How does Kevin prove to Max he is not a "butthead"? How does Kevin help Max learn how to read and write?

Maxwell Kane is a big, clumsy boy who is enrolled in the learning disabled classes at his school. As a self-conscious pubescent boy, he calls himself a butthead. The L.D. classes are not helping because of the stigma that is associated with them. Once Max is planted in those classes, he feels like he has been labeled dumb for life. It is his friend Kevin, however, who teaches him that learning is fun, words are not scary, and believing in someone can work wonders.

First of all, Kevin actually keeps a dictionary with him most of the time. In chapter 8, he teaches Max how to use one. The first word Kevin has Max lookup is "archetype" so he can learn why Kevin refers to dragons as such. Max is confused by the first definition and Kevin says:

"You're hopeless. Pattern is the first definition. I was referring to the second definition, which is more interesting. 'A universal symbol or idea in the psyche, expressed in dream or dreamlike images'" (47).

This is the first step for Max with regards to boosting his reading skills. The next thing Kevin does is get Max out of L.D. classes and into the smarter classes with him. The excuse is that Kevin needs Max to help him get around, but Kevin really believes in Max, too. For example, Kevin tells the teacher that Max knows the answers to questions. Max then realizes that he does know the answers by saying the following:

"As a matter of fact I do know the answer. . . and I know about that because Freak has been showing me how to read a whole book and for some reason it all makes sense, where before it was just a bunch of words I didn't care about" (81).

This passage shows that having a caring friend who is willing to take the time to help another person out goes a long way. Another thing Kevin does to help Max with reading and writing is explaining to him the following:

"Like Freak says, reading is just a way of listening, and I could always listen, but writing is like talking, and that's a whole other ball game" (82).

Even though writing is still a struggle for Max, at least this analogy might help, along with Kevin's support and confidence in him. Also, Kevin gives Max a customized dictionary of his favorite words for Christmas. But what actually gets Max motivated to write is when Kevin is dying, and he gives Max a book with blank pages. He tells him to write their adventures in it for him. Kevin says:

"Write it down, dummy. I was going to do it, but now it looks like I'll be busy getting used to my new bionic body. . . Just write it all down like you're talking. Put in all the fun we had, the cool things we did. Our adventures" (150-151). 

The book Freak the Mighty is the evidence that proves Max does write down their adventures. He's not a "butthead" anymore because he learns to read and is given a reason to write.

Why is the old Receiver called the Giver?

The old Giver is no longer receiving memories from anyone, so technically he is no longer a Receiver of Memory. In fact, he probably hasn't been for a long time, as the one who trained him must be long dead. But now that Jonas's title is the Receiver of Memory as well, it only makes sense to have a new name for the Giver to acknowledge the change in his role. 

The relationship between the two exposes a weakness in the community, and that is that there is only one Receiver of Memory at a time unless training is taking place. This master/apprentice relationship takes on new significance when we realize that outside of the Giver and Jonas, there is no one else in the community capable of holding these memories. So, as the training continues, and we see how vulnerable the community is, it is interesting to think about the Giver's new role as one that, perhaps, should have taken place long before him needing a replacement. What if the Giver had died of natural causes prior to training a new Receiver? 

In The Little Prince, how did the king reach the planet alone?

The first asteroid the Little Prince visits on his journey is the one inhabited by the King. We don't know how the King got there. The book doesn't say. But that is something all the inhabitants of the planets the Little Prince visits have in common -- they all simply exist on their planets, and, seemingly, always have, and always will. I don't think this is a mistake, either. The world of grownups is full of ridiculous people like the King, who rule their little worlds and cannot see how pointless their lives have become. The fact that we don't know how the King came to be on his asteroid says that such people have always existed, and always will.

How is King Lear perverse?

King Lear is perverse, or we may say tragically flawed, in his treatment of his favorite and most loving daughter, Cordelia. His flaw (or perversity) lies in his inability to distinguish between rhetoric (words) and reality. He unquestioningly believes the lies his two eldest daughters tell him about how much they love him, how important he is to them and how willing they are to do anything for him. For example, Goneril says:

Sir, I do love you more than words can wield the matter,
Dearer than eyesight, space, and liberty,
Beyond what can be valued, rich or rare,
No less than life, with grace, health, beauty, honor,
As much as child e'er loved or father found—
A love that makes breath poor and speech unable.
Beyond all manner of so much I love you.

However, when Cordelia, unhappy at how her sisters are lying, won't flatter him in similarly outrageous ways, saying only that she loves him as a daughter should, he flies into a rage and disowns her. He goes into a similar rage against Kent for trying to tell the truth and banishes him from the kingdom. 

The two older sisters turn on their father rapidly as soon as they have the kingdom in their hands. Their words have been nothing but empty, as King Lear learns too late—but he should have seen from the start. As his Fool tells him, the king is the biggest fool of all. 

Who or what makes cells for the human body, and how?

New body cells are done naturally by the body via a process known as mitosis. Additionally, scientists can now use stem cells to clone body cells.

Mitosis is the process that makes additional body cells (also known as somatic cells). During mitosis, one parent cell divides into two daughter cells. The number of chromosomes that are characteristic for a species is maintained during mitosis. This is because, prior to the division of the parent cell into two daughter cells, the genetic material of the parent cell is replicated. Mitosis consists of four phases: prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase. Here, the occurrences of the phases of mitosis are briefly described.

Additionally, geneticists can now clone stem cells in order to grow body cells and/or tissues for medical purposes.  

What are a few examples of person versus self conflicts in A Christmas Carol?

A person versus self theme refers to an inner conflict a character has, struggling with his or her own prejudices, flaws, mistakes or doubts. One might say the entire novel A Christmas Carol is an example of a person versus self theme since the premise of the novel is that Scrooge comes to realize he has been a miserly, cruel person and needs to change his ways before it is too late. However, specifically there are examples of person versus self in the novel such as the spirits point out.

As the ghost of Christmas past points out to Scrooge, he once deeply cared for and loved his sister but has since been an uncaring and cruel person. Scrooge struggles with this realization about himself. The ghost of Christmas present shows Scrooge the way that the Cratchits, poor as they are, spend a joyous family Christmas together and Scrooge struggles with the way that he has treated his own family by comparison. When the Ghost of Christmases yet to come visits Scrooge, terrifying him into believing that he will die a lonely, bitter old man, Scrooge must overcome self doubt and rise above it in the final person versus self struggle in Dickens' novel.

In Night, summarize the story of Moshe the Beadle told Wiesel on his return from being deported. Why did he say he returned to Sighet?

Moshe the Beadle believes that he has returned to Sighet to warn the townspeople of the Nazi threat.

Moshe's story starts with being expelled from Sighet.  When he returns, Moshe talks to anyone who will listen his story.  His story consists of how Jewish people like himself were ordered to dig trenches.  Then, one by one, the Nazis killed them.  The Nazis used infants as target practice.  Moshe hid amongst the dead bodies, and pretended he was dead. He believed that he was chosen to live so he could warn others of his experience. 

However, when the people of Sighet heard his story, they refused to believe him.  Some said that Moshe made up the story because he wanted pity. Others claimed that he had "gone mad" or that Moshe wanted money.  Moshe ends weeping because he is not believed and leaves Sighet once and for all.

Wiesel uses the story of Moshe the Beadle to show how dehumanization was a significant aspect of the Holocaust.  The Nazis dehumanized their victims, and, in turn, Wiesel suggests that some of the victims dehumanized one another. In the presentation of Moshe's story, Wiesel argues that the Holocaust is the net result of human cruelty towards one another.  

What does "My hat, what a picnic" mean in The Magician's Nephew?

This quote, uttered by Digory, comes early on in the eighth chapter of The Magician’s Nephew, after he realizes they have brought his Uncle Andrew along with them when they jumped between worlds.  He and Polly have just gone through a bit of an ordeal, with the Witch causing a scene in this world, riding the horse Strawberry through the streets brandishing an iron bar and beating down anyone in her path.  Digory managed to get a grip on the Witch’s heel, and Polly put on the yellow ring, causing all four of them, as well as anyone who happened to be touching them at the time – Uncle Andrew included – to be transported.

The exclamation “My hat, what a picnic” is meant to be sarcastic.  “My hat” is a rather old-fashioned, primarily British phrase akin to “my God” or “my goodness,” and “what a picnic” in this instance is employed to mean the exact opposite (“sorting through this mess will not be fun at all!”), implying that they have found themselves in a pickle indeed by bringing Digory’s uncle with them.  Compare this with Polly’s exclamation a bit later: “This will be a pretty kettle of fish!” meaning they have quite the awkward situation to sort out. 

Essentially, this phrase sums up the frustration felt by Digory and Polly upon realizing they have brought unintended people into this new world, and their budding anxiety over how on earth to go about correcting the situation.  Dictionary definitions for “my hat” and “kettle of fish” can be found at the links below.

How were indentured servants and African American slaves different?

Indentured servants came to the colonies after signing a contract, known as an "indenture" that committed them to anywhere from three to five years of service (usually as agricultural labor). In return, the owner of an indenture would pay for passage to the colony and what were called "freedom dues" to be supplied at the end of the indenture. "Freedom dues" might include a small parcel of land, clothing, a gun, or farming implements. Indentures could be sold from one person to another, and they could be extended close to indefinitely if the servant violated the terms of the agreement by running away, refusing to work, or becoming pregnant. The owners of indentures also possessed the power to discipline their workers, often by physical violence. Early in the history of the colonies, particularly in Virginia, the indentured labor force was composed of Irish people, poor urban English people, and African-Americans. By the end of the seventeenth century, however, Virginians increasingly turned to enslaved labor. In a process similar to what had occurred in Barbados, the legislature defined slavery in ways that differed from indentured servitude. As a result of this "terrible transformation," as it was described by one historian, slavery was permanent, racial, and hereditary. The children of enslaved women were by law slaves themselves, and would remain so for the rest of their lives. This was the biggest and most significant difference between slavery and indentured servitude, and the fact that it was attached to race had even more tragic consequences.

