Summary of "Why the World isn't Flat" by Panjak Ghemawat.I know its a sort of reply to Thomas Friedman's "The World is Flat" talking aboutthe...

Basically, the author makes a couple of main points. 
First, he says that there really is not nearly so much globalization as people think. 
For example, he points out, about 90% of all investment is done within countries, not by
people from one country investing in another country.  He also points out that even big
companies like Google are often much stronger in one nation and much weaker in
others.

Second, he says that what globalization there is is
fragile and could go away.  He points out that other supposed trends (like the idea that
liberal democracies were taking over and all countries would move in that direction)
have not panned out.  He says there is no guarantee that globalization will
increase.

What's the mood of act 1 scene 1? What contributes to this mood?Why did Macbeth find it hard to believe the witches' prediction would come...

Macbeth knows the Thane of Cawdor, and believes he is alive and well, and so he finds the prophecy to be ridiculous.  However, when the noblemen arrive to tell them of Cawdor's betrayal and upcoming execution, Macbeth is swayed into thinking that the "weird sisters" are credible.

Lady Macbeth is ready to believe the sisters easily, and wants to move things along immediately.  She fears, however, that Macbeth is too weak of spirit, lacking in the ambition he would need to murder his own kin.  This would prevent the death of Duncan and prevent Macbeth gaining the crown.

Macbeth has honest objections though.  Duncan is his king and his cousin;  he is Duncan's host, and should not bring harm to him; Duncan has been a good leader and is well liked.

The messanger brings the news that Duncan will be visiting the castle.

Why after Tom Robinson's trial does Jem say Boo Radley wants to stay inside? If you could also give a page number and a quote, that would be...

This declaration comes right at the end of chapter 23.  After talking with Scout, who Aunt Alexandra spent much of the chapter trying to impress upon what it means to be a Finch, Jem comes to the conclusion that Maycomb has a caste system where people are ranked not just by money but also by familiar history, race, color, education, and so on.  When Scout tries to make sense of this she declares that there is just one kind of folks, and this just plain old folks.  This prompts Jem to state that he knows why Boo stays inside.  We can infer that Jem means Boo stays inside to avoid all of the classification and discrimination in Maycomb.  He can avoid it all by just staying shut up in his house.

What is the theme of "The Lady, or the Tiger"?

There is the theme of love, that is, the confusing nature of love. The princess falls in love with a handsome young man.

". . . and she loved him with an ardor that had enough of barbarism in it to make it exceedingly warm and strong".

The theme of determination and free will; the semi-barbaric king allowed the prisoners who were subjected to his judgment to choose their fates. No one was allowed to interfere with the prisoners’ choice of the door.

The theme of civilisation and barbarity is also evident in this short story. The king is termed as semi-barbaric. “In the very olden time there lived a semi-barbaric king”. Also the princess is said to be barbaric.

“The girl was lovely, but she had dared to raise her eyes to the loved one of the princess; and, with all the intensity of the savage blood transmitted to her through long lines of wholly barbaric ancestor. . .”

What is the theme of "The Necklace", and how does the author use symbolism and irony to explain this theme?

  The Necklace's theme is to be happy of what you have now, and treasure it.  Like Madame Loisel, she thinks that she didn't have enough after buying the beautiful dress using his husband's 400 francs, she borrowed her friend's daimond necklace.  If she knew to treasure what she have, the daimond necklac ewon't be lost and she would not need to spend 10 years working for the money for the daimond necklace.  Actually, in my opinion I think Madame Loisel did not only trouble herself but also her husband, her husband had to work with her for 10 years to earn back the money.

   Usually, after 10 years, there will be a lot of money if they svae their money, but in order to pay back the necklace, they had to .  This made them face poverty.

What do you think the secret knowledge of "The Beasts of England" signifies? How do events in 1990-91 correlate with this?

The song "Beasts of England" is a parody of the socialist anthem "The Internationale".  Both songs call the people of the community to unite for the common good.  Both songs suggest a better future.  People (animals) will be safe, healthy, well-fed and happy if only they unite against tyrannical governments and take control themselves. 

"Beasts of England" correalates to the end of the socialist regime in Russia, which came about in 1990 and 1991.  Although, like in the story, the people overthrew their tyrannical Russian czars, the new government ended up in tyranny again.  The socialist leaders, like the pigs in the story, took more control and more wealth and made conditions more unbearable than before.  So, when the socialists fell in 1990/91, the "Tyrant man" again lost his throne.

Whats interesting now is that the cycle seems to be beginning again.  The recent vote in Russia is supporting a return to a communist/socialist regime.  The people are seeking again are more glorified future.

What is the significance of Carver's choice of a cathedral as catalyst for the narrator's learning experience, and what dimension does it bring?

It isn't explicitly shown in the story, but the cathedral suggests a religious or spiritual experience. The cathedral symbolizes the themes of the story. Change and transformation can occur in a religious, holy place such as a cathedral, and it is a place where humans can connect with God and with each other. The major themes of the story deal with the alienation and loneliness of the narrator and his wife. Through the experience with Robert, it's suggested that both the narrator and his wife have a chance of perhaps connecting with one another and with other people by the end of the story. The world opens up for the narrator once he closes his eyes and imagines the cathedral, suggesting perhaps a transformation in his life, even if it is a small one. In order to reach that point, the narrator must use his imagination and creativity, suggesting the power that imagination can have in helping people to overcome difficulties in their lives. Many times, a person can experience an epiphany, or great insight, in a religious service, and the narrator has such an epiphany at the very end when he's able to "see" the cathedral with his eyes closed.

In Animal Farm, what is significant about how the animals arrange themselves as they gather to hear Major?

Significantly, Old Major speaks on "a sort of raised platform" above the other animals, immediately undermining by virtue of his physical position the equality about which he will speak. In addition, it is also important that even though at first there is some order to the gathering, pigs in one place, ducks in another and so on, very quickly that order collapses as  "the dogs suddenly chase the rats," giving lie to the comradeship Old Major speaks about so eloquently.  

Explain the title Arms and the Man.

The title is an allusion to the first line
of Virgil's Aeneid. In English, the line translates as "I sing of
arms and the man." In Virgil, "the man" is, of course, Aeneas, and "arms"
refers to the Trojan War & Aeneas' journey from Greece. The
Aeneid stands as a glorious epic, depicting battles as defined by
their heroes, who emerge from the war triumphant.

