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.

In the novel Heart of Darkness, was Conrad with imperialism or against it?

A good novel is not the same as a good essay or a political speech. In an argumentative essay or speech, a writer is expected to argue clearly for or against some sort of thesis. Although some novels are polemical in intent, most good novels are not essays in disguise but explorations of human situations through the sensibilities of imaginary characters. Thus Heart of Darkness is not a polemic "for" or "against" imperialism but rather an exploration of how the characters of both Europeans and Africans were transformed by imperialism.

In the novel, Marlow is appalled initially by the ways black slaves are treated by the Europeans and most readers will share his reactions. He recounts, concerning the "tax" system:

The system lent itself to all kinds of tyranny, brutality and subsequent reprisals by the natives. In one concession alone one hundred and forty-two Africans were killed. The spirit of bitterness and hatred generated in the people was quite terrifying, ...

In this way the novel presents a critique of some aspects of imperialism

The figure of Kurtz, who is central to the novel, is monstrous, but represents not pure hegemony of Europe over Africa but the transformation of Europe by its encounter with or "unconcealing" (in the Heideggerian sense) of the "heart of darkness". The Africans themselves though, are often portrayed as brutal and violent, and so the condemnation of the behavior of the Europeans is not one-sided.

The Intended, though, shows another and positive aspect of imperialism, from the point of view of an African who sees in imperial culture the promise of greatness for Africa in joining European civilization. Although Kurtz himself did not match that ideal, the Intended does provide a positive vision of imperialism. 

How important is the making of clothes and other fabric items to the development of plot and characters in The Color Purple?

In Alice Walker's The Color Purple, the main character Celie spends much of her life persecuted by her husband, Mr.___. He is abusive to her both physically and mentally. When she finally breaks free of him, it is through pure strength of will. The symbol for this freedom is her sewing. Celie starts to sew clothes. The act of sewing clothes represents weaving together a new narrative for herself. She is creating something when she sews. This action moves the plot along in a specific way as Celie works toward having her own business.

More importantly, it shows her change of character. Celie decides to start sewing pants, which are typically a male-gendered garment, yet Celie's pants are for men or women. She specializes in sewing pants, which are symbolic of her liberation--she will not be bound to skirts or a traditional woman's role (or an oppressed position for that matter). The pants that Celie makes show that she has transformed herself into an independent woman--not only because of the pants themselves but also because of the income they provide for her to truly support herself in her new life.

What does Ellen say would not be as bad as being dead in Number the Stars by Lois Lowry?

One night while lying in bed, Annemarie and Ellen began talking about Lise.  Lise had been Annemarie's older sister, who had died in a tragic accident when she was eighteen-years-old.  Lise had died shortly before she was supposed to get married.  She had been a beautiful and passionate young woman, and her life was cut short. 

During this conversation, Ellen told Annemarie that she considered dying young to be an incredible tragedy.  She told her friend that dying young was "the worst thing in the world."  She went on to say that she would hate it if the Nazis arrested her family and took them away from Copenhagen.  Despite this, she noted that it would not be worse than dying.

Annemarie reassured her friend that the Nazis would not take them.  She told Ellen that she was safe at her house.  She also reminded Ellen that her father was going to make sure the family stayed safe.

What might the results of this lab mean in terms of the ability of microbes to live and thrive on other planets or moons that don't have oxygen in...

Although you did not specify the experiment, I assume you are working with growth of microorganisms in presence and/or absence of oxygen. In other words, you are investigating the microbial growth in aerobic (presence of oxygen) and anaerobic (absence of oxygen) conditions. You may have already noticed in your experiment that microbes grow in both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. There are some microbes that can grow in either conditions (presence or absence of oxygen). This means that even without the oxygen, some microbes can grow. Thus, we can hypothesize that planets or moons without oxygen can have some microbial life. You may have also noticed that microbes grow at a faster pace in aerobic conditions as compared to anaerobic conditions. This is true because aerobic cellular respiration produces more energy per unit glucose as compared to anaerobic cellular respiration. 

It may also be of interest to know that microbes are probably the first life forms on Earth and the earliest microbes were most likely anaerobes. Thus, we can imagine anaerobic microbes living and thriving in planets and moons that do not have oxygen in their atmospheres. 

Hope this helps. 

Write an equation of a rational function with these conditions: No Vertical Asymptote Horizontal Asymptote at y=5 Y-intercept at (0,3)

The function has no vertical Asymptote means the denominator does not  equate to 0 at any value of x. In other words the polynomial should not have real roots. A simple form of this type function of function would be `ax^2+1` .

The function has a horizontal Asymptote at y=5. So the polynomial of the numerator would have a type like `5x^2+bx+c` . 

So from these data we can say the function is;

`f(x) = (5x^2+bx+c)/(ax^2+1)`

It is given that at x = 0 then y = 3.

`3 = c/1`

`c = 3`

`f(x) = (5x^2+bx+3)/(ax^2+1)`

So a and b can be any rational value where `a!=0` .

A simple form of the answer would be at a = 1 and b = 0;

`f(x) =(5x^2+3)/(x^2+1)`

So the answer can be given as;

`f(x) =(5x^2+3)/(x^2+1)`

What are two emotions Jack feels after not killing the pig in Lord of the Flies?

At the end of the first chapter in Lord of the Flies, the three boys who are exploring the island come across a piglet "caught in a curtain of creepers." Jack, who has already proclaimed that he will take the role of hunter, raises his knife. However, he is unable to strike because taking the life of an animal is a fearful thing. Indeed, as the pig escapes, "Jack's face was white under the freckles" as he observes the "place of terror." It was not only the place of the pig's terror, but of the boys' terror, as they each imagined "what an enormity the downward stroke would be." 

Still, after he sheaths his knife, Jack shakes off the fear. Other emotions rush in. Like the other boys, he is ashamed that he was afraid to strike. His shame is certainly greater, because he has volunteered to lead the hunters, and because he was the one with the knife. He feels the need to make an excuse to hide his shame, saying he was looking for a place to put the knife. When Ralph and Simon ask him why he didn't cut the pig's throat, he has to walk ahead of them so they cannot see the shame on his face.

The second emotion that comes over him is self-recriminating regret. He realizes that if he had killed the pig, he would have established himself as a leader on the island. Had he single-handedly "brought home the bacon" to the other boys, how impressed they would have been! How willing to follow his lead and respect his authority! Now that the opportunity has passed, Jack kicks himself for spoiling his chance for recognition. He slams his knife into a tree trunk fiercely, as if to punctuate his anger at himself. "Next time there would be no mercy" on the pig, but also on himself. He will not let another opportunity to advance himself among the boys pass him by.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, Jem tells Scout that when he retrieved his pants from the Radleys they were folded across the fence like they were...

This is an example of personification.

Personification is a type of figurative language where something inanimate is described as animate or given human-like qualities.  In this case, the quote can be interpreted as personification because the pants seem to be waiting for Jem to come back for them.

“When I went back for my breeches—they were all in a tangle when I was gettin‘ out of ’em, I couldn’t get ‘em loose. When I went back—” Jem took a deep breath. “When I went back, they were folded across the fence… like they were expectin’ me.” (Ch. 7) 

What is actually happening here is that Boo Radley saw Jem’s pants and knew that he would come back to get them.  He took the pants and stitched them up, and then left them for Jem because he did not want Jem to get into trouble.  As Jem observes, the stitching is uneven and does not appear to have been done by a woman.  In those days, more women would be sewing than men. 

This incident serves to foreshadow Boo’s later involvement in the children’s lives.  Previously, he left them presents in the tree.  When Miss Maudie’s house caught on fire, Boo Radley again tried to protect one of the Finch children by leaving a blanket on Scout’s shoulders. 

This is when Jem realized that Boo Radley was the one who left the presents and the pants.  He spills everything to Atticus so that he won’t tell Nathan Radley what Boo has done. 

