What values can be learned from the story "Rain" by W. Somerset Maugham?

"Rain" teaches the value of tolerance. The characters who wish to transform the tropics into the strict, repressed society of the states. The Davidson's represent the judgemental attitudes from which they left They wrap themselves in their supposedly religious righteousness. They set out to ruin Sadie Thompson, who exhibits all the traits that they are against. Sadie attempts to enjoy the more relaxed attitude of the tropics. There seems to be a moral retribution in the ending of the story-Davidson's suicide. The many instances of intolerance is meant to illustrate the value tolerance.

In Lord of the Flies, what is the significance of the title "Beast from Water?"

In chapter 5, "Beast from Water," the fears of the boys are discussed openly in a meeting. Unfortunately, Ralph has called the meeting just at dusk, and by the time he opens up the discussion to the "beast" that some children have been talking about, the island has become dark. First, the older boys assure the littluns that there cannot possibly be a beast, that is, a creature, on the island. The hunters as well as Piggy and Ralph have explored pretty much the entire island, and they all assure the boys that a large threatening animal could not be living there.

However, just as the boys are reaching a place of assurance, little Percival, the most fearful of the children, states that "the beast comes out of the sea." This is a terrifying thought because it presents a distinct possibility. Maurice, an older boy, rises to speak and brings science to bear on the subject, insisting than all the ocean creatures have not yet been discovered. This emphasizes the vulnerability of the boys on the island; they are surrounded by a wide ocean and would have no way to protect themselves from such a threat. Simon rises to try to focus the discussion not on imaginary threats, but on what he alone has discerned is the true threat, stating about the beast, "maybe it's only us." That answer receives scorn, but it leads to another boy suggesting the possibility of ghosts, and in the eerie darkness, the boys begin to entertain that suggestion. The assembly breaks up, leading to Ralph questioning his own leadership.

The "beast from water" represents the boys' nameless fears. The next chapter, "Beast from Air," symbolizes a closer, more tangible, and greater threat, the threat of violence and war. Both of these are external representations of the true "beast," which, as Simon tried to suggest early on, is the moral darkness within the boys themselves.

What changes do the main characters of Whirligig go through?

A whirligig is something that has one or more pieces which spin around in the wind.  In this story, the main character builds whirligigs to repay a mother whose child has died in a car accident.

Mostly, Brent is the character who changes.  He begins the book as a self-centered boy who is desperately trying to fit in by having the right clothes, car, music, and enough money to spend.  After the car accident in which a girl dies, everything about him changes.

Brent takes a lot of trips--bus rides, meeting strangers, camping, making whirligigs--and he learns a lot with each one.  Through his learning about himself and his life, the reader has the opportunity to re-examine his/her own life and priorities as well.  The purpose of the trips is at the request of the girl's mother.  She has asked that he travel to the four corners of the USA to put up whirligigs which display her daughter's face.  After he has complete his mission, he returns home, changed forever.

Other characters are background characters that lend support to Brent and his amazing character metamorphosis.

Is there any benefit to shutting down the computer at the end of the day?I am talking about a PC laptop. Is there any difference between simply...

If you have a program running on the computer then
naturally it makes no sense in turning off the computer or even putting it in standby
mode. every computer is meant to run programs and you can do this when you turn off a
computer.

But when you are not using the computer in any
way, that is neither actively interacting with the computer, or running some background
program, you have the option of shutting it down or just putting it in standby
mode.

The disadvantage of shutting down is the additional
time and effort of switching it on. And the disadvantage of leaving it on are primarily
the power consumption and the additional wear and tear of the computer. All this boils
down to basically money, and to some extent the the ethical issue of not wasting energy.
In any case the decision is heavily influenced by individual preferences. I personally
do not find the the trouble of restarting the computer too much if I do not intend to
use it for even for a period for an hour or two. I certainly don't keep my computer on
overnight, even if I am not working on it.

In The Witch of Blackbird Pond, why was Nat put in the stocks?

Nat is put in the stocks because he violates the strict standards of behavior by being rowdy (in itself “illegal”); by playing with the pagan jack-o-lanterns, which to the Puritans signified evil; and lastly by insulting an important person in town, William Ashby.  He does this because he is offended by what seems to be Kit’s plans to marry William, but there are important dramatic purposes to “why Nat is put in the stocks.”  It offers another indication of the harshness of the Puritan community; it foreshadows Kit’s predicament later when she is accused of witchcraft; it links Nat with Kit, showing them to be “soul-mates” in their rebellious and playful spirits;  and it shows the kindness and courage of Kit, who dares approach him, again risking the disapproval of the community in doing so.

What are the elements of romanticism and English tradition of chivalry reflected in the poem "La Belle Dame Sans Merci"?

"La Belle Dame sans Merci" clearly exemplifies elements of Romanticism and the English tradition of chivalry:

ROMANTICISM

• There is a dreamlike, visionary quality to the poem


• The sympathy of nature with the individual

There is a magical touch to the feelings of desolation of the knight who changes are reflected by Nature:

Alone and palely loitering,...

And on thy cheeks a fading rose

Fast withereth, too.

The knight describes his love as a "faery" who takes him to her "elfin grot."

• There is much lyricism to the poem

The use of alliteration and assonance and internal balance are prevalent in the lines:

She found me roots of relish sweet,

And homey wild, and manna dew,

And sure in language strange she said--

'I love thee true.'

• The individual's experience, his inner feelings and emotions are emphasized


• The visionary and fantastic are described

With much visual imagery, Keats elucidates the emotional desolation of the knight who is helpless in his faithfulness to his love since the more one embraces feelings of love and beauty, the more desolate and painful mundane life becomes.

I set her on my pacing steed,

And nothing else saw all day long,

She took me to her elfin grot...(fantastic element)

And there I dreamed--Ah! woe betide!

The latest dream I ever dreamed...(visionary)

And I awoke and found me here,

On the cold hill's side.

 CHIVALRY

• The knight's allegiance to his love

The knight who has sworn his devotion, remains in his desolation on the cold hillside where his beauty has abandoned him.  He is held "in thrall":

And this is why I sojourn here,

Alone and palely loitering

Though the sedge has withered from the laek,

And no birds sing.

• The knight's idealizing of his love

The knight perceives his lady--or the concept of beauty as another interpretation--as a supernatural creature:

I met a lady in the meads,

Full beautiful--a faery's child,

Her hair was long, her foot was light,

And her eyes were wild.

I made a garland for her head,

And bracelets too, and fragrant zone,...

I set her on my pacing steed,

And nothing else saw all day long,

For sidelong would she bend, and sing

A faery's song

What does the description of McMurphy's hands suggest to the reader about his character in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest?

I remember
the real clear way that that hand looked: there was carbon under the fingernails where
he'd worked once in a garage; there was a dirty Band-Aid on the middle knuckle, peeling
up at the edge. All the rest of the knuckles were covered with scars and cuts, old and
new. I remember the palm was smooth and hard as bone from hefting the wooden handles of
axes and hoes, not the hand you'd think could deal cards. The palm was callused, and the
calluses were cracked, and dirt was worked in the cracks. A road map of his travels up
and down the West. That palm made a scuffing sound against my
hand.

Early in the novel,
Kesey describes McMurphy's hands in order to characterize him. Although he is only
describing one physical aspect of McMurphy, his hands encompass every aspect of his
personality. He is a tough man whose life experiences have made him calloused and
scarred, not only on his hands, but also inside. Kesey is letting us know that he is
"thick-skinned"; he will be able to take a lot from Nurse Ratched and remain unphased.
Furthermore, the scars, cuts, and dirt suggest McMurphy is a fighter--one who is not
afraid to "get his hands dirty", literally and figuratively. McMurphy's strength and
resilience, which is going to help the patients find themselves, is symbolically
represented in his hands.

Throughout the book Grapes of Wrath, what are the strongest and some specific examples of the "strength of family"? the best examples about the...

Ma Joad continually expresses the idea that there is strength in family.  One clear example of this is in Chapter 16 when Tom suggests that he and Jim Casy stay behind to get the truck fixed while the others go on.  Ma steadfastly refuses to go with out Tom.  She says that the family is all that they have left in the world and she doesn't want to break it up.  Another example is in Chapter 18 when Ma reveals that Granma had died before the group crossed the desert, but rather than reveal that and jeopardize the family's chances of making it across the desert to their destination in California, she lied at the border station and held Granma's body all night long.  Many times Ma tells Tom that it is important that the family stay together each time expressing the idea that they only have each other.

Tom expresses his realization of the need for the family to work together, too, when he curbs his anger so that he won't get in trouble and be sent away.  This happens in the first squatter's camp in Chapter 20 and again later, before entering the Hooper farm to pick peaches in Chapter 26.  Later, in that same chapter, Tom has to be hidden because of the incriminating injury to his face.  Ma again expresses the attitude that as long as the family is together, they can face any problem.

How does this quote reveal Hamlet's character and what is the significance of it?Act IV Scene 3"In heaven: send thither to see: if your messenger...

Hamlet's words echo the spiritual crisis in the play.  Earlier, Hamlet refused to kill Claudius at prayer, fearing that it might send him to heaven.  Here, he mocks the King spiritually and politically.

In Act I, the Ghost, trapped in Purgatory, presents Hamlet with a task: revenge him.  But, according to Christian theology, revenge is a sin capable of sending the avenger to hell.  So, how does Hamlet honor his father's request: how can he send the Ghost and himself to heaven and Claudius to hell?  Can it be done?  Or, will Hamlet join Claudius in hell for committing revenge?

In this quote, Hamlet shows no remorse for killing Polonius.  He uses his dead body as bait, calling out the King spiritually.  He wants Claudius to send a messenger to see if Polonius is in heaven.  Notice that Claudius cannot go to heaven himself: he must send a messenger there.

