How should the U.S. presecute its war against global terrorism over the next several years?Should the U.S. become more aggressive in taking...

Well, we are at war in two separate nations, we have
200,000 troops in harm's way with another 250,000 "private contractors" there.  We have
created a whole new division of government as a result of 9/11, we have predator drone
strikes along the Pakistani-Afghan frontier against Al-Qaeda and Taliban leadership,
we've given $6 billion in military aid to Pakistan so they will conduct offensives in
Waziristan against Islamic radicals, we have a proxy war through Ethiopia in Somalia to
prevent the country from being taken over by Al-Qaeda.  We've just enlisted Yemen to
tame radical tribes in their country.  We have 100,000 people on a no-fly list, and
Guantanamo Bay prison camp is still open.

So I guess my
question is, what would more aggressive look
like?

Terrorism and radical Islam are ideas, not nations. 
It seems to me the only thing left that we can do that would be both more aggressive and
more effective is to try and build schools, hospitals and roads and create jobs in the
poorest regions of the Middle East, where terrorism and radicalism are born.  Crushing
poverty and radical madrassa schools are the incubators of the terrorism we're at war
with.

Why do Beatrice and Benedick talk about loving each other according to "reason" (Act 5, Scene 4)? How does the gender of the characters play into...

When confronted with the fact that both Beatrice and Benedick were led, via the "noting" of planned conversations among their friends, to believe that each was in love with the other, they felt embarrassed at being tricked into admissions of love.  Both are proud characters and neither wanted to be the one to say "I love you" first out of a fear of rejection.  When each is asked about loving the other and both respond, "No more than reason", they mean "no more than any one human being should give a hoot about any other human being".  This demonstrates their pride in not being willing to admit their true feelings.  However, both Claudio and Hero produce written confessions of love that they have confiscated, and Beatrice and Benedick are forced to admit the truth.

'Culture clash' is the most important theme in A Passage to India. What are the other themes in the novel?

This novel also deals with such themes as friendship, public and private life, and ambiguity ("mystery" and "muddle"). Aziz and his friends discuss whether it possible to be friends with an Englishman; Mahmoud Ali argues it is not. This conversation relates to the clash between two cultures, but it ultimately prepares the reader for the relationship between Aziz and various British colonials such as Fielding, Miss Quested, and Mrs. Moore. Within the Indian culture as well you can examine the friendships between Aziz and his fellow Indians, Hamidullah, Mahmoud Ali, and the Nawab Bahadur. The puzzling events in the Marabar Caves contribute to the ambiguity in the novel although this theme is not limited to the central part of the book. See the link below for further explanation of themes.

What symbols and motifs are in Red Harvest and what do they symbolize? And why is the main character nameless? I know that the way they...

Hammett's style does not lend itself to a large number of
either symbols or motifs.  It is a particularly plain style, with a paucity of metaphors
and other literary devices.  What symbols there are are buried deeply, and serve
purposes other than the metaphorical.

Personville is
twisted, in a singularly un-Midwestern (though this takes place in an unspecified Rocky
Mountain state) into "Poisonville".  The change is evocative of many things.  First, the
words person and poison are close enough in sound to cause a near-homonym, which leads
to a not-very-clever pun.  If Personville is "poison", then it cannot be a very good
place.  But it is deeper and subtler than that.  The accent twist of "person" to
"poison" sounds more like the accent of a person from the outer boroughs of New York (or
possibly Boston).  These places, in Hammett's time and, even, today, have been
associated with organized crime.  That brings the readers' minds towards the film
villains (usually two-dimensional and crudely drawn) who populated the movies in those
days.  This would add even more to the seedy, corrupt, and unsavory character of this
dingy little town.

In addition, the deeper meaning of
person equalling "poison" in the name "Personville" points directly to the cause of all
this corruption, crime, and mayhem.  Hammett is saying that it is the people of this
town, and not necessarily the social institutions, the environment, or the government
which is "poisoning" everything.  The internal vices of mankind, Hammett may be
positing, when unchecked, are the cause of a large amount of the evil in the world. 
With the almost the entire population of Personville being corrupt, venal, selfish, and
greedy to the core, within Hammett's world of this novel the idea may be
true.

Not unlike the dusty Long Island town where
The Great Gatsbytakes place, Personville has nothing attractive
about it.  It is a dirty coal-mining town, with no natural beauty (though there may have
been, since it was situated in or near the mountains -- Hammett's lack of description of
scenery is, indeed, a symbolic choice) ever described, and no light or happiness allowed
to enter the pages of Red Harvest.  A great majority of the scenes
take place at night, and often under an alcoholic haze (such as when Dinah and the
Continental Op drink an entire bottle of hard liquor, with only some lemons to cut it). 
Nothing is lovely, or disinterested, or moral, or sweet in this book.  The choices
Hammett made in these descriptions underscore his belief in the lawlessness and,
essentially, the evilness of these towns, which were ruled by a big business owner
(Elihu Wilsson), and subject to mob rule or crushing economic injustice.  These literary
choices, sometimes absorbed unconsciously by the reader, make the reader unable to
sympathize with anyone except the protagonist (the somewhat unattractive Op), and,
therefore, accept his twisted view of reality and morality.

In To Kill A Mockingbird, how does the event of shooting the mad dog and the children's encounter with Mrs. Dubose contribute to the novel as a...

In my opinion, you could write something about the cycle
of life. There is a time and place for everyone and thing in the order of our world.
Each situation is slotted into a master scheme of time. But all things have since our
study of this world eventually come to an end. Both the "mad dog" and Mrs. Dubose had
their time, and their times have come to an end. It is time for other things and for
some reason, these two items are being removed from time.

I
would say that one of Harper Lee's messages is that racism needs to be over. She was
writing in the late 50s and was writing about the 30s. The Civil Rights movement was
just about here, in fact her work may have contributed to the movement. Racism had a
time in our history, we learned from it, but now it needed to be
done.

Both the mad dog and Mrs. Dubose were put down with
dignity. Atticus shot the dog because he was the only one who could kill the dog in one
shot, minimizing the dog's pain. Mrs. Dubose needed the children's reading to help her
not think about her pain as she worked to die free. In a way, Atticus is trying to put
racism down, in its place in history with dignity. He is not helping the black man kill
or defeat the white man cruelly, but he is working within the court system to get it
done right.

Why does ralph choose an easy path to return to the platform to call an assembly?

