How does the writer of "Shooting an Elephant" use irony?

A good question. The primary irony used in "Shooting an Elephant" is situational, though this is supported by tone. The narrator sounds calm and almost detached throughout the piece, even when he's discussing very upsetting events. The essay opens with a discussion of him being hated, yet he seems quite a civilized person, and one of the least likely people to be hated. He wants to help people, but must do so by killing. The essay ends with him saying he was glad the coolie had been killed, because it gave him a legal reason to kill the elephant: he has to be glad someone has been killed, so he can protect people. That's ironic.

In "The Crucible," what entertainments are denied to Salem's Puritans?

Anything pleasurable could be associated with sin. Dancing is out of the question. Courting, or dating, would likely be set up between families. Of course, since these things are forbidden, the Salem girls sneak out to dance and make a potion to charm the boys the secretly covet.

In the play, Reverend Parris seems to relish the dangers of sin and the torments of hell more than any other minister before him. Notice how Proctor laments to Hale that he might attend services more often if Parris didn't preach about hell so much.

What do you think Waverly is struggling for when she challenges her mother? What does her mother want? In what ways are Waverly and her mother...

Waverly wants what all kids want: some independence from Lindo. Waverly believes that her skill in chess is all her own, not her mother's coaching. Lindo, doesn't see it this way. She is passing down what she has learned; that you must intuitively learn your life lessons like she did. Both of them are stubborn and devious. They carefully plan out their next move to ensure they have the best outcome.

Discuss how Pride and Prejudice is essentially a plea for good sense.What does it mean exactly?

At first glance this phrase seems to call attention to the
title of the story, which exposes the mentality of the times: Pride and prejudice
permeated society with its effrontery, snobbery, and hypocritical value system which
indeed were masks that covered a very empty, narrow-minded, undereducated over estimated
upper classes.

For the middle classes, pride and prejudice
were embodied by arranged marriages, the want for social status, the need to acquire
goods through marriage, and other forms of old fashioned and non-sensical
practices.

Therefore, the stories portrayed in the novella
are indicators of the lack of common sense that Austen witnessed in a time of which she
was much more ahead. As a modern thinker and independent scholar, Austen was able to
look into her present as if she were looking at a scene of the past. Hence, her plea is
precisely to take a good look at the characters, and do the exact opposite to what they
all do, think, and say.

3 charged particles are placed at the corners of an equilateral triangle of side d = 1.15 m. Q1 = +4.0 µC Q2= -6.0 µC Q3 = -6.0 µC....

The charge on Q1 by Q2 and Q3 are (1/4pie0)*Q1Q2/d^2 and
(4pie0)^(-1)*Q1Q3/d^2 =
0.163327N

9*10^9*4*6*10^(-12)/1.15^2 =
 0.163327N attraction as the charges are different,
and

9*10^9*4*6*(10^(-12)/1.15^2 = 0.163327N attraction as
the charges are different.

Therefore the net force is of
the two equal magnitude force with 60 deg between  by law of parallelogram is
 (0.163327)2cos30 = 0.282890717 N  with 270 degree to X
axis.

In a similar way we can show that the force on Q2 is
0.282990717N acting 30 degree to X axis.

In a similar way
we can show that the force on Q3 is 0.282990717N acting 150 degree to X
axis.

I agree with Proctor's decision, but am unsure how to close my essay. Advice?Ah. Sorry about the sloppiness aof the question. I had to characters...

Nicole, your final paragraph is going to depend largely on what your main points are and whether you have agreed or disagreed with John's decision.  If you agree, you should focus on his reputation of a man of honor and of his word.  He chose not to confess because that would negate all he ever stood for--the truth and logic of any matter.  By confessing, he LIES.  John Proctor doesn't do this.  Confessing would save his life, however, he would have to live with the fact that he lied to stay alive.  This, in essence, would make his entire life worthless.

On the other hand, if you disagree with his decision, you could focus on the fact that life is precious.  Without it, he can never clear his name and the accusations of a few silly girls who want to do away with the wives of good men so they can move in and perform wifely duties.  By staying alive, he saves Goody Proctor, his wife, from a life without him.  Furthermore, once everyone learns of the wickedness of Abigail and the other girls, people would eventually forget what he did in order to save his own neck.

Whatever you've argued, you should restate your main points without being repetitive.  The conclusion is important as it is the last thing your audience will read, and therefore must include what you most want them to remember.

Good Luck!

Regarding "The Gift of the Magi," comment on this remark: "Sometimes fate seems to upset our most cherished plans through our own actions."With...

In O. Henry's story, "The Gift of the Magi," Della bemoans
the fact that she has only one dollar and eighty-seven cents with which to purchase a
Christmas present for her beloved husband.  But, she suddenly has the idea that if she
sells her hair, she will have enough money with which to buy the a watch chain for her
Jim.  This is her cherished plan, one that she holds dear since it is the only way that
she can procure enough money for the watch fob.

So, she
goes to Madame Sofronie's and sells her hair; takes the twenty dollars and buys Jim a
beautiful watch chain.  However, as fate would have it, Jim has sold his watch because
he, too, had not enought money with which to buy his beloved Della the lovely hair combs
he had seen in a shop.  Indeed, through the actions of Della and Jim fate "upsets their
cherished plans" of delighting one another with lovely gifts.  Yet, of course, they
received greater gifts, the affirmation of one another's unselfish
love.

What does Duncan call Macbeth when he hears Macbeth has defeated MacDonwald

Immediately upon hearing the news Duncan simply proclaims, "O valient cousin, worthy gentleman!"  But I'm guessing that you're more interested in King Duncan naming Macbeth as the new Thane of Cawdor because the old Thane had sided with the Norweigians.

Where does irony play a role in "Ballad of Birmingham"?

Another irony connected to the church to which the mother
sends her daughter in the effort to keep the child safe is the fact that this particular
church, the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church of Birmingham, is not just an ordinary
church. It is a large structure (it is still there) which often served as an
organizational headquarters for the Civil Rights Movement and a site of mass meetings as
well as a rallying point for protests. In fact, Martin Luther King himself visited and
spoke at this church, along with other major leaders such as Reverend Fred
Shuttlesworth, pastor of the Bethel Church in Birmingham. Thus, it was because of the
church's significance as a site of African-American discontent and protest that it was
bombed. 