Hamlet knows that Denmark is full of spies, that Claudius has used Polonius to spy on him.  As such, Claudius should send more spies to find Polonius' body.  It is bold-faced mockery of the police-state politics of Claudius' reign.  Knowing that Claudius has no messengers that can go to heaven, Hamlet is using spirituality to gain the upper hand here--Hamlet has a heavenly messenger in his father's Ghost.

The second part of the statement foreshadows Hamlet's plan for the King: he wants to send him to hell.  This statement backfires, as Claudius realizes that Hamlet is not so much mad, but a violent threat to his throne.  As such, Claudius sentences Hamlet to execution in England.  Later, he will use Laertes and poison to enact his own revenge against the Prince.

All in all, this statement is both a ironic spiritual baiting and a foreshadowing of the fate of both men.

Quote 2: "S'pose I went in with you guys. That's three hundred an' fifty I'd put in." The speaker is Candy. Why is this important to the...

You've gotten two very good answers to your question; I only have one other element to offer which might add to the discussion.

Lennie and George have a dream--a place of their own, a farm where Lennie can tend the rabbits.  It's just a dream, because they each have something (besides their obvious lack of money) which is keeping it from coming true.  Lennie would not be able to raise rabbits, as he is a compulsive "petter" and would eventually kill them.  His handicap here is his strength.  George's handicap is Lennie; he would forever be trying to keep Lennie safe and then trying to repair the damage when he failed. 

Candy is perfectly suited to join this venture.  He is unhappy and feels unproductive, so anything to look forward to with hope is a blessing to him.  We know, though, from seeing what happens to his dog, that Candy will not be part of the dream.  If he can't keep them from killing his dog, he certainly won't be able to assert himself in any meaningful way.  His handicap is not his missing hand; it is his inability to be more assertive and useful.  He lives in fear, and that fear will keep him from any kind of forward movement.

When Lennie dies, the dream dies.  George might still one day achieve his dream, but it seems unlikely since it was what George wanted for Lennie more than for himself.  It's certain Candy will never leave the ranch.  Hope is dashed and the dream, for them, has died. 

But that doesn't mean dreaming has no value.  It kept Lennie alive until the very moment he died.

Discuss whether Othello is the tragedy of a man who loved not wisely but too well.please help me out in explaining in 300 words.

Othello loves not wisely and not well.  In fact, I don't
think he loves women at all.  Rather, he loves his status as a male and Desdemona as a
status symbol.  So says famed author and critic Salman Rushdie from (The New Yorker,
July 2001):

readability="14">

“Othello doesn't love Desdemona. . . . He says
he does, but it can't be true. Because if he loves her, the murder makes no sense. For
me, Desdemona is Othello's trophy wife, his most valuable and status-giving possession,
the physical proof of his risen standing in a white man's world. You see? He loves that
about her, but not her. . . . Desdemona's death is an "honor killing." She didn't have
to be guilty; the accusation was enough. The attack on her virtue was incompatible with
Othello's honor. She's not even a person to him. He has reified her. She's his
Oscar-Barbie statuette. His
doll.”

Othello's farewell
speech in Act V is emotion-filled pathos.  He's playing to his audience here, more
concerned about his legacy than he is about his responsibility in the murder of his
wife.  His monologue sounds eerily similar to his defense against Brabantio in Act I.
 There, he played to the sympathy of the Duke and the reader.  His suicide in Act V is
handled the same way.  His words are all focused on himself, and he fails to honor the
deaths of the two females his joins in his bed of death.  Even in death, the men steal
the show in Othello.

In "To Kill a Mockingbird," what is the significance of Tom admitting he felt sorry for Mayella? How does Mr. Gilmer emphasize Tom's error?Chapter 19

During this time in history it would be a big deal for a black man to feel sorry for a white woman.  In Chapter 19, Mr. Gilmer asks Tom, "Why were you so anxious to do that woman's chores?" He continues to ask questions about this until Tom says, "Yes suh. I felt right sorry for her, she seemed to try more than the rest of 'em."

Gilmer immediately realized Tom's mistake (as did probably everybody in the courtroom) and emphasized what Tom had said.  Gilmer said "You felt sorry for her, you felt sorry for her?" He then gave a dramatic pause to let this sink into the courtroom.

 Gilmer really tried his best to get Tom to make this mistake.  After asking the question about the chores above, he continued to ask questions to lead Tom to make the response he did.

In Act 2, what does Shylock’s attitude toward music reveal about him?act 2

In Act 2 Scene 5, Shylock does not want Jessica going out because there is a “masque” that night, a party to which Antonio’s friends plan to attend and which Jessica will use as a means to escape her father. Shylock calls the sound “shallow fopp’ry” and does not want it to enter his “sober house.” Foppery hears means foolishness.  We learn two things here: first, his attitude toward music and gayety indicates what a joyless and stingy man he is, one of little spirit with so sense of pleasure. Second, however, we need to remember that those “varnished masks” in the street (painted faces) making  all this noise might remind him of pogroms, of which he is right to be frightened. So, in this way, we are also reminded of what an outsider he is to this Christian society.

What is wrong with the city of Thebes?

I assume that you are asking what is wrong in the city of
Thebes at the start of the play.  If that is the case, there are a number of things
wrong.  In general, things are going very badly for the city and that is why the people
want to find out the cause of the troubles.

Among the
problems are plague, fires, and famine.  These things have been killing people and
animals and the city is in bad shape.

As it turns out, the
Oracle and Delphi says that all of these problems are happening because the previous
king, Laius, had been murdered.

what were the social, economic and political conditions of Europe in the 1500’s?

One very important thing that was going on during the 16th century was the Protestant Reformation. This was a major blow to the Roman Catholic Church. This massive change that was occurring because of the Reformation was directly linked to social and political change as well. Criticisms of the Roman Catholic Church was that clergy selection was determined according to class and wealth instead of morality, some priests involved themselves in drinking and gambling, and priests were exempt from paying taxes. People started to ask questions and they wanted change.

At the beginning of the 16th century people had a bright outlook of the future because the economy was flourishing. Even peasants had enough money to put meat on their tables. Population was increasing at a rapid rate. Because of this (and inflation), people who lived towards the end of the century saw their land being taken away and could not even afford to buy meat. When they thought of the future they thought of despair.

What does Capulet think about the Prince's directives after the first fight in Romeo and Juliet?

In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet,
Capulet doesn't seem bothered by the Prince's directives.  In fact, not much at all is
said about his reaction. 

At the beginning of Act 1.2,
Capulet gives exactly three lines to the issue:

readability="11">

But Montague is bound as well as
I,

In penalty alike, and 'tis not hard I
think

For men so old as we to keep the peace.  (lines
1-3)

Capulet says that
Montague has to obey what the Prince says just like he does.  The suggestion is that
since Montague has to live by the same rules he does, the rules aren't much of a big
deal.

Capulet also says that it shouldn't be that hard for
men as old as the two family leaders are to keep the peace.  In other words, they should
be old and experienced and wise enough to behave
themselves. 

Of course, keeping the peace proves to be much
more difficult that Capulet thinks.

In To Kill a Mockingbird what is the name of Scout's teacher?

This question can be answered through a close reading of
chapter two.  In the first part of that chapter, we learn that Scout's teacher's name is
Miss Caroline Fisher.  She is a very young and rather naive teacher, especially when it
comes to the inner workings of Maycomb's social networks.  Scout tries to inform her of
the in's and out's of Maycomb and the different families, but just ends up getting in
trouble.  The first day, Scout spends most of the time in the corner on a time-out,
after a slap on the hand with a ruler.  Miss Caroline will have to learn quite a bit in
order to more effectively rule her little class, and the first day is quite an
eye-opening experience for her.  I hope that helped; good luck!

What is the difference between the Magna Carta and the Bill of Rights?I have to write an essay on this topic explaining the difference. By the way,...

I recently did research on both Magna Carta and Bill of
Rights, to prepare for teaching a lesson on Documents of Freedom, in a boy's camp.  Yet
I could not give the answer to this question without much additional research.  I
suggest that you get the two documents and compare them.  Find all things that are alike
between them.  This will leave all things that are
different.

I recommend to you, on the Magna Carta, A.E.
Dick Howard's Magna Carta: Text & Commentary, University of
Virginia Press (1998).  It is a very small book.

A book
that is very good on the Bill of Rights is Levy, Leonard W. 1999. Origins of
the Bill of Rights. New Haven: Yale University Press.  It is also a small
book, though not as small as Howard.  I think Levy may tell you which provisions of the
Bill of Rights have origins in the Magna Carta, so that you can tell that everything
else is different.

What contributions did Malcolm X make to society?

Malcolm X was a separatist who argued that African Americans will never achieve equality in a society dominated by whites.  As a result, he encouraged blacks to “fight back” in an armed revolution or at least to do so when attacked. He believed that blacks should form a new society of their rather than try to integrate within dominant white society. While he preached violence, he also preached pride, and in that way contributed greatly to the black power movement of the 1960s. His autobiography explained how he had been corrupted by white society and had found meaning in Black Islam. James Baldwin talks about the contributions of Malcolm X, criticizing some of his ideas, in his memoir Fire Next Time.

How have 'cell phones' affected society as it has progressed? What ethical and moral issues have been encountered along the way?Include :- -...

The reference to the Transcendentalists in the above post
is, indeed, germane.  For, the individual is losing not only solitude, but much of
his/her humanity in the advancing supremacy of
technology.

As students cross a college campus, their heads
are bent, eyes focused solely upon their phones, fingers working frantically to scroll
through their messages, send messages, etc.

During the
absolutely resplendent Spring in the South, for instance, there are so many beautiful
blooms upon dogwoods, redbud trees, forsythia bushes, azaleas, petunias, and other
flowers, as well as the fresh green of the lawns, yet all this glory of Nature is missed
by the phone user who plods through text messages instead.  In their efforts to maintain
communication with their friends and family, they have sacrificed the delight and
restorative power of communication with Nature which would do much more for them to
relieve the stresses of their studies than any
machine.