One of the things that we learn about Ralph as the story
progresses is that he loves the idea of being in power, he loves the idea of being a
leader and being respected, but he also is quite nervous about the actual leading part
of it.  He isn't really that gung-ho about hunting, something the boys need to master in
order to survive.  He isn't always quick to make decisions and step up to lead, often
depending on Piggy to help him reason things out before
deciding.

So he often chooses the easy path, he chooses the
wrong path because he is not strategically adept and this is likely one of the reasons
why he fails so miserably as a leader.

I need help writing a short essay on John Donne's imagery in his songs and sonnets.

One way to write an interesting essay on the imagery used
in John Donne’s poetry might be to choose a random sample of poems and a random sample
of images. For instance, you might choose the first five or so lines of the first five
poems by Donne that appear in a standard anthology of poetry.  The first five poems in
the Donne section of the latest Norton Anthology of English Poetry,
for example, are the
following:

• “The
  Flea”: The first six lines focus on imagery of a flea sucking blood from
  a woman after it has just sucked blood from the male who is courting
  her:

readability="9">

Me it sucked first, and now sucks
thee,

And in this flea our two bloods mingled be . . .
(3-4)

• The imagery
  here is surprising, unconventional, attention-grabbing, and provocative. One wonders why
  the male is using this particular imagery to attempt to court the woman. He is evidently
  good at improvisation (as the rest of the poem also shows), and he also seems confident
  of his ability to make a convincing argument no matter what “raw material” he is
  given.


• “The Good-Morrow”:
  The first few lines of this poem compare two lovers, before they met and fell truly in
  love, to unweaned children who “sucked on country pleasures” (3)  and also to the seven
  youths in a Christian legend who slept for 187 years. Here the tone associated with the
  imagery is both humorous and humorously crude, especially in the use of the verbs
  “sucked” and “snorted.” The speaker here is using imagery to show his cleverness, his
  wit, and his geniality.


• “Song: Go and catch
  a falling star”: The first five or so lines of this poem are particularly
  rich in various images, showing the speaker’s inventiveness, wide-ranging mind,
  quickness of thought, and love of intriguing
  ideas.


• “The Undertaking”:
  The opening lines of this poem use an allusion to the legendary “Worthies” (three Jews,
  three pagans, and three Christians), suggesting (as in “The Good Morrow”) the speaker’s
  learning, cleverness, and wit.


• “The Sun
  Rising”: In the opening lines of this poem, the speaker uses the
  conventional imagery suggested by the title, but he uses it in a thoroughly
  unconventional, witty, and clever way. This speaker, like some of the others already
  mentioned, is self-confident, assertive, and full of intellectual
  energy.

Donne’s various uses of various kinds
of imagery, then, can tell us a great deal about the speakers of his poems as well as
suggest a great deal about the tones and possible meanings of his works. Perhaps the
strongest impression left by this little survey of Donne’s imagery is of the sheer
variety of the imagery he is capable of using and thus of the
breadth and depth of his own mind.  Rarely is a Donne poem predictable, either in its
imagery or in its development and meanings.

What double standards does Esparanza rebel against in House on Mango Street?

One major theme in the book is the role of women in a male-dominated society. Esperanza notices the differences between the men's world and the world of the women. The women are tied to the house and the duties of the house. The men live in an external world where they go to work, go out to be with other males, or just go out to have fun. Most of the women aren't allowed this external socialization. They are dominated by either their fathers or their husbands and tied to their duties as a wife and mother. Most girls marry and have children at a young age, only to be left by their husbands to raise their children alone.

Discuss and differentiate between structuralism and functionalismdetailed anwer.

Structuralism and functionalism are both early schools of
thought. Both attempt to explain the human thought process and
behavior.

Structuralism breaks down the thought processes
into very basic components and focused on elements of consciousness. William Wundt and
Edward B. Titchner were both structuralist thinkers. Some strengths of structuralism are
that it was the first major school of thought in psychology and it had a great influence
on experimental psychology.

Functionalism formed as a
reaction to structuralism. It was influenced by William James and the evolutionary
theory of Charles Darwin. Functionalists focused more on the purpose of consciousness
and behavior in a more systematic and accurate manner. It also emphasized individual
differences and had a big influence on education.

Please
take a moment to check out the link I posted below. It gives a very detailed explanation
of the differences between structuralism and functionalism.

What is the character of Elizabeth Proctor? What is her insight into John? What is an example of her insight to herself?

Elizabeth is a good woman, confident in herself, aware of
her own faults and yet moral in her own right.

She
understands that John has cheated on her, but she confesses to having led him astray by
keeping a cold house or cold presence in her relationship to him. She deprived him of
intimacy.

By the end of the book, she sees that John has
indeed "got his goodness now" as he feels like by not lying about being involved in
witchcraft he is doing right by his God. If he is to be hanged, he feels it justified
maybe on another level as he knows he deserves punishment for the sin of
adultery.

Her knowledge of her driving him to cheat is a
great example of insight into herself.

What happened to change the children's perspective of their father? (Chapters 1-11)how did it change?

I think for the most part, Jem and Scout think very highly
of their father. However, in Chapter 10, they learn a few new things about Atticus which
cause them to give him greater respect. At the beginning of the chapter, they complain
about Atticus being "feeble: he was nearly fifty." Older than most of their classmates'
parents, Atticus had a boring job, didn't play sports and wore glasses. However, when
Sheriff Tate suddenly handed over his rifle to cut down the rabid dog, the children's
whole outlook changed. "One-Shot" Finch had been the greatest marksman in the county,
yet he had never told them about it. They learned not only about his sure-shot status
but also about the definition of humility. Additionally, they learned that he
deliberately lost when playing checkers with them. They came to understand that he had
some very special traits after all.

Where does Winston Smith live?

He lives in an apartment complex called Victory Mansions, which is ironic because they are anything but mansion-like. They are described as being run down and dingy. Winston feels that everything has a layer of dirt on it. He also says that anything that breaks never gets fixed so the conditions are always worsening. It smells bad, too. The apartments are located in a region named Oceania.

How does the clock relate to the theme?

Time is a theme in this story, and the clock is symbolic of the theme. The clock resides in the seventh room of the abbey in which the prince and guests are enjoying a party.

The chiming of the clock agitates the guests because it is a reminder of the inevitability of death. While there are plenty of distractions and revelry, the guests are unable to forget that one cannot escape death. The chiming pervades the atmosphere with doom, despite the best efforts of the guests.

