How do Reuben, Swede, and Jeremiah express the theme of family in Peace Like a River?

This book is replete with examples of these three characters showing love, solidarity and concern to their family members.  The book is an amazing and touching example of how close a family can be to one another, close to the point of being willing to sacrifice one's life in order to help a family member.

Everything that Jeremiah does is for his family.  For example, he takes Reuben and Swede on the spontaneous cross-country trip in an attempt to find Davy and try to warn him of the authorities that are trying to find him.  That is a risky endeavor, but he did it because he loved his family and his son.  Another example is how he works at his rather lack-luster job of being a school janitor; probably not his life ambition, but one that can feed the children. And lastly, he gives his life for his son, Reuben.

Reuben does his best to testify well at Davy's trial, even though it ends up not going well.  He also sneaks off to find Davy and spend time with them in the snow-covered tundra where they catch up with him. He also spends countless hours with Swede, encouraging her to write and listening to her stories, which are a sort of therapy for her and the family.

Swede is a plucky girl who tries her best to take over the role her mother left.  One way she shows love is to use her money and resources to buy food for the starving family, and fix them a nice meal.  She also tries to make Davy out to be a sort of hero in her western poem, which shows her love for her brother.  In addition, Swede encourages her father's romance with Roxanne, a way to show her father that happiness can be his.

I hope that those examples helped; good luck!

What is Cicero's "Laelius, on Friendship" really about? Does it contain principles that benefit any people at any time?

Cicero's 'Laelius' is not an easy read so you have my sympathy if you have to wade through it. I can only give you a general answer as it is many years since I had to wade through it myself and am in no hurry to repeat the experience.

You will probably find many observations on friendship in 'Laelius' that we would still subscribe to today, such as the statement that true friends will hold each other in high esteem or the argument that true friendship will be strong enough to survive or adapt to changing personal or public circumstances. However, the idea that friends will be perfectly agreed on all matters, which is part of the definition of friendship in 'Laelius', would strike us as odd today. Of course friends will be like-minded on many matters but we are mostly capable of remaining good friends with people whose opinions and tastes differ from ours. Indeed most of would find our social conversation very dull indeed if our friends agreed with us on everything.

I am sure you will find similar examples in the text of things that still hold true today and of other pronouncements - and doesn't Cicero like to pronounce? - that seem very old-fashioned and irrelevant to our times. Good luck!

In Act IV, scene 1, how does the use of alliteration and onomatopoeia make the witches language faster and more rhythmic?In Act IV, Scene 1, how...

The witches say words like "mew'd" and "whined" in the opening scene as onomatopoeia.  Then they use alliteration in words like "Double, double, toil and trouble" to make use of aggressive, guttural sounds.  In all that the witches say in this scene, their words are all in either single or double syllables.  The phrasing goes quickly.  The alliteration emphasizes their gross concoction brewing in their cauldron, and the onomatopoeia makes the animal parts involved even more gory.

Ultimately, the use of these literary terms creates the wonderful imagery that goes along with the themes of light and darkness, and sickness and medicine mentioned in the link.

How has Macbeth changed since the murder of Duncan? Could you provide quotes to support your answers?

Well, Macbeth changes more or less as soon as he has done the deed. He comes back in to tell his wife that he has killed Duncan, but seems unsettled, maddened, unsure of where he is:

Whence is that knocking?
How is't with me, when every noise appals me?
What hands are here? Ha, they pluck out mine eyes!

Macbeth seems similarly unsettled by the murder in the next scene, in which he reveals he has - impulsively, without checking with his wife - murdered Duncan's grooms, so terrified he is of being discovered.

And then we learn in Act 2, Scene 4 that he has been crowned. And here is where, I think, there is a real change in Macbeth. His language becomes more muscular, and, though he is still hugely neurotic, he now is also hugely powerful. He orders Banquo's murder, and, though he is maddened again at the banqu-et (thinking that he sees Banqu-o's ghost) he regains his resolve after the apparition scene enough to order the murder of Macduff's children (though we don't see him do this).

Perhaps the best answer though, would be to look at the Macbeth at the end of the play. He is drained, weary, cynical and completely sure that his life is worthless. He knows, too, what he has missed out on:

...My way of life
Is fall'n into the sear, the yellow leaf,
And that which should accompany old age,
As honor, love, obedience, troops of friends,
I must not look to have.

The murder of Duncan is a mistake that costs Macbeth his life - and his quality of life.

In "The Monkey's Paw," what are the types of conflict and some examples of each?

Two main conflicts make up the story: man vs. fate and man vs. man.

In wishing on the monkey's paw to receive a sum of money, the Whites attempt to control fate. Their wish comes true, but tragically through the death of their son Herbert. They receive the money, but in no way did they control their fate.

