Women play a vital role in The Odyssey. Select two female characters. Analyze them as characters. What role did they play in the story? Would the...

Though The Odyssey is primarily a story about men, it features a number of important women. For the most part, a woman's function within the world of The Odyssey is to influence the deeds of men either negatively or positively. Athena and Circe illustrate this trend perfectly, as one exists primarily to help Odysseus, while the other exists to antagonize him.

Athena: Athena is the goddess of wisdom and is essentially Odysseus' biggest fan. She protects him from Poseidon's wrath, urges Telemachus to search for his father, and encourages the king of Ithaca when he contends with the suitors for possession of the palace. As such, she exists primarily to help Odysseus accomplish his most important tasks, and the king's journey would be far more perilous if she did not exist. 

Circe: Circe is the enchantress who lives on Aeaea an turns Odysseus' men into swine. She is the main antagonist of the Aeaea episode and primarily tries to hinder Odysseus' attempt to get home. As such, she represents the opposite of Athena, acting as the woman whose main function is to stop the men in the poem from getting what they want. If she weren't in the poem, Odysseus' journey would be considerably easier (and, by extension, considerably more boring). The case can be made that she's not all bad, as she does amend her ways and entertain the wandering sailors for a year after Odysseus gets the better of her, but she's most memorable for her stint as a villain.  

A 0.13 kg baseball moving at +25.80 m/s is slowed to a stop by a catcher who exerts a constant force of -362 N. How long does it take this...

Hello!

By Newton's Second law, the acceleration `a` of a baseball after contact with a catcher will be

`a=F/m,`

where `F` is the constant force and `m` is the mass of a ball. `a` is negative with respect to the direction of a ball. Constant acceleration (deceleration) make the speed `V` to decrease uniformly with the slope of `a:`

`V(t)=V_0-a*t,`

where `V_0` is the initial speed and `t` is the time since the beginning of a process.

Slowed to a stop means that the final speed is zero: `V(t_1)=0,` where `t_1` is the time in question. In such a way we obtain the equation for `t_1:`

`0=V_0-a*t_1,`

`t_1=V_0/a=V_0/((F/m))=(m*V_0)/F.`

In our case `m=0.13` kg, `V_0=25.80` `m/s` and `F=362` N.

The numerical result is `t_1=(0.13*25.80)/362 approx0.0093` (s).

Answer: it takes about 0.0093 s for a catcher to stop a ball.

You throw a stone straight upward with initial speed 15 m/s. If you want to throw a second stone straight upward with speed 20 m/s and have it...

In order to answer this question, let's first analyze the motion of the stone with the initial speed of 15 m/s, the first stone.

The time it will take the stone to reach the peak (the highest point) of its motion is determined by the equation

`v_f = v_0-g*t`

 ` ` , where `v_f = 0`  ` ` because at the highest point the velocity of the ball is zero, and g is the gravitational acceleration, 9.8 m/s^2.

The time it takes the first stone to reach the peak is `t=15/9.8 = 1.53 s`  ` `

The maximum height of the first stone can be found from this equation of motion:

`v_f^2 - v_0^2 = -2gh`

From here, the height is `h = (v_0^2)/(2g) = 15^2/(2*9.8) = 11.5 m` .

The second stone has to hit the first stone at the moment when the first stone is at its maximum height. This means, the second stone's motion has to be such that at t = 1.53 seconds after the first stone was thrown, the second's stone's height has to be 11.5 meters.

Let's find how long it will take the second stone, with initial velocity 20 m/s, to reach 11.5 meters:

`h = v_0t - g*t^2/2`

`11.5 = 20*t - 9.8*t^2/2`

`4.9t^2 - 20t + 11.5 = 0`

Use the quadratic formula to solve this quadratic equation:

`t = (20+-sqrt(20^2 - 4*4.9*11.5))/(2*4.9)`

`t = 3.39 ` s and `t = 0.69` s.

The second stone will reach the height of 11.5 meters twice: at t = 0.69 s, on its way up, and at t = 3.39 s, on its way down.

Since it take the first stone 1.53 second to reach the same height, there are two ways to throw the second stone, so it will hit the first stone when it is at this height:

the time 1.53 - 0.69 = 0.84 seconds AFTER the first stone was thrown

or

the time 3.39 - 1.53 = 1.86 seconds BEFORE the first stone was thrown.

What verbal irony does Swift use in lines 135–145 “Some persons . . . evils to come?”

The verbal irony in this passage turns on the narrator's misinterpretation of what "persons of a desponding Spirit" mean when they express "concern" about the large numbers of older, diseased and disabled poor people dying in Ireland. What his friends mean, of course, is that they are morally concerned and distressed over the situation and would like the narrator to come up with a plan to end the suffering of the poor by making their lives better. The narrator, however, interprets his friends' "great concern" as wanting to get rid of the poor because they are an economic drain on the system. He interprets their "despond" as the result of the fact that the poor are not dying fast enough.

To the narrator's mind, the people who approach him with this question are unnaturally depressed--ie "desponding Spirits"--because actually there is no problem! As the narrator points out, there's no need for a scheme to rid the country the burden of the poor because they are dying off so fast anyway. The narrator, who defines the "matter" wholly in economic terms, says "I am not in the least pain  upon that matter... [for] they are every Day dying, and rotting, by cold, and famine, and filth, and vermin, as fast as can be reasonably expected." The irony, of course, is that the fact that old, sick and disabled people are dying and rotting in cold, hunger and filth is exactly what should cause pain in the narrator's mind. Likewise, the narrator finds the younger workers in a similarly "hopeful condition:" so starved that if they do happen to get work, they can't do it and die anyway, thus "happily" solving the problem of how to get rid of them.

The verbal irony lies narrator's inability to see the poor in anything but economic terms, so that he misinterprets people's "concern" for them not as compassion for their plight, but as an economic desire for the poor to die faster. Thus, the narrator turns morality itself on its head, describing as "hopeful" and "happy" a morally disgraceful situation in which the poor are dying in cruel, horrible and preventable ways. In doing this, Swift hopes to shock people into treating the poor as human beings deserving of empathy and compassion. 

In the novel The Boy In The Striped Pajamas, who is the main villain and why? Lieutenant Kotler or Bruno's father?

Although Bruno's father is responsible for ordering unspeakable acts of violence, Lieutenant Kotler is the novel's main antagonist. Lieutenant Kotler is arrogant, immoral, and violent throughout the novel. Kotler treats Bruno like a baby and displays contempt towards him. Kotler is "two-faced" and disrespects the Commandant by having an affair with his wife. Kotler is also violent and shows a lack of empathy for Pavel and Shmuel. When Pavel accidently spills wine on Kotler, Kotler ruthlessly beats the weak old man. Kotler accuses Shmuel of stealing food from Bruno's fridge and also beats him badly. Shmuel comments on how Kotler is feared by the Jews inside the camp. His direct interactions with the prisoners depict his character to be personally involved in the annihilation of the Jews, whereas the Commandant's position is further removed. Also, Kotler has no redeeming qualities and proves to be a disloyal soldier.

Maria's story about Bruno's father sheds light on his kind, caring nature. Bruno's father is misguided and has no choice but to obey Hitler's orders. He treats his children with respect and even listens to his wife when she tells him Auschwitz is no place to raise children. The reader feels sympathy for Bruno's father at the end of the novel when he loses his son and his position. Despite giving the orders to systematically slaughter thousands of Jews, he has no choice but to obey Hitler's commands. Bruno also looks up to his father, unlike Lieutenant Kotler, who he despises.

