How I can write an essay about the hesitant officer in "Shooting an Elephant" by George Orwell?

Orwell, an officer of the British Colonial government in Burma, finds himself faced with a moral dilemma when he is sent to kill a rogue elephant. (This can be the direction of the essay.)

As he tries to decide whether he should shoot the elephant or not, Orwell feels that he is confronted with the real motives which move despotic governments; namely, the retention of power by exercising power. [thesis statement] As he stands with his rifle in his hands, Orwell realizes that 

...when the white man turns tyrant, it is his own freedom that he destroys.

The Englishman destroys his own freedom because he must adhere to certain behaviors in order to maintain power. Orwell really does not want to kill the elephant--"It seemed to me that it would be murder to shoot him." On the other hand, Orwell fears being laughed at by the Burmese who watch him. So, in order to maintain his sense of power, he must exercise power by shooting the creature. This action illustrates his moral cowardice because he kills the poor elephant, causing it to die a slow death for purely selfish reasons. This slow death, too, seems symbolic of empire that often crumbles in its own cupidity.

How would you compare the behavior of the galvanometer pointer when the magnet moves along the coil and when the magnet moves across the coil?

This question relates to the Faraday's law of induction. It simply states that an electron motive force or emf is generated when the magnetic field across a wire or coil changes. This emf causes a current to flow through the coil, which is detected by the galvanometer. If we move the magnet across the coil, the strength of magnetic field will increase and then decrease. This changing magnetic flux will generate an emf and cause the current flow in the coil. This will cause a deflection in the needle or pointer of the galvanometer. The pointer will first deflect in one direction (as the magnet is approaching the coil) and then fall back to rest position as the magnet moves away from the coil. In comparison, when the magnet moves along the wire, a constant magnetic field is generated and the pointer will stay deflected at a constant value.  

Hope this helps. 

In The Tale of Despereaux, how would you explain chapter 13's title, "Perfidy Unlimited"?

The word "perfidy" means to be untrustworthy or deceitful. Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines perfidy as being disloyal or unfaithful and it is a synonym for treachery. 

Although chapter 13 is called "Perfidy Unlimited," the word was first used in chapter 8 when Despereaux's father reported his son to the Mouse Council. Ostensibly, "perfidy" in chapter 13 refers mainly to Furlough, the brother of Despereaux, and his betrayal. However, the word applies to multiple characters since its introduction in chapter 8. 

The Most Very Honored Head Mouse says that Despereaux "cannot be trusted" because of his interactions with humans, directly invoking the concept of treachery that soon the entire mouse community will engage in against Despereaux. Several pages later in chapter 9, Furlough says to himself, "I was right to turn him in. He's sick." And in chapter 12 Despereaux's mother shows a great deal of concern for her son, yet refuses to stand up for him or to say anything truly of comfort. Instead, all she says is "adieu."

This all leads up to chapter 13's title, "Perfidy Unlimited," stating quite plainly that Despereaux has been betrayed infinitely. Furlough being one of the mice to lead him to the dungeon is the last and perhaps the heaviest ounce of perfidy to befall Despereaux.

Could you try to name a few problems of Sociology that can be solved with the use of mathematical methods and models?

As is the case with most “soft sciences” the application of scientific/mathematical methods is tentative at best, because the individual items enclosed in the term are not consistent in content (for example, paleontology and cosmology are “hard sciences” dealing with and obeying all rules of physics; cosmetology, the study of beauty enhancement, has personal and aesthetic elements as well as chemical elements). Sociology can incorporate mathematical elements, such as statistics, percentages, fractions, and probabilities, in such areas as social prediction, historical trends, cultural predilections, memory retention studies, heredity factors, income generation, etc.

Perhaps the best use of mathematics is in studies of historical population shifts, migration, exile distribution, and the like, since these studies can count physical bodies on the move. When Sociology deals with human behavior, however (the “why” of human action), mathematics goes by the wayside.

But none of these studies can claim the physical surety of say, an architectural study of stresses and weight distribution in a skyscraper. Perhaps the best use of mathematics is in studies of historical population shifts, migration, exile distribution, and the like, since these studies can count physical bodies on the move. When Sociology deals with human behavior, however (the “why” of human action), mathematics goes by the wayside.

How do the concepts of Enlightenment and Romanticism shape Victor Frankenstein's understanding?

In the book, Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, the profound concepts of Enlightenment and Romanticism are seen in the portrayal of Victor and Frankenstein. In brief summary, Enlightenment was the idealization of the pursuit of knowledge and understanding while Romanticism focused on humanity, nature, and compassion. For both of these characters, the concepts profoundly impacted their understanding.

For Victor, Enlightenment played a crucial role; however, the influence of Romanticism can also be seen. For Victor, he illustrated that his passion for knowledge and learning were to bring fulfillment into his life. Unfortunately, Shelley showed that Enlightenment can leave a person feeling disillusioned, which Victor quickly realizes after reaching his goal of creating the monster (a pinnacle accomplishment according to Enlightenment). On the other hand, after this occurrence, Victor turns more to nature and the simplicity of life to regain happiness.

On the other hand, the creature’s understanding seems to be first shaped by Romanticism and later impacted by Enlightenment. The creature is presented as a Romantic character because he was born as rejected by society. Furthermore, Shelley encourages the audience to feel sympathetic for the creature. However, the creature eventually turns towards more Enlightenment perspectives, especially when he hopes to use knowledge to find a community and acceptance. Unfortunately, Enlightenment does not work for the creature either and he is left even more isolated. As the creature himself states:

I tried to dispel them, but sorrow only increased with knowledge. Oh, that I had forever remained in my native wood, nor known nor felt beyond the sensations of hunger, thirst, and heat!

Consequently, Shelley utilized these two characters to illustrate some of the prevailing thoughts about Enlightenment and Romanticism during the time. According to some scholars, these ideas might have been influenced by the people in her life, such as her husband (Percy Shelley) and friends, who were iconic Romanticism leaders.

Choose one major event from the novel and rewrite it from the perspective of a different character.

In order to write this you will need to choose both a character and an event that you would feel comfortable with. Choose an event you know well and understand. Choose a character whose point of view you feel you understand well.

Because the book is written from Scout's point of view, you will want to choose a scene that might be significant to someone else for a different reason than Scout's. For example, if you were to choose an event that was significant to both Scout and Jem for similar reasons and then told it from Jem's perspective, it would be different, but perhaps not significantly so.

An example of an event you could choose to write about from another perspective might be the mob scene from Ch. 15. In that chapter, Atticus goes to stay outside of the jail to protect Tom Robinson from what he has heard might be a group of men wanting to hurt Tom. Scout intervenes and diffuses the very tense situation. If the scene had been told from the perspective of Atticus, it would be very interesting to know how he felt sitting there. Was he scared? Was he confident? Did he have a plan if the mob showed up and were armed? What did he think about his children showing up in the midst of it and Scout jumping into the middle? All of these answers could help you to write this event from his perspective.

Why does Dexter find spring dismal and the fall gorgeous and full of hope?

In "Winter Dreams," Dexter loves the fall because it allows his imagination fuel powerful dreams that cannot be envisioned in the spring.

Dexter finds the fall's "full of hope" animating his dreams.  In the fall, Dexter's dreams define his existence.  He trembles with anticipation and excitement at these aspirations.  Dexter is able to "make brisk abrupt gestures of command to imaginary audiences and armies."  He is able to envision how he is the golf champion at the club, and how he is able to attract admirers.  The fall is where his dreams come alive.  

However, in the spring, Dexter's reality emerges as a caddy.  His daily life as a caddy who does his job well fades in comparison to the life of dreams that he sees in the winter.  In his work as a caddy, he is not able to command the attention of everyone in the club, and he lacks the elements that serve as "ready grist to his mill."   The gulf between reality and dreams is the reason why Dexter finds the spring so vastly different than the fall.  Dexter's "Winter Dreams" can only be seen at a time when reality does not interfere with them, and represents why he sees the fall's hope as superior to the dismal reality of the spring.

Why do Tom and Toby continue to be wary among the Typee despite being treated well?

The answer to why Tom, called Tommo by the Typees, and Toby remained wary among the Typee despite being treated with great favor and kindness by them lies in Chapters 10 through 13. These recount the brief time during which Tom and Toby are in the village together.

In Chapter 13, Toby effects a plan to sail round to Nukuheva--his earlier attempt at reaching Nukuheva over the mountainous land having dismally failed--in order to get medication for Tom and to mediate their rescue and escape from the Typee. From Chapter 14 onward, Tom is the solitary guest in the village. As a consequence, circumstances that occasion Tom to be wary--especially if considering whether he might have been pressured to adopt Typee religious practices--are restricted to him alone thus cannot address the question of why Toby and Tom felt wary despite kind and generous treatment.

An examination of Chapters 10 through 13 show that there are essentially seven reasons for the continued wariness felt by Tom and Toby toward the Typee despite being feasted and cared for as though revered guests.

1. Toby and Tom got off on the wrong foot: Toby displayed vehement pantomimes denigrating the Typee tribe before knowing absolutely whether they had fallen in with a Typee or a Happar girl and boy.


2. The Typee's reputation was renowned: Stories of Typee atrocities were recounted among sailors; the French fleet at Nukuheva was fearful of approaching the Typee valley bay; the Typees were renowned for fierce cannibalism and treachery.


3. Toby and Tom had well-formed opinions about the Typees based on their reputation for savagery and  cannibalism: They viewed the Typees as repugnant, duplicitous, capricious, treacherous, thus not trustworthy.


4. Toby and Tom were prohibited by multiple mysterious taboos: They were forbidden to go to many locations and to engage in many activities based on Typee religious taboos, which were both pervasive--being many taboos about many things--and incomprehensible, intertwined as they were with island religion and philosophy (such as Mehevi and Kory-Kory liked to enlarge upon regardless of the language barrier).


