Find the periodic withdrawals for the annuity $105,000 at 5% paid out monthly for 23 years. (Assume end of period deposits and compounding at the...

We have a present value of $105,000 in an account bearing 5% annual interest. We wish to determine the monthly amount we can withdraw so that the account balance hits zero in 23 years:

Use the formula "PMT"="PV"*i/((1-(1+i)^(-n))) 

where PMT is the monthly payment, PV is the present value, i=r/m is the interest rate per compounding period (r is the annual interest rate and m the number of compounding periods per year), and n=mt is the number of compounding periods (where m is the number of compounding periods per year and t is the number of years.)

Substituting the known values we get:

"PMT"=105000*(.05/12)/(1-(1+.05/12)^(12(-23))) 

~~640.93 

The monthly payouts will be approximately $640.93

Please help me interpret the poem's meaning. What lines are particularly striking in "The Nature of an Action" by Thomas Gunn?

In this poem, Gunn describes a search for meaning and selfhood, using images of rooms. In the first stanza, he leaves a room that he is "fond" of, but which he also describes using heavy, confining, static images: "heavy-footed chairs," a glass "loaded" with "wax pears and grapes" (wax fruit is static). A polished table is described as "holding down" brackets, a mantelpiece and a "marbled" book. The word marbled refers to a type of paper that once lined books, but also doubles as yet another image of heaviness: marble is a heavy stone, a stone used for headstones. 

So following the desires of his heart, the poet leaves the room, but only steps into a "corridor," another confining space. The corridor is "narrow" and he finds himself in it for twenty years. It is "bare, dusty and hard," all unpleasant images, but the real problem, the poet recognizes, lies not with the corridor but within himself. His "habits" have made him an "obstacle" to his own quest for meaning and fulfillment. He finds himself running up against the "great obstruction of himself." 

During his time in the corridor, he finds a "passive illness" in himself that is characterized by self-doubt. Significantly, he repeats the word "doubted" twice: he "doubted" the corridor was real, and more importantly, he "doubted" himself. Doubt saps his will.

In the third part of the poem, he finally musters the will to act. The most significant part of the poem is the couplet that opens this final section: 

"My cause lay in the will, that opens straight/Upon an act for the most desperate."

He finally, though this act of will, has found the sense of selfhood that enabled him to open a door instead of wandering full of doubts in a hallway.

He finds the room he enters almost identical to the room he left twenty years before: it has the same heavy-footed chairs, wax fruit and marbled book. But even though it has not changed, the poet has changed:"Only my being there is different," he writes. The word "only" is ironic in this context: his change is the all-important crux that changes everything else.

In the end, Gunn says, our outward environment matters far less than our inward self. At the same time, the poet leaves uncertain as to what exactly has changed internally for him. We take his word that life will now be different--and perhaps his word is all that matters. 

In "The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe, what types of tone are used?

The narrator’s tone is self-congratulatory, humorous, and reflective.

The narrator of the story is Montresor, a mentally unstable man who has decided he needs to murder a man.  Montresor makes an interesting narrator because, as a madman, he is not afraid to say what he thinks.  Most of the time, Montresor’s tone is self-congratulatory, meaning he believes he is doing something great and is smarter than everyone else.  He is bragging about a murder he accomplished.

The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge… At length I would be avenged; this was a point definitely, settled --but the very definitiveness with which it was resolved precluded the idea of risk. I must not only punish but punish with impunity. 

The man did something to Montresor, and Montresor intends to do something about it and get away with his revenge.  This is self-aggrandizing and self-congratulatory talk.  Montresor feels superior to Fortunato.

Sometimes, the tone is humorous.  For example, when Montresor jests about the word “mason” and Fortunato’s connection to the special society of the Masons, it is actually pretty funny.  Montresor is not a Mason, and does not know the signs, so Montresor tells Fortunato he is a mason, meaning he is a bricklayer.

"You? Impossible! A mason?"

"A mason," I replied.

"A sign," he said, "a sign."

"It is this," I answered, producing from beneath the folds of my roquelaire a trowel.

"You jest," he exclaimed, recoiling a few paces. "But let us proceed to the Amontillado."

Montresor actually is a mason, at least for the moment.  He is planning to brick Fortunato up in the wall and leave him there.  That is his grand plan for getting revenge on the man for whatever wrong he committed.  Montresor had to explain the trowel somehow.  Montresor’s family motto "Nemo me impune lacessit" also adds humor. It means "no one attacks me with impunity."  In other words, when Montresor mentions his family motto, he is broadcasting his vengeful nature.  Fortunato is either too drunk or dense because he doesn’t seem to get it.  He isn’t suspicious and he doesn’t try to leave.

At the end of the story, Montresor becomes reflective.  He almost seems remorseful, but he might be using sarcasm.  When he is considering how he felt all those years ago,

My heart grew sick; it was the dampness of the catacombs that made it so. I hastened to make an end of my labour. I forced the last stone into its position; I plastered it up… For the half of a century no mortal has disturbed them. In pace requiescat! 

Montresor tells us that he was sickened, but it was not by his actions.  It could be remorse. He also ends with “Rest In Peace.”  Again, this could be sarcasm, or a genuine feeling of remorse.  He is telling this story fifty years later, so his reflection may have resulted in actual grief. 

In The Known World, what is the quote where Augustus is disgusted with Henry for owning slaves?

I believe the quote you are looking for is in Chapter 4 (page 138; this is the 2003 edition of the book), where Henry finally admits to his parents that he owns slaves.

Of all the human beins on God's earth, I never once thought the first slaveowner I would tell to leave my place would be my own child. I never thought it would be you. Why did we ever buy you offa Robbins if you gon do this? Why trouble ourselves with you bein free, Henry? You could not have hurt me more if you had cut off my arms and my legs.

As a black man, Henry must purchase his own slaves through William Robbins, a white plantation owner.

Using Henry's money, Robbins did all Henry's purchases of slaves before 1850 when a delegate from Manchester had the law changed. Most white men knew that when they sold a slave to Robbins, they were really selling to Henry Townsend (page 50).

Mildred and Augustus are deeply grieved at Henry's confession. Mildred accuses her son of doing things the "same old bad way." She has always taught her son that a man who was once a slave must never own one himself. It would be like going back to Egypt "after God done took you outa there." Meanwhile, Augustus is so furious that he beats Henry with a stick. Eventually, the altercation ends with Henry leaving his parents' house, as his mother looks on sadly.

What preparations did Montresor make before he led Fortunato into the catacombs?

Montresor chooses the carnival season as the time to go after Fortunato. Montresor surely supposes that Fortunato, a lover of wine and parties, will be at the carnival and probably drinking. He may have counted on Fortunato being intoxicated and therefore easier to manipulate.

Perhaps most importantly, Montresor has a cask of wine (amontillado) in the catacombs and uses this to lure Fortunato in. Montresor plays upon Fortunato's pride. He suggests that he might ask Luchesi as to whether the amontillado is genuine or not. Fortunato is much too proud of his knowledge of wines to allow this and he insists on tasting the wine himself.

So, Montresor counts on Fortunato being drunk when they meet and uses wine and Fortunato's own pride to manipulate him. As they descend, Montresor has Medoc waiting en route to the amontillado, which is deeper in. This helps calm Fortuanto's cough and keeps him intoxicated, thus making it easier to coax Fortunato (sometimes with reverse psychology) farther down. When they get to their destination, Montresor has chains, staples, and a padlock waiting. He uses these to chain Fortunato to the wall. He has stone and mortar waiting and he uses these to wall Fortunato in.

I need information on women during the Westward Expansion and the struggles they went through.

There were generally two categories of women who faced struggles during Westward Expansion in the United States.  

Some women stayed behind while their husbands or other loved ones went west and they suffered because of their absence.  Many men went west alone during the California Gold Rush.  Others traveled west to find land and prepare a home before sending for their families.  The women left behind had to care for their families and homes on their own.  Others had to find work.  Common work that women did to supplement their incomes during that time was to take in washing or to do mending or dressmaking.  Their husbands might not be able to earn money for months when they went west.  When they did earn money, it could take time to send it back home.

Other women traveled with their husbands or family members when they went west.  Most had to travel by covered wagon.  Journeys were full of long days of travel and extreme weather conditions such as heat, snow, and rain.  The trail could get dusty, and there was little people could do to wash.  Women had to walk on foot near the wagon in their long and heavy skirts.  There was also little privacy in a covered wagon.  Women had to cook over an open fire and do washing in rivers or ponds.  There was disease along the trails, as well as other dangers like drowning and injury.  When women arrived at their destinations, they often found themselves in sparsely populated areas with little community and could therefore suffer from loneliness.  In addition, men far outnumbered women in the west.  Even if a woman moved to a larger town or city, she might not have had many opportunities to make friends.

