What are the pros and cons of using postmodern approaches with people from diverse populations?

Postmodern approaches stem from the premise that the (meta)narrative of modernity is not only totalizing and universalizing, but that the universal values and concepts derive from the Enlightenment subject - who is male, straight, white, and propertied. Thus, by universalizing a particular subject, those who don't already fit the mold - or can't be disciplined into an effective disguise - are effectively excluded, marginalized, or pathologized. Therefore postmodern approaches are fruitful for working with diverse populations - as difference is not only recognized as legitimate but is celebrated. However, there are two critiques leveled against such approaches. The first critique is that dismissing any and all forms of universal values can easily regress into an amoral relativism, whereby the search for any commonalities devolves into intensifying antagonisms with no organizing principle for resolution. The second critique stems from the hypocrisy of celebrating difference when postmodernism itself emerges from the very particular elite context of the Western academy during the Post-Fordist era (e.g. late capitalism, neoliberalism, etc), and therefore (just like modernism) postmodernism represents the particularities of the subjects that made the concept possible while simultaneously placing such origins under erasure.

How did colonists solve winter in the New World?

Beginning in 1607, the colonisation of America posed many problems for its new settlers. The harsh winter was one of the most serious and pressing and the settlers developed a number of methods to cope in this new world, amid food shortages and cold weather:

• Settlers traded with local native tribes to get extra food, principally fur, guns and other weapons. The settlers also relied on food supplies brought to the New World by European ships who brought more people to the colonies.


• Settlers ate whatever food they could find: according to George Percy, one of the first governors of the Jamestown colony, this included rats, dogs and cats and any other animals that were available.


• Some colonists resorted to cannibalism to survive the winter. New research on the Starving Time of 1609, for example, has found human teeth and skull remains in refuse piles.

How does Steinbeck present hierarchy in society in Of Mice and Men?

Hierarchy in Of Mice and Men is clearly delineated.  On the top of the ladder is the boss.  He is a white man who owns the ranch.   His word goes, and the other men know this point and follow. 

Below him are the workers.  Within the workers, there is also a hierarchy.  This hierarchy, however, is not based on wealth, but experience and character.  All the men on the ranch look up to Slim. They respect and even revere him. Below him are the other men, who are pretty much in the same boat. 

Then, there is Curley.  He is the boss's son.  He has some authority, based on this relation with the boss, but the men on the ranch do not like him at all. 

Finally, there are two other "outsiders."  Crook is the lone black man on the ranch.  For this reason, he is ostracized, and he is powerless. Curley's wife is also an outsider.  She is not even given a name, and the men fear her, because they believe that she is trouble. 

All of this shows that in Steinbeck's world, there is a hidden hierarchy and generally speaking there is powerlessness among everyone.  And for certain groups of people it is very bad - blacks and women. 

Compare Napoleon and Boxer from Animal Farm.

On first glance, Napoleon and Boxer share some important similarities. They have a common enemy in Mr Jones, for example, and both take part in the Rebellion to overthrown him (in Chapter One). They also share a strong belief in the principles of Animalism and a commitment to the Seven Commandments.

In the aftermath of the Rebellion, however, the differences between Napoleon and Boxer increase in both strength and number. Boxer, for example, dedicates his life to the running of Animal Farm. He works himself as hard as he possibly can, far harder than any of the other animals, and is defined by his personal motto: "I must work harder." In contrast, Napoleon is defined by his increasing self-interest: in Chapter Two, for instance, he steals the milk so that it can be mixed into his mash.

Napoleon's self-interest intensifies over the next chapters: he moves into the farmhouse, for instance, and begins to sleep in a bed. These actions directly contravene the Seven Commandments and, in stark contrast, Boxer maintains his dedication to these rules. He works harder than ever on the building and rebuilding of the windmill, for example, and blames himself for the violence perpetrated by Napoleon in Chapter Seven:

It must be due to some fault in ourselves. The solution, as I see it, is to work harder. From now onwards, I shall get up a full hour earlier in the mornings.

While Napoleon's self-interest is rewarded with absolute power on the farm, Boxer's loyalty leads to his own demise when Napoleon sells him to a glue manufacturer. Boxer thus learns too late the true cost of his blind loyalty. 

Find the integral of dx. I already know the answer but I cant find the solution step-by-step. Thank you in Advice.

Hello!

Express the function under integral as observe that and make the substitution Then and the integral becomes

It is simple to extract a proper part from the fraction

So the integral is

or in terms of x

What are quotes that support that there is no love in Romeo and Juliet?

Initially, I thought that your question couldn't be answered.  Romeo and Juliet is dripping with love and love quotes.  It's probably why Romeo and Juliet are the quintessential love couple.  However, there is the Act 2, Scene 3 sequence between Friar Lawrence and Romeo where the friar spends more time pointing out Romeo's false loves than he does supporting Romeo's feelings.  Take these lines for example.  

Is Rosaline, whom thou didst love so dear,
So soon forsaken? young men's love then lies
Not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes.

In those lines, the friar is essentially saying that young men's hearts are not capable of feeling love.  What they are actually feeling is the lustful attraction that their eyes are drawn to.  Like the looks of a pretty lady?  Well that must be love.  

A few moments later, Friar Lawrence says this line:

Thy love did read by rote and could not spell.

In other words, he is telling Romeo that Romeo's words and thoughts of love were not his own.  Romeo was only reciting love stuff that he had read and learned somewhere else.  On top of that, Romeo was saying it badly.  That also supports your idea that there is no love.  There is only saying meaningless drivel that other people have described as love. 

What are the similarities between Oscar Wilde's "The Happy Prince" and F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby?

Both the story "The Happy Prince" and the novella The Great Gatsby share a similar superficially appealing, yet selfless protagonist and comment on the shallowness of upper class society.

In Wilde's story, the prince, a statue "gilded all over with thin leaves of fine gold, for eyes he had two bright sapphires, and a large red ruby glowed on his sword-hilt" is admired by all for his wealth and beauty. He is the epitome of happiness to the townspeople. After all, what could a prince ever want for? Mothers often asked their unhappy children, "Why can’t you be like the Happy Prince?" In all actuality, in life the prince was happy, but after being memorialized as a statue, he now has a vantage point over the town and sees his people suffering due to poverty. He recognizes that the upper class, which he was once a part of, is superficial and cares not of the plight of others but instead focuses on dancing and "pleasure" seeking. He decides to use his wealth to help the poor and asks a swallow to take his jewels to those in need. This continues over a length of time during which he and the swallow, equally as selfless since he decides to stay behind to help the prince instead of flying to warmer climate in Egypt, both suffer great physical loss to their health. Due to the bitter cold, the swallow dies at the prince's feet, and the prince's "heart had snapped right in two." Members of the upper class find the dead swallow and dilapidated prince, and since they now see him as "no longer beautiful and no longer useful," he is demolished and melted in a furnace with no recognition of his selflessness and sacrifice.

Similarly, Jay Gatsby is viewed by all as wealthy and handsome. Like the prince, he is the epitome of elegance and wealth and throws extravagant, frivolous parties, similar to those the prince would have experienced. Like the upper class in Wilde's story, the East and West Egg upper class attend the lavish balls, taking advantage of their host's hospitality without ever actually knowing or caring about him. Even those close to Gatsby, with the exception of his friend Nick Calloway, seem to use him and his money with no concern. For example, Gatsby uses his wealth to obtain the love of Daisy, a socialite who is married the rich Buchannan, equally as superficial as she is. Not only does he shower her in luxury and love, but he also sacrifices himself when he takes the blame for a hit and run she commits, which leads to his murder. After his death, Nick sees that Daisy, along with all those who benefitted from Gatsby's generosity, not only forsake the millionaire, but go as far as to gossip about his death. No one attends his funeral. Nick realizes that he does not want  to be part of this upper class society because all they do is "(smash) up things and creatures and then (retreat) back into their money or their vast carelessness..."