If the mother were aware of this site's active
involvement with marches and protests there in Birmingham, Alabama, a hotbed during this
era, she might have reconsidered her decision to send her girl to that church, and,
instead have her walk to another one where she probably would have been safer, although
her walking any distance would involve risk, too.

Can anyone tell me why when a charged particle enters into a magnetic field it takes a circular path?tell me how and when we use rigght hand left...

When a charged particle moves in a magnetic field it
experiences a force that is at right angles to the direction of motion and to the
direction of the magnetic field.  This causes the particle to change direction without
speeding it up or slowing it down.  However when it shifts direction the force changes
direction so that it remains at right angles.  This is precisely what a centripedal
force does to an object traveling in a circle.  If the strength of the magnetic field
doesn't change over the orbit of a circle the particle will be trapped into orbiting in
a circle.  If the magnetic field does change then the path of the particle will only be
curved.

Discuss the element of superstition in Julius Caesar.

Rome in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar
is a superstitious place. 

Caesar demonstrates his
superstitious beliefs when he arranges for Antony to touch the barren Calphurnia while
he runs the race in Act 1, because superstition suggests that the touch may cure
Caesar's wife of her inability to have children. 

Caesar
makes the mistake, however, of ignoring superstition when he fails to follow the
Soothsayer's advice to beware the ides of
March. 

Furthermore, the chaotic state of human affairs in
the play is reflected by bad omens.  A slave's hand appears to be consumed by fire one
minute, but not at all burned the next.  A lion is loose in the city by the capitol. 
Caesar's ghost appears to Brutus on the eve of
battle. 

Superstition in the play reflects the state of
Roman politics, highlights Caesar's refusal to accept advise and accept his fragility,
and foreshadows events to come. 

Why does my stomach bloat and hurt after I run?

There are actually a number of reasons why this is
possible.  When you run, your stomach bounces around so anything in it also bounces with
it.  If you have eaten something just before you run, or haven't given yourself enough
time to get things started before running, it can leave you feeling very uncomfortable
after and sometimes during your running.

You may also want
to think carefully about what you might be drinking before or during a run.  Everyone
reacts differently to physical stress and some people have weak stomachs and some have
strong ones.  Try to experiment to see if certain things make it worse or
better.

If you can't figure it out on your own, and running
is really important to you, you can always try and see a doctor that is familiar with
athletes or perhaps is a runner themselves to try and give you more specific
answers.

In "Civil Disobedience," how are Thoreau's perceptions of his fellow citizens changed by his night in jail?

Civil Disobedience is an essay about Thoreau’s ideas about
the government and his recounting of the time he spent in jail for not paying his taxes.
After his release from jail, a friend paid his taxes for him, Thoreau reflects on how
his perceptions of his neighbors has changed. Thoreau claims that he has a better
understanding of the way the world works when he says, “I saw yet more distinctly the
State in which I lived.” His awakened vision is what allows him to look at his neighbors
and he makes this comment, “I saw to what extent the people among whom I lived could be
trusted as good neighbors and friends; that their friendship was for summer weather
only.;…” Thoreau makes reference to the idea of his neighbors being only fair weather
friends, people who are friendly or at least are civil with only when it costs them
nothing. The first change in his vision of his neighbors is that he has lost so much
trust in them that he does not even consider them to be his neighbors any more. Thoreau
furthers the idea that they are foreign to him when he says, “that they did not greatly
purpose to do right; that they were a distinct race from me by their prejudices and
superstitions, as the Chinamen and Malays are;…” Thoreau once believed that he and his
neighbors had common beliefs but now after his time in jail he does not see any
similarities between himself and his neighbors. Thoreau continues to expound on these
differences going so far to suggest that they have given up what it means to be human
for comfort and security when he says, “that, in their sacrifices to humanity, they ran
no risks, not even to their property; that, after all, they were not so noble but they
treated the thief as he had treated them, and hoped, by a certain outward observance and
a few prayers, and by walking in a particular straight though useless path from time to
time, to save their souls.” Thoreau transitions from saying that those who were once his
neighbors now no longer share in any similarities to himself, they have false beliefs,
they have given up what he considers humanity for comfort and even goes so far as to
suggest that they through their complacency have elevated the thieves (government) to
some form of deity that by obeying will have no discomfort. Thoreau does give his
neighbors some forgiveness when he says, “This may be to judge my neighbors harshly; for
I believe that most of them are not aware that they have such an institution as the jail
in their village.” The forgiveness come through in the patronizing idea that I saw yet
more distinctly the State in which I lived. I saw to what extent the people among whom I
lived could be trusted as good neighbors and friends; that their friendship was for
summer weather only; that they did not greatly purpose to do right; that they were a
distinct race from me by their prejudices and superstitions, as the Chinamen and Malays
are; that, in their sacrifices to humanity, they ran no risks, not even to their
property; that, after all, they were not so noble but they treated the thief as he had
treated them, and hoped, by a certain outward observance and a few prayers, and by
walking in a particular straight though useless path from time to time, to save their
souls. This may be to judge my neighbors harshly; for I believe that most of them are
not aware that they have such an institution as the jail in their village." The
forgiveness come through in the patronizing idea that they are this way because they are
unaware. His neighbors lack the knowledge of jail and that the threats that it holds are
far less damaging to a person than giving in to the tyranny of a heedless government.
Thoreau himself gained a firsthand education about jails from as he refers to it an
institution, and obvious play on the idea of schools and colleges also being called
institutions.

What is the difference between computer engineering and computer science?

A text book definition of engineering is: application of
science to the design, building, and use of machines. For example, electrical
engineering deals with electrical machines, and computer engineering deals with
computing machines. In the beginning of engineering programs, there is considerable
overlap between various branches of engineering. Then you begin to focus in more and
deeper into a particular area. One thing to remember about all branches of engineering:
you will take many math classes, and you will learn new mathematical techniques in your
engineering classes. If you like math, engineering is a good choice.

