What was a major social change that Martin Luther brought about?

Martin Luther, a scholar and monk, was disenchanted with the Catholic Church. He was frustrated with how the church was corrupt and cared only about making money. He did not feel the church was adequately helping the spiritual needs of its adherents. The major social change that he executed was an attempt at church reform. In actuality, Martin Luther introduced major upheaval in Christianity that resulted in the establishment of a Protestant church.

Martin Luther nailed a list of questions and grievances onto a local church in Germany. His intention was to open a scholarly debate at the local level about the issues he had with church practices. The problem was, his letter was widely publicized and resulted in a movement to separate from the Roman Catholic Church in Germany.

Why was lighting a cigarette risky for the sniper?

In Liam O'Flaherty's short story, "The Sniper" (1923), the reasons stated by the first-person narrator, the sniper, are shown specifically in this passage from the story:

Then he paused for a moment, considering whether he should risk a smoke. It was dangerous. The flash might be seen in the darkness, and there were enemies watching. He decided to take the risk. Placing a cigarette between his lips, he struck a match, inhaled the smoke hurriedly and put out the light. Almost immediately, a bullet flattened itself against the parapet of the roof. The sniper took another whiff and put out the cigarette.

Instantly, the story shows that the sniper's concerns were all legitimate and that lighting the cigarette has endangered his life. 

In general terms, lighting a cigarette would be risky for a sniper because by definition a sniper is someone who is trying to remain hidden and unseen while shooting at another human.

If the sniper is operating during the daytime, smoke might be seen by the person being targeted and give away the sniper's position. If at night, both the flame created by a match or lighter, and the glow at the end of the cigarette could be seen.

With today's technology (not available to the sniper in O'Flaherty's story), if human targets are aware of potential snipers in an area, they could also have heat-tracking equipment which would pick up the heat from a person in hiding or from a match, lighter, or cigarette. In addition, the sniper could be distracted by the light of their own match and not see their target if the person happened to come into view. These are general reasons it is risky to light a cigarette if a sniper wants to remain hidden.

In O'Flaherty's story, the sniper is a member of the Republicans, aiming at an unknown Free-Stater during the Irish Civil War. The action occurs in the city of Dublin. When the sniper successfully kills his enemy, he discovers the dead man is his own brother. This story was published in a London magazine called The New Leader.

Can you list all the tragic things happened to Macbeth?

Macbeth is a tragedy, and so by definition, the play will dramatize the protagonist's tragic fall. Macbeth is a flawed man who is easily persuaded by the witches and by Lady Macbeth and who is excessively ambition. These flaws lead him to make a series of decisions that eventually end his reign as King of Scotland and his life.

It is important to remember that the tragedies that befall Macbeth are a result of his own actions. While it could be argued that Macbeth is tricked or manipulated by the witches, and thus that coming across them on the heath in Act I is a "tragic" event that happens to Macbeth, it is ultimately Macbeth's decision to believe their predictions. This belief leads him to plan, with Lady Macbeth, to murder King Duncan and take his throne. Over the course of the next few Acts, Macbeth goes on to kill Banquo and Macduff's family, along with many others whom he slaughters in battle. As a result of his actions, though, Macbeth tragically loses his sanity. He becomes paranoid and increasingly ruthless. His ambition makes him a lesser person. 

Further, as a result of his greed and paranoia, Macbeth kills his best friend, which also means that he loses (by his own deed, of course) his closest confidant besides his wife. As he continues to plot more murders, Macbeth works alone, leaving his wife out of the plan. As a result, he loses that support system that he had earlier in the play. Lady Macbeth begins to go insane and eventually kills herself as a result of the guilt she feels at what she and her husband have done. At the end of the play, Macbeth is killed by Macduff, thus ending his reign and his life simultaneously. Macduff brings the head of Macbeth to Malcolm, the new and rightful king, as proof and also as an example to the people of Scotland of what happens to a tyrant. Macbeth's reputation will forever be that of a ruthless, traitorous murderer and a corrupt king. The tragedy is that a character who starts out as a respectable and loyal nobleman could rise so high only to fall so far. 

In Boyne's The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, what are some examples of different characters' perspectives of historical events.

In John Boyne's The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Bruno interacts with a few characters who have different perspectives on the historical events they experience during World War II. First of all, there's Bruno's grandmother who is opposed to the Nazi regime. In chapter 8, Bruno remembers an evening back in Berlin when his father shows off his new commandant's uniform for his family. When Bruno's mother asks the grandmother if she thinks her son looks handsome in his uniform, she responds as follows:

"Handsome, did you say? You foolish girl! Is that what you consider to be of importance in the world? Looking handsome? . . . That's all you soldiers are interested in anyway . . . Looking handsome in your fine uniforms. Dressing up and doing the terrible, terrible things you do. It makes me ashamed" (92).

Bruno's grandmother does not support Germany's rise to power because she knows that Nazi soldiers commit terrible acts of violence. Her son's uniform reflects the Nazis, so she does not consider it handsome. While her son goes along with the rising Nazi regime, she feels "ashamed." Grandmother represents the small percentage of Germans who did not support the Nazis at that time.

Another character with a different perspective on life is Pavel, the waiter who serves Bruno's family at the home in Auschwitz. In chapter 7, Bruno falls and scrapes up his knee. No other adult is around to help him except for Pavel, so he takes care of Bruno with extraordinary skill. During the clean up, Pavel reveals that he practiced as a doctor before he became a waiter. This confuses Bruno because there is no clear reason in his mind why anyone would go from doing something they loved to working as a waiter. It isn't until chapter 13 that Bruno understands Pavel's perspective because Maria finally explains it to him. It is at this point the Bruno starts to realize that not only is life unfair, but people are treated differently for what seems like unknown reasons. Pavel represents the highly educated and skilled professionals who were forced to give up their homes and careers because of discrimination and Hitler's hatred toward Jews.

Finally, Shmuel's perspective is described to Bruno in great detail. In chapter 12, Bruno hears about Shmuel's experiences at the hands of soldiers like his father. First, Shmuel and his family are forced to leave their house and move into a one room apartment in the ghetto. While there, Shmuel is bullied by a boy named Luka each day, and the window to his room is blocked by the wall that the soldiers built to keep him away from society. After living in the ghetto for awhile, Shmuel explains how he came to Auschwitz:

"The train was horrible . . . There were too many of us in the carriages for one thing. And there was no air to breathe. And it smelled awful . . . When the train finally stopped . . . we were in a very cold place and we all had to walk here" (129-130).

Shmuel also explains that he has been separated from his mother since living in the camp, and he does not play games on his side of the fence like Bruno supposes. Shmuel represents the Jewish children caught in the wake of war and forced to live in ghettos and concentration camps. 

What contrasts does the narrator draw between changing reality and Emily's refusal or inability to recognize change?

Emily Grierson stands out from the other townspeople of Jefferson in her inability and unwillingness (I think both are true) to recognize and respond to change. Whether it is acknowledging her father's death to understanding the nuances of the South's shift from antebellum traditions to post-Civil War progress, Miss Emily seems almost intentionally uninformed.  

One contrast between Miss Emily and the reality of the rest of Jefferson is the Grierson family house: 

a big, squarish frame house that had once been white, decorated with cupolas and spires and scrolled balconies in the heavily lightsome style of the seventies, set on what had once been our most select street"

Though garages and cotton gins have replaced most of the other houses like it and the town is moving on to a more commercial future, Miss Emily's family home lingers, "an eyesore among eyesores," a decaying relic of the traditional plantation aristocracy that the rest of the town is beginning to forget. She won't even put up the metal numbers to add her house to the postal route, a decision that declares her defiant refusal to change with the times. 

Another example of this contrast is Miss Emily's fight with the aldermen over her taxes. Another symbol of Southern tradition and chivalry, Colonel Sartoris, has allowed Miss Emily to continue living in her family home without paying taxes after the death of her father, but as local government administration changes over the years, the younger, newer generation has no such sentimental attachment. Miss Emily's insistence that she "ha[s] no taxes in Jefferson," repeated again and again to the varied responses of the aldermen show her complete denial of new ways of operating and the changing world. 