In "The Californian's Tale," what are some reasons the narrator feels he must leave the cottage for his own peace of mind?

In the beginning of “The Californian’s Tale,” the narrator is searching for gold in California.  He is in the Stanislau hills that have long been deserted by previous gold seekers. 

The narrator meets a man standing in front of a beautiful little house.  Since he had been living the life of a gold seeker, he hadn’t seen the comforts of a nice home in a long time.: 

"Here in this little house, my spirit seemed to come to life again." (pg 1)

Although he was entranced by the beauty of the house and by the beauty of the housekeeper, he knew he needed to move on and continue on his quest to find gold.  The man talked him into staying until Saturday, four days hence.  He said that day, his beautiful wife would be returning. The narrator wanted to meet her. 

At the end of the story, the man’s friends explain to the narrator that the lady was captured by Indians nineteen years before, and that the man went mad with grief upon losing her.  The reader can only imagine that the narrator will want to leave as soon as possible to maintain his own peace of mind for he had developed a curious fascination with the woman. 

My copy of the story came from the internet so the page numbers may not coincide with your copy, but it should be close. 

How can I do a research project on finance as it relates to the forestry industry?

One way to think about the role of finance in the forestry sector is through the program REDD+. This program, initiated by the United Nations, stands for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation. According to the UN, leading Climate Change research suggests that nearly 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions are related to forestry - including the effects of deforestation, forest degradation, conversion of forests into pastureland, agricultural expansion, destructive logging, fires, infrastructure development, etc. Therefore the aim of REDD+ is to create financial value for carbon sequestration - as a service provided by forests - in order to incentivize emission reductions in forest rich regions (e.g. primarily the developing world) and investments in sustainable management, conservation, and enhancement of forest stocks. However, there is criticism from both sides of the aisle - those who fear the social, economic, and environmental consequences of an expanded sphere for financial mechanisms; and those who fear the inability for financial mechanisms to be implemented given the inefficiencies and complexities of the market. 

Compare Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism in a short summary

Political unrest, confusion, and conflicts among the people led to the development of the three philosophies that sought to guide the people’s way of life amidst all the chaos. The three philosophies supported the need for respect. This was a step towards limiting the issue of conflict among the people. Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism supported the need to achieve individual goodness for the well-being of the society. The three philosophies emphasized that individuals were subject to particular elements in their environment. Confucianism required one to be respectful of others. Legalism required that individuals be loyal subjects to their government. Daoism emphasized the need for the individual to follow the path of nature.

Legalism was based on the idea that people were inherently bad, and harsh punishment was necessary to suppress such inclinations. Confucianism and Daoism were based on the idea that people were naturally good, but they required guidance to ensure they remained on the right path. Daoism was different from the other two philosophies because it allowed some level of individualism and free thought as allowed by nature. Confucianism was different from Daoism and Legalism because its main focus was on respect for elders.

What are some key ideas in Chapter Six of A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn?

Chapter Six of A People's History is entitled "The Intimately Oppressed." Zinn's focus in this chapter is on the systemic sexism that was fundamental to American society in the antebellum period. He claims that it is possible, reading "standard histories," to overlook "half the population of the country," meaning that these histories have focused primarily on men (102). He discusses the role of women in Anglo-American society, examining the ideological origins of women's roles by the nineteenth century. He discusses the so-called "cult of true womanhood" that emerged in the post-Revolutionary era. This ideology emphasized the piety, sexual purity, and submission expected of girls and women. He is especially interested in the emergence of feminist, or proto-feminist ideas that accompanied the rise of the abolition movement. The chapter finishes with quotes from two leading female activists, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, whose speech to the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848 demanded the right to vote for women, and Sojourner Truth, whose famous "Ain't I a Woman?" speech, in Zinn's words, "joined the indignation of her race to the indignation of her sex" (122). The nineteenth century, though dominated by the "cult of true womanhood," also witnessed women's participation in a variety of reform movements. So it became a sort of touchstone for the movement for women's equality.

In Romeo and Juliet, how does Lord Capulet's behavior change dramatically between Act 1, Scene 2 and Act 3, Scene 5? What are the causes for that...

Lord Capulet goes from being a jolly father to a tyrant.

When we first meet Capulet, he seems to be a great guy.  As far as he is concerned, everything is going well.  He finally gets to show off his daughter.  He has a big party for her, and is a very congenial host.  You would think Lord Capulet was the most generous and forgiving guy in the world.  He even isn’t bothered by Romeo’s unexpected appearance at the party.  However, soon he is complaining that if Juliet doesn't marry right away he will disown her.

When Capulet and Paris first discuss Juliet’s marriage, Capulet is not ready to have her married yet.  He tells Paris that she is too young to marry.

But saying o'er what I have said before:

My child is yet a stranger in the world;

She hath not seen the change of fourteen years,

Let two more summers wither in their pride,

Ere we may think her ripe to be a bride. (Act 1, Scene 2)

This is the same mindset he is in at Juliet’s party, when he seems like nothing more than doting father.  He wants everyone to have a good time, and doesn’t even care that Romeo is a Montague when Tybalt complains about his unexpected appearance at the party.

Content thee, gentle coz, let him alone;
He bears him like a portly gentleman;
And, to say truth, Verona brags of him
To be a virtuous and well-govern'd youth … (Act 1, Scene 5)

Capulet does not want to make trouble at the party and upset his guests.  He tells Tybalt to leave things alone, because he has heard good things about Romeo.  In contrast to Tybalt, Capulet seems even-tempered and kind.

What happens?  The next thing we know, Capulet is ready to marry off his only daughter, despite her objections, to a much older man.

Hang thee, young baggage! disobedient wretch!
I tell thee what: get thee to church o' Thursday,
Or never after look me in the face:
Speak not, reply not, do not answer me;
My fingers itch.  (Act 3, Scene 5)

While we might have been disposed to like Capulet before, and think he was a good father, we are no longer ready to nominate him for the Father of the Year award.  He threatens to beat Juliet, kill her, or disown her for not obeying him.  He has every bit as much temper as Tybalt in this scene.  Juliet is defying him, and he will have none of it.

So what happened?  The difference between these scenes is that Tybalt is dead.  Clearly, Capulet is grieving.  Tybalt must have meant a lot to him.  Maybe he realized that life is short.

Capulet’s insistence that Juliet marry, suddenly and against her will, is a direct line to Juliet and Romeo’s deaths.  Juliet cannot marry Paris.  She already married the love of her young life, Romeo.  Juliet was ready to marry, just not Paris.  Capulet refused to listen to her.  He went from thinking she was too young to marry to insisting that she marry the man of his choosing right away.

In explaining her plans to Ismene, Antigone says that "this crime is holy." What does she mean?

As Sophocles' tragedy Antigone opens, Antigone is explaining to her sister, Ismene, what she plans to do and asks her to help. Antigone intends to give her fallen brother, Polyneices, a proper burial despite the fact that Creon, her uncle who rules Thebes, has forbidden him to be buried because he has acted as a traitor. Ismene is shocked to hear that Antigone will commit a crime in violating a decree from Creon. 

Antigone argues her case by saying that her crime is holy. She explains that she will be sinless because she owes more allegiance to the realm of the dead than to that of the living, since the afterlife will be much longer than her life on earth. She accuses Ismene of violating the law of the gods in order to honor the laws of men. This sets up the philosophical conflict of the play: whether a person should obey the laws of the gods over the laws of men. Ismene is a foil to Antigone, for she chooses the safe path of following her uncle's orders while Antigone is willing to die for obeying what she considers to be higher laws. 

"In an attempt to resolve problems, violence must not be employed; for violence does not truly resolve anything; rather it induces enmity and...

The problem of violence and when it is justified is at the heart of “Julius Caesar”. The murder of Caesar is the act of violence first agonized over, then carried out in the first half of the play; in the second half we see the murder trigger acts of violence – including the self-inflicted kind – that destroy most of the play’s principal characters. So: was the violence visited on Caesar worth it? Looking at the fate of Brutus and Cassius, you might say no: they are both driven to suicide, and the civil war that engulfs Rome triggers more suicides (Portia and Titinius) and many murders (Cinna the Poet and, offstage, Casca and the rest of the conspirators). Not everyone loses when things turn violent though; there are two big winners: Octavius and Antony. Calculating and unsentimental, Octavius fills the power vacuum that is left by Caesar’s death, and calls on Antony and Aemilius Lepidus to form a triumvirate that will rule Rome. Though they all were allies of Caesar, or at least opposed to those who killed him, they all benefitted from Caesar’s removal. As far as how their three-party rule worked out, the story will continue in “Antony and Cleopatra”.

Is Romeo and Juliet a tragedy? Support your answer.

