In "The Red-Headed League," how does Sherlock Holmes contrast with Peter Jones, the police agent from Scotland Yard?

Sherlock Holmes and Peter Jones respect each other for particular reasons, but they also find flaws with the way the other man does his investigative work. We learn of Jones' opinion first, when he vouches for Holmes to Mr. Merryweather.

 “'You may place considerable confidence in Mr. Holmes, sir,' said the police agent loftily. 'He has his own little methods, which are, if he won’t mind my saying so, just a little too theoretical and fantastic, but he has the makings of a detective in him. It is not too much to say that once or twice, as in that business of the Sholto murder and the Agra treasure, he has been more nearly correct than the official force.'”

Jones acknowledges that Holmes gets good results, but he won't go so far as to say his methods are in keeping with the "correct" way of solving crimes.

In Sherlock Holmes' opinion, Jones is the one who performs badly on the job. However, he acknowledges Jones' good character, bravery, and perseverance.

"'He is not a bad fellow, though an absolute imbecile in his profession. He has one positive virtue. He is as brave as a bulldog and as tenacious as a lobster if he gets his claws upon anyone. Here we are, and they are waiting for us.'"

This respect for character rather than competency is a common sentiment Holmes expresses throughout the stories, always setting them up as the bumbling idiots forever falling short when compared to the brilliance and success of Holmes.

As for your second question about Holmes' outlook on life, early in the story he says to Watson, "'You will remember that I remarked the other day...that for strange effects and extraordinary combinations we must go to life itself, which is always far more daring than any effort of the imagination.'" One might take from this statement that Holmes understands much strangeness can be found outside of crimes, and in fact can be found in every day life, because life events can sometimes be crazier than what one might dream up in one's head. He continues this seeming respect for the less exciting events of life, saying, "'You have heard me remark that the strangest and most unique things are very often connected not with the larger but with the smaller crimes, and occasionally, indeed, where there is room for doubt whether any positive crime has been committed.'" Apparently, Holmes does not even need a definite crime to solve in order to be intrigued by an occurrence.

At the end of the story, Holmes sings a very different tune. After Watson congratulates him for once again putting together the pieces of the mystery so brilliantly, this conversation takes place:

“'It saved me from ennui,” he answered, yawning. 'Alas! I already feel it closing in upon me. My life is spent in one long effort to escape from the commonplaces of existence. These little problems help me to do so.'"

Here, Holmes labels every day life as mundane, citing crime-solving as the only means of escaping such a boring prison. He needs crimes, because without them he could not put his brilliant mind to use and would be stuck in the drudgery of regular living. This view, of course, differs greatly with the one he seemed to take at the beginning of the story.

Having said this, I would like to note that the opinion of every day life Holmes expresses at the end is more in keeping with references to life in other Sherlock Holmes stories, so the apparent shift in perception is likely not influenced by anything that happens to him during this particular mystery.

One more difference between the beginning and the end of this story is what Holmes has to say about reputation. At the start, after he explains his methods to Mr. Wilson, Wilson says, "'I thought at first that you had done something clever, but I see that there was nothing in it, after all.'" In response, Holmes says, "'I begin to think, Watson...that I make a mistake in explaining. ‘Omne ignotum pro magnifico,’ you know, and my poor little reputation, such as it is, will suffer shipwreck if I am so candid.'" The latin phrase he uses means "everything unknown [is taken] as grand." Holmes will appear more brilliant if he keeps his clients in the dark about his methods. At the very end of the story, however, Holmes has another foreign phrase to deliver to Watson; L’homme c’est rien–l’oeuvre c’est tout. This translates to "the man is nothing- the work is everything, but with this logic Holmes should not care one bit about his reputation, because it is his work that should speak for him.

Why did Bando call Sam, "Thoreau" in in My Side of the Mountain.

The reason that Bando called Sam "Thoreau" is because
Bando was an English teacher and he knew a lot about literature from the old days.  The
name Thoreau refers to this guy called Henry David
Thoreau.

That Thoreau thought that people should life more
of simple lives.  He said that people were too obsessed with their material
possessions.  To prove the point, he went and lived in a cabin in the woods for a
while.  He wrote a book about it called
Walden.

So Bando calls Sam that
because Sam had more or less the same idea that Thoreau had.

What are the main economic problems due to overpopulation?

While the first answer is somewhat correct, a growing
population does not necessarily mean that demand will grow faster than
supply.

In some ways, there is no such thing as
overpopulation.  There can only be too much population compared to
economic capacity.

If there are too many
people compared to a country's economic capacity, the country will experience low GDP
per capita.  It will probably have poor human resources (lack of education, for example)
and will have low productivity.

Who do Johnny and Ponyboy look for after they kill Bob?

After Johnny and Pony accidentally kill Bob Sheldon, they
are completely freaked out and they think they need to run away so they do not get
arrested.  What they do then is they go and look for Dally.  So the answer to your
question is Dallas Winston.

They figure that Dally is the
member of the gang who has been in the most trouble and he would be the one who is most
likely to be able to help them escape.  Johnny is the first to think of it -- he says
Dally can help them.  Pony agrees, thinking that Dally can do
anything.

How does Of Mice And Men's ending contribute to the meaning of the complete work?

I see this on two levels.  First off, the comment "what the hell ya suppose is eatin them two guys" shows that the majority of people still don't understand the bond between George and Lenny.  Even in the end, most of the men think the world is a dog-eat-dog world without room for human compassion.

Secondly, we get the feeling that this incident may soon be put behind all the men and it will be life as usual.  Much like how George and Lenny can't go into hiding but must get to the next job, these men don't have time to dwell on what's just happened.  They'll head into town, have a drink, and report to work in the morning.

At what frequency does a stationary listener hear the sound 1) as the plane approaches and 2) after it passes?I'm stumped as to how to solve this....

The speed at which the sound travels remains same
irrespective of the speed of an object, like an aeroplane, making the sound. Therefore,
because of a phenomenon called Doppler effect the frequency of sound made by an object
approaching a listener increases, while that be a receding object
decreases.

The relation between the observed frequency of
sound (f) and the emitted frequency (fo) is given by:

f =
[v/(v + vs)]*fo

Where v is velocity of sound and vs is the
velocity of source respective to the medium.

Also value of
fo is given as 4.66 kHz.

It is given that speed of plane is
half that of speed.

Therefore when the plane approaches the
observer, it is like the intervening medium between the observer and the plane moving
towards the observer making vs= -v/2

Therefore frequency of
sound when the plane approaching the observer is given
by:

f = [v/(v - v/2)]*fo = 2*fo = 2*4.66 = 9.32
kHz.

Similarly, after the plane passes the observer, it is
like the intervening medium between the observer and the plane moving towards the
observer making vs= v/2

Therefore frequency of sound after
the plane passes the observer is given by:

f = [v/(v +
v/2)]*fo = 2/3*fo = 2/3*4.66 = 3.10666667   kHz.

What are five main events in "The Most Dangerous Game?"

I disagree that those are the 5 major events because your major events must establish your conflict as well as provide support to its development.  Also, a major event must include the climax of the story and represent how the character changed as a result.

That said the 5 major events would be as follows:

Rainsford and Whitney have a discussion about hunting.  The perspective of the hunter and the hunted. This is our first conflict man vs. self.  Right or wrong to hunt for sport.

