In The Bronze Bow, how does Daniel meet Nathan?

In chapter 12, Daniel is living in the village and working as the blacksmith. He ends up recruiting about twenty young men to be an army for Rosh working in the village. Nathan is the first one Daniel recruits for this band.

Nathan originally comes to Daniel as a customer--he has a scythe that he needs mended. Daniel notices that Nathan has a black eye and is agitated as he waits for Daniel to complete the repair. Uncharacteristically, Daniel strikes up a conversation with the boy and finds out that his father has recently started working for the tax collector. The boy's own friends jumped him the previous night and beat him up because of their hatred for tax collectors. 

Daniel sees promise in the boy, so he offers to walk home with him to protect him from further assault, but Nathan is offended at the offer. Daniel modifies the request so that it is more palatable, and the two leave together. When the expected onslaught comes, Daniel helps Nathan make short work of the six or seven attackers. Daniel then recruits Nathan to "use those fists ... for a good purpose." 

In "Desiree's Baby" by Kate Chopin, what is the significance of the little quadroon boy fanning Desiree's baby with peacock feathers?

Kate Chopin's story "Desiree's Baby" is full of ambiguities. Many details of the story are purposefully left vague, and many can be interpreted in at least two different ways. The little quadroon boy, the slave La Blanche's son, is significant because he causes Desiree to have a revelation. However, the nature of the revelation is ambiguous.

By the time Desiree's baby is three months old, nearly everyone has realized that he has African facial features. Desiree is the only one who simply admires him for who he is without noticing anything unusual about him. Armand has already stopped talking to Desiree and avoids the child. Faraway neighbors have come to the plantation for mysterious reasons, presumably to consult with Armand about the matter of his mixed race child. One day Desiree is in her room with the baby lying on her bed and the quadroon (mixed-race) boy is fanning him with peacock feathers. She looks back and forth several times between the two boys, and then says, "Ah!" She breaks into a sweat and her blood runs cold. When she asks Armand to look at their child and tell her what it means, he says, "It means ... that the child is not white; it means that you are not white."

One obvious conclusion about what Desiree noticed and what made her exclaim "Ah!" is that she compared the facial features of the quadroon child and her own son's facial features and saw a resemblance between them that suggested her child was partially black.

Another interpretation is that she saw a resemblance between the two and noticed Armand's features in both of them. In this case, the meaning of her question to Armand would be, "Look at our child. He looks like he could be La Blanche's boy's brother. What does this mean?" The voice she said it in "must have stabbed him, if he was human." (It might be noted here that in Armand's case, this is a big "if.") Her tone seems accusatory. There are hints that Armand may have fathered the quadroon boy and that he may have a habit of taking advantage of his female slaves. During the days after the baby's birth, Armand is able to hear the baby's cry "as far away as La Blanche's cabin." One might wonder what need the plantation owner would have to be at a female slave's cabin. In addition, the brutality with which he treats his slaves suggests that he would not hesitate to use his female slaves as concubines.

The quadroon boy is significant in the story because he is the cause of Desiree's revelation. What that revelation was, like so many other details in this story, remains ambiguous. 

In Hatchet, where is Brian Robeson headed when his plane crashes?

In the novel Hatchet, the protagonist, Brian, is traveling via plane from his mother's home in Hampton, New York, to visit his father in the oil fields of Canada. Brian's parents are recently divorced, within the last month at the opening of the story. The custodial arrangement has determined that Brian should spend the school year with his mother, and the summers with his father in Canada.

The story does not specify the exact location of the crash, nor the exact spot where Brian spends the next 54 days; this heightens the sense of Brian's isolation and emphasizes how cut off he is from everyone and everywhere familiar to him.

In the story, the experience of being stranded, injured, and ultimately surviving transforms Brian. This is the first novel in a series of five books by Gary Paulsen relating Brian's saga.

When Mr. Calloway left Bud's table, who sat in his place?

In Chapter 13, Bud and Herman E. Calloway's band go out to eat at the Sweet Pea. When Bud enters the restaurant, Jimmy calls him over to sit with him, Herman Calloway, and Miss Thomas. Bud is worried and mentions that it would be hard to eat sitting next to Herman because Herman views him with such contempt. After a short conversation with Miss Thomas, Bud tells her that Herman E. Calloway is his biological father. Herman looks at Miss Thomas and asks to be excused as he leaves the table. Herman walks over to the table where his band is sitting and says that someone's got to go sit with Jimmy and Miss Thomas. Bud mentions that everyone in the band jumped up at once to run to his table, but Steady Eddie said, "Take my seat, Mr. C., I wanna talk to that kid, he's got the look of a future sax man about him" (Curtis 166). Steady Eddie ends up taking Herman's seat and sitting next to Bud and Miss Thomas. 

Solve for the roots for the equation `X^4-X^3+X^2-X+1=0.`

Hello!

This equation has no real roots. Let's prove this.

Split the term `x^2` into halves and divide them between the leading and trailing terms:

`x^4-x^3+x^2-x+1=(x^4-x^3+1/2 x^2)+(1/2 x^2-x+1)=`

`=x^2(x^2-x+1/2)+(1/2 x^2-x+1).`

Both quadratic trinomials in parentheses are always positive because their discriminants are equal to `1-4*1/2=-1` (negative) and the leading coefficients are positive. And the factor `x^2` is non-negative. So the sum is always positive and never becomes zero.

Explain the concept of price elasticity of demand. Choose two goods and explain why they might have different price elasticity of demand.

As people’s preferences shift (due to popularity, season, politics, etc.), so does the quantity demanded of a certain good. For instance, in winter there’s a high demand for snow boots, but in summer there’s a low demand. The price elasticity of demand is a measure of how much the quantity demanded will change for a given good if there’s a change in price. Naturally, different goods will have different price elasticities because some goods are more/less dependent on price.

Take, for example, emergency medical services, like the ambulance. When you have a medical emergency, you have to pay to use the ambulance. If the cost of an ambulance increases, there will be very little change in the demand for ambulance services, since it’s a life-saving service that many cannot do without. In this case, there are no substitutes for an ambulance. A higher cost for the service will not result in a significant decrease in its demand. Therefore, ambulances can be said to be price inelastic (not responsive to price).

On the other hand, consider cars in a metropolitan area. If the price of cars is low, more people are likely to buy a car. If the price is high, fewer people will buy cars because it’s cheaper to ride the subway, bike, or walk. These other options are substitute goods for a car – when the price of a car rises, people will substitute another form of transportation for having a car. Therefore, cars in this situation can be considered price elastic (responsive to price).

The first time Black Beauty experiences the pain and suffering caused by the bearing rein is when Squire Gordon sells him to Earlshall Park in Anna...

The bearing rein, called a check-rein in Black Beauty, is a piece of tack that runs from the horse's back, over the head, and attaches at the bit. It's function is to hold the horse's head at a fixed position to prevent the horse from lowering its head. During the Victorian era, the era in which Anna Sewell lived and set her novel, members of society, especially of high society, used the bearing rein to such an extreme that the horse's neck was pulled to nearly a right angle, forcing the horse's chin up and creating an unnatural curve in the neck. Victorians found this curve to be very elegant; hence, in the Victorian era, the only purpose of the bearing reign was to fulfill a fashion trend.

When Black Beauty and Ginger are sold to the Earl of W-- of Earlshall Park, we see Lady W-- refer to the fashionableness of the bearing reign and state her position that her carriage horses absolutely must have raised heads in the following:

York, you must put those horses' heads higher; they are not fit to be seen. (Ch. 22)

Yet, used to such an extreme as the Victorians used it, the bearing reign put a great deal of strain on the horses' backs and legs, especially when pulling heavy loads and going up hill. They also made breathing very difficult. Beauty describes his ailments in the following:

Besides this, there was pressure on my windpipe, which often made my breathing very uncomfortable; when I returned from my work my neck and chest were strained and painful, my mouth and tongue tender, and I felt worn and depressed. (Ch. 23)

Today, the bearing reign, now called the overcheck, is used in training and in some equestrian riding activities. It can be useful in that it can prevent a horse from bucking or grazing. However, there is still a great risk in using the overcheck incorrectly, which will still cause injury to the horse's back, neck, and mouth.

In A Wrinkle in Time, how do we know that the children have only been gone for less than a day each time they leave? Give textual evidence.

During their journey, Meg, Calvin, and Charles Wallace travel to many different planets. They visit an unnamed, two-dimensional planet, Uriel, the planet where they meet the Happy Medium, Camazotz, and Ixchel. However, they really haven't been gone that long. The ladies (Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which) tell the children that they have created a "time tesser" to ensure that, if all turns out well, they would not be missed. This is shown in the final chapter. When Meg, Calvin, and Charles Wallace return to their home and current time period, they tesser and land in the middle of the twins' vegetable garden. A great family reunion ensues as Meg has saved her family through the power of love. Their mother is obviously thrilled that Father has returned and was unaware that Meg and Charles were even gone. 

In Unwind by Neal Shusterman, what could you argue in an argumentative paper?

One way that I think that you could go with an argumentative essay is to talk about the pro-life and pro-choice debate.  The entire reason that the people in the book allow unwinding in the first place is because they felt it is a nice middle ground between allowing abortion or outlawing abortion.  A parent must give birth to the child, which satisfied the pro-life camp.  But between a certain age range, the parents could retroactively abort the child through the unwinding process.  That arrangement satisfied the pro-choice camp.  People didn't think of unwinding as murder, because 100% of the unwound individual would be harvested for organ and tissue donation.  You could could write your argumentative essay in favor of pro-life, pro-choice, pro-unwinding, or anti-unwinding.  

You could also write the argumentative paper about the author.  You might write your essay that argues Shusterman is pro-organ donation or anti-organ donation.   

In the book Tangerine, why do some of the houses in Lake Windsor Downs have to be tented?

The Lake Windsor Downs homes are covered by tents because of a termite infestation. Termites are a type of insect that can quickly destroy the wooden walls of homes. They’re considered a pest similar to bedbugs or cockroaches, and  homeowners usually need to have their homes fumigated by a special termite control company in order to remove them.