Both the prince and Gatsby are used up and discarded by the very people who profited from them. Just like the prince, Gatsby shares his wealth with others and pays the ultimate price for his generosity. Like the swallow, Nick Calloway is the only soul who appreciates the true nature of his selfless friend.

What is the meaning of "ruined" in the poem?

In Thomas Hardy's poem "The Ruined Maid" each stanza ends with a line that refers to the speaker as being "ruined." The word means that the woman has been morally spoiled and tainted, specifically, she has become a prostitute. The poem uses the word with great irony; although a woman who is "ruined" should feel regret and despair, the speaker seems satisfied and even smug with that appellation. Previously, she had worked at hard labor doing field work; her clothes were tattered and she had no shoes because of her extreme poverty. Her speech and hands were coarse. Now she returns dressed in finery, speaking in language that "fits 'ee for high compa-ny," and wearing lovely gloves. Even her complexion is "delicate" now. Her explanation for these great changes in her appearance and demeanor is that she has been "ruined." In other words, she has gone into prostitution as a way of escaping the extreme poverty and the lack of opportunity that faced women at the turn of the 20th century. The reader is left wondering what really "ruins" women. 

Why did the lady shut down the door quickly in "Thank You, M'am?"

When you refer to “the lady” in “Thank You, Ma’am,” I assume that you are talking about Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones.  When you ask about why she shut the door so quickly, you must be referring the end of the story where she closes the door before Roger can do much more than say “thank you, Ma’am.”  We are not told why Mrs. Jones closes the door quickly, so we have to engage in conjecture.  I would argue that she closes the door quickly because she wants Roger to go out on his own and rehabilitate himself rather than leaning on her.

The main point of this story is that Mrs. Jones is not rehabilitating Roger.  Instead, she is helping Roger remake his own life.  This is why she does not close the door to her room to prevent him from escaping and why she does not watch him while she cooks.  This is why she leaves her purse where he can get it.  She wants him to behave properly of his own accord and not because he is being coerced.

If Mrs. Jones wants Roger to rehabilitate himself, she has to discourage him from becoming dependent on her.  By closing the door on him quickly, she makes it more likely that he will be independent.  He will not dwell on the fact that she has helped him.  Instead, he will need to rely on himself and focus on himself.  This is, in my view, why Mrs. Jones closes the door quickly at the end of “Thank You, Ma’am.”

In Julius Caesar, if you could ask Mark Antony and Decius Brutus a question, what would it be?

I would ask Mark Antony and Decius Brutus if they knew what was in Caesar’s will.

Mark Antony and Decius Brutus were both lieutenants of Julius Caesar.  In fact, you could say that they were the two closest men to Caesar.  Either one could have been named Caesar’s heir, but instead he chose Octavius.  If either man had known, it would give them motive for killing Caesar because they felt unappreciated.

If I were investigating Caesar’s death, the first question I would ask each of these men is whether they knew what was in Caesar’s will.  Although we do not know if Antony was involved in his death, it is possible that he was.  We know that Decius was heavily involved.  He made sure that Caesar made it to the capital so they could kill him.

Although there were many involved in the conspiracy to assassinate Caesar, Decius Brutus was in it up to his neck.  Artemidorus tries to warn Caesar that “Decius Brutus loves thee not” (Act 2, Scene 3).  Decius Brutus was given the very important job of ensuring that Caesar was there.  He did it admirably.  Caesar trusted Decius so much that the man was able to talk him into going to the senate even when he wanted to stay away.  Decius reinterprets Calpurnia’s dream in a convincing way.

This dream is all amiss interpreted;
It was a vision fair and fortunate:
Your statue spouting blood in many pipes,
In which so many smiling Romans bathed,
Signifies that from you great Rome shall suck
Reviving blood, and that great men shall press
For tinctures, stains, relics and cognizance. (Act 2, Scene 2)

Caesar trusted Decius and respected his advice.  He had no reason to suspect that his second in command was leading him into a trap.

Although we know Decius Brutus was involved, there is no evidence that Antony was not.

Antony immediately begins to consolidate power after Caesar’s death.  He makes sure Octavius does not enter the city, and he has Caesar’s will very quickly.  He knows that he can use it to win over the people.

It is not meet you know how Caesar loved you.
You are not wood, you are not stones, but men;
And, being men, bearing the will of Caesar,
It will inflame you, it will make you mad:
'Tis good you know not that you are his heirs (Act 3, Scene 2)

Antony makes no mention of Octavius, Caesar’s new heir.  Caesar posthumously adopted Octavius.  Antony was older, and a close relative as well.  He had served Caesar for years.  Why would Caesar choose Octavius over him?  Caesar knew Antony’s personality, and might have doubted his loyalty too.

Why would these two men turn on Caesar?  By all accounts they were faithful, high-ranking military men that Caesar would have trusted with his life.  Shakespeare gives no evidence that Antony betrayed Caesar, but he could have.  He was absent at the crucial moment.  Was he really tricked into leaving by Trebonius?  Perhaps his anger and grief in response to seeing Caesar’s body was not genuine, but an act to make sure no one suspected him of being involved in the conspiracy.

Historically, we do have some evidence that Decius did approach Antony and ask him to join the conspiracy.  What we don’t know is whether he did betray Caesar or not.  Some historians believe that both men knew that they were shortchanged by Caesar’s will.  They would have seen Caesar naming a young upstart like Octavius as a serious affront.

To what extent does Oedipus choose to be blind?

The best-known telling of the legend of Oedipus is that of Sophocles. It is told in a set of three plays:  Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone. It is from this trilogy that we learn that Oedipus blinded himself out of grief.

As an infant, Oedipus had been sent to be abandoned, and certainly die, by his father. However, the order was not carried out and Oedipus attained adulthood without ever knowing the identity of his parents. This set the stage for him to actually kill his father and marry his mother. He fathered two daughters and two sons during this marriage.

Later, when this union - which had been prophesied - came to light, the mother hanged herself.  Having learned that he had killed his father, married and bedded his mother, and inclined his mother to take her own life, Oedipus, in his grief, very deliberately blinded himself. 

Even today, a rare form of self-harm, whereby a person causes severe injury to their own eyes, is referred to as oedipism.

What element makes up the most in the human body by mass?

The human body is composed, primarily, of very few elements. In fact, only 4 elements make up the 96% of our body. These elements are oxygen, carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen. Rest about 4% is made up of other elements, including, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, sulfur, etc. Oxygen makes up almost 65% of our body mass, while carbon contributes about 18% of our body mass. Hydrogen is responsible for 10% and nitrogen makes up about 3% of our body mass. This is not difficult to understand, since our body is mostly made up of water (H2O). Thus, a person weighing 70 kg is composed of 45.5 kg oxygen, 12.6 kg carbon, 7 kg hydrogen and 2.1 kg nitrogen, while the rest of the body mass is made up by other elements.

Hope this helps. 

How are the lithosphere and asthenosphere alike?

The Earth is composed of three parts, the outermost crust (where we live), the mantle and the core (the innermost portion of the planet). Lithosphere is composed of the crust and the uppermost portion of mantle, while the asthenosphere is the layer just underneath the lithosphere. There are certain similarities between the two (lithosphere and asthenosphere). Both these spheres or layers contain similar type of rocks. In fact, the lower portion of the lithosphere is composed of rocks from asthenosphere that solidifies (due to cooling). Both the layers contain solid rocks, although rocks in asthenosphere are plastic in nature. Another similarity is related to seismics. Both the layers allow the primary waves (or body waves) to pass through them. Asthenosphere also helps in the motion of tectonic plates, in fact, these plates float over the asthenosphere.