When midnight arrives, which signals the ending of another day, it is symbolic of the end of the party guest's lives. As the last guest dies, the clock stops, as well. Finally, there is silence.

In Act 3 what do Proctor and Mary Warren bring with them as evidence?

Proctor brings two bits of what you might call evidence. 
First, he brings a petition signed by a bunch of people saying that his wife, Elizabeth,
can't possibly be guilty of witch craft.  I don't know if you'd call that evidence or
not.

The other thing that he brings as evidence is Mary
Warren herself.  Since so much of the evidence against people has been the word of
Abigail and the girls, Proctor is bringing Mary to say that she and the girls have been
making it up.  So Mary is Proctor's main evidence.

Who wrote "Mein Kampf"?

The name that you need to put in this blank is Adolph
Hitler.  Hitler was, of course, the dictator of Germany during the time that the Nazi
Party ruled that country.

Hitler had served as a soldier in
WWI.  After the end of that war, he was pretty unhappy with the way Germany was going so
he joined the Nazi Party and soon rose to a position of power in that party.  At that
time, it was a very small party.

The party tried to
overthrow the Germany government in 1923.  For that, Hitler was imprisoned.  While in
prison, he started to compose Mein Kampf.

What is the theme and setting of "The Knight's Tale"?

The theme of The Knight's Tale is that "you get what you ask for." 

Palamon wishes to see Emily every day (he stays where he can see her for seven years). Arcita wishes to be free from prison so he can be with Emily (he gets free, and eventually sees Emily).

Before the tournament, Palamon asks for Emily, Arcite asks for victory, and Emily asks for peace between the two men. Each of these things is accomplished, but in a way that none of them could have forseen.

In To Kill A Mockingbird, what is significant about Jem's decision to make a lone, nocturnal return to the Radley house?

Jem is beginning to show signs of growing up in chapter 6 where he decides to return to the Radley house alone to get his pants back. Not only does he show bravery in going alone, but he also demonstrates that not disappointing Atticus is more important than his own safety.

He returns from the Radley place with his pants, but he hides the fact that they have been mended for a while; he is obviously very worried by this fact. When Jem finally tells Scout about the pants, he wonders how it is that someone would know he was going to come back for the pants. Jem finding his mended pants is significant because it takes all the Radley games and fantasies and puts them into reality. Jem and Scout have now had real interaction with the inhabitants of the Radley house.

I'm looking for an interesting way to introduce my literature students to Chekhov's Three Sisters. Any ideas?

Although I try not to recommend videos as a way to introduce novels (I usually find that once students know there is a video, all hope of reading goes out the window), this video with members of New York's Actor's Studio, including Shelley Winters, Sandy Dennis, and Geraldine Page, is very interesting. Perhaps you could show them just a clip of it to get them interested. It was filmed in 1965, directed by Paul Bogart, and released by Hen's Tooth Video in 1998. There is also a superb 1970 film with Laurence Olivier which might be easier to find as it is much more well known.

Good luck!

How does Roger Chillingworth's appearance change and how does Hester interpret the changes she sees in him?

Roger Chillingworth certainly did not have any advantages over Hester when it came to his physiognomy. His age was not the matter, but his "studious" look may have been one of the few redeeming qualities that Hester may have found to tolerably accept a marriage proposal from him.

He is far from the studious man that he used to be, however, and his anger, hatred and hunger for revenge is evident in his body as well as in his soul. Hawthorne has a very interesting way to word Chillingworth's change. In chapter 14, he goes as far as to suggesting that the medicine man's diabolical ways are responsible for the way in which he has contracted a new image that is entirely detrimental.

Old Roger Chillingworth was a striking evidence of man’s faculty of transforming himself into a Devil, if he will only, for a reasonable space of time, undertake a Devil’s office...

Hawthorne (the narrator) offers that this transformation of Chillingworth does not make him look scary, or even menacing. All it does is to make him even more miserably sad than what he is. Even Hester has strong words for him.

“What see you in my face,” asked the physician, “that you look at it so earnestly?”

“Something that would make me weep, if there were any tears bitter enough for it,” answered she. “But let it pass! It is of yonder miserable man that I would speak.

It is clear that Hester can sense that all of this is a product of useless hatred. Of Chillingworth's own choices, which he should have never adhered to that way. Rather than letting go and moving on, he had to make a show of force so that his ego could be rectified.

Hester was alone 2 whole years thinking he was dead prior to getting with Dimmesdale. While she is not to be condoned for her actions, she has clearly not done anything to Chillingworth on purpose or to hurt him. This is why the author agrees that the entire thing is foolish.

This unhappy person had effected such a transformation by devoting himself, for seven years, to the constant analysis of a heart full of torture.

He certainly must be a very unhappy person to engage in such a campaign against someone he does not even know nor has done anything to him.

 
 
 

Critically justify the title She Stoops to Conquer.

The title of this novel refers to the "stooping down" of Kate Hardcastle from her position in high society to the position as a barmaid.  She does this in order to test the feelings of Marlow, to make sure that he loves her for herself and not for her money.  In the end, she gets what she wants, and proves a point.  She learns that Marlow's feelings are genuine and demonstrates that love is not controlled by social position.  By "stooping down", she conquered society.

What makes John Thorton "the ideal master"? How was he different from all of Buck's former masters?

Thornton is "the ideal master" because while "other men saw to the welfare of their dogs from a sense of duty and business expediency; he saw to the welfare of his as if they were his own children".  Buck's other masters, Francois, Perrault, Charles, and Hal, saw dogs as a means to an end - to do a job, or for personal gain, and although Buck's life with the Judge was comfortable, Buck's relationship with his owners was more detached, "a working partnership...a sort of pompous guardianship...a stately and dignified friendship".  Thornton cares for his dogs with all his heart, he sees them as individuals and is truly be concerned for their well-being, creating an environment for mutual respect and growth.  He gets close to his dogs. For the first time, Buck experiences "love, genuine, passionate love" (Chapter 6). 

What is the significance of Winston's dream in which a voice speaks to him about meeting in a place where there is no darkness?