What disguise did Portia's use in The Merchant of Venice, and what does this tell us about her character?

Portia was disguised as a lawyer who came to defend Antonio during his trial in Venice. She had heard from Bassanio, who at that point had won her hand by choosing the correct casket, that his friend, the sea - merchant, Antonio was in dire straits and feared for his life at the hands of the moneylender, Shylock.

Antonio had signed an undertaking guaranteeing the repayment of a loan for 3000 ducats in three months, in order to assist Bassanio. Unfortunately, all Antonio's ships were lost at sea and he could not honor the bond. This allowed Shylock an opportunity to take revenge on him for Shylock hated him and had approached the duke to give judgement in his favor to cut out a pound of Antonio's flesh as per the agreement in the contract.

Bassanio had been informed of this unfortunate turn of events and was distraught by the news. Portia had seen him turn pale when he read the letter giving him the bad news and offered to help. When she heard that Shylock had been uncompromising and had stubbornly refused all alternatives for the repayment of the loan, she decided to become involved by secretly going to Venice, accompanied by Nerissa.

Before doing this, Portia sent her servant Balthasar, to her cousin, Doctor Bellario, an experienced lawyer, to obtain his advice and some garments for her and Nerissa's use. She asks him to hurry and bring what she has requested to her at the ferry to Venice. She tells Nerissa that they will disguise themselves as two men and will be so good at it that no one will be able to guess that they are actually women, not even their husbands will know who they are:

When we are both accoutred like young men,
I'll prove the prettier fellow of the two,
And wear my dagger with the braver grace,
And speak between the change of man and boy
With a reed voice, and turn two mincing steps
Into a manly stride, and speak of frays
Like a fine bragging youth, and tell quaint lies,
How honourable ladies sought my love,
Which I denying, they fell sick and died;
I could not do withal; then I'll repent,
And wish for all that, that I had not killed them;
And twenty of these puny lies I'll tell,
That men shall swear I have discontinued school
Above a twelvemonth. I have within my mind
A thousand raw tricks of these bragging Jacks,
Which I will practise.

The two women later appear at Antonio's trial in disguise. The duke reads a letter from Bellario in which he recommends a young lawyer, named Balthasar to represent him in his stead, since he is unable to attend the trial. We learn that Portia is actually impersonating the lawyer whilst Nerissa is disguised as her clerk. Portia defends Antonio successfully and he is released whilst sanctions are passed against Shylock, who essentially loses half of his property in the end and has to become a Christian or forfeit his life, at the discretion of the duke. 

In what point of view is this story written?

In first-person point of view, the narrator uses "I" or "we." In the second-person point of view, the narrator uses "you." In "Harrison Bergeron," the narrator uses the third-person point of view. In this style, the narrator uses "he," "she," and "it" in referring to characters in the story. 

More specifically, the narrator in "Harrison Bergeron" employs a third-person omniscient narrator. This means that the narrator knows everything going on in the story. The narrator even knows what the characters are thinking. For example, the narrator knows and explains the intelligence levels of George and Hazel. The narrator notes what they are thinking and when they forget things. Omniscient means "all-knowing." When Diana Moon Glampers shoots Harrison and his Empress, the narrator knows that they die before they hit the ground. The third-person omniscient narrator knows the physics, social context, outcomes, and any thoughts or emotions the characters experience. This is the most common form of narration. 

Why did Russia withdraw from World War I?

Russia's withdrawal from World War I was essentially the result of its inadequate leadership in the early stages of the war. Czar Nicholas, who was very inexperienced as a political leader, and even more so as a military commander, insisted on taking a direct role in the military command of the war. The entry into the Great War came at a time of great economic and political instability in Russia. The war also came soon after their defeat at the hands of Japan, which demonstrated that its military capabilities were falling behind. Despite these signs that Russia was not prepared for a modern conflict, Russia hastily entered the war on the side of the Allied Powers.

The early losses to Germany in World War I intensified the economic and political problems that already existed in Russia. With each loss on the battlefield, the Czar lost more credibility. He was replaced by a democratic government in the spring of 1917. The Provisional Government decided to keep fighting in World War I at its own peril. When the communists emerged as the political authority after the October Revolution, they decided that the war was a capitalist affair and promptly withdrew from the combat.

Compare and contrast the lytic and lysogenic life cycles of a virus.

Viruses can reproduce via either the lytic or lysogenic life cycles, each of which are described below.

• During the lytic life cycle of a virus, the virus injects its genetic material into the host cell.  The genetic material enters the nucleus and is inserted into that cell’s DNA. The cell’s nucleus is now programmed differently.  The cell immediately begins to use its machinery to produce the parts of future viruses.  Eventually, the parts are assembled and the cell explodes (lysis) releasing more harmful viruses that are then free to infect more host cells.


• The lysogenic lifecycle of a virus begins just like the lytic lifecycle. The virus injects it genetic material into the host cell.  The genetic material enters the nucleus and is inserted into that cell’s DNA.  However, the construction of new viruses does not begin right away. Instead, the genetic materials of the virus remains dormant within the genetic material of the host cell. Each time a host cell divides, it’s daughter will have the dormant viral material in it. This continues until the cell undergoes some sort of stress that causes the viral replication to switch back to the lytic cycle.

A tank of volume 590 L contains oxygen at 20 degree Celsius and 5.0 atm pressure. Calculate the mass of the oxygen in the tank.

There are two steps to solving this problem:

1. Find the number of moles of oxygen gas using the ideal gas law, PV=nRT.

2. Find the mass of the oxygen using mass = moles x molar mass.

Given information:

P = pressure = 5.0 atm

V = volume = 590 liters

T = temperature = (20ºC + 273) = 293 K

n = moles (unknown)

Other information needed:

R = ideal gas constant = 0.0821 L-atm/mol-K

Molar mass of oxygen = 32.0 grams/mole

Rearrange PV = nRT to solve for n:

n = PV/RT = (5.0 atm)(590 L)/(0.0821 L-atm/mol-K)(293 K) = 122.6 moles

mass of oxygen = (122.6 moles)(32.0 g/mol) = 3924 g = 3.92 kg oxygen

Note that temperature must be in Kelvins when using gas law equations and that the value of R used must correspond to the pressure units given.

I have chosen the question, "Compare the ways in which the conflict between good and evil is presented in Macbeth and in The Strange Case of Dr....

In terms of good, your first two small quotations—"valiant cousin" and "noble Macbeth"—help to illustrate the goodness, loyalty, and bravery with which Macbeth begins the play. Duncan refers to him as his "valiant cousin" and the Captain calls him "noble Macbeth" in order to praise him for his courage and success in his fight against the traitor Macdonwald as well as the king of Norway's troops. Macbeth is loyal to Duncan and Scotland in these early scenes.

However, he later claims, "I have no spur / To prick the sides of my intent, but only / Vaulting ambition [...]" (1.7.25-28). What he means is that he has a great many reasons not to commit the murder of Duncan and only one reason to go ahead with it: ambition. This quotation speaks to the changes we begin to see in Macbeth; he is no longer the king's loyal kinsman—now he is the man who plots against him in order to take power for himself, and therefore we begin to see his descent into evil and corruption.

At the end of the scene, when Macbeth has again determined to go forward with the murder, he says that "False face must hide what the false heart doth / know" (1.7.95-96). He means that his face must be false (he has to look kindly and loyal as he always has) in order to hide the deception in his heart. He knows he is going to kill Duncan, but he cannot look like it. He is becoming even more evil here, as he works out how to get away with the crime.