A final example of Miss Emily's refusal to acknowledge the change and passage of time is the bridal chamber/crypt of the final scene, where she has laid the body of Homer Barron and where, the iron gray hair suggests, she herself lies, to imagine the way her life might have gone. Miss Emily's choice to live in a morbid fantasy rather than the real world is the ultimate show of her refusal to face reality. 

In the boy in the Striped Pajamas does Bruno ever find out what his dad does for a job and does he get mad?

From the first chapter of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Bruno is already aware that his father is a "man to watch" and is very important because he has seen how "visitors" treat his father and are deferential to him; soldiers and typists are particularly polite. Bruno's mother tells Bruno that his father has been tasked with doing "a very special job" which is why they have to move; something she is not happy about. Bruno admits to himself that he does not really understand his father's job to the point that he cannot explain it to others; unlike his friend Karl whose father is a greengrocer, something he can easily understand. He knows that his father is now a commandant, after a recent promotion, but he does not know what that infers and in chapter 7, Bruno congratulates his father on his new job without understanding anything more than smart uniforms and Bruno's father having made his grandfather very proud.  

In chapter 2, the family arrives in "Out-With" (Bruno's mispronunciation), and Bruno cannot believe that he will have to live in such a "desolate" place. He wants the family to return home to Berlin and becomes angry at more talk of his father's job when it is quite clear to Bruno that "Father should think twice about his job" (chapter 2). Bruno feels that he should voice his opinion because even though fathers are supposed to be "serious," and he says that "it doesn't matter whether they're or greengrocers or teachers or chefs or commandants," Bruno still recognizes that this is all a "bad idea."

Bruno decides to speak to his father about moving back to Berlin and wonders whether Father did something "that made the Fury angry" (chapter 5). Bruno knows that his father works for the (mispronounced) "Fury" ("a great leader" as he's described in chapter 11)  and that the "salute" is a very significant part of showing respect and he wonders why anyone would send his father to such a terrible place. In chapter 6, Bruno discusses the situation with Maria, the maid, and tells Maria that he doesn't think he trusts his father's judgment anymore but he does not understand what his father's job entails.

Even when he speaks to Shmuel, who dislikes soldiers, Bruno quickly defends his father; even wanting to be like him, "one of the good soldiers" (chapter 13). In chapter 16, Bruno is aware of his father's smart uniform "with the decorations" but he will still never understand what his father actually does. In chapter 19, even as Bruno stands among the people on Shmuel's side of the fence, after they have been called to march, Bruno wants to reassure them that marching is not so bad and that his father is  the Commandant so "it must be alright." He has no idea that moments later he will stand in the gas chamber and never be seen again. 

What causes Jem to wreck Mrs. Dubose's camellias in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird?

In Chapter 11, Jem and Scout are heading to the store to spend his birthday money, when Mrs. Dubose begins to verbally insult them. She accuses the children of playing hooky, even though it's Saturday, and tells Jem that Miss Maudie told her that he broke her scuppernong arbor earlier that morning. Mrs. Dubose then begins to yell at Scout for wearing overalls and says she'll grow up waiting tables at the O.K. Cafe. Jem encourages Scout not to let Mrs. Dubose bother her and tells Scout to hold her head high. As they are walking away, Mrs. Dubose says, "Not only a Finch waiting on tables but one in the courthouse lawing for niggers!" (Lee 135). When Jem hears the comment, he stiffens up. Mrs. Dubose's insult "hit home" and she knew it. She then says, "Your father's no better than the niggers and trash he works for!" (Lee 135). Jem is loyal to his father and is highly sensitive to any insult directed towards Atticus. Jem takes Mrs. Dubose's insults to heart. Scout says that Jem turned red with anger, and he didn't crack a smile when he bought his steam engine and Scout's baton. On their walk back home, Jem loses his temper and destroys Mrs. Dubose's camellia bushes with Scout's new baton.

How is the theme of hate portrayed in Romeo and Juliet?

From the outset of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet the audience knows that hatred is one the themes of the play. In the Prologue, Shakespeare calls the rivalry between the Montagues and Capulets an "ancient grudge" and refers to "mutiny," "rage" and "strife."

Hatred rules the day in Act I, Scene 1 as the Capulet servants announce they will rape the Montague women and incite violence by using insulting gestures. Tybalt, Lord Capulet's cousin, is characterized as full of bitterness toward the Montagues. When he first appears he threatens the peacemaking Benvolio:

What, drawn and talk of peace? I hate the word
As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee.
Have at thee, coward!

Tybalt again shows his antagonism in Act I, Scene 5 when he overhears Romeo at Capulet's party. He calls for his sword and is ready to fight in the midst of the festivities. He is dissuaded by Capulet, who doesn't want the party spoiled, but this only works to enflame Tybalt's rage and he vows revenge:

Patience perforce with willful choler meeting
Makes my flesh tremble in their different greeting.
I will withdraw, but this intrusion shall,
Now seeming sweet, convert to bitt’rest gall.

Friar Lawrence is inspired to bring the hatred to an end when he agrees with Romeo's request to marry Juliet, despite his misgivings over the speed of the proceedings. He believes the marriage will bring the feud to an end and unite the families. In Act II, Scene 3 he says, 

But come, young waverer, come, go with me.
In one respect I’ll thy assistant be,
For this alliance may so happy prove
To turn your households’ rancor to pure love.

Mercutio too, incites hatred in Act III, Scene 1. He ignores Benvolio's warnings to get off the street and avoid the Capulets. On cue, Tybalt shows up looking for Romeo, labeling him a villain. When Romeo backs down to Tybalt, because he has just secretly married Juliet, Tybalt's cousin, Mercutio is incensed by Romeo's cowardice and challenges Tybalt himself. After being fatally wounded he curses both families for his demise:

A plague o’ both your houses!
They have made worms’ meat of me.
I have it, and soundly, too. Your houses!

Lady Capulet joins in the acrimony by classifying Benvolio a liar and calling for Romeo's death after the death of Tybalt:

He is a kinsman to the Montague.
Affection makes him false; he speaks not true.
Some twenty of them fought in this black strife,
And all those twenty could but kill one life.
I beg for justice, which thou, prince, must give.
Romeo slew Tybalt; Romeo must not live.

The hatred ultimately leads to the tragic suicides of the title characters. The Prince sums up the bitter feud and its consequences in Act V, Scene 3. He also laments his own losses since both Mercutio and Paris were related to him:

Where be these enemies?—Capulet, Montague,
See what a scourge is laid upon your hate,
That heaven finds means to kill your joys with love,
And I, for winking at your discords too,
Have lost a brace of kinsmen. All are punished.

What are the differences between the three poleis of Athens, Sparta, and Miletus?

Because of how the Greek city-states developed independently of one another, there are significant differences between them. Athens and Sparta were very different in many regards. Athens was interested in the individual and Sparta was interested in the state. As a result, Athens developed a strong education and training system that developed some of the best scientists, political thinkers, philosophers, and artists in the world. Athens also developed into a direct democracy where all citizens participated in decisions in the political realm. Athens also developed into the best naval power and leveraged this strength into the formation of the Delian League, of which it became the dominant partner.  With this dominant position in the league, it became quite wealthy and used this money to build great works of architecture and sculpting.  

Sparta, on the other hand, was much more militaristic than Athens, having the best army in Greece. Sparta conquered its neighbors by sheer military brute and opted not to build colonies like Athens and Miletus. Spartans trained their youth to be furious fighters and the military commitment of men lasted for over fifty years. Spartans were wary of outside influence and did not allow its citizens to travel abroad. Visitors were also not allowed into Sparta. The Spartans had a very complex political structure that combined elements of a republic, monarchy, and oligarchy.

Miletus was a Greek city-state that was located away from mainland Greece in Asia Minor. It operated as an oligarchy with an elected tyrant as its leader. Miletus had a number of colonies throughout the Aegean and was a very well developed commercial city. Its location on the coast allowed it to send many trade goods from within Turkey to locations throughout the Mediterranean. Miletus was not as respected for its military prowess as the other two city-states, but its commercial success made up for that deficiency. Unlike Sparta, Miletus was an important center of learning, science, and art.

My teacher asked me to write a theory and discussion about an acid base titration. The procedure is: pipette 10 ml of NaOH solution (0.152 N) and...

Acid-base titration is a chemical method to determine the concentration of either the acid or the base. It is based on the fact that acid and base neutralize each other completely. This reaction measures the amount of acid or base required to fully neutralize the other, in the presence of a color change indicator, and uses it to measure the concentration of the unknown species (acid or base).