5. Tom and Toby felt real terror: The passions displayed by Typee savages in the excessiveness of their tattoos, taboos, fire-lighted feasts and frenzies combined with Tom's and Toby's deep forebodings of the ultimate outcome of the savagery, making them feel destined to be the victims of catastrophic cannibalism.


6. Tom and Toby felt the extreme limits of their situation: Tom and Toby had no means by which to repay the kindnesses they were honored with, a deficiency that might accelerate the jeopardy in which their lives hung. Tom's leg injury made him totally dependent and deprived him and Toby of any certain hope of escape.  


7. Tom's and Toby's growing realization of their captivity: They feel the full force of their captivity as prisoners having no possibility of release, rescue or escape. In Chapter 13, Kory-Kory's restrictions on Tommo (Tom) deepen the realization, and, as recorded in the Sequel, Toby's encounter with Jimmy on the beach further deepen Toby's realization.

After examining this list, it's actually quite easy to see why Tom and Toby felt wary and had such apprehensions in the midst of the Typees despite the kindness and luxurious care bestowed upon them. This is especially true considering that Toby betrayed his disdain for the Typees with his initial display of pantomimes denigrating them and favoring their enemy, the Happar. What with ghastly stories of cannibal orgies and of captured sailors who were never seen again; what with the French naval fleet daring not to enter the Typee valley bay; and what with cannibalism confirmed as an actual, active practice, it is no wonder that Tom and Toby were wary and apprehensive at all times as they faced a real potential for savage duplicity and treachery. In other words, the Typees may have acted the part of good fellowship just in order to catch them off guard and to make them the main course (instead of the main guests) at a cannibal's feast.

Other Interesting Questions Arising from the Typees' Kind Treatment of Tom and Toby

Before delving into the seven reasons in some detail, it's worthwhile to think about some more interesting questions that arise from Tom's and Toby's situation. One more interesting question might be why they were treated well at all; why weren't they viewed as unwelcome intruders or, worse yet, as instant cannibalistic meals as the Typee's reputation suggested they would be? Another interesting question is why they were not allowed to leave the Typee valley?

An answer that suggests itself for the first question is that the Typee culture had strict regulations as to which individuals were suitable for cannibalistic feasting and for head-shrinking (as we know they practiced the art of head shrinking because of what Tom saw when he inadvertently interrupted an inspection of the third hanging package) and which were not. Since it is clearly suggested that cannibalism was reserved for the chiefs and other elders of the tribe, it may be inferred that the Typees believed, along with some other cannibalistic tribes, that the individual's strength was consumed along their flesh. If this were the belief, it stands to reason that anyone professing themselves to be friends of the Typees--as Tom and Toby did do after they realized where they were--would be "taboo" for cannibalism whereas enemies would be targeted for cannibalism. This supposition sheds light upon the initial meal shared between the Typees and Tom and Toby: Mehevi stared a long time into Tom's eyes trying to see into his soul before asking "Typee? Happar?" It may be supposed that had Tom followed Toby's early lead and decried the Typee while embracing the Happar, Tom's record of his experiences would have been much shorter and would not have extended beyond another day or two, as he and Toby would have been the chief's dinner.   

An answer that suggests itself for the second question is that Toby and Tom were prohibited from leaving the village because it was taboo for a foreign man to enter, then be allowed to exit the village because in doing so he would be taking with him sacred knowledge of how the Typee live. In a culture in which the society is small and dependent upon religious taboo and practice, any cultural information--such as daily routines and habits, social norms, women's activities, locations of the buildings of elders and religious rites--that found its way to enemies could easily be used against them in ambushes or invasions. As a consequence of this secretiveness, although Toby and Tom might be received as friends, the Typee would carefully avoid running the risk of exposing their cultural secrets by allowing them to leave. As is seen in the Sequel, it was only the efforts of a protected man--a taboo man (one who could not be approached by natives without much harm befalling the native)--that persuaded the Typees to let Toby go to Nukuheva for Tom's medicine, illustrating the importance of keeping cultural and social secrets safely within the Typee valley.

Seven Reasons in Some Detail

As well as understanding the reasons for Tom's and Toby's wariness, it's also important to understand what cannot be put forth as reasons for Tom's and Toby's wariness. A good deal of the record Tom presents is of events that occurred after Toby's disappearance. While it might be tempting to suggest that the exertion of Typee coercion to force Toby and Tom to adopt Typee cultural ways was a cause for the wariness they felt, this is an incorrect suggestion. Firstly, no such coercion occurred while Toby was there. Secondly, in chapters 14 onward, instead of meeting coercion, Tom gained two significant triumphs over Typee culture and taboos when (1) he voluntarily switched to Typee tappa garb, yet modified it to reflect Western modesty and when (2) he won the two favors of having a boat brought to the lake and--greater yet--of having Fayaway exempted from the strict taboo--one requiring death for violators--against women entering boats so that she could be his daily boating companion.

Thirdly, Tom did encounter strong coercion from the tattoo artist and, later, from the whole village to submit to tattooing--so much coercion in fact that he was compelled under duress to offer his forearm for disfigurement only to find the tattoo artist would have his face or nothing: "I now felt convinced that in some luckless hour I should be disfigured in such a manner." However, with timely intercession from Kory-Kory, Tom won out, triumphed over Typee culture and (literally) escaped being tattooed. Fourthly, in addition to the absence of general coercion to conform to Typee cultural norms (except for the unfortunate pursuit by the tattoo artist), the villagers exerted great care to protect Tom from the darker Typee practices that would alarm him or disengage him from the friendship of the Typees. The most significant incident of this sort was the care with which they guarded the knowledge of what was contained in the third hanging package and the subsequent horror they exhibited when Tom, coming upon some villagers unawares, caught a glimpse of the shrunken heads that were in that third package, a package that was hastily and ashamedly bundled up and whisked from sight (one of the heads was of a white man, so not all white men encountering the Typee were treated with beneficent kindness).

The evident alarm the savages betrayed filled me with ... with an uncontrollable desire to penetrate the secret so jealously guarded. Despite the efforts of Marheyo and Kory-Kory to restrain me, I forced my way into the midst of the circle, and just caught a glimpse of three human heads, which others of the party were hurriedly enveloping in the coverings from which they had been taken. One of the three I distinctly saw. ... Although it had been quickly removed from my sight, still the glimpse I had of it was enough to convince me that I could not be mistaken.

With a clear perspective on what can and cannot be put forward as reasons for Tom's and Toby's wariness, the details underlying the seven reasons, repeated in brief here, can be presented in a focused context.

1. Wrong foot (wrong first impression)


2. Typee reputation


3. Well-formed opinion


4. Multiple taboos


5. Terror


6. Limits of their situation


7. Captivity

Starting Off on the Wrong Foot

Toby and Tom make a wrong first impression, thus they start off on the wrong foot, when they first encounter Typee islanders. Toby is so determined to believe that the valley they see and have access to is the valley of the Happar, who are touted as the more friendly and the less cannibalistic of the two tribes (Happar and Typee), that he is immediately ready to launch into an attack on the Typee and an embrace of the Happar. Tom is more rational when it comes to assessing the odds of the valley they came upon being the valley they wanted to come upon (two valleys, 50/50 odds), so he exercises caution and refrains from adding his concurrence to Toby's denunciation of the Typees as the older boy and girl whom they encountered lead them further into the valley.

I broke through the covert and advanced, waving the branch in token of peace towards the shrinking forms before me.

    They were a boy and a girl, slender and graceful, ... An arm of the boy, ... was thrown about the neck of the girl, while with the other he held one of her hands in his; and thus they stood together, ... as if half inclined to fly from our presence....      I now threw together in the form of a question the words “Happar” and “Mortarkee,” the latter being equivalent to the word “good.” The two natives ... after some consultation ... answered in the affirmative. Toby was now in ecstasies, ... [he] broke out into a pantomimic abhorrence of Typee, ... our guides ... [being] at a loss to account for our conduct.

As it happens, Tom's caution was merited since the "wiley couple" shed no real light on the identity of their tribe. Toby's "pantomimic abhorrence of Typee" confused the boy and girl sufficiently, since it was alternated with pantomimed expressions of love for the valley they found themselves in, that Tom and Toby were given opportunity by the chief to clarify whom they abhorred, the Typee or the Happar. Fortunately for them both, Tom was judged to be the saner and more lucid of the two so was selected by chief Mehevi to be the spokesperson, and, with further good fortune, Tom proved adept at reading the signs in the faces around him and selected the right tribe--the Typee--to express love for during the chief's examination, thus in all probability saving their skins (probably quite literally).

This starting off on the wrong foot with a bad first impression--albeit a true first impression--of feeling abhorrence for the Typees was an implied cause for continuing wariness on their part despite the kind treatment they received. This is because of the possibility that one of the chiefs might come to understand, upon further reflection, their own error in judgement and the duplicity played out against them by Toby and Tom. If the Typees came to a true understanding of Toby's pantomimes and of Tom's false professions, then cannibalistic enmity might surely have been directed at them. In other words, it is highly unlikely that, upon discovering the truth, the Typees would act as guides to escort Tom and Toby to the valley of the Happar, the Typees' blood-enemies, nor is it likely that the generous hospitality, extended toward honored guests, could continue after the truth was discovered. With this implied threat looming, Tom's and Toby's initial encounters with the Typee would certainly be cause for continued wariness despite hospitable treatment.

