What is the difference between a lawmaker and a representative?

The answer to this depends on how, exactly, you are using these terms.  In general, however, the terms are interchangeable.

“Lawmaker” is a term that we can use in a democracy to refer to anyone who is part of the legislative branch.  In a democracy, the legislative branch makes the laws.  For this reason, we can call each person in that branch a lawmaker, even though they do not personally make the laws.

A “representative” is someone who represents other people.  We generally use this term to describe members of the legislative branch.  We elect these people to go and represent us in Congress or in our state legislatures.  They act for us since we cannot all go and participate in making laws.  Thus, a lawmaker and a representative are the same thing.

However, you may be thinking of a Representative, meaning a member of the House of Representatives.  If this is what you are thinking about, the difference is that all Representatives are lawmakers, but not all lawmakers are representatives.  The House of Representatives is one part of Congress.  All of the people in it are called Representatives and are lawmakers.  However, the members of the Senate are also members of Congress and are lawmakers.  While they are lawmakers, they are not Representatives because they do not belong to the House of Representatives.

So, these terms can be interchangeable.  However, there can also be a difference if you are using the term “Representative” to refer specifically to a member of the House of Representatives.

In what way is "nature" comparable to heaven in Of Mice and Men?

Several characters in this multi-layered story have ideas about what Heaven would be to them.  George's ideas of Heaven are always closely tied to freedom.  Steinbeck links George and his dreams of freedom to the little camp he and Lennie make in the first chapter:

"Tomorra we're gonna go to work. I seen thrashin' machines on the way down. That means we'll be bucking grain bags, bustin' a gut. Tonight I'm gonna lay right here and look up. I like it."

George loves lying under the stars and having no one to answer to, out in the open air.  George and Lennie have visions of their own "Heaven" in the form of a little idyllic farm, where they will be free from the prying eyes of others and the dangers of Lennie's misbehavior.  Steinbeck uses nature imagery to describe the farm:

"An' live off the fatta the lan'," Lennie shouted. "An' have rabbits. Go on, George! Tell about what we're gonna have in the garden and about the rabbits in the cages and about the rain in the winter and the stove, and how thick the cream is on the milk like you can hardly cut it. Tell about that George."

Crooks sees "land" as the equivalent of "Heaven" in this negative view of George and Lennie's prospects for ever being able to attain their version of Heaven:

"I seen hunderds of men come by on the road an’ on the ranches, with their bindles on their back an’ that same damn thing in their heads. Hunderds of them. They come, an’ they quit an’ go on; an’ every damn one of ‘em’s got a little piece of land in his head. An’ never a God damn one of ‘em ever gets it. Just like heaven. Ever’body wants a little piece of lan’. I read plenty of books out here. Nobody never gets to heaven, and nobody gets no land.

The most prominent place where Steinbeck links nature to Heaven comes in the last chapter.  When George is telling Lennie about the "little place" one last time, he tells Lennie to look across the river, knowing he is about to end Lennie's life.  In the Bible on two different occasions, the Jews are led across a body of water on dry land to escape their enemies.  This idea of "crossing the river" has become to symbolize crossing over into a new life for Christians.  The natural water imagery depicted in Lennie's final scene, combined with his traditional ideas of his version of Heaven on Earth (the little farm), work together to give the reader assurance of Lennie's transition to a better life after death.

Early in the story, what evidence are we given that the Happylife Home system has not made either of the adults particularly happy? What message...

That the Happylife Home system has not made George and Lydia Hadley particularly happy is evinced in their anxieties about the nursery.

"It's just that the nursery is different now than it was," Mrs. Hadley tells her husband because she is anxious about this room in which the children play. When she and George enter the nursery, a virtual reality exists inside: The ceiling becomes "a deep sky with a hot yellow sun," and an African veldt appears, complete with odors and sounds. Over their heads a shadow is cast and George notices that it is caused by swooping vultures. Lydia points to lions going to a water hole to drink after they have apparently been eating something. She, then, asks her husband if he has heard a scream.

And here were the lions now, fifteen feet away, so real, so feverishly and startlingly real that you could feel the prickling fur on your hand,...and the yellow of them was in your eyes...the yellows of lions and summer grass, and the sound of the matted lion lungs exhaling on the silent noontide....

Lydia, then, screams, "Watch out!" as the lions charge them. They bolt for the door. Outside Lydia tells her husband, "They almost got us!" But, George patronizes her, saying that the walls are crystal and everything is "all odorophonics and sonics." Still, Lydia is frightened, and she urges George to tell the children not to read any more on Africa. And, she asks that George lock the nursery for a few days.

Describe the major conflict in "Everyday Use" and why it occurred.

The major conflict of "Everyday Use" is between Mama and her daughter, Dee (Wangero).  There seems always to have been an antagonism between Dee and Mama and her other daughter, Maggie.  Mama describes the young Dee as having "burned [them] with a lot of knowledge [they] didn't necessarily need to know."  She made them feel like "dimwits."  Mama says that, when Dee was a teenager, "[she often] fought off the temptation to shake her."  Mama has always felt and still feels somewhat at odds with Dee, and it seems that they've been somewhat estranged for a while because of Dee's embarrassment about her roots.  She wrote her mother a letter once saying that, "no matter where [they] 'choose' to live," she would visit but she'd never bring friends.  Mama has dreamed of being reunited on a talk show, a scenario where Dee confesses that she owes her success to her mother. 

Now, Dee has returned to her home, an adult, and she seems to have acquired a new appreciation for their things, but it is a shallow appreciation.  She wants the butter churn top and dasher -- items that her mother and sister still use -- because they were handmade, but she doesn't care that she's taking things they still use in order to do something "artistic" with them.  In the end, she becomes interested in some old quilts that she'd formerly rejected because they, too, are handmade.  But she doesn't want to use them; she wants to display them.  It's as though she's only interested in her roots now because she wants to show them off.  Mama offers her some newer quilts because these older ones have been promised to Maggie, but Dee becomes belligerent and possessive.  When Mama sees the way Maggie gives in to Dee, something happens to her.  She says,

When I looked at [Maggie] like that something hit me in the top of my head and ran down to the soles of my feet. Just like when I'm in church and the spirit of God touches me and I get happy and shout. I did something I never done before: hugged Maggie to me, then dragged her on into the room, snatched the quilts out of Miss Wangero's hands and dumped them into Maggie's lap.

It's as though she suddenly recognizes Dee's selfishness and shallow motives compared to Maggie's quiet devotion to family, and Mama refuses to allow Dee to continue to "burn" them any more.  The conflict comes to a head from the juxtaposition of the characters' motives for wanting various items: Mama and Maggie need these objects because they put them to "Everyday Use" and Dee in only interested in them so that she can show them off and put them on display.  Mama and Maggie honor their family and heritage in the way that feels most genuine and sincere; Dee is only interested in show. 

Do you think Danforth believes John Proctor is trustworthy?

I think Danforth chooses to believe that John Proctor is untrustworthy because, if he believes that Proctor is telling the truth about Abigail and her lies, he would have to acknowledge that his intelligence and discernment as well as the court's authority have been completely undermined by a bunch of little girls.  

Danforth could easily justify his distrust of Proctor based on what he has seen so far: Proctor claimed to come to court only to save his wife but when he learns that her pregnancy will keep her safe for a year, he still wants to protest; Proctor said that his wife could never lie and then, when her claims differ from his, he argues that she did lie to protect him; finally, he has arrived with a petition signed by almost one hundred villagers that testifies to his wife's (and others') good reputations -- a move that Danforth could interpret as indicative of Proctor's desire to incite a rebellion against the court.  

