I need help comparing and contrasting the traditions for "A Rose for Emily" and "The Lottery".

The traditions in A Rose for Emily are defined by the customs of the Old South.  Miss Emily's father was controlling, dominating and in complete control of her life.  Her existence is guided by a belief system and culture that was dying.  However, her father, of the old guard, would never surrender his southern honor by allowing his daughter to marry someone he considered unworthy.  So in view of this tradition, Emily's life is sacrificed. Although she lives, she has no life to speak of, except the brief time she has with Homer Barron, the man she poisons.

Comparatively speaking, there is a similarity in The Lottery, in that Tessie Hutchinson, a random victim, her life is sacrificed against her will also.  She is a victim of a cruel and outdated tradition, like Emily, and has no power to stop the events that determine her fate.

Both stories highlight the tragic effects of outdated traditions that remain dominant in societies way beyond their significance or value.  Clearly in Emily's case, she was a victim of the dying South.  Tessie Hutchinson, in The Lottery, is a victim of a lottery system that chooses a random victim for an annual stoning to death.  No one can remember why this annual ritual takes place, but they are afraid to abandon it.

Both the Old South and the village in The Lottery are male dominated societies.  The actions of the men in these stories is not questioned.       

What does Claudio do at his wedding to Hero in Act IV of Much Ado about Nothing?

Claudio has been deceived into thinking that Hero has been unfaithful to him by standing at a window at night and speaking to Boracchio.  Boracchio had been speaking to the waiting gentlewoman Margaret, but had the intent to deceive Claudio.  Claudio, who is in love with Hero and had every reason to believe that she has always been pure in word and action, was cruelly hurt by this and, by the standards of the day, had every right to repudiate his bride-to-be.

And repudiate her he does.  He says, in a fit of anger, the most damning things about a woman in Hero's position.  "She's but the sign and semblance of her honor./Behold like a maid she blushes here!... She knows the heat of a luxurious bed;/Her blush is guiltiness, not modesty."  He refuses to marry her on the grounds that she is impure (which Hero refutes) and gives her back to her father Leonato.  This incredibly dramatic scene becomes even more so when Hero swoons, and Claudio, Don Pedro, and Don John leave the scene not knowing if Hero is alive or dead.

Don John had engineered all this deception, purely, it seems, to cause trouble for Count Claudio and, by extension, his half-brother Don Pedro.  Like other of Shakespeare's villains (Iago in Othello, for example), the illegitimate character has obscure motives for wanting bad things to happen to the legitimate characters.  In this instance Don John seems to be causing trouble for others, because he believes doing so "blesses himself every way."

In To Kill a Mockingbird, how does Aunt Alexandra treat Calpurnia?

Alexandra treats Calpurnia strictly as a black servant beneath Alexandra's station in life. When she comes to stay with Atticus and the children, Alexandra is sitting on the front porch when Calpurnia and the children come home to find her there. Alexandra's first words are "Put my bag in the front bedroom, Calpurnia." It was an order, not a request, and it was not preceeded by any recognition of Calpurnia as a person worth greeting. Without comment, Cal picks up the heavy bag and starts to take it inside before Jem takes it himself.

After living with Atticus for a while, Alexandra makes her feelings about Calpurnia quite clear. She disapproves of the children having gone to Calpurnia's church, and when Scout asks Atticus if she can go visit Calpurnia at her home, Alexandra intervenes before Atticus can even answer: "You may not."

This incident leads to an argument between Alexandra and Atticus. She insists that it is time for Calpurnia to leave, that she isn't needed anymore. Alexandra also suggests that Calpurnia isn't the proper person to influence Scout as she grows into a young lady. Atticus makes it clear that Calpurnia is one of their family and has done an excellent job in raising the children. Atticus ends the discussion just before Scout returns to the room: "And another thing, the children love her." Alexandra does not argue further, but Scout notices that her aunt is furious.

What role do the servants play in Act 1, Scene 2 of The Taming of the Shrew?

Grumio, Petruchio's manservant, is the first servant to appear, and his characterisation is in line with the traditional comic master-servant relationship. Grumio fails to understand (or, perhaps, pretends not to understand) his master, Petruchio's request, and consequently is given a box on the ears. He then, silenced and sulky, resorts to making sarcastic comments on the scene, and the conversation which follows.

In the same scene, we also see Lucentio treated as a servant by Gremio, though in fact, we know that he is actually a nobleman himself:

Hark you, sir: I'll have them very fairly bound:
All books of love, see that at any hand;
And see you read no other lectures to her.

And - to complete the equation - we also see Tranio, a servant, for the first time acting like the noble "Lucentio", in a burst of flowery, formal language:

Gentlemen, God save you. If I may be bold,
Tell me, I beseech you, which is the readiest way
To the house of Signior Baptista Minola?

"What roles...?" is actually a very good way of phrasing the question. I'd argue Grumio plays, initially, the role of a friend, and then the role of a wounded caustic commentator, while Lucentio (not a servant) plays the role of a servant, and Tranio (a servant) the role of a noble.

What is the atmosphere of "Fahrenheit 451"?

The atmosphere in Fahrenheit 451 is one of frustration and confusion. At the beginning of the novel, Montag, the main character, has just begun to question his job of burning books. He meets Clarisse, who asks him if he is happy. Montag realizes he is not truly "happy" and then walks in on his wife who has just tried to commit suicide. When he calls for help, he gets only a robotic response to help revive his wife because suicide attempts are so common. Thus, in a society where everyone is supposed to be "happy", that common emotion is elusive. This starts Montag on his quest to find "happiness" which he comes to realize means the ability to think freely. Books offer that chance and he is frustrated with his job and the society in which he lives because it prevents his ability to think freely and read the books which contain the ideas he begins to cherish. In his frustration, he tries to sabotage other firemen and to change the power structure of his own society---only to find that he is now considered an enemy of the state. His only hope is to leave his society altogether and live with the Forest People. Fortunately, for Montag, his desire for change comes rather quickly because in their search for happiness, they have ignored an international crisis and war soon annihilates the "happy" society.

Why does the case of the "Red-Headed League" interest Holmes?

What interests Holmes about the information given by Jabez Wilson is the strong possibility that Vincent Spaulding is a master criminal known to the detective as John Clay. The most significant details are contained in the following dialogue.

“What is he like, this Vincent Spaulding?”

“Small, stout-built, very quick in his ways, no hair on his face, though he's not short of thirty. Has a white splash of acid upon his forehead.”

Holmes sat up in his chair in considerable excitement. “I thought as much,” said he. “Have you ever observed that his ears are pierced for ear-rings?”

“Yes, sir. He told me that a gipsy had done it for him when he was a lad.”

Holmes has never seen Clay in person but knows of his description, especially that he has a white splash of acid on his forehead and his ears have been pierced for ear-rings. The other features match what Holmes knows about Clay's appearance. He is small, stout-built, and about thirty years old. 

Later when Holmes sees Wilson's assistant on the pretext of asking for directions to the Strand he is sure of his man. He tells Watson:

“Smart fellow, that....He is, in my judgment, the fourth smartest man in London, and for daring I am not sure that he has not a claim to be third. I have known something of him before.”

Obviously Clay would not be working at that obscure little pawnshop unless he was planning to commit a serious crime. Holmes sees the branch bank a short distance away and deduces that Clay is digging a tunnel and wanted to get Wilson out of the way with the Red-Headed League hoax. Holmes deduces that Clay is doing a lot of digging from the moist and wrinkled condition of the knees of his trousers. Later when Holmes, Watson, Mr. Merryweather the banker, and a policeman are waiting to surprise Clay in the bank's basement, Jones the policeman tells Merryweather about Clay's character and history.

“John Clay, the murderer, thief, smasher, and forger. He's a young man, Mr. Merryweather, but he is at the head of his profession, and I would rather have my bracelets on him than on any criminal in London. He's a remarkable man, is young John Clay. His grandfather was a royal duke, and he himself has been to Eton and Oxford. His brain is as cunning as his fingers, and though we meet signs of him at every turn, we never know where to find the man himself. He'll crack a crib in Scotland one week, and be raising money to build an orphanage in Cornwall the next. I've been on his track for years and have never set eyes on him yet.”

Clay is arrested in the act of attempting to steal 30,000 gold Napoleons with a confederate. He is certain to be hanged for murder, but in Victorian times he could have been hanged for his other felonies, including the attempt to steal the French gold. Clay is associated with the infamous Dr. Moriarty, who is Sherlock Holmes' arch-enemy. They will later engage in a death struggle at Reichenbach Falls in Switzerland, which is described in "The Final Problem."

I'm curious, can "Strange Meeting" by Wilfred Owen be called a Heroic Couplet even if it doesn't contain end stopped rhymes?

I am afraid not. Heroic couplets are a pair of rhyming iambic pentameters. Thus the rhyming is something that is a basic constituent part of heroic couplets. "Strange Meeting" is therefore a poem that cannot be described as being written in heroic couplets, because the couplets do not rhyme.

You are right, however, to identify the way in which Owen does write this masterpiece in iambic pentameters. The problem is that, as we have already identified, there is no end rhyme and also the structure of these iambic pentameters allows for a more fluid division in terms of the thoughts that these lines contain. Consider, for example, the first three lines:

It seemed that out of battle I escaped
Down some profound dull tunnel, long since scooped
Through granites which titanic wars had groined.

Herer we have classic examples of iambic pentameters, but the lack of rhyme means that Owen is able to introduce his poem using three such lines rather than being constrained by having to make each pair of lines rhyme representing a single unit of thought. The poem's form thus allows Owen greater freedom in structurally presenting this diatribe against the horrors and futility of war.

What is meant by the line "security gives way to conspiracy" in Julius Caesar"?act 2, scene 3

In "Julius Caesar" this line,spoken by Artemidorus, a teacher of rhetoric, means that being overly confident can lead to carelessness which, in turn, allows conspiracy to form and proceed.  Caesar trusts too much Cassius, Cinns, Trebonius, Caius Ligarius, and others close to him; he is relaxed in this trust and fears no one.  Of course, the reader later realizes that this confidence in the love of the Romans is the tragic mistake that Caesar makes.

What are the characteristics that make up the genre of literature known as "gothic", and how does "The Yellow Wallpaper" fit in that genre?

