If you were Della, how would you feel about the gift you received in "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry?

If I was Della, I would feel incredibly blessed and humbled by Jim's gift. Jim's gift is a set of decorative combs. The gift shows a fair amount of thought from Jim. He knows Della loves her hair, and many people consider it her best attribute. He also knows Della has been wanting the combs.

For there lay The Combs — the combs that Della had seen in a shop window and loved for a long time. Beautiful combs, with jewels, perfect for her beautiful hair. She had known they cost too much for her to buy them.

My guess is that Della never vocalized her desire of the combs. She knows how poor she and Jim are. She knows he works hard, and she knows talking about something like the combs might make Jim feel worse about their current money situation. Nevertheless, Jim knows Della wants the combs. The fact that Jim is willing to sell his most prized possession to buy a completely superfluous item for Della shows he has a great deal of love for her. To be married to such a loving man—and know it—would feel incredibly humbling. The gifts serve as just another illustration of why Jim and Della are blessed to be together despite their poverty.

Was the Progressive Era truly "progressive?" Is Progressive Education truly "progressive?"

The expectation for the response of this question is that you will need to provide an informed opinion. As for the progressive movement, you could answer it in two basic ways. Historians, naturally are not in complete agreement about the extent to which progressives realized their goals in the early Twentieth Century. Those that laud the success of the movement point to the gains that were made to abolish child labor and put young people in a compulsory school setting. Workers also were granted certain rights like collective bargaining, overtime pay, and worker's compensation. Despite these gains, critics of the progressive era reforms suggest that they did not really do very much to improve the lives of the unskilled laborer. The critics suggest that the government made these concessions in an effort to calm the atmosphere of radicalism that existed during this time. In other words, the government created these laws out of self-preservation. These are two perspectives on the degree of progress from this era.

I think that the question of progressive education is much easier to discuss. Progressive education models are student centered and involve student collaboration and involvement in planning their own experience. They often include the idea of educating the whole student and not just teaching him or her facts. While there is a lot of talk about this model being necessary to prepare students for the workplace in the 21st Century, an overwhelming majority of classrooms today are based on the traditional teacher-centered model. This is mostly true because of the push to standardize curriculum at the national level and because of the high-stakes nature of testing. Progressive education should be considered "progressive", but the efforts to institute it in America's schools should not be.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, how does Reverend Sykes help the children see and hear the trial? Is he right to do so?

Reverend Sykes was the kindly pastor of First Purchase, Calpurnia’s church. When Jem and Scout attend a service with Cal, he gives them a warm welcome and treats them kindly.

In this time, many white people in the South considered African Americans ‘second class citizens.’ Whites passed laws to segregate African Americans in many ways: separate bathrooms, water fountains, housing, stores, etc.  In a courthouse, African Americans were not allowed to sit on the main floor. That was reserved for the ‘more important’ white people. African Americans could sit in the balcony, which was not considered a favorable place to sit.

Scout and Jem try to find seats on the main floor in order to watch their father Atticus defend Tom Robinson. But every bit of sitting and standing space is taken.  Reverend Sykes sees that the children have no place to sit, so he invites them to join him on the balcony.

Is he right to do so? This is an opinion question. Looking at this query from a general human kindness standpoint, yes, he is justified.  He is making sure Scout and Jem have seats to watch their father during a trial, which has cost their family a lot of stress. He takes a risk in doing so: white people may say negative things about him for bringing white children into the African-American section of the court, and even some African Americans may say Scout and Jem do not belong there.  But Reverend Sykes is looking beyond the color barrier. He understands the children’s’ feelings and wants them to be able to watch their father. No white person on the main floor offered seats.

What is one of the most important differences between a democratic republic and the British government at the time of the American Revolution?

In short, the British government at the time of the American Revolution was not at all democratic. The British government operated according to what they called the English "constitution," shaped by a series of political developments over the preceding centuries. Atop the British government was the King and his ministers, who also in many cases served in Parliament. Parliament was composed of the House of Lords, who were not elected, and the House of Commons, whose members were elected. So the British government had some claim to being a representative one. But the reality was that very few men (probably less than ten percent) could actually vote. This was because of stringent land requirements for voting. Similar requirements existed in the British American colonies, but land ownership was much more widespread and extensive there, so more people could vote. Another factor was that representation in the House of Commons was not based on population, and social and demographic changes in the kingdom changed the political landscape in such a way that many people were not even represented in Parliament. Old boroughs, mostly rural, had members in Parliament, but growing urban regions like Manchester did not. While the British people had more freedoms than others in Europe, ultimately it was not a democratic republic.

One of the topics that recurs in August Wilson's play, Fences, is sports, specifically, baseball. How does Wilson use the idea/metaphor of...

Sports, and baseball in particular, have long enjoyed an almost mythological status in American culture. While the off-the-field problems of some players today has degraded that status, during the time period in which August Wilson sets his play, Fences, hero worship directed towards baseball players was at its peak. That Wilson's main protagonist, Troy Maxson, used to be play in the Negro Leagues, the blacks-only baseball league created out of necessity because African American athletes were not welcome in Major League Baseball locker rooms, makes the use of the baseball-as-myth metaphor all the more appropriate.

Within the broad expanse of potential baseball metaphors or analogies, that of the "strike out" is particularly prominent. In baseball, of course, a batter is given a number of opportunities via pitches thrown by an opposing player to swing at the ball and, hopefully, get a hit (preferably but statistically unlikely a home run). The batter, however, can only swing and miss, or fail to swing at a pitch that the umpire determines was in "the strike zone," three times before he, the batter, is called "out." In day-to-day life, then, we are admonished with our first mistake by being informed that the error in question constitutes "strike one." The next mistake or failure is labeled "strike two." The third mistake or failure, then, is obviously "strike three, you're out!" You've had your three chances to swing, and you failed.

Because baseball was central to Troy Maxson's life, and because one of his sons, Cory, shows promising potential to play college football on a scholarship, the baseball analogies constitute natural interjections into the play's dialogue.

"I'm gonna tell you what your mistake was, see . . . . you swung at the ball and didn't hit it. That's strike one. See, you in the batter's box now. You swung and you missed. That's strike one. Don't you strike out."

In the context of Wilson's play, these comments by Troy directed at Cory during a heated exchange employ the baseball metaphor to imply that Cory has failed to meet his father's expectations. It further implies that there will be only two more chances. Later, near the end of Act II, Scene I, Troy again applies the "three strikes and you're out" metaphor, only in this instance he is describing for his wife, Rose, a long-suffering desperately lower-income matriarch, the limited opportunities he's had as a black man in the racist South:

"Rose, I done tried all my life to live decent. . .to lead a clean. . .hard. . .and useful life. I tried to be a good husband to you. . .But, you born with two strikes on you before you come to the plate. . .You can't afford a called strike [the pitcher's throw is accurate, within the batter's strike zone, but the batter did not swing at the pitch, making it a "called strike"]. If you go down, you go down swinging."

Troy is emphasizing for the benefit of Rose the importance of seizing opportunities and taking one's best shot at victory. By referring to his having been "born with two strikes on you before you come to the plate," Troy is noting the disadvantages he suffered before he even had a chance, one of those disadvantages, strike-one, if you will, being his ethnicity, a black man in a white man's world. Wilson continues to use the "three strikes" metaphore throughout Fences because the theme of baseball is so important to the history of the main protagonist. By the time Major League Baseball was integrated with the signing by the Brooklyn Dodgers of African American player Jackie Robinson, Wilson's character, Troy, had already seen his playing days come to an end. He missed the big show, too old now to take advantage of the opportunities integration would have provided. Wilson uses the "three strikes" metaphor to illuminate the limited and tenuous opportunities his lower-income African American family has to find success.

What date did Jahangir die?

Nur-ud-din Mohammad Salim, or Jahangir Khan, was the fourth ruler of the Mughal Empire and ruled from 1605 until his death on October 24, 1605. Jahangir died on his way back from Kashmir where he was seeking treatment for an illness. He died of a severe cold.

Jahangir is renowned for his unique brand of justice in which any subject could pull a golden chain which was connected to dozens of bells. It was an attempt to establish a link with his subjects. Any person standing outside the castle of Agra could tug on the chain and have a personal meeting with the emperor himself.

Jahangir, like many other Mughal shahs, was tolerant of Christians and Hindus and invited open discourse between the faiths.

What does the prologue suggest about the values of ancient Mesopotamians in The Epic of Gilgamesh?

The first value we see in the Prologue to Gilgamesh is the valorization of distant antiquity. Similar to the Biblical story of Genesis and the archaic Greek account of the history of humanity in Hesiod's Theogony, Gilgamesh promulgates a mythos of decline, positing a golden age when there were heroes greater than people as they now exist. The decline is attributed to humanity having offended the gods in all these stories. This attitude is quite different from the contemporary western myth of progress. 

Next, the Prologue sets before us an image of the ideal man. The first characteristic of this ideal is close connection to the gods; humans who were greater than average are presumed to have divine progenitors. Next, physical strength and stature are admired, as are concrete contributions to the city, including erecting monumental buildings. Gilgamesh is valued as much as a city-builder as a warrior. 

Gilgamesh is not only a doer of great deeds but also a writer:

Long was his journey, weary, worn down by his labours

He inscribed upon a stone when he returned

This story.

Thus we can see that the Mesopotamians valued literacy and skill with words as well as warlike deeds. 

Write the name of the plant in which vegetative propagation takes place by leaves.

Vegetative propagation is an asexual mode of reproduction in plants. In this process, the propagation or reproduction takes place through vegetative parts of the plant, which include, roots, leaves and stem. A number of plants exhibit vegetative propagation by leaves, including Bryophyllum and Begonia. In case of Bryophyllum, the plant leaves have notches. New buds originate at these notches and remain dormant. When the leaf is broken or the bud makes contact with moist soil, the dormancy ends and the bud grows as a new plant. This way the Bryophyllum propagates. Something similar takes place in the Begonia plant.