“…Mr. Nathan put cement in that tree, Atticus, an‘ he did it to stop us findin’ things—he’s crazy, I reckon, like they say, but Atticus, I swear to God he ain’t ever harmed us, he ain’t ever hurt us, he coulda cut my throat from ear to ear that night but he tried to mend my pants instead… he ain’t ever hurt us, Atticus—” (Ch. 8) 

Atticus agrees with Jem’s assessment of Boo Radley’s harmlessness.  He agrees not to return the blanket and get Boo in trouble.  This is a turning point for Jem and Scout.  They begin to realize that Boo Radley is not the neighborhood villain after all.  He is their friend, and he is looking out for them.

Why do families have a long lasting effect on our values?

Family values shape who members of a family are, how they are perceived in the community, and how others in the community perceive the family. Family values determine how a family spends their free time, how a family spends their money, how a family relates to one another, and even what a family wears and eats. Many groups try to tie family values to religious values.  However, they are not one in the same. Religious values are not always the same as family values, and a family may have certain family values and as a subset religious values.

Each family has a different set of values they believe are important. For example, one family may believe that working hard and studying for school are very important. Another family may believe that family members should relax and enjoy life and that studying hard is not necessary. Family values are based on each family member's perceptions, prejudices and past experiences. Generally, the parents or adults in the family guide family values. When children try to guide the family and establish the family values or rules, chaos may ensue. Children may not have had enough life experience or understanding about consequences of their decisions in order to chart the course for an entire family.

Family values are important in shaping individuals as they become adults and productive members of society. Adapting to social norms most often start with values at home. 

How does Wordsworth describe the song of the Solitary Reaper?

In Wordsworth’s Solitary Reaper, the speaker of the poem finds a maiden working all “by herself” in the field and singing a melodious song. Wordsworth describes the lonesome maiden’s song as sad and beautiful. He compares her voice with the beautiful cries of the nightingale in the “Arabian sands” and the cuckoo-bird during spring in the “farthest” islands of "Hebrides." The speaker who beholds the maiden singing a sweet melody in her voice “so thrilling" feels emotionally exhilarated and completely moved by the beauty and intensity of the song. Although he is unable to understand the meaning of the words of the song, as the maiden sings the song in a language unknown to him, he tries to connect with her emotions and projects a few possible interpretations of the song in his mind. He contemplates that the song is possibly about “old, unhappy, far-off things," “And battles long ago,” or “Some natural sorrow, loss, or pain."

What is Rousseau's contribution to our government? What did he believe?

One of Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s most influential works on government was his piece on the Social Contract. In his work, Rousseau described the methodology towards the establishment of a stable political community. His work inspired political reforms and revolutions in Europe, America and other parts of the world.

He publicly disputed the monarchies divine authority to lead the masses. He asserted that the administration should only govern with the consent of the governed. He also stated that the laws are subject to decisions and opinions of the masses. Thus, people should be free to choose the laws that bind them. The idea behind this assertion was that the masses forfeit a certain amount of rights to ensure that their collective rights and freedoms are guaranteed. This would be achieved because not only would the administration be required to protect these collective freedoms, but the masses would be responsible for the mutual protection of their freedoms.

His work offered impetus to the Founding Fathers to challenge the crown’s authority, leading up to the Declaration of Independence.

"Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains. One man thinks himself the master of others, but remains more of a slave than they"-- (Social Contract)

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,-- (Declaration of Independence)

What is an example of simile, metaphor, onomatopoeia, alliteration, hyperbole, and personification in Hatchet?

Similes, metaphors, hyperbole, and personification are all examples of figurative language.  Onomatopoeia and alliteration are sound devices.  Authors use all of these to add depth and interest to their words.

A metaphor is a comparison that describes something as something else.  Here is an example from the beginning of the book where Brian is describing the plane’s ascent.

He had never flown in a single-engine plane before and to be sitting in the copilot's seat with all the controls right there in front of him, all the instruments in his face as the plane clawed for altitude, jerking and sliding on the wind currents as the pilot took off, had been interesting and exciting. (Ch. 1)

The phrase “clawed for altitude” is not literal of course.  The plane is ascending, because that is what planes do.  Paulsen describes the plane as if it were an animal, clawing at the air as it goes up.  The “sea of green trees” is also a metaphor, because it just means a lot of green trees, not an actual sea.

Personification is the act of describing something as if it were a human.  In this case, the river is given a human quality.

The drone and the sea of green trees that lay before the plane's nose and flowed to the horizon, spread with lakes, swamps, and wandering streams and rivers. (Ch. 1)

Rivers do not wander.  People do.  To wander, you have to have no destination in mind and be walking aimlessly.  The river is described as wandering because it moves through the landscape not in a straight line.

A simile is a comparison where you describe something as looking like something, not as something. Usually the word “like” or “as” is used, but not always.  A simile is an indirect comparison.

The pilot sat large, his hands lightly on the wheel, feet on the rudder pedals. He seemed more a machine than a man, an extension of the plane. (Ch. 1)

In this case, the pilot is compared to a machine.  He seems like a machine because he is concentrating on the plane and his actions make the plane operate, almost as if he were a part of the plane itself.

Alliteration is the repetition of initial sounds, the sounds at the beginning of a word.

Now the plane lurched slightly to the right and Brian looked at the pilot. He was rubbing his shoulder again and there was the sudden smell of body gas in the plane. (Ch. 1)

In this case “sudden smell” is alliteration because it repeats the “s” sound at the beginnings of the words.  Alliteration makes words almost musical, and in this case highlights the tension Brian is feeling as the pilot becomes ill.

Hyperbole is an exaggeration. It is a type of figurative language where something is described in a very extreme way.  When the pilot realizes he is having a heart attack, he uses hyperbole.

Brian knew. The pilot's mouth went rigid, he swore and jerked a short series of slams into the seat, holding his shoulder now. Swore and hissed, "Chest! Oh God, my chest is coming apart!" (Ch. 1)

Obviously the pilot’s chest is not literally coming apart.  It just hurts so badly that it feels like it is coming apart, and he is scared, so he exaggerates.

Onomatopoeia is a sound device where a word is used that looks like it sounds.

For a second all he heard was the whussshof the empty air waves. Then, through the noise and static he heard a voice. (Ch. 1)

The sound is used to create a sort of sound effect, so you can hear what is happening as if it were happening.

How can I analyze the three-way relationship between Hamlet, Gertrude, and Claudius?

This is a complex relationship. Claudius sums it up best at the beginning of the play.

Therefore our sometime sister, now our queen, 
Th' imperial jointress to this warlike state, 
Have we, as 'twere with a defeated joy, 
With an auspicious, and a dropping eye, 
With mirth in funeral, and with dirge in marriage, 
In equal scale weighing delight and dole, 
Taken to wife; (I.ii.208-213).

He explains to the reader (or audience) that Gertrude was once his sister-in-law, married to his brother, but is now his wife. This makes Claudius not only Hamlet’s uncle but also his stepfather. Additionally, it creates strain in the mother and son relationship since Hamlet can’t understand how his mother could love his father so dearly yet marry his father’s brother so soon after the funeral.

Though the play begins after King Hamlet is dead, it is this exposition that shows us the complexity of Hamlet’s situation not only in his home at Elsinore but in the kingdom as well. Denmark is at odds with Norway. Young Fortinbras wants to attack and avenge his father, and now Denmark is ripe for the picking with a changeover in the throne. Everything about this set up is precarious, and when we soon after learn that the new king is the one who murdered the old, it’s easy to understand why Hamlet’s relationship with his mother becomes even more strained. Either she was in on the plot to murder King Hamlet or she wasn’t, but either way, she is married to her husband’s killer and places her trust in her husband up until the moment she drinks the poisoned wine. And when Claudius believes Hamlet has uncovered his secrets, he aims to get rid of Hamlet as well, which is what catalyzes the deaths of Gertrude, Laertes, Hamlet, and Claudius himself in the end.

