In "A Good Man is Hard to Find," how important is the southern setting for understanding the characters and their motivations? How much are the...

The Southern setting is very important to the story for a few reasons. First off, the "good man" the grandmother keeps talking about seems to be the sort of person from the past, and not necessarily what we would consider a good man. There are a few suggestions in the story that the grandmother grew up on a plantation and came from a family of slave owners. This creates her subtle racism throughout the story, such as with the boy they pass on the side of the road and the watermelon story she tells. Her idea of a good man is a bit off compared to what the everyday person today thinks of as good.

As for how her ties to the past are keys to the action, first you have to realize how manipulative she is. She wants to visit a plantation she remembers, but knows her son won't go. So she manipulates the children into helping her by mentioning the secret room full of valuables. Once she has the kids on her side, they complain until her son finally agrees. They drive on this dirt road for a while, when the grandmother realizes she has it all wrong; the plantation she remembers is nowhere near there. Rather than admit she made a mistake, she lets him keep going, leading them to the crash and then the run-in with The Misfit.

Hope this helps! For more information check out the link below.

Musing in the country churchyard among the simple graves of the villagers, the narrator of Gray's "Elegy" is led to imagine his own death and...

The poet/speaker is concerned with death and how it should humble people of all classes. He is genuinely pondering and even praising the humble lives represented by the lowly graves he sees, and he uses these meditations on death to consider his own epitaph. He will take the same approach and write his own epitaph with honesty and humility.

The speaker praises the farmers and "their useful toil." He says that the wealthy deceased people should not mock nor fault ("impute," line 37) the poor if they have no trophies nor any grand tombstones. The poor perhaps did not have the opportunity to achieve fame and fortune. "Perhaps in this neglected spot was laid / Some heart once pregnant with celestial fire; / Hands that the rod of empire might have swayed." The speaker certainly is making the point that the poor lived lives just as useful and full as those of the rich. Had they other opportunities, they might have garnered trophies and fame. But trophies and monuments are irrelevant after death. Death is the great equalizer. Everyone dies. An overarching theme in this context is that everyone should live life to the fullest, regardless of social class. A grand tombstone might say something about the deceased person's wealth, but it doesn't say much about the substance of that life. A relatively unknown farmer might easily have led a more meaningful life.

The speaker admires the difficult but rewarding lives of these humble people, and he criticizes the wealthier or more famous people who seem to need some glorious monument. So, when he expresses humility in his own epitaph, it seems that he is showing solidarity with the poor, humble people of the graveyard. In the epitaph, he notes that he's had no fame and no fortune. He has lived a somewhat sad and difficult life. To whoever gazes upon his epitaph, his wish is that he/she will not wonder about his merits or flaws. Since he is now dead, it serves no purpose to judge his successes and failures. By this point, it is in God's hands. Dying without fame and fortune, he expresses his camaraderie with the humble lives he's described in earlier stanzas.

How did the Westward Expansion affect the lives of Americans in the United States?

Westward expansion had a tremendous impact on the lives of people in the United States.  Of course, it impacted different people in different ways.  Let us examine a few of these impacts. 

The Americans who were most negatively impacted by westward expansion were the Native Americans.  The Indians had their land taken from them and were (if they survived the wars) pushed on to reservations.  They lost their way of life as well.  This was a terrible impact on a large group of Americans.

Americans who moved west were affected in different ways.  Some lost their lives to the sometimes harsh conditions.  Some were able to make good lives for themselves as farmers or merchants.  Westward expansion helped them because it allowed them to have more opportunities than they would have had in the more crowded eastern part of the country.

Westward expansion helped to increase economic opportunities for those who stayed in the East as well.  The “opening” of the West gave Americans access to much more in the way of resources than they previously had.  The new sources of metal ores, timber, and other things allowed the economy to grow.  This provided more jobs for working people in the East and more money-making opportunities for the wealthier people there.

For Americans as a whole, historians often argue that westward expansion helped to create a national ethos.  It helped cause us to see ourselves as a nation of pioneers, of people who bravely and independently worked hard to improve their lives.  It helped us to see ourselves as a nation of individuals who could fend for themselves.  All of this helped (they argue) make us more democratic and it helped to shape the way we Americans see ourselves.

What is the significance of the dominos in the scene where the two Nazis come for Rudy?

In part eight of Zusak's The Book Thief, there is a section called "Dominoes and Darkness." It is here where the two Nazis come for Rudy, but get his father instead. While they are trying to convince his parents to allow him to go to a special school that trains future Nazi officers, Rudy is playing dominoes in the next room with his siblings. He sets up three formations that will all converge in the middle at the same tower.

"Together, they would watch everything that was so carefully planned collapse, and they would all smile at the beauty of destruction" (408).

Zusak's word choice in the above passage not only creates a foreshadowing of the destruction that the Steiner family will see in the coming months, but also a symbolic connection between the dominoes and people's lives. For example, Kurt comes in after all of the dominoes fall and says, "They look like dead bodies" (410). This is another foreshadowing of all the dead bodies that the Steiners and the town of Molching will experience as the Allies penetrate deeper into Germany and as the war continues.

Thus, the dominoes represent cause and effect. Just as one domino falls, others are taken out in the process. This can be likened to the decision that the Steiners make at this point in the story. Instead of sending Rudy to military school, they are forced to send their husband and father to war—cause and effect. The decision to send the father to war and keep Rudy home sets off a series of events that may have also caused Rudy's death. Had Rudy been at military school, he may have been saved from the bombings of Molching and lived.

Who calls the fire department to turn in Montag?

Actually, several people call Captain Beatty to turn in Montag for having books hidden.  The first is the group of Mildred’s friends who Montag reads poetry to while they were all gathered together at his house.  And, of course, Mildred, Montag’s wife turns him in as well.  No explanation is given as to why Mildred sounds the alarm on Montag; perhaps Mildred is so indoctrinated by society that she feels she can’t live with Montag breaking the law.  Their marriage is also loveless in many ways, and maybe Mildred sees this as a way out of their marriage.  It is a betrayal that doesn’t really affect Montag emotionally; he is tired of Mildred’s fascination with the TV soap operas and her repetitive overdoses.  The scene concludes with Montag burning down his own house, turning the flamethrower on Beatty, being partly injected by the mechanical hound, and escaping out of the city to join the hobos. 

What are some quotes from Life of Pi regarding Richard Parker "saving" Pi's life?

There are many references that Pi makes to Richard Parker, either directly or indirectly, saving his life over the seven months that he is adrift at sea. First, on page 136, Pi says that if it weren't for the fact that Richard Parker was under the tarpaulin, the hyena would have eaten him. He explains that the hyena wouldn't want to eat the stronger predator's food, so Pi was reserved by the hyena for the tiger. The only problem after that is the fact that there are two predators on board that could kill Pi, not just one.

Next, in chapter 57, Pi says that Richard Parker calms him down, which is ironic, because he also incites the greatest fear in him as well. Pi explains as follows:

"If I still had the will to live, it was thanks to Richard Parker. He kept me from thinking too much about my family and my tragic circumstances. He pushed me to go on living. . . without Richard Parker, I wouldn't be alive today to tell you my story" (164).

Then, Pi comes up with a plan to tame Richard Parker, thereby claiming his position as the alpha male of the territory. Pi explains that predators don't usually attack each other; so, if Pi can establish himself as a predator, rather than prey, this will help to tame the tiger and save his life. Fortunately, something else about the tiger's motivation saves Pi's life as follows:

"If I survived my apprenticeship as the high seas animal trainer, it was because Richard Parker did not really want to attack me" (206).

Pi proceeds to explain that Richard Parker gives him four warnings before he attacks. These warnings are life-savers because once Pi learns this, boundaries are more clearly defined for survival of both of them.

One way that Richard Parker directly saves Pi's life is with the human they encounter in chapter 90--another castaway. When the man tries to kill Pi, it is Richard Parker who kills him instead.

"He gave me a life, my own, but at the expense of taking one. He ripped the flesh off the man's frame and cracked his bones. . . Something in me died then that has never come back to life" (255).

Many of the times that Pi says Richard Parker saved his life is psychological in nature. The only time that Richard Parker physically steps in and saves Pi's life directly is as shown above in chapter 90. When the reader discovers that the whole story has an alternate, real-life application, it is possible to infer that Richard Parker actually represents Pi's alter ego--the life-saving/survival one. If this is actually the case, then it is Pi's sense of survival that saved his life, not an imaginary tiger.

In "The Most Dangerous Game", how does General Zaroff get his game to hunt?

After Rainsford hears of General Zaroff’s game, he is horrified.  He calls the general a murderer. The general considers the hunt a very civilized game.  He tells Rainsford,

“Dear me, what a righteous young man you are! I assure you that I do not do the thing you suggest.  That would be barbarous.” (pg 6)

He very carefully outlines for Rainsford how the game is played.  He traps the sailors with the use of lights that indicate a channel where no channel exists.  There are only jagged rocks.  The ships crash, and Zaroff takes the men and imprisons them in his cellar.  He still thinks he is civilized when he says,

“I treat these visitors with every consideration.  They get plenty of good food and exercise.  They get into splendid physical condition.  You shall see for yourself tomorrow.” (pg 6)

Zaroff then tells Rainsford about his training school.  Once they are trained, Zaroff “suggests” to one of them that they go hunting. 

“I give him a supply of food and an excellent hunting knife.  I give him three hours’ start.  I am to follow, armed only with a pistol of the smallest caliber and range.  If the quarry eludes me for three whole days, he wins the game.  If I find him…… he loses. “ (pg 6)

Rainsford asks two questions at this time.  First, what if the man wins?  He is told that it has never happened.  One almost won, but the general brought out his dogs, and that was the end of that hunt.  Secondly, Rainsford wants to know what happens if the person refuses to hunt.  Zaroff explains,

“I give him his option, of course.  He need not play that game if he doesn’t wish to.  If he does not wish to hunt, I turn him over to Ivan.  Ivan once had the honor of serving as official knouter to the Great White Czar, and he had his own ideas of sport.  Invariably, Mr. Rainsford, invariably they choose the hunt.” (pg 6)

A knout was a whip used in Russia.  So Ivan had been the person who whipped people for the Great White Czar of Russia.  The candidates for the game would prefer to handle their own fate against Zaroff than be whipped to death.  Zaroff felt he was giving them a fair choice. 