This play is indeed a tragedy. Most broadly speaking, literature can be split into two broad groups: comedy or tragedy. A comedy, in this sense of the word, doesn't have to be funny or make you laugh. It only has to have a happy ending in the sense that things work out for the main characters, usually to keep them alive. Were Romeo to have gotten word at the last minute that Juliet was not really dead and had simply waited for her awakening, the play would have been a comedy, even with no laughs (though Shakespeare weaves in jokes earlier in the play). But, alas, everything goes wrong and both of the star-crossed lovers kill themselves. Even more typically tragically, they are fated to die and die due to a series of mistakes that could have been prevented. In a typically tragic way, their own  flaws contributed to their deaths: both acted on impulse, without fully thinking through what they were doing.

"The Necklace," a short story by Guy de Maupassant, narrates the tale of a beautiful young woman whose life changes dramatically after she loses a...

In the short story The Necklace, the only one of those choices that falls into the exposition is the last one: she finds out she has an invitation to the ball. The exposition is where the characters are introduced and the problem is established. In this story, the problem, in Mathilde's mind, is that she is going to be embarrassed at the ball because she feels she and her husband are poor. But are they? They have a nice home with ornate items, food, clothing and even a maid. The story is told from her point of view, which is why on first read they seem poor when, in actuality, they are doing fine. The husband even has a bunch of money saved up!

The other items all happen later in the story, and are part of the rising action, climax, and falling action.

Hope that helps! For more information, check out the link.

What is an ideology and do we need them in our lives?

                This is a great question! Ideologies are quite complex and explored by literary theorists, philosophers, and students of sociology. One of my favorite definitions is by Terry Eagleton, a very prominent British literary theorist. He defines it in his book Ideology: An Introduction as:

 “A dominant power may legitimate itself by promoting beliefs and values congenial to it; naturalizing and universalizing such beliefs so as to render them self-evident and apparently inevitable; denigrating ideas which might challenge it; excluding rival forms of thought, perhaps by some unspoken but systematic logic; and obscuring social reality in ways convenient to itself. Such ‘mystification,’ as it is commonly known frequently takes the form of masking or suppressing social conflicts, from which arises the conception of ideology as an imaginary resolution to real contradictions.”(p. 5)

                The dominant power is often not a single person but rather a group capable of influencing others through various means such as propaganda, money, social influence, etc. Some examples of some dominant powers might be seen as the “developed” Western thought, patriarchy, political parties, and even economic systems like capitalism or socialism. This power contains various belief systems oriented around certain values. Because those values will likely contradict those of the submissive groups, the dominating powers seek to undermine or dismiss them to the point where it seems like there simply isn’t an alternative. It ignores the value contained within the voices of the other submissive groups and attempts to use logic in order to both maintain the dominance of its own beliefs and suppress the beliefs of others. The power is then motivated to maintain the ideology in order to preserve its identity as a dominant power.

                The key insight into ideologies, though, are that they are often so pervasive in the culture and the social construction of identity that we often can’t see them anymore. They are taken as the simple truth. That is what Eagleton means when he speaks of the “mystification” process. We don’t even realize that there are other alternatives or possibilities.

      Take something as common as brushing your teeth for instance. There is an ideology that the cleanliness of your mouth is signified by the minty-fresh aspect of the toothpaste. We have then come to associate cleanliness with the very “mint” flavor and sensation released by the toothpaste. Yet, do your teeth really need to feel that minty sensation in order to be clean? No! Of course not! It is simply to stimulate a response, so that whenever you don’t have that feeling, you feel your mouth isn’t clean and feel an impulse to brush your teeth. (And to continue buying the brand that provides that feeling). So who is the dominant power here? Probably the brands of toothpaste that promote the idea that mint signifies cleanliness. Who are the submissive powers? Those who think you can clean your teeth with something like baking soda or charcoal. (Yeah, see how your mind was just like "what?!" No way!)

     One of the larger concepts of ideology is often applied to patriarchy throughout history. For example, in the British Renaissance or even in the American witch hunts, there was a great movement of fear of crones (elderly women) that even the women believed. They often considered solitary women who were elderly to be witches. By demonizing feminine sexuality and normalizing a fear of women’s bodies, the patriarchal order was able to keep women in a perpetually destabilized identity. This is done by enforcing a belief that women must be in constant relation to some man, whether it is her husband, her brother or her father. Without one of the three, she is vilified as something unnatural. By keeping the woman continuously in fear of her own body and the body of other women, she is marginalized and isolated psychologically and socially to prevent the women from actualizing any agency. This even stretches far back into mythology and folklore (think the Baba Yaga of the Slavic folklore).

     Now, is ideology necessary? I would say that they aren’t necessary but they are unavoidable. Or, if you want to get really technical, ideologies are necessary to the dominant power in order to maintain belief in its own power and perpetuate that group as a dominant power throughout the ages. But are they necessary to the individual? Various ideologies contribute to the identity of the self but it isn’t necessary (at least in my opinion). I think the more important thing is to be able to realize where and what the ideologies are in the various power structures and how they are shaping your decisions and your own thoughts. Ideologies are everywhere, in every culture. So if you can learn to see where those mystifications are, those places in culture where we just assume what “is” as truth, then you can make more informed decisions on how you want to live your own life. Locating power and motivation is also important. If you can start seeing where the power lies and how they are motivated to maintain their ideology you will gain a certain kind of power in being able to actually navigate your own free-will.

What's definition of fast food?

Food is considered fast food if it can be made quickly, easily and relatively cheaply. Both the popularity and the negative effects stem from the nature of fast food. Cheaper ingredients are usually not healthier and the methods and ingredients that make the food taste good and cook quickly are not always healthy either.

The popularity of fast foods is due to the fact that it is a quick and easy meal as well as the fact that many people find it to taste good and most fast food companies have brightly colored child sized meals that contain toys or other items that appeal to children. Brightly colored commercial during children's television programming make it a top request among kids. Also, for the current environment where many people are working long hours, fast food is seen to be preferable to having to cook a meal after work.

While the extensive use of fats, salts and frying makes fast food far from healthy, the negatives of fast food are not limited to nutrition. Due to the demand for large quantities of agricultural items from chicken and beef to potatoes, the agricultural industry has changed significantly. Large scale agricultural operations now manufacture waste products at an unprecedented level. Instead of the picture that many people have of farms with animals roaming free in fenced in areas, the demand means that farmers end up going for the most possible animals per area. Because of the squeeze, especially in animal production, extra measures have to be taken to take care of E. coli and diseases that were not common contaminants. These measures include the use of antibiotics and ammonia and kerosene washes for meats before they get shipped out. 

Fast food is a popular and delicious food option for many Americans. It is convenient and fits easily into a fast paced life. When used as a staple meal, the increase in calories and the lack of proper nutrition in the meals can cause health problems such as obesity, but when used as a treat, the bad effects are not visible. While significant, the agricultural and environmental negatives are easy for consumers to miss because the agricultural aspect of the industry is so far removed from their lives.

What is the theme of "Papa who Wakes up Tired in the Dark” in The House on Mango Street?

In "Papa Wakes up Tired in the Dark," a chapter in Sandra Cisneros's House on Mango Street, Papa is strangely sitting on Esperanza's bed one morning. He tells her that "Your abuelito [grandfather] is dead." The father cries, which is very rare for him. Normally, the father has already left by that point of the morning, as he is so hardworking and has "thick hands and thick shoes," meaning that his hands and feet are worn and bloated from so much hard work. In the end of the chapter, Esperanza hugs her father and thinks about how upset she would be if he died. 

The themes of this chapter are Esperanza's connection to her father and her understanding of the loss he is experiencing after his father's death. The chapter also emphasizes her role in supporting the family when her father is grieving and when he has to go to Mexico for the funeral, and the division of the family across the U.S.-Mexican border. 

I need a summary of The Prophet by Gebran Khalil Gebran (English spelling: Khalil Gibran)

This beautiful Lebanese work is at base a compendium of wisdoms set in a quasi-poetic form, but actually a series of metaphors illustrating ancient wisdoms. The vehicle is a journey by foot of a wise man who has been in the mountains meditating and is now walking to the seaside through a village, answering the questions shouted at him by the villagers as he passes (compare Thus Spake Zarathustra). It is a sort of farewell gift to the villagers (read “humanity”) before he embarks on a journey to an unspecified distant land. Thus the entire mise-en-scene is a metaphor for a man (Gibran?) on his deathbed, saying his last words in the form of wisdoms passed on to the next generation. For example, somebody asks “Tell us of marriage” to which he replies “The pillars of the temple stand apart, and the oak and the cypress grow not in each other’s shadow.” These metaphors tell the asker that while the married couple is a pair (holding up the "temple"), a team, nevertheless they have the right to be individuals also, and that their partnership should not inhibit their growth as individuals. In summary, then, each question asked gets a little “story” told to illustrate the wisdom underneath.

