines, blogs, and try to find out what is true/factual.  Look at the recent adventures of the Governor of Illinois.  If you listen to the tapes, there seems no possibility that illegal activity was taking place; if you listen to him, this is just business as usual.  Is it?  The rewriting of history is another example.  When I was in grammar school, all our Presidents were heroes; today we have dug up some dirt on all of them and reduced them to "ordinary" status.  What is really true about these men?  Am I to believe what I was told about them (original commandments) or what I am now told about them (new commandments)?  

This is the germ of the idea that makes up "1984" where the past is infinitely malleable in order to serve the needs of the present.

I would rewrite your question a bit.  "Why is it that we are unable to see history rewritten in front of us" and "What will be the consequences of our inability/refusal to see."

Where did Maniac go in Maniac Magee?

I am not sure if you are asking where Maniac went at any particular point in the story, but here is a brief rundown of his ramblings throughout the course of the narrative:

Maniac was born in Bridgeport, Pennsylvania.  When he was three, his parents were killed and he was shipped off to live with his Aunt and Uncle in Hollidaysburg.  At age eight he ran away from Hollidaysburg, and no one knows where he was for a full year.  After that time he turned up in Two Mills.

Maniac appeared at random places in Two Mills during his first two days there.  He met Amanda Beale, and was invited to join her family at 728 Sycamore.  He stayed there until people resentful about a white boy boy living with a black family left hateful graffiti on the Beales' wall.  Then he left town and ended up staying at the Elmwood Park Zoo.

At the zoo, Maniac is befriended by Grayson, who is a maintenance man there.  Grayson and Maniac move into the baseball equipment room near the band shell in the Park.  The two live amicably together until Grayson dies.

After Grayson's death, Maniac wanders aimlessly in Two Mills and the surrounding communities.  He ends up in a replica cabin at Valley Forge, where he is adopted by the McNab boys.  He stays at the McNabs awhile, but eventually is forced to leave and wander on his own again.  At the end of the story he is found again by Amanda Beale, who, in no uncertain terms, tells him that he is going to go back to live with her family.

In Book One, Chapters 1-2 of 1984, what happens between O'brien and Winston?

Winston and O'Brien have a moment during the hate episode in which they make eye-contact. This eye-contact excites Winston because it convinces him that he has a friend and potential ally in O'Brien. From that, he takes heart and hope.

They do not actually have a conversation at this point (although they do later, when O'Brien invites him over to his house to see the new "dictionary"). The eye contact is enough for Winston to believe that O'Brien may be a member of the Brotherhood, and that he, too, is an enemy of a Big Brother.

What were some causes of the Stock Market Crash?What cause the Stock Market to crash?

Although there have been several in American history, I infer you're referring to the crash in October of 1929.  Much of the direct cause can be attributed to over speculation -- stocks are subject to the same economic law of supply and demand as any other commodity -- in the 1920's, the US surpassed Europe as the primary economic force in the world, primarily because the economies of Europe imploded during and after World War I.  As the only substantial industrial power left, the US saw its economy expand, leading to the phrase that defines the era as "The Roaring Twenties."  With increased wealth, many more people began to invest in stocks, driving up the price.  Concurrently, unscrupulous investors, like JP Kennedy (patriarch of the Kennedy Clan,) made millions by "Stock Pooling," where a group would pool their money to buy stock, drive up the price, and once enough other investors not part of the pool had bought in would sell shares all at once.  This guaranteed a huge return to the original investors at the expense of the later ones.  Unfortunately, Kennedy and others began to move larger and larger blocks of stock in and out of the market, and as wider and wider price swings of high and low for a given stock occurred many investors began to stop investing and liquidate stocks, causing prices to fall, then tumble, then crash.  Ironically, Mr. Kennedy was made the first chairmen of the SEC (Securites and Exchange Commission) under President Roosevelt (FDR) to curb the abuses he himself had instigated!  The president offered the job to Kennedy and stated, "It takes a thief to catch a thief."

In "The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd," why did the poet choose to write "rage" instead "rush"?

The Nymph is concerned with growing old in its reply to the shepherd. The rivers rush in the spring because the snow from winter is melting. Spring implies rebirth. However, rivers rage because of storms and storm run-off during the fall and winter. Fall and winter imply growing older and dying. As the nymph points out:

" But could youth last and love still breed,

Had joys no date, nor age no need

then these delights my mind might move

To live with thee and be thy love."

In other words, if she could say young, she might agree to the shepherd's request. but the storms of life will eventually age her and she will no longer be as interested in or interesting to the shepherd.

I was asked to write an essay about the "Comparison between a character in "The Lottery" and "The End of the Party". Some help, please?

The plot of each story is quite different: in "The Lottery," a town is selecting the next person chosen to be stoned to death.  It is a long-standing ritual, and there is a sense that it serves to get out the aggressions of the townspeople, and has even be suggested that it has been used to cut down on violent crime. In "The Lottery," the woman chosen (Tessie Hutchinson) argues about her selection, believes it is unfair, and, of course, does NOT want to participate, but has no choice.

In "The End of the Party," a young boy (Francis) has a terrible fear of the dark.  He has been invited to a child's party where he knows there will be a game of hide-and-seek played, and he is frantic for fear of having to participate.  He is forced to go, does participate in the game and, it would seem, dies from fear in the dark while hiding.

In both stories, the main characters are forced to do something against their will.  While one story has a very dark premise (a lottery to select a victim), the other would seem to promise a positive story as the word "party" is used, but in both cases, the title is misleading at first glance.

Both characters are unwilling participants, in both cases, each is forced to participate, and at the end of each story, our character dies.  Though the cause of death on a death certificate would read differently for both characters, each dies as a result of their inability to avoid being forced to take part in an activity each desperately wants to avoid.

