What poetic techniques Dickinson uses in her poem " I heard a Fly buzz -when I died- ?

Like the buzzing of a fly, the rhythm of Emily Dickinson's
poem, "I heard a Fly buzz--when I died--" is interrupted by dashes.  In this poem,
Dickinson uses her formal pattern of iambic tetrameter and trimeter.  Each stanza has an
abab pattern; the first three stanzas are written in half rhymes
[e.g. Room/Storm, firm/Room, be/Fly] while the final stanza is
written in full rhyme with me/see. With the half rhyme and dashes,
there is a sense of incompletion, while only in the last stanza with the death of the
speaker is there completion.

In this deathbed scene,
another of the images of domestic life about which Dickinson writes, the fly intrudes at
the most poignant of all human occurrences.  At the last moment of death as the speaker
wishes to be spiritually prepared for her death, "when the King/Be witnessed--in the
Room--" instead the fly, a metaphor for the intrusion of something so trivial and
annoying, interrupts her final moments as she "could not see to see--" and the solemn
moments of the onlookers, characterized by synedoche [Eyes,
Breaths] who "were gathering firm" are interrupted as
well. 

In 1984, how does O'Brien change throughout the book?

When Winston and Julia finally get to speak to O'Brien in
his rooms, he pretends to be a key leader in the Brotherhood, the rebel movement that
champions Goldenstein and is working covertly to bring down Big Brother. As such,
O'Brien asks Winston and Julia what they would be prepared to do to become rebels. This
of course is used against them later on. He appears to have mastered successfully what
Julia and Winston try to master: a double life, where he can appear to be a loyal
citizen of Big Brother and an important worker of the party on the one hand, but
internally, a rebel.

However, it is only when the Thought
Police arrest Winston and Julia that he sees O'Brien in the Ministry of Love and
realises how he has been tricked. O'Brien seems to be a strange mixture of torturer and
father-figure as he watches over Winston's reconditioning to love Big Brother, and it
seems that he, above all, symbolises the tyranny and the autocracy of Big Brother's
might and eternal power.

How does Austen create atmosphere in Pride and Prejudice and how does it change?

Austen creates the atmosphere of the time period in which
she sets the story by the way she crafts her characters and the various settings in the
novel.  Austen is a master of characterization and uses all of the tools available to
her.  When you consider a character like Mrs. Bennet, the audience very quickly
understands the social expectations for marriage of young women and the financial
necessity of marrying well for girls who will not have an inheritance.  Mrs. Bennet acts
in a silly manner, but at the heart of her speech and her actions is a mother who has
very real concerns for her daughters.  Austen also creates atmosphere in having each of
the Bennet daughters speak about their attitudes about marriage.  These attitudes are
contrasted with those of Charlotte Lucas who has a more practical nature and represents
the attitudes of many young women of the time period.

The
atmosphere of the social climate is created in each scene of a social gathering.  The
"rules" of behavior are drawn out at the first ball. This is further drawn at the
Netherfield Ball chapter.  Smaller measures of social climate are drawn at dinner
parties such the time Elizabeth spends at Netherfield during Jane's recuperation and at
the larger dinner party at Lady Catherine's later in the
novel.

The difference in social classes and wealth are
illustrated by Austen's descriptions of each of the major homes in the novel.  There is
a striking difference between Longbourne, Netherfield, Rosings, and Pemberly, not to
mention, Charlotte's home with Collins, and other smaller residences.  Austen makes the
difference in social classes very clear.

The overall
atmosphere of the novel doesn't change in regards to any of the above topics.  What does
change is Elizabeth and Darcy's attitudes about the importance of these things.  While
they will always be from different classes and backgrounds, their attitudes about
whether those things are important does change.  Elizabeth realizes that Darcy is
wealthy, but not as arrogant as he once appeared, and Darcy realizes that Elizabeth
possesses a nobility that has nothing to do with her birth.

What is “the tyrant’s plea” (394) in Paradise Lost Book IV?

Reading this quote in context, it comes after Satan has
mounted the tree and has seen with wonder and despair the form of Adam and Eve, in whom
"so lively shines... divine resemblance." As he sees them he plots their downfall and
declares that "Hell shall unfold / To entertain you two." However, at the end of this
speech he seems to offer the "tyrant's plea" to excuse himself for his actions in
planning the downfall of the pinnacle of God's
creation:

And
should I at your harmless innocence

Melt, as I do, yet
public reason just,

Honour and empire with revenge
enlarged,

By conquering this new world, compels me
now

To do what else though damned I should
abhor.

This, I think, is the
"tyrant's plea," with Satan being the tyrant, yet feeling the need to "excuse his
devilish deeds" by saying that he is compelled to pursue his plans to corrupt the
innocence of man, although if he were not "damned" he would "abhor" such a plan. Satan
as a character is absolutely fascinating in this entire epic classic, and the way he
presents himself is worthy of discussion. Here we see his apparent need to excuse his
behaviour. The reference to a "tyrant's plea" almost appears to be paradoxical, as
tyrants by their very nature do not make pleas, thus adding new levels of complexity to
the character of Satan.

In Shakespeare's Hamlet, what two explanations does Claudius offer Laertes for not proceeding against Hamlet's crimes?

In Act Four, scene seven, of Shakespeare's play,
Hamlet, Claudius offers two reasons to Laertes for why
he did not punish Hamlet outright when the Prince killed
Polonius.

It is important to remember that Claudius
believes Hamlet is dangerous to his position on the throne. Whether through Hamlet's
madness or firm intent, the Prince has become a threat and Claudius must get rid of him.
He tried to have Hamlet executed by the English, but was thwarted when, through Hamlet's
insightful machinations, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were killed
instead.

In this scene, Claudius is trying to manipulate
Laertes' anger against Hamlet (another son who has unjustly lost a father) so that
Laertes will be the instrument of Hamlet's destruction. Claudius promises that in no way
will guilt then fall on either of them; but Laertes wants to know why the King didn't
bring Hamlet up on charges for murder with the courts.

In
convincing Laertes, the King first tells the young man that the Claudius was prevented
from punishing Hamlet because Claudius loves Gertrude very much (whether that be a good
or bad thing), and she dotes on her son so much, that he can do nothing that she would
be unhappy with.

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The Queen his mother
Lives almost by
his looks; and for myself—
My virtue or my plague, be it either which—

She's so conjunctive to my life and soul
That, as the star moves
not but in his sphere,
I could not but by her.
 (IV.vii.13-18)

The second
reason Claudius gives for not punishing Hamlet is his popularity with the people of
Denmark. He says that the populace so admires Hamlet that would be willing to overlooks
his faults, and that things most people would judge to be wrong, they would excuse for
Hamlet's sake. In this case, the people (who aren't really fond of Claudius to begin
with) would find fault with the King, and Hamlet would go
unpunished.

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The other motive
Why to a
public count I might not go
Is the great love the general gender bear him,

Who, dipping all his faults in their affection,
Would, like the
spring that turneth wood to stone,
Convert his gyves to graces; so that my
arrows,
Too slightly timber'd for so loud a wind,
Would
have reverted to my bow again,
And not where I had aim'd
them. (IV.vii.20-26)

It is
with these two reasons that Claudius excuses himself for not having taken Hamlet into
the public courts to have him tried and punished for Polonius' murder. (In truth,
Claudius knows what he has done—murdering Old Hamlet—and cannot
afford any public accusations from Hamlet.)

Was the Cold War a war?

The Cold War was not a war in the sense of a violent
conflict between countries.  The two main antagonists (the US and the Soviet Union)
never formally fought one another.  So, in that way, you could argue that it should not
be called a war.

However, the Cold War truly was a war in
the sense that it was a struggle for survival between two countries or two ideologies. 
It was not fought with weapons, but it still had major consequences for the two
countries who were opposing one another.  You can see this from the fact that the
country that lost the Cold War (the Soviet Union) no longer
exists.

So, if you define war only as a conflict in which
two countries fight each other with military weapons, it was not a war.  But if you
define war as any conflict between nations in which there are severe consequences for
the loser, it clearly was a war.

What would be the ramifications if the United States had a direct election for president instead of the electoral college?

If the electoral college were eliminated, then the voices
of the populace of the smaller states would be substantially diminished. Candidates for
President would be inclined to spend most of their time and resources in the Northeast
and West Coast. The Midwest, South, and other parts of the country would be virtually
ignored. The framers of the Constitution created the Electoral College not only to
preserve the sovereignty of the individual states; but also to see that the smaller
states had some voice in the election of the President. Obviously, the vote in the
electoral college is heavily weighted toward the larger states, as it should be; but the
smaller states are not totally eliminated. Every election year, there are vociferous
voices calling for the elimination of the electoral college; and every election those
voices fall silent. After over 200 years, the best argument for the Electoral College is
that it works quite well.