It is clear that Abigail is pulling his strings when she threatens him to "beware" because "the power of Hell" might turn his wits, too; after this, it is all too easy for Danforth to believe that Proctor is "the Devil's man," as Mary Warren calls him.  Moreover, holding on to this idea of Proctor permits Danforth to retain credibility and authority, a comfortable position for him.

What does the phrase and imagery "rotten to the core" symbolize in "The Devil and Tom Walker"?

Tom looked in the direction that the stranger pointed, and beheld one of the great trees, fair and flourishing without, but rotten at the core...

The quote is slightly modified from its more familiar contemporary form: rotten at the core, instead of rotten to the core, which slightly changes the implications. "Rotten to the core" typically implies complete corruption, whereas "rotten at the core" implies a superficial health that disguises a deeper and fundamental corruption.

This phrase is used to describe one of the trees that belong to Old Scratch, which symbolize members of the local community. It is unclear if the trees have some kind of magical connection to the people they represent; for example, we don't know if harming the tree harms the person, or vice versa. At the least, they reflect one another, and the rotten core of this particular tree symbolizes a sinful affliction that underlies a more wholesome exterior.

The immediate relevance of this symbolism is to show that Old Scratch really is who he claims to be, in that "his" trees reflect private knowledge of others. This is also a social critique, implying that these societies were nowhere near as wholesome as they claimed to be.

Where does Montag stop before going to Faber’s?

After Montag kills Beatty and escapes from the firemen, he runs to Beatty's home and plants several books before reporting it. Montag does this in order to carry out the plot he hatched with Faber earlier in the novel. Faber suggests the only way the world could begin healing itself would be "if somehow the fireman structure itself could be burnt." Then Faber hatches the full plot:

"Now if you suggest that we print extra books and arrange to have them hidden in firemen's houses all over the country, so that sedds of suspicion would be sown among these arsonists, bravo, I'd say!"

However, this plot turns out to be moot considering the entire city is destroyed by a nuclear attack that happens once Montag fully escapes into the forest. In fact, this destruction is foreshadowed in the same scene in which Faber suggests they frame the firemen. Faber says that the destruction of the firemen and the return to reading would only do so much, that "The whole culture's shot through." Then he suggests, "The skeleton needs melting and re-shaping," which is what happens with the destruction of the city.

Overall, the books, which the simple-minded Montag thought would solve all the social problems, proved to be nothing more than a symptom in a society that is ill. The planting of the books in the now-dead Beatty's home would have done very little to accomplish actual change.

How did Armand react to the letter from his mother?

In Kate Chopin's story, "Desiree's Baby," she tells the tale of Desiree, a woman of unknown origin, who marries a man of good family name and has a baby. Because the child eventually shows signs of black heritage, the husband, Armand, blames Desiree and says she must have black heritage since no one knows where she came from. The final scene of the story shows Armand finding and reading a letter his mother wrote to his father admitting that she was black, thus making Armand the one who has black heritage, not Desiree. 

Chopin ends the story there. The reader does not get to see Armand's reaction to this information. We can assume he acted one of two ways. He might have felt badly and regretted blaming his wife and sending her and his child away. On the other hand, he, being the proud man he was, might have burned the letter and told no one of this information. Chopin leaves Armand's reaction up to the reader. Textual clues from the story can support either possible reaction. This type of ending is a trademark for Chopin--she often writes a shocking ending and leaves some of the details off so there might be an open interpretation. 

How do I use a tampon?

Many women (and transgender men who have not undergone genital surgery) choose to use pads when they first experience their periods. Pads are less intimidating than tampons; they're easier to apply and remove. However, tampons are often less messy than pads. They're quieter to open, and they're a little more reliable when it comes to leakage.

Tampons should be changed every two to five hours, depending on how heavy your menstrual flow is. Please understand that your menstrual flow can change throughout your period. Monitor how heavily you bleed each day so you know how long you should go between tampon changes.

Ensure your hands are clean before inserting the tampon. Introduction of unwanted bacteria to the genital area can cause discomfort and disease, such as urinary tract infections (UTI's), which are more common in women than in men.

Remove the tampon's wrapper, starting at the thinner end of the tampon. Squat or spread your legs at least shoulder-length apart. Removing your bottom attire entirely can make this easier; so can putting one leg on the lid of the toilet. Grip the bottom of the insertion site of the tampon (where the thick portion meets the thin portion) with your thumb and middle finger. Gently push the thick portion of the tampon into the vagina. It may slide in easier if you hold open your labia with your other hand. Some vaginas and uteri are tilted within the body. Try pushing the tampon toward your belly-button rather than toward your back to make the insertion easier.

When the thick portion of the tampon is completely inside the vagina, maintain your grip on the bottom and slowly push on the thin portion of the tampon. This will push the cotton tampon into the vagina and allow you to pull the plastic applicator out of the body.

Walk around a little in the bathroom to make sure the tampon is inserted comfortably. Try sitting on the toilet, too, to make sure you are comfortable in a sitting position. If you are uncomfortable, it's likely because the tampon was not pushed deeply enough into the vagina. It's okay to try a few times before getting the insertion right.

Do not flush the plastic applicator or the tampon wrapper. Wrap them both up in toilet paper if you're in a public/shared restroom, then throw them in a wastebin. 

It is not recommended that tampons are used while a woman is sleeping. 

Why are light years used to measure the distance between objects in the universe instead of other units of measure?

Our universe is very, very, very big and the common units of distance measurement (such as meter, kilometer, miles, etc.) will simply not suffice for measuring distances in our vast universe. For example, our nearest star, Sun, is about 149,600,000 km from us. The next nearest star, Proxima Centauri is about 40,140,000,000,000 km away from us. And there are about a billion trillion stars in our Universe and hence it would be extremely difficult to deal with such distance based on our conventional units. 

A very commonly used unit for measuring such large distances is light years or the amount of distance traveled by light in one year. Since light travels at about 300,000 km/s, a light year is equal to about 9,500,000,000,000 km. This unit is sufficiently large to report distances in our Universe. For example, Proxima Centauri is about 4.24 light years away from us. This distance, in terms of light years, is much easier to report and write, than in kilometer or other commonly used units in our daily lives.

Hope this helps.  

What are the environmental problems associated with burning fuels?

The environmental problems associated with burning of fuels, depend on the fuel in question. The typical fuels that are burned include, wood, coal, petroleum products (such as gasoline or petrol, diesel, kerosene, etc.), natural gas, etc. All these fuels (except for wood) are fossil fuels and have taken millions of years to form. They are in limited quantity and hence will run out, unless we find alternatives. From environmental perspective, the combustion of these fuels generates gases such as, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides (NOx), etc. Many of these gases (such as carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide) are greenhouse gases and are contributing to global warming. Their continued production, at ever increasing rates, will result in climatic changes. Many of these combustion products are also harmful to living organisms and can cause diseases. For example, particulate matter is harmful to people with asthma, carbon monoxide reduces oxygen carrying potential of blood, etc.

Hope this helps.  

What are the differences between Romeo and Juliet and Pyramus and Thisbe?

The main difference between the plays is that Pyramus and Thisbe’s parents hated each other, but there was no feud.

It is a tale as old as time.  Boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, boy and girl are forbidden to be together.  Shakespeare uses Pyramus and Thisbe as a play within a play in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, so he was obviously familiar with it.  There are some similarities to Romeo and Juliet, but also some clear differences.