Finally, after he commits the murder, we can see his internal struggle again when he cries, "Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood / Clean from my hand?" (2.3.78-79). He feels tremendously guilty and believes that he will always feel this way. The conflict between his goodness and loyalty with his corruption and greed is especially evident in this scene.

Why is lead sulphate not directly obtained by the reaction between sulphuric acid and lead oxide?

Lead oxide is poorly soluble in water. The solubility of lead oxide in dilute sulfuric acid is also very low. When lead oxide is added to dilute sulfuric acid, a thin layer of lead sulfate is formed on the surface of the solid lead oxide. This layer protects the rest of the lead oxide from getting converted to lead sulfate in what is known as passivation.

To increase the amount of lead sulfate formed, the lead oxide particles being added to the acid should be ground to a very fine powder. If the concentration of sulfuric acid is very high, a hydrated crystal of lead sulfate is formed that is soluble in the acid. This allows the formation of lead sulfate to continue without interruption.

An easier method of creating lead sulfate is with the reaction of lead nitrate and sulfuric acid. This works more efficiently as lead nitrate is soluble in water.

What is the significance of the epigraph of the novel Silas Marner by George Eliot?

The epigraph at the beginning of George Eliot’s Silas Marner is a quote from William Wordsworth’s “Michael: A Pastoral Poem,” a piece that describes a shepherd from the Lake District, “keen, / Intense, and frugal,” and his son Luke:

A child, more than all other gifts
That earth can offer to declining man,
Brings hope with it, and forward-looking thoughts.

The titular Silas Marner is a man who has lost hope in God and humanity. He clings to his money and barely interacts with others. Marner’s best friend had framed him for stealing. His former community renounced him, and his fiancée married the duplicitous friend. Moreover, Marner suffers from catalepsy, a condition that alarms many who witness it. Some even take advantage of these episodes where he stands still and seems unaware of his surroundings.

Marner spends his days weaving clothes and is indeed a “declining man” whose only joy is his gold. One night, his trove is stolen (and consequently lost). He tells other people, hoping for its return. Instead, he receives the company of curious and religious townspeople. Marner is still despondent until he thinks he sees his gold. Instead, it is the golden hair of a motherless child. She “brings hope” and “forward-looking thoughts,” disrupting his lonely life:

Eppie was a creature of endless claims and ever-growing desires, seeking and loving sunshine, … making trial of everything, with trust in new joy, and stirring the human kindness in all eyes that looked on her.

Marner loves and cares for Eppie. He gradually regains faith in life and reconnects with his fellow men.

The epigraph is a beautiful match for the novel. Though the poem “Michael” portrays a rift between father and son, the sentiment of the chosen quote fits the themes of Silas Marner, a tale of an aging man and the child who rejuvenates him.

What do you think about Ralph and the way he speaks and behaves at different times in Lord of the Flies? How does the novel's social, cultural, and...

Through actions and dialogue, Golding portrays Ralph as a typical British school boy in the post World War II era. Golding does not want to make Ralph seem too perfect, so he has Ralph say and do several things that show that he has the mean streak that is typical of boys his age, a streak that tends toward bullying those who are considered less attractive or popular. In fact, when the only two characters are Ralph and Piggy in chapter 1, Ralph asserts his dominance over Piggy by betraying his confidence and laughing at his nickname. He also taunts him, saying, "Sucks to your auntie," and "Sucks to your ass-mar," showing the kind of verbal sparring that boys of that age in that time period would have used. While exploring the island, Ralph also gets into a good-natured tussle with Simon and Jack, a typical way of male bonding for that age group among British school boys. During the first part of the book, Ralph is drawn to Jack as someone worthy of his friendship, and Piggy is often made the butt of jokes. However, when Jack and Ralph find themselves at odds with each other, Ralph becomes more dependent on Piggy, and ultimately he acknowledges, to himself at least, that Piggy has the most superior intellect of all the boys, even himself. Ralph is able to show some determined leadership, especially when reprimanding the boys for letting the signal fire go out. He stands in one place and commands the boys to build the fire, probably mimicking the attitude of his own father or other authority figures in his culture. When the boys all circle around Robert in a mock pig hunt, Ralph joins in, finding "the desire to squeeze and hurt" to be "over-mastering." Ralph is able to express his doubts and emotions, but he usually does that in a small group of safe friends, usually with Simon and Piggy. They speak together of the "majesty of adult life" that would do a much better job of maintaining the culture than Ralph feels he is doing.

Ralph's lowest point of behavior is undoubtedly when he takes part in the feast where Simon is murdered. He and Piggy speak together afterwards and Ralph expresses horror at what they have done, showing the cultural mores he has internalized. However, he soon joins with Piggy in rewriting history, reflecting how humans react to overwhelming guilt. After that, Ralph does his best to hold onto civilization and culture as much as he can. He refuses to join Jack's band of savages, and he refuses to use paint on his face and body. When he plans to visit Castle Rock to negotiate with Jack, he wants to wash up and look like they used to look, showing that he remembers and still believes in the British code of cleanliness and proper attire. When he finds the pig's skull on a stick, he instinctively recoils and smashes it, again showing how he retains the values of his British culture and refuses to succumb to the savagery of the other boys. At the end of the book, when the boys meet the naval officer, Ralph remembers how to speak to adults with respect, and answers him, "No, sir." He then gives way to "shuddering spasms of grief," showing that, after all, he is still only a normal British schoolboy from the mid-20th century.

At the end of Twelve Angry Men, the eighth juror helps the third juror put on his jacket. What is the symbolism of this act?

In Twelve Angry Men, conflict between the eighth and third juror is evident from the very beginning of the play. While the eighth juror prefers to take his time to ascertain the facts of the case, the third juror is convinced of the young man's guilt almost immediately. 

In Act Two, the third juror accuses the eighth juror of making up 'wild stories' about 'slum kids and injustice,' all the while denying what he considers the plain facts of the case. When the third juror proclaims that he wouldn't mind pulling the switch to the electric chair (presumably with the accused in it), the eighth juror accuses him of being a sadist. Enraged by this portrayal, the third juror lunges at the eighth juror and yells out that he will kill him. Two jurors have to hold the third juror back from carrying out his threat. However, the eighth juror casts suspicion on the sincerity of the third juror's intentions to murder a fellow juror.

As the play continues, we come to doubt the third juror's impartiality, as he is shown to have a troubled relationship with his own son. The eighth juror's act of compassion towards the third juror becomes a defining moment, as the act symbolizes the eventual capitulation of the third juror to the eighth juror's will. This act foreshadows the resolution of the play cleverly; due to his earlier outburst against the eighth juror, the third juror is shown to be an unreliable purveyor of justice. The final verdict of the case must then demonstrate the impartiality of the eighth juror as exemplified by his steady reasoning throughout the deliberations.

What reward dos Kipling suggest the "White Man" gets for carrying this "burden"?

Kipling, a British poet who lived throughout the Empire for many years, was a man of his time when it came to racial attitudes. He thinks that white people should devote themselves to carrying the "blessings of civilization" to other peoples around the world. He also thinks that doing so is a worthy pursuit for young men, working, he says for the benefit of others by building "ports ye shall not enter" and "roads ye shall not tread." He claims that colonial peoples, who he describes as "half-devil and half-child," will not appreciate or even accept the improvements that whites bring.

So in return for shouldering the white man's burden, he claims, the colonizers will receive "the blame of those ye better, the hate of those ye guard." Kipling believes that colonial peoples are ignorant and backward, and hate the Europeans because they cannot appreciate the benefits they bring. What white men will get, he suggests at the end of the poem, is the "judgment of your peers." He is speaking specifically here of the American debate over annexation of the Philippines (which he supported). By annexing the Philippines, the United States would assume its place among the great nations of Europe. Again, it should be emphasized that Kipling's poem is full of nineteenth and early twentieth century assumptions about race. As allegedly superior people, it was the "burden" of white men to help other people around the world through imperialism, even if the only thing received in return was the respect of other white people.