What is Montag's and Clarisse's relationship throughout 1984 (or at least until she dies)???It would help sooo much if you include quotes. Thanks

Clarisse asks that Montag why he doesn't have daughters
like her. Clarisse is like a daughter in that she is inquisitive about the world, but
somehow wiser than all the adults. On page 27, in my copy, Montag tells her she sounds
old. She replies:

readability="6">

Sometimes I’m ancient. I’m afraid of children my
own age. They kill each other. Did it always used to be this
way?

Clarisse represents the
wonder and creativity with which children look at the world. Growing up in this
dystopia, Montag probably missed out on this perspective. She is the first to ask if
Montag has ever read the books he burns. She is also the first to ask if firemen used to
put out fires as opposed to starting them. She initially sparks his curiosity more than
any other character.

I’m not sure I would simply
characterize their relationship as a father/daughter dynamic. They both learn from each
other and Clarisse represents an alternative or foil to Mildred which is to say that
Clarisse is, in an innocent way, a romantic infatuation as well as a platonic one. I
would say that Montag learns more from her than she from him. For lack of something more
definitive, I would just say that they are friends. They are so different from each
other that each seems exotic to the other; as if they are from two different countries.
Maybe I would use exotic friendship. The implication of exotic means foreign, different
and curious.

Prove that y^2=4x+4 and y^2=4-4x intersect at right angles.

To find out the intersection point, we have to put the 2
equations into the relation:

4x+4 =
4-4x

For x=0, we'll have y^2 = 4*0 +
4

y^2 = 4

y1=2 and
y2=-2

To verify if the 2 curves (parabolas) are
perpendicular, we have to verify if the product of the slopes of their tangent lines, in
their intersection point, is -1.

First, let's calculate
their slopes. In order to do so, we'll calculate their
derivatives.

The derivative, with respect to x, for the
first parabola:

2y*y' = 4

y' =
4/2y

y' = 2/y, the slope of the first
parabola.

The derivative, with respect to x, for the second
parabola:

2y*y' = -4

y' =
-2/y, the slope of the second parabola.

Now, we'll check if
the product of slopes is -1.

(2/y)(-2/y) =
-4/y^2

We'll substitute y^2 by the value found at the point
of intersection, y^2=4

-4/y^2 =
-4/4=-1

The product of the slopes yields -1, so the
parabolas are intersecting eachother at right angle.

Describe some wartime attacks on civil liberties (WWI).

The main attack on civil liberties in the US during WWI
was the passage and enforcement of the Espionage and Sedition Acts.  These acts made it
illegal, in effect, to criticize government leaders and/or the war effort.  It also
allowed, for example, the postmaster-general of the US to bar anything from the mail
that would violate the act.  This law was used to imprison Eugene V. Debs for speaking
out against the draft.  The law was also used to obtain more than 1,000 convictions
against people like Socialists.

Another possible candidate
for an attack on civil liberties was the attack on all things German.  For example, the
teaching of German in public schools essentially disappeared during the war.  This is,
however, a less clear-cut case of infringement on civil liberties because there is no
constitutional guarantee that any language can be taught in
schools.

To what extent was purgatory replaced with alternative means of justifying the dead following the English Reformation?

There was no real attempt to replace Purgatory during the
English Reformation. The Act of Supremacy, which separated the Anglican Church from
Rome, contained no specific theological canons. Later, the Prayer Book of Edward VI
established liturgy for the church; but again there was no mention of Purgatory. The
Book of Common Prayer espoused the doctrine of salvation by faith alone. Since Purgatory
was based on good works, this doctrine had no bearing on ones just deserts after death.
The doctrine of Purgatory had been a strictly Catholic doctrine espoused by the church
on the authority of the Pope. There was no scriptural reference to it. As the English
church separated itself from the authority of the Pope, so it separated itself from the
doctrine of Purgatory.

Elizabeth I did more than anyone
else to placate English Catholics. She famously stated that she did not wish to
establish "windows into men's souls," and therefore settled for outward conformity in
religious matters. Only two sacraments were recognized, but sufficient Catholic practice
maintained as to not offend the consciences of most Catholics.

In Act IV, of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, compare Scenes i and iii.

Act IV in Julius Caesar by William
Shakespeare portrays the triumvirate and the surviving assassins after the death of
Caesar. The purpose of this Act is to look into the relationships of the two factions. 
Both groups are having difficulties in finding common
ground.

Act IV, Scene
I

In this scene, the triumvirate has two
items to discuss.  The first one is the list of senators who are supportive of the new
government.  Anyone who opposes Antony, Octavius, and Lepidus will make the list to be
put to death.  The group is so crass that they are willing to trade family members to
include on the list to die.

Antony sends Lepidus to obtain
Caesar’s will.  Antony wants to find out how he can keep from giving the people what
Caesar promised them. Portraying a different side of his personality, Antony seems hard
and cruel in this scene.

Lepidus, the new member of the
trio, is not respected by Antony.  He feels that Lepidus is not worthy of being a member
of the ruling authority.  Antony compares Lepidus to his horse.  Octavius, as usual,
disagrees with Antony.

The end of the scene shows Octavius
and Antony making plans to battle against the armies of the conspirators: Brutus and
Cassius.

It is obvious that this is not compatible group. 
Lepidus seems unaware of any problems.  However, the relationship between Antony and
Octavius does not seem to be conducive toward working together.  At some time in the
future, the two leaders will have to settle their issues with each
other.

Act IV, Scene
iii

This is the quarrel scene between
Cassius and Brutus.  Both men are angry with the
other.

Cassius is angry because Brutus condemned a friend
of his for taking bribes after Cassius asked him not to do
it.

Brutus has more than one quarrel with
Cassius.

• He believes that Cassius has forgotten
  why Caesar was put to death.  It was for the good of
  Rome.


• Now, Brutus believes that Cassius has been taking
  bribes as well. Brutus tells Cassius that he believes that he has an “itching
  palm.”


• Brutus is also angry because he asked Cassius for
  money to pay his soldiers and Cassius did not send it to
  him.

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I did send

To you
for gold to pay my legions, 

Which you denied
me. 

Was that done like
Cassius?

Should I have answer’d Caius Cassius
so?

Cassius denies all of
these things. He states that Brutus does not care for him as he once did.  He offers
Brutus his sword to kill him.  After a heated confrontation and many insults, the two
men reconcile and shake hands.  Then they drink together to assuage the wounds of the
quarrel.

Other soldiers come in to discuss how to handle
the forthcoming battle between their armies and Antony and
Octavius. 

From the conversation, several things are
learned.

There have been one hundred senators put to
death.

Portia has committed suicide believing that Brutus
has no chance of surviving.

Once again, Cassius, who is
more experienced, allows Brutus to make a fatal decision. Their armies will march to
Philippi where they will engage the opposing armies in
battle. 

The men go to their tents to
sleep. 

Brutus asks two soldiers to sleep outside his tent.
 Lucius sings to Brutus, but the boy falls asleep. As Brutus is reading a book, the
ghost of Caesar comes in…

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Ghost: Thy evil spirit,
Brutus.

Brutus: Why comest
thou?

Ghost:  To tell thee thou shalt see me at
Philippi.

The ghost fades
away.  No one else saw the ghost but Brutus.  Brutus makes the realization that he will
die in the battle.  Caesar has not completed his revenge.

How does Daphne by Du Maurier blur the fine line between "high" literature and "popular" literature?It can also be explained through high and...

Daphne Du Maurier had the ability to provide writing that
was gripping even while it was not considered "high" literature. With its "faults," one
of the reasons critics have not been able to dismiss her work is that it has remained so
popular over time.

In Rebecca, for
example, the mystery rests with the fate of Rebecca who the reader never meets: she is
dead when the story begins. However, the tale is presented so that the narrative carries
its audience for some time before answers about Rebecca's fate are given—not having to
rely on the mystery in order to grip its reader.

readability="9">

Basil Davenport,
reviewing Rebecca...identifies the book as a mystery about who
Rebecca really was and what happened to her, but he also credits du Maurier for writing
so well and so compellingly that she does not have to rely on the murder mystery
plot...

Du Maurier used
"melodrama," which was considered "pedestrian," with characters that were less than
brilliant. Our heroine, the new Mrs. De Winter (she is never referred to by any other
name), is naive to the point that even knowing that the housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers, hates
her, takes the older woman's advice—a big mistake. Danver's motivation is to destroy the
fragile new wife of Maxim De Winter, a young woman in no way strong enough to play in
this game of high-rollers, herself a penniless orphan.