What was the reaction to the event involving the Virginia House of Burgesses in 1769?

The colonists were upset about various events in the 1760s. The Proclamation of 1763 upset the colonists because they were prohibited from moving to the lands we received from France as a result of the French and Indian War. They also didn’t like having to provide housing for the British troops that were enforcing this unpopular law. However, the colonists were most upset with the passage of the Stamp Act in 1765 and the Townshend Acts in 1767. Both of these laws created taxes requiring the colonists to pay taxes on various products. The colonists were upset about these tax laws because they felt these laws violated their rights as British citizens. Since the colonists had no representatives in Parliament who could speak about or vote on these laws, the colonists felt these laws were illegal.

In 1769, the Virginia House of Burgesses passed resolutions that basically said that only the Virginia legislature could pass tax laws for the people of Virginia. The Virginia House of Burgesses wrote a letter of formal protest to the King of England. In response to these actions, the Royal Governor of Virginia dissolved the Virginia House of Burgesses. In response, the former representatives of the Virginia House of Burgesses called for a boycott of all British products. Other colonies supported this boycott.

Thus, the events of 1769 had some very interesting actions and reactions.

Describe the historical and social context of "Ode on a Grecian Urn."

According to scholar Jonathan Sachs, "in the later eighteenth and early nineteenth century ... [there was] an increasing fascination with Greece and Greek culture." Keats shared in that fascination. We know, for instance, that he viewed the Elgin marbles, brought to England from Greece in 1805, and we know that two articles by the artist Benjamin Haydon on classical Greek art influenced Keats' writing of "Ode on a Grecian Urn." The first Haydon article was about Greek worship and sacrifice, which figure prominently in Keats' poem. We have evidence too that Keats saw and made copies of classical Grecian urns. 

During this period, archeology was beginning to flourish and antiquities from once great cultures flooded into England: the year "Ode to a Grecian Urn" was written also saw the publication of Shelley's "Ozymandias," inspired by the shipment of the Egyptian statue of Ramses II to England. As these poems attest, both poets shared the contemporary interest in "antique" cultures.

In a more specific historical context, "Ode on a Grecian Urn" was one of a group of five odes that Keats wrote, probably in May 1819. "Ode on a Grecian Urn" is considered a Romantic poem, although its subject, an urn from ancient Greece, is more likely to be associated with the neo-Classical poetry of the Enlightenment. Nevertheless, "Ode on a Grecian Urn" displays Romantic traits, including bursts of ecstatic emotion: the poet addresses the vase as  "Happy!" multiple times, and Keats focuses not on classical heroes, gods or famous statesmen, but on ordinary people heading to a festival. 

What are characteristics and/or functions of fast and slow twitch muscle fibers?

Many differences exist when looking at the characteristics and functions of both slow and fast twitch skeletal muscle fibers. Classically, muscle fibers are broken into four subtypes. Slow twitch fibers, and three unique types of fast twitch fibers, known as fast fatigue resistant, fast fatiguable, and fast intermediate, respectively. 

Slow twitch muscle fibers show a number of characteristics different from the other fast twitch muscle fiber types. These muscle fibers are also known as type I muscle fibers. Slow twitch muscle fibers will contract much more slowly than fast twitch, however, they also have a very high resistance to fatigue. This is because they contain a form of myosin that uses ATP very slowly, leading to slow contraction. These fibers contain more enzymes for oxidative pathways, but use less ATP than fast twitch fiber types. They function to play a role when contraction needs to be maintained over a long period of time, for example in maintaing posture. 

Fast twitch fibers, often also described as type II muscle fibers, contract much more quickly than slow twitch fibers. This is because fast twitch fibers make use of a different form of myosin that can use ATP rapidly, creating quick "fast" contraction of the fibers.

The first subtype of the fast twitch muscle fibers is the type IIA, or fast, fatigue resistant type. These fibers contain many mitochondria which can generate large numbers of ATP, allowing them to maintain fast contraction over a prolonged period of time. 

The second subtype of fast twitch muscle fibers is the type IIB, also known as fast fatiguable muscle fibers. These fibers also use up ATP rapidly to contract fast, but do not have the oxidative capacity (i.e. not as many mitochondria) to generate the ATP necessary to contract for long periods of time. Because of this, they rely on anaerobic glycolysis to generate the majority of their ATP. Due to this factor, these fiber types are activated for short durations at maximal intensities.

Finally, the final group of the fast twitch muscle fibers is known as the fast intermediate group. This group serves as a classification type for all the fast twitch fibers that do not traditionally fit under the definition of type IIA or type IIB fibers. These muscle fiber types contract fast, but do generate as much force as type IIB fibers, and cannot contract for as long as type IIA fibers.

Hope this helps!

What did the European discovery of the New World lead to?

The European "discovery" of the Americas led to several things. One was the conquest and settlement of the Americas by people of European ancestry, a process that, while not completed until the nineteenth century, was still a profoundly important event in world history. This process was only possible because of the destruction of the indigenous societies that lived in the Americas before contact with Europeans. This, in fact, was the second major effect of the discovery--Native peoples were devastated by European diseases such as smallpox and typhus. This represented one of the most significant demographic catastrophes in human history. Another effect is what was named the "Columbian Exchange" by one historian. Plants, animals, and, as mentioned above, diseases that had been separated by millions of years of evolution came in contact with each other. Animals from Eurasia and Africa that were introduced to the Americas included horses, chickens, cattle, rats, mosquitoes, and sheep. Plants like wheat, sugarcane, and even common weeds like chickweed and dandelions also flourished in the Americas. Corn and potatoes went the other way into Europe. Still another effect was that extracting the wealth of the Americas played a role in enabling the development of powerful European nation-states, starting with Spain and including England and France. The influx of wealth to Europe is often pointed to as a factor in the development of capitalism as well. So there are many profound effects--both short and long-term--of the collision of the Old and New Worlds that began in 1492.

If a wave train of 10,000 waves covers 100cm, what is true? Are we talking about calculating the wavelength, frequency, wave number or period? Why?

We would be talking about the wave number, sometimes referred to as wavenumber.  The wave number is the space frequency of the wave, specifically number of cycles per unit of distance or radians per unit of distance.  If we had 10,000 waves covering a distance of 100 centimeters, that would be expressed as 10,000 waves/100 centimeters.  When you divide, you get a wave number of 100 cycles per centimeter.

In contrast, the frequency of a wave involves a time element, such as how many waves pass a fixed point per second, per minute, or per hour.  The wavelength measures the specific length from one crest to the next consecutive crest, or trough to trough.  The period requires an element of time again, specifically the time required for a wave cycle to complete passage by a fixed point.  Out of all these, the wave number is the correct choice, as it involves a specific number of waves passing over a specific distance.

a room is 9 m long. 8m wide and 4m high. find the cost of plastering its wall and ceiling at the rate of RS 250 per square metre

We want to cover the walls and ceiling with plaster. Since we understand that the measure of the space "inside" a shape is called area, we know we are looking for the area of the four walls and the ceiling.  Each wall and the ceiling are rectangles, and the area of a rectangle is calculated by multiplying width times length:  a = lw

Two of the walls are 9m by 4m:  a = lw;  a = (9)(4);  a= 36 sq meters.

Two of the walls are 8m by 4m:  a = lw; a = (8)(4); a = 32 sq meters.

The ceiling measures 9m by 8m:  a = lw; a = (9)(8); a = 72 sq meters.

The total area we need to cover with plaster is   36 + 36 + 32 + 32 + 72 (all four walls and the ceiling).  Total area is 208 sq meters.

The cost is 250 per square meter, so we just need to multiply our total square meters by the cost per square meter.  

                    208 sq meters x Rs 250 = Rs 52,000.

What political evidence supports the argument that the US should not have entered WWI?

America should not have entered WWI for many reasons.  Germany had a right to blockade Britain as Britain had mined the North Sea.  Furthermore, Britain flew the flags of neutral vessels to avoid attack, which broke laws of maritime warfare at the time.  For America to claim neutrality when it sold arms and made loans to Allied nations was questionable at best.  

America also claimed to be influenced by German atrocities at the Western Front, especially against Belgium.  These atrocities were largely overblown by the British and French media, and even American servicemen and news correspondents who went to the Front said that they did not see any war crimes committed against the Belgians.  Early in the war, Britain cut the German transatlantic ocean cable, ensuring only the Allied side of events went through.  

Also, look at Wilson's rationale for going to war--"a war to make the world safe for democracy."  America backed two imperial powers in Britain and France who had long treated their colonies in Africa and Asia poorly, and we lent aid to the autocrat czar Nicholas II.  This was not a war of good vs. evil--it was a European squabble that threatened to destabilize the balance of power in Europe.  

What is the common name given to the Atlantic ocean at the time of columbus' voyage?

The oldest known mention of the Atlantic Ocean is from 450BC in The Histories of Herodotus, where it was termed Atlantis thalassia. This translates roughly to the Sea of Atlas, which was a common name for the Atlantic for a long time. Since its first mentions, the Atlantic has almost always been referred to by some variation of the Sea of Atlas or Atlantic Ocean. Another name that has been used is the Ethiopic or Aethiopic Ocean, referring to Ethiopia. Even though modern-day Ethiopia is on the Eastern coast of Africa, the name was also associated with the Southern Atlantic Ocean.