Pyramus and Thisbe lived next to each other, which is different.  Their parents were feuding, but it does not seem to be one of those town-splitting feuds where everyone is on one side or the other.  Their parents just didn’t like each other and didn’t want their offspring marrying.  In Romeo and Juliet, however, the families just live in the same town and the feud is tearing the town apart.

Rebellious subjects, enemies to peace,
Profaners of this neighbour-stained steel,--
Will they not hear? What, ho! you men, you beasts,
That quench the fire of your pernicious rage
With purple fountains issuing from your veins … (Act 1, Scene 1)

The difference is a significant one, because it is really the prince's proclamation that leads to Romeo and Juliet's deaths.

The prince gets fed up with the feud and orders the families to stop killing on pain of death.  This is a difference between the stories, because this doesn’t happen in Pyramus and Thisbe.  It is actually because of this proclamation that Romeo and Juliet die.  Romeo is banished when he kills Tybalt, which leads Juliet to fake her death to avoid marrying Paris.

Pyramus and Thisbe looked at each other and kissed through a wall.  However, it is a misunderstanding that leads to their deaths too.  There is no intentional death-faking.  It is an accident.  Pyramus thinks that Thisbe got mauled by a lion when he sees a lion with her shawl, and Thisbe returns and finds Pyramus has stabbed himself with his sword.  (Romeo drank poison.)  Thisbe then takes the same sword and kills herself.  That part is the same—they both end up dead!

How is Viola smart in Twelfth Night?

Viola is a smart and resourceful character. As a young woman shipwrecked alone, she successfully disguises herself as a man, and quickly enters the service of Duke Orsino. This shows her ability to imitate others, move comfortably in social situations, and problem-solve on the fly. Very few people could so easily resolve their problems in this way. Orsino quickly comes to trust her so much that he entrusts her to be his messenger to his beloved Olivia. She has only arrived and already she is in the inner circle. Viola performs this duty well, playing her role as Cesario so convincingly that Olivia falls in love with her. Then, later in the play, when Olivia mistakenly marries her twin brother, she is socially skilled enough to reveal her identity in a way that does not confuse or offend the other characters too deeply. She marries Orsino, whom she loves. Through the course of the play, a young woman shipwrecks alone in a strange place and is resourceful enough to turn this bad situation into a marriage with a Duke she loves. That shows a huge amount of intelligence and resourcefulness on her part.

We know that most liquid substances decrease in volume when they become solids; however, water increases in volume when it becomes a solid. Why...

Most substances decrease in volume when they change from a liquid state to a solid state. This occurs because most solid substances form a crystal lattice structure composed of tightly packed particles. The particles in the solid state of most substances are closer to one another than the particles in the liquid state. The closeness of the particles in most solid substances results in a smaller volume. 

Water molecules are held together by a type of intermolecular force called hydrogen bonding. Hydrogen bonding occurs when the positive hydrogen side of one water molecule is attracted to the negative oxygen side of another water molecule. When water becomes a solid, the hydrogen bonds between the water molecules cause them to form a crystal lattice structure containing multiple empty spaces. The increased space in the crystal lattice structure of solid water results in a larger volume.

Since solid water has more volume than liquid water, solid water also has a lower density than liquid water. The lower density of ice compared to liquid water explains why ice is able to float on water.

What are five personality traits of the main character in "Lamb to the Slaughter"? Does Roald Dahl use indirect or direct characterization?

In "Lamb to the Slaughter," Dahl uses indirect characterization to describe the personality traits of Mary, the story's main character. In the opening line, for instance, we see Mary is an organized person through her attention to detail in preparing the house for her husband's arrival:

The room was warm, the curtains were closed, the two tables lamps were lit.

This also demonstrates another of Mary's personality traits: she likes routine. When her husband goes to fetch a drink for himself, for instance, Mary moves "uneasily." This shows she does not like changes to her domestic routine.

Mary is also very domesticated: she tends to the home by cooking and cleaning while her husband is at work. That she cares for her husband's every whim also shows how loving Mary is. This is further reinforced by her denial when he tells her he wants a divorce:

Her first instinct was not to believe any of it. She thought perhaps she'd imagined the whole thing.

Mary has a darker side, though, one which is characterized by the deception she displays after murdering her husband. She claims to the police, for example, that she has no idea how her husband met his death and, in an ironic twist, lets them eat the leg of lamb she used in the murder. 

What are some lessons learned in The Great Gatsby?

There are several lessons that can be learned from the characters and their actions in The Great Gatsby.  Through Jay Gatsby, we learn to not let obsession destroy who we really are.  Because of his fanatical love for Daisy, Gatsby changes his name, makes his wealth through illegal activities, and attempts to join a social class in which he doesn’t belong.  Denying his background and family are destructive for Gatsby, especially when he is never able to really fit into Daisy’s social class.  In the end, he is murdered without experiencing the love he so desperately seeks with Daisy or anyone else for that matter. 

Through Daisy and Tom, we can learn that happiness is more important than money or social class.  Daisy and Tom live a loveless marriage but feel they must stay together to keep up appearances and keep their standing in the ultra-rich society in which they belong.  Tom is abusive to Daisy, but she still stays with him despite Gatsby’s vow to love her.  Tom and Daisy are both “old money” and have fallen victim to the expectations imposed upon them by an oppressive social culture.

Other lessons could include topics such as: how wealth can be destructive, how infidelity affects marriages, how friendship is important, and how the deprivation of society during this time in the 1920’s affected the characters.

What does The Grapes of Wrath say about the human need to reconcile the uncertainties of the past with a new or present situation? What does this...

Different characters deal with the uncertainties of the past in different ways, depending on what their hopes of the future are. Jim Casy has left his past as a preacher, seeking some other meaning to his life. He decides that the only “good” in the world (as well as the only “evil”) is just what people do. In this, he finds some certainty, since he gives up judging people’s deeds in the light of traditional morality. His rejection of organized religion (and perhaps of God) leads to his placing himself in the service of mankind, specifically in the workers’ right to organize to fight for better conditions. In this, he sacrifices his lifen and serves as a Christ-figure.

Tom’s past is one of uncertainty, yet so is his future, since he is on parole and is not allowed to leave the state. His hope for a better life is to be found in California, yet even there his past is always a threat. He leaves the family for fear of bringing his past down on all of them.

For Ma Joad, her past is having her home torn out from under her. She has implicit faith that the family can make a new start in California, yet this comes to be far short of what she imagines, when the family is broken up.

The underlying theme seems to be that, no matter how far you go, the uncertainties of the past will always be a part of your future. Yet you must move on, especially if the past is unlivable.

1.Why do pulmonary arteries have light violet blood? 2. Name the things necessary that help in preparation of carbohydrates in plants. 3. How are...

The pulmonary arteries have light violet blood as an artistic depiction to stress they carry deoxygenated blood, or oxygen poor blood, from the heart to the lungs.  Here the blood will get rid of the carbon dioxide it is carrying, a result of the body's cells conducting cellular respiration, and pick up a fresh load of oxygen.  The blood returning to the heart from the lungs will be depicted with a pink to reddish color to indicate the gaseous exchange.

The required ingredients necessary for the production of carbohydrates in plants would be carbon dioxide gas, from the atmosphere, CO2; water from the ground, absorbed through the plants root system, H2O; and light energy, usually from the sun.  These ingredients will undergo a chemical process in the plants' chloroplasts known as photosynthesis, which will produce the carbohydrate glucose, C6H12O6, and oxygen, O2, as a waste product.