In
addition, it seems unlikely, that Maxim would allow Mrs. Danvers to stay on, in that it
is like living with one's former mother-in-law; and, too, that he is so emotionally
unavailable that he is of little help to his new wife as she tries to navigate the
unchartered waters of marriage and high-society. However, it may well be this kind of
"manipulation" that specifically garners sympathy from the audience for the heroine.
This kind of tactic, however, keeps Du Maurier from being considered a writer of "high"
literature.

In fact, one critic
notes:

...du
Maurier [was] 'a poor woman's Charlotte Brontë' of the
1930s.

Another element that
make Du Maurier's writing lean more to popular literature is her focus on the
supernatural rather than romance. It is seen in Rebecca, but
becomes more prevalent over time; it is present in her story, The
Birds. This brings us to another criticism of Du Maurier's work: as she
became more popular, she also became more commercialized: her writing seemed to take on
the format of a screenplay, ready to easily be adapted for a film; such was the case
with The Birds, adapted by Alfred
Hitchcock.

While some critics may have wanted to outright
dismiss Du Maurier's writing, as with Rebecca, it has been
impossible to do so.

readability="14">

Rebecca is one of those
novels that critics have a difficult time disrespecting. On the one hand, it does have
excessive, overblown language in places, and its plot is far from original. On the other
hand, the book's overwhelming approval by the general public...up through today, has
made it in some respects immune to negative criticism, forcing reviewers to think twice
before dismissing it as just one more popular
romance.

The "overblown"
language may seem trite, but Du Maurier's ability to pull the reader along for a
suspenseful ride without giving up too much of the mystery too early, enabled her to
develop a highly successful career as a writer; her books were much sought after and
while she is not considered an author of "high" literature, her work does not fit easily
into the category of simply "popular" literature, thus blurring the lines between the
two.

What sports were played in the 1940's?

Assuming that you are talking about the United States, by
far the biggest sport in that decade was baseball.  Baseball was still the "national
pastime" of the country and was played and watched by more people than any other
sport.

Comparing the '40s with today, basketball was much
less popular both on the college and professional levels.  Football was popular as a
high school and college sport but the NFL was not the dominant league that it is
now.

A sport that was popular in those days (both for
spectators and for participants) but has declined in modern times was boxing.  Boxing
was still a major sport in those days whereas it is a fringe sport with very few
American stars today.

Please follow the link for more
discussion of this topic.

Who is the man at the third station (called the Inner Station) in Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad?

In Joseph Conrad's novel, Heart of
Darkness, Marlow, while sitting on the ship called the Nellie, tells his tale
of a trip he took into the heart of Africa. He tells his story to several men:
one is the Director of Companies; one is a lawyer; another is an
accountant; lastly, there is an unnamed man who is the narrator,
recounting Marlow's tale.

Marlow recalls that he has been
hired by the Company to captain a ship that will venture into the Congo and ultimately
retrieve Mr. Kurtz and return with him to England.

The
first station is called the Lower Station. Upon arriving, Marlow is distressed to see
how the natives have been enslaved, how they are beaten and starving, working under
white Company men who act as their guards. For Marlow it is a "vision of hell." There
seems to be pandemonium everywhere: nothing seems to make sense—there are "loads of
rusting ancient wreckage everywhere," and Marlow can seen an outcropping being blown up
for no logical reason.

Marlow's trip continues. The second
stop is the Central Station. It is here that Marlow is supposed to take over the ship he
is to captain, however, it is underwater. It takes quite a while to make the vessel fit
for navigation up the river. In fact, parts that he orders and waits weeks for seem to
mysteriously never arrive from the Lower Station. It seems someone does not want him to
complete his task. The two men that Marlow spends the most time with here are the
manager and the brickmaker. The foreman, however, is helpful in getting the rivets
Marlow needs to finish fixing his ship.

Ultimately, Marlow
and his ship get underway, and after attacks by natives, and the loss of one of his men,
Marlow makes it to the Inner Station, where Kurtz is: he has become something of a god
to the people there, and it seems that Kurtz has gone mad. It appears that it may be
impossible to remove Kurtz, especially as the natives do not want him to leave, but
eventually, Marlow is successful in getting Kurtz on board, and getting the ship
underway.

Why is there no potential for a rebellion in 1984?

Here's the recipe for keeping people unattached,
disorganized, uninformed, unmotivated, and
afraid:

Torture.

Physical
torture: prisoners are isolated and beaten.  Their teeth are pulled out.
 They are put in cages with rats.  The Ministry of Love and Room 101 are the church and
confessional of this dystopia.  This society is geared only for pain and
suffering.

Psychological
torture: people are afraid of each other: anyone could be a spy.  Cameras
are everywhere.  Parents are turned in by their kids.  Women are taught to hate sex.  No
one is trusted.  Everyone's addicted to gin and
misery.

Institutional torture:
there's no healthcare; there's no schools' there's not freedoms of speech; there's only
war.

So, torture breaks the will of basic existence, let
alone abstractions like rebellion.  It tears down the body and the mind.  Rebellion?
 What's that?  It cannot even be conceived.  The fatalism of 1984 does not allow for
rebellion.  If it does, it is solitary, harmless, and easily
quashed.

What is the role of the setting in the novel, Life of Pi?any quotes or references would be helpful

The setting of the story, mainly Pi in the life boat with
the tiger, is what creates most of the conflict and really drives the story.  If it were
somewhere else, like a cozy apartment in London, things would have been decidedly
different and I can only imagine that Pi would have left the apartment in the hands of
the tiger and gone for help.

The earlier portion of the
story is important as well, because it shows the way that Pi begins to build this
understanding of science and animals and their nature.  It also serves to develop and
show the character his attitude towards animals and how he personifies them constantly
due to that experience as a child.

What is the short story, "The Resemblance Between a Violin Case and a Coffin," about?

One of Tennessee Williams' finest short stories, "The
Resemblance Between a Violin Case and a Coffin" tells the story of a brother and sister
who find themselves falling for the same young man. Tom is a 12 year old boy who
suddenly finds his older sister (who is never named) drifting away from him. She is
feeling the first effects of puberty, though Tom doesn't recognize this. A talented
pianist, Tom's sister begins practicing for her upcoming recital--a duet with Richard, a
handsome young violinist. She becomes flustered whenever she's around Richard, and Tom
suddenly realizes that he has sexual feelings for the boy as well. Tom's sister plays
atrociously at the recital, but Richard covers up her mistakes with his own
improvisational skills. In the end, Tom's family moves away, and they eventually learn
that Richard has died. The title refers to the narrator's comment about the similarity
of Richard's violin case and a small coffin. The story was based on the author's own
life; Tom's unstable sister is based on Williams' own sister, Rose, who had a mental
breakdown and was later confined to a mental institution.

Find the expression for function which has a 2nd derivative of f"(x) = 6x + 6 which passes through point (1, -2) with a slope value of 2 at that...

The function to be found has a second derivative f''(x) =
6x + 6

Integrating
f''(x),

f'(x) = Int[ f''(x) dx] = Int[6x + 6
dx]

=> 3x^2 + 6x +
C1

f(x) = Int[ f'(x) dx] = Int [ 3x^2 + 6x + C
dx]

=> x^3 + 3x^2 + C1*x +
C2

As the function has a slope of 2 at (1,
-2)

3*1^2 + 6*1 + C1*x =
-2

=> 3 + 6 + C1*x =
-2

=> 9 + C1*1 =
-2

=> C1 = -11

As the
function passes through (1 , -2)

1^3 + 3*1^2 - 11*1 + C2 =
-2

=> 1 + 3 - 11 + C2 =
-2

=> 4 - 7 + C2 =
-2

=> C2 =
5

The required function is f(x) = x^3 + 3x^2
- 11x + 5

Is there any hint in the story that the fat man was not as sure of his argument as he claims to be?

One of the reasons that Pirandello's story is so effective
is that it rests upon the fat man's certainty.  He enters the car and commands the
center of attention.  He gives a spirited discussion as to why he is glad his son chose
the path he did.  There is little weakness in his argument.  He delivers it with so much
bluster and so much zeal that it is something that cannot even be questioned.  There is
no hesitation or reticence in what he is saying. His entry and his declaration are seen
as antidotes to the ambiguity that the other passengers are immersed in prior to his
entry.  At the same time, Pirandello makes it clear that the certainty of the fat man is
precisely what compels the bundled up woman to speak.  She does not say anything.  In
fact, Pirandello describes her as "waking up."  She does this because she senses the fat
man's certainty and his sense of absolutist faith in what he is saying and in what he
believes about his child's death.  She finds encouragement from him because of his own
sense of confidence.  This would clearly suggest that the fat man was certain of what he
was saying. He is only disarmed when the woman speaks, asking her fatal question that
reveals his own certainty as nothing more than illusion.