An obvious difference between the characters is that one is an adult, and one is a child, but the similarity between both is that each, regardless of age, is forced by the adults around him/her to be a part of something neither wants to be involved in.  In both cases, the character dies because of this inability to act upon his/her free will.

In Gone with the Wind, did Rhett Butler have a personal sexual relationship with Belle or were they just good friends?

There is never any outright admission made that Rhett and Belle had a sexual relationship.  There are references to her son though that might suggest that Rhett is the father of that boy.  In chapter 13, Belle gives Melanie money wrapped in a handkerchief with Rhett's initials on it.  Later, when Frank, Ashley, and some others try to rid the area of a camp of vagrants and the local military presence finds out about it, there is a skirmish between the opposing sides.  Frank is killed and Ashley is wounded.  Rhett, having heard about the plan that Frank and the others have concocted, tries to intervene but he is too late.  He's not too late, however, to help Ashley hide out and provide him with an alibi. Rhett takes Ashley to Belle's and she readily helps out.  Later still, when Rhett and Scarlet are married and they are having problems, it is Belle that Rhett turns to for comfort and friendship.  The relationship is only hinted at, but it seems that there is a pretty deep relationship between Rhett and Belle.

In "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" does Huck fear going to Hell? Why or why not?

We can look at some examples of what he has said regarding the issue, to get a clue to his feelings on the matter.  Right in chapter one, Miss Watson is telling him all about "the bad place" (Hell) and how "she was going to live so as to go to the good place."  Of this, Huck states, "I couldn't see no advantage in going where she was going, so I made up my mind I wouldn't try for it," and then, once Miss Watson said that Tom Sawyer for sure wouldn't be heading to heaven, Huck thinks, "I was glad about that, because I wanted him and me to be together."  So, it's not exactly like he wants to go to Hell, heaven just doesn't sound like the place for him.  He doesn't really have a fear of hell, he's just rather indifferent about it.  He's more into being with Tom.

Later, after he tears up the letter that he wrote to Miss Watson telling her where Jim was, he proclaims, "All right then, I'll go to Hell!".  He feels like he is doing the wrong thing by helping a runaway slave; according to the law, he is, but according to what is really right or wrong, he is actually doing the right thing.  I don't think he really grasps what exactly Hell is, but he is willing to go there in order to save Jim, his friend.  So in this case he is definitely not afraid of going to Hell, whatever Hell might be in his mind.

I hope that helps; good luck!

In "Young Goodman Brown," what important facts does the reader learn about Young Goodman Brown at the begininng of the story? His personality at...

This story reminds me of Hawthorne's "The Minister's Black Veil" and "The Scarlet Letter," which deal with the "mystery of sin" and hypocrisy of the Puritans.

In the exposition of "Young Goodman Brown," there is Hawthorne's subtle foreshadowing, perhaps with an ironic tone.  The wife, in innocent pink ribbons, is named Faith.  Much like a morality play in names and theme,  a naive Goodman (he does remain good though at a price) Brown sets forth on a journey, but not before putting his head back to his young wife.  Later,  Brown sees his wife as a proselyte of the devil after wondering, "Where is Faith?"  Clearly, he loses his innocent wife and his own faith in the goodness of the townspeople as he sees the hierarchy of the Church present in the dark ceremony.

More foreshadowing occurs with irony when Goodman thinks, "Poor little Fath!....She talks of dreams, too.  Methought... there was trouble in her face, as if a dream had warned her what work is to be done tonight."

More irony is in the exposition when Goodman Brown, with "head being turned back" he beholds the older man seated, waiting for him.  In the same position as when he kisses Faith, Goodman meets the devil.  "Faith kept me back awhile..." Goodman explains his lateness to the man.

There is a mystery to Goodman's trip, the reader learns, just as Goodman will later learn the mystery of sin in the townspeople.

What advantages do Jack and Ralph have as prospective Chiefs?

Early in the novel, you see the conflict between hunting and keeping the fire going - Jack is for the former, and Ralph for the latter. You see in here, I think, the key differences that Ralph and Jack offer as Chief of the island.

Ralph's approach is undoubtedly the common sense approach. Ralph, thinking long term, is focussed on being rescued, and on getting the boys of the island. This is a clever, and useful thing to do - but unfortunately, it provides no short term returns. It's just an endless watch over the fire, in the hope that one day someone will rescue the boys - and, of course, ironically, it is indeed because of a fire that the boys are eventually rescued.

Ralph's approach to leadership is similarly long-term: rules, the conch, democracy, assemblies, and so on. It's all very worthy, and very grown up - but it bores the boys, and when Jack decides to say "Bollocks to the rules", it's all too easy for them to go with him.

Jack presents an alternative approach to the island. He's not interested in the fire, in the rules, or in democracy - all the things associated with Ralph, and which make him boring. Jack's approach is far more glamorous: the thrilling, heady rush of the pig hunts (which even Ralph is drawn into) which provide a short-term reward to the boys - delicious food. Jack is also impulsive, dark, strong and  brooding - a far more glamorous, scary and charismatic leader than Ralph, who is sensible, but dull.

Area of a square is 6.25 cm (square). Find each side of the square in mm.

You have mixed units... lets make every thing millimeters. So the area of your square is 625 sq. mm.

A square has 4 equal sides, lets call these equal sides length A. 

and the formula to find the area of a square is

area of a square = sidelength squared.

so

625 sq mm = A^2

so... what number when squared equals 625?

or, the same problem reversed is ... what is the square root of 625?

I'll leave you to finish that.

What does the "White Clown" show lead you to believe about television programming in the society of "Fahrenheit 451"?