Columbus used several maps for his voyages, including those made by cartographer Grazioso Benincasa. He is credited as the first mapmaker to refer to the Atlantic by name, presumably some variant of "Atlas," as many maps made at this time were drawn up with the goal of pinpointing the location of the fabled land of Atlantis. 

What were Andrew Jackson strengths?

Andrew Jackson was a forceful leader from the West, which back then meant Tennessee.  He had an impressive military record against the Creek Indians at Horseshoe Bend and the unnecessary yet popular Battle of New Orleans.  He had common man appeal--he had little formal education and purportedly slept on the ground with his troops as an officer during the War of 1812.  As president, he challenged the Eastern establishment and vetoed many bills, most famously the Bank Bill of 1832 which would have reauthorized the national bank.  He catered to his Western base by allowing the Trail of Tears to happen, thus sending native groups west and opening up a land rush in Georgia.  He also put an end to the Nullification Crisis by threatening to lead the army into South Carolina if that state seceded, thus avoiding a Civil War in America thirty years before it actually happened.  He was the head of the Democratic party and managed to get his Vice President Martin Van Buren elected after Jackson served two terms.  Politicians before the Civil War, both Democrat and Whig, copied elements of his political campaign by trying to appeal to the common man and making their candidate appear folksy.  

`bbw = 4bbj` Find a unit vector in the direction of the given vector. Verify that the result has a magnitude of 1.

Hence, you need to find the unit vector having the same direction as the vector `w = 4j => w = <0,4>` , hence, you need to use the formula, such that:

`u = w/|w|`

You need to evaluate the magnitude |w|, such that:

`|w| = sqrt(a^2+b^2)`

`|w| = sqrt(0^2 + 4^2) => |w| = sqrt(0+16) => |w| = sqrt16 => |w| = 4`

`u = ( <0,4>)/4=> u = <0/4, 4/4>`

`u = <0,1>`

You need to check that the magnitude of the unit vector is 1, such that:

`|u| = sqrt(0^2 + 1^2)`

`|u| = sqrt (1)`

`|u| = 1`

Hence, evaluating the unit vector yields` u = <0,1>.`

According to The Story of My Life, who were the people who ministered to Helen Keller's happiness?

In her autobiography, The Story of My Life, Helen expressed her desire to "enrich this sketch with the names of all those who have ministered to [her] happiness." Helen loved meeting people and making new friends. Her friends had a significant impact on her life. In chapter twenty-three, the final chapter, she wrote about many of her dearest friends.

Alexander Graham Bell was a close friend to Helen. She first met him when she was six years old. He showed her kindness, and she never forgot it. She saw him many times throughout her life.

Bishop Brooks was another man who Helen met as a child. He taught her about God's love, and he spoke of God as a father figure. Helen read and researched many religious philosophies, but she "found no creed or system more soul-satisfying than Bishop Brooks's creed of love."

Helen also met the poet Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes. She recited lines from a Tennyson poem to him, and he wept.

Helen also described her friendships with Mark Twain, Mr. and Mrs. Hutton, Dr. Edward Everett Hale, and many others. She concluded her autobiography with the following words:

Thus it is that my friends have made the story of my life. In a thousand ways they have turned my limitations into beautiful privileges, and enabled me to walk serene and happy in the shadow cast by my deprivation.

Helen says "knowledge is happiness." How?

Helen explains her reasoning for this statement in the last paragraph of Chapter 20. Earlier in the chapter, she provides details about her educational pursuits. She outlines the courses she is taking, who her teachers are, and how difficult it is to study for tests. Then she quotes the typical quip, “Knowledge is power.” She refutes this with “Rather, knowledge is happiness.” She explains that knowing history and philosophy and all the rest of it provides a person with vital connections to both the people of the past and to those in the present. It places you in the middle of the universe and makes you feel as though you belong to all of it. This is a warm thought for her, and one that borders on the spiritual or religious. Here’s the way she says it:

To know the thoughts and deeds that have marked man’s progress is to feel the great heart-throbs of humanity through the centuries; and if one does not feel in these pulsations a heavenward-striving, one must indeed be deaf to the harmonies of life.

What is the difference between politics and political science?

Politics is the actual activity of governing a political entity, such as a city, a state, or a country. Politics include the conflicts and debates that arise among those in power, as well as the mechanisms and practices by which they resolve those debates. Conflicts may be internal to a particular political entity or external (between political entities). For example, the process by which the U.S. Congress passes legislation, with bills purposed, debated, voted upon, etc. is an internal political activity. The U.S. President negotiating with foreign countries or organizations is an external political activity.

Politics also includes the process by which people rise to power in a political entity. Campaigning for election, in all its stages, is part of politics. Forming alliance or coalitions to gain political office or consolidate power are also aspects of the political process, as is the forceful removal of people from power via revolution or coup.

Political Science is the study of the political process. It involves trying to understand how systems of government work, both internally and externally. Political scientists seek to understand how groups with different ideologies and goals function together, or fail to function together, to create and maintain the policies, institutions and laws of a political entity and to manage that entity's relationship to other political entities. They also study how people and groups come to power, and how they keep or lose power, within political entities.

Who was involved in WWI?

The First World War involved many of the world's great economic powers unified into two opposing forces- the Allies Powers and the Central Powers.

The Allied Powers grew out of the Entente Alliance of 1907 and the primary nations were the French Republic, the British Empire, and the Russian Empire. Other countries which supported and made up the Allied Powers include Armenia, Belgium, Greece, Hejaz, Japan, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serb-Croat-Slovene, and Czechoslovakia. Initially, Italy sided with the opposing Central Powers, but in 1915 sided with the Allied Powers.

The Central Powers were initially comprised of Germany and Austro-Hungary, but they were later joined by the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria. 

In 1917, the United States declared war on the Central Powers, though were not considered part of the Allied Powers.

Keep in mind that at this time, Empires and nationality stretched far beyond the borders of what we today consider to be Turkey, France, or Great Britain. Much of Africa was controlled by one European nation or another at this time, and so can be said to have been involved in World War One indirectly.

In Helen Keller's The Story of My Life, what made Helen's parents decide to get a teacher for her?

Helen Keller is famous for becoming an author and political activist and for attaining a bachelor's degree despite living with multiple impairments. During her time, most people who were deaf and/or blind suffered poor quality of life. Keller overcame the obstacle of multiple impairments to live a fulfilling and inspiring life, changing the standard of what was thought possible for people with disabilities.

When Helen Keller was nineteen months old, she suffered a fever which left her unable to see or hear. During her early childhood she developed some signs to communicate with her family, but as they were all seeing- and hearing-enabled people who relied on other means of communication, Helen was often frustrated in her attempts to be understood by her family.

In 1886, Helen's mother read a story about another girl who was both deaf and blind becoming educated and better able to communicate. This inspired her parents to seek out a specialist who might be able to teach or recommend a teacher for Helen. In their pursuit, the family was referred to contact the Perkins Institute for the Blind in Boston. Anne Perkins, once a student at this school, was sent to become Helen's teacher. Anne successfully communicated with Helen through sign-in-hand and enabled her to better express herself and go on to obtain a formal education.

What were some political defenses of slavery?

Political defenses of slavery usually revolved around the idea that the Northern states were powerless to stop the spread of slavery. As new territories were organized, the South argued that their inhabitants could not be constitutionally allowed to bar slavery within them. This position was given constitutional sanction in the Supreme Court's decision in Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857) that basically invalidated the Missouri Compromise, which had banned slavery in northern territories (but not southern ones). Southern politicians also argued that the Constitution protected the property rights of slaveholders. Since slaves were legally defined as property, the federal government had no authority to take them away from owners through emancipation. Finally, some people argued that slavery politically empowered ordinary white Southerners. These arguments should be seen as distinct from some of the moral "positive good" arguments offered by slavery supporters like politician John C. Calhoun and writer George Fitzhugh in the antebellum period. 

How is The Book Thief by Markus Zusak related to the Holocaust?

The definition of a holocaust is the complete devastation or destruction of something, mostly by fire. Millions of Jews were killed during World War II and sent to crematoriums, thereby being destroyed by fire. But a holocaust can be anything that suffers mass destruction. Zusak's The Book Thief deals with the subject of the Holocaust from a young German girl's perspective. She experiences it by witnessing specific events associated with how the Nazis systematically destroyed the Jewish population.

First, Liesel witnesses the suffering of a Jewish man who hides in her family's basement. It is damp and cold down in the basement, but he would rather take his chances with a lonely existence until the war is over than suffer the tortures of a concentration camp. When she sees a large group of Jews walking down the streets of her hometown, she quietly thinks the following to herself:

"I have one of you in my basement! she wanted to say. We built a snowman together! I gave him thirteen presents when he was sick!" (393).

Many free people helped to hide Jews from the Nazis, and Liesel suffers with the man in her basement while he is there. She witnesses the toll it takes on his mind and body while he waits and prays for it all to end.

Next, the little girl sees her father stoop to help a Jew when a group makes its way through the streets.

"The Jew stood before him, expecting another handful of derision, but he watched with everyone else as Hans Hubermann held his hand out and presented a piece of bread, like magic" (394).

The above passage shows the love and compassion of a German for a Jew as the latter is marched towards a death camp. The man throws himself to the feet of the bread-giver and thanks him. As a result, the Jew is whipped six times, and then Hans gets his beating. The Jew keeps walking on towards death and to take his place among others in the Holocaust.

The Book Thief does not focus on the concentration camps for its main story, but it certainly addresses their existence. The main characters witness the devastation and the destruction of the Jews as they hide or march through the streets to their deaths. The book shows a different perspective on the Holocaust and that not all Germans were Nazis who murdered Jews.

In The Death of a Salesman, what compels Willy Loman to commit suicide, for the sake of his family?

In Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman commits suicide in the end because he has lost all hope. He has spent a lifetime trying to be a successful salesman who is well-liked. However, when this doesn't happen, and his sons do not succeed either, Willy does not know what else to do. 