What is the Impact of Terrorism on Culture and Identity in Salman Rushdie’s Shalimar The Clown?

In Shalimar the Clown, Rushdie shows that the impact of terrorism on culture and identity exists on both political and personal levels.

One of the reasons why Rushdie's work is so effective is because it provides a complex view of terrorism.  The work shows that terrorism's roots are as much personal as they are political.  As a result of existing on multiple levels, terrorism is shown to have a profound impact on culture and identity. Rushdie depicts terrorism as part of a new globalized world where “Everywhere was now a part of everywhere else,” and “Everyone’s story was a part of everyone else’s.”  As a result, terrorism is not static.  It is dynamic and it can be felt in so many different areas because it intricately exists in so many different terrains, thereby profoundly impacting culture and identity.

Shalimar embodies the existence of terrorism on multiple levels.  His love of his native Kashmir and Boney are so intensely powerful that when both are ruptured, Rushdie shows how terrorism is both personal and political.  When Shalimar says to Boney, "I’ll kill you and if you have any children by another man I’ll kill the children also,” it shows how the intense passion can be as   destructive as creative. Shalimar's murder of Max operates on both levels.  In Shalimar's mission, Rushdie is able to show how terrorism impacts culture and personal identity.

Rushdie sets side by side the "the beauty of Kashmir" with its "gorgeous terrain and the jovial lifestyle of the villagers of Pachigam" to military occupations that shattered this reality. Rushdie is able to show how terrorism grows from personal hurt into political action.  When Shalimar's mother curses the Indian soldier, it is an action that is cultural and identity- based.  

Rushdie shows that terrorism grows into something political from a seed that is personal.  He shows that terrorism impacts cultural and social identity because it "take beauty and creates hideousness," leaving behind vengeance and anger.  Shalimar's personal vendetta against those who broke his heart helps to fuel his time in terrorist camps.  The ending of the novel where Shalimar hunts down Kashmira Noman is as much political as much as it is personal.  The "virginal blade" that Shalimar reserves for his victim shows the extent to which terrorism impacts culture and identity in the modern setting.

How did the building of the transcontinental railroad and the Klondike gold rush bring about changes to the American West?

Prior to these two events, the American West was generally an undeveloped region, inhabited primarily by native tribes and a few American prospectors. 

The completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869, however, brought dramatic changes to the west. Thousands of people headed to this region, especially immigrants, eager to explore this new land and to find new opportunities. For the native tribes, this expansion created conflict and had some important consequences: by the 1880s, for examples, many tribes had been forcibly moved to reservations. 

The Klondike Gold Rush began in 1896 when three Indians found gold near Dawson in the remote area of Klondike in the Yukon. It took almost a year for word to spread but, once it did, over 100,000 Americans headed off to the Klondike to seek their fortune. Like the transcontinental railroad, the gold rush had huge consequences: Dawson, for example, was transformed from a tiny town to the largest city north of San Francisco. It was so important that it became the first city in Western Canada to have electric lighting and officially became a Canadian Province on June 13 1898. 

In "Harrison Bergeron," what does Kurt Vonnegut seem to say about individuality?

In "Harrison Bergeron," Kurt Vonnegut implies that human individuality is dangerous to a society that feels the need to control its citizens. The entire story revolves around this idea that "everybody was finally equal." But people weren't equal in actual ability or opportunity. Instead, the United States passed Constitutional amendments to ensure that everyone was equal in inability. In other words, the government (particularly the handicapper general) instituted a system of control that removes all individuality from America's citizens.

Vonnegut's first examples of this idea of control by removing citizens' individualities are George and Hazel Bergeron. Hazel suffered from "perfectly average intelligence" while George's "intelligence was way above normal." Regardless of George's mental superiority and his ability use this intelligence for the common good, the government, under the direction of the handicapper general required George to wear "a little mental handicap radio in his ear ... at all times." Intermittently, the government would send out distracting sounds that would prevent George (and others with above average intelligence) from thinking too hard, thus possibly challenging the system of control the U.S. government has instituted.

Harrison Bergeron, George and Hazel's son, exemplifies Vonnegut's statement about the power of human individuality to challenge a system of control. Vonnegut indicates the power of individuality as Harrison, at the story's climax, "tore the straps of his handicap harness like wet tissue paper" and "snapped [his head harness] like celery." In addition, Harrison leaps 30 feet into the air with the ballerina he chose to be his empress. However, Vonnegut, again, shows how the government and other powers fear individuality. In the middle of this expression of the self, Diana Moon Glampers, the handicapper general comes in with a shotgun and kills Harrison and his empress.

By the end of the story, it is clear what Vonnegut is implying: stick with the system of control and lack any form of self and live or rip off the shackles of control, soar to the roofs of building with a single leap and die.

In what chapter of The Scarlet Letter is Dimmesdale's mark first revealed?

Dimmesdale's mark is first revealed in the novel's penultimate chapter, "The Revelation" (Chapter 23). He calls Hester and Pearl to him, just after he has delivered the Election Day sermon, and though Roger Chillingworth tries to stop it, Dimmesdale asks Hester to help him up onto the scaffold. He says to the disbelieving crowd, "'behold me here, the one sinner of the world! At last! — at last! — I stand upon the the spot where, seven years since, I should have stood.'" First, he confesses his guilt and his connection to this woman and her child. He asks them to look again at Hester's scarlet letter and claims that it is only a shadow of the one he carries on his own chest, of the one that is burned into his own heart.

Then, "With a convulsive motion, he tore away the ministerial band from his breast. It was revealed! [....] For an instant, the gaze of the horror-stricken multitude was concentrated on the ghastly miracle." It is at this moment that Dimmesdale reveals the mark on his own breast, and Chillingworth realizes that the minister has "escaped" him. Pearl kisses Dimmesdale, and "A spell was broken."

Later, in the last chapter, "Conclusion," the narrator says that "Most of the spectators testified to having seen, on the breast of the unhappy minister, a SCARLET LETTER — the very semblance of that worn by Hester Prynne — imprinted in the flesh." They speculate that he tortured himself by putting it there, perhaps with a blade, perhaps with a brand, but neither we—nor they—know for sure.

In "The Cop and the Anthem," what did Soapy realize when he was standing near his childhood home?

At the end of "The Cop and the Anthem," Soapy may have been thinking about his childhood home, along with other memories of his past, but he was not standing near it. He was in Manhattan, standing on the sidewalk outside a church where the organist was playing a familiar anthem that brought back a flood of memories. Soapy was thinking about how far he had allowed himself to slide downhill since the days when he was a respectable citizen and a member of the middle class. The music, along with the uncanny failures he had just experienced in trying to get himself arrested, were inspiring him to reform.

He would pull himself out of the mire; he would make a man of himself again; he would conquer the evil that had taken possession of him. There was time; he was comparatively young yet; he would resurrect his old eager ambitions and pursue them without faltering. Those solemn but sweet organ notes had set up a revolution in him. 

But he had waiting too long. He had gone too far down the wrong path to be able to turn around and go back. He is brought to this cruel realization when he feels a hand on his arm.

"What are you doin' here?” asked the officer.
“Nothin',” said Soapy.
“Then come along,” said the policeman.

Doing "nothin'" for a homeless man with worn-out clothes and no money in his pockets means "vagrancy" and "loitering." He had strayed too far from his own neighborhood, where bums could get by with sleeping on park benches and panhandling for nickels and dimes to buy food. In this more respectable neighborhood of middle-class, church-going New Yorkers, Soapy was too conspicuous. 

The story may remind readers of O. Henry's "A Retrieved Reformation," in which Jimmy Valentine, a safecracker on the lam from the law, decides to reform in order to win a beautiful and highly respectable small-town girl and become a successful businessman and a solid citizen. Jimmy almost suffers a fate similar to that of Soapy, but Fate gives him another chance.

How old is Boo Radley in the book To Kill a Mockingbird?

Harper Lee never tells us the exact age of Boo in the book, but we can make some inferences of a general age.  When Boo is a teenager, he is arrested for resisting arrest when he and his friends drove around the Maycomb Square backwards in a car.  He was also known for hanging out, drinking, gambling, and running around with a bad crowd.  At the time of his arrest, we can probably infer that Boo is probably around 16-18 years old.  Harper Lee then tells us that Boo hasn’t been seen in 15 years since that incident.  So, if we do the math, that would probably put Boo in his mid to late 30’s by the end of the novel.  Most readers picture Boo as an old man; however, once we realize that he is a relatively young man, it makes his story and existence even sadder. 

I need a brief outline of the Protestant Reformation including what it was, where it happened, and when it happened.

Where: The Protestant Reformation was a Northern European and British phenomenon. 