The TV show featuring the White Clown is meant to show the society of people in "Fahrenheit 451" to be mindless drones who are easily and cheaply amused.  Clowns are associated with little children and simple amusements.  Clowns are not associated with sophisticated humor.  Bradbury is showing the reader that these people in the book's society are unsophisticated and have the intellectual level of small children.  On a slightly deeper level of interpretation, the White Clown, represents the leaders of Ray Bradbury's world.  Not only the current world, but the past as well.  The main leader from the past he's lumping into this one symbol is probably Hitler, who led a society that burned books.  In the U.S., Bradbury is probably referring mostly to Sen. J. McCarthy who led the Senate committee investigation allegations of Communism in the U.S. and in so doing, unfairly persecuted many people.  People in the arts were one of McCarthy's favorite targets and his persecution and witch-hunt style led many people to become fearful of saying or doing anything controversial, essentially censoring themselves.  Bradbury, and many others, saw this as a very bad development and this book was one attempt to illustrate how wrong McCarthy was.  The White Clown is how Bradbury saw these leaders - as buffoons.

What is the plot of Maupassant's "The Necklace"?

The story begins with a description of one of the main characters, Madame Loisel.  She is pretty and charming, but she and her husband are not financially affluent.  Madame Loisel has always dreamed a living the high life--a large house, lots of servants, and money to burn.  However, that is not the life Fate has dealt them.  Ashamed of her present state, Madame Loisel no longer visits her old school friend, Madame Forestier, who has all those things.

The complication comes when the Loisels are invited to attend a ball.  Madame Loisel is upset because she has nothing to wear.  Her husband offers to buy her a new dress, and then she complains she has no proper jewels to wear with it.  Her husband suggests that she borrow some from Madame Forestier, which she does the next day.  Her old friend welcomes her warmly and allows her to choose any jewels at all from her collection.

They attend the ball and have a fabulous time.  Madame Loisel is noticed by many people, especially men.  She dances until well into the morning hours, and then she and her husband leave in a shabby cab.  It is not until they return home that she realizes she has lost the diamond necklace she borrowed.  They spend many hours searching for the necklace and retracing their steps to no avail.  They decide to replace the necklace themselves.

They work many years to do this, only to find out that it was a an invaluable fake. 

Explain why Justine confesses to the crime, even though she is innocent in Frankenstein.

Justine, in Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein, initially sates that she is innocent of the murder of William.

“God knows,” she said, “how entirely I am innocent."

Later, in the same chapter (eight), Victor states that Justine had changed her stand of innocence.

Justine had already confessed her guilt.

Horrified by this change, both Elizabeth and Victor go to visit Justine prior to her hanging. Elizabeth, shaken that Justine had confessed to the murder of William, feels as though she must hear Justine's explanation.

After asked by Elizabeth why she admitted to her guilt, Justine stated the following:

“I did confess; but I confessed a lie. I confessed, that I might obtain absolution; but now that falsehood lies heavier at my heart than all my other sins. The God of heaven forgive me"

Based upon her explanation, Justine confesses to the murder of William so that she could be forgiven, by God, for all of the sins she had committed in her life.

Justine's history is a bleak one. Hated by her mother, Justine had gone to live with the Frankensteins. After the deaths of all of her siblings, Justine returned to her mother's side. Upon her return, her mother began to blame Justine for the deaths of her children (Justine's siblings). One could readily assume that Justine felt great guilt (given her mother blamed her for such awful things). After her mother died, Justine could have blamed herself for that death as well.

In order to find forgiveness for her past, Justine felt it necessary to admit her guilt for William's murder. She believed that her confession would make righteous in God's eyes. Unfortunately, the lie made her feel even worse.

Essentially, Justine's confession was to bring her solitude regarding her past.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, what would be some in-depth symbols of Dill Harris?

Like Tom Robinson and Boo Radley, Dill is symbolized in the novel's mockingbird motif. When Atticus told Jem not to shoot mockingbirds with his air rifle, he explained himself. Mockingbirds are not destructive or predatory; they cause no harm, only adding to the beauty of the world. 

Like a mockingbird, Dill causes no harm or destruction. He is an innocent boy with tender feelings and a gentle soul. He is defenseless, except for the power of his imagination. Despite his endearing nature, however, Dill is not appreciated by his mother and step-father. He feels their lack of love and personal attention; he lives with their subtle and not-so-subtle disapproval of him and the kind of boy he is. The truth of Dill's life at home is revealed when he runs away and returns to the only place where he is really appreciated and accepted, with Jem, Scout, and Atticus.

What was Jacksonian Democracy? How did it differ from Jeffersonian Democracy?

Jacksonian Democracy refers to the social and political ideas that shaped the period encompassing Andrew Jackson's presidency (1829-1837).  Jacksonian Democracy reflects an attempt to approach as closely as possible the literal meaning of the famous phrase "of the people, by the people, and for the people."  The central focus of Jacksonian Democracy was the idea that the people should have greater power in government.  In addition, the measures undertaken to elevate the common man's influence also served to create a greater sense of equality:  equality of opportunity.  

Before this period, not all white men could vote, much less the other sections of the population. In Jacksonian Democracy, the landholding requirement for voting rights was lifted.  White men did not have to own land to enjoy the right to vote.  Doing this granted the common person the same opportunity to influence government policy as more affluent members of society.  In addition, requirements for admission into more specialized occupations were relaxed a great deal.  Common people had the opportunity to become doctors or lawyers without having to jump through too many hoops.  The impact of these measures cannot be overestimated.  It was not until the Jacksonian period that candidates even found it necessary to campaign.  Since the average person enjoyed the same voting status as more affluent citizens, their opinions could no longer be ignored.

Jacksonian Democracy, in many ways, reflects a continuation and expansion on ideas already present in Jeffersonian Democracy. Jeffersonian Democracy, unlike its Jacksonian Democracy counterpart, did not extend voting rights to many citizens.  Under Jeffersonian Democracy, voters still needed to meet certain landholding requirements, but those requirements were more relaxed than they had been.  In addition, Jeffersonian Democracy sought to offer greater economic opportunities to common farmers, something that Jacksonian Democracy continued to carry forward.

How can you describe Soapy in "The Cop and the Anthem"?