In the given case, 10 ml of sodium hydroxide solution (NaOH) that has a concentration of 0.152 N is titrated with 15.2 ml of HCl, in the presence of methyl red. The indicator will change the solution color from yellow to red when the titration is complete. 

Using the equation: C1V1 = C2V2

where, C1 and C2 are the concentration of acid and base, and V1 and V2 are the volumes of acid and base used, respectively; we can calculate the concentration of the acid as:

15.2 x C1 = 0.152 x 10 

solving the equation, we get the concentration of HCl as 0.1 N.

Thus, the method can be used to determine the concentration of acid or base, given the volumes needed to titrate them and the concentration of the other species. 

Hope this helps.

Why do you think author Toni Cade Bambara chose the title "Raymond's Run" for her story?

Toni Cade Bambara, author of "Raymond's Run" probably chose this as her title because even though the story is about a girl named Squeaky and her running, Squeaky realizes that Raymond is quite good as a runner, too. Squeaky starts out thinking mostly of herself and what she can do, but as the story continues, she begins to mature and notice some things happening around her. At first she just wants to compete, and she practices constantly, so that she can keep her title as the best runner on the block. She argues with Gretchen and Gretchen's friends and doesn't like any of them. 

By the end of the story, Squeaky sees that Gretchen is a pretty good runner and has thoughts that maybe the two of them can be friends. More importantly, Squeaky sees her brother, Raymond, with new eyes. 

"...it occurred to me that Raymond would make a very fine runner. Doesn't he always keep up with me on my trots? And he surely knows how to breathe in counts of seven 'cause he's always doing it at the dinner table, which drives my brother George up the wall. And I'm smiling to beat the band 'cause if I've lost this race, or if me and Gretchen tied, or even if I've won, I can always retire as a runner and begin a whole new career as a coach with Raymond as my champion" (Bambara 12).

This run, that had seemed so important to Squeaky in the beginning, has helped her to see that Raymond is talented and a runner, too.

What should I write in a personal reflection?

A personal reflection about a piece of literature like, “The Fly”, asks you to reflect upon the text by making personal connections to it, how you might sympathize or empathize with characters, make connections to other texts you’ve read like books and movies, or share how the text makes you feel. What did you like or dislike about the story?  Is it believable? Reflect upon the characters' motives and purposes.  What are the dominant themes?  What does the story say about us as human beings?  Did you like how it was written?  

It should be written in first person and show that you know and understand the text by making connections to it.  Do this by referring to specific excerpts and using evidence from the text for support.  This can be a direct quote or a deep, knowledgeable discussion of the text.  Make sure you prove the point of your personal reflection.

For example, can you sympathize with The Boss who has lost his son in the war?  What is your reaction to what he does to the fly?  What do you think of the ending?  How would you analyze why The Boss can’t remember what he was thinking about?  What do you think the fly represents?  Think about the themes—loss, regret, guilt (?)—and find a connection to your own life.

Interacting with the text is important in a personal response, so think of all the ways you can relate the text to your own life experiences.

Describe the tiny particles that make up matter.

Particles:

Matter is composed of tiny particles. Each particle is composed of one or more atoms. 

• 
  Elements: Elements are particles that are composed of one atom or multiple copies of the same atom.

• 
  Compounds: Compounds are particles that are composed of two or more different atoms.

Atoms: 

Atoms are composed of protons, neutrons, electrons, and a lot of empty space.

• 
  Protons: Protons are tiny, positively charged subatomic particles that are located in the nucleus of the atom. The nucleus is a tiny dense area in the center of the atom.

• 
  Neutrons: Neutrons are tiny, neutral subatomic particles. They are also located in the nucleus of the atom.

• 
  Electrons: Electrons are very tiny, negatively charged subatomic particles. They are located around the nucleus. The area outside of the nucleus is called the electron cloud. Most of the electron cloud is composed of empty space.

How can we control harmful bacteria?

By harmful bacteria, we generally mean pathogenic bacteria. In general, bacteria are harmful, helpful or neutral. The harmful bacteria can cause medical issues such as diseases. The control of harmful bacteria depends on the medium they are in, their location and also on what potential harm they can do. For example, when discussing drinking water, harmful bacteria can cause disease if we drink water contaminated with these bacteria. We control such bacteria in our water by disinfecting it with chlorine, ultra violet rays, ozone or by boiling it, etc. When talking about bacteria that attach to the surface of metals and eat them (an example is bio-fouling of ships), we use anti-adhesion coating to prevent bacterial attachment to surfaces. For harmful bacteria found in food, we heat the food to kill them or freeze the food to make them inactive. When we are sick due to these bacteria, we use medication to kill any pathogen in our body.

Hope this helps.

What is the good night in "Do not go gentle into that good night" by Dylan Thomas?

In this poem, the good night is symbolic of death.  The speaker is addressing  "[his] father" in the poem, as we see in the last stanza, imploring him to fight against death (line 16).  The narrator says, again and again, "Do not go gentle into that good night," meaning that his father should not go quietly or peacefully, without a fight, to death (1, 6, 12, 18).  Instead, he should "Rage, rage against the dying of the light" (3, 9, 15, 19); the speaker demands that his father fight passionately against the end of life.  In order to convince his father that this is the right thing to do, he gives numerous examples of all different kinds of men and explains that each of them fights death, for his own reasons.  The men may have different reasons for raging against death, but the important part is that they all do it.  The narrator seems to hope that by presenting his father with all of this proof that others fight to stay alive, his father will do the same.

How is morality a theme in Waiting for Godot?

Many readers believe that, in Waiting for Godot, Samuel Beckett promotes the idea that all life is meaningless and there is no point to existence. While there is certainly an absurd despair present in the play, and while the exploration of meaninglessness is one of the piece's central themes, Beckett is not actually as nihilistic as some people would like to believe. Indeed, one could even argue that Beckett presents us with a morality that relies upon friendship and human existence.

Consider, for instance, that this is a play of pairings. There are two sets of relationships: Vladimir and Estragon, and Lucky and Pozzo. It's certainly true that Pozzo abuses Lucky, and that Estragon and Vladimir argue and insult one another. However, it also seems that the members of each relationship rely on one another heavily. For instance, while Pozzo uses Lucky as his servant in Act 1, in Act 2 we see the roles reversed, with Lucky acting as the master and Pozzo stumbling along on a leash. Both Pozzo and Lucky seem to take turns relying on one another. Likewise, it's clear that both Estragon and Vladimir would be helpless if either one was on his own. For instance, Estragon only succeeds in pulling off his boot once Vladimir arrives. Furthermore, in Act 2 Vladimir covers the sleeping form of Estragon with his coat to make him more comfortable.

While subtle, it's clear that, in this world of "meaninglessness," the only thing that people can rely on is their connection to other humans. In that case, Beckett's morality relies upon human friendship. With friendship, Beckett says, we are able to overcome obstacles and support one another, and so the moral good involves nurturing the connection we have with others. Indeed, one could view the play as a poignant display of the way in which people utilize friendships to navigate the harsh and unfeeling external world. 

In Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, why is Holden acting like a hypocrite?

Holden Caulfield has many issues he's dealing with as a teenager. He's afraid of becoming a phony adult like many he's encountered in his life. He's an idealist who wants the world to be perfect because he's had quite a rough time in life in his 16-17 years. For example, his little brother Allie died about 3-4 years previous to his telling of his story, and he never received the help necessary to deal with his grieving process. Holden was simply sent to boarding schools where he felt lonely most of the time. His resentment and grief boil over, and he blames others for his life. Little does he know that as he blames others for being hypocrites, he himself starts acting like one. Such is the case with hypocrites because they can see the hypocrisy in others, but not in themselves.

One example of Holden being a hypocrite is when he goes out with Sally Hayes. They meet George, one of Sally's friends, at the movies, and Holden gets jealous. Rather than identifying the jealousy in himself, he criticizes her and George as they talk.

"Finally, when they were all done slobbering around, old Sally introduced us. . . You should've seen him when old Sally asked him how he liked the play. He was the kind of a phony that have to give themselves room when they answer somebody's questions. He stepped back, and stepped right on the lady's foo behind him" (127).