The relationship between Hamlet, Claudius, and Gertrude is volatile from the beginning. It is this set-up that sets the rest of the play in motion until it comes to a tragic end.

Besides the changes in Scrooge, what other changes does Dickens describe in the final stave of A Christmas Carol?

In this section, Dickens presents some changes which relate to the way other people interact with Scrooge. In the first stave, for instance, Dickens talks about how people shun Scrooge in the street and children do not talk to him. In the fifth stave, however, the young boy is happy to talk to Scrooge and run an errand on his behalf, particularly because this errand is purchasing a turkey for the Cratchit family.

Similarly, Fred and his family change the way they treat Scrooge. In the third stave, for example, they mock Scrooge in the "yes and no game." Fred's wife also refers to Scrooge as a "ridiculous fellow." When Scrooge calls at the house on Christmas Day, however, there is an immediate and obvious change. They no longer mock Scrooge and, instead, enjoy their time together:

Wonderful party, wonderful games, wonderful unanimity, won-der-ful happiness!

This suggests Scrooge's transformation has not only benefitted himself but also benefits the wider society.

What did Mr. Link Deas do for Tom Robinson's wife after Tom died in To Kill a Mockingbird?

In Chapter 12, Scout and Jem visit Calpurnia's church, and Reverend Sykes takes up a second offering for Tom Robinson's wife and children. Scout asks Calpurnia why they are donating their money to Helen Robinson. Calpurnia tells Scout that Helen is having a hard time finding work because her husband was accused of raping Mayella Ewell. The Maycomb community does not want to be associated with anybody who has relations with Tom Robinson. Later on in the novel, Tom Robinson is presumably shot and killed while he is attempting to flee the prison. His old employer, Mr. Link Deas, hires Helen Robinson. Mr. Link Deas has always been supportive of Tom Robinson, and even testified from the audience during the trial that Tom was a trustworthy man with good character. Link Deas not only hires Helen Robinson, but protects her by threatening Bob Ewell.

What is the purpose of the boiling point/refractive index experiment?

Properties determined by the two experiments may be used for the purpose of the identification of an unknown liquid. Identification of matter can be achieved through observing their chemical or physical properties. Physical reactions are a better mode of identification because they don’t alter the substance under observation. Chemical reactions alter the chemical composition of a substance thus resulting in a change of the substance under study.

The boiling point refers to temperature at which a substance’s vapor pressure is equal to the atmospheric pressure around the sample.

The refractive index refers to the ratio of light’s velocity going through a sample compared to the velocity of light going through a vacuum.

Boiling point and refractive index are physical properties and can be used in the identification of unknown pure samples. It is important for the sample to be pure because impurities in the sample will alter its properties readings. Pure water, for instance, has a boiling point of 100 degrees Celsius and a refractive index of 1.3330. Thus, an unknown liquid exhibiting such properties may point to water. Further, determining other properties such as density may help confirm if indeed the sample is water.

How would you write an analysis essay on Romeo and Juliet using this thesis: "Shakespeare uses a lot of foreshadowing in Romeo and Juliet that...

I believe the statement: "Shakespeare uses foreshadowing in Romeo and Juliet that is conveyed in the dialogue" (I would eliminate the ubiquitous and redundant term "a lot" from this statement) is a good start. 

In Act I, Scene 1, Benvolio foreshadows Romeo's meeting with Juliet when he tells Romeo to look at other women. Romeo is sad and depressed over his unreciprocated love for Rosaline so Benvolio suggests Romeo "examine other beauties." And in Act I, Scene 2, after meeting the servingman and discovering Rosaline will be at Capulet's party, Benvolio tells Romeo,

At this same ancient feast of Capulet’s Sups the fair Rosaline whom thou so loves, With all the admirèd beauties of Verona. Go thither, and with unattainted eye Compare her face with some that I shall show, And I will make thee think thy swan a crow. 

Benvolio, of course, is right. Romeo falls madly in love with Juliet on first sight. He even echoes Benvolio's use of the word crow when comparing Juliet to the other women at the party. He says in Act I, Scene 5,

So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows

In Act I, Scene 4, Romeo foreshadows his own death as believes attending Capulet's party will lead to some fateful events which will change his life forever. He says,

I fear too early, for my mind misgives
Some consequence yet hanging in the stars
Shall bitterly begin his fearful date
With this night’s revels, and expire the term
Of a despisèd life closed in my breast
By some vile forfeit of untimely death.

Again in Act II, Scene 6, Romeo talks of his death before he marries Juliet in Friar Lawrence's cell. He claims he would just as soon die happy after marrying the girl. His words are prescient as he only has a few more days to live after the wedding. He says,

Do thou but close our hands with holy words,
Then love-devouring death do what he dare,
It is enough I may but call her mine.

Romeo foreshadows his suicide in Act III, Scene 3 when talking to the Friar. He even mentions poison as he writhes on the ground in Lawrence's cell after learning of his banishment. He says,

Hadst thou no poison mixed, no sharp-ground
knife,
No sudden mean of death, though ne’er so mean,
But “banishèd” to kill me?

Juliet too presages her own suicide as she carries a knife with her when she seeks counsel from Friar Lawrence after her father demands that she marry Count Paris. She threatens to kill herself if the Friar has no solution. She says in Act IV, Scene 1,

If in thy wisdom thou canst give no help,
Do thou but call my resolution wise,
And with this knife I’ll help it presently.

Juliet even foreshadows the Friar's solution when she tells him what lengths she will go to in order to avoid marrying Paris. She says she would go into a tomb or sleep with dead bodies, which is precisely what happens. She says,

Or hide me nightly in a charnel house,
O’ercovered quite with dead men’s rattling bones,
With reeky shanks and yellow chapless skulls.
Or bid me go into a new-made grave
And hide me with a dead man in his shroud

She repeats this imagery again when she is alone just before drinking the Friar's potion which will render her lifeless for nearly two days. She fears she will wake up alone in the tomb, and this is what happens as she wakes just after Romeo has poisoned himself and the Friar has yet to arrive. She says in Act IV, Scene 3,

O, if I wake, shall I not be distraught,
Environèd with all these hideous fears,
And madly play with my forefathers’ joints,
And pluck the mangled Tybalt from his shroud,
And, in this rage, with some great kinsman’s bone,
As with a club, dash out my desp’rate brains?

 

What was the "something" inside of the narrator that "began to die" in "Two Kinds"?

In Amy Tan's story "Two Kinds," Jing-mei at first cooperates with her mother's efforts to turn her into a "prodigy." She engages in fantasies about becoming a famous actress, and she believes that someday she will become "perfect." However, when her mother begins quizzing her to try to see if she can be an intellectual prodigy, Jing-mei becomes bored and discouraged, especially when she sees her "mother's disappointed face once again." So something inside her dies. It is her belief that she will ever achieve the level of perfection her mother is looking for, which she labels "the prodigy in me." She takes a good look at her face in the mirror and reaches the conclusion that she will always be "ordinary." Another way of understanding what "died" in her, however, is to consider that it was her desire to please her mother that expired. Instead of working hard to arrive at the moment when her "mother and father would adore [her, when she] would be beyond reproach," she gives up requiring their approval in order to be okay. That is why, after the prodigy in her dies, she finds a girl in the mirror who is "angry, powerful." She has forsaken the need for others' approval and has chosen to be herself, a quality that continues to grow over the years as she asserts her will over her mother's. 

Describe the scene in the beginning of "After Twenty Years."