The programs for the study of computers basically come in
two flavors: computer engineering and computer science. The two fields have considerable
overlap but the basic difference is that computer engineering has a greater focus on the
computer hardware and computer science has a greater focus on computer software. Either
way, you would work a lot with computers.

Computer
hardware is the physical computers and computing machines. Thus, computer engineering
deals with the fundamentals of computer design. You would study the design,
construction, and testing of both basic and sophisticated computing machines. You would
also learn computer communications and networking, including the Internet. All in all,
you would spend considerable time in laboratories to first learn how computer subsystems
work and then to test your own designs of computers and computer networks. You would
also learn computer software, but not to the extent you would learn if you were pursuing
computer science. This is where the overlap with computer science comes in.

Computer software refers to the programs that make the
computer hardware function. Windows 98 is an example of a program, called the operating
system, which makes your PC behave in a particular way. Microsoft Word, Netscape
Navigator, and ICQ are examples of programs, which are also called applications.
Applications exploit the behavior of the computer, after the operating system has been
installed, to perform certain functions in a particular and desired fashion. Computer
programs are written in many languages, such as C++, Visual Basic, Java, etc. A computer
science program will teach you algorithms and techniques for creating these
applications. You will spend a lot of time on the computer to write and test your
programs. You will also learn some of the basics of computer hardware, which is thus an
overlap with computer engineering. But your main interaction with computers will be more
as a user and code developer than as a builder; that is, you will be trained to be a
programmer, not a manufacturer.

What are some symbols in the short story "Butcher Bird," and what are their possible meanings?

Wallace Stegner uses several kinds of symbols in "Butcher
Bird." The first is the butcher bird of the title, which symbolizes hunting and killing,
whether it's prey or the lifes and souls of family members. Other symbols that stand for
the way of life represented by the father are an inhospitable land, hours of hard work
to gain a selfish pleasure, the cold-beer icehouse, which symbolizes utter
selfishness.

Other symbols that stand for the way of life
represented by the boy's mother are music and flowers, these too can be found in an
otherwise inhospitable land, which makes far less inhospitable; they symbolize nuturing.
Old-Man-on-His-Back symbolizes generosity and the value of another person which is in
oppostion to the selfishness and devaluing of others' humanity that is associated with
the icehouse.

Where does Rainsford spend his first night of the hunt in "The Most Dangerous Game"?

On the first night that he's being hunted, Rainsford spends the whole night on the run from Zaroff. He rests in a tree at one point, and Zaroff tracks him but never looks up in the tree. This is when Rainsford realizes Zaroff is playing with him, so Rainsford then decides to set some traps. The first trap hurts Zaroff's shoulder, so he goes back to the chalet to get it seen to. At the Death Swamp, Rainsford builds the pit with the stakes and kills a dog. The next trap kills Ivan. At that point, Rainsford has to make the decision to jump off the cliff, and Zaroff goes back home.

explain how "proximity to death brings with it a corresponding proximity to life" chapter 7

This irony exists for the soldiers because when they see how quickly death can come for anyone of them, they also see just how precious life is for them.  Note how earlier when Ted Lavender is killed how it changes the men.  Lt. Cross, in particular, has a greater appreciation for life, mainly the lives of his men. 

Remember too the soldiers are under incredible amounts of stress.  This stress, a long with the fact that each man is responsible, directly and indirectly, for the lives of his platoon members, helps bond the men together like never before. 

This is but one of the many ironic statements O'Brien uses in this work. 

For "Animal Farm", please list at least 10 events in time order (chronologically).

Starting in Chapter 1 and going to Chapter 6:

The animals gather in the barn to discuss revolution and Old Major teaches them the song "Beasts of England".

Old Major dies.

The animals rebel and succeed.

Snowball and Napoleon create the seven commandments of animals.

Snowball shortens the commandments to one: "four legs good, two legs bad".

Battle of Cowshed occurs when the neighboring farmers try to retake the farm.  The animals win.

Snowball is chased off the farm when he tries to push through his windmill idea.

Squealer convinces the other animals that Snowball was a criminal.

Napoleon announces the building of the windmill, presenting it as his own idea.

The animals workload continues to increase over the course of the next year.

How do freedom and justice work in Huckleberry Finn? I'm trying to evaulate some points, but am a little unsure. I know the river is the means by...

Excellent job in addressing this question! The only point I would like to add is that with the increasing freedom that the river gives to Huck and Jim, we also see an increase in justice toward Jim on the part of Huck. Despite Huck's upbringing - being told his entire life that blacks are inferior beings - he is beginning to see Jim as a human being with feelings, just like himself. He struggles with this, but ultimately determines that even if it is a sin, he still needs to defend and protect Jim and treat him the same way he would want to be treated himself.

Check out the link below for some more great information on the themes of Huckleberry Finn!  Good luck!

What are some quotations that indicate that Hamlet thinks a lot?

In Shakespeare's Hamlet, you can look
at virtually any of Hamlet's soliloquies for proof that Hamlet is a
thinker.

Let's take his reaction to the 1 Player, for
instance, beginning in Act 2.2.515.  Hamlet applies the Player's speech to his own
situation.  There is no inherent connection between the speech and Hamlet's situation,
but Hamlet perceives one.  He says:

readability="49">

O, what a rogue and peasant slave am
I!

Is it not monstrous that this player
here,

But in a fiction, in a dream of
passion,

Could force his soul so to his own
conceit

That from her working all his visage
wanned;

Tears in his eyes, distraction in his
aspect,

A broken voice, and his whole function
suiting

With forms to his conceit?  And all for
nothing,

For Hecuba!

What's
Hecuba to him or he to her,

That he should weep for her? 
What would he do

Had he the motive and the cue for
passion

That I have?  He would drown the stage with
tears,

And cleave the general ear with horrid
speech,

Make mad the guilty, and appal the
free,

Confound the ignorant, and amaze
indeed

The very faculties of eyes and
ears.

