What important lesson does "A Jury of Her Peers" by Susan Glaspell develop regarding gender roles?

In the short story "A Jury of Her Peers" by Susan Glaspell, five people--three men and two women--investigate the farmhouse of Minnie Wright, a woman accused of murdering her husband. While the three men (the county attorney, the sheriff, and the victim's neighbor) seem eager to find evidence of the accused woman's guilt, the women investigating the scene (who are the wives of the prosecutor and attorney) believe that there is evidence that could exonerate Minnie Wright. The lesson the story imparts is that men and women judge women who defend themselves against men differently.

The men investigating the crime don't understand the motive--the reason why Minnie Wright would want to kill her husband: "The sheriff too looked all around, as if to re-convince himself. 'Nothing here but kitchen things,' he said, with a little laugh for the insignificance of kitchen things" (page numbers vary according to the edition). The men can't figure out why Minnie Wright killed her husband, but the women understand. Mrs. Hale says:

"'Wright was close!' she exclaimed, holding up a shabby black skirt that bore the marks of much making over. 'I think maybe that's why she kept so much to herself. I s'pose she felt she couldn't do her part; and then, you don't enjoy things when you feel shabby. She used to wear pretty clothes and be lively--when she was Minnie Foster, one of the town girls, singing in the choir. But that--oh, that was twenty years ago'" (page numbers vary according to edition).

The women understand why Mrs. Wright killed her husband. Although the men say that the women can't find any clues, the women look around the farmhouse and understand that Mrs. Wright worked very hard and that her husband did not give her any nice clothes, as she used to have when she was young. When the men leave the house, the women find a dead bird that they believe was killed by Mrs. Wright's husband, and they understand the motivation for the murder. They hide the dead bird from the men, who conclude that there is no incriminating evidence against Mrs. Wright.

The women clearly understand the psychological reasons behind Mrs. Wright's actions, and they are able to piece together the suspect's life in a way the men can't. They are more sympathetic to the plight of a hard-working farm woman than the men are. 

At 1 kilometer per second how long would it take to travel to a star 4.4 light years away?

A light year is the distance light would travel in one year's time.

The first step is to convert 4.4 light years to kilometers. Light travels at 300,000 kilometers per second. There are 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour, 24 hours in a day and 365 days in a year, so 1 light year is equal to 9.4608x10^12 kilometers.  

`300000*60*60*24*365 =9.4608*10^12 km=1 lightyear`

Now we multiply by 4.4 to find the total number of kilometers.

`9.4608*10^12*4.4=4.1627*10^13 km`

To travel 4.1627x10^3 kilometers at a speed of 1 km/s would require 4.1627x10^13 seconds. We can convert this back to earth years to get a better sense of just how long it is.

`4.1627*10^13-:60-:60-:24-:365=1.3199*10^6` years.

So it would take approximately 1.32 million years to travel the distance of 4.4 light years at a speed of 1 km/s.

How is the digestive system connected to the circulatory system?

The digestive system is a body system that takes solid foods an organism eats and processes it to remove essential nutrients used to energize the organism's body.  The circulatory system is a body system that pumps blood through a network of blood vessels throughout the organism's body.  It is the "superhighway" for delivery to every cell in the organism's body, used to get essential nutrients and fuel in and waste products out.  The digestive system takes solid food and reduces it to a soupy, liquid mixture, called chyme.  The chyme is introduced into the small intestine, which has lots of finger-like projections called villi .  It is here in the small intestine where the villi absorb the glucose, a simple sugar used for energy manufacture in cells, and deliver it to the blood vessels of the circulatory system.  The blood of the circulatory system takes the glucose to every cell in the body, along with necessary oxygen supplied by the lungs of the respiratory system.  The glucose is combined with the oxygen in a chemical process within the mitochondria of the cell.  This process is called cellular respiration and provides energy formation for the cell in the form of an ATP molecule (adenosine triphosphate).  Carbon dioxide and water are formed as waste products, which is then delivered back to the blood, which then takes it to the appropriate excretory system organs for disposal.

A sample of methane gas was collected over water at 35ºC. The sample was found to have a total pressure of 756 mm Hg. Determine the partial...

When a gas is collected over water it contains water vapor because some of the water at the surface of the liquid will vaporize. The pressure exerted by the water vapor is its vapor pressure, which is given in the problem. We can use Dalton's Law of Partial Pressures to calculate the pressure of the methane (CH4), knowing the pressure exerted by the water vapor. Dalton's Law states that the total pressure of a mixture of gases is equal to the sum of the partial pressures of the gases that make up the mixture:

`P_(Total) = P_A + P_B + P_C +....`

In this case,

`P_(Total)` = `P_(CH_4) + P_(H_2O)` = 756 mm Hg, so

 `P_(CH_4) `  = 756 mmHg - 41 mm Hg = 715 mm Hg`<b></b>`

Note that the vapor pressure of water depends only on the temperature at which the gas is collected. 

What would the Americas be like without the Europeans?

What America would be like without the Europeans is an interesting question to ponder. I will look at this from a few different angles.

If the Europeans never came to the Americas, the Native Americans would very likely have been in a better situation. The Europeans mistreated the Native Americans from the time they came to the Americas. The Europeans took their land and also brought diseases from which they died. The Native American way of life was disrupted. Thus, the Native Americans would very likely have been better off if the Europeans never came.

It is possible there may have been a greater conservation of our resources and a greater respect for our land. The Native Americans believed the land belonged to everybody. They believed the land was holy and should be respected. Thus, our resources might have been conserved. It also is possible the Americas wouldn’t be developed as much as they are today. The Europeans used the land and the resources to grow and develop the Americas. If they didn’t do this, it is possible there would have been less development in the Americas.

It is also important to consider the likelihood of the Americas not being discovered by the Europeans. The Europeans had been constantly growing and progressing. It is highly unlikely to think the Europeans would never have come to the Americas at some point in time. The Europeans were also looking to expand, and they eventually would have come to the Americas.

Compare and contrast revolutionary and reform movements in Mexico and China during 1890-1914. How were their goals and methods similar and...

The Mexican Revolution of 1910 and the Chinese Revolution of 1911 both centered on the fight to secure social and political reforms, but the Chinese Revolution was significant for its part in overthrowing the centuries-old imperial system in China. The Chinese Revolution in 1911 led to the establishment of the republic of China under Sun Yat Sen; however, the continued fight for working class reforms eventually culminated in the Revolution of 1949, a conflict that ushered in decades of Communist rule which has lasted until today.

The Chinese Revolution of 1911 heralded the fall of the Qing Dynasty after the imperial ruler failed to execute meaningful working-class reforms on behalf of the population. The Emperor Guangxu, a liberal-minded ruler, was actually open to the industrialization and development of China; with the support of like-minded senior officials, Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao, Guangxu called for a series of reforms and issued edicts to modernize China. However, the Emperor Guangxu's efforts were stymied by the Dowager Empress Cixi, who felt that the reforms were far too extreme. The Empress managed to engineer a coup to dethrone the young Emperor and to take over as Regent.

With power in her hands, the Empress nullified all edicts issued by Emperor Guangxu. In retaliation, she also had the six main proponents of the edicts executed: they were Lin Xu, Yang Shenxiu, Liu Guangdi, Yagn Rui, Tan Sitong, and Kang Guangren.

Read more : The Hundred Days Reform of 1898.

Read about Sun Yat Sen's three principles for revolution.

To preserve her power, the Empress allowed some reforms to go forward. For example, the civil service examination system that had favored Chinese elites was eliminated. However, the Empress' half-hearted and lackluster efforts to appease the people failed. If anything, followers of Sun Yat Sen believed that the overthrow of the entire Qing Dynasty was the only acceptable answer to China's woes. The 1911 Revolution set in motion an overarching struggle that was to eventually culminate in the emergence of Communist China on the world stage.

On the other side of the ocean, the Mexican Revolution of 1910 began as a middle class struggle against the enduring dictatorship of one Porfirio Diaz, an Army officer. The emerging middle class in Mexico agitated for freedom of the press, representation in the political arena, and elimination of the provincial oligarchies that had prevented them from benefiting from foreign investment dollars. Unlike China, Mexico did not have to endure a series of humiliating treaties that was to see numerous ports of entry appropriated for foreign use. Similar to China, however, was the enduring struggle to secure a representative form of government.

The dictator, Diaz, was soon replaced by a wealthy landowner, Francisco Madero, who became the president of Mexico in 1911. However, Madero was never able to push back successfully against the old guard, the Diaz supporters, who agitated for a return to the status quo. Madero was eventually replaced by another revolutionary leader, Victoriano Huerta. However, Huerta was even less successful than Madero, and he was soon challenged by Emiliano Zapata and Francisco Villa, populist leaders who led years of violent revolt until 1920, when Alvaro Obregon became president of Mexico. The Mexican Revolution of 1910 was to culminate in the eventual recognition of labor unions and peasant organizations and the creation of a Mexican petroleum company in 1940. Today, Mexico is part of the economic conglomerate of NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) countries.

So, while both the Mexican and Chinese revolutions were predicated on the fight to secure social and political reforms, both revolutions led to differing degrees of economic and political independence in the respective countries.

Did the people around Polonius tend to give weight to his opinions? Were these people significant?

Two significant people, Claudius and Gertrude, come to Polonius for advice and give weight to his opinions. After all, Polonius is the consummate courtier, which means he is a man who knows how to appeal to people in power, solve their problems and do what he needs to do to get ahead in the world. Since we come into the play in the middle of the action, after Hamlet's father has been killed and Claudius established on the throne, we don't know how or why Polonius rose to the status of king's counsellor. But we know he is an important figure at the court,  and such status would lead people to take his opinions seriously.