Which empire contributed winged statues?

The Neo-Assyrian Empire (883-612 BC) of Mesopotamia introduced the world to winged statues. The statues are called lamassu and represented a protective deity from earlier Assyrian times. The statues were meant to ward off evil and were generally placed at entrances of important buildings like the royal palace. They are also seen as a demonstration of power. The statue was usually depicted with a human head, an ox or lion torso, and bird wings. The statues acted as gateway guardians with the head representing intelligence, the torso representing strength, and the wings representing freedom.

The lamassu were also placed at the gate of cities. From the front, the statues seem to stand still. By viewing the statues from the side, they appear to be walking. It was not uncommon in Mesopotamia to have statues depicting a human head on a winged animal as the practice dates back to the Fourth Millennium B.C.

In Romeo and Juliet, why is it important for Romeo to hear Juliet proclaim her love for him? Is he having second thoughts about the wedding? Is he...

In Act II, Romeo and Juliet pronounce their love in the famous balcony scene. They have just met at the Capulet party a few hours earlier and are getting to know each other more intimately. Romeo only wants Juliet to proclaim her love to him after she goes on for about twenty lines asking him to swear his love for her. Then she changes her mind and says the following:

"Well, do not swear. Although I joy in thee,

I have no joy of this contract tonight.

It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden. . ." (II.i.158-160).

This "contract" she mentions above is not one of marriage. She merely wants Romeo to promise that he loves her, but then she decides against it, saying these promises are too quickly made since they just met each other. Romeo must be confused by this girl at this point. First she asks him to make a vow that he loves her, but then she says never mind, see you tomorrow? So, a confused Romeo asks, "O, wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?" She asks what he wants and he answers, "Th'exchange of thy love's faithful vow for mine" (II.ii.166, 169).

Basically, Romeo just wants to know they are both in love with each other—as if they both agree they are now boyfriend and girlfriend. No mention of marriage has happened before this point in the play; but it comes swiftly afterwards because a few lines later Juliet says the following:

"If that thy bent of love be honourable,

Thy purpose marriage, send me word tomorrow,

By one that I'll procure to come to thee,

Where and what time thou wilt perform the rite" (II.i.185-188).

The above passage shows that Romeo was not worried about the wedding not happening when he asked for Juliet's proclamation of love because it is she who proposes marriage after the fact. Therefore, Romeo is also not necessarily worried that the relationship won't work out; Romeo just wants validation from Juliet for his vow that she returns the same. Juliet's response to the unsatisfied Romeo is that she gave her vow to him before he even asked for it. But once Juliet brings up marriage, Romeo is all for it.

What evidence does Golding use to prove that mankind is meant to be savage?

There are several pieces of evidence from the novel Lord of the Flies to suggest that mankind is meant to be a savage. Golding uses the youngest children on the island, the littluns, to portray mankind's primitive instincts and propensity to follow their carnal desires rather than obey Ralph and complete necessary tasks. When the littluns are given the directive to help build the huts and gather driftwood, they wander off into the forest and pick fruit instead. They disobey Ralph and defecate amongst the fruit trees, and continually choose to swim when they are supposed to be helping out. The littluns symbolize innocent human beings void of society's conditioning. Eventually, they follow Jack's tyrannical leadership and their obsession with satiating their carnal desires suggests they are inherently savage.

The transformation in the behaviors of Roger and Maurice throughout the novel is another piece of evidence that suggests humans are innately savage. Roger and Maurice both are helpful and well-behaved towards the beginning of the novel. In the scene where Maurice feels bad for knocking over the littluns' sandcastles, and Roger throws stones at a safe distance away from the littluns, Golding depicts the remains of society's influence on the children. As the novel progresses, Maurice chooses to engage in violent behavior with the hunters, and Roger becomes a sadist, harming and intimidating others for fun. Roger completely dismisses civility and descends quickly in barbarism.

Ralph, the morally upright elected leader of the boys even succumbs to savagery throughout the novel. There are scenes which depict Ralph participating in savage acts like the murder of Simon, and there are times when he loses sight of his central vision, which is maintaining the signal fire to be rescued. When Ralph partakes in the hunt, his savage nature is on display. Golding uses Ralph's lapses in civility to suggest that his primitive urges are too strong.

In the final chapter of the novel, the boys have descended into savagery so far that they actually hunt their former leader, Ralph. The transformation from being a group of civil, law-abiding, innocent children to becoming violent barbarians, displays mankind's inherent savage nature. Golding suggests that void of societal influences, restrictions, and boundaries, human beings will act like savages.

What is the moral to the story "The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant? What sayings sum up the story?

Guy de Maupassant's short story "The Necklace" is about a young woman, Madame Loisel, who daydreams about wealth, social status and luxury. When she is able to live her preferred life for one night at a fancy ball, adorned with a new dress and a seemingly expensive necklace, she is truly happy. With the loss of the necklace, a symbol of wealth and material status, her life is forever changed as she is thrown into poverty. In the end, we learn the necklace was actually worthless, proving her original mindset wrong. 

A saying that sums up the moral of the story might be: Be satisfied and grateful for the things you have rather than striving for things that may appear better but often are not.

In the beginning of the story, while Madame Loisel is daydreaming, the reader learns she lives comfortably. After all, she has a maid. She also has a husband who is obviously devoted to her. Realizing she is bored, he tries to brighten her life by bringing home an invitation to the fancy ball and he even uses some of his savings to buy her a new dress. She doesn't appreciate what she already has and foolishly loses the necklace as she hurries away from the ball. The loss of the necklace causes her to lose her youth, her beauty and her dignity. Her life would have been better had she been satisfied with what she already had.

How can an unbalanced force can cause an object’s motion to change?

An unbalanced force is one which is not balanced or counteracted by another force of equal magnitude and opposite direction. In absence of a counteracting force, this force causes motion (from rest) or a change in motion (of an already moving body) of an object. For example, a ball at rest, perhaps sitting in the grass, has two forces acting on it: Earth's gravity pulling it down and the normal force pushing it up. These two forces counteract each other. Due to these balanced forces, the ball stays at rest. When we hit the ball with a golf club, a force has been imparted to the ball and friction will help to stop the ball (by opposing the motion). How far and in which direction the ball will go depends on which force is stronger. Thus, the ball will experience an acceleration. An unbalanced force causes a change in the state of motion of an object by accelerating it. Note that deceleration (by say, friction) is also acceleration, with a negative value.

In general, an unbalanced force can cause a change in the state of motion, speed and/or direction of an object. 

Hope this helps. 

How does Caroline Bingley's letter affect Jane? How does it affect Elizabeth?

At the beginning of chapter 24, Miss Bingley sends Jane a letter. While we do not get to read the letter, its contents are summarized for us: Instead of communicating any intention on Bingley's part to propose to Jane, Miss Bingley describes the growing intimacy between the Darcys and the Bingleys. Miss Bingley praises Miss Darcy and is delighted that Mr. Bingley is staying at the Darcy house in London. It looks as if the match Miss Bingley hopes for between her brother and Miss Darcy is steadily moving forward.

Elizabeth reacts to this news with silent anger ("indignation" is the word Austen uses). She can't stop dwelling on it: "She could think of nothing else." She believes Bingley still has affection for Jane, doesn't believe Bingley cares at all about Miss Darcy, and feels angry at Bingley for what she sees as his weakness of character. To her mind, Bingley has allowed his friends to influence him against his heart and his own best interests. As she puts it to herself, Bingley had been made "the slave of designing friends" and has "sacrifice[d] his own happiness" to them. She starts to despise his ease and flexibility.

Jane is so upset by the letter that she can't talk about it for a "day or two." When she does confide in Elizabeth, she exhibits a poise and equanimity that contrasts with Elizabeth's anger. She insists she will soon get over her feelings for Mr. Bingley, saying: "He shall be forgot, and we shall all be as we were before." Jane tells Elizabeth not to blame anyone for what happened.

Elizabeth is astonished at Jane's response and calls her "angelic." When Jane protests, Elizabeth says she is determined to think her "perfect."

Their different reactions to this painful letter throw into relief the different personalities of the two sisters: Elizabeth is impulsive, quick to anger, and emotional while Jane has greater self-control, is more generous about people, and has more ability to take a longer view of events. 

This letter also sets up a dynamic that allows us to better understand Elizabeth's fury when she finds out that Darcy separated Jane and Bingley.  

What is the most important scene in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee?

It is hard to pick the most important scene in the novel. Of course, there are significant moments between Atticus and Scout. The trial, interactions with Boo, and the themes of race and class are all very important. Scout's discussion with Miss Maudie at the beginning of Chapter 10 ties into some of these issues. Scout recalls her father once telling her that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird. She asks Miss Maudie about this. Miss Maudie replies: 

Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird. 

This is one of the more significant lessons in the book and is obviously where the title of the novel comes from. It is a sin to kill or harm anything or anyone who is innocent. The mockingbird does no harm and only provides music. Boo Radley and Tom Robinson are mockingbirds. Boo does not harm anyone and he proves to be generous and helpful throughout the novel. He covers Scout with the blanket when Miss Maudie's house is on fire and he saves the children in the end. Tom harms no one. His only "sin" was that he tried to help Mayella and got falsely accused in the process. It was sin that he was charged, convicted and killed. "To Kill a Mockingbird" is to harm the innocent. 

What is the physical appearance of Arthur Dent?

This question is a bit tougher than its simplicity would lead somebody to think.  The reason for that is because The Hitchkiker's Guide to the Galaxy does not give the reader a lot of details as to what exactly Arthur Dent looks like.  The opening chapter gives some clues, but beyond that, the reader has to imagine what the rest of his appearance would look like.  The best the text does is the following:

He was about thirty as well, dark haired and never quite at ease with himself. The thing that used to worry him most was the fact that people always used to ask him what he was looking so worried about.

