Draw the Lewis dot structure for Mg and S. Is it an ionic or covalent bond?

The Lewis dot structure for MgS (Magnesium sulfide) is difficult to draw in this format.

Iprefer to use a small circle for the metals and a dot for the nonmetal.  This way you can 'see'(distinguish) each atoms electrons

Start by writing the symbol Mg and place a small circle at each the upper right and lower right sides(2 and 4 o'clock).  Then to the right of Mg (give yourself a little space) write the symbol S. Starting at 2 o'clock place a dot,  then place one at 4, 8, and 10 o'clock, respectively).  You have now accounted for 4 of sulfurs 6 valence electrons.  Now place a dot next to the ones at 2 and 4 o'clock.

o----.     :

Mg        S

o----.     :

The dashed line represents the bonding electron pairs.

Now for the QUESTION - is this an ionic bond.

First check the electronegativity(the desire to give up or take electrons) for each element.  Magnesium (Mg) has an electronegativity of 1.29 and sulfur's is 2.46.  Take the difference in electronegativity (2.46-1.29) 1.17.  This then will tell you the type bond (covalent - sharing) (polar-covalent - uneven sharing) or (ionic -little to no sharing of electrons).  It is generally accepted that if the difference in elecrtonegativities is GREATER than 1.7 the bond is ionic (>50% ionic).  Between 0.7 and 1.7 polar covalent (eg. water H2O ~1.1) and less than 0.7 covalent (eg. Nickel(II)sulfide NiS ~0.6,   H2 difference = 0 PURE covalent bond)

Thus NO compound is purely ionic.

Difference in electornegativity

0-----------0.7---------------------------1.7---------------------4.0

covalent---------polar covalent----------------  ionic------  XXX

Hope this helped clear up covalent vs ionic bonds a little.

What is the tone for each scene in Act III of "Macbeth"?

Tone is the writer's attitude toward the material. Tone may be playful, formal, intimate, angry, serious, ironic, outraged, baffled, tender, serene, depressed, etc.

Sc I, the tone starts out formal, with Macbeth talking to Banquo about his travel plan, but ends up serious and angry.  By the end of the scene, the plan to kill Banquo and Fleance is set in motion.

Sc II- Serious, Macbeth shrugs off Lady Macbeth's question about his plans.  He is tender towards her, trying to protect her from his murderous plans.

Sc III- Serious, Banquo is murdered, Fleance escapes, ironic.

Sc IV- Macbeth tries to be playful at his first banquet as King, but is haunted by Banquo's ghost, he ends up sounding baffled, outraged, and it is ironic, that a ghost unseen by his guests, manages to shatter Macbeth's demeanor and make him appear to be crazy, or an unfit King.

Sc V - Hecate appears, the tone is serious, as she plots Macbeth's demise.

Sc VI- Lennox knows the truth about Macbeth, the tone is very serious.  The fate of Scotland is discussed, the hope that Malcolm can seize it back from the tyrant Macbeth.

Why does Ruku think it is not very lucky for a man to marry above himself in "Nectar in a Sieve"?

Ruku thinks it is not very lucky for a man to marry above himself because "if he does he gets a wife who is no help to him whatsoever, only an ornament".  Traditionally, the higher a woman is in social ranking, the less work she has to do herself in a household; she would have others to do it for her.  Ruku speaks from her own experience, having married, in a sense, below herself.  She did not at first appreciate that her husband, Nathan, had made their humble mud and thatch dwelling with his own hands, because she had always taken the luxury of her own comparatively fine home for granted.

Ruku realizes that she herself "was ignorant of the simplest things" when she got married, and being plain in appearance, was "no ornament either".  She had to learn from the women in neighboring households "how to milk the goat, how to plant seed, how to churn butter from milk, and how to mull rice".  Ruku sympathizes with her husband, who, having married "above himself", received very little help as he struggled daily to eke a living off the land from his new bride at first, and she marvels at "what patience...(he) must have had to put up with (her) uncomplainingly during those early days of (their) married lives...not one cross word or impatient look, and praise for whatever small success (she) achieved" (Chapter 1). 

What is the tone in the story "The Gift of the Magi"?

Tone in a literary work, shows the author's attitudes toward the subject and toward the audience. The tone can take on a variety of styles and may be formal, informal, sad, depressed, happy, intimate, solemn, somber, critical, sarcastic, mocking, playful, serious, ironic, condescending, or many other possible attitudes. In a work of literature we are often confronted by at least one theme, or central idea about a topic. The manner in which the author approaches the work, determines the work's tone.