At times, it seems as though people's essence is
only in the phone or computer where they sometimes recreate themselves by exhibiting
more bravado, etc. than they would vis-a-vis.  And, herein lies the
question of ethics and morality.  For, no inanimate object can be bad or good; as Hamlet
remarks, "only thinking makes it so."  The phone may, perhaps, afford the bully or the
immoral person an expeditious medium for his/her evil intents.  And, the cover of
one-dimension rather than the three-dimensions of reality, makes their evil easier for
them.

O brave
new world that has such people in it! (The
Tempest)

What 3 New Deal acts create a more stable economy and a more equitable society and how did they do so? 2 of the 3 New Deal acts must still...

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation would be one, as
it provided insurance for bank deposits and restored permanent confidence in the banking
system, thus giving us a more stable economy.

The
Securities and Exchange Commission did so also, regulating the stock market, limiting
margin buying and getting rid of the boom and bust nervousness that caused the original
stock market crash.

Lastly, the Social Security Act gave
retirement payments to every American at age 65, and provided aid to orphans and the
physically impaired.  This created a more equitable
society.

All three of these programs are still in existence
today.

What different portrait of Richard Cory does the song build, compared to the poem?"Richard Cory" by Edward Arlington Robinson

Simon and Garfunkel's song "Richard Cory," written in 1965 and recorded on their second album The Sounds of Silence, portrays Richard Cory as "a banker's only child" who not only is wealthy, but has political connections.  He has "everything that a man could want:  power, grace, and style."  In Edward Arlington Robinson's poem, however, Richard Cory is not portrayed as powerful politically or otherwise; he is simply "richer than a king."  There is also no knowledge by the "people on the pavement" of what he does.  But, in the song, the singer works in his factory and tells about seeing Richard Cory's picture on the society page as well as the rumors of "his parites and the orgies on his yacht."  He is not quite the distant, isolated, elevated "imperially slim" vision that the poem presents although the people who work in the factory only see him in the photos on the society page.

The Richard Cory of the song is a rich and powerful man surrounded by other wealty people whereas the Richard Cory of the poem is simply wealthy, rich like a king and never seen with anyone else.  He appears in town and says "Hello," but there is no apparent socialization that occurs.  Robinson's Cory seems much more isolated from human contact; his separation from the ordinary people seems more apparent as they look up from "the pavement" to this "imperially slim" man who is always alone.

Chapter 2 questions, can anyone please help me, please1.Discuss the Character development of main characters in chapter 2 2. Conflict (with...

Chapter Two of The Great Gatsby has much symbolism in it: 

The juxtaposition of The Valley of Ashes after the closing scene of Gatsby looking for the green light suggests the corruption of the American Dream by waste.  In the grey valley of industrial waste, the green of life has been ruined.  This contrast of images and ironic use of farm words to describe the Valley of Ashes, "the wasteland"                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           --"a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens" suggests the wasted opportunities in America in the pursuit of wealth.

The most salient symbol in this chapter is the billboard of Dr. T.J. Eckleberg,  "looking out of no face" with a pair of yellow [symbolic of corruption or gold/money] spectacles over a "nonexistent nose." Gone is the oculist who had him put there; all he does now is "brood on over the solemn dumping ground." The eyes are significant because like the God who gave man the New World, Dr. Eckleberg is also ignored.

As in Chapter One, the color white as a symbol is inverted and represents impurity  and the lack of integrity and substance.  Ironically, Nick says that he expects to see a white flock of sheep round the corner in New York, and he describes the West Hundreds"one slice in a long white cake of apartment houses.  Later, however, after he witnesses the phoniness of Myrtle and the brutality of Tom, Nick remarks, 

Yet high over the city our line of yellow windows much have contributed their share of human secrecy to the casual watcher....

Drunk, Nick's vision fades in and out as people appear and disappear, "made plans to go somewhere and then lost each other, searched for each other, then found each other" in wasted, artificial action.  They are jaded, cruel, and artificial.

Solve the equation x^3 - 2x^2 - x + 2 = 0

To solve the equation, we'll group the first 2 terms together and the next 2 terms together, so that we can factorize:

(x^3 - 2x^2) - (x - 2) = 0

x^2(x - 2) - (x - 2) = 0

We'll factorize again:

(x - 2)(x^2 - 1) = 0

We'll put each factor as being 0.

x-2 = 0

x = 2

x^2 - 1 = 0

The expression is a difference of squares:

x^2 - 1 = (x - 1)(x + 1) = 0

x-1 = 0

x = 1

x + 1 = 0

x = -1

The solutions of the equation are: {-1,1,2}.

What reason does John have for not telling the truth and going to his death?

John has felt a guilt that he was not "good" enough through the whole play.  First he felt guilt for his affair with Abigail.  It was a stain on his moral goodness.  Then while he was in prison, he felt guilty because he wanted to confess and live.  He did not want to die.  However, while he could lie to save himself, he could not lie to hurt others.  Furthermore, he felt the life he was saving would be worth nothing to him if his name and integrity were destroyed.  So he decided to rescind his confession.

When John decides not to lie, even though he would die as a result, he finally acheives goodness in his own eyes.  Without that "goodness" his life was not worth living, and to get that goodness he had to die.  His wife, Elizabeth is the only one who understands his need here.  When Hale begs her to get John to reconsider his decision, she replies "He have his goodness now.  God forbid I take it from him."

Determine the local extreme values of the function f(x)=x^3-3x.

To find the extreme values of f(x) =x^3-3x.

Solutions:

f(x) = x^3-3x = x(x^2-1) =  x(x^2-1) = (x+1)(x)(x-1).

For x>1, f(x) positive  is increasing and goes unbounded as x-->infinity.

For x=1, f(x) = 0.

For 0<x<1, f(x) is  <0 or negative,

For x= 0, f(x) = 0.

For -1< x < 0, f(x) > 0 or positive.

For x =-1 , f(x) = 0 and

For X < -1, f(x) is negative and goes to minus infinity. 

The local extreme values  of the function is got by differentiating f(x) with respect to x setting the f'(x) = 0 and solving for x=c. Again if f"(c) < 0, then f(c) is mximum for x= c. If f"(c) > 0, then f'(c) is the minimum for x = c.

f(x) = x^3-3x. Differentiating both sides, setting f'(x) = 0,

3x^2-3 = 0. Or

x^2-1 = 0. Or

x^2 = 1. Or x = 1 Or x = -1.

f''(x) = (3x^2-3)' = 6x.

f''(1) =6*1 is positive. So  for x =1. f(1) = 1^3-3*1 = -3 is a local minimum.

f"(-1) = 6(-1) = -1 . So f(-1) = 3(-1)^2-3 = 0 is the local maximum.

What is going on when Hamlet says this quote: "so, oft it chances......To his own scandal" (act 1, scene 4)

In this act and scene, Hamlet is waiting in the dark with Horatio and Marcellus for the ghost to appear. When Hamlet hears the gunfire, he explains to the others that the new king is having a party and celebrating too much. It's this kind of behavior that upsets Hamlet because it makes other countries look down upon the people of Denmark and make fun of them as a bunch of drunks. People don't stop and think about what Denmark has achieved, but they only think about their reputations as drinkers.This is just another example to Hamlet that something is rotten in Denmark.

What effect does insulin have on the blood's glucose concentration?no

Insulin is a hormone produced in the body by pancreas. This hormone regulates the body's use of sugar and other foods. Insulin speeds up the movement of nutrients from the blood stream into cells located mainly in lever, muscles and fat tissues.

When food is absorbed into the bloodstream, the pancreas increases the secretion of insulin into the blood.  Insulin speeds the movement of nutrients from the bloodstream into target cells located mainly in liver, muscle, and fat tissues.  Specialized protein molecules called insulin receptors lie on the surface of the target cells.  Glucose and other simple sugars, produced by the digestion of more complex carbohydrates, are used by these cells for immediate energy or converted to glycogen for storage.  Amino acids, produced by the digestion of proteins, move into cells and there form the building blocks for proteins.  Fatty acids, produced by the digestion of fats, are converted to tryglycerides for storage and later used for energy.

Insufficient production of insulin in the body causes a form of diabetes called Type I diabetes in which levels of glucose increases in the blood.  In a milder form of diabetes known as Type II diabetes, normal amounts of insulin is produced, but the body is unable to utilize the insulin properly.

How did the author foreshadow in chapter 2 that Johnny would use his knife in chapter 4 of The Outsiders?

Ponyboy tells Cherry the story of when Johnny was beaten badly in the park. Johnny was practicing kicks when a group a soc's jumped him. He was almost beaten to death by one of the boys who wore a lot of rings. Ponyboy explained that the beating didn't bother Johnny that much but he hated that he was scared. He vowed if he was ever jumped again, he would kill them. This foreshadows the outcome of the fight in chapter four, when Johnny kills Bob to save Ponyboy's fight.

How does Marcus Brutus demonstrate courage? I need as many quotes from the book and examples to support the answers as well.

In Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, Brutus demonstrates his courage and fortitude in his acting upon his convictions.  And, while Marc Antony ironically desparages Brutus in his funeral oration for Caesar by saying, "And Brutus is a noble man, so are they all noble men," he admits at the end of the play in his funeral oration for Brutus:

This was the noblest Roman of them all

All the conspirators, except him,

Did that they did out of jealousy of great Caesar;

Only he, in a general honest thought

And common good to all, made one of them.

His life was gentle, and the elements

So mixed in him that Nature might stand up

And say to all the world, "This was a man." (5.5.74-81)

In his soliloquy, Brutus debates with himself after speaking with Cassius and decides that he must act for the good of Rome.  In his convictions he has the courage to decide to join the conspirators:

And for that reason we must think of him as a serpent's egg

Which hatched would as his kind grow dangerous,

And kill him in the shell. (2.1.32-34)

In this same act, Ligarius compliments Brutus, "Brave Son, fathered from honorable loins..." (2.2.335)

When his wife Portia comes to Brutus and begs him to reveal what troubles him, Brutus spares her the anxiety by not telling her of his plans.