Rainsford falls overboard in the darkness of night.  Man vs Nature.

Rainsford discovers the "palital chateau" of General Zaroff and is welcomed as a celebrated hunter.

Rainsford discovers the "new game" that General Zaroff has invented and chooses not to participate in the hunt.

Rainsford becomes the hunted rather than the hunter and understands the true meaning of fear.

Where are the following literary techniques in this story: Metaphor, hyperbole, personification.

In a book this long, there are, of course, multiple
instances of all of this stuff.

You can find hyperbole on
the very first page of the book.  Sam is describing his tree and he says it "must be as
old as the mountain itself."  Of course, this cannot possibly be
true.

On the next page, there is personification when he
says that his tree is no longer "crying" as much as it once
was.

On page 7 (in my copy of the book) there is metaphor. 
Here, Sam says that the "curtain of blizzard" struck the mountains.  That is metaphor
because it is comparing the storm to a curtain.

How did the progressive concern for efficiency affect social reform efforts,public education,government administration, and rural life?

Although we don't usually think of social reform being
concerned with efficiency, you can argue that it was during the Progressive Era.  For
example, one reason they wanted Prohibition was that they thought that people who didn't
drink would be better and more efficient workers than people who did
drink.

In education, they wanted to train the upper level
kids for thinking jobs and the lower class kids to be drones in factories.  That's more
efficient than A) having all the lower class kids completely uneducated and/or B)
wasting money teaching Shakespeare to someone who's going to be a factory worker --
their thinking, not necessarily mine.

In government, they
wanted it to be run by experts.  This would be more efficient than having it run by
politicians because experts would not waste money.  They would just do what was best
rather than trying to spend money getting votes for themselves.

In what ways are Montresor and Fortunato alike and different in "The Cask of Amontillado"?

An interesting question. Montressor and Fortunato are alike in a number of ways. First and most simply—always start with the basics—they live in the same place and time. This allows them to engaged in odd behavior and excuse it by the idea that it is carnival time, and is essential for the plot. They share an interest in wine, and have highly developed senses of  pride. They share secrets. They are both masons, though this is somewhat of a pun (one is a literal mason; one is a Mason, a member of a secret society).

 

They differ in that Montressor narrates the story (again, start with the basics) and so we see his side of things, but never Fortunato's. After that, they differ in the type and nature of deception. Montressor deceives Fortunato regarding his intent, actively lying to him; if we believe Montressor, Fortunato pretends not to know he's given offense. Finally, of course, Montressor is a killer.

What is the setting in The Boarded Window?no

The first two paragraphs of the story include quite a bit
of detail about the setting, including information about the time period, geographic
location, and description of the actual house with the boarded
window.

In
1830, only a few miles away from what is now the great city of Cincinnati, lay an
immense and almost unbroken forest.  The whole region was sparsely settle by people of
the frontier...He lived alone in a house of logs surrounded on all sides by the great
forest, of whose gloom and silence he seemed a part...There were evidences of
"improvement"-- a few acres of ground immediately about the house had once been cleared
of trees, the decayed stumps of which were half concealed by the new growth that had
been suffered to repair the ravage wrought by the ax...

The
little log house, with its chimney of sticks, its roof of warping clapboards weighted
with traversing poles and its chinking of clay, had a single door and, directly
opposite, a window.  The latter, however, was boarded up--nobody could remember a time
when it was not.

Of course,
this passage also includes description of the main character,
Murlock.

In Book 8 of the Odyssey, what does the blind poet Demodocus' presence and his singing do for the story?

Hello there!

The blind bard is very important to Homer's tale for several reasons. First, many researchers and readers alike believe the bard is supposed to represent Homer himself and his role in the society of the times. It is believed he was a blind bard, making a living by singing of the trials and tribulations of the upper class citizens.

To Book 8 however, he is important because of Odysseus' response to his song. Note Odysseus offers food and drink to the bard and is moved to tears by his songs of the Trojan War and of Odysseus' journey. Remember a King or person of Odysseus' status would not normally offer food or thanks to a bard. This emotional display on the part of Odysseus is what allows Alcinous to prod him for revelation of his identity, which in itself is a large reocurring theme in The Odyssey. So, the bard is a catalyst for major events in the book.

:)

What are the traditions/attitudes in 1984 that Orwell wishes to modify. Political or Social

George Orwell, by writing a dystopian Juvenalian satire in
1984, does not give any modifications or ways to improve
government.  There's no implicit message or hope or beauty or freedom in this
book.

This kind of satire is attack-only.  His words are
meant to destroy 1984s totalitarian government, not to tweak it.  You can't have Big
Brother be reformed politically or socially.  He must be obliterated.  There's no
conciliation, no qualification, no room for
maneuvering.

Ironically, Big Brother wins against the
individual.  That's Orwell's thesis.  There is only torture in this type of government.
 It's not a subtle message.  There's no hope.
 Period.

History, I think, has proved Orwell right.
 Communism (and fascism) was a god that failed.  It took 50 more years though to topple,
so many more individuals were tortured along the way.

Is there a summary of Romeo and Juliet available?

Romeo , who is in love with Rosaline, goes to a party in an effort to forget her or to ease his broken heart. He later finds out that she is a Capulet, the rival family of the Montagues. He decides that he loves her anyway and they confess their love for each other during the very famous "balcony scene" in which they agree to secretly marry the next day. Friar Lawrence agrees to marry them in an effort to end the feuding between the families. Unfortunately, the fighting gets worse and Mercutio , a good friend of Romeo's, ends up in a fight with Tybalt , Juliet's cousin. Tybalt kills Mercutio, which causes Romeo to kill Tybalt in an angry rage. For this, Romeo is banished from Verona.

At the same time, the Capulet's are planning Juliet's marriage to Paris. Juliet does not want to marry this man so she arranges with Friar Lawrence to fake her own death with a sleeping potion that will make everyone think that she is dead. Friar Lawrence promises to send word to Romeo to meet her when the potion wears off and to rescue her to Mantua, where Romeo is currently staying. There they would live happily ever after. Unfortunately, Romeo does not receive this message on time and upon hearing of her "death" goes to Juliet's tomb where he drinks poison and dies. When Juliet's potion wears off, she awaken's to find her lover's corpse. She then proceeds to stab herself with Romeo's dagger. The two families find the bodies and their shared sorrow, finally make peace with each other.

What is the conflict in "Goodbye, and Keep Cold" by Robert Frost?

To me, the conflict in this poem is an external conflict. 
It is a conflict between man and nature.  At times, I think that the orchard also
represents man rather than nature.  This is because the orchard is a thing that is made
by people.

So, in this poem, the speaker and the orchard
are struggling against the forces of nature.  They have to contend with animals and they
have to contend with the temperature and things like
that.

So the major conflict is whether the speaker and his
orchard can defeat the forces of nature.

In the Brother Cadfael episode, what was Cadfael's view of faith and religion? How does his outlook compare to his contempories?I also need to...

In the British series, Brother
Cadfael, Derek Jacobi plays a monk in medieval England.  Like some of his
literary counterparts, Cadfael is representative of a perspective on the relationship of
faith and religion to the world.  In the Middle Ages, religion (often termed "theology")
was the "Queen of the Sciences," meaning that all other forms of inquiry was
subordinate, and also in service to it.  Much of this was reinforced by the stronly
rationalistic tendency in medieval thought.  Reason was a tool by which the works of God
could be known (to an extent). 