The Horrors of the Typee Reputation

[C]annibal banquets ... horrible idols—heathenish rites and human sacrifices. ... These celebrated warriors appear to inspire the other islanders with unspeakable terrors. ... the very name of Typee struck a panic into my heart which I did not attempt to disguise. (Chs 1, 3, 7)

During Tom's six month journey in the South Pacific seas, he heard many stories from other sailors and from his captain about the three tribes living on the island of Nukuheva--the Nukuheva, the Happar and the Typee--two of which, the Nukuheva and the Happar, were friends with each other and friends with the French, with a fleet anchored in the largest Nukuheva bay. One story that was told on-board the Dolly of horrifying encounters with the Typee began with Typees in boats offering to guide a ship's captain to safe anchorage in Nukuheva bay only to shanghai them to the smaller Typee valley bay. It ended with Typee men boarding the ship under cover of night when "at a given signal [they] murdered every soul on board." It was the Typee reputation for duplicity and treachery of this sort, for savage rituals, for banquet feasts of sacrifices made to savage idols that lay at the foundation of all of Tom's and Toby's thoughts regarding the Typee. Since treachery and duplicity were an integral part of the Typee reputation among sailors and their fellow islanders--"the dreaded Typees, the unappeasable enemies of both these [other] tribes"--Typees were far from being trustworthy. Consequently, the reputation of the Typee for murderous treachery was a continuing cause for Toby and Tom to be wary despite how well they were cared for and feasted.

Deeply Entrenched Opinions

Since Tom and Toby had so much exposure to horrifying stories about the Typee--like the one told by Captain Vangs on the Dolly about the party of sailors who were given shore leave and were kidnapped by the Typee (although it was denied earnestly by the islanders) and who never returned except for the three who managed to escape a week later--their opinions of what the Typee were like were fully formed and cemented and, what's more, fully unshakable. When, during their escape-route journey across Nukuheva, they were presented with the possibility of entering the first valley they had access to (after all efforts to do otherwise were met with failure), Tom's heart "struck a panic" at the thought of falling into the hands of "bloody-minded Typees" and he judged it an "act of mere madness" to take the risk. In their sojourn with the Typees, their well-formed and ardent opinions about the "cruel savages"--based as they were on reputation in two quarters (sailors and neighbors)--formed the foundation for continued wariness in Tom and Toby despite Typee kindness.

Multiple Typee Taboos

Taboos are an interesting element of many cultures and difficult to understand even when the continuance of your life does not depend upon honoring the taboos. Among the Typees, Tom and Toby were introduced to cultural taboos, some of which resulted in death for the offender who dared to violate the taboo. Two instances of such taboos are that women were forbidden to enter boats or to enter the religious "'hoolah hoolah' ground" where religious rites and sacrifices were enacted.

[T]he use of canoes in all parts of the island is rigorously prohibited to the entire [female] sex, for whom it is death even to be seen entering one when hauled on shore.

In the midst of the wood was the hallowed “hoolah hoolah” ground—set apart for the celebration of the fantastical religious ritual of these people ... guarded by ranks of hideous wooden idols ... defended from profanation by the strictest edicts of the all-pervading “taboo,” which condemned to instant death the sacrilegious female who should enter ... or even so much as press with her feet the ground made holy by the shadows that it cast.

Since neither Tom nor Toby understood the reasoning behind what was taboo and what wasn't and why it was so, they were continually being surprised by shouts of "Taboo!" for the--seemingly to them--most commonplace actions. For example, in Chapter 29, after a feast, Tom--whom the Typees called "Tommo" as they couldn't seem to pronounce the simpler, shorter word "Tom"--passes a piece of tobacco to Toby, seated one person away, over the head of the man seated between them. Amidst an outcry of "Taboo!" they learn not to defame a person's sacred head in such a manner--but the reason for the taboo, aside from courtesy, eludes them.

The concept of the taboo applies in two ways, either to objects and persons or to actions. When applied to objects and persons, the adjective "taboo" indicates that the person or object is too holy or, conversely to that, too evil to be used, touched or approached. This application of taboo describes the taboo related to the prohibition against Typee females entering boats and the hoolah-hoolah grounds: both the grounds and the boats are too holy to be entered by women (who were of a lower status than men). When applied to actions, the noun "taboo" indicates that an activity must be avoided--the action or activity is prohibited--because it violates religious doctrine or is an offense against the community. This application of taboo describes the taboo related to passing tobacco--or anything--over the head of another person: the religious concept related to this is that the head is connected to the divine, the connection to which must not be violated by the interposing presence or actions of another person.

Regarding the action with the tobacco and the man seated between them, Tom and Toby interposed themselves between the head of the man and the divinity he worshiped thus violating the connection and committing a taboo action. The seriousness and pervasiveness of taboos (violations possibly resulting in death) gave a significant cause for continued wariness despite the kindness of the Typees, especially since the taboos remained a mystery to Tom the duration of his forced sojourn with the Typees, because their taboos were tied to and grew out from their religion, which Tom had no hope of understanding because of language barriers and philosophical divergences, he being Western and they being savage cannibals.

For several days after entering the valley I had been saluted at least fifty times in the twenty-four hours with the talismanic word “Taboo” shrieked in my ears, .... The day after our arrival I happened to hand some tobacco to Toby over the head of a native who sat between us. [The native] started up, as if stung by an adder; while the whole company, manifesting an equal degree of horror, simultaneously screamed out “Taboo!”

True Terror Gripping Tom and Toby

[W]hen all at once, from the depths of the grove, in full view of us where we lay, shoots of flame were seen to rise, and in a few moments illuminated the surrounding trees, casting, by contrast, into still deeper gloom the darkness around us.  
      While we continued gazing at this sight, dark figures appeared moving to and fro before the flames; while others, dancing and capering about, looked like so many demons.

That Tom and Toby were in the midst of native islanders who looked to them like "so many demons," who moved "to and fro before flames" of a robust fire, who danced and capered and jumped in excitation, whose actions could be traced at a distance before "shoots of flames," is a good indicator that Tom and Toby were gripped by real terror of these island "savages" about whom such a horrible reputation was advanced. To increase their terror, on the first morning after their encounter with the Typee chief called Mehevi, they were unexpectedly honored with his presence in Marheyo's home (where they had been assigned to dwell), with his person decked out in full Typee regalia related to his position as highest chief. While it was the signifying mark of Typee power, might and status, his regalia added to the weight of terror Tom and Toby already felt. Mehevi entered in so regal a state and with his former appearance so altered that neither Tom nor Toby knew him at first. Tom finally recognized him as Mehevi when that same "rigidity of aspect under which [Tom had] absolutely quailed" the night before bore into his eyes once again.

Chief Mehevi had his "warlike personage" adorned with a tall feather headdress, "necklaces of boar's tusks" resting on his "capacious chest," "barbaric trinkets" of "sperm whale teeth" in his ears, a heavily folded loin cloth of "dark-colored tappa" [tappa (tapa): cloth woven from tree bark in the South Pacific isles], with "anklets and bracelets of curling human hair," a fifteen-foot two-ended spear and tattooing "over his whole body." The tattooing display added to their sense of terror and the trepidation noted in Toby's face the night before. Mehevi was tattooed on "every noble limb" in "grotesque variety and infinite profusion," with a tattoo of two "broad stripes" forming a triangle crossing his eyes, "staining his lids," and sweeping in a "straight line along [his] lips." Mehevi's appearance was calculated to inspire awe in his visitors and to establish beyond a doubt Mehevi's power and importance.

In addition to impressive war-like power and might, Mehevi's regalia provided another cause to continue to be wary of the Typees despite the great friendliness and courtesy Tom and Toby were treated with since their futures were held in the hands of the Typee elders. On the one hand, Tom and Toby knew they had reason for terror: "what dependence could be placed upon the fickle passions which sway the bosom of a savage?" On the other hand, Tom realizes (even if Toby at first didn't) that their "subsequent fate" would depend heavily on the "good-will of this individual," this highest chief of the village, who holds the authority to "exert a powerful influence" on their behalf (or against them): "I forthwith determined to secure, if possible, the good-will of this individual, ...." Tom and Toby would continue to be wary, despite kind treatment, until they could be sure of the extent of their success in gaining Mehevi's goodwill.

I forthwith determined to secure, if possible, the good-will of this individual, as I easily perceived he was a man of great authority in his tribe, and one who might exert a powerful influence upon our subsequent fate. In the endeavour I was not repulsed; for nothing could surpass the friendliness he manifested towards both my companion and myself.

The Limits of Their Situation

Tom's and Toby's situation was severely limited by two important factors. The first and most obvious was the injury Tom sustained to his leg. It is a mystery as to what happened to his leg. Tom doesn't know. The venerable old "leech" of an island Hippocrates called in by Mehevi to examine and treat Tom's leg doesn't seem to know (it's probable Tom was bitten by a spider or other insect since the injury recovers then resurges). What Tom and Toby do know however is that Tom's leg limits their chances of escape. Tom can hardly stand and walk; Kory-Kory puts Tom on his own back and carries him. Tom surely can't respond to the necessities of stealth and speed required to undertake an escape, especially an escape in hazardous mountainous terrain. The limit imposed on their situation by Tom's physical difficulty is a cause for continued wariness despite kindliness from the Typees. What if beneath those "fair appearances, the islanders covered some perfidious design, and ... their friendly reception ... might only precede some horrible catastrophe?" Should Tom and Toby find occasion to flee from "perfidious design," they would not be able to do so; Tom's leg would limit and prevent flight, thus wariness was a continual necessity despite kindness.

The second important factor was that they possessed nothing of their own. They had already given away the few gifts they brought with them, and the warrior-chief Mehevi rejected one proffered gift: "I took some tobacco from the bosom of my frock and offered it to him. He quietly rejected the proffered gift, and, without speaking, motioned me to return it to its place." In American culture (the character Tom and author Melville are American), as in British culture, accepting kindnesses from someone puts the recipient under an obligation to repay the kindness by some means or other at some future time. Superimposing his culture onto the island culture, Tom worries that, with the increasingly generous kindness bestowed, he and Toby might be required to repay the gifts by some means ... but by what means could that possibly be? Because of this cultural concern regarding obligation to repay, Tom and Toby have an additional cause for continued wariness despite--in this case, actually, because of--the increasingly generous kindness shown by the Typees. The following quotation expressing Tom's concern in this regard is a little difficult to understand, so the paraphrase can help sort Tom's meaning out, which is also clarified by knowing that this meaning of "render/rendering" carries with it the sense of giving back because of duty or obligation (a giving back that is not optional).