The actual significance of this statement is not found out
until the third book.  However, once can make several speculations regarding O'Brien
saying this to Winston in his dream.  Winston, from the very beginning of the novel, has
an idea in his head that O'Brien is a sympathizer with the "Brotherhood", an underground
group, led by Goldstein, whose purpose is to overthrow Big Brother.  Winston, because of
this belief, feels some sort of connection to O'Brien.  I see two viable explanations
that Winston's character might be grappling with. First, the place where there is no
darkness could refer to a time when the "darkness" of the Big Brother regime has passed
and life can go back to the way it was before the revolution that occurred after World
War II.  Another possible explanation (a much less optimistic and dark one) could be
referring to them meeting in heaven once they are dead.  The "real" explanation,
however, is a surprise revealed toward the end of the novel.  I think, however, that the
saying is a source of inspiration to Winston, at least, initially. It’s a promise of the
end of Big Brother one way or the other in Winston’s eyes. 

What is the general theme of Julius Caesar?is "est qui tu brutus" the general theme or does it play a significant role in the theme?

Another way of looking at the theme is through power and ambition. Brutus decides to murder his dear friend just in case he is to become corrupt. The power Caesar is able to wield is incredible. This worries the senators, particularly Brutus, who states he would sacrifice his own life for the good of Rome. Ironically, though, Caesar really hasn't shown any hints that he will be corrupted by his power. How "est qui tu brutus" ties into this theme is how Caesar feels betrayed that even his close friend Brutus would conspire to kill him when it is really unwarranted. They are just killing him in case he becomes corrupt. So much for free will.

Another interesting side to this is, of course, Cassius, who manipulates Brutus into taking part in the scheme to kill Caesar. While Brutus is the most noble of characters, he alone is acting for the good of Rome, Cassius is greedy and tricks Brutus into helping bring Caesar down when Cassius wants the same ambition and power that resulted in Caesar's murder.

What is the theme in "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge"?

The strongest theme in the story is the power of interpretation. Human beings can receive infinite amounts of input, but if anything directly effects ourselves, we twist and contort this information to reach the conclusions we desire. It woudl seem it is impossible for us to be objective in matters concerning ourself.

The mind sees what it wants to. Of all the sensory input he contorts throughout the story it first starts with the scout. He believed that he was encountering a chance to prove his worth and dedication to the cause. Instead he is duped by a spy seeking to expose partisans.

Describe the life of Anne Frank's family in the secret annex?

Imagine you are stuck in a cramped space, living with eight people. Afterall, the Secret Annex is very small. During th eday you weren't allowed to use the lavratory and you had to be silent all the time. Parts of the book, Anne talks about her death because she is stuck in a room. At least she has Peter and her family.

In The Destructors, what kind of symbolism is demonstrated in regards to the house, the drab landscape, shadows, misery and worms?

The story, The Destructors is actually an allegory for the decline of the post independent Sri Lankan state so the story is full of symbolism. The house actually allegorically represents or is the symbol for the Sri Lankan state. Greene uses personification to make the house a character in the story (for example upon Blackie's approach on destruction day, the house is said to look as if it had slept). In turn then the surrounding area represents or symbolizes the area around Sri Lanka, which was destroyed by blitzes (aerial bomb attacks). The misery and shadows symbolize the mood of the state and the people. War and political strife are dark times in states and countries and misery and shadows do well to represent those feelings. T. describing the boys as being worms symbolizes the destruction from the inside out. He doesn't want to damage the house, he wants to destroy it, to make it something other than a house because after-all destruction is really just creation in disguise, which was the point of bringing Sri Lanka down, from the inside out, to make it something entirely different than it was before.

What are the main points that might make Twelfth Night a festive comedy?

Festive Comedy takes its sub-generic name from both occasionalism and philosophical content. These comedies are generally performed on festive occasions and deal with festivity as theme or as a philosophical outlook towards life.

Twelfth Night takes its title from a festive occasion on the 12th night since the crucifixion--the night when the body of the Christ would strike back with epiphany.

At the level of content, Shakespeare's play deals with the clash between mock-puritanical melancholy, as exemplified by the character of Malvolio and the festive spirit of Feste, as his name itself suggests.

The masking trope is an essential part of the rituals of festivity.

The attitudes to love as expressed by the love-lorn Duke of Illyria, Orsino and the superficiality of Olivia and Viola's romantic ideals--all relate to a festive conception of love, satirical in its absolute dearth of seriousness and sincerity.

The festivity in Twelfth Night has its political content in terms of a subversive decadent carnivalesque spirit, as highlighted by the low-life figures and their powerful foray into the court life through Malvolio's gulling.

The sub-plot with all its dark undercolours are suggestive of a tragi-comic mode.

What does the expression “African Americans are not monolithic” mean?

A monolith is a large, unified structure, like a
skyscraper or a big block of concrete.  To say a group is monolithic implies they are
all alike, that they act as one in accordance to their structure (or race): "a large and
impersonal political, corporate, or social structure regarded as intractably indivisible
and uniform."

To say a group is monolithic sounds
condescending; if it said by a white man it sounds racist.  Regardless, it seems
stereotypical.  Obviously, it should be avoided.

I assume
the context here is sociological.  African-Americans were originally forced immigrants,
moved to the Americas during the Diaspora that was the
slave trade.  In this sense, they were taken from diverse places and not given an
education, rights, or representation when they were transplanted here.  In this way,
they were not a unified, culturally-same people.  But then, who is?  I don't know any
culture, race, or ethnicity that I would classify as monolithic (it's a limiting,
formless word).  Maybe some isolated island colony?

The
great poet Derek Walcott, who was a half-white and half-black islander, said, "Either
I'm nobody or a nation."  He would not say either of his races were monolithic; rather,
he (as an individual) is made up of both the white and black culture, the island
culture, the American culture, the English language, etc...  All these are assimilated
in one man.  Otherwise, he is a nobody.

What is the theme of "The Lamb" by William Blake?I need an answer STAT please!!!!!!!!

My suggestion is a bit different from the above
post.

Though, on the surface level, lamb seems to stand
just for innocence, but if analyzed deeply, the lamb in Blake's poem is a personal
symbol which signifies God himself. The lamb indicates the softer aspects of God, for
instance mercy, pity, forgiveness and so on. As the tiger of Blake's "The Tyger" from
the experience poems, signifies the harsher and harder attributes of God, like wrath,
rage, audaciousness etc., similarly "The Lamb" symbolizes some specific qualities of God
himself.

This innocence of the lamb (the kindness of God)
is a model for humankind. According to Blake, in order to bring peace and bliss, this
innocence is very important. In fact, all his innocence and experience poems, in pairs,
are foils for one another; and together, they make a sense.

Act 5. Describe the lessons Hamlet tells Horatio he has learned about life. How does this understanding show that Hamlet has changed?