Claudius and Gertrude seek out Polonius after Hamlet's erratic behavior begins to worry them, so they clearly value his opinions. After all, a son with possible mental problems, especially when he is a prince, presents a sensitive situation, one they would want handled quietly. They would approach someone they trusted. When they do come to him, Polonius presents himself  to them as the man with the answers, insisting that Hamlet is acting oddly because he is love with his daughter Ophelia. Polonius concocts a plan to spy on Ophelia and Hamlet when they are alone together as way to test his theory, and the king and queen approve his scheme. These two listen to him because he has established himself a go-to person for solving problems.

Polonius and Claudius share similarities, the similarities of wily, experienced players who know how to survive in a corrupt court. For example, they both hire spies to watch their respective sons. (In Claudius' case, of course, Hamlet is his stepson.) It seems no wonder that Claudius would value the opinions of a man who reminded him of himself and conducted business in similar ways. 

I'll add that when Polonius comes to king and queen with his news about Ophelia and Hamlet, he asks Claudius his opinion of him (ie, of himself, Polonius) and Claudius replies, "As of a man faithful and honorable." (Act II, ii) I don't want to ignore that Polonius is a pompous windbag, but do want to emphasize that important people listen to his advice, even if it's wrong. He is very much an insider.

Was the storm in The Cay by Theodore Taylor a hurricane or tornado?

In The Cay by Theodore Taylor, when Timothy and Phillip had been on the island for a few months, one day they were out gathering calico scallops, and they heard a noise that sounded like a gunshot. Phillip asked Timothy what it was, and Timothy told him that it was the sea making that noise, and it was bad news. It meant that a big storm was coming and they needed to get prepared. Timothy described the sky to Phillip as having a yellowish tint to it. He also tied the water keg up high in a tree and told Phillip what to do if the storm reached them. By the time the sun set, the sky was red with high clouds beginning to appear. The storm reached them after dark.

"Then the wind began to blow steadily, and Timothy went out of the hut to look up at the sky. He shouted, 'Dey boilin' ovah now, Phill-eep. 'Tis hurrican', to be sure'" (Taylor 106).

The island was hit by a hurricane.

What do the camellias symbolize in Chapter 11 of To Kill A Mockingbird? How does Jem's final moment with the camellias indicate some new growth or...

The camellias represent how ugly things like racism can hide under pretty shells.

When Jem slashes at the camellias, he has come to some understanding of how the world works and he can’t face it yet. Both Scout and Jem are too young to really appreciate what is happening in Maycomb, but the trial forces them to face it. Mrs. Dubose’s flowers are pretty, but she is ugly.

Scout believes that Jem has lost his mind when he attacks Mrs. Dubose’s flowers. He is not unprovoked, though. Mrs. Dubose is a horrible woman who often shouts insults at the children. Atticus treats her respectfully and politely, and encourages his children to do the same. Jem reaches a tipping point on this day, though, and takes out the meanness of Mrs. Dubose and all of Maycomb on her flowers.

Mrs. Dubose is just one of the racists in Maycomb. No one in Maycomb believes that all people should be treated equally.  They do not approve of Atticus defending a black man. Many of them take it out on his children. Mrs. Dubose yells at the Finch children.

“Yes indeed, what has this world come to when a Finch goes against his raising?

I’ll tell you! … Your father’s no better than the niggers and trash he works for!” (Ch. 11)

Scout is aware that they are not supposed to react to these taunts. Jem is as well, and has been keeping his head held high until now. This is the time he just snaps. Jem is an idealist, and the reality of the world is too much for him to face.

The last thing Jem does after destroying the flowers is destroy the baton.

He did not begin to calm down until he had cut the tops off every camellia bush Mrs. Dubose owned, until the ground was littered with green buds and leaves. He bent my baton against his knee, snapped it in two and threw it down. (Ch. 11)

He realizes that his approach is not going to work. Getting angry and throwing a fit might have made him feel better at first, but in the long run it makes him just as bad as she is.  Her ugly behavior became his ugly behavior. The flowers were innocent. Taking out your anger on the innocents never does any good. Racism and intolerance cannot be fought with violence.

Atticus takes an interesting approach to the problem. He tries to teach Jem and Scout that things are not what they seem. Mrs. Dubose is a horrible, mean old woman, but she is also in a great deal of pain. Knowing this, Atticus has Jem read to her until she finally kicks her morphine habit.

Why would Atticus, the pillar of compassion, subject his son to this woman’s abuse? He wants to teach Jem a lesson in courage. Mrs. Dubose was courageous for fighting her addiction. Scout and Jem will need to be courageous to fight the racism they will face in the coming months.

I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. (Ch. 11)

Jem tends to see the good in people. The underlying racism that is a part of everyday life in Maycomb doesn’t seem to faze him. When Tom Robinson is convicted, Jem is horrified.  He was sure that the people of Maycomb would see the truth. It is a hard lesson that is part of growing up. People are not always what they seem.

What is the main effect of watching television?

Watching television has many effects upon us, most of them not very good. I am one of those people who thinks television is generally really bad for us, but I will try to think of at least one positive effect.

Watching television tends to make us overweight and even obese.  This is because we are not moving around when we watch television, simply sitting. And those people who snack while they are watching television are even more likely to have a weight problem, since we are usually not really mindful of what we are eating or that we might be eating too much. 

Watching television makes us anti-social.  This is an isolating activity, even when we watch television with others.  We are focused on the screen, not on the people around us, and thus we isolate ourselves, even in a crowded room.

Watching television makes us passive, uncritical audiences, exerting no control over what we take in. When I read, I am actively engaged with the reading, and I control the pace of what I read. A television program spoon feeds us the content, at a pace we cannot change. 

On the other hand, television can bring us knowledge we might not otherwise have, and it presents it in visual images that can be better sometimes than words.  It opens worlds to us that we might otherwise have no knowledge of, for example, another culture or animals we would have no opportunity to see in a zoo. 

I have not watched television in approximately two years now, and I really don't feel like I'm missing much of anything, except perhaps being overweight, passive, and anti-social. 

What impacts did the French and English imperialism have on the Native American tribes? (Need in-depth answer please) Thanks!

French and British imperialism had an impact on the Native American tribes. When the French colonized North America they began to develop relationships with the Native Americans. The French traded with the Native Americans. For example, the fur trade was very lucrative. The French also didn’t want to take away the lands of the Native Americans. They married them and converted them to Christianity.

The British posed a more serious threat to the Native Americans. The British wanted their lands and had more conflicts with the Native Americans. Additionally, the British used some Native Americans as slaves. For these reasons, most Native American tribes sided with France in the French and Indian War. Relationships deteriorated after Great Britain won the French and Indian War. Most conflicts and battles occurred between the British and the Native Americans.

One negative impact that European imperialism had on the Native Americans was that the Europeans brought diseases to which the Native Americans had no immunity. Many Native Americans died from these diseases when they were first exposed to them.

British and French imperialism impacted the Native Americans.

In the epic poem Beowulf, what does Wiglaf take from the dragon's den?

Late in the epic poem Beowulf, the character of Beowulf has returned home and become king of his own people, the Geats. In this part of the story we see that Beowulf is not only a fearsome warrior, he is also a great king.

But the story, like Beowulf himself, is not destined to end peacefully. Beowulf has shown a propensity to let his warrior mentality lead him into dangerous and nearly deadly situations. In his youth he had the power to fight his way through these situations, but now is old. So when he decides to fight a dragon that is terrorizing his kingdom, his men try to talk him out of it. But Beowulf was never one to avoid a battle, so he seeks out the dragon, which he manages to kill with Wiglaf's help. However, he is mortally wounded in the process.

Wiglaf relates the story of Beowulf's end to his men, just before his funeral:

I've seen it all, been in the tower

Where the jewels and armor were hidden, allowed

To behold them once war and its terror were done.

I gathered them up, gold and silver,

Filled my arms as full as I could

And quickly carried them back to my king.

Wiglaf carries the dragon's jewels from the dragon's den to Beowulf, perhaps to show Beowulf that the dragon is dead, perhaps to show Beowulf that his kingdom will be rich after he is gone. But the Geats decide to honor their fallen leader by burying the treasure with him, where no man can find it.

What is the significance of the title The New England Nun by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman?

Actually, the title is "A New England Nun," and I have moved the question to the appropriate topic as a result.  This being said, the significance of the title is in the last line:

Louisa sat, prayerfully numbering her days, like an uncloistered nun.

Further, we can learn more about the main character, Louisa Ellis, and why the title refers to her. It is about a woman who lives in New England and lives alone.  Louisa has made a very happy and solitary life for herself as she waits for her beau, Joe Dagget, to return from Australia after fourteen years.  When he finally returns, the two are awkward and no longer in love.  Further, Joe Dagget has fallen in love with Lily Dyer (who is currently taking care of Joe's mother).  Louisa releases Joe from his engagement.  Now Joe is free to be happy and marry Lily. 

Even though religion isn't necessarily prominent in this story, Louisa has many qualities that befit a nun's life.  She lives in self-afflicted isolation.  She is a woman.  She is a virgin.  She prays every day.  Apart from these general truths about Louisa, there are specific things she does as well that resemble a nun's life.  Louisa is absolutely set in her ways after living without Joe for so long.  She is obsessed with cleanliness.  We know this because Louisa gets mad when Joe tracks dirt all over the floor, puts her books away in different places, and clumsily knocks over her knickknacks. 

In conclusion, the irony is that Louisa is not a nun, but she might as well be.  The simile quoted above which is the last line of the story as well as the similarities to Roman Catholic nuns indicated by Louisa's behavior are the best proof.

What are some important factors that help make a relationship positive?

Different cultures have different standards for what constitutes a good or positive relationship. While this answer focuses on modern, western societies, one should be aware that the answers to this question do vary with region and culture.

Some of the elements that contribute to positive relationships are:

• People in a relationship should generally like, respect and value one another.


• Good communication is essential to a good relationship. People should be comfortable confiding in their partners and not keep important secrets.


• Both partners should be deeply committed to a relationship and willing to put effort into it, even when they are going through a rough patch.


• A good relationship means no elements of physical, mental, or emotional abuse.