The above passage shows Holden judging George and calling him a phony, when just a little bit later on, Holden becomes the phony by asking Sally to run away with him. He says he loves her, but after talking with George, he wanted to take her home and never see her again. Then he turns around and asks her to run away with him. This behavior clearly shows that he is not self-aware and cannot see when he is being a hypocrite.

One more example of Holden being a hypocrite is when he criticizes someone for being a phony (acting fake, or saying one thing and doing another), and then he says the following:

"I'm the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life. It's awful. If I'm on my way to the store to buy a magazine, even, and somebody asks me where I'm going, I'm liable to say I'm going to the opera" (16).

It seems that Holden can blame others for being phony or fake, but with almost every turn, he's lying to people and pretending he's something he's not. Maybe as Holden gets the help he needs in that hospital in California, he will understand how to be less of a hypocrite.

Hertz is a unit of _____________.

Hertz is a unit of frequency, usually of waves. One Hertz is equal to one cycle per second or one s^(-1).  Frequency is the number of waves or cycles that pass a point in a given time period. The product of the wavelength and frequency of a wave equals its speed. Since all electromagnetic radiation has the same speed C (equal to 3.0 X 10^8 m/sec), wavelength x frequency = C. The longer the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation, the lower its frequency. 

Here are some common uses of Hertz:

Music: The pitch of a musical note is determined by its frequency. Frequency in Hertz or Hz is often associated with music, for example tuning forks are stamped with the frequency of the sound they produce in Hz. 

Radio transmission: The frequencies of waves used by broadcasting stations to transmit signals are specified in KHz (kilohertz) and MHz (megahertz).

Computer processors: Processor speed is designated in gigahertz, which is a measure of the cycling of alternating current.

What are germ cells?

Germ cells are the precursors of gametes.

Gametes are sex cells that are produced via the process of meiosis. Gametes are haploid. This means that gametes contain half of the genetic material of a somatic (body) cell. Thus, we refer to somatic cells as being “diploid”.

Gametes are haploid because, during meiosis, the genetic material of an organism is replicated once but then undergoes two cellular divisions. Thus, during meiosis, one diploid parent cell produces four haploid gametes.

Two gametes, a sperm and an egg, combine during the process of fertilization to create a zygote. The fact that gametes are haploid ensures that the number of chromosomes that is unique to a species is maintained generation after generation. For example, a somatic cell of humans contains 46 chromosomes. Each gamete of a human contains 23 chromosomes. Thus, upon fertilization, the diploid number of 46 chromosomes is restored.

What are the main points of Macbeth's letter to his wife?

In Act I, Scene V, we find Lady Macbeth in the process of reading Macbeth's letter. He describes meeting the witches and how they have "more in them than mortal knowledge." He is suggesting that there is something supernatural about their premonitions. He then tells her the king hailed him as the "Thane of Cawdor" thus confirming one of their predictions. Macbeth adds that this confirmation "referred" him to the other prediction that he would become king. In other words, being hailed "Thane of Cawdor" gave him proof that the witches (weird sisters) might be right about both promotions. Therefore, he has good reason to believe that he will, somehow, become king. 

He ends by saying that he wanted to share this good news with her so that she will not lose another moment's happiness. 

Do you think the mother is justified in being angry? Is Meimei? Support with examples.

This is a great question.  I think the mother has a right to be angry with her daughter.  In order to make this point, we need to see why Waverly was so angry and what Waverly's mother did. 

After Waverly became a chess champion, her mother started to boast about her daughter.  Waverly was a source of pride for her.  So, at the market place, Waverly's mother would say something like: "This is Waverly, my daughter, the chess champion."  There is nothing inherently wrong with this, even if it makes Waverly embarrassed. It comes from her mother's pride. 

Waverly does not understand this. All she does is focus on her discomfort.  To be more accurate, Waverly hints that she is wrong. She says:

I knew it was a mistake to say anything more, but I heard my voice speaking, "Why do you have to use me to show off? If you want to show off, then why don't you learn to play chess?"

My mother's eyes turned into dangerous black slits. She had no words for me, just sharp silence.

In light of these words, Waverly is wrong in her actions. Waverly's mother is justified in her anger.  When we look at things from Waverly's perspective, we can say that she too has a right to be angry, but it is more of an annoyance.  She blew things out of proportion.  

What are the basic tenets of feminist criticism?

Feminist literary criticism grew out of political feminism. Starting with the suffrage and similar movements that struggled to obtain voting and property rights for women, the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries in many western countries have been marked by a struggle by women for full social, political, legal, and economic equality. 

Part of feminist theory involved understanding how the mechanisms of patriarchy infuse every element of our lives and societies. Feminist literary critics draw on this insight to analyze how patriarchy affects both how we read literary works and which works we read.

The first element of feminist literary criticism, sometimes referred to as part of "liberal feminism", argues that the literary canon, the works normally read and taught in school, is a patriarchal construction that marginalizes and excludes female authors. Many feminist scholars have sought to increase the proportion of women writers being taught and to reprint in modern editions (or preserve in electronic archives) the works of neglected female authors.

The second, more theoretical, feminist approach uses feminism as a way to read and understand literary works, showing how the narratives and character descriptions replicate patriarchal ideologies. 

How does The Lord of the Flies support the view that evil is not inherent in human beings, but rather a product of the choices one makes as an...

William Golding wrote Lord of the Flies in response to R.M. Ballantyne's novel Coral Island. In Coral Island, a group of schoolboys stranded on a deserted island manage to create a commendable, orderly society. Golding did not think this was realistic. Having recently lived through the years of World War II, Golding's view of man's trajectory was far less optimistic than Ballantyne's. 

Lord of the Flies illustrates that evil is inherent in man. The best quote to illustrate this comes from the scene from which the title of the book is taken. When Simon, the spiritually sensitive boy, has a vision of the Lord of the Flies, the quintessential symbol of evil, the "Beast" tells him, "You knew, didn't you? I'm part of you? Close, close, close! I'm the reason why it's no go? Why things are the way they are?" This presents the view that evil is inherent in human beings, even in Simon, who of all the boys has the most loving, gentle, altruistic personality. 

The characters of Roger and Jack also support Golding's proposition that evil comes from within. Roger seems to be a natural bully. He gleefully destroys the littluns' sandcastles and only fails to hit Henry with the rocks he throws at him because of respect for a "taboo," not because he has any compunction about hurting others. Indeed, he takes great pleasure in providing the death stab to the sow, and later all outer constraints on his behavior disappear, causing him to whiz rocks at Ralph from Castle Rock, to dislodge the rock that causes Piggy to fall to his death, and to "sharpen a stick at both ends" with the purpose of hunting and killing Ralph. Jack also succumbs easily to his feelings of jealousy and lust for power, descending into savagery, denying the other boys their rights, and instigating a tribal dance that ends up murdering Simon.

Ralph is the character who shows that, despite having internal tendencies toward evil, one can choose to follow the good and control the evil. He has the same temptations toward savagery as the other boys. When the boys have a mock pig hunt with Robert as the pig, Ralph finds the urge to pinch and hurt almost irresistible. He gets excited when his spear hits a boar, and of course, he takes part in the murderous frenzy of Jack's dance. However, he fights those urges and chooses to devote himself to actions that will help others, not hurt them.

Golding's characters reveal that evil is inherent within mankind, but that man can choose whether to give himself to evil or whether to pursue good. Roger and Jack choose to follow their evil impulses, while Ralph, for the most part, chooses to keep his under control. 

What is marketing myopia, and how can it be avoided?

Marketing myopia is when a business concerns itself more with its needs than the needs of its target market – its customers. In essence, marketing myopia occurs when an organization focuses too much on seeking sales and profits, while ignoring the needs and wants of its customers. It is not wrong for a business to concentrate on increasing sales and profits. In fact, that is what every business should be doing, or they won’t be “doing” anything for much longer.

The problem occurs when a company, in its desire to grow, ignores the changing needs of its customer base. Customers are always demanding new, improved, and innovative products that provide solutions to them. A company that focuses on itself too much tends to forgo learning more about its customers needs. The result is that these companies lose touch with their customers’ concerns and then eventually lose these customers to their competitors. It’s because the company focused on what they wanted – sometimes at the expense of its customers.