Hamlet comes to the realization that fate decides when death comes, and that it is inevitable. There is no choice in when or how it occurs, and Hamlet finally realizes why he hesitated to take action. He needed to think things out, and his realization gives him some peace.

How might things have been different if Rivka had not been Hannah's friend in The Devil's Arithmetic?

There is no single right answer to this question, as it is
a matter of speculation. There are a couple of things which should be considered,
though. First of all, if Rivka had not been Hannah's friend, I think it might be argued
that Hannah might not have survived her ordeal at the camp. It is Rivka who instructs
Hannah in the workings of the camps, and what to do and not do in order to survive.
Rivka has been in the camp for a year by the time Hannah arrives. Except for her brother
Wolfe, who is "one of the walking dead," the rest of her family has been killed and
cremated for one reason or another. Rivka teaches Hannah some hard lessons which will
enable her to stay alive. Among these are accepting the fact that she must let people go
who are so traumatized by the experience that they have stopped caring, and learning
never to ask why, because the answer to that question will be
enough to drive her crazy. From Rivka, Hannah discovers little details of behavior that
will keep her from drawing attention to herself and getting herself killed. She learns
to avoid the Greeks who do not speak Yiddish or German and so are quickly targeted for
elimination, and how to organize needed supplies and amenities that
will help them survive the brutal conditions of the camp. Rivka herself
organizes for Hannah a comparably tolerable job in the kitchen. She
has recognized that Hannah is a city girl, and would not long be able to take the
grueling outdoor work to which she would have been assigned
otherwise.

Most important of all, Rivka instills in Hannah
an appreciation for the power of remembering. In the last scene at the camp, Hannah
gives her life so that Rivka can live, to carry her memories of how the Jews survived
the unspeakable into the future. Had Rivka and Hannah not been friends, Rivka would have
died, and what would have happened to Hannah, who is inexplicably from the future, is
debatable. As it is, Rivka lives to survive the camp because of Hannah, and, as Aunt
Eva, gives emotional support to her traumatized brother Wolfe throughout his life,
sharing the traditions and stories of the Jews with her extended family, who, after the
war, emigrates to America.

In Pygmalion, how does the behavior of Liza and Clara compare to Mrs. Higgin's lady-like behavior at her tea party?

The the tea party in Pygmalion during
Mrs. Higgins "at home," there isn't very much dialogue given to Mrs. Higgins, however
she does say a lot before and after the tea party. The tea party is short and is mostly
monopolized by Miss Doolittle. An examination of Mrs. Higgins' deportment shows she is a
lady who thinks of how her remarks and behavior affects or will affect other people.
This awareness of a person's affect on others is way she has banished Henry from her at
homes. An examination of Liza's deportment shows she is absolutely unconscious of the
affect her remarks and behavior have on other people. In this regard, she is precisely
like Professor Higgins and precisely unlike Mrs. Higgins. Clara shares this trait of
unawareness with the pair in that she too has no idea that her remarks and behavior mark
her as unpleasant, though wealthy and well-bred, arrogant and
ill-mannered.

Another trait Mrs. Higgins displays is a
readiness to come to the defense and support of one who is under her patronage, even if
only a guest at her tea party for a few minutes. When Liza waxes lyrical about her
father's drinking habits and fears from the general laughter that she has done something
improper, Mrs. Higgins jumps instantly to her aid by saying simply but graciously and
eloquently, "Not at all, Miss Doolittle." The only comparison we can make with Liza is
that when laughed at, she doesn't take umbrage (offense or annoyance) but continues in
the same sweet and open spirit and tone--regardless of subject matter. The only
comparison to Clara is that, having admired Liza's lovely looks and elegant clothes
greatly, after Liza has left, Clara rapturously expresses herself as won over by the
"new small talk" that Higgins asserts Liza is speaking, thus branding herself as
shallow, petty, pretentious, credulous and gullible.

How is european colonialism/ imperialism more harmful to Latin American than Africa?

Modern imperialism in the form of international
corporate/banking control is equally damaging everywhere.  In historic terms, it would
be hard to make a case for this question's assumption; Africa is without doubt the most
wrecked part of the world today, and that is in large part due to colonialism.  The
boundaries of African countries were drawn up by European powers with no regard to
ethnic, cultural, religious or linguistic reference.  The very end of colonialism in
Africa was done in such haste after WW II that almost no African country had any real
ability to run itself or its political, economic, military or social issues.  This was
not because of some mythical inability of Africans, but because the European rulers had
never really integrated Africans in the processes of governing or in the running of the
economic life of the nations.  The Congo is the most glaring example, in some respects,
but no more really than Angola or many
others.

Colonialism's main negative impact on
South America is that the countries of the continent were mostly under Spain during
colonialism, and therefore have several major problems inherent from
that. One, they have Spanish-based law, meaning the accused must prove
their innocence in criminal cases, infinitely more difficult than defending themselves
while the State must prove their guilt.  Two, the legacy of military control and rule by
an elite minority, usually of lighter-skinned, more ethnically Spanish people.  That
goes along with the third, the extreme inequality of wealth, with a small minority of
rich and powerful families ruling in a business-consortium manner, with a large mass of
poor peasants and a small middle class.  The fourth is more subtle, the tendency of
Spanish-based cultures to attempt to redress grievances by revolutionary activities. 
This is in part due to the elitist nature of Latin American society and government and
resistance to the needs of the people, but in part is a legacy of the Napoleonic Wars. 
Spain's military was unable to resist Napoleon's forces, but with British help they
waged a very successful guerrilla war.  The problem is that this left Spain (and Latin
America) with a tradition of guerrilla warfare when dealing with any major governmental
problem which frustrated a major portion of the
population.

There is no doubt that colonialism left S.
America with a legacy of serious problems, and that modern "globalization" is wrecking
the economies of the continent.  But in neither case are those effects really worse on
that continent than in Asia, certainly not worse than in Africa.

What is Estella's last name in Great Expectations?

When she was born, Estella's last name would have been Magwitch, as she was the daughter of Abel Magwitch. She was adopted by Miss Havisham, however, and never told the truth as to her parents' identities, and so never knew her real last name. Later she married Bentley Drummle, so her last name after that was Drummle.

How did Ernest Hemingway's books effect life in the 1930s?

Well, it is an interesting question and I am guessing that
you are asking how his writing may have "affected" life in the 30's rather than
"effected it."