Paraphrase: The Typee, motivated by some mysterious reason or desire, day after day multiplied the extent of their attentions to us. Their generous manner towards us was inexplicable. Surely, thought I, they would not act with such goodwill if they meant to do us harm. But why, then, this excess--this overabundance--of respectful kindness (as though for an honored and revered personage), or what object or service of equal value as all their feasts and attention can they think us capable of offering in return for the kindness as a fulfillment of our duty and obligation toward them?

The natives, actuated by some mysterious impulse, day after day redoubled their attention to us. Their manner towards us was unaccountable. Surely, thought I, they would not act thus if they meant us any harm. But why this excess of deferential kindness, or what equivalent can they imagine us capable of rendering them for it?

Captivity

"'Why, they are cannibals!' said Toby." Chapter 12 begins with Toby's rationale for dread of the Typee: Despite how well the islanders treat Tom and Toby, Typees are cannibals who hold foreigners captive. Tom and Toby had heard enough credible reports to believe that the Typee reputation was accurate and that such a reputation affirmed the notion that sailors never return once in the hands of the Typee. Consequently, Tom and Toby felt the imperative for making the most of the good favor extended to them by the Typees in order to somehow get medicine from the French at Nukuheva and to somehow make an escape from the valley. The second need, escape, depended in large part upon the first need, medicine for Tom's leg affliction:

It was idle for me to think of moving from the place until I should have recovered from the severe lameness that afflicted me; indeed my malady began seriously to alarm me; for, despite the herbal remedies of the natives, it continued to grow worse and worse.

When Tom convinces Toby to go to Nukuheva for medicine (rather against Toby's better judgement), the Typees react with startling energy to news of their plan; Kory-Kory even weeps at the thought of his new friends going to the hateful Nukuheva:

The grief and consternation of Kory-Kory, in particular, was unbounded; he threw himself into a perfect paroxysm of gestures which were intended to convey to us not only his abhorrence of Nukuheva and its uncivilized inhabitants ...

It is only after Toby miserably fails at getting to Nukuheva over a mountain route, as he is violently attacked by members of the enemy Happar tribe--"'Awha! awha! Toby mukee moee!'—Alas! alas! Toby is killed!"--that the Typee elders allow Toby to go to meet the next ship that comes to their bay: "they appeared to make no objection to [Toby's] proposition [of going to the 'botee']." Upon the arrival of the boat, both Kory-Kory's behavior and Toby's cautionary remarks to Tom indicate the fact of and their awareness of their captivity. Kory-Kory refused to carry Tom to the beach to meet the boat. Toby explained that Tom's anxious eagerness was destroying their hope of going and that if the Typees continued to be suspicious of their having a design to flee, neither Tom nor Toby would be permitted to leave the village.

"'Do you not see,' said [Toby], 'I should hurry forward myself at once did I not think that if I showed too much eagerness I should destroy all our hopes .... If you will only endeavour to appear tranquil or unconcerned, you will quiet their suspicions, .... Should I succeed in getting down to the boats, I will make known the condition in which I have left you, and measures may then be taken to secure our escape.'"

Toby's reference to "escape" proceeds directly from his conviction that they are undeniably being held in captivity as prisoners. Sometime after Toby's departure by sea--telling the islanders he would return in three days--news of boats newly approaching the bay is spread throughout the Typee valley. Tom, reclining with Mehevi, Marheyo, Kory-Kory, other chiefs and warriors in the Ti of the Taboo Groves, reacts according to his "instinctive impulse," despite his injury, to directly pursue the route to the beach in case "Toby was about to return." He is astounded to be confronted by "fifty savage countenances" blocking the door, Kory-Kory's restraining hand upon his arm and Mehevi's surprising, uncharacteristic and stern orders to "'abo, abo'" and to "'moee'," to wait and to sit down. Abandoning himself to "despair," yet desperate to be reunited with and saved by Toby, Tom understood that--alone and without Toby--he was "indeed a captive in the valley" and that the "Typees intended to hold [him] a prisoner."

Before Toby's departure--the details of which are revealed in the Sequel--Toby asserts the clear inference that, despite the kind treatment they receive, they are prisoners held in captivity in the Typee valley and in need of rescue. When Tom finds himself abandoned and alone in the valley, alone with Typees, "the conviction rushed upon [him] with staggering force, and [he] was overwhelmed by this confirmation of [his] worst fears": he was a captive prisoner of the paradoxically kindly Typee cannibals. That Toby and Tom both knew of and dreaded the truth of their status as well-cared for captives was clearly a reason for continued wariness despite the generous kindness shown them by the Typees. Finally, the dual characteristics of their sojourn with the Typees was of such a nature as to give continual cause for wariness: Tom and Toby did not--could not--know whether the friendship of the Typee people was genuine or a ruse, a duplicity, a treachery with some catastrophic end as the secret objective:

    We were fairly puzzled. But despite the apprehensions I could not dispel, the horrible character imputed to these Typees appeared to be wholly undeserved.
    'Why, they are cannibals!' said Toby on one occasion when I eulogized the tribe. 'Granted,' I replied, 'but a more humane, gentlemanly and amiable set of epicures do not probably exist in the Pacific.'
    But, notwithstanding the kind treatment we received, I was too familiar with the fickle disposition of savages not to feel [eager] to withdraw from the valley, and put myself beyond the reach of that fearful death which, under all these smiling appearances, might yet menace us.

How is Macbeth presented in act 3 scene 4?

He is presented as crazy. He has had Banquo murdered and tried to have Fleance murdered, but Fleance escaped. One of his hired murderers appears at his door just as he's to go to a banquet with his lords, so he hears this news just before he walks in. Lady Macbeth has to remind him to be cheerful and to provide the appropriate toasts. Of course, the first thing he does is comment--to cover his tracks--on how wonderful it is to everyone present...if only Banquo were here! And of course, the gashed ghost of Banquo appears. He is apparently the only person who can see the ghost, sitting in his chair at the table. He raves at the ghost like a madman, insisting he is a man and not afraid of anything--except this. Lady Macbeth has to cover for him, explaining that he's prone to inexplicable fits. She finally has to dismiss all the guests on the excuse that any questions they ask just aggravate the "fits."

How did motion pictures in the 1920's & 30's help people during the Great Depression?

With over a quarter of the American population unemployed and bread lines that extended around the block, why would anybody pay to see a movie in the 1930's?  The answer to that question is that movies offered a form of escape from the miseries of poverty.  The 1930's has been labeled the "Golden Age of Film" by people that label such things.  It was marked by the first "talkies", improvements in sound quality, and better artistry in the production of films. Sixty to seventy million Americans packed the theaters each week to take their minds off of their troubles.  Movies were surprisingly affordable in the 1930's.  The average cost of a ticket was a quarter of a dollar.  At the same time, a gallon of gasoline cost a dime.  When you consider that the price of attending a movie was not prohibitive and the fact that movie makers were improving their craft, it is not hard to understand why people wanted to get to the local theater.  

Why was it significant that voters rather than state legislatures ratified the Constitution of the United States?

The Preamble to the United States Constitution opens with the phrase We the People. This is a nod to the concept of popular sovereignty, which means that the citizens of a nation have the right to govern. With this in mind, the ratification of the document that opens with those words should be in the hands of the voters. Allowing the Constitution to be ratified by the citizens would give more credence to the document and encourage popular participation in the new government.

A cynic would point to a more practical reason for excluding the state legislatures from ratifying the Constitution. Under the Articles of Confederation, which would be replaced by the Constitution, the states had much more power and influence than the federal government. This meant that state lawmakers had a lot to lose in the ratification of the Consitution. The idea of having them vote on the new law of the land was certainly a conflict of interest that would have certainly ensured the Constitution would not have been ratified.

In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, where are a few examples that show that Atticus is a caring parent?

Atticus Finch is the the perfect example of a lawyer, a friend, and a parent. He doesn't do one thing wrong in the whole book, it seems. He always thinks of others and has compassion and respect for anyone and everyone. This caring nature extends to his children, too. He's not one of those fathers who comes home at night and ignores his children, he takes time to read and talk with them. For example, after Scout's first day of school, he calls her in to read with him just like they do every night. Scout runs out to the porch upset because her teacher told her that her father taught her to read incorrectly. Instead of getting upset at Scout disobeying him, Atticus goes out to her and patiently waits for her to explain what was upsetting her. The scene unfolds as follows:

"I told Atticus I didn't feel very well and didn't think I'd go to school any more if it was all right with him. Atticus sat down in the swing and crossed his legs. His fingers wandered to his watchpocket; he said that was the only way he could think. He waited in amiable silence, and I sought to reinforce my position . . ." (29).

Atticus's patience is impeccable and he uses it with everyone as well as with his children a number of times throughout the book.

Another time that Atticus is shown to be a good father is when Miss Maudie and Scout are talking about the Radleys and the fact that most people have secrets that they keep in the house and never show in public. Scout vouches for her father and says the following to Miss Maudie:

"Atticus don't ever do anything to Jem and me in the house that he don't do in the yard" (46).

Miss Maudie agrees with Scout by saying,

"Atticus Finch is the same in his house as he is on the public streets" (46).

She's basically saying that Atticus doesn't have any skeletons in the closet; that is to say, he doesn't have any disgraceful secrets that would call his character into question. Therefore, if Atticus is the same in the house as he is in the streets, this also means that he's patient and caring to his children as well as to his neighbors and colleagues. Throughout the rest of the book, Atticus demonstrates this respect for other people time and time again.

What are three significant experiences and/or observations that contribute to Melinda's ability to stand up to Andy Evans at the end of the novel...

The process of overcoming her trauma enough to speak out against her attacker is something that takes Melinda a long time - nearly an entire year. Both internal and external experiences give her the strength to stand up to Andy in the novel's climax.