In A Separate Peace, why does the author leave the narrative and discuss the war as Gene later experienced it?

There may be several reasons for the author leaving the
narrative to discuss the war as Gene later experienced it.  First of all, Knowles
reminds his reader that the story is told in retrospect.  In the first chapter we learn
that Gene is returning to Devon as an adult, trying to make sense of what happened
there. So reference to future events would not be
inappropriate.

Secondly, the mention of war serves to
connect World War II with the events that happened at Devon.  We see how flawed
individuals are, how easily we are tempted to turn on one another as Gene's jealousy
toward Finny caused him to jounce the limb of the tree.  But we also see see that we all
fight our own private wars, needlessly, against enemies that are not truly our enemies.
 As Gene confesses,

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I never killed anybody and I never developed an
intense level of hatred for the enemy.  Because my war ended before I ever put on a
uniform; I was on active duty all my time at school; I killed my enemy
there.

Gene's true enemy was
not the Japanese or the Germans, or even Finny.  His true enemy was himself and his own
jealously and insecurity.  This realization causes him to obtain his "separate peace."
 In this way, we see that Finny, even though he died, had a lasting effect on Gene and
that the events at Devon serve as microcosm for the bigger war that was raging on the
outside.  The enemy may not be who we perceive it to be.  It may be, as Gene discovered,
ourselves.

In Act III of scene i of Fences, explain what Troy wants Cory to do?

The third scene is pivotal in exploring the relationship
between father and son.  Cory is driven to play football.  As a result, he has not been
able to fulfill his duties with chores around the house and has quit his part time job
at the local supermarket.  As the traditional father, Troy demands complete obedience,
demanding that Cory sacrifice and quit football.  It is at this point that a line has
been drawn and there is a full view of how the father and son dynamic is presented.  It
also reflects how Troy is an insecure figure.  The demand of complete obedience and his
authoritative stance reflects a sense of uncertainty in his own life, a fear of his own
being in the world.  It is this fear that precludes him from connecting in a meaningful
way with others, a fear that constructs "fences" between himself and others.  It is this
fear that prevents him from admitting Rose right in that Cory's dream of playing
football is akin to his own dream of playing baseball.  The heartache he experienced is
being transferred to his son.  The rationale for demanding complete obedience from his
son and for Cory to stop pursuing his dream is connected to Troy's own background.  The
demand levied by father on son is important because it shows the fragile state of being
in which Troy operates, confirming the idea that he "simply moves through life" as
opposed to living it.

What is the minimum point of f(x)=4x^2 -4x +5

Given the curve:

f(x) = 4x^2
- 4x + 5

We need to find the minimum value of the curve
f(x).

First we know that the coefficient of x^2 is
positive. Then, f(x) has a minimum value.

Now we will
determine the first derivative zeros.

==> f'(x) = 8x
-4 = 0

==> 8x =
4

==> x = 1/2

Then the
function has a minimum when x= 1/2

==> f(1/2) =
4(1/2)^2 -4(1/2) + 5

                 = 4*1/4 - 2 + 5 = 1
-2 + 5 = 4

Then the curve f(x) has a minimum
value f(1/2) = 4 or the point ( 0.5, 4)

In the poem "Same Song" by Pat Mora, how do the son and daughter feel about the way they look? What word gives you a clue?"Same Song" by Pat Mora

It is important to note the element of parallelism that
exists between the two stanzas and the two separate descriptions of the speaker's son
and daughter. Both of them spend lots of time focussed on their own body and the way
they look. We are given descriptions of how the daughter gets up extra early to curl her
hair and how she "squeezes into fades jeans" and applies make-up. Likewise, her son is
shown to stay up late and spend lots of time working out and jogging to improve his
physical appearance. However, in spite of all of these efforts, both of them are shown
to look into the mirror and "frown" at what they see. This one word indicates Mora's
sadness at the way society produces teenagers that are so unhappy with their physical
appearance and cannot accept themselves for the way they are. Society has produced
people who are always striving to make themselves more beautiful, more toned or more
attractive rather than producing people who are happy in
themselves.

What is an atom made up of ?

All atoms have 3 constituent particles: protons, neutrons
and electrons.  (The exception here is the isotope of hydrogen with mass number 1 which
does not have neutrons.)

The protons and neutrons make up
the nucleus of the atom which is at the center of the atom and around which the
electrons revolve.

Protons and electrons are electrically
charged with protons having a single positive charge and electrons having a single
negative charge. Neutrons are electrically neutral. The mass of protons and neutrons are
approximately the same and their sum gives the mass of the atom. Electrons have an
extremely low mass and which can be ignored.

The atoms of
different elements have differing numbers of constituent particles. The number of
protons gives the atomic number of elements. Atoms of the same element can have
different numbers of neutrons which changes their atomic mass but not their atomic
number. These are called isotopes of the element.

What makes the centrifugal force a misconception of sorts?

Centrifugal force consists of two types of forces, one of
which is called a fictitious force and the other is called a reactive force. The
fictitious centrifugal force is one of the forces that are required to explain phenomena
in non-inertial reference frames in addition to the physical forces present in inertial
reference frames.

The reactive centrifugal force is due to
the inertia of a body which makes a body continue in a state where it is not
accelerated. When a force acts on a body that makes it move in a circular path, this
force is due to another body, for example the gravitational force of attraction or the
electromagnetic force of attraction between two bodies, etc. The mass on which this
force is exerted and which has to move in a circular path exerts what is called a
reactive centrifugal force on the other body.

The
characteristics of the fictitious and reactive centrifugal forces are different with the
reactive force useful in analyzing the movement of objects in a rotating reference while
the fictitious force is not.

In "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" please answer the following question.In the expression "He blockaded me with his chair," what...

Well done for identifying this excellent example of an
implied metaphor, where the movements of Simon Wheeler are clearly being compared to
some form of wall or large object that prevents escape. Let us have a look at the
passage in context to fully appreciate the humour of the
situation:

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Simon Wheeler backed me into a corner and
blockaded me there with his chair and then sat me down and reeled off the monotonous
narrative which follows this
paragraph.

We can see that
the implied metaphor uses exaggeration for humorous effect, as Simon Wheeler seems to be
compared to something like a tank or a military unit that blockades the narrator in to
the corner so he cannot get away. Then we have an example of irony when he describes the
tale he is told as a "monotonous narrative," as it is highly unlikely that Twain would
be telling us this story if it was boring. The humour of course is developed through the
course of the story and then when Simon Wheeler is called away and the narrator makes a
quick getaway, not wanting to be penned in again!

Please summarize the last two lines of the poem "The Survivors" by R.S. Thomas.What is the meaning of the line "A vast disc under a dome" and why...

The subject of R.S. Thomas' poem called, "The Survivors,"
may provide us with an answer to the question one has at the end of the poem: what
happens to the stranded people in the boat?—or it may not answer
the question at all: the "survivors" may be those who live through one disaster (the
sinking of a ship, perhaps) only to face another disaster—being
lost at sea.

From the first two lines, we know that at
least one person survives: the "he" that "told me about it often." The poem progresses
by telling of the days lost at sea, while the poor occupants of the small boat try to
survive, and the certainty of death seems to loom closer each day, though they don't
speak of it:

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They began to think about
death,

Each man to himself, feeding
it

On what the rest could not
conceal.

The definition of "a
vast disc under a dome" comes from the line directly in front of it. (Watching the
punctuation at the end of a line, or the lack of it, can often shed light on a poem's
meaning when you can isolate complete thoughts.) The line before
it:

The sea
was as empty as the sky...

is
the context in which we should look at the first line you mention. In other words, the
thought reads (but does not end with):

The sea
and the sky were empty: the sea, a wide disc (round object), is under a covering or a
dome-shaped roof...

The sky is often referred to
a dome over the earth. So the sea is the "vast disc" under the sky, but also vast is the
sea—I believe the comma after "vastness" means that the poet is still referring to the
sea when he states that it is "perilously
blue."

...and the sea is perilously
blue.

It is described as blue, simply for the
color of the water (I believe), but it is "perilous" because it seems never-ending.
There is no rescuing boat on the horizon, no sighting of land. The longer the survivors
are on that vast sea, the more likely it is that they will die—that help will not come
in time.

We are left to wonder as to the poem's end. In
order for the story to be told, someone must have lived to tell it; and we understand
that one person survived (as mentioned earlier). As to the fate of the other occupants,
we have no way of knowing.