I can't say that I would put much stock in
the idea of someone's writing, even someone as widely acclaimed as Hemingway, actually
having a large effect on the society or the lifestyle, politics, etc., of the times. In
his case, Hemingway wrote about things that other people had been hesitant to, but a
great deal of his fame and notice came after his
death.

Some might argue that his willingness to address
some of the troubling aspects of society in the United States after WWI was important in
bringing some of those issues to light.  He also wrote about his experience in the war
in a way that questioned motivations and even some of the actions of individuals and
armies alike.  This was a common reaction in the art and literature of the time as all
over Europe people reacted to the devastation and senseless death with a willingness to
question the glory and honor of warfare that was previously celebrated endlessly in much
of literature and art.

His influence as a constantly
studied and revered part of American literature is likely far more important and long
lasting than any real effect he had on life in the 30's.

What is the subject and conflict of Langston Hughes's poem "Madam and the Rent Man"?

The subject of this poem actually
is the conflict between the two voices.  The speaker is "Madame"
and she is in conflict with "the Rent Man."  He is there to collect rent but she refuses
to pay.  Several problems exist in the apartment, including broken sink, squeaky floor,
rats, and leaks.  Madame is angry that things have not been fixed, but the real problem
lies in the fact that the "Rent Man" is not actually the one responsible for fixing
anything. He's simply there to collect the money.  The real problem is that Madame's
complaints are not even reaching the right person, or if they are, nothing is being done
and she is powerless.

Likely this is a picture of a common
situation that speaks honestly and ironically of a bigger picture issue: the inability
of blacks and whites to communicate because whites were unwilling to
listen.

How were the constellations named and who named them?

Constellation refers to a group of stars forming a fixed
pattern visible within a particular region of the night sky.  The word constellation
also refers to the region in which a specific group of stars appears.  Astronomers have
divided the sky into 88 areas, or constellations.

One
popularly known group of constellations consist of the twelve signs of the zodiac. Each
of these sign is named after a constellation.

These
constellation have been identified and named over a period of thousands of year. For
most of these constellations we do know when these were identified and who named
them.

People of various early civilizations observed groups
of stars in the northern two-thirds of the sky, and named these groups of stars after
animals and mythological characters.  For example, the constellation Leo was named after
a lion, Pisces after two fish, and Taurus after a bull.  The constellations Andromeda,
Cassiopeia, Orion, and Perseus are named after characters in Greek
mythology.

Between the fifteenth and eighteenth century,
navigators explored the Southern Hemisphere and observed many other constellations which
were not identified till then.  These constellations were named after scientific
instruments and other things as well as after animals.  For example, the constellation
Telescopium was named after the telescope, and Musca was named after the
fly.

What are the main themes and the plot of The Shakespeare Stealer?

Widge is an orphan who is sent by his master to write down every word of Shakespeare's latest play that is being performed. He does so, but a pickpocket steals the copy from Widge. Widge then decides to steal a copy of the play and joins the acting group to get it. He's treated so well by the people in the acting troupe that he realizes he must decide to stand by his new friends or betray them.

Basically, the main theme is learning to respect others and yourself.

What does Lady Capulet think is the reason for her daughter's sadness? What is her suggested solution and does it help matters ?

I just want to add to the question by saying that Lord Capulet has moved the wedding date up because he feels that Juliet is distraught over Tybalt's death and by marrying Paris, sooner than planned, it will put an end to her woes. 

Lady Capulet feels that Juliet is more distraught that the "villain who slaughtered Tybalt lives."  Lady Capulet wants to send someone to poison Romeo and Juliet tells her mother if she finds the person to do it, she will mix the poison.  There is some indication that what Juliet says could mean one thing to her mother and another to what she actually means in reference to her and Romeo.  Lady Capulet then says, after she carries out her plan to get rid of Romeo, she has the real solution to make her happy and that is that Lord Capulet her father has arranged for her to marry Paris.  Juliet then gets into a verbal confrontation with her father and he threatens to sever all ties with her to the point she could be homeless, starving, ill, etc. and he still will not acknowledge her.  Her mother also tells her that she has washed her hands of her and if she doesn't marry Paris she has no more family.  Even when the nurse tried to stick up for Juliet she was told to go tell her gossip somewhere else because Lord Capulet said she is not needed even though she is the one that raised Juliet.

Source: the Language and Literature Book by McDougal Littell

In chapter 12, what does Ralph say to the twins when they refuse to help him?

First, he feels frustration and anger, but quickly realizes that will do no good.  Then he tells the twins where he is going to hide with the implication that they will lead the hunters in a different direction.  Then, finally, he asks them what will  happen to him once he's found.  He goes from trying to talk them into helping him to acceptance of his fate.

What is the significance of the butler's nose in The Great Gatsby?Why do Daisy and Jordan mention it to Nick? Does this relate to Gatsby in any...

Notice that Nick mentions the butler's nose in a later
chapter when Daisy comes to his house.  Daisy doesn't have any idea what he is talking
about, so Nick changes the subject.  This shows that Daisy just makes random things up,
like a child, but they mean nothing to her.  Nevermind that it is gossip about another
human being.  Everything Daisy does is for her own entertainment or in order to avoid
reality, and the consequences don't register.

Also, their
is a nose motif here.  In chapter two, the face of Dr. TJE on the billboard is described
as having a "non-existent nose."

There is also a focus on
Meyer Wolfsheim's nose, as well, and this is probably a play on the Jewish
stereotype.

All of this makes me think that noses have
something to do with money...Having a big one means you can sniff out a buck, and not
having one means you are bankrupt.

This isn't a fully
fleshed out idea yet, though, so don't quote me on it.

Literary analysis of the theme nature versus nurture in the novel Frankenstein.

The Creature in Shelley's
Frankenstein is not nurtured and, thus, becomes a
Monster. 

Victor rejects his creation immediately due to
the Creature's appearance.  His rejection is due to the superficial.  The creature, left
alone to progress on his own, becomes hideous.  This is what becomes of natural
man. 

Contrast this, for instance, with Elizabeth.  She,
too, is orphaned (as the Creature is, for all practical purposes), but she is accepted
and loved and taken care of.  And she becomes an almost ideal
person. 

Victor bears responsibility for the Creature
becoming a Monster, because he fails to nurture his creation. 

How does Tom try to get out of his bargain?

In his tale "The Devil and Tom Walker," Washington Irving wryly narrates,

As Tom waxed old, however, he grew thoughtful. Having secured the good things of this world, he began to feel anxious about those of the next.