The American Gothic movement sprang from Individualism.  The Individualists focused on the ideals of mankind, and on trusting yourself and your instincts.  Their intense focus on the individual nature of mankind eventually led to the Gothic movement, which focused on individuals also, but their dark side, their potential for evil.  The Gothic movement emphasized the power of the mind to create horror, fear, and reveal our darkest selves.  Mankind was no longer ideal and holy, but instead capable of weakness, insanity, and vice.

In "The Yellow Wallpaper", the narrator is dealing with her slowly crumbling mental health.  It focuses on her delusions and paranoias, and we see that the human mind can create a horrifying reality, and lead to unimaginable distress.  From the setting (an abandoned and creepy house), to the isolation (she's trapped in a room with horrid wallpaper, all by herself), to the bizarre state of her mind, there are Gothic themes throughout.  

What is the structural formula of carbohydrates?I am so confused. I searched for this answer many times, and I always find a different answer....

Carbohydrates, as the name imples, are composed of carbon and water.  The empirical formula for most of them is:

Cx(H2O)y

where x and y are integer numbers of carbon atoms and water molecules, although some carbohydrates deviate from the strict hydrogen to oxygen ratio.   Most carbohydrates have the suffix -ose on the end of their names, and this large class of molecules includes sugars, starches, and cellulose, and are components of DNA, RNA, and ATP.  The most common carbohydrate is the sugar glucose, which has a structural formula of C6H12O6

Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th ed., vol. 5, pg. 304.

Summarize Beatty's explanation of how the need for firemen arose in "Fahrenheit 451".

Beatty says that since everything was fireproof, there was no more need for firemen to put out fires. However, schools were graduating people who could run, jump, and swim. The word "intellectual" became a swear word because intellectuals made people uncomfortable. All people wanted was pleasure and books contained ideas that confused people and "caused conflict". Beatty says, "A book is a loaded gun in the house next door." People believed that everyone should be equal and equality meant that everyone should be alike. No one should be smarter than another. Books contained things that made people feel unequal. So firemen were made "guardians of people's comfort". They burned the awful books that made people unhappy. With books gone, everyone could be happy and equal.

What is the plot of "The Swiss Family Robinson"?Introduction, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action and Resolution.

The Robinson family, emigrating overseas from their native Switzerland, is shipwrecked on a deserted island.  Though the ship is destroyed, many supplies, as well as livestock, are preserved, making their survival on the island easier.

And yet, there are still difficulties to encounter and overcome.  Through their ingenuity and their faith, they face these difficulties through industry, creativity, and perseverance.  Supplementing the ship's supplies with materials on the island, they manage to make a small utopia for themselves, much in the way they had planned as colonists in their intended home.

After more than a decade, they have settled into their new environment, coming to terms with their isolation.  However, the arrival of a newcomer, Jenny Montrose, leads them to thoughts of civilisation. 

With the arrival of a ship, they make the choice to remain on the island, though establishing contact with the outside world.  Their orignal intent of establishing a colony has been achieved, yet not in the location they had planned.

Wyss's theme of faith, perseverance, and family are stressed throughout.  Though at times pedantic and unrealistic, this tale exemplifies human ingenuity in the most difficult of circumstances.

How does Charles Dickens intertwine 'good' and 'evil' in both situation and charcater in "Great Expectations?"

The central theme of the novel is found in Ch.22, when Herbert tells Pip (Handel) the story of Miss Havisham. He remarks that his father always believed that "it is a principle of his that no man who was not a true gentleman at heart, ever was, since the world began, a true gentleman in manner.  He says, no varnish can hide the grain of the wood and that the more varnish you put on, the more the grain will epxress itself."

Dickens seems to say that if at heart you are  an evil person then no matter how much you pretend to be good, your true evil  nature will be exposed.

This is true of Compeyson the lover of Miss Havisham who "practised on her affection in that systematic way, that he got great sums of money from her." Ch22.

In Ch.51, Jaggers tells Pip how he was moved to pity on seeing Estella the orphaned daughter of Magwitch and Molly and decided to find her a foster parent, "put the case that he lived in an atmosphere of evil and all he saw of children was their being generated in great numbers for certain destruction." Magwitch, tells Pip and Herbert in Ch.42 that he was a victim of such social circumstances.

Magwitch was essentially a good person at heart but because he was an orphan and because of the prevailing social circumstances he becomes a criminal and is arrested by the police. But, Compeyson who was born a gentleman is actually an evil minded person who swindles Miss Havisham of all her money with false promises of marrying her. Dickens, thus illustrates how good and evil are intertwined in these two characters.

Finally, both of them are arrested by the police and face trial. In Ch.42 Dickens reveals how crooked the legal system is. The judge is decived by the outward  appearance of Magwitch and Compeyson. Since, Compeyson was dressed like a gentleman and behaved like one he was sentenced only for seven years, but Magwitch because of his superficially seedy appearance got fourteen years. This is the situation in which 'good' and 'evil' are intertwined.

What does the singing prole woman represent for Winston and for Julia?

The prole woman singing behind Charrington's apartment is symbolic to Julia and Winston because she represents a "sort of melancholy" happiness. It would seem she was perfectly content with her lot in life, trudging on through the days, even if her days were full of endless lines of laundry. Winston muses that no member of the party would sing so "alone", "spontaneously" and thinks that it would be a "dangerous eccentricity" (148). The prole woman might be a Sisyphus of sorts, from the Myth of Sisyphus, constantly struggling against an isolated and alienated existence, or perhaps trying to be happy in a dire situation. She is an example of someone trying to make the best out of her situation in life.

In chapter 25 of "The Kite Runner", I need to know the importance of this passage.Page 391"I ran. A grown man running with a swarm of screaming...

"Amir remembers flying kites with his father and Hassan in the wintertime. When their kite cuts down a competitor's kite, Amir runs to retrieve the fallen kite for Sohrab, echoing the words of Hassan from decades before: "For you a thousand times over."'

Amir is raising the son of his "servant," Hassan.  He is now serving Hassan in the only means he has left.  The quote at the end of the book is important because Amir finally feels that he has been redeemed from the terrible guilt he has carried all those years.  By becoming the "runner" for Sohrab, he is also "running" for Hassan.  The concept of flying kites is that it is child's play.  In many ways Amir is back to his childhood, only this time he is serving not being served.

Of what ceremony in England was the Election Day pageantry a pale imitation in Chapter 21 of "The Scarlet Letter"?

The pageantry celebrated in England was called "Mothering Sunday." It was held during the fourth Sunday of Lent and was meant to honor all mothers. Given the circumstances of the Scarlet Letter, this connection is especially ironic. Hawthorne changes the title of the day to Election Day but those familiar with mothering Sunday surely got the connection.

List some of President Wilson's proposals for creating a truly just and lasting peace. Why did he feel the need to develop these proposals? List...

President Woodrow Wilson through his “Fourteen Points” proposed ways in which international peace would be achieved. Some of his proposals include:

a. Freedom of the seas unless otherwise agreed upon internationally

b. Application of diplomacy in all dealings, with secret treaties and negotiations put to an end

c. Arms reduction by all nations to a level sufficient for domestic safety

d. Removal of all economic barriers and establishment of free and equal trade

e. Establishment of an international forum where countries would openly discuss their grievances and find solutions without resorting to war

Wilson believed that the only way to secure peace was through global cooperation and justice. He also knew that the other Allied nations were only interested in punishing and crippling Germany after the World War, a condition which Wilson predicted would only breed grounds for another war in the near future. He therefore felt compelled to lay down morally informed methods through which a just and lasting peace could be attained worldwide.

I need examples of exaggeration, incongruity, reversal and parody from "The Crucible".

Exaggeration:  Betty's illness.  People immediately start leaping to witchcraft the second one girl in town starts acting a little strange?  Once the witch card is thrown, everyone seems to lose all reason.

Incongruity:  Consider the entire ill-logic behind the court's system of accusation and confession.  If you confess to being a witch, then you are not punished.  If you refuse to confess, you are hanged.  Incongruity fits well with irony, which I have provided a link to below (several examples of irony are listed).

Reversal:  Consider Abby's behavior of Mary Warren.  When Mary was attempting to discredit Abby, Abby went so far as to pretend Mary was an evil bird coming to tear her eyes out.  But as soon as Mary stops, Abby's "affliction" goes away.  Mary also had a reversal there; she started out determined to tell the truth, then backs down, and lies again.

Parody:  All of the girls are mimicking each other when it comes to enacting the symptoms of being attacked by witches; they play off of each other so much that when alone, Mary can't even imitate what they were doing.  Mary briefly parodies Goody Osburn, recounting the testimony Osburn gave in court.  And perhaps Tituba parodies the beliefs and attitudes of the Puritan community that she lives in, as she confesses to witchcraft, pledges allegiance to Christ, thus avoiding whipping or hanging.

I hope those ideas help! 

Which organelle is more important, the nucleus or the Mitochondria? Why?

You could make a reasonable argument that either one is more important.   

The nucleus (with its DNA) can be compared to the brain of the cell, since it controls the metabolic functions of the cell and also determines the nature and purposes of the cell. 

The mitochondria are the power supply of the cell.  Although this job sounds a bit more ordinary, the nucleus would be useless without the mitochondria just as the brain would be useless without the digestive and respiratory systems.   

What is the symbolism of "frindle" in Frindle?

The word “frindle” is a symbol of innovation.  In the story, Nick learns that innovation is an uphill battle—but one well worth fighting.

Nick is not an ordinary fifth grader.  He is wily and smart, and kind of sneaky.  He is not fond of the homework language arts teacher Mrs. Granger gives out, so he tries to distract her by asking her why she likes dictionaries so much.  This leads him to investigate how new words are made.  He learns that they are made by ordinary people, and a thing has a name because that’s what people call it.

Nick decides to get back at Mrs. Granger with a little experiment.  He wants to start calling pens “frindles” and see if it sticks. It does.  Mrs. Granger reacts as expected—she fights the new word with everything she has.  She requires every kid in the school who uses the word to stay after school as a punishment. 

Nick discovers that innovation comes at a price.  Not everyone is happy with the new word.  Yet soon enough, it is used regularly.  He becomes a hero and appears on national talk shows.  Eventually, it is not a novelty, but just a regular word.

The word frindle follows the cycle of innovation.  First the idea, and then the early adopeters—Nick’s friends, bring the word to life.  Then there is resistance from the established ideas,  shown through Mrs. Granger’s fight for the word to pen, out of respect for the dictionary.