• Partners should agree on important goals such as whether they want children, where they wish to live, and what sort of lifestyle they want.


• Partners should share essential values. Even if they disagree about minor issues, major value differences over gender roles, money, or religion can be negative factors.


• Partners should share enough interests so they can enjoy being together, doing things together, and talking with each other. 

How to calculate half life?

Half life is the time period it takes for a substance to decay to one half its original value. In other words, if we start with (say) 100 g of a substance and its half life is 1 day, then after 1 day, we will be left with only 50 g of the substance.

Half life can be determined by calculating the amount of a substance at any two given time intervals. A number of techniques are available to determine the amount or quantity of a given substance. These could be as simple as weighing them or can be very complex. Let the time duration is t unit, over which the substance's quantity changed from M1 to M2, then the half life (n unit) can be calculated as:

`(1/2)^(t/n) = (M2)/(M1)`

For example, if in 10 years, the amount of a substance decreased from 100 g to 25 g, then its half life is

`(1/2)^(10/n) = 25/100`

solving this, we get n = 5 years. 

Hope this helps.

What are some quotes that show that Friar Lawrence is a father figure to Romeo?

Just as we should consider the Nurse a parental figure to Juliet the same could be said for the Friar and Romeo. Friar Lawrence not only shows his affection for Romeo but he also gives him fatherly advice on more than one occasion.

In Act II, Scene 3, the Friar, as a father would, chastises Romeo for being out all night and for falling in love with another girl after so soon being in love with Rosaline. The Friar comments:

Young men’s love then lies
Not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes.

The Friar is often giving guidance to Romeo (unfortunately Romeo doesn't listen) about how the young man should handle his new love for Juliet. In the marriage scene, Act II, Scene 6, he urges Romeo to take things slow and to be patient. He says,

Therefore love moderately. Long love doth so.
Too swift arrives as tardy as too slow.

The Friar is at his most fatherly after Romeo has killed Tybalt and is distraught over being banished. Romeo is acting quite immaturely as he cries to the Friar about having to leave Verona and lose access to Juliet. The Friar reminds Romeo that he is actually fortunate. The Prince could have sentenced Romeo to death for fighting in the streets, as he promised in Act I, but instead he exiles Romeo.

The Friar tells Romeo to be patient and to go to Mantua and let things calm down. Once some time has healed a few wounds, the Friar tells Romeo the two lovers can once again be reunited. In Act III, Scene 3:

Go, get thee to thy love, as was decreed.
Ascend her chamber. Hence and comfort her.
But look thou stay not till the watch be set,
For then thou canst not pass to Mantua,
Where thou shalt live till we can find a time
To blaze your marriage, reconcile your friends,
Beg pardon of the Prince, and call thee back
With twenty hundred thousand times more joy
Than thou went’st forth in lamentation.

As with a father (Friar means father), Lawrence loves Romeo and wants what is best for him. This love, however, blinds the Friar to the true consequences of his indulgence of Romeo's impetuous actions. The Friar should have consulted with the parents at some point to avert the final tragedy.

What is a summary of Carry On, Mr. Bowditch?

Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham is a novel for children based on the life of a real person, Nathaniel Bowditch, who was born on 26 March 1773 in Salem, Massachusetts and died on 16 March 1838. 

Because his family was poor, he left school when he was only ten years old and began working in the family trade. At the age of 12 he became indentured for a period of nine years and worked as an assistant to a bookkeeper. During this period he taught himself algebra, calculus, astronomy, Spanish, French, and Latin with the help of educated families in his town who gave him access to their libraries. 

After finishing his indentured work, he was hired as a ship's clerk. He went on four long voyages and continued his studies, which culminated in his publication of New American Practical Navigation, a book which is still widely used by navigators. 

How have the Van Daans, the Franks, and Mr. Dussel changed physically and mentally from the start of the play to the beginning of act 2?

In the beginning of the play, everyone is healthy but very anxious about going into hiding. They fear for their lives each day, but they also have more hope and peace than other Jews because they have Miep, Mr. Kraler, and others to help them each day. Living in cramped quarters with seven other people, twenty-four hours a day for about a year and a half has a lot of side-effects, though. People get to know one another so well that pushing each other's buttons becomes very easy, for example. As food becomes less available, everyone's hunger increases as well. As a result, act 2 opens with Anne mentioning that everyone is "a little thinner," the Van Daans' arguments are worse than ever, and she and her mother still don't understand one another. 

The residents in hiding are also a little more desperate at the beginning of act 2 than they were in act 1. For example, Mr. Van Daan asks Miep to sell his wife's fur coat without asking permission. This is something he would never have done in act 1. Mr. Van Daan sells the coat mostly to buy cigarettes for himself, which doesn't make his wife appreciate him at all. Mr. Dussel has become more concerned with the size and distribution of food because he believes that Mrs. Van Daan always gives bigger portions to her husband. Hunger drives Dussel and Mr. Van Daan to be constantly worried about food and survival. The stage directions even say that Dussel is "disgruntled" with the way things are in the annex.

Therefore, most everyone hiding in the annex is stressed out, hungry, and easily irritated with one another. After being cooped up for nearly 18 months and struggling to survive the war on much less than they are used to, these feelings and physical afflictions seem to be quite normal under the circumstances. 

What is significant about the following simile, and how does it add to the mood and/or theme of "The Pedestrian"? The light held him fixed,...

This passage is significant because it points directly to what an anachronism the pedestrian has become in his society. Also, this final act adds an even more despairing tone to the narrative, underscoring the theme of depersonalization and alienation of the society in which Leonard Mead lives. 

Again a light holds a person transfixed. Just as almost everyone else in the town sits in dark houses mesmerized by the television sets' programs, Leonard Mead is held captive by a beam of light, except this situation involves the light from the sole police car of the town. He is held still by its blinding light, much like a deer who is blinded by the headlights of a vehicle at night as he attempts to cross a highway. 

Interrogated by an automated voice, Mead is arrested because he has "no profession" since he has been a writer and no one reads anything anymore. 

Everything went on in the tomblike houses at night now, he thought, continuing his fancy. The tombs, ill-lit by television light, where the people sat like the dead, the gray or multicolored lights touching their faces, but never really touching them.

As the patrol car traverses the streets, Mead sees that his house stands alone as the only one with lights shining from it. But, like the museum specimen, he has been torn from his own environment and trapped into non-existence.

What does Calvin look like?

The novel describes Calvin, who will become close to the Murry family, as tall and skinny, with bony wrists. He has recently had a growth spurt, as his pants are three inches too short and his wrists stick out from his sweater. He has orange hair that needs to be cut, freckles and bright blue eyes. He plays on the high school basketball team. Although only 14 years old, he is already in the eleventh grade. Calvin has a strong hand that makes Meg feel protected when he puts it on her elbow. Mrs. Who tells Meg to feed Calvin, which indicates he is a little too thin. He has a big smile that Meg sees as "enormous." She calls him "handsome." He radiates enthusiasm, especially for Meg and her family.

How does Elie establish the setting in Chapter 1 of Night?

In the book Night, Elie Wiesel uses several ideas to establish the setting.  At the beginning of Chapter 1, when Moishe the Beadle is being described, the author also describes the town of Sighet, a small Jewish town in Transylvania. Elie describes the transporting of the foreign Jews from his small town, which illustrates the German intent to capture and transport the Jews; at this point, the setting in which they gather Jews together to transport them, even in the cold, is established. Elie describes sitting with Moishe when he returns from his exile and persuades Moishe to teach Elie. He also describes sitting with his family listening to the London radio broadcast. Elie describes the eight days of Passover, the German entrance into their town, the imposition of the yellow star, and most of all, the creation of the ghettos. Two ghettos are created and in a very casual way, Elie outlines all the changes for the Jews, such as giving up space in their homes for relatives who lost their homes.  

Each change that Elie describes gives readers another look at the setting, from the beginning where life is good and no one is fearful, to the creation of the ghettos and finally, the fearful boarding of the trains.

What does Hamlet mean when he says the "heyday in the blood is tame"?

This quote is from Act III, Scene 4 of Hamlet. In this scene, Hamlet confronts his mother about her marriage to Claudius. Comparing images of King Hamlet and Claudius, and pointing out that Claudius is worthless by comparison, he asks what could have driven Gertrude to marry the man, especially so soon after her husband's death. Perplexed, he says that

You cannot call it love; for at your age the heyday in the blood is tame, it's humble, and waits upon the judgment; and what judgment would step from this to this? 

What Hamlet means is that Gertrude could not have married Claudius out of love, because at her age, sexual desire ("the heyday in the blood") has gone away, "humble" with advancing age. So because Claudius is nowhere near the man King Hamlet was, and Gertrude's sex drive should be gone anyway, there must be some other reason why she chose to marry this man, who, Hamlet reveals to his mother, is guilty of the murder of his father. This is one of the most intense scenes in all of Shakespeare, punctuated by Hamlet's accidental murder of Polonius, who is hiding behind a curtain. Hamlet's questioning of his mother both shocks and horrifies her, and sets the stage for the unfolding tragedy to come.

Why kill Humbaba?

Gilgamesh wants to kill the monster Humbaba so he can attain fame and glory. Early in the Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh does not fear death. The god Enlil had decreed that Gilgamesh--2/3 god and 1/3 man--would die a mortal's death, but that he would achieve fame and glory during his time on earth. Believing this, Gilgamesh only desires fame and glory (the closest he can get to immortality), and he does not care if he has to die in the process. As Gilgamesh tells his friend Enkidu:

I have not established my name stamped on bricks as my destiny decreed; therefore I will go to the country where the cedar is felled. I will set up my name in the place where the names of famous men are written, and where no man's name is written yet I will raise a monument to the gods (pg. 70-71).

Consequently, Gilgamesh does not listen to Enkidu's pleas that he not risk his life to kill the monster.