When: The Protestant Reformation began in 1517 with the promulgation of Martin Luther’s “95 Theses.” The ensuing conflicts over religious freedom continued for well over a century, with victories for Protestantism in 1534 with Henry VIII's foundation of the Church of England followed by the 1555 Peace of Augsburg in Germany and the 1648 Treaty of Westphalia.

What: The Protestant Reformation arose as a protest against what the reformers considered corrupt practices in the Roman Catholic Church, especially the sale of indulgences. Its intellectual foundation moved beyond specific corrupt practices to a somewhat different theological foundation. Protestants believed in the "sola scriptura" ("the Bible alone") doctrine, that the Bible alone is sufficient for salvation, and thus challenged the authority of the Catholic hierarchy and advocated "the right and duty of individual conscience" against clerical authority. They also believed in giving communion to the laity in "both kinds" (bread and wine) and allowing the laity to read the Bible in the vernacular, practices alien to the Roman Catholic Church of the period. 

Leading Figures: Ulrich Zwingli, John Calvin, Martin Luther

`int (x^2 + 2x) cos(x) dx` Evaluate the integral

`int (x^2+2x)cosx dx`

To evaluate, apply integration by parts `int udv = uv - int vdu` .

So let

`u = x^2+2x`

and

`dv = cosx dx`

Then, differentiate u and integrate dv.

`du = (2x + 2)dx`

and

`v = int cosx dx = sinx`

Plug-in them to the formula of integration by parts. So the integral becomes:

`int (x^2+2x)cosx dx`

`= (x^2+2x)sinx - int sinx * (2x + 2)dx`

`= (x^2 + 2x)sinx - int (2x + 2)sinx dx`

To take the integral of (2x + 2sinx)dx, apply integration by parts again.

So let

`u_2 = 2x + 2`

and

`dv_2 = sinx dx`

Differentiate u_2 and integrate dv_2.

`du_2 = 2dx`

and

`v_2 = -cosx`

So the integral becomes:

`= (x^2+2x)sinx - [ (2x + 2)*(-cosx) - int -cosx * 2dx]`

`=(x^2+2x)sinx - [-(2x + 2)cosx + 2int cosx dx]`

`=(x^2+2x)sinx - [-(2x + 2)cosx + 2sinx]`

`= (x^2+2x)sinx +(2x +2)cosx -2sinx `

`= (x^2+2x - 2)sinx + (2x + 2)cosx`

Since the given is indefinite integral, add C.

`= (x^2+2x - 2)sinx + (2x + 2)cosx + C`

Therefore, `int (x^2+2x)cosx dx = (x^2+2x-2)sinx= (x^2+2x - 2)sinx + (2x + 2)cosx + C` .

On Mars a rock falls an unknown vertical distance from a resting position and lands in a crater. If it takes the rock 2.5 seconds to fall, how high...

Hello!

Denote the gravity acceleration near the surface of Mars as `g_M.` The only force acting on a rock is the gravity force which gives a rock a constant acceleration of `g_M` by Newton's Second law. We can ignore air resistance because the atmosphere of Mars is not very dense and the speeds are moderate.

The initial speed is zero ("falls from a resting position"). Therefore the height of a falling rock may be determined by the equation

`H(t)=H_0-g_M*t^2/2,`

where `H_0` is the initial height in meters and t is a time in seconds. `H_0` is measured off the crater's bottom here.

We know that after the time `t_1=2.5` s the height becomes zero. So  H_0=g_M*(t`_1)^2/2 approx 11.9` (m).

On Earth this distance would be about 2.5 times greater due to greater gravity acceleration.

How would a Georgian during the antebellum period likely have earned a living?

Before the Civil War, the United States was divided by many factors. One of those factors was economic. The North was mainly an area with lots of industries. With many natural resources nearby, with good ports, and with a climate not well suited for farming, it was natural for the North to develop many industries. The South, on the other hand, had a good climate for farming. The weather was warm and mild. The South had very fertile soil. Thus, it made sense for the South to concentrate on farming.

A person living in Georgia before the Civil War was very likely a farmer. This person may have been a small farmer with no or few slaves, or this person may have been a plantation owner with many slaves. It is very likely one of the crops this person would have grown was cotton. By 1860, cotton was the main export of the South. Some people may also have grown rice.

It is very likely a person in Georgia before the Civil War was a farmer growing either cotton or rice.

What does "danse académie pour de ballet" mean in English?

One simple way to understand the French expression "danse académie pour de ballet" is to break it down and translate all the lexical items it is made up of in English. Note that this technique has several shortcomings. For instance, it would not work when you try it with idiomatic and figurative expressions in a language. Nevertheless, it will work in this case.

The word "danse" in French means "dance" in English. Similarly, "académie" means academy, which is a place or institution where you study or get training in a particular field. Note that both these words are cognates. Next, "pour de" is a French preposition, which, in meaning, is close to the preposition "for" in English. And, as we know, "ballet" is a specialized form of dance, which is usually learnt by practice and training from experts. 

"Danse académie pour de ballet," refers to a dance academy that specializes in imparting training for ballet dancing.

What are two similarities between Cassius and Brutus that motivates them to join the conspiracy against Julius Caesar?

In Act I, Scene II we see similarities which draw them together, really at the prompting of Cassius, who is trying to draw Brutus into the conspiracy. 

First and foremost, both are concerned about Caesar being given too much power. The word "King" was literally and figuratively a four-letter word during this time, and both fear that Caesar is about to receive this honor.

"I do fear the people choose Caesar for their King" (Brutus).

It is this quote that Cassius uses to help launch into his conspiracy.

Second, they both can see benefits for Rome with Caesar out of the picture. Brutus is more noble than Cassius, so his motivations are more pure. He does not wish to see a tyrant take power. Neither does Cassius, but Cassius is also personally jealous of Caesar, which is part of his own motivation.

Discuss the following statement: drama is conflict.

The statement "drama is conflict" implies that one cannot exist without the presence of the other. More specifically, without conflict, it is not possible for drama to exist. 

Many examples of this dependent relationship between conflict and drama can be found in literature. In To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, there are many examples of conflict. Atticus has conflict with society due to his belief in equality among races. Without this conflict, many dramatic scenes, such as the scene outside Tom Robinson's cell prior to the trial, would not be possible. Without the conflict between Bob Ewell and Atticus, scenes such as the attack on the children would not be possible. 

While it is clear that drama is dependent on conflict, one must be careful not to use the two terms synonymously. Conflict is the friction of ideas, characters, motivations, etc, that creates a story, which is drama. If conflict is the fight, one could say that drama is the relationship that exists before, during and after the fight occurs. 

Is zero unemployment feasible?

Zero unemployment is not feasible. Unemployment, or employment, can be seen as an inverse, or countercyclical relationship, to demand of employees. That is, the supply of unemployed workers has an inverse relationship to the demand of employed workers. 

In economic theory, there is a point at which supply and demand reach an equilibrium.  This point is above zero. That is, there is a point at which all unemployed workers in the market meet the current demand for employees in the market. Nevertheless, this would not create zero unemployment.

In order for zero unemployment to exist, all employable workers must meet all of the skills and all of the demands of the open positions in the market. Likewise, all of the open positions must meet the skills and salary requirements of all employable workers (or those seeking employment). To create such a balance in the market would be nearly impossible. Some level of unemployment must exist in order to ensure that available employed workers are able to fulfill open positions. By doing so, organizations will be able to monitor productivity and adjust productivity accordingly.

In To Kill a Mockingbird why are Jem and Scout embarrassed about their father in chapter ten?

Scout the narrator opens Chapter 10 of To Kill a Mockingbird by describing Atticus as old and feeble:

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. (Ch. 10)

In other words, Scout and Jem are embarrassed by the fact that Atticus is older than the fathers of other kids their age and feel he is feeble because of his age.

In their eyes, Atticus's feebleness is revealed in many ways. First, Atticus is unable to play football with Jem, which severely disappoints Jem since he loves football so much. Atticus is able to play keep-away, but whenever asked to play tackle football, Atticus replies, "I'm too old for that, son." Second, Scout feels his feebleness is reflected in his boring job. In Scout's eyes, Atticus doesn't do anything interesting like "drive a dump-truck for the county," be a sheriff, a farmer, or work in a garage. All Atticus does is work in an office, which is not "anything that could possibly arouse the admiration of anyone."

However, as the chapter progresses, the children soon learn Atticus has talents he keeps secret, such as excellent marksmanship. As the novel progresses, the children learn just how admirable Atticus's job as a lawyer truly can be.

It is said that an image creates a mental picture in the reader or a listener whereas a symbol represents something but in literature , not only...