Why is the ivory so important in Joseph Conrad's novel, Heart Darkness?

In Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness,
Kurtz is at the Inner Station; the only way they know that he is still alive (because he
has stopped corresponding) is because he continues to be enormously successful in
shipping irovy out of the heart of the jungle for the Company to
sell.

The Company makes a great deal of money because of
the ivory it exports from Africa. For a long time, there was a high demand for it around
the world: piano keys used to be made from ivory.

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A prevalent feeling among Europeans of the 1890s
was that the African peoples required introduction to European culture and technology in
order to become more evolved. The responsibility for that introduction, known as the
‘‘white man's burden,’’ gave rise to a fervor to bring Christianity and commerce to
Africa. What the Europeans took out of Africa in return were huge quantities of ivory.
During the 1890s, at the time Heart of Darkness takes place, ivory
was in enormous demand in Europe, where it was used to make jewelry, piano keys, and
billiard balls, among other
items.

Although the white
government and society presented a facade of concern for the African people, financial
gain was at the root of much of the interaction with the continent; it was much more
about what the white businessman could take from Africa than what it would bring to the
native population.

In 1892, King Leopold of Belgium, who
had taken over the vast [Belgian] Congo territory proclaimed that this land—more
specifically, its natural resources (such as ivory)—belonged to him, and people could
take what they wanted no longer dealing with African traders. In
the face of this change, Belgian traders moved deeper into the heart of Africa to find
more ivory.

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One of the furthermost stations, located at
Stanley Falls, was the likely inspiration for Kurtz's Inner
Station.

Today the area
Conrad wrote about is free from Belgian rule, and is known as the Democratic Republic of
the Congo.

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Throughout history ivory has been used in many
different cultures for a wide range of religious, secular and utilitarian objects, for
jewelry...and even, when burnt, as a pigment...Its popularity has been due to its
attractive colour, its smooth, translucent appearance and the ease with which it can be
carved and coloured. Also, for many cultures the exotic origin of ivory has made it a
prestigious material with symbolic and magical
associations.

For long
periods of time ivory was used also for many things: for artists' carvings and for
making ladies' fans and other adornments. Its texture, ability to be fashioned
artistically, and its ability to withstand the ravages of time made it extremely sought
after. When elephants became endangered because of the ivory trade, the taking of ivory
was banned, though it is still illegally taken and traded on the black
market.

In The Witch of Blackbird Pond, what is the resolution to the main problem which is "Kit doesn't know what's going on"?

One of the aspects of Kit that relates to your thesis
statement is the way in which she remains almost blissfully ignorant about her own
feelings towards Nat until the very end of the novel. Having been rescued just in time
by Nat's helpful intervention from being found out to be a witch, and then contemplating
a return to Barbados, she is suddenly struck by the strength of her own feelings for
Nat:

It must
have been Nat from the beginning, she admitted now, and with that knowledge came a
sureness that she had never known in all the last bewildering
year.

Thus the resolution to
this problem of Kit's lack of self-awareness comes when Kit is finally able to be honest
with herself and admit the feelings that she has for Nat and how much she actually loves
him in the very last chapter of the book.

What are the different types of interest rates?

Without more information, it is very hard to know which
kinds of interest rates you are asking about.  There are many different kinds of
interest rates.

For example, if you are talking about
interest rates and inflation, you could have nominal interest rates and real interest
rates.  Nominal interest rates are the "plain" rates.  If you borrow money at 8%
interest, that is the nominal rate.  The real rate is adjusted for inflation.  To get
it, you subtract the rate of inflation from the nominal interest rate.  So, if you
borrowed at 8% and inflation was 3%, your real interest rate was
5%.

Another type of interest rate is the prime rate (also
called the discount rate).  This is the short term interest rate that large banks (or
central banks) charge to their best and most credit-worthy customers.  This is generally
the lowest possible interest rate.

There are many other
terms for various kinds of interest rates.

How does Mr. Collins interpret Elizabeth's first refusal of his marriage proposal in Pride and Prejudice?

From Mr. Collins's point of view he just cannot imagine
why Elizabeth is turning down his proposal.  He thinks that he has laid out all of the
logical reasons for him to marry her, and he knows that she will be destitute upon her
father's death because hewill inherit the family home of Lougbourne
due the entitlement on the estate that it be inherited by a male heir.  He makes at
least two references to his doing what Lady Catherine has told him what he should do,
and we already know in what fawning esteem he hold Lady Catherine and her opinions.  He
makes the logical (to him) assumption that Elizabeth would like to be married to someone
who has a position in the church and some stability for his life.  All of this is well
and good, except that he doesn't take in any account emotions.  He
never tells Elizabeth how he feels about her except to say that he finds her in second
place acceptable, after the beautiful Jane, to be his wife.  Elizabeth finds Collins
rather odious from their first meeting and it would never have occurred to her to
protect her financial future by marrying Collins.  She really cannot stand him on any
level, and this proposal is all but insulting.  Collins thinks that she is merely
playing "hard to get" by rejecting him; he has heard that's what women do to press the
suit.  But Elizabeth is not playing any games.  She has declared earlier in the novel
that she will not marry unless it is for genuine affection.  She devastates her mother
with the rejection, for this marriage would have established financial protection for
Mrs. Bennet along with all of the daughters, but Mr. Bennet applauds Elizabeth's
decision.  Ultimately, Collins doesn't appear too upset.  He promptly proposes to
Charlotte who has no reservations about marrying for financial security and not
love.

Where does Parris want to see gold candlesticks?

On the lectern at the church.  It's a particular source of
agitation for John Proctor, who feels that his and other members of the congregation's
money is being wasted by their preacher.  He states that it hurts his faith to see "my
money glaring at his elbows" when questioned by Reverend Hale about his spotty church
attendance.

It is also a window into the character of
Parris, who seems a little dimwitted, actually, and caught up in the trappings of
privilege that go along with his job, and his position in Salem
society.

Discuss the presentation of conflict in Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men.

One of the strongest entities in Steinbeck's work is to
examine the multiple conflicts that each character undergoes.  Steinbeck presents this
in both internal and external manners, with both converging upon one another in many
occasion.  For example, Lennie and George struggle with the pursuit of their dream in
the fact of their economic reality.  This collision between the realm of the subjective
and that of the external pits both characters in a condition of constant conflict. 
Candy struggles with the conflict of wanting a better life, but knowing very well that
he is similar to his dog, in reaching a point where his usefulness is on the decline. 
He struggles with the conflict of envisioning a life that pursues dream, but battles
through the external condition of age that makes his pursuit less likely.  Curley's wife
struggles with the idea that she might have been "something more" than what she is.  Her
attribute of beauty is a futile one because she never is able to experience anyone of
supposed value experiencing it.  She is unable to interact with the ranch hands because
of the weight of being the wife of Curley and the fact that her reputation as "jail
bait" precludes any meaningful interaction.  Her struggle resides in her beauty matched
by the sense of her loneliness that pervades her state of being.  Crooks battles through
the conflict that is brought on by racial and economic constructions of reality.  Being
marginalized on both of these spheres, though, is only a part of his struggle.  Crooks
also struggles with the idea of whether or not someone who endures as much silencing of
voice and isolation as he does is able to dream or able to possess the ability to
dream.  Crooks' desire to share in the dream of Lennie and Candy is fleeting, rebuked by
the cruelty shown by Curley's wife.  Crooks' struggles are both internal and external,
reflecting the complexity of all of the characters in the novel who endure struggle and
conflict.

What are inflection points of f(x)=ln x/x, if x>0?

The inflection points are the roots of the second
derivative of the function.

We'll have to determine the 1st
derivative, for the beginning. We'll do this using quotient
rule:

f'(x) = [(ln x)'*x - (ln
x)*x']/x^2

f'(x) = (x/x - ln
x)/x^2

f'(x) = (1 - ln
x)/x^2

Now, we'll determine the 2nd derivative using
quotient rule:

f"(x) = [(1 - ln x)'*x^2 - (1 - ln
x)*(x^2)']/x^4

f"(x) = [(-1/x)*x^2 - 2x*(1 - ln
x)]/x^4

f"(x) = [-x - 2x + (2x*ln
x)]/x^4

f"(x) = (2ln x -
3)/x^3

We'll equate and we'll
get:

f"(x) = 0

(2ln x - 3)/x^3
= 0 <=> 2ln x - 3 = 0 => 2ln x = 3 => ln x =
3/2

x = e^(3/2)

x = sqrt
e^3

f(e^(3/2)) = [ln
e^(3/2)]/e^(3/2)

We'll use the power property of
logarithms:

f(e^(3/2)) =
3/2e^(3/2)

f(e^(3/2)) = 3/(2e*sqrt
e)

The inflection point has the coordinates:
(e^(3/2) ; 3/(2e*sqrt e)).