However,
because Shaw's play is a satire, the title should be looked at ironically.
Rather than praising "arms" & the men who use them by describing
epic battle scenes and glorious triumphs, Shaw is dissecting the reality of war, showing
the futile nature of taking up those arms. In Shaw's vision, war is
dirty, brutal, unforgiving, and serves to support the inequalities inherent in the
status quo. The characters in Shaw's play, especially Major Sergius Saranoff, serve to
underscore the traditional heroism in war of the epic. Saranoff becomes a caricature,
desperately clinging to his romanticized ideal of a hero. He struggles to be defined as
one himself, but Shaw uses the character to instead suggest that no man could compare to
a mythological hero in reality.

What are the allegories used in Inferno(only the first section)?

In the first Canto, Dante encounters the leopard-who tries to stop him on his way, but isn't too worried about being effective. The leopard represents Self-indulgence.

The lion is fierce and threatening towards Dante and represents Violence.

The she-wolf is the worst. She represents Malice, and Dante is unable to go any further.

Why did the Tet offensive make Americans doubt they could win the war?

The primary reason was
television. The visual (and visceral) impact of the Vietnam War was the
most extreme in American history because the television brought it into everyone's
living room every night.  When Walter Cronkite, the "most trusted face" in the US, said
on the evning news that the war was lost people believed
him.

The results of the 1968 Tet Offensive did not bear
this out.  It was an all-out, committed effort by the Viet Cong and People's Army to end
the war at once, and it failed miserably.  The VC were almost completely destroyed by
their losses; VC afterwards were PAVN (North Vietnamese) regular soldiers in disguise. 
The South Vietnamese Army, cut off from their usual American support, actually fought
well, showing themselves equal to the northerners.  In Hue, described in Western media
as "the ancient imperial capital" (a city built only in the 18th century), the damage
was described by an American officer as, "We had to destroy the city in order to save
it."  In reality, there were only small areas of the city destroyed, minor damage
compared to any city in Europe in the Second World War.

In
Hue, also, the Viet Cong lost their support among the middle classes and
intelligentsia.  The very people who welcomed them (intellectuals, college professors,
teachers, the educated and liberal part of Vietnamese society) found themselves on
pre-prepared death lists.  Most were executed by the VC during their occupation, as well
as many young people of near military age, government workers and soldiers on leave from
the SVN forces and their families.  They were of course on leave because both sides had
previously agreed to a truce during the Lunar New Year, during which the offensive was
launched ("Tet" being that holiday).

One thing that swayed
American opinion against the war was the famous film clip (and photos) of the Hue police
chief shooting a VC prisoner in the head, while the prisoner's hands were bound.  What
the news media failed to emphasize was that the police chief had just been informed that
his wife and children had been found murdered by the VC.  Unjustifiable as the execution
of a POW was, it becomes understandable.

General
Westmoreland was, however, thoroughly fooled about Khe Sanh.  While expending vast
amounts of ordinance on the areas around the Marine fire base, believing that several
divisions of the PAVN were massing for a "final offensive" there in emulation of the
1954 victory over the French at Dien Bien Phu, most of the manpower of those divisions
were actually in Hue.  Vo Nguyen Giap, commanding general of the PAVN, used American
fears of "a second Dien Bien Phu" to tie down the Marines in the mountainous border
area, leaving his troops free to infiltrate further south through the same cavern
systems and mountain passes their ancestors had used in the thousand-year war against
China and against the French.  It also ate up enormous quantities of airpower, bombs,
artillery, etc. on nearly nonexistent
targets.

The Tet Offensive of '68 looked a
lot worse for the Southern forces and America (and allied) troops than it actually
was, but appearances are what matter on
television. And, in the end, it didn't matter anyway.  As long as the
government of the South was so corrupt and riddled with traitors there was no way to
"win" that war.  The tide of Vietnamese history was with the northern forces, and had
been since before the Americans arrived.

Explain how the father/son roles in "Night" were reversed in the case of Elie and his father?

Elie's father protects him and sacrifices his share of rations in the beginning of the novel in order to keep up Elie's strength.  As physical strain, the cold, and illness wreaks havoc with Elie's father, Elie steps up and takes the more protective role.  He arranges things with deals and trades in order to stay in his father's work group and to be near him.  Elie shares his rations with his weakening father. 

Although it is clear that Elie is becoming less and less "human" through his suffering...going so far as to outrun his father in one of the group's movements and hoping not to find him when his guilt spurs him to half-heartedly go looking...he never completely forsakes his father and the link between them as father and son.  He regularly visits the window at the hospital to speak with his father until the day that Elie is told his father was taken that day.  Even when his father dies, Elie is not without emotion although the situation does not allow him to grieve properly.

Without a doubt, Elie is forced to grow up much faster than he would have in a normal childhood situation.  His is similar to children whose parents are chronically ill, disabled, or who succumb to illegal substances and are unable to care for themselves...they are all robbed of their ability to be "kids" and moved into "caregiver".

Where in the play is there evidence of Hamlet being funny? It might be in act 4, scence 4.

Hamlet's humor is of a sarcastic nature.  He is sarcastic with Polonius in Act 2, Sc. 2 when Polonius is attempting to draw out of Hamlet the reason for his depression.  Hamlet, naturally, sees through Polonius's attempt and speaks in riddles and double meanings.  Also, in Act 4, Sc. 2 when Hamlet speaks with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern about the location of Polonius's body, he again speaks in riddles and double meanings.  Additionally, there are many instances sprinkled throughout the play where Hamlet gets in a good zinger.

What was Bram Stoker's inspiration for writing Dracula?

Scholars tend to agree that Stoker's inspiration for writing Dracula was the real-life story of Vlad the Impaler, a notorious historical figure who did horrible things to his captured enemies.  There were also other books written prior to Stoker's book that may have helped influence him, including fables and stories from Transylvania.  Another interesting bit of information is that when Stoker was sick as a child, his mother told him horror stories to keep him entertained.

Check the links below for more information about Stoker.  Good luck!

Are there any significant differences between the novel The Maltese Falcon and the 1941 John Houston movie The Maltese Falcon?

In The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell
Hammett, the murder of Spade's partner Miles Archer is not depicted. In the film version
by John Huston, Archer is shown being shot in Burritt Street but the shooter is not
shown. Huston may have inserted this scene in order to give good actor Jerome Cowan a
little more screen time.

Burritt Street in San Francisco
actually exists. It is a blind alley one block long. There is a plaque on a
building-wall near the entrance stating that this is where Miles Archer was shot by
Brigid O'Shaughnessy. The entrance to the alley is easily observed from the place "where
Bush roofed Stockton before slipping downhill to Chinatown," but Huston does not show
that

Spade
crossed the sidewalk between iron-walled hatchways that opened above bare ugly stairs,
went to the parapet, and, resting his hands on the damp coping, looked down into
Stockton Street.