The termite infestation is simply another one of the multiple problems encountered by the Lake Windsor Downs homeowners. It may not even be the worst; at this point in the novel, the neighborhood has battled muck fires, numerous lightning strikes, and a sinkhole disaster at their local school. For a fancy and expensive neighborhood, these issues seem simply ridiculous

Even though the fumigation seems like a small plot point, it’s crucial to Paul’s final triumph over Erik and Arthur. Since homeowners have to leave their houses when fumigation occurs, Erik and Arthur were able to steal valuables from the unguarded houses. When the police discover their crimes, the Fishers are no longer able to justify or ignore Erik’s wrongdoing, especially given that some of their neighbors want to send the boys to jail.

`bbu = , bbv = ` Find (a) `bbu + bbv`, (b) `bbu - bbv`, and (c) `2bbu - 3bbv`.

For vectors in a coordinate form their linear combinations are also performed by coordinates.

`u= lt2,1gt,` `v= lt1,3gt,`  therefore

(a) `u+v = lt2+1,1+3gt = lt3,4gt,`

(b) `u-v = lt2-1,1-3gt = lt1,-2gt,`

(c) `2u-3v = lt2*2+(-3)*1,2*1+(-3)*3gt = lt1,-7gt.`

What are some effective strategies for analyzing short stories or books?

Analyzing short stories and books simply means that as you read, you pay attention to the literary elements that the author used and infer why he may have used them based on the overall text. The best way to do this, particularly if you are writing a literature analysis, is to take a few notes as you read. Along with analyzing the basic elements of character description, setting time and location, think critically about any allegory or lesson the author attempted to communicate. Figurative language and diction used is often included in an analysis because these help the author effectively convey cultures. Figurative language also assists the author in better creating imagery for the reader so include examples of this when writing about setting in the literature analysis. Include details of the plot in the analysis such as rising action, falling action, climax and resolution. Identify the point of view used by the author as well as the overall mood or tone of the text in your literature analysis.

In Cunningham's story "White Angel," is Bob a reliable or unreliable narrator?

In Michael Cunningham's short story "White Angel," Robert is a reliable narrator--in other words, a narrator who the reader can trust, and who has credibility.  Although Robert (AKA "Frisco") is nine years old at the time the story takes place, it is an older, mature Robert who narrates the story.  However, the reader discovers that even nine-year-old Robert is unusually trustworthy and credible for a boy his age. We learn this early in the story.  For example, when Robert's older brother Carlton asks him if he is scared after the two of them drop acid, Robert answers him truthfully with a yes, then narrates: "I never even think of lying to him."   Later in the story, we find the narrator also stating the importance of truth.  After a fight the boys have with their mother, Robert says, "I hate her," then goes on to narrate: "I'm not certain about that.  I want to test the sound of it, to see if it's true."  Even at age nine, the narrator is very concerned with truth. Although the narrator is notably young at the time of the story, and experiments with drugs and alcohol (two qualities that might make for a very unreliable narrator), Michael Cunningham paints Robert as a very reliable narrator, and the reader therefore trusts his account of events.

Is the tragedy in Oedipus Rex similar to that in Antigone?

Yes, the tragedy in Oedipus Rex is similar to that in Antigone if we consider the definition of tragedy as posited by Aristotle.  In both plays, there is a tragic hero--Oedipus and Creon respectively--who is of noble birth and suffers hamartia.  Both Oedipus and Creon are challenged by respected members of the community to reconsider their actions and positions on the issues:  the murder of Laius and the burying of Polynices.  But Oedipus and Creon have too much pride to consider that their actions are misguided, and instead, they both accuse Teiresias of being bribed to speak his prophecies.  In the end, both Oedipus and Creon achieve catharsis and try to make the situation right:  Oedipus takes his own sight as punishment, and Creon attempts to free Antigone from the tomb although he is too late.  So, the mode of tragedy in both Oedipus Rex and Antigone are similar.

What is odd about Atticus' behavior, and why does Jem follow him in town?

In Chapter 15, a group of men show up at Atticus' house to discuss their concerns about Tom's upcoming trial and their concerns about Atticus having taken the case. Link Deas tells Atticus that he has "everything to lose" by taking Tom's case. Atticus responds, "Do you really think so?" Scout says this is Atticus' dangerous question. In other words, Atticus asks this question in the attempt to get the other person to rethink things. 

This was Atticus’s dangerous question. “Do you really think you want to move there, Scout?” Bam, bam, bam, and the checkerboard was swept clean of my men. “Do you really think that, son? Then read this.” Jem would struggle the rest of an evening through the speeches of Henry W. Grady. 

The next evening, Atticus goes out for the evening but he does something that strikes Jem and Scout as quite odd: 

We parted at suppertime, and after our meal Jem and I were settling down to a routine evening, when Atticus did something that interested us: he came into the livingroom carrying a long electrical extension cord. There was a light bulb on the end. 

Atticus did have a custom of going for a walk during the evenings but the extension cord and the light suggest something strange to Jem. This is why he follows Atticus downtown. Scout and Dill go with Jem and they discover that Atticus has gone to guard the Maycomb jail where Tom is being held. A mob does show up, presumably to lynch Tom, but Atticus and the intervening children convince the mob to go home. 

How has Ralph changed from the start of the novel to the end of the novel? (His attitude and perspective on life and the nature of humans in regard...

Ralph's perspective does change. At first, he is hopeful but in the end, that hope is lost. 

In the beginning, Ralph realizes that the conch can be used to establish order. He accepts the role of chief because he knows he has the determination and discipline to be a good leader. He makes every attempt to protect the boys. He and Simon are the two boys who put forth the most effort in building the shelters. Ralph also stresses the importance of keeping the fire going because he knows the smoke is their best hope of being rescued. He challenges Jack when necessary and he scolds the boys when he thinks they are being lazy and/or neglecting the fire. Given all of this effort, Ralph clearly acts as though they can be rescued. His effort shows that he has hope for them. If he didn't think the boys could be good, in the ethical and moral senses, he would not go to such lengths to help create a good, moral, symbiotic community. 

Over the course of the novel, things deteriorate. Simon and Piggy are killed. Simon is the moral presence and Piggy represents logic and reason. When they are killed, Ralph feels that these values (morality and reason) are killed as well. By the end of the novel, Ralph is being hunted by Jack and the others. His hope for them, as moral and reasonable human beings, is gone or close to extinction. This is why, despite being rescued, he cries in anguish when the officer asks what happened to them. 

This passage at the end of the book is lengthy but it describes Ralph's final grim outlook: 

Ralph looked at him dumbly. For a moment he had a fleeting picture of the strange glamour that had once invested the beaches. But the island was scorched up like dead wood—Simon was dead—and Jack had. . . . The tears began to flow and sobs shook him. He gave himself up to them now for the first time on the island; great, shuddering spasms of grief that seemed to wrench his whole body. His voice rose under the black smoke before the burning wreckage of the island; and infected by that emotion, the other little boys began to shake and sob too. And in the middle of them, with filthy body, matted hair, and unwiped nose, Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy. 

In "The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World," what are two different emotions felt by the women of the town regarding "Esteban"? Why do the women...

In Gabriel Garcia Marquez's story "The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World," a mysterious dead man shows up on the beach of a small town. No one in the town recognizes this man and the town is so small that everyone knows everyone else. The man is handsome, strong, and virile; as the woman are cleaning his body for burial, they become "breathless" at his beauty. 

As they prepare clothes to dress him, they fantasize about the drowned man and create imagined stories about how strong, wealthy, and authoritative he would be if he lived in their town. The narrator says the women "secretly compared him to their own men" and "ended up dismissing them deep in their hearts as the weakest, meanest, and most useless creatures on earth." One of the old women, lost in fantasy, says that the drowned man looks like an "Esteban" and all the other women have to agree that he could have no other name.

Later, when the men of the town are forced to drag his body to the burial because Esteban is so large, the woman feel pity for the handsome man. They speculate that he struggled with his overly large body and was ashamed that he could not fit in the doorway when he visited people's houses. They cover his face with a handkerchief so that he will no longer be defenseless, and many of the women start to weep.

Part of the irony of this story is that these women who fantasize about and mourn Esteban do not really know him. He becomes the man they long for - strong, handsome, almost otherworldly - but he is inaccessible because he is dead and a stranger.  

"It is impossible to explain how social order is maintained without the role of ideologies." Explain and assess?

Thomas Hobbes' social contract theory is based on the premise that people are generally motivated by self-preservation, which doesn't lend itself well to the creation or sustainability of societies or communities. Given that, Hobbes' posited that for societies to function properly, the people must agree on a basic set of rules or laws that will govern their behavior and contribute to a cohesive society.

These rules and laws allow for different groups and organizations to co-exist and for cultures to develop, all of which keep societies stable. This co-existence and productive adherence to the social contract is known as the social order.

Because social order is based on laws, rules, and a particular set of beliefs, it is impossible to separate social order from the ideologies that inform those beliefs. For example, most people would agree that stealing from your neighbor is wrong because it weakens your bond with your neighbor and can undermine a stable society. However, to say that something is "wrong" implies a moral judgement, meaning that this particular governing law has been informed by an ideology. In fact, the majority of the laws that govern societies are based on collective ideas about what is and isn't moral behavior, most of which is subjective and heavily influenced by ideologies and belief systems.

What is the difference between a dehydration synthesis reaction and a hydrolysis reaction?

Knowing the meaning of word-parts within each term will help in identifying their meanings.

The term "synthesis" means "to make". The prefix “de” means “the removal of”. Finally, “hydro” implies that "water" is present.

Using these word parts, we can infer that the term “dehydration synthesis” means making bonds by removing water in the process. Specifically, a dehydration synthesis is a chemical reaction in which a covalent bond is formed between two compounds by removing the -OH from one of the compounds and the -H from the other compound. In this way, a new compound is formed as well as water. Since water is made in the process, the term “condensation reaction” is sometime used interchangeably with the term “dehydration synthesis”.