In the end, he commits suicide because he is no good to his family. He thinks they would be better off without him. He is also in so much debt, he knows he will never be able to pay it back. He feels that he is no good to his family or society. 

Unfortunately, Will never valued his role as a father and husband. He always got his identity from his work and from his notions of success. 

What dangers did Phillip face by going on the reef?

In Chapter 8, when Timothy goes to the reef without Phillip to find some fish to eat, the old man doesn't know if the reef will be safe for Phillip or not. Although the reef is a source of food, then, it's also filled with sharp, spiky surfaces (the coral) and even spiky sea creatures. Phillip, being blind, could really hurt himself out there on accident if he's not sure where to step. You might think it's not too big of a deal to get a cut, but keep in mind that Timothy and Phillip are stranded on a deserted island; they don't have any bandages or antibacterial ointment that would protect any cuts against infections. 

But a cut is actually the least of the reef's potential hazards. Sea urchins can actually stab the foot and inject a poison, according to Timothy. And, because the water becomes very deep very suddenly in some places out on the reef, there's also a drowning hazard, not to mention the possibility of sharks swimming right there in the deeper waters.

In fact, Phillip gets a scare in Chapter 11 when he's stumbling around near the reef and accidentally steps on a skate (a very flat kind of fish). And toward the end of the story, while swimming in the reef for lobster, Phillip gets bitten by what he assumes is an eel.

Clearly, the reef offers many dangers in exchange for the sustenance it provides. Timothy has trained Phillip to be careful, though, and the boy is able to navigate the reef with some degree of confidence so that he can continue to survive without Timothy.

What is the message of the author in the short story "Contents of the Dead Man's Pocket"?

The main message of Jack Finney's "Contents of the Dead Man's Pocket" is that the most important things in life are not things.

Finney's story illustrates the absurdity of basing one's existence upon monetary sources. Originally published in 1956, a period after World War II when materialism grew because the United States enjoyed great prosperity, this story has as its theme the importance of the non-material values such as love, family, and one's health.

These values are what Tom Benecke has put aside while he pursues his career in the grocery business. Instead of going to the movies with his pretty wife, Tom remains home to continue working on his marketing project, a project on which he has already spent four long Saturday afternoons, lunch hours, and even evenings. And, because he has spent so much of his own time already, the ambitious, materialistic Tom cannot let this project go out the window of his eleventh floor apartment and not try to retrieve it, no matter how great the risk. However, once he gets out on the ledge and nearly falls to his death and the window through which he has gone slams shut, Tom becomes all too aware of the folly of his having placed his values on the wrong things.

He cries out his wife's name in his last desperate attempt to make it back into his apartment. Once inside, he hurries to catch up to his loving wife at the movies, now aware that love supersedes any grocery project. 

In Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes, when did Charlie's thinking—his thought process or strategy—change?

After the operation, Charlie expected immediate results, but because the changes were slow, he was unable to notice his developments. The first and major milestone for Charlie was beating Algernon. This also marked the onset of the remarkable changes that he was going through. Soon after, he was able to learn the spellings of different words, and Miss Kinnian introduced him to punctuation. He also found out that Frank and Joe were not his friends, and they only made fun of him.

These changes continued at a rapid rate, and he understood his surroundings much better. He helped rearrange the machines at work and earned a bonus from Mr. Donnegan. In his 11th progress report, Miss Kinnian admitted to Charlie’s remarkable progress, but she was fearful of the uncertainties that lay ahead.

In summary, Charlie achieved noticeable changes on April 6th when he first beat Algernon. However, he personally recognized the changes when he first realized that Frank and Joe made fun of him all along. This made him view his past relationships differently, but also made him recognize his improved intelligence.

What was Robert Owen's philosophy?

Robert Owen, born in the United Kingdom in 1771, had some ideas that were very different than they way most people thought in the late 1770s and the early 1800s. He believed in utopian ideals.

Robert Owen was involved in business. At the age of 19, he started his own business that was involved in the textile industry. Eventually, he was able to run a mill his father-in-law had owned when he bought the business from his father-in-law.

Robert Owen believed in treating his workers fairly. This was a very uncommon belief of owners who ran factories during this time period. He wanted his workers and their families to be treated well. He restricted child labor, he built a school, and he worked to improve the working conditions in his business.

Later in his life, he established a community based on his utopian beliefs. This community was called New Harmony. This community, located in Indiana, was based on the concept of people cooperating with each other instead of competing against each other. He wanted everybody to get an education and to eliminate the grouping of people based on their wealth. Unfortunately, this community was not successful in the long run.

Robert Owen believed an ideal society was one where everybody was treated well and where people worked cooperatively together.

What is meant by “Sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it” (Gen. 4:7)?

What is meant by “Sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it” in Gen. 4:7 is that temptation is always before us to lure us into breaking God's Laws, which is sin, as sin is the transgression of the law:

"Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law." (1 John 3:4 - King James Bible).

In the context of Genesis 4:7, it is important to consider the entire passage, which states, in The Living Bible version:

"It can be bright with joy if you will do what you should! But if you refuse to obey, watch out. Sin is waiting to attack you, longing to destroy you. But you can conquer it!"

What God is saying here is that life can be better when we think and act righteously because we avoid the penalties of sin. When we do what we should, wanting to please God, we tend to work at avoiding temptation, whether it be avoiding certain thoughts, media, situations, people and places that may tempt us to sin.

Therefore, obedience is a hedge or safety net to falling into temptation. Certain temptations, when not nipped in the bud, can lead to sin. Sin, left unchecked and not repented of, leads to destruction. This can be physical destruction, as well as the spiritual destruction that is assured.

However, there is hope in the battle against temptation and sin. We can conquer sin with God's help, through His Holy Spirit and His Son Jesus Christ. In the New Testament it states:

"No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." (1 Corinthians 10:13 - New International Version).

Sin does continue to lurk at the door, and Satan the Devil has his hand in this. But as revealed in the Scriptures, we can defeat temptation and sin.

What are Thoreau's feelings about real-life people?

Thoreau wrote in the “Economy” chapter of Walden, “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.” He was convinced that most people just skimmed through life and went along with what those around them were doing and thinking, without doing much thinking on their own. People were too quick to go along with the crowd. They led unfulfilled lives of quiet desperation without even realizing it. (Many probably still do.)

He was the kind of person who would stop and say, “Wait a minute. Why are we doing this?” In the “Conclusion” chapter, he wrote, “Why should we be in such desperate haste to succeed and in such desperate enterprises?  If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer.  Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.” He championed the power of the individual, the non-conformist who did what he thought was best, regardless of what anyone else thought. And this was how he lived his own life.

Are readers expected to feel sorry for Judy and Dexter? Explain the ways in which the story inspires sympathy for the two main characters.

Fitzgerald's stories often portray young men in love with women who are beautiful, unusual, and unattainable. They are not unattainable because they are not interested in romance; in fact the opposite is true, these young women tend to want to explore romantic dalliances with a variety of men, keeping most of them at arm's length. Judy Jones is one of these young women. She understands the power she has over young men and manipulates them by showing them just enough affection and attention to keep them interested, while she holds them at arm's length emotionally.

Dexter falls in love with her when the two of them are still quite young, and he allows himself to be manipulated by her for years. It is easy to feel sorry for Dexter because he seems to be wasting his time, letting the years go by in a kind of haze, waiting for Judy to feel as strongly for him as he does for her. Despite convincing himself he does not really want to be with someone who uses him as Judy does, deep down he knows he'd drop everything to be with her. He even allows Judy to seduce him away from his fiancé, Irene. Dexter is portrayed as somewhat foolish but also hopelessly romantic.

Judy, on the other hand, is not as easy to feel sympathy for. She treats men badly, taking advantage of them for her own amusement and ego gratification. Even when she tells Dexter she wants to marry him, she is merely playacting for attention, bored with the constant flurry of boyfriends to express her loneliness and boredom, knowing Dexter will satisfy her whims and do as she asks. But when the last scene reveals, by way of an acquaintance of Judy's husband, that Judy's beauty and vitality have faded, and that she has married a man who does not treat her like royalty, we can identify with Dexter's shock and even with his sadness. 

What pictures can I decorate my memory box for Jem Finch with?

To do a creative memory box, you need to think of several things that you can associate with Jem throughout the book as well as things that also tell us something about him as a person.  Think about his actions, the events that surround his journey throughout the book, and perhaps something he said. Although I don’t want to do the memory box for you, I listed a few ideas to get you started. 

• The book, Ivanhoe, that he reads to Mrs. Dubose to help her break her morphine addiction.


• The note he tries to give to Boo through the Radley window asking him out for ice cream.


• A picture/photograph of a broken arm in a cast.


• A camellia, the flower he destroys at Mrs. Dubose’s house.


• A picture of a tire that Jem, Scout, and Dill rolled in down the street.


• Things found in the knothole of the Radley tree.


• A mockingbird.


• A pair of mended pants.

I hope that gets you started!  Look for some important quotes or events that really tell you who Jem is as a character and young boy growing up in Maycomb. 

Is immigration good or bad for America?

I will share some positive and negative points about immigration. Then you will be able to decide if it is good or bad for America.

There are negative aspects of immigration. When immigrants come to a country, they must learn the language and customs of the culture. There are often costs associated with this process. Teachers must be hired to teach immigrants our language. Social services may need to be provided for families until they can get on their feet. There is the risk of increased disease and increased poverty. If many immigrants come to our country, it may be more difficult for people to get good paying jobs. This could lead to an increase in crime if poverty persists. There are disadvantages to immigration.