That isn't much detail.  He's fairly young at 30, despite what my students tell me.  Dark hair.  Nothing about how long the hair is or eye color or height or anything.  I would imagine Dent has some early aging lines on is face and that is why people assume that he is worried looking most of the time.  

The movie version shows Dent in his bathrobe and slippers the entire time.  I'm good with that, because the text does say that he put on his slippers that first morning.  I can't imagine that he would wear slippers and slacks.  The other reason I like the bathrobe and pajamas look is because the text mentions that Dent thinks he must be hung over.  

Passing the bathroom he stopped to drink a large glass of water, and another. He began to suspect that he was hung over. Why was he hung over? Had he been drinking the night before? He supposed that he must have been.

If he feels like he is hung over, I guarantee he isn't going to feel like putting on anything other than what he woke up in.  I suspect that in addition to the pajamas, bathrobe, slipper, and lined face, Dent has a nice five o'clock shadow beginning.  That's just what I picture him looking like since he's waking up groggy and thinking that he is hung over.  

Does a net force causes a change in an object's motion? Yes, no, or it depends?

Net force is the sum total of all the forces acting on a body. If the forces that are acting on the body, are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction, the net force will be 0. This is the scenario of balanced forces. In such a case, the net force acting on the body is 0 and hence there is no change in the motion of the body. If it was at rest, it will stay at rest and if it was moving, it will continue to move at the same speed. In comparison, if the forces have different magnitudes and are in the same or different directions, the net force will have a certain value. These unbalanced forces will cause an acceleration and will either speed up or slow down the object (depending on the direction of motion and direction of the net force).

Thus, the change in motion of an object by a net force will depend on the magnitude of the net force. Thus, the answer is "it depends."

Hope this helps. 

What is the importance of the military in Shakespeare's Othello?

Even though Othello is considered more domestic than many Shakespearean tragedies because politics take a backseat to interpersonal relationships, the military plays a key role in the play. Othello the Moor has been able to integrate somewhat into the society of Venice because of his martial abilities. His status as an important general makes him so essential to the state that the Duke of Venice accepts the marriage between Othello and the white Desdemona, even as her father does not.

Because their love overcomes traditional propriety, Desdemona joins Othello in a military escapade to Cyprus. However, a storm destroys the Turkish fleet. Certain directors have noted that soldiers might feel restless after preparing for a war that never happens, possibly contributing to the tension that develops on Cyprus during a time of peace.

War also contributes to characterization in Othello. Iago and Othello have fought side by side. They have supposedly seen each other at their worst and most heroic. This history makes Othello more inclined to trust the deceitful Iago. In addition, they are both used to participating in state-sanctioned violence. Othello has fought for many years, and it is the tragedy and adventure in his life that drew Desdemona’s love.

Unfortunately for her, Iago’s slander of Desdemona shifts Othello from a lovestruck mindset to a militaristic one. He bids goodbye to “glorious war” that “make[s] ambition virtue,” a career he found great pride in, but he seems to draw from his violent experiences to become “most bloody.” In a sense, the effects of the military both create and end the tragic love between Desdemona and Othello.

Can you summarize the entire book From Reverence to Rape?

From Reverence to Rape: The Treatment of Women in the Movies is a book written by film critic Molly Haskell. It was first published in 1974, and a second edition with a chapter covering films released from 1974-1987 was published more recently. The book is mainly divided into chapters covering a entire decade of film, with chapters on The Twenties, The Thirties, and so on, with chapters also on "The Woman's Film" and "The Europeans." Haskell was a film critic for The Village Voice and later New York Magazine and Vogue. One of the main points made in the book is that despite many inroads made in women's lives, cinema in the 1970s portrayed women in increasingly negative ways, as prostitutes, victims or weaklings, for example. Haskell informs her critique with feminist theory, and reviews of the book often note the angry and bitter tone of her analysis. She considers it a terrible irony that women's equality has not been adequately represented in movies:

"Here we are today, with an unparalleled freedom of expression, and a record number of women performing, achieving, choosing to fulfill themselves, and we are insulted with the worst--the most abused, neglected, and dehumanized--screen heroines in film history."

The book was considered very groundbreaking at the time, and is still considered an important text in the scholarly fields of film studies and women's studies.

How does Stapleton use the hound to try to murder Sir Henry?

The stratagems that Stapleton devises to murder Sir Charles and Sir Henry by means of the hound have two purposes. First, by reinforcing the legend of the hound, Stapleton hopes to divert attention from himself and escape punishment. Second, this appears to Stapleton an effective way of removing obstacles to inheriting the Baskerville fortune.

Stapleton's first step is acquiring a huge black dog, the ancestry of which is a mix of mastiff and bloodhound. This dog resembles the hound of the legend. Watson describes it as follows after its death:

In mere size and strength it was a terrible creature which was lying stretched before us. It was not a pure bloodhound and it was not a pure mastiff; but it appeared to be a combination of the two—gaunt, savage, and as large as a small lioness. ... The huge jaws seemed to be dripping with a bluish flame and the small, deep-set, cruel eyes were ringed with fire.

The glow on the hound's body and head is actually phosphorus, a preparation applied to it by Stapleton to give the hound an eerie supernatural appearance.

Stapleton steals one of Sir Henry's boots to train the hound to be attracted to Sir Henry's scent and then starves the hound to make it more vicious. He then tries to lure Sir Henry on to the moor to be attacked, but is thwarted by Holmes.

What theme illustrates good vs. evil in "The Pearl?"

One of the motifs that Steinbeck uses to illustrate the theme of good vs. evil is music. When Kino awakens, he is filled with a good feeling and he refers to the music he hears during this feeling as the Song of the Family. The scorpion is accompanied by the Song of Evil. The Song of the Family cries "plaintively" in response to the Song of Evil. So, there is the sense that the songs, and/or fores of good and evil, are competing against one another. 

Everything in Kino's world and culture corresponds with music. This gives the notion of good vs. evil artistic, abstract, and universal qualities. This music can be personal or it can relate to Kino's entire culture and ancestors. Thus, the battle of good vs. evil is something universal, spiritual, and something that has always been part of their culture: 

Kino's people had sung of everything that happened or existed. They had made songs to the fishes, to the sea in anger and to the sea in calm, to the light and the dark and the sun and the moon, and the songs were all in Kino and in his people - every song that had ever been made, even the ones forgotten. 

Just as there are songs for both good and evil, the pearl itself contains the potential for good and evil. It represents hope but contains the potential for sin and destruction. The mix of old and new (Catholic) religions shows how this theme is common to many religious philosophies. This "singing" or praying is a way that Kino's people try to make sense of the world. Kino is confused when he hears competing songs of good and evil when he speaks of the pearl. (This is initially noticeably when he first speaks with the priest.) The ancient magic, the Catholic Church, the songs themselves are all ways that Kino's people try to understand the potential for good or evil. One of Kino's tragic flaws is that he initially fails to associated evil intuition/music with the pearl. Of course, it is not the pearl itself that contains evil. It is the pearl's monetary value that brings out the greed and thus, the evil thoughts of anyone who covets it. 

if f(x) = 7/x+5 and g(x) = 1/x what is (fog)(x)

This question is what we called composite functions in Mathematics. A composite function is defined as applying one function to the results of another. If we say the result of f() is sent through g(), we can express mathematically as follows: 

`(g@ f)(x)`

Which translates as the following: 

`g(f(x))`

And vice versa, like in our example, we say the result of g() is send through f():

`(f @ g)(x)`

which translates as: 

`f (g(x))`

PLEASE NOTE: `(g @ f(x))`   is NOT equal to `(g @ f) ` 

Now let's answer our question:

`f(x) = 7/(x+5)`

`g(x) =1/x`

Now write what we solving for as shown above: 

`(f@g) (x) = f(g(x))`

Now where ever you see x substitute g(x):

`f(g(x)) = 7/ (g(x) +5)`

We know the value of g(x), now we substitute it 

`f(g(x)) = 7/((1/x) + 5)` 

We can simplify this to get rid of the fraction in the denominator.  Multiply 5 by x/x to get a common denominator and then add them together.

`f(g(x)) = 7/((1/(x)) + ((5x)/x))`

`f(g(x)) = 7/((1 + 5x)/x)`

We can simplify this more by multiplying the numerator and the denominator by x.  This will get rid of the fraction in the denominator.

`f(g(x)) = 7/((5x + 1)/x) * x/x = (7x)/(5x + 1)`

SUMMARY: 

• Convert `(f@g) ` into `f (g(x))`

 

• ANSWER: 


• 
  `(f@g) = (7x)/(5x + 1)`  

How is reflection different from refraction?

Reflection and refraction are terms commonly associated with light. There are a number of differences between the two, such as:

• Reflection takes place when light bounces off a surface (say the surface of a plane mirror). Refraction, on the other hand, takes place when light moves from one medium to another.


• In the case of reflection, the light stays in the same medium. In the case of refraction, light ray goes from one medium to another (say air to water, etc.).


• The angle of incidence and reflection is equal in the case of reflection. In the case of refraction, the angle made by light ray changes as the ray goes from one medium to another and we say that the light has been refracted.


• Reflection is commonly observed with mirrors, while lenses are commonly associated with refraction.


• An example of reflection is our image in a mirror. It is upright, has our size and is about the same distance away from the mirror as we are. When we look into a water surface, our image appears different, in terms of height, distance from surface, etc. This is because of refraction.

Hope this helps. 

What are some differences between Sophocles' Antigone and Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Julius Caesar?

In addition to the several excellent distinctions drawn in the previous post, we can take a thematic approach to distinguishing Julius Caesar and Antigone. While both plays deal with issues of loyalty to the state, each play provides a different context for civic loyalty.

In Antigone, one of the central thematic conflicts is a conflict between two kinds of loyalty. The character of Antigone is loyal to family and, furthermore, loyal to her duties to the gods. She insists on burying her brother because it is what the gods want and she will stop at nothing to achieve this end. Creon and others opt to be loyal to the state, placing civic duty above any duty to the gods.