Ideas are proof of
thinking, and here the idea is that the actor puts Hamlet to shame.  Though he is just
acting, he makes his face go pale, forms tears in his eyes, cracks his voice, and makes
his whole body reflect the content of his words.  Hamlet asks what would the actor do if
he had an actual motive for being upset like Hamlet
does.

Hamlet proceeds in the speech by rhetorically asking
if he is a coward, calling himself a daydreamer, pigeon-livered, and an ass.  He puts
himself down for a few more lines, but then:

readability="25">

About, my brains.  Hum--I have
heard

That guilty creatures sitting at a
play,

Have by the very cunning of the
scene

Been struck so to the soul that
presently

They have proclaimed their
malefactions;

For murder, though it have no tongue, will
speak

With most miraculous organ.  I'll have these
players

Play something like the murder of my
father

Before mine uncle.  I'll observe his looks....
(545-562)

Hamlet's brain is
so full of thoughts that he interrupts his own self-condemnation and completely changes
direction.  "About, my brains"--about face, or I must think?  His thoughts take an about
face.  One instant he is nastily condemning himself, and the next instant he is hatching
a new plan, a plan to have the actors present a murder scene similar to the murder scene
of his father, as told to Hamlet by the Ghost.  Hamlet says he will watch the king's
reaction, and will be able to tell whether or not the king's reaction is filled with
guilt or not.

Thus, Hamlet applies the speech of the actor
to his own situation (an idea), then he hatches a plan using the players to prove or
disprove the king's guilt (another idea).  And he shifts from one train of thought to
another in an instant.

Finally, he explains his thoughts by
adding that the Ghost could, indeed, be the ghost of his father, but the Ghost could
also be a demon come to abuse him, and thereby damn him.  Hamlet is a thinker, and he's
no fool.  He's smart enough to know that the identity of the Ghost is questionable, and
that the Ghost could be leading him astray.

Macbeth could
have used a bit of Hamlet's brain power:  if he'd have tested the witches like Hamlet
tests the Ghost, he'd have saved himself and Scotland an awfully lot of trouble. 
Macbeth needed to stop and think--he needed a "Hum--" instant of
thinking.

Calculate sin 150=?

To find out the value of sin 150 , we'll choose to use the
formula:

sin(a-b) = sin a cos b - sin b cos
a

We'll write 150 as 180-30, so sin 150 = sin
(180-30)

sin (180-30) = sin 180 cos 30 - sin 30 cos
180

sin180 = 0

sin 30 =
1/2

cos 30 = sqrt3/2

cos 180 =
-1

sin 180 cos 30 - sin 30 cos 180 =
0-(1/2)(-1)=1/2

sin150 = sin30 =
1/2

What are the romantic elements in W B Yeats' poetry?Please give some descriptions of all the points of the answer.

There are many romantic elements in the poetry of W.B.
Yeats - many of this poet's most beautiful and lyrical poems were written early on in
his career. a good one to look at is "The Lake Isle Of Inisfree.' This poem has the
lyrical rhythm - almost like a melody, the stresses and de-stresses almost like the
wavelets lapping on the shore that he talks about:

"I will
arise and go now, and go to Inisfree"

The poem also
celebrates the wonder and beauty of Nature, emphasisng for instance an evening full of
the linnet's wings. Silence is given great praise. There is little of the later cynical
and bitter realism of modernism here. It has peaceful images too "Nine bean rows will I
have there" and an atmosphere of calm.

Could you relate these quotes to the story The Yellow Wallpaper or to the story I Stand Here Ironing? HELP!!!"A woman could not be herself in the...

They fit quite well with "Ironing"
more so than with "Wallpaper".

In
I stand here Ironing, we have the stories of two women, a mother
and a daughter, who went through extremely trying times. The mother had nothing going in
her favor: Her husband left, there was no welfare system to support her if she is not
formally divorced, WWII was looming in close proximity, and the Great Depression had hit
hard into the American psyche more as strongly as it did with its
economy.

The daughter was also a victim of circumstances: 
A sickly child, she endured abandonement with her mother, then got sick with chicken pox
and remained scarred from a young age both physically and emotionally. School was no fun
for her, and she clearly was needy of many things her mom simply could not provide for
lack of time. Still both women strongly supported each other, despite of the
frustrations. Emily, the daughter, would perform for her mom skits to make her laugh as
they were alone in the midst of the War. The mother, who had to take night jobs and
extra jobs to support the family, still found a way to be with her daughter during the
day to avoid having to have a babysitter. They managed. That is the key
word.

Hence, the quotes you cited above certainly speak
about women of steel just like Emily and her mother. Women who have been considered like
second class citizens during the most trying of times and yet, they managed to make do
of what they could, confront it, and fight it.

Contrarily,
The Yellow Wallpaper shows an unfortunate situation in which a
woman is actually ostracized, isolated, and left to her own devices. She was a victim of
her husband, her doctor, society, and the rest of her family. She ended up in total
despair, and melted down to circumstances: She could not make it. And it was all
society's fault. So, the phrases you quoted above do not go at all with this latter
character.

How does Nick change throughout the novel The Great Gatsby?

At the beginning of Nick's reminiscence of the summer he met Gastby, he has "small-town syndrome."   He had just returned to Middle America (America's heartland and the center of conservative living) from WWI, where he had glimpsed everything from freedom to death.  His horizons had been broadened significantly, so when he returned after the war, he felt stifled in the Midwest; thus his longing for the decadent and fantastic lifestyle of New York, but the problem with the fantastic is that it rarely has anything to offer beneath the surface. 

When he first arrives in New York, Nick is fascinated by the lives of the wealthy and the freedom they embody (including freedom from responsibility, evidently).  However, as the novel progresses, he sees the impact of this behavior on the lives of others; he recognizes the atrocities that the elite of society commit toward those they consider beneath them (i.e. Tom's abuse of Myrtle Wilson; Tom's treatment of George Wilson; Tom and Daisy's method of dealing with Daisy killing Myrtle; Tom ultimately setting Gatsby up to be killed and not feeling any remorse).