How did the Industrial Revolution contribute to imperialism?

The Industrial Revolution contributed to imperialism in a number of ways. The most important was that it created a demand among American and European businessmen, and consequently politicians, for new markets. As manufacturing and industry became more and more efficient, people began to fear the possibility of overproduction, which would lead to price collapses and ultimately economic recession. So the United States sought to expand its influence in places like China (through the so-called Open Door policy) in order to guarantee access to markets. American industrialists also sought the cheap natural resources and in many cases labor that could be found around the world, and prevailed on the US government to use the military to protect their investments, especially in Latin America. Finally, the Industrial Revolution added to the imbalance in wealth and technology between western societies and the rest of the world, and this imbalance served as both a cause and an ideological justification for imperialism.

Describe the three primary psychographic population segments.

At a very basic level, the three primary psychographic segments for marketing include lifestyles, social class and personality. Beyond these very broad terms, pyschographic segments may be narrowed and divided even further. 

Lifestyle is a generally broad term relating to how someone or a group of people live.  Included in this group may be college graduates, high school graduates, employed, retired. The lifestyle classification refers to the consumers point in life. 

Social class is identified by consumers ability to purchase goods or services or buying power. The three general social classes in the United States are lower class, middle class, and upper class. These class levels directly correlate to each class' income level and subsequent purchasing power. 

Personality refers to the individual's particular preference of goods and services. Personality may be tied to lifestyle and social class. However, that is not necessarily the case. Someone in a lower social class may have a brand personality of purchasing expensive jewelry, for example, or may purchase health care services that are not covered by insurance. 

People who are smarter deserve more than others.

This is a very debatable statement.  Since this statement is in the topic of Animal Farm, you are probably referring the the rhetoric of Squealer.  In the beginning of the rebellion, the animals realize that mysteriously the milk and apples disappear.  Later it is discovered that the pigs have been eating and drinking.  This could have been very damaging to the pigs' leadership.  So, Squealer spins his rhetoric.  He says that pigs actually do not even like milk and apples, but science has proven that there are certain nutrients in them that pigs need to think.  So, the pigs have sacrificially been consuming them to do their work. The alternative is to have the pigs fail in their job and having Jones come back.

Milk and apples (this has been proved by Science, comrades) contain substances absolutely necessary to the well-being of a pig. We pigs are brainworkers. The whole management and organisation of this farm depend on us. Day and night we are watching over your welfare. It is for your sake that we drink that milk and eat those apples. Do you know what would happen if we pigs failed in our duty? Jones would come back!

Superficially these words make sense, but it is completely unhanded and evil.  The pigs do not deserve more, just because they are smarter.  Every animal has played an important role.  For example, without Boxer nothing on the farm would get done.  Moreover, this idea of favoring the pigs belies the fundamental principle of Animalism - "All animals are equal." 

How did the narrator change when Mack died in Boys and Girls?

In Boys and Girls, Mack's death opened the narrator's eyes. She realized that Flora would be next, which forced her to realize the connection she had with the female horse. Flora, like her, was wild, free and did what she wanted. She didn't have the connection with Mack that she had with Flora, and once Mack was dead, she knew Flora would be next, because that was why they had the animals to begin with. It made the narrator not only relate to her, but feel bad for her.

Once her family decides it's Flora's turn, she doesn't want to take part in it, to the point where the narrator has the chance to stop Flora from leaving, but doesn't close the gate. When her brother tells on her, she knows her dad will never look at her in the same way, and she begins to accept the expected role of her gender in the time period.

Hope that helps! There is a lot more on this topic, but this should get you started. Check out the link for more information.

Describe the farm that David lives on.

That is not so easy to do.  Even David Strorm admits to readers that he has difficulty describing his family's house and farm.  

Our house is not easy to describe.

One certainty about the house is that it is old.  David tells readers that his grandfather built the house more than fifty years prior.  David also tells readers that the house was the best and biggest in the entire Waknuk society.  

As the house was the largest and best in Waknuk, so was the room.

The house is not big because it was originally built that way though.  The house is big because it has had addition after addition heaped upon it.  In addition to the main house, David's farm house is surrounded by stock-sheds, stores, stables, barns, wash-houses, dairies, cheese-rooms, and farm-hands' rooms.  All of that is further surrounded by cultivated farm land.  I'm not sure how big each field is, but David tells his readers that 3-4 fields of distance are between the house and woods in any direction.  

The house is a combination of wood timbers, brick and stones, which makes sense.  The house is mostly made of random additions.  It makes sense that building materials would change.  

Can someone give me a summary of the Bible?

The Bible is comprised of sixty-six books (with additional books in the Catholic version of the Bible) which are in the Old Testament (first part) and New Testament (second part).  There are different types of books in the Bible, such as books of law, poetry, and history.  The Bible tells the story of the creation of the Earth and the first people.  It tells about the great Flood and about the life of Abraham, who left Canaan with his wife and went to Egypt.  Later, Joseph was sold into slavery in Egypt.  The Hebrew people became enslaved in Egypt until Moses led them out and Israel was established.  Moses was given the Ten Commandments, which are the basis of both Judaism and Christianity.  Kings David and Solomon ruled and Jerusalem fell.  Roman rule came to Israel.  Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem and became an influential teacher, performing miracles and speaking to people of a new law.  He was crucified and resurrected.  His disciples began spreading the message of the teachings of Jesus.  They helped to establish churches both near and far.  The apostle Paul was converted to Christianity and began spreading the message of Christianity.

It is difficult to summarize the entire Bible, as it is full of complexities.  These are just the main points about it.  You may want to refer to a timeline for additional details.   

What event is the climax "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County"?

I'd say the main climax in the narrative is in this paragraph:

“Now, if you're ready, set him alongside of Dan'l, with his fore-paws just even with Dan'l, and I'll give the word.” Then he says, “One, two, three, jump!” and him and the feller touched up the frogs from behind, and the new frog hopped off, but Dan'l give a heave, and hysted up his shoulders so like a Frenchman, but it warn't no use he couldn't budge; he was planted as solid as an anvil, and he couldn't no more stir than if he was anchored out. Smiley was a good deal surprised, and he was disgusted too, but he didn't have no idea what the matter was, of course.

Here, the two frogs are about to have their little competition, and the two betting men are about to see who gets to claim the other's $40. But of course, we know that the stranger has tricked Jim Smiley, and Jim's frog (who always jumps really well) is going to fail to jump at all, since the stranger had sneaked some heavy stuff into the frog's throat. 

So, this is the most exciting moment, when the silly story about the frog is at its most tense and funny part. We can argue that it's the main climax of the story because most of the text leads up to this moment. That is, when you read the title of the story and you know it's mostly about a jumping frog, then you want to know what happens with the frog--and so this is the funniest moment when the frog storyline hits its peak.

However, you could alternatively argue that the main story is what happens between the frustrated narrator and the old storyteller, Simon Wheeler; in that case, you could say that the climax of the story is when the narrator makes up his mind to free himself from the interminable storytelling, in this paragraph:

But, by your leave, I did not think that a continuation of the history of the enterprising vagabond Jim Smiley would be likely to afford me much information concerning the Rev. Leonidas W. Smiley, and so I started away.