This conflict can be read as a relatively straightforward, surface-level conflict of preferences and can also be read as a metaphorical expression of the existential problems faced by individuals grappling with the fact of death.

As her sister Ismene describes her, Antigone is "a loyal friend indeed to those who love [her]" and she sees this loyalty as an honor-bound duty. 

In an early exchange between the two sisters, the two sides of the central thematic conflict are articulated. 

Antigone: You have made your choice, you can be what you want to be. But I will bury him; and if I must die, I say that this crime is holy: I shall lie down with him in death, and I shall be as dear to him as he to me. 

It is the dead, not the living, who make the longest demands: We die forever...You may do as you like, since apparently the laws of the gods mean nothing to you.

Ismene: They mean a great deal to me; but I have no strength to break laws that were made for the public good.

In this passage, Antigone expresses her allegiance to a sense of duty and, on a deeper level, intimates that humanity's necessarily limited knowledge of death creates a need for adhering to the dictates of religion.

Ismene, on the other hand, takes the side of civic allegiance. She chooses to act in the best interests of the state, which might be taken as a preference for the here and now. In a context of Greek drama wherein human hubris is so often placed in opposition to a recognition of human limitations on knowledge, we can see the thematic conflict here as one concerned with a kind of existential morality.

Should people live according to Faulkner's famous line from As I Lay Dying and spend a life getting ready to be dead for a long time? In doing so, the play suggests, people are acting with a proper humility and obeying the gods.

In choosing to raise the concerns of the living (and the civic body) above those of the dead, Antigone depicts a folly of pride even though this is a position that is clearly articulated by Creon and certainly understandable. How can the living go on doing the work of living if laws are not upheld?

Julius Caesar also poses questions about loyalty to the state, but the essential thematic conflicts deal with issues of what this loyalty really means. Rome is a concept, like republican democracy. It is also a society and, on another level, an actual city. When Brutus chooses to join the conspirators, he believes he is being loyal to Rome. But which Rome is he being loyal to?

Also, if Caesar is assassinated because he threatened to become a tyrant (by dissolving the senate), can Brutus honestly say that he is not seeking power or acting to defend his vote in the senate? Is Brutus acting in defense of an ideal or is he acting in defense of his own position and his own power? Where do his loyalties really point?

There is a possibility that Brutus himself does not have good answers to these questions. Maybe Brutus is troubled by this particular conundrum as he flees from the armies of Rome and is visited by the ghost of Caesar. Maybe, like Macbeth, Brutus was convinced of a prudence that was only a mask for a base will to power.

In any event, the thematic conflict in Caesar is not an existential question about how to live a good life and it is not a division between civic duty and religious duty. The conflict is directed toward a troublesome quandary about motivation(s) and self-knowledge.

A list of a few other differences on a more surface-level reading of these texts might include these ideas:

• One play includes murder and suicide (Caesar) while the other play has no murder (Antigone).


• The hero/villain relationship is clearly drawn in Antigone but far less clearly drawn in Caesar.
  

Why is the detention center important in Touching Spirit Bear?

The detention center is meant to detain juveniles who have committed crimes and keep them off the street until they go to trial or jail. Cole has been in trouble many times in the past.  However, because of his past record and because his attack on Peter Driscal was so vicious, Cole is being held in the detention center until his trial or he gets accepted into Circle Justice.  Physically,

“His white-walled room was bare except for a bed with a grey blanket, a toilet without a cover, a shelf for clothes, a cement table, and a barred window facing the center group area.  The place smelled like cleaning disinfectant.” (pg 7-8)

During the day, he was allowed to go into the center area with the rest of those detained if he so wished.  He could watch TV, read, or talk with the other juveniles.  He was expected to keep up his studies.  A tutor came each day to instruct him and the others.  Cole kept to himself, doing the minimum to comply with the rules.  He thought it was a big joke. He did not identify with the other juveniles and thought they were a bunch of losers.

He was allowed visitors.  However, due to his angry response to his parents, they eventually stopped coming to visit.  The only visitor he had was Garvey, his probation officer. Cole was told that he would remain here until prosecutors filed a motion to transfer him to an adult court.  If he was found guilty, he would be sent to an adult prison. He did not want to be sent to prison, so he allowed Garvey to talk him into applying for Circle Justice, even though he had no intention of complying with the rules.

 “For almost three months, he had been kept in detention, guarded twenty-four hours a day. For almost three months, he had to put up with the adults from the Circle Justice committee.  What fools.  They had kept stopping by, asking questions that were a joke.  Any moron could figure out what they wanted to hear. “(pg 20)

If Cole stayed in the detention center, he would probably go to trial as an adult, and he would go to prison.  Once a detainee goes to trial, it’s too late to apply for Circle Justice.  Cole accepts Circle Justice, and that is the reason he meets the Spirit Bear.

A 500 newton ballerina did 250 joules of work to lift herself upward through the air. She landed a total of 2.5 meters to the left after completing...

The ballerina weighing 500 N jumped up through the air and landed 2.5 m to the left of where she started. The work done by her in this was 250 J.

Work is equal to the product of force and displacement. The ballerina only does work in moving upwards as the gravitational force, which is equal to her weight, is acting downwards.

As she did 250 J of work, the maximum height reached by her in the jump is equal to 250/500 = 0.5 m. She landed 2.5 m to the left as she did not jump vertically upwards, rather she jumped at an angle approximately 21.8 degrees to the horizontal.

Once the ballerina has reached the maximum height, she is pulled down due to the force of gravity. There is no change in potential energy of the ballerina once she has come down. But she cannot recover the energy spent when she comes down.

A girl throws a tennis ball upward with an initial velocity of 4 m/s. What is the maximum displacement of the ball?

Hello!

A tennis ball will go up and its velocity will decrease. When the velocity is zero, the ball will be at its maximum height and will begin to fall down. This maximum height is what we are solving for. 

The easiest way to find this is to consider energy. Energy will be conserved, so the energy of the ball at the start and at the point of maximum height will be the same.

At the start a ball has only kinetic energy `(mV^2)/2,` where `m` is the mass and `V` is the initial speed. In contrast, at the maximum height it will have only the potential energy `mgh` where `h` is the maximum height.

So `(mV^2)/2=mgh,` i.e. `V^2/2=gh` and `h=V^2/(2g) approx 16/20` = 0.8 (m). This is the answer.

Note that we ignored air resistance. If we hadn't, the real height would be less.

Does marketing help consumers or use them?

I would argue that the answer to this question is ”yes.” Marketing helps consumers, but it also uses them.  This is not surprising in a market economy.  In our economy every business both helps consumers and uses them.

Marketing helps consumers.  It helps us know what sorts of goods and services a particular business offers.  It helps us to know the differences between the goods and services offered by various competing businesses.  In other words, it helps us to make decisions as consumers.  It helps us know what we want to buy and where we want to buy it from. This is important for consumers in a market economy.

Of course, marketing also uses consumers. Businesses exist in order to make money. They are not simply charities that give things to consumers at a loss.  Whenever a business sells anything to a consumer, it is using that consumer. It is using them to make profit. Marketing uses consumers by encouraging them to buy things that they might not actually need. It also uses consumers by encouraging them to buy from a particular place.  This helps the business make more money.

Marketing uses and helps consumers. It helps them by giving them more information about what sorts of things they can buy and where they can buy them. On the other hand, it uses them because its main goal is to make money for the company that is doing the marketing.

How were relations between the sexes characterized in traditional Native American societies?

We should remember that the phrase "Native Americans" describes a vast array of people from Chile to the Arctic Circle, so any generalizations about gender roles have to be prefaced with the stipulation that they do not apply to all Native American groups. However, many Indian societies--indeed most that English settlers came in contact with along the Atlantic coast--were what anthropologists refer to as "matrilineal." This meant that one's standing in society, and especially their clan affiliations, were "passed down" from the mother. This, of course, was dramatically different from European societies, which were without exception patrilineal, with young men inheriting titles, property, and social standing from their fathers. Indian societies also featured a different gendered division of labor than European societies. Native women in many groups performed agricultural labor in particular with little help from men. This was viewed by Europeans as evidence of the laziness of Indian people, and was used as an excuse to expropriate their lands. Among many Native societies, women played prominent political roles as well. They participated in councils of war, and they were the final word on whether to adopt or execute war captives, a role that carried immense prestige. So while we cannot generalize about all Native peoples, many North American Indian societies featured gender roles that were very different from Europeans.

Which of the following is not a renewable resource? a. the sun beating down on a rain forest. b. plants, such as bamboo and rice, growing in a...

The answer is C, the oil reserve buried deep below the surface. Not only did it take millions of years for the oil to form from the remains of previously living organisms, but the conditions under which the oil formed have changed. We cannot replace the oil found under the ground once we have used it up--this is what it means to be non-renewable. Your other choices are all examples of renewable resources for energy. For A, the sun's energy is captured by the plants through photosynthesis, and will last as long as the sun burns. In choice B, rice and bamboo will continue to grow as long as they continue to receive sunlight and moisture. For choice D, water flowing through a dam, electricity will be generated as long as the water continues to flow.

Estimates vary as to the length of time that non-renewable energy sources, such as oil and other fossil fuels, will last if we continue to use them at our present rates. Once they are gone, we cannot get more. This is why it is important to explore various types of renewable energy sources such as water, wind, biomass and solar power if we hope to be able to continue our present style of living. Even if we discover vast new stores of fossil fuels, at some point they will run out.

who was the Second Baron Baltimore or Cecil Calvert?

The Second Lord Baltimore, or Cecil Calvert, was the Proprietor and Proprietary Governor of Maryland, and he made the colony a haven for Catholics. Calvert, who was himself a Catholic, received the colony when his father, George Calvert, First Lord Baltimore, died in 1632. George Calvert had been Secretary of State in England but gave up his title when he converted to Catholicism. He received rights to the land in Virginia north of the Potomac, and he also became Lord of Avalon, which was part of Newfoundland.