A company has to draw a fine line between trying to build its sales and profits aggressively and serving its customer base properly. When the customer is put first – sales and profits will typically follow. The customer is the driving force behind business success.

Marketing myopia can be avoided through filtering every strategic initiative and company program through the screen of the customers it seeks to serve, Fundamentally, any company initiative or program must have the customer at its heart.

Take for example McDonald’s recent foray into providing all-day breakfast at its U.S. restaurants. It certainly is an initiative to grow sales, market share, and profits. However, this program, which is now very successful for McDonald’s, would have been an abject failure if the focus of the program was only on the company and its desire for sales. Instead, McDonald’s concentrated on what its customers wanted – breakfast all-day, at reasonable prices, provided quickly at convenient locations across America.

McDonald’s marketing program is directed at the consumer – not inwardly at itself. It knows that if its customers are satisfied, then the company will satisfy its need for sales growth and profit and market share growth because this growth will be the direct result of customers well-served.

Who were the major trade partners of the kingdoms of west Africa?

The major African kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai had a very lucrative trade industry. By utilizing trade routes across the Sahara Desert, the kings fostered trade that made them wealthy. The African kingdoms had an abundance of gold by later controlling the mines and through panning it from the rivers. Ghana controlled the trade routes and exacted tolls and tax for profit. The kingdoms traded their gold for the salt that was in abundance in Northern Africa. The major trade partner of the kingdoms were the Berbers of Northern Africa.

The famous king Mansa Musa who ruled the Empire of Mali made a pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324 and traded vast sums of gold with Egypt and the capitals of Europe and Asia. He brought so much gold with him that legend has it the price of the commodity plummeted in those regions. Under the kings of Songhai, Africa extended its trade influence to Morocco, Tunisia, and Spain.

What are evidences of evolutionary relationships?

There are at least five evidences of evolutionary relationship. Each are identified and briefly explained below.

1. Biogeography

Biogeography looks at how species are geographically distributed through time. Biogeography can be used to explain how species that share a common ancestor and were geographically separated adapted to their new environments via natural selection.

2. Fossil Record

The fossil record provides a record of how anatomical features of organisms have changed over time. The fossil record also provides evidence for the period of time during which organisms have been present on Earth.

3. Homologous structures

Homologous structures are organs or bones that are found in different organisms that have similar structures. An example would be the human forearm and flipper of a whale. Each have a humerus, radius, ulna, carpals, metacarpals, phalanges. Organisms that share homologous structures are thought to have come from a common ancestor.

4. Embryology

Embryology is the study of gametes, fertilization, and embryos. The longer embryos of different species are similar, the more closely their evolutionary relationship is through to be.

5. Genetics

The more genes that two organisms have in common, the closer their evolutionary ancestry.

What did Bud save from his Momma?

Bud carries several items that belonged to his Momma in his suitcase throughout the novel. Every night before Bud goes to sleep in the Home he checks to make sure all the items are in his suitcase. Throughout the novel, Bud carries his suitcase everywhere he goes and is very protective of its contents. The most important items Bud keeps in his suitcase are the five flyers which belonged to his mother. The flyers depict Herman E. Calloway and his various bands performing at different locations. Herman E. Calloway is a famous musician and Bud believes that he is his father. Bud also keeps a picture of his mother in an envelope. Bud's mother is young in the picture and looks sad because she is sitting on a small horse wearing a cowboy hat. The last items Bud saves from his mother are five rocks that he keeps in an old tobacco bag. These rocks have locations and dates written on them. Bud uses the flyers, the stones, and his mother's photograph to help lead him to Herman E. Calloway.

Describe two things the sun is compared to in "All Summer in a Day".

"All Summer in a Day" concerns a classroom of elementary-age children living on a retro-futuristic depiction of the planet Venus (which was once argued to be a wet, swampy planet covered in jungles). Weather conditions on Venus cause it to be overcast and raining constantly, with the exception of a period of a few hours every seven years, where the rain stops, the clouds part, and the sun comes out. The children in this story were too young to remember the last time the sun appeared, so this is the first time they have been able to actively understand and anticipate its appearance.

An outsider among the children is Margot, who recently moved to Venus from Earth, and knows exactly what the sun is like because she was able to experience it every day. Margot imagines that the other children, in their dreams, remember the sun being like a yellow crayon or gold. When attempting to describe it to them, she calls it a penny, or a fire in a stove.

How is the grudge between the two families described?

In the prologue to Romeo and Juliet, the grudge or feud between the Montagues and the Capulets is described in the first four lines as such:

Two households, both alike in dignity                                                (In fair Verona, where we lay our scene),                                      From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,                                  Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. (lines 1-4)

These four lines provide several pieces of information.  First, the line "alike in dignity" tells us that both families are of similar stature within the community of Verona.  "From ancient grudge" suggests that the feud has been ongoing for quite a while, while the reference to "new mutiny" tells us that there have been recent bouts of fighting as well.  Finally, line 4 tells us that the feud is causing citizens of Verona to spill each other's blood.

What is the relationship between alveoli and pulmonary capillaries?

Pulmonary capillaries stem from the pulmonary artery. The pulmonary capillaries are tiny blood vessels that are found within the walls the alveoli of the lungs.  

Gas exchange occurs between the alveoli sacs and these small capillaries. It is here that oxygen is delivered from the lungs to the bloodstream. The oxygen attaches to the hemoglobin of red blood cells. The red blood cells then transport the oxygen to cells. The oxygen is used by the mitochondria of the vertebrate eukaryotic cells in the process that is known as cellular respiration. During cellular respiration, oxygen gas and the sugar glucose are converted into water, carbon dioxide gas, and an energy source called adenosine triphosphate (ATP). The blood that circulates within the bloodstream picks up the carbon dioxide generated via cellular respiration. The carbon dioxide from the bloodstream is then delivered back to the alveoli of the respiratory system in order to be eliminated from the body. 

Research and discuss 1 public health issue in the United States today. Explain and discuss the following: Explain why it is a public health...

The research you are being asked to do is a wonderful assignment because there are so many choices you could make.  The return of veterans requiring so much health care is a huge public health issue affecting thousands of people.  The idea that health care has a limit to resources would also be a topic as our population grows ever older which would mean that certain procedures might be limited to those under 75. 

However, the choice I would make would be the shortage of donated organs for people who need them. This is a public health issue as so many people die while waiting for donated organs, and the need is for every kind of organ such as heart, kidneys, liver or lungs.  The list goes far beyond that, but in the small group of people who live in my complex, we have one in the hospital waiting for a heart transplant, one who is on dialysis waiting for new kidneys, one who just died of pancreatic cancer and one who has been told that new kidneys will become a must soon.  None of them are on the top of any list and matches are hard to find as everything must be exactly right or the transplant will not take.

 Hospitals ask families if they wish to donate organs and are often turned down. Almost every organ which is usable is in high demand with a long waiting list.  The health policies require hospitals to follow guidelines before even asking a family for a donation, and because the question comes at the height of their sorrow, many families say no even if the person in question might have said yes.  There is a current policy of donors being listed on drivers' licenses, but that is not enough.

 Currently, the country is divided into regions so that if you are in region one, a heart which would work for you in region three is not available to you but only to someone in that region.  The system needs to be all one system so that anyone in any region can be assigned a heart from any region if everything fits, and that would require a new federal policy.  Transporting the organs is another issue as time is of the essence.  You could research if there are alternate ways of getting the organs from one hospital to another within the time limits of transplant if the regions system were not in place.

I wish you well as you do this very important paper.  Choose your issue wisely. 

What was Vasco Da Gama's motivation to keep exploring? Who sponsored Vasco Da Gama? What were the outcomes of Vasco's explorations?

The primary reason for Vasco da Gama's ventures on the open sea was to find a direct route to India for trade. Spices were the commodity that Europeans were going crazy over. As it stood, the only way to get spices was through middlemen and the Portuguese wanted to trade directly to make more of a profit. If they could find a direct route, they would not need to pay tributes to the Ottoman Empire or purchase their spices (at a marked up rate) from the Italians. There was a tremendous opportunity for wealth for whatever country discovered a route to India.

Da Gama's first voyage of exploration was for King Manuel I of Portugal. The idea was to discover a route that avoided the Mediterranean Sea by going south along the coast of Africa. His first voyage was a success as he reached India in May of 1498. Six years after Christopher Columbus had failed to find the route to India, Da Gama and his men were successful in finding a new trade route. The first voyage did not net trade agreements with the local Hindu population and could be considered an economic failure in that regard.