One event that propels Melinda into acknowledging Andy's attack on her and speaking up about it is the danger Rachel/Rachelle is in when Andy begins flirting with her and invites her to prom. Even though they are no longer friends and Rachel/Rachelle has been dismissive and cruel to Melinda since the party, Melinda still cannot bear the thought of Andy raping Rachel/Rachelle like he did to her. Of course, when she does tell Rachel/Rachelle the truth, her former best friend calls her a liar and a freak (pg 184). However, it isn't until this threat on Rachel/Rachelle that Melinda actual calls the attack a rape, in her imaginary talk show interview. Talk show host Sally Jessy says to Melinda:

"I want this boy held responsible. He is to blame for this attack. You do know it was an attack, don't you? It was not your fault" (pg 164).

Having famous talk show hosts comfort her and convince her she is not to blame is a coping mechanism for Melinda. It allows her to acknowledge the rape and forgive herself for it happening. This forgiveness is necessary for her to stand up for herself later on. 

Another event in the novel that gives Melinda the confidence she needs to stand up to Andy is her friendship with Ivy. Out of all of Melinda's former friends, the Plain Janes, Ivy is the only one who has been somewhat friendly with Melinda since the infamous party. Perhaps due to their shared love of art, Ivy and Melinda become closer throughout the year, commenting on each other's work and giving each other tips. Their bond begins to deepen with the graffiti in the bathroom. While worrying about Rachel/Rachelle and her budding relationship with Andy, Melinda writes graffiti in a bathroom stall, reading: "GUYS TO STAY AWAY FROM - Andy Evans." Ivy is with her and grins, having already declared that Andy is "big trouble" and Rachel/Rachelle is dumb for being with him. Later, immediately after Rachel/Rachelle declared Melinda a liar for revealing that Andy raped her, Ivy comes to find her. Ivy shows her the response to her bathroom graffiti, where numerous girls have added on to what she wrote:

"He's a creep.
He's a bastard.
Stay away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
He should be locked up.
He thinks he's all that.
Call the cops" (pg 185).

When she reads it, Melinda declares, "I feel like I can fly" (186) – the boost of Ivy's support paired with the knowledge that she isn't alone in being victimized by Andy helps Melinda feel less isolated – another necessary component of standing up to Andy.

A final experience that helps Melinda stand up to Andy at the end of the story is an observation she makes about herself. Throughout the final quarter of the novel, Melinda has been thinking a lot about seeds and growth, and cutting away the bad to let the new grow through – for example, on pages 166-168 Melinda surprises her father by clearing out all of the leaves and debris from the front yard and asking for flower seeds to plant there. She applies this idea of clearing out the old and planting the new to her own life in a symbolic sense when she rides her bike to the Rodger's house, to the hill where she was raped. Revisiting it, she sees it's harmless: "You could bring a kindergarten class here for a picnic" (pg 188). She also thinks about her own growth:

"I have survived. I am here. Confused, screwed up, but here. So, how can I find my way? Is there some chain saw of the soul, an ax I can take to my memories or fears? [...] A small, clean part of me waits to warm and burst through the surface. Some quiet Melindagirl I haven't seen in months. This is the seed I will care for" (188-9).

This self-realization helps Melinda regain her sense of self-worth and the idea that she deserves and can have a full, rich life again helps bring her back to the girl she was before the rape. In fact, she is even stronger than she was before, because now, when Andy tries to rape her again at the end of the novel, she is able to fully fight him off. 

What are the advantages and disadvantages of living in the community from Lois Lowry's The Giver?

This is an interesting topic because each society must decide what its priorities are in order to live full and happy lives. People must determine what personal or individual sacrifices must be made in order to achieve happiness and peace. Many ask if it is worth giving up personal freedoms in order to secure a peaceful society. For example, must a person be asked to give up rights to privacy in order to secure a safe and peaceful environment for everyone as a whole? In Lois Lowry's The Giver, the society in which Jonas lives decided to give up many personal freedoms in order to achieve a happy, peaceful, and secure lifestyle.

Advantages - First, Jonas is able to live within a strong, respectful, and educated family unit. This gives a child the senses of security, stability, and peace in order to learn and grow to become a productive member of society. Secondly, along with the beautiful weather he enjoys everyday, there is no violence or crime. For instance, he can go outside his home every day and not worry about being kidnapped or mugged. Finally, he does not have to worry about money, food, or healthcare because it is all provided by the community. 

The Giver explains one trade off between giving up experiences like snow sledding for the greater good when Jonas asks why there's no snow:

"Climate Control. Snow made growing food difficult, limited the agricultural periods. And unpredictable weather made transportation almost impossible at times. It wasn't a practical thing, so it became obsolete when we went to Sameness" (83-84).

Through this law of Sameness, as far as the weather is concerned, they were able to people eliminate world hunger by extending and controlling the growing seasons.

Disadvantages - In order to enjoy all of the advantages mentioned above, however, the people of this society gave up personal freedoms such as choosing one's life-long profession, partner, and family. Further, because of the law of "Sameness," the people live without color, personal preferences, the ability to accomplish one's own dreams, and historical memories. Living without personal experiences and memories, though, prohibits people from understanding the highs and lows of humanity. Without difficult trials and pain, for example, people cannot show true sympathy or empathy. People who do not understand deep pain cannot contemplate the difference between right and wrong; nor do they value human life as deeply. This makes it easier for people like Jonas's dad do inhuman things, like killing babies, without blinking an eye.

"To his surprise, his father began very carefully to direct the needle into the top of newchild's forehead, puncturing the place where the fragile skin pulsed. The newborn squirmed, and wailed faintly. . .

He killed it! My father killed it! Jonas said to himself, stunned at what he was realizing. He continued to stare at the screen. . .

The Giver turned to him. 'Well, there you are, Jonas. You were wondering about release,' he said in a bitter voice" (149-151).

The society calls death being Released. This is another downside to the community--whoever doesn't fit their ideal picture of a human is "released". 

What does Della’s action of cutting her hair to buy Jim a gift reveal about her character and her relationship with Jim? What does it show about...

In O. Henry’s “The Gift of the Magi,” Della’s action of cutting her hair reveals her self-sacrificing love for her husband Jim.

At the outset of the story, Della is conflicted about how to buy “Her Jim” a worthy Christmas present with only $1.87. After staring out the window, she suddenly looks at herself in the mirror and “let[s her hair] fall to its full length,” musing that if “the queen of Sheba lived” nearby, “Della would have let her hair hang out the window […] just to depreciate Her Majesty’s jewels and gifts.” Her hair is her prized possession, but Della only “falter[s] for a minute” before selling her hair for twenty dollars. The author spends no time describing regret, and instead Della is completely focused on finding Jim a present.

Even once Della is home and fixing her hair into “close-lying curls,” she does not mourn the loss of her hair and only prays to God that Jim “think[s she is] still pretty.” Della is entirely motivated by her love for Jim.

Check out the character analysis of Della for more support.

From Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, why is Atticus Finch idealistic?

An idealist is a person who deeply values noble purposes. He believes that humanity can and should achieve its fullest potential. He is also an optimist, a perfectionist, and a visionary. Atticus Finch is just such a man, but along with all of these positive synonyms, he is not ignorant or naive, either. The question placed, though, is not if Atticus is idealistic or not, but why. What are the influences in his life that helped to create this humble, yet quietly powerful man. The answer is in the people and places that shaped him as well as his higher level of education and position as an attorney in the community.

First of all, Atticus is a multi-generational native of Maycomb County, Alabama. His ancestors settled in the county and called their land "Finches Landing." He has a strong sense of loyalty to his home and to his family. He left home to get his law degree, but he came back rather than make a home somewhere else. He also financially supported his brother through medical school. Scout describes her father's loyalty to his home county as follows:

"He liked Maycomb, he was Maycomb County born and bred; he knew his people, they knew him, and because of Simon Finch's industry, Atticus was related by blood or marriage to nearly every family in the town" (5).

Atticus's loyalty runs through the blood of the county because he's related to most of it. As a result, Atticus loves and has patience with the people who live there. Because of this loyalty and love, he wants his home and the people there to grow, prosper, and succeed. This can be seen in the way he is patient and kind with everyone. This love and loyalty also give him the motivation to believe the best is in everyone and to forgive them their shortcomings. 

Another reason why Atticus is an idealist is because he comes from a privileged family. Simon, the first one in Maycomb, also became wealthy enough to be self-reliant while also gaining the respect of his neighbors. People who are wealthy have time and money for education, which also places them in good positions to learn about the best things in life and the potential that one can achieve. That wealth would have been passed on if it had not have been for the Civil War. Scout describes his views in the following way:

"Simon would have regarded with impotent fury the disturbance between the North and the South, as it left his descendants stripped of everything but their land" (4).

Atticus didn't grow up wealthy like his ancestor, but that privileged, ancestral foundation still held true for him. Hence, he was the first Finch to leave the Landing to pursue a higher education. Along with a higher education came an understanding of what the world had been in the past, as well as what it could be in the future. People without a higher education usually do not have the depth and breadth of knowledge to support a belief in noble purposes. The education he gained, his chosen field of work, and the fact that he's very well-read all help to support a positive, idealistic mindframe for noble pursuits. 

If you were asked to write a short description of the truth about drugs (100 words or so), what would you say?

The word "drugs" has take on a negative connotation as it is often used to refer to illicit substances. The truth is, drugs can have both good and bad consequences, and most offer a mix of both. A "drug" is any substance other than food which causes a physiological change in the body when consumed. This means that the word "drug" also refers to medicines used to treat health conditions of all types. Even though medicines are designed to be beneficial, they can have unpleasant side effects. Similarly, illicit drugs can have both positive and negative effects on the body. Drugs of all kinds should be considered for their potential benefits and developed to reduce or eliminate negative effects if the positives are deemed to be valuable.

What does The Divine Comedy reveal about human nature?