It is nearly ten o'clock at night. The weather is rainy and blustery. A uniformed policeman is walking along the sidewalk trying the doors of all the closed shops to make sure they are locked. The streets are dark because this is still the era when transportation depended on horses and most lighting was provided by candles, lamps, and gas. O. Henry is cleverly introducing one of the main characters but making him appear to be a typical New York beat cop who is just patrolling his familiar neighborhood. The fact is that he is really Jimmy Wells and intends to meet his old friend Bob at ten o'clock.

Bob is standing inside the recessed entryway to a closed hardware store to get out of the rain. Twenty years ago, the two men had made an appointment to meet there on that night at ten o'clock. But they couldn't foresee that the restaurant where they said goodbye and made their appointment would be torn down. That explains why Bob is standing in front of a closed hardware store instead of meeting Jimmy at a more appropriate rendezvous such as a saloon or a restaurant. They have no way of changing their meeting place because they haven't communicated for many years.

Bob is a wanted man. He must feel uncomfortable standing in a place where he naturally looks suspicious. He certainly doesn't want to attract the attention of any cop, but he has to stay there to meet Jimmy. And he has to stand inside the entryway to get out of the rain and also because he intends to light a cigar. So when a uniformed policeman appears right in front of him, Bob naturally assumes he is under suspicion and turns on the charm that has earned him the nickname of 'Silky' Bob. He doesn't give Jimmy a chance to identify himself or to say a word. And then before Jimmy does have a chance to speak, Bob lights his cigar and reveals that he is the man wanted by the Chicago police. Consequently, Jimmy decides not to identify himself but lets Bob do most of the talking.

This is O. Henry's polished professional way of conveying a great deal of exposition to the reader in the form of dialogue. If the author presented the same information in the form of straight third-person anonymous-narrator expository prose, he could be accused of deliberately misleading the reader. After all, if the narrator knows everything, why wouldn't he explain that the cop is really Jimmy Wells? The opening of "Twenty Years" is handled in an objective, dramatic fashion to mislead the reader without "cheating," so to speak: without doing so too flagrantly. There is none of the commentary and philosophizing in "Twenty Years" that is found in many of O. Henry's other stories, such as "The Last Leaf," "The Gift of the Magi," and "The Furnished Room." O. Henry's versatility and buoyant inspiration show that he was a real genius.

In The Miracle Worker, where does Annie Sullivan want to take Helen so that the child can learn without her parents around?

In The Miracle Worker, Annie saw that Helen's parents often caved into her demands.  Annie knew that this was keeping Helen from properly learning and from reaching her fullest potential.  She knew that she needed Helen to be dependent on her alone, away from her family.  She suggested to Helen's mother that the teacher would have to "live with her somewhere else."  This somewhere else was a cottage on the Keller property.  The "garden house" was the perfect place because it was small and isolated from the rest of the family.  

Annie wanted to establish standards, expectations, and boundaries for Helen.  Up until her arrival, Helen's family allowed her to do almost anything she wanted.  This made Helen demanding and selfish.  She also refused to do anything she did not want to do.  Living with Annie in the garden house, Helen finally learned that she could not always have her way.

Simon told Daniel he would have to occasionally serve a Roman in The Bronze Bow. Why was this required? In what manner would Daniel be required to...

In Chapter 11 of The Bronze Bow, Daniel's grandmother is buried, and Simon, the town's blacksmith, is the only one who comes to the "funeral feast." Simon, who has left his job as a blacksmith to follow Jesus, tells Daniel that it "weighs on [his] conscience that the smithy is closed." He offers Daniel the chance to run the blacksmith shop in his stead and to live in the attached house with his sister. Moved by this generous offer because it presents him with a way to care for his sister, Daniel is ready to accept it. However, when Simon explains that Daniel will occasionally have to perform blacksmith business brought to him by a Roman legionary, Daniel balks, saying, "I will never serve a pig of a Roman!" Simon explains that it is necessary. If Daniel were to insult a Roman outright by refusing to do the smith work for him, the soldier could become angry and take revenge on not just Daniel, but anyone in the vicinity. According to Simon, "a single insult could cost half the lives in the town in the end." That is why Daniel will have to perform work, such as repairing broken harnesses or clasps, for any Roman who comes into the blacksmith shop.

In the Cold War, which countries did the US interfere in?

During the Cold War, the United States became involved, either directly (i.e., by military intervention) or indirectly (by seeking to influence the domestic politics of a nation) in many different nations. The United States maintained military bases in countries around the world, from Germany to Japan, throughout the Cold War. Its military participated in conflicts in Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, and Panama. The Central Intelligence Agency and United States military became deeply (but often covertly) involved in domestic affairs in Chile, Afghanistan, Cuba, Iran, and many other countries. The United States offered vast amounts of economic aid to anti-communist governments around the world, including many leaders who refused, despite extensive American aid, to align themselves with the United States. Overall, the Cold War catapulted the United States into an expressly interventionist foreign policy, one which involved the nation in the domestic affairs and regional disputes of many different countries.

What is the full summary of chapter 10 of the novel Frindle ?

Judy Morgan works as a reporter for The Westfield Gazette.  It wasn’t a very interesting job because not much of interest occurred in Westfield.  One day a fellow worker told her that his fourth grade daughter was kept after school because of a “secret code” word that the fifth graders had started.  He said half the students were kept after school as a punishment for using the word.

Judy decides to investigate. When she first enters the school, she sees a note on the bulletin board outside of the principal’s office about the punishment for using the word “frindle.” She first interviews the principal, Mrs. Chatham, who tells her that the problem is under control, and that Mrs. Granger may have overreacted a little bit.  She explains the whole situation to Judy.  Then Judy interviews Mrs. Granger.  Mrs. Granger tells her,

“I am merely helping my students to see that this foolishness must stop.  Such a waste of time and thought! There is no reason to invent a new and useless word.” (pg 61)

Judy asks Mrs. Granger if she knew how this word got started in the fifth grade, and Mrs. Granger gives her the name of Nicholas Allen.  

As she walks to her car, some of the students who had been kept after school walk with her.  She asks them why they are willing to stay after school in order to use the word “frindle.”  They tell her that it isn’t so bad because they are with all their friends.  They are to write 100 times that they are writing with a pen, but they have started replacing the word “pen” with “frindle” and Mrs. Granger hasn’t even noticed. Judy asks if she could meet this young man, Nick.  A young man tells her that Nick probably wouldn’t want to talk to her because,

“He might say something stupid and get himself in trouble” (pg 65)

The next morning Judy gets a brown envelope delivered to her at The Gazette offices marked “Frindle Story.” When she opens it, it is the group picture of the fifth grade with all the students holding “frindles” or pens.  Written on the back it said,

“3rd row, 5th from left” (pg 65)

There was the picture of the same young man who told her that Nick would not be interested in an interview.  It was Nick. Judy laughed and said,

“Well,well, well.  Pleased to meet you, Mr. Nicholas Allen.” (pg 66)

What is implied beneath the surface of Miss Brill's need to see the world around her as a grand stage performance?

The implication of this need is that Miss Brill really has nothing going on in her life; she is not truly needed by anyone or cared about by anyone.  In imagining that everyone and everything around her is a part of a grand, theatrical performance, she can also imagine that she plays an important role in something.  The narrator says, "No doubt somebody would have noticed if she hadn't been there; she was part of the performance after all."  She must imagine herself as a part of a fantastical performance because she isn't, in reality, a part of anything else.  

Her expert eavesdropping skills likewise prove that she must listen to others' conversations because she, herself, has no one to talk to.  "She had become really quite expert, she thought, at listening as though she didn't listen, at sitting in other people's lives just for a minute while they talked round her."  No one actually talks to her.  In fact, no one really even seems to notice her at all except for the rude boy who calls her a "stupid old thing" and suggests that she "keep her silly old mug at home."  He doesn't even seem to be aware that she can hear him.  Even the old man to whom she reads the newspaper four nights a week falls asleep when she visits.  Miss Brill's existence is important to no one but herself, and so she imagines this elaborate fantasy in order to prove to herself that this is not the case.

