What else is blamed on Snowball? How does Napoleon deal with the problem?

Snowball is blamed for many things on Animal Farm. It is alleged that Snowball is coming in at night and wreaking havoc on the farm, breaking eggs knocking over milk pails.

Rumors are being circulated that Snowball is in cahoots with farmers to attack and take over Animal Farm.

It is also reported by Squealer that the Battle of the Cowshed, which had previously been touted as Snowball's victory, was really carried out due to Napoleon's bravery. By taking away Snowball's merits, and attributing them to himself, he is gaining more  power.

He calls for a complete investigation into the current activities of Snowball.

In "The Cask of Amontillado," why does Montresor warn Fortunato about the air in the vaults?

The purpose that Montresor had in telling Fortunato about the air in the vaults was to give him a false sense of security as they went deeper. Montresor wanted Fortunato to believe that he had his "friend's" best interest at heart so that when he ensnared him in the trap and began to bury him alive he would be completely stunned by the act.

This also acts as a bit of foreshadowing toward the future event because we know from our narrator that revenge is being sought, there is no friendship attempting to be forged here.

What is the summary of chapter one of Fifth Business by Robertson Davies?

1.1

· Dunstan’s involvement with Mrs. Dempster began on December 27, 1908

· He was 10 years 7 months

· Percy comes from a rich family; father is a doctor

· Percy jealous because Dunstan’s sled was faster

· Made fun of Dunstan, said that his father was better than his

· He threw many snowballs at Dunstan, and hit Mrs. Dempster at the back of the head

· She fell to the ground and burst into tears

· Dunstan arrives home late and tells his story

· Description of Dunstan’s mother ß Pg6

· Birth of Paul Dempster; Morning of December 28, 1908 ßPg6

1.2

· In the present day talks about Packer and his article (titled “farewell to the cork”)

· Dunstan is a History professor

1.3

· Description of the village (Deptford) with population, religions, one lawyer, one backer, two doctors, dentist, veterinarian, canning factory, few shops, one only three story house

· Dunstan’s father is the owner of the Deptford Banner

· Description of Dunstan’s father and mother’s history

· Description of house and cleanliness ß Pg 12

1.4

· Paul’s birth description

· Description of Dunstan’s mother, miserable time for Dunstan

· Mrs. Dempster’s tragedy, Description of Paul ß Pg14

· Amasa baptizes Paul, theatre theme

· Prays to God to take away Mrs. Dempster’s soul

· Paul becomes healthy

· Dunstan is guilty so he goes and talks about the birth of Paul with Percy

· Mention of Dante inferno, Dunstan is 11

· Dunstan believes he is responsible for the birth of Paul

· Talk about who threw the snowball and if Dunstan knows who threw it

1.5

· Description of Mrs. Dempster, Description of Amasa Dempster

· Although Mrs. Dempster is healthy, she is sloppy and treats Paul like a doll ßPg21

· She is found many times naked at home, considered simple

· Paul is a healthy, Christian looking boy

· Dunstan has to do the chores at the Dempster's and watch over Paul

· Mrs. Dempster gives everything away (story about the vase)

· Description of Willie Ramsay

1.6

· Description of Percy ( nicknamed Pidgy boy-boy by his mother)

· Description of Dunstan

· Dunstan nicknamed Nursie

· Dunstan loves Leola Cruikshank and Mrs. Dempster ß Pg24

· Dunstan stick up for Mrs Dempster

· Description of Milo Papple and his father

1.7

· Dunstan is 13 years old

· Dunstan’s sloppiness in the Printing business

· Dunstan is a Librarian

· He reads Magic books, he wants to become a Magician (conjurer)

· Practices with an egg from his mother’s kitchen

· Lies to his mother and gets beatings ß Pg 24

1.8

· Started learning card tricks

· Showed Paul his tricks and taught Paul a lot

· Reads to Paul “ A child’s book of Saints”

· Started with coin tricks ßPg32

· Paul does the card tricks perfectly

· Description of Paul

1.9

· Description of Amasa Dempster, he loves Mrs. Dempster on principle

· Demspter shouts at Dunstan for teaching his son magic tricks and telling Paul about Saints

· Dunstan is Fifteen

· Dunstan ill wishes Dempster ßPg37

· Description of Mrs. Dempster and Mrs. Ramsay

1.10

· Description of Willie

· Mrs Dempster ( Mary Dempster) disappears

· Found in the gravel pit copulating with a tramp

What were the reasons that the North and South feared each other's influences on the course national affairs?at least 4 to 5 reasons

The North and the South's fears of each other's influence
on the course of national affairs:

The Industrialists of
the North wanted tariffs.  Tariffs artificially raise the price of imports so that
domestic manufacturers can raise their prices too and thus make more money.  It is
legalized robbery.  The people of the South did not like to pay artificially inflated
prices for their goods.

The Industrialists and Merchants of
the North wanted the government to finance improvements to harbors.  The government has
no money of its own; before it can give one party improved harbors, it must take the
money from another party.  The people of the South did not want to pay the cost of
improvements to harbors.

The people of the South perceived
that northern industrialists were bent on acquiring an empire for themselves in Mexico,
the Carribean, Central America, and the South.  To do this, Southerners believed, the
northerners would first abolish slavery so as to bankrup the southern planters; then
they could control the labor and land resources of the South and then move on to Central
America and the Carribean.

The people of the North
perceived that the U.S. Senators from slave states would continue to prevent bills for
tariffs, harbor improvements, and railroads, if they continued to hold half of the seats
in the Senate.  So northerners started agitating to prevent slavery in the territories
so there would be no new slave states, only new free labor states.  The people of the
South saw that not having a Senate evenly divided between the two predominant
political/social/economic interests, but controled by the northern states, would make
the southern states only subordinant, subject provinces of the North.  Southern states
would no longer be equal with northern states in their own country, the
U.S.A.

The southern people were fearful of the turn that
social affairs were taking in the North.  Atheism and Unitarianism were becoming common
in the North; free-love was being advocated and in some cases practiced; socialist
communes were being established; divorce was becoming common.  Some in the South said
that the southern states should seceed from the Union so that these social sicknesses
could not spread to the South. 

In the North, there were
some people who thought the South might gain control of the government and make slavery
legal in all states.  This was not very likely because there were a lot more people in
the North than in the South, therefore the North would always have retained control of
the House of Representatives.  There probably were not many people in the North who
thought this, but Abraham Lincoln thought there were some.  He played on this fear in
one of his political speeches and he would not have thought that he could make political
capital on this fear if he did not know anyone who held this
fear.

On your computer, search for University of Michigan
DeBow's Review.  Within DeBow's Review, search for Python.  The
first two articles on the resulting list are very good about southern perceptions of the
North.  They were published in 1857.  I tried to establish these links below, but they
would not stick.  You may enjoy a short book titled The Kingdom of Matthias: A
Story of Sex and Salvation in 19th-Century America by Paul E. Johnson
& Sean Wilentz.

Name the six places the second spirit took Scrooge in A Christmas Carol.

The Spirit of Christmas Present takes Scrooge to a busy city on Christmas morning, where he sees happy people enjoying the sights and wishing each other Merry Christmas. Next, the spirit takes Scrooge to the poor but happy home of Bob Cratchit as Mrs. Cratchit and her children are preparing a Christmas goose and the few Christmas treats they can afford. This is the first time Scrooge sees Tiny Tim, and he learns that his chair will be empty next Christmas.

The two then visit several other Christmas gatherings, including an isolated miners camp and a shipboard party. After this, they visit Fred’s Christmas party, where Scrooge thoroughly enjoys himself, but as the night grows darker, they visit a bleak place where the Spirit shows him the two starving children who travel with him beneath his robe, named Ignorance and Want.

Where, if any, are the following poetic techniques in "Mother to Son" by Langston Hughes? Satire, sound techniques, personification, simile,...

I can't find any examples of similes in the poem; similes
are where you compare two things using the words "like" or "as."  Something very similar
though, is a metaphor--it is the exact same thing, but doesn't need the signal word of
like or as.  The entire poem is packed with metaphors, all centered around the main one
of comparing life to a set of stairs that one must
climb.

There are also no examples of personification, where
you give inanimate objects human traits.  For hyperbole, look for examples of extreme
exaggeration.  The mother is quite intense, and exaggerates; she compares her life to
being in the dark, getting torn up and worn down, and filled with never-ending trial and
sorrow.  If there is satire, it is of a very serious sort, that comments on the
hardships that black Americans had to go through in life.  The mother's life had been
very, very hard, and she passed that down to her son, warning him of the difficulties. 
Satire usually comments on society, making judgments about
it.

For sound techniques, Hughes uses dialect, a bit of
rhyming ("stair/bare,"), and repetition.  Those are just a few examples of some of the
techniques that you asked about.  I hope that helps you get started; good
luck!

What are some differences between Hamlet, Fortinbras, and Laertes in the play Hamlet?