Vegetative propagation is commonly used by plants that do not produce seeds and is a faster and easier method of reproduction, as compared to growth from seeds.

Hope this helps.  

How does Shakespeare present Lord and Lady Capulet in Act 4, Scene 5?

Shakespeare portrays Lord and Lady Capulet as distraught parents who have lost their most beloved daughter to death in Act IV, Scene v. When they come to find Juliet dead on the morning of her wedding to Paris, they break down as if they never had a horrible fight in Act III, Scene v. It's very interesting to compare these two scenes because both parents cast Juliet off in Act III, but then they act destroyed when she's "dead" in Act IV. The following passage shows part of how mean Lord Capulet is to Juliet in Act III when she asks for more time before being married to Paris:

"Wife, we scarce thought us blest

That God had lent us but this only child;

But now I see this one is one too much,

And that we have a curse in having her

Out on her, hilding! (III.v.169-173).

He goes on to say that if she doesn't show up Thursday to marry Paris then she can live in the streets and he will basically disown her. Compare what he says when he finds her dead in the following passage:

"Death is my son-in-law, Death is my heir;

My daughter he hath wedded. I will die

And leave him all; life, living all is Death's" (IV.v.41-43).

Lord Capulet cries and seems truly sad that she is gone; however, he is still thinking of himself in a way because he thinks about what is left for him after she is dead. In a way, he's upset that he's not getting what he wanted rather than feeling remorse for his daughter's death.

Now Lady Capulet seems more upset than selfish at her daughter's death for sure--as a mother probably would. In Act III, however, she said to Juliet the following:

"Talk not to me, for I'll not speak a word.

Do as thou wilt, for I have done with thee" (III.v.2112-213).

Lady Capulet says this to Juliet after Lord Capulet's raging declarations of hatred. When Juliet needs her mother most, she is ultimately rejected. Fast forward to Act IV and Lady Capulet has a different tune.

"Accurs'd, unhappy, wretched, hateful!

Most miserable hour that e'er Time saw

In lasting labour of his pilgrimage!

But one, poor one, one poor and loving child,

But one thing to rejoice and solace in,

And cruel Death hath catch'd it from my sight!" (IV.v.46-51)

Clearly Lady Capulet is more upset about this death than Lord Capulet, but they are both mournful parents as well.

In Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, for how long does Bassanio need the money?

Bassanio needs the money he borrows from Antonio for one specific purpose only. He confides to Antonio:

In Belmont is a lady richly left;
And she is fair, and, fairer than that word,
Of wondrous virtues: sometimes from her eyes
I did receive fair speechless messages:
Her name is Portia ...

Bassanio has received what he believes is an indication of Portia's interest in him through her look, which sent him positive messages. He then extols the myriad virtues of the many suitors who have come from far and wide to woo the beautiful and wealthy Portia. He is distraught, for he wishes to do the same, but lacks the means to prosper in this grand venture. As he passionately exclaims:

O my Antonio, had I but the means
To hold a rival place with one of them,
I have a mind presages me such thrift,
That I should questionless be fortunate!

He believes that should he have the capital to compete against his obviously wealthy competitors, he would unquestionably stand a good chance of winning Portia's hand. Bassanio clearly needs the money immediately and for such period of time as when he has completed his quest. This period is not specifically indicated. One can assume that he needs time for preparation and the journey to Belmont, all which might take a number of days. However, he has to rush since he does not wish to give any of his competition the opportunity to be successful in their venture.

The generous Antonio offers to help, but states that he has no capital at hand. He does, however, ask Bassanio to travel to Venice where he could obtain a loan by using his good name as security. He, Antonio, would for his part, also strive to raise the money his good friend needs.

We later discover that Bassanio needs three thousand ducats which he borrows from Shylock, the Jewish moneylender. Antonio then signs a bond guaranteeing to repay the loan within three months and would, if he should default, allow Shylock to cut out a pound of his flesh. Although Bassanio beseeches him not to sign the deed, he ignores his appeal. 

How was Dan Cody involved in shaping Gatsby into the man he became?

Dan Cody was a millionaire that Gatsby met when Cody's yacht dropped anchor in Lake Superior.  For young Gatsby, "that yacht represented all the beauty and glamour in the world."  When Cody realized how ambitious and quick Gatsby was, he began to employ the young man "in a vague personal capacity," and he served as "steward, mate, skipper, secretary, and even jailor" when Cody drank too much.  Thus, "It was indirectly due to Cody that Gatsby drank so little."  

In other words, it was from Cody that Gatsby learned how to be rich: how to act, what to do, what to buy, how to speak, and so on.  Even his way of calling almost strangers "old sport" seems like the expression of a much older man, likely picked up from Cody.  Cody also seems to have taught Gatsby the importance of self-control, and this is why Gatsby serves copious amounts of alcohol at parties but never partakes himself.  

Who is the overall executive head of state in India ?

Like the United States, India's government is divided into Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches. The head of the executive branch is the President of India, who is also the head of state.

However, unlike in the US, the President of India is not the head of government; that role is instead filled by the Prime Minister, who is chosen by the Legislative branch. (While the head of state represents the country as a figurehead, the head of government performs more of the day-to-day functions of governance.) In this way India's system is a parliamentary system, similar to that found in the United Kingdom.

Also befitting a parliamentary system, the President of India is not directly elected by popular vote. Instead, the President is indirectly elected by an Electoral College, consisting of electors appointed by both houses of Parliament and the State Legislative Assemblies of all States and territories.

India has a multi-party system and one of the highest freedom ratings of any Third World country. While they are poor, they also have a thriving democracy.

In "The Ransom of Red Chief," what does Sam mean when he says "a fraudulent town lot scheme"?

Sam and Bill are a pair of criminals.  They are not the smartest or most ruthless pair either. They just like to think that they are.  Sam also believes that he is the brains of the operation.  Considering Bill's level of cognitive overhead, it's not hard to be the brains of the operation.  Sam also likes to use random, big words to make himself sound smart.  

The quote that you are talking about is in the third paragraph of the story.  Sam is explaining to his audience why he and Bill need to kidnap and ransom a child.  They need some extra money in order "to pull off a fraudulent town-lot scheme in Western Illinois."  What that likely means is that Bill and Sam are going to run a real-estate scam of some kind.  It's obvious they are going to commit some kind of fraud.  Houses are built on lots, and that's what I think "town-lot" is referring to.  

List ten specific rights discussed in the Bill of Rights that apply in criminal cases.

Ten rights in the Bill of Rights that apply in Criminal Cases are: 

Fourth Amendment

- Right not to be subjected to unreasonable search and seizure. In most circumstances, government officials must obtain a search warrant before searching for or seizing evidence. There are some exceptions to this warrant requirement, such as a public safety exception and an automobile exception. 

Fifth Amendment 

- Right to remain silent. A defendant cannot "be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself." 

- Right to not be tried for the same offense twice (no double jeopardy). This does not protect someone from being charged for the same crime by two separate sovereigns (i.e. you CAN be charged for the same crime by a state and by the federal government, they are considered separate sovereigns). 

- Right to due process. Protects the defendant's right to a fair trial in many aspects. 

Sixth Amendment

- Right to confront witnesses against him. A defendant has a right to cross-examine any witnesses against him. 

- Right to represented by an attorney. Right to adequate representation. If a defendant cannot afford an attorney, one must be provided to him. 

- Right to a speedy trial. No specific enumerated time period is considered "speedy."

- Right to a public jury trial. Must be allowed to have a trial before an impartial jury of their peers. 

Eighth Amendment 

- Right to not be subjected to cruel and unusual punishment. The sentence must be proportionate to the crime. 

- Right to reasonable bail. 

Summarize Night by Elie Wiesel.

Night is author Elie Wiesel's true story of his experiences during the Holocaust. It begins in his hometown of Sighet, where he lives in a vibrant Jewish community. Wiesel is a very religious teenager, interested in studying the Cabbala--Jewish mysticism. The war is going on around them, but the villagers do not believe it will actually come to their doorsteps. Of course, it does, and Elie and his family and neighbors are taken to Auschwitz, a concentration camp in Poland. His mother and youngest sister are gassed, and the rest of the book is about Elie and his father trying to survive the concentration camps. They are sent to Buna and put to work in a factory. They are beaten, starved and treated worse than vermin, but they manage to keep going. By the time they are liberated, Elie's father has died from dysentery, and Elie is skin and bones.

The population of which organisms would most likely increase if there were fewer grasshoppers?

In a given food web, changes in the population of one species affects the population of others, especially the one that serves as the food or the competitor. In the case of grasshoppers, the main food source is grass, vegetables and cereals (basically any plant). If the population of grasshoppers decrease, the population of their main food source, grass and other plants, will increase.

Grasshoppers compete with other herbivores, such as Mormon crickets, etc. It has also been reported in studies that grasshoppers compete with larger grazing animals such as bison, for food. Hence, a decrease in population of grasshoppers will mean more food for its competitors. grazing (mammalian) animals and grazing insects. This will result in a higher population of these animals and insects. 

Grasshopper population is controlled by chemical means with insecticides such as malathion and carbaryl, which are commonly used to control the infestation.

Hope this helps.  

In To Kill a Mockingbird, what are some quotes to show Scout's treatment of Boo in the latter stages of the book? How does she begin to view things...

Scout comes to empathize with Boo and look at things from his perspective.

Scout is afraid of Boo Radley at first.  It makes sense.  He is the neighborhood monster.  Since Boo is a recluse who never comes out of his house, the children of the town like to tell stories about him.  There are even adults who make up things about him.  Atticus tries to teach his children to be respectful of Boo Radley.