This is when someone has temporarily distracted Simon Wheeler, so the narrator decides to make his getaway from his horribly boring companion. If you're reading the story not so much to see what happens with the frog, but to see how long the irritated narrator will stay in his chair listening to the story, then this part can be considered the proper climax.

What if the Lusitania hadn't been sunk?

Of course, there is no way that anyone can answer this question with certainty.  There are too many variables that could have affected the way things happened for us to be sure how the “non-sinking” of the Lusitania would have affected history.  My own view is that this would not really have changed anything.

The most likely other response to this question would be to say that the US would not have gotten into the war had the Lusitania not been sunk.  From this point of view, the sinking, which killed 123 Americans, enraged Americans and made them much more pro-British than they otherwise would have been.  This led directly to the US entering WWI.

I do not tend to buy this argument.  I think that the US would have entered the war regardless of the fate of this specific ship.  The Germans’ unlimited submarine warfare would still have angered Americans.  The US would still have had strong economic incentives to side with the Allies.  The Zimmermann Telegram would still have caused a strong response in the US.  None of this would have changed if the Lusitania had not been attacked.

Perhaps the strongest argument is one about time.  If the Lusitania had really been an important turning point, why did the US take so long to get into the war after the sinking?  It is hard to argue that an incident in May of 1915 could have been the major turning point that caused the US to declare war on Germany in April of 1917.

For these reasons, I do not think world history would have changed significantly if the Lusitania had not been sunk.

Does the language and structure of "Sonnet 29" by Elizabeth Barrett Browning suggest a healthy love?

That depends. The poem, though very short, equivocates from beginning to end.

It begins with an exclamation that confesses obsession: "I think of thee!" Barrett imagines her lover as a tree. Her thoughts are the vines that wrap themselves around it, not only entwining but enshrouding and strangling it under yards of verdure:

I think of thee -- my thoughts do twine and bud

About thee, as wild vines, about a tree,

Put out broad leaves, and soon there's nought to see,

Except the straggling weed which hides the wood.

Notice that her thoughts not only "twine," but "bud," suggesting growth and potential. They are "wild vines," free and untamed. The object of her love ("the tree") joins her in this dance of fertility by "[putting] out broad leaves," obscuring them both ("soon there's nought to see"), as a couple in an erotic encounter seeks to be obscured. There's only the "straggling weed" which "hides the wood." "Wood," to a contemporary reader, can be very suggestive. Moreover, the weed "[straggles]," it does not strangle, which might be one's first instinct of pronunciation when reading over this poem and contemplating its subject. Barrett, possibly, seeks to trick the eye and, thus, our sensibility: the weed does not constrict the wood, but moves slowly around its circumference.

The "tree" is characterized as a "palm-tree," whose tropical connotations complement the feverishness of love. She appeals directly to her love, hoping it will "be understood / I will not have my thoughts instead of thee / Who art dearer, better!" This can read as unhealthy obsession. Then again, in the context of Victorian poetry and prose, it would not have been. Despite the repression of the era, written expressions of passion -- between both the opposite and the same sex -- were rather common. She ends the last line with an exclamation point, despite its question form. This reflects her certainty in her love.

Her thoughts keep him alive. They are regenerative:

Renew thy presence; as a strong tree should,

Rustle thy boughs and set thy trunk all bare,

And let these bands of greenery which insphere thee

Drop heavily down,—burst, shattered, everywhere!

Here, every line begins with a command. She invokes his strength -- even violence. The tree is strong enough to free itself of the vines (i.e., her thoughts). However, the destruction is palpable. The greenery does not fall, as it actually would, but is "burst, shattered..." Something explosive happens; echoing the sight or sound of a heart breaking, if the metaphor were to come to life.

Yet, the heartbreak is necessary. They both must be free and unencumbered -- detached -- to love more selflessly:

Because, in this deep joy to see and hear thee

And breathe within thy shadow a new air,

I do not think of thee—I am too near thee. 

Once the vine is free, it can "see and hear" the beloved,[a]nd breathe within [his] shadow a new air..." They remain near each other, for the vine is within the tree's shadow. Yet, it is separate, growing not along it, but alongside it. It is no longer necessary to cling obsessively, to "think of thee," for the beloved is "too near."

What are some quotes that depict Ponyboy's strengths and weaknesses in the novel The Outsiders?

Strengths

Ponyboy is an intelligent individual who loves to read. Much like his older brother, Darry, Ponyboy does well in school. When he tells Cherry that they go to the same school, Cherry comments that he doesn't look old enough to be in the high school. Pony says,

"I'm not. I got put up a year in grade school" (Hinton 21).

Pony is smarter than the kids his age and was moved up a grade to take more challenging courses.

Ponyboy also excels athletically. He is one of the school's top runners and mentions,

"(Oh, yeah, I forgot---I'm on the A-squad track team, the youngest one. I'm a good runner)" (Hinton 91).

Ponyboy is also a courageous individual. In Chapter 6, Ponyboy selflessly volunteers to save the children who are trapped inside the flaming church. When he finds out that there are kids inside of the building he says,

"I'll get them, don't worry!" (Hinton 78).

Ponyboy heroically runs into the flaming building and saves the children.

Weaknesses

Ponyboy has several distinct weaknesses throughout the novel. Ponyboy is continually making bad decisions and neglects to think situations through. After getting jumped by a group of Socs because he was walking home alone, Darry criticizes his brother by saying,

"You must think at school, with all those good grades you bring home, and you've always got your nose in a book, but do you ever use your head for common sense?" (Hinton 12).

Ponyboy is also naive and lacks perspective at the beginning of the novel. He views Darry with contempt and says,

"Darry thought I was just another mouth to feed and somebody to holler at. Darry love me? I thought of those hard, pale eyes. Soda was wrong for once, I thought. Darry doesn't love anyone or anything, except maybe Soda" (Hinton 17).

Ponyboy believes that Darry doesn't love or care about him because Darry is hard on him, which is obviously not true. Darry does care about Ponyboy and is trying his best to raise Pony.

There are several scenes throughout the novel that depict Ponyboy's brash behavior. In Chapter 8, Ponyboy asks Cherry if she'll go up to see Johnny and she says that she can't bring herself to see him. Pony gets upset and says,

"I wouldn't want you to see him. You're a traitor to your own kind and not loyal to us" (Hinton 129).

However, Ponyboy instantly regrets his harsh words and apologizes for his actions.

In the story A Christmas Carol what business did Scrooge and Marley run?

In A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge and his now-deceased partner, Jacob Marley, were owners of a money lending business.  There are several ways in which we know this.  First, there are several references in Stave One that place Ebenezer in his "counting-house," which in Dickens' time referred to the office of a money lender.  Just before Marley's ghost appears, Ebenezer is described as reconciling his banker's book, another indication that he works with money and with individual accounts.  Finally, when the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come shows Ebenezer the impact of his future death, we see people rejoicing that, now that Scrooge has died, there will be no one to collect upon their debts and their debts will, in effect, be forgiven.

Are the characters in "Harrison Bergeron" truly equal?

The citizens in the short story, “Harrison Bergeron,” are not equal because the society in which they live has a warped view of what equality is.  This dystopian society thinks equality is achieved by making everyone the same. Diana Moon Glampers, the Handicapper General, makes sure everyone is “equal” by giving them disabilities that oppress their natural talents and abilities.  Harrison, who is young, tall, and strong, is handicapped by wearing metal around his neck and thick “coke bottle” glasses so he cannot see well.  Because of his intelligence, George, Harrison’s father, is handicapped with earphones that blast loud noises in his ears so he can’t think clearly.