The second voyage of Da Gama in 1502 was more successful because he was more aggressive. He forced the local leadership to agree to trade demands and attacked Muslim trade routes. Da Gama was lauded as a success at his home in Portugal after the second voyage. He would not return to India for twenty years when he was assigned to be the viceroy, but died soon after arriving.

Compare and contrast Max and Kevin. In what ways are they similar? In what ways are they different? In what ways do their differences compliment...

Let's start with differences between Max and Kevin, because those are more obvious.  First there is the obvious difference in looks between Max and Kevin.  Max is huge.  I mean he is a really big kid for his age, and it makes him stand out.  That doesn't help with his already self-conscious mind.  Contrast that with Kevin who is small, and on top of that he looks sickly (because he is).  Despite his small size though, Kevin has self confidence to spare, while Max sorely lacks self confidence.  Part of that is because Max isn't that smart to begin with, but he makes it worse by not trying to hard.  Freak on the other hand is "freakishly" smart.  

Their attitudes on life are different as well.  Kevin has an innate seize the day attitude, which is likely because he knows that he doesn't have a long life ahead of him.  Max does not have that kind of positive outlook.  If it were left up to Max, he would never come out of his "down under."  Max flat out wants to distance himself from other people.  

Despite appearing to be vastly different characters, Max and Kevin are alike in a lot of ways.  Both characters are social outcasts.  Both characters are social outcasts for the same reason too.  They look "weird."  Max because he's huge and resembles his murdering father.  Kevin because he's so small and frail looking.  He's described as being 3 feet tall and has to walk around on crutches.  Even Max makes a snap judgment about Kevin.  His initial description of him is a "crippled-up yellow haired midget." 

Both Max and Kevin are broken characters as well.  Kevin is physically broken by the disease ravaging his body, and Max is psychologically broken, because he witnessed the murder of his own mother. . . by his father.  

In what chapter of Lord of the Flies does Ralph finally admit that Piggy is smarter than he is?

In chapter five, titled "Beast from Water," Ralph admits to himself that Piggy is smarter than he is. Ralph is about to call an assembly together, the first truly serious one, and he's trying to work out how to proceed appropriately. After spending some time thinking, while walking along the beach and noticing the changes that have occurred since they arrived on the island, Ralph begins to plot out how the meeting should go. It's in this section where Ralph first admits that Piggy is gifted with a type of thinking that doesn't come naturally to Ralph. 

"Only, decided Ralph as he faced the chief’s seat, I can’t think. Not like Piggy." (110)

Ralph proceeds to acknowledge that Piggy can think, despite his girth. This adds value to Piggy, particularly since that skill, that of thought, is valuable in a chief. Ralph is struggling in this scene to come to the right decision and he worries that he might make the wrong one. As he continues to ponder the decision making process, wisdom, and how to best survive on this island, Ralph recognizes that Piggy doesn't seem to struggle to think in the way that Ralph does. This is an acknowledgement to Piggy's superior intelligence. 

Compare the society of past and present.

Without a specific timeline, it is tough to compare the past and current societies. However, one thing is certain, we are using technology much more intensively than we have ever used in the past. This simply means that technologically we are more advanced than ever and this gives us the biggest difference over the human society of any past time. For example, we are using chemicals (pesticides, insecticides, fertilizers, etc.), equipment (harvester, thresher, etc.), better storage, etc. in our agriculture. This has resulted in higher yields at lower manual labor and ensured food availability to our ever-growing population. We have faster and more reliable means of transport, enabling movement of goods and services at much faster pace than ever. We have better medicare and education and more reliable energy supplies. We have a higher life expectancy and better connectivity (through communication channels such as, phone, internet, etc.). Thus, we are technologically more advanced now than ever.

Hope this helps.  

To whom is Montresor telling the story in "The Cask of the Amontillado" and how do you know this?

This is a good question because it is not immediately nor obviously clear who Montresor is talking to. Note the second line of the story. Montresor says, "You who know so well the nature of my soul . . ." This is a pretty suggestive statement. We might think he is talking to a trusted friend or a spouse, an intimate friend, or someone he trusts. 

At the end of the story, Montresor reveals that it has been 50 years since he's killed Fortunato. So, he's clearly much older. One might question why he decides to confess his sin to someone so long after it has occurred. There are a lot of religious undertones in the story/confession. Montresor gives his warped version of the Golden Rule in the beginning of the story. "A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser." There is the notion that Fortunato's consumption of wine is his "last supper." Montresor concludes the story/confession with "rest in peace" (In pace requiescat). So, even though he doesn't seem very contrite or remorseful, this seems to be a confession to a priest. Montresor is fifty years older and therefore quite old at this point, maybe close to death. Therefore, he might finally feel inclined to confess. A priest who would know Montresor's sins would know the "nature" of his "soul" as a result. 

Is guilt more intense if the wrongdoing is undiscovered? Explain.

Absolutely, I think one's guilt is much worse if one's wrongdoing is never discovered.  Clearly, the murder of Fortunato has been weighing on Montresor's conscience heavily because it has been around fifty years since he abandoned his nemesis inside the crypt's wall, and yet the memory is occupying his last moments on earth.

It appears, from the first and last lines of the story that Montresor is an old man, on his deathbed, and he's making his last confession.  He supposes that the person to whom he speaks "know[s] the nature of [his] soul" well, and he says, at the end of the story, that for "half of a century no mortal has disturbed [Fortunato's bones]."  Moreover, Montresor employs hyperbole (overstatement) in the story's first line in order to emphasize how wronged he had been by Fortunato, as if to justify the murder.  He says, "The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge."  It is improbable the Fortunato had actually harmed Montresor to any significant degree, but it certainly felt as though he had to Montresor.  In offering this exaggeration, it appears that Montresor is attempting to reassure himself that his crime was justified (which is precisely what someone who has an unwanted guilty conscience might do).

Furthermore, in the final paragraph, Montresor says that after he'd begun to wall Fortunato in, "[his] heart grew sick; it was the dampness of the catacombs that made it so."  It seems unlikely that the humidity in the crypt would cause his heart to pain him; it might cause him to become short of breath but why would it affect a part of the body so much associated with the soul, with morality and feeling?  He seems to be offering, now, an excuse for why it felt so bad because he doesn't want to admit that it was guilt.  If Fortunato truly deserved what he got, as Montresor seems to want to believe (and as he seems to want his auditor to believe as well), then there'd be no reason to feel guilt.  And yet, it does seem a lot like guilt.  Had his crime been discovered, it would have been out in the open, and he would have been punished for it.  However, this way, having kept the secret for half a century, has clearly taken a toll on him: he is still so concerned with trying to justify his actions so that he does not have to come to grips with the weight of his own guilt.  Yes, secret sin is far worse than public.  

What were the occupations of the two men in "The Bet"?

In Chekhov's story "The Bet," the man who initiates the bet is a banker. He tells the other man: "I'll bet you two million you wouldn't stay in solitary confinement for five years." The other opts for fifteen years in a show of bravado. The story opens when the fifteen-year period of the other man's confinement is almost up, and the banker is described as "the old banker," meaning that he must have been in fairly late middle age when he made the bet. Chekhov's choice of this character's occupation was natural because any man who could risk losing two million rubles on such a bet would have to be wealthy.

Chekhov introduces the other man by giving his age and occupation:

Among the guests was a young lawyer, a young man of five-and-twenty.

It is appropriate that this man should be young and should be a lawyer. If he were not young, he wouldn't be likely to want to spend fifteen-years in confinement. The fact that he is a lawyer suggests that he feels secure about the terms of the bet. In other words, he knows it is legally enforceable if he wins. It was made in front of a large number of distinguished witnesses. It is not exactly a gambling debt but could be construed as a verbal contract. If the lawyer remains in solitary confinement for fifteen years, the banker will pay him two million rubles. The banker should know that the lawyer is capable of pursuing him vigorously if he refuses to pay. And furthermore, the banker would be disgraced for reneging because the many witnesses, some of whom were journalists, would spread the story all over Russia.

What do the Lilliputians and the Brobdingnagians have in common?

