How do you start a character analysis paper?

Writing a character analysis paper requires examining, usually the main character, or the protagonist in a detailed manner.

I would open the paper with a detailed summary of who the character is in the work, describing his role in the central plot. Then you should analyze the characters internal and external conflicts.  Internal conflicts are character vs. self conflicts,  external conflicts are character vs. character, or character vs. environment.

This part of the analysis brings into the discussion the character's relationships with other characters in the story.  You can examine how the character changes throughout the story.  You can make predictions on the character's future.

To end the story, I always tell my students to reflect on their opinion of the character.  Did they like the character, do you know anyone like the character?  Would you be friends with this person, why or why not? 

Name any three characters that failed to reach their potential in "Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian". Name any three characters that...

Three characters who did not reach their potentials because they could not believe in themselves are Junior's Mom, his Dad, and his best friend Rowdy.

Given the chance, Junior believes his Mom would have gone to college.  She "still reads books like crazy...and...remembers everything she reads...she can recite whole pages by memory...can read the newspaper in fifteen minutes and tell...baseball scores, the location of every war, the latest guy to win the Lottery".  Junior thinks that she might have been a teacher.  Given a chance, Junior thinks his Dad would have been a musician.  He "sings old country songs...and blues...and he sounds good...like a pro...he plays the guitar and the piano", as well as the saxaphone (Chapter 2).

Rowdy is another person who will never realize his potential.  A talented basketball player, Rowdy does not have the drive to leave the reservation in search of a better life.  Instead, he gives vent to his rage by fighting "everybody...boys and girls...men and women...stray dogs...the weather" (Chapter 3).  Mr. P says that Rowdy has "given up...that's why he likes to hurt people...he wants them to feel as bad as he does" (Chapter 5).

Junior recognizes that too many Indians have a complete lack of confidence because no one has ever listened to their dreams.  They feel they "somehow deserve to be poor because (they're) stupid and ugly...because (they're) Indian".  He says it is "an ugly circle" and, for most, "there's nothing you can do about it" (Chapter 2).

What is the personification used in Edward Spenser's "Sonnet 75"?

In this poem, the main example of personification that stands out is that Spenser has the tide, or the waves, speak to him.  Personification is giving inanimate objects human-like traits, so a wave speaking is literally impossible, but figuratively interesting.  The poem states that the tide states of Spenser writing his love's name in the sand, "'Vain man,' said she, 'that doth in vain assay,'" then goes on to tell him that trying to immortalize his love by writing her name is an exercise in futility.  Spenser disagrees, saying that writing this poem will be the way his love will become immortalized-very true, considering we are talking about it 400 years later.

The main personification is in the tide, or the wave, and how Spenser has it speak to him.  I hope that helped!

What does Dr. Rank add to the play and our understanding of Nora in Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House ?

Dr. Rank serves as dramatic foil to both Torvald and Nora. But more than that, his situation actually directly parallels Nora's own, which helps to portray the theme of injustice that's dominant in the play.

Dr. Rank serves as dramatic foil to Torvald in the way that he treats Nora as an equal while Torvald does not. It is evident in the very first act just how friendly Dr. Rank is with Nora. He is so friendly that he is even aware of Nora's school friends' names while Torvald is not. We see this when Dr. Rank is first introduced to Christine Linde and says to her, "I have often heard Mrs. Linde's name mentioned here" (I). Later, we learn that Dr. Rank knows Christine's name while Torvald does not because Torvald is so jealous of Nora that he can't even stand to hear her talk about her past acquaintances from home. So instead, Nora converses with Dr. Rank about her past friends and family. This level of familiarity and friendship that Dr. Rank has with Nora while her husband does not shows us just how much Torvald treats Nora as a possession rather than as an equal human being.

Dr. Rank also serves as Nora's dramatic foil in that Nora allows her rebellious side to show around Dr. Rank. In Dr. Rank's presence, Nora openly eats her macaroons and even offers them to Dr. Rank and Christine, even though Dr. Rank well knows that sweets are forbidden in the house. Also, in the presence of Dr. Rank, Nora dares to say something as "shocking" as "Well, I'm damned!" (I). Since Nora is rebellious around Dr. Rank, but obedient and submissive around Torvald, this shows us Dr. Rank acts as her dramatic foil.

However, more importantly, Dr. Rank's situation parallels Nora's, which helps to capture the theme of injustice. Dr. Rank is unjustly dying young because of his father's lack of self-control. It is said that his father's indulgences contributed to Dr. Rank's poor immune system. Dr. Rank expresses that he feels it is unjust that he should have to pay the penalty of dying young because of "another man's sins" (II). In the same way that Dr. Rank is suffering injustice, so is Nora suffering the injustice of society, which helps portray the theme of injustice.

In Chapter 15 of "To Kill a Mockingbird", how do Scout and Jem save Atticus?

In Chapter 15, a group of town men come to the jail in a mob.  Their plan is to go inside, get Tom Robinson, and lynch him.  Atticus is the only one who stands in their way.  At first, it doesn't look good.  The mob is fired up and ready to attack.

However, the kids - Scout, Jem and Dill - step in.  They have gone to the courthouse against orders, and fearing for Atticus, they step out into the crowd.  This surprises the men, but it isn't until Scout mentions Mr. Cunningham by name, and tries to remind him that she goes to school with Walter, that the spell of the mob is broken and they leave.

This scene is intended to show not only the nature of the community, but also the nature of a mob mentality.  People in a group can't always think for themselves.  Individually, most of these men are good men - as a group, however, they are swayed by social attitudes and standards, such as racism.  This is proven by the jury's vote.  Atticus acknowledges that the jury knows that Tom is innocent - but because of social attitudes and tradition, they can't vote against the word of a white man (Bob Ewell).

In "The Outsiders", why doesn't Ponyboy like referring to Sodapop as a dropout?

In both chapter one and two of The Outsiders, we find that Pony hates the thoughts of Soda as a dropout. Soda has always been the one who protected and watched out for Pony, so when he drops out of school, Pony is left on his own. When Pony, Johnny, and Dally are at the drive-in, Cherry asks Pony what grade Soda is in. Pony hates it when he has to tell people that his brother is a drop-out.

I winced inside. I've told you that I can't stand it that Soda dropped out. "He's a dropout," I said roughly. "Dropout" made me think of some poor dumb-looking hoodlum wandering the streets breaking out street lights--it didn't fit my happy-go-lucky brother at all. It fitted Dally perfectly, but you could hardly say it about Soda.

Ponyboy Curtis is one of the most interesting characters. He is a member of the greasers, yet he is a quite sensitive young man. He is very smart. Pony is stuck in a situation that looks bleak, yet his future could be so bright. He has high expectations of his brother, and it really bothers him that Soda dropped out of school.

I need a sources about school uniforms and I need the work cited from where?I'm doing a report about school uniform I need help with works cited...

I hate to dispute the teacher, but About.com is an excellent resource for students AND teachers. The only people who can write articles for them are experts in the topics about which they're writing. Ironically, the teacher cites a New York Times' article, but doesn't realize that About.com is owned and operated by the New York Times Company and its editors are, in some cases, former New York Times editors. There is a rigourous review period for their writers and their Guides receive paychecks for their work just like any other professional. Furthermore, they compete with other industry insiders before being hired, and to even be considered, they must be reputable sources within their field. Most professors and/or teachers accept About.com stories as resources, because they're written by experts.

I know this because I am a Guide at About.com.

The teacher is correct about Suite101.com and Wikipedia, however. I have heard, though, that Wikipedia is strengthening its requirements due to lawsuits that arose out of some fictional information being published about several well-known public figures.

Good luck with your report. I hope this isn't too late.

In the short story, ''Araby,'' why do the young boy and Mangan's sister not have names?

Before directly answering this question, I need to provide some background:

The narrators in James Joyce's first three stories in Dubliners, his collection of short stories about life in Dublin, do not have names. Each of these stories thematically revolves around childhood. Each is told in first-person from the protagonist's point-of-view. "Araby" is the third of these stories and is significant because, unlike "The Sisters" and "An Encounter," the narrator makes it obvious that he is telling the story from some point in his adult life. During the climactic epiphany of this story, the narrator says, "Gazing up into the darkness I saw myself as a creature driven and derided by vanity; and my eyes burned with anguish and anger."

Now, to answer this question directly, Joyce does not use names in order to emphasize that this story is about the narrator's childhood. An unnamed first-person narrator is very common (most first-person narrators don't say, "I'm Jimmy," even though some do), but the decision to call the girl he liked "Mangan's sister" is significant because he sees her as she truly is: his friend's sibling. Mangan's sister holds no significance to the narrator at the time of his telling of the story. However, her significance is clear in that it affected the narrator his entire life and his tone is one of longing and regret  

What represents 'religious allegory' in "Lord of the Flies"?

The major religious allegory surrounds Simon and his search for the truth. Once Simon has "talked" to the "Lord of the Flies" he climbs the mountain in search of "the beast." What he discovers is that the beast is only a dead parachutist. When he runs down the mountain to tell the truth to the boys, they are in the middle of a ritualistic dance. They mistake Simon for the beast and kill him. This mirrors two Biblical stories. Moses went up to the mountain where God delivered the truth in the form of the 10 commandments. When Moses descended the mountain, he found his people had made an idol of gold shaped as a calf and were dancing and partying around the calf. Moses was furious and broke the stones which contained the 10 commandments. Unlike Simon, Moses was not killed. However, according to the New Testament, when Jesus came down from Heaven in order to deliver the truth to mankind, he was mistaken for a false prophet and executed. This mirrors Simon's ultimate fate. Thus, Simon is known in literature as a "Christ-figure", a character who sacrifices his own life and that life generally affects the protagonist in some great way. This kind of religious allegory abounds in Western Literature, from 'The Grapes of Wrath" to "Red Badge of Courage" to "Lord of the Flies."

What is a famous quote Sherlock Holmes uses in "The Red-Headed League"?

When Watson remarks that Holmes is the benefactor of the human race, Holmes replies with a quote.

He shrugged his shoulders. “Well, perhaps, after all, it is of some little use,” he remarked. “ ‘L'homme c'est rien—l'oeuvre c'est tout,' as Gustave Flaubert wrote to George Sand.” (p. 18)

This is a paraphrase of a famous quote in French which basically translates to: The man is nothing, the work is everything.  This quote is intended to demonstrate Holmes’s lack of desire for the spotlight.  Although Holmes is snobbish and conceited, and has a very high opinion of himself, he is not a fame-hog.  In fact, he would much rather let others take the credit if possible.  The puzzle is what matters to him.