Having made a pact with the Devil and been the cruelest of usurers under the directions of "Old Scratch," Tom begins to worry about the proverbial Day of Reckoning when he dies. So, he becomes "a violent churchgoer"; that is, he prays vociferously as though heaven can be taken by his very lung power. He is "rigid" in both religious and monetary matters; now a fundamentalist, he criticizes his neighbors, believing that every one of their sins which he exposes will "credit on his own side." In fanatical fashion, he castigates Quakers and Anabaptists, urging their persecution. Nevertheless, Tom still dreads payment to the Devil; so, he begins to carry a Bible with him at all times and assures that customers observe his reading when they come in for loans to his office.

Irving humorously includes this passage, also:

Some say that Tom grew a little crack-brained...and that fancying his end approaching, he had his horse newly shod, saddled, and bridled, and buried with his feet uppermost; because he supposed that at the last day the world would be turned upside down, in which case he should find his horse standing ready for mounting.

But, he discounts it as a "old wives' fable, narrating that this precaution of Tom's is superfluous because he calls out his own fate when, having lost "patience and piety," he tells a speculator that he has made too much money off him, "The Devil take me...if I have made a farthing!" At this moment a "black man ...holding a black horse" appears and says, "Tom, you're come for."

In The Canterbury Tales, what are the morals and themes of "The Friar's Tale"?

The Friar's tale is about a summoner, or a person who exposes sinners, who indulges his greed by extorting money from those he catches, letting them go if they will pay him what he asks. 

The theme of the tale is the close interconnection between greed and the devil.  The moral is that those who engage in extortion and greed will soon find themselves in hell.

Actors offer generalizations about the nature and predicament of women. Should the audience take as serious assessments all, some, or none of these?

Something, too, we have to remember is that Jason makes assumptions about "Greek" women, of which Medea is not. In fact, after Medea kills his boys, he states that a Greek woman would never do such a thing. He is prone to make generalizations about the women of his society (dangerous) and then apply them to Medea (fatal).

Also, remember about Medea's famous speech: we shoud take it seriously, but as sagetrieb points out above, that speech is for the benefit of the chorus -- to get them on her side. Remember that Medea has a history of manipulating women, particularly Pelias' daughters.

Part of the wrong she is trying to right is the patriarchial society that produces men like Jason.

How does the concept of time figure into The Great Gatsby?This is a question for my english class that I'm stuck on. Any ideas?

In The Great Gatsby, time is a
leitmotif that runs throughout the novel.  It is mainly associated with Gatsby and his
quest to repeat the past and reestablish his love affair with
Daisy.

Observe this passage on page 110 regarding
Daisy:

"I
wouldn’t ask too much of her," I ventured. "You can’t repeat the
past."
"Can’t repeat the past?" he cried
incredulously. "Why of course you can!"
He looked
around him wildly, as if the past were lurking here in the shadow of his
house, just out of reach of his hand.

"I’m
going to fix everything just the way it was before," he said, nodding determinedly.
"She’ll see."

Gatsby's goal
is the turn back time, to go back to his boyish days in Louisville when he first met
Daisy, before the war, before she was married, before he became corrupted, back when
America was the idealistic land of opportunity.

Daisy knows
that the past cannot repeat itself.  Nick knows this too.  But, when Gatsby and Daisy
meet at Nick's for the date, Gatsby thinks time is moving backwards.  Observe the
symbolism of the clock:

readability="37">

Gatsby, his hands still in his pockets, was
reclining against the mantelpiece in a strained counterfeit of perfect ease, even of
boredom. His head leaned back so far that it rested against the face of a
defunct mantelpiece clock, and from this position his
distraught eyes stared down at Daisy, who was sitting, frightened but graceful, on the
edge of a stiff chair.

“We've met before,” muttered Gatsby.
His eyes glanced momentarily at me, and his lips parted with an abortive attempt at a
laugh. Luckily the clock took this moment to tilt dangerously at the pressure of his
head, whereupon he turned and caught it with trembling fingers, and set it back in
place. Then he sat down, rigidly, his elbow on the arm of the sofa and his chin in his
hand.

“I'm sorry about the
clock,” he said.

My own face had now assumed
a deep tropical burn. I couldn't muster up a single commonplace out of the thousand in
my head.

“It's an old clock,” I told them
idiotically.

I think we all believed for a moment that it
had smashed in pieces on the floor.
(86-87)

Overall, the
leitmotif of time shows the false idealism of Gatsby and the American dream.  After
World War I, Fitzgerald says that the innocent, young, boyish America of our past and of
our dreams is changed, corrupted, and no more.

What is the symbolic significance of the old man and his enormous wings? Since he’s called an "angel", is there a religious significance to his...

The center of this story is the dark side of human behavior - hypocrisy, greed, fear and paranoia.  The old man represents humanity, but his wings suggest that he has escaped, flown above the crowd.  He is an old man instead of a young man because the elderly should be respected for their wisdom - but as is often the case - they are often shunted aside by the selfish young.  His wings also connect him to innocence and spirituality because a man with wings is often intrepreted to be an angel.  And he is innocent, having done nothing to harm the people of the community.  However, the fact that his wings are in such bad shape suggest that he is fallen, and thus the spirituality of the people has fallen. 

By being a fresh and blood angel, he shows the good and bad of humanity.  When the old man arrives, Elisenda and Pelayo plan to kill him, but Pelayo doesn't have the heart for it.  He shows compassion.  But he does lock the man up and his wife does plot to make money off the deal.  They benefit from the man but do not appreciate his presence.  However, their child is the only one who appears to treat the man well.  Good and bad, a contradiction - just like they oxymoron of his appearance.

What does Jem mean when he says "it's like bein a caterpillar in a cocoon"? (Chapter 22) I did not really understand the answer for this question...

It seems as though Jem is referring both to himself and to Maycomb. The trial has shaken him out of his youthful innocence and naive belief that "Maycomb folks were the best folks in the world, least that’s what they seemed like." In this sense, he himself was the caterpillar in the cocoon, safe and sheltered from harsh outside realities. He thought Maycomb's people were the "best folks in the world" but of course he himself hadn't experienced people anywhere else in the world, as yet.

But maybe the caterpillar image could apply to Maycomb itself, too. It really is a small, sleepy, unremarkable little town which is closed unto itself, without much knowledge or interest in what goes on in big cities and the world at large. Generally life goes on in an even, untroubled way. However, Tom's trial, as an example of social injustice and prejudice, has shaken things up and called Maycomb's stalwart good people, like Atticus, to action. This is underlined by Miss Maudie's reply to Jem:

We're the safest folks in the world .... We're so rarely called on to be Christians, but when we are we've got men like Atticus to go for us.