The series presents Brother
Cadfael as a challenger to this point of view.  That is not to say that Cadfael is
antagonistic toward the Church or the faith, but his perspective is portrayed more
broadly than that.  Cadfael, a monk with a penchant for solving crimes, is an
empiricist.  Empiricism refers to the reliance on experience for meaningful knowledge of
the world.  Rather than trusting on revelation (God revealing knowledge to him), Cadfael
actively seeks to gain knowledge directly from nature, generally in the form of clues. 
As far as faith and religion are concerned, Cadfael believes that they have their
sphere.  There are some aspects of the world where an empirical method is the more
beneficial method.

Cadfael seems much different than many
of the other characters in the series, not just in the one episode.  The
other characters serve as a foil for his investigative abilities.  His method and
abilities seem all the more impressive when there is no meaningful
(empirical) competition from those around him.  In the larger historical context,
empiricism gained ground in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries.  Some of its most
important exponents were Roger Bacon, Robert Grosseteste, and Albertus Magnus, just
to name three.

The episode also reveals medieval attitudes
toward women and also what medieval societies valued in terms of character and
morality.  Women were generally viewed with a degree of distrust, specifically those
women who were not virginal - an attitude that goes back to Eve's falling to temptation
in Genesis.  In general, what Cadfael represents does not reflect what most in his life
situation as a monk would prefer to see in terms of character.  Important among them
characteristics for monks were humility and devotion.  The former tends to work against
sticking out from the crowd, and the latter tends to not play well with competing
viewpoints, empiricism in this case.    

What is an example of Jack's abuse of power, and what words are used to emphasize the hunters' sociological status in Lord of the Flies?Lord of...

In Chapter 10 of Lord of the Flies,
Jack has taken all but three of the biguns and Ralph into his group of
hunters.  Jack has total control over the boys, and abuses this power by beating the
boys for infractions.  In this chapter, Jack has had Wilfred hog-tied, awaiting his
beating.  Robert tells Roger that Wilfred has been tied up all day.  The boys do not
question Jack's decision, and Jack uses the boys' fear against them.  By this time, the
boys are simply referred to as savages and Jack as the chief by the narrator:  "A savage
raised his hand and the chief turned a bleak, painted face toward him."  These words
suggest that the boys have lost their identities and that they are now identified by the
hierarchical roles that they play in the hunting group.

What was the pardoner's purpose in The Canterbury Tales?

Okay, writing some questions for my class, I stumbled across this, and I really have to say that the idea that the pardoner is trying to get people to address their sins is an incomplete answer.  He is clearly trying to get people to purchase pardons and relics, and he isn't really concerned about their morality.  In fact, when he's telling the story of the three rioters, he mentions them and then goes off for three pages about sin in general.  His conclusions include the idea that because swearing comes before murder in the ten commandments, swearing is the worse sin.  He even claims that Paul condemns those who eat too much as 'dross' (trash).  He condemns these common sins far more explicitly than the more serious sins BECAUSE people are more likely to have committed them, and he can, therefore, get more people to buy pardons.  At the end, he goes so far as to tell people they can sin every mile of their trip, and he'll be there to absolve them as long as they can pay him coin or silver or brooches or wool.

Clearly, the pardoner's purpose is to drum up business and Chaucer's purpose is to show just how corrupt the church system had become.

What are the major themes and concerns that run through ‘Middlemarch’?

Middlemarch’s subtitle is “A Study of Provincial Life” and
the novel explored the characteristics of ordinary people and their choices in life, and
through their voices and opinions we are made aware that there are positive and negative
characteristics in everyone. Eliot manages to draw the reader into her composition, and
to view the variety of people in the world with compassion and
laughter.

One major theme explored is the difficulties and
imperfections within marriage

Middlemarch offers an
unflinching critique of the usual portrayal of marriage as romantic and unproblematic.
Most characters in Middlemarch marry for love , yet marriage still appears negative and
unromantic. In Middlemarch unlike in many novels of the time, marriage is not considered
the ultimate source of happiness. Two examples are the failed marriages of Dorothea and
Lydgate. In the character of Dorothea Brooke, the reader is introduced to an
intelligent, wealthy young woman who aspires to do great work in her life. Dorothea is
an excessively religious girl who withdraws from the activities she likes most, and
convinces herself to marry a man, Mr. Casaubon, who cannot satisfy her. Her marriage
fails because of her youth and of her disillusions about marrying a much older man,
while Lydgate’s marriage fails because of irreconcilable personalities. The Bulstrodes
also face a marital crisis due to his inability to tell her about the past, and Fred
Vincy and Mary Garth also suffer hardship.

Social
Expectations

The ways in which people conduct themselves
and how the community judges them are closely linked in Middlemarch. When the
expectations of the social community are not met, individuals often are criticised.This
is evident when the community judges Ladislaw harshly because of his mixed pedigree.
Fred Vincy is nearly disowned because he chooses to go against his family’s wishes and
not join the clergy. It is only when Vincy goes against the wishes of the community that
he finds true love and happiness. Rosamond’s need for gentility and the desire to live
up to social standards becomes her downfall. In contrast, Dorothea’s decision to act
against the rules of society allows her to emerge as the most respectable characterat
the conclusion.

You could also look at the theme of
Self-Determination vs. Chance

In The Prince and that Pauper it mentions The Great Seal, is this really a seal? What is its purpose?

In this book, the search for the Great Seal is one of the
major actions.  It is how they eventually decide that the real prince is telling the
truth about his identity.

At one point in the book, the
seal is described as "a massy golden disk."  Tom talks about how it has "devices and
letters" engraved on it.  So that tells you that it really is a seal.  Back then,
proclamations and letters and such had to be "sealed" to show that they were authentic. 
This meant that wax would be heated and a seal would be pressed into the wax.  That is
what the Great Seal was for -- only the monarchs would have access to the Great Seal so
anything with that imprint must have been approved by them.

What is the significance of the letter "A" on Hester's gown?

The simple answer is that the "A" simply stands for adultary. However, I believe it stands for the conflict within the story between Puritan society (rigid/does not allow for emotional flexibility) and Hester's natural beauty and dignity.

The "A" is supposed to have a negative stigma attached to it. However, many of the same people who believe this see the "A" formed by the meteor as meaning Angel. The two A's are not only the same letter but similar in color.

 The contradictions in the society and in Hester herself continue through the book and are exemplified in this letter "A".

Does Shylock suffer injustice in the court scene in The Merchant of Venice?

The question is very complex. Shylock asks for "justice" in his demand for the pound of flesh, but Portia (disguised as a lawyer) advises him that mercy is a higher value than justice, and that he should show Antonio mercy. When Shylock refuses, Portia tricks him, telling him he may have only the pound of flesh, no blood, which in effect renders his plea worthless. Thus, Portia holds him to the very strict letter of the law that Shylock asks for: "Thou shalt have justice more than thou desir'st" (4.1.330). She also holds him accountable to another law, that of, as an alien (for Jews were not citizens), threatening the life of an Venetian citizen (4.1.363-370). His punishment, decreed by Antonio, is to convert to Christianity and give up his money (in different ways). To Shakespeare's audience this would be justice (indeed, such a conversion might to that audience save Shylock's soul), but we might think how enormous this sentence is: Shylock loses his religion as well as his livelihood, not to mention his daughter. He has already suffered humiliation for being a Jew, which prompted his behavior to begin with. So, from our point of view, the mitigating circumstances are such that perhaps Antonio could have shown a bit more of the mercy Portia spoke of in her famous speech.