My life is spent in one long effort to escape from the commonplaces of existence. These little problems help me to do so. (p. 18)

Thus Holmes solves cases not to be famous or help others, but to avoid being bored.

In Chapter 7 of The Great Gatsby, what were Tom and Daisy saying to each other in the kitchen?Do you think Tom knew Daisy was driving the "death car"?

The particular incident occurs soon after Daisy had knocked Myrtle down and killed her while driving Gatsby's car. Instead of stopping, she sped away and Jay had to pull up the emergency brake to stop the car and she then fell into his lap. Gatsby then drove her home. After Nick arrives at the Buchanan house with Tom and Jordan, he later sees Jay stepping out of the bushes, intent on spending the night outside the house to see that nothing happens to Daisy.

Nick suspects that Tom might have preconceived ideas if he finds out that Daisy had driven the car, killing Myrtle. He therefore steps around and spies on them through a pantry window.

Tom and Daisy are in deep conversation. Nick comments that:

... anybody would have said that they were conspiring together.

At this point, we can assume that Tom knows what happened and that he and Daisy are planning a way out of the mess. They clearly do not wish to be implicated. This fact is confirmed later in chapter eight when, after Jay's murder by Mr. Wilson, Nick calls to speak to Daisy but is informed that she and Tom have packed their bags and left for some unknown destination, without leaving any contact details or mentioning when they would be back. They literally fled. Obviously, with both Jay and Mr. Wilson deceased, there would be no substantial evidence to implicate Daisy. She and her husband conveniently disappeared. 

When does Atticus say, "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view"?

In chapter three, Scout has had a bad day at school.  She comes home in a bad mood about what had happend with her teacher and asks Atticus if she can stay at home and not return to school.  In my edition it is on page 36.  Atticus says,

"First of all," he said, "if you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you'll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks.  You never really understand a person until you consider things form his point of view-"

"Sir?"

"-Until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."

Who is Darnay in A Tale of Two Cities? Who is his double?

Charles Darnay is one of the primary characters in A Tale of Two Cities.  He is a good man who had the misfortune of being born into a cruel and sadistic family, the Evremondes.  They are part of the rich aristocracy in France who eventually fall during the French Revolution.  Darnay wants to cut all ties with his heritage, so he moves to England and changes his name to an English equivalent of his mother's maiden name--D'Aulnais becomes Darnay.

He eventually marries Lucie Manette, who is connected to his family through her father--though only Dr. Manette knows that. There are much more complicated matters ahead of him, but when we first meet him he's on trial in England for the crime of treason (of which he is both found innocent and, we find out later, is innocent).  He is found innocent because someone in the courtroom--while NOT his double--looks enough like him to cause "reasonable doubt" in the minds of the court.  Sidney Cartonis going to play a major role in saving Darnay's life once again at the end of the story.

In the novel Of Mice and Men, what kind of work does crooks's father do?

While Crooks talks to Lennie one night while the others have gone into town, Crooks tells Lennie

I was born right her in California.  My old man had a chicken ranch, 'bout ten acres..."

Crooks says that his family was the only black family around.  When his father did not like white children coming around, Crooks says he now understands why not.

What are the characteristic features of poetry during the Romantic Movement?

Characteristics of Romantic Poetry

There are many angles and point-of-views from which one can study romantic poetry. The most of important characteristic of this form of poetry is imagination. The different characteristics of romantic poetry are elaborated on in the article below.

1)Imagination
In the words of William Wordsworth, 'poetry is the first and last of all knowledge'. The phenomenon of imagination is the essence or core of romantic poetry. According to romantic poets, it is possible to attain a transcendental experience by means of imagination. It takes us near to the spiritual truth.

2)Emotions
When it comes to romantic poetry, reason and logic take a backseat. The one thing which rules the world of romanticism is emotion. Romantic poetry is one of the best means to let loose one's emotions through words. The overflow of emotions depicted through romantic poetry transcends the boundaries of logical reasoning. Spontaneity in romantic poetry arises from an emotional outflow, and sometimes pain is the inspiration.

3)Nature
A romantic poet can let loose his/her imagination in the process of interpreting natural phenomena. It is said that romantic poetry associated with nature is a kind of a meditative process. The rationalists tend to view or associate nature with some kind of machine. A romanticist's perception of nature is that of an organic phenomenon. Nature is also viewed as a setting or place which offers respite from the artificial world that we inhabit.

4)Pastoral Life
The pastoral life, culture and traditions are mentioned on a frequent basis in romantic poetry. In most cases, the relaxed and slow-paced pastoral life of shepherds is depicted in these poems. Romantic poetry employs this feature in order to present before readers the complexities of life in a simple manner. Contrasting features of country and urban life can also be depicted by the portrayal of pastoral life.

5)Symbolism
It is a way of expressing so much in so little. The use of symbolism in literature allows to infer / derive different meanings from a single expression. Symbolism rouses the curiosity of readers and also adds a kind of enigma to the expressions or thoughts of the poet. Representing a particular thing allegorically, lies at the core of symbolism. Repetitive presentation of an object or character is one of the ways in which symbolism is depicted in poetry.

6)Individualism
It is one of the important romantic poetry characteristics. Representation of a hero, a person with exceptional genius, is of common occurrence in romantic poetry. Heroes are depicted as personalities which exhibit boldness. This quality boldness is in contrast with that of restraint depicted in ancient classics.

The use of romanticism in literature appeals to our dreamy inner-self. It helps us transcend the boundaries that are set by rational thinking. It helps us understand the wholesome truth instead of just making conclusions on what we see or derive by logical reasoning. There are so many things in this world beyond our understanding. We can say that the urge to known the unknown is expressed in the form of romantic poetry.

What number can go in the blank? 37, 49, __, 63, 78This was on my son's 1st-grade test. We are all stumped.

I too thought this must be an error, but as the other teacher said, first graders are probably expected to only recognize patterns at this point.  So I thought the error might be that 78 should be 75-- that the pattern is raising the first number (in the tens place) one, and raising the second number by two: 37, 49, 51, 63, 75. So the pattern is 3,4,5,6,7 for the tens place, and 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, with the idea that the first graders would mark the rising number in the one's position.

I can understand how the teacher might accidentally write 78 instead of 75, because as the teacher is increasing the one's place, she was probably writing the pattern while thinking the increases in her head, maybe thinking to herself, okay, so 37, up one 4 up two 9, 49, then 5 and 9 up 2, 11, so 51, then 63, and 63, that's 7 and 5, and as she's thinking of going up to 5, she inadvertently adds the 5 and writes 78.

In Silas Marner, what significance does Chapter 21 have to the novel as a whole?

By returning to Lantern Yard with the hope of showing Eppie were he used to live, Marner is able to finally get closure on his past life. Though he sought to find out if his name has ever been cleared, he finds instead that Lantern Yard is gone. He finally realizes that his past is gone and doesn't matter any more. Adding to this, Eppie has rejected Godfrey's offer and is remaining with Silas until she marries Aaron. At this point, Silas fully understands what is truly important in his life.

In 1984 how does Orwell present the idea that power lay within the small privileged class of The Inner Party?

The main way that Orwell illustrates the wealth and power of the Inner Party is through sheer contrast to everyone and everything that is outside of that inner circle.  Almost the entire novel is dedicated to describing the awful circumstances that everyone in Winston's society lives in.  The Proles live in hovels, jammed together in their poverty and want.  Even Winston, a worker for the Party, lives in discomfort, run-down circumstances, and at the whim of constant rationing and shortages.  Everything is miserable and run-down--the housing developments, the food, their clothes, and everything about their living conditions.  Even their information and access to truth is rationed; they are told only what the Party wants you to hear.  Orwell relates this very well by creating a character, Winston, whose very job it is to alter the truth.

Orwell uses great descriptions to relate the poverty and miserable conditions.  In one scene, Winston sits in the canteen bemoaning the dreariness of it all:

He meditated resentfully on the physical texture of life.  Had it always been like this?  Had food always tasted like this?  He looked around the canteen.  A low-ceilinged, crowded room, its walls grimy from the contact of innumerable bodies; battered metal tables and chairs...bent spoons, dented trays, course white mugs; all surfaces greasy, grime in every crack...always in your stomach and skin there was a sort of protest, a feeling that  you had been cheated of something that you had a right to.

Using that kind of imagery, Orwell paints a scene of misery that contrasts with the luxury that we find in O'Brien's office, which is the only real contact we have with the Inner Circle in the book.  There is soft, luxurious, colored carpet.  There are soft lights, rich and polished wood; there is real wine and real food, and cigarettes that are in a silver case.  Everything speaks of luxury, power and ease.  Even more significant:  O'Brien can turn the telescreen off.  He has the power, the choice to do such a thing.  So not only do the Inner Party have access to all of the "rationed" items in life, and live in nice, kept-up, luxurious homes, they can also be free from the draining constraints of always being watched.  They have freedom and a wealthy lifestyle.

Orwell uses the contrast between the life of the everyday citizen to the life of an Inner Party member to demonstrate that all of the power was within a very small and privileged group that was the Inner Circle.  I hope that those thoughts helped; good luck!

How is sound used to create atmosphere and suspense in "The Tell-Tale Heart?"best answer needed written in p.q.a(point, quote, analysis)

The narrator opens the old man's door "cautiously--oh so cautiously..." to keep it from creaking, an unnerving sound of itself.  But, the eerieest of sounds is the old man's "groan of mortal terror"; he knows in advance that the narrator plans to kill him.  Describing this groan as not of grief or pain, the narrator says,  I

It was the low stifled sound that arises from the bottom of the soul when overcharged with awe. I knew the sound well...It has welled up from my own bosom, deepening with its dreadful echo, the terrors that distracted me.

His echoings of this terror create suspense; How can the narrator feel a similar terror?  Is he horrorified by what is in his own mind?

Later, in the narrator's increased sensitivity,much like that of Roderick Usher in "The House of Usher,"the narrator hears "a low, dull, quick sound, such as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton."  This is the sound of the old man's heart, the narrator explains. As this sound "grows louder" to the narrator, he expresses that he is excited to "uncontrollable terror."  In a bizarre state of mind, the narrator fears that a neighbor will hear this sound,so, shrieking in madness, he rushes into the room and kills the old man.

After the police officers arrive, he fancies "a ringing in my ears," the sound of a watch again.  This must be his conscience. Now he cannot silence it with murder,so he confesses.