Fortinbras is decisive and warrior-like whereas Hamlet vacillates and is much more peace-loving.  Fortibras is willing to conquer a relatively useless piece of land simply to enlarge the conquests of his kingdom:  (Truly to speak, and with no addition,
We go to gain a little patch of ground / That hath in it no profit but the name. To pay five ducats, five, I would not farm it;
Nor will it yield to Norway or the Pole / A ranker rate, should it be sold in fee (4.4.119-125). 

Laertes is easily led while Hamlet needs to be sure of everything before he makes a move, yet he feels stymied by doubt, as evidence in his famous "To be or not to be" soliloquy (Act 3.1).  But Laeretes is all to ready to believe the worst, and be sucked in by Claudius' deceit, becoming a pawn to his deadly games.

Why do you like the story?

I have always liked this story for several reasons.  First, I like the irony.  The son finally convinces his father to wish for money, only to lose his life at work in order for his father to get the money in the form of compensation.  Second, I like the power of suggestion.  In the final scene, where the mother has wished for her son's return and the son, presumably, is pounding on the door, we can only imagine what is really out there on the front step.  How mutilated is he from his accident?  What intentions does he have?  We never know, though, because the father uses the final wish to get rid of whatever was on the front porch.  Yet, we are left wondering just what was out there.  Finally, I like the famous quote, "He wanted to show that fate ruled people's lives, and that those who interfered with it did so to their sorrow."  This reveals a theme in the story: fate vs. freewill.  How many of us would love to have the chance to wish for something and have it granted.  But at what price?  Maybe we should be happy with the things we are blessed with instead of trying to manipulate fate.

In The Crucible, what is the terrible irony of Francis Nurse's attempt to help his wife?

Trying to help his wife, along with Giles Corey and Proctor, Francis Nurse brought a "testament" with ninety-one signatures on it of people who are farmers and members of the church. The people who signed it attest to the fact that they've known Rebecca and Martha Corey for many years, and they've never seen them have anything to do with the devil. They are swearing that both Rebecca and Martha are good women. Because their friends and neighbors were willing to sign this testament, they will now be arrested and brought in for questioning. So in his attempt to help his wife, Francis Nurse has now brought the wrath of the court down on ninety-one more people.

Is Mark Twain considered racist or is he just a reflection of his time? If the "N" word were removed, would the novel still be impactful?

My students are dealing with this same issue right now.  We must take into consideration that the word "nigger" was not objectionable nor was it offensive during Twain's time.  Huck and his friends were born into the slave culture and knew no other way of life.  To them, this word was just another word... no connotation whatsoever.  Nothing like the offenive word it has become today.

The novel would not be as impactful, honest, or truthful if the word were removed.  It must be there to completely depict the time period in American history.

On the contrary for the racist issue, Twain fully recognized slaves as people with feelings and dreams.  One look at the character of Jim should be proof enough.  Jim is a well-rounded character whom we all come to love and root for as he faces adversity.  Twain consistently satirizes the hypocrisy of the church and the Southern Bible belt folks with their Christian beliefs juxtaposed with the buying and selling of slaves daily.

What are some Marez vs. Luna scenes in the novel "Bless Me, Ultima"?

Marez vs. Luna scenes present the opposing forces of the sea vs. the moon, freedom vs. domesticity, adventure vs. the earth.  Antonio feels the pull of both influences in the heritages received from his father and his mother, and the book is filled with scenes which demonstrate the contrast.

In his dreams, Antonio's parents argue over which influence is stronger in their youngest son, especially in the matter of religion.  Antonio's mother says, "my Antonio...we who were baptized in the water of the moon which was made by our Holy Mother the Church are saved", while his father retorts, "Lies! Antonio was not baptized in the holy water of the moon, but in the salt water of the sea" (Once).

When Ultima speaks to Antonio and his father about her wish to be cremated after her death, Antonio's father expresses his approval, pointing out that the forces of Marez vs. Luna would be in harmony in such a ritual.  He says, "it is a good way to return to the earth...this way the spirit soars immediately into the wind of the llano, and the ashes blend quickly into the earth" (Veinte).

At the end of the book, Antonio's father explains the necessity for the forces of Marez vs. Luna to be reconciled.  He tells Antonio, "I came from a people who held the wind as brother, because he is free...and your mother...came from men who hold the earth as brother...perhaps it is time we gave up the old differences" (Veintidos).

Please discuss; Difference or otherness can be seen as a powerful fource in Othello. Discuss the function and significance of this motif in the...

In Othello, the two
great fears in the white European 17th world were fear of the spread of Islam and fear
of men of color seducing their white
women:

Race: Othello is
"other," alienated by race, age, religion, language

• He is a black man in a white,
  European world of Venice (Act I)


• He is a former slave, a
  former Muslim is a white, Christian world.


• The Turk
  never appears but are feared throughout the play.  Does Othello become the
  Turk?


• Othello loses his power of language once on
  Cyprus

Gender: women are "other,"
outsiders

• Women were seen as
  either virgins and quiet maids or talkative
  seductresses.


• Desdemona is outspoken in Venice (Act I)
  but then becomes totally submissive in Cyprus.


• Emilia is
  killed when she speaks out against her husband.


• Biancha
  is the lowest in terms of social
  status

Geography as
other:

• Venice is white,
  civilized, a place of the court, a place of reason; Othello wins his day in court
  here


• Cyprus is closer to the Muslim, uncivilized world;
  an island; wild; Desdemona is represented by Cyprus: Iago (Venice) and Othello (Turk)
  compete, wage war over her


• The unity of place is lost
  between Acts I and II: Othello moves from a position of status to a position of weakness
  once on the island; Iago maneuvers better away from the court, Senate,
  Duke.

Even though this unity is lost, Othello
is Shakespeare's most Aristotelian play as it has the smallest cast, no subplot, and no
supernatural interference.

Try to explain how important it was for advanced civilization that the industrial revolution occurred.

Civilization has to do with how individuals and peoples
(nations, cultures, races, etc.) treat each other.  Throughout time, civilization has
advanced in some places and regressed in others.  Civilization made possible the
industrial revolution.  When people feel secure in their lives, their liberty, and their
property, they will invest time and effort and capital in inventing and manufacturing
new machines and other devices to make life easier.  They will do this because they are
pretty sure they will make a profit from their input.  Where civilization is not so
advanced and people feel insecure about their lives, their liberty, and their property,
they are afraid to invest because they are afraid that their investment and profit will
either be destroyed by war, taken by robbers, or too highly taxed by bad
governors.

Faster communication and mass communication
devices and methods of recent times makes information more widespread, so that often war
or other conflict is avoided that in olden times would not have been avoided because
information moved too slow and reached too few people.  The industrial revolution has
facilitated high-speed and mass communication, so it has helped civilization, but mostly
civilization helped the industrial revolution.  The industrial revolution gave us labor
saving devices such as automatic washing machines, electric heat, automobiles, etc.  But
this is technology, not civilization.  Civilization results from the development of
institutions which enable mankind to solve conflicts with out resort to barbarism.  I
like Prof. Collinwood's use of the words civilization, savagery, and barbarism.  He said
savagery is a less advanced stage of civilization, and barbarism is the active
opposition to civilization.  Civilization is  secure life, liberty, and property so that
happiness results; happiness is adequate food, clothing, shelter, life, liberty,
property.

What describes the changing relations between the Soviet Union and the United States between 1917 and the 1950's?U.S History papers

I think the best way to describe this is to say that
relations between the two countries started out very badly, got better, and then got
worse again.

After the revolution in 1917, the Soviet Union
came to be and the US would not recognize it as a country.  The US even tried to help
overthrow it.

But then, during World War II, the US and the
Soviet Union became allies.  This happened because we thought Hitler was a greater
threat.

After World War II, the Cold War started and the
two countries became enemies for decades.

Describe the circumstances under which Oedipus unknowingly kills his true father, Laius.

The oracle at Delphi tells the King and Queen of Thebes,
Laius and Jocasta, that their infant son will kill them.  So, they pinion his feet and
tell a shepherd to take him to the mountains to die.

The
shepherd takes pity on the baby, and he gives him to another shepherd from the nearby
city-state Corinth.  There, the King and Queen, who could not otherwise conceive a
child, welcome the boy as their own.

Once a teenager,
Oedipus (whose name means "swollen foot") is told by a peer that he is a bastard,
something he has been paranoid about for a while.  To confirm this, he visits the Oracle
at Delphi, which tells him he will kill his
father.

Thinking his father is in Corinth, he runs as far
away from that city-state as he can.  On the way to Thebes, he meets a man driving a
cart of slaves at a crossroads.  The man deals harshly with the teen, who is crippled
and walks with a cane.  The man tells him to move from the road.  Oedipus refuses, and
the two come to blows.  Oedipus strikes him dead with his
cane.

As he enters the city of Thebes, he answers the
Riddle of the Sphinx and frees the city from the plague.  Joyful, they crown him their
King, a position that has been vacant.  Oedipus must marry the sitting Queen,
Jocasta.

Little do any of them know that Jocasta is
Oedipus' mother and the man he killed at the crossroads is his father.  All this is the
antecedent action to the play Oedipus Rex.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of the point of view used in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice?