The formation of most biomolecules are produced via dehydration syntheses of their monomers. For example, a two monosaccharides form one disaccharide plus one water compound.

monosaccharide + monosaccharide  `->` water + disaccharide

A hydrolysis reaction is the opposite of a dehydration synthesis. During hydrolysis, bonds are broken by the addition of water. In this way, polymers are split into monomers. This often occurs during the process of digestion. The inverse of the chemical reaction provided above is an example of a dehydration synthesis.

water + disaccharide  `->` monosaccharide + monosaccharide

In "The Cask of Amontillado," what can you conclude about Montresor's feelings toward those who have allegedly wronged him?

"The Cask of Amontillado" opens with Montresor's claim to seek revenge upon those who have wronged him.  He claims that he has borne "a thousand injuries" from Fortunato, but he does not go into detail about what these supposed injuries actually are.  Later in the story, there are some suggestions as to what these injuries may have been--Montresor makes references to his family crest and the freemasons leading the reader to assume that Montresor's family may not have been as wealthy as others around, namely Fortunato's family.  Thus, Montresor feels socially inferior to Fortunato, and rather than dealing with his own perceptions of self, he projects his anger onto Fortunato.  Montresor feels wronged by Fortunato (and those in the upper class whom for Montresor Fortunato represents), so he feels justified in taking revenge on him.

Why were the later New Deal reforms unsuccessful?

As the New Deal entered the mid-1930s to the late-1930s, there was less support for more New Deal programs. However, it would be a stretch to say these programs weren’t successful.

Some people began to be concerned about President Roosevelt and the New Deal. When President Roosevelt tried to pack the Supreme Court with judges more in line with his thinking, some Americans were concerned he was trying to grab too much power. Fortunately, his court-packing plan never went into effect, but it did raise concerns for some people about what President Roosevelt was doing. There was a growing concern about the costs associated with the New Deal programs. These programs cost billions of dollars. While unemployment dropped somewhat, it certainly didn’t drop to levels that would be considered acceptable. Some people began to question whether the cost was worth the benefits that came from these programs. When the economy went into a recession in 1937 partially because President Roosevelt pulled back on the amount of government spending on New Deal programs, this added to the concern about the effectiveness of these programs.

By the end of the 1930s, people were tiring of all the New Deal programs. Plus, world events were becoming more dangerous with the aggressive actions of Germany, Italy, and Japan. However to say later New Deal programs such as the Fair Labor Standard Act, which gave workers more protection, and the National Housing Act, which helped low-income people built homes were unsuccessful would be a stretch. The Social Security Act and the National Labor Relations Act were also very successful and very popular programs. Thus, as we entered the mid-1930s to the late-1930s, people were becoming a bit tired of hearing about and dealing with the various New Deal programs that were developed. To say these programs weren’t successful is going a bit too far.

In the book To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, what of some examples of Atticus Finch being patient?

Atticus is unfailingly patient. When Scout begins to use obscene language in the hopes that he'll realize that she's learning it at school and thus will let her stop going to school, he ignores it and explains to Uncle Jack, "Don't pay any attention to her, Jack. She's trying you out. Cal says she's been cussing fluently for a week, now." He suspects (and it probably right) that it's a phase she's going through and/or she's just trying to get attention, and when she figures out that it doesn't work, she'll stop. 

When Mrs. Dubose accuses Atticus of "lawin' for niggers and trash" to Jem and Scout (and Jem destroys her camellias), Atticus says to Jem, "I have no doubt that you've been annoyed by your contemporaries about me lawing for niggers, as you say, but do something like this to a sick old lady is inexcusable." No matter what people say about him, Atticus keeps his head. 

After the trial, when Mr. Ewell spits on Atticus in public and says, "Too proud to fight, you nigger-lovin' bastard?", Atticus merely responds, "No, too old." No matter what happens, it seems, Atticus is patient and collected. 

What do Ulrich and Georg expect when they first confront each other in the forest in "The Interlopers" by Saki?

When they first confront each other in the forest, Georg and Ulrich expect to fight to the death. Each harbors the desire to kill the other. Due to the long-simmering feud between both families, the men dream of exacting vengeance for past wrongs, imagined or otherwise.

In the story, Ulrich patrols his family's forest lands with the hope that he will come across his enemy. He imagines that, if he were to find Georg alone, he could get away with murdering him without incurring any punishment for his actions. When they come face to face in the forest, however, each is hesitant to take the other's life. The narrator tells us "a man who has been brought up under the code of a restraining civilization cannot easily nerve himself to shoot down his neighbor in cold blood and without a word spoken."

In the end, nature makes the decision for them. Ulrich and Georg are felled by a beech tree. Left physically helpless (both are pinned down by the massive branches of the tree), both men realize they must put aside their differences if they hope to survive. After much conversation, the men come to a consensus; however, by that time, it is too late to hope for a quick rescue. As wolves approach, the narrator leaves us to imagine the fate of both men.

What role did taxes and the city of Boston have to do with the Revolutionary War?

Boston and taxes played a primary role in the American Revolution.

Mounting tension occurred after the French and Indian War because British rule began to tighten its hold over the colonies. For, as the British government wished to find new revenues to pay debt incurred by the war, it tightened on its existing trade laws as well as imposing new ones.

• The Sugar Act imposed new duties on many goods shipped from Britain to the colonies.


• The Quartering Act required colonial governments to provide supplies and quarters for British troops that were stationed in the colonies.


• The Stamp Act demanded that colonists pay for a tax stamp every time they paid for a legal document, a newspaper, or playing cards. This stamp was then placed upon the item purchased.

The protest against these acts was vociferous as merchants complained that the Sugar Act duties were exorbitant and they could not afford them; also, the Colonial governments simply ignored the Quartering Act. Most of all, the Stamp Act enraged colonists. In the House of Burgesses in Virginia, Patrick Henry rose to condemn this act and the English king, declaring, "If this be treason, make the most of it!" As a result of this oppression, colonists formed the Sons of Liberty, a group who were openly defiant as they attacked stamp tax collectors. Later, they sent a formal protest to King George III, who did repeal the Stamp Act, but imposed new laws shortly thereafter.

In 1767 the new British Prime Minister persuaded the British Parliament to impose new revenue-producing duties on glass, lead, paper, pepper, and tea that was brought to the colonies. Naturally, the colonists perceived that these duties were thinly disguised taxes. So, some colonists smuggled in like products, others simply did not use these products. Therefore, imports of these goods was reduced by 50 per cent, with Boston as the hotbed of resistance.

On March 5, 1770, a crowd of citizens in Boston shouted at British troops, taunting them as they stood guard near the Customs House. When a shot rang out, the soldiers opened fire and killed five colonists. This incident became known as the Boston Massacre and news of it spread throughout the other colonies. With growing discontent, the colonists succeeded in causing the British government to back down on the Townsend duties and they were repealed except for those on tea. 

Then in 1773, the British passed the Tea Act, which favored a British company and threatened to put colonial tea merchants out of business. On December 16, 1773, the Sons of Liberty disguised themselves and stole aboard three British ships loaded with over 300 crates of tea in Boston's harbor. Within an hour, these men had thrown overboard all the crates. This "Boston Tea Party" enraged the British government, and in 1774 the Parliament passed a series of acts called Intolerable Acts. The first act, the Boston Port Bill, closed Boston harbor, an act which threatened the people of Boston with shortages of food and business failures. Another act removed the Massachusetts government from the hands of the colonists; it also forced the colony to host 10,000 British troops, who were sent to guard and to administer these new laws.

In the British government's move to isolate and punish Massachusetts, the results were the opposite of what England desired. For, the other colonies rallied around this spirited colony. The Virginia House of Burgesses met where Patrick Henry gave his famous speech. Then, in September of 1774, 56 delegates (Georgia was absent) met in Philadelphia as the First Continental Congress.  As a result, more British troops were sent to quell any rebellion. But, the Minutemen had a supply of guns and ammunition near Concord, a few miles outside of Boston. When British troops tried to seize these supplies, the colonists were alerted by means of a system they had pre-arranged. On the night of April 18, 1775, a light flashed from a tower in Boston's Old North Church, alerting Paul Revere and William Dawson, who raced on horseback, warning the people, "The British are coming." In Concord Minutemen drove away the British troops and back onto the road to Boston. In the end, the Minutemen killed 240 British soldiers.

On May 10, 1775, the Second Continental Congress assembled and petitioned King George III to repeal the Intolerable Acts and to refrain from "unprovoked attacks." Also, George Washington was named commander of the American forces. But, before Washington could reach Boston, a major conflict arose between the colonists and British soldiers. This conflict took place at Breed's Hill and Bunker Hill, north of Boston. While the colonists fought tenaciously, the British drove them out; however, there were nearly 1000 English casualties.

Finally, after learning that the British Parliament refused to grant the petition of the Continental Congress, the Second Continental Congress met again and the Declaration of Independence was produced on July 4, 1776, and the new United States was on its way to revolution. Boston lay under siege for nearly a year until British forces under General William Howe pulled out and sailed to a base in Canada.                                                                                                                                                                                        

Is the narrator of "Shooting an Elephant" a wimp?

The narrator might not have been a wimp but it wasn't courageous of him at all to shoot a harmless elephant “solely to avoid looking a fool.”

When the narrator confronts the elephant, it is no more under “the attack of must.” It is “beating his bunch of grass against his knees, with that preoccupied grandmotherly air that elephants have.” But now, an audience of over two thousand Burmese stands surrounding him. They have gathered to witness a white man gun down an elephant. The narrator says,

“The people expected it of me and I had got to do it; I could feel their two thousand wills pressing me forward, irresistibly.”

However, the narrator has sensible reasons not to shoot the giant creature. First, it no more poses any danger to life or property. Second, killing it would cause a massive loss to its owner.

“Alive, the elephant was worth at least a hundred pounds; dead, he would only be worth the value of his tusks, five pounds, possibly.”

Moreover, his conscience constantly thwarts him against shooting the elephant. His instinctive sensitivities have made him scrupulous and reluctant to fire at the animal.

Despite all these reasons, he shoots down the elephant. It’s because he fails to muster up enough courage to face the natives in case he would retreat without shooting the animal. He says,

“I had committed myself to doing it when I sent for the rifle. A sahib has got to act like a sahib; he has got to appear resolute, to know his own mind and do definite things.”