When Cassius expresses doubt of their success in battle, Brutus replies courageously,

There is a tide in the affairs of men

Which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune,

Omitted, all the voyage of their life

Is bound in shallows and in misery. (4.3.218-222)

As he and Cassius argue, Brutus shows fortitude in accepting what has happened to their friendship:

The deep of night is crept upon our talk

And nature must obey necessity. (4.3..251-252)

Before they go into battle, in spite of his grief over Portia's death and his premonition that they will be defeated, Brutus, still bravely committed to his love for Rome, bids good bye to his brother-in-law:

Forever and forever farewell, Saccius

If we do meet again, why we shall smile;

If not,why then this parting was well made. (5.1.125-128)

 Clearly, from beginning to end, Brutus displays fortitude as he courageously remains true to his ideals.

What did the soothsayer say to Julius Caesar when she handed him a note on the Ides Of March?

The Soothsayer does not give Caesar a note...Artemidorus does.  The Soothsayer speaks when Caesar says, "The Ides of March have come."  The Soothsayer says, "Ay, Caesar, but not gone."

The note Artemidorus gives Caesar is his letter informing Caesar of all the conspirators and who he shouldn't trust in the Senate.

When kit sees nat at the wharf why is he mocking and angry??when kit sees nat at the wharf why is he mocking and angry?

Nat really likes Kit, but he does not let it show. Like
many males, they have difficulty in expressing interest in a female, so they may be
playful, irritating,or ignore the girl. Nat has heard rumors about Kit being engaged to
William. William is building a house for the woman he will propose to, and the house is
magnificent. The supplies are being brought to Wethersfield by boat, usually Nat's.
Between the rumors and the evidence of the housing supplies, Nat has come to the
conclusion that Kit is marrying William, a proper young Puritan. Kit has made no such
promise but has not said no either. Nat and Kit are much more suited because of their
nature. Neither is a Puritan, nor do they follow Puritan customs unless required to.
Their common interest in Hannah, the Quaker woman, and Prudence has linked the two
together. However, neither of them has let on to the other that they are interested.
Either shyness or a feeling of unworthiness has kept the two
apart.

Why does Tom attend Gatsby's party in The Great Gatsby? How does this scene reveal the contrast between Gatsby and Tom?

In chapter 6 of The Great Gatsby, Tom is starting to
figure out that there might be something going on between Daisy and Gatsby. When Gatsby
throws a party Tom and Daisy decide to join. This is ironic because Tom is at a party in
West Egg, not his usual place. He is from East Egg and looks down upon the people who
live in West Egg, but he goes to the party anyway.

Tom goes
to the party to keep an eye on Daisy. He wants to see how she acts around Gatsby. He is
not impressed by the party. He has negative remarks about the decorations and
everything. Daisy, herself, seems to be having a bad time. Tom wants to discredit Gatsby
in Daisy's eyes, so after hearing the bootlegging rumor, he tells Daisy that Gatsby made
his money from bootlegging. Daisy is quick to jump to Gatsby's defense, saying that he
has make his money from a chain of drugstores his family had. What is ironic about this
is that Nick has found out the truth of who Gatsby really
is.

Nick knows the whole background of Gatsby and Daisy. He
is keeping it to himself for now, but there is some truth to what Tom is saying.
Although Tom is having an affair of his own, he doesn't want Daisy to betray him. That
would be the end to the facade that he has what everybody else wants, a good marriage to
a wealthy woman and all the money he could ever want. The real tragedy is just
beginning. 

What is the main theme of the poem "Digging?"A theme is suggestd by a combination of the tone and the way the metaphor of digging shows unexpected...

The main themes of the poem "Digging" are the nobility of all work, and continuity with the past. The central metaphor in the poem is the comparison between the speaker's chosen work of writing and his ancestor's livelihood as potato farmers. The tone of the poem is one of reverence, reverence on the part of the speaker for the kind of work done by his father, and his father before him. The speaker says,

"By God, the old man could handle a spade.

Just like his old man."

The speaker describes the labor involved in raising potatoes, and lauds his father's and grandfather's skill in doing it. He recalls a time when he, as a young boy, was sent to bring his grandfather a bottle of milk while he worked, and remembers how the older man took only a minute to drink it before returning to the monumental task at hand. The speaker laments briefly that he has "no spade to follow men like them," but understands that he can share in their legacy of hard work by doing well the task alotted him - writing. In lieu of a spade, he will take his pen, and "dig with it."

Why is Clarisse's uncle arrested?

Clarisse tells Guy in The Hearth and the Salamander that her uncle has been arrested before for being a pedestrian. She is describing to Guy why her family is so peculiar because they sit around and talk and they go for walks for no reason. This is unusual because talking and walking and observing and thinking are all in stark contrast to the people in this society. People who are against the norms in society in any way are arrested. 

What are some types of foods? Some have fats and some have proteins in them..so what are some of these foods?

Foods are essentially composed of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.  Most foods have a percentage of all three of these in them, but most are higher in one than the other two.

High protein foods include meat and poultry, fish, eggs and dairy, beans and legumes, and nuts.

High fat foods often include oils and animal fats.  It is important to point out that there are healthy fats and unhealthy fats.  Naturally high fat foods include nuts and seeds, avocados, whole-fat dairy products, and many animal products.  Processed foods are often high in fats (and usually the unhealthy kind).  Some common foods that are generally high in fat include hamburgers, chips, ice cream, pizza, and candy.  Anything fried will be high in fat.

Carbohydrates (carbs) have a bit of a bad reputation, but there is a difference between foods with simple carbs and foods with complex carbs.  The more natural something is, the more likely it is to have the "good" complex carbs.  Whole grains like oats and wheat are good complex carbohydrate sources.  On the other hand, foods high in sugar are typically full of the "bad" simple carbs.  High carb foods include fruit, oatmeal, rice, pasta, breads, and cakes, cookies, etc.

A nutrition label will show the amount of each of these that a product contains.

What case does Montag make to Mildred in defense of reading in Fahrenheit 451?

Basically, what Guy Montag says to his wife, Millie, is
that reading books might improve their lives -- both their own personal lives and the
life of the country as a whole.

First (this is at the
beginning of Part II), Montag points out that Millie had just had the overdose of
pills.  He implies that it is because she does not
read.

Second, he talks about wars that the country has
had.  He says that maybe if people read books, they would quit making the same mistakes
over and over.

Why does Annie think it is shameful for Sonia that her mother has died and left her alone in the world?

In Chapter 1, Annie identifies herself through her mother.  She sees the world through her mother's eyes and sees herself as the center of her mother's world.  Therefore, she feels that Sonia will have no guidance in the world without a mother.  How will Sonia learn to grow into a proper young lady and adult woman without the guidance of a mother?  Of course, this is just the beginning.  Kincaid establishes Annie's youthful impression of her mother as a foundation on which to demonstrate the changes that occur through maturation.

What is gender socialization?gender and socialization

Socialization is the process by which kids learn the values of the culture in which they live.  Kids are socialized first by their parents and then later by friends and teachers.  In many societies, the different genders are expected to behave quite differently -- this is a value in such societies.  So gender socialization is the process by which a kid is taught how his or her gender is "supposed to" behave.

For example, a child might be taught that "boys don't cry" or that girls don't play rough games.  These sorts of socialization play a large role in setting up gender stereotypes and attitudes that persist later in life.

In Chapter 7 of To Kill a Mockingbird, what is Mr. Avery's belief about why it has snowed?

Mr. Avery probably does not truly believe this, but his claim in Chapter 7 is that disobedient children are the cause of odd weather phemonena.  Here is the quote:

Mr. Avery said it was written on the Rosetta Stone that when children disobeyed their parents, smoked cigarettes and made war on each other, the seasons would change: Jem and I were burdened with the guilt of contributing to the aberrations of nature, thereby causing unhappiness to our neighbors and discomfort to ourselves.

Avery's intimidation adds to the list of lies adults tell and serves to further distance Jem and Scout's upstanding, moral, truthful father as unique among the inhabitants of Maycomb. 

In what way are Billy's dogs unsual?

There are several things that seperate them from most
dogs, the first is probably their amazing ability to hunt racoons and other animals. 
Obviously part of this is due to the training and the hours that Billy spends working
with them, but as with many things, a part of it is also their innate talents.  They are
absolutely fantastic at chasing down scents and treeing their
prey.

They are also unusual in the rather amazing way they
work together.  They appear to have a clear understanding of each other's limitations
and they play on their own strengths to make sure each hunt is
successful.

In the end, perhaps the other thing that is
unusual about them is their amazing devotion to each other.  Once Old Dan has died from
the wounds he received from the cougar, Little Ann also dies, simply because she has
lost her will to live without him.

Express temperature as a function of height, using linear model?The ground temperature is 20 degrees C. The temperature of 10 degrees C is at a...

Given:

Temperature at ground level, that is when height is 0 (h0) meters

= t0 = 20 degrees centigrade

Temperature at height 1 km (h) meters

= t = 10 degrees centigrade

It is assumed that the temperature drops in proportion to increase in height.

This can be expressed in the form of equation as follows:

t = t0 - C*(h - h0)   ...   (1)

Where C is a constant.

Substituting values of t0, t h0 and h in equation (1) we get:

10 = 20 - C*(1 - 0) = 20 - C

Therefore:

C = 20 - 10 = 10

Substituting value of C, t0, and h0 in equation (1) we get:

t = 20 - 10*(h - 0) = 20 - 10h

Therefore temperature can be expressed as a function of height by the equation:

Temperature in degrees centigrade = 20 - 10*(Height in km)

Critical appreciation of the poem 'the queen of hearts' by christina rossetti?

Thanks for bringing this fine poem to my
attention.