Soapy is an unusual type of bum. He might be called a "gentleman-bum." At one time he was a member of the middle class. He still retains the speech and manners of a gentleman, and he does his best to keep up appearances. Something must have happened to him to make him give up on life and decide to abscond from respectable society and a conventional lifestyle. It could have been a divorce or a business failure or something else. We get an impression of his lingering middle-class manners in several of the little episodes in which he tries to get arrested. Here is one example:

At a table he sat and consumed beefsteak, flapjacks, doughnuts and pie. And then to the waiter he betrayed the fact that the minutest coin and himself were strangers.

“Now, get busy and call a cop,” said Soapy. “And don't keep a gentleman waiting.”

The meal he planned to order at the first restaurant, from which he was ejected before he had a chance to sit down, shows that he was used to an privileged lifestyle.

A roasted mallard duck, thought Soapy, would be about the thing—with a bottle of Chablis, and then Camembert, a demitasse and a cigar. One dollar for the cigar would be enough. 

If Soapy were an ordinary bum with no education and no past history of respectability and affluence, his epiphany and attempted transition at the end, when he hears the church anthem, would not be as effective. When Soapy decides to get a job and reform, we really believe he can and will do it. Soapy was a forerunner of the many affluent men who lost everything in the great Wall Street crash of 1929 and found themselves standing in breadlines. Soapy also resembles George Hurstwood in Theodore Dreiser's novel Sister Carrie (1900), a man who had a good, soft job, a big house, a family, membership in exclusive men's clubs, and all the other symbols of success. Hurstwood lost his nerve after committing the bad mistake of stealing money from his employers in order to run off with the much younger Carrie Meeber, and he rapidly descended into the lower depths, begging for nickels and dimes on the New York streets, and finally committing suicide in a flophouse. What happens to Soapy is similar to what happened to Hurstwood: he found out that it is easy to go downhill in life but very hard to climb back up. Soapy is proud and fearless. He still thinks of himself as a gentleman, but society thinks of him as a bum.

In 1984, what is the significance of the junk shop, thought police, vaporizing, junior anti-sex league, and Chestnut Tree Cafe?

1. The junk shop is not a "junk shop" per se-it's really an antique store where people could buy things from the time before the war. It is significant because it is here where Winston is reminded of a time before Big Brother and it is here where he gets discovered and captured.

2. The thought police are those that deal with thought crime and any thought contra to Big Brother's hegemony.

3. Vaporizing is significant because this is people are eliminated from existence in Oceania. They become as air, they're vaporized.

4. The significance of the junior anti-sex league is that BB is now using the children as guardians and protectors of the state too. Children will look for thought crime and won't hesitate to turn their parents in for any subordination.

5. The chestnut cafe is significant because that is where Winston ends up, drinking victory alcohol and musing at how he "loves" big brother.

What does Macbeth think as he anticipates the murder of Banquo?this is in Act 3

When Macbeth orders the assassins to kill Banquo and his son Fleance, it is an indication that he has truly gone over to the side of evil. Even when he murders King Duncan, he feel extreme remorse and wishes he could undo it. However, with more and more violent deeds, he shows that he has actually become the tyrant he feared he'd be. Even though his plot worked and he has now become the King of Scotland, he is still not content. He still feels extremely uneasy. He thinks that if the prophecy were true thus far (because he has become both the Thane of Cawdor and the King of Scotland, both prophetic visions that seems impossible at first), then the rest of the prophecy that hasn't come true yet must eventually come true. He becomes obsessed with the witches' proclamation that Banquo's children would become kings, and that Macbeth would never have a line of descendants. Although Macbeth will become royalty, Banquo will father royalty. Macbeth thinks that if this is true, then he will have killed Duncan for nothing. He will have sullied and darkened his soul not for his own sake, but for the sake of Banquo's sons, whom he does not care about. 

Another point is that it is extremely important to have children to carry on your lineage. If you have descendants, you "live forever" in a way. If you don't, your legacy dies with you. It cannot go on. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have been trying to beget an heir for many years, but they have been infertile and unsuccessful. It angers Macbeth that someone else's children will become king after him. 

Macbeth feels eager for the death of Banquo and Fleance. He has become coldblooded enough to order the murders of his good friend and his friend's young son. Every time he sees or thinks about Banquo, he feels sick and uneasy. He tells the hired murderers that they must kill Banquo in order to make everything better. 

To what camp were the prisoners marched in Night?This answer should be somewhere in pages 21-43.

In the section of the book to which you are refering, the prisoners are marched into the camp at Auschwitz.

Eleazer and his family are transported from Sighet by freight train to Birkenau, which is the reception center for Auschwitz.  As soon as the prisoners are taken off the train, they are separated into two lines.  The men are instructed to go to the left, the women to the right.  Eleazer watches as his mother and little sister Tzipora head off to the right as instructed.  It is the last time he will see either of them.

Eleazer walks with his father in the line to the left.  The prisoners are ordered to form groups of fives.  One of the veteran prisoners advises Eleazer to tell the SS officers that he is eighteen when he is asked his age.  He also tells Eleazer's father to say he is forty rather than fifty.  It is of utmost importance that they convince the soldiers that they are fit enough to work, otherwise they will be "turned into ashes" in the crematory. 

When it comes time for Eleazer and his father to face the SS officers, they lie about their ages as instructed, and tell the soldier that they are farmers so that they will appear to have useful skills.  Their ruse works, and they are marched away from the ovens towards the barracks at the infamous work camp at Auschwitz (Chapter 3).

In Lord of the Flies, why does Piggy suggest they create a clock?