What do you know about the release of the birth control pill in the 1960's?what do you know about this at this time

"In 1963 the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first oral contraceptive for marketing. Ortho Pharmaceutical introduced its first birth control pill in 1963, and by 1965, the Pill became the nation’s leading method of reversible contraception." There were side effects and risks like high blood pressure, weight gain, headaches, blood-clots and cancer.  They have improved greatly in the last 50 years, and are now more safe than they were at that time. 

"In 1961, American Wilma Rudolph ran the 100-meter dash in 11.2 seconds for a new world record.  The 1963 Equal Pay Act made it illegal to pay men and women different wages for equal work. Betty Friedan published her book, The Feminine Mystique, in 1963. Mary Quant introduced the miniskirt"

Facts like these and more can be found at the links below.

Why does Aunt Alexandra come to Maycomb? Chapter 13 " To Kill a Mockingbird"

As stated in other answers, Aunt Alexandra comes to stay chiefly because Tom Robinson's trial is impending and obviously it will be a tough time for the family; as Atticus puts it, 'the summer's going to be a hot one', so another adult in the family needs to be there continually for the children. This, at least, is the surface reason, but that's not all. Aunt Alexandra also feels that Scout needs a proper, guiding feminine influence in her life as she is motherless. Scout would have made do with Calpurnia, but Aunt Alexandra looks down upon Calpurnia for being both black and a servant. 

Alexandra is dismayed at Scout's tomboyish ways and feels it's her sacred duty to mould her into the perfect model of a lady in every respect. As far as that goes, she appears to be fighting a losing battle from the start. However, while Scout will probably never be comfortable wearing pretty dresses and indulging in ladylike occupations like sewing, she does come to learn the importance of behaving like a lady: that is to say, being restrained, dignified,and courteous.

The perceptive young Scout guesses that Aunt Alexandra's coming to live with the family was really her idea and not Atticus's, although Atticus doesn't represent it that way: 

 I had an idea, however, that Aunt Alexandra’s appearance on the scene was not so much Atticus’s doing as hers. Aunty had a way of declaring What Is Best For The Family, and I suppose her coming to live with us was in that category.

Scout suspects, then, that Aunt Alexandra has more or less foisted herself upon the family, but that doesn't mean that Atticus, at least, is not grateful for her presence at a particularly testing time.

What are the ingredients in huggies?none

The following information is from the Huggies website for the United Kingdom.  Apparently the Europeans are more concerned about these things than us trusting Americans!

What are the ingredients in Huggies® nappies?
The inside absorbent padding on Huggies® nappies is made of wood cellulose fibre, a fluffy paper-like material, and a super-absorbent material called polyacrylate. Other materials used include polypropylene, polyester, and polyethylene. These are all synthetic materials designed to enhance the fit of the nappy and to help stop leaks. The elastic strands in all Huggies nappies are made of synthetic rubber to provide a snug but gentle fit for baby. In addition, Huggies® nappies feature an all-over breathable outer cover.

In "To Kill a Mockingbird", why does Judge Taylor have a gun on his lap when his wife comes home from church?in to kill a mockingbird

Judge Taylor was reading at home alone one night while his wife was at the church. He heard a scratching noise on his back porch. He got up to see what was causing the noise and found his screen door was open. He then saw a shadow of someone at the corner of his house but whoever was there got away. So Judge Taylor got a gun ready in case the stranger returned. The gun was still sitting on his lap when his wife returned from church.

What symbols and irony occur in Chapter Three in Of Mice and Men?How would I summarize the chapter?

Chapter three begins with George talking to Slim. George says he knew Lennie’s Aunt Clara when he was younger, promised to care for Lennie when she died. He says that Lennie is extremely loyal. He explains that they left the last town because Lennie touched a girl’s dress. When she screamed, Lennie panicked and wouldn’t let go until George hit him in the head with a board. The girl accused Lennie of raping her, so they left in order to save Lennie’s life. Lennie enters the bunkhouse with a newborn puppy, but George won’t let him keep it, telling Slim that Lennie is too rough and will kill it. Candy enters with his dog, and Carlson tells Candy he needs to kill the old dog. The men talk about how by shooting the dog in the back of the head will cause instant pain free death, foreshadowing the end of the novel. Candy gives in and Carlson takes the dog out. During a card game, Curly comes looking for his wife. He leaves to confront Slim. When everyone is gone, George talks about owning a farm. Candy overhears and tells them he will give them his savings if he can share their dream. The men come back and an argument ensues between Carlson and Curly. Curly becomes extremely angry, turning to Lennie who is smiling to himself. Curly punches Lennie repeatedly until George yells at Lennie to “get him.” Lennie grabs Curly’s hand and crushes it. When George tells Lennie to let go, his only worry is that George will not let him feed the rabbits.

What is the exposition, complication, falling action and resolution of "The Last Leaf " by O Henry?

In the exposition (or beginning of the story that gives some background information and sets things up), O.Henry describes the section of town called Greenwich village, and describes the various artists and free-thinkers that inhabit it.  Among those are Sue and Johnsy, female roommates that share a loft together, and are aspiring artists.

There are several points of complication, or rising action.  The first is that O. Henry mentions that pnemonia has struck the village.  The second is that Johnsy gets it, and the third is that the doctor has not much hope for her.  Lastly, Johnsy declares that as soon as the last leaf falls off the ivy outside her window, she will too "go away." 

This leads to the climax, where that night Sue and their unique and surly neighbor Behrman, wait the night, to see if Johnsy passes.  Sue opens the window the next morning to find the leaf there. 

The falling action is that the leaf stays there, and Johnsy gets better. 

The resolution is when Sue tells Johnsy that the leaf wasn't real, that Behrman painted it, and subsequently died from pnemonia himself.  I provided a link to the story below; it isn't very long, and it's a good one.  I hope this helps!

In "Into the Wild," Krakauer draws on the writings Chris left behind. What does all this writing tell Krakauer about McCandless's motives for...

According to Chris, in his journal, his writings and the writings of other's that he included in the journal indicated that Chris wanted to be free.  One quote found highlighted within the journal stated "I wanted movement and not a calm course of existence.  I wanted excitement and danger and the chance to sacrifice myself for my love. (Leo Tolstoy) "Family of Happiness" page 15 of "Into The Wild,."

The most telling reasons are from Chris' own words written on a piece of plywood found on the bus where he died.  "TWO YEARS HE WALKS THE EARTH.  NO PHONES,NO POOL, NO PETS, NO CIGARETTES.  ULTIMATE FREEDOM.  AN EXTREMIST. AN AESTHETIC VOYAGER WHOSE HOME IS THE ROAD. ESCAPED FROM ATLANTA.  THOU SHALT NOT RETURN, 'CAUSE "THE WEST IS THE BEST." and NOW AFTER TWO RAMBLING YEARS COMES THE FINAL AND GREATEST ADVENTURE.  THE CLIMACTIC BATTLE TO KILL THE FALSE BEING WITHIN AND VICTORIOUSLY CONCLUDE THE SPIRITUAL REVOLUTION.... NO LONGER TO BE POISONED BY CIVILIZATION HE FLEES, AND WALKS ALONE UPON THE LAND TO BECOME LOST INTHE WILD.  ALEXANDER SUPERTRAMP MAY 1992  ( PAGE 163)

In Bud, not Buddy, how does Bud change over the course of the story?

You have put your finger on a major theme of this story, which, after all, is a kind of coming of age story where we are presented with a narrator who, as an orphan, is left to himself to make his way in the world and find who he is. What is interesting is that he starts off the novel as a very street-wise orphan who has learned hard lessons from life already, in spite of his young age. Note the irony in Bud's repetition of "Here we go again" when he is told about a new foster home - Bud's fourth, and his prediction of the bullying he is going to receive from Todd Amos. It is clear that in a sense we are presented with a world weary and wise character who is old before his years.

Yet as the novel develops, the wisdom that Bud has gleaned from his experiences which he repeatedly quotes to us in the form of "Bud Caldwell's Rules and Things for Having a Funner Life and Making a Better Liar Out of Yourself." Yet at times the narrative shows how wrong his "Rules" actually are as they are based on distrusting others and find it hard to accept the kindness and charity of other characters in the novel, like his "pretend family" at the Mission who ensure he gets his breakfast and share their sugar with him, and also Lefty Lewis. Finally he finds his home and a family in the form of his grandfather and his band - and also he regains the ability to cry again.

It is important to remember the significance of Bud's name - as he remembers his mother explaining her reasoning for calling him "Bud" and not "Buddy":

"A bud is a flower-to-be. A flower-in-waiting. Waiting for just the right warmth and care to open up. It's a little fist of love waiting to unfold and be seen by the world. And that's you."

What is clear is that by the end of the novel Bud has found the place he needs to fulfil the promise in his name - he has found his home, giving him the security and love he needs to unfurl.

What patterns or ideas does Steinbeck seem to follow or hold to in the book Of Mice and Men? Anything to do with themes, personalities, emotions, etc.

Much like Steinbeck’s short novel The Pearl, Of Mice and Men is a parable that tries to explain what it means to be human. Essentially, man is a very small part of a very large universe; in the greater scheme of things, individuals come and go and leave very little, lasting mark. Yet deep inside all people is a longing for a place in nature—the desire for the land, roots, and a place to call “home.” The struggle for such a place is universal, and its success is uncertain.

In sharing his vision of what it means to be human, Steinbeck touches on several themes: the nature of dreams, the nature of loneliness, man’s propensity for cruelty, powerlessness and economic injustices, and the uncertainty of the future.

How do you solve or do moles in chemistry?

A mole is just a number, like a billion or a trillion. So a billion in numeric form looks like 1,000,000,000 and a trillion is the same thing with 3 more zeros, or 1,000,000,000,000.  If you looked at these numbers in scientific notation, they would be 1 x 10^9 and 1 x 10^12, where the exponent is actually the number of zeros in the number.  A mole then, is actually the number 6.02 followed by 23 zeros, or 6.02 x 10^23, which is a huge number, and is used to count particles (atoms, ions, or molecules) since they're so small. To calculate values in chemistry, if you know the number of grams a substance weighs to make a mole of that substance, or grams per mole, and you have a sample of so many grams, you can find out how many moles that sample has, so

weight of a sample in grams / grams per mole  = # moles, or

g(sample) / g/mole = moles, or as my chemistry teacher used to tell me, "grams divided by grams per mole equals moles!"

What does Telemachus learn in Books 3 and 4 of The Odyssey?