Who is John Proctor?

John Proctor is one of the residents of Salem, but unlike almost everyone else, he does not succumb to the madness that consumed Salem, Massachusetts during the time of the Puritans.  John lives by convinction, although admittedly (and for a time, begrudingly) makes grave errors in judgment.  Still, he refuses to be railroaded into false confession in the end, and chooses death over dishonor.   

John is married to Elizabeth, herself accused as a witch, and has an affair with the malicious Abigail, instigator of the whole gruesome affair. 

Why is Rat Kiley's foot being shot off central to "The Things They Carried"?

It's important a) because it is true to life (many young soldiers really did this) and b) because it shows just how desperate the soldiers were. Here they were, trained members of the American military, and they were so unhappy with their situation and the war they were fighting that they were willing to shoot themselves to escape it. That's pretty bad. Since he also shoots a baby animal, not for food but just to hurt it, we can also assume that one is symbolic of the other: to live through Vietnam you have to hurt innocent things.

How to show our love to our parents? thank you

One of the greatest ways to show our parents that we love
them is by asking them for advise. This shows them that we respect their thoughts. It
also shows them that we think that they have made wise choices and have wisdom to
share.

Also, a simple "thank you" is a great gesture.
Parents sacrifice a great deal for their children while they are growing up. We can
thank them for providing home cooked meals, placing bandages on our knees, and staying
up through the night when we were sick.

And possibly the
most important way we can express love to our parents is by simply spending time with
them. As we get older we get busy with our own lives but forget about the people who
truly matter.

McCandless' life "hummed with meaning, but the meaning he wrested from existence lay beyond the comfortable path." Do you agree?

I do agree.  In Chapter 17, the author goes on to explain that McCandless distrusted things that came easily, demanding "much of himself - more, in the end, than he could deliver".  McCandless wasn't a philosopher despondent over the meaningless of life.  Although he rejected the traditional lifestyle and values espoused by his parents and society, he found meaning in his journey, in his challenge to himself to live on his own in the wild.  He was living his dream, and so his life really did "hum with meaning", and as his last messages evidence, he did find peace and fulfillment.  He was, however, unable to physically survive the rigors of the challenge.

In the book Snow in August, what does Micheal Devlin learn about heroism in the course of the book?

The major characters of the novel meet during a snowstorm on their way to their respective churches. The Rabbi and Michael agree to help each other. Michael will give the Rabbi English lessons and the Rabbi will teach Michael Yiddish. Their language lessons evolve into a friendship. Michael learns the history of Judaism. Rabbi Hirsch learns the way of the Brooklyn Streets. However, their friendship does not come easy. They feel the pressure of prejudice felt against the Jews. This was an era following WWII and the Holocaust, an era in which Hitler had sought to annihilate the Jewish race and nearly succeeded. The persecution of the Jews in Europe during the mid 1940's seems to have had a contagious effect on other parts of the world, including America.  In spite of adversity, however, their friendship does not waver.
     The story is shadowed with impending doom. The main source of these problems is a local gang named The Falcons. The Falcons are the most racist and troublesome gang around. The leader and the main source of evil in the book is Frankie McCarthy, an anti -Semitic man. Frankie beats up the Jewish proprietor of a candy store, putting the old man in a coma. Michael and his friends have the bad luck to witness this. This is where the nature of heroism is explored. Michael knows that if he acts as a witness this gang will cause him physical harm. As the story unfolds it becomes certain that Frankie will come after him. Through the friendship of Rabbi Hirsch Michael learns that not reporting Frankie is as bad as committing the crime himself.It is a difficult and painful lesson about the nature of heroism. Finally, Frankie and his gang become too big a threat. The only thing that can help Michael is the Kabbalah Magic he learned from Rabbi Hirsch. Even though Michael and the Rabbi face great peril they overcome and defeat evil.

What is Judge Ford's connection with the Westing family ?

In the book The Westing Game the
potential heirs of the Westing estate have been gathered together for the reading of the
will.  In the will Mr. Westing indicates a game of clues that will help to reveal the
true heir to the Westing fortune. 

Judge Ford is one of
the potential heirs.  When she was a child her mother was employed by Mr. Westing.  Mr.
Westing had taught her how to play chess. 

Mr. Westing
also used the judge's skills in order to get her to perform certain activities in the
game, without her knowledge, that would present clues to the game's
participants.

What is the setting of "The Gift of the Magi?"

This lovely short story takes place in the apartment of the two main characters, Della and Jim. Their apartment is small, with only two windows and the looking glass (mirror) mentioned. The narrator actually states, "Furnished rooms at a cost of $8 a week. There is little more to say about it." Other than that, the only other detail we get about the apartment is that even their mailbox is very small.

Really, the physical setting is not that important. What's more important about the setting is the time, which is Christmas Eve. This is necessary because it shows us the desperation that these two have when it comes to buying a gift for one another - they've saved until, literally, the last minute. Now's the time to buy the gift, and they're each still short. This is why Della sells her beautiful hair and Jim sells his precious watch. 

Why would Two-Bit think Dally, Johnny and Pony were heroes all along, even before they saved the kids?

Like all the boys, Two-Bit does not have the best home life.  Because the boys lack a sturdy family foundation, they rely on each other to get through the trials of life.  Ponyboy talks about the importance of friendship, of allowing friends to sleep on couches, of being able to fight with friends but still call on them when needed.  In Two-Bit's eyes, Dally, Johnny, and Pony all stuck together.  They helped each other out when needed; they were loyal and behaved selflessly.  Their adherence to the code of friendship makes them heroes.

Expain the theme "loyalty & betrayal" in the play Othello with characters related to this theme, explanation, and quotes.

In Act I of Othello, Iago is disloyal
to Othello as he exposes his secret marriage to Desdemona by summoning Brabantio.
 Brabantio is disloyal to Othello because he had liked him up until he married his
daughter.  The Duke is the only one loyal to Othello, as he makes him General to Cyprus
and even lets Desdemona accompany him.  Desdemona is disloyal to her father, as she
deceives him by eloping.  Iago is disloyal to Roderigo, as he openly says "I am not what
I am" and just uses him for money.  Othello is loyal to all, although Iago complains
that he was passed over by the Moor to be his lieutenant.  Disloyalty to women and
loyalty to male reputation, to me, are the primary tragic mistakes in the
play.

In Acts II-IV, Iago ensnares two prime victims:
Cassio and Desdemona who only APPEAR to be disloyal to Othello.  Othello puts too much
faith in the possession of the handkerchief, and nearly everyone has their hands one it:
Emilia, Iago, Cassio, and--worst--Biancha, a prostitute.  When Othello sees this, he
effectively divorces Desdemona and swears a blood oath to Iago to commit double murder
against the adulterers.