What do the thunderstorms in "The Scarlet Ibis" symbolize?

In the short story, “The Scarlet Ibis", we see two ominous thunderstorms that symbolize or foreshadow death. The first thunderstorm is when the scarlet ibis is blown far from its habitat by the powerful wind to Brother and Doodle’s farm. Doodle finds the ibis in the bleeding tree, and the ibis is weak and sick from fighting the violent nature of the storm. The ibis is so exhausted that it falls from the tree dead, and Doodle buries the ibis. In addition, Doodle and Brother are caught in a thunderstorm while playing one day at Old Woman’s Swamp. Doodle tries to climb a rope and swim to shore. As he crawls onto shore, he is exhausted from the physical trials he has been through trying to please Brother.  Brother runs ahead leaving Doodle behind, and when Brother realizes that Doodle isn’t following him, he returns to find Doodle dead and bleeding underneath a nightshade bush. 

The thunderstorms represent the upcoming doom and death of the ibis and Doodle. 

How do you phrase this statement as a question where you can pick a side? "The benefits and/or disadvantages of a war draft."

A good example question would be, "Should governments be allowed to draft their citizens for war?" The use of the auxiliary verb "should" prompts the respondent to describe the conditions under which either a government should or should not be allowed to draft their citizens. It does not leave the respondent room to entertain both sides of the topic.

Another possible question would be, "Is a draft system beneficial in times of war?" This phrasing forces the respondent to declare their opinion one way or another or, in other words, to pick a side.

The key is to avoid open-ended questions where people can express an opinion on both sides of the issue. An example of this type of question would be, "What are the pros and cons of a war draft?"

Is the couple's love believable? Is the story's ending happy?

The answer to your first question would be a matter of opinion. Take a look at the evidence of caring and affection between Jim and Della, then decide if you think that their love is believable.

-  Della feels a great sense of sadness when she realizes how little money she has to buy a Christmas gift for Jim.

-  Della is willing to sacrifice her beautiful hair in order to purchase a special gift for Jim.

-  When Jim comes home from work, he is usually "greatly hugged" by Della.

- Jim finds Della's long hair to be very beautiful and he values it.

- Della says to Jim, "Nobody could ever count my love for you."

- Jim reassures Della after she cuts her hair:

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

- Jim sells his prized watch to buy combs for Della.

O. Henry did intend for the ending of the story to be happy.  Della and Jim have experienced their love for one another because of the sacrifice of their prized possessions.  Jim and Della are described as "the wisest."

With reference to the poem, "To the doctor who treated the raped baby and who felt such despair": 1. Explain ways in which the title of the poem...

When I first read the title of the poem, three things came to mind.  First of all, it’s long!  Most of the time titles of poems are short, to the point, and often symbolic in some way. Every word counts in a poem, and many poets try to make sure they use the “best,” most descriptive words when they write.  This title is to the point but very long in length.  For that reason, it hooks the reader and causes curiosity on the part of the reader to continue reading.

The second thing the title of the poem does is shock the reader with its brutal content.  The words, “raped baby,” describe a horrific image and a monstrous crime.  Again, it causes the reader’s interest to peak and continue reading despite the grotesque subject.

Starting the title with, “To the doctor . . .” sounds like the poet is writing an open letter or personal note to the doctor. As the poem continues, we do see that the poet is thanking the doctor for his service to the baby. The poet recognizes the doctor’s despair over what has happened to the baby and attempts to relieve it by showing the kinder side of parenthood in the opposing lines to the medical care the baby is receiving.  This letter-like title becomes a message “from all of us.”

“All of us” are the kind, loving parents and people who abhor the crime committed to the baby and are thankful for the doctor’s service.  They are the shepherd singing a lullaby to his baby, the mother breastfeeding her baby, the uncle who wakes to feed a baby, and the grandpa walking a colicky baby. These people suggest to the doctor that despite the rape of the baby and his despair, there are others who are loving and caring and would never hurt a baby.  “All of us” also include the reader who has been impacted by the words and subject matter of the poem. 

How does the United States government fulfill a Socratic function in today's society? I need to discuss three areas. I was thinking I could write...

I think part of the reason you are struggling with this is that you need to unpack your question before you can answer it.

The main function that Socrates claims is that of a gadfly, one who tries to make people aware of their own ignorance and challenge lazy, conventional modes of thinking. He does this by having conversations with small groups of people, including those who claim to be experts, and showing that self-proclaimed experts don't know what they claim to know.

This is a purely individual task, not something a government can do as a government. If we think that having people around who act in a Socratic fashion is valuable, we can use our power as voters to elect representatives who vote to fund such activities or we can donate money to support such activities. For example, we can support the National Endowment for the Humanities and various private foundations that provide grants to writers, scholars, and artists. We can support PBS and other forms of publicly-funded and crowd-funded journalism. 

As for democracy, Socrates opposed it, considering that it was a system that appointed people simply because they were popular (or because they were chosen by lot, as was the case for certain positions in Athens), but not because of expertise. Question time (Britain) or question periods (Canada) in which MPs can put questions to a Prime Minister are somewhat closer to Socratic questioning than the U.S. Presidential press conferences, but neither really resembles the form of extended dialogue with a single interlocutor that is essential to Socratic elenchus. 

The system of long adversarial speeches in the Supreme Court is something Socrates would not approve of, as one can see in his criticism of rhetoricians in Gorgias, Sophist, Apology, and Phaedrus. Cross-examination would be slightly better, but still, it isn't really a cooperative quest for truth.

As for helping other countries, this really has nothing to do with Socrates, who evinced no interest at all in "barbarians" (the Greek term for those who did not speak Greek).

A more productive area for you to discuss would be our educational system, as Socrates was very interested in educational reform, something discussed in many of Plato's dialogues. Socrates was also interested in how people should raise children and how the ideal state might function. Those would be three areas that you could discuss on the basis of dialogues by Plato and Xenophon in which Socrates appears as a major character. 

In Beka Lamb, in what chapter does Toycie die and how?

Mindlessly wandering through the mangoes during the hurricane, Toycie is struck on the head by a mango tree that is uprooted by the storm and falls directly on Toycie, breaking her skull. The letter from Miss Eila telling of her death, addressed to Daddy Bill, Beka's father, arrives and is brought home to Beka in Chapter 24.

Beka, Granny Ivy, her mother and father, Lilla and Bill, along with twenty-five other people weather the storm in their house, with its safe (they hope) concrete foundation. Lilla awakens Beka, who fell asleep with her head in her mother's lap, to tell her the storm is over. Light-headed from the lamps' kerosene oil smell, she's stunned to see that so many people were safe from the storm and are now milling about in their home.

The work of clearing the debris of fallen trees and up-torn belongings begins. The work of trying to obtain clean drinking water and washing water from the hurricane muck carries on alongside the chores of cleaning the house up again, and the report comes in that Toycie's Sibun area was hit hard by the hurricane.

A muddy stench lingered in the air, and no matter how the Lambs cleaned and scrubbed and polished, it would not go away. All drinking water had to be boiled, and to get enough clean water to wash clothes was a problem. ... [The] storm was known to have devastated the Sibun area, and there was a sense of waiting in the house.

Days into the clean-up, the schools are still closed, and Daddy Bill comes home one day unexpectedly, hissing through his teeth the way he does when he has bad news to bear. The letter he has tells them all that Toycie is dead. Beka, her heart already "thudding in her chest" with a kind of foreknowledge, gives in to the "tidal wave" that crashed in "her brain" and screams and screams inconsolably. Miss Eila's short letter tells how a mango tree in the hurricane ended Toycie's life.

   'Dear Mr Bill, just these few lines to let you know that Toycie died the night of the heavy storm. She was buried this day instant. My Toy wandered away in the confusion of preparation and mango tree fall to break her skull. ... Ever your Miss Eila.'