Great question! First of all, it's important to understand that there are different types of imagery. There is visual imagery, which is what you are talking about, and then there is auditory (hearing), gustatory (taste), olfactory (smell), tactile (touch), and kinesthetic (movement) imagery. So each of these types of imagery creates some sort of feeling or sensation for the reader. For example, if a writer talks about homemade chocolate chip cookies that just came out of the oven, you can probably recall this smell and your mouth might start watering. These would be examples of olfactory and gustatory imagery. In addition, this might create visual imagery for you-you might imagine what your mother's cookies looked like when you were a child.

Visual imagery is unique to each reader. We all "see" in our mind's eye different images and pictures of what the author is describing, according to the author's description. The author might describe a small, one room cottage with cream-colored walls and a dirt floor, but if you asked 2 different readers to draw a picture of what they thought that looked like, the pictures would undoubtedly have some differences.

While a symbol can be an example of visual imagery, it does not have to be. The definition of a symbol, according to literary-devices.com, is a "literary device that contains several layers of meaning, often concealed at first sight, and is representative of several other aspects, concepts or traits than those that are visible in the literal translation alone. A symbol is using an object or action that means something more than its literal meaning." A symbol is also repeated throughout a literary work to signify something or create meaning. An example of a visual symbol is the green light and the color green that appear throughout The Great Gatsby, symbolizing hopes and dreams, and also money. Color, of course, is visual, but a symbol has deeper meaning, it does not merely provide an image.

How is Paul similar to a tragic hero?

A tragic hero is typically an upper-class person who, through a character flaw or mistake of judgment, comes to a bad end. Paul comes from a well-to-do family. He lives in a fine house with servants but it is a home that is plagued by the mother's insatiable desire for more and more money. Paul is a child and his flaw may be said to be his mixture of relentless, determined pride and naive hope: he believes that he can fix his mother's problem, and is unable to recognize that no amount of money will ever be enough to fill the hole in his mother's heart. His mistake is his belief that if he can ride the rocking-horse long enough and hard enough, he can win enough money at the races to make his mother happy and earn her love. The price of this is his own death: he kills himself to win her the Derby money.

Why does Leigh's attitude change by the end of Beverly Cleary's Dear Mr. Henshaw?

In Beverly Cleary's Dear Mr. Henshaw, Leigh's attitude changes toward the end of the book due to excellent advice he receives from Mr. Fridley, the school custodian.

By February, Leigh is so brokenhearted by his father's treatment that he feels he has to take it out his anger on someone. He tries to seek revenge on the lunch thief by kicking any lunch he comes across down the school hall. Mr. Fridley stops him and says, "I don't want to see a boy like you get into trouble, and that's where you're headed" ("Tuesday, February 6"). When Leigh responds by complaining about not having any friends, Mr. Fridley tells him he "scowls all the time," which isn't very friendly, and tells him he is so wrapped up in his own problems that he's forgetting to notice everyone around him has problems. Mr. Fridley then says, to overcome Leigh's problems, he's "gotta think positively."

It is at this point in the story that Leigh begins to think positively. First, he is made happy when he sees swarms of beautiful monarch butterflies in a butterfly tree park. Then, he thinks positively by rigging an alarm inside of his lunchbox. The rigged lunchbox fails to catch the thief but helps Leigh make friends because the whole school is very impressed with his invention.

He even begins thinking positively about the lunch thief because he no longer cares to find out who the thief is; he realizes he no longer wants to judge the thief:

Maybe he was just somebody whose mother packed bad lunches—jelly sandwiches on that white bread that tastes like Kleenex. Or maybe he had to pack his own lunches and there was never anything good in the house to put in them. . . I'm not saying robbing lunches is right. I am saying I'm glad I don't know who the thief was, because I have to go to school with him ("Thursday, March 15").

Leigh also develops a more positive attitude about his father. Though he still misses his father and feels hurt, he has come to accept that his father will disappoint him and cannot be relied on. He has also begun to feel compassion for his father out on the lonely road, which is why Leigh tells his father he can keep Bandit once Bandit has been found and returned to Leigh.

How did Jonas feel after he was assigned to be the new Receiver of Memory?

Jonas is chosen to be the new Receiver of Memory at the very end of chapter 8.  The reader learns about his emotional state at the end of that chapter and throughout chapter 9.  

After Jonas's job is announced to the community, everybody begins chanting his name.  Jonas feels honored and proud at this moment. . . and terrified all at the same time.  He knows it's an honor and a big responsibility.  

His heart swelled with gratitude and pride. But at the same time he was filled with fear. He did not know what his selection meant. He did not know what he was to become. Or what would become of him.

Then chapter 9 begins, and Jonas's feelings begin to change to dread and loneliness.  

Now, for the first time in his twelve years of life, Jonas felt separate, different. He remembered what the Chief Elder had said: that his training would be alone and apart.

The full impact of what he has been assigned hits, and Jonas is scared.  The Receiver of Memory is not a common assignment.  To make matters worse, the previous Receiver flunked out and was never heard from again.  In fact, her name is forbidden to be spoken.  That's a big deal in Jonas's community.  To make matters worse, his parents refuse to talk about what happened to the previous Receiver.  

But his parents looked blank. "We don't know," his father said uncomfortably. "We never saw her again."

As Jonas reads through his training instructions, he learns that he is not allowed to discuss any of his training with other people.  That compounds his feelings of solitude.  By the end of chapter 9, it is clear that Jonas is not glad to be the new Receiver of Memory.  

In Of Mice and Men, one of the themes is sacrifice vs friendship. How can you prove this?

The theme of friendship and sacrifice are both present. However, I do not think that they are in competition. In other words, one does not negate or challenge the other.  Rather there is strong case to be made that friendship leads to sacrifice. Here are a few examples.

First, George sticks with Lennie when Lennie gets him in trouble. George does this, because Lennie is his friend.  From this perspective, George’s sacrifice is rooted in friendship.

Another example comes at the end of the novella.  When Lennie accidentally kills Curley’s wife, George is faced with a choice.  George thinks about the situation, and he knows that the men will come looking for Lennie and kill him in a horrible death.  In George’s mind this is inevitable.  So, George takes Carlson’s luger and goes after Lennie and shoots him while he tells him their dream of having a farm.

George does not shoot Lennie, because he is angry or bitter. He does this, because he loves Lennie as a friend.  He sacrifices Lennie for Lennie.

How does a project differ from other management activities?

The broad term “management” refers to the activity of observing, handling, adjusting, and being responsible for the success of a complex operation, be it the financial success of a business enterprise, or the efficient functioning of one aspect of a complex undertaking. The management task is considered a daily, ongoing task (in fact, one method is called "management by walking around")A project, by definition, implies a complex coordination of several disparate departments, skills, personnel, and substructures requiring a managerial oversight that insures the successful meshing of all its parts, toward a specific, foreseen, and named result. An example will clarify these abstract terms: a business names a project, say the launching of a new product onto the market. The project’s manager then forms a team of personnel, and oversees the team’s progress toward the actual launch – branding, advertising venues, distribution on the wholesale level, perhaps even production schedules. Like all management, managing a project requires excellent communication skills, an organized mind and attention to details; in addition, managing a project requires good time management, a sense of how people work together, good conflict resolution skills,  and sensitivity to the market’s time clock.  Since there is a measurable, visible result of the project, the management skills (and shortcomings) are immediately measurable as well.

What are the pros and cons of the United States government withholding information from its citizens?

This really depends on the type of information that is being withheld. For example, one major controversy at this time is the so called "ag-gag" laws in which state legislatures are making it illegal to publicize animal abuse in industrial livestock organizations. Criminalizing honest reporting does a major disservice to the public; the public also has a right to know the amount of money legislators are receiving from the agriculture industry so that they can make informed decisions about voting.

Similarly, the existence of Super-PACs harms the democratic process by making opaque the names of people who are funding political candidates, subverting the democratic process which is based on voters' ability to make informed choices. The government needs to ensure that all information relevant to making judgments that inform voting, including politicians' contacts with lobbyists and campaign funding, is freely available. 

A less clear cut case is funding for military projects. Some of military spending is opaque because the money is spent on "black projects", highly classified projects whose funding details are not made publicly available; in fact, details of some such projects may not even be available to most members of Congress.

On the one hand, it is important that leading edge developments in military technology not fall into the hands of foreign powers, and keeping all information about such projects on a "need to know" basis can protect such information against espionage. On the other hand, not all "black projects" really need such a high level of secrecy from the viewpoint of military intelligence. In some cases, secrecy about military funding can conceal cost overruns and politically motivated funding for companies in the constituencies of powerful members of Congress. In such cases, secrecy harms the right of voters in a democracy to make decisions about government spending.

How is Shakespeare's Othello a play of intrigues?

Typically the term intrigues is used in the context of the phrase "a comedy of intrigues," but Othello is not a comedy. A comedy of intrigues is defined as:

"a comic form in which complicated conspiracies and stratagems dominate the plot" (Brittanica).