Hope this helps. 

Analyze Macbeth's line, "We have scorched the snake not killed it." How does this represent guilt in Macbeth?

Macbeth speaks this line just after Lady Macbeth has advised him not to think about things he cannot change.  She asks why he keeps to himself, with only his sad thoughts as his companions, saying, "Things without all remedy / Should be without regard.  What's done is done" (3.2.13-14).  In other words, she tells him that he needs to move on.  If he cannot change or fix something in the past, then there is really no reason to dwell on it.

However, Macbeth suggests that there are more things that need to be done when he says, 

We have scorched the snake, not killed it.
She'll close and be herself whilst our poor malice
Remains in danger of her former tooth.
But let the frame of things disjoint, both the worlds
     suffer,
Ere we will eat our meal in fear, and sleep
In the affliction of these terrible dreams
That shake us nightly.  (3.2.15-22)

What he means is that they have injured the snake, but not ridden themselves of it completely.  It will heal and return to hurt them. Macbeth is trying to stay strong, but his guilt seems to be responsible for causing him to lose sleep (something he predicted would happen right after he committed the murder of Duncan). When he talks about the "snake," he's really using it as a metaphor for anything or anyone that would endanger their crown.  

Further, he continues, saying, 

Better be with the dead,
Whom we, to gain our peace, have sent to peace,
Than on the torture of the mind to lie
In restless ecstasy.  Duncan is in his grave.
After life's fitful fever he sleeps well.
Treason has done his worst; nor steel no poison,
Malice domestic, foreign levy, nothing
Can touch him further.  (3.2.22-29)

Macbeth elaborates more on his guilt here.  He says that it would be better to be among the dead, who to make themselves feel at peace he and Lady Macbeth have sent to their peace (because they are resting in peace as dead persons), than to continue living with a tortured mind. Duncan is dead, and he sleeps peacefully now. The worst that anyone could do to him, they have done. And now he is immune to any other kind of harm. Macbeth, ironically, envies Duncan. Macbeth's guilt must indeed be extreme if he is now beginning to feel jealous of the very people he has killed because they, at least, are without guilt and he cannot be.

In “Self-Reliance,” describe what Emerson compares to these things and events: planting corn, an iron string, a joint-stock company, a shadow...

A discourse on individualism, Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Self-Reliance" extols the creativity of individual thought as well as its importance in society while stressing the need for resistance to conformity.

In his essay, the Transcendentalist Emerson employs metaphors in order to develop his arguments for the value of individual thought that must resist compliance with society: 

• Planting Corn

In the second paragraph, Emerson argues for individualism. He states that there is a time in every man's life when he realizes that "imitation is suicide" and he must think for himself. By doing so, he nourishes his mind, developing critical thought, and generating new ideas. 

...no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on that plot of ground which is given him to till.

Every man must think for himself if he would develop his own mind. The "kernel" is an idea.

• Iron String

In the third paragraph, Emerson urges, "Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string." The iron string is a metaphor for the faith which a person places in himself. What is most trustworthy--"the iron string"--is a man's belief in his own convictions. It is this "stirring at their heart" that the Eternal causes; it is "a transcendent destiny" which makes men great. 

• Joint-Stock Company

In the sixth paragraph, Emerson uses the metaphor of a "joint-stock company" to disparage society as he explains that it is in "conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members." (A joint-stock company is a business enterprise whose stock investors surrender potential individual profit to cover liability for company debts.) This "joint-stock company" has members who agree to surrender their individual liberties in order to protect themselves, their positions in society, and their customs through conformity.

• Shadow on a Wall

In the fourteenth paragraph, Emerson states that the conformist has nothing to do because his thoughts are dictated to him. He may as well concern himself "with his shadow on a wall" since he thoughts are reflections of others' thoughts and not his, just as his shadow is not himself.

The period from the late 1600s through the 1700s is known as the Enlightenment, a time when many writers promoted scientific reasoning as a means...

Swift's essay satirizes the easy acceptance of rational, "scientific" solutions to social problems in a number of ways. One way is to advocate a solution that, according to cold, rationalistic reasoning, makes sense. Swift only accounts for the children of Ireland as economic units, not as human beings.  Seen in this light, they are burdens on their desperately poor parents and Irish society as a whole. Swift's shocking "proposal" to breed, raise, and sell children as food for the English is thus framed as a rational solution to a serious social problem. Of course, it is because we cannot overlook the fact that the children are in fact human beings, and that the moral implications of such a policy would be unacceptable to say the least, that his proposal works as the wickedly pointed satire that it is.

So the basic premise of the essay satirizes the cold rationalism of some social reformers of the day. Swift also writes in the style of such a reformer. His essay is full of facts and figures, calculating, for example, that the cost of raising a "beggar's child" is about "two shillings per annum," asserting that the sensibility of his proposal becomes evident when he estimates that the child's parents can probably sell him for ten shillings at one year of age. He goes on and on, citing a litany of statistics to support his point which is, of course, morally untenable. So in both substance and style, Swift satirizes the social reformers of his day who relied excessively on reason and science. He wants to show that solutions to the problems confronting mankind cannot be undertaken without giving due consideration to human morality.

Cod liver oil is rich in which vitamin?

People have historically taken cod liver oil to help alleviate symptoms of many different conditions and diseases.

Cod liver oil contains some omega 3 fatty acids. These have been shown to help maintain stable blood sugar in the body. They can help enhance the absorption of vitamins and minerals from food. Omega 3 fatty acids also have a protective immune system function and help promote the feeling of being satiated after eating a meal. They are a beneficial fat to include in the diet.

The vitamins prevalent in cod liver oil are vitamins A and D which are both fat soluble hence they are found in fish oil.

Vitamin A also known as beta carotene is excellent for night vision. Vitamin D is excellent for bone development and helps to regulate the levels of calcium and phosphorus that are deposited into bones. Vitamin D supports the function of the immune system against many diseases including cancer. It supports maintenance of stable sugar levels in the blood and helps the respiratory and nervous systems. It helps to lower cholesterol and blood pressure in patients with heart disease. It has a beneficial effect on people suffering from arthritis.

Cod liver oil has a very high amount of these two vitamins so it is an excellent source of these vital nutrients.

I have attached a link with nutritional data for 1 cup of cod liver oil to show its high amounts of vitamins A and D.

What does Pony mean when he says, “I was supposed to be the deep one” in The Outsiders?

Pony is impressed to realize that there is more to Johnny than he thought.

When Pony and Johnny are on the run after the death of Bob the Soc, Pony gets to know Johnny better.  It has been clear that Pony is considered the brains of the greaser gang.  He gets good grades, likes to read books, and is generally a deep thinker.

Johnny brings Pony a book, Gone with the Wind, because he remembers that Pony once mentioned being interested in it.  Johnny thinks that he book will pass the time, and he actually is quite taken with it.

It amazed me how Johnny could get more meaning out of some of the stuff in there than I could--- I was supposed to be the deep one. Johnny had failed a year in school and never made good grades--- he couldn't grasp anything that was shoved at him too fast … (Ch. 5)

Johnny does not know much about the Civil War, the time period in which the book takes place, but he is very interested in the plot and finds deeper meaning in it than Pony thought he was capable of.  He realizes that even though Johnny never did well in school and his teachers thought he was dumb, he is actually quite bright.

When they notice a sunrise, Pony recites a Robert Frost poem that it reminds him of called “Nothing Gold Can Stay.”  Johnny likes the poem and comments that Pony seems to be unique in his family and in the gang.

