Discuss its significance of racing in The Awakening, which comes into the plot in connection with Edna, Arobin, and the Colonel.

In The Awakening, racing is obviously a metaphor (a picture, a comparison) for what's going on with Edna.  In many ways racing is exhilarating and dangerous and forbidden--all the things Edna's feeling about her short-lived relationship with Alcée Arobin and her more serious and lasting relationship with Robert, as well as her attempt at becoming an artist.

This novel is set in a time and place which sees women in certain roles.  We see Adele as one kind of woman, the loving and doting mother figure.  We see Madamoiselle Reisz as another, kind of an eccentric artist.  We meet a whole slew of fashionable ladies, such as Mrs. Highcamp, who were a bit "naughty" but only within acceptable boundaries.  Edna fits none of these very well, though she dabbles in each of these roles.

She has chosen to live dangerously, to flaunt the role she once had, and it's a risk.  It's a gamble she loses, in the end, but she ran her race and took her chances. 

What seems to be the reason why the Wheatpatch Camp differs from the other camps in Grapes of Wrath?

Wheatpatch Camp, called Weedpatch Camp in the book, is much nicer than the other camps the Joads have seen.  It is a government camp, and it is well run; Weedpatch is a place where Ma Joad knows that they will finally be "treated decent".  The camp is well-organized and neat, the tents set in neat rows, with no litter around them.  There are community "toilets and showers and wash tubs", and best of all, there is hot running water.  It costs a dollar a week to camp at Weedpatch, and if a family does not have the money, they can work off the fee by doing odd jobs to keep the camp clean and running well.

A huge reason why Weedpatch differs from other camps is because the residents govern themselves.  They "elect their own cops", and the often ruthless law enforcement of the surrounding areas is not allowed in the Camp without a warrant.  The people also elect representatives to a Central Committee, which "makes the laws...what they say goes".  Those who do not follow the rules of the Camp are warned by the Central Committee, and after a third infraction, are forced to leave.  When the Joads arrive at Weedpatch, there is relatively little crime in the community, in contrast to the other places in which they have stayed.  Tom Joad finds it hard to believe that "the fellas that runs the camp is jus' fellas - camping here".

The Joads are happy at the government camp, but after awhile, they realize that there is a major problem there.  There is no work to be had anywhere in the area, and as families run out of money and cannot buy food to sustain themselves, crime, especially theft born of desperation, increases.  Ma Joad sees that the health of each of them is suffering because of malnutrition, and forces the men to confront the problem and make an unwanted decision.  Although Weedpatch is the nicest place in which they have stayed since leaving home, the Joads are forced to leave in order to find work (Chapters 22-26).

What symbols does Joyce use in "Eveline"?

One symbol that appears at the conclusion of the story "Eveline" is the iron rail that Eveline clutches so tightly in her dazed confusion. Since while in her confused state she continues to muse over the same questions and mouth the same unvoiced prayers to understand what her duty is, it might be said that the rail she clutches is the symbol of her act of clutching steadfastly to her confusion. It is her confusion--that she resolves but pursues yet again--that leads to her frozen immobility and inability to decide. At the moment during which she is clutching the rail her eyes show no sign of cognition, feeling, recognition; they only have a blank frenzied animal stare to them. The cold rigid rail is a good symbol of this death of her humanity and human reason.

Another symbol is Buenos Ayres which is translated to English as "good air." Joyce surrounds Eveline with stifling air; even the curtains framing the window through which she listens to the organ grinder smell of dust, meaning she has long neglected them and their cleaning. In Buenos Aires is the promise of life sustaining air to breath and the hope of a healthy life of happiness. It is this promise that conflicts with the oppressive ideas of duty that bind Eveline to a life that is choking the breath and life out of her.

In the story "Of Love and Other Demons" by Garcia Marqez, what are some symbols/elements associated with the characters.

Sievra Maria - is the slave of all angels.

Bernarda Cabrera is associated with Saint Bernard who married following a wish of his father - just as Bernarda did.

Don Ygnacio has several connotations, for example, in Roman times his name has Etruscan elements, meaning something is unknown. Then later in Latin his name is connected with fire. There is also an association that can be made with Ignacio of Loyola - obviously one in jest.  Also by being Lord Darien, one has an idea of him tottering between two things as Darien borders Panama and Columbia - it is possible to argue that he may border life and death. This is coupled with the connection of bats to him.  Bats are often seen to symbolize the underworld, destruction and decay. They also suffer isolation and shame in their lack of feathers according to Oaxacan belief. They are also loosely link to dragons - this compliments Ygnacio's connection to fire - as fire breathing dragons. There is though the issue of his passivity which does not alter until he finally decides one day that his daughter is his life - and then he borders between action and non-action.