Roman Catholics were heavily persecuted in England, and Maryland became a refuge for Catholics. The Second Lord Baltimore provided for the separation of church and state in the colony and for religious toleration. Cecil Calvert ruled over the colony from England for 42 years. Later, Protestants began to outnumber Catholics in the colony. 

What does "Lamb to the Slaughter" tell us about society, humanity, or human nature from a psychological perspective?

"Lamb to the Slaughter" tells us any human is capable of murder if they have adequate provocation. Mary Maloney is provoked when her husband tells her he wants a divorce, an announcement which her husband makes in the middle of the story. Prior to this news, Mary is the ideal wife: she is a pregnant homemaker who busies herself by fulfilling the needs of her husband. Once she is dealt this blow, however, Mary is placed under significant psychological stress, as shown by her description in the text:

She couldn't feel anything except a slight sickness. She did everything without thinking.

These psychological changes transform Mary from an ordinary housewife into a murderess who uses the first object she comes across—a leg of lamb—to murder her husband. This suggests every person has a breaking point and, when pushed, is capable of acting in the most violent and shocking way. 

What is a philosophy used in The Great Gatsby? Provide quotations as evidence for the presence of the philosophy.

Tom Buchanan believes in a racist philosophy based on the superiority of whites, especially northern European whites. Early on in the novel, he tells Nick Carraway about a book he has read called "The Rise of the Colored Empires" by "this man" Goddard. Even though both Daisy and Jordan interrupt him, clearly trying to steer the subject into more comfortable channels, Tom persists in explaining Goddard's theory that the northern Europeans--the "Nordics"-- had developed art and science: "all the things that go to make civilization."

As Tom puts it, "if we don't look out, the white race will be --will be entirely submerged. It's all scientific stuff; it's been proved."

When Daisy attempts to ridicule him, saying "He reads deep books with long words in them," Tom interrupts to repeat: "This fellow has worked the whole thing out. It's up to us, who are the dominant race, to watch out or these other races will have control of things." 

Tom says that "civilization is going to pieces," and refers to himself as pessimist. 

He identifies Nick, Jordan, and himself as Nordics. "There was something pathetic in his concentration, as if his complacency ... was not enough for him anymore," Nick notes. If Tom was disillusioned, this philosophy provided him with an answer for why the world seemed to be going downhill.

Interestingly, there is "an infinitesimal hesitation" before Tom includes Daisy into the rarefied company of Nordics that Jordan and Nick occupy without any second thoughts. This indicates that Tom could be blaming some of his marriage problems, as he is having an affair, on a vague sense of Daisy's racial impurity. 

While Daisy repeatedly makes fun of Tom's racist philosophy, it affects how Tom deals with Gatsby. Tom never accepts Gatsby as a Nordic, constantly raising questions about where he came from and who he is. It's also important to note that this kind of racist thinking was much less reviled in the 1920s than today and that a Lothrop Stoddard had written a book called "The Rising Tide of Color: The Threat Against White World" Supremacy" that argued for a eugenic separation of the races. 

In A Thousand Splendid Suns, why does Mariam's mother hang herself and why does Laila not go with Tariq's family?

In A Thousand Splendid Suns, Mariam's mother Nana hangs herself because she realizes that her daughter has grown fond of her father Jalil.  Nana understands that Jalil will not put himself in a position to claim Mariam as his rightful daughter, and she knows that this will break Mariam's heart.  She is fearful of their growing relationship and upset by being abandoned, which is one motivating factor for her suicide.  Ironically, there might have also been some idea on Nana's part that her death might force Jalil to care for Mariam, and since he could provide some material wealth, a life with him may have been more fulfilling for Mariam.

Later in the novel, Laila does not leave with Tariq and his family to go to Pakistan because she knows that her parents would be heart-broken if she left.  The family has already lost two sons in the war, so losing Laila would too would cause too much grief.

What was the role of Mark Twain in Helen's life?

Helen Keller was an avid reader.  She especially loved reading Mark Twain's books.  To her delight, he also became a friend to her.  When Helen was living in New York, she met Mr. and Mrs. Hutton.  She spent time with them, and "Mr. Hutton introduced [her] to many of his literary friends."  It was through Mr. Hutton that Helen met Mark Twain.  

Mark Twain was accommodating to Helen.  Her told her stories as she "read from [his] lips" by placing her fingers on his mouth.  She appreciated that he had "his own way of thinking, saying and doing everything."  She knew this about him even though she was deaf and blind because she was a very perceptive person.  Helen could even "feel the twinkle of his eye in his handshake."  She enjoyed his "cynical wisdom," as well as his tenderness.  Helen appreciated her friend for his unique personality and his kindness towards her and others.

Why does Margot act the way she does? For example, why doesn't she play with her classmates and why does she react so strongly to the shower?

Author Ray Bradbury created the character Margot in "All Summer in a Day" as one who is different from the other children living on Venus. Though the story is written in the voice of a narrator, much of Margot's thinking is described in terms such as her description of the children as people who could not remember anything but rain and more rain for years on end. The rest of the children are foreign to her, of a different culture. Margot has only lived on Venus for five years, she remembers living on Earth. Margot remembers the sun shining, a sight the other children have never seen. The rest of the children have lived on Venus their entire lives.

The other children sense that Margot is different. The constant sound of the rain showers bothers Margot but to the other children, since it is all that they know, the sound is normal. For Margot though, the constant rain showers are a reminder of the lack of sun, the sun that she remembers and will never regularly see again since on Venus the sun shines so rarely and so briefly.

Margot remembers the sun and warmth and light. She attempts to describe it to the children, which only dissociates herself from them further. Whether they are jealous or just sense that she is too different than they are and are afraid of her, the other children treat Margot with hostility and this causes her to draw away from them.

What other books or movies are similar to the book Speak?

Laurie Halse Anderson's young-adult fiction novel titled Speak contains themes of trauma, isolation, depression, social anxiety, and coming-of-age. Based on these themes, I can recommend the following books and films as being similar.

First, you may be interested--or possibly already know of--the film adaptation of the book Speak, which was released in 2004. I can also recommend much of Anderson's other work as dealing with troubled youth. Wintergirls is very similar because it offers an inside perspective on a young person going through difficult times. Though Wintergirls deals more with grief and eating disorders, there are similar connotations of violation of the body and personhood in both books.

Some other books which deal with sexual assault are Faking Normal by Courtney Stevens and All the Rage by Courtney Summers. John Green's Looking for Alaska has a similar "un-packing" or resolution of past trauma. With regards to social alienation and isolation, both Cut by Patricia McCormick and The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky explore the strange, internal conflict of being a teenager.

The film Painful Secrets (2000) deals with a teenage girl who struggles with depression and engages in self-harm. We Were the Mulvaneys (2002) is quite similar to Speak because it explores sexual assault and the high-school social dynamic. 

What happens to a wave when its height is decreased?

Waves are disturbances that travel through a medium. Waves transport energy from one location to another without transporting matter. The height of a wave is associated with the amount of energy of carried by the wave. Wave height and wave energy are directly proportional. Thus, a lower wave height is associated with less energy. Likewise, a higher wave is associated with more energy.

The height of a wave is called the amplitude of the wave. Waves can be transverse or longitudinal.  The amplitude of a transverse wave is defined as the distance from the wave’s resting position to the lowest point of a trough or the highest point of a crest.   The amplitude of a longitudinal wave is defined as the maximum increases of pressure from a point of equilibrium that is caused when the wave passes a given point.

How can I analyze the song "No One" by Alica Keys in regard to texture, rhythm, and melody?

Let’s take a look at each of these categories, one at a time. Texture refers to the way that different musical parts fit together—the overall effect of the instrumentation, the distance between the highest and lowest notes between parts, and the way the harmonic and melodic components fit together.

In “No One,” we have four main different parts, with other parts coming in briefly—the rhythm/drums, the piano, Alicia’s vocals, and the brass section. At times, backup singers come in, and towards the end, a guitar strums. This texture has an overall simplicity that emphasizes Alicia’s vocals, making the vocal part the centerpiece of the song.

Rhythm refers to the timing and duration of notes, while meter, a related concept, refers to the pattern of stressed and unstressed notes. This song has a simple, driving, 4/4 meter—four quarter notes per measure with the first note of each measure stressed or emphasized. Listen to the drum section, as well as the brass to hear this emphasis. The rhythm of Alicia’s vocals (mostly sung in quarter and eighth notes) fits neatly on top of this pattern, without much syncopation, or notes that fall off of the beat.

The melody—quite simply, the tune of the song— in the chorus hooks the listener by building higher and higher in pitch as Ms. Keys repeats the lyrics “no one.” In the verse, Alicia keeps to a simple melody, but ornaments many of the pitches with impressive vocal acrobatics that keep interest in the song, and add to the song’s overall soulful feeling.

In The Merchant of Venice, what is the pun Portia uses to explain the plight her father has left her in?

Portia says, in part, the following to Nerissa:

... O me, the word 'choose!' I may
neither choose whom I would nor refuse whom I
dislike; so is the will of a living daughter curbed
by the will of a dead father. Is it not hard,
Nerissa, that I cannot choose one nor refuse none?

The pun is on the word, 'will.' Portia means that her father's will - a legal document in which a testator leaves a bequest or an estate to an heir or heirs - restricts her own will. In her instance, will refers to her desire. Her father's testament (synonym for will) forbids her to choose a husband. If she wishes to become the sole owner of her father's deceased estate, she has to meet the conditions of his will.

It is clear that Portia's father wished to rule his daughter from the grave. His will states that she should only marry the man who chooses the right casket from three: gold, silver or lead. She has no choice in the matter and cannot assist a suitor who wishes to take a chance. If she should do so, her inheritance is forfeit.

Portia has no affection for any of her suitors, except one, Bassanio, who has not yet arrived at this point. She is much displeased with the current collection of visitors and is quite critical of, for example,  their bad manners and poor dress sense. The poor girl is quite flustered but has decided to respect her father's wishes. In fact, she has to whether she likes it or not if she wishes to be an heiress.  