The] dictionary was worked on by hundreds of very smart people for many years, so as far as we are concerned, that dictionary is the law.  Laws can change, of course, but only if they need to. (ch 5, p. 31)

Yet Nick finds out years later that Mrs. Granger was actually trying to fight for the word by fighting against it.  She gave it the publicity to really go somewhere, and it did—into the dictionary.

Like all innovations, Nick's idea needed a sponsor.  Mrs. Granger and Bud Lawrence, the marketer, made his idea big.

Is there gravity in outer space? Explain.

Gravity is the longest range force that comprise our Universe, and is a property of matter, so where there's matter, there's gravity.  On Earth we experience it as the phenomenon of "falling down."  If you stand on the Earth and drop a teacup, it falls and smashes on the ground; we say that gravity pulled it to the Earth.  However, the teacup, because it is also matter, pulls the Earth towards itself, however weakly. Each piece of matter in the Universe is attracted to and attracted by every other piece of matter.  For the most part, this attraction is extremely weak, but extremely pervasive.  The force of gravity weakens over distance fairly quickly, but it never becomes zero.  In outer space, for example, which is mostly a vacuum, there's barely any gravitational force but it is in fact there; some estimates claim in deep space you may find just one atom in a cubic metre of space.  Conversely, where there's a lot of matter, there's a lot of gravity.  The gravitational force found near a star, for example, is huge because the star is massive.  Bigger stars have more gravity; ultimately, Black Holes possess so much gravitational force no piece of matter can move away from it if it gets close enough, and the force it possesses is quite strong even at huge distances.

What are 2 things Scrooge saw that helped him change his ways? Give 2 times that someone had something good to say about Scrooge.

Scrooge's sister, Fan certainly loves him.  From his visit with the Ghost of Christmas Past, Scrooge gets to see his younger self interact with his much loved sister.  She clearly adores him.

"a little girl, much younger than the boy, came darting in, and putting her arms about his neck, and often kissing him, addressed him as her "Dear, dear brother." (Dickens) 

"I have come to bring you home, dear brother!" said the child, clapping her tiny hands, and bending down to laugh. "To bring you home, home, home!" "Home, little Fan?" returned the boy." (Dickens)

Scrooge is deeply affected by the sight of his grave. He is disturbed terribly with the thought that no one would mourn his loss.  He felt that his death, in the vision, was disrespected.  It is his fear at being stripped of his dignity in death that moves Scrooge to repent. 

Even though the visitations of the other two spirits are very significant and have an impact on showing Scrooge where he went wrong in life.  It is seeing his headstone, knowing that his life would also end, that stirs him to change.

How is Macbeth like or unlike the sinners that the porter describes?you know when the porter makes humorous comments on the types of people who...

Macbeth has something in common with all of the sinners the porter describes in hell. The farmer hanged himself "on the expectation of plenty". Although Macbeth does not commit suicide, he does destroy himself with his expectations of gaining the thrown and the "plenty" that comes with it. He is also like the equivocator "that could/swear in both the scales against either scale;/who committed treason enough for God's sake. . . ." Obviously, by killing Duncan, Macbeth has committed treason. He is also guilty of putting up a false front to everyone but his wife. He can "swear in both the scales" as he implicates Duncans guards in his murder and then kills Banquo and continues to control the throne as if nothing happens. Finally, Macbeth also resemble the French tailor who is in hell "for stealing out of a French hose". Macbeth steals the throne from Duncan and then tries to steal it from Duncan's sons and Banquo's descendants.

In "Romeo and Juliet" what is the mean of "I am sped"?We have to read romeo and juliet and this worksheet we have to do and im not sure what that...

In Act 3, scene 3 of “Romeo and Juliet”, Mercutio is stabbed and killed by Tybalt.  After

Mercutio realizes that he is about to die, he says,

“I am hurt. / A plague o' both your houses! / I am sped. / Is he gone, and hath nothing?” (A. III, s. iii).

Therefore, he is talking about his death.  The word “sped” is the past tense of speed so he means that his life has sped past him and is now over.  So this line is telling the reader that he realizes that his young life has been brought to a bitter end and he is about to die

How do heat and cold affect magnetism?

Magnetism is affected by temperature in different ways. Magnetism relies on the alignment of atoms, with each atom having its magnetic spin in the same direction. This is more pronounced in a solid material, since the atoms are locked in a rigid structure and their spin is controlled by that structure. Heating the material will allow the atoms more thermal energy, increasing their movement; the more they move, the less they are lined up and so the magnetic forces become weaker. At a specific point, called the Curie Temperature, the material's atoms will become so dissociated that the magnetic forces vanish entirely; since the atoms can no longer align themselves, they can't put out enough of a magnetic force to be noticeable. Conversely, low temperatures (cold) can increase the power of a magnet, since low temperature means that there is less energy in the atoms, and they are more solidly locked into their position in the material.

What is so important about Mr. Ewell’s testimony in "To Kill a Mockingbird"?Chapter 17 " To Kill a Mockingbird"

Oookay, that's not an answer.

The real reason it's so significant is because it's a real example of how racist we were, how unfairly they were treated, and their reputation in society. Tom Robinson had a perfect case going for him, but the jury decided to vote in favor of Ewell because of his race.

What happened in the coffee shop when the heirs were having their meeting?

A bomb exploded in the kitchen of the Theodorakis' coffee shop. 

It was so sudden:  the earsplitting bangs, the screams, the confusion.  Theo and Doug ran into the kitchen; Mrs. Thodorakis ran out.  Her hair, her face, her apron were splattered with dark dripping red. 
       "Blood," Sydelle Pulaski cried, clutching her heart.
       "Don't just sit there," Catherine Thodorakis shouted, "somebody call the fire department."
        Angela hurried to the pay phone on the wall and stood there trembling, not knowing whether to call or not.  They were snowbound, the fire engines could not reach Sunset Towers.
        Theo leaned through the kitchen doorway.  "Everything's oaky.  There's no fire."
        "Chris, honey, it's all right,"  Mrs. Thodorakis said, kneeling before the wheelchair.  "It's all right, Chris, look!  It's just tomato sauce."  (68-9)

The bomber upset the meeting, at which the heirs gathered to decide what to do with their clues.  Also, the group learned that the shorthand copy that Sydelle Pulaski had made of the Westing will had been found sitting on a table in Hoo's restaurant.  Sydelle acuses various people of taking the shorthand document.  Mr. Hoo mentions that his partner, Grace Wexler, knows shorthand, and that she couldn't understand a word of what Sydelle had written in her notebook.  Sydelle replies that this was because she had written the shorthand notes in Polish.  Nothing was really decided at the meeting, except that the group agreed that, if the game was solved, a slightly bigger share would be awarded to Sydelle because she had the foresight to take notes.  After the explosion of the bomb, the meeting ended.

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

Who dies because of Iago's plot in Othello?

well...

Roderigo was roped along in the plan, Iago used him for his stupidity and affection for Desdemona. Then when he is no longer needed Iago disposed of him. Emilia was stabbed in the back- Iago expected her to be loyal to him rather than Desdemona after his plan is revealed. Desdemona, obviously, was used- her kind nature led to her downfall, even though it was not Iago who directly killed her. Then obviously there's Othello, however we can't entirely blame Iago for his death otherwise he would technically lose his "tragic hero" status.

Brabantio also dies, but this is grief of losing his daughter to Othello. (no idea why I added that, but, there you go)

Cassio is left for dead, whether he dies or not is not essential- technically he is still a victim of Iago.

And the most chilling thing is that Iago is left standing at the end of the play. This is not the case in any other Shakespeare tragedy... it kind of gives the impression that he is the devil and cannot be killed.

Hope this wasn't totally useless...

In "The Monkey's Paw, in what way can the events that the White family experience be explained as coincidence?

After Mr. White makes his 1st wish on the monkey's paw for 200 pounds and nothing happens, he and his family actually think that the story Sergeant Major Morris told them about the magic contained in the monkey's paw was just a joke.  

It could be a coincidence, that Herbert, the White's son, has an accident at work the next day and as another coincidence, the amount of compensation for his death is exactly 200 pounds.

After Mr. White agrees to make the 2nd wish at his wife's urging, for his son Herbert to be alive again, nothing happens, the Whites' go to bed and don't know what to believe.  They mention that Herbert has been dead for 10 days, Mrs. White suggests that the cemetery is 2 miles away. 

However, some time in the night there is the sound of walking outside their remote cottage, and then someone begins banging on the door.  It could be just a coincidence that some unknown traveler has lost his way and is banging on the White's door for help. 

It would also be a coincidence that the banging stops just as Mr. White makes his 3rd wish, for his son, to return to the grave where he belongs.

Therefore, it could be just a coincidence, that when Mrs. White opens the door seconds after Mr. White has made his third wish that the lost traveler has walked down the road and can no longer be seen by Mrs. White when she opens the door.

Discuss the Crusoe-Friday relationship in the novel Robinson Crusoe.

The relationship between Crusoe and Man Friday has been examined eagerly by a number of critics, especially in recent times postcolonialists.

Their relationship certainly seems to be ambiguous and open to interpretation. There are times when it appears to be almost based on a father-son type of intimacy, but others suggest that there is a clear master-slave element to their relationship. This latter perspective is reinforced throughout the text. For example: "I made him know that his name was to be Friday... I likewise taught him to say Master". The naming of slaves by their masters was key in Defoe's times, and the fact that Man Friday never knows the true name of his master indicates an attitude of extreme superiority.

Man Friday, however, appears to be incredibly grateful to his servitude to Robinson Crusoe, and places Robinson Crusoe's foot on his head in a manner that "seems was in token of swearing to be my slave forever." Thus Man Friday's "slavery" might have been in gratitude for being saved by Robinson Crusoe. Crusoe certainly seems pleased to have Man Friday with him: "I took him up, and made much of him, and encourag'd him all I could..." yet we are left unsure whether this is due to any essential goodness in his nature or just sheer relief at having someone else to talk to, for "they were the first sound of a Man's voice, mine own excepted, that I had heard, for 25 years."

Thus there are two main views: the master - servant relationship, as evidenced by the authoritarian way in which Crusoe treats Friday, and the father - son relationship, in that Crusoe does seem to genuinely care for Friday's well-being.

What is the coding of this spiritual?When the Sun comes back And the first quail callsFollow the Drinking Gourd,For the old man is a-waiting for...

There is a debate about the song "Follow the Drinking Gourd" and the possiblity that it contains a coded message. Let me answer your question first and then go on to briefly outline the controversy and list some sources that you might wish to consult.