In failing to do so, he would not only have made himself an object of ridicule, but also tarnished the image of the mighty British Empire. So, he decides to shoot the elephant dead.

At least in this situation, it may not be wrong to say that the narrator acts wimpishly. But there’s another important consideration. By writing this autobiographical sketch, Orwell acknowledges the act of his cowardice. This admission is, in no way, an act expected of a wimp.

Identify two ways that organisms can be compared to provide evidence of evolution from a common ancestors.

Comparison of genetic material, homologous structures, and fossil records can be used to support common ancestry amongst organisms.

DNA and amino acid sequences can be used support the claim that two organisms share a common ancestor. Simply put, the more DNA sequences and/or amino acid sequences that organisms have in common, the more closely related they are.

Homologous structures are bones or organs that are found in different species that are share anatomical and functional similarities. Therefore, organisms that share homologous structures are though to also share a common ancestor. Examples of homologous structures are the arm of a human, the limb of a horse or cat, the wing of a bat, and the fin of a whale.

Fossil records are also used to support the claim that two species share a common ancestor. Fossil records provide evidence of the progression of the formation of organisms over time. Such records may demonstrate divergent evolution. Divergent evolution results when two or more species evolve from a single ancestor. Environmental isolation of subpopulations of a species may result in divergent evolution. The subpopulations will evolve due to natural selection of each environment’s unique characteristics. An example of divergent evolution would be the different finches found the Galapagos islands.

How does the speed-up affect Lyddie? How does it affect the other girls?

At first, Lyddie thrives on the speed-up. She has quickly become one of the factory's top-producing girls, so Lyddie has always been able to handle the big demand and long hours being put on the girls. In fact, Lyddie ends up working multiple machines, because she is that good at her job.  

Not all of the girls are like Lyddie, though, so as the factory increases demands on production, many of the girls get injured or quit. Some sign the petition for better working conditions and they are blacklisted. However well that Lyddie first adjusts to the speed-up, though, she is still human. She becomes fatigued like the rest of the girls, and Lyddie eventually makes a mistake and injures her hand.

How does the Party gain control over the people in 1984?

The Party gains control over people through constant surveillance, propaganda and thought control. 

In Oceania, Party members live with viewscreens that can never be shut off. These screens not only show incessant propaganda about how life is ever improving (it is not), the screens can be used to spy on people. For example, when Winston does not do his exercises properly, the voice of a person watching from behind the screen scolds him. Neighbors are also encouraged to spy on each other, and children are expected to spy on their parents and report any deviances. In fact, Parsons is arrested because his children denounce him. People are clearly afraid to challenge the state in any way because of this constant monitoring.

Second, propaganda is almost ceaseless. The government owns all the airwaves, newspapers and publishing and uses these media to constantly whip up fear about enemies and send out whatever message it wants about the Party or Big Brother. Posters everywhere remind people that Big Brother is watching them. The daily two-minute hates direct people's repressed sexual energy toward whatever target the government wants to attack.

Third, the Party demands not just outward conformity to its rules, but inward conformity. People are not allowed to think thoughts the Party does not allow, and the Party works to reduce the number of words in the language to a bare minimum so that people can't formulate subversive thoughts. This extreme emphasis on inner conformity leads to self-censorship as people fight to avoid arrest by the ever-lurking but mysterious Thought Police.

What happens to the man that provides the turning point in the story?

The turning point in the story comes when the unnamed protagonist breaks through the ice and gets soaked up to his knees. He has to build a fire to dry out and keep from having his feet and lower legs permanently injured by the ice. Up to this point he has felt confident, even though he had been warned not to travel alone when the temperature was lower than fifty degrees below zero. (He estimates that the actual temperature must be at least seventy below zero.) He feels some contempt for the old-timers and thinks of them as being "rather womanish." He gets his fire burning--but he has made the serious mistake of building it under a snow-laden spruce tree.

No wind had blown for weeks, and each bough was fully freighted. Each time he had pulled a twig he had communicated a slight agitation to the tree—an imperceptible agitation, so far as he was concerned, but an agitation sufficient to bring about the disaster. High up in the tree one bough capsized its load of snow. This fell on the boughs beneath, capsizing them. This process continued, spreading out and involving the whole tree. It grew like an avalanche, and it descended without warning upon the man and the fire, and the fire was blotted out! Where it had burned was a mantle of fresh and disordered snow.

The man was shocked. It was as though he had just heard his own sentence of death.

After this disaster the man begins to lose his self-confidence. The reader is held closely in the protagonist's point of view and feels the protagonist's growing panic as the situation becomes increasingly desperate. The man has to build another fire, but he is losing control of his fingers. Things go from bad to worse. Since he cannot use his fingers to light a single match, he takes the gamble of scooping all his wooden matches together. 

Then he scratched the bunch along his leg. It flared into flame, seventy sulphur matches at once! There was no wind to blow them out. He kept his head to one side to escape the strangling fumes, and held the blazing bunch to the birch-bark. As he so held it, he became aware of sensation in his hand. His flesh was burning. He could smell it.

He is so clumsy with his frozen fingers that he puts his fire out while trying to remove a large piece of green moss which had been suffocating the feeble flames. He becomes increasingly desperate. He makes an unsuccessful attempt to kill his dog so that he can bury his frozen hands in the warm body and get some life back into his fingers. But although he manages to get his arms around the dog, he has no way of killing it, and the dog escapes. Then the man tries running, in the hope of restoring some circulation to his limbs. The running is helpful, but he can't run far enough. The camp he had been planning to reach before dark is too far away. He doesn't have the endurance. Several times he falls down and gets up again, driven on by the fear of death. Finally he gives up the struggle to survive and allows himself to drowse off. He finds that this form of death is not painful.

Then the man drowsed off into what seemed to him the most comfortable and satisfying sleep he had ever known. 

The silent setting has seemed totally indifferent to the man's plight. The cold is killing him dispassionately. The spruce tree dumped its load of snow just because the branches were overladen. The man's dog stays with him for a short while after he is dead, but then it abandons his body and proceeds along the trail to the camp where it knows it can find other "food-providers" and "fire-providers." 

In Orwell's 1984, what is Winston's relationship with Syme? Why does he believe that Syme will be vaporized?

In 1984, Syme is one of Winston's colleagues at the Ministry of Truth. Winston describes him as a "friend" and as a person whose company he genuinely enjoys. Winston is concerned, however, that Syme will be vaporized by the Party because he is "too intelligent." Specifically, he feels this way because Syme "sees too clearly and speaks too plainly."

Syme is a language specialist who is working on the newest edition of the Newspeak dictionary. It is his job to oversee the "destruction" of the English language and the development of Newspeak, the language of the Party, in which true expression is replaced by political and social orthodoxy. But Syme is so intelligent that he sees beyond orthodoxy: he can envision a time in which the Party's slogans, like "freedom is slavery," must be eliminated because Newspeak has destroyed those very concepts, like freedom, on which they rely. For Winston, it is Syme's ability to think for himself and to express his thoughts openly which puts his life in jeopardy. 

How long will your trip take (in hours) if you travel 350 km at an average speed of 80 km\hr? What is the formula with givens: Time, Distance,...

Hello!

The formula for an average speed is a distance travelled divided by a time spent,

`V=d/t.`

In our problem the average speed `V` and the distance `d` are given, and we are looking for the time `t.` It is simple to find it:

`t=d/V.`

In numbers it is  `(350km)/(80 (km)/h)=` 4.375 hours, or 4 hours and 22.5 minutes.

Who is narrating "A Christmas Memory" and how old is he when these events take place?

The narrator for this story is Buddy. Because he narrates the story in first person, he always uses "I" and "me," and not his actual name. His real name is not "Buddy." His cousin simply calls him that because her previous best friend, one who died in the 1880's, used to be named Buddy, and now she calls him that as well.

On page one of the story he tells us that he is seven years old in the memory, but he is narrating the story as a young adult. We do not know how old the narrator is when he is telling the story, but it appears he is still in military school based on the last passage of the story.

"That is why, walking across a school campus on this particular December morning, I keep searching the sky. As if I expected to see, rather like hearts, a lost pair of kites hurrying toward heaven" (Capote).

Give two properties of copper that show it is a metal.

Copper is a metal and exhibits a number of properties that are commonly associated with metals. For example, copper is a solid at room temperature, as are almost all the metals (the exception is mercury). Copper is also a good conductor of electricity, as are other metals. It is because of copper's electrical conductivity that it is very commonly used for electrical wiring at homes, offices, etc. Similar to metals, copper easily donates electrons to become a cation. In fact, copper has two different ionic forms: cuprous and cupric, corresponding to an oxidation state of +1 and +2. Copper also forms ionic compounds with a number of non-metals. An example of such a compound is copper chloride, which is similar to sodium chloride (sodium is another metal).

Hope this helps. 

In allowing readers to observe and to interpret, picture books can also implicitly teach young readers the semiotic and cultural codes and...

The word "semiotics" comes from the Greek "semeion", which means "sign". 

In his posthumously published book, A Course in General Linguistics, Ferdinand de Saussure, states that 

Language is a system of signs [and] a science that studies the life of signs within society [...] would be a part of social psychology [and] general psychology [...] Semiology would show what constitutes signs, and what laws govern them (Saussure, 1966, p. 16)

According to Saussure, signs are made of two parts: the signifier (representation) and the signified (concept that representation means to convey). For example, the sound of an approaching ambulance is the signifier that signifies "emergency". However, it also conveys other messages such as "get out of the way", "fast, big, car coming", "drive toward the curb", "obey the law when you hear the ambulance", and a myriad of other mental images, memories, warnings, and thoughts. Such is the importance of "the symbol" in cultures and in civilization. 

More examples of symbols are signifiers are found in the most common things: the red light at the stop, the stop sign, the sound of the microwave oven when food finishes cooking, and even the grades in a report card. All of these sights and sounds mean something unique to those witnessing them.

The important thing to remember about symbols is that they are intrinsically connected to traditions, cultural values, ethical behavior, and even emotional trauma in some cases. 

Cultural codes are cues that lead us into knowing something about a particular cultural group. it could be the way that they tend to say things, the things they omit in conversation, their specific responses to issues, and even the way they manifest anger, fear, hunger, happiness, and love. This would be studied in every way, from behavior, to literature, to history.