In Things Fall Apart, what does the quote "I pray she stays" mean?

The quote highlighted in this question occurs in Chapter
Six and is part of a conversation that Ekwefi has with Chielo, who is also the priestess
of Agbala, the Oracle of the Hills and the Caves. They are talking about Ezinma, and in
particular note the following exchange that they have about Ekwefi's
daughter:

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"She hs been very well for some time now.
Perhaps she has come to stay."

"I think she has. How old is
she now?"

"She is about ten years
old."

"I think she will stay. They usually stay if they do
not die before the age of
six."

Ekwefi was considered
to have born a spirit child in the form of Ezinma. This is shown in the number of
children she had born before who died in their infancy. Ibo culture believed that such
spirit children were born in the form of humans but so desired to return to their
original state that they would die quickly afterwards. This conversation, and Ekwefi's
statement of hope that is quoted in the question, indicates the way that the Ibo
believed life was a matter of fate and the result of supernatural influence rather than
of free will. Ekwefi is only able to "pray" for her daughter's safety and long life, and
thus it is revealed that the Ibo have a radical belief in supernatural forces that they
believed controlled their lives.

Why does Katherine Mansfield use the same names for characters in her short stories?

If we look at a range of Mansfield's excellent short
stories we can see that two families are used again and again in her fiction. In "The
Garden Party" for example, the Sheridan family, with their children Jose, Laura and
Laurie are introduced, and they crop up again in a number of stories, such as "Her First
Ball." Likewise in "The Doll's House" we see the Burnell family, with their three
daughters, Lottie, Kezia and Isabel. These again appear in other stories such as "The
Prelude." It is interesting that Mansfield chose to write lots of her stories focusing
on one of these two families and to present New Zealand society through them. We see
from these stories that Kezia Burnell is presented as being more sympathetic and
different to her sisters, and is used often to show criticism of the way that the others
in her family have accepted the social norms and conventions of the
day.

Compare and contrast the ironic endings of "Lamb to the Slaughter" and "The Gift of the Magi."

You are right in indicating that both of these excellent
short stories have ironic endings. I would like to deepen this by pointing out that both
of these short stories use situational irony in the endings that they describe. Let us
remind ourselves that situational irony is defined as when something happens that is the
opposite of what we would normally expect to
happen.

Clearly, the ending of "Lamb to the Slaughter,"
where we see Mary Maloney's transformation from a pathetically loving and dedicated wife
to a cold-blooded, callous murderer who delights in the way that she tricks the
policemen into consuming the murder weapon is a prime example of this. We would never
expect, from the way that Mary Maloney is described at the beginning of the story as she
awaits her husband's return from work, that she could ever giggle as she does at the end
of the story as the policemen enjoy the meal she prepared for them and talk about the
murder weapon:

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One of them
belched.

"Personally, I think it's right here on the
premises."

"Probably right under our very noses. What you
think, Jack?"

And in the other room, Mary Maloney began to
giggle.

Of course, note how
this ending also combines dramatic irony with the situational irony, as the policemen
are unaware that the murder weapon is right under their "very noses," as they eat
it.

In the same way, the ending of "The Gift of the Magi"
involves biting situational irony as we realise that, in selling her hair to buy Jim a
fob for his watch, she is unable to enjoy the combs that he has sold his watch to buy,
just as he is unable to use the watch fob that she has sacrificed so much for. In both
stories, then, the opposite of what we expect happens, thus demonstrating the power of
situational irony.

How did the modern Civil Rights Movement use media to further its goals and get support from the general population?

The Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s depended
heavily on the media.  A major goal of the movement was to publicize their demands and
to make whites in the North aware of the way that blacks were being treated in the
South.  Clearly, the media was needed to make this
happen.

The movement got support from the general
population by having the media show how they acted compared to how the whites acted
towards them.  There are the famous pictures that were shown nationwide of blacks
marching peacefully for the right to vote while being attacked by police dogs or sprayed
with fire hoses.  These images convinced whites around that country that the blacks were
being abused.  Whites came to identify more with the blacks who remained nonviolent in
the face of such actions than with the whites who were abusing
them.

The media, then, was vital to the cause.  It was only
through the media that the movement could show whites around the country that they were
being treated badly.  When whites saw this (and saw the nonviolent reaction of the
protestors) in the media, they came to support the movement enough that Congress was
able to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Compare Macbeth and Lady Macbeth after they kill the king in Macbeth.please help me!

In Act 2, after Lady Macbeth sets up the scene and Macbeth
murders King Duncan, the couple respond quite differently to the crime that they have
just committed.  Macbeth is really nervous and fearful--he worries that someone heard
him kill the king.  He is so nervous in fact that he forgets to leave the knife at the
scene and brings it back to the bed chamber with him.  When Lady Macbeth sees how
nervous her husband is, she tells him that he must pull himself together and act as if
nothing has happened.  She is very strong and confident.  At the end of the scene,
someone knocks on the door to the castle, and Macbeth says that he wishes the knocking
would waken Duncan from his deathly sleep.  Here, he shows regret while Lady Macbeth
appears to be comfortable moving forward.

How does greed influence human behavior in No Country for Old Men?

Greed is at the heart of the matter in McCarthy's story. 
One of the more intriguing aspects of the novel, when I first read it, was the question
every reader asks themselves as the story unfolds: What would I do if I found a bag with
$2 million in it next to a bunch of dead drug dealers?

I
think most people consider themselves to be moral individuals, and that they would do
the right thing the vast majority of the time.  But $2 million is a serious moral test. 
So as we fear for the character Llewellyn Moss, we also empathize with his weak side
almost immediately.

Greed is the reason the drug
trafficking happens in the first place, the reason why Anton Chigurh is called, and the
reason why Moss is ultimately killed for his efforts.  So to see the central role greed
has in the story, simply imagine what would have happened from the beginning if there
had only been the bodies and the drugs, and there was no money at all, or Moss hadn't
found it.  The novel and the outcome would have been much
different.

In chapter 27 of To Kill A Mockingbird, what three things does Bob Ewell do that alarm Aunt Alexandra?

In To Kill A Mockingbird, it seems
that the residents of Maycomb County do not learn from their own mistakes. Tom Robinson,
an innocent man, has been tried and convicted and is dead. Scout, the narrator,
recalling the events, recognizes the hypocrisy of the locals and asks Jem in chapter 26
how it is possible to "hate Hitler so bad an' then turn around and be ugly about folks
right at home?" She has learned from her father, Atticus, not to judge others and yet
she sees people being unnecessarily unkind. Atticus hopes she understands from
everything that he has taught her that people have "blind spots" which prevent them from
being rational and fair. She knows that she should not judge them however because as
early as chapter 3, Atticus told her that "You never really understand a person until
you consider things from his point of view." It seems the Maycomb residents do not share
this opinion or Atticus's integrity. 

Bob Ewell is
Mayella's father and is a poor role model. He does not care for his children and it is
his apparent beating of Mayella that started the tragic turn of events and led to Tom's
death after Tom had felt sorry for Mayella and been blamed for her assault and accused
of rape. In chapter 27 Bob Ewell has been given a job by the WPA (the Works Progress
Administration), an organization set up to ease unemployment and to help the otherwise
jobless perform functional tasks and works. His enthusiasm is short-lived and it is
significant and ironic that he loses a job created to help him and people like him. He
lasts less than a week and blames everyone else and especially Atticus for his
misfortune. 

Another significant occurrence is how Judge
Taylor deals with a prowler at his home one Sunday night. Presumably the would-be
burglar thought no one was home. The judge takes it in his stride but sits with his
shotgun across his lap. He does not get a good look at the "visitor" but seems
unperturbed. He is certainly prepared to act against the intruder who is assumed to be
Bob Ewell.  

Scout also tells the reader how Maycomb
residents soon forgot about Tom Robinson and Bob Ewell and even Boo Radley. Tom's
employer (Link Deas) however gives Tom's widow a job even though he doesn't really need
her assistance. Bob Ewell makes Helen Robinson feel afraid as he follows her and berates
her and it is necessary for Mr. Link Deas to intervene on her
behalf.

It is Bob Ewell's behavior which alarms Aunt
Alexandra. He loses his job and blames Atticus. He sneaks around at the Judge's home in
the dark and he threatens Tom's widow Helen. It seems that even though his daughter won
in court, he holds a grudge against the people who tried to do the right thing. He is
apparently bitter because, as Atticus points out to Aunt Alexandra, "He thought he’d be
a hero, but all he got for his pain was… was, okay, we’ll convict this Negro but get
back to your dump."  