In Act V, as the previous editor
said, Desdemona is loyal to Othello to a fault.  Her foil is Emilia, who is disloyal to
Iago, which, of course, makes her loyal to the memory of Desdemona.  Both are killed by
their husbands.  Loyal or disloyal to husbands, either way, women are doomed in this
play.

Shakespeare would have us believe, then, that his
society was riddled with sexism, misogyny, and double standards in marriage that state
men can talk openly and have affairs openly, but women can do
neither.

In Of Mice and Men, what is an example of foreshadowing in Chapter 3?

Foreshadowing as a literary device refers to the author providing the reader with a clue as to what will happen later in the story. This obviously piques the reader's interest and encourage him/her to read further.

In chapter three, three events foreshadow what is to happen at the end of the novel. The first is when Candy's old dog and companion is shot and killed by Carlson. Carlson wanted to get rid of the dog because he believed it was a nuisance and smelled bad. Candy initially refused to have the animal destroyed in this manner. It had been his friend for such a long time and was the only thing he actually really cared about. As a broken and lonely old man, caring for the animal provided him with a sense of purpose and comforted him. Its sudden and brutal demise at the hands of an uncaring Carlson was something he found distasteful.

Unfortunately, Carlson got his way. Candy reluctantly agreed to the dog's execution and Carlson used his gun to kill it. This vile act traumatised Candy and he drew into himself and could not speak for some time. 

The second incident is when George speaks about Curley's wife and mentions the following:

"She's gonna make a mess. They's gonna be a bad mess about her. She's a jail bait all set on the trigger. That Curley got his work cut out for him. Ranch with a bunch of guys on it ain't no place for a girl, specially like her."

He furthermore relates an incident in which a ranch hand got into trouble at another ranch where he and Lennie had worked previously. The ranch hand was arrested and found guilty and is serving time in San Quentin.

The third incident is when Lennie breaks Curley's hand after the latter attacked him. Lennie, who has huge hands, enfolds Curley's hand with his and exercises a vice-like grip from which Curley cannot escape. In the process, he breaks all the bones in his hand. The text reads:

Curley's fist was swinging when Lennie reached for it. The next minute Curley was flopping like a fish on a line, and his closed fist was lost in Lennie's big hand. George ran down the room. "Leggo of him, Lennie. Let go." But Lennie watched in terror the flopping little man whom he held. Blood ran down Lennie's face, one of his eyes was cut and closed. George slapped him in the face again and again, and still Lennie held on to the closed fist. Curley was white and shrunken by now, and his struggling had become weak. He stood crying, his fist lost in Lennie's paw.

These three events all foreshadow the death of Curley's wife at Lennie's hand. The incidents illustrate firstly, that just as the dog is a mere object in Carlson's eyes that can be conveniently disposed of, so is it with Curley's wife. She is a mere possession to him. He does not truly love her and the result is that she turns to the ranch hands for attention. It is this which brought her into contact with Lennie and lead to her unfortunate demise. Furthermore, references to Carlson's gun are repeated at the end as well. They would shoot Lennie as if he were a dog.

Secondly, George's reference to her being a danger is precise. Once Lennie had accidentally killed her, he was in exactly the same situation as the ranch hand that George referred to. His prediction about Curley's wife in this instance was accurate.

Thirdly, Lennie's altercation with Curley is an almost precise depiction of his dilemma with Curley's wife, as the following extract illustrates:

He shook her then, and he was angry with her. "Don't you go yellin'," he said, and he shook her; and her body flopped like a fish. And then she was still, for Lennie had broken her neck. 

Can you please give me the quotes of the Maycomb locations in To Kill a Mockingbird?I need someone to please help me by listing all the things in...

If you have the book that has a lilac cover, I am happy to
give you some page numbers of good locations:

First, when
creating a map of Maycomb, consider that there are 4 different locations: a main
residential street, a town square, a dump, and a Negro settlement beyond that
dump.

Here are page numbers for some of the
places:

• 4-6 town, Finches house, Radleys,
  Dubose


• 8-9 Radleys,
  school


• 16 Miss Maudie Atkinson's
  


• 35, 49, 99-100
  149-151

I imagine the town on the left of a
landscape piece of paper, the main residential street leading off of that headed right,
at the end of that longer street, the Radley's, then a road that turns and heads to the
south (down) toward the dump, the Ewells and the Negro Settlement called The Quarters
that has First Purchase Church in it.

How would you write a conclusion on how the relationship of John and Elizabeth changes throughout the play?

John and Elizabeth Proctor's relationship evolves back into a respectful and loving marriage. At the start of the play, the marriage is a mix of anger and tension. John's infidelity has caused Elizabeth to be suspicious and unforgiving. John walks on eggshells in the hopes of keeping the peace, as seen in Act II, when he seasons the stew furtively so as not to hurt or anger her. At this stage of the play, the tension often gives way to arguments that center on Abigail. Elizabeth is angry and unforgiving for his affair, and John is equally angry that she will not move past it for the good of their family.

When the hysteria reaches their family, the past is let go. John and Elizabeth focus on each other, and both make desperate attempts to save each other. They come to the realization that each had a part in the breakdown of their marriage. John's decision to regain his name and integrity is eventually honored and respected by his wife, even though it means John will die. At the end of the play, they have made peace with the past and forgiven each other.

What is Holden's attitude toward religion in The Catcher in the Rye?

Holden lives constantly in the past. He seems to think that things were easier in the past, and he just can't face the present or the future. In chapter 14, Holden is depressed again. He is thinking of his younger brother, Allie, who had died of leukemia years ago. He admits to talking to Allie now and idolizes his lost brother. He says he sees himself as an atheist, but admits to liking Jesus. He says he doesn't like the other people in the bible, but he likes Jesus. He talks about how the world is not pure anymore, and this goes to show that he has form of knowledge of bible teaching.

Throughout the entire novel, we see Holden spiral out of reality. He struggles to stay focused on the present. He flunks out of school. He just kind of wonders through life aimlessly. He lives constantly in the past. He can't face the future. He doesn't have the ability to face he responsibilities. Holden questions everything. He questions people and their actions. He doesn't trust anyone. He questions religion. He admits to liking Jesus, but also claims to be an atheist. Nothing in Holden's life is making any sense to him. I think he is angry at God for the death of Allie. It seems his life just kind of stopped when his brother died. 

It is clear that Holden is struggling with some kind of mental disorder. He just wanders throughout life at the moment. He knows deep down, that something is wrong with him, but he is unwilling to get any help. The sadness that Holden faces, is a true disorder, and only with the help of other people can he truly embrace his future with hope.

How does Shakespeare make Shylock a memorable character?i want to look at the techniques he used and its impact on the audience. Cheers!

I don't know if this counts as techniques or not, but I
think there are two major ways in which Shylock is
memorable.

First, I think he's memorable for modern
audiences just because he's a Jew.  We are so interested in tolerance these days that it
is fascinating to see what someone from back then does with a "minority"
character.

Second, Shylock is a complicated character.  He
is not all good or all bad.  Instead, he is this interesting mix.  On the one hand he is
hateful and spiteful.  He wants to kill Antonio (or at least risk killing him) and will
not take no for an answer.  But at the same time he seems quite humane, as in his "do I
not bleed" speech.  So he is a contradictory character and that makes him
interesting.

In Chapter 6, why does Gatsby introduce Tom as "the polo player"?