The Divine Comedy reveals a lot about human nature, and it's difficult to touch on every single theme, desire, and emotion that Dante's work describes. However, if we look at the central goal of the story (to achieve spiritual atonement through a harrowing journey), we see one major part of human nature revealed: the desire for salvation. When the poem begins, Dante is wandering in a dark wood, apparently lost, directionless, and out of ideas. Somehow, his life seems to have gone off track, and he seems clueless when it comes to finding direction. The rest of the poem is Dante's quest to find salvation from this predicament, and the many trials and and tribulations that he weathers are all a necessary part of his efforts to leave behind the dark wood of his life.

Of course, in touching on humans' desire for salvation, the poem is first and foremost talking about Christian salvation; the poem is a Christian journey and is informed by classic Christian themes and philosophies. However, in drawing on mythology, literature, and history as well, Dante opens up his poem to being more than just a poem for Christians. Thus, though the salvation in the poem is primarily Christian, it's still possible to also see the theme in non-spiritual terms: at some point in life, no matter who you are, it's common to feel lost and confused and unable to find your way. In such situations, people yearn for salvation of one kind or another. Therefore, Dante's exploration of the search for salvation becomes a truly universal quest that any person could relate to.  

what are two differences in how Northerners and Southerners viewed slavery

First, a disclaimer:  Northerners and Southerners are not homogeneous groups of people.  It would be possible to find a Southerner who objected to slavery just as easily as it would have been to find a Northerner who found nothing wrong with slavery.  That said, most Northerners were against slavery for various reasons.  Some disliked it on humanitarian grounds--this was especially true after the publication of Uncle Tom's Cabin which depicted slaves being whipped and beaten.  Some Northerners thought that slaves took jobs from people who could use them in the South and created a caste system of prominent aristocrats and poor whites.  Others believed that the 3/5 Compromise in the Constitution was unfair in that it granted states that had slaves extra power over states that only counted their citizens who could vote.  

Many Southerners believed that slavery was acceptable, if not good.  Many planters believed that they were assisting in civilizing their slaves and teaching them Christianity.  This paternalistic approach to slavery would also be echoed in European colonizing efforts in Africa and Asia.  They also pointed out that the Constitution did not allow for property confiscation and that the slaves if freed at once would face an uncertain future.  They pointed to the havoc of slave revolts, the most prominent of which was in Haiti in 1803.  Southern planters also argued that slavery allowed them to create the Cotton Kingdom which powered the world's textile industry--without slavery, workers in Britain and the northeastern United States would be unemployed.  

What does the story "The Minister's Black Veil" reveal about Puritan religious beliefs, rules of behavior, values, and ideals?

"The Minister's Black Veil" helps to reveal the extent to which the Puritans valued sinlessness as well as conformity.  Hawthorne implies, through a sympathetic depiction of Mr. Hooper's character and beliefs, that all human beings are sinful and, further, that we all try to hide our sinfulness from one another because we are so afraid of feeling ourselves to be alone, the only sinner, and judged by our fellows, ourselves, and our God.  Though all of Mr. Hooper's parishioners experience some recognition of this fact, at least after the first sermon he delivers after putting on the veil, they uniformly continue to pretend sinlessness even after Mr. Hooper has pointed it out and continues to do so by wearing the veil.  Conformity is so important for them; even more important, Hawthorne seems to say, than actually being sinless is having the appearance of it. 

Likewise, Hawthorne shows, they value piety, but they value the appearance of piety more.  When Mr. Hooper begins to wear the veil, he signals to his community that he questions his own and their piety, and this makes them so dramatically uncomfortable with him that he becomes a social outcast for the remainder of his life.  If piety were their primary concern, then they would be far more willing to admit that Mr. Hooper is telling the truth and work together to become less sinful; however, since it is the appearance of piety that they value, they are more scared of the implications of Mr. Hooper's veil (his truth-telling) for their community than they are of the repercussions of their own lack of piety.

Did the Articles of Confederation create a three-branch government at the national level?

The Articles of Confederation did not create a national government with three branches. The government featured a Congress, with one delegation from each of the thirteen states. Each year, a president was chosen from the members of Congress to serve as President of that body. But the Articles provided for no independent executive with powers anything like that of the President created by the Constitution. There also was no independent judiciary (court system) at the national level. This was part of the general antipathy and fear of centralized government that characterized the Articles as a whole. The government created by the Articles was a "firm league of friendship" according to its framers, not a unified federal republic like that created by the Constitution. So in essence, there was really only one branch of government--the legislative branch--and even its powers were quite limited and proved nearly impossible to enforce throughout the thirteen states.

What does Bruno say and do to show his growing understanding of the inhumanity going on around him, including to his friend Shmuel?

Bruno is a very young and naïve nine-year-old boy who is transplanted out of a wonderful life in Berlin to the outskirts of Auschwitz for his father’s job. As a young boy, he is unable to understand the reason for the move. As a young boy, he is generally hushed and told not to ask questions, which may invariably be the cause of his ignorance. His curiosity, however, knows no bounds and he is intent on exploring the world around his new home. Over time, he begins to recognize the sort of place he lives in.

Bruno initially has no understanding of the place he sees in his window. When he and Gretel look out to Auschwitz, they have no idea what they are looking at. All they know is that it is a nasty looking place, according to Bruno. He asks, “Why would Father take a new job here in such a nasty place and with so many neighbours? It doesn’t make any sense.”

Bruno is exposed to the inhumanity around him through Lieutenant Kotler and Shmuel. Upon first meeting Lieutenant Kotler, he finds that he does not like him but does not know why until he witnesses Kotler’s brutal acts toward animals and Pavel. When Kotler asks Pavel to find a tire for Bruno to make a swing, Bruno dislikes the manner in which Kotler addresses Pavel. He recognizes that Kotler calls Pavel a derogatory name:

“‘Hey, you!’ he shouted, then adding a word that Bruno did not understand. ‘Come over here, you—’ He said the word again, and something about the harsh sound of it made Bruno look away and feel ashamed to be part of this at all.”

He recognized how Kotler spoke so cruelly to Pavel, even though he was young enough to be Pavel’s grandson. Bruno also noticed how cruel Kotler was when he shot a stray dog and beat Pavel when he spilled his wine.

When Bruno befriends Shmuel, he is initially unaware of Shmuel’s situation. He does not understand why Shmuel is on the other side of the fence. He has a difficult time understanding why Shumel looks sad all of the time. He notices that Shmuel becomes skinnier and skinnier, but only recognizes what is happening when Gretel tells him that the people behind the fence are Jews who need to be kept away from the rest.

He does not truly understand the inhumanity occurring around him until he wears the striped pajamas and walks around the other side of the fence to his untimely death.

At the end of Chapter 7, Nick observes Gatsby, Tom, and Daisy after the accident. What conclusions does he reach?

After all of the chaos created in Chapter 7, climaxing with the accident that kills Myrtle, the end of Chapter 7 is quite calm.  Nick discovers Gatsby standing outside of the Buchanan house; Gatsby tells Nick, "'I’m just going to wait here and see if he tries to bother her about that unpleasantness this afternoon. She’s locked herself into her room, and if he tries any brutality she’s going to turn the light out and on again.'"  And while Nick originally does not think that Tom would ever harm Daisy more than the mental abuse of cheating on her, he has a moment of doubt, so he decides to look in on them and report back to Gatsby.  What he sees tells him that Gatsby is "watching over nothing": 

Daisy and Tom were sitting opposite each other at the kitchen table, with a plate of cold fried chicken between them, and two bottles of ale. He was talking intently across the table at her, and in his earnestness his hand had fallen upon and covered her own. Once in a while she looked up at him and nodded in agreement.

They weren’t happy, and neither of them had touched the chicken or the ale — and yet they weren’t unhappy either. There was an unmistakable air of natural intimacy about the picture, and anybody would have said that they were conspiring together.

That last line is especially telling, as Nick can see that Tom and Daisy are in this together.  It does not matter that Daisy was driving; they are going to lay the blame on Gatsby and move on, leading Nick to conclude at the end of Chapter 9: "they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made. . . ."  In a way, Daisy and Tom are perfect for each other.

For Gatsby, he is left dead, with not even the whisp of the dream.  

Can you help me with the summary and central idea of the poem "The Solitude of Alexander Selkirk" by William Cowper?

Alexander Selkirk was a real person – a hot-headed Scottish privateer who, after an altercation with a young captain, begged to be dropped ashore on an uninhabited island off the coast of Chile.  He immediately regretted his decision, but his captain never returned for him, leaving him to fend for himself for four years before he was rescued by a British vessel sailing through.  In this poem, Cowper draws from several written accounts of Selkirk’s predicament to interpret how the Scotsman must have felt during his time on the island.

The piece is permeated with bitter regret, as in the final lines of the first verse:  “Better dwell in the midst of alarms,/ Than reign in this horrible place.”  Selkirk reflects with sadness and despair on the simple pleasures of life among other humans, the “sweet music of speech,” and “Society, Friendship, and Love,” capitalized, you’ll notice, to emphasize their newfound importance in the mind of the castaway.  In the fourth verse he begs the winds to send him a rescue, and yet none arrive.  The hopelessness of his solitude settles around him.

The poem is, as a whole, an interpretation of the mental trials faced by Selkirk on his island, doomed and desperate with loneliness.  In the final verse, however, we are also reminded that man is strong enough to fight through these trials, and to yet survive, because “mercy…Gives even affliction a grace,/And reconciles man to his lot.”  Despite his bouts of despair Selkirk managed to survive on his island for years – he was, after all, most likely the inspiration of Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe.  He did not let himself wither away to nothing for lack of companionship, for lack of hope – he persevered, and his story stands as an inspiration for more than just poets and writers.

What are the characteristics of Mrs. Walker in "The Devil and Tom Walker"?

Mrs. Walker is a miserly woman always battling with her husband.

Mrs. Walker does not have a good relationship with her husband.  She hides things from him and fights with him.