Are there extrinsic elements such as psychology in The Old Man and the Sea? Please give the analysis.

Certainly any text can be analysed from a psychological
point of view, and this brilliant tale by Hemingway is no exception. One way into
considering this novel psychologically is to consider how love is presented. You might
want to think about how love is depicted as an enduring force that stands against the
profound indifference of the world at large to man's plight. The power of love is of
course most stridently symbolised in the friendship between Santiago and Manolin, which
maintains its closeness even in spite of Santiago's failure. Santiago has taught Manolin
to fish and given him a sense of self-esteem, and Manolin looks after Santiago, running
errands for him and bringing him food. It is only Manolin that understands what Santiago
has endured at the end, weeping for his friend at his
sufferings:

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The boy saw that the old man was breathing and
then he saw the old man's hands and he started to cry. He went out very quietly to go to
bring some coffee and all the way down the road he was
crying.

Psychologically,
therefore, the love that Manolin and Santiago share is shown to be a sustaining force in
the life of Santiago. It is one thing that helps him combat despair and the sense of
failure that threatens to overwhelm him. It is Manolin's devotion to Santiago that
allows him to find the energy to carry on dreaming at the end of the novel, suggesting
the unquenchable nature of the human spirit.

What are the main reasons why it was right to hang Louis Riel?

There is one main reason why Louis Riel was executed (and
why it was right for him to be executed).  The reason is the fact that he committed
treason.  It is very hard to argue that Riel did not commit
treason.

Treason is the crime of betraying your own country
or of trying to overthrow its government.  There is no question that Riel did the second
of these things.  The rebellions that he led were aimed at creating an independent
nation that would be made up of lands that were part of Canada.  Going to war against
your own government for this purpose is clearly treason and treason is typically
punishable by death.

The only real reason to have spared
Riel would have been his mental state.  The fact that the jury asked for his life to be
spared would indicate that perhaps he should not have been executed.  However, the jury
did find that he was mentally capable enough to be found guilty.  If he was mentally
capable of understanding what he was doing, then he was clearly guilty of
treason.

So, your best argument for hanging Riel is the
simple fact that he, apparently knowingly, committed treason.  This is a crime that was
punishable by death at the time (and still is punishable by death in many
places).

What does Priestley want the reader to think about in An Inspector Calls?How does the end of the play make the reader think and reflect on their...

Priestley wants the audience to consider the effects they
have on others and the appropriate way to treat one's fellow human beings. We are asked,
along with the characters in the play, to reflect on our position in society in relation
to others, and to consider that we are as a species, linked to each
other.

Some of the audience may be convinced of the
validity of the inspector's message early on, like Sheila and Eric. Gerald and Mr and
Mrs Birling seem to believe they have some sort of reprieve when the inspector's
credibility is questioned. Eric explains that the identity of the inspector is
inconsequential -

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ERIC: Whoever that chap was, the fact remains
that I did what I did. And mother did what she did. And the rest of you did what you did
to her.

It takes the phone
call, from the police, to shake Mr Birling's confidence in
himself-

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He puts the telephone down slowly and
looks in a panic-stricken fasion at the
others.

BIRLING: That was the police. A girl has
just died-

The audience is
then left to consider that the inspector's - and Eva Smith's identity and existence are
nowhere near as important as the mesage their story imparts.

Write the slope-intercept equation for the line that passes through (-9, 9) and is perpendicular to -9x – 2y = 10 Please show all of your work.

This method will use y = mx + b to find the equation
instead of the point-slope method.

We are being asked to
find the equation of a line perpendicular to -9x -2y = 10 that passes through the point
(-9,9).

We will first find the slope of the perpendicular
line by transforming the given equation into slope-intercept form which is y = mx +
b.

-9x-2y = 10

-2y = 9x +
10

y = -9/2x - 5

The slope of
a line perpendicular to the given equation will be 2/9 which is the "opposite
reciprocal" of -9/2.

Now we will use direct substitution
into y = mx +b to find the y intercept of the new
equation.

y = mx + b

9 =
2/9(-9) + b

9 = -2 + b

11=
b

Now, write the equation in slope-intercept form using the
slope 2/9 and the y intercept 11.

The
equation of the line that is perpendicular to the given line and containing the given
point is y = (2/9)x + 11.

How does The Hairy Ape represent the Irish?

In reality, the play The Hairy Ape,
by Eugene O'Neil is not intended for an Irish audience, nor does it isolate social
issues that are unique to Ireland. In fact, the only character that we could connect to
the Irish is Paddy, who is a fellow cattle-class passenger in the
train.

The real purpose behind The Hairy Ape
is to expose American society after the Industrial Revolution, and to show
how the increase in industrial technology can create a culture of masters and servants
in terms of economics. Those who were wealthy in the early 1920's were extremely wealthy
and controlled most of the community. Those who were poor, were also extremely poor and
began to feel resentful about the wealthy
classes.

O'Neil uses the character of Yank to represent the
lower stratus of society which is pushed under the ranks of the rich with nowhere to go.
No education means no opportunities. No opportunities means a perpetual state of poverty
and need. Yank represents the working classes that basically enslave their lives for the
benefit of the rich. They are destitute of society with little rights and very little
hope. That is the central idea behind The Hairy Ape: A social view
of America in a time of change.

How is Jane Eyre, in Charlotte Brontë's novel, Jane Eyre, a modern-day Sleeping Beauty?

This is an interesting
question.

In the story of Sleeping
Beauty, the young princess (named Helen) becomes the object of hate by one
fairy who is inadvertently insulted at the banquet to celebrate Helen's birth. The fairy
is malevolent and curses the infant. The last of the good fairies (the twelfth), cannot
break the spell, but can make sure that the princess does not die
of the curse. At the age of fifteen, the curse is enacted, and the princess falls asleep
(as do the people and animals within the castle walls) for one hundred years. During
this time, thorn bushes grow around the castle prohibiting the entrance of any prince
trying to save her. During the last year, another prince approaches. The thorn bushes
open for him, he finds the princess and awakens her with a kiss. They marry and "live
happily ever after."

Jane Eyre, by
Charlotte Brontë, can be considered similar in a few ways. First, Jane (like Sleeping
Beauty) is hated by her Aunt Reed out of pure spite, and the "curse" will eventually
come at her hand. The housekeeper Bessie seems to care for the young orphan, and might
be seen as the twelfth fairy who does her best to soften the curse. Eventually, at Aunt
Reed's hand, the curse falls on Jane when her aunt sends her away to Lowood School for
orphans. Convinced that she is evil, Jane is punished daily by Mr. Brocklehurst, the
school's overseer. Instead of sleeping for one hundred years, Jane is separated from
happiness for a very long time.

Prince Charming might be
seen as Mr. Rochester of Thornwood (ironic that the estate is "Thorn-"wood, whereas the
castle in the fairytale is surrounded by thorns...), however, in his present
circumstances, he cannot save Jane: he is already
married.

The character of St. John Rivers may be seen as
one of the princes who attempts to save Jane (the "princess"), but there is no love
between them and she rejects his marriage proposal. Jane discovers she is related to the
Rivers family, and that they all have inherited money from their Uncle John, which
solves Jane's financial worries, however, she is still "cursed." Then one night she
hears Rochester's voice calling to her on the wind. She returns to Thornwood, and the
curse has been spent: the house has been burned to the ground and Edward's wife is dead.
He now becomes Prince Charming as he is humbled by his circumstances, but still loves
Jane, and she still loves him. They may now start to build their lives
together.

These are the similarities I see between the two
stories.

What is the main theme of "On First Looking into Chapman's Homer" by John Keats?

This poem narrates a memory of the speaker when he first
read a translation of The Illiad and the effect that this text had upon him. He
perceived the poetry so profoundly that this moment is compared to the excitement that
explorers feel when they look upon a tract of land that they have never seen before.
Note how Keats presents this simile:

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Then felt I like some watcher of the
skies

When a new planet swims into his
ken;

Or like stout Cortez when with eagle
eyes

He stared at the
Pacific...

Clearly then the
theme of this poem is the way that reading and literature allows us to travel in "the
realms of gold." For Romantics, poetry was the true adventure, and the best poetry
allowed you to enter new worlds of thrilling voyages and explorations. Thus the theme of
this excellent poem is that of adventure through imagination and the way that literature
is the key to enable us to engage in such flights of fancy and adventures, just as if we
were actual adventurers ourselves.

What is x if 8sinx+cos2x=1 ?