Daddy Bill holds Beka tight to try to stay her hysteria. Granny comforts her and shocks her in turns to bring her back to her senses. But nothing changes Beka's screaming until Miss Boysie appears at the back door roundly scolding Beka for the mess that the bougainvillea stump has gotten into. This surprise, completely irrelevant scolding recalls Beka to herself.

How would you summarize "Once upon a Time" by Nadine Gordimer?

The story consists of two parts: an introductory frame story and a "bedtime story" the narrator tells herself.

In the frame story, the narrator wakes up in the middle of the night because she hears a creaking sound. She thinks it may be the footsteps of an intruder and is gripped by fear, but she realizes it was just her house settling on the "undermined ground." She can't get back to sleep, so she tells herself a bedtime story.

The bedtime story is a parody of a fairy tale. The story begins with "happily ever after" and gets worse and worse. The family lives in a rich white suburb. To protect their possessions from "riot," which cannot be insured against, they take increasingly severe actions. They fear that the crimes committed by "people of another color" will affect their neighborhood. They install electronically controlled gates, burglar alarms, bars on their windows, a tall wall, and finally a device called "Dragon's Teeth," which is a series of "razor-bladed coils" that sits atop their wall. At one point, the unemployed people of color infiltrate the neighborhood, and the wife wants to give them food, but the "trusted housemaid" and her husband warn against reaching out to them.

The couple's little boy receives a book of fairy tales from his grandmother for Christmas. The "Dragon's Teeth" remind him of the brambles that the prince in "Sleeping Beauty" conquers, and he seeks out to do the same thing. He gets caught in the coils and dies before the gardener can release him from "its tangle." 

The fairy tale is a representation of life under apartheid in South Africa, but it can extend to any situation in which fear and prejudice blind people to their obligations to reach out and show compassion to others, especially the less fortunate, and to value relationships more than material wealth and social standing.

Name one of the major causes of the Industrial Revolution.

It is difficult to choose a single cause of the Industrial Revolution, because there were so many factors that went into the making of such a complex event. However, the most immediate cause was the development of new technologies in the eighteenth century that made mass production and the mechanization of key industries possible. These included the following:

• the "spinning jenny," by James Hargreaves, which made the mechanization of spinning thread possible


• the water frame, by Richard Arkwright, which enabled the use of water power for spinning


• the power loom, by Edmund Cartwright, which made it possible to weave cloth in a mill or factory setting


• the steam engine, by James Watt, which could provide power for a number of machines, including looms, pumps, and eventually locomotives

Each of these inventions, and many more, contributed to the mechanization of productive tasks that had previously been completed by skilled individuals. They further made the consolidation of the production process (of textiles, at least) possible as early as the late eighteenth century. These inventions, in short, ushered in the Industrial Revolution.

What are some flashbacks in Theodore Taylor's The Cay?

In Theodore Taylor's The Cay, most flashbacks are used to establish Phillip's racist upbringing in order to explain Phillip's initial attitude toward Timothy and to set the groundwork for Phillip's significant changes throughout the rest of the story.

One flashback can be found in Chapter Three, when Phillip first finds himself on the raft with Timothy. Phillip can't understand why Timothy won't give him all the water he wants to drink and feels Timothy is unfairly hording water for himself. He recalls that his mother dislikes blacks and doesn't like it when Phillip and Timothy play at St. Anna Bay, watching the blacks load and unload their schooners. Phillip vividly recalls that she once said, "They are not the same as you, Phillip. They are different and they live differently" (p. 36).

Phillip has a second flashback the first night on the raft, a night that had grown "cold and damp" (p. 39). He and Timothy lay side by side on the raft, and Phillip reflects that they "both drew back" once when their bodies touched (p. 40). He further reflects it was odd for him to be with a black man and flashes back to the blacks he saw in Virginia. He recalls going "down through the shacks of colored town with [his] father" and purchasing spicy crabs (p. 40). He also recalls seeing them swimming naked in the river during the summer.

What does the princess learn?

The princess is present at the arena when her lover has to undergo his trial. She is perhaps the only person present who knows which of the two doors conceals the tiger and which conceals the beautiful lady. Even the king himself may not know what to expect. He may like guessing what will happen and being pleased with his intuition or surprised. The princess holds her lover's fate in her hands. This is the essence of this unusual story.

Possessed of more power, influence, and force of character than any one who had ever before been interested in such a case, she had done what no other person had done,--she had possessed herself of the secret of the doors. She knew in which of the two rooms, that lay behind those doors, stood the cage of the tiger, with its open front, and in which waited the lady.

The lover gives her a "quick and anxious glance," hoping against hope that she can answer his unspoken question, "Which?" She gestures "with a slight, quick movement toward the right." We are told at the beginning of the story that this happened "in the very olden time," that is, hundreds of years ago. Whatever occurred in the arena that day is long since over and done with. The lover would be dead anyway. So would the princess and her father. The story comes to an end just before the lover trustingly opens the door on the right.

Does it really matter what happened? What we want to know is whether the princess directed her lover to his death or to the arms of her beautiful rival. We want to know about the psychology of women. Would she rather see her lover alive and happy but married to another woman? Or would she rather see him torn to pieces and devoured by a tiger?  Was her lover right or wrong in trusting her? Would he have been wiser to open the other door instead? We can never know the answer because it happened so long ago.

Who was Dr. Roylott in "The Adventure of the Speckled Band"?

Dr. Roylott is Helen and Julia Stoner’s stepfather and Julia’s murderer.

Helen Stoner hires Sherlock Holmes to find out what happened to her dead twin sister.  She says that her sister said something about a speckled band when she died, and that she remembers hearing a whistle.  Holmes finds the whole thing meaningful enough to take the case.

Helen tells Holmes all about her evil stepfather, Dr. Roylott.  He is a quarrelsome and violent man. She claims he has gotten worse.  He was not able to establish a medical practice.  Now he is the scourge of the neighborhood.

Violence of temper approaching to mania has been hereditary in the men of the family, and in my stepfather's case it had, I believe, been intensified by his long residence in the tropics. A series of disgraceful brawls took place, two of which ended in the police-court, until at last he became the terror of the village …

Holmes suspects Dr. Roylott immediately.  The man shows up as soon as Helen leaves and tries to threaten him, seeking to impress Holmes by bending a fireplace poker.  Holmes bends it back easily, and does not consider the show of strength anything more than information to enlighten him about the man’s character.

Dr. Roylott’s home is full of odd creatures.  He keeps wild animals, like a cheetah and a baboon.  Of course, the most exotic and dangerous of these is the murder weapon, his swamp adder.  Holmes comments that a doctor is the worst sort of criminal.

“Subtle enough and horrible enough. When a doctor does go wrong he is the first of criminals. He has nerve and he has knowledge. …”

Doctors are supposed to help people, not use their knowledge to kill.  Dr. Roylott definitely failed to live up to his oath.  He killed one of his stepdaughters and tries to kill the other just to steal their inheritance.  Unfortunately for him, his murder snake turned on him.

How many times is four of something mentioned in "The Portable Phonograph"?

In The Portable Phonograph by Walter Van Tilburg Clark, the exact quantity of various objects is frequently given. Concerning objects which appears in fours:

A small red fire is describes as coming from the burning of "four blocks of poorly aged peat." Later, the number of peat blocks is increased as another two are placed in the fire.

"Four men were seated cross-legged" around this fire, against an earthen bench.

Later in the story, "four fine, leather-bound books" are described as being wrapped in burlap.

Finally, a doctor is said to see, between the clouds of the sky, "four stars flying," with one of them quickly becoming again obscured by a flying cloud.

In total, Clark describes four distinct sets of things as appearing in fours.