According to a number of sources, the song's lyrics provide a coded set of instructions for escaping slaves. For example, lines 1-2 of the lyrics supposedly mean "in springtime" (when the days grow longer and birds become more active), and lines 3-4 supposedly mean "use the Big Dipper and maybe a human guide as you travel northward to freedom" (the Big Dipper can be used as a pointer to locate the North Star). The NASA Quest page listed at the end of this answer gives a full explanation of this supposed code in the lyrics.

I've used the words "supposed" and "supposedly" over and over again here because I think that it's important to realize that this claim of a code in the song's lyrics is controversial. The oldest recognized source for this claim is a 1920 essay by H.B. Parks in a Texas folklore journal. I suspect that few people have read the original (and not entirely convincing, to my mind) essay and are more likely to know the story through Jeanette Winter's 1988 children's book, Gloria Rall's 1995 planetarium show guide, or various web sites.

Recent research by Joel Bresler and James Kelley (see the final two references given below) challenges the claim of a coded message. These researchers take very different approaches, but both arrive at the same conclusion: there is little to no evidence supporting the claim that slaves actually used this song to escape northward and to freedom.

Rather than simply dismiss the claim of a coded message in the song lyrics as meaningless because the claim does not seem to be historically "real," however, we might begin to ask ourselves why many of us find this claim appealing. Does it appeal to our desire for justice, for example, or our tendency to cheer for the underdog?

In any event, you've certainly asked an interesting question.

--

Note: Tne reference to James Kelley's print article didn't show up at the end, so I'm adding it here:

Kelley, James. "Song, Story, or History: Resisting Claims of a Coded Message in the African American Spiritual ‘Follow the Drinking Gourd’”. The Journal of Popular American Culture 41.2 (April 2008): 262-80.

Could you please give me 5 to 10 important quotes from "The Scarlet Ibis"?

From the beginning pride comes into play, so this quote supports both the plot and the theme.  "He was born when I was six and was, from the outset, a disappointment."

One morning when he was making plans to smother Doodle, Brother got a better look at him.  "However, one afternoon as I watched him, my head poked between the iron posts of the foot of the bed, he looked straight at me and grinned."  This gives some room for the plot.  Brother could work with Doodle a little to make him "better."

Brother's frustration with the helpless Doodle became apparent when he wasn't around his parents. "A long list of don'ts went with him, all of which I ignored once we got out of the house."  This is the first of many cruel things he does to Doodle.

At the point when he's first trying to teach Doodle to walk, Brother admits the theme of cruelty. "I did not know then that pride is a wonderful, terrible thing, a seed that bears two vines, life and death."  The "seed" had been planted, and Brother was set to teach him or else.

The most important quote that ties the story together is at the end when Doodle has died because his brother left him.  He and the Scarlet Ibis are described so similarly because the bird symbolizes Doodle.  "He had been bleeding from the mouth, and his neck and the front of his shirt were stained a brilliant red."  He refers to Doodle as his "fallen scarlet ibis."

What are the steps of physical distribution by online retailers?Related with warehouse and distribution

In on-line retailing there is no need for the buyer and seller to meet face to face during the initial steps of buying process. But in the end, for the sales process to be complete, buyer must make payment to the seller, and the seller must physically deliver the goods purchased to the buyer.

To a large extent the process of payment to the supplier can also be completed over the Internet. Also some goods like music or videos, which can be converted to digital form, can be delivered over the Internet. However all other physical goods must be physically transported from the locations where these are manufactured to the retail purchaser. In business this process of physical transfer of goods from manufacturing locations to the buyers is called physical distribution.

The nature of physical distribution in retail selling is quite different from the traditional selling where the goods move through a chain of distribution channel partners such as wholesalers and distributors. In comparison, on-line retailing require that goods move directly from the manufacturer to the buyer. Also the goods must be delivered to the doorstep of each buyer, rather than buyer collecting it from a physical retail store.

This kind of direct delivery from manufacturer to customer requires that the goods meant for delivery to each customer must be identified and liked with customer order at the time of dispatch from manufacturing location or from some other major distribution center. Also the transportation cost tends to rise steeply because the average size of transport consignment is much smaller. To counter the transportation costs down many new transportation models have been developed for on-line retailing.

Because of these characteristics on-line retail distribution typically consists of the following steps.

1. Transmission of customer order details to the locations where the goods are manufactured are stored in bulk. Frequently one customer order may require supply of goods from different locations. In such cases each of the location must get the information about the goods to be supplied from the location.


2. Orderwise gathering or mteria at each of the location.


3. Transport of mall the different items include in each customer order to a common location.


4. Order wise consolidation of items from different locations and packaging these suitable for onward transport and delivery to buyer.


5. Transportation of the goods to customer. Frequently it is using some system of express package delivery service.


6. Delivery of the package to the customer at his or her doorstep.

What was the geography/setting in Bible times for the Book of Ruth?

The book takes place sometime during the period of the judges, probably around 1200 B.C .The book begins" Now it came to pass in the days when the judges governed. . ."

However, it probably was not written down until sometime later, possibly anywhere from 1375 B.C to 450 B.C. In Ruth 4:6,7, the writer must explain some of the customs when the book take place. This would suggest that some time has elapsed between the actual story and the time in which it was put in written form. The book also contains references to King David which might put its authorship as early as 1000 B.C.

The setting takes place in both Moab, which today is part of modern day Jordan, and Israel/Palestine, specifically the area around Bethlehem. The geography was probably similar to today. The major problem at the beginning of the book is a famine in Israel. A man named Elimelech takes his wife Naomi and their sons out of Bethlehem in Israel and goes Moab to escape the famine.

What is the author's intention in "The Japanese Quince"?

In "The Japanese Quince", John Galsworthy is pointing out the ideal of a same, well-ordered, and familiar life has alienated men from both the enjoyment and the beauty of the natural world. Both Mr. Nilson and Mr. Tandram are well-off English businessmen who have let their jobs take over their lives. While both look healthy and happy, Nilson suffers from "an aching feeling just below his fifth rib" and Tandram is totally alienated from his fellow man. He has been living next to Nilson for five years, yet the two have never even introduced themselves to each other. Their stilted conversation revolves around what kind of tree the quince is, instead of how beautiful it has become. They do not really even hear the bird singing in the background and when they leave, Galsworthy notes ,"the blackbird resumes its singing, "that queer sensation, that choky feeling in his throat" returns. This comment underscores both men's separation from nature and natural beauty.

In "Great Expectations" explain Wemmick's house and Jaggers's house, and mention the novelities that amused Pip.

Wemmick's house is a tiny, cozy little cottage, with unique quirks that make it seem almost like a ship that has landed on shore and made a permanent residence.  He refers to it as "the Castle," and indeed it has many castle-like properties to it, excepting any sense of largeness.  It has barely enough room for people to be in it, but Wemmick loves it nonetheless.  In it, he houses his aged father, who enjoys hearing the cannon go off every night at nine.  Wemmick keeps many gifts, tokens and remembrances from some of the cases that Jaggers has taken on over the years.  Amongst the novelities that Wemmick has collected is, as he lists off,

"the pen whith which a celberated forgery had been committed, a distinguished razor or two, some locks of hair, and several manuscript confessions."

These novelties give Wemmick great pleasure, and he even wears some rings and jewelry given to him by criminals themselves.

Jagger's house is large, but, as Pip notes, looking like it has seen better days.  On the outside, he mentions that it is "dolefully in want of painting" and that the windows were dirty.  Inside, the main description that he gives for the house, over and over, is "dark."  Plus, there tons of rooms, but Jaggers only uses a few of them; so, the house is much too large for his needs.  He makes good money though, so he can afford such a large house.  The furniture is functional but not fancy, and he doesn't keep valuables or silver in the house, challenging all that know him to even dare come rob him--to this end, he never locks the doors.  No one dares rob him though, and the house is safe.

I hope that those thoughts helped a bit; good luck!

Why does Simon's death prompt everything veering out of control? Surely Simon had very little influence on the boys?

It's easy to see how things get much, much worse after Simon's death, and I'm not going to spend time describing Piggy's death or the fire which follows in the final chapter. I think, though, you can see the seeds of what happens in the chapter which immediately follows Simon's death:

At last Ralph stopped. He was shivering.
“Piggy.”
“Uh?”
“That was Simon.”
“You said that before.”
“Piggy.”
“Uh?”
“That was murder.”
“You stop it!” said Piggy, shrilly. “What good’re you doing talking like that?”

There is a desperate need to come to terms with what has happened. THere has to be a way to make sense of the new situation: the goalposts have been altered. Ralph is now aware that they have murdered someone. The conch, in the face of such crimes, seems powerlessly weak.

“It was an accident,” said Piggy suddenly, “that’s what it was. An accident.”
His voice shrilled again.

You can hear the fear in what Piggy says. And Ralph admits it:

“I’m frightened. Of us. I want to go home. Oh God, I want to go home.”

The "darkness of man's heart" has become visible. It's the deed, not Simon himself, that demands a reaction. Yet, unlike Ralph, Jack reacts with strength, hunting, and solid leadership:

“But what happens if we meet—”
The chief waved his objection aside.
“We’ll keep along by the sands. Then if he comes we’ll do our, our dance again.”

Ralph and Piggy try to go back in time. Jack goes forward: and it is the harnessing - the acceptance - of that violence which leads to more violence.

What type of person Hester has become in "The Scarlet Letter"? How do the townspeople feel about her and her letter "A"?

With equisite embroidery boldly displayed upon her breast, Hester, in her defiant pride, stands on the scaffold before the townspeople.  At this point in the exposition, Hester is yet a beautiful young woman of passion.  However, as the narrative progresses, Hester's personality, like the meaning of the letter, changes as mentioned until the letter, a mere symbol, overtakes the person of Hester. In Chapter XVII, when Hester attempts to free herself of the grey cap that dulls her once luxurious hair and when she casts off the letter that falls on the other side of the brook, she later must replace it before her daughter Pearl will return to her.  When she essays to leave her past behind and return to England, Hester finds herself returning to America and her little cottage.  As she approaches the threshold in a grey dress, she unlocks the door so long closed.

On the threshold she paused,--turned partly round,--for, perchance, the idea of entering all alone, and all so changed, the home of so intense a former life, wa more dreary and desolate than even she could bear.  But her hesitation was... long enough to display a scarlet letter on her breast.....But there was a more real life for hester Prynne here, in New Englan, than in that unknown region where Pearl had found a home

 Hester is defined by the letter A.