We'll shift cos 2x to the right
side:

8sin x = 1 - cos
2x

We'll recognize the half angle
identity:

1 - cos 2x = 2*[sin
(2x/2)]^2

1 - cos 2x = 2*(sin x)^2
(1)

We'll re-write the equation, substituting the right
side by (1):

8sin x = 2(sin
x)^2

We'll divide by 2:

4sin x
= (sin x)^2

We'll move all terms to on
side:

(sin x)^2 - 4sin x =
0

We'll factorize by sin
x:

(sin x)*(sin x - 4) =
0

We'll cancel each
factor:

sin x = 0

x =
(-1)^k*arcsin 0 + k*pi

x = k*pi, k is an integer
number

sin x - 4= 0 => sin x = 4, which is
impossible since the value of sine function cannot be larger than
1.

The valid set of solutions
of the equation
is: {k*pi }.

Explain this quotation from Cather's "Neighbor Rosicky" and say what it indicates about Anton Rosicky's personal characteristics and...

"My Lord,
Rosicky, you are one of the few men I know who has a family he can get some comfort out
of; happy dispositions, never quarrel among themselves, and they treat you right. I want
to see you live a few years and enjoy
them."

This quote in
“Neighbor Rosicky” is spoken by Dr. Burleigh to Rosicky when the doctor tells Rosicky
that Rosicky’s heart is having some difficulty and he therefore needs to do less
strenuous work. Dr. Ed, as he is called, suggests that Rosicky can stay in the house for
the winter, instead of going tot work in the barn or with the machinery, and “help” Mary
“a little,” maybe by doing some repairs or tailoring work. The easiest way to get at the
meaning of the very American sounding sentence with common idiomatic phrases like, "get
some comfort out of," "never quarrel among themselves," and "treat you right," is to
look first at the opposite of its actual meaning.

What Dr.
Burleigh is not saying, therefore, is
that Rosicky is one of the men the doctor knows who has a family with members who are
mean-spirited and quarrelsome and have unhappy dispositions, who are angry or
complaining or resentful all the time. A family like this can never provide a happy home
life and the comfort of a peaceful life and the satisfaction of a job well done, because
such a family always quarrels and disobeys the father and acts with disrespect toward
him while dishonoring him. There--that is what the doctor does
not mean by what he
says.

Now it is easier to see what he
does mean. Rosicky is one of the few
men whom the doctor knows who has a family made up of members who can give the father
the comfort of a peaceful and loving home, along with the comfort of knowing his
parenting job was well done. The family members have happy dispositions and are
friendly, loving, gentle and kind toward one another. They don't quarrel with each
other, and they respect the father while obeying him and honoring him and doing their
share of work on the farm with good will and enthusiasm. Dr. Ed wants Rosicky to work
less so he will live longer and be around his family to enjoy the hapiness they give him
longer.

This tells the reader that Rosicky values all these
things and conducts his life and his job of parenting--after marrying a woman with his
same values and ideas--in such a way that these values and qualities have been
successfully taught to his children. As Cather writes: "'Oh, they're good kids, all
right,' Rosicky, assented."

What messages are in Take The Lead?

One of the most overwhelming messages of the film is the
need for arts education.  In an age of high stakes standardized assessment, funding for
the arts in education is often a casualty.  The film makes very clear the idea that the
students that Mr. Dulaine teaches have been marginalized by the traditional educational
system.  Art is the medium by which they can be reached and through which lives can be
changed.  This is a profound message and one that is not easily forgotten.  Another
message that comes out of the film is a sheer beauty of classical dance.  This is more
subtle, but there is a transcendence present in dances like the waltz or the tango where
two people become merged in a "moment" that goes beyond external conditions and
contingencies.  There is a reason why the children are entranced and inspired by the
tango.  Seeing Mr. Dulaine tango is what initially causes the students to pivot towards
dancing.  It is this precise message about dance and believing in a craft that causes
the students to accept the idea that their identities are not solely determined by their
contingencies and conditions.

In Louis Macneice's poem "Prayer Before Birth," what is the poetic speaker's attitude toward society?

The speaker's attitude is set up from the very first lines
of the poem in which an implied metaphor likens society to a "bloodsucking bat." This is
followed by a subjective explanation for this extremely negative attitude when the
speaker lists the fears driving the attitude:

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I fear that the human race may with tall walls
wall me, with strong drugs dope me, with wise lies lure
me,

Since these expressions
and fears are coming from one yet unborn, the negative attitude is heightened and
dramatized because it is antithetical to the traditional expectation of an unborn baby's
attitude toward the life and society that awaits: the expected attitude is innocence,
joy, and expectation of good.

The speaker's negative
attitude of fear and repulsion is further explained with more detail later in the poem
(e.g., "rehearse me / In the parts I must play ...") and is summarized in this
line:

O fill
me
With strength against those who would freeze my
humanity,

The speaker's
attitude toward society--one that expects the worst kinds of treatment and is summarized
in the line above--explains the meaning of the concluding lines that equate loss of
humanity, through another implied metaphor, with becoming stone; with life being
spilled; and with what might be called living death:

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Let them not make me a stone and let them not
spill me.
Otherwise kill
me.

Fear and a sense of insecurity is one of the major themes in Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe. Discuss

I think that it is clear that fear and insecurity is a
major theme in this book.  Just look at what Crusoe does right away when he finds
himself on the island.

After his first night up in the
tree, he starts to build himself fortifications.  He spends so much time on this --
without many tools he pounds stakes into the ground in a half circle that is 8 yards
deep and 16 across.  That's a huge amount of stakes!

Later
on, he plants all those trees in front of his home to make it impossible for people to
approach.  He makes himself his "country home" just in case and then he starts using
that cave as well.

On the other hand, you can argue that
he's pretty bold with regard to people.  After all, he gets himself all ready to go and
try to kill 20 cannibals before he talks himself out of it.  And he really does kill a
group of them with Friday's help.

So fear is not the only
thing going on, but it certainly is important.

In Act II, Scene ii of Macbeth, how are Macbeth's motivations expressed? I am concerned with the text to line 52.

After killing the king, Macbeth returns to Lady Macbeth,
deeply shaken by what he has just done. He is in a state of emotional turmoil,
overwhelmed with feelings of fear and guilt. His primary motivation is pity and concern
for himself, as he expresses his fears and his feelings to Lady Macbeth. First he tells
her that he could not respond when Duncan's attendants' murmured, "God bless
us!":

But
wherefore could not I pronounce "Amen"?

I had most need of
blessing and "Amen"

Stuck in my
throat.

For Macbeth to think
of being blessed at this time shows his complete absorption with self, and it indicates
his awareness of the mortal sin he has committed.

He then
speaks of hearing a voice cry out:

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Sleep no
more!

Macbeth does murder
sleep--

When Lady Macbeth
questions what he had heard, he continues in more
detail:

Still
it cried "Sleep no more!" to all the house:

"Glamis hath
murdered sleep, and therefore Cawdor

Shall sleep no more:
Macbeth shall sleep no
more."

Had such voices
actually cried out, the castle would surely be astir, but it is not. The voices are born
of Macbeth's imagination reflecting his deep guilt over murdering Duncan and his
realization of the reality of his actions. "Innocent sleep" will now be denied him; he
will have no peace. He refuses to return to the murdered Duncan's chamber to return the
daggers he has carried away from the scene:

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I am afraid to think what I have
done;

Look on 't again I dare
not.

Macbeth's reactions
following Duncan's murder show that he is motivated by terrible guilt and fear and that
his pity extends only to himself.

Show how Wiesel uses several stylistic devices in Night to create unity.

Writers often return to images throughout the course of a
story to give the reader a sense of continuity. It is a common technique in many forms
art, including poetry, fiction, and film. In the book Night, Elie Wiesel uses
metaphorical flame imagery to create unity. 

Relatively
early in the book, as the Jews of Sighet are being transported by train from their home
to the first of several concentration camps, a minor character named Mrs. Schachter
begins screaming, “Jews, look! Look at the fire! Look at the flames!” When the Jews
look, there are no flames. This happens several times on the journey. The last time, as
they arrive at Auschwitz, they finally see the flames that Mrs. Schachter
foreshadowed.

Later, Wiesel includes a sort of poem in the
middle of the narrative to describe the lasting effect of the experience on him. One of
the lines is, “Never shall I forget the flames that consumed my soul
forever.”

A little further on, Wiesel gives us another
metaphorical flame image: “A dark flame had entered my soul and devoured
it.”

By returning again and again to the flame and fire
imagery, Wiesel keeps the destructive and dehumanizing nature of the ordeal at the
forefront of the readers’ minds.