`bbv = bbi + 2bbj, bbw = 2bbi - bbj` Use the Law of Cosines to find the angle `alpha` between the vectors. (Assume `0^@

You need to use the dot product to find the cosine of the angle between the vectors v and w, such that:

`cos alpha = (v*w)/(|v|*|w|)`

You need to evaluate the product of the vectors v and w, `v = v_x*i + v_y*j, w = w_x*i + w_y*j` , such that:

`v*w = v_x*w_x + v_y*w_y`

`v*w = 1*2 + 2*(-1)`

`v*w = 2- 2`

`v*w = 0`

Since the product of vectors v*w is 0, it is no need to evaluate (|v|*|w|) since `cos alpha = 0` .

`cos alpha = 0 => alpha = pi/2`

Hence, evaluating the angle between the vectors v and w, yields `alpha = pi/2.`

In Brave New World, how does Huxley predict the future and does this compare to how society is today?

Huxley envisions a future in which people are cloned and put into classes based on intelligence, ranked from A to D, with A the most intelligent and D the least. The As are the intellectual leaders and the Ds the factory workers. Most of the society is geared to consumption, which people, especially Betas or Bs, conditioned to buy, buy, buy. People take a drug called soma to stay happy and well-adjusted. Conformity is valued and critical thinking is completely discouraged. Conditioning is constant: people do not live in family units but usually in dormitories and listen all night while they sleep to tapes telling them what to think.

The novel is, one level, a satire that makes fun of the 20th century tendency towards consumer goods, conformity and trying to "feel good." Huxley was surprisingly accurate in some of his predictions, so much so that the satire loses some of its bite. For example, the song the betas hear over and over about throwing a piece of clothing that has lost a button would have had shock value and caused laughter when the book was written in 1931: people simply would not have thrown out clothing for that reason, but today it is not considered unusual since we live at a level of consumption in the First World that would have put even the betas to shame. Likewise, soma bears striking similarity to the many prescription pharmaceuticals people take today to enhance feelings of well-being or fight off depression. People today are also subject to a constant barrage of conditioning (known as advertising): if it is as effective as in Brave New World is open to debate.

Who lived in the Great House at Uppercross ?

In Persuasion, Anne must stay with her sister, Mary, at Uppercross Cottage in the village of Uppercross when her father and sister, Elizabeth, retire to Bath.

While Uppercross Cottage is the home of Charles and Mary Musgrove, The Great House, about a quarter of a mile away, is home to Charles' parents, Mr. and Mrs. Musgrove. The inhabitants of the Great House also include Henrietta and Louisa, nineteen and twenty years old respectively, who have just graduated from a finishing school in Exeter.

The Great House is significant in Chapter Seven, as it is meant to be the venue for Anne's first meeting with Captain Wentworth after eight years. Anne does not, however, meet Wentworth at the Great House dinner because she stays behind to care for Mary's son, who has injured himself in a fall. The next day, Anne and Captain Wentworth meet at Uppercross Cottage, an awkward meeting which proves eventful and which foreshadows the couple's eventual reconciliation and marriage as the novel meets its conclusion.

How many moles of H2O result from the combustion of 1 mole of C2H5OH?

C2H5OH is ethanol or ethyl alcohol and on combustion releases carbon dioxide and water. The easiest way to figure out the number of moles of products generated is by writing a balanced chemical equation for the reaction. 

The combustion of ethanol (C2H5OH) can be represented by the following balanced chemical equation:

`C_2H_5OH + 3O_2 -> 2CO_2 + 3H_2O`

We can check if the equation is balanced by comparing the number of atoms of each element on both sides of the equation. For example, there are 2 atoms of carbon on both sides of the equation. Similarly, there are 7 atoms of oxygen on both sides.

From this equation, we can see that 1 mole of ethanol reacts with 3 moles of oxygen and generates 2 moles of carbon dioxide and 3 moles of water.

Thus, 1 mole of ethanol on complete combustion yields 3 moles of water.

Hope this helps. 

Why do you think Scrooge had such a negative attitude toward the holiday season? [Please use ACE strategy]

A: One reason that Ebenezer Scrooge has such a negative attitude toward Christmas is the fact that in his youth Christmastime was for him a negative experience. So his bad memories cause him to feel a hatred for the season.

E: In Stave II when the Ghost takes Scrooge into the past, he sees his old classmates, who say "Merry Christmas" to each other. But "What was Merry Christmas to Scrooge?....What good had it ever done to him?" Scrooge reflects. For, he was left behind at the school because his father would not come for him. It was a 

 ...a lonely boy [who] was reading near a feeble fire; and Scrooge sat down upon a form, and wept to see his poor forgotten self as he had used to be.

C: So, for Ebenezer Scrooge Christmas has brought loneliness and sadness to him as he recalls his youth when he was left at the school with only stories to cheer and entertain him. Indeed, tragic experiences in youth are so often imprinted upon people to such an extent that they never overcome them, and such is the case with Scrooge. 

What is the climax in Frankenstein?

The climax of the novel is when the monster murders Elizabeth on her wedding night.  Tension has been building toward this moment: the monster has requested a mate of his own, and when that request was finally denied, he vowed to Victor, "'I shall be with you on your wedding night.'"  It may seem fairly obvious to readers that the monster plans to kill Victor's bride and deny Victor her love, just as Victor has denied him the opportunity to be loved by another.  However, Victor assumes that the monster only wishes to sign his own "death-warrant," and fails to recognize that the threat is against his beloved.  The monster has never sought to kill Victor, only to force him into the same agony of solitude that the monster has had to endure.  Thus, the dramatic irony created when we understand more than he does helps to build tension leading up to the fatal night as well.

On the day of the wedding, Elizabeth "was melancholy, and a presentiment of evil pervaded her."  She seems to have some sense, some premonition, that something terrible is going to happen, but Victor continues to complain about his own suffering, and he says that only she can relieve it.  The scene in which all of the built-up tension is released is when Victor hears Elizabeth's scream, finds her body, passes out, and awakens to see "A grin [...] on the face of the monster; he seemed to jeer, as with his fiendish finger he pointed towards the corpse of [Elizabeth]."  The moment readers could predict has finally come, and Victor has been rendered almost completely alone in the world, his one chance at love ruined forever by his own narcissism and ambition.

How have Miranda Rights have not been beneficial?

It is difficult to argue that the 1966 decision by the United States Supreme Court in Miranda v. State of Arizona has harmed the public interest or not proven beneficial to society. 

Ernesto Miranda had been convicted of the charges of kidnapping and raping an 18-year-old woman on the basis of his written confession. That confession, however, had been produced following Miranda's interrogation by police officers who were able to exploit the accused's ignorance of his rights against self-incrimination under the fifth amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the relevant section of which reads as follows:

"No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime . . . nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law . . ."

In addition the application of the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution, Miranda's conviction, the Supreme Court found, also ran afoul of the accused's rights under the Sixth Amendment, the operative section of which reads:

"In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right . . . to have the assistance of counsel for his defense."

Because Miranda, as well as other defendants in unrelated cases, had not been specifically made aware of his rights under the Constitution by the police department, the Supreme Court, by a 5 to 4 majority, concluded that Miranda's constitutional rights had been violated. In his opinion in support of the majority decision in Miranda v. State of Arizona, which, as noted, actually involved multiple unrelated criminal cases each of which were characterized by convictions attained through improper methods, Chief Justice Earl Warren wrote:

"The constitutional issue we decide in each of these cases is the admissibility of statements obtained from a defendant questioned while in custody or otherwise deprived of his freedom of action in any significant way. In each, the defendant was questioned by police officers, detectives, or a prosecuting attorney in a room in which he was cut off from the outside world. In none of these cases was the defendant given a full and effective warning of his rights at the outset of the interrogation process. In all the cases, the questioning elicited oral admissions, and in three of them, signed statements as well which were admitted at their trials. They all thus share salient features -- incommunicado interrogation of individuals in a police-dominated atmosphere, resulting in self-incriminating statements without full warnings of constitutional rights."