Telemachus learns a great deal in Book IV of The Odyssey.  He arrives in Sparta,with Peisistratos, at the court of King Menelaos and Queen Helen.  They were both major characters in the Trojan War drama, and they had both known Odysseus personally.  Menelaos and Helen tell Telemachus some war stories about Odysseus, and about what happened to him after the Trojan War.   On his return journey home, Menelaos had plotted to trap an immortal, Proteus, for it is said that

If somehow you were able to wait in an ambush and seize [Proteus],
he would inform you about your road and the length of your journey--
and of your homecoming, how on the fish-thronged sea you will travel.
Then too he would inform you, beloved of Zeus, if you wish it,
what has been done in your palace, the evil as well as the good things,
while you have thus been making a lengthy and arduous journey.  (IV.387-393)

So Menelaos tells Telemachus of the many things he learned from Proteus while he held him, and among the things he is told is that Odysseus is alive. 

So I spoke, and at once he addressed me, giving an answer:
He is the son of Laertes, in Ithaka keeping his dwelling.
I saw him on an island; he shed great tears in abundance
there in the halls of Kalypso, a nymph who keeps him beside her
forcibly.  He is unable to leave for the land of his fathers,
since niether well-oared ships does he have near at hand nor companions
who might serve to convey him across the road ack of the deep sea. (IV. 554-60)

So from Menelaos Telemachos learns not only that Odysseus is alive, but also the person who holds him (Kalypso,) and that he is forcibly prevented from returning home.  Understandably, this comforts Telemachos, and makes him eager to return to Ithaka.

What news does Mrs. Joe bring at the end of chapter 7 of Great Expectations?

In Chapter 7 of Dickens's Great Expectations, Mrs. Joe returns from town and announces that "if this boy ain't grateful tonight, he never will be!" After some brief yet ridiculous banter with Joe, Mrs. Joe announces that Miss Havisham "wants this boy to go and play there." 

As Miss Havisham is an "immensely rich and grim lady who lived in a large and dismal house barricaded against robbers, and who led a life of seclusion," Mrs. Joe is extremely excited that Miss Havisham has called for Pip to visit her house, because she thinks that "this boy's fortune may be made by going to Miss Havisham's."  As Mrs. Joe is resentful for having to raise Pip, she is eager for him to be acquainted with someone rich, because Mrs. Joe thinks that she will be the recipient of money. 

Obviously, this episode is the beginning of a complete change in Pip's life, as his experiences with Miss Havisham and Estella cause him to completely reject his "common" upbringing and desire to become a gentleman. 

Although Atticus did not want his children in court, he defends Jem's right to know what has happened. Explain Atticus' reasons for this .

Atticus' reasoning is very simple and comes from his desire to treat his children maturely so they will act maturely. The town has been abuzz about the trial for a while, and Atticus believes the children (especially Jem, who is starting to grow up and realize the implications of some of these events) have a right to know what's going on--what their father is doing, why he's doing it, why the rest of the town is so against it. Atticus believes that if he is honest with his children and inspires intelligence and understanding, they will rise to meet these expectations. Atticus never wants the kids to believe the little lies that parents tell children just because the children aren't old enough.

Why does Dexter quit his job in "Winter Dreams"?

So much of people's lives are spent measuring themselves against others. In Part I of "Winter Dreams," Dexter waits in the caddy-shack on the orders of Mr. McKenna who tells him to wait until the caddy master has returned. While he is waiting, a nurse and her ward, an eleven-year-old girl, the daughter of Mr. Mortimer Jones, have come so that the child can play golf. When Dexter refuses to caddy for them because he must attend the shop, and he informs them that there are no other caddies available, Miss Jones and the nurse go outside, where the girl slams her club on the ground with violence and an argument ensues between the child and her nurse. 

As soon as the nurse sees the caddy-master she inquires if someone cannot now caddy for them.

"Well?" The caddy-master turned to Dexter. "....Go pick up the young lady's clubs."
"I don't think I'll go out to-day," said Dexter.
"You don't----"
"I think I'll quit."

Although "the enormity of the decision frightened him as the thirty dollars a month he earned was not available anywhere else nearby, " Dexter is changed, and he feels he must react: 

"...he had received a strong emotional shock, and his perturbation required a violent and immediate outlet."

This is the first of what Fitzgerald calls Dexter's "winter dreams," his dreams of being rich and having the privileges attached to this wealth. Little Judy Jones's actions have given Dexter a new direction in life in the illusions of his youth for which he will later suffer as he has become enamored of her and lets her represent all that he thinks he wants.

What is the theme of the "Far from the Madding Crowd"?

Some of the themes in “Far From the Madding Crowd” are unrequited love, the social caste system, and tragedy.  The biggest part of the novel is about Gabriel being in love with Bathsheba.  Through his tragedy of losing the farm, and her good fortune of inheriting the farm from her uncle they become socially unacceptable as a couple.  He is too poor and she is too rich for the union he so badly desires. 
The themes of the novel are evident from the first few chapters.  Once Gabe has lost his farm, he is “free to wander anywhere in search of work, but he heads to Weatherbury because it is in the direction that Bathsheba has gone. This move leads to Oak’s employment at Bathsheba’s farm, where he patiently consoles her in her troubles and supports her in tending the farm, with no sign he will ever have his love returned.”  Then there is the complication of Boldwood’s feelings for Bathsheba. “Bathsheba herself suffers a similar unrequited love for Sergeant Troy. She feels he is mistreating her once they are married, but she cannot help herself because she loves him so much. …When they argue trip he plans to take to see Fanny, and Bathsheba regrets how much she used to love him, Troy can only mutter, “I can’t help how things fall out . . . upon my heart, women will be the death of me.” When he is thought to have drowned, though, Bathsheba still thinks enough of him to go on waiting, to see if he will come back. “

Which two characters symbolize the mockingbird? Why? To Kill a Mockingbird

To answer this question, you must first identify the qualities of the mockingbird as they're given in the novel.  When Jem gets an air-rifle for Christmas, Atticus explains to him that he may shoot as many bluejays as he wants but it's a sin to kill a mockingbird--the only time his father ever called any behavior a sin, Jem noted.

Miss Maudie goes on to explain:  "Mockingbirds don't do a thing but make music for us to enjoy.  They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us."

As applied to people, then, you must look for characters who are "targets" of people who want to "shoot" them, either literally or figuratively.  Characters who are innocent and helpful, wanting nothing more than to help others, yet are in danger from others. That brings two characters to mind:  Boo Radley and Tom Robinson.

Boo is the target of town gossip and children's pranks, yet the only three things we know for certain he does in the novel are acts of selflessness.  Boo puts thoughtful gifts in a tree for the two kids, he puts a blanket around Scout as she watches Miss Maudie's house burn, and he saves Jem's life. The episode with Jem is even more dramatic, of course, because he actually kills Bob Ewell to save the young boy's life.  Boo is the epitome of a mockingbird who wants nothing but to live a peaceful life and make music, so to speak,  for others.

Tom Robinson is another character who is nothing but kind--even to those who eventually turn on him.  Even though Tom helps Mayella out of kindness and pity, Mayella is trapped and must accuse him of accosting her to save her own life. Tom has done nothing wrong or improper, yet he is shot--in this case literally, many times--by a society which does not value the word or the life of a black man.  He, too, is the embodiment of that innocent bird who wants only to live in peace and sing when he can.

While there may be others (perhaps Mayella, and even Ol' Tim Johnson, for example), these two characters most exemplify the qualities of a mockingbird in this novel.

How were scientists able to arrive at the distinct layers of the earth?

Human knowledge of the earth's core has been developed over time, by means of a number of tools. Once people learned that earthquakes generated seismic waves, they began to track them. They found that the waves moved at different speeds, and they wondered why, eventually concluding the different speeds were due to different materials. The magnetism directly measured as coming from the earth's core let scientists know that there was a metal core, and that it was molten. Some evidence for the different layers is deduced through looking at exposed stratification (as in deep canyons); some is taken from events like volcanoes.

In "Romeo and Juliet" Act 1 Scene 1 how would you describe Romeo's attitude to Rosaline in the early stages of the play ?

I would sum up Romeo's attitude in that scene as that of a fairly standard teenager, perhaps one who is slightly romantic. He thinks he is in love, and he definitely is in love with the idea of being in love. He thinks Rosalind influences his entire being and existence. He's sad because, as he says, he is " Out of her favour, where I am in love."

I keep saying he thinks this, because he's not really in love, or if he is, it is a shallow, passing love that is swept away as soon as he meets Juliet.

What is the central conflict of "Good Country People?" What is the resolution?

The central conflict is between Joy/Hulga and Manley Pointer, the so-called Bible salesman who comes to the house and is invited to dinner by Mrs. Hopewell.  She believes him to be a good, sincere person and hopes that he will take a liking to her daughter.

However, Manley Pointer is not who he appears to be, but a con man, who when he finds out that Hulga has a wooden leg, becomes fascinated with her, determined to  steal her wooden leg.

Hulga is confronted by someone, Manley Pointer, who has less belief in anything spiritual than she does.  She is shocked by his cruelty and inhumanity when he steals her wooden leg and leaves her stranded in the barn, with no way of getting back to the house. 

She screams for her leg, but he dismisses her with contempt. To Hulga’s horror, Manley puts her wooden leg in his suitcase, saying, “One time I got a woman’s glass eye this way.” As he walks away, he has nothing but contempt for her because he, like she, dismissed God from his life a long time ago: “I been believing in nothing ever since I was born,” he says. All of a sudden, her intellectual snobbery in her nihilism becomes reduced to the same as his manipulative cruelty."

Hulga, left stranded and vulnerable without her wooden leg, has a revelation about life and her non-belief.  It is possible that Hulga will be dramatically changed by this experience. 

What are 5 major turning points in Macbeth's character in Macbeth, and in what scenes are they?

Obviously there are no hard and fast answers to this question and everyone is going to differ in their response. What you need to think about is how Macbeth's character develops - how we see him at his first introduction in Act I scene iii, and then what are the significant stages that lead him up to his tragic downfall at the end of the play. Where are those stepping stones in his character development? Here are my ideas:

1) Obviously Act I scene iii is key in our first introduction to the character of Macbeth. This is also a key scene because the witches give Macbeth their prophecies and we see how Macbeth reacts. Disturbingly, the text suggests that the withces have actually keyed into thoughts that Macbeth has already contemplated, and also introduce a key issue as to whether Macbeth himself needs to act to accomplish these prophesies.

2) Act I scene vii is another key point as we see Macbeth's conscience in his soliloquy, but also how he is bullied into committing the murder by Lady Macbeth. We see her cajole, mock and flatter him into committing the murder and this makes Macbeth "resolute" as he goes off to murder Duncan.

3) Act III scene i to me is important because, with Macbeth's organising of the murder of Banquo, we see a Macbeth who is able to commit acts of villainy without the involvement of his wife. Also, hiring murderers to do the deed for him instead of committing the murder himself raises his crime to new levels - he is orchestrating slaughter and violence from a distance, and showing greater savagery.