The steep
vacant lot between Burritt Street and Stockton Street where Miles Archer would have
tumbled partway down after being shot no longer exists. Huston may have left the scene
out, partly because that particular vacant lot had already been built on by the time he
made the film in 1941.

This scene is important because
Spade can see from his position at the coping overlooking Stockton Street that there is
no way out of the alley except into Bush Street or down the hill through the vacant lot.
Spade learns that the police have established that no one went down the hill into
Stockton because there are no footprints on the wet
ground.

His scrutiny of the scene is what leads him to tell
Brigid in the last chapter and near the end of the
movie:

"Miles
hadn't many brains, but, Christ! he had too many years' experience as a detective to be
caught like that by the man he was shadowing. Up a blind alley with his gun tucked away
on his hip and his overcoat buttoned? Not a chance. He was as dumb as any man ought to
be, but he wasn't quite that dumb. The only ways out of the alley could be watched from
the edge of Bush Street over the tunnel. You'd told us Thursby was a bad actor. He
couldn't have tricked Miles into the alley like that, and he couldn't have driven him
in. He was dumb, but not dumb enough for
that."

The sound of the shot
should have attracted attention in this neighborhood of tall brick apartment buildings
all set close together. But the police did not ask questions of the surrounding tenants
because they took it for granted that Floyd Thursby shot Archer and then, as Lieutenant
Dundy tells Spade (in both the book and the movie):

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Thursby was shot down in front of his hotel just
thirty-five minutes after you left Burritt
Street.

At the end of the
novel Spade accuses Brigid of murdering his partner in the alley with Thursby's
Webley-Fosbery automatic revolver. If Brigid had continued to deny it, Spade would have
turned her over to the police anyway, and they would have found witnesses in the
apartment buildings who had seen a woman going into the alley with Archer and exiting
right after the shot was fired. Someone might have even been able to identify that woman
as Brigid. This would have added to the circumstantial evidence against her, along with
her involvement with Thursby and with the Maltese falcon.

What is the significance of "The Other Two" by Edith Wharton?

"The Other Two" is a comedy of
manners about husbands and a wife and adjustments to society. Edith
Wharton has explored marital themes in other short stories, but some critics believe
this story to be Wharton's most nearly perfect short story in structure and substance.
Other critics consider Wharton's stories colorless unengaging imitations of Henry James'
stories. In "The Other Two" Wharton explores the contrasting ideas of illusion and
belief as well as the related idea of
ethics.

In the story, Waythorn
is under the illusion that his wife behaves with
disinterestedness toward her two ex-husbands, one of whom comes to the Waythorn home to
attend to the ill daughter he shares with his ex-wife who is now Waythorn's wife and one
of whom the Waythorn's meet in social settings. In this scenario, Mrs. Waythorn creates
the illusion, through withholding information, that she is
behaving with disinterest toward her ex-husbands, leading Waythorn to the
belief that her deportment is above
questioning.

Once the illusion is shattered and the belief
discarded, the question of ethics remains: What is the
ethical thing to do when one has three husbands (two of them ex-husbands) who are thrown
together by circumstances? Mrs. Waythorn decides that it is ethical to only speak to
them in social gatherings when directly approached by one--and she decides to serve them
tea. Supposedly, her current husband agrees with this ethic because he sees the humor of
having two of his wife's former husbands in his parlor drinking tea with
him.

Thus the significance of
"The Other Two" is that it examines the social mores and values of the times by
examining an awkward but increasingly common situation in which spouses have multiple
spousal connections, thereby exposing the nature of illusion, belief and
ethics.

Write a short paragraph giving at least 3 of the plot developments in the excerpt from Romeo and Juliet

Without knowing which excerpt you are referring to, I
would say three of the biggest plot developments are:

*
Romeo and Juliet meet at her family's party and they kiss and fall in love.  This leads
Juliet to see if Romeo's intentions are true, which they are, so they get
married.

* Tybalt tries to start a fight with Romeo.  Romeo
being newly married to Tybalt's cousin, tries to avoid it.  Mercutio fights in his stead
and is killed, Romeo kills Tybalt and then is banished.

*
Juliet is supposed to marry Paris, so she pretends to be poisoned which makes Romeo
think she's actually dead so he kills Paris and then kills himself.  Juliet wakes up,
sees him dead, and then kills herself.

What does Holden's fight with Stradlater say about Holden's Character as a person?

This fight happens in Chapter 6.  It is caused by the fact
that Stradlater is implying that he had sex with Jane Gallagher, or at least went and
made out with her in the coach's car.  The fight tells us a couple of things, in my
opinion.

First, it tells us that Holden has this old
fashioned view of women.  He thinks that it is his place to try to fight someone who has
been making out with a girl he likes.  He is either being chivalrous (nice
interpretation) or very possessive -- implying she belongs to
him.

Second, it tells us that Holden is really immature. 
He keeps calling Stradlater a moron.  He says Stradlater is a moron because he doesn't
want to discuss things.  But it's not clear why Stradlater should talk about what
exactly he did in the car with Jane.  At any rate, Holden just keeps calling him a moron
over and over, which seems pretty immature to me.

Define the terms “Hypothesis,” “Independent Variable,” and “Dependent Variable.”Explain how these terms relate to one another in the...

A hypothesis is a statement that contains an explanation
to a phenomena. Hypothesis can be either proven or disproven. In most cases the
hypothesis is something that can be tested in some way, usually
quantitative.

The purpose of the variables is to see how
they are related and to allow you to have control over the experiment. The independent
variable is what the experimenter alters or enacts in order to conduct the
experiment.

The dependent variable is the changes of the
independent variable. The dependent variable depends on what happens during the
independent variable. In other words, the dependent variable is dependent upon the
independent variable.

There are also variables that are
called controlled variables. These variables are anything that can have an influence
upon the dependent variable.

How science is boon? Give example.

Science is a boon to us in so many ways.  It has allowed
us to live longer, avoid pain from diseases, have more food, and have more ways to enjoy
our lives.

For example, science has made it so that we do
not have to fear diseases like polio and smallpox anymore.  Science has made it so that
farmers can grow more crops on the same amount of land.  Science has given us
televisions and the internet that are ways for us to enjoy our
lives.

Of course there are bad things about science, but it
has given us so many things.

Why does Ray Bradbury refer to Dante in his book Fahrenheit 451?

Dante wrote perhaps the greatest science fiction work of
all-time, The Divine Comedy, in which the first part, The
Inferno, shows the narrator's descent into
hell.