This description certainly does apply to Othello. Iago masterminds several complicated plots and conspiracies that involve and rely on several people. His ultimate goal is the downfall of Othello, which he accomplishes. His conspiracies certainly dominate the plot.

Although a comedy of intrigues includes a lot of farce and physical humor, it is also "often based on ridiculous and contrived situations" (Brittanica). While the scenes in Othello do not contain humor, many of the circumstances do seem ridiculous and contrived (Handkerchief scandal, anyone?). If it were not for the seriousness of the play, many of the elements in Othello match very closely with the definition of a comedy of intrigues, so it could be described as a play of intrigues.

In Chapter Five of To Kill a Mockingbird, what is Miss Maudie's philosophy?

Miss Maudie's philosophy is to enjoy life and not be judgmental of others.

Miss Maudie is Scout’s neighbor.  She is very laid-back, for an adult.  She allows Scout and Jem almost free reign to play in her yard.

Our tacit treaty with Miss Maudie was that we could play on her lawn, eat her scuppernongs if we didn’t jump on the arbor, and explore her vast back lot, terms so generous we seldom spoke to her, so careful were we to preserve the delicate balance of our relationship … (Ch. 5)

As Scout gets older, she gets to know Miss Maudie better.  Jem has Dill to play with, but that often leaves Scout the odd one out.  She is drawn to another woman, and starts to spend more time with Miss Maudie.

Miss Maudie is a gardener.  She loves all plants, including some weeds.  She hates nut grass, however, saying “one sprig of nut grass can ruin a whole yard.”  When Scout asks Miss Maudie whether or not Boo Radley is still alive, she says he must be because she has not seen him carried out yet.

Miss Maudie explains to Scout that the foot-washing Baptists consider her sinful because of her pretty flowers, and because she’s a woman and they take the Bible literally.

Jem and I had considerable faith in Miss Maudie. She had never told on us, had never played cat-and-mouse with us, she was not at all interested in our private lives. She was our friend. (Ch. 5)

Miss Maudie is one of the most level-headed people in Maycomb.  She treats the children respectfully, unlike other adults in their orbit.  Even though she is grown-up, to Scout, Jem, and Dill she is also a friend.

Explain the confrontation between Lula and the Finch kids.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, racial tensions are high. African American people and whites have separate water fountains, entrances, neighborhoods, and churches. In this time period in the South, whites and blacks did not attend church together. Therefore, the Finch kids caused quite a stir when they entered First Purchase Church with Calpurnia. Most of the congregation were kind to the Finch kids because they understood that they were children, and they respected their father, Atticus, for all that he was doing to help Tom Robinson. However, Lula, a member of the congregation, does not want the Finch kids at First Purchase Church. She says that they have their own church and should not be there. Harper Lee uses Lula to showcase the fact that there are some African American people that do not accept Atticus and his family even though he is trying to help the cause of African Americans as a whole through the Tom Robinson case. Lula can also help the reader understand how prejudice may beget prejudice—Lula's frustration and anger are the products of the treatment she has received as she has been excluded from white society. Much as we sympathize with Scout and Jem, Lula's perspective too is understandable: why should white people be allowed in her church when she has never been allowed in theirs?

Does Gatsby objectify Daisy? If so, how?

Yes, I would say that he does. Often when people use this term they mean it in a sexual way, though that is not the only way objectification happens. Gatsby sees Daisy as a symbol of a particular kind of status and beauty, something lost in his past that has always been just out of reach. He does not seem to address her in her own right, as a person, based on her own merits. This is part of the tragedy of the the novel, since despite his immense reverence for her, not even he can see her for the person she truly is. It is also tragic for him, because if he were to evaluate her honestly he would most likely realize the vapid and shallow perspective she often takes towards life. Daisy is not some prize to be won or some joy to be reclaimed; she is merely a person: good, bad, and complicated. Gatsby misses this all the way until his end.

What does Besty decide to do? Why?

The question is a bit broad, because a specific chapter is not named. Betsy makes decisions throughout her time in the novel, but I believe that you are asking about her decisions in chapter thirteen.  

In chapter thirteen, Betsy decides to sign the petition for better working conditions in the factories. The current conditions are atrocious. Long hours, minimal breaks, dangerous machines, volumes so loud that going deaf is a real possibility, and fibers so thick in the air that lung problems are almost guaranteed. Signing the petition sounds like the smart thing to do, but Betsy is risking her job by signing the petition. She knows that she can be fired for signing it, and she knows that she can be blacklisted from all of the other factories as well. Nevertheless, Betsy signs the petition . . . and then gets fired.  

Betsy's final decision in the chapter is to apply to attend Oberlin College.

Compare and contrast encomienda and mita.

Both the encomienda and mita were forced labor systems with deep historical roots that underwent change during the Spanish Colonial era.

Prior to Spanish colonization, the mita system was established by the Incas so that all men between 15 and 50 years old worked for the government for two and half months a year. This ensured that each family had enough food for the year and enough time to complete their own endeavors. It was successful system in maintain the strength of the civilization and crucial to the growth of the infrastructure of the Incan Empire.

When Spanish Colonial rule was established the mita system was abused. The native peoples were forced to work in the gold and silver mines for months at a time. In addition, they were required to use their earnings to pay for living necessities which left them in perpetual debt while the Spanish Colonials forced Christianity upon them. The system, which was once beneficial, ended up enslaving the native Indians.

The encomienda system had its roots in the Reconquesta of Muslim Spain when the Jews and Muslims were forced to pay the Spanish conquerers. During the establishment of Spanish colonies in the Americas, the system was changed so the Spanish crown granted a specific number of indigenous people to important officials and conquistadors. The crown maintained ownership of the land while the native people were required to pay their owners in work or in gold. Again, this became a form of enslavement.

These systems were intended to spread Christianity throughout the Spanish colonies but both systems were abused and became forms of slavery. In the end, they did not meet their intended goals.  

I am writing an essay and i really don't want to use the word 'very' to go with another word. Is there a different word that I can use?

This may be the most common problem confronted by writers. There are many different words you can use, or you might decide not to use an intensifier like "very" at all. Some examples of synonyms or near-synonyms for "very" are "quite," "exceedingly," "remarkably," "really," or "particularly." But if you look back at your essay, you may decide that you can perhaps come up with adjectives that are strong enough that the word "very" or the like are not needed at all. Instead of saying something is "very useful," for example, you might say that it is "essential" or "indispensable." Rather than being "very fast," a person might be said to be "speedy" or "fleet of foot." In fact, eliminating unnecessary adverbs can make one's writing more clear and elegant. It is also the reason that developing an extensive vocabulary is so important--by expanding your vocabulary, you can sometimes use one word instead of two or three and achieve a greater precision of meaning. 

Better Days Ahead, a charitable organization, has a standing agreement with First National Bank. The agreement allows Better Days Ahead to...

Let's move systematically through these numbered questions!

1. Several different accounts will be affected as a result of Jacob Henson's actions:

Accounts that would experience a credit include:

- liabilities (from the overdraft)

- expenses

- assets

Accounts that would experience a debit include:

- revenue

- equity

2. A negative bank balance would be listed in the Trial Balance as an overdraft. This Trial Balance lists all of the accounts and their balances that appear in the lifetime financial records of "Better Days Ahead." This report separates out credit and debit into different columns. Thus, if we are being specific, the overdraft would be marked down in the debit column of the Trial Balance.

3. Let's for the sake of the argument define ethics as the principles guiding "right action" around the business' conduct. Technically speaking, First National Bank has agreed to allow Better Days Ahead to overdraw its cash balance when funds are running low. The question itself doesn't inform us whether or not funds are actually running low when Henson overdraws. You might argue that it wouldn't make sense to expand if the stability of financial operations are already at stake; you could also argue that the expansion is being done in order to revitalize these low numbers. Let's go with the latter option: Henson technically isn't doing anything "unethical" in that the agreement does stand with the bank. However, is this necessarily a wise decision? Not really. The money spent on fundraising might have proven beneficial in bringing in donations, but from the sound of the situation (specifically, his maintained negative balance), it doesn't appear to have worked. The vague information about the office equipment also does not inspire a lot of confidence in me: was this new equipment truly necessary? Or was it simply upgrading already functional equipment? We don't have that information.

4. For the above reason, no, I do not approve of Henson's management of funds. It does not bode well for the company that he was unable to correct the negative balance. 

What are some pros and cons of the Louisiana Purchase?

The Louisiana Purchase was a unique opportunity for the United States. We had the opportunity to purchase the entire Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million.

There were many advantages to purchasing this land. The United States had trouble using the Mississippi River and the port of New Orleans. Countries like Spain and France restricted our use of both of the Mississippi River and the port of New Orleans. Our western farmers needed to ship their products on the Mississippi River and through the port of New Orleans. With the Louisiana Purchase, they would be able to use the Mississippi River and the port of New Orleans without any restrictions.