What source does Douglass rely on to learn how to read and write?

His mistress, Mrs. Auld, first begins teaching Douglass the alphabet before her husband prohibits her from doing this. His severe opposition told Douglass how important reading must be:  “What he most dreaded, that I most desired.”  He thanked both the master and his wife for enabling his interest in reading: “In learning to read, I owe almost as much to the bitter opposition of my master, as to the kindly aid of my mistress. I acknowledge the benefit of both. After he learned from “the little white boys” how to read, he would always find a book and take it with him where ever he went.  Soon he started to read The Columbian Orator, which taught him about emancipation and changed his life even more. As for writing, Douglass recounts: "The idea as to how I might learn to write was suggested to me by being in Durgin and Bailey's ship-yard, and frequently seeing the ship carpenters, after hewing, and getting a piece of timber ready for use, write on the timber the name of that part of the ship for which it was intended."  He again practices whenever he can, painfully learning how to make letters, and then letters into words.

Compare and contrast the leadership styles and philosophies of Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. Dubois, Marcus Garvey, Martin L. King Jr, and Malcolm X

I would say that DuBois and King are similar in terms of
their philosophies.  I would also say that Garvey and Malcolm X are similar to one
another, but different from King and DuBois.  Finally, I would put Washington in a class
by himself.

Washington was the most accomodationist of
these leaders because he did not want to push for rights.  He wanted to wait until
whites were ready to give rights to blacks.

DuBois and King
did not want to wait for rights.  They wanted to push for them right away, but they
wanted to do so in an inclusive way.  Both envisioned an integrated society where whites
and blacks got a long.

Garvey and Malcolm were black
nationalists.  They did not want to join white America.  Instead, they wanted to be
separate and have blacks rely on themselves.

Is it fair or appropriate for one country to judge the cultural practices of another? Why or why not?

I suppose it depends on what you mean by
"judge."

It is in my opinion totally fair for one country
to think whatever they want about another's cultural practices.  After all, we are all
entitled to our opinion.

Now, do you mean to ask if it is
fair for one nation to try to stop another's cultural
practices?  I would say yes again, as long as the country is not doing something like
invading the other country.

For example, let's say we want
to use our money or our policy to stop "female circumcision" in other countries.  I
think it is fine for us to do that as long as we are giving the country a choice -- you
can stop that and get our aid or you can keep doing it and not get our
aid.

There is no reason that one country should have to
help another country do something the first country thinks is morally wrong.  As long as
you are not being violent, I think it's fine to judge and/or try to stop other countries
from doing things we think are wrong.

In chapter 3 of Animal Farm, what are four examples of the pigs' clever use of language to gain there own ends?

The question your teacher is asking is this:  How do the pigs use language to get what they want?  In other words, how do they speak cleverly to convince others to do everything just the way the pigs want it done.

For example, the pigs want the animals to hate humans.  So the pigs come up with an easy slogan to remember "Four legs good, two legs bad."  It is so easy to remember, the other animals can't forget it and will eventually start to believe it.

The pigs also try to make work sound more interesting so that the animals will want to work harder.  Instead of just "providing wool" or "giving eggs", the sheep are part of the Winter Wool Movement and the hens are part of the Egg Production Committee.  This makes them feel more important.

The pigs use rhetorical questions to make the other animals agree with them.  When the animals seem like they won't work too hard, Squealer ask "You don't want Jones to come back, do you?"  This makes it seem like the farmer will come back if the animals don't work their hardest.  Its a threat.  It isn't true, but it convinces the animals through fear.

Finally, the pigs control which animals learn to read.  This way, the pigs can claim to know more and they can sound more important because they can read things and their vocabulary is bigger.

What dramatic elements emerge at the beginning of Act 4, Scene 3?PLEASE AND THANKS!

Also signficant here is the way that Macduff acts as a foil for Macbeth (and Lady Macbeth, too, perhaps).  His first inclination upon hearing of the death of his family is to grieve. "All my pretty ones? / Did you say all?" he moans. When Malcolm says "Dispute it like a man," meaning go and fight Macbeth, Macduff says "I shall do so;/but I must also feel it as a man" (4.3,216-221). Here we have a new definition of manhood not yet seen in the play. Indeed, Lady Macbeth at the beginning worries that her husband is "too full the milk of human kindness" and would herself dash her babe to the ground in order to carry out the murder of Dunca.  Macduff is both warrior and father and husband, a man who can love as well as fight.

What are your predictions for Chapters 11-12 of The Outsiders?

I have also read and taught this book to my students. 
We've discussed what might be outcomes for the characters after the rumble and after
Johnny's death.  When I first read the book many years ago, I would of predicted more
legal consequences for Ponyboy.  I would of also expected more consequences as a result
of the rumble between the two gangs. 

I would of expected
Ponyboy to lose it after all of the things he'd been through at such a young age.  The
socs tried to drown him. He witnessed people getting killed.  He was severely
beaten.  He rescued several children from a burning building.  He was constantly
fighting with his oldest brother. It just kept  on going. In the end, though, he did
have support from his siblings and friends.  They were a tight knit
group. 

As for Dally, I know he was more of a loose cannon,
however, I would of not predicted him getting shot by the police. 
   

Using pink ribbons, describe them as a link between the two conceptions of Faith?

This is a difficult response for “Faith” is very ambiguous in the story, carrying more than two meanings.  The ribbons are mentioned in conjunction with Faith when we meet her “thrust[ing] her own pretty head into the street, letting the wind play with the pink ribbons of her cap.” Her ribbons are mentioned two more times immediately: “Faith with the pink ribbons” blesses him as he leaves, and he looks back to see “Faith still peeping after him, with a melancholy air, in spite of her pink ribbons, causing him to think “Poor little Faith.” Putting these introductory passages together, faith can be bold, sufficient unto itself so that it can play “in the wind” and retain itself; faith can be good and trusting, which we see when Faith blesses Brown, and finally faith can be sad because it is not sufficiently strong to withstand adversity (“poor little Faith”).  It is this final aspect of faith that the story leaves us with at its conclusion, for Brown’s faith was insufficient to trust in his wife and his neighbors, insufficient to allow him to retain a sense of humanity even if its sometimes marred by evil and guilt.