The poem seems to be an extended metaphor
(sometimes called a "conceit") about the poet's difficulties in matters of the heart
(that is, love) and her friend's seemingly effortless success in such
matters.

Flora, the friend, always seems to hold the Queen
of Hearts, which symbolizes love, or perhaps what we would call today "emotional
maturity."  The poet, no matter how much she cuts and shuffles the deck, never seems to
draw the Queen of Hearts. 

The poet tells us that once she
was deceived by the Queen of Clubs, which appeared to be the Queen of Hearts.  Perhaps
this symbolizes a time that the poet thought she had found love,
but was later disappointed.

In the poem's conclusion, the
poet wonders what her friend's secret is; is it:

readability="9">

skill, or craft, or luck in
you:
Unless, indeed, it be
Natural
affinity.

Imagine a group of hunters kills half of the rabbit population. How will it affect the other organisms?no

If half the rabbits in a given population are killed off,
there will be impacts both up and down the food
chain.

Looking down the food chain, the things that the
rabbits eat will not be eaten as much.  Therefore, their population will increase.  They
may crowd out other plants that compete for their niche (if the rabbits didn't eat those
too).

Other organisms that eat the same things as rabbits
will also flourish.  They will have less competition for the
food.

Up the food chain, animals that depend on the rabbits
for food will see their populations drop.  This is because they will not have as much
food to eat.

Characterize the......Q1) Characterize the speaker and evaluate her reliability as a reporter and interpreter of events. Where does she refrain...

All of your questions are very interesting, but I'm afraid we can only address one at a time in our responses. I will begin with the first.

It is an old adage that mothers often offer more nuture and care to her children that need it most, and such might be the case with the narrator in "Everyday Use."  The narrator's sympathy for Maggie can be seen when she tells us about the fire that maimed Maggie, for then she wanted to ask Dee "Why don't you do a dance around the ashes?" Even early on, the narrator resented Dee for her beauty, her aloofness, her desire to break out of the poverty. This narrator is "a large, big-boned woman," very different from her gorgeous daughter, and might have often wondered how they could even be related. Surely, too, the narrator must have resented Dee "hating the house that much," when that house was all the narrator, as mother and provider, could give her daughters. The camaraderie experienced by Maggie and the narrator at the end certainly excludes Dee, almost gleefully, forgetting that Dee might in fact be hurt by all of this. The mother does not try to teach Dee; she wants to protect Maggie, for there she finds someone similar to herself.

Romeo and Juliet?FRIAR LAURENCE Hold, daughter: I do spy a kind of hope,Which craves as desperate an execution.As that is desperate which we...

Juliet is desperate to avoid being forced into polygamy by her father because Lord Capulet has ordered her to marry the County Paris, and she is already married to Romeo.  In her desperation, she threatens to kill herself.  Friar Laurence's monologue offers her "a kind of hope" to get her out of her dilemma.  He, too, is desperate to avoid the forced wedding because he is the one who married Romeo and Juliet behind their parents' backs.  Friar Laurence tells her that if she "hast the strength of will to slay" herself, then maybe she has the guts to "undertake a thing like death".  He is saying that if she is claiming to be strong enough to commit suicide to prevent the marriage, then perhaps she may be willing to go through with faking her own death.  If she agrees, then he has a potion ready for her to take.  Friar Laurence outlines the plan for Juliet that she should take the potion, which will make her fall into a deep sleep, with her body growing cold, and her breath becoming so shallow as to be unnoticeable. When the Capulets put her in the family burial vault, Friar Laurence will send word to Romeo to come and get her before the potion wears off.  In that way, the two can be together. 

This plan is not merely to help Romeo and Juliet, however.  Friar Laurence could get into a lot of trouble for going behind the backs of the Capulets and the Montagues and marrying the couple without the families' knowledge or permission.  This plot would allow the Friar to escape having to explain his decision, as well as avoiding any possible negative repercussions.  At this point, he is attempting to save himself as well as helping the young couple. 

Unfortunately, "the best laid schemes of mice and men" have a way of not working out.  Lord Capulet moves the wedding from Thursday to Wednesday, shortening the time allowed for Friar Laurence to alert Romeo of the plan, and Friar John, who is supposed to deliver the news to Romeo, gets held up in a quarantine.  Romeo never learns that she has faked her death, and he takes poison next to her "body" in the crypt.  Juliet wakes up to find Romeo dead, and she kills herself with his dagger.

How does "There Will Come Soft Rains" by Bradbury relate to "Meteor" by John Wyndham, and what is the analysis of "Meteor"?

American writer, Ray Bradbury, and British writer, John Wyndham, are notably two of the most famed science fiction writers.  Both wrote of man's ultimate demise, the end of civilizations, and the power of nature to overcome. Bradbury incoporated settings of typical situations overpowered by man-made troubles, as demonstrated by the atomic aftermath in his short story, "There Will Come Soft Rains." Wyndham is famed for using similar typical situations, but typically in his the

...end of the civilization can come in the form colonies of telepathic children, who do not have individual spirits, or spiders start to cooperate, hunt in packs, or quasi-intelligent plants threaten the very existence of mankind.

Both "There Will Come Soft Rains" and "Meteor" share a calm and peaceful tone established by settings comprised of normal situations and natural presentations of an apocalytical event. The subject matter of both deal with man's detructive nature and delve into issues of moral values humankind must face in order for a balanced existence within nature.

ONLY CHAPTER6: What are George's last remarks to Lennie? Why does George repeat a story that has been told so many times before?Of Mice and Men by...

In the denouement of John Steinbeck's Of Mice
and Men, George has Lennie repeat the dream for two
reasons: 

First of all, Lennie loves the dream and delights
in its repetition.  It is a calming force for Lennie, and one that brings him joy.  So,
George gives his childlike friend the last and final treat before sending him to
heaven. 

Secondly, Lennie is the keeper of the dream. 
George has always known that they will never realize the dream of having a ranch of
their own, but he has half believed in the dream by the prayer that it has become
through repetition.  But, since George now realizes that the dream cannot exist without
Lennie, he ends the dream as a final prayer with Lennie's death.

Please explain how the social learning theory can be apllied to the concept of gender and gender roles.

The basic premise behind the social learning theory is that people learn behaviors from observing the ways that other people act.  So, if a child is around parents and role models that constantly yell, then they learn pretty early on that yelling is acceptable, and a way of dealing with problems and stress.  That is just one example.  Let's take that concept and apply it to gender and homosexuality.  Let's say that a little girl is watching her mother get ready for a party; Mom puts on a nice dress, curls her hair, puts on make-up, and sprays on perfume.  The next time the little girl is going somewhere, she mimics all of the things that her mother did; she puts on fake make-up, sprays fake perfume.  She has learned a female gender role from observing her mother.

If a child is around role models that are homosexual, they will probably pick up behaviors and traits exemplified by those role models.  If they grow up surrounded by only women, it could be that they find it easier to relate to or be around women.  The same applies for men.

Another angle to this perspective is that some people feel that social learning is highly responsible for girls behaving like girls, and boys behaving like boys.  If you take a girl and constantly model classically male behaviors (like playing contact sports or using power tools) then that girl might behave more like a boy than a girl.  The modeling is the key to social learning theory; people learn what is being modeled around them, and that applies to gender roles, and to homosexuality.  I hope that those thoughts help to get you started, and I also provided some links below that might be useful.  Good luck!

How does the poem "If" reflect Kipling's bitter vision of the world?

The poem is full of Kipling's bitter vision of the world. The number of of obstacles that the speaker suggests his son will have to face to become 'a Man' attests to the poet's harsh vision of human nature and destiny. The poet advises his son to meet the challenges put by his hostile world with courage if he is to live with dignity.

-In keeping with his bitter vision of the world, in the first stanza of the poem the poet talks about betrayals and attacks. He calls on his son to be patient, remain calm and ignore those who will blame him for misfortunes, doubt him, tell lies about his abilities , and hate him.

-In second stanza he warns of the dangers of losing control of oneself to dreams or being affected by 'Triumph and Disaster'. He calls both triumph and disaster as imposters as both are deceptive.

-In the third stanza, Kipling extolls the idiolistic hero's battle with destiny rather than with others.

-Kipling shows his deep understanding of human nature in the last stanza. It talks about equality and asks to behave alike with commoners and the kings.

-The poet has mentioned twenty six obstacles by striving to became a perfect man. The reception of the word "if" suggests that it is a difficult task.

How does Oedipus exhibt weakness of character? Point to lines that reveal him as imperfectly noble in his words, deeds, or treatment of others.

In the play of Sophocles, Oedipus Rex, the king, Oedipus, is, indeed, nobly imperfect; this is quality that generates his hubris and eventual downfall.  Yet, it also is a quality of its own, separate from the arrogance of Oedipus.  For instance, in Act I when Oedipus speaks with Kreon about the "defilement," Oedipus entertains no adversary or impediment to his kingly abilities as he asks Kreon, "What trouble could prevent your hunting down the killers?" (131) And, in his confidence, he vows to "bring what is dark to light." (134)

That Oedipus entertains in self-confidence that nothing is beyond his control illustrates his imperfection. In Act II, he confidently utters a decree that "no further trouble/Will come to him [who knows Laios]" (216); and, if anyone knows the murderer, "he shall have his reward from me" (219).

Tragically, this imperfection in Oedipus leads to his hubris as in the progression of the play, he refuses to believe that anything may be beyond his control as he ignores all the signs around him and the advice of Jocasta.  Ironically, then, it is this hubris which causes his fate.

how does the setting affect the plot, characters and theme

The setting dictates how the families live, how they support themselves, and their cultural, traditional, and religious beliefs. The family must become nomadic in the desert, requiring that they live simply and economically. Shabanu wears the same tunic and skirt for three years.

The desert setting also controls the mode of transportation, which is for Shabanu's family, camels. We learn all about camels, as it has been the transportation for the people of this region for generations.

What is the dramatic effect of Macbeth Act 3 Scene 4?Could you tell me what the dramatic irony is of this scene and what is the purpose of this scene?