When Miss Maudie’s house catches fire, Scout finds a blanket on her shoulders and she does not know where it came from.  Jem and her father quickly come to the conclusion that Boo is the one who put it there.

My stomach turned to water and I nearly threw up when Jem held out the blanket and crept toward me. “He sneaked out of the house—turn ‘round—sneaked up, an’ went like this!” (Ch. 8)

Scout is learning to put herself in others’ places.  Empathy is a very adult concept, and a difficult one for Scout.  Jem is already capable of understanding that Boo Radley is just a shy man who is afraid to leave the house.

As she entered second grade, “tormenting Boo Radley became passe” (Ch. 11).  The trial becomes the focus of her life that summer, and Boo takes a backseat.  After the trial concludes, however, Boo comes into her life again.  Scout thinks of him as a person and not a monster, and like Dill she feels sorry for him and wishes she could get to know him.

I imagined how it would be: when it happened, he’d just be sitting in the swing when I came along. “Hidy do, Mr. Arthur,” I would say, as if I had said it every afternoon of my life. “Evening, Jean Louise,” he would say, as if he had said it every afternoon of my life … (Ch. 26)

Scout is coming home from a Halloween pageant when she gets attacked by Bob Ewell.  Her brother’s arm is broken, but she is fine.  The reason they survived is because Boo Radley saved them, killing Ewell in the process. Scout gets to see Boo Radley in person for the first time.  He is pale and shy, just as she pictured. 

A strange small spasm shook him, as if he heard fingernails scrape slate, but as I gazed at him in wonder the tension slowly drained from his face. His lips parted into a timid smile, and our neighbor’s image blurred with my sudden tears.

“Hey, Boo,” I said. (Ch. 29)

She walks him home, and stands on his porch. On the Radley porch, Scout relives the events of her life from Boo’s perspective.  She realizes that Boo is just like everyone else, but sadder and lonelier.  Standing on the porch, Scout demonstrates empathy for Boo Radley and proves that she has really grown up.

What were the benefits of being colonized by England?

Being colonies of Great Britain had several benefits. Great Britain was an established world power. The British had a developed economic system. We were able to benefit to some degree from that economic system. We got products from Great Britain. These products could be made cheaper in Great Britain than they could be made in the colonies. Thus, we did benefit to a degree economically by being British colonies.

We also received protection from the British. The British navy was very powerful and effective. The British army also protected us during conflicts. When the French and Indian War occurred, the British protected us from the Native American and French attacks. Great Britain gave us protection that we would have been hard pressed to provide by ourselves.

Great Britain also showed us how to develop a government system and a political system. We learned from the British how to govern ourselves. The British showed us how to develop an effective government. They also showed us what not to do as a government with some of the mistakes that Great Britain made that led to the Revolutionary War. We also learned how to establish a judicial system by being under British rule.

Part of the reason for having colonies is for those colonies to one day become independent. Great Britain showed us how to run a government, how to develop an economy, and how to create a judicial system. Learning these ideas from Great Britain helped us a great deal when we became independent.

How do authors' words develop sensory images?

Sensory images are descriptions in a text that the reader relates to one of the five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, or touch. The main part of speech used to develop sensory images are adjectives, because they provide specific details. Sensory images can also be developed through simile or metaphor. Through whatever language they choose, the author creates sensory images by engaging with the reader's sensory understanding of the world. An author can develop strong sensory images in a piece by utilizing vivid, clear, descriptive language that includes sensory details.

One example of a sensory detail is imagery, or language related to how things look. An author can create strong imagery by using vivid visual descriptions. An author who has described the visual aspect of a scene so well that the reader can vividly picture the scene in their heads has successfully created strong imagery.

Throughout the novel, Winston makes numerous remarks about his impending death. Why do you think he continues to undermine the Party despite this...

Winston has a strong fatalistic streak, which we could also understand as realistic streak: he is smart enough to understand that the Party can tolerate no deviance. From the start of the novel, from buying a journal to opening the journal and writing the first word, Winston knows he has crossed a line that can't be uncrossed. He has transgressed, and the state will interpret that as the right to kill him. He knows the power of the state and its surveillance and that it will inevitably catch him.

Having started down this path, Winston's only hope is that somehow the rumored underground working to overthrow the Party is real. He is O'Brien's "last man," a person who can't turn away from his convictions and his humanity until these are forcibly stripped from him.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee explores several important ideas or themes. Where and how does the book show the causes and effects of racism?

Racism rears its head in Maycomb when a white woman, Mayella, accuses a black man, Tom Robinson, of rape. 

When Atticus Finch is called on to defend Robinson, he knows from the start it's a lost cause even though Robinson is innocent of the crime. To his mind, racism has such a long history in the South that he can't expect it to be overcome. Nevertheless, Atticus does his best to defend his client. His robust defense of Robinson contributes to ripping the town apart, for in Maycomb whites expect whites to side with each other, no matter what the truth of a situation. Friends turn against Atticus, perceiving him as a race traitor.

The effects of this attitude emerge when a white man, Mr. Cunningham, attacks Atticus for defending Mr. Robinson. Atticus defends Cunningham to his children, saying he "just has his blind spots like the rest of us," and noting Cunningham was excited because he was part of a mob, but the novel makes the larger point that racism blinds people and potentially turns them into monsters. 

Racism in the town long preceded the trial. Scout's Aunt Alexandra, for example, is a racist who perceives the Finch family maid, Calpurnia, as a lesser human being because of her skin color. Alexandra fears Calpurnia's influence on Scout because she is unable to look past Calpurnia's race to see the goodness of her soul. 

Racism also leads to a mindset in which people become suspicious of anyone who is different. For example, people fear Scout's young friend, Boo Radley, just because he seems a little strange. This kind of fear stunts the lives of whites as well as blacks.

But more importantly, racism leads to the imprisonment and death of Tom Robinson, an innocent man, because notions of maintaining racial purity and separation have become more important than black lives. 

In a nutshell, racism causes innocent blacks to be convicted of crimes they did not commit, sets whites against whites, blinds whites to the good in black people and motivates whites to fear anyone who seems different from the norm, whether black or white. Racism is rooted deep in the American psyche, formed by the long history of American slavery from which the country has yet to recover.

How has immigration influenced America?

This is a big question, worthy of a book, actually, but a brief overview is a good starting place.  America is a nation founded upon immigration, from its beginnings to the present. Aside from Native Americans, who were present when America began to be settled, we are all immigrants or descendants of immigrants.  The consequences of this are a country that is rich in talent, perseverance, and diversity, but which continues to have conflicts and prejudices concerning immigration. 

In the earlier years of our country, the metaphor for the United States regarding its immigrants was that it was a "melting pot."  Immigrants were encouraged to assimilate into mainstream culture, which was mostly an English and northern European-based culture, as quickly as they could, and most did so quite willingly, because they sought the American Dream and also because they faced tremendous prejudice.  There was a time, for example, when there were signs in shop windows saying "No Irish Need Apply." Waves of Italian and Portuguese immigrants faced similar circumstances, as did the enormous influx of eastern Europeans, who were allowed to come when immigration policies expanded in response to the need for labor.  At this point in our history, immigration from Latin America and Africa was virtually non-existent. Settlement houses were created to help immigrants learn to speak English, learn to cook the "American" way, and get them melted into the pot.  In those days, the influence of immigration was not so much to create diversity as it was to capitalize on the hard work of immigrants and any skills that they brought to their new country.  They saved their money, they worked hard, and they made sure their children were educated, but they largely abandoned the cultures they had been born into.  I have a dear friend of Italian descent, whose mother was born in Italy, in the 1920's.  My friend has always lamented the fact that her mother refused to do any Italian cooking, a good example of the immigrant attitude of those times, when immigrants had a profound influence with their hard work and contributions, but when they gave up to a large degree their cultural identity. 

Let's fast forward now to more recent times. Immigration policy has expanded to include people from all over the world, from Latin America, from Africa, from Asia, from India, and from the Middle East. Concomitantly, we have a conflicting metaphor in America, which is the "salad bowl."  Many people think that the melting pot is a mistake, that people should not relinquish their cultures when they come here, that we should celebrate the diversity of our immigrant population, more as the vegetables in a salad bowl are a pleasing combination of differences, happily co-existing together. This might not have created a conflict if we had maintained an immigration policy that focused on allowing the English and northern Europeans, since this was largely the prevailing culture here to begin with, but as more and more darker-skinned people, with cultures and religions that Americans perceive to be "alien" have immigrated, there are those whose prejudices cause them to take refuge in the melting pot metaphor, with movements to restrict immigration, with "English only" campaigns, and innumerable other efforts to eradicate diversity in the United States.  This has caused a great deal of dissension in the United States, and the electoral politics going on right now are a reflection of this, to allow only Christians from Syria to emigrate, for instance, or to build enormous walls at our borders.  During the Ebola crisis, many called for keeping out anyone from an African nation that had Ebola victims.  Thus, the influence of immigration has been to create great turmoil in American politics and policy. But the salad bowl metaphor had grabbed hold, giving the United States a wonderfully diverse culture.  We have Hindu temples, mosques, Korean churches, Cinco de Mayo, and Chinese New Year, just to name a few contributions to our culture.  

No matter what the prevailing metaphor is, though, the influence of immigration has been to create a great country, and the list of contributions is virtually endless. Edison was the offspring of immigrants, as was Alexander Graham Bell, as was Henry Ford.  Einstein was an immigrant, as was Tesla, as was Andrew Carnegie. Every business leader, scientist, and entrepreneur we have had in this country has been an immigrant or the offspring of immigrants.  There would be no America without them.

A cart M is attached to the vertical spring of force constant K so that the spring stretch is 50cm. When the cart is set to oscillatory motion of...

A cart M is attached to a vertical spring of force constant K so that the spring stretches 50cm. When the cart is set to oscillatory motion of the vertical spring. The period is 10s.