What does the couple learn about the necklace?

Guy de Maupassant's short story "The Necklace" is about a Parisian middle class couple in the 19th century who come to grief over losing what they believe to be a very expensive diamond necklace.

Madame Loisel dreams of a different life. She envies the rich and dreams of what it would be like to live the life of a wealthy woman. When her husband brings home an invitation to a fancy ball, she needs, not only a new dress, but also a piece of jewelry. She borrows a beautiful necklace from her upper class friend Madame Forestier. For Madame Loisel the necklace is a symbol of the wealthy life she would like to live.

After having the time of her life at the ball, Madame Loisel discovers, upon arriving home, that she has lost the necklace. The couple searches everywhere but have no luck in locating the whereabouts of the necklace. Caught up in the reality of social norms at the time, the Loisels are unable to simply tell Madame Forestier that they have lost the necklace. Instead, they spend 40,000 francs (roughly $10,000) on a replacement necklace which is presented to Madame Forestier. 

In order to pay off the debt they accrue to buy the necklace, the Loisels live in poverty for ten years and, when Madame Loisel sees Madame Forestier one day she looks so different from the privations she has experienced that her friend does not recognize her.

Madame Loisel reveals that she gave Madame Forestier a different necklace because they lost the first one. She explains that buying the replacement threw the couple into debt and poverty. In the ultimate irony that closes the story, Forestier declares that the necklace was really a fake. It was basically worth nothing.

The moral of the story might be summed up simply: all that glitters is not gold. Or, the reader may surmise that the wealthy world Madame Loisel longed to be part of was really quite phony.  

Why does it take 9 loads to bring Sister's belongings to the post office in "Why I Live at the P.O.?"

There are two reasons why it takes nine loads to move Sister's things to the post office.

The first reason is basic and fairly factual. The girl who is helping her is pulling a little wagon, essentially a child's toy. (Welty tells us it is a small wagon just before she tells us it takes nine trips.)

The other reason is that even though Sister is supposedly so upset that she storms out of the house, she is still sufficiently in control of her self that she takes a lot of stuff with her. (This part is not stated openly, but is implied.) That tells the reader a lot about Sister. This is not someone who is really overcome by emotion, or acting on impulse. This is someone who makes a big, dramatic production out of everything, and who is willing to make a girl pull nine loads in a wagon for just a nickle.

How can we apply Homi Bhabha's theory on stereotypes and the notion of the stereotype as a fetish on a poem like Walt Whitman's "The Sleepers," or...

Homi Bhabha's understanding of the stereotype is that "ambivalence" is central to its discursive power. That is, "if the essential duplicity of the Asiatic or the bestial sexual license of the African...needs no proof," if it were already empirically understood, we would not need to keep saying that these notions are so. Moreover, according to Bhabha, the stereotypes "must always be in excess of what can be empirically proved or logically construed." 

The purpose of the stereotype is to offer "a secure point of identification." However, in another place and at another time, the stereotype may be "misread."

Fetishism is a method of making that which you are not a site of "delight and fear." 

Knowing this, let's examine Passage 6 in "Sleepers." A "red squaw" comes to breakfast. Interestingly, it is not the male narrator who is fascinated by her, but instead, it is his mother:

"My mother look'd in delight and amazement at the stranger, She look'd at the freshness of her tall-borne face and full and pliant limbs, The more she look'd upon her she loved her, Never before had she seen such wonderful beauty and purity..."

Because we learning about the mother's fascination through the male narrator's remembrance, we are getting a voyeuristic account which may have less to do with the mother's interest and probably more to do with that of the male narrator's who is focused on the squaw's "wonderful beauty and purity."

This passage in "The Sleepers" is interesting from a contemporary theoretical perspective, not only because it reflects Bhabha's notions of fetishism, but also because it is an instance in which the male gaze (see: Laura Mulvey) is imposed on a woman regarding another woman. 

If you wish to explore the possible stereotyping of Native Americans in another Whitman poem, I would consider, "Song of the Redwood Tree." In that poem, Whitman refers to the new settlers as "a loftier strain" and "a swarming and busy race settling and organizing everywhere...Clearing the ground for broad humanity, the true America..."

To whom is he referring? Whom would this group of settlers be juxtaposed against? Also, consider Whitman's use of anaphora and his continual use of certain synonyms in this poem. What impact does this language have? What purpose does it serve in his overall message?

It is important to know that Whitman strongly favored American republicanism, believing that the nation's democratic principles were most righteous. For this reason, he was a proponent of Manifest Destiny. One could argue that Whitman's "stereotyping" of Native Americans (and, in some poems, of black people) was necessary to construct the republic he envisioned.

What are some factors that contributed to Byzantine prosperity?

The Byzantine Empire contained almost all the land surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, as well as areas around the Black Sea.  There were periods of both prosperity and decline in the Byzantine Empire.  The Emperor Anastasius I "laid the foundations for Byzantine prosperity."  His successors took back previously conquered lands, leading to growth of the Empire. Later, years of volatility with neighboring Muslim empires led to "Arab invasions and raids."  When these raids slowly became less and less, the Byzantine Empire began to prosper again.  Growth in population also contributed to the prosperity of the empire.  More land was cultivated for agriculture, which also helped the Byzantine Empire to prosper.  Trade increased and silk production boosted the economy.  A provincial mint led to an increase in the money that was in circulation.  The Byzantine coinage became the "most stable and desirable" to be used for trade.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, how does Scout's commentary, "While Walter piled food on his plate, he and Atticus talked together like two men, to the...

In Chapter 3, Jem invites Walter over for dinner, and Scout narrates,

While Walter piled food on his plate, he and Atticus talked together like two men, to the wonderment of Jem and me (16).

Scout's description of Walter contrasts with his actions in school and the description of his family. During school, Walter is portrayed as a shy, respectful child who comes from a poor farming family. When Miss Caroline asks Walter Cunningham if he forgot his lunch, Walter lies to her because he is ashamed that his family cannot afford to provide him with a lunch. Miss Caroline then offers to lend Walter a quarter, which he refuses. Miss Caroline is perplexed, so Scout tries to defend Walter's actions. Instead of speaking up for himself and describing his situation, Walter quietly allows Scout to explain why he refuses to take the quarter.

In contrast, Walter seems confident and talkative during dinner. He speaks directly to Atticus like a "man," and is not shy at all. Walter also seems intelligent during his discussion with Atticus, which also contrasts with the way he is portrayed in school. In class, Walter is described as uneducated, like the majority of Scout's pupils. During dinner, Walter elaborates on the problems with the farm to Atticus, which amazes Jem and Scout.

Materials left behind by a mudslide may keep ____ from going down as quickly.

Water.

Materials left behind by a mudslide may keep water from going down as quickly. 

Mudslides are natural disasters in which rocks, mud, soil, trees, etc. are detached from their original location and rapidly move down a slope. A mudslide can be triggered by a number of factors including heavy rainfall (most common), earthquakes, erosion by streams of water, human activities, volcanic eruptions, or alternate freezing and thawing of water. These events can cause the soil and rocks to become loose and move down a slope. This downward motion gains acceleration as it spreads and covers more and more area as it travels down. When caused by heavy rainfall, the soil becomes fully saturated with water and tends to move down natural channels in the slope. Not all of the material is carried down by the mudslide, some being left behind. This material will obstruct the path of water and may cause it to go down slowly.

Hope this helps. 

In Julius Caesar, ending with, "... look upon Caesar," Caesar's name is repeated seven times in the first 21 lines of this scene. Comment on the...

The repetition of Caesar's name is a rhetorical device and closely resembles diaphora which is used to signify the importance of such a person and then to explain what the name means.

The reference in the above extract is found in Act 1, scene 2. It is the feast of Lupercal, a traditional celebration for fertility and purification. The scene opens with Caesar leading a large party. They are there to witness Antony running the course, which is a route he will run as part of the festivities. Caesar holds the highest authority and he obviously has to be there.

The repeated mention of his name signifies Caesar's importance. It emphasizes his authority and status. Its value lies in the fact that the audience is presented with a figurehead, an iconic leader, master of all he surveys. The name is a respected one and is known by all and sundry.

Caesar is the archetype of a leader. The repetition of his name does not only create an awareness of the individual, but it also creates an expectation - that the character so referenced will either perform some great deed or that an unexpected disaster would befall him. As it is, this second expectation is enhanced when Caesar is approached by a soothsayer, who warns:

Beware the ides of March.

Caesar, who is relishing his status, believes that he is practically invincible, does not heed the soothsayer's caution and dismisses him as a dreamer. This further heightens the audience's presumption that indeed, something is afoot. This is later confirmed by other events such as Caesar's cynicism about Cassius, Brutus's somber mood, Cassius's exhortation to Brutus, references to a malicious faction and Cassius's scheming and plotting.

Shakespeare gradually builds the tension by gently nudging the audience with light suggestions at first which gradually grow in intensity until they all come together and explode in the brutal climax - Caesar's bloody assassination.

Can the sun explode? If so, why?

If we look at the life cycle of stars, a star the mass of our Sun will not explode (I assume by explosion you may be referring to supernova explosion). Our Sun will continue to use nuclear fusion of hydrogen to helium for another few billion years. This reaction releases a large amount of energy and also keeps the current size of Sun, by preventing outer layers from collapsing inwards. Over time, the hydrogen in the core will run out and the material will start collapsing inwards. At that point, fusion of helium to carbon will start in the core of our Sun. However, remaining hydrogen in the outer layers will continue to fuse to helium. This will cause an expansion of the outer layers and the Sun will become a red giant, a very large celestial body. Over time, these outer layers will be detached from the inner core as the hydrogen runs out. The inner core will stabilize and form what is known as a white dwarf. Thus, no supernova explosion will take place for our Sun.

Such explosions take place for more massive stars.

Hope this helps. 