When acted well, this scene is the highlight of the play.  We know that Banquo's ghost is sitting in the chair reserved for Macbeth, but only Macbeth and the audience see the ghost--thus, we have dramatic irony.  The scene is eerily humorous. Macbeth cannot control his reaction upon seeing the ghost and even shakes off Lady Macbeth's chiding that he is acting cowardly:

The times has been

That when the brains were out, the man would die,

And there an end; but now they rise again

With twenty mortal murders on their crowns,

And push us from our stools.

When he attempts to pull himself together and lament Banquo's absence at the banquet, the ghost appears again.  The audience sees the ghost before Macbeth does, and the anticipation of his reaction is enormous.  Shakespeare does not fail to deliver.  Macbeth is clearly shaken:

Avaunt! and quit my sight!  Let the earth hide thee!

Thy bones are marrowless, thy blood is cold . . .

This scene shows us the enormous changes that Macbeth has undergone.  With Duncan's murder, Macbeth instantly felt remorse and guilt.  He knew he would never sleep well again and wished that the murder could be undone.  However, with Banquo's murder, Macbeth's guilt becomes more subconscious.  He has suppressed his scruples over murdering his friend Banquo, even jovially praising the murderers who killed him.   Yet, we see that Macbeth is not an entirely evil man.  He is still wracked by his conscience, albeit suppressed.  The ghost is Shakespeare's dramatic way of showing Macbeth's inability to murder without suffering pangs of conscience.

It is after this scene that Macbeth completely distances himself from Lady Macbeth and turns toward the witches for help.

Why did Obierika, Okonkwo's friend, help destroy Okonkwo's compound in Things Fall Apart?

Obierika helps destroy Okonkwo's compound because it is dictated in the tribe's traditions that this is what must be done. Okonkwo has committed a crime against the earth goddess by killing one of his clansmen, the son of Ezeudu. Although the killing was inadvertent - Okonkwo's gun had gone off accidentally and the bullet had lodged in the boy's heart - the punishment is clear. Okonkwo and his family must leave the tribe, and live in exile for seven years.

As Okonkwo's friend, Obierika comes to console the distraught man, and to help him pack his things. After Okonkwo is gone, Obierika dresses in the garbs of war with the other men as tradition prescribes, and sets fire to Obierika's living quarters. Obierika and the others harbor no ill-will towards Okonkwo -

"They (have no hatred in their hearts...it (is) the justice of the earth goddess, and they (are) merely her messengers."

The bonds of tradition are strong; her customs must be obeyed, lest disaster fall upon the entire clan. Custom establishes order in the life of the tribesmen, and so it is followed faithfully, and generally without question. Obierika, however, is a thinking man, and although he does what tradition dictates, he wonders why a man should suffer so for something he did unintentionally, but although he ruminates upon the matter for a long time, he finds no answers (Chapter 13).

What is the difference between pay and/or reward system in any company?

There is no universally applicable meaning attached to
these terms.

All the monetary and non monetary benefits the
employees get from their employees in return for their services are generally called
their compensation or reward for employment. The schemes or system used for determining
such rewards are called compensation or reward system.

The
total reward given to employee is classified in two categories. Monetary rewards and
other benefits. Monetary rewards are again divided in two parts. First is a fixed pay
part, which is a basic payment paid on the basis of a fixed time or piece rate. The
other is a variable pay, which is payment made based on performance in addition to the
fixed pay. The variable performance based payment are given under the names such as
incentives and commissions. Some companies describe the system used for all the monetary
payment as pay system. Other companies use the term only for the system of fixed pay
under the pay system and use include variable payment under separate system called by
various names like incentive system of commission
system.

Sometimes the term reward is also used for
recognition and special payments or benefits in kind given to employees for some special
achievement. For example employees with exceptionally good performance may receive
reward in form of paid holiday with family at some exotic tourist destination. Or a
salesman may be given special recognition in the form of an award called "best salesman
of the year", accompanied by some monetary payment.

What are the major differences and similarities between Tennyson,Browning, and Mathew Arnold?in their poetry(in memoriam,my last duchess, and dover...

To begin with, these poets are all writing in the Victorian era.  A definite similarity between the three is that all might be considered monologues, in that they are spoken by a speaker to another persona within the poem (though Browning is the most famous for using the monologue form).

Arnold and Tennyson are extremely concerned with the thematic issue of faith, which plays a prominent role in both "Dover Beach" and the opening of "In Memoriam."  In these poems, faith figures as a way to connect with others (the speakers connect with the addressee of the poem in "In Memoriam," and with others across time and space, such as Sophocles, in "Dover Beach").  By contrast, Browning's poem specifically rails against ideas of faith and human connection, in that the Duke has had the Duchess killed and he sees no harm in it, even boasting about it to the poem's addressee.

Another difference between these poets is in their use of form.  Browning and Tennyson are writing in defined poetic forms: Browning uses the classic form of the heroic couplet (two lines of iambic pentamenter that rhyme together), and Tennyson uses the "In Memoriam" stanza, a stanza structure that he has created specifically for this poem and that consists of four lines of iambic tetrameter rhyming ABBA.  Both do not break their rhyme and meter.  Arnold, on the other hand, while he is certainly conscious of the effects of the variable rhymes and rhythms present in his poem, adheres less strictly to form.  He includes stanzas and lines of varying length and stress; he is essentially writing in an early form of free verse.  The freedom of Arnold's form mimics the poem's boundless message of, "Ah, love, let us be true / to one another!"  The restraint depicted in the other two poems, however, perhaps suggests Tennyson's speaker's attempt to reign in and control his grief through the structure of poetry, and, on a darker note, hints at the dark self-control of Browning's murderous speaker.

How do you think the Joads lacked biblical leadership in the Grapes of Wrath?they relied upon man more than they did upon God.

This is an interesting question.  I certainly don't think the Joads turned their backs on God; this is witnessed through grandma's insistance on Casy remaining a preacher.  There are examples from the past that the Joad children were baptized, they know Casy from his preaching days, etc.  However, I certainly think the Joads have made the assumption that "doing" will get them farther than praying.  Someone devoutly religious may have stayed on the farm and waited for God to provide or for a some definite sign of what to do.  The Joads, like so many other Okies, took to the roads to take their chances.  But again, I'm not sure this constitues a lack of religion.

Yes, they certainly relied on fellow travelers more than the power of prayer, but wouldn't the devout make the assumption that the willingness to help each other was a divine gift?  You can probably pick whichever side of the fence to sit on you wish - the Joads weren't attending church services or kneeling down at the bedside to say their prayers every night, but they weren't in the middle of the road cursing God for their plight either.

What is an example of dramatic irony in Oedipus Rex?

We, the reader/audience, also know way before Oedipus does that he has in fact killed his father and married his mother. Since the time of the prophecy, Oedipus has gone to great pains to avoid the fruition of the fortune telling.  We know well before Oedipus does that he has run right into the prophecy's fullfillment.  The hints are all over the play...speeches, and the chorus' responses.

Why did the Catholic Church not allow Henry VIII to get a divorce from Catherine of Aragon?

Henry did not want a divorce, but an
annulment.  The real reason Henry VIII could not get a papal annulment of his marriage
was the political and military power of Catherine's nephew, Emperor Charles
V. It was actually a bit more complicated than just wanting the
dispensation, there were many complications involving the marriage itself, the balance
of power in Europe and Catherine's family.  First of all, Catherine of Aragon had been
wife to Henry's older brother, Arthur, the heir to the throne of Britain.  Arthur died
four months later, and a treaty was signed between Henry VII and Catherine's parents
(Ferdinand and Isabella of Columbus fame) allowing for a marriage between Catherine and
the new heir to the throne Prince Henry (who of course became Henry VIII).  This
marriage of a man to his brother's wife required a papal dispensation.  It was not a
necessity, since Catherine swore her marriage to Arthur had never been consummated, but
the monarchs requested and received dispensation as a formality This became important
later during the annulment attempt.

The marriage was beset
with political difficulties before it even took place, and afterwards produced no male
heir to Henry VIII's throne.  A miscarriage was followed by a son who died very shortly,
followed by a second miscarriage and a second son who died soon.  Mary was born next,
followed by apparently two more miscarried pregnancies.  Henry wanted an heir (and had a
keen eye for the ladies, anyway), and by the time his romance with Anne Boleyn became
known Catherine was 42 and unable to bear children.  So Henry decided to petition the
Pope for an annulment on the grounds of childlessness and her first marriage to his
brother.  Of course, there had been three children, one of whom was still alive, but
politically this didn't matter to Henry, he wanted a male heir.  As to the first
marriage, a dispensation had been granted so it didn't matter, and Catherine swore all
her life the marriage had not been consummated.  Given Prince Arthur's health issues
that seems likely.

Henry's problem was that Catherine
appealed to her nephew Charles of the House of Hapsburg.  He was son of Catherine's
sister Joanna and Philip of Burgundy, and also happened to be King of Spain, Holy Roman
Emperor and ruler of Burgundy, Naples, Milan, etc.  Essentially, Charles V
was the major power on the mainland of Europe, and he let the pope know that if he
granted an annulment to Henry VIII he, Charles V, would sack Rome. The
pope spent six years prevaricating and wrangling over details with Henry until, in 1533,
Anne Boleyn became pregnant.  Henry VIII simply ordered the Archbishop of Canterbury,
Thomas Cranmer, to grant the annulment and broke with the Roman
Church.

What does it mean if exchange rates have been floated?

Currencies like Euros and Dollars are traded on the world market all the time, every day.  Most countries allow the value of their currency against others in the world to be based on supply and demand.  That is, if a lot of investors in other countries buy dollars, then the value of the dollar goes up against other currencies like the Euro or Yen.  If a lot of people sell dollars to invest in others, then the value of the dollar goes down.