He had a wife as miserly as himself; they were so miserly that they even conspired to cheat each other. Whatever the woman could lay hands on she hid away …

In many ways, Walker’s wife is described as just as bad as he is.  She was “fierce of temper, loud of tongue, and strong of arm.”  Basically, she was a nagging and possibly abusive wife.  Tom could not wait to get away from her.  It is even suggested that he could easily deal with the devil after having put up with her.

Walker does not normally confide in his wife, but it is not every day that a man gets a chance to make a deal with the devil.  He tells her, and she encourages him to take the chance.

All her avarice was awakened at the mention of hidden gold, and she urged her husband to comply with the black man's terms, and secure what would make them wealthy for life. 

Tom does not want to make a deal with the devil because it is her idea.  This does not stop her.  It is even suggested that she tried to make the deal first, before he could, and that is why she disappeared.  Of course, with her out the way he makes the deal.  He didn't want to share the gold with her, but as long as she was out of the picture that was fine.

To have a wife so bad that the devil is an improvement would be a difficult thing for any man.  Tom is no pillar of virtue, but the implication is that she drove him to it.  He was tired of her miserly ways, and wanted something for himself. 

In the story "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson, what is one example of situational irony and what happened?

A good example of situational irony begins when Tessie Hutchinson arrives late for the drawing.

Just as Mr. Summers finally left off talking and turned to the assembled villagers, Mrs. Hutchinson came hurriedly along the path to the square, her sweater thrown over her shoulders, and slid into place in the back of the crowd. "Clean forgot what day it was," she said to Mrs. Delacroix, who stood next to her, and they both laughed softly. "Thought my old man was out back stacking wood," Mrs. Hutchinson went on. "and then I looked out the window and the kids was gone, and then I remembered it was the twenty-seventh and came a-running." She dried her hands on her apron, and Mrs. Delacroix said, "You're in time, though. They're still talking away up there."

Even though this lottery, as Mrs. Hutchinson well knows, is a grim business which will result in someone's death, she is anxious not to miss it. At least it provides a little excitement in this dull town. What is ironic is that Tessie doesn't have the slightest suspicion that she herself may be selected for the sacrifice this year. She actually laughs along with her neighbor Mrs. Delacroix. If there wasn't any risk involved, the lottery would not be such an exciting annual event. All the people in the community take an interest in the lottery. None of them thinks he or she might be the one to end up with the black spot. Mr. Dunbar, for instance, is unable to attend because he is laid up with a broken leg, but he is anxious to learn the result as soon as the drawing is over.

"Go tell your father," Mrs. Dunbar said to her older son.

Then the irony begins to dawn on the reader when Bill Hutchinson gets the black spot in the preliminary drawing, which is to select households. Immediately Tessie begins to realize the seriousness of the situation.

Suddenly. Tessie Hutchinson shouted to Mr. Summers. "You didn't give him time enough to take any paper he wanted. I saw you. It wasn't fair!"

It would have been fair enough, as far as she was concerned, if her husband had not drawn the black spot but somebody else had gotten it. Everybody else thinks it was completely fair--as long as they haven't gotten the black spot themselves.

"Be a good sport, Tessie." Mrs. Delacroix called, and Mrs. Graves said, "All of us took the same chance."

Tessie can see that someone in her family, possibly herself, is going to be selected. It could be her husband, her elder son Bill Junior, her daughter Nancy, or even her little boy Davie, who is too young to understand anything of what is going on.

The situation is ironic because she never expected this to happen--although it has to happen every year to somebody. Then when the Hutchinsons all draw slips in the second round of this strange lottery, Tessie gets the black spot. She refuses even to look at it. She lets her husband and her three children all open theirs and knows that she must be holding the black spot because all the others are blank.

"It isn't fair, it isn't right," Mrs. Hutchinson screamed, and then they were upon her.

Solve the system graphically or algebraically. Explain your choice of method.

Let's solve this system algebraically. The reasons are: a) not to draw a graph and b) highest accuracy.

Express from the second equation, and substitute it into the first equation:

or

or

or

It is simple to find the roots among the dividers of 15, there are x=5 and x=3.

The corresponding y's are 0 and 4.

The answer: 1) x=5, y=0; 2) x=3, y=4.

What evidence in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird could be used in an essay on the following topic: Does it make sense for Atticus to defend...

In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, there are several places in which Atticus points out the logic and moral necessity to defend Tom Robinson.  

Early on in the novel, Atticus explains to his brother Jack one of the most substantial reasons for the logic and morality of defending Robinson. In Chapter 9, Jack and Atticus begin discussing the case. Jack asks "how bad" the case will be, and Atticus replies, "It couldn't be worse" and continues to explain what evidence is being used in the case:

The only thing we've got is a black man's word against the Ewells'. The evidence boils down to you-did--I-didn't. (Ch. 9)

On the one hand, as Atticus further explains, the jury will be very unlikely to acquit Robinson based on that sort of testimonial evidence since it requires the jury to "take Tom Robinson's word against the Ewells'." On the other hand, the usage of only testimonial evidence helps show just how extremely unjust the trial is. A crime cannot be tried simply based on what one person says over another person. There must be concrete evidence proving that a crime was even committed before a crime can legally be tried. As Atticus further points out through his cross-examination of Sheriff Heck Tate during the trial, the court does not even have a doctor's evidence proving that Mayella was taken advantage of that night because a doctor was never called. All of this shows us that Atticus is fully aware that there is not enough evidence in the case to legitimately convict Robinson, yet Atticus also knows Robinson will be convicted regardless, simply due to racial prejudices. Therefore, Atticus knows it is logical and morally correct for him to put his all into defending Robinson.

Another reason why it would make sense for Atticus to defend Robinson is because he knows what Robinson's character is like through things Calpurnia has said about him. As Atticus explains to Scout towards the beginning of Chapter 9, Calpurnia is well-acquainted with the Robinson family since the family is active in Calpurnia's church. According to Atticus, Calpurnia says the Robinsons are "clean-living folks," which is enough for Atticus to be convinced that Robinson is a decent, God-worshiping man who is worthy of being defended.

What are some 5 topics for speaking in public for 5 minutes?

I don't know what kind of a speech you have to make, but here are some ideas. 

1. Pros and cons of graduation speeches.  If you reference Mark Twain's "Advice to Youth" you will get some great ideas and you will be able to make your speech funny. See the reference below. 

2. Whether it is better to go to the Superbowl and sit in the nosebleed section or watch the game on TV. 

3. Would you travel into outer space in a vehicle that has been built by a private company? 

4. Should the death penalty be abolished? 

5. Is the fast-food industry responsible for childhood obesity? 

6. Is texting affecting the social and writing skills of young people today? 

7. Are there any places where phones should be banned? 

8. The importance of organ donation or maybe blood donation. 

9. Choose a word of wisdom from the "brainyquote" site below and state why you believe it is true or false. 

10. Should we keep the death penalty? 

I have given you more than the five you needed. Hope this helps you zero in on your topic.  

Please provide examples which prove true love cannot run smoothly based on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet begins by telling the audience, in the Prologue, that true love will not run smoothly. The Chorus, which is often the voice of Fate, explicitly says that "a pair of star-crossed lovers take their life" because of "misadventured piteous overthrows" (Prologue.6-7). Basically it is saying that because of mistakes and sad losses, the two lovers will not enjoy love running smoothly because they will commit suicide. Also, a warning by the Fates should not be taken lightly; therefore, it can be inferred that Romeo and Juliet's love is written in the stars by the Fates and that means it is true love. But again, because of unfortunate events, love won't run smoothly for them and they won't come out of it alive. 

The next reference to love not being smooth, or easy, is by Romeo when he is discussing the subject with Mercutio. Romeo was unable to convince Rosaline to love him in the way he desired, so he is heartbroken. Romeo tells Mercutio that love is a heavy burden, to which Mercutio counters by saying "too great oppression for a tender thing" (I.iv.24). He means that love should be tender and easy-going, not an oppression. Romeo then asks the following:

"Is love a tender thing? It is too rough,

Too rude, too boist'rous, and it pricks like thorn" (I.iv.25-26).

Thus, Romeo is saying that love is not a smooth thing. He's been pricked like a thorn because things didn't work out with Rosaline; so, his experience with love tells him it's hard work. Mercutio tries to encourage Romeo to not give up by saying the following:

"If love be rough with you, be rough with love.

Prick love for pricking, and you beat love down" (I.4.27-28).

Once Romeo meets Juliet, though, all thoughts of Rosaline fly out of his mind. All of a sudden, love seems very easy. Upon their first meeting, Romeo is able to steal kisses from Juliet. Later during the balcony scene, Romeo's views of love have seem to change because he declares that "stony limits cannot hold love out" (II.i.9). Juliet is swept away by Romeo's charms and her own desires during this famous scene. She does try to come to her senses, though, by saying the following:

"Well, do not swear. Although I joy in thee,

I have no joy of this contract tonight.

It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden,

Too like the lightning which doth cease to be

Ere one can say it lightens" (II.i.158-162).

The above passage implies that love does not, or should not run so smoothly, especially if it is happening too quickly. She's also questioning the stability of the relationship because it is getting too serious and they've just met that night. It isn't enough to stop them from setting up a wedding for the next day, though.

Eventually life throws too much at Romeo and Juliet to bear, such as Romeo killing Tybalt and being banished. When Peter tells Romeo that Juliet is dead, Romeo recognizes Fate's hand in not allowing his love to run smoothly and he says, "Is it e'en so? Then I defy you, stars" (V.i.24). It is at this moment that Romeo decides to take matters into his own hands by planning to kill himself. He must figure that if the only way he will be able to love Juliet is in death, then so be it.

Why couldn't Melba look forward to enjoying her Christmas break in her memoir Warriors Don't Cry?

Melba couldn't look forward to enjoying her Christmas break because Minnijean's suspension from school opened up the real possibility that integration would fail and all members of the Little Rock Nine would eventually be discharged from Central High.