Additionally, Gilgamesh considers Humbaba evil. As he also tells Enkidu:

Because of the evil that is in the land, we will go to the forest and destroy the evil; for in the forest lives Humbaba whose name is "Hugeness," a ferocious giant (pg. 71).

Despite Enkidu's fears, the two friends successfully kill Humbaba (with Shamash's help). This action enrages Enlil.

I'm writing a compare/contrast essay. I have to identify the similarities and differences between two characters. Should my thesis statement...

Generally, I would say you should include the points of comparison and contrast in your thesis statement. Otherwise, you get a thesis statement like this:

In The Great Gatsby, Tom Buchanan and Jay Gatsby are similar to one in other in some ways and different in others. 

You can see that is not a particularly informative or impressive statement. It does not give the reader a clue what you are going to say, and a thesis statement is meant to provide the reader with a workable outline of what is to follow.  This kind of statement also has the drawback of not making the reader all that interested in what you have to say, what we call the "So what?" factor.  That factor does not necessarily have to be in the thesis statement, but it works wonderfully well if it is. 

Now I will say that if you have a great many points to make about similarities and differences, you can end up with a long and clumsy statement, which you will want to avoid.  In a situation like that, the best thing to do is to place all the points into two or three discrete categories.  For example, I might say this about Daisy Buchanan and Myrtle Wilson (also from The Great Gatsby):

The differences and similarities of Daisy Buchanan and Myrtle Wilson, neither of them particularly likable, are reflected in their socioeconomic classes, their physical appearances, and their priorities. 

I have listed some general categories, and within each, I can pursue more than one point about similarities and differences.  I have also provided a kind of "So what?" element, as I make clear to the reader that these are not very likable women.  This is really my main idea in the thesis statement, with my supporting categories as my points.  If I were to list ten or twelve points of comparison and contrast, I would have a sentence that would not be easily navigable by the reader. Also notice that I have not designated which categories are about differences and which are about similarities, which leaves me free to pursue either or both in any of the categories I have listed.  

All in all, it is always best to include your points of contrast and comparison, at the very least, lumping them into a few categories that will cover all of them. If you can include your "So what?" element in the thesis statement, that is even better. 

Plumbers solder is an alloy of the elements lead and tin. Can this alloy be both substitutional and interstitial? How do you know?

An alloy is a mixture of different metals prepared by mixing the metals in their molten (liquid) state and then allowing them to cool.

There are three types of alloys.

• 
  Homogeneous: Homogeneous alloys have the same crystal structure as one of the original metals.  There are two types of homogeneous alloys, substitutional and interstitial. Substitutional alloys are formed from metals with similar atomic radii. Because of this, one metal atom can replace other metal atom in the crystal lattice. Substitutional alloys retain similar properties to those of the original metals. Interstitial alloys have different sized atomic radii. The metal with the smaller atomic radius is able to insert itself in between the atoms of the other metal. Interstitial alloys are more rigid and less malleable than the original metals.

• 
  Intermetallic: Intermetallic alloys have crystal structures that are different from the crystal structures of the original metals. Intermetallic alloys often have properties that are different than the original metals.

• 
  Heterogeneous: Heterogeneous alloys have multiple crystal structures and phases throughout the alloy. The properties of heterogeneous alloys vary a great deal.

Plumbers solder is an alloy composed of tin (Sn) and lead (Pb). it is an example of a heterogeneous alloy because it is not composed of a regular crystal structure. It is not an interstitial or substitutional alloy, as these are categories of homogeneous alloys. 

In The Kite Runner, who is good, who is bad, and who is in between?

One of the wonderful things that Khaled Hosseini does is to include characters that are not so simple as to be all good or all bad. There are some characters that are flat in that way: Assef is pure evil from start to finish, and Hassan is so devoted, so loyal, so good that it can be difficult to take him seriously.

You also have characters like Amir and Baba, however, who make mistakes and have to try to make up for them in order to redeem themselves. Amir, of course, is trying to make up for the fact that he didn't stop Assef from raping Hassan and then drove Hassan away when his guilt was eating away at him. Baba wanted to keep Hassan close because Hassan was actually his illegitimate son. Even though he couldn't acknowledge it, he tried to make a good life for him as much as possible.

Characters like Assef and Hassan act as good contrasts for the more complex and dynamic characters in the novel, particularly Amir, who can be seen as both good and bad at different times in the story.

What was the cause of death of William Shakespeare?

William Shakespeare is known as one of the most famous writers in all of history. His well-known works, such as Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, and Macbeth, are still read and performed throughout the world today. Interestingly, his exact date of birth is unknown, but his birthday is traditionally recognized and celebrated on April 23. Coincidentally, Shakespeare died on April 23, 1616 at the age of 52. The cause of his death to this day remains unknown. Many archeologists have requested to exhume his body, in order to examine his remains in an attempt to determine his cause of death, however, no such analysis has yet to be done. Ironically, his epitaph reads “Blessed be the man that spares these stones, / And cursed be he that moves my bones.” which some believe was placed on the tombstone to ward off grave robbers.

Hope this helps!

What do ancient sources, other than the New Testament and other Christian writings, tell us about Jesus?

In one of his best known passages, A. Conan Doyle has his fictional detective Sherlock Holmes point out that the most curious aspect of a crime was the behavior of the dog. His interlocutor replies that the dog did nothing, and Holmes says that the non-action was itself the most interesting feature of the case. The same can be said about Jesus.

The single most important piece of information we have about Jesus from non-Christians sources is that he was almost unknown outside a very small group of followers in the first century. Although the Christian movement grew in the second century, it was still a fairly small cult, and Jesus only starts to show up in non-Christian literature towards the very end of the first century and in the second century, primarily as a response to the growth of Christianity. Only a few passages in non-Christian materials refer to Jesus.

Josephus, a Jewish historian writing in 93 AD, mentions Jesus in three places. He mentions James a brother of Jesus at one point and in a second passage mentions a group of followers of Christus whose leader Jesus was crucified during the reign of Tiberius under Pontius Pilate and who were particularly despised by Nero. This is solid evidence for the existence of Jesus and his crucifixion, and gives some insight into the origins of persecutions of Christians. The most important passage from Josephus is known as the Testimonium Flavianum. It states: 

About this time there lived Jesus, a wise man, if indeed one ought to call him a man. For he was one who performed surprising deeds and was a teacher of such people as accept the truth gladly. He won over many Jews and many of the Greeks. He was the Christ. And when, upon the accusation of the principal men among us, Pilate had condemned him to a cross, those who had first come to love him did not cease. He appeared to them spending a third day restored to life, for the prophets of God had foretold these things and a thousand other marvels about him. And the tribe of the Christians, so called after him, has still to this day not disappeared. (Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, 18.3)

Pliny, in the second century, mentions a group of followers of Christ and discusses some of their ceremonies. but adds no independent information about Jesus, only that early Christians believed him to be both an historical person and a god.

Tacitus, writing in the early second century, refers to Nero's persecutions of Christians and mention that they are a group that worships Jesus, a man crucified under Pilate. 

Second century satirist Lucian includes Christians among the groups of superstitious peoples and strange cults he mocks in The Passing of Peregrinus but does not provide historical information about Jesus. 

What evidence from Lord of the Flies shows that Piggy could be the best leader?

Piggy is by far the most intelligent boy on the island. Ralph even admits that he does not have the mental capacity that Piggy does, and Piggy is able to solve problems and explain various situations that the other boys cannot. Piggy's intelligence would give him the ability to make correct decisions that are in the best interest of the group. Piggy is a strict rule follower and favors a democratic system of governing the boys. If Piggy were the leader, each boy would be treated equally and have the opportunity to express their opinion. There are numerous times throughout the novel when Piggy argues with Jack about the importance of following the rules. His affinity for following rules and his determination to make sure they are followed are positive leadership qualities. Piggy is focused on maintaining the signal fire and building huts. He recognizes that these two tasks are essential to the boys' survival and rescue. Having the ability to prioritize the most essential elements for survival and rescue are also important qualities in a good leader. Piggy is not scared to speak his mind. Unlike Simon, Piggy has the ability to articulate his thoughts, even when he has unpopular opinions. Being able to speak publicly and address the boys is another quality that would make Piggy a good leader. Despite his physical inferiority, Piggy is mentally capable of being a good leader.

When does Elie Wiesel in the book Night get separated from his mother?

When the family arrives at Auschwitz, Elie and his father are separated from his mother in the sorting.

Although things were bad in transit, things get much worse when they arrive at the concentration camp.  The family and most of the other Jews have no idea where they are and what is happening. They have never heard of Auschwitz.

Right away, the men are separated from the women and children.  Since Elie is old enough to work, he goes with his father and the men.  Everyone forms two lines, and the women and children are marched off.

And I walked on with my father, with the men. I didn't know that this was the moment in time and the place where I was leaving my mother and Tzipora forever. I kept walking, my father holding my hand. (Ch. 3)

Elie and his father’s line is further evaluated after the sorting by Aushwitz’s Angel of Death Dr. Mengele.  He wants to make sure that everyone is fit to work.  Those who are not are sent off to die in the crematorium.  This is Mengele’s job.

A man questions them first.  

The man interrogating me was an inmate. I could not see his face, but his voice was weary and warm. (Ch. 3)

Elie is told to say he is eighteen instead of fifteen, and his father is to say he is forty and not fifty.  In this way, they both will be seen as fit to work.  Elie won’t be a child, and his father will not be an old man.  This man saved their lives, and another inmate berates them for not getting away sooner.  They are stuck now.

The sorting is one of the most tragic events that befalls Elie and his father.  In one moment, his mother and little sister are sent to their deaths.  He has no way of knowing what is actually happening at the time, or how close to death he came himself.  This is the horror and inhumanity of Aushwitz, where Jews who were not useful for slave labor were immediately killed.  Even the ones who were saved would often die of overwork, exposure, disease, and starvation.

How does Lee make Scout's first day of school revealing and entertaining?