Gatsby reveals his contempt for Tom Buchanan when he calls him "the polo player."  The men had met "two weeks ago," although clearly they knew one another in the scuffles for the affections of Daisy in the past.  However, when they were unknowingly "introduced" to one another, "Tom had accepted the introduction as a stranger."

As the small talk continues, Mrs. Sloan wishes Gatsby would accompany her to dinner in New York.  Gatsby remarks that he hasn't "got a horse.  I used to ride on int  the army but I've never bought a horse."

This is infomation is relevant to his later snide remark, calling Tom a "polo player."  When it is Gatsby's turn to "introduce" Tom to the party guests, he "took them ceremoniously from group to group:  "Mrs. Buchanan...and Mr. Buchanan --."  After a instant's hesitation he added, "the polo player."

Note the two digs Gatsby gets in here:  not only does he introduce Daisy first (and pauses before he is able to spit out Tom's vile name) but by calling him a polo player, he is implying that he is rich and soft, that his experience with horses did not parallel his own masculine experience of horses in the Army.  He is trying to make Tom look as ineffectual and impotent as possible to Daisy. 

How does the dream version of "mama" differ from the real one in Everyday Use?

In Alice Walker's "Everyday Use," Mrs. Johnson's dream is
to be reunited publicly with Dee on a television talk show, like Johnny Carson.  There,
she will have tears in her eyes as her daughter pins an orchid on her
dress.

She says:

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You've no doubt seen those TV shows where the
child who has "made it" is confronted, as a surprise, by her own mother and father,
tottering in weakly from backstage. (A pleasant surprise, of course: What would they do
if parent and child came on the show only to curse out and insult each other?) On TV
mother and child embrace and smile into each other's faces. Sometimes the mother and
father weep, the child wraps them in her arms and leans across the table to tell how she
would not have made it without their help. I have seen these
programs.

Sometimes I dream a dream in which Dee and I are
suddenly brought together on a TV program of this sort. Out of a dark and soft seated
limousine I am ushered into a bright room filled with many people. There I meet a
smiling, gray, sporty man like Johnny Carson who shakes my hand and tells me what a fine
girl I have. Then we are on the stage and Dee is embracing me with tears in her eyes.
She pins on my dress a large orchid, even though she has told me once that she thinks
orchids are tacky flowers.

In
reality, "Mama," as you say, is a stout woman who wears overalls and can kill a hog with
her bare hands, a far cry from the talk-show dream version.  More, Mama doesn't talk
much.  Johnny Carson wouldn't like her terse, utilitarian
language.

Mrs. Johnson knows that her idealized self is a
reflection of Dee.  In some ways Mrs. Johnson wants to be that dream mother, if only for
an instant.  Dee would want her mother to be like that too.  Dee feels she has elevated
herself above her country roots and would want her mother and sister to do
likewise.

Mama
says:

In real life I am a large,
big-boned woman with rough, man-working hands.

Mama is too grounded in reality to
fall prey to these dreams.  Her strong work ethic and dedication to domestic duties--to
the everyday use of her family's cultural identity--trumps any short-lived idealized
false images of the self.

Given that (x-2) and (x+3) are factors of 2x4-ax3-10x2+bx-54, find a and b.HELP!

The given expression is:

2x^4
- ax^3 -10x^2 + bx - 54

As (x - 2) is a factor of the given
expression:

For x = 2 the value of factor (x - 2) = (2 - 2)
= 0

As one factor is 0 the value of the complete expression
is also zero. Therefor substituting value x = 2 in the given expression and equating it
to 0 we get:

2(2^4) - a(2^3) -10(2^2) + b*2 - 54
=54

32 - 8a - 40 + 2b - 54 =
0

- 8a + 2b = 62   ...  
(1)

Similarly:

As (x + 3) is a
factor of the given expression:

For x = -3 the value of
factor (x + 3) = (- 3 + 3) = 0

As one factor is 0 the value
of the complete expression is also 0. Therefore substituting value x = - 3 in the given
expression and equating it to 0 we get:

2(3^4) - a(3^3)
-10(3^2) + b*(-3) - 54 =54

162 + 27a - 90 - 3b - 54 =
0

27a - 3b = - 18

9a - b = -
6   ...   (2)

Multiplying equation 2 by 2 we
get:

a + 2b = 62

18a - 2b = -
12   ...   (3)

Adding equations (1) and (3) we
get:

- 8a + 18a + 2b - 2b = 62 -
12

10a =
50

Therefore:

a = 50/10 =
5

Substituting this value of a in equation (2) we
get:

9*5 - b = - 6

45 - b = -
6

b = - 6 - 45 = -
51

Answer:

a = 5, and  b = -
51

How are Winston's character and Julia's character different and how are they the same?

Winston and Julia are both seeking freedom from the IngSoc society.  They both feel trapped and want to express their individuality.  They are both rebels, in other words.

However, while Winston's priorities are heartfelt, Julia's are not.  She is practical, more so than Winston who often asks rashly, but she does not have deep seated convictions.  She plays along with society by belonging to the Anti-Sex League, even though she doesn't believe in it.  She also betrays Winston quickly when put into danger.  Winston tries to maintain his convictions and rebellion, although his tragedy is an inability to stand up against the force of the new society.

How can I support Atticus' lesson to"climb into his skin and walk around in it" to Scout in Chpt 3/To Kill a Mockingbird? Don't write an essay for...

If, as it seems to be indicated, the essay needs to be
concerned about actions limited from Chapters 1 to 3, then perhaps you can develop what
Scout herself says:

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Atticus said I learned many things today, and
Miss Caroline had learned several things
herself.

Scout continues,
declaring that Miss Caroline has learned not to hand something to a Cunningham--which
Scout tried to tell her.  But, Scout reflects, had she been Miss Caroline, she would not
have known not to do what she did.

So, reviewing the first
day of school from inside the skin of Miss Caroline presents several obstacles:  She
does not know anyone, she knows nothing about their way of life, and she is new at
teaching.

Placing the focus of your essay on being inside
Miss Caroline's skin, as Atticus's metaphor describes taking on a different perspective,
may be the direction in which to go since supporting details can be gleaned from the
chapters previous to Chapter Three.

Why will Curley keep quiet about what Leannie did to him and not try to get George and Leannie fired?no

When Curley attacks Lennie and he fights back at George's direction and crushes Curley's hand, it is Slim who convinces Curley not to turn Lennie in.  Slim tells him to say he got his hand stuck in a machine, and if he doesn't, he and the men will tell what really happened and Curley will be laughed at by everyone, something he fears a great deal.

Brenda

In Canto 4, what does Dante's attitude toward Virgil? In Canto 5, what is the logical relationship between the vice of lust and its punishment?

Dante is frightened by Virgil's paleness and worries that their trip is too much for him. Virgil responds to Dante by saying his pallor is a result of the pain and anguish within the pit and not from the stress of their journey.

Those who are in the second circle are convicted for sins of the flesh. Their punishment is to be thrashed about by strong winds without any relief. This is symbolic in that they were swept away by passion. Those sinners must relive their sin repeatedly, without any hope of peace or receiving forgiveness. This is symbolic in their disregard for consequences when they gave in to temptation.

In lines 15-25 of "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufock," what is being indirectly compared to what? How many details extend the metaphor?