Fragmentation and regeneration are both asexual reproduction methods.  They differ in that fragmentation only requires a piece of the organism to regenerate an entirely new organism.  Regeneration is what happens when the whole organism loses a portion, or piece, of itself.  It simply regenerates whatever was lost.

In "A Rose for Emily," what was the significance of Emily's father in her life?

In “A Rose for Emily,” the father acts as an isolating force in Emily’s life. The townspeople “remember[…] the young men her father had driven away” and it is only after her father’s death that Emily meets and pursues the Northerner Homer Barron. Other mentions of her father reference his “crayon portrait” in the dusty parlor or the townspeople’s envisioning of him as “a spraddled silhouette […] his back to [Miss Emily] and clutching a horsewhip.” Despite the fact that Mr. Grierson is not an active character in the story, Faulkner’s descriptions paint him as a kind of guard, chasing off Emily’s suitors to keep her with him.

It is also worth noting that as the story’s events are told in non-chronological order, much of the action is referred to in relation to her father’s death: “the dispensation dating from the death of her father,” “That was two years after her father’s death,” “After her father’s death,” “the summer after her father’s death.” His death informs Emily’s romantic timeline, and likely prevents her from forming a healthy relationship with Homer Barron. Just as her father locks Emily away from the world, Emily continues the cycle by keeping Homer Barron for herself.

What pieces of information about Farquhar's background explain why he would risk his life on such a dangerous mission in "An Occurrence at Owl...

This quote explains the first part:

"Circumstances of an imperious nature, which is is unnecessary to relate here, had prevented him from taking service with that gallant army...and he chafed under the inglorious restraint, longing for the release of his energies, the larger life of the soldier..." (Bierce).

This sentence from part two basically spells it out for the reader. He wanted to join the army, but for some reason was unable to. He wanted to because everyone else would have been, and there was probably some dishonor in staying home and not joining the cause of the South. The word inglorious supports this; he feels staying at home is unfavorable. He also years for the "larger life of the soldier" (Bierce) meaning he feels that staying at home makes him feel a bit small.

Deeper reading/reasoning also suggests that he is a plantation owner and has something to lose if the South loses the war.

What is the daily routine of the automated house?

7 a.m. - The house wakes everyone (no one) up. 

7:09  - Breakfast time for a family of four: "eight pieces of perfectly browned toast, eight eggs sunnyside up, sixteen slices of bacon, two coffees, and two cool glasses of milk."

8:01 - The house ushers the dead children and adults to work and school.

8:30 - The house cleans up the uneaten breakfast. 

9:15 - The house sends out its robots to clean the entire place. 

10:15 - The sprinklers turn on. 

Noon - The house opens up for the family dog ("The front door recognized the dog voice and opened.") The dog is emaciated and suffers from radiation poisoning and dies. By 2 p.m., the house had removed the dead dog and most likely incinerated it.

2:35 p.m. - Bridge tables come out from the floor and lunch and drinks are served.

4 - The card tables and drinks are put away.  

4:30 - Nursery walls that look similar to those Bradbury describes in "The Veldt" glow waiting for the dead children. 

5 - Bath time

6, 7 and 8 - Dinner time and post-dinner drinks in the study with the fireplace glowing. 

9 - The beds are warmed electronically. 

9:05 - The house reads the Sara Teasdale poem "There Will Come Soft Rains."

10 - "The house began to die." A tree crashes into the house, a fire is ignited and the place burns up.

The story ends with the house's frightening repetition of the date: “Today is August 5, 2057, today is August 5, 2057, today is …"

What does Phoebe think happened to her mother?

Phoebe is convinced that her mother has been kidnapped. She cannot believe that her mother would simply walk out and leave them. Yet her mother left notes for her, her sister, and her father, along with several prepared meals in the freezer. Phoebe sets off to find her mother, treating it as a mystery to be solved. She is furious that her father is not taking her seriously and will not call the police. She suspects that their next door neighbor, Mrs. Cadaver, has something to do with it. Everything Mrs. Cadaver does is interpreted as a clue to her guilt by Phoebe. Sal, whose own mother had left them when they lived in Bybanks, understands why Phoebe cannot accept the truth: her mother left of her own free will. Sal sympathizes with the manic search, since she herself had trouble believing that her mother would actually want to leave her.

In "Once Upon a Time," how well does each improvement to the house work?

Interestingly, each "improvement" the couple makes to their security works just fine for keeping intruders out, but is ineffective in assuaging their fears. After all, the couple's home is never invaded by "people of another color," even when the unemployed "loafers" come and hang out in their suburb. The electronically controlled gates serve as a fascinating plaything for the little boy, but soon the housemaid hears of a burglary in the suburb where a maid was tied up and locked in a cupboard, so the couple takes her advice and adds bars to the windows. They don't have a break-in, but the cat is able to get through the bars, suggesting that they are still not safe. The burglar alarms are ineffective for others' homes because they are tripped so often by cats and mice that they actually end up hiding the sound of burglars sawing through iron bars. They build a higher wall, but the reports of burglaries in the neighborhood continue, although their house is not breached. The cat can still scale the wall, though, and they find smudges they attribute to "the feet of unemployed loafers" on the outside, which tells them intruders are trying to get in. Actually, it could have just as well told them that someone tried but was unable to because the wall was effective. The couple allows those smudges to increase their fear. They then install the Dragon's Teeth. Now the cat stays inside, so they believe their remedy is effective. Unfortunately, the Dragon's Teeth cut two ways, and the family finds itself living in a "concentration camp." Their son ends up dying in the "razor-bladed coils." Ironically, the one "improvement" that finally makes them feel secure is the one that brings unimaginable tragedy.

Is the following quote, from To Kill a Mockingbird, a simile, a metaphor, or personification? "The Radley place fascinated Dill. In spite of...

The passage quoted is a simile. 

The use of the word as or like in a stated comparison between two unlike persons or things forms a simile. Therefore, the sentence "In spite of our warnings it [it=the Radley place] drew him as the moon draws water" is certainly a simile. The Radley home is compared to the moon in its ability to pull Dill in to itself in similar fashion to how the moon seems to pull tides and the word "as" is used to form this stated comparison..

This simile is not an accurate one since the moon does not affect tides by making them go in or out. Actually, the moon affects the gravitational pull, so the tide rises and falls according to the gravitational forces of the moon and sun on the oceans of the earth. It is really the current that affects the ebb and flow of the water.
Still, the scientific accuracy is not important as what Scout is trying to describe is quite understandable: Dill is so intrigued by the Radley place that it is as if he were pulled along by a tide of curiosity, a force that he cannot control. Scout's simile is one that all readers can understand and picture in their minds.

How was the Aztec Empire important to U.S. history?

The Aztec Empire was important for its political achievements as well as how quickly it capitulated to a tiny Spanish force.  The Aztec Empire was an empire in Central Mexico that was comparable in size and strength to any of the empires in Europe before 1500.  The Aztecs were really a group of three tribes who managed to dominate surrounding tribes through warfare and tribute.  The Aztecs also populated the area now known as Mexico City--this city has become one of the densest population centers on Earth. 

The Aztecs are also notable in that Hernan Cortez conquered them a very short time after his arrival in 1521.  Cortez managed to harness the unrest among the subjugated tribes and use his superior technologies of gunpowder and cavalry to intimidate the Aztecs.  Cortez also unwittingly brought smallpox to the Empire, which killed far more Aztecs than did Spanish bullets.  Native Americans falling prey to European diseases would become a recurrent theme in American history.  

What is the plot of Chinua Achebe's short story "Marriage Is a Private Affair"?