Like Dante's Inferno,
Fahrenheit 451 is a science-fiction dystopian work that satirizes a
society suffering from political and artistic hypocrisy.  Also, "fire" is a leif-motif
in both works.  Fire can symbolize both a burning desire for knowledge and the massive
destruction of it.

Montag is akin to Dante, and Faber is
much like Dante's muse Virgil.  So, there's also the green, reluctant knight acting on
the guidance of a more experienced artist.

In Pride and Prejudice, which characters in the novel share Elizabeth’s views of marriage and which characters reflect society’s perspective?

In Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth views marriage as a total committment of body and soul and that is the reason for marrying.  Other characters display opposite views. Mr. Collin's approaches marriage as a business agreement where he will provide for his wife, but there are no emotions involved.  Since he has been given a parish by Lady Catherine de Bourgh, she wants him to get married and represent the church in a proper manner.  He goes from Jane to Elizabeth and finally ends up with Charlotte.  Charlotte feels that no marriage could ever be truly happy and to marry was the only solution to rescuing a woman from a life of poverty.

Mrs. Bennet is only concerned with marrying off her 5 daughters.  She knows that they have no inheritance from the father, because it has to go to a male, so the only chance for the Bennet girls is to get married.

Darcy marries for love also because he doesn't fall for Miss Bingley and her lavish, rude comments about the negative characteristics of Elizabeth in an effort to win his affection.  Also he does not fall for Georgianna and her witty remarks to win his affection.  He has loved Elizabeth from the start.

Jane and Bingley are truly in love.  They had to overcome a lot of intereference from Caroline, Georgianna, and to a point, Darcy, but Darcy thought Jane didn't really love him and he was trying to avoid a possible doomed marriage.

In "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde", who is the antagonist and the protagonist?

Good question.  They are two different men and one in the same man.  A protagonist is a central character to the story, the one who drives it.  An antagonist is the character/force working against him. 

In this story, Dr. Jekyll is the protagonist.  He is a man trying desperately to control the baser instincts of his personality - the instincts of passion, anger, etc., that can cause a human being to be irrational.  He has lofty and idealistic goals.  He does this by splitting his personality into two so that one aspect can be entirely focused on knowledge and learning - and, therefore, be more productive - and the other focused on the pleasure principle only.

His antagonist is the other half of his personality, the side that is animalistic and is known by the name Mr. Hyde.  This "man"/split personality wants... and works to get what he wants.  He wants to be in control all of the time, and he works against Jekyll to do that.  So, really, Jekyll's antagonist is himself.  He is in conflict with his passion and desire.

How can the Protestant Reformation be considered a nationalist movement?

I see a couple of ways that you can argue this, even
though I am not at all sure that I agree with them.

First
of all, Germany was split into many little kingdoms during those days.  You could say
that each of these was a nation that could be nationalist.  Martin Luther was supported
by various rulers of these little kingdoms.  They could use the new religion as a way of
creating solidarity in their nations against
others.

Second, the Catholic Church is run from Rome.  You
can argue that it is nationalist to have Germans push for a religion that they
themselves control.  Since Lutherans did not obey any outside authority, you can say
they were nationalist.

Why doesn't Gregor like milk after the metamorphosis?and why does he prefer garbage?

Because literally everything about Gregor's former existence has been altered.  He no longer likes milk, the food he associates with comfort and humanity.  He is now a beetle and acts like a beetle, those scavengers who exist on the discards of other beings. 

Explain the significance of the title as it relates to the men in the novel.In other words, what specific physical and emotional burdens do each of...

In The Things They Carried, Tim
O'Brien uses the cataloguing of things to show the dualities between the physical and
the emotional, the concrete and the abstract, peacetime and wartime, and the lightness
and heaviness of things.

In general, the men carry
according to their size, rank, and role.  In terms of organization, the description of
items moves from light to heavy things.  O'Brien includes the physical weight of things
to juxtapose those abstract things that cannot be weighed, namely
fear.

All the men carry fear: the waiting is the
worst.

All the men carry ghosts.  Ted Lavender is
introduced as a ghost, and Cross carries his dead body literally (after he is shot) and
figuratively (guilt).

All the men carry love.  Cross
carries Martha's picture and letters.  He says he burns them.  Later, he says he kept
them.  Does it matter?  Like his love for her, which may or may not be real, the things
these men carry burden them down by sheer volume, even if they don't really
exist.

Justify the title of W.B.Yeats' poem "The Ballad of Father Gilligan."

W.B.Yeats' poem "The Ballad of Father Gilligan" is a
literary ballad based on an incident either true or fictional belonging to the poor
illiterate Irish folk.

A ballad is usually a short
narrative poem telling an interesting story. Since Yeats' poem "The Ballad of Father
Gilligan" tells the story of how God himself took pity on the weary Gilligan and sent an
angel instead of him to minister the last communion to a dying parishioner and thus
ensuring that his soul went to heaven, the title of the poem is indeed
very apt.

Since Yeats' ballad is a literary
ballad he has deliberately worked into his poem some of the characteristics of the
traditional ballad which belonged to the oral tradition and was never written
down.

He has employed the ballad quatrain
throughout his poem,comprising  eight syllables in the first and the
third lines which do not rhyme and six syllables in the second and fourth lines which
rhyme.

Another important feature of the traditional ballad
which Yeats has incorporated in his poem is repetition. For
instance he has repeated "moth-hour" twice to poetically describe dusk and
dawn.

Yeats very poetically refers to the approaching
twilight as,

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At the moth-hour of the
eve

in
order to emphasize the rural background of his ballad. The traditional ballads belonged
to the illiterate  rural folk and were passed on from one generation to the next by word
of mouth. The poor illiterate villagers never possessed a clock or a watch and they
always told time by the changes which took place from time to time in
Nature.

In the Irish countryside,
both at dusk and at dawn the countryside would swarm with moths. The villagers would
ascertain that it was either dusk or dawn by the presence of the
moths.

Just as Father Gilligan
had dozed he was disturbed from his sleep by the urgent call of another dying
parishioner. Wearily, Father Gilligan began to grumble and murmur about his lack of
rest:

'I have
no rest, nor joy, nor peace,
For people die and
die;

But the very next
instant he checks himself seeks God's forgiveness and kneels down by the side of his
chair and begins to pray. However, shortly Father Gilligan is completely overwhelmed by
sleep. Soon, it is night and once the stars appear in the sky the moths
disappear,

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And the moth-hour went
from the
fields.