At the conclusion of the story, Mrs. Smith wants to use the monkey's paw again, this time to wish their son back to life. Mr. Smith opposes this vehemently, but finally gives in to her desperate plan. This sets the stage for the final conflict. When it seems that Herbert, out of his grave, stands on their porch, knocking to come in, Mrs. Smith struggles to unbolt the door to let him in, but her husband struggles to find the monkey's paw to make a third wish, that Herbert go back to his grave. Mr. Smith wins this conflict as Herbert suddenly disappears.

Who is Moushumi?Can you introduce her more fully so i can get the main picture. Who is she as a character?

Moushumi's parents were aqquaintances of the Ganguli family. She and Gogol met as kids, but she didnt take to him or any of the other children. She felt a little above them, to be honest. She had spent some time as a child in England, and always had a slight accent, despite being raised in America for most of her life. She has a deep passion for anything European, particularly of France.

After Gogol's fathers death and his breakup with Maxine, his mother thought it might be nice for him to meet a nice, Bengali girl-who happened to be Moushumi. Moushumi herself had a devastating breakup with her fiancee previous to their meeting which was the talk of the entire Bengali community on the East coast, apparently. Gogol only remembered Moushumi as the quiet girl who famously "detested" American television.

By this time, Gogol is settled in New York City, where Moushumi also resides. They arrange to meet in a swanky little cafe, where Gogol is immediatly taken aback by Moushumi. She sort of much transformed into this gorgeous goddess, with her cigarette and glass of wine. She and Gogol hit it off right away, and begin to start a passionate courtship. They eventually marry, much to the delight of all and begin, what they hope to be, a happy life together.

Things go well for a while, but quickly the two seem to drift apart. Moushumi begins seeing Gogol as a bore, while Gogol is too submerged in his own happenings to notice. Moushumi even gives up a fellowship in Paris to stay near Gogol iwthout his knowledge. This makes her feel that Gogol is becoming a burden in her life. Moushumi one day stumbles upon the name and address of a past lover. She wants to call him up, but is torn. It seems she still loves Gogol, but is not "in love" with him anymore. She finds a book given to her by that same lover tucked away in her bookshelf and begins re-reading it every night. This ultimately convinces her to call up her former lover, a Frenchman, and they begin a torrid affair. When Gogol finds out, they divorce.

To me, Moushumi was the most interesting character. She was like a bomb waiting to explode. As a child and well into her college years, she was very bookish, quiet, and reserved. She experienced life through her books, and became somewhat obsessed with European life. She wasnt particularly interested in her own culture, or fulfilling the standards and goals put on her by her parents or society. She was just different.

She never felt a mans touch until one small incident in high school, I believe, where an attractive teacher caressed her and told her how beautiful she was. She never followed through with it. I think she always regretted not channeling her true beauty or sexuality for so long. So after college she traveled to France and became free. She indulged in many affairs, and lived a fast paced, passionate life she never had yet always wanted. She finally felt liberated.

Back in America, she became engaged to a white man with whom she later broke up with and then met Gogol. Moushumi was a paradox. A shy, introverted girl turned into a mysterious, dark, and seductive woman. She seemed strong, yet underneath it all was painfully insecure and uncertain. I believe if there was a "The Namesake" part 2, Moushumi would be older, yet not wiser. She is an intelligent woman but would always be chasing after things, getting what she wants, but ultimately losing everything she chased after.

What are some aspects of Romanticism, relating to the Romantic period, in Goethe's Faust?

Goethe was the originator of the Romantic period but once he witnessed what the premises of Romanticism did to society he renounced Romanticism. This is why sixty years passed before Goethe agreed to work on completing Faust by adding sections to Faust Part I and taking a whole new tack on Faust Part II. Therefore, the only characteristics of Romanticism to be found in the work are in what is called the Urfaust, meaning the original Faust, which mostly comprises the stories of Faust and Mephistopheles and Faust and Gretchen (also called Margaret).

The most striking characteristics of the Romantic period ideas prevalent in the Urfaust involve individuality in the hero, journey for illumination within, symbols and myths, emotionalism, and the lessened role of reason. Faust typifies a new literary type of hero who is different form previous good heroes who are flawed or make an error. He represents the Romantic emphasis on individuality and the journey for illumination within; a self-oriented journey. The crux of Faust is symbology, which motivated Romanticism's quest to understand the world and emblematic nature, for instance the symbols of the macrocosm and microcosm, as well as myths and legends. For instance, Goethe drew on the Medieval legend of Dr. Faust that had earlier inspired Marlowe's Dr. Faustus.

Finally, in Faust will be found the characteristic that Romanticism is most famous, or notorious, for, the primacy of emotion over reason. Emotion and intuition were believed by Romantics to be the primary tools of "imagination," defined as the governing power of human cognition, which governs reason, creates art, and understand the universe. Individuals were encouraged to cultivate emotion along with intuition in order to aid the journey to inner illumination, such as in evident in Gretchen's behavior and Faust's when in connection with Gretchen.