By his thirtieth birthday, Nick realizes that this crazy, superficial lifestyle is not what he desires at all, and that he misses the wholesomeness of the Middlewest.  In this sense, Nick becomes rather representative of the 1920s: the turmoil and free living of the early part of the decade leading into the conservative 1930s. 

What does Hamlet mean to say "yeah, from the table....yes, by heaven!" in act 1 scene 5?please mention literery terms used in these lines thanx!

The lines you are interested in read in full,

    Yea, from the table of my memory
    I'll wipe away all trivial fond records,
    All saws of books, all forms, all pressures past,
    That youth and observation copied there;
    And thy commandment all alone shall live
    Within the book and volume of my brain,
    Unmix'd with baser matter: yes, by heaven!

Hamlet is speaking to himself (a soliloquy) after the Ghost of his father has told him of the treachery of both his uncle and mother.  He vows to forget his intellectual pursuits, and everything that he previously held dear in his life (like his mother's love) and instead will replace all of those things with a singleminded pursuit of revenge and justice for his father.

Hamlet uses metaphor, ie, "the table of my brain" to help him envision everything in his life that has transpired previously, thinking of his books and experiences as being laid out for him to see, and all is meaningless clutter compared to that which now dominates his life:  betrayal, murder, and revenge. 

 

Summarize what happened in the poem "My Last Duchess".

It is hard to say that the Duchess was flirtatious.  Perhaps she was only friendly and in love with life.  Either way, the Duke wanted her to only show affection to HIM.  Take a look at the lines below and make your own judgment:

She had a heart--how shall I say?--too soon made glad, too easily impressed; she liked whate'er she looked on, and her lookes went everywhere.  Sir, 'twas all one! My favor at her breast, the dropping of the daylight in the West, the bough of cherries some officious fool broke in the orchard for her, the white mule she rode with round the terrace--all and each would draw from her alike the approving speech, or blush, at least.

She seems very likely in love with nature, life, and small kindesses.  What made him mad was the fact that she ranked his approval for her with everything else--sunsets, cherries that someone brought her, riding her mule.  How dare she!  (Smile)

Chapter 3. What are Napoleon's feelings toward education? Who does he educate privately and why?

While Snowball is busy trying to educate all of the
animals,

readability="6">

Napoleon took no interest in Snowball's
committees. He said that the education of the young was more important than anything
that could be done for those who were already grown
up.

Meanwhile, Napoleon took
charge of nine puppies after they were weaned by Jessie and Bluebell. Napoleon educated
them himself, secluding them from the rest of the animals. He would teach the pups the
laws according to Napoleon, and they would eventually serve as his
bodyguards.

Naturally, Napoleon's reasons were not based on
his beliefs alone. He was already contending with Snowball for the leadership of the
farm, and it was to his benefit to take a stand opposite of his
comrade.

What is one example of tone used in the novel?

Lee's tone towards the educational system is negative and critical.  Consider this quote:

"The Dewey Decimal System consisted, in part, of Miss Caroline waving cards at us on which were printed "the," "cat," "rat," "man," and "you." No commend seemed to be expected of us, and the class received these impressionistic revelations in silence. I was bored, so I began a letter to Dill. Miss Caroline caught me writing and told me to tell my father to stop teaching no."

That Scout, the narrator, has misunderstood the Dewey Decimal System and that she presents Miss Caroline as naive and incompetent demonstrates Lee's criticism.

In Chapter 30 of To Kill a Mockingbird, what insight is gained into Sheriff Heck Tate's character?

Sheriff Heck Tate is a simple man who shows himself to be determined, pragmatic, and compassionate.

His determination is evident in the fact that he stands up unyieldingly to Atticus, who is an exceptionally strong personality himself.  He tells Atticus in no uncertain terms, "I am sheriff of Maycomb County...it's my decision and my responsibility...for once, if you don't see it my way, there's not much you can do about it".

Tate is also pragmatic and compassionate.  He knows Maycomb County and sees realistically what will happen if suspicion is directed toward Boo Radley.  He knows that the circus atmosphere that would be created would destroy the gentle, reclusive man. He says, "...taking the one man who's done...this town a great service an' draggin' him with his shy ways into the limelight - to me, that's a sin".  Out of sympathy and understanding, Heck Tate is willing to bend the law to prevent a greater injustice.

Who are the characters in the Minister's Black Veil?

Reverend Mr. Clark is a neighboring minister who comes to to take care of Reverend Mr. Hooper, who is dying. He is mystified by the Rev. Mr. Hooper's refusal to remove the black veil. He is unable to convince him to take it off.

Elizabeth is the woman who is engaged to Hooper. At first, she is understanding of his wearing the veil, seeing it as a piece of cloth. Yet, when he refuses to remove it, their engagement is severed. She remains true to him in friendship, staying with him while he is at death's door.

Reverend Mr. Hooper is a minister who wears the black veil. He refuses to take it off, even in death. He wears it as a symbol of mankind's hidden secrets.

"Watch! Out there!" exclaimed the general, pointing into the night. Rainsford's eyes saw only blackness, and then, as the general pressed a.........

I assume that you want an explanation of this passage from
the short story, "The Most Dangerous Game." This is one of General Zaroff's special ways
of luring his human game to the island. He has installed what appears to be legitimate
signal lights to mark the safety of the channel. In truth, the channel is not safe; it
is a false channel--"giant rocks with razor edges" cover the area. Ship captains cannot
see the rocks, and they assume that the lights are marking a safe passage. The lights
may be of little use during the day, but they can prove to be successful to General
Zaroff's desire of wrecking as many ships as possible near his island at night. He then
captures the survivors and uses them as his game.

What are some of the causes of the panic that lead to the witches trials in act1?

The girls were quick to realize the power they had.  At first Abigail denies everything and then blames everything on Tituba.  Tituba at first denies everything too.  When she realizes her life is threatened, she gives her questioners exactly what they want - names. Mrs Putnam starts asking Tituba if she'd seen specific people with the devil and Tituba says yes.  From there the hysteria snowballs. The girls start shouting out names of women in the village.  As a result, Tituba's life was spared.  Abigail suddenly had a lot of power in the village and the bitter, vindictive characters like the Putnams had a way to start knocking off people they didn't like.