See the sites below, also, as similar questions have been asked.

Compare and contrast the characters of Portia and Calpurnia in Julius Caesar.

Calpurnia is represented by Shakespeare as the humble and obedient wife of Julius Caesar.Her character is important for the following reasons:

1.To contrast the private, domestic life of Caesar with his public political life: Caesar makes his first appearance on the stage in a "nightdress" and the very first lines that Caesar utters refer to his wife, "Thrice hath Calpurnia in her sleep cried out/'Help ho! they murder Caesar." From the beginning of the play till now all that we have heard about Caesar relates to his warrior like and statesman like qualities. But, Shakespeare foregrounds his first appearance on the stage by presenting him as a worried and anxious husband who is ready to please her initially by agreeing not to go to the Senate,"and for thy humour I will stay at home." 

2.To contrast fate and human will: Calpurnia's  intuitive fears,"O Caesar these things are beyond all use/And I do fear them,"  are contrasted with Caesar's self confidence, "It seems to me  most strange that men should fear/Seeing that death a necessary end/Will come when it will come."

3. Calpurnia's  interpretation of her dream is brushed aside and Decius' interpretation is accepted by Caesar to emphasise the significance of the public and the political over the private and the domestic, "How foolish do your fears seem now, Calpurnia."

4.Calpurnia represents the fear and the superstitious beliefs of the  contemporary Elizabethan audience concerning the supernatural.

Like Calpurnia, Portia is also a very humble and obedient wife. However, since Brutus is also a conspirator who is under a lot mental stress because of his plans to assassinate Caesar his relationship with his wife is strained and tense. The obvious reason being he cannot reveal and discuss the finer details of the conspiracy with his innocent wife Portia. This tension is palpable in Act II when Portia on bended knee begs of her husband to know the reason why he has not slept that night. Brutus offers evasive replies, and fortunately for him Ligarius, whom he had sent for, is heard knocking at his door. Brutus hurriedly asks Portia to leave saying that he will reveal everything to her later, "and by and by thy bosom shall partake/The secrets of my heart...Leave me with haste." And she being the obedient wife does so.

After Caesar's assassination and the consequent civil war, Brutus is fully involved in public affairs and circumstances force him to completely ignore his wife with tragic consequences. In ActIV sc.3, Brutus tells Cassius how pitiably she died. Brutus tells Cassius that Portia died by swallowing hot coals. Since Brutus had been away on his military campaign and on hearing that Octavius had joined forces with Antony, she had become very upset and mentally distracted. When she was left unattended she swallowed hot coals of fire and died:I

"Impatient of my absence,
And grief that young Octavius with Mark Antony
Have made themselves so strong:--for with her death
That tidings came;--with this she fell distract,
And, her attendants absent, swallow'd fire."

In marked contrast we never learn from the play how Calpurnia died.

To conclude, both Calpurnia and Portia are important inasmuch as they reveal more of the personalities of their husbands than about themselves.

What is an example of irony in Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts

One of my favorite books!

In my perspective, the irony that is evident in this comes from society's view of happiness and success.  Isn't it ironic that by societal standards, we may frown upon those who financially rely on Wal-Mart, yet our main character finds solace and happiness within the home she created based upon giving birth to her baby in the Wal-mart?

Another may be the irony of the triumph she gained of receiving home-ownership and success only after the tragedy of the tornado and loss of a dear friend.

These are just a couple starters for you...

How did Edgar Allen Poe's wife Lenore die?

Edgar Allan Poe never married a woman named Lenore.   His only marriage was a secret one, in 1834, to his 13-year-old cousin Virginia Clemm (they later married publicly).

Poe seems to have liked the name Lenore, however, because he used it to refer to a tragically dead woman in two of his poems: Lenore (1843) and The Raven (1845). 

Both of these poems were written before Poe’s wife died in 1847, but in early 1842 she had showed the first signs of the tuberculosis and Poe was very affected by her illness. 

The death of a beautiful woman is a frequent theme for Poe.  He lost many women in his life in addition to his wife.  His mother died of consumption when Poe was only 2.  Poe went away to college for a year, and came home to find that his sweetheart had married another man. He then lost his foster mother when he was 20, and may not even have known that she was dying.

What are the gods' different battle tactics in Books 20 and 21 of Homer's Iliad?

Book 21 is one of my favorite books in Homer's Iliad, because Zeus allows the gods and goddesses to go down to the battlefield and help their favorite heroes. As for battle tactics, as one might expect, when the Xanthus River attacks Achilles, Hephaestus helps Achilles by blasting the river with fire. Thus, fire battles water.

Elsewhere in the battle, Ares' spear is no match for the giant stone that Athena hurls at him. Athena then strikes Aphrodite with "a heavy blow on the chest" (A.S. Kline translation).

Poseidon challenges Apollo to fight, but Apollo decides that it would be unwise to fight with his uncle.

Artemis chastises her brother Apollo for not fighting with Poseidon, but then Hera snatches Artemis' bow and quiver away from her and "laughing all the while, boxed her on the ears with the weapons as she writhed."

This left Hermes to do battle with Leto, the mother of Apollo and Artemis, but, after seeing what Hera has done to Artemis, decides that fighting with women who have mothered children for Zeus is a dangerous thing. Thus, Hermes tells Leto that she can tell everyone that she defeated him:

Go boast to your heart’s content to the immortals of how your great strength bettered me.

Thus, the battle tactics of the gods in Iliad 21 are relatively non-existent, other than Hephaestus' battle with the river and Athena's battle with Ares and Aphrodite.

Please explain colonialism in "Shooting an Elephant." I'm writing an essay about "Shooting an Elephant". The teacher wants us to mention...

The story has to do with a colonial policeman working in Burma which is governed by the British Empire.  The runaway elephant provides an opportunity for the reader to recognize the culture clash between colonizer and colonized. 

"British completed their colonization of the country in 1886, Burma was immediately annexed as a province of British India, and the British began to permeate the ancient Burmese culture with foreign elements. Burmese customs were often weakened by the imposition of British traditions."

The people expect the colonial policeman to kill the elephant, to be brutal, when in fact he wants to save the elephant.   

'The narrator must do his duty as a colonial policeman. He despises the native Burmese for loathing and tormenting him as their foreign oppressor; yet he also perfectly well understands their loathing and tormenting; he even takes their side privately."

The rampaging elephant is symbolic of what the British have done to other countries like Burma.

"Indeed, one of the chief consequences of Western imperial expansion in Asia (as in Africa) was that it brought industrialized and non-industrialized societies forcibly together in a world made ever smaller by technological progress and so provoked resentment between the ‘‘haves’’ and ‘‘have-nots.’’ The resentment persisted, moreover, even where the colonized society benefited materially from the imperial presence."

Describe the main character in Robinson Crusoe.

The Character of Robinson Crusoe

 

1. Robinson Crusoe is the central character around whom the moral lesson centres.


2. From the beginning, Defoe presents him as an individual endowed with a capability for moral development because of his natural possession of moral sensitivity.


3. As events open, he appears as lacking a certain degree of moral insight and self knowledge, but gradually he gains moral and spiritual re-awakening and self discovery.


4. This gradual change can be traced in three stages in his life:

a)    When the novel opens, Crusoe leaves home in disobedience of his father and without asking for God’s blessings in search for more wealth, neglecting his father’s advice concerning the advantages of  the middle class. Crusoe ,then,  goes through four adventures in the sea during which he experiences many misfortunes, and has very narrow escapes from death. At this stage, Crusoe’s character is shown as discontented, rash, romantic ,lacking reason and any sense of moral duty towards God and father. Despite the dangers he faces, he never realizes the moral lesson or that these dangers are a punishment of God for his wrongdoings. He blames his bad luck, fate, or his companions.

b)   The second stage in Crusoe’s moral and spiritual development starts with his journey to the coast of Guinea which ends up in his shipwreck, the death of all his fellow sailors and his own survival after he swims to a remote deserted island. During this stage, Crusoe suffers, first, physically to provide for his food, shelter, and security. As he struggles to do this, he shows his great abilities of a resourceful, energetic, and inventive individual, although he has never had any knowledge of mechanics or mathematics. At the same time, however, he has many moral reflections which show his mental stress.

c)   The final stage of this process of gradual moral and spiritual re-awakening culminates in the episode his illness and dream after the earthquake. For the first time, Crusoe recognizes that he is the doer of all his misfortunes, and realizes that he is responsible of all his wrongdoings for has neither asked God for help when he is in danger, nor thanked Him when he is rescued. With this admission of guilt, Crusoe moves quickly in the road of moral and spiritual recovery. Thus he sincerely prays to God for help for the first time. After that, he feels not only physical but also spiritual ease and comfort. As he triumphs over the cannibals,  saves Friday and the captain of the ship and his crew, and finally saves himself, he reaches complete satisfaction.

1. Thus Crusoe is portrayed as a complex round character who, after many experiences

reaches his moral and spiritual growth.

What suspicion does Banquo voice in "Macbeth"? What does he say that lets us know what he suspects?

At the beginning of Act 3, Banquo, in a brief soliloquy says, "Thou hast it now - King, Cawdor, Glamis, all, As the Weird Women promised; and I fear Thou play'dst most foully for't." He is saying that Macbeth (Thou) has seen all the witches' prophecies come true, but he thinks that Macbeth played foul and committed murder (play'dst most foully) to make the prophecies come about.  Even back in Act 2, sc. 1, before the killing of Duncan, Macbeth tells Banquo that he wants to talk with him sometime on the subject of the witches' prophecies and he goes on to hint to Banquo that listening to him, Macbeth, could be good in the long run for Banquo.  Banquo's response is that he'll listen to what Macbeth has to say as long as he can keep his conscience clear and show no disloyalty to the king.  Macbeth probably knew from that remark that Banquo would not go along with the murder or any knowledge of the murder.

What is the atmosphere and setting of the opening chapter of "Brave New World"?

The opening chapter of Huxley’s Brave New World is set in a human hatchery.

 “A squat grey building of only thirty-four stories. Over the main entrance the words, CENTRAL LONDON HATCHERY AND CONDITIONING CENTRE, and, in a shield, the World State's motto, COMMUNITY, IDENTITY, STABILITY.”

These opening lines from the novel introduce the reader to some of the essential premise upon which the society of the novel is built – the systematic science of clinical, mechanized, and fully intentional human reproduction.  