In these lines, Eliot indirectly compares the fog that
covers the streets at night to a cat; it is an indirect comparison because he never
directly states the word cat.  However, if you look close at the details and put them
all together like a puzzle, the clues are pretty clear.  For example, he uses the
following words and phrases to describe the fog:  "rubs its back upon the window-panes,"
"rubs its muzzle," "licked its tongue," "slipped by," "made a sudden leap," and "curled
once about the house, and fell asleep."  All of these details, put together, paint a
pretty clear picture of cats.  They rub their backs and muzzles on things, slip by as
they walk, and before going to sleep, often do a circle or two before settling
in.

So, the fog is compared to a cat, using detailed
word-choices and clues.  It is a unique and apt description, one that gives the fog a
clear personality and life to it, instead of having it be an inanimate object.  I hope
that helped; good luck!

What is Beneatha's role in "A Raisin In The Sun"?

Beneathea occupies a unique place in Hansberry's play.  Consider the symbolism of her name, for one thing (the entire family's last name, too, is "Young," symbolic, in part,  of their quest for a new position in American life) .  She is "beneath" in the fact that she is indeed the younger of the siblings; she is Walter's little sister.  She struggles to maintain both her place in the family and her identity as an adult.  She can at times be sort of annoying and obnoxious, as younger sister's (and brothers) are wont to do. 

Beneatha is also at a crossroads in terms of her heritage:  is she an African, like Joseph?  Or an American, all she has ever known?  At the time Hansberry was writing her play, (1959), racial separatism in America was a prominent theme, both culturally and politically.  Beneathea's role, therefore, is to occupy that "squishy" place in the literal terms of the play, and in African-American identity in the larger realm. 

What were some of the policies that Mikhail Gorbachev introduced?

One of the policies that Mikhail Gorbachev introduced was
Perestroika. It was, in part, an attempt to accelerate social and economic progress.
According to Gorbachev, Perestroika was the:

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"conference of development of democracy,
socialist self-government, encouragement of initiative and creative endeavor, improved
order and disciple, more glasnost, criticism and self-criticism in all spheres of our
society. It is utmost respect for the individual and consideration for personal
dignity."

Glasnost was
something else introduced by Gorbachev. This basically offered people more freedoms,
which included speech. The media was less controlled and many political prisoners were
set free.

What part of Doctor Faustus do you think reflects key themes of the Renaissance?

Two themes of the Renaissance are clearly evident in Faustus.

First, the time prior to the Renaissance was dominated by strict church doctrine; however, people of the Renaissance began seeking other types of knowledge.

Faustus lusts after knowledge, even-though he has mastered the medical and scientific world, which a “Renaissance Man” of the time would have. Unlike the people of the Middle Ages, Faustus is not complacent with just accepting church doctrine and blindly following along. He seeks knowledge and power. The Renaissance was known for questioning and seeking new kinds of answers. Of course, Faustus resorts to any means necessary to acquire this knowledge, which leads him to the dark arts and Mephistopheles.

A second theme is the Protestant Reformation, where people began to break away from the Catholic church.

The Protestant Reformation, and its distrust of the Catholic Church, is seen several times during the play. Initially, Faustus conjures a demon, but it is hideous, so he demands that it return in a more appealing form. Of course, it arrives dressed as a Franciscan Friar - obviously this is Marlowe's way of ridiculing the Catholic church. Later in the play, Faustus commands Mephistopheles to take him to the Vatican. Once there they play pranks of the Pope and mock Catholic beliefs. Again this is Marlowe's way of mocking the Catholic church.

How did the movie The Joy Luck Club impact society?

I don't think the movie impacted society much at all.
 Yes, it was a faithful adaptation of the novel, but it wasn't nominated for any major
Academy awards.

It has some nice cross-cutting, as it
transitions from the 1920s to the 1950s and the 1990s fairly seamlessly.  But, other
than that, it's unremarkable.

The novel, however, made a
splash in the literary world as Chinese-American immigrant literature, as a feminist
novel, and as a coming-of-age
bildungsroman.

The novel examines the
hybrid identity, as Jing Mei says she becomes Chinese by the end of the novel after she
visits China and her twin half-sisters, but I don't really believe
her.

Just as she never learns to play Mah-Jong or chess
using Chinese strategy, Jing-Mei never feels or thinks Chinese by the novel's end; in
fact, she continues to narrate as a post-modern American: linear-thinking and quick to
point out
things.

It
is the narrator's repeated visual comparison of what she thinks will be old-world China
to post-modern America that sets a very American tone: "From a distance, it [Shanghai]
looks like a major American city"; "...each of them [her half-sisters] holding a corner
of the [Polaroid] picture, watching as their images begin to form"; "She [Lili]
immediately jumps forward, places one hand on her hip in the manner of a fashion model,
juts out her chest, and flashes me a toothy smile."

Even
the title, "A Pair of Tickets," emphasizes the purchased objects of a journey. After
having depicted the first-generation cousins as spoiled, Tan uses positive imagery of
consumerism to drive home her themes of cultural and female identity, giving as much
homage to the Garden Hotel and Number One Department Store as Buddha and the Great Wall.
It would be understandable if she used images of materialism to juxtapose the old world
Chinese values with the new world "American Dream," but with statements like "I feel as
if I were getting on a number 30 Stockton bus in San Francisco" but "I am in China"
(272), Tan (or Jing-Mei) is not so much discovering her ancestral roots, but realizing
that her Communist homeland is not so communal--it is as modern and capitalistic as
California.

What is the correct pronunciation of "Antonia" from the novel My Antonia?

I just finished reading the book, after intending to for several decades. It was good! I, too, was always troubled by how to pronounce "Antonia" with that accent over the 1st "A," and reading that the Simon & Schuster ed. footnote compares it to "Anthony" gives me little comfort. Pronouncing "Anthony" on the first syllable is easy; "Antonia" on the first is impossibly awkward. I agree with Antonia Bowman, and her being named after the book surely must give her some authority on this issue!

This reminds me of the lovely flower "clematis," whose pronunciation is also on the 1st syllable, and it's not hard to say, either. However, I've found that very few people KNOW the correct pronunciation, so I'm left with the choice of saying it wrong, or seeming weird.

Can you explain the different sides of Claudius's personality in the play Hamlet?Need to know about his curruption and how he displays it. Also...

Like many members of the royal family throughout the years, Claudius is a multi-faceted human being.  On the one hand, he is cold, cruel, calculating, and ambitious.  He has proven he will do anything to get the throne (including murderering his own brother and marrying his wife) and anything to keep it (he has launched several plans to murder young Hamlet and he succeeds!)  One thing that is unforgivable in him is that he brings others into his evil machinations, sullying their reputations in the process.  Evil people are never happy just being evil...they are happiest when they drag others down into the mud along with them to suffer in company.

On the other hand, he seems to be a good leader and politician. Gertrude and other officials accept him as rightful husband and leader of the land.  He makes decent decisions where Fortinbras is concerned and has good relations with England, as illustrated by the quick carrying out of Claudius' request to dispose of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. 

He is also quite loving to Gertrude which is commendable, all things considered.

Regardless of his good points, like Macbeth, Claudius goes down as a villain in the books since he does not live long enough to illiminate the good qualities he possesses.