Pride and Prejudice is written in
Third Person Omniscient point of view with a focus on one character, that being
Elizabeth, hence it is a Third Person Limited Omniscient
point of view. The advantage of this perspective is that even though the narration
focuses primarily on Elizabeth, the narration allows the reader to see other scenes and
characters' thoughts and actions that we would not otherwise see if our narrator was not
all knowing, all seeing. For instance, we are with Miss Bingley and Darcy strolling
through the garden while Elizabeth is visiting Netherfield. Even though Elizabeth is not
present, we get to hear Miss Bingley tease Darcy about the prospect of marrying
Elizabeth. We are also with Charlotte when Mr. Collins asks her parents permission to
marry, hence we know before Elizabeth does all of Charlotte's reasons for choosing to
marry him. Being with other characters allows the reader to gain deeper insights we
would not otherwise gain if we were only with Elizabeth the whole
time.

Not only that, the Third Person Omniscient narration also allows
Austen to employ her witty irony that she is so fond of and uses so well. In the case of
Miss Bingley teasing Darcy, not only is this scene ironic because Darcy does actually
marry Elizabeth, it also allows for foreshadowing. Furthermore, in instances where the
characters' words come back to haunt them, such as Elizabeth's remarks on Darcy's pride,
because of the omnipotent narration, we already have the impression that Elizabeth is
wrong, so we can suspect that their is irony in Elizabeth's
words.

Normally a disadvantage in Omniscient narration is that the
reader does not get to become close with any characters because none of the narration is
seen from the "I" perspective. However, Austen solves this issue by making it a Limited
Omniscient narration, focusing on Elizabeth. Therefore, we are with Elizabeth
throughout, hearing her thoughts and feelings, also hearing the narrator's words of
wisdom, and get to empathize with Elizabeth when she finds out that she has been
completely wrong.

All in all, there are only advantages to the Third
Person Limited Omniscient point of view Austen chose, and no
disadvantages.

What does this quotation from Macbeth mean? ''The eye wink at the hand yet let that be. Which the eye fears when it is done, to see.''

This is something that Macbeth says in response to hearing that Malcolm, King Duncan's son will be the heir to the throne. The entire quote reads;

Stars hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep desires: The eye wink at the hand: yet let that be. Which the eye fears, when it is done to see.

What Macbeth is asking for here is impossible. He would like the stars to go out (Stars hide your fears) so that no one can see what he wants, not even himself (Let not light see my black and deep desires). He asks that his own eye wink, or go blind, so that his eye cannot see what it is that his hand wishes or desires to do (The eye wink at the hand;). The final part of the quote is saying that he wants to just wants to let it be even though he knows that his own eye will be afraid to look at what it is that he's done (yet let that be. Which the eye fears, when it is done to see).

Why does Zaroff think that Rainsford "hasn't played the game"?

Zaroff believes that Rainsford has "quit" the game rather than play it out to the death. Rainsford is on the run and finds that his only escape- rather than death- is to jump into the sea. Zaroff sees this action and believes that his one worthy adversary has quit the game and chosen death by the sea rather than playing the game. Little does Zaroff know that Rainsford has not quit the game he has tried a strategy that ensures his eventual victory.

How can the aspects of modernism in "The Wild Swans of Coole" by W.B. Yeats be compared and contrasted to those in "Araby" by James Joyce?eg....

Alienation and isolation play a part in both "The Wild
Swans at Coole" and "Araby."

Though the swans possess what
the speaker lacks--they are "Unwearied still, lover by lover," and "Their hearts have
not grown old;/Passion or conquest, wander where they will,/Attend upon them still"--the
speaker is able to count only 59--not sixty.  One swan is left
out. 

And the speaker is alienated and isolated and
contrasted with the swans--again, at least 58 have what he
doesn't. 

The speaker sees the swans as immortal--of air
and water--while he is mortal--of land.  The nineteen years that have passed since he
first saw the swans haven't changed them, as the years have changed
him.

In "Araby," the speaker at first feels a part of his
world.  He plays with his friends, feels grounded in his church, and sees himself as
having a relationship or at least a strong possibility of one with Mangan's sister. 
Yet, these prove largely to be illusion.

During his
epiphany at the bazaar (Araby), he realizes that he is not a spiritual hero on a quest
to woo a Virgin Mary-like lady (Mangan's sister), that the bazaar is just a trivial way
for his church to make money, that he really means nothing to Mangan's sister anyway,
and that he has been trivial and silly himself. 

Thus,
"Araby" closes with the narrator feeling isolated and alienated from his church and his
object of affection.  Though his epiphany is an awakening of sorts--he begins the story
figuratively blind and is freed from his blindness by the epiphany--his realizations do
result in isolating him. 

At least, in contrast to the
speaker in "Wild Swans," the adolescent narrator of "Araby" still has his friends, as
far as the reader knows.    

What do the Friar's clothes in the Prologue to The Canterbury Tales suggest about him?

Much characterization exists in "The Prologue" to
The Canterbury Tales by Chaucer that reveals the Friar's character,
probably the least of which is what he is wearing.  The narrator chooses to center on
other elements of the Friar's character instead, such as his getting women pregnant then
buying a husband for them to keep himself out of trouble (lines 216-128).  But the
speaker does mention clothes in a few lines:

readability="21">

Not then appearing as your cloistered
scholar

With threadbare habit hardly worth a
dollar,

But much more like a Doctor or a
Pope.

Of double-worsted was the semi-cope
[cape]

Upon his shouldners, and the swelling
fold

About him, like a bell about its
mold

When it is casting, rounded out his dress. 
(267-273)

The Doctor is
actually a scholar with a master's degree, which was extremely prestigious at the time. 
In short, the Friar wears a great, expensive cape.  He did not dress like a poor
scholar, but like a wealthy scholar or the pope, who in Chaucer's day was known for his
lavish ornamentation.  He was wealthy, due to his underhanded and corrupt methods of
begging.   

Of course, this is indicative of of his
character and his vocation.  The Friar is all about pleasure and
money. 

How does the structure of Sonnet 18 influence its content?

As you'll find in the analysis for this sonnet (see link below), the way Shakespeare would pose a rhetorical question in his sonnets, then only allow for one answer (his own), was important in getting the point of his sonnet across to his reader, and most especially, to the intended recipient of the sonnet.

Shakespeare used the traditional sonnet form for all but three of his sonnets, which is 14 lines, broken into three quatrains (stanzas with four lines) and one concluding couplet (two lines with end rhymes). The rhetorical question is typically posed within the first quatrain, then expounded upon through the other two quatrains, and finally, a conclusion/answer is offered in the couplet.

This form - 14-line sonnet in iambic pentameter - was very conducive to the meaning of the sonnet. It works particularly well with Sonnet 18, as he is positing the fact that his beloved, when compared to the beauty of nature, is far more lovely, more calm, etc. Shakespeare is also making the point that his beloved can be immortal, despite the usual deteriorating effects of aging and nature. He presents this in the quatrains, leading up to his final point in the couplet, which reads:

"So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee."

He is saying at the end that as long as his sonnet exists, and as long as people are still living and can read it, his beloved will be immortal through the lines of his sonnet.

Last chapter= in what ways does scout demonstrate sensivity and compassion in the previous and in the final chapter?

I think a key moment for Scout is when she walks Boo Radley home.  Here is one of the key moments of her life so far.  She has been looking forward to this since she can remember.  But she handles it with compassion and class, just like Atticus would advise her.  Then as she drops him off at his house, she sees his window and puts herself in Boo's shoes, envisioning what it must have been like to watch the kids play their games and grow up and then finally need his help.  She is finally doing what Atticus has always encouraged her to do, put herself in someone else's shoes and try to see things from their point of view.  While Lee claims that the walk back from the Halloween pageant was one of the longest of their lives, I think the walk back to her house is another important journey, for it is in this walk that we see just how much Scout has grown from a naive, tom boy to a sensitive and compassionate young lady.

What did Mr. Bykovski reveal to Homer about Wernher von Braun in October Sky?

Mr. Bykovski tells Homer that although Wernher von Braun
"helped monsters, and for that he should be blamed," but he also points out that "there
are concepts of forgiveness and redemption." In his humble way, he then reflects on "the
way a man can change and how it is possible to forgive if not perhaps to forget." Mr.
Bykovski tells Homer that he does not need his permission to admire the reknowned
scientist "for what he has become."

Homer had been
instructed by his father to ask Mr. Bykovski how he feels about Wernher von Braun. Von
Braun had been an active and noted member of the Nazis during World War II, but after
the war had come to the United States and become one of our nation's premiere rocket
scientists. Since Mr. Bykovski is Jewish, Homer's father is aware that he most likely
has very strong feelings against anyone associated with the Nazis; he wants his son to
be aware of this possibility as well, and, out of respect for the loyal man who is
helping Homer with his own rocket experiments, show sensitivity to how he might feel
about the issue. Mr. Bykovski admits that it is "a hard thing," for which it would be
helpful to be able to consult a rabbi, but in the absense of a holy leader in the area,
he speaks from the heart. Mr. Bykovski tells Homer that he need not feel guilty for
admiring Dr. von Braun for the work he is doing now in the field of rocket science
(Chapter 12).