The
tired Father Gilligan slept the entire night kneeling down by the side of his chair.
Early in the morning, at dawn he woke up to the cheerful sound of the chirping sparrows
and once again the moths which appeared in the twilight reappeared at
dawn:

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Upon the time of sparrow
chirp
When the moths came once
more,

Poor
Father Gilligan realized his mistake and rushed off to the house of the dying
parishioner, only to be greeted by the dead man's widow with the news that he had
actually come earlier on and had ministered the last communion to the dying man and by
doing so had ensured the salvation of his soul:

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The sick man's wife opened the
door,
'Father! you come
again!'

It is then that he
realizes that God the Creator had taken pity on him who had worn himself out completely
in His service, had sent an angel to minister the last communion to the dying
man:

'He Who
is wrapped in purple robes,
With planets in His care
Had pity on the
least of things
Asleep upon a
chair.'

In Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, what does the phrase "Pede Claudo" mean?

It means "punishment comes limping" and is often rendered as meaning "retribution comes slowly but surely." It is from the Roman poet Horace (Horace Odes 3.2.32). Now this is a dismal thought, of course, but Horace was a bit of a prig, full of moralistic aphorisms and apothegms, so it's not surprising to hear this from him. Quite different from Catullus, the most delightful of the Latin poets.

Stevenson is talking about the fear that Dr. Jeckyll's youthful sins might be coming back to haunt him after lo these many years, so it is a fitting quote. Sounds pretentious, but back then educated people were versed in the classics, so they might understand it better than we do today.

What is the point of the novel The Lovely Bones by Alice Seabold? May you also include quotes from the story to prove your point. Thank you.

One of the major themes in Alice Sebold's The
Lovely Bones has to do with the power of love to guide the process of
grieving and healing.  When the novel opens, the reader learns immediately that Susie
Salmon is already dead.  As the novel unfolds, Susie's family is shown at various points
in their grief over Susie's death and then grappling with the knowledge that she has
been murdered.  Susie's father Jack takes Susie's death particularly hard and goes
through every possible method to try to find her body and her killer.  He continues this
struggle even after the authorities have given up much hope.  Some might argue that Jack
becomes obsessed with his search for the truth and that he is not allowing himself to
accept Susie's death.  However, as time moves on, his love for Susie takes over him and
he begins to process his grief so that he can move on with his
life.

Similarly, Susie is caught in the "in-between."  She
cannot move on because there are many things that she has left undone, namely her
unrealized love for Ray.  She regrets that she never got to have a first kiss, so she
takes over the body of Ruth so that she can come back to kiss Ray.  After this
expression of love, Susie can move on into the
afterlife.

So, The Lovely Bones has to
do with the power of love to aid in grief and healing.

How does Shakespeare use short dialogue to create tension in Romeo and Juliet?

In the opening scene of the first act of Romeo
and Juliet, the staccato exchange of hostilities between Sampson and Gregory,
of the House of Capulet, with Abraham, a servant of the Montagues, serves well to create
tension and effectively set the tone of animosity between the two
families.

Again, the brief, but acrid verbal exchange
between Mercutio and Tybalt in Act III suggests that action will soon follow as,
obviously, the usually loquacious Mercutio is not interested in talking in this
scene:

readability="25">

Benvolio:  By my
head, here come the
Capulets.

Mercutio:  By my
heel, I care not.

Tybalt: 
Follow me close, for I will speak to them.

Gentlemen,
good-den--a word with one of
you.

Mercutio:  And but one
word with one of us?  Couple it with something--make it a word and a
blow

Tybalt:  you shall find
me apt enough to that, sir, an you will give me
occasion.

Mercutio:  Could ou
not take some occasion without giving?
(III,i,26-32)

Not only are
the exchanges brief, but the tone and implication of meaning are extremely hostile. 
With words, Mercutio and Tybalt warm up for the sword fight.

Describe 'gene therapy' as an example of a current application of genetic engineering in the production of medical treatments.

Gene therapy is a method for treating diseases in which
the cells of a patient's body are provided with a normal gene to make up for a defective
or missing gene.  The technique either to correct a defect in a patient's cells or to
instruct the cells to carry out a new function.

The
technique of gene therapy is still in the early stages of development and is not used
that commonly.  But it offers hope for effective treatment in future of treating
diseases such as sickle cell anaemia, AIDS, cystic fibrosis, and some forms of cancer,
that are incurable today.

Gene therapy consists of three main
steps:

(1) Removing some cells from the patient's
body.

(2) Inserting a corrective gene from another
individual or organism into these cells.

(3) Returning the
altered cells to the body.

The altered cells are returned
to the patient's body by means of a vector, which is the name given to any substance or
piece of equipment capable of carrying therapeutic genes to the cells that need
them.

Once altered cells are in the body of the patient,
the new genes automatically begin to treat the disease. This 3 step process is repeated
until the body maintains its own supply of the new gene through normal cell
growth.

Gene therapy was first used in 1990 at the U.S.
National Institutes of Health.

The use of gene therapy has
evoked controversial responses from knowledgeable people.  Some people fear that gene
therapy may permanently alter the basic substance of human beings if genes from other
species are used. In view of such possibilities, it is desirable for governments to
monitor and control its use.

What advances in transportation took place during the 1800s?The Industrial Revolution

Though a lesser means of long transportation than the
train and steamboat, the bicycle also became an important means of short-distance travel
during the late 19th century. Originating in the early 1800s, the first bike was made of
wood without pedals and was propelled by walking and then riding. Later versions with
the large front wheel were deemed too unsafe and unwieldy, but by the 1880s,
chain-driven bicycles had become highly popular.

readability="12">

The bicycle was what made the Gay Nineties gay.
It was a practical investment for the working man as transportation, and gave him a much
greater flexibility for leisure. Ladies, heretofore consigned to riding the heavy adult
size tricycles that were only practical for taking a turn around the park, now could
ride a much more versatile machine and still keep their legs covered with long skirts.
The bicycle craze killed the bustle and the corset, instituted "common-sense dressing"
for women and increased their mobility considerably. In 1896 Susan B. Anthony said that
"the bicycle has done more for the emancipation of women than anything else in the
world."

Bicycling became so
popular in the 1880s and 1890s that biking organizations were formed. One even lobbied
for better road conditions, "literally paving the road for the
automobile."

What are the climax and resolution of Mice and Men?

The climax of the novella, Of Mice and Men, starts when Curley's wife and Lennie develop a friendship. There is an ominous tone about this relationship right from the beginning, as the reader knows that the reason why Lennie and George had to come to this ranch was because Lennie was accused of raping a woman. 

So, when Lennie touches Curley's wife's hair, the readers expects the worst and it is confirmed as he accidentally kills her by breaking her neck. At this point, the reader knows that the demise of Lennie and George as well as their dream is around the corner. The only question is how it will take place. 