The society is this story doesn’t understand that equality means that you give everyone the same rights while celebrating their individuality and differences.  If everyone is given the same rights like freedom of speech or freedom of religion as outlined in the Bill of Rights and Constitution, then, in theory, everyone is equal.  Therefore, no one in Harrison Bergeron’s society will ever be equal until they change their perception of what equality truly is.

What is the symbolic significance of the herbs Ophelia distributes in Act IV, scene v of Hamlet?

Here is a quick run-down on the herbs and flowers that Ophelia hands out during Act IV, scene v.  She has gone crazy at this point due to the death of her father, the absence of her brother, and the treatment from her boyfriend, Hamlet.

1.  Rosemary - an herb for remembrance and love.  Ophelia gives this to Laertes as a symbol for their father and and his untimely death.

2.  Pansies - a flower representing happy thoughts.  She is also handing these to her brother as well to help him get through the horrible times he is facing.

3.  Rue - an herb tied to virginity and marriage.  Ophelia gives this herb to Claudius and retains one for herself.  She tells him he must "wear his rue with a difference" as he is married and she is not.

4. Fennel - an herb representing those worthy of phrase, flattery, and strength. She gives these to Gertrude and to her brother.  Here it appears she is allotting the traits of strength and praise to her brother, while reserving the falser trait of flattery to the Queen.

5.  Columbines - this flower represents foolishness, flattery and adultery. The queen is the main recipient of this flower to symbolize her rash and foolish actions concerning both Claudius and her son.

If there is an infinite amount numbers from 1 to 2, how do we measure inches, meters, seconds, time, etc.? Or perhaps, 1 inch is infinite and...

This is an excellent question. First we make a distinction between a mathematical model and a physical model.

There are indeed an infinite number of real numbers between 0 and 1 on the real number line. Each number represents a mathematical point on the number line. But these numbers have no physical manifestation -- each point has no size (no length, width, nor height.) Even with the most powerful tools we have available, any "point" we make takes up some finite volume in our three dimensional world.

In fact, it might not even make sense to speak of anything with spatial dimensions smaller than the Planck scale, as space might not exist at that scale.

So what do we mean by a measurement of 1 inch? If we say that something is 1 inch long, we are actually saying that it is somewhere between 1/2 and 3/2 inches long or `1/2 <= l < 3/2 ` . If we say that something is 1.0 inches, then we indicate that its length is between .99 and 1.05 inches, and so on. We must take into account the precision of the measurement device. In practice, for extremely delicate measurements we must use statistics to give the length.

So while we have a very precise definition of a second (as a number of vibrations of a cesium atom, etc...), this really represents a tiny range of values.

In the "The Open Window," if the window had been closed, how might the story have been affected?

If the window had been closed in the story "The Open Window," the most poignant moment of the story would have not occurred with as much intensity as it would have in any another way. This is not to say that the actual event would have never taken place. It just may have happened in a less climactic form.

First, Vera would have needed to find a different focal point for her story. After all, it is she who initiates the action by asking Framton Nuttel:

"You may wonder why we keep that window wide open on an October afternoon," said the niece, indicating a large French window that opened on to a lawn.

Since Vera is so versed in coming up with last-minute stories, she uses the open window as her starting and focal point. If the window had been closed, she would have had to use a door that would knock or a bell that would ring upon the arrival of the alleged dead men.

Now that she has Framton's attention, the window will serve as a picture frame. Framton will now be eagerly looking at the window in a way much similar to how we watch a movie, waiting eagerly for something to happen. These dynamics between Vera and Framton would have been lost if the window had been closed. 

Vera also points out that, "out through that window" three years ago, the husband and brothers of her aunt "went off for their day's shooting." If the window had been closed, she could have not pointed at it as the exact origin from which the men "went off shooting." Keep in mind that Framton is still focused on the window as well, particularly after Vera creepily informs him that:

....sometimes on still, quiet evenings like this, I almost get a creepy feeling that they will all walk in through that window...

The fact that the window is open provides that opportunity for anything to happen: People can creep in. An animal may jump in. Someone may jump out. The openness of the window creates more possibilities. 

These possibilities would have not occurred if the window had been closed. The anticlimactic effect of a closed window, or a typical knock at a door would have still made Framton break down, but the story would have lacked the anxiety and built-up energy caused by whatever may be seen through the open window. 

Also, since the window is open, and Vera knows that the men come through it after they have gone hunting, something will definitely be happening in the house that day. She knows what will take place precisely because the window needs to be opened during hunting days. She knows that her trick will work. This is why the window is so essential to the story.

What were the factors that led to changes in the birth rate and the mortality rate?

There were several factors that led to changes in the birth rate and the mortality rate. After World War II, the birth rate increased dramatically. Families had been separated during World War II, and there was a great deal of uncertainty. After World War II ended, families were reunited, and the economy was very prosperous. The media also portrayed the “average” American family as one with a mother, a father, and at least two kids. Advances in medicine and the development of new fertility procedures also helped to increase the birth rate.

The mortality rate has declined also. There is much more knowledge about living a healthy lifestyle. People are more aware of the importance of exercise and diet. Advances in medicine have helped people live a longer life. There are new methods to treat serious diseases. Advances in medications also have helped people deal with various medical issues. These medications have helped to increase life expectancy by helping to control important medical issues such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol. With more knowledge and advances in medicine, people are living a longer life.

Is it true that expository essays often embody an extended definition of a complex concept?

Expository essays explore a concept in depth.

An expository essay is a type of nonfiction writing used to discuss a topic in detail. This is the type of essay you might find in a scientific journal or written by an expert in a field.  An expository essay can be used to explain or expound upon a definition of a concept at length.

Expository writing describes, defines, explains, or explores a concept. When you read an expository essay, you are reading an expert’s description of or understanding of an idea. You can also write an expository essay yourself if you know a lot about a concept or do research on an idea.

Expository writing comes in many forms. An expository essay usually includes some kind of argument that is then explained or defended with evidence. For example, if you were writing an expository essay on banned books, you could give examples of books that had been banned and then describe why they were banned and the effects of banning them.

Like most essays, expository essays begin with some kind of introduction. They also have a thesis, the statement that describes what the essay is proving. Then the thesis is supported with evidence. The evidence can take as many forms as there are types of expository essays. If you are writing about a personal experience, you might describe details of what happened to you. If you are writing a research paper or an argumentative essay, you might give evidence from experts on the subject.

To say that an expository essay is a definition might be a little narrow. Expository essays might define and then explain a concept. What all expository essays do is explore a concept in depth. This contrasts with a fictional piece of writing, which primarily tells a story rather than describes a real idea.

Why is Aunt Alexandra so racist? What are some examples that show her racism in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Aunt Alexandra is racist because she believes in tradition.  She calls her brother racist names for defending Tom Robinson.

Aunt Alexandra is a traditionalist, and in Maycomb that means she is a racist.  She does not approve of her brother defending a black man, so she says very racist things about him that Francis repeats.

“If Uncle Atticus lets you run around with stray dogs, that’s his own business, like Grandma says, so it ain’t your fault. I guess it ain’t your fault if Uncle Atticus is a nigger-lover besides, but I’m here to tell you it certainly does mortify the rest of the family—” (Ch. 8)

Francis is telling Scout that her father is hanging around with stray dogs because he is talking about him defending Tom Robinson.  Robinson is the stray dog.  This disparages both Tom Robinson and Atticus.

Atticus explains to his children that Alexandra believes that the Finches are superior because of how long they have lived in Maycomb, and probably because they are white.  The fact that they are such an old family makes them more valuable, in her eyes.