Abigail had a lot of power over the other girls.  It's shown throughout the play that Mary Warren really feared Abigail.  Abigail threatens "a pointy reckoning" for any of the girls who tell.  Proctor finally convinces Mary to tell the truth, but Abigail & the girls turn on her in the "yellow bird" scene.  Mary is so fearful that she turns on Proctor and goes back to Abigail. 

The fear that the other girls had of Abigail, of getting in trouble, etc. kept them going along with Abigail until I think they really believed it.  So this hysteria and panic didn't just happen among the townspeople, it seemed to happen to many of the girls themselves.  Mary is a prime example of this.  This was a big part of what led to the panic. 

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

For the accused, the setting is at the heart of the arena mentioned below, facing two doors and a choice that decides the outcome of their life. For the audience, the setting is a seat perched in some row of the arena to watch a man either married or torn apart by a tiger. For the lady and tiger behind the doors, the setting are rooms lined in heavy furs so that no sounds escape, waiting expectantly for the man suited to her to open the door and be married or to open the door and become a feast.

Why did no one "care to mention" recalling a commandment about animals killing other animals in the hearing of the pigs or the dogs?

The dogs gather animals that had annoyed Napoleon into the yard for an inquisition. The hens that had formed a mutiny to protest the taking of their eggs, the porkers who dared question Napoleon on the cancelling of Sunday meetings, and even poor Boxer. The purpose of this hearing was to make them confess their traitorous acts. Once they have done this, the dogs leap forward and rip out their throats. All except Boxer, who is too strong to be taken down.

Other animals then step forward and "confess" crimes and are quickly put to death. The confessions have clearly been coerced, and therefore the animals on the farm realize that should they speak up about the commandment against killing, they will be killed themselves.

What is the main conflict facing the main characters?Wallace and Redmond

Wallace's main conflict is having to choose between the rational world and the world of imagination in his life. A successful politician, he is haunted by the recurrent vision of an inviting door in a wall.  He knows if he opens the door he will enter a magical world of happiness and fancy, but because of the demands of life and his career, he never has a chance.  By the end of the story, when he apparently finally decides to allow himself to open the door, he makes a fatal error.  His long denial of the imaginative side of his nature has left him unable to distinguish fantasy from reality. 

The main conflict facing Redmond, who represents the voice of reason, is whether to believe Wallace's fantastic tale or not.  Giving credence to the story would validate the importance of nurturing both sides of the human personality - the rational and the imaginative.

Why did Huxley choose Shakespeare as the medium of John's intellectual awakening in A Brave New World?Talk about the power of language in the book,...

There are three plays that are alluded to in Brave New World:  The Tempest, Romeo and Juliet, and Othello.  These plays are the medium through which John the Savage has learned emotion and recognizes emotion and expresses emotion since his mother is handicapped in this area by her biogenetic engineering and the Indian who lives with her is rather unconcerned with him.

When John arrives in the New World, his first thoughts are comparative with those of Miranda from The Tempest who also has no knowledge of the world.  When she first sees other people, the men brought to the island by the magic of her father, Miranda exclaims,

O wonder!

How many goodly creatures are there here!

How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world,

That has such people in't (5.1.207-210)

Since these exclamations are identical to John's feelings, he echoes them.  Likewise, when he initially perceives Linda, John finds her so beautiful and physically perfect that, like Romeo, he is starstruck:

...and his voice suddenly took on a new resonance, he truned with a proud squaring of the shoulders, a proud, defiant lifting of the chin "to show that I can bear pain without crying out"...he gave a gasp and was silent, gaping.  He had seen, for the first time in his life, the face of a girl who cheeks were not the colour of chocolate or dogskin, whose hair was auburn and permanently waved, and whose expression (amazing novelty!) was one of the benevolent interest....The blood rushed up into the young man's face; he dropped his eyes, raised them again for a moment only to find her still smiling at him,...he dropped his eyes, raised them again for a moment only to find her still smiling at him, and was so much overcome that he had to turn away and pretend to be looking very hard at something on the other side of the square.

Like Romeo, he instantly falls in love with the vision of Lenina that he romanticizes. And, like Romeo and Juliet, the relationship between John and Lenina ends tragically as he realizes she is no ideal for him and gives of herself too freely.

When John attends the feelies with Lenina, he is apalled at the violence and animalistic brutality of the show.  This action and later his mistreatment by the New World reminds him of the low envy of Iago and the cruelty against him. All that John has experienced and can relate his new feelings to is of Shakespeare.

According to Brutus, why don’t the conspirators need to swear an oath?What can you infer about Cassius, Casca, and Brutus in Scene 1 as these...

Brutus does not want to swear an oath because this would lessen the nobility of their endeavor.  As honorable and honest men—good Romans all, they are pledging themselves to commit an honorable deed by killing Caesar; an oath would suggest that they lack nobility, honest, and courage. He says “Not an oath. / If not the face of men, /The sufferance of or souls, the time’s abuse,/ If these motives weak, break off betimes, And every man hence to his idle bed.” If their cause is not just in itself, then they shouldn’t kill Caesar to begin with. And then he adds, “What other bond / than secret Romans that have spoke the word and will not palter” (2.1.125-137). We can infer that Casca is a bit "dull," because Cassius tells us he is back in Act 1 and we see him only agreeing in Act 2.1 (52-55). We can infer that Cassius is a very clever politician because he realizes the danger Antony presents and wants to kill him too 9169-174). We know Brutus is noble but not a savvy politician because he refuses to kill Antony, and this decision results in great trouble as the play proceeds.

What would be a good thesis statement for a "As I Lay Dying"?

As a thesis statement, you should be addressing Faulkner's main point for this novel. Faulkner is saying there may be no more creative moment for humans than when we rationalize our thoughts, words and actions.

Every character except for Jewel is consumed in a deep, developed personal lie. They are all appearing to heroically fulfill the dying wish of the family matriarch. They are all using this moment of grief as a means to a personal and selfish end. Darl is mentally torturing Jewel. Dewey Dell is desperate to get to town for an abortion. Anse needs to replace his dead wife. Cash is trying to win his dead mother's approval by building a coffin she will enjoy. Even Vardaman is conned into seeing toys in a store front that he will never own.