The resolution comes when George looks for Lennie and as he reminds him of their plan and dream, he shoots him. In my opinion, George kills Lennie, his friend, out of love and loyalty. In a broken world, there is no place for a man like Lennie. 

In Much Ado About Nothing, what is Benedick's impression of Beatrice and vice versa?

Benedick is a bachelor and, will be a bachelor of three score. "Will I never see a Bachelor of three score again" (Translation: "Will I never see a bachelor of sixty-when adults usually died in the times of Much Ado About Nothing.)

Benedick thinks ladies are their to give birth and to do the house work (As a feminist, I strongly oppose this.) Beatrice, like me, think that women are independent and unlike me, they don't need a man.

In their first conversation we see in the play, Beatrice says famiously; "I'd much rather hear my dog, bark at a crow, then hear a man swear that he loves me." And, when Benedick thinks he is going to lose the argument, he ends it briskly; "I am done." Beatrice reacts by simply saying; "You end with the Jade's trick, I know you of old."

What phrase in Act 3 is a simile?

Here's one, spoken by the Friar,  in 3.3.130-134, in which he compares Romeo's intelligence to a careless solider whose gun powder explodes in his face, because he is either too inexperienced or negligent to treat it properly:

Thy wit, that ornament to shape and love,
Misshapen in the conduct of them both,
Like powder in a skitless soldier's flask,
Is set afire by thine own ignorance,

Beatty says to Montag, "Your house, your clean-up." What does this mean?

At this point in the novel Beatty has found Guy's secret out about the books. Montag's wife has turned on him and turned him in to Beatty- the fire chief knows about his books. Beatty confronts Montag about the books and tells him he must do the job himself. It's bad enough to own books, but it's even worse that fireman, whose job it is to burn books, has his own book collection. Beatty doesn't just want Montag to burn the books, he wants him to burn everything piece by piece so that he learns his lesson. That's the point of the quote- Beatty wants Montag to repent by burning everything himself. By doing this he can prove to the department that he's wrong. Beatty is forcing Montag to take responsibility for breaking the law. 

In "The Most Dangerous Game," what is Rainsford's conflict with Zaroff, and how is it finally resolved?

The conflict between Rainsford and Zaroff is brought about by Zaroff's irrational desire to hunt and animal of intelligence, a bill which Rainsford readily fills.  It is resolved when a more intelligent Rainsford out thinks Zaroff and overcomes him in his own bedroom at the end of the story.  

In "The Most Dangerous Game," how is General Zaroff civilized in his actions?

Wow!  That is a tough question because all I can imagine is Zaroff hunting down Rainsford in the jungle, and it's pretty hard to see anything civilized in his actions there!  Let's look beyond that if we can and focus on Zaroff's actions,more so than his style of living.  I suppose the most civilized of his actions would have to be the fact that he actually did save Rainsford from being shot by Ivan when he found him on the island; he also gave him clothes, food and a place to sleep.  Keep in mind, of course, that he was preparing him for the upcoming hunt.  I suppose his final act of civilized behavior came when he gave Rainsford a three hour head start before he began to hunt him down like an animal.  Forgive my sarcasm; I have taught this story for years and it is a favorite of mine.  However, the one aspect of the story that has always escaped me is the presence of any civilized actions on the part of Zaroff.  I hope this helps!

How much time elapses between the opening and closing lines of Part III?

Only a very short time elapses between those lines - probably only a few seconds.  In the opening line of the section, the physical reality of Farquhar's hanging has begun, and he falls "straight downward through the bridge".  In the last line, he is dead, "his body, with a broken neck, swung gently from side to side beneath the timbers of the Owl Creek bridge".  Assuming that death would have occurred instantly from such a sudden, tramatic injury, all that transpires in the interim had to happen between the time he was dropped off the bridge and the time his neck snapped at the end of the rope. 

what is the interpretation of sonnet 29i need help with sonnet 29

When, in disgrace with Fortune and men's eyes,
I all alone beweep my outcast state,
And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries,
And look upon myself, and curse my fate,

 When I am out of luck and I am all alone--an outcast in society, and heaven doesn't hear my prayers, and I feel sorry for myself and my situation,

Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,
Featured like him, like him with friends possessed,
Desiring this man's art and that man's scope,
With what I most enjoy contented least;

I look at others and wish I had more hope like that guy or looked good like that guy, or had lots of friends like that guy, or had talents or intelligence like those other guys. What used to please me in my own life depresses me now.

Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising
Haply I think on thee: and then my state,
Like to the Lark at break of day arising
From sullen earth, sings hymns at Heaven's gate;

BUT, when I'm low in these thoughts and hate myself most, suddenly I think of you.  Then my situation, like the lark singing at sunrise, is floating like hymns to heaven,

For thy sweet love rememb'red such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with Kings.

Because I have remembered that I have your sweet love and the richness it brings to my life makes me unwilling to change places even with Kings.

Write a critical note and summary of the sonnet "Amoretti 67" by Edmund Spenser.

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What is the relationship between the father and son in The Metamorphosis?

The relationship between the father and the son is strange. It is certainly strained, but it is also complex. The son's metamorphosis begins while works in a job that he hates in order to pay down his family's debt. His father loves him, but his love seems difficult to find: although tears eventually come, his initial response to his son's transformation is not sadness, but anger (he shakes his fist). The twisted part about their relationship is that the son essentially gets sick while carrying his father's burden (debt) but the father, instead of being sympathetic, essentially rejects and attacks the son for becoming the "vermin" that he has become. He hurts his son, physically, and scars him (he throws apples at him which injure his son and eventually cause an infection). This is deeply ironic, because the change in the son seems to occur as a result of the work that he does on his father's behalf. The father should be showering him with love, but instead hates the despicable creature he has become and wants nothing to do with him.  

What does Hamlet mean when he says in Act 4, Scene 2, "I am glad of it: a knavish speech sleeps in a foolish ear"?

At this point in the play Hamlet has hidden Polonius' body and Rosencrantz (and Guildenstern and others) wants to know where it is so he can give him a proper burial. Hamlet is no fool and refuses to tell him where the body is. He proceeds to tell Rosencrantz (and Guildenstern and others) that he is a "sponge" to the king, he is basically saying that the king is using Rosencrantz and when his purpose has been served he will no longer find favor there. When he says this line "a knavish speech sleeps in a foolish ear" he is telling Rosencrantz that his good advice has been lost on his "friend's" stupidity and desire to be in the good graces of the king. The "knavish speech" speaks to is Hamlet's own insight to see the king for what he really is, decpetive and the "foolish ear" is speaking to Rosencrantz foolishness in trusting the king so blindly.

How is Nirvana Samsara in Siddhartha?