So when you travel to Canada and they post an "exchange rate", they are telling you how many Canadian Dollars you can get for an American Dollar.  That exchange rate will change each day a little bit because both currencies are "free floating".

There is some controversy right now between us and China, because they keep their currency off the float exchange, or at least limited, so that their Yuan is artificially more valuable than it would be in world markets.  Obama may have finally just gotten them to relent on this and trade the Yuan more freely.  This could lead to lower prices for goods made in the US and sold in China, which may create jobs here in the US.

Why is Fortinbras's presence important?Hamlet (act 5)

In Shakespeare's Hamlet, the appearance of Hamlet's foil, Fortinbras, a man of brevity, loyalty, and bravery, provides the impetus to Hamlet's final actions.  Like Hamlet, Fortinbras has had a father slain, but he immediately seeks revenge.  But, unlike Hamlet the procrastinator, he is, as Claudius brazenly calls him "an opportunist."  Horatio warns that Fortinbras (whose name suggests strength [fort=strong]) "is going to recover of us by strong hand" the lands that King Hamlet has taken from his father. And, like Hamlet he is the true heir to the throne of his country, the Prince of Norway as Hamlet is the Prince of Denmark.  The loyalty of Fortinbras impels him to avenge his father; however, it also causes him to faithfully obey his uncle's wishes not to bear arms against Denmark while Hamlet waivers between thoughts of revenge and despairing ideas of suicide.

Finally, in Act V, when Hamlet who waivers in his loyalty to his murdered father witnesses the valor of Fortinbras, he is in awe.  In his final soliloquy, Hamlet reflects,

A thought which, quartered, hath but one part wisdom

And ever three parts coward--I do not know

Why yet I live to say "This thing's to do,'

Sith I have cause, and will, and strength, and means,

To do't.  Examples gross as earth exhort me:

Witness this army of such mas and charge,--

Led by a delicate and tender prince,

Whose spirit, with divine ambition puffed,

Makes mouths at the invisible event,

Exposing what is mortal and unsure

To all that fortune, death, and danger dare,

Even for an eggshell.... (4.4.46-53)

Fortinbras provides Hamlet with the inspiration to act:

....How stand I then,

That have a father killed, a mother stained, (4.4.56-57)

Unconsciously fulfilling the desire of the Prince of Norway, the Prince of Denmark in his valor rids Denmark of its corrupt court.  As all of the court of Denmark are slain, fortuitously, Fortinbras enters.  And, ironically, the looming threat of this Prince of Norway's revenge is fulfilled, not as a threat, but as a reward to him who has "some rights of memory in this kingdom" (5.2.369). It is also ironic that Fortinbras's inaction of not attacking Denmark provides him reward, while Hamlet has suffered because of his inaction.   Nevertheless, in this reward to Fortinbras, that "delicate and tender prince," Hamlet acts with valor and achieves victory over the corrupt court of Denmark, receiving a soldier's burial by decree of Fortinbras., who declares,

The soldier's music and the rite of war

Speak loudly for him. (5.2.178-179)

Find two numbers such that their sum equalls 21, and the greater number is 3 more than twice the smaller.

x + y = 21.

x = 2y + 3

Now we solve using these two equations.

All we have to do is substitute the value for x that is giving in the second equation into the first equation.  Now we have

2y + 3 + y = 21

3y + 3 = 21

3y = 18

y = 6

If y = 6, then x must = 15.

We can check this by seeing if 15 is 3 more than twice 6.

(6*2) + 3 = 15

12 + 3 = 15

This is true so our values are correct.

How does simple diffusion compare with facilitated diffusion?

Both types of diffusion involve substances moving across a membrane and going down a concentration gradient.  This means that both types of diffusion do not require an input of energy. In other words a substance will move from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration.  Simple diffusion happens when substances move across a membrane without any help.  In facilitated diffusion no movement will occur unless the substance has the help of a certain carrier protein which is embedded in the cell membrane.  The protein recognizes the particular substance and allows it to pass through the membrane.  The protein does its job by actually changing shape.  Check out this great animation in the link below.

Who is Osric, and why is he included in the play Hamlet in Act 5?

In Act V, scene 2 of Hamlet, Osric is the silly courtier sent by Claudius to summon Hamlet to a duel with Laertes. Osric is the kind of courtier who royalty put up with because he is rich. Hamlet says of him, "Let a beast be lord of beasts and his crib shall stand at the king’s mess." In other words, Osric is basically a beast, but because he is wealthy, he is welcome at the king's table. Hamlet also refers to Osric when speaking to Horatio as a "water-fly," a type of insect, so Osric is the type of man who lives off others. 

Osric is a satirical figure who agrees with whatever Hamlet says. He first says it's hot, and then when Hamlet says it's cold, Osric agrees. He is essentially a superficial person. As Hamlet describes him, "But blow a little on this bubbly talk, and it’ll burst. There’s no substance here." 

The reason that Shakespeare may have included Osric in the play was to poke fun at the English court, which was filled with figures who flattered royalty and were superficial. Shakespeare included references to life in the English court to please his patrons, first Queen Elizabeth and, after her death in 1603, James I.

At the end of chapter 12 it says "The officer, surrounded by these noises, was moved and a little embarrassed." Why would he be embarrassed?

My interpretation of the last few pharagraphs of where the officer finally arrives on the island was as if he had stepped into a dream - it was strange that a whole school of boys on an island could be holding their own war. He even jokes about it to Ralph, when he hears narrations of their stay on the island. Even the mobidity of Piggy's death is brought up in a whimsical tone - it is as if the deaths on the island were considered light, insignificant and unconvincing.

His embarrassment probably arises from Ralph bursting into tears and the emergence of some of the boys, running around unclothed with runny noses. Perhaps in his mind, he regrets his lackadaisical attitude towards the boys in the first place. Personally, I think it represents a lack of female instinct displayed by the male gender throughout the book. From the beginning, some of the younger boys found comfort in suckling their thumbs, but the savagery and violence that men generally lean towards, as compared to women, overwhelms the children on the island.

Likewise, the officer displays a lack of concern, sensitivity and even affection towards the boys, who have been through their own little "war."

What are the Negroes' cabins like where Tom Robinson lived in To Kill a Mockingbird?

The cabins where Tom Robinson and the other blacks lived are little better than shacks.  They are all in the same area separated from the poor whites.  In the story, the reader gets a better description of the Ewell's cabin which is also little better than a shack but it is to be understood that they do live slightly better than the Negroes on the outskirts of town.  

These cabins would have cold in the winter and difficult to heat.  They were probably comprised of two rooms one in the front and one in the back.  One room would have been used to cook in and the other to sleep in.  There would have been no indoor plumbing or running water.   

How does Macbeth by Shakespeare and Waiting for Godot by Beckett & Oedipus the king offer social criticism of the societies they depict?If you look...

The two main characters in Waiting for Godot represent
humankind waiting for God to answer their prayers. Beckett's play makes several
commentaries on society, but the one that resonates the most with me is the questioning
of why individuals are willing to be blind followers instead of taking action with
and/or in their lives.

The two guys "waiting" do the same
thing every day, in spite of the fact that they have interactions with outsiders,
which should prompt them to think or act differently. It reminds me of an old adage that
criticizes teenagers who want to be like their friends. Their parents ask: "If so-and-so
leaped off a bridge, would you jump, too?"

Beckett admires
individualists and critical thinkers, neither of which the "waiters" are. He uses their
storyline to show how ridiculous one's life can become without "thinking
hard."

Find a figure of speech in one of the excerpts from Moby-Dick: then paraphrase it... please i need help with this... thank you

In Chapter 36, Captain Ahab comes upon the quarter-deck and calls for all the sailors to come onto the deck, as well.  Gathering the crew around him, he admits to them that the pursuance of Moby Dick, who has taken his leg from him, is the purpose of his voyage.  The good first mate, Starbuck, is dismayed at Ahab's wish for vengeance upon "a dumb brute," but Ahab's apprehension of the great white whale, an aberration of nature itself, is much more.  When Starbuck tells Ahab,

"Vengeance on a dumb brute!...that simply smote thee from blinds instinct!  Madness!  To be enraged with a dumb thing, Captain Ahab, seems blasphemous."

"Hark ye yet again, the little lower layer.  All visible objects, man, are but as pasteboard masks [metaphor].  But in each event--in the living act, the undoubted deed--there, some unknown but still reasoning thing puts forth the mouldings of its features from behind the unreasoning mask.  If man will strike, strike through the mask!  How can the prisoner reach outside except by thrusting through the wall?  To me, the white whale is that wall shoved near to me.  Sometimes I think there's naught beyond.  But, 'tis enough.  he tasks me; he heaps me; I see in him outrageous strength, with an inscrutable malice sinewing it.  That inscrutable thing is chiefly what I hate; and be the white whale agent, or be the white whale principal, I will wreak that hate upon him.  Talk not to me of blasphemy, man, I'd strike the sun if it insulted me.  For could the sun do that, then could I do the other; since there is ever a sort of fair play herein, jealousy presiding over all creations.  ...Who's over me?  Truth hath no confines.

An anti-Transcendentalist, Herman Melville felt that nature was not always sympathetic to man; there was, he believed a malevolence in it.  The white whale, hideous in its oddity, is a force of evil behind its "pasteboard mask."  Ahab seeks what is behind this "mask"; he seeks the universal truth and explanation of malice that is in nature.

In what way has Henry lost all of his boys in Lion in Winter? How did each of Henry's four sons disown him?

In the atmosphere of political intrigue that surrounds the selection of King Henry's heirs, each of Henry's living sons proves to be interested only in securing the kingdom for himself. The sons have no loyalty towards their father, and when they believe they have not been chosen to become the heir, they have no problem plotting against their patriarch.