4) Act IV scene i and ii represents an escalation of what has been established through the murder of Banquo. Note how Act IV scene ii is deliberately designed to evoke the full horror of Macbeth's actions - Macduff's family become real, sympathetic people who we can empathise with and this makes Macbeth's crime all the more heinous. Macbeth is well and truly on the slide to damnation.

5) Act V scene v, one of Macbeth's last scenes, is particularly tragic in the way that Macbeth greets the news of his wife's death and also realises that his time is up. What makes it more poignant is the manner in which he reacts to these events. His determination to die fighting and not to give in adds much to the tragedy of the play - Macbeth has many noble qualities such as bravery and courage, and it is said how he has fallen.

From what point of view is "The Most Dangerous Game" told and who is the narrator?

The point of view of "The Most Dangerous Game" is third person limited. Even though it seems that you find out a great deal of information about Zaroff, the story chronicles more of the adventures and feelings of Rainsford. One example of this is during the hunt; at this point in the story you only get a look at Rainsford's point of view. This is also true in the closing scene of the short story.

The narrator is not given a name, which is usually the case with most stories written in third person point of view.

What are the personal grievances Hamlet expresses in his "to be or not to be" speech?

The "to be or not to be" soliloquy is a general question about whether it is better to live or die. Hamlet doesn't mention any specific personal grievances except "slings and arrows of outrageous fortunes". This seems to be a reference to Hamlet's encounter with the ghost and the subsequent discovery that his father was killed by his uncle. At this point in the play, however, Hamlet has no definite proof that the ghost is telling him the truth. He is left with trying to figure out what happened and what to do about it. He struggles with the idea that it might be better to just end it all than to continue to suffer. He mentions general grievances like oppression, hatred, rejected love, and justice delayed. These may be things Hamlet thinks he has suffered or will suffer in the future, but they are not specific events at this point in the play. However, they do foreshadow events that are about to happen, indicating Hamlet knows the battles and obstacles he is about to face.

What makes nailpolish melt styrofoam?What is nail polish?

First, it's nail polish remover, which is acetone, that does the trick.

Very simply styrofoam is made up of long strands of polymers with air trapped inside. Acetone is a solvent, which breaks down these strands and lets the air escape. As the air escapes, the styrofoam "melts" down into the small amount of residual polymer.

In "By the Waters of Babylon", what does John mean when he says, "it is better to lose one's life than one's spirit"?

John considers his spirit the essential part of him. It is a combination of his beliefs, values, and conscience. John is saying that it would be better to die than be untrue to your values and act against your beliefs. So, in order to obey what his spirit is telling him, he violates the laws of his people and visits the Place of the Gods. Even though this action is physically dangerous because of the Forest People and the fact that there may be something physically harmful in the place of the Gods, he believes he must obey his spirit which is telling him to go.

Why do some organisms survive in salt water but not others?

Over the course of millions of years, marine life has been evolving to adapt to the high salt content, temperature and light conditions of the oceans. These adaptations depend on the type of marine life. Animals such mollusks, have hard outer shells that protect them from predators, high concentrations of salt, and water erosion. Keen eyesight is an important adaptation for an octopus. In order to catch food in the dark and deep parts of the ocean, they must be able to spot food quickly. Marine mammals also have special adaptations for survival in saltwater. Mammals in the oceans are warm-blooded; their body temperature is regulated to be higher than the temperature of the ocean water. In addition, seals and manatees must decrease the amount of energy and breathing capacity used, in order to dive deep in the ocean. Lastly, reptiles that have evolved to live in saltwater, such as the sea turtle, have harder shells and feet designed for swimming. These organisms are found in tropical and temperate oceans, but there are also organisms that can survive even the harshest of saltwater environments. Halophiles, small microbes, can live in environments up to 10 times more saline (salty) then the oceans. The Great Salt Lake, in Salt Lake City, Utah, is home to these organisms. The salt content in the Great Lake is so high that you can actually walk on salt flats. Understandably, these microbes have very specific adaptations. I hope this helps!

Can you give me an example of a metaphor in the book "Lord of the Flies"? In the book Lord of the Flies, can you give me some examples of a...

What about the vines hanging from trees that become "snake things" to the "littluns"? Or, in Chapter 4 of "Lord of the Flies," Jack smears clay ("dazzle paint") on his face, then black, then he changes the colors making a savage mask. Another metaphor exists in Chapter 5 as Ralph walks down a narrow path and "finds himself understanding the wearisomeness of this life where every path was an improvisation and...one's waking life was spent watching one's feet."

N.B. The question somehow has been misplaced into "Candide."

Could you explain the significance of William Wordsworth's "Preface to Lyrical Ballads?"

Four of the significant issues dealt with in Wordsworth's  "Preface to Lyrical Ballads" (1800), the manifesto of the Romantic Revolution in  English Literature are:

1. "For all good poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings":  The Neo-Classical poets and critics of the previous age always emphasized that poetry should be an expression of the poet's 'reason' and his 'intellect,' but Wordsworth felt that the opposite was true and emphasised that  'emotion' and 'feeling'  were the hallmarks of good poetry.

2. "To choose incidents and situations from common life": The Neo-Classical critics restricted the choice of the subject matter of the poets mainly to the lives of kings and queens and life in the city.  Wordsworth disagreed and his poems dealt with the lives of ordinary people in rustic settings.

3. "A selection of language really used by men": The Neo-Classical poets and critics were of the opinion that good poetry must be written only in a highly artificial and stylised language called 'poetic diction.' Wordsworth felt that, the language exactly as it was used by the "humble and rustic" people was "a far more philosophical language," and hence more suitable to express sincerely the poet's feelings.

4. "The feeling gives importance to the action": Neo-Classical poets felt that the 'action' gave importance to the 'feeling,' but Wordsworth felt that it was the other way round.

Throughout the book, how does Jack's character change? What are some quotes that demonstrate this change?

In the beginning of the novel Jack desires power and is furious when he loses the election to Ralph, however, he retains the values of civilized behavior that he had as the leader of the choirboys in school. He is unable to kill a pig the first time he encounters one, however, as the book continues he becomes obsessed with hunting and goes beyond hunting for food, to painting his face and killing for the rush. Jack becomes more savage and instinctual, leaving behind the values of propriety and civilization. He uses fear of the beast to control the other boys and becomes the book’s representation of savagery, violence, and the all encompassing desire for power.

What is the significance of money in the play?

Money plays a significant role in Joe Keller's decision to ship the faulty airplane parts.  He has worked very hard from the bottom up to own the factory, he believed that if he did not meet the military contract and deliver the parts on time that he would lose his business. 

He made his decision because he felt that his financial security and future were at risk if he did not meet the time constraints of the military contract.

Money is the driving force behind the decision, he claims that he did not want to put his family at risk by not shipping the faulty airplane parts.  Joe Keller puts money above integrity, above honesty, above all the beliefs that he claims to value.

The distorted decision that Joe makes in order to save the factory, so as not to lose his financial position, is closely linked with the respect the family has for him.  Joe equates his family's love with what he can provide for them.

Joe's self-worth is closely tied with his business and financial success, that is why he was desperate to get out of jail, he needed to rescue his self-worth to recover his freedom which  proved to him, that he made the right decision. 

He believes that his life can go on, even though Steve Deever will rot in jail for a crime that he committed.  He doesn't care if Steve takes the blame for the criminal behavior as long as he is free, he feels vindicated.

What is the message of the poem "Richard Cory?"

One is that wealth and power have their attraction to the crowd but tend to alienate the individual. Ask any high profile celebrity, and he or she will tell you it is not that easy to protect one's private life (including maintaining meaningful relationships within a small circle of family and friends) when in the limelight.

Another is that things (or people) are often very different from the way they appear. In this case, a man whom everyone admired, emulated, or was even envious of was not "the success story" he was cracked up to be. Under all the glitter and hype, he was a very frustrated person who couldn't cope with the stress his image and lifestyle demanded of him. The reason he opted for suicide is not stated, but the reader could presume his "success" might have had something to do with it.

Related to the two first messages or themes is another question - what, after all, is really important in life? Complying to society's ideals of perfection and being gratified by that or seeking and finding personal fulfilment by one's own standards instead?

Could you please translate the Act II Chorus of "Romeo and Juliet" into modern English?

Now old desire doth in his deathbed lie,

(Now old desire lies dying)

And young affection gapes to be his heir;
That fair for which love groan'd for and would die,
With tender Juliet match'd, is now not fair.
Now Romeo is belov'd, and loves again,
Alike bewitched by the charm of looks;
But to his foe suppos'd he must complain,
And she steal love's sweet bait from fearful hooks.
Being held a foe, he may not have access
To breathe such vows as lovers use to swear,
And she as much in love, her means much less
To meet her new beloved anywhere;
But passion lends them power, time means, to meet,
Temp’ring extremities with extreme sweet.

(gluing to enemies together in love)

What is the main conflict in "The Gift of the Magi"?

Jim's problem should not be included as part of the main conflict in "The Gift of the Magi." Della is the protagonist and the viewpoint character. It is her story from beginning to end. Her conflict arises out of her motivation. She wants to buy her husband a nice Christmas present because she loves him so much. 

Tomorrow would be Christmas Day, and she had only $1.87 with which to buy Jim a present. She had been saving every penny she could for months, with this result. Twenty dollars a week doesn't go far. Expenses had been greater than she had calculated. They always are. Only $1.87 to buy a present for Jim. Her Jim. 

Jim's conflict is never mentioned in the story. Jim is not even present until towards the end when he gets home from work. Everything that happens in the story up to the climax happens to Della. She doesn't have enough money--and yet she still keeps wanting to buy Jim a nice present. She even knows what she would like to get: a watch fob to attach to Jim's beautiful pocket watch.

In attempting to solve her conflict, Della hits on the idea of selling her beautiful hair. Impulsively she goes to Madame Sofronie and sells it for twenty dollars, just enough to buy the platinum watch fob. (Note that nothing is said about any conflict Jim might be experiencing. He may not have had any conflict at all but just decided to sell his watch to raise some Christmas money.)

One problem leads to another. Now that Della has sold her hair she sees that she looks very strange. She is afraid that Jim will be repelled by her appearance and will cease to love her. This is the way with primary conflicts in stories: one conflict leads to another one which is even more serious. Della's desire to buy Jim a nice gift was a small problem, but her fear of losing him forever is a much greater problem, and she has no means of solving this one because she has parted with the only thing of value that she owned.