Chinua Achebe's short story "Marriage is a Private Affair" is set in the ethnically diverse West African nation of Nigeria. It is the story of a marriage between a man and a woman who are from different ethnic groups and the implications of that marriage. 

In the exposition of the story the reader learns that Nnaemeka, an Ibo man, is engaged to Nene, an Ibibio woman. Nene is encouraging Nnaemeka to write a letter to his father about the engagement. He is hesitant because he believes his father may not approve. The couple live in Lagos and have overcome many of the rural prejudices of small village life. Unfortunately, Nnaemeka's father lives in one such village and he cannot abide his son marrying a girl from a different tribe. In the Ibo family, the father often arranges the marriages of his children. The conflict involves both a generation gap and a cultural bias.

Nene argues that Nnaemeka's father will accept the marriage because of his love for his son, but Nnaemeka is still apprehensive when he receives a letter informing him that his father has chosen the perfect girl for him. When he finally informs his father of the plans to marry Nene, the father is shocked and cannot accept it. The father argues against it and notes that Nene is a teacher, which is against the teachings of St. Paul. The father will not relent and tells Nnaemeka that he never wants to see the girl.

News of the marriage spreads throughout Nnaemeka's father's village and is quite the topic of discussion among the men of the village's church who are appalled that the son would marry outside the tribe. The men even suggest that the son might need to see a doctor. This part of the plot reflects the irony of the story's title. After the wedding, Nnaemeka sends a picture to his father, but the father simply cuts out the bride. 

The couple not only faces prejudice from the villages but also from the Ibos who live in Lagos. Nevertheless, the marriage is successful and the couple is described as being very happy. Eventually, in the climax of the story, Nene sends the father a letter telling him that the couple's two sons would very much like to see their grandfather. The resolution seems to be that the father will finally give in and see his son's family, although the story ends before this happens.

What time period is the setting for the novel Buried Onions?

The first copyright listed for Gary Soto's novel Buried Onions is 1996 and that is precisely the year in which the protagonist Eddie goes through his travails in the barrio of southeast Fresno. Soto reveals the exact year in chapter six when Eddie is in the Navy recruiting office. Eddie is wearing a Fresno State t-shirt with a picture of a bulldog, the university's athletic mascot. The recruiter comments on the the shirt, and tells Eddie that Jerry Tarkanian, the basketball team's second year coach, would turn them around. Tarkanian coached at Fresno State from 1995-2002 and they were indeed successful during his tenure. Tarkanian, a quite unique individual, is more famous for his time at the University of Nevada Las Vegas where he won an NCAA championship with the Runnin' Rebels in 1990. In the office there is also a picture of the president smiling from the wall, but Soto never indicates which president. Because it's 1996 the man would have been Bill Clinton. Throughout his novel Soto is quite accurate in his portrayal of Fresno in the 1990's, setting scenes at Fresno City College, Holmes Playground on First Street and Cuca's Restaurant which is still in business on F Street.  

How does the meeting between Pa and Professor Herbert affect Dave?

The meeting between Luster Sexton and Professor Herbert begins badly; however, the results of it are positive and Dave benefits from this visit.

While Luster Sexton is angry with Dave for being late for his afternoon chores on the farm, when he hears from his son that he was the only student who had to stay after school, Luster changes his attitude. He feels that Dave was singled out because of being poor. Incensed at what he perceives as an insult to his family, Luster says,

"My boy is good as th'rest, ain't he? A bullet will make a hole in a schoolteacher same as it will anybody else."

Thus enraged, Luster accompanies Dave to school, carrying with him a gun. When he meets Professor Herbert, Luster pulls out his gun and lays it on the seat in Professor Herbert's office, frightening Herbert. However, the teacher remains calm and takes Mr. Sexton into his biology class and demonstrates how school has changed since Luster was a boy, talking to him calmly. After their exchanges, Luster tells Dave that Professor Herbert is a good man. He adds,

I'm a dead leaf, Dave. I'm behind. I don't belong here. If he'll let me I'll get a broom and we'll both sweep one hour. That pays your debt. I'll hep you pay it. I'll ast 'im and see if he won't let me hep you."

When Professor Herbert offers to cancel the debt, Luster demonstrates his integrity by saying that his family is "honest people" and they do not want something for nothing. So, he sweeps with Dave and talks to his son man-to-man; he tells Dave that he is out of touch with the times and he is not anyone important. But, he encourages Dave to be more. "Jist remember, Dave, to pay your debts and be honest."

Certainly, Luster Sexton has changed his perspectives about school and about his son as he hopes Dave will achieve more than he has. Moreover, he demonstrates respect for his son and treats him as a man, rather than as a boy.

What opinion do the other characters have of Bill in the "Ransom of Red Chief?"

Because of the detached first person narration of O. Henry's story "The Ransom of Red Chief," determining any opinions that characters have for each other is more a matter of assumption than certainty. The characters who Bill interacts with to any significant degree are the boy, "Red Chief"; Sam, the narrator; and Ebenezer Dorset, the boy's father.  

Sam seems to view Bill as slightly less intelligent and talented than himself. Sam comes up with the ideas and assigns Bill his role, fully expecting Bill to comply. Sam seems to believe Bill is too squeamish about handling the boy, for he states that Red Chief "terrorized [Bill] from the start." The narrator's description of the way Bill cries out in fear when nearly being scalped suggests that he thought Bill was not as brave in the face of danger as he could have been:          

They were simply indecent, terrifying, humili­ating screams, such as women emit when they see ghosts or caterpillars. It’s an awful thing to hear a strong, desperate, fat man scream incontinently in a cave at daybreak.

At one point, Sam fears for Bill's sanity, and when he agrees to pay the ransom, he does so because Bill "had the most appealing look in his eyes I ever saw on the face of a dumb or a talking brute."

Similarly, Red Chief must sense that Bill is easily manipulated and not very intelligent, making him all the more brutal and persistent in the torments he subjects Bill to.

Finally, Mr. Dorset realizes that Bill is completely terrorized by the boy, so when Bill asks him how long he can hold off the child, the man bluffs that he can probably only contain him for ten minutes. Dorset is easily able to outwit the petty criminals because he recognizes the lack of intelligence and wisdom in both Sam and Bill. 

Again, the reader must consider the biased perspective of the story when it is told only from Sam's perspective. Sam makes himself look better by emphasizing Bill's fear, weakness, and lower intelligence. Part of the irony of the story is that Sam shares in those same faults to a great degree. 

  

How does the poem "When We Two Parted" build up a romantic atmosphere?

Lord Byron’s poem “When We Two Parted” is a romantic lament for a lost lover.  Written as a first-person monologue, the poem is divided into four stanzas that build upon each other, culminating in a final expression of sorrow for the death of the relationship.  Although the poem is pervaded with a sense of emptiness, as conveyed through the repetitive diction of “silence,” “broken,” and “cold,” the structure and imagery of the poem creates a sentimental atmosphere that clings to love as opposed to denouncing it.     

The poem contains four stanzas made up of two quatrains with a regular rhyme scheme of ABAB CDCD. There is a certain musicality achieved by the rhyme scheme and the carefully placed metrical stresses (When we two parted) that softens the anger and despair of the persona.  Similarly, the repetition of key words imply the poem is the first instance of the persona’s love being vocalized.  For example, “silence” is repeated three times and twice in conjunction with the word “tears,” suggesting the persona kept all of his feelings, and anything else that dealt with the affair, quiet.  The word “cold,” or imagery associated with it, is also repeated throughout the poem: 

                                Pale grew thy cheek and cold,

                                Colder thy kiss;

                                Truly that hour foretold

                                Sorrow to this.