The central ethos that animates the politics of the society is also indicated here in the final three terms, “COMMUNITY, IDENTITY, STABILITY.” These three words reflect the aims and ideals of a society that values even-tempered, unreflective, simple joy above all else. And these specific values are precisely what Huxley’s novel calls into question as they are compared to the individuality, independence of mind and vivid emotional life of the Savage and Helmholtz later in the novel.

The opening chapter presents the methods of human reproduction with an ironic tone, lampooning the engineers and managers that are fully enrapt with their products and processes and rather smugly unaware of any other possibilities for organizing human life. As they explain the processes of reproduction and social inculcation (indoctrination), the people responsible for running the hatchery are depicted as petty, proud and self-satisfied, yet there is no counter-point for comparison in the chapter.

The atmosphere is clinical and the language is often technical, although humor is interspersed in the chapter as well as students taking the hatchery tour ask questions that  the Director of Hatcheries and Conditioning finds laughable.

The hatchery staff is presented as a representative example set of personalities and a singular, universalized social philosophy.   

Far from questioning the methods and the ethics of human conditioning, the hatchery staff gladly explains in detail its methods for shaping the predilections and the lives of the humans hatched and indoctrinated in the facility.

 “They were predestined to emigrate to the tropics, to be miner and acetate silk spinners and steel workers. Later on their minds would be made to endorse the judgment of their bodies.”

The unreflective pride demonstrated by the Director and others on the staff serves to establish one of the important social statements of the novel relating to the difficulty in challenging an ideology.

The figures presented in this opening chapter are invested completely in the value system and outlooks that define their society. This dynamic is amplified by the methods of indoctrination utilized in the hatchery (“predestination” and “intellectual conditioning” as well as physical conditioning). Not only are these people happy with the status quo, they have almost literally been built to be happy with it.

Notably, the discourse presented in this chapter is superficial, focusing on visible outcomes, on class bias and on a rather shallow view of human life. This also is in keeping with the values and mores of the society. It is also perhaps the central concern of the novel. As science improves human life in terms of physical comfort, there is a danger of losing some of the things that once defined us as humans - - a depth of emotion and a willingness to feel more than a narrow range of satisfactions.

In a novel concerned about what science can do to us, the opening chapter establishes a number of important ideas as to what we can embrace about science and how a society might be shaped around ideas of what science can do for us.

Give an example from the following paragraph of satire that is aimed at someone or something other than the government."The excitement died down in...

"A certain German art expert, who had obtained from the municipality of Bergamo permission to inspect the famous masterpiece, declared it to be a spurious Pincini, probably the work of some pupil whom he had employed in his declining years. The evidence of Deplis on the subject was obviously worthless, as he had been under the influence of the customary narcotics during the long process of pricking in the design. "

This quote from The Background is satire because it downplays the importance, or judgement of the so-called experts in the field of art.  Saki had been criticized a great deal about his different writing styles throughout his career.  This quote seems to be a jab at critics.  The art critic says the artwork of the tattoo on Deplis' back was not by Picini, but a student of his.  When Delpis tries to defend the art work by saying he was there when it was done, the art critic says that he couldn't be sure who did the work because he was sedated. 

What human activities can increase the rate of weathering?

Humans may cause pollution by burning coal and gasoline, which puts sulfur dioxice and nitric oxides in our air that can become acidic, which will percepitate into sulfuric and nitric acids, which would technically eat away some softer rocks. Sometimes improper cutting, bombing, and supporting of hills creat landslides, which is caused by weathering. Humans also affect rates of weathering when paving over portions of lands, which causes normal rain run offs to flow elsewhere where it was previously not affected. 

Are there any instances of "sexism" expressed as a theme in "The Catcher in the Rye"?

Holden is unable to relate to females, and in his false bravado he sees women as sex objects only. Holden meets several females in the book, but most of his encounters with them are surface encounters, like meeting the girls at the Lavender Room. He is critical of the girls, who are acting superficial, looking for celebrities. Holden also meets Sunny, the prostitute, who argues with him over the amount of money he owes her, even though they don't do anything together. These encounters just help to secure Holden's belief that women are "phony" and no good. Even when he pours his heart out to Sally Hayes, he receives no sympathy, and this just makes him more angry at women. Holden is an adolescent who is struggling with his budding sexuality and struggles to understand women, and in this struggle he comes across as being very sexist at times.

How can I explain the title "All My Sons" and its significance to the play?

The conflicts in the play develop from an event that is revealed through exposition. During World War II, Joe Keller ordered his partner to conceal defects in 121 plane engines their company supplied to the Air Force during World War II. As a result, 21 fighter planes that were fitted with the defective parts crashed, killing those soldiers on board. 

The significance of the title is made clear in the play's conclusion when Keller finally faces the truth of his own character and assumes responsibility for his actions. As a result of his greed and deception, he has lost the respect of his son Chris, a young man of principle. Keller's son Larry, who was shamed beyond endurance by his father's reprehensible acts, committed suicide. In addition to these sons, however, Keller finally takes direct responsibility for "all my sons," the soldiers who died flying the planes sent into combat with his defective parts. As the enormity of his selfishness and greed overwhelms him, Keller kills himself in the play's conclusion.

Who is the antagonist in "A Midsummer Night's Dream"?

Well this question really depends on the part of the play.  If you're taking things from the point of view of Lysander and Hermia, it could be Demetrius or Hermia's father.  Both attempt to stand in the way of the arranged marriage between Hermia and Demetrius... Demetrius out of love, and her father out of scorn for Hermia's refusal to follow his instructions.  In fact, he even goes as far as to invoke the law of Athens, which allows a daughter who is disobedient to be killed for not listening to her father.

Also, you could view Puck and Oberon as antagonists, as they mess around with the young Athenian lovers' feelings.  By charming both Demetrius and Lysander, the former on purpose, and the latter by mistake, they believe they are helping Helena to find love.  However, in reality, they are simply ruining things and causing more problems than they are good, regardless of their intentions.

Why does Macbeth kill King Duncan?

There are several reasons for his decision. Macbeth has been told by the witches that he will eventually become king. If Duncan is already king, how can Macbeth become king? Answer: kill Duncan. However, this is Macbeth's first mistake. The witches operate on the basis of fate--it is destined for Macbeth to become king. However, Macbeth takes matters into his own hands (rather than just letting events play out as they will), and that disrupts fate's system. (Or you can argue that it was fated that Macbeth would kill Duncan and that's what the witches were predicting when they said he's become king.)

Lady Macbeth also encourages Macbeth to kill Duncan. She is almost most status and power hungry than he is. She calls his manhood into questions, saying if he was a true man, he would do this. She uses all sorts of feminine manipulation to persuade him into killing Duncan--and Macbeth doesn't want to see like less of a man to his wife.

When the deed is actually to be committed, Lady Macbeth said she would have killed Duncan, but he looked too much like her father when he was asleep. Therefore, it leaves Macbeth to actually do the killing.

Here is a video summary of the play:

In lines 293-310 in Act II, scene II of "Hamlet", what reason does Hamlet give to his friends for his current condition?

Hamlet basically says that he has lost all enjoyment of things. We know this as a classic sign of depression. But Shakespeare puts it much more eloquently when Hamlet says,

"I have of late—but wherefore I know not—

lost all my mirth, forgone all custom of exercises; and indeed,

it goes so heavily with my disposition that this goodly frame,

the earth, seems to me a sterile promontory. . ."

He continues:

"What a piece of work is a man! how

noble in reason! how infinite in faculty! in form and moving

how express and admirable! in action how like an angel! in(310)

apprehension how like a god! the beauty of the world, the

paragon of animals! And yet to me what is this quintessence

of dust?"

In other words, in spite of the greatness of man and the things he can do, nothing can please him anymore. He has lost all sense of pleasure.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, who does Scout compare Mayella to? Why does she feel sorry for her?

The trial of Tom Robinson became a very enlightening time for Scout as she sat in the balcony of the courthouse listening to the testimonies and cross-examinations by her father, Atticus.  As she was watching the trial, she realized something very sad—Mayella Ewell and Boo Radley have had the same life experiences in many ways.  Scout commented that Mayella must be the “loneliest person in the world” after learning about her life and listening to her recount the circumstances of the supposed rape.  Mayella Ewell has been abused by her father and has given up her life to take care of her younger brothers and sisters.  She never experienced the “happy-go-lucky” childhood we see Scout living at the beginning of the novel.  Mayella’s life was full of oppression and fear.  She grew up fast and learned what she must do to survive.  In this legal case, she knows that she must lie about Tom Robinson in order to survive her father’s brutal hand and keep some sort of respect in the community. 

Boo Radley has also led a lonely, sad life.  Locked up in his house by a controlling father after a minor altercation with the law, Boo has been deprived of the life he might have led.  He remains a recluse and is lonely and ostracized like Mayella.

This scene is a major rite of passage for Scout as she empathizes with Mayella and Boo and really learns what it’s like to “walk around in another person’s skin.” 

What role does Boxer play on the farm?Why does Napoleon seem to feel threatened by him?In what ways might one view the betrayal of Boxer as an...

Boxer represents naive and uncritical loyalty to the new regime. He sees how life for the animals improves initially and is prepared to work as hard as he can to bring the ideals of the revolution to fruition. His intelligence is limited, however, and he is too trusting and naive, stupid even, to see the reality of corruption  infecting the pigs' regime. On the other hand, his naivety also leads to him openly expressing his puzzlement over certain things and this is potentially dangerous for the pigs as it might lead to other more intelligent animals beginning to question what is happening. This, together with Boxer's enormous strength, is what makes him a threat to the pigs: they desperately need him for his enormous capacity for work and example but, if that strength were to be turned against them because he unwittingly alerted the rest of the animals to their corruption, then their regime would be finished.

As regards the second part of your question, I don't have much space left but I think I take your point about the climax. I have never liked the novel's ending and, now that you have mentioned it, I do think something better could have been fashioned out of Boxer's fate. In a sense he is the key character in the story, the tragic victim destroyed by his very loyalty, just as ordinary, hardworking people are so often destroyed by tyrannical governments.

Why is the claim, "It is almost an unpardonable offense to teach slaves to read in this Christian country," ironic?

This statement is ironic because reading is usually thought to be a good thing, something everyone should be able to do in order to gain knowledge and power. However, in this “Christian” society, the white man realized that is was not to their benefit to teach slaves to read. Reading gave slaves the tool to think and reason, leading to the questioning of slavery. On the other hand, from the slaves view, this skill in the hands of a slave was cruel since he did not have the power to use his newfound knowledge.  Douglass, however, broke these binds.