How does the novel's title, To Kill a Mockingbird, relate to the themes in the book? The themes: don't judge people by appearance, have moral...

A few additional comments on the title and meaning:  Lee uses the mockingbird as a symbol of innocence, joy, and freedom, borrowing from other American writers, such as Walt Whitman in “Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking,” who use the bird in this way. Although it is a sin to kill a mockingbird, Atticus says it’s permissible to shoot blue jays, thus making blue jays the opposite of mockingbirds.  Loud, territorial, and very aggressive, blue jays can be understood as the bullies of the bird world.  The finch, the family name of Atticus, means a songbird like the mockingbird, and he pits himself against the evil in the town.

As bullies, however, blue jays embody the meanness of racism and people such as Bob Ewell (his last name sounds similar to “evil”) . While Atticus is  uncomfortable with covering the fact that Boo killed Ewell in defending his children against Ewell’s attack, he is  willing to overlook the details of the law to protect the mockingbird that is Boo and dismiss the dead blue jay that is Ewell.  Atticus also “attacks” blue jays when he shoots the mad dog.  The dog represents prejudice, and how, like a rabid dog, it spread its disease throughout the South.  In shooting the dog Atticus kills a blue jay, and in so doing also kills racism and prejudice, trying to prevent it from spreading any further.

My sisters nephew would be considered what in relation to me?

I see that no one has answered this post.  I'm applying
what I know of family trees and inheritance to piece this together, but would welcome a
correction if there is an expert who reads this and finds my answer
incorrect.

To make this easier, let's give everyone a
name.

YOU = Tyson
YOUR SISTER =
Suzi
YOUR SISTER'S HUSBAND = John
NEPHEW =
Billy

If I'm not mistaken, Billy is absolutely nothing to
you... legally anyway.  Mary's connection to Billy is by marriage only therefore, yours
is marriage plus one more degree of separation (Mary).  Perhaps you could call yourself
Billy's Uncle In-Law, but even that, I don't believe, is technically correct.  Legally
speaking, if everyone in your family and Billy's family died except you - you would
probably not be able to claim Billy's inheiritance based on a family
connection.

Also, legally, you have no blood connection to
Billy.  If you had a daughter, she could marry Billy and it would not only be legal, but
genetically safe as well.

Now, if this is a brain-teaser,
Suzi and John's nephew, Billy, could very well be YOUR SON.  Or, he could simply be your
NEPHEW if he is the son of another sibling of your's and
Suzi's.

At any rate, the kid will probably never meet you
except at some random wedding or family reunion, in which case, he'll just call you
Uncle Tyson.  It has such a nice ring to it though, you might as well get ALL the kids
under the age of 10 at that wedding or reunion to call you Uncle Tyson - whether they
are relatives or not.

What has caused Trevor's mentally disturbed state in "The Destructors"?

I don't know if I necessarily agree that T. is "mentally
disturbed" as you put it in your question. However, semantics apart, we are given a real
indication about T., or the "new recruit", in the second paragraph of the story which
gives a real insight into the way he thinks and also gives us a real clue as to his
motivation for the destruction:

readability="8">

...the fact that his father, a former architect
and present clerk, had "come down in the world" and that his mother considered herself
better than the
neighbors.

Thus we can see
that T. has suffered both in terms of being raised in an atmosphere of conflict and
resentment but also in terms of growing up in a post-war reality that has been the only
world he has ever known - a time of the moral destruction of society, the collapse of
hope and the onset of cynicism and despair. In this environment, therefore, we can
understand why T. takes such an obsessive, focussed interest in the destruction of the
house, for as the story says, "and destruction after all is a form of
creation."

I want a short notes on Mr.Bennet and his worldThe note to give his character and his role in the novel

Poor ol' Mr. Bennet

The
portrait of Mr. Bennet is comparable to a man in a bubble: He is completely shut off
from the convoluted life in his household caused primarily by his exceedingly annoying
wife, Mrs. Bennet, and his completely different 5
daughters.

Having 5 daughters already puts him on a losing
end. No heir meant that his entire estate and hard-earned possessions would go directly
to a far cousin, Mr. Collins, after his death. This apparently does not seem to phase
Mr. Bennet, who leaves the topic alone, seems "happy go lucky" about it, and retires
consistently to read in his library.

Having a wife like
Mrs. Bennet is perhaps even more punishing: A woman who consistently demands his
attention towards marrying off the daughters, the entailment of Mr. Collins, the
behavior of Lizzie and Lynda, and the constant asking of calling on gentlemen to make
acquaintance.

Mr Bennet is aloof. He seemingly only reacts
to extreme situations such as Lydia's elopement (and Mr Gardiner did more than he did in
finding her). He is the typical man who probably had the same arrangements to marry Mrs.
Bennet in his youth, for which he had no option, and he takes refuge in his
reading.

Had he had sons, instead of daughters, maybe
things could have been different: With sons, he would have had to prepare them to become
his heirs, they may have had more in common such as hobbies and interests, and certainly
it would have taken power away from Mrs. Bennet, since she would have not had anything
to nag about. At times it seems that this is actually the source of Mr. Bennet's
aloofness and lack of care for his family: He is in the total minority and there is
nothing he can do about it.

What is the plot (sequence of events around which the story is told) of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow"?

Ichabod Crane is a schoolteacher who has come to the village of Sleepy Hollow. He is liked by the local people, and his intelligence is much admired. Ichabod is well-read, and he especially likes ghost stories, of which the local lore abounds. There is an especially favored story widely shared about a headless horseman that rides in the night.

Attracted as much by her wealth as by her beauty and charm, Ichabod begins to court Katrina Van Tassel. His rival is Brom Bones, who is handsome and athletic, and everything the bookish Ichabod is not. Brom wants to fight Ichabod, but Ichabod will not oblige.

One evening, the Van Tassels have a party, and after a night of merry-making and scary story-telling, Ichabod proposes to Katrina and is apparently denied. On the way home, he is pursued by a headless horseman, knocked unconscious, and never seen again. Some believe that Brom was behind the disappearance of Ichabod, while others maintain that Ichabod was a victim of the much-storied headless horseman. Ichabod lives on as the subject of one of the ghost stories he loved to tell.

What religious ideas do the characters in Jane Eyre portray?GIVE EVIDENCE FROM FIRST 5 CHAPTERS...................................

I have altered your question as it seems to be somewhat
confused. Also, if you are looking at religion, you need to think about the whole novel,
not just the first chapters. Religion is a key theme in this novel and in particular
Bronte's attitudes towards evangelicalism, and we have a significant number of examples
of this in the text, in particular the Christianity of Brocklehurst, Helen Burns, and of
course, St. John Rivers. You will want to consider how their views on religion are
presented, and how Jane Eyre responds or reacts to them if you want to develop this
theme further.

However, if you are just looking at the
first 5 chapters, you need to consider Chapter 4, which is where we first meet the Rev.
Brocklehurst when he comes to Gateshead to meet Jane and organise her removal to Lowood
with Mrs. Reed. Key to this episode is the clash between Jane and Brocklehurst over
religion and their differences. It is highly significant that when Jane first enters the
room, she looks up and sees:

readability="9">

...a black pillar... a straight, narrow,
sable-clad shape standing erest on the rug: the grim face at the top was like a carved
mask, placed above the shaft by way of
capital.

It is highly
significant that the Rev. Brocklehurst is described with the colour black, wheras later,
St. John Rivers is described in similar ways but with the colour white - both characters
are described as stone, marble or pillars, which reflect their unyielding stance and
fixed views. Also, what is interesting in this passage is the way that hypocrisy is
suggested with an allusion to Little Red Riding Hood:

readability="6">

What a face he had now that it was almost on a
level with mine! what a great nose! and what a mouth! and what large prominent
teeth!

Of course, this
suggests that Rev. Brocklehurst, like the wolf before him, is not being entirely
truthful in his character, and also adds an element of danger - he is a wolf dressed as
something less threatening, though it is suggested that Jane as a child appears to be
well aware of the threat he represents.

The passage also
contains much irony - it is highly significant that Brocklehurst, already having been
described as a "black pillar", counsels Jane to pray to have her heart of stone replaced
by a heart of flesh. It is he of course who has the heart of stone, and is in need of a
heart of flesh. This hypocrisy continues in Rev. Brocklehurst's narration to Mrs. Reed
of how his daughter commented on the poverty of the
girls:

"My
second daughter, Augusta, went with her mama to visit the school, and on her return she
exclaimed: 'Oh, dear papa, how quiet and plain all the girls at Lowood look; with their
hair combed behind their ears, and their long pinafores, and those little holland
pockets outside their frocks - they are almost like poor people's children! and,' said
she, ' they looked at my dress and mama's, as if they had never seen a silk gown
before!'"

It is highly ironic
that the Rev. Brocklehurst, whilst espousing "humility" and "mortification" for his
students, does not have the same high ideals when it comes to the rearing of his own
children, who remain in silk gowns.