She had a habit for saying little silent prayers about the simplest everyday things, and now she whispered: “Please God, make him think I am still pretty.”

She did have one recourse. She could pray to God for help. And the conflict is resolved, apparently, as a result of her prayer. It turns out that Jim not only still loves her in spite of her changed appearance, but he loves her so much that he has parted with his most treasured material possession in order to buy her a Christmas present. Prayer can work miracles. The message is especially appropriate in a Christmas story.

What are some examples of moderation in "Romeo and Juliet"?

In the opening scene of "Romeo and Juliet," when the confrontation between families begins, Benvolio speaks to Abraham and Sampson and Gregory when they pull their swords:  "Part fools! Put up your swords.  You do not know what you do"(I,i,37-38).  However, Benvolio loses his temper when the fight heats up.  Lord Montague enters and shouts for his sword.  But, Lady Montague steps in, "Thou shalt not stir one foot to seek a foe" (I,i,53). Then, Montague asks who started the quarrel; Benvolio gives a cool, rational explanation: He tells Montague that he drew his sword to part the quarreling servants when "the fiery Tybalt, with his sword prepared..."(I,i,,81,82), so he and the others had to defend themselves.  In Act IV, scene iv, Benevolio asks Mercutio to "stop there" in his mocking of Romeo.

When Romeo bemoans his jilting by Rosalind, Benvolio makes light of Romeo's confession so that he will calm down:  "Alas, that love,..Should be so tryannous and rough in proof!"(I,i,141,142).  Lord Capulet echoes Benvolio's speech concerning other women and not rushing things in reply to the prince's proposal:  "My child is yet a stranger in the world;/Whe hath not seen the change of fourteen years"(I,ii,8-9).

Of course there is Friar Laurence's famous soliloquy on moderation in which he reflects,

Nor aught so good but strain'd from that fair use/Revolts from true birth, stumbling on abuse:  Virture itself turns vice, being misapplied (II,iii,11-13)

In "The Catcher in the Rye", what are three examples of things that Holden thinks are "phony?"Why are those phony?

One of the first things that Holden refers to as "phony" is his school work. He is confronted about his report on the Egyptians, and becomes frustrated at the phony report he had to do for school. Holden also thinks that several people are phony. Mrs. Morrow, the three ladies in the bar, and his roommate are all referred to as phony at one point or another. Holden also thinks that some behavior is phony. The people across from him in the hotel spitting water on each other are phony. These things are all phony to Holden because he doesn't see the point in doing them, or talking to them. He want to live a real life, but doesn't quite know what that is.

What ethnic and religious groups lived in the Ottoman Empire?

Unlike many of the empires in the Middle Ages and in the early modern period, the Ottoman Empire took a very open and welcoming view of different nationalities and religious groups.  Tracing its beginnings to the fourteenth century, the Ottoman Empire allowed the indigenous inhabitants to practice their own religions, provided they pay a tax to the government.  For this reason, religious groups who had faced persecution in Europe actually made the journey to live in the Ottoman Empire.  In the Ottoman Empire, one would find a significant Muslim population - ultimately the official religion of the empire; in addition, a large number of Greek Orthodox and a smaller number of Catholics lived within Ottoman borders; after the Protestant Reformation in the sixteenth century, one could also find Protestants within the Ottoman Empire.

What allowed for such a plurality of religions to coexist under a single imperial power was the sheer breadth of the Ottoman Empire.  At its greatest extent, it covered an area from just outside Vienna in the northwest, Egypt in the South, the Russian steppes in the northeast, and eastward into modern-day Iran.  Ultimately, one would find Byzantines, Turks, Austrians, various Slavic peoples, Syrians, Georgians, Armenians, Persians, Egyptians, Arabians, and a number of smaller populations inhabiting Ottoman lands.

How does the song in Edgar Allan Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher" relate to the characters?

The song, entitled "The Haunted Palace", echoes the degeneration of both the house of Usher and its inhabitants.  The palace in the song was a beautiful and fertile place that was dominated by intellect, where everyone lived in peace.  The house of Usher, as the narrator tells us, was once a respected home of a respected family and was beautiful in its day.  It is now a shell of its former self, overgrown and breaking down, with only two people inside, both ill.  However:

But evil things, in robes of sorrow,
Assailed the monarch's high estate;
Shall dawn upon him, desolate!)
That blushed and bloomed
Of the old time entombed.

The "robes of sorrow" have taken over Roderick Usher, who called the narrator to him for help with a nervous condition.  Instead of intellect dominating, fear and grief dominate in the household.  There is no existing in harmony because the residents are not at peace themselves.

In the last stanza, there is a reference that can be connected to Madeline:

Vast forms that move fantastically

She is a form that moves fantastically - almost ghost-like - throughout the house.  We can assume that the feeling of disquiet and/or grief has overcome her, too, and that her weakening is further enflaming Roderick's. 

With this song, Poe is both symbolizing and foreshadowing the situation in the "House of Usher".

In what way is Denmark "rotten" in "Hamlet"? no

"Something is rotten in the state of Denmark" is spoken by Marcellus at the beginning of the play. He is responding to the appearance of the ghost and also the preparations for war against Norway that he sees occurring. At this point, the audience is unaware that the new king, Claudius, poisoned his brother, the old king. The audience also is aware that Claudius has just married his brother's widow, who happens to be Hamnlet's mother. This would have been considered incest by Elizabethab audiences. Although it is the ghost's appearance that prompts the remark that something is rotten, the line has greater meaning as the play progresses. Hamlet goes on a search for revenge against Claudius, Claudius responds by plotting to kill Hamlet. This all occurs against a background of intrigue by Fortinbras, who is also plotting revenge against Denmark for the loss of Norwegian territory during the reign of Hamlet's father.

In Act III of "Hamlet", what are some important quotes that reflect theme and foreshadowing?

What could be argued as the most famous of all Shakespearian quotes resides in Act III, the "to be or not to be" monologue.  Look to scene 1, lines 56-89 for that speech.  In it, Hamlet ponders whether life is worth living, and what keeps himself or others from just ending life.  This is a major theme of "Hamlet"-his pondering of life's value, and death's meaning.

Then, Ophelia comes in and you get several quotes from Hamlet touching on the theme of his disgust with women.  The "Get thee to a nunnery" quotes(1. 122, 139) show Hamlet's bitterness towards the fickle nature of women, an indirect hit at his mother, who he is very upset with.  It is also a foreshadowing of the conversation he will have in his mother's bedroom in scene 4.

Look at the very end of scene 3 for foreshadowing of Hamlet's intentions to kill the king (he comes upon the king praying, but decides to wait until the king is doing something evil to kill him).

In scene 4, he rants and raves at his mother, telling her "I must be cruel, only to be kind" (l.177), a famous quote, hinting at his need to be cruelly "truthful" with her to help open her eyes to the situation as he sees it.  He does this with many other characters also:  Ophelia, Polonius, the king, his friends.  He behaves cruelly and bizarrely in order to seek out the truth of his father's death.

Those are just a few examples, and I hope that it helps!

How exactly do Reneesme's powers work? Do two people have to be touching her and they hear each others thought, or does the baby see the thoughts...

Renesmee can show people the events that have happened in her life, her memories, almost as though showing them a movie of her thoughts. In order to do this she has to be touching them. She touches people's faces in order to share her thoughts. On page 445-446 (Chapter 22), Renesmee first plays her "memory movie" for Bella. Renesmee's gift is related but a bit different from Edwards -- Edward reads minds, but Renesmee can show others her mind. She also has a power in which she can break through Bella's shield, as she comes from and is a part of Bella. She has an innate ability to win people over, it is theorized that Renesmee's power is the opposite of Bella's, while Bella can keep people out with her shield, Renesmee can break through shields (whether physical or emotional).

In "The Ransom of Red Chief", what was Bill's greatest internal conflict?

Well, his internal conflict comes from the fact that the kid is so horrible, and he doesn't think that he's going to get the ransom money for him.  Bill states, in despair, "Ain't it awful, Sam? Do you think anybody will pay out money to get a little imp like that back home?"  When writing the ransom letter, "Bill begged me tearfully to make the ransom fifteen hundred dollars instead of two thousand."  He is honestly afraid that his parents aren't going to pay much to get the kid back.

However, this conflict for Bill might not be the one he has to suffer during every humiliating game he has to play with Red Chief.  He is humilated over and over again, but fights through that in order to achieve the prized money.  Near the end though, he lets Red Chief go and says, "I'm a grown person with masculine proclivities and habits of self-defense, but there is a time when all systems of egotism and predominance fail."  He just couldn't take it anymore; he struggled to tame  his ego, but the degradation was too much.  He loses the battle, and agrees to pay Red Chief's father to take him back.

What is the main theme of "The Castle" by Kafka?I know this book deals with alienation, bureaucracy, power abuse, and going against the system. I...

Works by Kafka can always be interpreted in a number of ways. One way to interpret "The Castle" is to see it as a representation of social norms. The protagonist, Joseph K. attempts to be a part of those social norms. The main theme of the story is mankind's constant struggle to belong somewhere. In this particular instance, Joseph K is not accepted or rejected. He exists in a state of limbo, a kind of in between where his belonging is always pending. This idea is closely tied with the idea of "liminality", where an individual's identity is neither fully one nor fully the other, but an empty in between state.

What are some literary devices used in Night?

There are many examples of irony in this story.  Madame Schachter is considered crazy and annoying by the passengers on the train.  She screams about the fire and about everyone being burned up, and her fellow passengers want nothing more than to silence her, thinking that she is hysterical. However, in her fear, she is the most honest and accurate about what is going to happen, as everyone realizes when they approach the camp.

Ironically, also, Eliezer talks much about having "lost" his faith and his God.

"Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my Soul"

However, despite claiming that his God has been murdered, Eliezer constantly refers to God as a witness and an essential part of his life.  The quote -  "I no longer accepted God's silence" - shows that he is still accepting of the existence of God, despite his previous assertions.

The irony of Eliezer's last days is very poignant.  He is desperate to get out of the hospital and to join his fellow prisoners as they march from the camp; however, he learns later that he would have been quickly freed had he remained.

Allusions - or references - are another device, and there are many to the Bible.  Eliezer and his father's relationship - the way they look out for each other - is an allusion to the relationship of Abraham and Isaac in the Bible.  The hanging scene, in which there is one innocent child and two thieves, is a reference to the crucifixation of Jesus.

What is the advantage to the cell of having different organelles that carry out specialized functions?

Each cell can be more efficient.