There are positive aspects of immigration. Immigrants have added a lot to our culture. Immigrants brought many customs that we observe. Many Americans celebrate Cinco de Mayo and Valentine’s Day. Both of these celebrations began elsewhere. Some religious celebrations have been enhanced because of immigration. For example, the idea of the Christmas tree originated in Germany. Immigrants have made many contributions to our society. Albert Einstein, from Germany, enhanced our scientific knowledge. We have Supreme Court judges and members of Congress from families that came to the United States. Immigrants contribute to our economy by owning businesses and buying products. There are advantages to immigration.

You should now be able to make a decision regarding immigration as you posed in your question.

In Lord of the Flies, what are some of Piggy's character traits, and what are some quotes that demonstrate them?

Piggy is fat and weak and not really shy about telling people about it. He tells Ralph all about his asthma and the many things he can't do and even reveals his nickname, "Piggy." But he is also very intelligent and represents science and the knowledge of the world on the island. He is the only boy who is really able to think through their situation and also seems to be the one who listened and remembered the most about their experience.

When Ralph says that the folks at the airport would tell his dad so that he could come rescue the boys, Piggy says:

“Not them. Didn’t you hear what the pilot said? About the atom bomb? They’re all dead.”

Piggy is also the first to suggest that they ought to make a list of every boy's name so that they can keep track. He is thoughtful and organized that way.

He is also the one who tells the boys how there can't be a big snake type "beastie" on the island because there isn't anything big enough for it to eat. 

What three things can force change about an object?

Force can change a number of things about an object. These include:

• direction


• speed


• both speed and direction


• shape

Note that unbalanced forces can do any of these, since the net total of forces is not zero. In the case of balanced forces, nothing about the object will change.

When we apply a force to an object, we can change the direction of motion of an object. For example, a tennis player receives the ball from the other player, applies force on it (through his racquet) and returns it, thereby changing the ball's direction. We can also speed up an object by applying the force in the direction of motion. Imagine teaching a 4-year old how to ride a bicycle. We give the initial force to propel the bicycle in addition to the force the kid is applying on it, thereby speeding it up. We also stop the bicycle by applying force in the other direction, thereby reducing its speed, when needed. We can change both speed and direction at the same time by the proper use of force. Imagine slowing down your bicycle while taking a turn. The shape of an object can also be changed by applying force on it. An example is modeling clay, which can be given different shapes by the application of force on it.

Hope this helps. 

What does Atticus mean when he says that Mr. Cunningham has blind spots?

One of the main themes of To Kill a Mockingbird is the ways in which Scout's perception of people changes over time. In the early chapters, she sees the world very much as a child - people are either good or bad, friendly or unfriendly. When she sneaks out to find out why Atticus is sitting outside of the jailhouse, she is confused by why Mr. Cunningham and other members of the mob are angry with Atticus for representing Tom Robinson, particularly because the Cunninghams have also sought Atticus' help and because she is friends with Walter Cunningham, Jr.

In general, Scout sees people as more or less the same, often failing to understand how their lives have been shaped by race or class. In this case, she can't understand why Mr. Cunningham would be grateful for Atticus' help on previous occasions but be angry when he represents Tom Robinson. Atticus explains to her that Mr. Cunningham has "blind spots," meaning that he has certain prejudices and biases against African-Americans.

After the scene outside the jailhouse, the children have difficulty understanding how people they thought they knew could act so differently and become a threat. By saying that Mr. Cunningham has "blind spots," he is attempting to explain to them that people are often very complicated. Mr. Cunningham, for example, is "basically a good man" but he is also a product of his time and circumstances, which is a way of explaining his racial prejudices.

It's important to note that Atticus isn't necessarily calling Mr. Cunningham racist; rather, he is trying to impress that all people have biases and perspectives that influence their behavior.

Describe the state of American society as shown by Vonnegut. Are there positive aspects of this society? What is society lacking?

In the American sociey of Kurt Vonnegut's "Harrison Bergeron," "everyone is finally equal." But this equality has come at a price. People haven't been made equal in terms of rights or opportunities, rather, they have been forced to meet at the lowest common denominator of this America. No one is allowed to be smarter, more athletic, or even prettier than anyone else.

This society also seems to be under an iron-fisted authoritarian government. The people live under "the unceasing vigilance of the agents of the United States Handicapper." The ending of the story in which Harrison and a ballerina dance beautifully on televison only to be shot by the handicapper general herself also indicates authoritarianism.

While the desire for equality is usually seen as something positive, in this case, this desire for equality comes at the expense of those who might help the world progress. Characters like Harrison and his father George must wear "handicaps" that disrupt their thoughts and weigh them down. The beautiful ballerina who reads the news report about Harrison wore a "hideoous" mask and handicap bags "as big as those worn by two-hundred-pound men" and had to change her voice from a "warm, luminous, timeless melody" to a "grackle squawk" in order to keep viewers from feeling bad about themselves.

In this society, excellence is lacking. For example, the ballerina who decided to dance with Harrison was "blindingly beautiful" and danced with "an explosion of joy and grace." In addition, George, whose "intelligence was way above normal," could not use this intelligence in any way to improve his life or the lives of those around him.

In Wednesday Wars, what did Mrs. Baker give a 150-question test on to Holling in Chapter 5?

In Chapter Five, "January," Mrs. Baker gave Holling a 150-question test on The Tragedy of Macbeth.

This is the test that Holling got on his first Wednesday back from the winter or Christmas holidays. According to Holling, the test was an added burden in light of a very difficult first day back at school. This is because Doug Swieteck's brother had plastered newspaper pictures of "Ariel the Fairy" all over the whole school. At Camillo Junior High, the pictures of Holling in yellow tights had been taped to hallways, restroom walls, office counters, drinking fountains, the walls of the school building and even the backboards of basketball hoops in the gym.

Holling wasn't especially happy with Mrs. Baker's cheerful response to his misery:

"Let's keep you on your toes," she said cheerfully.

Sometimes, I think that she hates my guts.

When Holling received his test back, he complained that the names of Shakespearean characters were hard to recognize. Although Mrs. Baker tried to encourage him to persevere in his studies, the two eventually ended their literature session on an awkward note.

What is an allusion to the Declaration of Independence and the Bible in King's speech?

One of the more powerful attributes of Martin Luther King's I Have a Dream speech is his use of allusions to historical documents.  He is attempting to explain how many of the freedoms promised to American citizens have been denied to African-Americans.  First, he references the Emancipation Proclamation, but quickly turns to the Constitution and Declaration of Independence.  He directly alludes to the Declaration of Independence in this passage:

When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir.

He goes on to actually to reference some important lines in the Declaration of Independence, including what Thomas Jefferson called the unalienable rights of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."  King is comparing these rights to a check that cannot be cashed because the bank of justice is bankrupt. That is also a skillful use of allusion on his part.

King was a baptist preacher, so it would stand to reason that he would have biblical references in his speech.  Included below are parts from his speech compared to passages in the Bible.

"It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity." (King Speech) "For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." (Psalm 30:5)

"...finds himself an exile in his own land." (King speech)
"So Israel was carried away into exile from their own land to Assyria until this day." (2 Kings 17:23)

"Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred." (King speech)  "You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord's table and the table of demons."     (1 Corinthians 10:21)

These are just three biblical references in the speech, but there are over fifteen such allusions to scripture in the address.  

Who or what is the antagonist in Graham Greene's short story "The Destructors"?

It would be easy, and indeed justifiable, to assume that the antagonist in “The Destructors” is Trevor, who usurps Blackie’s crown and initiates the demolition project; or the entire gang of boys, all complicit in the destruction of an innocent man’s home; or even that innocent man himself, Old Misery, the aging, lonely antithesis to the boys’ youth and cynicism.

It seems, however, that all these people are simply victims of their own circumstance, and it is this post-war social circumstance that is the real antagonist in the story.  The story takes place amid a period of shifting balance of power; Mr. Thomas’s home represents the wealth of the upper classes; the gang of boys the ire of the destitute; the destruction the unrest of the lower classes and their bid for power within a stratified society bilaterally wracked by hardship.  The lower classes resent the privilege of the wealthy and feel a biting need to fight against it.  One could even argue that the war itself is responsible for leaving the boys broken and cynical and disaffected, intent on disaster and addicted to chaos, and that therefore the severity of wartime is the antagonistic catalyst for the main action of the story.

I am hoping to find someone that can take this quote and help me understand it better. The quote is:“Liberty has never come from the government....

Although Woodrow Wilson was a Democrat, and although conservatives today think he was a terrible president, this quote goes perfectly with what conservatives or Republicans believe today. It is saying that the government is not what guarantees our freedom.  Instead, it says, we get our freedom when we limit the power of the government.

Today, Democrats and liberals tend to believe that things are better when the government has more power.  When we give the government more power, it can protect us from environmental dangers.  When we give the government more power, it can protect the weak from the strong, who try to abuse them.  When the government has more power, it can create more economic justice.  For all of these reasons, more government is seen as a good thing

Conservatives, though, think that this is dangerous. They think that a stronger and bigger government is a grave danger because it will take away our liberties. Instead, what we need is a more limited government.  They say that the way to protect our liberty is to take away the power of the government. If the government is limited, it cannot take away our right to freedom of speech or religion. If the government is limited, it cannot take away our right to do as we wish with our private property. This is why the Framers of the Constitution were so eager to make government weak.  The Constitution tells us all sorts of things that government cannot do and it creates an awkward system of separation of powers and checks and balances that makes it still harder for the government to act. This is meant to protect our freedom.

Think about it this way: if you were afraid someone was inclined to want to steal from you, wouldn’t you want them to be weaker? Wouldn’t you want to be sure they didn’t have weapons or other things that would make it easier for them to take your things?  This is what Wilson is saying.  The government is likely to steal our freedom so the best way to protect our freedom is to keep the government from getting too strong.

When was the East India Company established?