Nirvana and
sansara are two common and important terms of Hindu philosophy.
These terms are also equally applicable to Buddhist philosophy which are in essence
variations of the basic Hindu, or if you want to use a non-religion related word,
ancient Indian philosophy. As suggested by Mkcapen in her reply posted above, these
terms may also have been used in the novel Siddhartha, But I am not
aware to what extent the novel correctly reflects the original
concepts.

Sansara is the simpler one
of the two terms. It simply refers to the physical world or the universe that we see and
experience as ordinary human beings. However, as per the Hindu philosophy the world is
not as much of a physical reality as it appears. It exists only as a collection of
perception by the souls occupying the soul, somewhat like a dream seen by a person in
sleep. Just a s person experience joys and distress in a dream, but on waking up the
experiences of the dream appear meaningless, the happiness and miseries of the
sansara experienced by the soul will become when the soul realizes
its true nature. When the soul sort of wakes up. When this happens soul experiences a
sense of extreme ecstasy without any pain or distress associated with the physical life
of sansara.

The soul is unable to come
out of this state of experiencing the sansara because of reasons that we do not need to
go into. But as a result of this inability individual soul must go through repeated
cycles of birth - life - death - and rebirth. Nirvana refers to a
state of realising the true nature of one's soul that leads to release from bondage of
cycle of birth and death.

So we can say that
nirvana is the state of realization of true nature of the soul.
Which also implies the realization of the sansara as being unreal
like a dream.

Which of Gandhi's four ideas (truth, non-violence, renunciation, self-rule) is most important?

Among all the ideas supported by Gandhi and used by him to
lead and guide the people of his country (India) and rest of the world, the concept and
practice of Non-violence is the most important. He used this ideas intensively and
extensively in his approach to public action, as a philosophy of life, and a way of life
for himself.

The next in importance, according to me is
truth. But I must say that Gandhi himself asserted truth as the most important. He
claimed his life to be a constant search for truth, and therefore, titled his
autobiography as My Experiments With Truth. In placing, truth, next
to non-violence rather than before it I am not contradicting the value placed by Gandhi
on truth. I am only saying that the non-violence is more prominent, as compared to
truth, in teachings and programs of Gandhi.

I am not sure
if renunciation is a central feature of Gandhi's approach. In a way, Gandhi opposes,
rather than supports renunciation when he asked people to struggle for their rights
rather than just be satisfied with whatever the fate has to
offer.

Self-rule is a political goal pursued by Gandhi for
India. In contrast non-violence, self-renunciation, and truth are policies of self
conduct and political action that guide the action for achieving self-rule and other
political objectives. It must be noted that individuals may shift from new goal they
achieve the existing ones or find them to be no longer appropriate under changed
condition. However the basic policies remain unchanged under all conditions, Therefore
the policies are more important than any objectives which may be achieved by application
of those policies.

Is Romeo's love for Juliet based on physical appearance in Romeo and Juliet?|I am analyzing attitudes toward women at the time of the play.

The play itself is the classic example of "love at first
sight."  Considering that love builds up after a long period of time, physical
attraction certainly played a major factor in Romeo and Juliet.  Now, was it purely
pysical?  The relationship was consummated after marriage, and the couple definately
 enjoyed their time together.  There are other factors to
consider:

• Romeo's love for another woman
  (Rosaline) was lost the moment he layed eyes on
  Juliet.


• Juliet was betrothed to Paris, and may have done
  anything to get out of marrying him.


• Teenagers often
  think they have experienced love instead of infactuation.  Juliet is only
  13.


• Romeo and Juliet had no time at all to get to know
  each other.

Professor Gayle Whittier writes
that "Juliet ... suggests that she both represents and defeats a translation of sonnet
into flesh."  It could be true that Shakespeare tried to create a "soul mate" story but,
because he worked within the realms of a play, may not have been able to prove to every
reader that the plot was sincere.

Romeo and Juliet is one
of my all-time favorite plays.  The sheer beauty of the of the prose within the play is
breath-taking on its own.  I do think that Romeo's love for Juliet was, on many levels,
physical: but this is all Shakespeare really had to work
with.  

I suppose it all depends on whether or not one
believes that soul mates exist, and that they can love each other in a very short amount
of time. 

Finally, ask yourself: would superficial love
cause lovers to end their lives?  I think this is a vital question, and will be
different for each of us depending on our life experience and outlook towards romantic
love.  Perhaps that is how Shakespeare wanted it.

Who are the main characters in the Merchant of Venice?

The major characters in The Merchant of Venice are:

Shylock - A Jewish moneylender in Venice.

Portia - A wealthy heiress from Belmont.

Antonio - The merchant whose love for his friend Bassanio prompts him to sign Shylock’s contract and almost lose his life.

 

Bassanio - A gentleman of Venice, and a kinsman and dear friend to Antonio.

 

Graziano - A friend of Bassanio’s who accompanies him to Belmont.

 

Jessica - Shylock’s daughter, Jessica hates life in her father’s house, and elopes with the young Christian gentleman, Lorenzo.

Lorenzo - A friend of Bassanio and Antonio, Lorenzo is in love with Shylock’s daughter, Jessica.

 

My questions is, What would be a great twist for the ending of my short story, one that will shock everyone in the class?I am going to be writing a...

There are several directions and plot twists you could
take depending upon the details of your story.

For example,
perhaps these four students are the best of friends and are completely inseparable. May
the only way to defeat these blood thirsty creatures is by becoming blood thirsty
creatures themselves. They win the battle, but at what cost? Will they, then, turn on
one another?

Or perhaps they defeat the creatures at the
camp and then return to their college only to reek havoc on other students there. Who
then saves the college?

What is the main problem or theme in Out of the Dust?There are so many problems in the story that I can't figure out the main problem.

You are absolutely right; Out of the Dust does, indeed, have very many problems.  The main problem, though, seems to be survival in very harsh situations.   Billie Jo Kelby, the fourteen/fifteen year old girl from whose first person point of view the story is told, in journal form, survives an unbelievably harsh life during the Depression in the Oklahoma Dust Bowl.  Follow the link below for more information about Out of the Dust.

In Chapters 1 to 5 of Animal Farm, explain the signficance of the term glittering generalities.

Glittering generalities are appeals based on emotionally charged concepts using broad claims. They rarely have real merit to them, it basically sounds great, but with no real reasoning behind the claim.

In Animal Farm, there are plenty of examples of it. Chapter one, has Old Majors idea of equality for all animals, that with rebellion against humans, animals will come together as "comrades" and live a life of equality. Of course, this sounds great, but how is that to be accomplished?