Atticus suddenly grew serious. In his lawyer’s voice, without a shade of inflection, he said: “Your aunt has asked me to try and impress upon you and Jean Louise that you are not from run-of-the-mill people, that you are the product of several generations’ gentle breeding—” (Ch. 13)

By this, Atticus is trying to tell his children the “facts of life,” meaning he is teaching them about class system in Maycomb.  Alexandra believes this is important, but Atticus does not.  To him, defending Tom Robinson is a good thing.  He believes that if he doesn’t do it, he will be letting the town down.  Atticus believes that in a court of law, everyone should be treated equally.

The contrasting values of Alexandra and Atticus demonstrate the old order versus the new one.  Atticus is trying to teach his kids that a person’s value comes from being a good person, not class or skin color.  Scout and Jem will grow up believing these new values, and teach them to their children.  That is how racism is combatted—one child at a time.

How does Heck Tate realize that Scout was almost killed?

After Jem has been carried home safely by Boo Radley, and Scout has been removed from the ham costume she wore to the Halloween pageant, Heck Tate is able to examine the costume and sees knife marks on the outside of the ham.  It is probably the chicken wire in the costume that saves Scout’s life from Bob Ewell’s vengeful attempt to get back at Atticus.  It is then that Heck Tate realizes that Boo Radley was only defending Scout and Jem when he fought and killed Bob Ewell in the struggle.  Because of Boo Radley’s heroics and sad existence in the Radley house, Heck Tate decides that Bob Ewell fell on his own knife and died.  Tate believes that arresting Boo Radley would be a crime, and he explains to a shaken Atticus that it is only fitting to not arrest Boo since an innocent negro man is dead, and the man who killed him is now dead, too.  He understands the poetic justice in the moment and decides that nothing will be gained by accusing Boo of murder. 

How then can a "Cold Pastoral" be called a "friend to man" in the poem Ode on a Grecian Urn?

The image that absorbs Keats (or, more precisely, the poem's narrator) on the Grecian urn is a "Cold Pastoral" because it is a picture frozen in time of a pastoral or outdoors scene. It is not something alive. It is cold, a piece of pottery, not warm like human flesh. Unlike human life, it will never change. Yet, paradoxically, it is a "friend to man" precisely because it will not change. Keats becomes ecstatic about the image on the urn being "happy" because the lovers depicted are forever destined to be young and in the full bloom of love, because it will always be spring there, and because it will always be a festival day on the urn. He contrasts this to human life, in which people fall out of the first raptures of love, then age, have problems, and die. Therefore, as Keats says, "When old age shall this generation waste" (in other words when he and his friends get old), the urn "shalt remain, in midst of other woe/Than ours." It will, he means, outlive the narrator's generation and be there for other people, yet unborn, who have their own problems, and who will need to escape from them as he has into the timeless beauty of the urn. Thus, Keats writes, the urn will remain:

a friend to man, to whom thou say'st,

         "Beauty is truth, truth beauty ..."

In other words, it will be a friend because, no matter how unhappy we are, it will continue across the generations to remind us of beauty and the truth in beauty. 

How does the setting in The Veldt fit the description of dystopian?

When it came to the intersections of technology, convenience, and entertainment, Bradbury was often rather ambivalent. This can be seen in many of his stories, most notably Fahrenheit 451, in which reality television has largely taken the place of reading, talking, and critical thinking. From Bradbury's perspective, technology wasn't entirely without value, but it had the strong potential to replace the human connections that develop around engaging with others through discussion and interaction.

In The Veldt, the concept of simulated engagement takes the form the nursery, which the parents use to occupy the children. Rather than spend time with their children and develop a bond, they are relying on technology and other modern conveniences to raise them. They're inability to bond with the children, who subsequently bond with the nursery, is ultimately their undoing, as the nursery is eventually used to kill the parents.

Throughout the story, modern convenience - particularly the nursery - symbolizes the dystopian future that Bradbury believed was possible. The family assumes that all the technology has made their lives easier and happier, but in the end it has mostly served to disconnect them from each other, which is why the children are easily capable of orchestrating the murder of their parents.

Heart of Darkness can sometimes seem to the reader like an incredibly dark, depressing story that paints realization in a very negative light. Did...

You are very right in thinking that Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness is a depressing story; indeed, by the end of the novella, it's easy to regard the whole human race with mistrust and suspicion. However, I think that simply saying the book is depressing is doing it a disservice (at least to some extent).

For me, the aspect of Heart of Darkness that was most engrossing was its intense exploration of human nature. I see the whole story as an extended metaphor for the exploration of human identity and the individual psyche. Marlowe's trip up the river becomes a journey back into the primordial essence of humanity, and as he moves farther from civilization, we learn more about the origins of our species. Granted, much of Marlowe's revelations are depressing and disturbing (Kurtz's disheveled life is especially distressing to read about), but I don't see this depressing nature as the dominant tone. Instead, I see the story as almost a scientific dissection of the energies, influences, and essences that make up human nature. In fact, I actually find the story exciting, albeit in a somewhat distressing, demented way.

It's worth noting at least one potentially uplifting element, however: during the course of Marlowe's journey, it becomes apparent that most of the natives are actually more civilized than the supposedly civilized Europeans. For instance, the native cannibals working on Marlowe's riverboat show remarkable restraint by respecting the Europeans and essentially choosing to starve, rather than offend the white men's cultural sensibilities. While this gesture might not seem like much (they're basically deigning to not eat the white men, after all), it is remarkably civilized when one considers that the white settlers don't think twice about enslaving and murdering the natives. I find this subtle social commentary relatively uplifting, as it handily subverts the established racial hierarchy of Conrad's time. 

What are important items for Scout in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird?

In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, one thing we learn about Scout is that she deeply values reading. We particularly learn how much she values reading when her first-grade teacher chastises her for already knowing how to read and tells her to make her father stop teaching her to read, despite Scout's protests that Atticus never taught her; it just came naturally to her because she is precocious. At that moment, Scout reflects on how important reading is to her, saying, "Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing" (Ch. 2). In other words, reading has become such a daily part of her existence that she has never thought of herself as being without it, just as she has never thought of herself as being unable to breathe. Since reading is so valuable to Scout, one item of importance we can name for Scout is any type of literature, including books, Time magazine and The Mobile Register. In fact, being dissatisfied with her education at school, Scout later notes that everything she learned, she "gathered from Time magazine and reading everything [she] could lay hands on at home" (Ch. 4).

Scout is also a tomboy. As a tomboy, she takes great pleasure in her independence and in moving against the grain of society, just like Atticus is independent and does not adhere to social norms. As an independent tomboy, another item of importance to Scout is her overalls. In fact, while spending Christmas at Finch's Landing in Chapter 9, Scout comments on her Aunt Alexandra's frequent criticisms of her clothing. Scout narrates having the following conversation with her aunt:

Aunt Alexandra was fanatical on the subject of my attire. I could not possibly hope to be a lady if I wore breeches; when I said I could do nothing in a dress, she said I wasn't supposed to be doing things that required pants. (Ch. 9)

Yet, as Scout grows older and observes Aunt Alexandra and Miss Maudie, she begins to understand exactly what it is to be a lady. Therefore, as she matures, other items that become important to Scout are her "pink Sunday dress, shoes, and petticoat" (Ch. 24).

Describe one feature the author uses in the writing of the novel Maniac Magee.

One feature Spinelli uses when writing his book is to refer to the events as if they were a legend. He uses third person narration and the first chapter to do this. Spinelli establishes that Maniac became a legend in Two Mills from the beginning. After that, everything he does is described as larger than life. Jeffrey is Maniac, rather than just Jeffrey, and this makes things he does seem even more extraordinary.