If the time period of motion for a mass M suspended from a spring with spring constant K is T, the frequency is `f = 1/T` , angular frequency is `(2*pi)/T = sqrt(K/M)` .

The information provided in the problem gives `sqrt(K/M) = (2*pi)/10` .

The cart is then set on an inclined plane sloping upwards at 37 degrees to the horizontal and suspended from the same spring. If it is assumed that the surface of the inclined plane is frictionless, the time period of oscillatory motion does not change. It remains the same at 10 s. The amplitude of oscillation is decreased in the case where the spring in on the inclined plane compared to being suspended horizontally.

In Night, why did the citizens resist the truth even when it was in front of them?

In the early pages of Elie Wiesel's Night, Elie and the other Jewish residents of Sighet do not believe in the rumors of the Holocaust. The firsthand account told by Moshe the Beadle does not convince them either. Why do they maintain this state of denial? There are two reasons.

Though Hungary was an Axis power during World War II, it had no national policy of antisemitism like that found in Nazi Germany. Until the German invasion of Hungary in the spring of 1944, Hungarian Jews lived fairly normal lives. This lack of persecution made it easy for many Jewish people to feel safe. Also, though many people in the book are aware of Hitler's antisemitic policies, they believe that the war will be over before Hitler has the chance to harm them. 

Another reasons that the Jewish citizens do not realize the truth until it is too late is that they do not believe Moshe the Beadle's story. Before the war Moshe was seen as an eccentric figure, and people view his ramblings about the Nazis murdering Jews as at best an attempt to beg for money, and at worst the ravings of a madman. 

How old are Scout and Jem by the end of the book To Kill a Mockingbird?

During lengthy descriptions of her ancestry, her father's career, and the death of her mother, Scout reveals that Jem is four years older than she is. In fact, their mother died when Scout was two and Jem was six; but, the bulk of the storytelling starts when Jem is ten years old and Scout is six. They meet Dill for the first time in chapter one, which covers the summer before Scout enters first grade in the fall. Jumping ahead to Chapter 26 we discover the following:

"School started, and so did our daily trips past the Radley Place. Jem was in the seventh grade and went to high school beyond the grammar-school building; I was now in the third grade, and our routines were so different I only walked to school with Jem in the mornings and saw him at mealtimes" (241).

The book comes to an end in chapter 31 around Halloween time. That places Jem in 7th grade around the ages of 12 or 13; and Scout is in the third grade around the ages of 8 or 9. Therefore, To Kill a Mockingbird covers about three years time from start to finish.

What happened to African-Americans' civil rights during Wilson's presidency?

The decline in African-American rights that began with the ending of Reconstruction in 1877 continued during the presidency of Woodrow Wilson. Many of the injustices African-Americans had been facing continued, not just during Wilson’s presidency, but also throughout the Progressive Era. One group left behind by the Progressive Movement was African-Americans.

During Wilson’s presidency, the Jim Crow laws continued. African-Americans faced segregation in public accommodations. The segregation in schools, on railroad cars, and with restroom facilities and drinking fountains continued to exist. There was even segregation within the office buildings of the federal government during his presidency.

The voting rules that kept African-Americans from voting continued to be used. The use of literacy tests denied many African-Americans the opportunity to vote because they couldn’t read and write. Poll taxes kept many poor African-Americans from voting. Whites were exempt from these restrictions because the grandfather clauses allowed people to vote if their father or grandfather had voted before the Civil War. Most white fathers or grandfathers had voted before the Civil War, but that wasn’t the case for many African-American fathers or grandfathers.

The threats and intimidation of African-Americans continued to his presidency. African-Americans were terrorized and sometimes lynched, yet inaction was the normal policy regarding these events.

Throughout the Progressive Era, including during Wilson’s presidency, nothing was done about these abuses of African-American rights. The Progressive Movement clearly didn’t help African-Americans in ways that other groups were helped.

Explain as fully as you can the contrast between the last four lines of "The Lake Isle of Innisfree" and the rest of the poem. You should consider...

In all three stanzas, the speaker begins with the claim that he "will" or "shall" go to Innisfree, but it is only in the third stanza that he shifts to the present tense. He says "I hear the lake water" and "I stand on the roadway." In the first two stanzas, the reader has the impression that the speaker does intend to physically go to Innisfree. He wants to escape to the natural world. (Yeats was inspired by Henry David Thoreau's work Walden, in which Thoreau describes how he lived [relatively] alone in the forest for two years.) But in this last stanza, the present tense of the verb "hear" might imply that he is, in fact, there. However, in the next line, he says he is presently standing on a roadway, so he is still in an urban or city setting. When he says he hears the water, he is imagining it. So, in the last stanza, we might surmise that going to Innisfree is a mental escape. But since he does use the present tense of "hear" in the last stanza, he implies that, in his imagination, he has "arrived" there. 

The "pavements grey" is a hard, dull image. This contrasts with the more vibrant descriptions in the first two stanzas. In the first stanza, the speaker dreams of being surrounded by peaceful but vibrant life: bean-rows and bees. In the second stanza, he speaks of the glimmering night and the purple sky at noon. This is much more colorful than the grey pavement. The pavement is hard, unmovable, and lifeless. This clearly shows a contrast between the urban setting that he wishes to escape from and the more vibrant natural world of Innisfree. However, he is able to escape via his imagination, and this is the point. Going to Innisfree is, within the context of the poem, a conscious journey.

What is the zika virus? Where did the zika virus come from? How is it being spread and how can we stop it?

According to the European Center for Disease and Prevention Control, the Zika virus is a Falviviridae. It is related to other flaviviruses such as West-Nile, dengue, and yellow fever. However, the symptoms of the Zika viruses are mild when compared to these other viruses.

As its name implies, the Zika virus was discovered in the Zika forest of Uganda in 1947. It is common to areas in the continents of Asia and Africa. Since 2007, there have been some breakouts reported within the Pacific.

The Zika virus is being transmitted to humans by mosquitos. Transmission via sexual intercourse has also been reported. About one out of five infected people will show symptoms of the virus. Symptoms include fever, rash, joint pain, muscle aches, headaches, and/or red eyes.

There is currently no vaccine for the Zika virus. However, the Zika virus can be prevented by avoiding mosquito bites, abstaining from sex, or using protection during sex.

What questions did Billy Bean seek to answer empirically when it came to player selection?

Billy Beane, the general manager of the Oakland Athletics, was faced with the challenge of keeping his club relevant after new ownership had demanded that he cut payroll. This challenge caused him to re-evaluate how he distributed his payroll. Traditionally, players that drive in a lot of runs (RBI) and hit the ball over the fence (HR) are the players that command the greatest chunk of the payroll. Beane decided to look at players more empirically when making decisions about who to sign. Beane did this by using a system of statistical analysis that was developed in the 1980's by Bill James that he coined sabermetrics. This system of analysis uses a variety of statistics to evaluate players. There are dozens of different statistics that measure every area of baseball players past results. Because major league teams play 162 games, there is a large sample of statistics that can be utilized.

When Bill James first introduced the idea of sabermetrics, most scouts dismissed the idea, mostly out of self-preservation. Beane, however, realized that there were players on the open market that he could sign that were undervalued. They were undervalued because they did not hit home runs, or did not have a high batting average. Beane realized that these traditional statistics were greatly overemphasized by most of the general managers and owners in baseball. Beane demonstrated the correlation between a high on-base percentage (the number of times a player gets on base relative to the number of times he comes to the plate) and runs scored. Beane also demonstrated that late inning relievers were overvalued and did not spend a lot of money on closers (pitchers that throw the last inning of a winning ballgame.) Beane revamped the scouting department to stop evaluating players by how they "looked" and start using hard mathematics to make decisions. By signing players at a low cost that had quality sabermetric statistics, Beane was able to keep the Athletics competitive within the salary range that made the ownership comfortable.

This clip from the 2011 film Moneyball demonstrates this new way of thinking that Beane introduced to the Athletics.

How did the Confederate government centralize its power during the Civil War?

The Confederate States of America were established on a platform of a lack of centralized power.  This new nation promoted the individual rights of states.  In doing so, the Confederacy lacked the ability to do many things as a whole.

The Confederacy had difficulties raising the money needed to fight a war on a large scale because they could not levy most taxes.  In protecting the rights of states, they created a government where little could be done on a national level.  A Supreme Court was not established, and therefore no one could overrule decisions of individual states.

The new government of the Confederacy did grant more powers to the executive branch, though they established a term limit.  As the war progressed, the government became more centralized out of necessity.  They started to control the railroads, as well as harbors and rivers.  They began to control production of goods.  The government also began to tell farmers what sorts of crops to grow in order to support the war effort.  This angered many farmers who had previously enjoyed a high level of independence.

Why, in An Inspector Calls, can inspector Goole be perceived as unreal and what is the meaning of this?

Inspector Goole is the concretization of our conscience. He symbolizes our guilt and aspects relating to the acceptance of such guilt. Priestly uses the inspector to personify mankind's responsibility for the destiny of others. It is for this reason that he is not real.

Moreover, the inspector's demeanor throughout the play, as well as Priestly's initial depiction of him, speaks of an individual who reflects a supernatural essence. When the inspector enters the scene, he is described in the following terms:

The inspector need not be a big man but he creates at once an impression of massiveness, solidity and purposefulness. He is a man in his fifties, dressed in a plain darkish suit of the period. He speaks carefully, weightily, and has a disconcerting habit of looking hard at the person he addresses before actually speaking.

The description suggests that the inspector projects an innate power. His aura reflects someone of stature, an important individual. The manner of his speech also conveys a unique authority and a focus on what is important. Furthermore, his 'disconcerting habit of looking hard at the person he addresses before speaking' emphasizes this natural authority. His audience is instinctively ill at ease when he addresses them. Individually, they feel vulnerable when he addresses each of them.