This answer will focus on the British East India Company. There were also East India Companies chartered in the Netherlands and France. The British East India Company, however, was chartered in 1600, and its shareholders hoped to profit from trade with Southeast Asia, India, and the area now known as Indonesia. As the British won control of the region, the East India Company essentially functioned as a colonial government in and of itself. It had its own flag, appointed governors of India and other regions, and exercised tremendous influence both in Great Britain and abroad. The East India Company was struggling in the 1770s, and was forced to accept government control in return for a monopoly on the tea trade designed to boost its fortunes. This was what prompted the Boston Tea Party in the American colonies. Over the next century, the East India Company gradually saw its role limited by acts of Parliament, and after a large revolt in India in 1857, the East India Company lost control of the colony.

What is the best thesis statement written about The Great Gatsby?

Unfortunately, because I don't know your assignment prompt, I can't help you very specifically. However, what I can do is first give you pointers on writing a strong thesis statement in general, and then I can discuss some common essay topics for F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby. 

Writing a Strong Thesis Statement:

A common error in a thesis is to make a statement but not a claim. A strong thesis statement will always present some sort of argument that you are trying to prove; usually, this argument is hinged on a connection between two separate things (cause and effect, one aspect developing or influencing another, etc.). 

Common Essay Topics: The Great Gatsby

• Daisy and the role of women in society


• Deception as a means of characterization


• Diction used to develop the theme of class


• Jay Gatsby and the theme of the American Dream

How does Dickens present family in A Christmas Carol?

Dickens presents family as a source of social cohesion in A Christmas Carol. Families, with their joys and responsibilities, provide a sharp contrast to Scrooge's lonely existence. Early on, for instance, Scrooge's nephew, who is poor, comes to visit. Unlike Scrooge, he "was all in a glow; his face was ruddy and handsome; his eyes sparkled, and his breath smoked..." He invites Scrooge to Christmas dinner, declaring that although he is poor, Christmas does him good, for it brings people together.

Scrooge rejects his nephew, who is such a cheerful representative of family life. He also makes life difficult for his clerk Bob Cratchit, but Cratchit's happy family, despite their poverty, makes a striking counterpoint to Scrooge's shriveled existence:

At last the dinner was all done, the cloth was cleared, the hearth swept, and the fire made up. The compound in the jug being tasted, and considered perfect, apples and oranges were put upon the table, and a shovel-full of chestnuts on the fire. Then all the Cratchit family drew round the hearth, in what Bob Cratchit called a circle, meaning half a one; and at Bob Cratchit’s elbow stood the family display of glass. Two tumblers, and a custard-cup without a handle.

These held the hot stuff from the jug, however, as well as golden goblets would have done; and Bob served it out with beaming looks, while the chestnuts on the fire sputtered and cracked noisily. Then Bob proposed:

“A Merry Christmas to us all, my dears. God bless us!”

Which all the family re-echoed.

The Ghost of Christmas Past shows Scrooge a Christmas party from days gone by, ending with the following:

When the clock struck eleven, this domestic ball broke up. Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig took their stations, one on either side of the door, and shaking hands with every person individually as he or she went out, wished him or her a Merry Christmas. When everybody had retired but the two ’prentices, they did the same to them; and thus the cheerful voices died away, and the lads were left to their beds; which were under a counter in the back-shop.

This scene of family joy and harmony begins to do its work on Scrooge's hard heart:

During the whole of this time, Scrooge had acted like a man out of his wits. His heart and soul were in the scene, and with his former self. He corroborated everything, remembered everything, enjoyed everything, and underwent the strangest agitation. 

Families are sources of strength in this tale, and good families, Dickens shows, keep hearts and minds open and alive. They even work their magic on Scrooge, reminding him that life is made of more than money.

Is the narrator in "This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona" reliable?

Generally, it's not a bad idea to go into every piece of literature, especially those written in first-person point-of-view, with the belief that the narrator is unreliable. Since Sherman Alexie's "This is What it Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona" is written in third-person, the narrator might seem more reliable. However, it's still okay to think about this narrator as having his own agenda. (Is he promoting a cause or idea? Or does he seem to be rooting for a character?) In this story, I think it's safe to assume that the answer is yes. 

Throughout the story, there's a sense that the narrator wants the reader to feel the pain of Victor and all native people. This is clear from the second paragraph of the story in which the narrator points out the injustice that Indians on a reservation face: "Victor didn't have any money. Who does have money on a reservation, except the cigarette and fireworks salespeople?" This sense of injustice and pain runs throughout the story, from the Tribal Council's refusal to pay for Victor's trip to Phoenix to deal with his dead father's arrangements, to the mundanity of reservation life.

In addition, the narrator promotes the idea that Thomas Builds-the-Fire has some type of mystical Native American power. When introducing Thomas, the narrator discusses his history with Victor's father, and states plainly that "Thomas had known that Victor's father was going to leave, knew it before anyone." This seed of certainty in Thomas's supernatural abilities characterize the man as someone special.

While the narrator in "This is What it Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona" seems to be telling a straight-forward story, it's clear the story reflects the beliefs and values of the culture in which it takes place. This doesn't mean the narrator is unreliable—just that the story does come, like most stories, from a particular perspective.

List some details that describe the historical time period.

A couple of specific details that show accuracy in regards to the time period have to do with the character of Will and his Uncle Jed.  These two characters are the central focus of the damage the Civil War caused in the United States of America in the late nineteenth century.

First, let us look at the character of Will.  One specific example of an accurate historical detail is the landscape as Will travels back home.  As Will travels through the South, he sees plantation after plantation burned and "blackened."  This is the remains of the Civil War, for sure.  Will also sees grave after grave and graveyard after graveyard.  This specific historical detail shows that many people were killed.  Perhaps the most devastating detail that rings true to history is that Will has lost his entire family (as many people did during this war).

Another character that easily shows portrays accurate historical detail is Uncle Jed.  Uncle Jed's situation shows how the ruin of cattle herds can affect a family's entire livelihood.  Uncle Jed's cattle was taken by the troops in order to support "the cause" of the war.  Uncle Jed struggles through the rest of the book to make up for this loss in order to support his family.

In conclusion, we can also be more general in regards to the problems the Civil War caused (also accurately portrayed in Reeder's novel). There is great loss and damage caused by the Civil War, specifically loss in the ideals of loyalty, friendships, families, pride, and wealth.

In simple terms, how do you find the domain and range of a function?

Hello!

Let's start from the domain. Usually this word is used in the sense "all values of `x` which are possible to use for the given formula". There are some things which is impossible: division by zero, finding square root of the negative number, finding logarithm of non-positive number and so on.

So when we see a formula, we have to analyse whether it contains division, roots and so on. Example:

`f(x)=sqrt(x+2)/x.`

There is `x` in the denominator, so `x!=0.` Also, there is a square root, so `x+2gt=0` or `xgt=-2.` The resulting domain is `[-2,0) uu (0,+oo).`

Sometimes finding the domain may be difficult, but the idea is as above. Try the function `g(x)=sqrt(2-sqrt(3-x))` (isn't very difficult).

The range of a function is the set of its values. To decide whether some `y` is in range of `f(x)` we have to consider the equation `f(x)=y` for `x.` If at least one solution exists, then `y` is in the range.

For example, the range of a linear function `f(x) =ax+b` is the set of all real numbers if `a!=0,` and the set of the only one element `{b}` if `a=0.` Another example: you probably know that the function `g(x)=sin(x)` takes all values in `[-1,1]` but no values outside; this means that the range of `sin(x)` is `[-1,1].`

Finding a range may also be difficult.

Note that sometimes it is useful to restrict a domain "manually". For example, one may consider the function `h(x)=x^2+1` on the segment `[1,2]` only. Then its domain is `[1,2]` and the range is `[2,5]`, while for the "unrestricted" function the domain is all real numbers and the range is `[1,+oo).`

When Dally arrives at the church, what news does he bring?

When Dally arrives at the church to check on Johnny and Ponyboy, he brings with him news of all the events that have transpired since the two boys left town. The first news he has is a letter for Ponyboy from his brother Sodapop. This letter tells of how Darry and Soda are both worried, and says how Soda wishes both Ponyboy and Johnny would "come back and turn your selfves in" (Hinton 82). Dally also brings news that ever since the death of Bob, the Socs and the greasers have been “having all-out-war-fare all over the city” (Hinton 83), and that things have gotten so bad that greasers “can’t walk alone at all” (Hinton 83). He even goes on to tell the two boys that he now carries an unloaded gun for protection, and to use as a bluff, in case he gets jumped. It is after this, that he shares with the two that the greasers “are havin’ it out with the Socs tomorrow night at the vacant lot” (Hinton 83), and if the greasers win the Socs will “stay outa our territory but good” (Hinton 84). Finally, Dally has one last piece of news for the two boys. This occurs at the end of Chapter 5, when he tells Johnny and Ponyboy that Bob’s girlfriend, Cherry, a Soc girl who they met prior to Bob’s death at The Dingo drive-in, is working as a spy for the greasers.

Hope this helps!

What is the relationship between Shylock and Antonio in The Merchant of Venice?

The relationship between Antonio and Shylock is contentious; Antonio is heroic, but Shylock is villainous. Certainly, they are rivals in their moneylending: Antonio is kind and generous while Shylock is selfish in all aspects of his life.

One reason that Antonio and Shylock are such rivals as moneylenders is the fact that Antonio allows those who have borrowed from Shylock to come to him in their desperation when their loan and interest are due and, in his liberality, he lends them money at the last minute. On the other hand, Shylock is completely materialistic. Not only does he demand the payment on his loans, plus his usury charge, but he is most concerned with his own personal material possessions. When, for instance, he is told that his daughter Jessica has run off with a Christian to be married, he seems more concerned about his money:

My daughter! O my ducats! O my daughter!
Fled with a Christian! O my Christian ducats! (2.8.15-16). 