Harper Lee uses Scout's first day of school to not only describe what type of children and families live in Maycomb but to comment on the rigidity of the education system. Lee introduces us to Scout's rough group of peers and adds humor by saying,

"Miss Caroline seemed unaware that the ragged, denim-shirted and floursack-skirted first grade, most of whom had chopped cotton and fed hogs from the time they were able to walk, were immune to imaginative literature." (Lee 22)

Lee reveals that many of Scout's classmates are hard-working country folks who don't value literature like the Finches. When Miss Caroline learns that Scout can read, she tells her not to read at home with her father anymore because it would "interfere" with her reading. This scene reveals the rigidity of the education system because Miss Caroline did not attempt to facilitate Scout's advanced abilities. Lee adds humor to the scene once again when Scout claims that she's been reading since birth and says,

"Jem says I was. He read in a book where I was a Bullfinch instead of a Finch. Jem says my name's really Jean Louise Bullfinch, that I got swapped when I was born and I'm really a---" (Lee 22)

During recess, Jem asks Scout how she is doing and Scout says,

"If I didn't have to stay I'd leave. Jem, that damn lady says Atticus's been teaching me to read and for him to stop it---" (Lee 23)

I've always found this moment amusing because picturing a first-grader curse is always funny. After Scout gets yelled at again for writing a letter to Dill, she attempts to defend Walter Cunningham when he refuses to accept Miss Caroline's quarter. Lee reveals Walter Cunningham's family background, when Scout recounts her "special knowledge" of his family. Scout says,

"Miss Caroline, he's a Cunningham." (Lee 26)

This is another funny moment throughout the chapter because Scout thinks her minimal explanation is sufficient. Miss Caroline punishes Scout by giving her a dozen pats on her palm, which makes the class laugh.

When Walter is invited to eat with the Finches, Scout's reaction to his dining habits is priceless. She says, "But he's gone and drowned his dinner in syrup...He's poured it all over---" (Lee 32) Scout's attitude is revealed by her reaction to Calpurnia's chastening when she says,

"She like Jem better'n she likes me, anyway. I concluded, and suggested that Atticus lose no time in packing her off." (Lee 33)

When the children return to school, a "cootie" crawls out of Burris Ewell's hair. Scout's description of Burris Ewell is rather amusing when she says,

"He was the filthiest human I had ever seen." (Lee 35)

Harper Lee reveals the negative attitude and lack of respect the Ewells have towards their fellow community members. This is important knowledge because later on in the novel the reader is introduced to Burris' father, Bob Ewell, who is the main antagonist of the novel.

Why does Buddha not give Zhu Bajie the title of Buddha in The Journey to the West?

In the novel, Buddha does not give Zhu Bajie the title because he asserts that Bajie has not yet attained victory over his weaknesses.

You guarded the holy monk on his journey, but your heart is still unregenerate, and you are not yet purged of your lust. But as you won merit by carrying the luggage, you will be rewarded with promotion as the Altar Cleanser.

Bajie is so angry at hearing he will be denied the title of Buddha that he immediately demands to be told why he has been denied the privilege. After all, Sun Wukong has just been designated the title of Victorious Fighting Buddha, while Xuan Zang has been accorded the title of Candana-punya Buddha.

Tathagata (the title which Siddhartha Gautama calls himself) responds that Bajie is still lazy, gluttonous, selfish, and lustful. He maintains that Bajie should be pleased to be given the position of Altar Cleanser, as his job involves cleaning up after all Buddhist services; because food is often offered as a sacrifice at altars, Bajie will have plenty to eat as a result of his position.

In The Journey to the West, Zhu Bajie was originally Marshall Tian Peng, the once immortal Water God of the Heavenly River. He guarded the gates to the Jade Emperor's Palace with the Supremely Precious Gold−imbued Rake, a magical and powerful weapon. However, in his drunken state at the Peach Banquet one day, Bajie used his powerful rake to force the moon goddess, Chang'e, to respond to his lustful will. For this sin, Bajie was banished to be reborn on earth. However, on the way to earth, his spirit somehow ended up in the womb of a pig, and Bajie was born with the unfortunate, ugly face of a boar.

Bajie was given the new Buddhist name Zhu Wuneng (Pig Awakened to Power) by Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy, after he agreed to protect Xuanzang on his journey West. Despite all his exploits on this journey, Bajie never took effective control of his appetites and thus forfeited the title of Buddha when rewards were conferred on the four travelers.

Do diuretics affect the viscosity of the blood?

Diuretics are any substance which causes the body to increase the production of urine, thereby excreting more water and salts from the  blood and soft tissues. Typically, when we talk about diuretics, we are discussing "water pills," which may be prescribed or purchased over-the-counter. Such medications may be prescribed to someone who has high blood pressure. Taking a diuretic increases the output of fluids from the body, reducing the intravascular volume and making it easier for the heart to circulate blood. Diuretics do affect the viscosity of blood. With less "water" in the plasma, blood becomes a little bit thicker. This difference in viscosity may not be noticeable to the naked eye, and would most likely require testing of blood pressure and blood serum levels to be recognized as a change in blood viscosity. When taking a diuretic, it's important to make sure you are taking in enough water to avoid dehydration.

What are the basic principles of utilitarianism and libertarianism?

Although some people see utilitarianism and libertarianism as closely related, I would argue that they are actually rather different from one another.  Libertarianism is based on the idea that people should be free to do as they want and that society should value individual freedoms above all else.  By contrast, utilitarianism is based on the idea that society should strive to create the greatest good for the greatest number of people. In other words, it is based on the idea that the common good is the most important thing.

To libertarians, society should be as free as possible. The government really is not supposed to do anything outside of protecting the people so that they can be free. The government needs to provide protection from outside enemies.  It needs to protect people from criminals.  Once it has done that, however, it needs to get out of the way of the people. It needs to let them be as free as possible and accept whatever results arise from their actions.

By contrast, utilitarians think that results are what is important.  Libertarians think the rules are important—they want there to be as few rules as possible. Utilitarians do not really care about the rules. They care about bringing the greatest good to the greatest number. What this implies is that utilitarians would be willing to accept rules that trample the rights of the people if those rules were to bring a greater amount of good to a greater number of people. For example, utilitarians might think that it would be good to confiscate wealth from the rich and distribute it to the poor as that would increase the amount of good or happiness in the world. The utilitarians would not worry about whether this was just or fair to the rich.  All they would be concerned with is whether it increased the amount of happiness in the world or helped the greater good.

In these ways, the basic principles of libertarianism and utilitarianism are rather contrary to one another.

What chapter in To Kill a Mockingbird gives a physical description of Scout?

There is a short description of Scout in Chapter 7.

Scout does not like to wear dresses.  She is a tomboy and prefers overalls.  Perhaps it is because Scout is the narrator, but she does not really describe herself.  There are a lot of descriptions of Jem, and Dill, and some information about Atticus’s appearance.  Scout doesn’t really describe herself except to say that she wears overalls.

The closest thing to description we get of Scout is when the children find the soap dolls Boo Radley left for them.  What we learn from this description is that Scout has bangs.

They were almost perfect miniatures of two children.  The boy had on shorts, and a shock of soapy hair fell to his eyebrows. I looked up at Jem. A point of straight brown hair kicked downwards from his part. I had never noticed it before. Jem looked from the girl-doll to me. The girl-doll wore bangs. So did I. (Ch. 7) 

Scout wears a dress when she has to, such as to school.  In the summer she usually wears overalls.  The overalls are a physical indication of Scout’s tomboy nature.  Her nickname is also more gender-neutral or boyish.  Scout has no mother, and she hangs out with Jem most of the time.  Her father does not mind that she acts like a boy, but it troubles Aunt Alexandra. 

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) 

Of course, Scout is also white.  Race is an important factor in the story.  In Maycomb, whites have privileges that blacks do not.  Scout’s father is a lawyer, and is defending a black man named Tom Robinson.  Scout is not racist.  She is in first grade when the story starts, and just trying to understand how the world works.

`||bbv|| = 5, bbu = ` Find the vector `bbv` with the given magnitude and the same direction as `bbu`.

The magnitude of a vector `u = a*i + b*j` , such that:

`|u| = sqrt(a^2+b^2)`

Since the problem provides the magnitude `|v| = 5` , yields:

`5 = sqrt(a^2+b^2)`

The direction angle of the vector can be found using the formula, such that:

`tan theta = b/a`

Since the problem provides the information that the direction angle of the vector v coincides to the direction angle of the vector `u = <2,5>` , yields:

`tan theta = 5/2 => b/a = 5/2> 5a = 2b => b = (5a)/2`

Replacing  `(5a)/2` for b in equation`5 = sqrt(a^2+b^2)` yields:

`5 = sqrt(a^2+25a^2/4)=> 25 = 29a^2/4 => 100 =29a^2 => a = +-10/(sqrt29)`

`b = +-25/(sqrt29)`

Hence, the component form of the vector v can be `<10/(sqrt29),25/(sqrt29)>` or `<-10/(sqrt29),-25/(sqrt29)>.`

Who invented Google?

The Google search engine was created by Larry Page and Sergey Brin while they were PhD students at Stanford University in 1995. Page and Brin were working together on a project called "BackRub," which concerned citations for information on the web--so called "backlinks." While collaborating on this project, Page and Brin developed an algorithm to rank the citations found through search results, and realized that if citations were basically web links, then this ranking system could be used to devise a search engine superior to anything previously known. Page reasoned that:

If he could divine a method to count and qualify each backlink on the Web, as Page puts it "the Web would become a more valuable place."

Page was right. Google became an instant success among the research community at Stanford, and by 1997, having "begged and borrowed" for the resources to do so, and despite Page and Brin's personal reservations about the struggles involved in starting up a business and turning their webcrawler into a money-making proposition, Google became a fledgling company.

From the poem "Dulce et Decorum Est" by Wilfred Owen, please explain the lines "Gas! Gas! Quick, boys! - An ecstasy of fumbling.... Pro patria...