The inspector's manner further conveys his authority. He is direct and to the point. He has no time for trivial chatter and deals with each of his targets in an even manner. He treats all of them equally and shows no sympathy for their point of view. He is remarkably unaffected by their responses on an emotional level and sticks to the facts. He is brutally honest.

More remarkable is the meticulous and merilessly direct manner in which he speaks about Eva's death. Whenever he mentions her, there is no hint of sentiment whatsoever. He, for example, tells his listeners in Act 1:

Two hours ago a young woman died on the infirmary. She'd been taken there this afternoon because she'd swallowed a lot of strong disinfectant. Burnt her inside out, of course.

His report is cold and clinical. Even Eric's shocked response leaves him unaffected and he continues in a very matter-of-fact manner:

Yes, she was in great agony. They did everything they could for her at the infirmary, but she died. Suicide, of course.

Clearly, inspector Goole's demeanor is not what one would expect from someone human - it is too extraordinarily unaffected. His audience, however, goes through a range of emotions throughout the play. 

Another indicator that the inspector cannot be human is the fact that he knows everything about everyone in the room's relationship with Eva, and this after learning about her death only a short time before. The best team of detectives in the world would not possibly have learned so much about a victim in such a short period of time. It would have taken months of investigation to gather so much evidence. The inspector seems to possess an a priori knowledge of Eva and his listeners - a definite indication of a supernatural power.

Finally, definite proof of the inspector's supernatural identity is found in the final lines of the play:

Birling: That was the police. A girl has just died – on her way to the Infirmary – after swallowing some disinfectant. And a police inspector is on his way here – to ask some – questions.

After inspector Gool had left, the family surmised about the fact that he was a fraud. Gerald had discovered that he was not stationed at the local constabulary and, in the end, he and the senior Birlings were quite relieved about having discovered the truth. Only Sheila and Eric were truly remorseful.

Later, Mr. Birling received the above-mentioned call, which shocked everyone, for they realized that they had just experienced an encounter with the supernatural.

As already mentioned, inspector Goole epitomizes our conscience. More specifically, though, his purpose was to make the Birlings, as well as Gerald, aware of their responsibilities with regard to especially those of a lesser persuasion, when they deal with them. He was there to make them aware of how self-absorbed they had been and how they were dismissive of the needs of others, symbolized by Eva. They were to acknowledge their role in her unfortunate death instead of being indifferent. As he says, in the final act:

But just remember this. One Eva Smith has gone – but there are millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us, with their lives, their hopes and fears, their suffering and chance of happiness, all intertwined with our lives, and what we think and say and do. We don't live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other. And I tell you that the time will soon come when, if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish. Good night.

What would be a good title for chapter 4 in Lois Lowry's The Giver?

When determining what to call a chapter with no name, consider the themes found therein. What happens to the characters in this chapter? Is there anything in the chapter that moves the plot forward? Is anything revealed that was not known to the characters or the reader before this point in the book? Chapter 4 in Lowry's The Giver shows Jonas volunteering at the House of the Old along with his friends Fiona and Asher. The reader is informed of the following aspects of their community: First, Elevens need to have finished a certain number of service hours before the Ceremony of Twelve in order to receive an assignment; there are also rules about not looking at other people's nakedness and bragging; and, as Jonas bathes the old woman Larissa, they discuss that morning's Ceremony of Release for Roberto. Jonas and Larissa discuss his release as follows:

"'What happens when they make the actual release? Where exactly did Roberto go?'

She lifted her bare wet shoulders in a small shrug. 'I don't know. I don't think anybody does, except the committee. He just bowed to all of us and then walked, like they all do, through the special door in the Releasing Room'" (32).

The above passage reveals that people don't know that Release means death. Jonas learns later that people who are released actually get injected with a drug that kills them. But for the purpose of creating suspense and mystery, this information cannot be divulged in the title of the chapter.

Possible chapter titles for chapter 4 might be:

1. The House of the Old


2. Bathing Larissa at the House of the Old


3. Service Hours at the House of the Old


4. Learning about a Ceremony of Release


5. Jonas Learns about the Ceremony of Release


6. Jonas Meets Larissa

How does market structure affect the firm's ability to set the price for its products?

There are varies different ways that market structure affects how a firm can set prices.

Monopolies: Certain types of businesses are "natural monopolies" such as the airport in a small fairly remote city or many utilities. As monopolies do not have competition, they might appear free to set prices as they wish. Realistically, though, they are limited by buyers willingness to pay for a service. For example, if an airport charges extremely high landing fees, airlines might decide not to land there or people might drive rather than fly. Also, many monopolies, such as utilities, are highly regulated in return for being granted monopolies on specific products or services.

Oligopolies: Oligopolies can either be competitive or form cartels such as OPEC to sustain prices. The particular pricing issues facing oligopolies are slightly more complex than those facing monopolies, as small disruptive companies may enter into a market if prices are set substantially higher than the cost of production and also it is necessary to adjust prices with respect to the wishes of other members of a cartel or oligopoly.

Perfect Competition: In the case of perfect competition, the laws of supply and demand affect pricing as does the pricing of competitors. 

What are the salient features of a post-industrial society?

A few of the most salient aspects of a post-industrial society include:

• A service economy based primarily on the exchange of services rather than goods. Instead of relying on agriculture and manufacturing, much of the GDP of a post-industrial society is composed of services such as hospitality (hotels, restaurants), health care (doctors, physical therapists, personal trainers), entertainment (movies, music, writing), technology (software, social media platforms). In 2011, the service sector composed almost 80% of the United States GDP.


• Technology and automation take the place of jobs once done by both blue collar and white collar workers. The most valuable “wealth” created in a post-industrial society is commonly technology, not manufactured goods. Highly successful technology start-ups like Facebook and Google provide evidence of the huge market for new technology in a post-industrial society.


• 
  Economic Globalization—the increasing interconnectedness of the global economy. Manufacturing jobs, in a post-industrial society, are commonly sent overseas to developing countries where labor is cheaper.

In a post-industrial society, highly skilled labor that can produce knowledge, creativity, and technology becomes increasingly valuable and highly compensated, while jobs and careers that in the past could provide a solid living are increasingly becoming obsolete due to automation and the outsourcing of jobs. Education that can lead to highly skilled labor becomes paramount in a post-industrial society, so keep studying!

Identify each of the characters in Harrison Bergeron and comment on their role in this new society based on this statement by George: "I don't mind...

The main characters in "Harrison Bergeron" are George, Hazel, and Harrison Bergeron. Each reacts differently to the role he or she plays in the United States in 2081. George Bergeron is someone with above average intellect, so he must wear a "mental handicap radio in his ear" that makes distracting noises every 20 seconds so he cannot think coherently. He expresses complete compliance with the society's enforced equality not only because he doesn't think the steep penalties for violating the laws would be "a bargain," but also because he buys into the rationale that competition belongs in the "dark ages." However, it is evident that his compliance is based upon his handicap radio, for he often begins to have ideas that conflict with the society's sentiments, but those thoughts are always interrupted by the governmental transmissions, so he can never pursue them. He is the one who makes the statement quoted. 

Hazel is a person who requires no "handicap" device because she is already "normal," that is to say, inferior. She is at the lowest rung of intelligence, physical beauty, and strength, so everyone else in society has to be brought down to her level to create "equality." Surprisingly, the fact that everyone is now equal in society does not prevent her from being "a little envious." She wishes she could hear the sounds George hears from his earpiece. Neither does being equal keep her from feeling sadness; she feels sad when she sees her son executed on TV, yet she cannot remember why. However, like George, she immediately "forget[s] sad things," so she doesn't really notice the shortcomings of her society either. 

Harrison Bergeron, the 14-year-old son of Hazel and George, would completely disagree with this statement from his father. No matter how many handicaps are piled on Harrison, he will not accept them. Eventually he tears off and discards the heavy weights, the earpiece, and the wavy glasses he has been forced to wear and rises (literally) to the heights of his true abilities. However, he is executed for his noncompliance. 

How did Paul actually lose his eyesight in Tangerine?

Paul Fisher is the main character and narrator in Edward Bloor's novel Tangerine. He is legally blind and wears very thick glasses. He has no peripheral vision. He believes that he was blinded by looking into an eclipse of the sun. The truth is that Erik spray painted him in the eyes when Paul was four or five years old. This is just one of many cruel things that Erik does to others. He is both physically and verbally abusive. 

When it is revealed that Erik is responsible for Paul's poor eyesight, Paul's parents explain that they didn't tell him the truth because they didn't want him to hate his brother. Paul's response to this is that instead of hating Erik, he ended up hating himself. He believed he had done something stupid and he was an example to others as a person who doesn't listen to the common sense warnings of childhood. Paul's eye injury causes him a lot of problems, including social isolation (he is called Mars) and not being allowed to play soccer at Lake Windsor Downs Middle School (his eyesight makes him an insurance liability). It is interesting to note that despite Paul's disability, he sees the truth about Erik that his parents do not. He says:

"But I can see. I can see everything. I see things that Mom and Dad can't. Or won't."

In The Boy In the Striped Pajamas, how does Gretel explain what they see outside of their window?

In Chapter 4, Bruno and Gretel are staring out of Bruno's window looking at the Auschwitz concentration camp and wondering where they are. The two children carry on a conversation in an attempt to make sense of everything going on around them. At first, Gretel has difficulty explaining what she sees outside. She looks at the huts and comments that "they must be modern types of houses." (Boyne 33) After looking for several more minutes, Gretel tells Bruno that she believes that it is the countryside. Gretel explains that she learned in geography class that the countryside is full of hard-working people who grow food to sell to people in the city. Bruno says that it can't be the countryside because there are no animals. Gretel admits that it cannot be a farm, which means they are not in the countryside. As they sit on Bruno's bed, they notice that there are thousands of people moving around and standing in groups. Gretel suggests that it must be some sort of rehearsal. She tells her brother that she wouldn't want to play with any of the dirty looking children on the other side of the fence, and walks to her room without forming a conclusion as to what is outside their window.