Another reason that Antonio and Shylock are at ends with one another is that they play opposing roles. Shylock is the villain, the obstacle to love, while Antonio aids his friend Bassanio in romance; his love for Bassanio follows the Renaissance concept of friendship, a concept which overrides even romantic love. For, Antonio is willing to lose his life by giving up a pound of flesh so that his friend can marry Portia. But, Shylock is greedy and vindictive; he demands his pound of flesh because he hates Antonio.

More than a lodged hat and a certain loathing
I bear Antonio, that I follow thus
A losing suit against him. (4.1.60-63)

So strong is this hatred against Antonio that Shylock refuses payment, even three times the amount.

What is the summary for Finding Zasha by Randi G. Barrow?

This is more than just another story about a boy and his dog. In the tradition of Barrow, it is truly a heroic tale about World War II regarding Ivan (a twelve-year-old boy) and Zasha (his German shepherd). 

The setting is the early 1940s at the beginning of the long German siege on Leningrad when Ivan is sent to live elsewhere for his own safety. The journey to leave Leningrad is long and hard. Even after Ivan leaves, the town he moves into is taken over by the Nazis as well. Unfortunately, it is at this point that one of the Nazi soldiers, Axel Recht, chooses Ivan to work for the Reich. Luckily, Ivan is asked to train the Nazi dogs (Ivan's most beloved kind of animal). 

Ivan turns the Nazi dog-training into a rescue mission (for the dogs) and a sabotage mission (of the Nazis). In short, Ivan trains the dogs not to kill. Meanwhile, Ivan gets close to both Zasha and Thor (two German shepherds he is training). Eventually, Ivan escapes with both dogs, but is hunted down by Axel Recht and his men. 

Ivan experiences many of the World War II battles as he hides from Axel Recht. Zasha and Thor both protect Ivan and need protection. The end to this story is about Ivan's possible reunion with Zasha (after losing him for a while) and with his own mother.

In Frindle, why did the picture have to stay that way?

The class picture had to stay that way, with every kid in the fifth grade holding up a pen while saying "Frindle!" instead of "Cheese!", because the photographer was out of film. It would have been impossible to retake the photo at that point--the photographer was using a film camera, with a limited amount of shots, rather than a digital camera, which can usually take thousands of pictures or more in one day.

We find this out in Chapter 8: "Mightier Than the Sword," as Nick and his fifth grade classmates are getting their group photo taken. He and his "secret agents" had spread the word to the entire fifth grade class, and they'd planned to whip out their pens and yell "Frindle" all at once for the photo.

Although the photo probably seemed quirky and cute to the students' parents, and though it probably showed how well the class worked together as a team when they were inspired to do so, the fifth grade teachers were actually very angry about how the photo turned out. Mrs. Granger, the narrator explains, was furious.

So, we can understand that this class photo incident is important in the novel because it inspires Mrs. Granger to threaten detention to anyone who utters the word "frindle" and to sit Nick down for a frank chat about why he should stop causing a disturbance in the school. In a sense, the class photo contributes to the escalation of the whole "frindle" trend.

What do bacteria do that is especially helpful to plants?

Bacteria can be especially helpful to plants by enriching the soil in which the plants are growing. This enrichment provides key molecules plants need to survive and thrive. The function of bacteria can effect both water and nutrient availability in the soil. Some specific examples include nitrogen-fixing bacteria. These types of bacteria actually infect the roots of some plants in a mutualistic way. In this relationship, the plant provides carbon compounds necessary for the bacteria, while the bacteria takes nitrogen from the air and converts it into a useable form for the plant. Following the death of the plant, during decomposition, nitrogen from these bacteria remains in a useable form and increases nitrogen levels in nearby soil. Another important example of helpful bacteria are a group known as actinomycetes. Actinomycetes are able to breakdown difficult to decompose compounds such as cellulose from decaying plant matter. This degradation again enriches the soil leading to better conditions conducive to plant growth. Many other examples of bacteria helping to enrich soil, making it more fertile for growing plants, also exist. Hope this helps! 

How is Lyddie determined to reunite her family?

Lyddie and her family are separated from each other early in the book.  Lyddie and her brother are both sold off into indentured servitude, and mom and the younger children go to live with other family members.  The reason for the separation is that Lyddie's father left them in search of gold.  He left them financially destitute, so the main reason for the family's separation is financial debt.  The solution to their separation, according to Lyddie, is to solve their financial debt problem.  That's why she goes to work in the tavern.  It's also why she goes to work in the mills.  She can earn more money is a shorter amount of time.  It's why she works multiple looms.  More looms means more money.  Lyddie believes that if she can earn enough money, the family will not be forced to sell the farm.  Then they can all be together again.  Basically, Lyddie is willing to work herself to the ground in order to make her family whole again.  

Based on Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, what will Scout and Jem gain and what will they lose as they get older?

In the final chapter of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, just after Scout escorts Arthur Radley home and sees the world from his perspective for the first time, Scout reflects to herself, "Jem and I would get grown but there wasn't much else left for us to learn, except possibly algebra" (Ch. 31).

Scout's thought reflects the fact that she and Jem have learned so much over the past three years. They've learned what it is to be brave, and Atticus's most valuable lesson, that "you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them" (Ch. 31). Because of these lessons, Scout and Jem will retain their abilities to let go of prejudices, to see things through others' perspectives, and to bravely behave with compassion contrary to the way the rest of society behaves. However, during the trial, they also learn what it is to become desensitized to the world, and it is, sadly, their sensitivities that they will inevitably lose.

During the trial, when Scout must take Dill outside because he starts crying during Tom Robinson's cross-examination by Mr. Gilmer, Mr. Dolphus Raymond makes some revelatory comments about Dill's sensitivity. First, Mr. Raymond acknowledges that Dill is crying because he perceived that Mr. Gilmer's antagonistic treatment of Robinson was unjust, and Mr. Raymond agrees with Dill, saying, "I know what you mean, boy ... You aren't thin-hided, it just makes you sick, doesn't it?" (Ch. 19). However, Mr. Raymond further philosophizes that only the young and innocent children are able to understand and respond to the injustices of society. He further makes the following revelatory statement about Dill:

Let him get a little older and he won't get sick and cry. Maybe things'll strike him as being--not quite right, say, but he won't cry, not when he gets a few years on him. (Ch. 20)

In other words, the more we witness the injustices of society, the more we grow desensitized to those injustices. And, though we still recognize they are wrong, they do not break our hearts in the same way they break the hearts of innocent children. Atticus later echoes Mr. Raymond's sentiment when, after Jem cries as a result of the guilty verdict, Atticus comments that, each time a jury behaves unjustly, "seems that only children weep" (Ch. 22). Dill even fulfills Mr. Raymond's prophecy of growing desensitized when he does not cry after witnessing Helen Robinson's response to the news of her husband's equally unjust death.

Hence, while Jem and Scout will retain their abilities to recognize and fight against the injustices of the world, they will sadly lose their sensitivities to such injustices and will no longer cry like innocent children over injustices.

What are the names of the four children of Oedipus?

I'm assuming that you're asking about the children of the mythical king of Thebes, Oedipus, who is the subject of Sophocles' three Theban plays. Oedipus, who was given up at birth by his father, Laius, the then King of Thebes, because it was prophesied that his child would kill him, unwittingly fulfills the prophecy by killing his birth father and marrying his mother, Jocasta, with whom he has four children — Antigone, Ismene, Eteocles, and Polynices. The first two are girls the second two are boys. They are, of course, also his half-siblings although he doesn't learn this until much later. A fight between Eteocles and Polynices later results in a civil war. Antigone is later buried alive by King Creon. 

Who is the narrator in "A Modest Proposal"?

The narrator appears to be an Irishman, as he says in the final paragraph, "I profess, in the sincerity of my heart, that I have not the least personal interest in endeavoring to promote this necessary work, having no other motive than the public good of my country [...]."  He claims that his youngest child is nine years old, and his wife is past childbearing age, so he stands to gain nothing from this proposal; this must mean he's Irish since he's implying that he would otherwise be able to make a profit from his scheme (if his wife were still young enough to have babies).  Further, he calls Ireland "my country." 

Moreover, the narrator has evidently been attempting to cultivate a solution to the problem of Ireland's poverty and overpopulation for some time.  He says, "having turned my thoughts for many years upon this important subject, and maturely weighed the several schemes of other projectors," he has found all of them wanting in some respect.  The narrator seems to feel that it is his duty or responsibility to come up with and share an idea that will aid his country.

This seems to be all we really know about the narrator for sure, aside from the fact that the narrator is not Jonathan Swift.  Swift does not actually want the Irish to sell their babies to the English as a food source; he is using this proposal as a way to satirize the way in which English landowners seem to be figuratively devouring the Irish and Ireland.  If the English are willing to figuratively eat up the country of Ireland, then why not literally eat the Irish?  Swift pushes the reality to an awful extreme to show just how awful the reality really is. 

Why does Alexandra feel that the spot by the whirligig is the perfect place to visualize good things?

Alexandra feels that the spot by the whirligig is a good place to visualize things because the whirligig itself exemplifies the tenets of guided imagery. According to Alexandra, guided imagery is a technique of visualization which leads to positive outcomes. Just like the whirligig moves in response to the wind,  positive visualizations lead to definite actions; in Alexandra's words, guided imagery 'brings desires to life.' She cites the example of how she aced her algebra test after visualizing the desired outcome while standing at a spot near the whirligig.

Alexandra tells Stephanie that the whirligig symbolizes all the unseen forces that can be harnessed to bring about positive outcomes. Although Stephanie isn't convinced, she bears with Alexandra, who thinks that she can visualize a boyfriend into Stephanie's life. Alexandra also believes that the technique of guided imagery can lead to Stephanie developing a larger chest size.

How do you know if your girlfriend really loves you?

I would suggest asking her honestly and openly how she feels about you and your relationship.

If that prospect is too intimidating, you can try to think on it and figure it out yourself.

Does she say she loves you? Does she ever say it first, or only in response to you saying that you love her? If she says it first, without your prompting, this expression of love is more likely to be genuine.