Another advantage was the Louisiana Purchase would double the size of our country. We would now own land up to the border with present-day Canada and as far west as the Rocky Mountains. This was a huge amount of land. Compared to what we were offering France for West Florida and New Orleans, this was a great bargain. We wanted to expand as a country, and this was a great chance to do so.

The Louisiana Purchase would also give our government credibility. It would show other countries that we could make deals and negotiate with them. It was another example that showed that we would stand up for things in which we believed.

There weren’t too many negative aspects to the Louisiana Purchase. One would be that the Constitution doesn’t specifically state that the President can buy land. Thomas Jefferson had to be convinced to make this deal because he believed in a strict view of the Constitution. Another negative might be that we had more land that we needed to explore and to defend. There would be costs associated with exploring the land. There also would be costs associated with protecting and defending the land.

There were more significant advantages than disadvantages in agreeing to make the Louisiana Purchase with France.

What is the vow that Daniel, Joel, and Malthace make?

In Chapter 7, Joel and Malthace care for Daniel, who has recently suffered an injury to his side. Joel reads a short passage from the Book of Enoch, and Daniel tells Joel that he thinks Rosh is Israel's deliverer. Daniel voices his displeasure with the Romans and proceeds to explain to Joel and Malthace why he hates the Romans so much. He tells them that his uncle was taken prisoner for not paying taxes when he was eight-years-old. Daniel says that his uncle tried to escape, but the Romans kept him detained. Daniel's father, along with four other men, attempted to free his uncle when the Romans transported him to the city. They were unsuccessful, and the Romans crucified all six men. Daniel's mother also died of an illness she contracted after standing outside in the cold, watching her husband hang on the cross. Joel and Malthace are both moved by the story, and all three individuals make a new vow to fight for Israel. Thacia suggests they swear using the Maccabees' watchword. They put their hands together on the Book of Enoch and swear to stand together "For God's Victory" (Speare 85).

What is the irony of the title "Marriage is a Private Affair" by Chinua Achebe?

Chinua Achebe's short story "Marriage is a Private Affair" is about the cultural and generational problems which arise when a man from the Ibo tribe wants to marry a girl from the Ibibio tribe of Nigeria. Nnaemeka is hesitant to tell his father about his impending marriage to Nene, because he believes his father will be against him marrying outside his own ethnic group. He is right and his father basically disowns him. 

The title is an example of verbal irony where language is used to say one thing but means the opposite. It is quite ironic because the marriage is far from "private." It is thoroughly discussed among the men in Nnaemeka's father's village. It is, in fact, quite an important topic in the village as it was rare for someone to marry out of their group. The men of the village are shocked and lament that a son has risen against his father. The marriage is also a topic of discussion among the Ibo women in the relatively cosmopolitan city of Lagos, where the couple lives. They initially disapprove but eventually overcome their prejudice and accept Nene into their group. The father too is on the verge of acceptance at the end of the story.

How is the concept of the "White Man's Burden" connected to Imperialism? b. Because the Europeans thought they were better, they felt that they...

The correct answer to this question is B. The phrase "White Man's Burden" is derived from an 1899 poem with that title written by Rudyard Kipling in which the author encouraged the United States to take up the task of annexing and ruling over the Philippines. In fact, as the title implies, this ideology suggested that it was in fact an obligation of allegedly superior white people to bring the "blessings" of civilization to peoples around the world. This was a major ideological motive--some might say justification--for imperialism. It is true that the United States was not part of the Berlin Conference, and it is also true that the conquest of Africa (arranged, basically, at Berlin) by European countries was a motive in seeking colonies in the Pacific, but this was really unrelated to the idea of a "white man's burden" and more to strategic and especially economic motives.  

What is the connection between Ponyboy and Gone with the Wind in The Outsiders?

Ponyboy had always wanted to read Gone with the Wind, so Johnny brought him a copy when they were hiding out at the church.

Ponyboy is a good student and a voracious reader.  Not only does he love books, he loves movies.  He is thrilled when Johnny brings him a copy of Gone with the Wind.

"Wheee!" I sat down on a dusty chair and stared. "A paperback copy of Gone with the

Wind! How'd you know I always wanted one?" (Ch. 5)

Johnny tells Ponyboy that he remembers hearing him say he wanted to read the book, and he thinks it will help pass the time.  The two of them are on the run after Johnny killed a Soc in self-defense.  He asks Pony to read the book out loud.

This is a nice gesture, and it shows Johnny’s sensitive nature.  Although Johnny is not considered smart by many, it turns out that if you give him enough time he actually is quite intelligent.  He does not have Ponyboy’s knack for schoolbook learning, but he is definitely not dumb.

Johnny sure did like that book, although he didn't know anything about the Civil War and even less about plantations, and I had to explain a lot of it to him. It amazed me how Johnny could get more meaning out of some of the stuff in there than I could--- I was supposed to be the deep one. (Ch. 5)

Symbolically, the book helps the boys bond and represents something they have in common.  They are together in their situation, and it is a diversion that gives them something else to think about.  They appreciate the concept of Southern chivalry, because roles and codes of conduct are important in their life too.  A sweeping epic about war and tragedy, it is easy to see why the boys felt an affinity with the story in Gone with the Wind.

In "Dead Men's Path" by Chinua Achebe, how does the headmaster prevent the villagers from using the path?

As the story begins, Michael Obi has just been appointed the principal of Ndume Central School. Energetic and ambitious, Michael entertains high hopes for turning the school into an academically progressive powerhouse. However, his aspirations are dashed when he discovers a much-used footpath marring the beauty of the newly landscaped school compound.

Michael Obi thinks that the footpath is a symbol of a socially backward culture steeped in superstition and primitive religiosity. He is astonished that the teachers have continued to tolerate such a state of affairs and sets out to do something about the footpath.

Accordingly, the headmaster prevents the villagers from further using the path by blocking the entrance and exit walkways with heavy sticks. The blocked path is also strengthened with barbed wire in these two places. Soon, Michael Obi is visited by the village priest of Ani; the priest begs the principal to reconsider opening up the footpath again, but Michael Obi remains resolute. The story ends in tragedy; one morning, the principal discovers the once beautifully landscaped school compound and campus grounds destroyed beyond recognition and one of the school buildings torn down.

In "A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings," how do Pelayo and Elisenda attempt to profit from the presence of the angel?

In Gabriel Garcia Marquez's tale "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings," the story centers upon the strange and magical appearance of an old man who has huge vulture-like wings. Early in the story, Pelayo and Elisenda, in whose courtyard the old man has fallen, try to figure out his mysterious origins. An old neighbor woman declares that the man is an angel while the local priest argues the man is human. 

Word of the old man spreads quickly and soon everyone in town arrives to see the "captive angel." Indeed, so many people come that they call in soldiers to control the crowd. Elisenda decides to fence in the courtyard and to charge five cents admission to see the old man with wings. 

Pelayo and Elisenda profit immensely from the proceeds of the crowds who want to see the angel. The narrator says that they were "happy with fatigue" because in less than a week they had so much money that their rooms were "crammed" full of it and the line of people to see the angel still stretched into the distance. 

After a time, a new sideshow appears in town - a woman who had been changed into a fearsome spider - that steals all the profits from Pelayo and Elisenda. Still, they are not unhappy because they made enough money to build a large mansion with iron bars (to prevent angels from getting in). Pelayo is able to quit his job and Elisenda wears expensive dresses. Despite their good fortune, though, they do not care for the old man with wings or fix up the chicken coop in which he is imprisoned. Eventually, the old man gains enough strength to fly away. At the very end of the story, Elisenda watches him leave and feels only relief that the old man will no longer be "an annoyance in her life."

How did President Lincoln and the Radical Republicans disagree on Reconstruction?Why were the constitutional conventions (1867-1868) in the South...

Since you asked two questions in this post, I will answer the first one. President Lincoln and the Radical Republicans differed on Reconstruction. President Lincoln wanted a Reconstruction Plan that wouldn’t be too hard on the South. His plan, known as the Ten Percent Plan, called for at least ten percent of the population of a state to pledge loyalty to the United States. These states would then develop constitutions that banned slavery. President Lincoln would offer amnesty to all white southerners. This provision didn’t apply to the former leaders of the Confederacy, though. President Lincoln also urged the states to give African-Americans the right to vote.

The Radical Republicans wanted a harsh plan of Reconstruction for the South. They wanted to give voting rights to the former slaves. They also wanted to prevent the former Confederate leaders from voting. They wanted to provide money for the construction of African-American schools. They also hoped to give some land that belonged to the plantation owners to the former slaves. The 14th and 15th Amendments were part of the Radical Republican plan of Reconstruction. They also divided the South into five military districts and established the process for states to write new constitutions.