This poem describes what it was like to fight in World War I, known at that time as the Great War. The first stanza describes the soldiers retreating from a battle area and trudging toward their camp, their "distant rest." As they are marching, they get hit with poison gas from the German enemy. "Gas! Gas! Quick, boys!" is what the soldiers and their officers call out to each other. They need to put their gas masks on quickly to keep from succumbing to the poison. "An ecstasy of fumbling" means that they hurriedly got their masks out of wherever they kept them and attached them to their faces "just in time," in other words, in time to not inhale the chlorine gas. Unfortunately, one of the soldiers did not get his helmet on in time. That is the "someone" of line 11. He begins to stumble and flounder because he is unable to breathe or see.

Lines 11 and 12 describe the man who didn't get his gas mask on.

Lines 13 and 14 describe the men who did get theirs on looking at the struggling man. They are looking out through "misty panes." The gas masks had two celluloid (a type of plastic) eye circles through which the men had to look. The "thick green light" and "green sea" refer to the color of the chlorine gas that is now in the air. The men see the other man "drowning." He is asphyxiated; he cannot breathe because chlorine instead of oxygen has gotten into his lungs.

Lines 15 and 16 describe the nightmares the narrator of the poem has later about the man who inhaled the chlorine.

In lines 17 - 28 the speaker addresses someone called "you" and "my friend." The person the narrator speaks to is Jessie Pope, another poet. Jessie Pope was one of several poets who wrote poetry aimed at recruiting young men to go to war. The narrator here says that if Jessie Pope had seen this horror happen on the battlefield and had had nightmares about it as he had, she would stop writing the poems that entice young men to enlist by telling them how much "fun" they will have in the army. The narrator says that Pope has been telling them "the old Lie" that it is sweet and honorable to die for one's country. That is the meaning of the Latin saying quoted at the end of the poem.

At the link below you can read one of Jessie Pope's most famous poems, "The Call." This will show you how she glamorized war. Owen was not against men signing up to fight for their country. He was himself a soldier. In fact, he died in battle a week before the end of the war. What Owen was saying through this poem is that men should go to war with their eyes open to the difficulties and the horrors they will face there. Through this poem and others, Owen helped make sure that was the case. 

How did the Hitler Youth become like a family? What would be a quote to go with that?

One way that the Hitler Youth resembled a "family" was that it shunned any outside belief system in favor of its own.

There was a clear "insider/ outsider" status when it came to the Hitler Youth.  Either someone was a part of it or they were outside of it.  The Hitler Youth did not take kindly to the outside world interfering in what they believed and how they lived.  In this respect, they could be seen as resembling a family.  They kept the ideas of the "outside world" apart from the way they lived.  Like a family, members of the Hitler Youth depended on total submission.  Alfons Heck felt that he “belonged to Adolf Hitler, body and soul.”  This helps to illustrate how the Hitler Youth was like a family.  It was comprised of people who "belonged" to one another because they "belonged" to Nazi teachings.  In its rejection of the outside world and its praising of its own values, the Hitler Youth could bear some resemblance to a family.

At the time of the Nazi rise to power, Bartoletti describes how Germany was not the best of places to live.  The nation consisted of a “weak, unstable government, high unemployment and widespread poverty.”  In some respects, the Hitler Youth provided a type of "family" to children who wished to escape this unstable outside world.  Kids who joined the Hitler Youth found stability and structure.  It was a family of similar, suffering people who wanted to belong to something.  Conformity was the glue that held the family together.  In this way, the Hitler Youth can be seen as a family for or of disenfranchised youth who sought acceptance by a social group.

What is the tone of "Marriage Is a Private Affair"?

Tone is the author's attitude toward the topic. Despite the fact that the short story "Marriage Is a Private Affair" is about very sensitive events, Chinua Achebe remains mostly objective and unbiased in his tone throughout the third person narration of the story. It is the story of Nnaemeka's struggle with his father over his upcoming marriage to a girl not from their ethnic group. The narrator relates the details of Nnaemeka's conflict with his father as they happened without emotional bias. Only in the dialogue of Okeke and the men of his village is there a definite attitude of negativity, but the narrator never uses language which suggests these men were out of line or even wrong in their assessment of Nnaemeka's action. Their dialogue is simply not commented on and the narrator seems to have nothing but respect for their words, even though the men say things that verge on belief in superstition and are somewhat comic in nature, especially the exchange between Madubogwu and Jonathan about herbal remedies. Possibly only once does the narrator verge into subjective commentary when he notes that Nnaemeka was "smiling to himself" about the girl his father had chosen to be his wife. The girl, it seems, was quite large and not very bright. In this very discreet example the narrator's tone tends to imply ridicule toward the girl and his father's seemingly simple-minded choice. Otherwise, it is difficult to say that the tone ever diverges from an almost journalistic account of the situation.

How did "Rip Van Winkle" reflect the current situation in society and politics?

Wandering away from his nagging wife, Rip Van Winkle falls under a spell and sleeps for 20-odd years. As a result, when he returns to his village in the Catskills, he has no idea that the American Revolution has taken place. By showing how completely out of touch Rip is with the current political situation, the story highlights the changes in politics and society that have occurred in a relatively short time. Rip gets himself into trouble for professing loyalty to King George III, who was, in fact, his monarch when he fell asleep. He has to get used to the idea that it's George Washington's picture, rather than the king's, hanging in public places. Further, the election day debates in the story reflect American citizens' groping for self-definition as they tried to determine what being a Republic (still a radical idea at the time, when most countries were monarchies) meant and what kind of country they were supposed to become. The near rioting on election day mirrored behavior that was not uncommon in early 19th century America, reflecting the social and political reality of a new country's growing pains.  

Why is Reconstruction referred to as a "successful failure"

Reconstruction was a failure inasmuch as it failed to establish enduring equality for African-Americans in the South. Indeed, Reconstruction never witnessed any serious strides toward establishing social or economic equality, and only temporarily led to political equality. Even before Reconstruction was well underway, it was being undermined by whites in the South eager to retake control of Southern society. Northerners tired of what seemed to be a failed experiment in racial equality by the 1870s, and Reconstruction was already over in many states by the time it formally came to an end in 1877.

Despite these failures, as many historians have observed, Reconstruction was a remarkable period in which the roots of African-American political consciousness found fertile soil. Black men and women in the South formed churches, schools, voluntary organizations, and clubs that would provide the foundation for community activism long after Reconstruction's end. It also witnessed the passage of constitutional amendments (the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth) which would provide constitutional justification for legal challenges after World War II.

W.E.B. DuBois, whose 1934 work Black Reconstruction was the first to tell the story of Reconstruction from the perspective of African-Americans, termed Reconstruction a "splendid failure." It was noble in intent but failed in practice due to the factors mentioned above. Its failure ushered in almost a century of Jim Crow and white supremacy, but it also gave rise to some of the forces and institutions that would enable the African-American community to resist.

find the nearest point from the point (4,1) using the equation 2y=x^2

We are asked to minimize the distance from the point (4,1) to the curve 2y=x^2:

Use a point on the curve (x,x^2/2). Then we can use the distance formula to find the distance between these points:

d=sqrt((4-x)^2+(1-x^2/2)^2)

=sqrt(16-8x+x^2+1-x^2+x^4/4)

=sqrt(x^4/4-8x+17)

Since the sqrt function is increasing on its domain, in order to minimize the distance we need only minimize the radicand:

To minimize x^4/4-8x+17 we take the first derivative and set it equal to zero -- solving this equation gives us the critical points from which we can determine the minimum:

d/dx(x^4/4-8x+17)=x^3-8

x^3-8=0

x^3=8

The only real solution is x=2, thus the minimum distance occurs when x=2. The point on the curve is (2,2).

In "The Tell-Tale Heart," do you believe that the old man really existed? Or was he just a figment of the narrator's imagination?

In "The Tell-Tale Heart," it is possible--and even likely--that the old man never existed at all and that he is a figment of the narrator's imagination.  Looking at the context clues surrounding the old man, none suggest that anyone has ever seen or talked to the old man.  For example, the neighbor who notifies the police says that a "shriek" interrupted the night, but the narrator tells the police that he himself shrieked in a dream.  This is possible.  Further, when the narrator tears up the floorboards to expose the old man's body, none of the police exclaim with horror or fright.  The story ends with the exclamations of the narrator.  Even during the plotting of the murder, the old man never left his room, and no one came into the house, so from the reader's perspective, no one has had any contact with the old man.  So it is possible that no one else is there and that the narrator is simply tormented by his own mind. 

After her husband's death, what does Helen Robinson begin doing for work?

After Tom is killed "trying to escape," his wife, Helen Robinson, is hired by Link Deas as his cook. Link had been Tom's employer for eight years; as Tom was 25 at the time of his arrest for the "rape" of Mayella Ewell, he had been working for Link since he was 17 years old. Link is a good person. He speaks out at Tom's trial in Tom's defense, saying he had never had a bit of trouble with Tom. Link almost causes a mistrial by doing so, as he was not on the stand. At first, we do not know exactly what Helen's new job is, but Link notices Helen is walking to work from the opposite direction that she should be. He investigates, and finds that Bob Ewell has been harassing Helen as she walks to work. She has been forced to either put up with Ewell, or walk a great distance out of her way. Link tells Bob in no uncertain terms to leave his cook alone or he, Bob, will be sorry. 

How do you find the kinetic energy of a ball with a mass of 0.06 kg moving at 50 m/s?

The kinetic energy of an object is calculated by using the following equation:

Kinetic energy = 1/2 mv^2

where m is the mass of the object in kg and v is its velocity (m/s).

In the given case, the mass of the object is 0.06 kg and it has a velocity of 50 m/s. Hence its kinetic energy can be calculated as:

Kinetic energy = 1/2 mv^2 =1/2 x 0.06 x (50)^2= 75 J

The unit of kinetic energy is Joule or J and 1 J is equal to 1 kg m^2/s^2.