What are some examples of Daisy hiding behind a mask in The Great Gatsby?

Daisy is a debutante who only cares about money. She is a static character in the novel; she doesn't change from beginning to end. However, the reader's perception of her might change, as we first see her through Nick's eyes as a beloved cousin, then through Gatsby's eyes as the epitome of perfection, and then finally for who she really is: a shallow, self-absorbed woman incapable of true love.

Daisy could be said to 'wear a mask' because she has created a persona for herself. She has a voice like money, expresses over-the-top emotions, and uses her feminine charm to make people like her or draw them closer to her.

In Chapter Seven, Gatsby remarks that Daisy's voice is full of money, and Nick realizes it's true: "It was full of money — that was the inexhaustible charm that rose and fell in it, the jingle of it, the cymbals’ song of it. . . . high in a white palace the king’s daughter, the golden girl. . . ." Daisy's voice reminds people of money, so she could be said to be hiding behind the mask of her wealth. Perhaps she thinks people like her because she's 'the golden girl' and therefore doesn't allow people access to her real self, the girl who doesn't like them back.

When Daisy is first reunited with her cousin Nick at the Buchanan house in Chapter One, she isn't merely happy. She is paralyzed with happiness:

"'I’m p-paralyzed with happiness.' She laughed again, as if she said something very witty, and held my hand for a moment, looking up into my face, promising that there was no one in the world she so much wanted to see."

Here, Daisy uses words, gesture, and facial expression to draw Nick close to her like a fisherman reeling in a catch.

Daisy also speaks in a low voice, or a 'murmur,' to make people lean towards her: "I’ve heard it said that Daisy’s murmur was only to make people lean toward her; an irrelevant criticism that made it no less charming." (Chapter One) Perhaps Daisy feels that forcing people to lean closer to her will create the illusion that everybody likes her.

Daisy hides behind a mask of wealth and charm. But at the end of the novel, we realize that Daisy is not a lovable person when she chooses Tom over Gatsby, knowing that Tom is cheating on her while Gatsby really loves her - he even takes the rap for killing Myrtle. She chooses Tom because her real love is for his money and aristocratic roots.

In what chapter does Jonas talk to Gabriel?

Jonas tells Gabriel that there could be love in Chapter 16.

Jonas feels very close to Gabriel.  There are several reasons for this, including the fact that they both have pale eyes, a rare trait in the community.  Also, families are not usually allowed to have more than two children, so Gabriel is special.  Finally, Gabriel also has the Capacity to See Beyond.  This means that Jonas can give him the memories.

"Things could change, Gabe," Jonas went on. "Things could be different. I don't know how, but there must be some way for things to be different. There could be colors. …” (Ch. 16)

Jonas explains that there are many things Gabe and the other citizens of the community are missing out on, including grandparents.  Jonas saw the memory of grandparents, and it changed his perspective on human relationships.  He went home and asked his “parents” if they loved him.  They reacted with amusement, telling him he was using outdated and imprecise, meaningless language.

Jonas was horrified and saddened by this reaction.  Love was the most meaningful thing he had ever experienced, and to call it meaningless was sad.  Jonas spoke to Gabe quietly when they were alone in their room.

Gabriel's breathing was even and deep. Jonas liked having him there, though he felt guilty about the secret. Each night he gave memories to Gabriel: memories of boat rides and picnics in the sun; memories of soft rainfall against windowpanes; memories of dancing barefoot on a damp lawn. (Ch. 16)

Jonas says to Gabe that there could be love.  This is an important moment for Jonas.  He acknowledges the shortcomings of his community, and he associates Gabe with a future that is brighter.  The only way this future can be created is if Jonas helps it happen, by running away and returning the memories to the people.

When Jonas finds out that Gabe is about to be released, he leaves with the baby.  He has to rescue Gabe because no one else will.  Jonas has gotten attached to Gabe, and cannot allow him to be killed for the community’s misguided attempts at maintaining order.

How is sampling useful to a statistician and environmental engineering?

Before we answer the question let us first define what Sampling is. In simple terms sampling is taking a small portion (sample) of a population and analyzing in an objective manner such that it provides an accurate representation of an entire population. 

HOW IS SAMPLING USEFUL TO STATISTICIANS? 

In stats it is difficult and sometimes impossible to find the statistics for an entire population, hence sampling is a great way to gather information about a population. Let's illustrate this by the use of an example: 

If we were to determine how good is a loaf of bread is, how would we approach this? Certainly we will not eat the entire loaf of bread. Rather we would eat a slice and the study and analysis of the slice will suffice as an accurate representation of the entire loaf of bread (sample = slice, loaf of bread = population)

HOW IS SAMPLING USEFUL FOR ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERS

In Environmental Engineering, samples of waste water, drinking water, soil and hazardous waste is generally analyzed. Let's look at an example of a dam being contaminated with hazardous waste. 

Imagine an important dam in your country is polluted with hazardous waste from a nearby mine causing algae to accumulate and fish in the water to die. Are you going to analyse each fish in the dam? Or empty the entire dam? Obviously not! It will be time consuming and nearly impossible. Basically samples of water from different areas within the dam will be taken. Additionally fish from different parts of the dam can be taken for analyse. Hence, the samples of water and fish becomes a representation of the total population of the quality of water and fish in the dam. 

NB: It is important to take the correct and accurate samples using the correct techniques found in statistics. If one does not use the correct technique, your sample will have an inaccurate representation of the population.

What is a gene sequence?

A gene sequence is a genetic unit on DNA that is composed of a precise order of nucleotides. Nucleotides are the building blocks of nucleic acids, such as DNA. A nucleotide is composed of a central sugar, phosphate group, and a nitrogen base. The name of a nucleotide references its nitrogen base. There are four different nucleotides that are found in DNA. DNA’s four nucleotides are adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine.

The genetic sequence that is housed within DNA determines the structure of the proteins that are created during protein synthesis. The structure of protein influences the protein’s function. DNA determines a protein’s structure and function because DNA is transcribed to make mRNA. The mRNA is then translated to make the proteins.

In Goethe's Faust, how do both Faust and Gretchen each express an attempt to exceed the limits of social norms and expectations that surround them?...

Let us base the answer to this question entirely on their relationship, specifically, the disparate nature of their origins, the goals that they both have in mind, and how everything ends.

In Daniel Wilson's introductory analysis of Faust (Yale University Press version of 2014), Part One of Faust is much more effective than Part Two, particularly for the social commentary that it elicits. This social commentary comes in the form of the challenging of social norms that is evident in the relationship that Faust wants to start with Margaret. Being that she comes from such a different social status than Faust, we can already sense that the relationship will not turn out so well.

In order to understand exactly how Faust attempts to push the social norms with Margaret, we must know where she comes from and who she is.

In Goethe's Faust Part I Margaret, or Gretchen, is a very pious and innocent woman, and daughter. She is not perfect; she does enjoy the occasional attention of males, and she is aware of her beauty. Nevertheless, she is a woman of good and well-meaning intentions who expects to be married one day.

The problem with Gretchen is not so much her character, but that of the people who surround her. Part of the social commentary discussed by Wilson is the criticism of the "small town mentality".

This is the idea that small town people are equally small in intellect. Hence, those who live with, or around Gretchen, are quite unlikely characters. Her brother, Valentine, is brash and uncouth, her mother is money-hungry, and her best friend Marthe is quite mature in the ways of the world.

That woman seems to me expressly made
To play the pimp or ply a gipsy’s trade.

Still, Margaret is aware of her social limitations and she has an inkling that Faust may be way above her status. This is not to say that Margaret is poor, for she is not; however, she is in no way a sophisticated woman of the world, either.

I am, in truth, of humble blood—
The gentleman is far too good—
Nor gems nor trinkets are my own

How does she push her social limitations? 

She does this by accepting Faust as a potential lover, even knowing what could happen if she gets carried away. Gretchen does get carried away. She accepts gifts, and she even trusts him enough to accept a "sleeping potion" to keep her mother away from her room while she lets Faust in. The potion was actually poison, her mother dies, and Gretchen ends up pregnant with the child of this man, whom she hardly knows that well.  

Still, Gretchen does not demand marriage from Faust; not even love. She could be seen as a modern woman by the modern reader, in that she shows a clear understanding of what is at stake by being a single mother in her society. It is despair that leads her to kill the child (we know that the baby drowns, but we are not told how exactly it happened), and she is eventually sentenced to be hanged.

Therefore, Margaret allowed herself to take a risk in becoming involved with a man who was beyond her "station", and also took another risk in trusting him enough to allow him in her bed. All backfires on her, but God ends up forgiving her.

How Faust pushes his limits:

Faust is not a stupid man, by any means. He is a greedy, narcissistic and self-absorbed man, but not an unintelligent one. When Faust sees Gretchen for the first time, he is aware of her station, and he gets to see the pious side of her. He has been at a higher level his entire life, and knows what is at stake at trying to seduce a less worldly woman. Moreover, he knows that she is a woman of limits. He, of course, wants her to give in and break away from her standards. It is because Gretchen has a truly beautiful character, and is not just a pretty shell of a woman, that Faust starts to develop true and sincere feelings for her.

Unfortunately, even though Faust aggravates Mephistopheles by feeling more than just lust for Gretchen, Faust never really makes his wrongs into "rights". This means that he never really offers Gretchen any solid foundation to the romance that he wants to establish with her. He may have the capricious want to be with a woman of lesser station, but he does not show any indication of being serious enough to change his life for her.

All this being said, which of the two may be considered "successful" at breaking with the social norms?

Arguably, the big winner (as Part Two will anticlimactically show) will be Faust, himself. Leave aside the fact that he faces no consequences for decimating almost an entire family (Gretchen's), nor for ruining the poor woman, nor for never even bothering with the child he had with her... and not even for having sold his soul. After a number of moral deaths, Faust is just "let go" easily from his negotiation and, in an ending that had angered many readers, he gets to just continue to exist despite of everything.