Cultural codes can include semantic and symbolic codes:

• semantic- conveying meaning with little words, by association


• symbolic- using hyperbole, juxtaposition, irony, contrasts, and antithesis

Essentially, the culture code helps to unveil the hidden or intended meaning of the symbols presented in literature through semiotics. Remember that culture codes are constructs that result entirely from the application created by people from one cultural group. This being said, whenever a symbol is presented in a work of literature, the culture code that we learn about will help us understand why the symbol is important. What is significant, or even important, to one group, may be completely meaningless to another. Symbols will not acquire their true meaning without the full understanding of cultural codes. Each on their own, symbols and codes, are studies on their own accord and are brought together to convey complete meaning. 

Why didn't the Spirit of Christmas Present show Scrooge his own present?

When the Ghost of Christmas Present takes Scrooge on his tour, his stops include the Cratchits' house, his nephew's party, and even a boat in the ocean.  However, Scrooge's own house is not on the tour.

This is for several reasons.  First, as the story takes place on Christmas Eve, this IS Scrooge's present.  He would not have a need to revisit his own Christmas, as the events all happened recently or are happening currently.

Another interpretation could be that the Ghost does not want to show Scrooge the present because he has the power to change it.  And, indeed, after a visit from the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, Scrooge will change his present, beginning when he wakes up on Christmas morning.

Who does Prince Prospero represent in "The Masque of the Red Death?"

Prince Prospero represents humankind's pride, our arrogant and mistaken belief that we can somehow escape nature and cheat death.  The narrator says that "No pestilence had ever been so fatal [...]," and, yet, the prince believes that he is somehow above everyone else and can render himself (and his friends) immune to this terrible disease.  The Red Death has already claimed half of his kingdom, so "he summoned to his presence a thousand hale and light-hearted friends from among the knights and dames of his court, and with these retired to the deep seclusion of one of his castellated abbeys."  He has the money and the ability to hide himself away, and so this makes him believe that he is somehow special, that he can remain immune to the disease.  His party is described as "voluptuous" with everyone in costume and rooms filled with "delirious fancies," "the beautiful," and the "bizarre."  The prince seems to think that he can hide from death by controlling his environment because he overestimates his own importance.

What is the difference between a strong acid and a weak acid?

A strong acid is one that completely ionizes in solution to produce hydrogen ions and weak acid is one that shows less than 100% ionization in solution.

The strength of an acid isn't the same thing as its concentration. A strong acid can be either concentrated or dilute, but a concentrated strong acid will have more hydrogen ions than a weak acid of the same volume and concentration.

The strong acids are:

hydrochloric acid, `HCl`

hydroiodic acid, `HI`

hydrobromic acid, `HBr`

nitric acid, `HNO_3`

sulfuric acid, `H_2SO_4`

perchloric acid, `HClO_4`

Some common weak acids are:

acetic acid, `HC_2H_3O_2`

carbonic acid,` H_2CO_3`

phosphoric acid, `H_3PO_4`

nitrous acid, `HNO_2`

When these weak acids dissolve in water most of the acid molecules stay intact and only a small percentage ionize.

When an acid ionizes in water it produces the hydronium ion, `H_3O^+` , which is also represented as the hydrogen ion `H+` . Here's an example of ionization of HCl shown both ways: 

`HCl + H_2O -gt H_3O^+ + Cl^-`

`HCl -gt H^+ + Cl^-`

How do Hamlet and Polonius affect the outcome of the downfall of Denmark in Shakespeare's Hamlet?

In short, Denmark does not “fall” in Shakespeare’s Hamlet.  In fact, Denmark still exists today.  (In Hamlet, it is the continued life of Horatio that secures Denmark's ability to thrive further.)  However, the King of Denmark, Claudius, certainly does fall.  Perhaps this is what you mean by “the downfall of Denmark.”  Both Polonius and Hamlet play a part in Claudius’ downfall, but Hamlet plays a much bigger part than Polonius. 

Polonius plays an indirect role in Claudius’ murder while Hamlet plays a direct role in that murder.  Polonius is simply the fool of the play while Hamlet is the protagonist.  This relates directly to their involvement in the downfall of Claudius.  Polonius does agree to spy on Hamlet for Claudius.  This really is not a good idea and leads to Polonius’ death behind “the arras” due to Hamlet mistaking Polonius for Claudius.  Hamlet, however, directly affects Claudius’ downfall.  Hamlet does spend the entire play stalling and/or over-thinking the matter.  However, Hamlet (finally) kills Claudius at the end of the play with the same poisoned rapier that Laertes used on Hamlet.  One could also say that the poisoned cup (meant for Hamlet) also results in Claudius’ death.  Of course, it is Hamlet that forces Claudius to drink from the cup he meant for Hamlet to drink.  In this way, Polonius indirectly leads to Claudius’ downfall while Hamlet directly leads to Claudius’ downfall.

In Romeo and Juliet, what is the nature of the relationship between Juliet and her parents as depicted in Act 4, Scene 2?

The scene is played out the day before Juliet is supposed to marry the county Paris. Preparations are being made for the wedding. Juliet displays a respectful, courteous and kind attitude to her parents in this scene. She comes across as quite obedient and does not challenge or provoke either Lady or Lord Capulet in any way, as illustrated in the manner in which speaks.

When her father asks her where she had been gallivanting about, Juliet replies:

Where I have learn'd me to repent the sin
Of disobedient opposition
To you and your behests, and am enjoin'd
By holy Laurence to fall prostrate here,
And beg your pardon: pardon, I beseech you!
Henceforward I am ever ruled by you.

Juliet is here referring to a previous occasion in Act 3, scene 5, where she had been involved in a heated confrontation with her father. During this verbal altercation Juliet had refused to accede to her father's request to marry Paris. He lost his temper and threatened to not only to give her corporal punishment, but to throw her out of his house and disown her as well. He was extremely upset by her reaction and was harsh and irrational. He told her to reconsider her decision for he was serious. What he obviously did not know was that Juliet had already wed Romeo at this stage.

Here she informs her father that she has learnt to repent from her sin of disobedient opposition and will now follow his every command. She says, furthermore, that Friar Laurence has asked her to show humility and beg her father's forgiveness. She beseeches him to pardon her for having been disrespectful and promises that she will now forever obey his commands.

Lord Capulet is obviously overjoyed at this turn of events and wants to continue with the wedding preparations since he wants the betrothal to be finalized by the next morning. He asks that Paris be sent for so that he can be given the good news. At this, Juliet informs him that she had met Paris at the church and that she had given him signs of her love without overstepping the boundaries of modest behaviour.

Lord Capulet expresses his delight and ironically thanks Friar Laurence for his influence in changing Juliet's mind and says, 

Now, afore God! this reverend holy friar,
Our whole city is much bound to him.

He is, of course, unaware that the friar has plotted with Juliet to ensure that she escapes marrying Paris to be with Romeo. He has provided her with a powerful sleeping potion which will bring on a death-like sleep. The plan is that her parents will believe her dead and bury her in the family tomb. He and Romeo will fetch her once she has recovered and the two lovers will then escape to Mantua.

On the whole, therefore, Juliet's respectful and obedient behaviour is a sham. She puts on an act, for she knows what will actually unfold and does not want to complicate matters any further.

What causes Macbeth to think he sees a dagger?

It is his "heat-oppressed brain" that causes him to think he sees the dagger. He speaks to it, saying "Thou marshall'st me the way that I was going," although he's going that direction anyway (his own dagger already in his hand), and the vision stays before his eyes as he moves. Then he notices that the incorporeal dagger has gouts of blood on it, and says, "It is the bloody business which informs / Thus to mine eyes." This "dagger of the mind," as he has already called it, isn't just a dagger that appears in his mind, but is also a dagger that pierces his mind. 

He then notes that in the darkness, "o'er the one halfworld / Nature seems dead." Nature itself is dead in the dark, and it's the time for witches and Hecate and ghosts to be about. He imagines the wickedness of the night as he watches the dagger, working up his courage to murder Duncan in his sleep.

What are the literary techniques in "The Metamorphosis", and why are they used?

In the novella “The Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka, the author utilizes multiple literary techniques to illustrate unique points. For example, Kafka applies irony and metaphors to his story.

Beginning with Kafka’s use of irony in the story, there are several times this occurs. Foremost, authors frequently utilize irony to illustrate a point while sometimes creating humor or intrigue. Kafka employs irony throughout the novella to illustrate the ironic separation that Gregor experiences. Before his transformation, Gregor spent much time apart from his family and thus, felt much distance from them. However, now that he is physically closer to his family (because he is always at home), Gregor feels even more distant and isolated. As the text reveals:

"Later, however, they had to hold her [Gregor’s mother] back forcefully, and when she then cried ‘Let me go to Gregor. He’s my unlucky son! Don’t you understand that I have to go to him?’ Gregor then thought that perhaps it would be a good thing if his mother came in, not every day, of course, but maybe once a week."

Thus, despite Gregor’s physical closeness, he was ironically even more emotionally distant and isolated from his family.

Subsequently, Kafka also utilizes metaphors throughout the novella. Kafka does this to show how Gregor’s life appears dehumanized or “bug-like” even before his transformation. For example, before the transformation, Gregor debases himself by focusing solely on work to support his family. Thus, after his transformation, he initially concentrates solely on his job. As the text reveals:

“what a demanding job I’ve chosen! Day in, day out on the road. The stresses of trade are much greater than the work going on at head office, and, in addition to that, I have to deal with the problems of traveling, the worries about train connections, irregular bad food, temporary and constantly changing human relationships which never come from the heart.”

Consequently, Kafka utilizes this metaphor of becoming a bug to illustrate the dehumanization of Gregor (even before the transformation).

Therefore, Kafka uses many different literary techniques in his story. However, the literary techniques of irony and metaphor represent some of the most significant techniques in the book. By utilizing these literary techniques, Kafka focuses the reader on the dehumanization of man and the importance of relationships.

What literary device does Wiesel use to illustrate his disillusionment with God?