So, in this Chapter,
the religion of Rev. Brocklehurst is exposed as hypocritical, uncaring and biased. This
should help you examine the religious viewpoints presented by other characters. Good
luck!

What do you think is bad about the healthcare reform bill and why?

What I worry about most is not what this bill does do.  I
worry about what it does not do.  To me, one of the biggest problems we face is bringing
down the cost of health care.  I do not think the bill really changes
this.

To me, we need to make consumers be able to see what
their health care really costs.  That way, they could make choices about what care they
do and to not want.  As it is now, you don't really know what some particular bit of
care will cost you or what it really costs overall.

We also
need to do something to change the way that doctors have incentives to provide more
care, not better results.  Doctors are paid based on how many procedures are done, not
based on whether people stay healthy.  We need to reward providers who give good care,
not those who give lots of care.

Scout and Jem have "mixed feelings" about Christmas. What are these feelings and why?..

This is mostly due to the contrasting feelings they have
for the family members they spend Christmas with. They spend a week with Uncle Jack and
they spend Christmas Day itself with Aunt Alexandra.

Scout
and Jem adore Uncle Jack. He is fun, he is eccentric, he tells them stories they love to
hear, and he is loving. They look forward to any visit with him and so seeing him for a
full week at Christmas is something they really look forward
to.

Conversely, Aunt Alexandra is one relative that Scout
in particular cannot stand in large doses. Aunt Alexandra herself is very cold, proper,
and determined to do things her way and make sure everyone else who does not do them her
way knows they are doing whatever it is improperly. Her son is a bit of a bully and
Scout does not get along with him either.

Because they
celebrate Christmas the exact same way every year, the kids continue to have conflicted
feeling about the holiday and how it is celebrated because their relationships with
these relatives have remained fairly static over the years.

Which characters in The Kite Runner would you consider paradoxical and why?

The greatest paradox in the story is Hassan. Hassan has an almost mystical ability to read and understand Amir (examples, his dream before the kite competition, his confession that he likes his home (p.55) and Amir's confession; "That was another thing about Hassan. He always knew when to say the right thing" (p. 35)). This extends outside of Hassan's relationship with Amir. He is able to run misleading kites, and later in life, when the Taliban took over (p.197) he says "God help the Hazaras now", just before the announcement that the Hazara are massacred.But for all of this 'mystic foresight', Hassan seems completely baffled by Amir's emotions after witnessing the rape. He says "I don't know what I've done Amir agha. I wish you'd tell me. I don't know why we don't play anymore." (p.82). Surely someone with such insight into Amir, and into everything, should have understood Amir's emotions that day at the pomegranate tree (p. 86). He'd have understood that when Amir yelled 'Hit me back" it was because he "wished (Hassan) would give (him) the punishment he craved." Instead, the Hassan loses his great skills at interpreting his friend, and instead, makes matters worse when he picked up a pomegranate "and crushed it into his own forehead".Hassan's double character makes him the most paradoxical character in the story. It's a flaw in the book, a plot hole that is not satisfactorily explained.

What happened to the team after Buck "stood up" to Spitz in The Call of the Wild?

After Buck stands up to Spitz and beats him in a fight to the death, Sol-leks is made the lead dog.  Buck repeatedly challenges him too, and is finally allowed to lead the team.  Under Buck's leadership, "the general tone of the team picked up immediately...it recovered its old-time solidarity", and the team makes record runs, averaging forty miles a day for fourteen days (Chapter 4).  After a short time of celebrity, the exhausted team is capriciously sold to another handler to run the mail from Dawson to Skagway.

Write the critical appreciation of "Dejection: An Ode" by Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

The meter of Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem "Dejection: An
Ode" is iambic pentameter, with variations of trimeter and tetrameter. Here follows an
example of flawless metric variation as it moves from pentameter to trimeter and back to
pentameter:

readability="13">

Hence, viper thoughts, that coil around my
mind,    
Reality’s dark dream!         
I turn from you, and listen
to the wind,    
Which long has raved unnoticed. What a scream  
 
Of agony by torture lengthened out    
That lute sent forth!
...,

The theme of the poem is
an exploration and contemplation of the feeling of dejection, with special attention to
its relationship to Fancy and Imagination. His contemplation which is inspired by stormy
weather and his later Fancy (see below for "Fancy") of a little lost
child:

’Tis
of a little child,    
Upon a lonesome wild,    
Not far from home,
but she hath lost her way;    
And now moans low in bitter grief and fear,  
 
And now screams loud, and hopes to make her mother
hear..

The ode starts with a
discussion of stormy weather ("I see the old Moon in her lap, foretelling / The
coming-on of rain and squally blast,") and switches to the poet's reflections on his own
feelings and experience ("Those sounds which oft have raised me, whilst they awed / And
sent my soul abroad,").

Coleridge interjects the hope of
"Joy"--which can flirt and play with ("dallied") distress and lessen its power--and then
makes an association with Fancy and Imagination. Coleridge describes a time of distress
when Fancy could still weave "dreams of happiness" then alludes the present when he is
even more weighed down and even Imagination is afflicted and
"suspended."

For the Romantic poets, Fancy is the idea
forming power that builds associations between ideas that are already known.
Imagination, by contrast, is the governing cognitive power that is responsible for both
reason/rationality and creativity, thus Coleridge calls it "what nature gave me at my
birth, / My shaping spirit of Imagination."

What is an example of the word allegory in the book Animal Farm?no

There are many literary terms that are so closely related
but are not the same. The word allegory is a lot like the word symbol because it's
function is to represent. However, the difference between the two is that an allegory is
a group of symbols that work together.

Napoleon symbolizing
Stalin, Snowball symbolizing Trotsky, Boxer, the working class; Mollie, the vain; Mr.
Jones, the Romanovs or Nicolas II; Manor Farm, Russia; and the Rebellion, the Russian
Revolution. This group of symbols makes up the entire
allegory.

This is similar to metaphor and extended metaphor
if you know that concept.

Aunt Nicey thinks the caul was important? Why?

When Aunt Nicey delivers Doodle, he is  born with a caul. A caul is a membrane that usually covers the head at birth, and in some religious traditional beliefs is known as  "Jesus' nightgown".

Aunt Nicey feels that this is a sign, and that the family should treat Doodle carefully and respectfully, as he may someday be a saint. It is symbolic because Doodle does have a spiritual nature, and does seem to be pure of heart.

Analyze the characters of Estragon and Vladimir.

Estragon and Vladimir, or Gogo and Didi, are the two protagonists of this play.  They live out their life waiting for man named Godot, believing that Godot will come to them.  A boy comes at the end of each day and announces that Godot is not coming, but will come soon.  They continue to wait.  The two both have names of seven letters, and both have two syllable repeating nicknames - Beckett is calling attention to their connection.

The way their clothing is described suggests that these two characters, who are only shown on a roadside waiting, may have been gentlemen of financial means at some point.  They have on jackets and boots of a respectable nature.  They are now homeless, though, as evident in their torn and dirty description.

Vladimir has the better memory of the two, and seems more intelligent.  He tries to encourage Estragon to be optimistic, and helps him to pass the time.  He is philosophical, and more likely to consider their purpose in being where they are.  Estragon is more child-like.  He is emotional, and allows himself to be led by Vladimir.  He spends quite a bit of time concerned with his feet and his boots, while Vladimir spends a lot of time concerned with his hat.  Beckett suggests that these two characters represent the two sides of a human being - Vladimir is the mind (intellect), and Estragon is the body (the emotional/physical).

What inference can be made from Friar's view of men and women?

It appears to me that the Friar sees men and women in
their traditional perspectives. Two places in the text particularly lead me to believe
this. In Act II, scene iii, the friar notes about
Romeo:

young
men's love then lies
Not truly in their hearts, but in their
eyes.

This is so typical of
young teen boys. They are all about looks and physical attraction. So, the friar seems
to have a strong handle on the reality of how men act in reference to
women.

Later, the friar criticizes Romeo for crying like a
girl. Girls could take this as a slam, and so
should Romeo:

readability="6">

Art thou a man? thy form cries out thou
art:
Thy tears are womanish; thy wild acts denote
The unreasonable
fury of a beast:
Unseemly woman in a seeming
man!

This occured in Act III,
scene iii. Three times here, the friar has called Romeo a girl. This means that one can
infer that the friar takes the stereotypical approach to male/female roles just like
everyone else.

What does the narrator mean when said,"Alive, Miss Emily had been a tradition, a duty, a sort of hereditary obligation upon the town"?

Emily's family was entrenched in a socially prominent position. Emily was awarded special privileges based upon her father's achievements, not her own. While she was not loved, or cherished, it was accepted in the town that she was special. She was an obligation that the town had no choice to defer to, protect, and revere. Because it was done since the time of herfather, it was natural to continue the special treatment. 

Describe the events that lead up to the death of Bob Ewell in To Kill a Mockingbird.