"Well," I said, thinking this over, "you ain't like any of the gang.  I mean, I couldn't tell Two-Bit or Steve or even Darry about the sunrise and clouds and stuff. I couldn't even remember that poem around them. I mean, they just don't dig. Just you and Sodapop. And maybe Cherry Valance." (Ch. 5)

When Johnny is lying in the hospital about to die, he remembers the poem and tells Pony to stay gold.  This is a reference to the poem because he is telling Pony to stay innocent.  He wants him to get out of the gang life and take advantage of his intelligence to get an education.

Johnny is the perfect example of not judging a person based on looks.  He may seem like he is just a dropout gang member, but in fact he is a deep thinker.  Johnny and Ponyboy are both young men with more to them than meets the eye.

Poe distinguishes between psychological and physical agonies. Give two examples of each agony.

In "The Pit and the Pendulum," as the narrator realizes he has nearly plunged into the pit, he contemplates the fact that the Inquisition either kills people with the "direst physical agonies" or prolongs death by exposing the sentenced person to the "most hideous moral horrors." Both types of death are possible for the narrator within the torture chamber.

The physical agonies that could kill him include the pit and the pendulum. The pit represents more than just a plunge to one's death. Hundreds of rats live in the pit, and if one were to fall into it and reach the bottom or some ledge without being killed by the impact, then the rats would swarm over the person and eventually eat him alive. When the man is under the pendulum, he realizes that because the pendulum comes down by such a small amount with each swing, he would be fully conscious as the blade slices deeper and deeper into his flesh. The heated walls that begin to move in are another physical agony, but they would not kill him; rather, they would push him into the pit to die there.

The "moral" or psychological agonies the torture chamber holds include the pitch blackness, the figures painted on the walls, the drugs, and the rats. The blackness was a cruel psychological torment because the man did not know if he was buried alive; he also did not know what else was in the cell with him, and his fears of the unknown were torture in themselves. The "figures of fiends in aspects of menace, with skeleton forms" were put on the walls to provide further fear of the afterlife; when the forms become more colorful when the walls heat up, they are even more scary. The drugs caused him to be disoriented, lose track of time, and lose the power of rational thought, all adding to the psychological agonies in his cell. Finally, the rats are horrible; the narrator says they caused "a disgust, for which the world has no name, [to swell] in my throat." 

Through Poe's vivid descriptions of the various torments the main character went through, the reader is able to consider both the physical and psychological agonies of torture.

What are three precautions that Time Safari, Inc. has taken to prevent any altering of the future?

In "A Sound of Thunder," Ray Bradbury presents a future society in which time travel is possible. In order to prevent any altering of future events by visiting the past, precautions are taken. Time Safari, Inc, the company that runs dinosaur hunting safaris, takes strict measures not to affect anything in the past that may have an impact on the future.

The first precaution that they take is that everyone participating in the safari must not step off of the anti-gravity path that they have installed.  This is to ensure that not one blade of grass is disturbed by their presence because the effect could be exponential through time.

The second precaution involves the manner in which they kill the dinosaurs. A preliminary trip is made to identify which dinosaur is about to die.  Then, the safari goes back to that exact time and location and kills the dinosaur exactly when and where it would have died naturally.  This allows all the same bacteria and scavengers to access the carcass as it did millions of years ago. The bullets are even removed from the dinosaur so nothing new is introduced into the process.

The third precaution is that no trophies are allowed to be taken back to the present time.  This is, again, so the dinosaurs decompose the same way they did millions of years ago avoiding a ripple effect through time.  The safari participants are only allowed to take home a picture of themselves with their kill.

How does Sodapop view Ponyboy?

Throughout the novel, Ponyboy expresses his admiration for his older brother, Sodapop. Sodapop is an easy-going, handsome young man who treats Ponyboy with respect. Unlike Pony's oldest brother, Darry, Sodapop is more understanding and listens to Ponyboy. Throughout the novel, Sodapop gives Ponyboy advice and tries to help him gain perspective on Darry. In Chapter 1, Sodapop tells Ponyboy that Darry loves him and only wants what is best for him before they go to bed. Sodapop understands that Ponyboy is just a young, sensitive kid. Sodapop views Pony as a naive teenager with amazing potential. Sodapop realizes that Ponyboy is intelligent and athletic. He does not want to see his brother waste his talents and supports Ponyboy throughout the story. Sodapop not only gives Ponyboy advice but also talks to Darry in hopes of repairing their relationship.

What is the purpose of a prologue?

A prologue is an introduction to a literary or musical work that is separate from the main narrative. Instead of a first scene, which often exists in the time and place of a story, a prologue is a separate entity that offers insight into some aspect of a narrative. Prologues can be very important, or even famous, as in the case of Romeo and Juliet. 

The prologue of Romeo and Juliet is important because it sets up one of the dramatic devices that Shakespeare uses in the play: foreshadowing. In the prologue, the narrator announces that the two "star-crossed" lovers will end in tragedy. By doing this, the narrator is foreshadowing the end of the play. While this may seem like it is giving away the story, it is actually a technique used to increase dramatic tension. The audience becomes aware of how the play will end, but the characters are not given this information. The audience then sees the action unfolding, aware of the mistakes the characters are making. The audience may feel like they want to yell out, "No! Don't do that!" This tension is what makes Romeo and Juliet so exciting.  

By the end of the book Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson, how has Isabel’s sense of her identity changed?

By the end of the book, Isabel has become a proactive and confident girl who takes control of her life and her freedom.

At the end of the book.  Isabel is no longer somebody's slave (literally and figuratively).  Technically, that is how the book begins too.  When Miss Mary Finch died, she gave Isabel and Ruth their freedom.  Unfortunately, Mr. Robert Finch does not honor that agreement, and he quickly sells Isabel and Ruth to the Locktons.  

The Locktons are incredibly harsh slave owners.  They mistreat both Isabel and Ruth.  Isabel is practically worked into the ground, and Madam Lockton is unhappy with anything that Isabel does.  At one point, Madam Lockton even has the letter "I" branded on Isabel's cheek.  

The entire time that Isabel is working for the Locktons, she dreams of freedom; however, Isabel has no clear idea of how to achieve it.  She desires freedom, but she isn't willing to take any drastic steps to achieve it.  Even when Curzon dangles the possibility in front of Isabel, she turns him down because it is too dangerous.  

Isabel does eventually work up the courage to begin spying on the Locktons, but she isn't only hoping that the Patriots grant her freedom.  She wants her freedom, and she doesn't care where it comes from.  At one point in the book, Isabel seeks to help the British because they offer her a chance to be free as well.  

The branded letter "I" on Isabel's cheek is symbolically the biggest indicator of how Isabel changes from the beginning of the novel to the end. Madam Lockton tells Isabel that the mark stands for "Insolence," and for most of the novel, that is how Isabel considers herself.  Near the novel's close, though, Isabel remembers that her father had a similar mark; however, her father treated his mark as a badge of courage, strength, and distinction.  Isabel decides that this is what she must do, and she decides that the "I" is her mark of distinction.  It now stands for "Isabel."  

This is my country mark.  I did not ask for it, but I would carry it as Poppa carried his.  It made me his daughter.  It made me strong.

I took a step back, seeing near my whole self in the mirror. I pushed back my shoulders and raised my chin, my back straight as an arrow.  

This mark stands for Isabel.

With her newfound attitude about herself, Isabel digs deep and finds a new inner courage and strength.  She will no longer sit back and take the Lockton's abuse.  She will no longer wait for freedom to come to her.  Isabel will run away from the Locktons and take her own freedom.  In order to do this, Isabel steals a pass, rescues Curzon, and rows herself and Curzon to freedom.   Isabel will be in charge of her life from now on.  Nobody else. 