While they could also be considered literary devices, Wiesel adopts common rhetorical devices to express his disillusionment with God, including anaphora and hypophora. Rhetoric is the art of persuasion, and in his book Night, Wiesel very much wants to convince the reader that God not only abandoned the Jews during the Holocaust but singled them out as a group to be persecuted.

In section three at Birkenau, just after the selection, Elie witnesses children being thrown into a pit of flames. This atrocity seems to be the spark of his retreat from God. He uses the rhetorical device of anaphora in his memory of that first night in a death camp. Anaphora is the repetition of the same word or words at the beginning of successive phrases or sentences:

Never shall I forget that nocturnal silence which deprived me, for all eternity, of the desire to live. Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust. Never shall I forget these things, even if I am condemned to live as long as God himself. Never.

The repetition of the word "Never" has a chilling effect. The senseless killing and torture are something he can never forget. Moreover, he can never forgive God for allowing it. 

In section five the Jews gather together during Rosh Hashanah for prayer. Elie questions why God should be blessed and again uses anaphora in his condemnation, this time repeating the word "Because":

Why, but why should I bless Him? In every fiber I rebelled. Because He had had thousands of children burned in His pits? Because He kept six crematories working night and day, on Sundays and feast days? Because in His great might he had created Auschwitz, Birkenau, Buna, and so many factories of death? 

In section four, Wiesel uses the rhetorical element of hypophora in his expression of disillusionment with God. Hypophora consists of raising a question and then providing an immediate answer. The Jews at Buna witness the hanging of a young boy. The boy doesn't die right away and lingers between life and death for some time while each of the prisoners is made to look into his face. A man near Elie asks a question about God, to which Elie has a quick response:

Behind me, I heard a man asking:

"Where is God now?"

And I heard a voice within me answer him:

“Where is He? Here He is—He is hanging here on this gallows….”

What topic can be formed for a term paper that can justify Wittgenstein's philosophy of language?

Wittgenstein wrote his Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus earlier in his career and his other work, Philosophical Investigations, differs from and is critical of some of the views he expressed in the former work. 

In the Tractatus, he argues a proposition that makes logical sense must have a logical form to it. We must think of this logical form as a "picture." But when he says "picture" he really means structure, form, or formula. Wittgenstein means that the structure of a sensible proposition ("I am alive") will obey logical laws in the same way that a ball thrown up into the air will obey the logical laws of physics. "Socrates is wise" follows a formula, ARB, and its logic depends on the logical sense of the elements placed within that formula. 

Wittgenstein's logical analysis of language is mathematical in this way. Consider the "p and the not-p" formula. "It is raining or it is not raining." This follows a formula, but it is nonsense; it gives no useful information. It is a tautology. Consider "It is raining and it is not raining." This is absurd and a contradiction. It also makes no sense. In these ways, Wittgenstein is trying to show that language can not express anything that contradicts logic. 

His general idea is that which can be expressed in language must be logical. Things that can not be expressed by language must be illogical and we should simply ignore such things. A way to justify this thinking is to say, "if a statement provides no useful information or if it is illogical, then it expresses nothing and should be ignored." 

Consider analogies to justify Wittgenstein's thinking. If you hear a chord made up the notes C, E, and G, then it must be logically represented on the staff. If it is not logically and spatially (in this case) represented on the staff, it will not make sense. Each note must be in a different spot on the staff to make any sense. Just as any expressible thing about the world can be expressed in some logical proposition, any combination of notes can be expressed in a logical form of notes on a staff. In both cases, that which is expressible is only expressible in a logical structure or form. 

(We can't really say how the logical form of C, E, and G on the staff says anything about itself; it only says something about the sound of the chord. Likewise, we can't say how "Socrates is wise" says anything about itself as a formula; it only says something about the fact or idea that Socrates is wise.) 

In Philosophical Investigations, Wittgenstein writes that language is more like an ongoing game, a part of life in which we all play. He doesn't try to boil language down into mathematical formulas of logic. Rather, he discusses how different terms change in different contexts, thus giving a more fluid assessment of language. The commonality between this work and the Tractatus is that Wittgenstein seeks to identify and resolve confusion and contradictions in language. 

Is "dying breath of this love" a metaphor or personification?

It is a personification. A personification is when traits that are usually given to human beings are applied to objects or ideas. In this example, love is described as if it had breath, like a person does, even though, of course, love does not have breath at all. This helps tie the reader more closely to the object of comparison, since as humans, we tend to see things better in human terms.

Metaphors are a comparison in which there is no comparative language used. The writer directly refers to something as if it were the object of comparison. For example, if you wanted to use a metaphor to compare a tree to a castle, you would say, "the tree is a castle," rather than, "the tree is like a castle." Terms such as "like," and "as" are not part of metaphors. They are used in another form of comparison, known as similes.

What effects do the pills that they take have on the citizens in The Giver?

The pill given to those who have reached puberty and over reduce hormonal urges, or "Stirrings" as they are called.

In Chapter Five the morning ritual of telling dreams begins with Lily. Usually Jonas does not have a dream to recount, but this time he relates a dream he has had that has taken place in the House of the Old where he was with Fiona and he wanted her to bathe with him in one of the tubs. Jonas mentions how strong "the wanting" was. He also recalls how pleasurable it was to consider Fiona with the new feelings.
After his sister departs for school, Jonas's mother detains him in order to explain that his "wanting" was an indication that the Stirrings have begun in him. And, it is then that Jonas recalls hearing the Speaker mention that Stirrings must be reported so that treatment could begin.

Before Jonas leaves for school, his mother has him take the appropriate pill that curbs these Stirrings. As he rounds a corner on his bicycle, Jonas's memory of the enjoyment in the Stirrings begins to fade, even as he briefly tries to recall the pleasurable feelings.

In the effort to attain a perfect society, anything that might arouse strong feelings has been eliminated. The people do not see color, they must not use emotional words; they adhere to Sameness in order to avoid conflicts. Individuality is sacrificed to conformity. In the long history of mankind, the strongest feelings in anyone have been those generated by hormones; for this reason, the Community strictly controls these Stirrings in order to maintain peace and contentment. But, it is Stirrings, more than any other quality in people, that truly makes them human, bringing them all the emotions that compose their very souls.    

Why might the dad be unhappy about the engagement in "Marriage is a Private Affair"?

Nnaemeka's dad is named Okeke. At the beginning of "Marriage is a Private Affair," Nnaemeka and Nene are discussing Okeke's possible reaction to the engagement the young lovers have planned. Nnaemeka knows that Okeke very likely will be "uhappy about the engagement" because Nnaemeka is not following Ibo tradition in his native Nigeria. Nnaemeka moved to the big city of Lagos; however, Okeke still expects that his son will adhere to the traditions of his rural Ibo village. Instead, Nnaemeka falls in love with Nene and decides to marry her.  

There are three specific Ibo traditions that are broken and might cause Okeke to be "unhappy." First, in order to marry Nene, Nnaemeka has to refuse marriage to an Ibo maiden chosen by Okeke. Second, Nene does not fit the mold of an Ibo maiden because she works as a teacher (which Okeke claims is against the Bible). Finally (and most importantly), Okeke will be unhappy because Nene is not of the Ibo tribe. In fact, Okeke is so unhappy with Nnaemeka's choice of wife that he refuses to acknowledge his son or his son's family for eight years.

What are some quotes that show how quick-tempered Mercutio is in the play, Romeo and Juliet?

It is not by chance that Mercutio's name is derived from mercury, a poisonous and volatile element which is quick to respond to changes in temperature and is therefore used in thermometers. Furthermore, the planet Mercury is the closest to the sun and therefore very hot. Mercutio's hot temper therefore makes his name more than apt.

The best examples of Mercutio's quick temper are found in his confrontation with Tybalt, a Capulet, and Juliet's cousin, in Act 3, scene 1. Tybalt has forwarded a written challenge to Romeo. Mercutio is aware of the challenge and when he and Benvolio encounter Tybalt who seeks to have a word with one of them, he replies:

And but one word with one of us? couple it with
something; make it a word and a blow.

Mercutio's aggression is obvious. He tells Tybalt that a word is nothing and that he should add 'a blow' i.e. a physical confrontation, to make their meeting worthwhile.

Tybalt replies in the affirmative, that he is more than happy to indulge in a fight and that Mercutio would give him enough reason to do so. Mercutio, in response, asks Tybalt whether he cannot fight without being provoked. When Tybalt tells him that he 'consorts with Romeo,' Mercutio intentionally misinterprets the word as meaning that they are a troupe of singers. He then forwards a challenge:

look to hear nothing but
discords: here's my fiddlestick; here's that shall
make you dance. 'Zounds, consort!

He extends the minstrel metaphor stating that if they were minstrels, they would be out of tune and play discordant sounds. He then refers to his rapier as a fiddlestick which he will sway to make Tybalt and his companions dance. He uses the expletive 'Zounds', to indicate how upset he is for being referred to as a mere minstrel. Mercutio is obviously looking for a fight.

Benvolio obviously does not want to make a public scene and asks that they move to a more private place where Mercutio can make his grievances known. Mercutio stubbornly refuses:

Men's eyes were made to look, and let them gaze;
I will not budge for no man's pleasure, I.

He is intent on causing a fracas in spite of the Prince's earlier warning that any public brawl between the houses of Capulet and Montague or their adherents, will be severely punished. At this point, Romeo arrives.

When Tybalt refers to Romeo as 'my man', Mercutio feels insulted and tells Tybalt that Romeo could only be his man if he should lead him to the field of battle where they can fight. 

Tybalt issues a challenge to Romeo, which he refuses. He instead expresses his love for him. He asks him to be satisfied by this. Mercutio is angered by what he believes is Romeo's cowardly and feeble response. He shouts:

O calm, dishonourable, vile submission!
Alla stoccata carries it away.

He uses a fencing term meaning to direct one's rapier (at an opponent) and make a thrust. He then draws his sword and challenges Tybalt to a duel. He asserts that he will kill him and cudgel the remaining eight lives he has, for Tybalt is a cat with nine lives. Tybalt takes up his challenge and draws his sword.