Bob Ewell is angry at Atticus for making him look like a fool in front of all of Maycomb (see Ch. 24). First he spits in Atticus's face. Then he warns him that one person is down (Tom Robinson) but there are still about two more to go. This likely suggests Atticus and the Judge Taylor.

Next Bob is fired from the WPA - one of the only jobs he has ever had. Then Judge Taylor is home alone reading in his parlor one night when sees a shadow. He notices that someone has entered his house and finished reading with a shotgun in his lap. This was obviously Bob.

Then Bob is warned harshly be Link Deas to stop stocking Helen, Tom's widow.

These factors lead up to attack on Jem and Scout Halloween night. He was drunk and leaped on the kids from the trees. Boo sees this and rushes to their aid, killing Bob in the process.

When Atticus is told, he automatically assumes Jem killed Bob in the scuffle. However, Heck Tate covers up the real murderer, Boo. He says that Bob simply fell on his own knife. Here is where you have to make some inferences. Bob is dead with a kitchen knife sticking in him. But was the Bob's weapon?

Notice that Tate tells Atticus - when reenacting the murder - that he took the switch blade knife from a drunk man earlier (he is not lying - Bob was drunk and going after the kids with that very knife); however, if you read closely, you can infer that Boo killed him and that Tate is trying to cover things up to protect him.

In The Catcher in the Rye, how do Holden's feelings for women compare to his feelings for men?

Holden perceives men as sexual deviants, annoying bores or as phonies. He projects his insecurities about himself onto every male person he meets. His roommate, classmates and teachers are all used as projection devices for himself. He lumps them together into broad categories and dismisses them. The common theme of all these attributed qualities is that men should not be trusted around females. The one male person in his life that escapes his condemnation is, interestingly enough, his father.

Holden then views females as objects to adore and protect. Although he is cruel to some women, he is generally chivalrous towards the women he meets, regardless of social station. Whether it is Jane Gallagher or Phoebe, Holden feels women should be kept safe. This completes the earlier projected feelings about men. He then is unable to let himself have a real relationship with any female, except Phoebe, since that would violate rule number one, men should not be trusted with women.

A list of avoid the global warming!

1. Reduce, Reuse,
Recycle

Do your part to reduce waste by choosing
reusable products instead of disposables. Buying products with minimal packaging
(including the economy size when that makes sense for you) will help to reduce waste.
And whenever you can, recycle paper, plastic, newspaper, glass and aluminum cans. If
there isn't a recycling program at your workplace, school, or in your community, ask
about starting one. By recycling half of your household waste, you can save 2,400 pounds
of carbon dioxide annually.

2. Change a Light
Bulb

Wherever practical, replace regular light bulbs
with compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs. Replacing just one 60-watt incandescent
light bulb with a CFL will save you $30 over the life of the bulb. CFLs also last 10
times longer than incandescent bulbs, use two-thirds less energy, and give off 70
percent less heat.

3. Drive Less and Drive
Smart

When you do drive, make sure your car
is running efficiently. For example, keeping your tires properly inflated can improve
your gas mileage by more than 3 percent. Every gallon of gas you save not only helps
your budget, it also keeps 20 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the
atmosphere.

4. Buy Energy-Efficient
Products

When it's time to buy a new car,
choose one that offers good gas mileage. Home appliances now come in a range of
energy-efficient models, and compact florescent bulbs are designed to provide more
natural-looking light while using far less energy than standard light
bulbs.

5. Use the "Off"
Switch

Save electricity and reduce global warming by
turning off lights when you leave a room, and using only as much light as you need. And
remember to turn off your television, video player, stereo and computer when you're not
using them.

6. Plant a
Tree
If you have the means to plant a tree, start digging.
During photosynthesis, trees and other plants absorb carbon dioxide and give off oxygen.
They are an integral part of the natural atmospheric exchange cycle here on Earth, but
there are too few of them to fully counter the increases in carbon dioxide caused by
automobile traffic, manufacturing and other human activities. A single tree will absorb
approximately one ton of carbon dioxide during its
lifetime.

7. Encourage Others to
Conserve

Share information about recycling
and energy conservation with your friends, neighbors and co-workers, and take
opportunities to encourage public officials to establish programs and policies that are
good for the environment.

In Sister Carrie, did Carrie and Drouet have sex?

Yes, they had sex. Drouet was keeping Carrie as his mistress in an apartment. Probably everybody thought they were married. The plain fact was that Carrie decided it was easier to be a "kept woman" than to support herself by doing grueling work in a factory. The reason this may not be clear is that these things could not be spelled out explicitly in any stories or novels at the time Sister Carrie was published. I believe the publisher's wife read the novel in manuscript and was shocked by the story, as innocuous as it was. She wanted her husband to renege on his commitment to publish the book, but he was forced to bring out a small edition under his contract with Dreiser. The novel did not do well because it received no advertising or other promotion. This was in 1900. When Carrie ran away with Hurstwood there was no mention of sex either. In fact, if I remember correctly, there was no explicit mention of sexual activity even in Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, a novel about the Roaring Twenties when women were supposedly becoming liberated.

How does Orwell's use of symbols in the novel reveal themes in 1984?

Most of the symbols represent the freedom of thought and choice to do what one wants when one wants--for example, the diary Winston purchases and writes in just out of the view of the telescreen, and then hides each time he leaves the apartment.  In it, he writes about how he hates Big Brother (another symbol--since he is not a true person...just a figure head of the society).

"The Bells of St. Clements" and the paperweight Winston purchases in the black market are also symbols of this freedom...a time in the past when people could do nothing or everything as they chose to.  Of course, the paperweight also symbolizes the love affair Winston has with Julia--it's transparent, beautiful, and fragile just like their relationship.  The coral center represents their love, but since it is easily seen, it also represents the fact that they have been observed the entire time of their trist even if they didn't realize it entirely.

The Prole Woman and her song is also a symbol of freedom and a time that has been which Winston hopes will come again.

There is also the Chestnut Tree Cafe. A place that Winston sees as an area to exchange ideas, but turns out to be more of a "holding cell" for the doomed.  The three conspirators drink and eat there until they finally disappear forever, and this is where Winston basically lives at the end of the book.

What does it mean to study English literature in India ? Do you learn any skill at all this course of study?How different would it be to study...

To study English Literature in India is as important as
studying English Literature in any other country.  In my opinion, the grand prize of
English Literature can be summed up in one word:  Shakespeare.  Shakespeare alone (even
if you consider him to actually be Kyd or Marlowe) makes English Literature worthwhile
studying.  This is not because England is some kind of extraordinary country.  No.  It
is simply because the literature of Shakespeare (including both his plays AND his
sonnets) is so incredibly profound and so astonishingly universal that all cultures have
been able to identify with the many characters enmeshed within it.  In fact, even if you
consider "English Literature" to be ANY literature written in the English language, . .
. the word Shakespeare can STILL sum it up
nicely.

Therefore, there isn't one specific "skill" that
someone learns by reading only English Literature.  (Unless you want to point to
something specifically English, such as the type of sonnet called the Shakespearean
Sonnet.)  It is less a set of "skills" as it is a set of amazing authors:  Bede,
Chaucer, Shakespeare, Keats, Shelley, Austen, and Shaw just to scratch the surface.  In
fact, I would argue that one would be quite handicapped indeed if English Literature
were the ONLY kind of literature taught in high schools and
universities. 

Consider the course of study for most high
school students in the United States of America:  9th grade, grammar/writing; 10th
grade, American Literature; 11th grade, British Literature (English Literature);
and 12th grade, World Literature.  To be well-read, therefore, an American student
should have knowledge of Indian Literature as well!  And I would hope that the high
school equivalent in India would include a full year of Indian Literature and that
perhaps English and American Literature would be grouped into one, or perhaps even
included in a World Literature class.

I believe any of us
would be quite narrow-minded if we knew literature only from our own country; therefore,
kudos to those who stress the importance of World Literature to expand student
knowledge!

What does Shakespeare's use of euphemism in Macbeth's soliloquies show about Macbeth? Esp. in the soliloquy of Act 1, Scene 7

That is a very good answer!
I thought I might add an interesting point that merely conforms with what you have said as a sideline illustration.
In Act IV scene I the witches describe what they do as –a deed without a name-
In his soliloquies prior to Duncans murder Macbeth refers to the act in much the same way. He uses the word do rather than name the deed.
-If it were done, when tis done, then twere well / It were done quickly (I.vii.1-2)-
-I go and it is done (II.i.62)-
Done is a funny word in Shakespeare as it usually refers to sex, equalising the act of murder with consummation.
Elsewhere the deed is it… Macbeth speaks the forbidden word but once
-My thought, whose murther yet is still fantastical-
And this is equivocation, while admitting he is thinking of murder he also suggests that thought itself is murdered.
Throughout Macbeth dialogue dwells obsessively on the unnameable, both action and identity are lost in the confounded language of the play.

Read- Shakespeare: Violation and Identity, by Alexander Leggatt for more detail

In Toni Morrison's "Recitatif," who is black and who is white?

Toni Morrison never discloses the answer to this question.
Part of the point of her story is to experiment with this very
question.