Douglass was taught the alphabet as a young boy by his white mistress, who was later forbidden to teach the child anything. Later, he found ways to further his education. Literacy lead Douglass to see freedom as an attainable goal. Because of his literacy, he was made aware of the injustices of slavery and was given the tools to become a great orator which helped him become an abolitionist activist. Reading made him contemplate why he was not given the same rights as white people. ''The reading of these documents enabled me to utter my thoughts, and to meet the arguments brought forward to sustain slavery....’’  

Ultimately, reading cultivated a yearning for liberty in Douglass. His learning lead to an agitation that would not be quieted by corporeal beatings or hard work. Eventually, his edification lead him to break away from slavery.

In the book "The Scarlet Letter", how do the magistrates react to Pearl and why?

If you are referring to Hester's visit to the governor, many magistrates want to take Pearl away from Hester. Her personality is a strange one and Hester goes to the governor to convince him to let her keep Pearl. But Pearl herself does not make this easy. When asked who made her, they expect the answer to be "God". However, she laughs and says her mother plucked her from the rosebush in front of the prison door. This appalls the magistrates and the governor is ready to take Pearl away from Hester. Fortunately, Dimmesdale is there and she immediately turns to him and almost orders him to defend her. Dimmesdale does defend Hester's care of Pearl and Hester is allowed to keep her daughter. Later in the novel, Hester's good deeds and life make some of the magistrates consider letting Hester remove the scarlet letter. However, she says she will not take it off.

What is the fine amount for a no proof of liability insurance while driving ticket in the state of Iowa?

Under Iowa Code 321.20B, the penalty for not showing proof of insurance depends on whether you actually had insurance at the time of the citation.

If you can show the clerk of the court proof that you had financial liability coverage at the time ticket was issued -- you merely didn’t have the insurance card (or other form of proof) with you -- you can get the citation dropped for a $15 administrative fee.

If you didn’t have insurance at the time of the citation, the fine will be $250.

Disclaimer: This post contains general legal information and should not be construed as legal advice to be applied to any specific factual situation. Each reader should consult a lawyer if you want a qualified professional’s assurance that this information, and your interpretation of it, is appropriate to your particular situation.

In "To Kill a Mockingbird", what do you learn from Bob Ewell's evidence?(In Chapter 17.)

Ewell signs his guilt and Tom's innocence when he writes with his left hand.

In spite of such flagrant proof, Tom Robinson has been already condemned as "guilty" simply because he is black.

It does not seem to matter that an innocent man is to be convicted and condemned for a crime he obviously didn't commit. What matters is the white community's solidarity at "saving face" when a white woman's reputation is at stake, for it is better to defend her interests than those of a Negro, a second-class citizen.

The absurdity of such a mock trial and the hypocrisy of the verdict (in light of such proof) portray the injustice of the whole legal system of the time.

What does the woman behind the wallpaper represent, and why does the narrator come to identify with her?

The narrator sees the woman in the wallpaper as a prisoner, just like she is a prisoner in her room.  She can't do anything that her husband and sister-in-law don't approve of, nor can the woman in the wallpaper escape.

While in the room, the narrator's depression becomes deeper and more advanced toward mental illness. Her desire to free the woman in the wallpaper is a cry from within trying to emerge from the psychosis that envelopes her.  She can't seem to shake free of the melancholy that dominates her life.

"Despite her efforts, however, she cannot remove it all. In her desperation, she considers committing suicide but decides that this would be "improper and might be misconstrued." She begins circling the room, following the pattern of the wallpaper, in essence becoming the woman inside, trapped in an endless maze. John breaks open the door to see his wife creeping along the wall and faints. The narrator only laughs. His slumped body is blocking her path, and she is forced to creep over him each time she circles the room."

What does The Open Boat suggest about the perceptions and observations of men facing death? What are the men enraged at being near the shore?

The men in the boat are very frustrated by the knowledge that after fighting so hard for their lives, and getting so close to shore, they could still die. This seems extremely unfair to them.

Crane writes,

"If I am going to be drowned---if I am going to be drowned---if I am going to be drowned, why, in the name of the seven mad gods who rule the sea, was I allowed to come thus far and contemplate the sand and trees?"

Of course, that is the entire point of the story, that life is often unfair. The ending of the story exemplifies this point because of all the men who in the boat, Billy was the most deserving. He had done most of the rowing and seemed the strongest of the group. However, Billy is the only character to drown, indicating the unfairness of both life and fate.

What are the the major themes of modern british drama? Who are the most famous playwrights of that era?

British modern dramatists include Oscar Wilde, Samuel Beckett, and George Bernard Shaw. One of the major themes of modern drama was the importance of psychology. Psychoanalysis was new, and playwrights were anxious to delve into the human psyche. This was especially true for Samuel Beckett. Another theme involves criticism of high society. Oscar Wilde especially satirized the extraordinary emphasis on wealth and social status.

What is an electoral college?

The electoral college was set up in our Constitution as the way we elect our president. It was set up as a "check" on the people's power. The founding fathers did not trust the general public to elect our chief executive.

Each state is given the number of electors equal to the number of representatives in the House of Representatives plus the number of senators. For example California has 53 members in the House and 2 senators, so it has 55 electoral votes (which is the state with the most electoral votes) In most states, if you win the popular vote you win all of the states electoral votes. The exceptions to this are Nebraska and Maine, where the electoral votes are split between the candidates based on the vote. Because of this a candidate can win the popular vote (more people voted for him) but still lose the presidency. This has happened four times, the most recent being the Bush-Gore election of 2000.

There are a total of 538 electors in the electoral college. In order for a president to be elected he needs to get 270 electoral votes. If no candidate gets 270 electoral votes then the president is chosen by the House of Representatives and the Vice President is chosen by the Senate.

What is the main theme of "Antigone"?

This play is one of the first to deal with the theme of civil disobedience. Creon believes that the needs of the state are supreme and it should be obeyed at all times. Antigone believes in a higher law, one that directs her conscious and her religious beliefs. Antigone, therefore, obeys that higher law and she is willing to suffer the consequences for her disobedience. The same theme has been reflected in the writings of Hanry David Thoreau, Ghandi, Martin Luther King and others who believed that sometimes one must break the law in order to obey a higher power. However, they also said that one must be willing to suffer the consequences of that disobedience. Eventually, the morality of your disobedience will overcome the tyranny of the state. That is exactly what occurs in "Antigone". Although Antigone dies because of her beliefs, eventually Creon sees the error of his ways.

Why is Egeus disturbed? (in the beginning of the play)

Egeus is angry ("full of vexation") because Hermia is not cooperating with him on his choice of husband for her.  He wants her to marry Demetrius, but she wants to marry Lysander.  Egeus blames Lysander for "bewitching" Hermia and asks Theseus to enforce the law that requires Hermia to obey him.  He can go so far to have her killed for disobedience or can send her to a nunnery.  There doesn't appear to be an option for Hermia and Lysander to be together, which prompts their running off which propels the rest of the play!

In "To Kill a Mockingbird", when Atticus questions the four witnesses during the trial, how does each witness behave on the stand?When Atticus...

Heck Tate tells all that he knows on the stand and even has to correct himself with the specifics on which hand the attacker lead with in Mayella's beating.  He is honest and straight forward in his answers.

Bob Ewell is compared metaphorically to a rooster with his reddened neck, his "crowing" answers and how he struts up to the stand.  He is up there to show off his "knowledge" which turns out to be all lies anyway.  This is his only shot at being admired by others.

Mayella is considered pathetic.  She is rude to Atticus because he uses his manners with her, and yet she thinks he's "mocking her."  She also doesn't even know what "friends" are when he asks her who her friends are.  She snaps back at Atticus with contempt and disrespect.  She then screams at him and the court and calls them "Yellow stinkin cowards" as she runs off the stand.

Tom is honest and respectful.  He tells his story with as much respect as he can.  He won't even call Mayella a liar, he just says she was "mistaken in her mind."  His only downfall is when he says he "felt sorry for her."  That was the nail in his coffin.

What does Victor Frankenstein’s relationship with Elizabeth tell you about his values and personality in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein?

Victor Frankenstein was a multi-dimensional character. We see that he is obsessed with death and the reanimation of human life. This whole obsession rules his life. Being married to Elizabeth can actually been seen as the human side of Victor. The way Victor describes Elizabeth, shows us that he has real feeling for her, although he leaves her at many times.

"She was docile and good tempered, yet gay and playful as a summer insect. Although she was lively and animated, her feelings were strong and deep, and her disposition uncommonly affectionate. No one could better enjoy liberty, yet no one could submit with more grace than she did to constraint and caprice. Her imagination was luxuriant, yet her capability of application was great. Her person was the image of her mind: her hazel eyes, although as lively as a bird's possessed an attractive softness. Her figure was light and airy: and though capable of enduring great fatigue, she appeared the most fragile creature in the world. While I admired her understanding and fancy I loved to tend on her, as I should on a favorite animal; and I never saw so much grace both of a person and mind united to so little pretension."

Although Victor may have loved Elizabeth, his love seems to come more after her death. His obsessions ruled his life and in the end, cost him his wife's life. 

What were two purposes of the mission system in California?

Spain instituted the mission system in "Alta California" in the 1760's firstly to convert the natives to Christianity, and secondly, to build a series of missions a day's walk from each other along the coast, fearing that the Russians, who were laying claims to the Pacific Northwest, would push south! The two main purposes, on deeper analysis, appear to be the same--although one religious and one political, both were an expression of Spanish power in the region that would foster the growth of Spanish culture. By the 1820's, with Mexico declaring independence from Spain, and the death of 90 percent of the mission Indians due to disease or abuse, the Mission System effectively ended.

How did the Enlightment change basic Western attitudes toward reform, faith, and reason?What were the major formative influences on the...

The Enlightenment period was an era of questioning and using science to determine facts of life. The philosophers of that era were a huge influence on the founding fathers of our nation. If it was not for these great minds in the era, our nation may never become a land of freedom based on a government of checks and balances. The Enlightenment allowed people to "wake" up and realize they can think for themselves and question their faith, which led to idea of revolutions. America fought for the Enlightened ideals, and France then followed suit.

What does the word "ritual" mean in chapter 1 of "The Giver?"

In Lois Lowery's "The Giver," rituals are very important.  In the first chapter we meet Jonas, who is an eleven.  He is excited about becoming a twelve in December.  As his family sits down to dinner one evening the father asks, "Who wants to be first tonight, for feelings?"  