Provide a quote from the book Lord of The Flies that shows how the author uses symbolism as a technique to communicate that without rules society...

From the first chapter of Lord of the Flies, William Golding sets up the symbolism of the conch. When Ralph blows the large shell, the boys appear because they associate the sound with the "man with the megaphone" who evacuated them away from the war zone. Thereafter Ralph is considered chief because he wields the conch. Jack, who wants to defy the rules to usurp his own power, denigrates the conch several times, first saying it doesn't count away from the meeting place and then in chapter 5 saying, "Conch! Conch! ... We don't need the conch any more" when he tries to stifle the free speech rights rights of the other boys. In chapter 8 Jack tries to get the boys to overthrow Ralph as their chief, and he holds the conch as he makes his speech. When the group won't vote against Ralph, "He laid the conch with great care in the grass at his feet," but then announces that he will not be part of "Ralph's lot" any longer. When he lays aside the conch, he fully lays aside the rules that have been established.

When his group raids Ralph's group at night, Piggy thinks he has come for the conch, but Jack doesn't value the conch, which symbolizes rules, anymore. Instead, he has stolen Piggy's glasses, a "dirty trick" that breaks the rules of any civilized society. When Ralph and Piggy confront Jack on Castle Rock, Jack displays the ultimate disdain for rules. Roger rolls a huge boulder down the hill that kills Piggy and "the conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist." Now all respect for rules has shattered, and even murder, the ultimate violation of law, is embraced by Jack's tribe. This passage describing Jack follows the death of Piggy and the destruction of the conch:

"See? See? That's what you'll get! I meant that! There isn't a tribe for you any more! The conch is gone--"

He ran forward, stooping.

"I'm chief!"

Viciously, with full intention, he hurled his spear at Ralph.

Wounded, Ralph runs. He contemplates the situation: "The breaking of the conch and the deaths of Piggy and Simon lay over the island like a vapor. These painted savages would go further and further." In a fascinating scene of great symbolic import, Ralph finds himself in a clearing where the white skull of a pig grins at him from the top of a stick. Presumably this is the same skull that spoke to Simon in his vision as the Lord of the Flies. Golding draws a parallel between the pig's head and the conch, saying it "gleamed as white as ever the conch had done and seemed to jeer at him cynically." Ralph strikes the "filthy thing" so it breaks in two pieces, but this only makes "its grin now six feet across." The conch has been obliterated, but the evil savagery that has been unleashed by the boys' rejection of rules is growing to the point where Jack's tribe hunts Ralph with murderous intent and sets the entire island on fire. 

Golding clearly sets up the conch as the symbol of rules and order, and as the conch loses importance, the boys become more savage, showing that a society that rejects rules will ultimately break down and destroy itself.

Differentiate between the Dutch and Spanish policies towards the indigenous tribes?

Spanish and Dutch policies toward native peoples were very different, reflecting fundamental differences in approach toward involvement in the New World in general. The Spanish were interested in empire-building, creating permanent colonies in the New World which could be exploited for wealth. So they conquered most of Central and South America, enslaving many native peoples to work on plantations and especially in mines, where they provided the labor to extract the silver and gold that formed the basis of Spanish power in Europe and the New World. Spanish treatment of Natives, especially early on, was brutal. Spanish missionaries also placed a high priority on converting Indian people, a policy which saw the construction of Catholic missions ranging from Argentina to California. 

The Dutch, on the other hand, were also interested in wealth, but they hoped to profit from the beaver trade in the North American Northeast. While they engaged in several wars with Indian peoples, these were not (for the most part) wars of extermination or even conquest, but rather wars to secure control of the trade in peltry. They were not especially concerned about converting Indians to Christianity, and their region of control was basically limited to the region surrounding the Hudson River Valley, though many Dutch settlers sought to expand, provoking conflicts in the process. This is not to idealize the Dutch or their motives, and indeed their presence in the Hudson Valley helped spark a long and bloody conflict between Native peoples. But their treatment of Native peoples was more pragmatic and far less geared toward conquest than that of Spain.

Recombinant plasmid is an example of an application of bacteria or virus?

A recombinant plasmid is an example of use of a bacterial cell. The way we get to it does involve viruses, but indirectly; the restriction enzymes used to produce the recombinant DNA come from the bacteria's own defense against viruses.

Genetic engineering involves using bacterial cells to produce a product for which bacteria have no use, but which humans want. We essentially force bacteria to produce things such as human insulin and enzymes that help plants resist insects and viruses. In order to do so, we utilize bacterial plasmids. These are small, circular pieces of DNA in bacteria. In nature, bacteria make use of enzymes called restriction enzymes to cut apart DNA from viruses that are trying to attack them. Scientists make use of restriction enzymes in order to cut open plasmids at a very specific sequence of base pairs. As all DNA contains the same four types of bases, the restriction enzymes can also be used to "cut out" sequences from the DNA of other organisms, that code for proteins we would like the bacteria to produce. When the plasmids are mixed with the foreign DNA, some of the desirable foreign DNA is incorporated into the plasmid DNA. When the plasmids are reinserted into living bacterial cells, the foreign DNA is reproduced along with the rest of the plasmid when the cell replicates. The foreign gene can then produce the protein we want. 

There is a lot more to this process, of course; see the links below for more detail. The basics can be and are done in high school biology classes. Where I work, we use this process in Biology 3. The gene that makes some jellyfish glow in the dark is introduced into bacteria--which then glow in the dark.

Describe Nora's transformation from a doll to free human being.

In Ibsen's play, A Doll's House, Nora is a living doll throughout much of the drama. She is treated like an object by her husband, and her value comes from how pretty she is and how entertaining she can be. She feels like nothing more than a doll for her husband to command as he will. During the play, she is afraid her husband will find out her terrible secret that she borrowed money and forged her father's signature. She lives in fear that Krogstad will tell her husband.

When that moment finally does happen, her husband reacts in a harsh manner and she recognizes the emptiness of her marriage. Nora makes the decision that she will leave her husband--and her children--and in this decision, she finds freedom. She drops the pretense she had been carrying on--acting as if she wasn't clever and that she was carefree, only concerned for her husband's happiness--and transforms into a free human being. She chooses to follow her own path and make her own decisions for the first time in her life.

What two places does the author describe in the Chapter One of Tuck Everlasting?

Two settings described are the road and the house in the Treegap woods.

The author uses personification to describe two settings as if they were people.  One is the road through the woods, and the other is the house near the woods.

The wood at the edge of Treegap is described.  This is where the Tucks’ spring can be found.  The road is described in detail.  The author describes how the road goes from being rural to being domesticated.

On the other side of the wood, the sense of easiness dissolved. The road no longer belonged to the cows. It became, instead, and rather abruptly, the property of people. (Ch. 1)

On one side, everything is peaceful and the cows are slowly eating, and on the other side it is hot and oppressive.  The road turns and goes around the wood.

On the people’s side of the road there is a house.  This is the Foster house.  Technically they own the woods.

On the left stood the first house, a square and solid cottage with a touch-me-not appearance, surrounded by grass cut painfully to the quick and enclosed by a capable iron fence some four feet high which clearly said, "Move on—we don't want you here." (Ch. 1)

The house is right outside the village, but we are told “the village doesn’t matter, except for the jailhouse and the gallows.”  So we know at this point that the significant parts of the story will take place in the woods, or at the house, with the jailhouse and gallows becoming important at some point.

The wood is clearly more than "a slim few acres of trees."  It will become important because it is where the spring is that makes everyone immortal.  The fact that Winnie's house is next to it also matters, because she will try to drink from the spring, be kidnapped by the Tucks, and become the friend that saves Mae Tuck from the gallows.

`u = 3i + 2j, v = -2i-3j` Find `u*v`.

You need to evaluate the product of the vectors `u = u_x*i + u_y*j, v = v_x*i + v_y*j` , such that:

`u*v = u_x*v_x + u_y*v_y`

`u*v = (3)*(-2) + 2*(-3)`

`u*v = -6 - 6`

`u*v = -12`

Hence, evaluating the product of the vectors `u = u_x*i + u_y*j, v = v_x*i + v_y*j,u = <3,2>, v = <-2,-3>,` yields `u*v = -12.`

Why is Candy lonely in Of Mice And Men?

Candy could be considered lonely after the death of his dog. Before that he seems relatively happy and, in fact, is quite gregarious in chapter two when George and Lennie first enter the bunkhouse of the ranch. He goes on about the other characters and describes the Boss, Slim, Crooks, Curley and Curley's wife. He even gossips with George, telling the story about the glove on Curley's left hand which is full of vaseline so he can keep "that hand soft for his wife."

It is not until chapter three that Candy's life turns lonely. Carlson, a laborer on the ranch, believes that Candy's dog is too old and decrepit. He suggests that Candy shoot it to put it out of its misery. Candy can't do it and, because Slim gives Carlson the approval, the man takes Candy's dog and kills it. Obviously, the dog was Candy's best friend and the loss throws him into depression. Steinbeck describes Candy right after the men hear the shot that kills the dog:

For a moment he continued to stare at the ceiling. Then he rolled slowly over and faced the wall and lay silent. 

Candy's loneliness over the loss of his dog is short lived as he becomes part of George's and Lennie's plan to get their own farm. In fact, Candy makes the dream seem almost possible because he has saved $300 which he will contribute to the price of the property George can buy. The three men believe that one day they will up and leave the ranch and go live on their own "little piece of land."