Without having these little organs within the cell, it could not carry out essential functions. Also, each cell carries such specific information to the make up of the organism and specific features of the organism. DNA replication is carried out by a specialized function of the nucleus. Such a delicate process would certainly not be performed as perfectly if it were not performed by a specialized organelle. Just as the vacuoles hold food and waste.....if not the waste would just be floating about randomly in the cell ?? That could probably interfere with other functions. Some vacuoles help keep the pressure balanced in the cell...if not the cell would collapse. Check out the links below.  

What exactly did Macdonwald do in "Macbeth" for him to be hung?I'm writing an essay on who is responsible for the events in Macbeth and I'm...

Macdonwald was killed on the battlefield by Macbeth, you might be confusing him with the Thane of Cawdor. 

"Macbeth is introduced as the brave man who led King Duncan's forces to victory against the traitorous Thane of Cawdor, Macdonwald and The King of Norway, in a battle that could have gone either way were it not for Macbeth's leadership. We learn that Macbeth killed Macdonwald himself in battle. King Duncan, overjoyed, decides to make Macbeth his new Thane of Cawdor. The previous Thane of Cawdor will be executed."

 Macdonwald was working with the Thane of Cawdor, who is later executed by hanging.  It is after he is executed for treason, that Macbeth is named Thane of Cawdor.

Both men were working against King Duncan with invading forces to overthrow the throne of Scotland. 

What are examples of indirect and direct characterization in "Romeo and Juliet"?

An example of indirect characterization comes from Act 1, scene 5.  In this scene, Romeo has seen Juliet for the first time and is commenting on her beauty.  Romeo says, "O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright! / It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night / Like a rich jewel in an Ethiope's ear; / Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear!" (Act I, sc. v)

Whereas there are many examples of indirect characterization in this play, there are far less examples of direct characterization and are sometimes difficult to locate because of the language of Shakespeare.  The example of direct characterization occurs in Act 2 , scene 4, when Romeo is discussing Mercutio's love of himself with the Nurse.  In this examples, Romeo says, "A gentleman, nurse, that loves to hear himself talk, / and will speak more in a minute than he will stand / to in a month." (Act II, sc. iv)

In "To Kill a Mockingbird", why do the Ewell children go to school only the first day in the whole year and never come back again?

The Ewells are one of the poorest families in town. Their father, Bob Ewell spends the family's government relief check on "green whiskey," according to Atticus, and the local authorities allow the family to have exceptions to certain local laws.

One of those laws states that the children must be in school, but the "truant lady" only ensures that they arrive at school on the first day. The students tell Miss Caroline Fisher that she is to mark them absent the rest of the year, because they'll never show up again.

Another exception that authorities and local citizens make for the Ewell clan is allowing them to hunt game out of season and on other people's property. It is the community's opinion that if their father can gather game for the family to eat, no one should deprive them of what little they get.

What allusion to the Spanish Inquisition is presented in "The Pit and the Pendulum"?

Looking at the first paragraph of Poe's "The Pit and the Pendulum," there are several references making an allusion to the Spanish Inquisition, which was a nearly 400 year tribunal (1478-1834) of secular and religious nature, established by the Spanish crown with the Pope's blessing, that viciously violated Spanish law in its quest to find and subdue heresy and non-Catholic religious belief. An allusion is a literary device whereby a concept is given a broader and deeper meaning by associating it with a well-known historical, legendary, mythical or literary event, story or work. Today allusions are also often made to sports, television shows and films, as in "He's a terminator."

Since the Inquisition was a type of court where religious cases were heard and judged--sometimes on charges and in manners that were in opposition to standing Spanish law--any reference to judgement, courts, judges, sentencing, crimes, etc. may indicate an allusion to the Spanish Inquisition. How would one differentiate between an allusion to any court and legal proceeding and an allusion specifically to the Spanish Inquisition. One certain distinguishing element would be a reference with the word "inquisition" in it in one form or another.

The first paragraph starts out with a general allusion to imprisonment with "at length unbound me," but this general allusion stirs no association with the Spanish Inquisition. Nor does the next, which is "the dread sentence of death." It is the third allusion that clarifies the association with the Spanish Inquisition, though it does it indirectly, in true allusion style, and requires the reader to call upon his/er recollection of Spanish history: "the sound of the inquisitorial voices."

The allusion is continued with "black-robed judges"; "decrees of what to me was Fate"; and "the intensity of their expression of firmness—of immoveable resolution—of stern contempt of human torture." There is also "seven tall candles," which may represent the Jewish Menorah (candelabrum with seven candles) and may connect the persecution by the Inquisition of Jews in Spain to the rest of Spanish Inquisition allusion.

Paying particular attention to Stevenson's description of the city at night, discuss how Stevenson uses descriptive imagery to evoke a mood of...

At various junctures in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Stevenson uses vivid descriptions to evoke a sense of the uncanny and the supernatural, and of looming disaster. He first employs this technique in the opening scene, when Enfield relates his story of witnessing Hyde trample a little girl—a night when the streets were so empty that he began “to long for the sight of a policeman.”

This notion of the city as a fearful landscape recurs throughout the novel. After hearing the tale of Mr. Hyde, Utterson suffers from dreams in which Hyde stalks through “labyrinths of lamp-lighted city,” crushing children and whispering evil into Jekyll’s ears. In Utterson’s vision, London becomes a nightmare city, a place of terror where Hyde can perpetrate his crimes unchecked. The nightmare city reappears in Utterson’s later, waking description of London. Leading the police to Hyde’s apartment through a foggy pre-dawn, Utterson watches the mist swirl and transform the neighborhood into “a district of some city in a nightmare,” bringing a “touch” of “terror” even to the stolid policemen.

By the novel’s final scene, these cityscapes connote not only terror but also foreboding of even more horrifying dangers. When Poole fetches Utterson to Jekyll’s house, the wildness of the night and the empty streets fill the lawyer with “a crushing anticipation of calamity.” In all these descriptions, Stevenson creates a perceptual dread that reinforces the conceptual horror of his subject matter.

In A Separate Peace, how does the snowball fight mirror events at the trial?

Gene sees the fight and is reluctant to join it; he even goes so far as to pretend that he has just remembered something else he has to do in order to get out of it.  As with most other events at Devon, though, he is pulled in by Finny and peer pressure.  This is similar to the trial scene, where Gene really doesn't know what's happening but he joins in anyway.

The betrayal of the snowball fight is minor, of course, in comparison to the betrayal at the trial.  Still, it is there, as a preview.  As with the trial, during the snowball fight "loyalties became hopelessly entangled.  No one was going to win or lose after all," (p. 154).  Just as in the trial, no winner can truly be declared.  In the snowball fight, the sides are too muddled for either one to win.  In the trial, Brinker's aim is reached, but it leaves everyone worse off than they were before they knew the truth; especially Finny.

In "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love", what allusions help to enrich the poem's meaning?

The meaning of the poem is the idealization of nature and sexuality.  Mostly, Marlowe uses natural imagery to underscore his meaning.  He mentions shallow rivers, melodious birds, beds of roses, etc., to portray a sense of how natural the relationship between the man and woman is - how much a part of nature.

The allusions used are few and very subtle.  The first is the mention of "myrtle".  The shepard tells his lady that he shall make her skirt of myrtle, which was the flower associated with the goddess of love and sexuality, Venus.  He then underscores this allusion by mentioning "the gods" a few stanzas later.  In 16th century England, it would have been more common to reference the Christian God in a poem, but Marlowe references "the gods", which suggests Roman and Greek mythology - as the reference to "myrtle" does. 

The only other allusion comes in the reference to May, which historically is the considered as the start of spring (May Day celebrations) and thus the start of the mating period amongst animals.  Again, this is a reference to religions more nature based than Christianity, as May Day was originally a Pagan celebration.  Marlowe would want his shepard to avoid Christianity as to avoid the morality questions imposed upon sexuality by Christian teachings.

Can anybody explain the process of converting Lithium into Lithium chloride?

The simplest process is to heat lithium in the presence of chlorine:

Li + Cl  ->  LiCl

or to make it a bit more complex, create lithium oxide and free an oxygen atom by burning two atoms of lithium in oxygen:

2(Li) + O2  -> Li2O + O

and then dissolving the lithium oxide in hydrochloric acid:

Li2O + 2(HCl)  ->  2(LiCl) + H20

yielding 2 molecules of lithium chloride and a molecule of water.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th ed., vol. 16, pg. 785.

Can you give me an example of Hamlet manipulating Gertrude to act to his benefit in Shakespeare's Hamlet?

Oh, Hamlet is an absolute master of manipulation!  (If only he were master of action!  Ha!)  I think it best to begin with a lesser example and end with the most important in regards to Hamlet influencing Gertrude.

First, observe a few of Hamlet's first words to Gertrude in Act I specifically as a response to what Gertrude says:

Queen:  Do not forever with thy vailed lids / Seek for thy noble father int he dust. / Thou kno'st 'tis common; all that lives must die, / Passing through nature to eternity.

Hamlet:  Ay, madam, it is common.

The importance here is the word "common" and its meaning in Shakespeare's time.  The word can mean both "universal" but also "vulgar."  Many critics see this line as some of Hamlet's first public commentary on Gertrude's marriage to Claudius.  Equally important is how this line is acted.  If acted with enough contempt and sarcasm, the audience can be sure that Hamlet is trying to stir guilt in Gertrude.

The most important instance of Hamlet's manipulation occurs in the famous "bedroom scene" of Act III.  I would argue that Hamlet is manipulating Gertrude beyond guilt here.  Hamlet is hoping that Gertrude will feel actual dread at her wicked deed.  I believe Hamlet secretly hopes Gertrude will renounce Claudius.  I suppose Hamlet doesn't succeed in his goal in that regard. That being said, let's look at Hamlet's manipulation.  (In reality, the entire scene should be reprinted here!  Ha!  But for time's sake, I will lift a few important parts.)

First comes Hamlet's taunts:

Hamlet:  Mother, you have my father much offended. / ... / Come, come, you question with a wicked tongue. / ... / You are the Queen, your husband's brother's wife, / And, would it were not so, you are my mother.

Here Hamlet lets the accusations fly!  Gertrude has severely "offended" Hamlet's dad, sins by everything she says and does, and has committed incest by marrying Claudius.  Hamlet wishes she were not his mother, of course.

After the queen wonders "what have I done" to deserve these taunts, Hamlet goes on to accusations:

Hamlet:  ... This was your husband. Look you now what follows. / Here is your husband, like a mildewed ear / Blasting his wholesome brother.  Have you eyes? / ... / What devil was't / That thuys hath cozened you at hoodman-blind?