                                The dew of the morning

                                Sunk chill on my brow

                                I felt like the warning

                                Of what I feel now.

While this diction conveys a loss of emotion and even death, each mention of “cold” or “chill” is linked to a facial feature (“cheek,” “kiss,” “brow”) that fills the verses with a longing for the warmth of intimacy.   Further, the fragmentation of facial imagery serves as the persona’s final attempt to remember the physical beauty of his lost lover and suggests the two lovers are incomplete without each other.

Where the first stanza describes the fleeting moments of the lovers’ last embrace, the second stanza recounts the separation, which occurs in the morning.  It is interesting to note the use of morning imagery because traditionally in literature the morning is seen as a symbol of rebirth and optimism.  Therefore, the persona holds on to the memory of his lady’s warmth despite feeling “broken” and “shame.” This again contributes to the romanticism of the poem because it emphasizes the intensity of the love the persona still harbors for his unnamed lady.    

The third stanza describes the scandal surrounding the affair between the two lovers.  People are gossiping about the “lady,” and each time her name is brought up, the persona hears a knell, which is similar to a death toll: “They name thee before me, / A knell to mine ear; / A shudder comes o’er me—.” The third stanza is perhaps the most dismal of the verses, as the persona now perceives the lady as a death omen, but a reading of the fourth stanza suggests this ominous feeling is due to the fact that all of their emotions and encounters were kept in silence. 

The fourth stanza begins with silence (“In secret we met-- / In silence I grieve”) and ends with silence (“How should I greet thee?-- / With silence and tears.”) The mirrored images emphasize the suppression of emotion that the persona has had to keep in the past and will have to keep in the future.  He longs to be reunited with his lover, but he knows his love will never be actualized.  Thus, the poem itself is the only outlet the persona has to express his true feelings for his lost lover, transforming the dismal break-up lament into beautifully romantic lyrics. 

What are specific examples where Boo Radley showed courage in To Kill A Mockingbird? I know that he was courageous when he left his house to...

Hmmm . . . this is a really good question, and I think it can be answered by what you think courage is and how that would be played out knowing the type of life Boo lives hiding away in his home.

We know that ever since Boo was arrested for his “wild” antics with some friends and sent to a reform school, he has been hiding away in the Radley house.  Whether or not this hermit-like existence is forced upon him by his father and brother, or if it is a choice, is debatable.  We will never know because Harper Lee doesn’t ever give us details about what is really going on with Boo and his family.  There are so many rumors about Boo, and no one really knows the truth.  However, whether Boo is locked away for his own good or whether it is self-imposed, perhaps venturing out of the house could be a sign of courage for Boo. 

When Boo leaves presents for Scout and Jem in the knot hole of the tree, he is really telling them something about himself.  The carved soap figures, the gum, and especially the spelling medal shows Scout and Jem that he is not the scary phantom that peeps in peoples’ windows and eats squirrels.  He is going against the rumors and superstitions that surround him and wants to prove to Scout and Jem that he is normal.  This shows Boo’s courage to reach out and dispel the stories about him.  In addition, he covers Scout with a blanket during Miss Maudie’s fire, bringing him out of the house and in the sight of others.  Although undetected by anyone, this does show Boo’s courage to help Scout and show his compassion. 

If Boo has chosen to keep to himself for whatever reason—maybe he hates society and what it represents or he is embarrassed by his past—venturing out of the Radley house shows his courage to want to change and be different from the tall tales and superstitions that surround him.   Although small acts, these decisions by Boo could show that courage isn’t necessarily just saving a life but is doing something so extraordinary that no one would believe it.

Because these events are the only time we see Boo Radley in the story, we must make inferences to the meaning of them and how they could show an inkling of courage by our favorite mockingbird, Boo.

How is Ophelia emotional in Shakespeare's Hamlet?

Please keep in mind that the emotional intensity of Ophelia can depend greatly on the actor initiating the performance.  There are some clues in the text, however, that indicate Ophelia is an emotional character. 

Ophelia’s responses when she returns Hamlet’s “remembrances” are quite significant.  When Hamlet replies that he never gave her any love tokens, Ophelia’s emotional response is, “you know right well you did.”  Also, in that same scene, when Hamlet speaks of loving Ophelia in the past, she admits, “you made me believe so.”  Both of these are emotional responses to Hamlet’s verbal abuse in this scene as is the following exclamation:  “Heavenly powers, restore him!”

It is also important not to neglect the scene where the mentally disturbed Ophelia appears giving out plants and herbs to her loved ones.  Here she says things to different characters that indicate emotion such as, “wear your rue with a difference.”  Perhaps her most emotional response here is in regards to violets because they “withered all when my father died.”  Unfortunately, this is the last we hear from Ophelia.  The next time we see her is in the casket at her burial.  It is at this point that Gertrude talks about how Ophelia drowned in the river at the height of her mental instability.  Gertrude, herself, admits that Ophelia is emotional when she says the famous line, “Sweets to the sweet.”

If the story was switched and Patrick killed Mary, how do you see the story "Lamb to the Slaughter" ending differently?

The facts that would add so much gravitas to the story, had it been Patrick killing Mary, are the gender of the victim, the fact that this is a husband killing his wife, and the added fact that she is pregnant. Another issue would be that Patrick is a law enforcement officer. To go against his own line of duty is one thing. To do it by attacking his pregnant wife and ending her life, and that of his unborn child, would be an atrocity. 

These facts established, let's move to what would be the consequences of such acts. If Patrick had tried to conceal his crime by feeding the leg of lamb to the investigating officers (which would still be his co-workers), he may have actually succeeded. The officers are likely to tap on their cronyism and obviate cues that may render their partner potentially guilty. However, if Patrick is not smart enough, and lets himself get caught, chances are that the gravity of his crime will earn him even the death penalty.

All one needs to do is research the news and what often happens in situations such as these. The law tends to be less lenient toward males when they are the ones who perpetrate crime against females. The idea, in some cases, is that other variables may factor in when women commit crimes, such as their states of mind, hormones, temperament, and other things that may be just cliche, but still are accepted as possibilities.  

Therefore, had the story been different, Patrick must have definitely suffered the consequences of the macabre act of killing his pregnant wife, unless his friends had helped him cover the crime. 

Who were the main countries who decided the fate of the Central Powers after World War I?

After the end of World War I, in a series of treaties at the 1919 Paris Peace Conference, the Big Four--Britain, France, Italy, and the United States--dictated their terms. 

The Treaty  of Versailles was written with very rigid restrictions to be placed upon Germany:

• Germany had to limit its army to 100,000 soldiers.


• Distribution of conquered German territories was to be made among Allied Nations 


• Germany was required to pay reparations to the central powers in the amount of 132 billion gold marks (US$33 billion) for civilian damage caused during the war.

Germany was in no position to pay these reparations; in addition, Germans felt that these restrictions were insulting. Therefore, because the reparations were both insulting and impossible to pay, the government of Germany strove to undermine the validity of the Versailles treaty. Thus, friction developed, especially with France.

Since Germany appeared unable to repay its debts in 1931 after a financial crisis hit the country, U. S. President Herbert Hoover intervened; in June of this year, he urged the Allies to accept a one-year moratorium on the war debts, so in July, the "Hoover Moratorium" was accepted. Later, in January of 1932, given the economic conditions of the time, Chancellor Heinrich Brüning sought the cancellation of reparations. England and Italy supported this position, but it was opposed by France. Many historians feel that this opposition of France precipitated the second world war.