When you spend time together, do you only do things that she likes to do, or do you also do activities that you like to do? If you only do things she likes to do, she may not really value your interests. 

Do you know her friends and family? If so, do you spend time around them together, or only in passing? If she feels really comfortable with you, she will likely enjoy spending time with you and her friends or family in the same setting.

Does she call or text you first or only in response to your messages?

Does she do favors for you? Like wishing you a good day, writing you little messages, giving gifts? If so, does she expect you to reciprocate? When someone loves another person, they like to do favors to make that person happy without the expectation of something in return. 

Love means something different to everyone. I recommend you look into the "Love Languages" and try to find out what yours and hers may be. If she tries to communicate with you in her "love language," I think this may mean she loves you.

Why is it necessary for law enforcement investigating serial murders to understand the concept of psychopathology?

Psychopathology is the study of mental disorders. A good understanding of psychopathology allows law enforcement to understand psychopathy (not to be confused with psychopathology). Law enforcement must understand the psychopathic traits that make it easier for psychopathic serial murderers to evade capture by hiding in plain sight. They must also understand that psychopathy is not a mental illness, and therefore is not relevant to an insanity defense.

Most serial killers are not crazy lunatics. In fact, criminologists have found that many serial killers are often psychopaths. Psychopathy is not considered to be a mental illness (keep this in mind—it will be important later). Psychopaths are people who tend to lack empathy (the ability to understand how someone else feels), guilt, and respect for rules and laws—social and legal. Psychopaths are often charming and able to manipulate people. Psychopaths use their charm and manipulation skills to appear to others as if they have empathy and respect.

Psychopathy is diagnosed through a checklist developed by Dr. Robert Hare. Many serial murderers have large clusters of psychopathic traits. However, there is no profile of a serial murderer, and they are often influenced by social and environmental factors, as well.

According to the FBI:

The relationship between psychopathy and serial killers is particularly interesting. All psychopaths do not become serial murderers. Rather, serial murderers may possess some or many of the traits consistent with psychopathy. Psychopaths who commit serial murder do not value human life and are extremely callous in their interactions with their victims. This is particularly evident in sexually motivated serial killers who repeatedly target, stalk, assault, and kill without a sense of remorse. However, psychopathy alone does not explain the motivations of a serial killer.

Clearly, the ability to charm and manipulate can help serial murders lure their victims. Lacking empathy, guilt, and respect for rules makes it easy for the killer to justify his or her actions. What is important to understand from a law enforcement standpoint is that these are not just qualities that enable them to kill—they are qualities that enable them to fit in well with the general society so that they can keep on killing.

Serial murderers often live normal lives, with families, friends, and jobs. Often, they commit their crimes within their own communities. They tend to be below the radar of law enforcement. An extreme example of this is Ed Kemper, who began making friends with police officers while he was still killing. He actually called the police and confessed to the murder of his mother, but the police refused to believe him initially, thinking their friend was playing a joke.

According to the FBI, understanding psychopathology is important during the investigation phase of law enforcement, because sometimes victims are not well-known to the killer, making it difficult to establish motive in the standard fashion. Since psychopaths do not behave like “normal” people, “normal” profiling techniques may not work. Moreover, typical interview tactics do not work with psychopaths:

Psychopaths are not sensitive to altruistic interview themes, such as sympathy for their victims or remorse/guilt over their crimes. They do possess certain personality traits that can be exploited, particularly their inherent narcissism, selfishness, and vanity. Specific themes in past successful interviews of psychopathic serial killers focused on praising their intelligence, cleverness, and skill in evading capture (FBI).

It is important to note that psychopathy is not a motive—psychopathic serial killers always have a “reason” to kill—including money (such as “black widow” killers), power, even ideology (like racism).

According to the DSM-5 (the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the “official” list of all mental disorders), psychopathy is not a mental illness, like schizophrenia or depression. Therefore, most serial killers are considered to be mentally competent to stand trial, and insanity defenses are rare. In order to plead insanity, a defendant must prove that he or she did not know right from wrong at the time of the crime.

The topic of psychopathology is complex and broad. The FBI has a detailed analysis of serial murder, including a discussion about psychopathy and serial murderers, including specific examples of serial murders. Also check out these articles on serial murderer myths from Scientific American and the differences between sociopaths and psychopaths from Psychology Today.

`a_1 = 0.375, a_(n + 1) = a_n + 0.26` Find the sum of the first 100 positive odd integers.

The positive integers are 1,3,5,7,9,..........

So the first term `a_1` is 1 and common difference d is 2 and number of terms n is 100.

`S_n=n/2(a_1+a_n)`

where `S_n`  is the sum of the n terms of the arithmetic sequence and `a_n` is the nth term.

`S_n=n/2(a_1+a_1+(n-1)d)`

`S_n=n/2(2a_1+(n-1)d)`

Now plug in the values of `a_1` ,d and n

`S_100=100/2(2*1+(100-1)2)`

`S_100=50(2+99*2)`

`S_100=50*100*2`

`S_100=10000`

So, the sum of the first 100 positive odd integers is 10000

`A = 110^@ 15', a = 48, b = 16` Use the law of sines to solve the triangle. (Find missing sides/angles) Round answers to 2 decimal places.

Given: `A=110^@15', a=48, b=16`

Law of Sines `a/sin(A)=b/sin(B)=c/sin(C)`

`48/sin(110.25)=16/sin(B)=c/sin(C)`

`48/sin(110.25)=16/sin(B)`

`sin(B)=[16sin(110.25)]/48`

`sin(B)=.3127`

`B=arccos(.3127)`

`B=18.22^@`

`C-180-110.25-18.22`

`C=51.53^@`

`48/sin(110.25)=c/sin(51.53)`

`c=[48sin(51.53)]/sin(110.25)`

`c=40.06`

How does Brian Friel explore colonization in Translations?

Colonization is one of the primary themes in Brian Friel's Translations. It is manifest in a variety of ways, although Friel explores the topic in two primary modes: 1) the physical presence of the soldiers facilitating the Ordnance Survey, and 2) the translation of the Irish language into English.

The physical presence of the soldiers in Baile Beag is Friel's most obvious exploration of colonization. While the expedition headed by Captain Lancey is only interested in mapping the region, it's still a subtle form of colonization. The play takes place in 1833, well after the Act of Union, a legal measure passed in 1800 that cemented England's political control over Ireland. As such, though the soldiers are peaceful enough, their presence is a sign that England is extending its reach beyond the already Anglicized regions around Dublin and seeking to exert more control over the Gaelic frontier of the island. As such, the soldiers represent the initial wave in an impending invasion. 

The translation of Irish into English is also an act of colonization. In many ways, the translation of a language always loses something; some kind of important meaning always gets "lost in translation" because each language represents a unique way of interpreting the world. As such, when Lancey and his men translate Irish into English, they are effectively replacing an inherently Irish worldview with an English worldview. As such, though the act of translation does not seem terribly sinister at first, it is effectively a colonization effort attempting to extinguish the native Irish psyche. 

In the film version of To Kill a Mockingbird, what was Tom Robinson supposed to catch to prove his arm was bad?

In the 1962 movie, Atticus tosses a glass to Tom, who catches it with his right hand. When Atticus asks him to catch it with his left, he explains that he cannot--his left arm got caught in a cotton gin as a child, and the muscles were torn from the bone. His left arm is useless. This scene does not appear in the book. There Atticus simply asks Tom to stand up, and it is revealed that his left arm is shriveled and weak, much shorter than the right. Reverend Sykes explains the origins of Tom's injury to Jem and Scout (and to the reader). In both the book and the film, the point is clear. Atticus has cast serious doubt on the testimony of both Bob and Mayella by showing that the bruises on the right side of Mayella's face almost certainly could not have come from a punch thrown by Tom.

Why were the Jewish musicians not allowed to play music by Beethoven?

Night is Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel's memoir of his experiences in the Nazi death camps of World War II while still a teenager. The book chronicles his final days in the ghetto of Sighet, Poland and transfer to Auschwitz and then Buchenwald. Wiesel is originally deported to Birkenau and then to the infamous Auschwitz. After a short time at Auschwitz, he and his father are transferred to Buna, a work camp. It is at Buna that Wiesel and his father are placed in a cell block with several musicians. The musicians played in a marching band and also worked in a warehouse with electrical equipment. 

Several of the Jews in this block were "distinguished" musicians before the war. It is Louis, a violinist from Holland, who tells Wiesel that the Germans would not allow the Jews to play music written by Germans such as Beethoven. The Nazis worshipped the music of Beethoven and some historians misleadingly labeled the great composer an anti-semite, though there is not a shred of evidence to back this claim. Wagner too has often been labeled as anti-semitic, but this idea is also dubious, despite the fact Hitler loved his music and the composer is sometimes credited with influencing German National Socialism.

What was the importance of the naval race?

The naval race was a very important event. Its impact was far lasting. Countries began to build up their navies in the late 1800s and in the early 1900s.

Germany and Italy were interested in gaining colonies. They had become unified countries around 1870, and by that time, most of the land available for colonization was gone. In order to gain colonies, these countries most likely were going to have to fight for these lands. Part of the recipe for military success was to have a strong navy. When Germany and Italy increased their military size, which included the navy, other countries did the same thing. This was one of the factors leading to the start of World War I. Countries usually increase the size of their army and their navy because they have plans for military action.

Building up the navy also allowed countries to protect their world trade. Alfred Mahan’s book, The Influence of Sea Power Upon History: 1660-1783, stated that countries that are world powers must be able to protect their trade. Countries need to have bases around the world where their ships can stop and refuel and resupply. This book helped to encourage countries to build up their naval forces. The United States did this with its navy, nicknamed The Great White Fleet, which sailed around the world in the early 1900s to show other countries our military power.

The naval race in the late 1800s and in the early 1900s was an important event for many reasons.