What does the Nurse give to Romeo in Act III, scene iii, in Romeo and Juliet?

The nurse gave Romeo a ring from
Juliet.

The Nurse had just informed Juliet about the tragic
event which has resulted in Romeo's banishment. Romeo, Tybalt, Mercutio and others had
been involved in a sword fight and Mercutio was killed by Tybalt who then fled with his
gang. They returned later and the fight continued. In the process, Romeo killed
Tybalt.

When Benvolio tells the Prince that Romeo was
responsible for Tybalt's death, the Prince declares:

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"And for that offence
 Immediately we
do exile him hence ...

... let Romeo hence in haste,

 Else, when he's found, that hour is his
last."

This meant that if
Romeo were to be found, he would be executed. Juliet is overcome with grief on hearing
about the death of her beloved cousin Tybalt but is utterly distraught to know that
Romeo was responsible for his death. She had just gotten married to Romeo in Friar
Laurence's cell and had planned to meet him later that evening to consummate their
marriage. The Nurse had brought along ropes which Juliet should hang out of her window
that night for Romeo to reach her chamber.

For Juliet,
Romeo's banishment is greater that death:

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"That 'banished,' that one word 'banished,'

 Hath slain ten thousand
Tybalts."

Juliet feels
that her marriage would not be consummated since death had
intervened:

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"But I, a maid, die maiden-widowed.

 Come, cords, come, nurse; I'll to my wedding-bed;
 And death, not
Romeo, take my
maidenhead!"

She feels that
Romeo being banished is as good as him being dead. The Nurse, in an attempt to provide
Juliet with some comfort, promises to go back to Romeo (she knows that he is hiding
in Friar Laurence's cell) and ask him to come to Juliet. Juliet, in a fit of passion,
cries out:

"O,
find him! give this ring to my true knight,

 And bid him come to take his last
farewell."

The
ring is obviously a token of her love, forgiveness, and trust and would provide Romeo
the assurance that he needs to risk his life and return
to her.

When the Nurse later meets Romeo at Friar
Laurence's cell, we have learned that Romeo had reached the point of wishing to kill
himself, since he was overwrought and distressed about losing Juliet. The Nurse informs
him that she would tell Juliet that he would return. She then gives him the
ring.

This brings Romeo great comfort, for he
declares:

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"How well my comfort is revived by
this!"

He
then leaves to be with his love. 

Capitalism is usually characterized by all of the following except:a. private ownership b. upward social mobility c. the dynamics d. government...

Capitalism is characterized by all of the given options
except the option d, which is "government ownership of industry". Please not that this
option is, in a way, opposite of option a, that is private
ownership.

Capitalism an economic system followed by a
country or a society which is characterized by private ownership and control of capital
or means of production. As industry represents a means of production involving
investment of capital, In capitalism the industry is owned and managed by individuals or
groups of individuals in the society, rather than collectively by the total society
represented by the government.

Pleas not the difference
between ownership by the people, and private ownership. Ownership by people includes
collective ownership by all the people. However private ownership means ownership by
individuals or small group of people, rather than collectively by the entire
population.

In "A Rose for Emily," did Emily and Homer really have an affair? Is there any evidence that Homer is gay?

I believe that they did.  Homer is described as very popular.  Faulkner writes,  "Whenever you heard a lot of laughing anywhere about the square, Homer Barron would be in the center of the group.  Presently we began to see him and Miss Emily on Sunday afternoons driving in the yellow-wheeled buggy and the matched team of bays from the livery stable."

I think he uses his magnanimous personality to lure Emily to bed, and once he has the notch on his bedpost, he dumps her.  The argument can be made that once again, Emily has been severly underestimated and this betrayal pushes her over the edge. 

As for the gay thing, I have never considered this a possibility; I still don't see it despite a brief once-over of the story.  Perhaps someone else can comment on this angle. 

In The Odyssey, does Athena help Penelope and Telemachus out of respect for Odysseus or because she deems both worthy?

Athena most assuredly respects Odysseus and helps him throughout The Odyssey, but she also demonstrates that both Odysseus' wife and son are worthy of aid as well.

After many years of Odysseus' absence, Penelope began being courted by all the available Suitors from the neighboring kingdoms.  At the point the Suitors began arriving, Odysseus had been gone for seventeen years.  Still, Penelope clung to the belief that her husband would return to her, and she devised schemes to put off making a choice of a new husband.  First, she plays the trick of the shroud that she is supposedly weaving for Laertes by unravelling all of her work every night.  She had said that upon its completion, she would select a new husband.  Second, she offers the challenge of Odysseus' bow that whomever can string the bow and shoot an arrow cleanly though twelve axe handles will be her husband.  Athena is impressed by Penelope's cleverness as well as her devotion to Odysseus.

When Athena arrives in Ithaca after the meeting in which Zeus decided to free Odysseus from Calypso's island, she comes there disguised as a beggar.  It is Telemachus who makes sure that the beggar is fed and well cared for as his guest.  Because Telemachus honored the ancient code of hospitality, he is also deemed worthy of Athena's approval and aid.

In Great Expectations, why does Pip lose his fortune?Can you quote the passage that tells us that he loses his fortune?

This section of the novel comes in Chapter 54, which
narrates how, in spite of Pip's best efforts, Magwitch is captured by the crown. What is
key to note in this chapter is how Magwitch's capture changes Pip's feelings towards his
benefactor, and how he very kindly keeps the loss of his fortune away from Magwitch, so
he dies under the illusion that he has succeeded in his aim of "making" a gentleman. The
passage where Pip reveals his loss of wealth goes as
follows:

No.
I had thought about that while we had been there side by side. No. Apart from any
inclinations of my own, I understood Wemmick's hint now. I foresaw that, being
convicted, his possessions would be forfeited to the
Crown.

Thus with the capture
of Magwitch and his state as prisoner, the Crown (or government of England) seizes all
of his assets and wealth, meaning that Pip is not left with any money. So, a sad truth,
but what is more important to focus on in this chapter is how Pip matures and develops
through his loss of money, and also how he comes to care for Magwitch as a kind of
father-figure.

In The Lady, or the Tiger?, for what crime was the young man thrown into prison?

The young man made the serious mistake of falling in love with the king's daughter and engaging in a passionate love affair with her. 

Among his courtiers was a young man of that fineness of blood and lowness of station common to the conventional heroes of romance who love royal maidens....This love affair moved on happily for many months, until one day the king happened to discover its existence. He did not hesitate nor waver in regard to his duty in the premises. The youth was immediately cast into prison, and a day was appointed for his trial in the king's arena.

What the king apparently objected to was not the love affair itself but the fact that the young man had too low a "social station" to dare to engage in such a relationship with his daughter. There may not have been any law against doing what the young man was doing, but the barbaric king could make his own laws. And that was what he was doing. At least the king was giving the poor fellow a fifty-fifty chance to stay alive and even to marry a beautiful girl if he chose the right door. 

The fact that there is a beautiful girl behind one of the two doors is what causes the problem. The princess knows which door conceals the tiger, and she would undoubtedly direct her lover to the other door if it did not conceal a beautiful girl whom her lover would immediately marry. Whatever was going to happen happened a long, long time ago. The story opens with the words:

In the very olden time there lived a semi-barbaric king...