The horrible beauty of this dark novel is that only after the characters are fully fleshed out, there is no way to convince them that they are wrong. The scene of Dewey Dell fanning her dying mother appears to be like a caring daughter keeping a sweet vigil. She is fanning her so hard she is making it hard for Addie to breathe and she will konw first when Addie expires. It is grotesque, creative and hypnotic.

What was ironic about the punishment given to the Cunningham gang in To Kill a Mockingbird?

I assume that you are talking about what is done to the
Cunningham "gang" that Boo Radley hung out with -- the ones that we see in Chapter
1.

If so, I suppose you can say this is ironic because they
are not in any way truly punished.  They are sent to industrial school, which Scout says
is no prison and no shame.  They get the best secondary education possible and at least
one of them goes on to really make something of himself.  (In contrast to what is done
to Boo.)

I don't know that this is ironic myself -- it
seems like what should happen to young offenders -- they should be sent someplace where
they can make something of their lives.

But I suppose you
can say it's ironic because you expect punishment to be a bad thing so this is the
opposite of what you expect.

You can also say it's ironic
for Boo, but in a really sad way because his life gets totally ruined while theirs are
helped.

After Scout begs Atticus not to make her return to school, what advice does he give her for getting along with people?Harper Lee's To Kill a...

In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird
in Chapter 1 on the evening of the first day of school, Scout mentions to Atticus that
if she keeps going to school, "we can't ever read any more...."  In response to this
statement, Atticus asks Scout if she knows what a compromise is, and suggests that they
compromise by mutually agreeing to read every night "just as we always have."  But, as
Scout goes out the front screen door, her father suggests that she not say anything at
school about their agreement.  In other words, what Miss Caroline does not know will not
hurt her.

This lesson of reticence in the appropriate
situation is certainly one that a good lawyer knows.  As a loving and tolerant man and
father as well as a competent lawyer, Atticus Finch imparts many such lessons to his
daughter.

From what does Hester hope to save Dimmesdale by telling him the truth about Chillingworth?

Hester hopes to save Dimmesdale from continued suffering at the hand of Chillingworth. In Chapter 14, we see Hester and Chillingworth speak of Dimmesdale. Hester knows that Chillingworth has figured out that Dimmesdale is Pearl's father, and Chillingworth has been getting revenge on Dimmesdale by making him suffer psychologically. This psychological suffering (Chillingworth and Dimmesdale spend much time talking of secret sin and guilt) is making Dimmesdale suffer physically as well. When Chillingworth refuses to leave Dimmesdale allow, Hester decides to tell Dimmesdale that Chillingworth is her husband. She hopes that by having this knowledge, Dimmesdale will be able to stand stronger against Chillingworth's attacks. 

What are the settings that describe the time period in Flowers for Algernon?

This is difficult to answer because Keyes was fairly conscientious about avoiding settings that would immediately place the novel in time. For example, there is no instance of hearing a particular pop music hit that might indicate the specific time period.  However, the reader can catch glimpse of the specific setting through the technology and scientific concepts that are bandied about. Additionally, the character of Faye gives some clues but only if the reader is familiar with New York City in the late 50s and 60s.

For example, we know that 'learns' at night with the aide of a tape recorded lessons. This can set the time period as probably before the advent of CDs or MP3s.  

The character of Faye living as an artist in New York City and as a fairly liberated woman gives us a clue to the time period of the late Beat Generation to the middle of the Sixties.  Her opposite, Alice is a teacher in a night school working a fairly conventional job for an unmarried woman at the time period. 

These are just some clues as to the setting.   The 1969 film version of the movie gives the viewer very distinct clues as to the time period which set it firmly in the late 1960s. So much so that when I showed it to my students, they laughed at everything from the wacky '60s decor to the clothes the characters had on.  The book does not do this and therefore it is hard to place it specifically in a time period unless you are familiar with the time.  

What is the irony in "The Gift of the Magi"?

Irony is a literary device that occurs when the author uses elements of the story, like plot or character development, setting, or action to show contrast or the opposite of what the characters or the author may be feeling. 

Here's an example--  In "Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner," there is a line that says "Water, water every where, not any drop to drink."  This is an example of irony, because the ship is in the middle of the ocean.  Yes, the crew is surrounded by water, but they can not drink any of it.  Ah, the irony!

Why did Tybalt kill Mercutio?I'm typing a paper about the villain in the play and I think it's Tybalt because if he wouldn't have killed Mercutio,...

I think it is important to remember that Tybalt's
complaint is with Romeo and not with Mercutio. Remember that Tybalt was upset with
Romeo's presence at the Capulet part; it was Mercutio who actually had a legitimate
invitation.

In fact, when Tybalt confronts Mercutio (Act
III, scene i) it is only to determine the whereabouts of Romeo. When Romeo appears,
Tybalt stands down against Mercutio with the line: "Well, peace be with you,
sir: here comes my man."

It is Mercutio, then,
who continues to provoke Tybalt, particularly because Romeo refuses to fight. Romeo then
comes between Mercutio and Tybalt in hopes of separating them. It is at this moment that
Mercutio receives his fatal wound. It is not intentional on the part of Tybalt; it
happens only because Romeo is in the way.

It could be
argued that Romeo is as much to blame for Mercutio's death as is
Tybalt.

How would you account for the growth and decline of Soviet power the Eastern Europe between the years of 1949 and 1989?

The growth of Soviet power was directly related to their
being one of the victorious nations of World War II.  This put them in direct physical
control of Eastern Europe for the postwar years.  They installed friendly communist
governments that were loyal to the Soviet Empire.  The "iron curtain" descended on
Europe and for the next half century, east Europe remained
communist.

As the 1980's came to a close, Soviet economic
and military power was already on the wane, and popular pressure grew for reforms.  The
iron curtain border opened in Hungary first, and within six months, there were popular
revolutions across Eastern Europe.  There was pressure on Soviet President Mikhail
Gorbachev to crackdown on the rebellions, but he refused, essentially letting those
countries leave the Soviet sphere.