In Lord of the Flies, a group of boys stranded on a desert island try to make sense of their surroundings and to find a suitable way to survive until they are rescued. However, the boys have very different ideals and plans for their time on the island and therefore there is a power struggle as Ralph and all that he signifies attempts to bring order and discipline in the absence of any "grown-ups' whereas Jack is preoccupied with hunting and his version of "fun." Ralph can only be a successful leader with Piggy's help as Piggy is insightful, resourceful and makes rational choices, based on what his "Auntie would do." Jack has Roger who supports everything he does but he is "furtive" and "forbidding" and he is the opposite of what Jack needs in preventing his impulsive and malicious behavior.

Chapter 4 is entitled "Painted Faces and Long Hair" and it is becoming apparent that Jack is attempting to set himself apart, seeing himself as "an awesome stranger" who is "liberated from shame and self-consciousness." Piggy, on the other hand, hasn't really changed and it doesn't even appear as if his hair has grown. He is always thinking of ways in which the boys can mimic the civilization he has been used to and manage themselves according to a routine because it is difficult for the boys to adjust to their new, informal "rhythm." Ralph makes fun of Piggy's suggestion but Piggy remains adamant that they can make sundials for everyone and then not only will they know what time it is but they can get "things done. So as we could be rescued." Piggy remains focused on the idea of rescue and is aware that not everyone is making a contribution to ensuring rescue. As seen later in the same chapter, Jack has allowed the fire to go out so that the ship on the horizon has no idea that the boys are even on the island. 

What is Algebra about?Why is Algebra important? Why do we learn it?

The word 'algebra' comes from the Arabic "al jabr," which translates roughly as "the reunion of broken parts."  An Arabian mathematician wrote a book 1200 years ago which used the term, the title of which translated something like "the science of restoring what is missing and equating like with like."  This expression comes down to us as "solving for X."

Our current culture is the beneficiary of science and technology, all of which is explainable mathematically. Although few of us use that level of math on a regular daily basis, algebra, as one branch of mathematics, is important for the resolution of  scientific and technical issues.  For non-scientists and technicians, the benefit of its study comes from the development of the logic and reason the student must encounter in finding solutions. A student may never do another problem after finishing an Algebra course, but reasoning skills learned are important for anyone considering him or herself a thinking individual.

American Heritage Dictionary

How does Okonkwo's childhold impact his adult life in Things Fall Apart ?

Okonkwo’s father was a lazy man who did not care about status or wealth. Okonkwo grows up determined to be the exact opposite of him – he wants to be manly and strong, wealthy, and respected. This drives him to be violent and strict with his family, but also a good provider. He is determined that his family never goes hungry and will never be embarrassed by his name. He works hard to create a life from practically nothing. He builds a successful farm and earns many titles in the clan. The embarrassment and shame he felt from what he viewed as his father’s failure during his childhood drives him to try to do the exact opposite as his father in Okonkwo’s adult life. 

What causes the downfall of MacBeth?

There are many factors that can be argued to cause the downfall of Macbeth; the first being his hubris (fatal flaw): “vaulting ambition which o’erleaps itself”. This, Macbeth himself states, is the only impetus behind his desire to kill Duncan. This ambition lies dormant until the witches promise that he will be “king hereafter”, a statement which manifests in a murderous action plan. The murderous path Macbeth embarks on as a result of the prophecy can be said to cause his downfall as “blood will have blood” – eventually Macbeth must pay for his crimes.

To this extent, the downfall of Macbeth can be attributed to the duplicity of the witches. Through their equivocation they lull Macbeth into a false sense of security, as he believes no one “borne of woman” can hurt him. Unbeknown to him, Macduff was born through caesarean section and thus not “borne” so much as “taken” from woman. This lack of access to the entire truth sees Macbeth eventually killed; a sentiment epitomised by Banquo’s wise words that foreshadow the eventual fate of the play’s namesake:

The instruments of darkness tell us truths
Win us with honest trifles
To betray’s in deepest consequence

Therefore the downfall of Macbeth can be attributed to the deceitful, scheming witches, and perhaps even circumstance, as this puts him in their path.

Furthermore, his wife does not help him along the way. Her mockery of his manliness “when you durst do it then you were a man” forces him to act to retain her affection. She persuades him to act through emotional manipulation, following his declaration that “we will proceed no further in this business” and can thus be said to play a key role in the downfall of Macbeth.

There is also evidence to suggest that the play Macbeth is a means by which Shakespeare can explore ideas about psychological evil and mania; from Macbeth declaring that he “hath murdered sleep” it can be said that Macbeth begins his 'downfall'. As his physical health deteriorates his choices grow increasingly questionable – from hiring murderers to kill his best friend and his son, to the murder of Macduff’s innocent wife and babes. Perhaps, therefore, one reason for the downfall of Macbeth is his own mental health. The idea of mania is epitomised in “is this a dagger which I see before me?” and is a credible explanation as to why the “brave and noble Macbeth” is reduced to merely a “dead butcher” by the plays conclusion. 

Can someone please help me analyze the poem "A Door" by W.S. Merwin?This is a place where a door might be here where I am standing In the light...

This poem sings with longing to be noticed and loved. The poet's use of the door for the speaker illustrates that he is standing, waiting desperately for someone to come and open up to him.

In the first stanza, the speaker is alone, standing in a space where he feels he should be noticed:

This is a place where a door might be
here where I am standing
In the light outside all the walls

He is ready to be spoken to, but perhaps the reason that no one is speaking to him is this same fact; he is waiting, rather than opening up to others.

In the second stanza, he's still standing, but in the form of a shadow. He feels he's a shadow, "where now there is me."

Finally, in the third stanza, he illustrates that he has a lot to offer, if someone would just take a look:

and somebody would come and knock
on this air
long after I have gone
and there in front of me a life
would open

The mention of his leaving illustrates his desperation and the idea that someone might miss out if they don't "knock on this air" soon. Herein, we see the desperation mentioned above.

In The Westing Game, what dilemma did the tenants face as they awoke on the third snowbound morning?

The dilemma that the tenants of Sunset Towers face is whether or not they should share their clues to Sam Westing's inheritance game.  They have been trapped for three days with no phone service, and the transcript of Sam Westing's will had been stolen. 