The book’s opening introduces the idea that Maniac has become a neighborhood legend. The author begins with a list of incredible traits attributed to Maniac. 

They say Maniac Magee was born in a dump. They say his stomach was a cereal box and his heart a sofa spring.…

They say.

What's true, what's myth! It's hard to know.

The author also contributes to the legend format by using the third person omniscient. This means that we do not get to see events from only Jeffrey’s perspective. Instead, he is referred to in the third person. We also know what others think of him.

For example, we learn of Amanda Beale’s reaction when she first encounters Maniac, who is white and should not be in her neighborhood.

Amanda was suspicious. Who was this white stranger kid! And what was he doing in the East End, where almost all the kids were black! And why was he saying that! (Ch. 3)

The third person omniscient narrator accomplishes the legend feature in two ways. First, we do not ever really get that close to Jeffrey. We know what he is thinking, but only from the distant narrator. Second, we see how others react to him, and this helps explain how a pretty ordinary kid became a legend.

Jeffrey Magee is not that unusual, except that he lives life and responds to the the world on his own terms. His foster parents ignored him, so he left. He loves reading, so he reads everywhere. He is not aware of divisions of race or neighborhood, so he ignores them. He is just himself, but in a world that relies on tradition as much as Two Mills, that makes him extraordinary.

Compare and contrast cytokinesis in animal and plant cells.

After mitotic division occurs, it is followed by cytoplasmic division. This results in two daughter cells that are identical to the parent cell in terms of their chromosome number, but they will be half the size of the parent cell due to cytokinesis.

In animal cells, a cleavage furrow forms near the area where the metaphase plate was located. There is a ring of microfilaments that contracts, resulting in the pinching of the cell into two daughter cells. This process is called cleavage. Cleavage begins sometime between late anaphase to telophase during mitotic division.

Plant cells carry out cytoplasmic division in a different way. Vesicles from the golgi apparatus migrate to the middle of the cell carrying within it the materials necessary to construct a cell wall. These vesicles join together to form a cell plate. Eventually, the cell plate grows and fuses to the plasma membrane. This grows into a cell wall separating the two daughter cells.

I have included a link with pictures of cytokinesis in plant vs. animal cells.

What was the conflict surrounding Oregon Territory?

The Oregon conflict emerged in the 1840s, as thousands of American settlers streamed into the Oregon Territory. This region was claimed by both the United States and Great Britain (and of course many Native peoples whose claims to the lands went back hundreds of years), and was technically subject to "joint occupation" following an agreement between the two nations in the Convention of 1818, part of the series of diplomatic arrangements intended to keep peace after the War of 1812. As American settlers moved into the region, calls for sole American annexation intensified. In 1844, James K. Polk ran for President with the slogan "54"40' or fight," referring to the line of latitude that the United States claimed as the border between the US and Canada. Rather than engage in a war that was not desired by either side, however, Polk and his British counterparts hammered out a compromise that fixed the border between Oregon and Canada at the 49th parallel (where it remains today). So the dispute in Oregon was, like the simultaneous dispute with Mexico, fundamentally about American territorial expansion.

What is the second punishment Mrs. Dubose gives the children in To Kill a Mockingbird?

The punishment is reading to Mrs. Dubose for two hours a day. 

When introducing her neighbors, Scout describes Mrs. Dubose as “plain hell” (Ch. 1).  This tells us that she is not a friendly person, but we do not get the full picture of what it means until she begins spewing her vitriolic insults at Jem and Scout later.  She lives two doors up the street and Scout considers her “the meanest old woman who ever lived” (Ch. 4). 

Jem and I hated her. If she was on the porch when we passed, we would be raked by her wrathful gaze, subjected to ruthless interrogation regarding our behavior, and given a melancholy prediction on what we would amount to when we grew up, which was always nothing. (Ch. 11) 

The problem occurs as the Tom Robinson trial approaches when Mrs. Dubose provides Scout and Jem unsolicited opinions about their father’s defending a black man, which are of course laced with racism.  Jem loses it and attacks her flowers with Scout’s baton.  He is tired of hearing people insult his father for defending a black man in the trial.

Atticus made Jem go “have a talk with Mrs. Dubose,” which Scout considered a terrible punishment.   She was certain Jem was going to be “murdered with a Confederate Army relic.”   Jem went.  When he returned, he told Atticus that he had cleaned it up, but Mrs. Dubose had asked him for something. 

“Atticus,” he said, “she wants me to read to her.”

“Read to her?”

“Yes sir. She wants me to come every afternoon after school and Saturdays and read to her out loud for two hours. Atticus, do I have to?”

“Certainly.”

“But she wants me to do it for a month.” (Ch. 11) 

Later, the children learn that Mrs. Dubose was trying to kick a morphine habit and that the reason she wanted Jem to read to her was to provide her a distraction.  Atticus considered her a good role model of courage, despite that fact that she disagreed with him and he disagreed with her on the subject of the trial.  She stood up to her addiction and won her fight, and he admired that.

What words in the first two stanzas are repeated most?

In the poem "Annabel Lee," by far the word that is repeated most from the first two stanzas is the word "love." In the first two stanzas alone, it is repeated six times, though it only has two more repetitions in the remainder of the poem. There is no other word that is repeated more than twice in the first two stanzas, but the next most used word in the poem is actually two words, "Annabel Lee," which is said at least once in every stanza of the poem. As this poem is about the narrator's love for Annabel Lee, it should come as no surprise that the words "love" and "Annabel Lee" are the most used in the poem.

Describe Fred's personality in A Christmas Carol.

In Stave Three, the Spirit of Christmas Present takes Scrooge to a house where he hears the contagious laugh of his nephew Fred, and he finds himself in a bright, warm room occupied by happy people being entertained by his nephew. 

The second of the three spirits takes Scrooge to see how others wish each other merry Christmas, and how the Cratchits love each other and truly have the spirit of Christmas, although they are poor. Finally, the spirit takes Scrooge to Fred's house where his jovial nephew makes his guests happy with his contagious good humor. Holding his sides, as his face contorted in enjoyment, Fred laughs heartily, 

"He said that Christmas was a humbug, as I live!....He believed it, too! 

Fred calls his uncle a "comical old fellow," but he adds that Uncle Scrooge pays for his offences because they carry their own punishment. "His wealth is of no use to him. He don't do any good with it. He don't [this was the correct form of the verb in Dicken's' time] make himself comfortable with it." Further, Fred says that he feels sorry for his uncle because he keeps himself lonely when he could come and eat dinner at his house.
But, the persistent Fred insists that he will continue to invite Uncle Scrooge because he loses "pleasanter companions than he can find in his own thoughts." He refuses to give up on providing the Christmas spirit to his uncle. Fred hopes that perhaps he can put Scrooge in "the right heart" to give his clerk fifty pounds. 

Later in the evening, after dinner and tea, Fred and his pretty wife and friends sing--even Topper, the dog howls. Then, they played games: blind-man's buff, and others. One of these was a guessing game. Fred gave description after description answering "yes" or "no" until someone guessed "Scrooge." So, Scrooge finds himself the butt of Fred's good-humored joking. 

Clearly, Scrooge's nephew Fred, the son of his sister, is a good-natured young man who is loved by his pretty wife and greatly enjoyed by his relatives and friends because of his jovial personality and contagious laughter. Although he knows his uncle is an old curmudgeon, Fred still has faith that his jovial influence and his continued invitations will somehow put Scrooge into a more generous and affable frame of mind.