What are the effects of slavery on Africa in the past?

In terms of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, the effects were devastating on the history of West Africa. The human toll on slavery was immense. An estimated 11 million Africans died as a result of the slave trade. Some died on the hike to the coast before getting on the ship across the Atlantic, while thousands died en route. Millions died in warfare that resulted from the slave trade within Africa. As a result of this wanton destruction, the population of Africa remained stagnant until the end of the nineteenth century.

The slave trade also changed the political structure of West Africa, which was traditionally decentralized. Powerful predatory kings emerged that were able to broker deals with European powers for slaves. They became more powerful than their neighbors through the import of guns that were exchanged for slaves. This led to more rigid and hierarchal political and social systems in the region.

The slave trade crippled the economic development of the continent. That will happen when you remove millions of young and healthy men from your workforce. Entire villages were left in ruin from the absence of a workforce. All of the energy of many African cultures was focused on defending themselves from capture. Technology and economic development suffered as a result.

Another result of the Atlantic Slave Trade was it permitted European powers to intervene in the political process of West Africa. Europeans did not want strong centralized states in Africa that could challenge their authority and they made attempts to prevent this. When the slave trade was abolished, the continent was grossly underdeveloped, disorganized, and vulnerable to colonization.

How do Rikki and Nag's personalities compare in "Rikki-tikki-tavi"?

Rikki and Nag are both brave and stubborn.

Rikki and Nag are both animals behaving instinctively.  Rikki-tikki-tavi is a mongoose, and a mongoose kills snakes.  Snakes kill birds and try to defend themselves against mongooses and humans that might invade their territory.

Rikki and Nag both stand up to danger.  Rikki is too curious to be afraid, and Nag is brave enough to stand up to Rikki and try to distract him so that Nagaina can sneak up on Rikki.

Nag was thinking to himself, and watching the least little movement in the grass behind Rikki-tikki. He knew that mongooses in the garden meant death sooner or later for him and his family, but he wanted to get Rikki-tikki off his guard. …

“Let us talk,'' he said. “You eat eggs. Why should not I eat birds?''

Rikki and Nag are both willing to put everything on the line for those that matter most to them.  Rikki wants to defend the people in the bungalow, and Nag wants to defend his eggs.

Nag targets Rikki by trying to kill the people.  Rikki is smart enough to know what he is planning, and finds him before he succeeds.

Nag coiled himself down, coil by coil, round the bulge at the bottom of the water-jar, and Rikki-tikki stayed still as death. After an hour he began to move, muscle by muscle, toward the jar. Nag was asleep, and Rikki-tikki looked at his big back, wondering which would be the best place for a good hold.

Rikki and Nag are both stubborn and resourceful.  Each of them refuses to give up even when targeted by the other.  Rikki wins because Nag relies too much on Nagaina and lets his guard down, while Rikki relies only on himself.  

Rikki and Nag are a lot alike, and both of them are acting on instinct.  Rikki's goal is to eliminate the threat of snakes, and Nag's is to protect his family.  It is tempting to think of Nag and Nagaina as the villains, but we should also remember that Rikki and the people are the invaders.

In the picture of Dorian Gray what does Dorian mean when he says, "Each of us had heaven and hell in him" and how does this connect to the theme of...

By this quote Dorian Grey means that people have the capability to do great harm and the capability to do great goodness in the world.  You mentioned the theme of wrestling with the conflict of choosing to do good or evil.  That's exactly what Dorian's comment shows.  He shows that man isn't born good or born evil.  He says in the quote that a person has the opportunity to choose between the two states every single time.  It's a common theme among authors.  For example, the same theme is illustrated in William Golding's Lord of the Flies.  In that book, one of the main characters, Simon, realizes that the evil monster is not an actual thing.  It is the boys' own ability to choose to do good and right or become the evil "Lord of the Flies" that they all fear.  Dorian says the same thing when he says that a person has the ability for heaven (good) and (hell).  He specifically says "and," not "or."  It shows that both are present.  

The allele for arched feet is dominant over the allele for flat feet. Write the genotype of someone who has flat feet

If we allow “A” to represent the dominant allele for arched feet and “a” to represent the recessive allele for flat feet, then an individual that has flat feet must be homozygous recessive for the trait. The individual’s genotype could be represented as “aa."

Alleles are varieties of genes. Alleles can be dominant or recessive. A dominant allele is the “stronger” variety of a gene. Dominant alleles are indicated by a capital letter. The capital letter used is often the first letter of the dominant trait that is being represented. A recessive allele is the “weaker” variety of the gene. Recessive alleles are represented by lowercase letters. The lowercase letter that is used is usually the first letter of the dominant allele that is being represented.

Humans are called diploid because they have two alleles at most of their genetic loci (“di” = two). Humans inherit one allele from each of their parents.

 A genotype is the genetic combination of alleles that an individual has for a trait.  Phenotypes are the physical representation of a genotype.  Because dominant alleles are “stronger” than recessive alleles, only one dominant allele is needed to produce a dominant phenotype.

Genotypes can be homozygous dominant, heterozygous, or homozygous recessive. Homozygous dominant genotypes have two dominant alleles and will show the dominant phenotype. A heterozygous genotype has one dominant and one recessive allele. Because a heterozygous genotype contains a dominant allele, it will also show the dominant phenotype. Homozygous recessive genotypes contain two recessive alleles. Having a homozygous recessive genotype is the only way an individual can show the recessive phenotype.

Compare and contrast the film adaptation of The Importance of Being Earnest with the play.

I assume that your question refers to the most recent film adaptation of Oscar Wilde's play: the 2002 film starring Colin Firth as Jack and Rupert Everett as Algernon.  In this case, there are no real significant departures from the text in the film; it is a fairly accurate representation of Wilde's original events and characters.  The three acts do overlap in the movie in ways in which they do not in the play.  For example, in the movie, there are early cuts to Cecily at Jack's country house, though -- in the play -- we do not meet her until Act Two.  So, events from different acts, mostly Acts 1 and 2, are blended together.

Further, the movie does lengthen certain scenes, most likely to make the movie a bit longer than it otherwise might have been.  For example, in the play, Aunt Augusta simply conducts her interrogation of Jack as a marriage prospect for Gwendolyn at Algernon's house; however, in the film, it is turned into a much more formal and frightening (and hilarious) affair.  Aunt Augusta asks Jack to come to her home the next day, and when he arrives, he passes someone we must assume to be another potential suitor of Gwendolyn's looking very harried as he quickly leaves the premises.  Jack is presented, then, to Aunt Augusta and two other very august women who all take notes and look at him judgmentally.  It is even more awkward for him than the original scene in the play.

In general, however, the film does a nice job of capturing the characters and themes and only alters details to make them more accessible to a modern audience or omits them if they would not be helpful to such an audience.  (At one point, Dr. Chasuble makes an obscure reference to an early Christian writer who is unlikely to be understood by a 21st-century layperson audience: it is the comments like these that are sometimes omitted.)

In The Crucible Act II Scene 6, how does the town treat the accused girls at first? Which characters are the first to openly doubt the girls during...

Do you mean Act II, Scene 6, as in the scene where Elizabeth Proctor is taken to jail? I'll write about that first, although I think you may mean Act III, which is the court scene. I'll write about that afterwards.