Romeo tries to intervene and asks Mercutio to replace his rapier, but Mercutio refuses. The two men start their duel with Romeo shouting at them to stop and to heed the warning from the Prince. His intervention leads to Tybalt gaining an advantage and he mortally wounds Mercutio who later dies of his injury.

This event spells a dramatic turning-point in the play, for Romeo later avenges Mercutio's death by killing Tybalt. He is then banished from Verona or forfeit his life. All the successive events hereafter are a direct consequence of this incident. 

How does Macbeth use repetition to make sure his point has been heard in act 3 scene 1?

In his famous soliloquy in Act 3, Scene 1, Macbeth expresses his fear regarding his position as the king of Scotland. His main fear is Banquo. He does not trust him, and his mistrust of Banquo is intensified by the witches' prediction that Banquo's  descendants will inherit the throne. Macbeth is thrown into panic and anxiety:

 For Banquo's issue have I filed my mind;
 For them the gracious Duncan have I murder'd;
 Put rancours in the vessel of my peace
 Only for them; and mine eternal jewel
 Given to the common enemy of man,
 To make them kings, the seed of Banquo kings!

Macbeth is terrified by the thought that he had to sacrifice so much only for Banquo's descendants to inherit the throne one day. He refuses to accept that the agony he had to go through in order to murder Duncan may amount to nothing.

All these references to Banquo's descendants make us assume that Macbeth will carry on murdering anyone who stands in his way, especially Banquo. Macbeth attempts to rationalize his intention to murder Banquo by wanting to believe that he is a victim in this particular situation. He maintains that killing Duncan entailed forfeiting his soul and losing his peace of mind. Therefore, Macbeth does not want such a sacrifice to come to nothing in the end.

Who was Moshe the Beadle and what was his significance to Wiesel in Night?

Moshe the Beadle is a poor Jew who lives in the town of Sighet with Elie.  We are introduced to him in the beginning of Chapter One.  A scholar of Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism, Moshe teaches Elie about Jewish mystical texts as Elie works to improve his knowledge of Judaism.

Early on in the text, Moshe, a foreign born Jew, is deported out of the country.  Those left behind in Sighet assume that he has simply been returned to his home country.  In reality, he was transported to a concentration camp, but managed to escape along the way.  He returns to Sighet desperate to tell the townspeople of the horrendous things he has seen -- including the use of Jewish babies as "target practice" for German soldiers.  Unfortunately, the townspeople cannot fathom such horrors and assume that Moshe has had a mental breakdown.

Thus, Moshe the Beadle serves as both a teacher and a prophet for Elie.  In one role, he is revered; in the other, he is largely ignored.

Characterize Peyton Farquhar. If you think Bierce makes him sympathetic, consider the ways in which Bierce does so.

Peyton Farquhar is a slave-owner, a Confederate sympathizer, and a saboteur. Bierce has no trouble making him sympathetic even to Union sympathizers because of several factors.

• Farquhar is facing his death courageously. He knows he was taking a risk and realizes he has to pay for it with his life.


• Farquhar has a wife and family.


• Farquhar is all alone against a large contingent of the Union Army. We tend to root for the "little guy," and Farquhar is certainly the little guy here.


• We naturally sympathize and identify with a man whose life is in danger if we are kept in his point of view. Another example is the unnamed protagonist of Jack London's "To Build a Fire." Yet another example is Meursault in Albert Camus' novel The Stranger. We don't necessarily have to "like" a character as long as we are held in his point of view and identify with his motivation. In Farquhar's case, he wants to live, he wants to go home to his wife, he wants to escape hanging. Bierce has an easy time creating sympathy for Farquhar. We could identify with almost anyone, even the worst type of criminal, if we were in his point of view and identified with his common human motivation--love, hate, fear, survival, greed, revenge, etc.

We have to find the zeros of `f(x) = sin(x-pi/4).`

Hello!

Well, this task isn't very complicated. Recall that zeros of a function `f(x)` is the points `x` at which `f(x)=0.`

So we have to solve the equation  `sin(x-pi/4)=0.`

The general solution of the equation  `sin(w)=0` is `w=k pi,` where `k` is any integer (yes, this means that there are infinitely many solutions).

In our case `w=x-pi/4=k pi,` so `x=pi/4+k pi.` This is the answer(s) (remember `k` is any integer).

What are some Biblical allusions (including quotes) in Chapters 6 and 7 of the novel Lord of the Flies?

"There was a sudden bright explosion and corkscrew trail across the sky; then darkness again and stars. There was a speck above the island, a figure dropping swiftly beneath a parachute, a figure that hung with dangling limbs." (Golding 95)

At the beginning of Chapter 6, Golding describes the paratroopers decent from the sky following an aerial battle. This scene alludes to the Biblical account of Satan's fall from heaven. According to the Bible, Lucifer was a prideful angel who was kicked out of heaven by the archangel Michael. The paratroopers fall from the sky alludes to the Biblical event of Satan descending from heaven. The dead paratrooper is believed to be the "beast" which symbolizes Satan.

"Someone's got to go across the island and tell Piggy we'll be back after dark." Bill spoke unbelieving. "Through the forest by himself? Now?" "We can't spare more than one." Simon pushed his way to Ralph's elbow. "I'll go if you like. I don't mind, honestly." (Golding 117)

In Chapter 7, Simon volunteers to journey back to the basecamp to inform Piggy that the boys won't be back for the night. Simon travels alone in the dark forest to give this valuable information to Piggy. Simon's journey alludes to Peter's journey in the Bible. Peter, one of Jesus' disciples, spreads the gospel throughout ancient Rome, ministering to unbelievers. Simon, who interestingly shares the same original name as one of Jesus' leading disciples, selflessly volunteers to share the information, much like the disciples of the Bible shared the gospel. In the book of Acts, Simon, whose name was changed to Peter, travels from Jerusalem to Lydda, Joppa, and Caesarea preaching the gospel to the Gentiles.

What does the time of day have to do with the type of scene depicted in the sonnet "Composed upon Westminster Bridge" by Wordsworth?

The time of day and the location are the most important factors in this poem. William Wordsworth was known for writing romantic poetry based on nature and country scenes. By contrast, here he stands on a bridge that crosses the River Thames, and he studies the way the early morning light reflects on the buildings of the city of London. In another hour, or even sooner, this place will be busy, filled with people and carriages and whatnot. It will look and sound quite different. For now, it’s a peaceful scene. Business hasn’t started yet. The poet can appreciate the calmness of the river flowing by and the sun just starting to rise on this large settlement of residents. He can find his nature even in the most civilized place. The key is to look for it around the edges of the day.

What were four of Christopher McCandless's actions/goals in Into the Wild?

The question, as it is stated, is asking two different things. Naming four of McCandless's actions is easy.  

1. He ran away from his parents.


2. He donated the rest of his college money.


3. He went to Alaska.


4. He canoed into Mexico.

Naming four of his goals is a much more difficult question. McCandless was not known for being a talker, and he kept a lot of things to himself. It's one of the frustrations that his parents expressed about McCandless. They never could figure out what he wanted or why he did things the way that he did them.

One goal that I can for sure name is his desire to go to Alaska. Alex wrote about it in a letter to Ron, and several of the people that Krakauer interviewed confirmed McCandless's deep desire to get into the Alaskan wilderness.  

My friend, Wayne, wants me to stay working at the grain elevator through May and then go combining with him the entire summer, but I have my soul set entirely on my Alaskan Odyssey and hope to be on my way no later than April 15.

Another goal of McCandless' was to always seize the day. He didn't want to save anything for another day that he could do right then and there. It's a very romantic motif.  

Along the same lines as that romantic ideal was another goal of his. That goal was to live as simply as he possibly could. That's why McCandless would survive by eating only rice for weeks at a time or get a job long enough to earn enough money to get somewhere else. That mobility was another goal. He wanted to be able to go wherever he wanted to go whenever he wanted to go there.

Please summarize Exodus by Leon Uris.Â

Exodus by Leon Uris is a long, sprawling novel about the foundation of the state of Israel. Published in 1958, it became an international best seller, raising awareness of the nation of Israel in the minds of the general public. Although it has been criticized for anti-Arabic bias, it was important in gaining sympathy for the Jews and keeping awareness of them in the public mind after the immediate impact of revelations about the Holocaust had begun to fade. 

The first part of the book begins on the Greek island of Cyprus where Ari Ben Canaan is trying to help Jewish refugees flee to Palestine. Here he discovers and enlists the help of a nurse, Kitty Fremont. They eventually manage to secure a ship for transport.

The second part of the book describes the arrival of Russian Jewish refugees in Palestine, especially Jossi and Yakov Rabinsky, who are active in the movement to create a Jewish homeland. The third part of the book unites the first two parts by having Ari and Kitty arrive with the refugee children in Palestine.

The fourth part of the book describes the approval in the United Nations for the partition of Palestine and the official foundation of Israel as a nation. The book concludes with the efforts of the Israelis to accommodate a massive influx of new refugees and to make a home for themselves in their new land. 

How can I approach a girl whom I have never met or with whom I have never spoken but with whom I have experienced eye-to-eye contact whenever we...

"Eye-to-eye" contact can provide an opportunity to approach a girl whom you find physically attractive and, hopefully, intellectually-engaging. That eye-to-eye contact, however, would, optimally, also involve some form of facial expression on the part of the girl that suggests she is open to a more formal meeting. For example, does she smile or, at a minimum, present the appearance of being interested in getting to know you? The slightest suggestion of a grin on her part could indicate that she is as interested in getting to know you as you are in getting to know her. Absent any kind of overt facial expression, the repeated eye-to-eye exchanges can still definitely provide an opportunity to approach this girl and introduce yourself. There is absolutely nothing wrong with walking up to her and introducing yourself and seeing if she is interested in engaging you in conversation. If you are aware of any shared interests, such as sports, music, or whatever, that can help 'break the ice' and facilitate a first conversation.

While it is possible to gauge the girl's interest in you through mutual friends, that is not the best way to go about this. She will respect you more if you demonstrate the courage and self-confidence to approach her and introduce yourself. If she is receptive to your overtures, such as by immediately and happily engaging you in conversation, then you are on your way to developing a relationship. Be advised, however, that, if she reacts in an unfriendly way, and that is possible, you should be prepared to drop the matter and move on to other pursuits. You don't want to try and force the issue, but you do need to be assertive in simply introducing yourself and maybe asking if she is interested in meeting you at a nearby hang-out, or something along those lines. 