Hamlet is attempting here for Gertrude to see her vast villany.  He wants her to think on her original husband, Hamlet's father, and compare him to the piece of trash she has now ventured into the taboo by marrying.  He accuses her of not being able to see the great sin right in front of her nose.  A sin that will damn her to hell.

What good would manipulation be if it didn't render results?  Check out the result of Hamlet's manipulation.  Quite effective, eh?

Queen:  O Hamlet, speak no more. / Thou turn'st mine eyes into my very soul, / And there I see such black and grained spots / As will not leave their tinct. ... O, speak to me no more. / These words like daggers enter in my ears.  No more, sweet Hamlet.

Now, it's important to note here that some critics think that Hamlet and Gertrude become incestuous in this scene (as evidenced by Mel Gibson's version, as one of many).  If one wants to believe this interpretation, then Hamlet's manipulation goes further than above!

What are some examples of modern science in the 1810?

There were several important advances in the area of modern science in 1810.  John Hall invented the Breech loading Weapon.  Franois Appert , from France invented a food preservation system by sterilization and the exclusion of air, and Peter Durand invented the tin can.  One of the most famous inventions was the steam driven printing press by Frederick Koening.  Sir Humphry Davy and Thomas Edison invented the electric light.

During what century, year, or time period does The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho take place?

the 1700s is very possible; however, alchemy was practiced the most during the Middle Ages and was labeled as the medieval ancestor of chemistry. Therefore, it is also likely to have occurred during the Middles Ages (roughly the 4th or 5th to the 14th or 15th centuries). There is some reference to it during the Renaissance, as well, which would be 15 to 17th centuries)

In rereading the given sections of the novel, no where in Prologue is Oscar Wilde referenced, and the story can cannot be labeled strictly to him, as it is a famous myth that I have heard and read in many locations. Furthermore, there is no mention of a plastic curtain, but, instead, "a curtain of colored beads." Beads can be made from wood, stones and various other materials other than plastic. The mention of a plastic curtain has been posted various places on the web, so maybe I just missed something, but I saw no reference in the book. 

Again, though, as the time is not written anywhere in the book, it is hard to label it with anything. 

Can somebody help me analyze the following quotes from Stanley Williams? 1) Anger brings damage and loss. 2)They condemn what they do not understand.

Quote 1:

Look at it this way. What can anger lead to? Think about it in your own school, among your friends or other groups of kids. If someone gets angry, what is usually the end result? Loss of friendship, damaging words, maybe a fight, etc. I don't know what your goal was for this particular assignment, but I would use examples from school to back up your logic.

Quote 2:

People are very quick to judge others. When we don't understand something or someone, we make snap judgements. Think of it this way. Here in America today, Barack Obama keeps being called a Muslim. People are afraid of him and scared of him because they think he's a Muslim. Now, he's said many times that he's not, yet it is still being used as a way to put  him down. People don't understand Islam or Muslims. Because they don't understand the religion, they assume all Muslims are evil terrorists. To say Obama may be one is condemning him on this basis of just not understanding who he is or what Islam is.

Another example... Look at today's "emo" culture. Many people don't undersatand kids who wear black and have sideswept bangs. They assume they're all cutters or druggies. 

Basically, we put down what we don't understand instead of getting information about it.

Who invented chewing gum, and when was it first used?

Neolithic People, 9000 years ago, chewed some kind of "caveman chewing gum"[1].

Ancient Greece island, Chios, was famous for their Mastiche chewing gums, made from mastic (mastix) tree. Mastic three is very small and grows up to 4m tall. Romans used mastic chewing gums too. Ancient Mayans used the coagulated sap of the Sapodilla tree as chewing gums.

Modern chewing gum was invented in USA in 19th century.

John B. Curtis and his brother (to so some sources father) started selling chewing gums in 1848. They made their first chewing gums of spruce gum.

In 1869. Amos Tyler patented the chewing gum, however he never sold chewing gums himself.

The true inventor of modern commercially successful chewing gum was Thomas Adams. Since 1870. his company Adams & Sons began selling Sour Orange chewing gum, as after dinner "candy". In 1871 Thomas Adams patented a chewing gum making machine.

How are Curley's wife and Crooks similar in the book "Of Mice and Men?" And what are their roles on the ranch and in society?

Crooks and Curley's wife are both victims of oppression and discrimination. Curley's wife is described as a "floozy" and a "tart"; she is ignored and avoided because she is seen as "trouble", while Crooks is called a n***** and is ostracized by the other men.

They are both extremely lonely, needing someone else with whom to relate to. They are both denied the company of others: Curley's wife, because she is a woman, and Crooks is denied the freedom of socializing because he is black.

What do the eyes of Dr. Eckleburg symbolize in "The Great Gatsby"?Mr. Wilson looked at the bilboad and told Myrtle that god can see everything

In The Great Gatsby, the eyes of Dr. Eckleburg symbolize an all-knowing God watching over the working poor such as George and Myrtle Wilson in the valley of the ashes.  This sets up a direct contrast for those living in the rich East Egg section.  In the valley of the ashes, in place of flourishing wheat fields there remains only smouldering ashes. 

"This is a valley of ashes—a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens; where ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke and, finally, with a transcendent effort, of ash-gray men who move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air.… [And the eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg] brood on over the solemn dumping ground."

There is no sign of real life other than the people living in "this solemn dumping ground."  The eyes stand as a witness to the desolation and despair that permeates this place and foreshadows the death that is to come.  

Because this scene follows the luncheon at the Buchanan mansion, where the cool breeze is felt and the lawns are lush green, the God-like image of the eyes also represents a sense of moral corruption with the wealthy.  The American Dream is thus corrupt because money stands supreme to all else including religion and God.

How does Nick meet Tom's mistress in The Great Gatsby?

In chapter 2 Tom asks Nick to take a ride with him into the city.  On their way through, they stop at George's garage where Tom and George discuss a car that George could really use.  When George leaves the room for a brief moment to get a chair for them to sit on, Tom makes arrangements for Myrtle to sneak off to New York on the next train.  He does this right in front of Nick.  So Nick is introduced right away to the fact that they are having an affair.  Earlier it was one thing to know that he was taking phone calls at his own home from "another woman," but this was definitely a very blatant move that helps create the true character of Tom according to the way Nick sees him.

What is the theme of Lessing's short story "Through The Tunnel?"

There is more than one!

This is a "mini" 'coming of age' story where a young eleven-year-old puts his life at risk to prove to himself that he can "win." The challenge he sets up for himself and confronts is to swim the length of an underwater tunnel and make it to the other end. This is not just a survival test but a kind of self-made initiation rite into manhood.

The need to "prove" oneself is a necessary part of growing up, for acceptance into a group, perhaps, but especially for oneself. Self-estime is largely based  on self-confidence, and self-confidence needs reference points of challenges and accomplishments. In this story the boy never tells what he has done, but there is no need to do so. He has tested his own limits, even depassed them, and for him knowing that is enough.

Check out the references below for more themes found in this short story. An' interesting read' concerning the necessity for adolescents to confront danger is a book entitled Magical Child by Joseph Chilton Pearce - if you've got the interest and the time.

How does war and conflict affect relationships?

War and Conflict are opposites to Communication and Mediation or Compromise (give and take). In every relationship, between countries, between friends, between siblings, between politicians, between co-workers, and between men and women, there are options as to how we will behave towards each other and how we will perceive each other, etc.

When we live in an environment of war and conflict between countries, it affects our perspective on every other relationship in our lives. We then see those options as more viable, more necessary, to protect what is ours and for our survival. Presidents and leaders affect the mindset of the people they preside over, just as parents and teachers and bosses affect the mindset of the children, students, and employees they guide/rule.

A president can tell its people that the economy is fine, our land is the best, we can have what we want, as Bush did, and people go out and overspend on their credit cards, deny global warming, and become further narcissistic, against their own long-term interests. Former President Bush also chose war and conflict with Iraq, using lies to convince a nation that it was the right thing to do, and the nation responded (at first) with fear and then denial.

In a family, a parent who is authoritative creates a war and conflict enviornment. There is a power struggle between parent and child, that the child has no chance in winning. The parent teaches the child to cope in life with oppression, conflict, and asserting power. Many times, a child just recoils, and internalizes all this exhibiting war and conflict on him or herself, through self-hatred and self-agression.

When there is open communication, respect, and a willingness to compromise, or to take into account another perspective, as well as an ability to empathize and have compassion, this is the opposite of the war and conflict phenomenon.

President Obama is a good example of this kind of leader, raising the hopes and spirits of individuals and families all over the world with this mindset. A parent, boss, or teacher has that same power, and, thus, that same responsibility.

In Lord of the Flies, if Ralph is a tragic hero what is his flaw?

I would go out on a limb and say that Ralph's confidence in humanity's decision to do the right thing is his tragic flaw.  Ralph is a good leader, and he is selected by his peers to be the leader over Jack.  Ralph is more fair and noble than Jack, but he does expect people to pull their own share of the weight as far as work goes.  He expects that the signal fire will be kept going.  He expects that fresh water will be collected.  He expects that food will be collected.  He expects that every tribe member will act as he is expected to act for the greater good of the tribe as a whole until rescue occurs. 

He does not take into consideration the darkness of human nature that lurks just under the surface and leaps as the chance to be free.  Ralph does not anticipate Jack's style of leadership which incorporates manipulation and fear tactics.  Ralph certainly never saw the murders of Simon and Piggy coming.  He simply had confidence that every boy on the island would do what was right and good.

In Act IV of "The Crucible" what things does Elizabeth say she is unable to do for John?Give examples of at least two things

One thing that she says she is unable to do is to judge him on his decision of whether to confess.  She wants him to make that decision for himself, without pressure from her.  He asks her a couple times, wanting to know what he should do, and if confessing would be that horrible.  But she remains neutral, stating, "I cannot judge you, John, I cannot!" and "Do what you will.  But let none be your judge."

The other thing that she is unable to do for him is give him forgiveness for his adultery.  This might sound harsh, but all that she is implying is that she is not God, and it is only God's place to forgive.  Also, she says that "it come to naught that I should forgive you, if you'll not forgive yourself."  She knows that if he doesn't forgive himself first, then nothing else matters, because he'll always be beating himself up.  Then she reassures him, saying that whatever he does do, "it is a good man does it."  This in essence is a sort of forgiveness from her.

Lastly, she cannot save him from his decision to not confess.  At the end, Hale is pleading with her to try to convince John to confess, but she states, "He have his goodness now.  God forbid I take it from him."  The last thing that she is going to do is take away a decision that finally brought John peace, redemption, ability to forgive himself, and vindication.