Act II, Scene 6 is one of the famous scenes in Arthur Miller's The Crucible. In this scene, Elizabeth Proctor is taken away because she is suspected to be a witch. It begins with Mary Warren returning to the Proctor's home, feeling very important after her day in court. Mary gives Elizabeth a doll that she made during court, and this doll becomes an important part of the plot. Later, Elizabeth tells Proctor that she knows her name is going to be brought up in court. She demands Proctor figure things out with Abigail, as his adulterous behavior with Abigail will eventually harm Elizabeth. Reverend Hale arrives and looks for proof that Elizabeth is guilty of witchcraft. The doll ultimately incriminates Elizabeth, and she is taken off to jail. Hale suspects that Elizabeth is not guilty, but he pushes Proctor to have faith in the justice system.

Act III is the court scene. This is a complicated scene that is very difficult to stage because it involves most of the characters in the play. The girls provide their testimony in court, but some characters begin to doubt the confessions of these girls. The first characters to publicly doubt these confessions are Giles and Hale. Giles proclaims that everyone is simply looking to take land, using these confessions as justification. Hale begins to suspect the testimony of these girls because of how frequently the opposition to this testimony is seen as an attack on the court. This is suspicious to Hale, and soon others begin to privately and publicly question these testimonies. 

What are the six major events that occur in Act III of The Crucible?

There are many events that occur in Act 3 of The Crucible. If six major events must be specified, then the most important events are:

1. 
   Giles interrupts the proceedings and is eventually arrested for contempt. Giles is a character who appears predominately in the third act. An elderly man, Giles is cantankerous and loves his wife. He refuses to go along with the witchcraft hysteria and claims men are using the hysteria for their own personal economic gain.


2. 
   Mary announces she was pretending to be afflicted by witchcraft. This is a crucial moment because Mary presents a rift in the girls' narrative about witchcraft. 


3. 
   Proctor is questioned about his religious beliefs. Proctor is continuously examined by the court in this act. While many are put on trial, the audience mostly sees the court through Proctor's experience. 


4. 
   The girls accuse Mary of witchcraft and proceed to be "bewitched" by Mary's spirit. The girls quickly turn on Mary and claim she has possessed them. Mary attempts to stop the girls but eventually joins their hysteria in fear. 


5. 
   Elizabeth admits Proctor committed adultery with Abigail. Elizabeth looks to Proctor for signs but ultimately admits he confessed to this sin.   
   


6. 
   Hale denounces the proceedings. Throughout the act, Hale is increasingly critical of Danforth and the proceedings. By the end of the act, Hale exits the stage and declares he is quitting the court.

What did Carthaginians trade and with whom? How does this support the fact that they had a significant trading economy?

The Carthaginians traded a variety of goods.  One of their most important goods was purple dye.  This dye was valuable because purple was the color favored by royalty.  This dye came from the crushed shells of a Murex, a saltwater snail.  They also traded colorful glass, including glass beads.  They traded more common goods from that region, such as fish paste and olive oil.  They traded metals such as silver, copper, and tin.  Tin was an important metal for the Carthaginians to trade because it was used for making bronze, and they held a monopoly on it. 

Once loaded with goods, the ships belonging to the Carthaginians stopped at most of the major ports of the time.  Traders bought and sold goods with the Celts and the Gauls in western Europe.  Carthage's merchants did a great deal of trade at various ports on the Iberian Peninsula.  They even traveled to the interior of Africa to trade with the Berbers, the Ethiopians, and others.  They went as far away as southeast Asia.  Particularly ambitious traders like Hano the Navigator and Hamilco the Navigator traveled to even more faraway places, such as the Ivory Coast and the eastern Atlantic Ocean (what is now England).  

The Carthaginians were able to have a significant trading economy because of their location on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.  They had easy access by ship to many ports in Europe and Africa.  They traded a variety of goods, and their economy centered on trade.

What are some chapter-by-chapter study questions to help with the story "The Thief Lord" by Cornelia Funke?

Chapters 1-2

1- Why do the Harliebs want to hire Victor?

2- According to Victor, what does the name "Prosper" mean?

3- Why did the boys choose Venice?

4- Why doesn't Prosper want Bo's picture taken?

5- How old are the boys?

6- How and where do Prosper and Bo meet Hornet?

7- Where does Hornet take the boys?

Chapters 3-5

1- What jobs are given to Ricco and Mosca by the Thief Lord?

2- What does the Thief Lord's disguise look like?

3- Where do the various character's sleep?

4- Who is Barbarossa?  Why is he important to the children in the theater?

5- Why does Barbarossa deduct money from what he owes the children?

6- Is Prosper good at deal making?  Why or why not?

7- What is in Scipio's message from Barbarossa?

8- What secrets does Barbarossa not know about Scipio?

9- Describe Scipio's leadership of the children.

10- Why do the children follow Scipio?

Chapter 6-14

1- How does Prosper spend the money Barbarossa gives him?  What types of things does he feel are necessary and what is unnecessary.  

2- How do Prosper and Bo change in relationship to one another in Chapter 8?

3- What secrets are learned about Mosca, Riccio, and Hornet in this section of the book?  Why are these secrets important to the story?

4- Why does Prosper consider leaving Venice?

5- What does Hornet think about Prosper's plan to leave?

6- When Conte wants to meet with Scipio, what concerns are raised?

7- Where is the designated location of the meeting with Conte?  Why is it significant?

Chapters 15-26:

1- What item is taken from Victor?  Who has it?  Why does he need it?

2- What is a middleman?  How is Barbarossa a middleman in the story?

3- Why does Victor go to see the Doctor?

4- Why does Scipio run away?

5- How did Scipio and the children first meet?

6- Describe Scipio's personality in the theater and on the streets compared to his personality at his home.  Why do you think there is such a contrast between the two?

7- Where did Prosper decide all of Scipio's loot was stolen?

8- What does Victor promise the children?  Why did it take him so long?

Chapter 27-36

1- What deal does Ida make with the children?

2- Why can Scipio steal easily from his own house?

3- What does Victor tell the Hartliebs?

4- What was the Hartleibs decision regarding finding Prosper and Bo?

5- What is the Isola Segreta's legend?  

6- Where did Conte take the wing?

7- Why does Hornet come to Scipio's house?

8- How did the police know about the children?

Chapter 37-53

1- Why does Scipio visit Ida?

2- How do the Hartliebs feel about Bo at this point in the story?  Why have things changed?

3- Who are Renzo and Morosina?

4- How have Renzo and Morosina survived on the island?

5- Who chooses to ride the merry-go-round?  Why do they make that choice?

6- Which characters decide not to ride the merry-go-round?  Why?

7- How does Ida know that Prosper went to the Isola Segreta?

8- What plans does each character make for the future?

9- What happens to Scipio at the end of the story?  

10- Describe the changes in Victor from the beginning of the story to the end.  How and why has he changed?

11- What happened to the merry-go-round?

12- What happened to Barbarossa?

How does Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird show the Antebellum South and Postbellum South?

Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird shows characteristics of the changing face of southern society: specifically Antebellum South and Postbellum South.

Antebellum South reflects norms of a society where whites were dominant over blacks, but the culture of the African-American was extremely influential in that society:

By the mid-1800s, [r]esolved to control their socioeconomic order and continue slavery, southerners lived in a duality between their uncompromising position and the true biracial nature of the region. Whites controlled positions of power but black southerners influenced the region in countless ways. For example, slaves greatly impacted the language, folklore, religion, music, literature, and recreation of the South.

This can be seen in Calpurnia's influence in the raising of the Finch children. When Scout gets in trouble on her first day of school for already knowing how to write in cursive, we find that Cal was her teacher, and Scout's advanced knowledge is only because the housekeeper (who is like the children's mother) took the time to challenge Scout before she ever started school.