What does the king think about the system in "The Lady or the Tiger" by Frank Stockton?

The king in "The Lady or the Tiger" by Frank Stockton thinks that his system of justice is absolutely just and right. Though the king had taken the idea of using a public arena from neighboring countries, his arena was quite different from anyone else's, and he took great pride in that. 

"This vast amphitheater, with its encircling galleries, its mysterious vaults, and its unseen passages, was an agent of poetic justice, in which crime was punished, or virtue rewarded, by the decrees of an impartial and incorruptible chance" (Stockton 2). 

This king, after all, allowed the accused people to choose a door and in doing so, they sealed their own fate. If they chose the door with a tiger behind it, they were immediately devoured, establishing--at least in the king's mind--their guilt. If they, instead, chose the door with the lady behind, they were obviously innocent, and a marriage celebration was held--whether the accused or the lady wanted one. 

"This was the king's semi-barbaric method of administering justice. Its perfect fairness is obvious" (Stockton 4).

The king was very pleased with himself for coming up with this system of course!

What is the significance of Shakespeare choosing not to show Lady Macbeth's death on stage?

Shakespeare likely chose not to show Lady Macbeth's death on stage because to do so might prompt the audience to feel some sympathy for her. As ruthless as she's been, we might let her off the hook a little if we had to watch her come to the realization that her best remaining option was to take her own life. If he were to depict it, she would likely be alone on stage, speaking aloud to herself, lamenting her lost hopes, and we could, then, be inclined to finish the play counting her as another tragic figure rather than the person ultimately responsible for the tragedy of others, including Macbeth. It was she who convinced him to go forward with their plan, verbally manipulating him and insulting his masculinity, when he first resolved not to kill the king. Had she not roused his pride, it is likely that he would never have resorted to violence in order to satisfy his ambition. In this way, not showing Lady Macbeth's death also serves to now shift attention to Macbeth.

We've already seen Lady Macbeth, weakened and guilt-ridden, walking in her sleep. We know that, despite her wish to be without regret, she desperately suffers from remorse now. To show her brought to her lowest point would, simply put, be too kind a resolution for her character. So, she dies obscurely, unseen and unmourned by the audience.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, what is the importance of the Radley Family in the novel?

The Radley family is important to Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird for many reasons. First, the word mockingbirds is in the title, so it must be important to the theme and author's purpose. As learned in the novel, mockingbirds are symbols of innocence, vulnerability, and peace just like Boo Radley is. Therefore, how a person treats mockingbirds exposes his or her true character. Since Boo Radley can be viewed as a mockingbird, the way people treat him shows Scout and the reader exactly who those people really are inside.

There seems to be two kinds of people in Maycomb county: those who respect the vulnerable and innocent, and those who take advantage of them. And for some reason, the whole county gets caught up in the gossip, legend, and superstitions surrounding the mysterious Radleys and that is what makes their family so important in the book.

People like Stephanie Crawford get caught up in the gossip. She doesn't care about the Radleys so much as she cares for the attention she gets when she tells people like Jem the Radley's history. She even goes so far to tell Jem the following just for attention:

"He goes out, all right, when it's pitch dark. Miss Stephanie Crawford said she woke up in the middle of the night one time and saw him looking straight through the window at her. . . said his head was like a skull lookin' at her" (12-13).

Saying things like this is akin to hurting a mockingbird because it ignites children's imaginations.

Next, the children get caught up in the spooky legend of Boo Radley and they not only spread the rumors, but they start trying to make him come out of his house. Dill challenges Jem to touch the house, then they come up with the idea to put a letter through a window shutter asking Boo to come out. When Atticus catches wind that the children are playing out the Radley Family History in their yard, he says the following as told by Scout:

"What Mr. Radley did was his own business. If he wanted to come out, he would. If he wanted to stay inside his own house he had the right to stay inside free from the attentions of inquisitive children. . . we were to stay away from that house until we were invited there, we were not to play an asinine game he had seen us playing or make fun of anybody on this street or in this town" (49).

This lecture shows Atticus being a responsible father and teaching his kids not to be disrespectful to people who don't hurt or bother anyone--just like mockingbirds.

Finally, the community gets caught up in the superstition of the Radleys because Mr. Radley's reputation is a mean one. For example, Scout overhears Calpurnia say Mr. Radley is the meanest man in town and then sees her superstitiously spit to the side to keep off the evil. Also, school children won't eat the nuts that fall into the schoolyard from the Radley's house because the superstition is that they are poison and will kill them. Finally, Cecil Jacobs walks an extra long way to school to avoid passing by the Radley house and black folks won't walk by it at night. 

The above-mentioned examples show how the Radley house and the family influence many different people in the community, so they are pretty important in this way. And, as stated above, Boo Radley is symbolic of a peaceful mockingbird who gets a bad rep without hurting anyone. Thus, the Radleys play a major role in the lives of almost everyone in Lee's story.

In "There Will Come Soft Rains," at what point does the house go from being an automated thing into something more human like? Who/what can...

In “There Will Come Soft Rains” there are no human characters.  The closest the author comes to a human character is an automated computer. Humans have been eliminated and all that is left are their automated creations.  The computer operates as if the family is still there.  The computer takes on human characteristics when it chooses the poem for Mrs. McClellan, the lady of the house.  It chooses the poem “There Will Come Soft Rains” by Sara Teasdale.  The poem describes how nature will be unaffected by human extinction. 

“And Spring herself, when she woke at dawn Would scarcely know that we were gone.” (pg 2)

After that the house is explained in human terms. 

“At ten o’clock the house began to die.”  (pg. 2)

“The house shuddered, oak bone on bone, its bared skeleton cringing from the heat, its wire, its nerves revealed as if a surgeon had torn the skin off to let the red veins and capillaries quiver in the scalded air.” (pg 2)

When a tree bough breaks, crashes into the house and starts a fire, the house begins to scream and wail. The house fights back valiantly with

“…..blind robots …..gushing green chemicals” 

But the house is no match for the fire.  Its reserves of water have been depleted because the humans have not replenished them.  It has nothing to fight with, so it loses the battle. 

A protagonist is described by Merriam Webster as “ an important person who is involved in a competition, conflict, or cause”. (See below for documentation).  Since there are no humans in this story, and the house has taken on human characteristics, the protagonist is the house. The reader wants the house to survive. 

An antagonist, according to Merriam Webster is “a person who opposes another person” (see below for documentation).  Although there are no people in this story, the fire also has human characteristics. 

“Now the fire lay in beds, stood in windows, changed the colors of drapes.” (pg 2)

The fire is even given the ability to think.

“But the fire was clever.  It had sent flames outside the house, up through the attic to the pumps there……” (page 2)

So the protagonist is the house, and the antagonist is the fire.

My copy of the story is from the internet, so the pages may not coincide with your copy, but they should be close.

When does Buck meet the man in the red sweater in The Call of the Wild?

Buck meets the man in the red sweater in Chapter 1 when Manuel kidnaps him.

Manuel works for Buck’s owner, Judge Miller.  Manuel steals Buck one day.  Buck thinks he is going for a walk, but in reality he will never return.  Manuel needs to pay off his debts from the Chinese lottery.  He is put on a cate on a train for San Francisco.  There he encounters the man in the red sweater.

Four men gingerly carried the crate from the wagon into a small, high-walled back yard. A stout man, with a red sweater that sagged generously at the neck, came out and signed the book for the driver. (Ch. 1)

Buck immediately tries to attack the man, and the man fights back.  He is a dog breaker.  Calling Buck a “red-eyed devil,” he hits him with a club to make him calm down.  Buck has never been mistreated as much as he has since he was kidnapped.  He is not used to being beaten.

Buck learns the Law of Club and Fang on this journey.  As a domesticated dog, he has led a good life.  In the wild, where he is going, things are a bit more brutal.

He saw, once for all, that he stood no chance against a man with a club. He had learned the lesson, and in all his after life he never forgot it. That club was a revelation. It was his introduction to the reign of primitive law … (Ch. 1)

Although Buck is big and has some inner-strength, he is also soft.  He has never been a working dog.  Since he is going to be part of a dog-sledding team, he needs to learn to obey people so he does not get hurt, and also watch out for the dogs that try to keep him down.  That is the Law of Club and Fang.

This incident with the man in the red sweater foreshadows Buck’s experiences in Alaska.  He learns that life is about to get hard, and he also learns how to react.  Buck does not completely give up.  He does not lose his personality.  He learns to succumb and cooperate, but only so much as to avoid pain.  Buck is still independent and strong-willed, and he will use those traits to become the alpha dog.

What are the reasons that Bud should stay in Hooverville in Christopher Paul Curtis's Bud, Not Buddy?

It is the character of Deza Malone who tells Bud that he should stay in Hooverville.  Her reasoning echoes the general reasoning for Bud to stay:  the Hooverville provides food, shelter, safety and sympathetic characters.  Hoovervilles, of course, can also be referred to as “cardboard jungles,” or makeshift cities that popped up all over the United States during the Great Depression because so many people became homeless.  Hoovervilles are named after President Herbert Hoover who was blamed by many for the Great Depression. 

Deza Malone learns that Bud (and Bugs) are planning to “ride the rails,” and warns them against doing so due to their lack of experience.  Deza is especially concerned about possible encounters with “railroad cops” who tend to be very cruel as they round up people who try to ride the train for free.  Meanwhile, the reader sees other people in the Hooverville reach out to Bud and Bugs.  The two boys are immediately invited to share a good meal (in exchange for help with the cleanup) and then invited to stay the night. 

The irony of your question is that Bud would not have been able to stay in the Hooverville because it is destroyed by the Flint police.  They burn the makeshift homes and even shoot holes in the cooking pots so that they can no longer be used.  Bud’s friend, Bugs, makes it on the train, but Bud does not.  Because of the sounds of crying emanating from the ruined camp, Bud decides to move elsewhere.