In chapter three-the sheep's new motto-"Four legs good, two legs bad" is definitely a glittering generality. It is not reasonable to assume that just because one walks on four legs, they are good, just as all tow legged creatures are not bad. It is meant to gain support, and the feeling of solidarity.

Chapter three also has another example in the explanation of why the pigs need the milk and apples. Squealer classifies the pigs as the brains in the takeover, and therefore in need of this sustenance. He issues his argument with the appeal(really a threat) that if they were denied this, Jones could come back and take over again. This most likely would not be the case merely because they did not get all the milk and apples.

In chapter five- the windmill debate is full of glittering generalities. The appeals to the animals comfort-heated stalls and less work, are a blanket promise. The windmill cannot ensure the animals security in the future.

Of what significance is the setting in "The Destructors"?

London has been "blitzed" during WWII, meaning that it has been bombed and torn down by the events of war.  The boys are tearing down their own barriers.  They have rejected the leadership of adults and have established their own heirarchy.  They have taken control of the empty lot and plan to make an incursion into Mr. Thomas' house, just as the Germans were trying to make an incursion into England.  Greene is mimicking the events of the war in a smaller setting, and uses London to reinforce that analogy.

The lymphatic system is usually considered part of the ____________ system.

The lymphatic system is usually considered part of the
circulatory system.

readability="9">

"The lymphatic system consists of organs, ducts,
and nodes. It transports a watery clear fluid called lymph. This fluid distributes
immune cells and other factors throughout the body. It also interacts with the blood
circulatory system to drain fluid from cells and tissues."

The main function of the
lymphatic system is to defend the body against diseases, absorb fats from the intestines
and transport them to the blood, and to collect and return interstitial fluid, including
plasma protein to the blood. 

The lymph organs are
comprised of bone marrow, lymph nodes, spleen, and thymus.

In "A Rose for Emily" why does Emily have basically a nonexistent relationship with her town?

Actually, in Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily," Emily has
quite a constant relationship with the town.  The relationship just stops at Emily's
front door.  But the house is really a town focal point.  The townspeople, apparently,
often watch the house and talk about it. 

In fact, one of
the characteristics of the story that gives it unity is the focus on the house.  Almost
everything in the story revolves around it. 

Of course,
Emily doesn't come out of the house much and doesn't socialize at all, but that just
makes the relationship of a different kind, it doesn't eliminate
it. 

Those who enter the home to talk Emily into paying
taxes, tell the rest of the town about it.  Those who try to get Emily to give up her
father's body, talk about it.  Those who try to put a mailbox on her home, talk about
it.  The pharmacist talks about Emily's purchase of poison.  The town is almost obsessed
with her.  This is a relationship, although it's an unusual
one. 

In short, though, if you need a specific answer,
Emily is so isolated from the town because she wants to be and has to be.  You don't
invite people into your home when you have a corpse of a murdered human being upstairs
in your bed--and you're sleeping with it. 

Where are examples of infidelity found in The Great Gatsby, and how do the different characters demonstrate it?

The greatest infidelity found in the story is Tom's
because he is having an affair with Myrtle and isn't trying very hard to hide it.  In
fact, he practically flaunts it for Nick.  The proof comes from the
fact that he is keeping a secret "love nest" in the city for her and is buying her
expensive trinkets.  It is also implied, at one point, that Tom had even cheated on
Daisy shortly after they were married with one of the maids for the hotel (which is
discovered after the two are in a car accident in which she is
injured.)

Daisy, of course, is cheating on Tom with Gatsby.
 You never really see this in detail, but it is pretty well implied
because of the amount of time she is spending at his house and the efforts he goes
through to keep her visits on the "down low."  The story also describes how Daisy goes
around the table and kisses Gatsby while Tom is on the phone in the other room
(ironically with Myrtle, if I remember right.)  Unlike Tom, Gatsby tries very hard to
keep his affair with Daisy quiet by firing his potentially gossiping staff and ending
his weekend parties.  Daisy is a little less discrete, inviting Gatsby over for lunch
and such, but in some ways her cheating can be seen as almost retaliatory against
Tom.

You would have to add Myrtle cheating on her husband
George.  Though she doesn't seem very attached to him, and he seems pretty clueless to
her wandering for much of the affair, she is still playing house with Tom rather than
honoring her wedding vows.

In some ways, you could even
make a case that Daisy cheated on Gatsby.  They were involved in a relationship while he
was in World War I (and afterwards, while he was stuck in Europe,) and in the end she
rejected the relationship in order to get on with the life she felt she was entitled to.
 Though not a marital infidelity, she still pretty much ditched her
boyfriend.

Keeping with that definition, you could add Nick
to that pile.  Remember, Nick was cavorting around with Jordan while Nick has made clear
that he has a girlfriend back in the Midwest that he is expected to
marry.

So, as you can see, pretty much everybody is
unfaithful in one way or another in this story (other than maybe Jordan and
George.)

What are we to infer happens after all the bodies are cleared away in Act 5?Does Denmark come into a time of peace and healing or are they headed...

Fortinbras, the Norweigan prince, who has conquered many other lands, will assume the throne.  With him, he also brings the news that Rosencratz and Gildenstern are dead. 

In earlier acts he has been shown to be power and land hungry; for example, in 4.4.180-23, the Captain informs Hamlet of the lengths Fortinbras will go to in order to add any acreage at all to the lands he holds.  Says the Captain, "We go to gain a little patch of ground / That hath in it no profit but the name. / To pay five ducats, five, I would not farm it; / Nor will it yield to Norway or the Pole. /  A ranker rate, should it be sold in fee. "

Then there is the troublesome quarrel between Norway and Denmark, in which Norway intends to regain the lands lost to King Hamlet as the play begins.

But at the end, seeing the carnage vengence and power has wrought, Fortibras sees with new eyes, much like the survivors of Romeo and Juliet learn from their errors.  He says, "Take up the bodies. Such a sight as this / Becomes the field but here shows much amiss"  (5.2.446-448).

In his recognition, there is some hope for a more peacable time for both Denmark and Norway. 

In "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" what is the situation in the story? What did Farquhar do to deserve his execution?

The situation in this story is that the Union army has
invaded deep into the South.  They have gotten near to Farquhar's plantation.  He does
not like this and he wants to do something to fight back against
them.

What Farquhar does is to try to sabotage the bridge
that crosses Owl Creek.  According to the laws of war, it is illegal to try to commit
sabotage unless you are in the uniform of your country's armed forces.  Otherwise, you
are a spy and you are liable to be executed.

Of course, the
guy who egged Farquhar into doing it was committing an illegal act since he wasn't in
uniform, but he didn't get caught.