Calpurnia was to blame for this. It kept me from driving her crazy on rainy days...She would set me a writing task by scrawling the alphabet firmly across the top of a tablet, then copying out a chapter of the Bible beneath.

Not only did Scout learn to write, but we also understand that Calpurnia can read and write (cursive) herself.

Postbellum refers to the time after the end of a war. It is defined as being "of or during the period after a war, especially the American Civil War." The period after the Civil War in the South was marked by confusion and resentment. Landowners were forced to free their slaves, and slaves were the backbone of the South's agrarian society. During this difficult period of adjustment for all involved, the government attempted to enforce the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments. With the changes of presidents and political majorities, common ground was never really found. Ultimately, oppression of the freed slaves became the law of the land once more—even though the law did not support it.

During Radical Reconstruction, which began in 1867, newly enfranchised blacks gained a voice in government for the first time in American history, winning election to southern state legislatures and even to the U.S. Congress. In less than a decade, however, reactionary forces–including the Ku Klux Klan–would reverse the changes wrought by Radical Reconstruction in a violent backlash that restored white supremacy in the South.

These attitudes can be seen with Bob Ewell and others in Maycomb (though not everyone) in their hatred of blacks and their perception that blacks were less than human. Consider Tom Robinson's trial for rape as the result of the false accusations of Mayella and Bob Ewell. Though there is no doubt that Tom Robinson is not guilty by all of the evidence presented, the white jury still finds Tom guilty. He was not convicted because he had done something wrong; he was convicted because he was black.

Then Mr. Underwood's meaning became clear: Atticus had used every tool available to free men to save Tom Robinson, but in the secret courts of men's hearts Atticus had no case. Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed.

While many people in Maycomb (Atticus, Miss Maudie, Mr. Underwood, Judge Taylor, etc.) are more opened-minded, having compassion for the black community, and the practicing their belief that skin color has no bearing upon the value of a man or woman (which is a more Postbellum South vision), many others (including the Ewells and Mrs. Dubose) reflect the norms of the Antebellum South. While people from the North were supportive of changes to the South after the slaves were emancipated, the South found it much more difficult to adapt to the massive changes to their societal and economic norms. Maycomb was still deeply rooted in the past, even though many folks were progressively embracing new attitudes that were not popular with those with a firm and unshakable foundation in the norms of the Old South.

How do race, gender, and class influence Dill Harris's character development in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird?

In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, Charles Baker Harris, nicknamed Dill, is a young, white boy who is very small for his age and the best friend of Jem and Scout Finch. Based on clues in the book, we can deduce a few things about his social class and background that help us better understand his characterization as an individual deeply sensitive about the issues of oppression and racism.

One thing we know about Dill is that he has no knowledge of his biological father, a point that deeply embarrasses him. He was given his father's last name, Harris, as we can tell based on the fact that his mother's sister, Miss Rachel Haverford, still goes by her maiden name, making both sisters Haverfords. Yet, Dill's father has clearly never been a part of his life. One can assume it is possibly because he is an illegitimate child. If he is an illegitimate child, we know he is most likely a member of the lower working class since birth out of wedlock has been much less common among the higher classes over the centuries.

Another clue that signifies he is a member of the lower working class is that his mother works, specifically as an assistant to a photographer. It was rare for women to work in the 1930s, especially in the higher classes. Plus, working as an assistant requires no education; therefore, his mother fits in with the lower working class, along with all hourly-wage earners, such as artisans. Finally, Scout also notes that, as Dill scarfs down leftover cornbread, he customarily chews with only his front teeth (Ch. 14). Only members of the lower class are likely to have poor table manners.

The fact that Dill feels embarrassed and ostracized by society for not having a biological father and that he comes from a lower class help explain Dill's ability  to empathize with other ostracized lower-class members of society, such as Southern African Americans. We see Dill's ability to empathize when he begins sobbing during Tom Robinson's cross-examination, saying, "That old Mr. Gilmer doin' him thataway, talking so hateful to him--," whereas, in contrast to Dill's reaction, Scout's own response is, "Well, Dill, after all he's just a Negro" (Ch. 19). Dill's characterization as being an abandoned, ostracized member of the lower class, in contrast to Scout's characterization as being a member of the educated class, helps show why Dill would much more instinctively empathize with Tom Robinson and others who are equally oppressed and ostracized.

In what ways did people around the world share in Sighet's naivete about the Holocaust?

One of the most astounding things readers discover in the first chapter of Night is that, overall, the Jewish residents of Sighet are not alarmed by rumors of the Holocaust. Surprisingly, their skepticism was not uncommon during the Second World War.

Genocide was not unknown before the Holocaust. In the First World War, for example, the Ottoman Empire killed over a million ethnic Armenians in an attempt to ‘cleanse’ their country of people they saw as inferior. Yet European countries viewed the Ottomans as culturally inferior. It made sense that they would do something so barbaric. Germany, despite anti-Semitic laws passed by the Nazis, was still a scientific and cultural world leader. To educated people, it seemed near-impossible that Germany, an advanced country, could commit genocide.

After Moshe the Beadle is deported in 1942, Elie hears that Moshe is happily living at a work camp. This rumor is one of many pieces of misinformation the Nazis gave Jews during deportations. Only at the last moment, when escape was impossible, did the Jews learn the Nazis' true intentions. The fact that only a handful of people escaped the camps before war’s end made it very difficult for the world to learn about the Holocaust until it was too late.

why did several regiments march on philadelphia after the war ended

The Continental Army had not gotten paid in months.  These people were working men and farmers who had signed up for the war in order to protect their homes and way of life.  Many had not gotten paid or were underpaid when the war was underway.  Now that the war ended, the former soldiers demanded payment.  The states were unable to come up with the debt, and even if they were, there was the question of which states would pay for which soldiers.  It was almost like when a large group of people split a check at a restaurant--New York questioned why it had to pay South Carolina's war debt when New York had already paid it's part of the bill.  Even when the soldiers were getting paid, the Continental dollar was worthless due to inflation; there was a popular saying where something that was worthless was called "not worth a continental."  Something Americans take for granted today is that the American system of government was inevitable, but not really.  What the Founders were creating was novel in the history of the world and often revolutions had many counterrevolutions.  The regiments marched on Philadelphia in order to force the national government to pay them.  Ultimately, this led to the formation of the Constitution where the federal government would take on the states' revolutionary war debt.  The soldiers were ultimately paid in land in the West, which was one of the main assets of the new nation.  

What does Thoreau think of the voting populace?

Henry David Thoreau never voted in an election. He expresses his opinions about voting in the 11th paragraph of “Civil Disobedience”:

All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or backgammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and wrong, with moral questions; and betting naturally accompanies it. … Even voting for the right is doing nothing for it. It is only expressing to men feebly your desire that it should prevail. A wise man will not leave the right to the mercy of chance, nor wish it to prevail through the power of the majority. There is but little virtue in the action of masses of men.

In another essay, “Slavery in Massachusetts,” Thoreau had this to say about the act of voting:

The fate of the country does not depend on how you vote at the polls – the worst man is as strong as the best at that game; it does not depend on what kind of paper you drop into the ballot-box once a year, but on what kind of man you drop from your chamber into the street every morning.

Through these passages, Thoreau demonstrates his preference and admiration for the power of concrete individual action. Marks on a ballot aren’t enough for him. In an election, people are asked to choose sides and to merely vote for one person or another. For many, this is their sole involvement with government. They voice their opinions, and then let others work out the details. The voting populace just goes through the motions without giving the process much thought. This method doesn’t make enough of a difference for Thoreau. He doesn’t offer an alternative or an easier way to govern such a large country. But in “Civil Disobedience” and other essays, like “Life without Principle,” he maintains that the rights of the individual are not considered as highly or as valuable as they should be. He believes that every person has a higher law dwelling inside him/her that supersedes any legislation the larger government can come up with. He would prefer that individuals do something about challenges themselves, rather than transfer their power to government employees.