In the end, however, Candy is plunged back into despair and loneliness after he discovers Lennie has killed Curley's wife. The dream is shattered. He poignantly communicates his feelings over the loss at the end of chapter five:

“You done it, di’n’t you? I s’pose you’re glad. Ever’body knowed you’d mess things up. You wasn’t no good. You ain’t no good now, you lousy tart.” He sniveled, and his voice shook. “I could of hoed in the garden and washed dishes for them guys.” He paused, and then went on in a singsong. And he repeated the old words: “If they was a circus or a baseball game . . . . we would of went to her . . . . jus’ said ‘ta hell with work,’ an’ went to her. Never ast nobody’s say so. An’ they’d of been a pig and chickens . . . . an’ in the winter . . . . the little fat stove . . . . an’ the rain comin’ . . . . an’ us jes’ settin’ there.” His eyes blinded with tears and he turned and went weakly out of the barn, and he rubbed his bristly whiskers with his wrist stump. 

The reader may assume that Candy lived out the remainder of his life a lonely man swamping out the bunkhouse on the ranch.

What does it mean in A Christmas Carol when it says Marley has no bowels?

When Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol saying someone had no bowels was similar to saying today that someone has no heart. They meant the the person did not show caring or compassion to others. The exact quote from the book is;

Scrooge had often heard it said that Marley had no bowels, but he had never believed it until now.

When the passage appears in the book, Scrooge has just seen Marley's ghost. Although he can see that the figure is Jacob Marley, Scrooge can also see through him to the walls behind. Dickens is trying to show a small measure of humor on the part of Scrooge. His partner, Marley, had had it said of him while he was alive that he had no bowels . He was apparently just as mean and miserly as Scrooge. When Scrooge sees the ghost the saying of "no bowels" is literal rather than just figurative as it was when Marley was alive.

What are some qualities of imagination and vision?

Hello! I am not able to write 1500 words, but I would definitely like to help you with starting to think about the profound concepts of imagination and vision.

In order for any innovator (or arguably any individual) to be truly successful, they require both imagination and vision. Although the two concepts are interrelated, several distinctions exist between these two intense terms.

When a person first thinks of imagination, they might consider a small child who is able to design a life filled with magical creatures or a whole different world. Imagination endows individuals with the ability to create. It is part of how artists create masterpieces and how authors string words together into poems that take our breath away.

Vision works alongside imagination to take these creative thoughts and make them into a reality. Without vision, a person may only use imagination for creating personal magical worlds. However, with vision, a person can make this wonderful private world into a reality or at least share their perspective with others. For example, Martin Luther King had the imagination to take a biased and racist society and imagine one where there was equality and acceptance for everyone. He took this creativity and paired it with his vision to do public marches, sit-ins, and even give his “I Have a Dream” speech at Washington.

By combining imagination and vision, dreams can become a reality and the world becomes a better place.

How does American pop culture's universalization lead to cultural homogenization?

Homogenization is a result of mass communication that ends the isolation of small communities. A person's culture is related to social context; we pick up culture from the people around us. Prior to large scale communication, initially through radio followed by television and the internet, local communities developed their own cultures. For example, in 19th century London, accents differed enough by community that one could pinpoint where a person came from in the city by the way they spoke. Likewise, in Appalachia, banjo styles differed from one county to another. 

When radios spread across communities during the early part of the twentieth century, two things happened. First is that exposure to a larger scale culture altered people's habits in general. Second, many people believed that whatever was on the radio was better than local, home-made ways of doing things; this set of beliefs hastened the demise of some of the old culture. In Appalachia, prior to the advent of radio, older people sang ballads that had been handed down for hundreds of years. After radio came into being, people grew up with early country music, such as the Carter Family, instead of the old ballads. 

This process is continuing in the twenty-first century with more and more media owned by fewer and fewer corporations. For example, radio shows may be produced at the national level by a corporation distributed at the local level. Instead of hearing local DJs, listeners hear the music choices of small group of people. News corporations have become larger and have swallowed up smaller organizations. Entertainment conglomerates have replaced smaller groups of people. The result is that fewer ideas (whether musical, cultural, or other forms) become available to people and local culture is replaced by homogenized nationalized versions of music, news, speech, and so forth. 

What makes Atticus Finch a respectful person?

Atticus Finch is a respectful individual because he follows his conscience by choosing to defend a black man in front of a prejudiced jury. Despite the overwhelming odds against him winning the case, Atticus accepts the challenge because it is the right thing to do. He does not listen to the racist community members and fearlessly defends Tom Robinson several times throughout the novel. Atticus does not compromise his morals and stands up for his beliefs. Atticus is also respected because he is a fair man. He gives people the benefit of the doubt and is a tolerant, empathetic individual. He accepts Walter Cunningham's form of payment, helps Mrs. Dubose break her addiction, and represents Maycomb in the Alabama legislature. Atticus is an honest man who is trusted with great responsibility throughout his community which is why he is respected.

Can you summarize the four main sections of Thomas Paine's Common Sense pamphlet?

In 1776, Thomas Paine advocated American independence in his famous pamphlet, Common Sense. In Chapter 1, Paine argues that the British government is a "house divided against itself" because its three components - the monarchy, the aristocracy and the Commons - are not working in harmony. As a result, the voice of the American people is not being heard and the colony is being badly governed.

Next, in Chapter 2, Paine states that a monarchy is not the best form of government because there is a always a danger that a king may be a rogue or a fool. In other words, a monarchy gives absolute power to one person and is therefore does not represent the interests of its subjects.

In Chapter 3, Paine goes on to state that the relationship between Britain and America is only beneficial to the former and never to the latter. Staying loyal to Britain is no longer an option because it puts Americans at risk of making enemies with other countries in Europe.

Finally, in his fourth chapter, Paine argues that a separation between Britain and America is not only inevitable but also the best course of action for the colonists. They were stronger than ever before because they have the necessary raw materials to manufacture goods for sale and the connections to make independent trade a success. In his opinion, these economic advantages would ensure that America thrived as an independent  nation.  This change may not be easy but, over time, the colonists would see that it was the right to do. 

In "The Canterville Ghost," Virginia was the only member of the Otis family who noticed the forlorn and depressed ghost. Why do you think this is?

In Chapter Five of "The Canterville Ghost," Virginia Otis returns home after riding her horse and finds the ghost looking very depressed in the Tapestry Chamber. Her instinct is to run away but she becomes so full of "pity" that she is determined to try and comfort him.

This intervention tells us much about the character of Virginia. First of all, she is far more sensitive to the emotions of others, than anyone else in her family. We see this in Virginia's reaction to the blood stain in the library. While her parents and siblings simply try to clean it off, Virginia is "always a good deal distressed" about it and almost cried when the colour changed to emerald green. In this respect, Virginia is the most empathetic character in the story and this makes her more likely to notice the sadness of others.

Secondly, it could be argued that Virginia is the only person to notice the ghost because she is the only one who can fulfil the prophecy and help him to achieve redemption. As the prophecy states:

"When a golden girl can win,

Prayer from out the lips of sin,

When the barren almond bears,

And a little child gives away its tears."

The ghost cannot get eternal rest without the help of a "golden girl" who is prepared to cry for him. While Virginia believes that murder is wrong, she does not judge the ghost nor does she seek to prolong his suffering. She is prepared to help him in any way that she can, even though she is afraid of what lies beyond the tapestry door. In this respect, she truly is a "golden girl;" not just fair in complexion but of the highest and most noble character and this is why it is Virginia who notices the ghost, and not anybody else. 

How can I contrast the characters of Romeo and Juliet?

The greatest contrast between Romeo and Juliet is found in the circumstances that we meet both these characters in. When we first hear about Romeo, it is his parents and his cousin, on the street, discussing him. Romeo's parents ask Benvolio what the cause of his sadness is. They then exit before Romeo approaches. Romeo and his parents never share a scene together until the end when his father discovers his dead body. So, from that we can assume quite a bit about their relationship. 

Conversely, when we first meet Juliet, her presence is being requested by her mother. She is safely tucked away in her bedroom, and obedient to a fault to her mother's wishes to consider marriage to Paris. 

So, Romeo is on the street avoiding his parents, and Juliet is in her bedroom agreeing to her parents' wishes.

Describe social inequality from Khaled Hosseini's novel The Kite Runner?

Class distinctions play an enormous role in Khaled Hosseini's novel The Kite Runner. In fact, it is the relationship between the story's main protagonist and narrator, Amir, and his childhood friend Hassan that provides the basis for this illustration of the extent to which social inequality determined these characters' fate. Amir comes from an upper-class family, his descriptions of his father, Baba, and the house owned by Baba used to reveal the family's social standing in Afghanistan's capital Kabul:

"Everyone agreed that my father, my Baba, had built the most beautiful house in the Wazir Akbar Khan district, a new and affluent neighborhood in the northern part of Kabul. Some thought it was the perfect house in all of Kabul. A broad entryway flanked by rosebushes led to the sprawling house of marble floors and wide windows. Intricate mosaic tiles, handpicked by Baba in Isfahan, covered the floors of the four bathrooms. Gold-stitched tapestries, which Baba had bought in Calcutta, lined the walls; a crystal chandelier hung from the vaulted ceilings."

This description of the house in which Amir grew up contrasts widely not just with the background he will provide about Hassan, the son of the family's housekeeper, but about most of the country in which Amir's story takes place. Afghanistan, even before the series of coups that culminated in the December 1979 invasion by the Soviet Union and subsequent war of liberation that would inflict massive devastation on most of the country, was one of the poorest nations in the world. That Amir's father would be a wealthy, successful businessman, able to travel to India to purchase extravagant household goods with which to furnish this ostentatious display of conspicuous consumption, would contrast dramatically to the vast majority of Afghanistan's population. In the following description of Hassan and his father Ali's simple quarters, this contrast is illuminated:

"On the south end of the garden, in the shadows of a loquat tree, was the servant's home, a modest little mud hut where Hassan lived with his father."