Gretchen, unfortunately, may have shown signs of strength as a woman of her time undergoing terrible circumstances, but she ultimately suffered every consequence that Faust was spared.

What are types of sampling, purposive sampling, descriptive sampling difference?

Sampling is defined as a process that is used in statistical analysis in which a predetermined number of observations will be taken from larger population. 

In the question given we will be looking at two types of sampling: 

• Purposive Sampling


• Descriptive Sampling

1. Purposive Sampling

Also known as judgmental sampling, purposive sampling is a form of non-probability sampling technique. It is defined as the sampling used in a cases where there us a specialty of authority that can be used as a means of a representative sample in order to bring more accurate results that using probability sampling techniques. Basically, the process requires handpicking individuals from the population based on the individuals knowledge, authority or judgement, and this forms the sample representation for the entire population.

Example: A research wants to determine how to obtain a perfect score for one's SATs, and the only individuals that can answer this question is students who excel at their SATs. 

2. Descriptive Sampling 

Descriptive sampling (also called descriptive statistics) is defined as a sample of data that enables the analyzing of data that helps describe, show or summarize data in a meaningful way.

Example: The class average for mathematics for grade 10 was 60%. This only tells us the mean of the class. We know that not everyone scored 60%, some scores will be very high and some very low. Now descriptive sampling allows us to determine how widespread the data with the use of standard deviation, range, inter quartile range and variance. 

In Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, how does Henry Gatz hear about the funeral?

At the end of The Great Gatsby, Henry C. Gatz, Gatsby's father, comes for his son's funeral.  Nick receives a telegram announcing his arrival, asking that the funeral be delayed if necessary.  He shows up at Gatsby's mansion, "... a solemn old man, very helpless and dismayed..." (Fitzgerald 175).  He tells Nick that he read of his son's death in a newspaper in Chicago and that he had immediately set off to New York to be at Gatsby's funeral.  He asks Nick where his "Jimmy" (175) is laid out, which is in the drawing room of Gatsby's mansion.  Nick takes him and leaves him there to have a private moment to mourn his son.  After some period of time, Mr. Gatz emerges, still with some tears in his eyes, and Nick helps him to get upstairs to a bedroom. He is such a sad character, so proud of his son and believing him to have achieved the American dream.  

Why is the novel titled The Secret Life of Bees? Use a quote to support your answer.

Bees play a significant role in the novel, both symbolically and literally nurturing the characters.

You can interpret the title on many levels.  From a literal perspective, the story does teach us a lot about bees.  We learn how their hive functions, how to care for them, and the many uses of honey.  The book is actually pretty informative on the real secret life of bees.

Of course, the book is not an apiary handbook.  It is not just literally about the bees, but about what they present to Lily and the Boatwright sisters.  It is also about Lily's secret life.  Lily seeks sanctuary in the bees even before she runs away to the Boatwright house.  She sees them in her bedroom, and seeks solace from them.  She is a sensitive girl with a vivid imagination.

Bees are communal, and led by a mother bee in a sense.  Lily desperately wants a mother, and she finds several.  August Boatwright surely fills that role, but in some ways so do the bees.  In learning about the bees, and caring for them, Lily finds a purpose.  The Boatwright sisters are strong and nurturing, and Lily learns through them that she can be anything.

The symbolic nature of bees as mother is a repeated theme in the story.

“Nobody around here had ever seen a lady beekeeper till her. She liked to tell everybody that women made the best beekeepers, 'cause they have a special ability built into them to love creatures that sting. It comes from years of loving children and husbands.” (Ch. 8)

Women are complex, and so are mothers.  This is one of the things Lily learns.  Her story is tragic and defies simple definition.  She has to learn to give up her past, so that she can have a future.  Through her stay with the beekeepers, Lily is able to do that.  She eventually shares her secret with them, and a weight is lifted off of her.

Lily also experiences the bees as a metaphor for life, both in how to live life and how to live with people. August explains to Lily how bees are like life.

“She reminded me that the world was really one bee yard, and the same rules work fine in both places. Don't be afraid, as no life-loving bee wants to sting you. Still, don't be an idiot; wear long sleeves and pants….” (Ch. 5)

Again, she learns this from August, but also from May and June.  Each Boatwright sister has something different to teach her.  From August she learns compassion, and from June she learns resilience.  May teaches her to approach the world with whimsy to hide her pain.  

Life is not easy for Lily.  She has been hurt so often that she has trouble coping.  Through the bees and the lessons from the Boatwright sisters, Lily learns how to have friends and even how to fall in love.  She is surrounded for the first time in her life by people who care.  Lily went looking for her mother, but she found her family.

What does Antony convince the crowd of in his funeral speech?

Before Antony addresses the mob, he speaks an eloquent soliloquy ostensibly addressed to the dead Caesar. He reveals his intention of betraying Brutus and the others and causing a widespread riot which will drive all the conspirators out of Rome.

Over thy wounds now do I prophesy
.........................................................
A curse shall light upon the limbs of men;
.........................................................
And Caesar's spirit ranging for revenge,
With Ate by his side come hot from hell,
Shall in these confines with a monarch's voice
Cry “Havoc!” and let slip the dogs of war,   III.1
                                                    

Antony is all alone, and his life is in danger. He feels that his best prospect is to start a general riot, using Caesar's wounds and Caesar's will as his best weapons. If the conspirators are forced to flee the city, that will not mean they are defeated. Brutus and Cassius will raise armies, and there will be chaos throughout Italy for years. Antony intends to try to start a mutiny by persuading the mob attending the funeral that they were all personally injured by the conspirators because Caesar was their best friend and the conspirators committed treason when they butchered him. Antony's thesis might be summed up in the following excerpt from his funeral speech.

Even at the base of Pompey's statue,
Which all the while ran blood, great Caesar fell.
O, what a fall was there, my countrymen!
Then I, and you, and all of us fell down,
Whilst bloody treason flourish'd over us.    III.2

Shakespeare has Antony speak the soliloquy beginning with 

O pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth,
That I am meek and gentle with these butchers...

in order to show the audience that Antony is not just an athlete and an ignorant soldier, but also a highly intelligent and eloquent man. Otherwise his funeral speech would come as a big surprise. The audience knows that Antony is eloquent, but Brutus does not, or he would not have let Antony speak. Antony's funeral speech is probably the best thing Shakespeare ever wrote. It completely turns the tables on Brutus and Cassius. They are forced to ride out of Rome "like madmen." Antony is successful in triggering a city-wide riot involving arson, looting, and murders. He shows that he has accomplished what he intended when he says:

Now let it work. Mischief, thou art afoot,
Take thou what course thou wilt.

We have seen instances of urban mob rioting in America in recent times. Mobs always behave the same way. The first thing they think of is setting fires. This is what first occurs to the Roman mob.

We'll burn his body in the holy place
And with the brands fire the traitors' houses.

Since they are leaderless, they are capable of all kinds of senseless acts of destruction and violence. Shakespeare illustrates this mob-madness in Act III, Scene 3, in which a group of rioters encounter Cinna the Poet and tear him to pieces for no reason. The people at the bottom of society are chronically discontented. Men like Antony have always used the lowest class for their own purposes. Antony doesn't tell the mob what to do. He doesn't care what they do as long as they create total chaos. Eventually Antony, Octavius and Lepidus will take control and quell the worst disorder. But they themselves are in jeopardy. Their triumvirate is unpopular and unstable. In Act IV, Scene 2, Antony tells Octavius:

Brutus and Cassius
Are levying powers; we must straight make head;
Therefore let our alliance be combined,
Our best friends made, our means stretch'd;
And let us presently go sit in council,
How covert matters may be best disclosed,
And open perils surest answered.

To which Octavius replies:

Let us do so, for we are at the stake,
And bay'd about with many enemies;
And some that smile have in their hearts, I fear,
Millions of mischiefs.

Antony fully intended to start a riot by convincing the crowd that they had been betrayed and victimized by Brutus, Cassius and all the other envious conspirators. Antony had no alternative. He could not foresee how such a mob riot would end, only how it would begin. The men who were listening to his speech carried their outrage to others who had not heard Antony's speech. The rioting spread from quarter to quarter like a fire. Order would not be restored until some time after Brutus and Cassius were defeated at the Battle of Philippi, which is dramatized in Act V. 

In To Kill a Mockingbird, why are the Scout and Jem initially ashamed of Atticus?

Scout and Jem think Atticus is boring because, until he shoots the mad dog, they do not realize everything he can do and how important he is to the town.

Like most children, Scout and Jem are overly critical of their father. He is older than the fathers of most of their friends and neighbors. They find him boring. Scout says he is “satisfactory” when she first introduces him. This is hardly a glowing endorsement. As Scout gets older, she begins to think of her father as old.

Atticus was feeble: he was nearly fifty. When Jem and I asked him why he was so old, he said he got started late, which we felt reflected upon his abilities and manliness. He was much older than the parents of our school contemporaries, and there was nothing Jem or I could say about him when our classmates said, “My father—” (Chapter 10)

When the mad dog appears, the children realize there is more to their father. Atticus is the only person in the town who can take care of the dog, including the sheriff. The children had no idea their father was known as “One-Shot Finch.”

When the rabid dog comes onto their street, Sheriff Heck Tate is called. He knows the dog needs to be taken down in one shot because it is extremely dangerous. He gives the gun to Atticus.

“For God’s sake, Mr. Finch, look where he is! Miss and you’ll go straight into the Radley house! I can’t shoot that well and you know it!”

“I haven’t shot a gun in thirty years—”

Mr. Tate almost threw the rifle at Atticus. “I’d feel mighty comfortable if you did now,” he said (Chapter 10).

After this incident, the children have more appreciation for their father. They realize he has hidden talents he never mentioned to them. They also realize the people of Maycomb, such as Sheriff Tate, have a great deal of respect for Atticus. During the trial, they will see more of Atticus's talents as he is in the same position again, protecting Maycomb and doing the job no one else can or will do.