Both the Lilliputians and Brobdingnagians ultimately think poorly of Gulliver and his society.  The Lilliputians accuse Gulliver of treason because he peed on the palace (to put out the fire there), he wouldn't demolish Blefuscu (Lilliput's enemy), he did "aid, abet, comfort, and divert" the Blefuscudian ambassadors, and he only received verbal permission to visit Blefuscu from the Emperor of Lilliput and they believe that he will aid the Emperor of Blefuscu on this visit.  They desire to put him to "the most painful and ignominious Death."  

In Brobdingnag, after Gulliver explains his home and its customs to the king, the King says, "'I cannot but conclude the Bulk of your Natives, to be the most pernicious Race of little odious Vermin that Nature ever suffered to crawl upon the Surface of the Earth.'"  Once he learns of the warlike tendencies and the savage behaviors of the English, the king feels that Gulliver and his countrymen are lower than rats or roaches.  While the Lilliputians would hardly describe Gulliver, a giant to them, in this way, their behavior and his conviction of treason indicates the extent to which they have a problem with him and his customs.

During World War I, what name was given to the countries of Great Britain, France, and the United States?

Prior to the start of World War I, there were two alliances. The Triple Alliance included Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy. The Triple Entente included France, Great Britain, and Russia.

When World War I began, the alliances were known as the Central Powers and the Allied Powers. The Central Powers consisted of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey, and Bulgaria. They were fighting against the Allies, which included France, Great Britain, Italy, Russia, and the United States. The United States didn’t enter the war until April 1917. Italy, which had been part of the Triple Alliance with Germany and Austria-Hungary, remained neutral when World War I began. Italy then joined the Allies in 1915. Russia withdrew from World War I as a result of the Russian Revolution. The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was signed in 1918, formally ending Russian involvement in the war.

Thus, Great Britain, France, Italy, and the United States were the main countries that made up the Allied Powers, or the Allies, in World War I.

In your opinion, should the US have accepted the Castro revolution and subsequent communist government as legitimate? Why or why not?

It would have been difficult for the United States to have supported the Castro Revolution and the communist government that was established in Cuba. In order to understand why this was the case, it is necessary to understand what was happening in the world after World War II ended.

The United States and the Soviet Union were in a Cold War, a period of time of confrontation and competition between these two countries. The Soviet Union was trying to spread communism around the world. We were trying to prevent the spread of communism. We believed in the Domino Theory, which stated that if one country in a region became communist then other countries would also become communist. Thus, we opposed the spread of communism in Western Europe, in Asia, and in Southeast Asia. When Cuba became communist as a result of the Castro Revolution and with the growing friendship between Cuba and the Soviet Union, we were concerned communism might spread in the Americas. There was now a communist government just 90 miles from our country.

With our concerns about the spread of communism, we couldn’t possibly have supported the Castro Revolution and the communist government that followed. We had supported the Batista presidency to keep communism out of Cuba. Supporting Castro and his government would have been an acknowledgement that the Domino Theory was wrong, and the communism wasn’t necessarily an undesirable form of government. Given the time period, there was no way that support was going to occur.

Are Brutus and Caesar more similar or different? Why?

Brutus and Julius Caesar are more different than similar. The biggest difference shown in the play is that Caesar is extremely ambitious, whereas Brutus does not display any ambition at all. Brutus is a philosopher, and as a philosopher he values knowledge, study, solitude, and introspection. Caesar is much more a man of action. He has proved it by his conquest of Gaul, which took many years. When he decides to do something, he does it. Nothing can stop him. It may seem surprising that these two men are friends. Caesar values Brutus because he know him to be intelligent and honest. Brutus apparently likes Caesar because he believes him to be a patriotic Roman who wants to help improve the lives of all the people of Rome. Since Brutus values intelligence, he values this in Caesar. Both men are equally intelligent and can therefore engage in interesting conversations without arguing or quarreling.

It can be seen in Act 1, Scene 2 that Brutus must be having second thoughts about his relationship with Julius Caesar. This is shown early on when Cassius asks, "Will you go to see the order of the course?" and Brutus replies, "Not I." Brutus expects Caesar to make a big entrance at the Lupercal races. (Casca will describe all this contemptuously when he encounters Brutus with Cassius after the event.) All Caesar's followers will be with him at the reviewing stand. But Brutus is an independent spirit, like most real philosophers. He does not like being used, and he does not want to appear to be either Caesar's follower or his supporter. Brutus may know that Antony is slated to offer Caesar something representing a crown, and Brutus does not approve of Caesar becoming king. He is not jealous or envious of Caesar, but he is concerned about the future of Rome. Cassius plays on this to arouse Brutus's fears of Caesar's intentions. The friendship between Brutus and Caesar is weakening. But most friendships do not last. 

When Brutus is debating with himself over whether or not to join the conspiracy against Caesar, he says:

But 'tis a common proof
That lowliness is young ambition's ladder,
Whereto the climber-upward turns his face;
But when he once attains the upmost round,
He then unto the ladder turns his back,
Looks in the clouds, scorning the base degrees
By which he did ascend.      (II.1)

This seems to suggest that Caesar's friendship with Brutus is not reliable. As Brutus says, "'tis a common proof." It is very common for all of us to lose a friend once he has risen to a higher status in life. If Caesar became king, Brutus might find that Caesar's attitude towards him was no longer the same. Caesar in fact seems to despise most people. He expresses this plainly in Act 3, Scene 1 just before he is assassinated. He says:

The skies are painted with unnumber'd sparks;
They are all fire and every one doth shine;
But there's but one in all doth hold his place.
So in the world, 'tis furnish'd well with men,
And men are flesh and blood, and apprehensive;
Yet in the number I do know but one
That unassailable holds on his rank,
Unshaked of motion;

In Shakespeare's play, Caesar always seems to express himself in a grandiose way, while Brutus always seems modest, thoughtful, and polite, as he does in that long conversation with Cassius in Act 1, Scene 2.

Why do you think the Framers devoted so much of the Constitution to the legislative branch?

I would argue that the Framers of the Constitution devoted so much of the Constitution to the legislative branch because they wanted it to be the dominant branch of government.  They wanted this because they would have believed that it was the least likely to tyrannize the people.

The Framers were very worried about tyrannical government.  They felt that the British government had been tyrannical and they did not want another such government.  They knew that they had to make their national government stronger than it had been under the Articles of Confederation, but they did not want it to be too strong or too able to act decisively.  One way to achieve this was to give Congress the bulk of the power.

The Framers most certainly did not want the executive branch to dominate the government.  If the president came to dominate, he (they surely were not thinking a woman would ever hold office) would become like a king.  Therefore, they wanted the legislative branch to be the strongest branch.  It included representatives from all of the states and therefore could speak for the whole population.  It had many more members and those members were divided into two houses, both of which had to agree in order to pass any laws.  In other words, A) the legislative branch was more representative of the people than any other branch and B) it was harder to gain consensus within that branch than within either of the other branches.

For these reasons, the Framers thought it was safer to place more power in the hands of the legislative branch than with either of the other branches.  Because they wanted this branch to dominate, they devoted more of the Constitution to it.

Which of the following government services doesn't encourage community safety? Car seat installations, recycling, fire prevention programs,...

The answer may depend on if you expected to only "choose one" or if you are allowed to choose multiple answers to this question. 

At first glance, it is obvious that fire prevention programs and car seat installations have immediate effects on community safety. The first can prevent people from becoming trapped in building which are burning, prevent these fires altogether, or other tactics. These programs will result in less death or injury due to fire, which is an obvious health benefit. 

Car seats also have proven effects on increasing the safety of children and infants during collision. It stands to reason that increased car seat installation will result in less injury to children during collision, which will make them healthier. 

What about the other two? Recycling can have an important health effect by decreasing the amount of garbage that ends up in a landfill! Consider this: would you live next to a landfill? Why not? Garbage going to landfills isn't good for air quality and can affect water quality as well--through leakage from landfills or trash ending up in waterways directly. It stands to reason that the more recycling there is, the less trash there may be. Less trash means less pollution. Less pollution means better air and water quality. Therefore, recycling can have an important effect on a community's health. 