Henry has four sons by his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine. The oldest, named Henry after his father, is dead. Of the three sons remaining, Richard is twenty-six, Geoffrey is twenty-five, and John is sixteen. Eleanor wants Richard to be heir to the kingdom, while Henry wants John. Henry tells Eleanor that he will name Richard as his heir if he can give the Aquitaine, land which is controlled by Eleanor, to John in compensation. Eleanor agrees, but Richard learns of the deal made between his parents, and does not agree to the conditions, opting instead to go to war to secure the throne and the land for himself. Because of his insubordination, Henry throws Richard into prison.

Meanwhile, when John thinks that Richard is going to be the heir, he joins up with King Phillip II of France to go to war against Henry. Geoffrey asks his father why he has never been considered for the throne, and Henry cruelly dismisses him, saying he never thinks about him at all. Henry then learns of John's treachery in plotting against him, and also finds out that Richard has had a homosexual affair with Phillip, which is considered scandalous.

So, to sum up, of Henry's four sons, the oldest, Henry, is dead. Richard has defied him and has also brought disgrace to his family by having a homosexual affair. Henry has alienated Geoffrey by blatantly declaring that he is insignificant in his estimation. John has plotted to go to war against him. There is no love in the relationships between sons and father. In an atmosphere of political maneuvering and greed, Henry has lost all his sons.

What is the point of view and theme in "Rip Van Winkle"?

The story is written in third person omniscient point of view.  The "omniscient" narrator isn't a character in the story of Rip Van Winkle, but comments on all the other characters and what those characters are thinking.  However, Washington Irving has created a character by creating the narrator.  The writing is supposed to have been done by Diedrich Knickerbocker, an American writer who passed away before this story was published.  In truth, Irving created the character of Knickerbocker to tell a few of his different stories, giving the writer a distinctive voice and making him seem like a pompous but distant observer of American life.

The theme of this story, Rip Van Winkle, relates to the new America, the America after the revolution.  The protagonist returns to the village to see a more active a busy populace, with the average man vocally engaged in politics.  But as he hears what these men have to say about their new leader, Van Winkle feels that not much has changed since the time of King George.  Irving suggests that politically changes do little to change the character of human beings.

Why has Paulo Freire’s book, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, been sold more than 750,000 copies worldwide?

In my opinion, the book has been successful because many people feel that they are being oppressed by the dominant, hegemonic culture.

Freire's book argues that people are oppressed, in part, because they have bought into this hegemonic thinking that the dominant classes and countries support.  These ideas justify the fact that the poor are poor and the wealthy are wealthy.  When the poor buy into them, they participate in their own oppression.

What this book offers "oppressed" people is an argument about why they are oppressed.  It tells them that their problems are the fault of others and that they need to rebel against these hegemonic forces.

This would be a very attractive argument to people who feel that they are oppressed.  I think that is why the book has sold so many copies.

When rolling a dice two times, what is the probability of having a number greater that 3?

Let x or y be the number coming up when you throw a dice. x = {1,2,3,4,5,6) and y = (1,2,3,4,5,6}. Probabilty of obtaining a number greater than 3, or  P(x+y >3) =1 -  P(x+y < =3 ).

Now x+y  could be (1,1), (1,2),.....(6,6) in 36 ways.

x+y <=3 could be in one of the (1,1), (1,2) , (2,1) 3 ways. Therefore, P(x+y <= 3) = 3/36. =1/12.

Therefore, P(x+y >= 3) = 1 - P(x+y <=3) = 1 -1/12 = 11/12.

How would you describe the overall mood of Act 1 in Julius Caesar?

In Act 1, Scenes 1 and 2 present us with the anxiety brought about by Caesar’s return from war, killing the previous ruler, Pompey. The mood is frenetic. It is noisy. The people in the streets are shouting, and there are games going on because it is the Feast of Lupercal. We can imagine Caesar and his troops marching into the city, with all the flourish that involves. Some soldiers are grumbling, angry with Caesar. As a result of the festivities, perhaps, a soothsayer is wandering about as well, and he goes up to Caesar to give his prediction, which surely creates more anxiety and makes the mood ominous. Then we learn that the crowd, in their adoration, offers Caesar the crown three times, only for him to refuse it. To be sure, this happens off stage, but the excitement flows over into the speeches of Casca, Cassius, and Brutus afterwards. We also hear that Caesar had an epileptic attack, which must have put quite an edge to the voice of the speakers as well. The anxiety and "edginess" in these scenes lead nicely to the more dramatic scene of the storm in Scene 3.

Why does the Party seek power?This is a question from the book 1984..plzzz help me out itz due 2morrow

In 1984, Orwell has O'Brien tell Winston why the Party seeks power.  He says that it seeks power simply for the sake of power.

O'Brien tells Winston that the Party is different from all the other people or groups who have tried to wield the same amount of power.  He says that those others have always at least pretended that they wanted power for some other purpose.  They would talk about wanting to help their people, things like that.  By contrast, the Party is totally honest -- all they want is power for the sake of power.

Here is a quote that shows this.  It is from Chapter 20.

The Party seeks power entirely for its own sake. We are not interested in the good of others ; we are interested solely in power. Not wealth or luxury or long life or happiness: only power, pure power.

In Macbeth, what does "O’erleap" mean?This is a word I have see often in Shakespearean writing. I sort of get the gist of what it means, but can...

In Macbeth Act II, Macbeth's aside
shows that he is jealous of Malcolm and wants to "O'erleap" him in status.  Macbeth
wants to be next in line to be King, not fourth.   Macbeth
says:

readability="0">

The Prince of Cumberland! that is a
step
On which I must fall down, or else
o'erleap,
For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your
fires;
Let not light see my black and deep
desires:
The eye wink at the hand; yet let that
be,
Which the eye fears, when it is done, to
see.

This
is the contraction of two words: "over" and "leap." To fit his syllable
count, Shakespeares shortens and fuses words.  So, "O'erleap" simply means
"to leap over. "

Macbeth knows that he
can't become King with Malcolm (and Donalbain) in the way.  Therefore, he will kill
Duncan and blame his sons, specifically the newly crowned Prince of Cumberland, Malcolm.
 In this way he can lead over both princes to take the crown.

When the narrator opens the door and looks out in "The Raven," he half expects to find what?

I wonder if you are having trouble with this because it
does not actually say what the narrator expects at the moment he opens the door.  It
says earlier what he expects.

In the 4th stanza, the
narrator opens the door but sees only darkness.  So what was he
expecting?

First, look at the fact that he's talking as he
opens it -- speaking to "Sir ... or Madam."  So he's expecting a
person.

Earlier in the poem, starting with the first
stanza, we see that the narrator thinks that it must be some late-night
visitor.

I am writing a research paper on "The Death Penalty" and how capital punishment is unfairly given to minorities but I don't know where to...

There is a wealth of information about the death penalty,
whether it is effective as a deterrent, and whether it is fairly imposed and
administered. There are many web sites that advocate the moral and/or religious points
of view, both for and against, but my answer focuses on resources dealing with the
legal, political and social aspects of the death penalty.

I
suggest you start with a source that collects and analyzes data regarding the death
penalty, how it is imposed and on whom.  A good starting point would be the Death
Penalty Information Center, a well-respected non-profit organization that has been
studying the death penalty in the U.S. since the early 1990s.  The Center's web site is
at

http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/home

Another
web site that addresses the death penalty issue, its effectiveness and fairness
is:

http://bpp.wharton.upenn.edu/jwolfers/DeathPenalty.shtml

This
web site has links to pdf files of various articles describing research on the death
penalty, its effectiveness and fairness of its imposition and
administration.

Two other online resources you should
investigate are the ACLU Capital Punishment
Project:

http://www.aclu.org/capital-punishment/aclus-capital-punishment-project

and
the NAACP web
site:

http://www.naacp.org/advocacy/deathpenalty/

One
last group of web sites worth viewing are the Innocence Project web sites.  There are
Innocence Projects in many states, e.g., Illinois, Texas, Florida, Georgia, etc.  They
are non-profit legal organizations that offer legal representation to persons who have
been sentenced to death. Death penalty appeals require an exceptionally high degree of
skill and expertise that court-appointed attorneys in many states often lack.  The
Innocence Project web sites are well worth reading to find out about the issues of the
fairness of the imposition and administration of the death penalty. Just "google"
innocence project, and you'll find many of these
organizations.

Finally, you will also find a lively debate
in the pages of the New York Times and on web sites of organizations such as Amnesty
International.  Amnesty International opposes the death penalty, but you can find other
sources of information in the articles on the site.  The New York Times has vast
archives that will provide you with a great deal of factual information and debate on
all sides of the issue.

The sources I have described above
should be enough to get you started on your research. During the course of your
research, you will no doubt find additional sources of data and
debate.

Good luck!

Compare and contrast four reform movements of the mid-1800s (nineteenth century), such as temperance and public education.

Public Education:

Government schooling is a recent phenomenon.  Formerly, schooling was in the home from tutors if the family was well off, and in store-loft and old-field academies if the family was not well off.  The leaders who raised this country to greatness came from the old method of schooling, while it has been placed in its present state by leaders who come from the new method.

If you take Thomas Jefferson's argument for separation of church and state and substitute "school" every place that that argument says "church," you will have a very good argument for separation of school and state.

Here are some citations: two about the old way of schooling, one about the rigor of the curriculum, and one about education without schooling.

Joynes, Edward Southy. 1902. "School Training in the Early Days," extract from "The ‘Old Field’ School," in The Educational, May, 1902, reprinted in Library of Southern Literature, VII, 2870-2872, The Martin & Holt Company, 1907 & 1909.

Poe, Edgar Allen. 1836. "The Classics," Southern Literary Messenger, 2, 4 (Mar.), 221-233.  This one is on the Internet at a University of Michigan site.

Pudner, H. Peter. 1971. "People Not Pedagogy: Education in Old Virginia," Georgia Review, 25 (Oct.), 263-285.

Zettler, B. M. 1912. "School Days" in War Stories and School-Day Incidents for the Children. New York: The Neal Publishing Company, 23-31.  This one is on the Internet.