Which is generally easier to accomplish: Prove a hypothesis or Disprove a hypothesis?

A hypothesis is a likely explanation of a phenomenon or an observation. Scientists design careful experiments in order to validate the hypothesis. Such validation efforts require supporting evidence. Scientists carry out a number of experiments to check the validity of hypothesis. Data that supports the hypothesis helps us prove it and data that does not support the hypothesis, disproves it. In general, it is much easier to disprove a hypothesis than prove it. Any number of supporting evidence helps raise our confidence in the stated hypothesis, however, it takes only a single set of evidence against the hypothesis to disprove it. For example, if we hypothesize that plants grow better in presence of sunlight and carry out experiments, a single experiment where plants grown in dark setting shows better growth will disprove our hypothesis.

Hope this helps.

What is the purpose of fate and free will in The Alchemist?

In Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist, the word fate isn't used, but the theme most closely linked to it is Personal Legend. The premise behind achieving one's Personal Legend is that everyone has one, but not everyone chooses to do what it takes to fulfill it. In order for someone to fulfill his or her Personal Legend (destiny or fate) he or she must choose to work for it. The book's protagonist, a young boy by the name of Santiago, represents each of us as he is confronted with the knowledge that he has a Personal Legend to fulfill. He must use his free will and choose to follow omens that will help him along his way to discovering his treasure (or fate). 

This way of thinking if completely different than how the Greeks or Shakespeare thought of Fate. For example, tragic heroes such as Oedipus, Romeo, Hamlet, or Macbeth cannot run away from or change their destinies because the stars have sealed their Fates. These characters, in reality, do not have the ability to use their free will, or free choice, because Fate desires to destroy them. Conversely, Coelho uses fate more like the end result of good choices and dedicated commitment to following omens, the language of the world, and the soul of the world--which is God. It's as if Coelho shows his protagonist that his fate, or the end result which is the epitome of his own absolute happiness, is found only after using his free will to choose the right course while discovering his Personal Legend. 

In the introduction of The Alchemist, Coelho explains it as follows:

"When we first begin fighting for our dream, we have no experience and make many mistakes. The secret of life, though, is to fall seven times and to get up eight times. 

So, why is it so important to live our personal calling if we are only going to suffer more than other people?

Because, once we have overcome our defeats--and we always do--we are filled by a greater sense of euphoria and confidence. In the silence of our hearts, we know that we are proving ourselves worthy of the miracle of life" (vii).

The above passage shows that each of us needs to choose to get up again and again when searching and fulfilling our Personal Legend, or Fate. We can find the ultimate happiness or treasure that we seek because it is our fate to find it, but we must also do our part and choose to find it--even if it means falling down seven times and getting back up eight times. 

Why does Nightjohn come back after he successfully escaped?

Nightjohn told Mammy his story after she asked him about the whip scars on his back. He narrated how he once successfully managed to escape from slavery and lived as a free man. However, he returned because he wanted to teach the other slaves how to read. The venture was important enough for him to risk being subjected to slavery again. Nightjohn believed it was important for slaves to learn how to read and write so that they could preserve their dark history for future generations. He narrated how he was caught and severely punished before being sold back into slavery.

At Waller’s place, he still continued to teach, and this time around his student was Sarny, a young slave girl. Nightjohn taught Sarny the alphabet and how to spell. Sarny’s progress was discovered by Mr. Waller, landing Nightjohn in trouble. Shortly after his gruesome punishment, Nightjohn escaped from Mr. Waller's place, but he returned to continue his clandestine classes. Nightjohn took Sarny as his assistant, and they taught other slaves how to read.

According to Bud, what was the band's favorite thing to do beside playing music?

At the beginning of Chapter 8, Bud mentions that the band's favorite thing to do besides playing music was to tease each other and talk about Herman E. Calloway behind his back. The band members are constantly joking with one another about their playing abilities and amusing personal backgrounds. When Bud is introduced to one of the band members named Thug, Thug tries to play a joke on him by telling Bud to give Herman a big hug. Bud is street-smart and realizes that Thug is trying to mess with him. The band is also continually making fun of Herman E. Calloway for being heavy, cheap, and mean. None of the band members particularly likes Herman as a person, and they bond over making jokes behind his back.

How is the current government different from any previous governments in 1984? What invention enables it to be like this?

The government of Oceania differs from prior governments in that it is able to keep its citizens under constant surveillance due to the invention of the two-way telescreen. Through the telescreens, Party members can be watched and recorded 24 hours a day. They can even be addressed, as when Winston is scolded for doing his exercises poorly. They are subjected as well to incessant propaganda from the screens.

At the beginning of the novel, Winston takes advantage of a tiny alcove in his apartment to get out of view of the telescreen, because normal Party members are never allowed to turn the telescreens off. In fact, Julia and Winston are utterly astonished when O'Brien can do so in his apartment: it is a privilege they can hardly imagine. Even in the proles' territory, versions of the telescreen intrude. For instance, although they think they have privacy in their room above Mr. Charrington's shop, Julia and Winston are being observed and taped from behind a picture on the wall.

This constant surveillance (or the threat of it) forces people to regulate their private behavior to such an extent that they have, in essence, no private lives.

How do we make a working model to depict buoyancy ?

Here is an excellent working model that depicts how submarines are able to dive deep below the sea and come back up to surface of the water by changing their buoyancy.  

When an object is placed in a fluid, such as a liquid or gas, the object’s weight is opposed by the upward force that results from the displacement of the fluid by the object. This upward force is called buoyancy.

Submarines are able to “float” in water because of buoyancy. The weight of the ocean water that is displaced by a submarine is equal to the weight of the submarine. The buoyant force that is created by the submarine is enough to overcome the downward pull of gravity on the submarine. By controlling its buoyancy, a submarine can control its depth within the ocean waters.

How does the little girl contribute to making Dexter quit his caddie job?

The little girl, Judy Jones, in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s story “Winter Dreams” has an unforeseen influence over Dexter’s decision to quit his caddie job. She is a spoiled eleven-year-old, and the day she is sent to play golf at her father’s private club, events do not work in her favor.

When she arrives at the golf course, the teaching professional is working with another patron, and there are no caddies to take her on the course. Dexter is affected by her beguiling looks and attitude. He witnesses her temper tantrum when she finds out that she cannot control the situation. Much to Dexter’s dismay, she addresses him as “boy.” In that moment, he realizes that it is time for him to leave his caddie job, and to move forward with his dreams of becoming as successful as the businessmen who are members of such clubs, not someone who works at them. She sets him on a path of both success and self-destruction.

An MTV was 0.083 meters long, had a mass of 0.0292 kilograms, and it crossed a distance of 24.625 meters. Suppose the mousetrap vehicle operated...

Speed of an object is given as the ratio of distance traveled to time taken. That is,

Speed = distance/time

Here, the mousetrap vehicle or MTV covered a distance of 24.625 meters in a time duration of 16 seconds. That is,

Distance = 24.625 m

Time = 16 s

Hence, the speed of MTV can be calculated as:

Speed = 24.625/16 m/s = 1.54 m/s

The average speed is not related to mass and length of the object and is solely the function of distance traveled and time taken. 

We can also calculate the acceleration achieved by the crusaders mousetrap vehicle, by making a simple assumption: the MTV started from rest. Since acceleration is the rate of change of velocity, it can be calculated as:

acceleration = change in velocity/time = (1.54-0)/16 = 0.096 m/s^2.

Hope this helps. 

Who was the intended audience of slave narratives?