The kinetic energy, in simple terms, is the energy possessed by a moving object, such as a falling marble or a rolling ball. In comparison, potential energy is associated with the position of an object, such as the potential energy of water stored behind a dam, etc.

Hope this helps. 

What is the word when you reduce air resistance?

When we reduce the air resistance on a body, we say that the body has been streamlined. Streamlining is a concept commonly used in fluid mechanics and has been adopted by automobile industry, among others. Streamlining allows us to achieve high speeds and power. This generally refers to, in simplest terms, smooth surfaces and unbroken corners. For example, look at the surface of any car, it is very smooth and its edges and corners are also smooth. In other words, the surface does not allows much scope for air resistance. This allows us to achieve high speeds, thereby reducing our travel times. Similar concepts are also used in design of trains, airplanes, ships, tall buildings, etc. A commonly used facility to check the streamlining of a body (or a small scale model) is wind tunnel. 

Hope this helps. 

Discuss whether health care is a public or a private good.

To an economist, a public good is a product or service that exists for everyone, and if one person benefits from it, s/he does not reduce its availability or value to others. Traditional examples are air, highways, military defense and, yes, healthcare. A private good is one that is in limited supply, to which one can attach ownership, and that not everyone has a right to. A car is a private good. 

Economists used to see a clear distinction between public and private goods, but then the concept of "common goods" crept in. These are goods that are shared like a public good, but that may really be limited in supply. Air and water pollution, gridlocked highways, and slow police response times are all manifestations of common goods. 

Now, let's consider healthcare. One can make healthcare available to all, but the funds to pay for it are limited. Insurance companies think of healthcare as a private good for which you have to pay them for access. The government uses Medicaid, Medicare, and the Affordable Care Act to make healthcare more of a public good. Medical research is close to a public good because it benefits everyone equally, but kidney transplants are in limited supply and benefit only a few. In countries with national healthcare plans, such as Canada, healthcare may not be in as abundant a supply as in the United States, so even though healthcare is paid for, a patient may have to wait longer for care or not be eligible for some treatments. In short, there's a broad gray area between public goods and private goods, and healthcare tends to fall into that gray area.

How did Europeans benefit from slavery?

For centuries (if not millennia), Europeans regularly relied on slave labor. Before the formation of Modern Europe, a significant portion of Ancient Greco-Roman society was comprised of people forced into different kinds of slavery ranging from total bondage to indentured servitude. In Ancient Athens, slaves made up as much as 30% of society. These slaves were mostly from nearby and surrounding areas, though war captives might be taken for slaves from farther away. With the collapse of the Roman empire, slavery in Europe really fell out of fashion and was replaced with serfdom. In the Byzantine empire, slavery persisted as a source of labor and slaves could be used as a sort of currency. Slaves might come from as far away as Ireland, having been captured by Norse raiders and traded across Europe. It was not until the 16th century that Europeans would once again rely heavily on slave labor and slave-produced goods.

On Columbus's voyages to the New World, he claimed both land and people for Spain. The colonizing of the Americas was not simply incorporating new territory on a map, but claiming anything and anyone found there as being for the benefit of the ruling nation. Along with tobacco and gold, indigenous Americans were brought to Europe as exotic relics from the New World. The enslavement of Indigenous Americans was less of a priority than the acquisition of goods and consumables from the New World, so, rather than import people into Europe, Europeans began exporting vagrants and criminals as laborers. As demand for labor increased in the Americas and New World diseases affected Europeans, the capture, sale, and enslavement of Africans became the preferred method of acquiring laborers.

By the 19th century, Europe had come to love and rely on a number of slave-produced goods, including coffee, tea, sugar, spices, precious metals and gems, tobacco, chocolate, and textiles. Slave labor is essentially labor that is free for the consumer, so the cost of a finished or consumable good was far lower than it would have been if laborers were compensated for their work. Some Europeans kept slaves in their homes as domestic servants, but this was really only done by the upper classes of European society. On the whole, European society benefited from slavery because it meant the goods they wanted could be created by someone other than themselves at almost no cost. 

Today, Europe is far less reliant on slave-produced goods and many nations continue to make efforts to ensure all working people receive a fair wage. Still, many of the garments sold throughout Europe are produced in nations where slave labor is still practiced. 

In your view, are there individuals or organizations who fulfill a Socratic function in today’s society? Choose one and defend him/her/it as a...

This is a great question! In the works that you mentioned (Crito, Meno, and Apology) the aspect of Socrates that stands out the most to me is the function of conscientious objector, or someone who acts out of civil disobedience. Socrates was one of our earlier records of a person being in trouble with the law for following his convictions, and then submitting to the punishment the law imposed. Socrates was convicted in the Apology of “corrupting the youth of Athens” by supposedly leading them to question the validity of authority. Socrates professed that he only asked questions and did not teach anyone, and in his search for truth it seemed not plausible to him that he could cease doing that.   

Because Socrates’s civil disobedience was due to personal convictions and not particularly because he wanted to see laws change, I believe the closest individual who has functioned similarly in our recent history in the US is Ms. Kim Davis. Ms. Davis is the clerk in Rowan County, Kentucky, who ended up in jail because she conscientiously objected to signing marriage licenses for same-sex couples. Like Socrates, she did not resist arrest, but in her defenses at court and in writing she has indicated that it is her core beliefs and convictions that are propelling her refusal to submit to governmental direction. Like Socrates in Crito, who spent his time in jail usefully dialoguing about the right course of action, she has spent countless hours attempting to establish a social dialogue about how the laws deal with personal conviction, whether philosophical or religious.

The end of the Meno has Anytus warning Socrates that he is treading on dangerous ground. Although I am not aware that Ms. Davis was warned by anyone that she was in danger of going to jail for her actions, she undoubtedly knew that was a possibility.

Though these individuals both started out only following what they believed to be right, they ended up starting a social conversation. I’m sure a more thorough defense of the similarities between Ms. Davis’s actions and those of Socrates is possible with a bit more reading. I have included some helpful links below.

What did the Freedmen's Bureau do for former slaves?

The Freedmen’s Bureau did a lot for the former slaves. The main goal of the Freedmen’s Bureau was to help former slaves adjust to freedom. It is not an easy adjustment to make, especially when a person has been told what to do throughout his or her entire life.

The Freedmen’s Bureau wanted to be sure the medical needs of the former slaves were covered. It provided medical care for them. It also helped the former slaves get food and clothing. The Freedmen’s Bureau helped African-Americans set up schools. It was important for the former slaves to get an education. The Freedmen’s Bureau also helped the former slaves formalize their marriages. In some cases, the Freedmen’s Bureau helped the former slaves get land, get fair wages, and have transportation to jobs. During Reconstruction, the Freedmen’s Bureau was able to prosecute people who violated the rights of African-Americans.

The Freedmen’s Bureau played an important role in helping the former slaves adjust to freedom.

How does Thomas Hardy create feelings of sadness in "The Darkling Thrush"?

Imagery throughout the first three stanzas of the poem creates feelings of sadness. In stanza one, words like "spectre," "grey," "desolate," "weakening," and "broken lyre" create sadness by reminding us of miserable weather and brokenness. These images continue even more strongly in stanza two, in words such as  "corpse," "crypt," and "death-lament," followed by words that remind the reader of extreme old age: "ancient," "shrunken," and "fervourless." In the next stanza, Hardy uses "bleak," "frail," "gaunt" and "gloom." This pile-up of adjectives creates a cumulative effect of unrelenting sadness and gloom.

This use of such sad words for three consecutive stanzas works to highlight the hope in the last stanza. The poet wonders how the thrush can sing such a beautiful song of "ecstatic sound" in such a bleak world of ageing and death. In fact, the contrast is so great that the poet questions whether the thrush has some knowledge of "blessed Hope" of which the poet is "unaware."

Though the song of the thrush brings a "happy" note of hope to the bleak scene, the thrush's hope contrasts sharply with the hopelessness the poet feels.

Describe how the author uses symbolism to create a more effective narrative in "The Scarlet Ibis."

The symbolism of the scarlet ibis helps to express the delicate and rare nature of Doodle, as well as foreshadow the death of this rare child.

When this exotic bird from strange islands appears, it soon dies; nevertheless,

[E]ven death did not mar its grace, for it lay on the earth like a broken vase of red flowers, and we stood around it, awed by its exotic beauty.

The appearance of the beautiful, but fragile exotic bird certainly presages the events which follow.

After the family eats, the brother takes Doodle to Horse-head Landing in order to continue his rowing lessons; however, Doodle does not have the stamina to succeed. Angered by his failure, the brother walks ahead, hurrying because of the approaching storm. Doodle tries to keep up, but is unable. He cries for his brother to wait for him, but the brother pushes on in his bitterness until he can no longer hear Doodle. Finally, the brother decides to turn back and look for Doodle. He finds him dead, having collapsed into almost the same the position as that of the scarlet ibis. This strange resemblance makes the brother aware of the similarities of the fates of both the delicate exotic bird and the small boy whom he has made the victim of his selfish pride. Holding the delicate Doodle, the brother weeps inconsolably.

What do Scout's thrashings of Walter Cunningham and Francis foreshadow in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Scout thrashes Walter and Francis to foreshadow the trouble that her family will have during the trial and the outcome of the trial.

Scout is young, and like many young people she sometimes has trouble handing her temper.  This often results in her getting into fights when she does not like what people say about her.  The problem Scout has is that her father is defending a black man, and most people in Maycomb are racist and do not approve.

Scout’s conflict with Walter Cunningham is evidence of the fact that people in Maycomb are against Atticus defending his client.  Atticus was appointed to defend Tom Robinson for the rape allegation, but he would have done it anyway, even though most of the rest of Maycomb has convicted Robinson in the court of public opinion.

Atticus tells Scout to avoid fighting and be the bigger person, but she says that she soon forgot.

Cecil Jacobs made me forget. He had announced in the schoolyard the day before that Scout Finch’s daddy defended niggers. I denied it, but told Jem.