Some critics view this tale from a feminist viewpoint. What are some examples of this view?

Mental illness and depression was not widely understood during this period of time and treatment for these unfortunate individuals bordered on barbaric. Mary, the main character, suffers from post-partum depression. Prior to her illness, she was an active writer, but this activity is forbidden when Mary is forced to endure the "rest cure". " Her husband, John, who is a doctor, misidentifies her condition and prescribes a “rest cure” made popular by the well-respected physician Weir Mitchell. The rest cure assumes that intellectual stimulation damages a woman physically and psychologically, so John requires the narrator to stop all writing, all reading, and essentially, all higher-level thinking" (e-notes).Mary secretly begins writing her story, documenting the tragic and horrible side effects of the "rest cure". Unfortunately, Mary's post partum depression coupled with her lack of mental stimulation and compassion she begins a downward spiral into madness.The author's (Charlotte Perkins)feminist point-of-view can be seen in her philosophies, "the oppression of women is ultimately based on women’s economic dependence on men. Other institutions—religion, education, ethics, marriage and family—simply reinforce this relationship" (e-notes). Some of her view points (I let you ferret these out.) would be considered inflamatory today.

How has racial differences between black and white citizens affected politics in South Africa since pre-1994 till now?

South Africa's recent political history has effected most
by decades of apartheid.  The word "apartheid" literally means "apartness," which sums
up the political interactions between blacks (and coloureds) and whites.  Blacks had
very few rights during apartheid.  They could not vote, attend white schools, or even
marry outside of the Christian Church.  Whites received the best jobs, education, and
land.  Because of the efforts of Nelson Mandela and the African National Congress, black
South Africans eventually received the same rights and opportunities as whites. 
Unfortunately, the socioeconomic status of blacks will take decades to match whites. 
The question for politicians today is:  How to "bridge the gap" without throwing the
country into political or economic chaos.  A challenge, indeed.

What are the Romantic elements in "Isabella; or The Pot of Basil" by John Keats?

Some of the more prominent signs of aesthetic philosophy
behind Romanticism apparent in John Keats' "Isabella; or, The Pot of Basil" are (1) the
preference for individual experience over universal experience; (2) the preference for
powerful emotion and feeling; (3) the preference for emotion over reason; (4) and the
preference for symbolism and suggestion over clarity of text. The opening lines of
Keats' poem show the poem's orientation to the individual over the general and
universal:

readability="7">

Fair Isabel, poor simple Isabel!   

Lorenzo, a young palmer in Love’s
eye!

Lines 3 through 8 begin
the journey of overflowing powerful emotion, representing both the subject's emotion and
the poet's emotion:

readability="8">

They could not, sure, beneath the same roof
sleep   
But to each other dream, and nightly
weep.

Stanza IV reveals the
orientation of the poem toward emotionality over
reason:

So
spake they to their pillows; but, alas,   
Honeyless days and days did he let
pass;

Lines 69 and 70
illustrate the reliance on symbol over direct clarity of
expression:

So
said, his erewhile timid lips grew bold,   
And poesied with hers in dewy
rhyme:

Further examples of
each are apparent throughout but these early ones set up the orientation of the
poem.

One of the revolutionary accomplishments of
Romanticism, for better or worse, was to overturn the ancient and enduring
presupposition, restated by Elizabethan Philip Sidney, that poetry is a divinely
inspired vehicle for imitating the ideals on the heavenly sphere for the instruction of
humanity. By emphasizing the individual and individual experience and making the poet
the source of poetic inspiration as opposed to a divine poetic inspiration, the Greek
and Renaissance philosophy of poetic aesthetic philosophy was reversed. Coupled with
this was the idea of the preeminence of the poet, so the voice of the speaker of the
poem came to be oftentimes the voice of the poet.

[For more
infomation, see href="http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/cs6/rom.html">"Romanticism" by
L. Melani, Brooklyn College, NY from which this answer is
drawn.]

What events in "The Most Dangerous Game" constitute the falling action?

The falling action, which comes right after the climax, would be after Rainsford leaps off a cliff and into the ocean, to what Zaroff believes is his death. The hunt had been escalating up to that point. Zaroff, disappointed, heads home, has dinner, and retires to his room for the night. Rainsford, all the while is hiding behind the curtains in his room waiting to surprise him with the fact that Rainsford indeed has beaten Zaroff. The men exchange words and Zaroff leaves the house the loser of his own game for the first time and goes out into the night where he falls victim to his own hounds. 

If I need to write a cover letter for Beowulf, who should I write it to? And what kind of job can apply for today's world? Again, my teacher wants...

It might be interesting to make Beowulf's job something that is unrelated to war and survival.  After all, many of his traits - independence, tenacity, strong sense of duty, compassion, leadership - are traits that would be helpful in any number of jobs.

For example, wouldn't Beowulf make an interesting teacher?  Or perhaps a company president?  Or even a salesman - consider his determination, especially when holding on to Grendel's arm.! 

Once you've picked your job:

1. Start with a salutation (Dear ________,)

2. Have Beowulf introduce himself and his main qualities.

3. He should then announce what he is writing for.

4. Next paragraph, go through why he is good for this position.  List examples from his "previous jobs"

5. Final paragraph, explain why he is interested in the job and thank the reader.

What is the theme of Black Beauty?

The theme is the main topic, idea, or message in a piece of writing.

The theme of Black Beauty is most definitely that horses (as well as all animals and also people) ought to be treated kindly, ethically and humanely.

The book is about the life story and experiences of a horse called Black Beauty who is treated well by his owner in the beginning of his life but is later mistreated by other owners. The story describes how horses were often treated badly in Victorian England and how the animals suffered injury and sometimes even death due to the mistreatment.

The book also underlines issues of social class, inequality and wide differences between the poor and rich in England at that time. The book was so influential after it was published in 1877 that it even contributed to the eradication of the bearing rein. This was a rein used to pull horses' heads back, causing them pain.