Toni Morrison (in her Preface to
Playing in the Dark: Whiteness and the Literary Imagination) wrote,
"'Recitatif' was an experiment in the removal of all racial codes from a narrative about
two characters of different races for whom racial identity is
crucial."

By failing to reveal this information to her
readers, she asks her readers to consider why race is so important to readers and what a
focus on race obscures. For example, if readers stop focusing on race, they might focus
on class, disability, gender, or storytelling issues like narration, memory, or
trauma.

What strange occurrence does Enfield associate with Black Mail House?no

You can find the answer to this question in the first
chapter of the book.  Enfield is tellng Utterson, who is a distant relative of his,
about this strange thing that happened that has to do with this
house.

What he tells Utterson about is our first
introduction to Mr. Hyde.  Enfield tells about this time when he saw Mr. Hyde badly hurt
this little girl.  He says he saw this man just run right over a little girl and trample
her underfoot.  When he was stopped he seemed not to think he had done anything
wrong.

Enfield talks about how evil the man looked.  This
is our first glimpse of Hyde in this book.

How does Romeo and Juliet's marriage in Act 2, Scene 6 foreshadow future events?

The fact that the couple secretly marries without benefit of Juliet's father's permission hints to us that something will go wrong because the rules for marriage have been broken. Paris follows these rules, but Romeo breaks them. The Friar's agreement to marry them is a huge faux pas on his part as well. 

The impetuousity on the part of the Friar, Romeo, and Juliet to marry foreshadows the later rash decisions of Romeo and Juliet to immediately kill themselves without thinking it through. Even the Friar's rashness in marrying the couple foreshadows his act later on of making the potion for Juliet to get her out of the marriage to Paris.

Of course, the fact that Romeo and Juliet are the only children of feuding families foreshadows that this cannot end well. Tybalt became very angry with Romeo at the party, and we know that his hot temper won't leave this alone. The marriage further complicates this situation, foreshadowing the duel to come later between Tybalt and Romeo.

What is the analysis of the presence of nature in "The Grasshopper and the Cricket" by John Keats?I woudl like to know what Keat means by the use...

In "The Grasshopper and the Cricket" Keats uses nature
imagery to paint a two-sided picture of life on earth. The first is a direct description
of how human life observes and intersects with nature on earth (of course Keats never
speaks of "nature," he only speaks of the things belonging to nature: birds, trees,
crickets, grass, etc.).

The first and direct story told by
the poem is that in summer, when the birds faint from the heat of the sun, they take
shelter under the cool leaves of trees and listen to the grasshopper as he sings and
plays about the meadow. When the grasshopper is finished playing , he reposes himself in
the cool of a weed. This is observed by humans.

Then in
winter, nature intersects with humans. While the world is frosted in cold, a cricket
sings from the warm stove. The human listener, in half a doze, is reminded of the luxury
of summer verdure and imagines he hears the sound of the
grasshopper.

For Keats, as a poet of romanticism, nature
communicated through symbolic emblems, which poets copied by making symbolism highly
important in their poetry. The second story is a metaphorical one. The hot sun and
summer luxury symbolize youth and health. The frosty cold winter during which the
imagination (for the Romantics, imagination was the highest order of thought that
governed cognitive reason) recalls the youth and health of
summer.

In this context, nature as a whole is emblematic of
the individual joys and pleasures of a life lived through all the seasons of all the
years and through the metaphoric seasons of lifetime.

Bear
in mind that in 1816 (the year Keats received his apothecary license) when Keats wrote
this poem, he had already lost his father and mother, who died of tuberculosis, and was
nursing his brother Tom who was also dying of tuberculosis. This is when Keats
contracted the disease that also led to his untimely death in
1821.

What are some bitter and sweet things?something that needs the bitter aspect to make it sweet and desirable... something that could be compared...

Well in order to make good wine some grapes may need to be
sour.

Another thing is lemonade- both bitter and sweet and
delicious, mixed together and blending perfectly, sort of like when you love
someone.

I would end up saying that one of the most
delicious bitter sweet things in life are Life Savers candies. If you compare them to
love, they are sweet, sour, they melt, and they make you feel young
again.

It could help ;)

What memories does Jonas gets after those of war, and why does Jonas dislike the good guys/bad guys game now?

After having received the memory of war, Jonas doesn't want to play the goodguys/badguys game because he knows the pain the reality of war, the concept on which the game is based. The Giver gives Jonas tidbits of happy memories after the memory of war which include the beauty of art, the wonder of nature and a relationship with animals, solitude, and his favorite, families. Jonas learns he can find the names of his grandparents at the Hall of Open Records, and expriences warmth, happiness, and love at the holiday celebration (Chapter 16)

Twins are unacceptable is they are identical because of the confusion they might cause in the community, which values order above all things (Chapter 17).

Rosemary was the person who was supposed to be the Keeper of Memories before Jonas.  She was also the Giver's daughter.  During her training she was overwhelmed by the trauma of memories such as loneliness, loss, poverty, hunger,and terror, and asked for release. At her release those memories returned to the community, which itself was overwhelmed for a time, because the Giver was too distraught himself to help them through (Chapter 18). Recent and present day examples of release might be the killing of millions of Jews by the Nazis during World War II, and abortion of unborn children.

Prove the following:1. cos(3π/2 + x) cos(2π + x) [cot(3π/2 - x) + cot(2π + x)] = 1 2. sin(n+1)x.sin(n+2)x + cos(n+1)x.cos(n+2)x = cos x 3....

1. We'll transform cot(3π/2 - x) + cot(2π + x) into a
product:

cot(3π/2 - x) + cot(2π + x)=sin(2π + x+3π/2 -
x)/-sinx*cosx

sin(2π + x+3π/2 - x)=sin(2π +
3π/2)=sin2πcos3π/2+sin3π/2cos2π=0*0-1*1=-1

cot(3π/2 - x) +
cot(2π + x)=-1/-sinx*cosx=1/sinx*cosx

On the other
hand,

cos(3π/2 + x) = cos3π/2cos x - sin3π/2sin
x=sinx

cos(2π + x) = cos2π cos x - sin2π sin x = cos
x

The given expression will
become:

sinx*cos x*(1/sinx*cosx) =
1

It is clear that, after simplifying, the
result will be:

1=1, so the identity is
true!

2. Here, we'll use the
formula:

cos A cos B + sin A sin B = cos
(A-B)

In our case, A = (n+1)x and B =
(n+2)x

cos(n+2)xcos(n+1)x+sin(n+2)xsin(n+1)x=cos[(n+2)x-(n+1)x]

cos[(n+2)x-(n+1)x]=cosx(n+2-n-1)=cos
x

So, cos(n+2)xcos(n+1)x+sin(n+2)xsin(n+1)x =
cos x

3. For solving the
difference between these 2 trigonometric functions, we'll use the following
formula:

cos a-cos b =
-2sin[(a+b)/2]sin[(a-b)/2]

In our case, a=(3π/4 + x) and
b=(3π/4 - x)

cos(3π/4 + x) - cos(3π/4 -
x)=

=2sin[(3π/4 + x+3π/4 - x)/2]sin[(3π/4 - x-3π/4 -
x)/2]

After simplifying, we'll
have:

cos(3π/4 + x) - cos(3π/4 -
x)=2sin(6π/8)sin(-x)

sin(6π/8) =
sin(3π/4)=sin(π/4+π/2)=sinπ/4cosπ/2+sinπ/2cosπ/4

sin(6π/8)
= sqrt 2/2 *0+1*sqrt2/2

sin(6π/8) =
sqrt2/2

So,
2sin(6π/8)sin(-x)=-2*(sqrt2/2)*sinx=-sqrt2*sinx, q.e.d.

What does Nick mean in chapter 4 when he says: "There are only the pursued, the pursuing, the busy, and the tired"?

Nick's thoughts reflect the angst of modern life.  As he holds the superficial Jordan in his arms, he wonders why any of the pursuit of love, riches, and so-called "happiness" are worth anything at all. 

Break this quote down into pieces and it is much more understandable.  For example, the "pursued" are Daisy by Gatsby, and Tom by Myrtle.  The pursuing are Gatsby, trying to "capture" Daisy, and Myrtle trying to snare Tom.

I would argue that "the busy and the tired" include all of the characters.  These traits, again, are indicative of the shallowness of modern life.  It seems that no one really wants to play the game of predator and prey, yet no one truly wishes to give up the thrill of the hunt either. 

But thrill is temporary, and its promises of pay-off illusory.  In the end, the characters lack rest and contentment, a price they have paid for the more temporal benefits of a quick fix (that is, parties, false camaraderies, fleeting fame.) 

Who are the round and dynamic characters?