A pale sun rose on the third snowbound morning.  Lake Michigan lay calm, violet, now blue, but the tenants of sunset Towers on waking turned to a different view.  Lured by the Westing house they stood at their side windows scoffing at the danger, daring to dream.  Should they or shouldn't they share their clues?  Well, they'd go to the meeting in the coffee shop just to see what the others intended to do. (63)

The heirs haven't been able to get very far with their clues, and since the copy of the will is no longer available to them they are considering pooling their resources.  The fact that the heirs are becoming increasingly suspicious and hostile to each other isn't helping, and the forced confinement raises their fears and uneasiness. 

Source: Raskin, Ellen.  The Westing Game.  New York: Avon Books, 1978.

What is the summary for Chapter 15 of The Kite Runner?

Amir arrives at Peshawar in Pakistan. The taxi driver Gholam drops him off at Rahim's place and "a thing made of skin and bones pretending to be Rahim Khan opened the door."  After the initial embarrassing moments they warm up to one another. Rahim Khan is happy to hear that Amir is married to General Taheri's daughter because the General's brother in law Sharif Jan is a former acquaintance of his. Amir tells "him a lot about Baba, his job, the flea market, and how, at the end, he died happy." Amir also talks about himself, his schooling and his success as a writer.

Gholam, the taxi driver, on the way to Rahim Khan's house had hinted to Amir of the brutality of the Taliban. Rahim Khan confirms this by telling him how he was violently assaulted by a Taliban youth for no fault of his during a soccer match. Rahim Khan tells Amir that life under Taliban rule is unbearable. Rahim Khan was in fact happy at first when the Taliban defeated the Russian soldiers because he thought life in Kabul would improve. He even danced on the street when the Taliban arrived to oust the Alliance. This was because as Rahim Khan himself remarks, "the Aliance did more damage to Kabul than the Shorawi" - even the orphanage built by Baba was destroyed by the Alliance. The Taliban was welcomed by everyone as liberating heroes because they expected  the fighting to stop soon. The Taliban ushered in peace, but only to make matters worse. Amir asks him why he didn't leave Kabul to escape the harsh living conditions under the Taliban rule.  Baba replies, "Kabul was my home, it still is." 

Rahim Khan tells Amir that Hassan lived with him in Baba’s house in Kabul after he left. It's plain that Rahim Khan is very sick and dying. Amir's offer of taking him to America for medical treatment is turned down by Baba because he knows that he will die soon. Rahim Khan tells Amir that he has called him to Peshawar because he wants him to do something for him but before that he wants to tell Amir everything about Hassan - he wants to reveal the truth to  Amir about Hassan's parentage.

The gist of each stave?I dont need exact detail, just the gist of each stave. I have to memorize this, so please try to make it easy. Thank you so...

Stave One:  Marley's Ghost

"Old Marley was as dead as a door-nail," crows Dickens within the first few sentences of his tale, showing the status of Scrooge's old partner.  Ebenezer Scrooge sits working in his counting house and torturing his poor clerk, Bob Cratchit.  Scrooge's nephew, Fred, appears with "Merry Christmas" on his lips.  "'Bah!' said Scrooge, 'Humbug!"  Even in Scrooge's great wealth, he refuses to give to the poor and only begrudgingly gives Bob Christmas day off.  Later, Scrooge is astounded by the face of Marley on his doorknocker and the fireplace tiles.  The Ghost of Marley himself appears and gives a warning to Scrooge about the way he has lived his life.  The "chance and hope" for Scrooge will be three spirits that will haunt him later that night.

 Stave Two:  The First of the Three Spirits

The first spirit appears:  the Ghost of Christmas Past whose main feature is "that from the crown of its head there sprung a bright clear jet of light."  Scrooge follows the spirit through Scrooge's own past.  He retraces his solitary days in boarding school, his happy days as an apprentice, and his choice of business and wealth over Belle, his one true love.  When the spirit shows him Belle's husband and children (the life Scrooge has lost), Scrooge can bear it no longer and extinguishes the spirit's light.

Stave Three:  The Second of the Three Spirits

The second of the spirits appears:  the Ghost of Christmas Present, a giant surrounded by the bounty and plenty that Christmas brings.  The spirit takes Scrooge through Christmas Day via the marketplace and Bob Cratchit's house.  Scrooge observes the joy surrounding the Cratchit's meager Christmas and is pained to learn that Tim Cratchit will die if "these shadows remain unaltered by the Future."  The spirit then allows Scrooge to observe Christmas through the poverty of a mining camp, a ship's crew, and finally a party at Scrooge's own nephew's house.  Before leaving, the spirit shows Scrooge two children hidden beneath his robe (Ignorance and Want) and chides Scrooge with his own words.  Suddenly, a "Phantom, draped and hooded" appears.

Stave Four:  The Last of the Spirits

The final spirit is the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come.  The spirit shows Scrooge businessmen speaking glibly about an unattended funeral, street thieves bargaining for a dead man's things, and a corpse covered with a sheet.  Scrooge watches "in horror" and, after requesting to see some "emotion," is shown the sad home of Bob Cratchit after Tiny Tim's death.  Scrooge finds his own name written on the grave stone and emphatically promises that he will change.

 Stave Five:  The End of It

Christmas day dawns with Scrooge a changed man.  He anonymously sends the Cratchit family the prize turkey for their Christmas dinner, gives a huge donation to the poor, and joins his nephew in a grand Christmas party.  The following day, Scrooge surprises Cratchit by raising his salary and becomes a "second father" to Tiny Tim "who did NOT die."  Scrooge, therefore, gets a second chance and "knew how to keep Christmas well."

Why does Nick allude to "Castle Rackrent" in Chapter 5 of The Great Gatsby?