"It was one of the rituals, the evening telling of feelings.  Sometimes Jonas and his sister, Lily, argued over turns, over who would get t go first."

In this form of usage, rituals, is used as a noun meaning traditions. The sharing of feelings is something the family does every night they have a meal together.  Just like some families today have traditions when they all get together, Jonas and his family always did certain things too.

What is a convex lens?

A lens (from the Latin for "lentil seed," which has the characteristic thick in the middle and thin at the edges shape) is any piece of glass or other transparent material with at least one curved surface. A convex lens is a class of lens that causes light passing through it to converge, as opposed to the class of concave lenses, which cause light passing through them to diverge. Where the light converges after passing through a convex lens is termed the focus; the distance between the focus and the center of the lens itself is called the focal length. The shorter the focal length on a convex lens, the more drastically the light is bent to meet at the focus, and the more powerful the lens.

Understanding Physics, I. Asimov, pg 31, Barnes & Noble, 1966.

Give your own opinion about what kills Willy in "Death of a Salesman".

What seems to kill Willy is not just one particular thing, but a series of decisions that just kept accumulating over time and which he couldn't find the courage to face. 

Willy is depicted as a pretty confident and ambitious man during his younger years, and is probably doing pretty well at his sales job. But all that traveling meant he was frequently away from his family and took a toll his emotional state, which leads to his affair, although the details are left for the reader to decide. This affair is most likely the catalyst that was Willy's eventual undoing. 

If his son hadn't showed up at the hotel, perhaps things would have gone differently, but no one will ever know. The fact that Willy knew his son knew about his infidelity probably ate at him every day. He was probably both relieved AND disappointed that his son didn't tell his mother, because Willy couldn't tell her himself. 

Throughout the play, we get a glimpse of how Willy treated Linda, and how much Linda still loved her husband despite how difficult he was making it to love him. As his secret ate away at him, he naturally began to change in many ways to compensate for pain he had to have felt. Treating Linda poorly could have been a way for Willy to justify what he did back at the hotel, thinking that if he treated her bad enough, she would stop loving him, maybe even leave him, because that's what he felt he deserved. His punishment for having an affair to dim the lonliness was to be alone. This way, Linda would hate Willy and leave him, which would produce the same outcome as if he told her what he did, except with the former, Linda would be left much less unscathed by his actions. 

Day after day, year after year, suddenly his failure as a dutiful husband leaked over into other parts of his life and like his sales job. After a while, and after being let go from his job, after what was happening when his sons returned home, he just couldn't handle the guilt any longer. 

Although he truely wanted what was best for his family, Willy's suicide most likely resulted in his family losing the insurance money, as well as providing for his family, and of course, Willy himself. 

To Willy, suicide was an easier act than telling his wife two words: "I cheated."

Explain the satire that Lee uses in Chapter 24 of "To Kill a Mockingbird."

The descriptions alone of Mrs. Merriweather are satirical.  Lee has Merriweather's "voice soar(ed) over the clink of coffee cups" as she begins her "misguided people in this town" speech.  This dainty, little, middle-aged woman is taking the stage in the very house of the man she's about to disrespect.  In fact, her racial comments about her "sulky and dissatisfied Sophie" and her comments about how Atticus is not doing the right thing by representing a man who is Black set her up to fail.  She is not only sitting next to one of Atticus' best friends (Maudie), she is in the same room as his sister and his daughter.

Lee uses this scene to show the reader how ugly racism is.  That's how she uses satire.  she takes the shortcomings of human behavior and makes fun of it--hopefully to bring about change.  Hopefully the reader sees this and agrees that Atticus is doing the right thing and Merriweather is a bigot.

What is the significance of the ending of The Kite Runner?

In the winter of 1975 Hassam and Amir won the kite tournament in Kabul.  This was the closest they would ever be and just a few minutes later they would begin to be torn apart by the violence of Assef against Hassam. When Amir wins the tournament, Hassam tells him that he will run the kite for him.  Amir tells him to bring the kite back to him.  Hassan, "cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled, " For you, a thousand times over."  Now years later and thousands of miles away in California Amir cuts a kite and turns to Sohrab, Hassan's son, and asks,

"Do you want me to run that kite for you?"  I thought I saw hin nod. "For you a thousand times over, " I heard myself say.  Then I turned and ran. 

This scene is significant because Amir's life has now come full circle.  He is now running the kite, not just for Sohrab, but for Hassam, and for himself and the history that they shared.

In "Night" describe Eliezer's plan if he is selected for death at Birkenau.

After being separated from his mothers and sisters and watching babies being thrown into a burning fire in a ditch, Eliezer first thinks about throwing himself into the ditch. His next thought is to through himself against the electric wires that surround the camp. Eventually, he loses the chance to kill himself that way when the prisoners are marched past the fire and then past the electric fence.

In Death of a Salesman, why does Biff run out of the chop house?

Biff meets his father and brother in the restaurant after his humiliating encounter with Bill Oliver. Their dinner dissolves into disaster because of Willy's growing mental and emotional instability. When Willy leaves the table, Biff tries to discuss openly with Happy their father's serious condition, despite the presence of the girls at the table that Happy has picked up.

Biff appeals to his brother to help Willy, asking if he cares for their father at all. "Don't you give a damn for him, Hap?" He shows Happy the hose found in Willy's basement, a sign that he is clearly considering suicide. Biff begs his brother to help Willy: "You could help him--I can't . . . He's going to kill himself, don't you know that?"

Happy deflects what Biff is saying, assuming a selfish and defensive attitude. Giving up, Biff makes one final emotional appeal to his brother: Hap, help him! Jesus . . . help him . . . Help me, help me. I can't bear to look at his face!" Biff then runs from the restaurant in despair and frustration, close to weeping.

How is Federalism demonstrated in the legislation of No Child Left Behind?

You ask an excellent question!  In order to answer this, first, you must understand what "federalism" means.  In essence, under a federalist system, the state and federal government share power to make laws and provide for the citizenry.  

A careful reading of the Constitution reveals that there is no mention of public education anywhere in the document.  As a result, some people argue that, thanks to the 10th amendment, the job of providing for public education belongs to the states. (The 10th amendment reserves those powers neither given to the federal government nor denied to the states for the people and/or the states.)  However, there is also a clause in the Consitution, known as the "necessary and proper clause" or the "elastic clause" which gives Congress the power to pass any law that is "necessary and proper" for the governing of the people.  This is was allows the federal government to pass laws about public education.

So, thanks to the 10th amendment the states are responsible for creating much of the legislation about education in their own states.  (Incidentally, this is why different states have different laws about education, including rules about kindrgarten, truancy, and the legal drop-out age.)   And, simultaneously, the Congress can pass laws, like the No Child Left Behind Act, which also mandate certain education policies.  This is, at is essence, an example of federalism at work.

What is the meaning and significance of the bandage worn by Marley's ghost?

Though Scrooge looked the phantom through and through, and saw it standing before him; though he felt the chilling influence of its death-cold eyes; and marked the very texture of the folded kerchief bound about its head and chin, which wrapper he had not observed before; he was still incredulous, and fought against his senses. But how much greater was his horror, when the phantom taking off the bandage round its head, as if it were too warm to wear in-doors, its lower jaw dropped down upon its breast!

It seems Marley died from some sort of head ailment. Either the bandage is part of the treatment (like a poultice), or the result of the treatment (to stop bleeding after surgery). Poultices were commonly used to ease pain or swelling, such as could be caused by a tooth or ear infection. When Dickens wrote "A Christmas Carol," the treatment for toothaches was pulling the tooth out. As the roots of the teeth are so close to the brain, it is possible that a tooth infection could spread to the brain. Before modern surgery, dental abscess was a common cause of death, especially in the case of an untreated abscess of an upper front tooth, the patient can get a fatal brain abscess. During and after the renaissance, but before the advent of modern dentistry, this infection was one of the most frequent causes of death, particularly among the upper classes who had access to large amounts of sugar.

I think the bandage represents the manner of his death.

In "Of Mice and Men", analyze the characters of Slim, Crooks, and Curley. What role does each character play?

Slim is the soft-spoken, hardworking ranch hand who wins the respect of the other workers. The other men gravitate around him because he is a natural leader. Slim also represents the typical migrant worker of the time - celibate, rootless, nomadic by necessity - who literally cannot afford to settle down. During the Great Depression, there were many such men roaming the countryside looking for farm work, living in precarity.

Crooks, on the other hand, is the outsider - because of his handicap but also because of his colour. After his injury he is delegated kitchen jobs he can handle with one arm. He also suffers from a bad back and is bent over from sclerosis. His name, or rather nickname, comes from the word 'crooked,' meaning 'bent.' For Crooks, this is a humiliation. He keeps to himself, reads a lot, but has grown bitter over time. Crooks is a mean, pathetic old man who nevertheless solicits the reader's sympathy. As Slim, he represents the alienated man, but in a different kind of way.

Fist-swinging Curley is the little mean guy, complexed over his size and always on the lookout for an occasion to prove himself. He is even more antipathetic than Crooks because he isn't really a victim of circumstance. He is the boss's son, a spoiled brat who has never grown up.

Curley's wife is another estranged person and deserves mentioning. She has no identity, not even a first name. For this reason she is perhaps the most isolated character of them all.

What are some similarities and differences between Zaroff and Rainsford in "The Most Dangerous Game"?

When dining with Zaroff on the night that Ivan finds him and brings him to the mansion of the general, the reader notes a distinct difference in the point of view expressed by the two hunters:  Zaroff states that, bored with hunting, he needed a new animal, one that can reason. Understanding the implication of what Zaroff has said, Rainsford, appalled, replies, "Hunting, ...what you speak of is murder...[I do] not condone cold-blooded murder...I'm a hunter, not a murderer."  The irony, of course, is that at the end of the story, Rainsford does, indeed, become a murderer, too.

Another irony is that Rainsford does not really know himself, for in the exposition he tells his shipmate, "The world is made up of two classes--the hunters and the huntees."  This statement foreshadows the self-prophesy of Rainsford's predatory self when placed in a life-threatening situation. In the end of the story, he has accepted that he is a predator.  In fact, he relishes his role:  "He had never slept in a better bed, Rainsford decided."

What Zaroff has already known and accepted about himself, Rainsford has to discover when he becomes "an animal at bay."  In essence, the two mean are alike, both predatory, but Rainsford does not realize this similarity until the end.