When the wall is almost finished, Montresor shows a moment of concern for Fortunato, when the prisoner does not answer to the call of his name. Montresor throws the torch over the wall. Is he having second thoughts? Has he learned something from this conflict? At this moment Montresor seems to venture near the line of becoming a dynamic character, but then he returns to his wall-building and exacts his revenge, staying firmly in the realm of being a static character. As for being round or flat, we learn very little about either character, though a bit more about Fortunato. He is seen as a Carnival reveler, but we also learn that he is a wine afficionado and seems to have Montresor's respect in that regard. So, we do learn a little about who he is outside of what is happening to him in the story. As for Montresor's character, it seems as flat as can be: he is a person relaying the story of an incident that happened to him many years ago - as if it were yesterday. His character seems very flat.

What do the various people/groups in the book symbolize?

In Ralph Ellison’s novel “Invisible Man,” a cast of characters symbolize societal outcasts who are disillusioned and truth telling. Ironically, the people with a clear view of the world are those who are looked down upon by society as outcasts. Trueblood, the vet and blueprint man illustrate this point, the price one pays for knowing and telling the truth is removal from society.

The protagonist completes the circle. The prologue begins with the end. The reader learns the protagonist lives in a hole.  Battle Royal and other situations demonstrates his position in society, subservient and enraged. The circle is completed in the epilogue, when he decides to live in a hole.

The prologue begins with “I am an invisible man” (3). He is invisible “because people refuse to see [him] (3). He finds “a home or hole” to live.  Although Trueblood and the blueprint man were ridiculed during their brief appearances, they shows us verity.  The epilogue provides the protagonist with understanding as to why he is “in a hole.”  His experiences “showed [him] the hole [he] was in” (572). In the hole, he meditates, and is in a state of contemplation.  Throughout the novel, Ellison stresses that while legitimacy is valuable in society, it seems unattainable unless one sacrifices their responsibility to humanity.  The protagonist desires to become one of the symbolic disillusioned and truth telling outcasts, similar to Trueblood, the vet and blueprint man. 

What impact does Miss Maudie have on the children's life in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Miss Maudie has an especially strong impact on Scout's life, teaching her the ways of the world from the point of view of a woman not as deeply entrenched in traditional southern notions of womanhood as other women, such as Scout's aunt.  Also, Maudie has known Atticus for a long time, and therefore can explain certain things about him (such as his ability to shoot) that no one else would.  Maudie is outspoken, has values similar to those of Atticus, and can bake fine cakes to boot, all three attributes comprising a type of nourishment that the children need.  Here's an example:  Not long after the trial, Scout is participating in a missionary ladies' party that her aunt gives, and Miss Maudie is there.  Scout is called upon to act "like a lady" in ways she abhors, and even worse, tease her about goiong to court and sitting with Negroes during the trial.  She wants to lash out, but then Maudie reaches over and quietly holds her hand, consoling her and silently advising her to say nothing.  "Miss Maudie's hand closed tightly on mine, and I said nothing," Scout reveals.  She is one more example of womanhood which contributes to several other (her aunt, her teacher, Cal, Miss Stephanie, etc) against which she defines herself as she grows up.  More than the other female characters, Maudie fills in the vacuum of "mother" in Scout's life.

Discuss the function of nature in this novel. Why do you think nature is very important to the characters in Frankenstein. plz help me

I'll answer your question concerning Shelley's
Frankenstein by looking at a different element or side of
nature.

Nature vs. Nurture is a central theme in the
novel.  Left to himself, without nurturing from his creator/father, the
creature turns into the monster.  Victor fails
his responsibility to take care of, to nurture, that which he
creates. 

The wild, natural man, then, does not turn out so
well.  Victor rejects him largely due only to his appearance.  As a result of this
rejection, the creature suffers from isolation, loneliness, emotional deprivation, and
eventually becomes a monster. 

Unusually, and perhaps
ironically, the creature, left to fend for himself in the world of nature so emphasized
by other romantic writers, does not absorb its goodness or touch the transcendent or
commune with it and experience transformation as in, for instance, Wordsworth's "Tintern
Abbey."  Nature does not lead the monster to acts of kindness.  His isolation leads to
acts of horror.

What does the arabic word "maktub" mean and how is it used in Coelho's novel, The Alchemist?

"Maktub," the merchant said, finally. "What does that mean?" "You would have to have been born an Arab to understand," he answered. "But in your language it would be something like 'It is written."

                                                            -- The Alchemist, pg. 31

And, as the camel driver had said, to die tomorrow was no worse than dying on any other day. Every day was there to be lived or to mark one's departure from this world. Everything depended on one word: "Maktub."

                                                             -- The Alchemist, pg. 60

"Maktub" is a word that comes up again and again in The Alchemist. As is mentioned in the first quote, it is Arabic for "it is written." Maktub means fate or destiny. The concept comes from the Islamic notion that Allah writes one's destiny and whatever we experience occurs because it is meant to be. The idea of destiny that is inevitable is emphasized throughout this book.

"Maktub" also exists in Farsi along with some other languages that borrow heavily from Farsi and Arabic. In contemporary Farsi and Turkish, for example, "maktub" or "mektup" means "letter." But its meaning in The Alchemist is "destiny."

Did Communism pose a serious threat to the U.S. in the 1940s and 1950s?Was the threat of Communism just an exaggeration to benefit politicians who...

Depends on your definition of "threat".  There was never
any danger that the US would ever be invaded or become communist from internal
revolution.  While communism became the most popular in this country during the Great
Depression, it has always been a small minority politically, as has
socialism.

But the Soviet Union as a communist empire did
seek to expand its control over more countries, exported armed rebellion to achieve
this, and even had a branch of government, the COMINTERN or Communist International to
pursue this goal.  So some countries in Europe became communist, and others were
threatened militarily during the Cold War, and when communism began to spread to the
Western Hemisphere, Guatemala and Cuba in the 1950s, specifically, we tended to view it
as more of a direct threat.

I think it is more accurate to
say it was a threat to our resources and economic standard of living as opposed to our
very national existence or form of government.

How does the Ancient Marriner symbolize the feelings of guilt and loneliness in "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner"?

In Coleridge's "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" guilt and
loneliness are symbolized most notably by the figure of the Mariner
himself.

He is cursed for the rest of his life to wander
and, when the urge and pain come upon him, to stop whoever he is directed to stop and
tell his story to that person.  There is no one else like him, and the obsession to tell
his story is beyond his control.

His guilt of course comes
from his killing of the albatross, one of the creator's creations.  As the Mariner tells
the wedding guest:

readability="13">

"He prayeth best, who loveth
best

All things both great and
small;

For the dear God who loveth
us,

He made and loveth all." (lines
614-617)

This is the lesson
in the tale the Mariner tells, and is doomed to tell. 

What weaknesses and strengths does Malcolm exhibit through his attempts to spur on Macduff, after the two learn of the latter's loss?The killing...

After Ross tells Macduff (with Malcolm present) in Act 4.3
of Shakespeare's Macbeth that his family has been "surprised" and
 "Savagely slaughtered," and that to give him the details of the murders of his "deer"
(a pun on dear, of course) ones would be to cause Macduff's death, too, Malcolm's first
response is to tell Macduff not to hide his sorrow, but to express
it:

What,
man, ne'er pull your hat upon your brows [hide your
grief],

Give sorrow words.  The grief that does not
speak

Whispers the o'er-fraught heart and bids it
break.

I assume you would
consider this a strength shown by Malcom.  He empathizes with Macduff (puts himself in
Macduff's place, knows what he's going through, and offers sound
advice).

Macduff, shocked, however, basically ignores
Malcolm and continues to ask Ross if all his family were killed--he
can't believe what Ross is saying and can't get past the news
itself.

Malcolm's next response is to offer a solution to
Macduff:

Be
comforted.

Let's make us med'cines of our great
revenge,

To cure this deadly
grief.

This may also be seen
as a strength--he is offering a solution and giving Macduff a concrete option for
overcoming his grief--but might also be seen as self-serving--he is pushing his own
agenda (lead an army against Macbeth).

When Macduff
continues to obsess over the murders themselves, Malcolm certainly makes a mistake in
interpreting Macduff's reaction, and expects Macduff to handle his grief in the
stereotypical male
manner:

Dispute it like a
man.

And Macduff sets Malcolm
straight:

I
shall do so.

But I must also feel it as a
man.

I cannot but remember such things
were

That were most precious to
me. 

He will take his grief
out on Macbeth, but first he must feel his losses. 

Malcolm
doesn't give up, however, again urging Macduff:

readability="8">

Be this the whetstone [that which your sword is
sharpened on] of your sword.  Let grief

Convert to anger;
blunt not the heart, enrage
it.

And again Macduff, the
ideal foil to Macbeth, corrects Malcolm:

readability="15">

Oh, I could play the woman with mine eyes
[weep]

And braggart with my tongue.  But, gentle
heavens,

Cut short all intermission!  Front to front [face
to face, a vital element of honor]

Bring thou this fiend of
Scotland [Macbeth] and
myself!

Macduff reveals a
sophisticated, mature reaction to grief.  He will revenge his family's murder, but first
he must feel his loss.  Malcolm demonstrates empathy, but also seems intent on pushing
his agenda.

Of course, Macduff's reaction contributes to
the theme of role reversal in the play:  his need to feel his grief before he acts on it
is typically a reaction expected of females, rather than of macho
males.