Nick and Gatsby are awaiting the arrival of Daisy.  When she arrives at Nick's cottage she sweeps into the room and asks Nick, "Are you in love with me,' she says low in my ear, or why did I have to come alone?' 'That's the secret of Castle Rackrent. Tell your chauffeur to go far away and spend an hour." Nick replied.

I believe Nick's reference to Castle Rackrent is meant to call up the plot at the end of the short novel by Maria Edgeworth.  At the end of the novel the reader is left to wonder about the story of the Rackrent castle's ownership.  "After Sir Condy Rackrent's death, Jason and the now-recovered Lady Condy went to court over the title of the estate. Some said Jason would get the land, and others said Lady Condy would win. Thady could only guess the results of the suit.

I think Nick is using a play on words in reference to a literary reference.  Daisy couldn't solve the mystery of why she was asked to come to Nick's alone in the middle of the afternoon; she would have to just guess.  

What do you know about Douglas Englehart developing the computer mouse in 1964?

Douglas Englehart, a professor at Stanford University, developed the mouse in 1964. It was to be used with a five key chorded keyboard meant to replace the typical typewriter keyboard.  The mouse was called a mouse because it resempled one. The two buttons were eyes, and the chord was a tail.

The mouse was never used until 1983 when it was introduced on the Apple Lisa computor.

He also invented a foot operated 'rat', but that was never produced.

In "Barn Burning", why does Sarty go from calling his father "Pap" to calling him "Father"?"Barn Burning" by William Faulkner.

A simple interpretation of Sarty's change from calling his father "Pap" to calling him "Father" might be that it signifies the young boy's coming of age.  "Pap" is a diminutive, perhaps affectionate name that a child might call his father, while "Father" is more formal, indicating more maturity on the part of the one who uses it.  Sarty begins to call his father "Father" at the exact point that his rebellion becomes irrevocable.  With eyes newly open to his own sense of morality, he has chosen to abide by what he knows is right, and in doing so, has "betrayed" his degenerate father, warning De Spain of the man's planned treachery and putting into motion the series of events that lead to his death.

A second interpretation might be that, in going from calling his father "Pap" to calling him "Father", Sarty is trying to ascribe to his father the dignity more inherent in the second title.  After calling him "Father" for the first time, Sarty repeats in his mind, "Father.  My father...he was brave!  He was!  He was in the war!  He was in colonel Sartoris' cav'ry!"  Unaware that his father, corrupt even then, went to war only for the booty he might secure, Sarty struggles, with "grief and despair", to find a small measure of honor in the memory of the man who sired him.

What did Malcolm X achieve?

Well Malcom X was a powerful voice for the African American community.  He preached "black power" and wanted to let African Americans have a sense of pride within themselves, and to stick up for themselves if ever in conflict with people discriminating against them.  He was a radical and was not about only using peaceful protest to speak out, but he allowed for the African American community to start really fighting for their rights and never back down.

How does "Fortune shows herself more kind" to Antonio in Act 4, Scene 1 of "The Merchant of Venice"?

Give me your hand, Bassanio: fare you well!
Grieve not that I am fallen to this for you;
For herein Fortune shows herself more kind
Than is her custom: it is still her use,
To let the wretched man out-live his wealth,
To view with hollow eye, and wrinkled brow,
An age of poverty; from which lingering penance
Of such misery doth she cut me off.

Antonio believes he has come to the end of his life, and is saying his final farewell to his friend Bassanio. He tells him not to be upset that he (Antonio) is dying for Bassanio's sake (because Bassanio needed the money for which Antonio made the bond with Shylock).

It's nothing to be upset about, he says, as Fortune is being kind to him. By killing him off early, Fortune is not making him, a "wretched man" (meaning "unhappy", or "unlucky") "out-live his wealth": live until he has no money. Moreover, he will not have to view with hollow eye and wrinkled brow (signifying old age) the day when he has no money. From that penance (punishment) and misery, Fortune has freed him: as she is "cutting him off" - killing him - early.

Hope it helps!

In Book 9 of The Odyssey, why does Poseidon curse Odysseus for blurring his son Polyphemus?

When Odysseus visited the cave of Polyphemus, he found out that Poseidon was his father.  From that point on, he should have watched his words.  However, he made a huge mistake.  Once he and his men escaped the Cyclops's cave, he never should have yelled back at Polyphemus and given him all of his information.  He told Polyphemus his name, his father's name and the name of his home land.  He wanted Polyphemus to tell all who he encountered that Odysseus was the mortal who tricked him and blinded him.  He did those things to escape with his men, but he took it one step too far when he became boastful.  Had he kept his mouth shut and remained humble, he would never had fought Poseidon's wrath.

How can one describe the narrator's home in "The Great Gatsby?"

Your question made me laugh a bit.  Nick, the narrator of The Great Gatsby, has a VERY modest home situated (squished?) between two mansions of West Egg.  West Egg, of course, is the part of Manhassett Neck that houses the "new rich" and considered the "least fashionable of the two" (as opposed to East Egg that houses the "old rich").

Therefore, Nick's house can be best described as both "modest" and "plain."

I lived at West Egg, the – well, the least fashionable of the two, though this is a most superficial tag to express the bizarre and not a little sinister contrast between them. My house was at the very tip of the egg, only fifty yards from the Sound, and squeezed between two huge places that rented for twelve or fifteen thousand a season. The one on my right was a colossal affair by any standard. My own house was an eyesore, but it was a small eyesore, and it had been overlooked, so I had a view of the water, a partial view of my neighbor's lawn, and the consoling proximity of millionaires - all for eighty dollars a month.

These qualities of being both modest and plain are not unlike Nick himself.  And it is here, in Nick's house, that Gatsby decides to meet Daisy again, for the first time, after many many years.  Why?  He wants to show that he has been able to achieve her very dream:  wealth.  Gatsby wants to show that he has overtaken people like Nick, "the bond man," and become a millionaire.  He does this by the exact juxtaposition of his grand mansion next to Nick's modest home.