Slave narratives were largely written to convince white northerners (as well as some Europeans) that slavery was an abomination and should be abolished. For example, The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, published in 1845, has a preface written by William Lloyd Garrison, abolitionist editor of The Liberator, and a letter written by Wendell Phillips. The purpose of these introductions is to let the white northern audiences know that Frederick Douglass is really a slave and that he really wrote the narrative (as many critics contended a slave couldn't have had the literacy skills to write such an eloquent book). Garrison recounts having heard Douglass speak at an abolitionist convention. Garrison writes, "I rose, and declared that Patrick Henry, of revolutionary fame, never made a speech more eloquent in the cause of liberty, than the one we had just listened to from the lips of that hunted fugitive" (page viii). In many ways, Garrison, as a white man, had to tell the white audience that they should listen to Douglass, and he had to justify the idea that a freed slave could be just as well spoken as a white man, even the famous Patrick Henry. Other slave narratives, including Solomon Northup's Twelve Years a Slave (1853), were also intended for white audiences, and they were intended to convince northern whites that the justifications that southerns made for slavery were wrong. Many slave narratives sold a great number of copies in the north. 

What happens when the relative humidity is 100%?

When the relative humidity is 100%, the air is saturated with water. This means that the air cannot hold anymore water. When this happens, we will find that our sweat will not evaporate. Human beings sweat and get a cooling sensation when the sweat  evaporates. However, at 100% relative humidity, evaporation of sweat will not happen and we will feel very hot. That is why we like lower relative humidity, when the sweat can evaporate readily and keep us cooler. Another aspect of 100% relative humidity is the potential for precipitation. If the air at 100% relative humidity rises up, its temperature will drop and it will no longer be able to hold as many water vapors. If this happens near a surface, we will see water droplets condensing on the surface. If this happens at higher altitudes, clouds are formed and we get rainfall.

Hope this helps. 

Please provide a quote from Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird that shows how Jem is innocent after he gets beat up by Mr. Ewell?

It's too bad that Arthur Radley does not talk because it would have been very interesting to hear exactly how he saved Jem and Scout from the clutches of evil Bob Ewell. However, Scout's limited view of the scene due to her ham costume certainly add suspense and mystery to the telling of it. With Jem laid up with a broken elbow, and asleep with the help from the doctor, Sheriff Heck Tate had to decide what happened based on evidence from the scene and Scout's recollections. Ironically, it's Jem's own father, Atticus, who concludes that Jem must have stabbed Bob Ewell in defense of his sister. Luckily, the Sheriff considers things differently as follows:

"'You hear what Scout said, there's not doubt about it. She said Jem got up and yanked him off her--he probably got hold of Ewell's knife somehow in the dark. . . we'll find out tomorrow.'

'Mis-ter Finch, hold on,' said Mr. Tate. 'Jem never stabbed Bob Ewell'" (272).

The discussion goes on, but the decision to prosecute comes down to Sheriff Tate's decision on the matter. Granted, Tate goes further to change the crime scene's narrative to safe-guard Boo Radley, but either way, Jem is innocent. Sheriff Tate solidifies his decision by saying the following:

"For once, if you don't see it my way, there's not much you can do about it. If you wanta try I'll call you a liar to your face. Your boy never stabbed Bob Ewell. . . didn't come near a mile of it and now you know it. All he wanted to do was get him and his sister safely home" (275).

In Raymond Carver's short story "Cathedral," what is the significance of the fact that the only name used in the story is Robert's?

I presume that you are talking about Raymond Carver's classic short story "Cathedral." The short story features many of the stylistic aspects that are defining qualities for Carver's pioneering style of minimalist prose. Chief among these is Carver's refusal to provide the names of either the narrator or his wife. Carver's aversion to illustrating such details pushes readers to engage with the structure, sparse dialogue, and striking imagery in a deeper manner.

Therefore, it is initially surprising that Carver intentionally gives readers Robert's name. When we look at the protagonist's limited perspective, however, Carver's decision becomes more obvious. Carver is pointing out that Robert, despite the disability that the protagonist initially judges him for, is the most self-aware of the characters in the story. He has the most solid sense of himself, whereas the protagonist is lost. It takes Robert's intervention to provide an epiphany to the protagonist, and give him a small moment that has a profound impact on the way he perceives life.  

How is paper chromatography used in crime scenes?

Ink is a homogenous mixture that is made up of dyes of several different colors. Each brand of ink consists of a different ratio and type of dyes. Paper chromatography can be used to separate the dyes that compose an ink. During paper chromatography, a dot of the dye is placed at the base of a piece of chromatography paper. The end of the paper that contains the dot is then dipped into water. The dyes that comprise an ink separate based on their polarities.  The ratio to which a dye in the ink moves in respect to the distance that the front of the solvent moves up the chromatography paper is called the Rf vale. The Rf value stands for “ratio-to-front”. By separating the colors of an ink that was used in a crime scene, and comparing the separated pattern to the inks of several other pens, police and other officials can determine what pen was used on a crime scene.

What literary element is at work in this quote in Shakespeare's "Macbeth": "...for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth"?

This statement is an example of equivocation, meaning that it can be interpreted in two contradictory ways. Equivocation is an obsession in “Macbeth” as it was in England at the time; English courts were hashing out what it meant and whether it was different from outright lying. Catholics who feared persecution or who were plotting to overthrow the English government often used equivocation as a way of avoiding having to lie under questioning by answering in a way that would be technically true but also deliberately misleading. The witches tell Macbeth something true – he will not be harmed by anyone of woman born – and Macbeth assumes that he must therefore be invincible. But the prediction can be interpreted in another way, which Macbeth misses – a baby who is saved in utero after the death of the mother could plausibly be said to be “not of woman born” because the mother was not actually alive. An unusual circumstance, but anyone rescued as an infant in that way…could certainly harm Macbeth. Is there someone out there who fits that description? We’ll find out in Act 5.

What are some examples of verbal irony in Macbeth?

In Act 2, Scene 3, Macduff and other lords come to wake Duncan and collect him so that they can be on their way.  Lennox tells Macbeth about all the strange things that happened last night: it was incredibly windy and wild outside, and one could hear weird screams in the air.  Macbeth agrees, saying, "'Twas a rough night" (2.3.36).  In so saying, Macbeth is actually referring to a great deal more than Lennox is.  It was a rough night for Macbeth because he was committing regicide and framing innocents for the murder.  Thus, his meaning is from different from what Lennox understands.  Further, it is an understatement as well because Macbeth means much more than he says.

Further, in Act 3, Scene 1, Macbeth refers to Banquo as "our chief guest" (3.1.11).  Such a statement seems complimentary, as though Banquo is the most important guest, but it actually has a meaning far different from the one Banquo understands.  He is the most important guest because he is the one most likely to pose a threat to Macbeth's reign.  His importance does not mean that he will be treated with honor; it will mean that he is most in danger.

Then, in Act 3, Scene 6, Lennox speaks to another lord about all the deaths of fathers and the flights of their sons, flights which seem to suggest the sons' guilt.  When speaking of Duncan's death, he says, "How it did grieve Macbeth! Did he not straight / In pious rage the two delinquents tear / That were the slaves of drink and thralls of sleep? / Was not that nobly done"(3.6.12-15).  He says that it seemed to "grieve" Macbeth so much, but he says it sarcastically.  He implies that Macbeth's grief was false.  Moreover, he calls Macbeth's murder of the chamberlains the result of his "pious rage," implying that it was no such thing.  It was not, as he says, "nobly done."  He knows that Macbeth is a tyrant and very much suspects that he is to blame for the murders of Duncan and Banquo.