The effect of the Court's decision, we know, is that criminal defendants, or suspects, must be made aware of their constitutional right against self-incrimination and their right to legal counsel during any police interrogation. The process of "Mirandizing" suspects, then involves the declaration by the arresting police officers and/or by prosecuting attorneys that the suspect sitting in the back of a patrol car or across from them in an interrogation room has the right to remain silent, and that any comments the suspect makes can be used against him or her in a subsequent criminal proceeding.The suspect is further informed that he or she has a right to have a lawyer present during questioning. 

So, the question becomes, did the Supreme Court's decision in Miranda v. State of Arizona have a deleterious impact on the criminal justice system that has threatened public safety? The answer is "no, it did not." Many members of the public believed at the time that the requirement on the part of law enforcement agencies that they inform suspects of their constitutional rights would benefit criminals at the expense of society. To the extent that pre-Miranda confessions had been useful in prosecuting criminals, it stood to reason, then the challenge for law enforcement post-Miranda had to be daunting, at the expense of public safety. That, however, has not been the case. While the challenge for law enforcement was made more difficult, it also eliminated some of the injustices inherent in the earlier system, as suspects could be coerced or otherwise tricked into admitting to crimes they may or may not have committed. 

Governments are powerful entities, and can bring resources to bear against indigent defendants that makes the justice system somewhat precarious. That is the beauty of the Bill of Rights: those ten amendments guarantee that the individual citizen enjoys some measure of protection against an overly intrusive government. More to the point, there has, in practice, been scant evidence that the requirement to inform suspects of their constitutional rights has imperiled public safety. Suspects are still convicted at a high rate, although it is equally true that prosecutors are loath to bring to trial defendants the evidence against whom is less than ironclad. Additionally, many criminal suspects are not very bright, and confess to arresting officers and to prosecutors without being interrogated. Juveniles, in particular, are known to be incapable of remaining silent, sometimes to their detriment, as they implicate themselves without prompting by police.

If one wanted, or needed to argue that Miranda v. State of Arizona has not benefited society, he or she could insist that criminals have been released into the public because of their knowledge of their rights. That is a very difficult argument to make, however, because it simply is rarely true. When it is true, it is usually because the prosecution's case rests primarily on circumstantial evidence. Cases that rest on solid, physical evidence, such as DNA or fingerprints, for example, are not threatened by the absence of a confession.

Act 1 Scene 2 Brutus says he "loves blank more than he fears blank."

In Act 1, Scene 2, Cassius is holding a long conversation with Brutus. Cassius is trying to organize a conspiracy to assassinate Julius Caesar before Caesar can be made king by the Roman Senate. Brutus is a good friend of Julius Caesar, and at this point he is not susceptible to being drawn into a plot against his friend. Cassius is slowly and insidiously feeling Brutus out while trying to change his opinion of Caesar. Brutus gives Cassius a clue as to how he can be manipulated when he tells him:

But wherefore do you hold me here so long?
What is it that you would impart to me?
If it be aught toward the general good,
Set honor in one eye and death i' the other
And I will look on both indifferently.
For let the gods so speed me as I love
The name of honor more than I fear death.

Cassius realizes that the way to influence Brutus is to appeal to his sense of duty and honor. Cassius himself is a different type of person. He is not concerned about honor but about his own personal welfare and security. He is afraid that if Caesar becomes king he will turn into a demagogue and a tyrant. The rich and powerful Romans will probably suffer because Caesar will impose taxes on them and interfere with their privileges. Cassius is probably even afraid for his life. He knows that Caesar dislikes and distrusts him. He also knows that Caesar has no qualms about killing people who get in his way. Plutarch writes that Julius Caesar was responsible for the deaths of about two million people during his lifetime.

After Brutus leaves him, Cassius speaks his mind in a revealing soliloquy.

Caesar doth bear me hard, but he loves Brutus.
If I were Brutus now and he were Cassius,
He should not humor me. I will this night,
In several hands, in at his windows throw,
As if they came from several citizens,
Writings, all tending to the great opinion
That Rome holds of his name, wherein obscurely
Caesar's ambition shall be glanced at.
And after this let Caesar seat him sure;
For we will shake him, or worse days endure.

Cassius will appeal to Brutus' sense of honor, although Cassius has no such sense himself. Cassius is very cunning, whereas Brutus is very open and honest. Shakespeare has shown in other plays that cunning people like Cassius have an advantage over honest people like Brutus. For instance, the cunning villain Edmund in Shakespeare's King Lear is able to turn his father against Edgar, Edmund's half-brother, and then obtain his father's title of Earl of Gloucester with all his properties by betraying him to the Duke of Cornwall and Cornwall's wife Regan. Edmund congratulates himself in private when he says:

A credulous father! and a brother noble,
Whose nature is so far from doing harms
That he suspects none: on whose foolish honesty
My practices ride easy! 

Iago in Shakespeare's Othello finds it easy to "practice" on both Cassio and Othello because they are honest and honorable and assume that other people are like themselves. 

What was more important, the arms race or the space race?

Both the arms race and the space race were important events in the Cold War conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union. However, the arms race probably was more important than the space race for most Americans.

Many people were very concerned about the acceleration of the development of nuclear weapons. Both the United States and the Soviet Union were stockpiling their arsenal of nuclear weapons. Under President Eisenhower’s massive retaliation and brinkmanship policies, we were using nuclear weapons as a deterrent to Soviet expansion. For example, we increased our supply of atomic bombs from 1000 to 18,000 during Eisenhower’s presidency. Americans lived in fear of a nuclear war on a regular basis.

While the space race was important, the threat posed by the Soviet Union being the first into space was far less dangerous than the threat posed by the arms race. When the Soviet Union launched the first satellite in space, we were worried that we had fallen behind the Soviet Union in the space competition. We immediately put more money into math, science, and foreign language education. We also created NASA, our space agency. However, most Americans were far more concerned about the fear of nuclear war than any threat posed by the Soviet Union being the first country to launch a satellite into space.

How did America develop its economy and place in the world as a new nation?

From the 1790s to the 1820s, American political leaders made several key decisions that laid the foundation for economic growth and hegemony in the Western Hemisphere. Under the Presidencies of George Washington and John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, creator and first Secretary of the Treasury, established a common currency and consolidated the debts of individual states into federal debt as part of the Bill of Assumption (1790). This legislation gave the executive branch the power to control monetary policy. Staunch anti-federalists like Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr (who later killed Hamilton in a duel) saw this as a brazen power grab. After all, the legislative branch was supposed to have the "power of the purse," under Article I, section 8. Nevertheless, centralizing the country's debt and currency gave Hamilton and his Federalist allies leverage with which to forge trading alliances overseas.

In 1803, Thomas Jefferson acquired the vast Louisiana Territory from the debt-burdened French, thus creating a vast nation with unimaginable resources that spanned from coast to coast. Yet it was not until The War of 1812 that America successfully projected its strength and resilience to the world by repelling a second British invasion. In the aftermath of the war, Senator Henry Clay helped transform America's primarily agricultural economy into a more dynamic manufacturing economy through what he termed the "American System." By instituting higher tariffs (taxes on foreign goods) Clay and his senate colleagues encouraged domestic production and raised money to build a system of canals, waterways and roads that made for easier transport of raw materials and finished goods, further supporting domestic production and trade.

Finally, another early Federalist, James Monroe, was instrumental in articulating and establishing American power with the Monroe Doctrine (1823). This document defined the Western hemisphere as an American hemisphere, and prohibited other European nations from establishing new colonies in the hemisphere. By this time, the United States had a formidable navy with which to buttress these claims, and was on its way to becoming a major world power.