In The Great Gatsby, how do the motifs of parties, alcohol, crime, and cars relate to Tom Buchanan and Jay Gatsby?

These motifs do relate to both characters, but in somewhat different ways.

The Party Motif: Gatsby's parties are a means to an end. He stages huge, glamorous, elaborate garden parties hoping that Daisy might wander in one night. Once he is reunited with her, the parties cease. The party most closely associated with Tom occurs in the apartment he rents in New York City where he can meet Myrtle. This party is small and crowded, smoky and unpleasant. It ends in violence when Tom breaks Myrtle's nose during a drunken argument.

The Alcohol Motif: Gatsby serves alcohol to his guests, he earns money by bootlegging alcohol, but he does not drink it. During his years with Dan Cody, Gatsby observed the effects of alcohol and did not touch it himself, although women sometimes rubbed champagne into his hair. Tom drinks bootlegged liquor while condemning Gatsby for selling it; he is a hypocrite.

The Crime Motif: Gatsby built his fortune through criminal activities after going into business with Meyer Wolfsheim, a gangster. Besides selling liquor which was outlawed under Prohibition, Gatsby's activities included the theft of bearer bonds. Tom scorns Gatsby for his criminal activities, while covering up Daisy's role in Myrtle Wilson's death. Tom also bears some responsibility for Gatsby's death because he deliberately directed the distraught and dangerous George Wilson to Gatsby's home.

The Car Motif: Gatsby's huge, cream-colored Rolls-Royce with its three-note melody horn and shiny glass symbolizes his great wealth and the gaudy display of his fortune. The car identifies Gatsby as a member of the "new money" set who make up West Egg. Tom feels snobbish contempt for Gatsby's car, calling it a "circus wagon." Tom's association with cars concerns George Wilson. Tom leads George on, pretending to be interested in buying a car from him, while seeing Myrtle at Wilson's garage. Tom feels quite superior and smug in fooling the naive, gullible husband of his mistress.

why does rapid cooling of a saturated solution produce small crystals , but slow cooling produce large crystals?

A solute when dissoved in a solvent produces a solution. For example, grain sugar dissolves in water at room temperature to produce a sugar solution. The maximum amount of sugar that dissolves in water at room temperature produces what is known as a saturated sugar solution. Beyond this stage, if the solution is warmed it will dissolve more sugar to produce what is known as a supersaturated sugar solution.

When a supersaturated sugar solution is cooled, it cannot hold the excess sugar. This is thrown out of the solution in the form of crystals i.e. recrystallization takes place. This is principle for manufacture of sugar crystals from sugar cane or sugar beet juice.

The size of sugar crystals depends on the number of nuclei present (i.e. graining stage). The lesser the number of nuclei and the longer the cooling time will lead to production of larger sugar crystals.

In Lord of the Flies, Ralph is changed by his experiences on the island. How does Golding show this?

In the beginning, Ralph is just a 12 year old boy, doing what many boys would do in his situation.  He plays in the warm, ocean water.  Ralph grabs ahold of the one name Piggy asked not to be called and calls Piggy that.  Typical boy actions. He has to mature quickly though when he is placed in charge of the boys.  He accepts his duties and tries to be reasonable with the boys, appealing to what he perceives as their combined desire to be rescued off the island. He is civilized and he tries to treat others with civility as best a 12 year old can.  By the last chapter, he is being hunted like an animal and he must think like an animal.  When he encounters the pig's skull stuck on the stick sharpened at both ends, he knocks the skull off the stick and grabs the stick to use as a weapon.  He has degenerated and become as savage as those who are hunting him.  When the officer appears at the end to rescue the boys, Ralph weeps for "...the end of innocence, the darkness of man's heart...".  Ralph fully understands finally that the beast the boys feared was not an outside opponent, but it lived inside of each one of them.  It took him the entire novel to realize what Simon and Piggy both realized much earlier.  It also took Ralph the entire novel to finally let out the beast within him.  He realizes that he is no better than Jack and the others because he was prepared to kill just as they were prepared to kill.