That an enormous socioeconomic gulf divided Amir from Hassan is but one element of Hosseini's story. These two boys are best friends, but Amir harbors serious deeply-held resentments against this less-fortunate half-brother. While Amir is physically weak and a little timid, Hassan is strong and brave, and Amir makes clear that his father, Baba's, preferences in a male heir lean towards the illegitimate son and not towards the acknowledged prince of this castle. Amir's resentment of his friend/secret half-brother is the catalyst for the chain of tragic events that Amir will carry within himself for the rest of his life. He looks down on Hassan for the latter's socioeconomic status while resenting Baba's respect for the more courageous of the two boys. When Amir reflects upon Hassan's rape by the sadistic Assef, it is that class distinction between him and Hassan that protects him:

"Not for the first time, it occurred to me that Assef might not be entirely sane. It also occurred to me how lucky I was to have Baba as my father, the sole reason, I believe, Assef had mostly refrained from harassing me too much."

When Assef, who himself is the product of a more upper-class environment, is threatening the two boys, he is careful to divide his victims according to class, prompting the following memories from Amir:

"But he's not my friend! I almost blurted. He's my servant! Had I really thought that? Of course I hadn't. I hadn't. I treated Hassan well, just like a friend, better, even, more like a brother. But, if so, then why, when Baba's friends cam to visit with their kids, didn't I ever include Hassan in our games? Why did I play with Hassan only when no else was around?"

The portrait the now-grown Amir paints of himself is not flattering. As he reflects on this period of his life from the safety of America, he is ashamed of his conduct. He knows that he treated Hassan as a servant because the role of class distinctions in the only world he then-knew dictated such treatment. That he stands-by and allows Hassan to be raped by Assef that fateful day is the story's most explicit condemnation of the social inequities that plagued Kabul. Class distinctions dictated that Amir should be protected and that Hassan should be victimized. 

What did the Enlightenment period lead to?

Of the many realities to which the Enlightenment period led, one of them was the growth of the Romantic movement in Europe.

The Enlightenment period emphasized reason and science.  It praised rational thought and methodical analysis.  Enlightenment thinkers believed that human beings could answer all questions with certainty.  Such propositions led to the Romantic movement.  This response sought to create a position diametrically opposed to the Enlightenment's ideas.

Romantic thinkers wanted to embrace a life dedicated to subjective experience, not objective truth. They assigned primacy to beauty and art, seeking to move away from a scientific condition that defined being in the world. They loved the natural world.  They saw it as pure because it existed outside of the control of human beings.  Romantic thinkers emphasized that emotional truth was more valid than a scientific one. Romantic thinkers saw beauty and revelation in all parts of the world.  They reveled in that which could not be explained. The certainty and absolutism of the Enlightenment period led to the Romantic thinkers embracing a condition called "negative capability:"

...at once it struck me, what quality went to form a Man of Achievement especially in Literature & which Shakespeare possessed so enormously – I mean Negative Capability, that is when a man is capable of being in uncertainties, Mysteries, doubts, without any irritable reaching after fact & reason – Coleridge, for instance, would let go by a fine isolated verisimilitude caught from the Penetralium of mystery, from being incapable of remaining content with half knowledge. 

When Romantic poet John Keats praises "uncertainties, mysteries, and doubts" as an essential part of human identity, it is direct challenge to Enlightenment principles.  It shows that Enlightenment ideas led to Romantic thought.

Is the novel, a work of prose fiction, generally characterized as set in a stylized or idealized rural world?

The ancient novel is closely related to the pastoral. At least certain ancient novels, most notably Longus' Daphnis and Chloe, are set in an idealized rural world and are quite stylized. The modern novel, though, is only rarely set in the pastoral world of idealized shepherds and shepherdesses, but instead can have a wide range of settings. Some authors, such as Jane Austen and Thomas Hardy focused on village life, while others, such as Dickens and Joyce were more concerned with urban life. 

A stylized countryside is an element of certain types of fantasy novels, often ones set in a distant past or an imagined world with little in the way of technology. This type of writing is sometimes called "sword and sorcery" fantasy writing. A certain type of mystery novel, sometimes called a "cozy mystery", exemplified by the work of Agatha Christie, also often has an idealized village setting. 

How has Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his dream affect how you live your life today?

Martin Luther King, Jr. and his dream have affected the lives of the American people to this day. Martin Luther King, Jr. fought for Civil Rights. He showed the world that it is possible to make significant changes without resorting to violence. Because of his efforts, The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed. This ended discrimination in areas of public life. For example, no longer could there be separate drinking fountains, separate bathrooms, as well as separate entrances to and seating sections in theaters. As a way to honor his legacy after his assassination, Congress passed this law.

Because of Martin Luther King, Jr. and his dream, we work in more integrated environments. We live in more integrated neighborhoods. We pray in more integrated houses of worship. People of different races are dating, marrying, and raising families. There are more opportunities for people regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and religion. Fifty to sixty years ago many of these changes would have seemed impossible.

Martin Luther King, Jr. made an invaluable contribution to the world. He showed us significant changes that positively affect us can be made through non-violent protest.

In "I'm Nobody! Who are you?" what is the speaker of the poem proud of being?

In this short, playful poem by Emily Dickinson, the speaker claims to be "nobody" and seems very proud of it. Obviously a person cannot literally be "nobody" because everybody, by definition, is somebody. In this poem the speaker is proud to declare she is not a self-promoter, someone who blows his or her own horn. This becomes evident in the second stanza when she speaks about those who qualify as "Somebody." These are the people who publicly proclaim their greatness to the world. She compares them to frogs. In the spring, bullfrogs croak out loudly in the swamps. Often people hear them, but don't see them, but those in the swamp have a view of the bullfrog's expanding chest as it croaks out its not-very-musical, repetitive call that sounds like it is saying "me-ee, me-ee, me--ee." Some people are like this--always talking about themselves, telling stories that make themselves look good, and bragging about their accomplishments. The speaker is repulsed by such self-centered showmanship and wants no part of it. She is proud that she can be who she is without needing to bellow her greatness to the "admiring bog," that is, the community she lives in. 

It's tempting to associate this poem with its author and with America's other great poet of the time, Walt Whitman. Emily Dickinson was a private person who only published a few poems during her lifetime. However, she wrote hundreds of personal letters to friends and family and shared her poetry with them. Upon her death, her niece was surprised to find her dresser filled with beautiful bound fascicles of Emily's poems that she had copied out and stitched together by hand. These were published after her death. Walt Whitman, on the other hand, fancied himself as America's bard and went to great lengths to create a public image of himself. He hired professional photographers to take pictures of him, one of which shows him holding a butterfly, which was, of course, cardboard, despite his claims to the contrary. One of his best-known poems is called "Song of Myself." When Whitman's first edition of Leaves of Grass didn't sell many copies, Whitman wrote positive reviews of the book anonymously to help boost its sales. Since Dickinson and Whitman were contemporaries yet had such obvious differences in regard to self-promotion, one can wonder whether she had her fellow poet in mind when she penned this verse. 

Calculate the mass of sulphur which when burned in excess oxygen produces 640g of sulphur dioxide.

Solid sulfur, when burned in presence of oxygen, generates sulfur dioxide, as per the following balanced chemical equation:

`S(s) + O_2 (g) -> SO_2 (g)`

Here, 1 mole of sulfur reacts with 1 mole of oxygen to produce 1 mole of sulfur dioxide. 

The molar mass of sulfur is 32 g/mol, oxygen is 16 g/mol and sulfur dioxide is 64 g/mol. 

640 g of sulfur dioxide is produced here, or 10 moles (= 640 g/(64 g/mol)) of sulfur dioxide has been produced here.

Using stoichiometry, 10 moles of solid sulfur are required to produced 10 moles of sulfur dioxide. 

or, 320 g (= 10 moles x 32 g/mol) of solid sulfur are needed.

We can also write, 320 g of sulfur, when burned in excess oxygen, produces 640 g of sulfur dioxide.

Hope this helps. 

How does Moses' encounter with God compare/contrast with Abraham's encounter with God in The Gift of the Jews by Thomas Cahill?

According to Cahill, Abraham's encounter with God is that of "a calculating clansman ... self-confident ... who knows how to deal." Abraham wants to know what he will get out of the relationship, this covenant with God. Only when God promises him as many descendants as the stars in the heavens does Abraham "trust in" God. Abraham does this out of "insight," an intuitive leap of faith of the sort a hardheaded businessman would make in assessing the trustworthiness of a potential business partner, and God rewards the trust.

On the other hand, when God speaks to Moses or Moshe, out of the burning bush, telling him to lead his people out of Egypt, Moses responds "with a terror that the patriarchs seldom exhibited." Moses hides his face, afraid to look at God. Instead of challenging God with a "what's in it for me" swagger, Moshe tries to wiggle out of the burden God has laid on him, saying he is not worthy of the task. God tells him it doesn't matter: God will do the heavy lifting.

While Abraham swaggers and Moses cowers, a significant contrast in attitudes, they share important common ground: they both believe their encounter with God is real and they both respond to God's call. 

How does Thomas Hobbes deal with the problem of conflict resolution?

Thomas Hobbes explained that conflicts arise from conditions observed in the state of nature and basic human psychology (competition, the need to feel safe and the pursuit of glory). The thinker asserted that man in a state of nature is driven by self-interests and the need for self-preservation. These needs fuel man’s desire for power in order to enable him to secure his present and future. He suggested that although people are not inclined to attack, they will do so because they know others will attack them for what they have. Out of fear they are forced to attack first as a mode of defense, creating the never ending vicious circle of conflict.

Thus, because man’s self-preservation and interests are under constant threat of conflict, man is required to make an effort towards peace in order to resolve the situation. This he suggested would be achieved by submitting to an absolute authority established through the people’s mutual covenant to obey the institution.