However, as beneficial as they may be, cultural festivals may have the least positive health benefits. Certainly, feeling prideful in oneself may encourage better health and self esteem, but that may not alway be the case. It depends on the culture, for example. What if this cultural festival revolves around espousing hate and drinking twinkie and soda smoothies? While this is an obviously ridiculous example, there are cultures that exist that most may not consider the healthiest. Secondly, these festivals may only happen every once in a while. Even if they were to be beneficial, they may not have a lasting affect on the community. The benefits you may see might only be temporary. Therefore, this last option would be the least likely to promote community health on a wide scale. 

Who was the original person whose skull is used by Hamlet when he held it up and announced "Alas, poor Yorick"?

There is no deception in this proclamation. Yorick was in fact a jester to Hamlet’s father when Hamlet was a boy. “A man of infinite jest and most excellent fancy” he would pick up Hamlet and give him rides on his back (“He hath borne me on his back a thousand times.”) So this figure from Hamlet's childhood is now long-dead, and is now deteriorating in his grave. (A common practice in these times is to disturb one grave to dig another.) The whole scene is re-establishing one of the themes of the play, the dichotomy between the physical world of flesh and bone, and the possibility of a “spiritual” world after death. It is also an excellent example of how Shakespeare uses Horatio as a character whose function in the dramaturgy is to be a sounding board that allows us, the audience, to be privy to Hamlet's thoughts.

On which themes did Shakespeare compose sonnets?

Well, as you probably guessed, Shakespeare's sonnets are composed largely on the theme of love. Many of Shakespeare's sonnets were said to be dedicated to a "young man," others to a "dark lady." However, if we examine the sonnets closely, we find other themes -- youth and coming of age, life and death, pleasure, beauty, physicality, etc. I'll provide a few examples below. 

"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate." Obviously Sonnet 18 is a sonnet on the theme of love, but it also touches on the themes of youth and beauty, which are directly connected to love in this case. It is "young love." 

"So, till the judgment that yourself arise, you live in this, and dwell in lover's eyes." This final couplet from Sonnet 55 dotes on themes of life and death (as well as impending judgement). At the same time, it says that while the person lives, they "dwell in lover's eyes" (again touching on themes of love).

"When hours have drain'd his blood and fill'd his brow/with lines and wrinkles; when his youthful morn/Hath travell'd on to age's steepy night." This line from Sonnet 63 dotes on the theme of youth fading away as the "young man" Shakespeare appears to be writing to ages. 

What is the substance of the poem "Lucy Gray" by William Wordsworth?

“Lucy Gray” is about a little girl who gets lost in a snowstorm; her parents search for her all through the night, but find no sign of their daughter.  Finally, at daybreak, the mothers spies Lucy’s footprints in the snow.  The footprints lead to the middle of a wooden bridge a short distance from their home; there the footprints end.  Lucy is never found,

--Yet some maintain that to this day
She is a living child;
That you may see sweet Lucy Gray
Upon the lonesome wild.

The speaker begins the poem with his own sighting of Lucy Gray, upon the moor where she lived and played, at dawn.  Thus we have the dissemination of the girl’s spirit into nature; the speaker sights her, but the sighting is spectral and rooted in tales that “some maintain” – local legends.  In this way, Wordsworth is exalting the imagination and the power of nature to keep the spirit alive, even when all trace of one’s existence has been wiped away.

There is also an emphasis on solitude in the poem – Lucy Gray always plays alone, she goes into town alone, and she dies alone.  And yet there is little to indicate any sadness linked to this solitude – Lucy “gladly” goes to town by herself, and is quite content to play on her own on the moor.  She is a happy child, and makes a happy ghost and a happy tale, and even death cannot dampen the sweetness that was in her, and that remains in her memory.

What is the meaning of the symbol “the bird of night” in Julius Caesar?

Act I Scene III

Casca speaks:

And yesterday the bird of night did sit
Even at noon-day upon the marketplace,
Hooting and shrieking. 

The discussion takes place on the eve of the Ides of March. Casca, speaking to Cicero, describes bad omens he has witnessed. Hearing an owl hooting and screeching in the middle of the day is unusual, and he considers it a bad omen, especially when considered among other omens he saw. Owls, crows and ravens were considered bad omens at the time. Cicero dismissed Casca's omens, insisting that natural explanations exist even when things appear to be unnatural.

Later in the scene, Casca meets with Cassius and they discuss the omens. Cassius says that the bad omens mean trouble for Julius Caesar. Numerous omens point to Caesar's death in the play. The "bird of night" is one of those warnings that tell the audience to prepare for the tragedy soon to befall Caesar.

Among the themes, we find the impact a sick society experiences with the death of their king, as seen in the above quote. This suggests that the growing number of omens may result from the agitation, guilt and potential danger they face.

Write a short essay (200 words+) arguing that many Hollywood films glorify and romanticize war and soldiering.

Despite Wilfred Owen's claim to the contrary, many people, as a result of romantic stories set against a backdrop of war—most especially World War II—might believe that war is a glorious endeavor and that dying for one's country is a sweet and fitting sacrifice. Movies like Pearl Harbor (2001), starring Kate Beckinsale and Ben Affleck, turn a handsome lover's death into an opportunity to turn to the open arms of another handsome lover. It doesn't feel cold or calculated, and the characters' motives seem to be sincere and their sense of loss real, but instead of choosing to deal with the real horrors of war (as a film like Saving Private Ryan does to a much greater degree), the movie uses the romance to heighten the audience's emotions. One could argue that it is easier for an audience to identify with or understand the struggles of one or two individuals in war, but the extent to which romance is the main focus of such war movies really draws our attention away from the toll war takes on human life and refocuses it on the toll it takes on one set of lovers. The lovers' loss is real, too, but there's something about focusing on it that romanticizes war as more of a relationship hurdle rather than something much, much bigger.

I need a few quotations for my essay on the book 'How to Kill a Mockingbird'. My essay is about how Boo Radley is like a second father to the...

In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, since fathers often typically express love by giving their children gifts, it can be argued that Boo Radley acts as a second father to the children by leaving them gifts in the knot-hole of an oak tree that stands on the Radley property. The most substantial point of proof that Radley is leaving gifts because he cares is the moment he leaves bars of soap hand carved in the children's images. Prior to this moment, he left more trivial things such as tinfoil and chewing gum, things that were difficult to tie directly to Radley. When Jem sees the soap figurines, he notes that they were done with excellent skill. Scout also notes in her narrative that they were carved to look just like the children:

The boy had on shorts, and a shock of soapy hair fell to his eyebrows. ... Jem looked from the girl-doll to me. The girl-doll wore bangs. So did I. (Ch. 7)

Only someone who cares like a father would take the time to carve figurines out of soap that look just like the children he cares for. In addition, we know for sure that Radley made the soap carvings because he is the only one in the neighborhood known to be able to carve with any skill.

Beyond the gifts left in the tree, the moment Radley sneaks out of his house to place a blanket around Scout's shoulders even more significantly indicates that Radley is a second father figure for the children. In Chapter 8, while the children are observing the town putting out Miss Maudie's fire from the safe distance of the gate in front of the Radleys' place, Radley, thinking Scout might be cold and scared and wanting to comfort her, sneaked out of his house behind her and draped a blanket around her shoulders without her even noticing. We particularly learn Boo Radley gave Scout the blanket when Atticus says hopefully Scout can thank him someday and, in answer to her question, "Thank who?," Atticus replies, "Boo Radley. You were so busy looking at the fire you didn't know it when he put the blanket around you" (Ch. 8). Boo Radley's thoughtfulness and care in this moment definitely shows he is acting like a second father figure to the children.

What does Romeo’s final speech reveal about his fears or suspicions in Romeo and Juliet?

When Romeo speaks to Juliet, whom he believes to be dead, he marvels at the way her cheeks and lips still are still tinted with pink.  He was expecting her to be quite pale, as corpses are, and he makes much of the fact that her beauty is "not [yet] conquered" by death (5.3.94).  However, after he looks at Tybalt's body, likely mentally comparing its appearance to hers, he again asks how it is possible for her to remain so "fair."  He muses,

Shall I believe
That unsubstantial death is amorous,
And that the lean, abhorred monster keeps 
Thee here in dark to be his paramour? (5.3.102-105)

In other words, he personifies death, suspecting that death is actually living being, and a lover, who keeps Juliet with him in her tomb so that she can be his mistress.  However, he does not like this idea at all and goes on to say that he will now remain with her in the tomb forever.