One can gauge a writer's tone by studying the language, imagery and other descriptors he/she uses throughout the work. His or her approach will inform the reader whether he/she wishes one to share his or her approach.

O. Henry, through a third person narrative, adopts a sentimental tone in this story. He clearly has a fondness for the characters and he wishes the reader to share this sentiment. The language used throughout has a warm and pleasant quality, and there is hardly any reference to darkness, except of a reference to Jim's 'dark assertion', but even this is dismissed to be dealt with later.

The story is about a loving couple of diminished means, but this fact does not dampen their ardour for one another. The story focuses on Della and we learn, through her, about the depth of their devotion to each other. A few references to the text makes this quite obvious:

But whenever Mr. James Dillingham Young came home and reached his flat above he was called "Jim" and greatly hugged by Mrs. James Dillingham Young, already introduced to you as Della. Which is all very good.

Her Jim. Many a happy hour she had spent planning for something nice for him. Something fine and rare and sterling—something just a little bit near to being worthy of the honor of being owned by Jim.

Even when Della has her beautiful tresses removed, the outcome is still positive:

Out of his trance Jim seemed quickly to wake. He enfolded his Della.

I don't think there's anything in the way of a haircut or a shave or a shampoo that could make me like my girl any less.

The story explores the utterly unselfish sacrifices that those who truly love are willing to make. They are prepared to give up their most precious possessions, not for some or other reward, but because they love the ones to whom they give.

In the end it is clear that the narrator wants us to share his sentiment:

... let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest. O all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They are the magi.

And, of course, we do.

I am having trouble finding the racial, social, and gender prejudices in "To Kill a Mockingbird". Can anyone help me?

Look at the way that the characters of the novel interact and you will perceive the attitudes that are prevalent about these characters as each of the characters in "To Kill a Mockingbird" provides a view of human nature. For example, Boo Radley who does not leave his home and has a bizarre reputation and Mr. Dolphus Raymond who lives with a black woman on the "wrong side" of town are both social outcasts.  One day outside the courthouse Mr. Raymond explains that he drinks his Coca-Cola in a brown paper bag so that people will think he drinks liquor; this bad habit will, then, provide them a safe explanation for his lifestyle.  Yet, he is still ostracized and is another social outcast. 

Of course, the most glaring prejudice is the racial one.  Tom Robinson steps over boundaries when he aids the Ewell girl and is convicted of a crime because of his color, not his actions.  Finally, a social prejudice is evident in the interaction of the townspeople with Atticus Finch.  One day a group of men come to Atticus and question his motives for defending Tom, demonstrating racial prejudice against Tom and social prejudice against Atticus.  This bias against Atticus reoccurs in the children's insults of her father to Scout.

What is the the principal plus the interest for $300 borrowed at 6% for 1 year and $5,000 borrowed at 7.5% for 6 months?

$300 borrowed for 1 year at 6% incurs an interest of $300*0.06 = $18. The total amount including the principal and the interest is $318.

$5,000 borrowed at 7.5% for 6 months incurs an interest of $5000*0.075/2 = 187.5. The total amount including the principal and the interest is $5187.5

The amount in the first case is $318 and in the second it is $5187.5

Was "Lord of the Flies" intentionally written as an allegory? What about other allegorical stories?

Thanks for the answers.  I know that Pilgrim's Progress, for instance, was an intentional allegory.  I also know that J.R. Tolkien balked at the attempts made to categorize his work as allegorical.  Golding's work seems to fall somewhere between the two in terms of obvious allegorical intention.

To me Golding seems pushing less of a moral lesson and more of an idea, as one of the people responded has stated.  I can't see how a moral lesson can be made about the rules breaking down when there is no societal structure or a weak government.  There's no way for people to behave NOT to have those things happen.  No amount of "better behavior"--altruism, hard work, honesty, etc. will prevent a plane from crashing or a weak government from being overthrown.  To me it seems like Golding is trying to get people to weigh and consider certain ideas, and possibly extrapolate those ideas to the world around them at that particular time in history.

Sorry if these seem like strange and rudimentary questions for a English teacher-to-be to be asking, but I cannot remember reading Lord of the Flies the first time around, and it's what is being read in a class I'm observing as well as several classes that I've been a substitute teacher in.  I want to have it down, and sooner than later at that.