Instead of looking forward to a two-week Christmas break, Melba is beset with worry and fear about Minnijean's future and the group's prospects for a seamless integration into the school community. Embroiled in the controversy about integration, Melba finds herself attending required integration meetings and enduring taunts from white students.

Melba fears Minnijean will never be allowed to return to Central High. If Minnijean is not allowed to return, Melba fears prospects for the other members of the Little Rock Nine to stay on at Central High could dim as well.

In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, how does Romeo react to the news that Juliet is a Capulet, and how does Juliet react to the news that Romeo is a...

When Romeo discovers, via the Nurse, that Juliet is a Capulet, he says that his "life is my foe's debt." He means, basically, that his bitter enemy has given him his sole reason to live. He is absolutely smitten with Juliet, and in this line, he acknowledges the complexities that will result from this fact. A few lines later, Juliet asks the Nurse to identify Romeo, saying that "if he be married, my grave is like to be my wedding bed." In other words, she says she will die unmarried if she cannot marry Romeo. When the Nurse reveals that Romeo is in fact a Montague, Juliet bemoans the fact that her "only love" is "sprung from [her] only hate!" Later, she reflects on the tragedy of this fact, asking rhetorically "What's in a name?" She says that if Romeo's name were any different, he would still be the same person--"a rose by any other name would smell as sweet"--and begs, in her soliloquy, for Romeo to "doff" his family name. She, like Romeo, realizes the implications of her love for a man who is denied to her by her birth. 

In Of Mice and Men, what does George tell Slim happened in Weed?

After Lennie and George had to escape Weed due to Lennie's actions, Lennie’s mental disabilities and obsession with soft things, like mice and rabbits, started to concern George. George doesn’t see how Lennie could possibly change, and he wants someone to confide in.  

George tells Slim that Lennie met a young girl in Weed and he asked her if he could touch her soft dress.  The girl said, “yes,” but she got scared when Lennie wouldn’t let go of her.  Lennie panicked when she started to scream, and the incident only got worse. The girl accused Lennie of rape, and George and Lennie had to escape Weed because some of the town’s men were trying to hunt them down. 

Lennie feels a kinship with Slim, as do many of the farm hands on the ranch.  Slim is wise and forgiving, and he even protects Lennie when Lennie crushes Curley’s hand.  At the end of the novel, Slim tells George that he was right to have killed Lennie because there was little hope for Lennie’s future if he was to be arrested and chained in a jail cell. 

What laws of behavior and attitude does Polyphemus violate in his treatment of the Greeks in The Odyssey?

The most obvious law of behavior that Polyphemus violates is hospitality. In Ancient Greece, and much of the rest of the ancient world, hospitality was much more important. Journeys took much longer, and there weren't nearly as many inns for travelers to stay in, so it was much more important for those with homes to take in travelers in exchange for some small gift or token of gratitude. 

There are many examples of good hospitality throughout the Odyssey. Alcinoos and Arete, for instance, welcome Odysseus with celebratory feasting, thus proving themselves to be good hosts. Therefore, when Polyphemus abducts Odysseus and his men and begins to devour them, his violation of the rules of hospitality is much more obvious. After reading about much better examples of hospitality, Polyphemus' rude cannibalism becomes even more monstrous, and it is easy to side with Odysseus when he blinds the dastardly beast. 

How will the equilibrium shift for this reaction if you change the temperature and pressure? Describe this by using your knowledge of Le...

The Haber-Bosch process for producing ammonia from atmospheric nitrogen and hydrogen was invented in Germany during World War I, initially to produce ammonia for military explosives. It's now an important method of producing nitrogen fertilizer for agriculture.

According to Le Chatelier's Principle, if a system at equilibrium is disturbed the position of the equilibrium will shift so as to counteract the affect of the change. For example, if the temperature is increased the equilibrium of an exothermic reaction will shift to the left, the direction that favors reactants, because the reverse reaction absorbs heat. The equilibrium of an endothermic reaction will shift to the right, or produce more product, because the forward direction absorbs heat.

The reaction is exothermic. Therefore a decrease in temperature will result in a shift in equilibrium that favors products. However, this reaction proceeds slowly at room temperature so lowering temperature to shift equilibrium was not a good option. The process is carried out at about 400 *C as that maximizes the trade-off between speed and yield.

The effect of a pressure change is related to the moles of gaseous reactants and products. An increase in pressure shifts the equilibrium to the direction that produces fewer gas particles and a decrease in pressure shifts the equilibrium to the direction that produces more gas molecules.

The reactants are gases and ammonia is produced as a gas at the reaction temperature so there's a ratio of 4 moles gaseous reactant to 2 moles gaseous product. This means that raising the pressure will shift the equilibrium in the direction of the product and increase the yield. High pressure proved to be a challenge in the development of the Haber Process as vessels and pipes had to be very strong to withstand it. The pressure that's used, about 200 atm, is the optimum safe pressure for the best yield.

Raising the temperature (which didn't shift the equilibrium in the desired direction) and raising the pressure didn't produce an efficient enough process. Another application of LeChatelier's principle, condensing and removing the ammonia as it formed, shifted the equilibrium to produce more product and contributed to the successful production of ammonia on an industrial scale. The other important factor was the use of a catalyst, which didn't shift the equilibrium but did speed up the reaction.

If you're interested in learning more about the history of ammonia use and production, I recommend the book The Alchemy of Air by Thomas Hager, published in 2008.

If I add four spoonfuls of powdered ice tea to a 1/2 liter glass, but it doesn't dissolve, would adding more water dissolve it?

If you add four spoonfuls of powdered ice tea to a ½ liter glass, and it does not dissolve, then it can be said, in terms of solubility, that the solution is saturated. The solubility is the amount of a substance, or the solute, that dissolves in a given quantity of solvent (in this case water) to produce a saturated solution. Because  the solution is saturated, the maximum amount of solute (the powdered ice tea) is dissolved in the solvent.

One way to think about it is that it is similar to when an auditorium is filled to its maximum capacity. No more people can be brought in safely to sit in chairs.

If you were to add more water, then yes, the extra powdered ice tea would dissolve in the water. There is a fixed ratio of how much a substance can be dissolved at a certain temperature, in form of g powdered ice tea/g water. Therefore, if you increase the amount of water, the amount of ice tea able to be dissolved will also increase by that same multiplier. To go back to the auditorium example, adding more water would be equivalent to adding more chairs for people to sit in.

Another method, while unrelated, can also help. If you increase the temperature, then you could also dissolve the extra powdered ice tea. One of the factors that affect solubility is temperature, which dictates that the solubility of most solids (powdered ice tea) and liquids (water) are directly proportional to temperature. Thus, if you increase the temperature, then more can be dissolved.

Evaluate the indefinite integral.

You need to evaluate the indefinite integral by using the substitution , such that:

Replacing back for t yields:

Hence, evaluating the indefinite integral, yields

What country or state did Curtis mention in Seedfolks? How old is Curtis, and what's the effect of the association for Curtis?

Curtis is 23 in the story and is known by the nickname, ‘Ceps, for his muscular body.  One regret Curtis has is that when he was younger, he treated a girl bad and now realizes he cares about her.  Her name is Lateesha, and she just moved back from her aunt’s home in Michigan. Curtis knows that Lateesha loves tomatoes, so he sets out to win her back by planting tomato seeds in the garden. Curtis has a green thumb, and his tomatoes start to get the attention of the other gardeners. When someone starts to steal his tomatoes, he “hires” a young, homeless man to sleep by and guard his plants. 

Curtis wins back Lateesha’s heart when he puts up a sign that reads, “Lateesha’s Tomatoes” in the garden. 

For Curtis, the garden is a way to prove that he has changed and is a more sensitive, caring man.  Because he raises tomatoes, something Lateesha loves, he hopes that it will show her how much he cares about her.  Therefore, the garden is a symbol of how anyone can change, grow, and redeem himself if given a chance.

To recap and answer your questions-- 

State mentioned—Michigan

Curtis’ age—23

Garden is a symbol of redemption.

I hope this answers your third question correctly as I wasn't sure what you meant by "the effect of the association for Curtis".  I'm reading it as how the association with the garden affected Curtis and what it means for him.

In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, what are some examples of satire in chapters 35 and 36?

Satire is the use of irony and humor to criticize some aspect of society. Twain uses satire often throughout The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to criticize, for example, the South’s treatment of slaves, blind acceptance of religion, and hypocrisy. In chapters 35 and 36, Tom and Huck are trying to devise a plan to to free Jim, the slave who is chained up in a hut at the Phelpses. Huck points out that saving Jim should be easy (Jim is chained to a bed that isn’t bolted to the ground), but Tom, always wanting to do things like they do in the adventure books, insists that they make it more difficult. He eventually suggests that they “saw Jim’s leg off” (239). When Huck protests, Tom gives in and says it would be useless anyway, because

Jim’s a n*****, and wouldn’t understand the reasons for it, and how it’s custom in Europe (239).

Clearly, Tom’s idea is ridiculous, and Huck, though uneducated, is able to see the impracticality of Tom’s plan. Huck doesn’t understand why Tom wants to make things so difficult when they could easily lift the bed up, free Jim, and take him away on the raft. Here, Twain seems to be criticizing both the kind of literature Tom gets his ideas from, but also the idea that many people in the South (represented by Tom) saw their slaves as property, things to use for their own benefit. Tom doesn’t really care for Jim’s well-being; he just wants to use the circumstances as material for another one of his wild adventures. Huck, on the other hand, has formed a relationship with Jim and truly wants to do what he can to get Jim free. He goes along with Tom’s plans, which get more ridiculous as the chapter goes on, because Tom acts like an authority on the matter, but he questions everything along the way. When the two boys eventually realize their outlandish plans are impractical, they decide it’s acceptable to just pretend they’ve done everything according to how it’s done in the adventure books. Huck ironically reflects that Tom is “full of principal” (246) because he tries so hard to do things the “right” way, when really Huck is the one who is “full of principal,” focused only on getting JIm free, not on the adventure that doing so involves.