Why does Gatsby do this?  Because for years he has had parties at his mansion only in hopes that Daisy would randomly show up from East Egg.  She never did.  Therefore, when Daisy's cousin, Nick, buys the little modest home beside Gatsby, he finds the perfect opportunity to woo Gatsby.

In our society, supposedly it is never good to have the most expensive or the least expensive house on the block.  Unfortunately for Nick (and fortunately for Gatsby), Nick has the least expensive house right next to Gatsby's most expensive one.

In The Great Gatsby, how could Nick be regarded as careless?

Although Nick is the character in the novel least likely to be accused of such a quality, Nick can be considered careless for dating Jordan and for getting stone-cold drunk.

 A man from the West with quality values dating a rich, lying, gossiping, speed-demon like Jordan Baker?  Obviously Nick doesn’t have marriage in mind here.  How careless of him to waste his time with such a woman.  One can just hear Nick’s parents spouting, “Son, I’m very disappointed in you.”  Look at the irony in this scene:

"You're a rotten driver," I protested. "Either you ought to be more careful or you oughtn't to drive at all."  

"I am careful."  

"No, you're not."  

"Well, other people are," she said lightly. ... They'll keep out of my way," she insisted. "It takes two to make an accident."  

"Suppose you met somebody just as careless as yourself."  

"I hope I never will," she answered. "I hate careless people. That's why I like you."

Even with something as bad as this that disgusts Nick enough to spout to his girl, Nick still continues dating her!  The irony is that even though Jordan like’s Nick because he’s NOT careless, the very fact that he’s dating her MAKES him careless.  One can imagine Jordan smirking at the end of this scene, … corrupting the hometown boy.  Shameful!

To a lesser extent, Nick can be considered careless for getting drunk and losing composure at the end of Fitzgerald’s “Chapter 2” of the novel.

I have been drunk just twice in my life and the second time was that afternoon so everything that happened has a dim hazy cast over it although until after eight o'clock the apartment was full of cheerful sun.

Every year, this carelessness of Nick’s leads to the most asked about sentence in the entire novel: 

. . . I was standing beside his bed and he was sitting up between the sheets, clad in his underwear, with a great portfolio in his hands.

Yes, folks can do some crazy things when they aren’t in complete control of their faculties.  Such carelessness!

What is the climax and resolution of "The Alchemist"?I am having a hard time interpreting the book.

The climax of The Alchemist takes place when our protagonist learns to turn himself into the wind. In order to do this he must use all that he has learned about the interconnectedness of the universe.

The resolution takes place when he finally finds his treasure, and completes his journey (both physically and spiritually).

Of course this is an overly-simplistic explanation, but there is a great deal of depth to this book and an answer short enough for this format would certainly not do Coelho justice.

I see that you are a teacher. E-notes has some excellent resources for teaching this book.

Explain the metaphor in this quote from "Walden". "It is far more glorious to carve and paint the very atmosphere and medium through which we look?"

Thoreau is using the metaphor of the artist in this quote.  He is explaining that the artist can carve and paint a scene to make something look beautiful, such as a bowl of fruit.  He is comparing that process to humanity and the human perspective.  He is saying that the way we look at things can be "carved and painted" by our perception and our attitude.  Things will look beautiful we we look at them with beauty in our mind and heart.

He takes this idea a little further in order to promote morality.  He says that if we are morally righteous - meaning free from sin - then our perception will be clean.  Thus, the world around us with be clean and "glorious".

"Every man is tasked to make his life, even in its details, worthy of contemplation of his most elevated and critical hour."

The details of the world we carve out for ourselves should be representative of our ideals.

The religion of the ancient Hebrews was unique in many ways. What were some of the tenets of this religion?

One of the main tenets of the ancient Hebrews was the idea of one God. Most religions of the day believed in many different gods. However, the first tenet of the Jewish faith was "thou shall have no other Gods before me." In addition, the Jews believed in a law that was written down and could be read and interpreted by any person who could read. This included a well educated class of scribes and elders who studied for years and were especially trained to copy ancient texts exactly as they were. That has meant that even today, thousands of years after they were first written, we still can find the ancient texts they followed. Finally, the Jew believed that their God has chosen them specifically through Abraham to carry out his will on earth. They were to remain a special people and not intermarry with people of other beliefs. Eventually, their God would sent a "messiah" or savior to the earth to both save and judge the people. Christians believe that Jesus is that Messiah, while most Jews believe the Messiah is still to come.

What is the main idea and the summary of the whole book?"To Kill a Mockingbird"

This question has been asked and answered before.

Briefly, "To Kill a Mockingbird" is about a young girl, Scout, whose father takes on a controversial court case defending a black man who is accused of raping a white woman. Through the course of the novel, themes such as human dignity, prejudice, racism, and stereotypes is explored.

Please refer to the links below for more information.

I need help placing 12 events from Brave New World in chronological order?John dies, Lina dies, The nine years' war takes place, lenina and bernard...

Well, chronologically, the events you listed happen like this:

1. The nine year's war takes place.

2. Then, the era of Our Ford begins.

3. Students have a guided tour through the London hatcheries. (Technically, this is where the story actually begins, but chronologically speaking, this is placed 3rd in your list of events.)

4. Bernard and Lenina vacation at the Savage Reservation.

5. Bernard and Lenina meet John and Linda.

6. John and Linda come to "Utopia". (Actually, Linda comes back to civilization.)

7. Bernard becomes popular because of his friendship with John.

8. Linda dies of a soma overdose.

9. Because he is distraught over the death of his mother, John creates a riot while he destroys soma and lectures the masses.

10. Bernard and Helmholtz are exiled to the Falkland Islands because of their intelligence and association with John.

11. John escapes civilization by retreating to a lighthouse in Surrey.

12. Eventually, John hangs himself, taking upon his own shoulders the sins of this Brave New World.