“What’d he mean sayin‘ that?” I asked. (Ch. 9)

Cecil’s reaction is the same as the reaction of most of the town.  It demonstrates that even children in Maycomb believed that the trial was a foregone conclusion.  Scout had no idea what Cecil Jacobs was talking about, but she fought him anyway to defend her family’s honor.

Scout even has trouble with her own family.  She learns that Aunt Alexandra also does not approve of Atticus’s actions, and Frances's comments about her father also cause Scout to get into a fight.

“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. 9)

Certain family members believe that Atticus is hurting the family name just by defending a black man.  Atticus does not care what they think, because he believes in giving the case everything he has regardless of how futile the outcome.  He tells Scout there is no way he can win, but that doesn’t mean he won’t try.

The trial, and Atticus’s loss of the case, is foreshadowed by these fights.  It is through these altercations that Scout has that we learn how the people of Maycomb feel about African Americans and Tom Robinson’s case.  He is a black man accused of raping a white woman, and as far as they are concerned just being accused makes him guilty.

The Paris attack is a wake-up call for us to show our concern in combating terrorism. What role would you play in such a case to save your own...

Your first question highlights the individual citizen's role in combating terrorism. Below is a website you might find useful. It is authored by the New York State police and discusses how teenagers can help in the fight against terrorism. Whether you live in New York state or not, many of these ideas are extremely helpful. The most important, of course, is to learn how to report any suspicious activity you see. Other ideas involve setting up a neighborhood or school watch, knowing how to respond to emergencies, and even learning CPR.

What teens can do against terrorism.

Here's the FBI page on how to recognize suspicious activity:

Help prevent terrorism.

Here are some highlights from the FBI page:

Surveillance: Are you aware of anyone video recording or monitoring activities, taking notes, using cameras, maps, binoculars, etc., near key facilities/events?

Acquiring Supplies: Are you aware of anyone attempting to improperly acquire explosives, weapons, ammunition, dangerous chemicals, uniforms, badges, flight manuals, access cards or identification for a key facility/event or to legally obtain items under suspicious circumstances that could be used in a terrorist attack?

"Dry Runs": Have you observed any behavior that appears to be preparation for a terrorist act, such as mapping out routes, playing out scenarios with other people, monitoring key facilities/events, timing traffic lights or traffic flow, or other suspicious activities?

Your next question discusses what a country can do to combat terrorism. Various countries around the world have instituted certain important measures, and ours is no different, if you live in the United States.

Here is how President Obama and other officials are handling the threat of terrorism in the aftermath of the Paris attacks:

1)Increased security at airports and big cities.

The NYPD has deployed a new counter-terrorism unit of about 560 officers in New York City. Security will be ramped up at subway stations and important landmarks such as Times Square and the World Trade Center. Other cities may have also instituted similar measures around the United States.

2)Department of Homeland Security efforts.

Did you know that Homeland Security has fusion centers which coordinate efforts between first emergency responders, law enforcement, and private security personnel? Homeland Security also has a passenger screening list for airports and a visa security program where special agents are deployed to high risk security areas to identify potential terrorists. Please refer to the link for more information.

3)Obama administration changes to the visa waiver program.

This is a page detailing some new steps our government is taking to combat terrorism after the Paris attacks. Some highlights from the page:

DHS will immediately take steps to modify its Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) applications to capture information from VWP (Visa Waiver Program) travelers regarding any past travel to countries constituting a terrorist safe haven.

Identifying possible pilot programs designed to assess the collection and use of biometrics (fingerprints and/or photographs) in the VWP (Visa Waiver Program) to effectively increase security;

DHS will offer assistance to countries to better facilitate terrorism information sharing, specifically to include biometric pilots. For example, DHS and the Terrorist Screening Center will assist all interested VWP countries in screening refugees or asylum seekers, including through the application of extensive terrorism information already provided to VWP members and through piloting capability for conducting near real time biometric checks.

Hope this helps! Remember that you do not need to include everything that is posted here. You may decide to include some things and not others, based on the prompts given by your instructor. Hopefully, some of these will help you write your essay and reassure you that much is being done to combat terrorism in our country.

What does Atticus think the children did that changed Mr. Cunningham's mind in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Atticus says that Scout reminded Mr. Cunningham that he was still a man.

Scout, Jem, and Dill see an angry mob gather around their father one night outside Tom Robinson’s cell.  They are concerned, because they fear violence.  Scout does not know what to do, but she knows Mr. Cunningham because she has talked to him before.  She feels that he is a reasonable man.  She decides the best thing to do is just try to strike up a conversation with him to distract him.

“Entailments are bad,” I was advising him, when I slowly awoke to the fact that I was addressing the entire aggregation. The men were all looking at me, some had their mouths half-open. Atticus had stopped poking at Jem: they were standing together beside Dill. (Ch. 15)

Mr. Cunninghman seems to notice Scout for the first time.  It wakes him up, and makes him realize where he is.  He stops being part of the mob, and becomes a man.  He realizes that he is Mr. Cunningham, father to Walter Cunningham, and he is about to attack Atticus Finch, father to Scout.

Atticus placed his fork beside his knife and pushed his plate aside. Mr. Cunningham’s basically a good man,” he said, “he just has his blind spots along with the rest of us.” (Ch. 15)

Atticus is aware that Mr. Cunningham is not a bad person.  He also does not think that Cunningham would have hurt him.  He might have hurt Tom Robinson.  Cunningham was acting the way he was because he was protecting Mayella Ewell.  He believed that Tom Robinson attacked her.  He did not approve of a black man attacking a white woman, obviously.

Atticus stood up for his client not just because he believed he was innocent, but because he believed he deserved a fair trial.  He knew that people might target him, and he was concerned that Tom might get hurt.  He risked person injury to protect his client.  He realized that when people get together in groups, they stop thinking as individuals and start thinking as mobs.  This is the blind spot he spoke of.

`a_1 = 5/8, a_(n + 1) = a_n - 1/8` Write the first 5 terms of the sequence defined recursively.

The given recursive formula of the sequence is:

`a_1=5/8`

`a_(n+1)=a_n-1/8`

To solve for the second term, plug-in n=1 and `a_1=5/8` .

`a_(1+1)=a_1 - 1/8`

`a_2=5/8-1/8=4/8=1/2`

To solve for the third term, plug-in n=2 and `a_2=1/2` .

`a_(2+1)=a_2-1/8`

`a_3=1/2-1/8=4/8-1/8=3/8`

To solve for the fourth term, plug-in n=3 and `a_3=3/8` .

`a_(3+1)=a_3-1/8`

`a_4=3/8-1/8=2/8=1/4`

To solve for the fifth term, plug-in n=4 and `a_4=1/4` .

`a_(4+1)=a_4-1/8`

`a_5=1/4-1/8=2/8-1/8=1/8`

Therefore, the first five terms of the sequence are `{5/8, 1/2, 3/8,1/4,1/8, ...}` .

Find the amount accumulated in the increasing annuities. $110 deposited monthly for 6 years at 4 % per year. ( Assume the end of period deposits...

Since $110 are deposited monthly, then $110*12 = $1320 are deposited at the end of each year, for the next 6 years in an account paying 4% per year compounded annualy.

To find the value accumulated in increasing annuities you need to take a look at each of the $1320 payment.

Hence, `P = $1320, n = 5, i = 4/100` and the formula used is `A =P(1+i)^n`

The first payment will produce a compound amount of

`1320(1 + 4/100)^5 = 1320*1.04^5`

You need to use n=5 instead n=6 since the money is deposited at the end of the first year and earns interest for only 5 years.

Hence, the future value of annuity is:

`1320*1.04^5 + 1320*1.04^4 + 1320*1.04^3 + 1320*1.04^2 + 1320*1.04^1 + 1320`

Notice that the terms of the sum are the terms of a geometric sequence, having the ratio q = 1.04 and the first term b = 1320.

`S = b*(q^n-1)/(q-1)`

`S = 1320*(1.04^6 -1)/(1.04 - 1)`

`S = 1320*(0.265319018496)/(0.04)`

`S ~~ $8755.527`

Hence, evaluating the amount accumulated in the increasing annuities yields `S ~~ $8755.527.`

How many people were affected by the Great Depression?

It is very difficult to come up with a number for how many people were affected by the Great Depression, because millions of people were affected in many different ways. In the United States, unemployment reached at least 25% in the depths of the Depression in 1933. But this number, astronomical as it may be, does not tell the whole story. Millions more people who did not lose their jobs suffered cuts in pay or were forced to take lower-paying jobs. Many others simply gave up looking for work, and were not counted among the workforce. The children and family members of unemployed people were affected as well. Birthrates went down, funding for public services like schools was cut, and many people suffered the psychological effects of poverty. Many families fortunate enough to make ends meet were called upon to help family members who could not. In short, the Depression affected many, perhaps almost all, people in the United States, in indirect and direct ways. 

Relate the relationship between temperature and kinetic energy.

There is a direct relationship between temperature and kinetic energy. Temperature is the measurement of the average kinetic energy of the particles that make up a substance. Kinetic energy is the energy of motion. Thus, an increase in kinetic energy implies that the average speed of the particles of a substance also increases. Likewise, a decrease in kinetic energy implies that the average speed of the particles within a substance also decreases.

Temperature and kinetic energy are related to phase changes.

As particles increase in temperature and move faster, the intermolecular forces between the particles are eventually broken. Thus, the particles are able to move apart from one another. As this occurs, the volume of the substance increases. The increased movement of the particles allows to particles to flow past one another. This eventually results in an indefinite shape of the substance. This is how sublimation, melting, and evaporation occur.

The opposite is also true. As particles decrease in temperature and move slower, intermolecular forces between the particles are able to attract one another. The particles come closer together and the volume decreases. The slowed movement of the particle, coupled with the decreased volume, results in a more definite shape of the substance. This is how deposition, freezing, and condensation occur.