Of course, in the voting examples above, Thoreau is indeed referring only to men. Only men could vote in state and federal elections during his lifetime (1817-1862). American women did not gain the right to vote until 1920.

How far do you think we are meant to accept Elizabeth Proctor taking on the blame for Johns adultery?

When Elizabeth found out about the relationship between John and Abigail, she fired the girl and hoped to sort the issue out with her husband privately. Her will to resolve issues with John privately brought her in direct conflict with Abigail, who hoped that Elizabeth would seek separation from John. When the opportunity arose, Abigail accused Elizabeth of witchcraft.

In essence, Elizabeth sought to maintain her husband’s good name within the Salem community. She did admit to her own weaknesses because she believed John was blaming himself for everything. She thought it fair to balance out the issue and pointed out the situation that led to John’s adultery. Elizabeth blamed her insecurities for what happened, but John remained adamant with regards to his own weakness.

Elizabeth: John, I counted myself so plain, so poorly made, no honest love could come to me! Suspicion kissed you when I did; I never knew how I should say my love. It were a cold house I kept! In fright, she swerves, as Hathorne enters. (Elizabeth admitting her role in John's adultery)

Through Elizabeth’s claims it was clear that they both had their weakness but they were willing to work through their issues. This attests to their close bond and their will to see their marriage prevail.

What is the formula mass of (NH4)2O?

The formula mass of an ionic compound is the mass, in grams, of one mole of the formula unit. To find this value, find the sum of the mass of each atom in the formula. When a polyatomic ion (such as the NH4+ in this formula) has parentheses with a subscript outside, multiply everything inside the parentheses by the subscript:

2(N) + 8(H) + O 

2(14.0 g/mol) + 8(1.00 g/mol) + 16.0 g/mol = 52.0 g/mol

Molar mass is expressed in grams per mole for practical purposes such as calculations. The mass numbers from the periodic table that were used to arrive at the formula mass represent two things:

1) The mass of 6.02 x 0^23 (1 mole) atoms of the element, in grams

2) The mass of an individual atom of the element in atomic mass units (amu).

Avogadro's number, 6.02 x 10^23, is the quantity that relates the grams to atomic mass units. 

The mass numbers were originally assigned as relative masses. Hydrogen, the lightest element, was given a mass number of 1 and the mass numbers assigned to other elements were their masses as compared to hydrogen's. The masses are now based on the carbon-12 atom having a mass number of 12.000.

In To Kill a Mockingbird on what page does Jem think they're going to win and on what page does he say that his image of Maycomb is shattered?

During the deliberation of the jury, Jem asked the Reverend Sykes if Atticus did a good job on his final summation to the jury.  The Reverend replied that 

"..... he was mighty fair minded.....I thought he was leanin' a little to our side." (pg 208) 

At that time, Jem assures him, 

"He's not suppose to lean, Reverend, but don't fret, we've won it..... Don't see how any jury could convict on what we heard ..." (pg 208)

However, the jury does convict Tom Robinson and, at that time, Jem becomes very disillusioned. He cries on the way home and his first words to Atticus is that it just wasn't right.  Atticus agrees that it wasn't right and tells Jem that there are circumstances in Maycomb that make it almost impossible for Tom to get a fair trial.   Men on a jury must make a decision and that decision could have financial consequences or social consequences. Jem decides that juries should be outlawed, but Atticus says that must be addressed in the state legislature.   Atticus is actually surprised that the verdict took so long since, normally, a verdict like this would have taken just minutes.  He sees that as a hopeful sign. However, the events of the day weigh heavily on Jem and by the time they go to bed, he says 

"If there's just one kind of folks, why can't they get along with each other?  If they're all alike, why do they go out of their way to despise each other?  Scout, I think I'm beginning to understand something.  I think I'm beginning to understand why Boo Radley's stayed shut up in the house all this time.... it's because he wants to stay inside." (pg 227)

Jem's image of friendly and peaceful town, the town of his childhood,  has been shattered.  

How can I analyze (not summarize) the following from Life of Constantine by Eusebius of Caesarea? "For as soon as he was made acquainted with the...

The key strategy you need to follow in analyzing a passage like this is thinking about its context. To discover the antecedents of pronouns, you need to look to the immediately preceding materials to discover their referents. This is not a difficult process; simply pasting the quotation into a Google search box will pull up the chapter from which this was excerpted, namely Chapter V.—Of the Disagreement respecting the Celebration of Easter.

Thus this is not really an anti-Arian statement but rather one on the subject of the Paschal or Eastern controversy, concerning how the date of Easter is to be determined. Syrian Christians were the main opponents to Constantine and the Council of Nicaea on this issue. 

The main ambiguity here is that there appears no obvious "secret adversary" mentioned. Chapter IV discusses the Arians and then Chapter V moves on to the Paschal Controversy, which actually started much earlier, really gaining traction in the late second century. No one individual is mentioned in regards to the Paschal Controversy though; all we know is that the Council issued statements which attempted to create uniformity in the date of Easter across Christendom and failed (Orthodox and western Christians still calculate it differently). Eusebius thinks this discord a great evil, describing it as a "most virulent disorder" and saying:

... the people being thus in every place divided in respect of this, and the sacred observances of religion confounded ... no one appeared who was capable of devising a remedy for the evil, ... Constantine appeared to be the only one on earth capable of being [God's] minister for this good end.

The main evil mentioned in the passage is discord and disunity, and thus you could make a case for that being the enemy Constantine is opposing. "War" here is metaphorical; Roman emperors did not begin sending armies against Christian heretics until the early fifth century.

For your analysis, what you might want to focus on is the way that Eusebius appears to consider church unity and authority so important, at times nearly seeing uniformity and strong central authority as a goal in and of itself. 

Does doubling the speed of an object increase its kinetic energy?

Yes, if the speed of an object increases its kinetic energy increases. Kinetic energy is energy of motion. Doubling the speed will quadruple the kinetic energy. The relationship between speed and kinetic energy is:

This means that the factor by which kinetic energy increases is the square of the factor by which speed or velocity increases for a given object. 

Kinetic energy equals the work that must be done on an object to accelerate it from rest to a given speed. Work is force multiplied by displacement or distance an object moves in the direction of the applied force. More work must be done to reach a greater speed, either by applying more force or by applying force over a greater distance. Once an object being accelerated reaches a constant speed its kinetic energy remains constant unless its speed is changed. 

How do you think Johnny felt when Ponyboy yelled at him? Why?

Johnny probably felt incredibly betrayed when Ponyboy gets angry and yells at him.  Johnny comes from a home life where he is treated terribly, and he is living in a society where he isn't appreciated.  He has his parents, teachers, and the Socs telling him that he is a second class citizen and treating him as such.  The gang treats him like a puppy, or a little brother; that's great and at least they're nice to him, but they don't necessarily respect him.

Ponyboy, on the other hand, is the only person Johnny knows that is not only nice and caring towards him, but respects him as an equal.  Ponyboy knows Johnny's struggles in life and still wants to be his friend.  When Ponyboy yells at him, he's treating Johnny like everyone else in the world does.  He's yelling at him like he's his little brother, like he's stupid, like he won't amount to anything in life.  It must be devastating to have the only person in the world you trust and admire make you feel small.  

What is the resolution in "The Killers" by Ernest Hemingway?

"The Killers" seems to have been intentionally left unresolved by the author Ernest Hemingway. Readers are left wondering what will happen to Ole Andreson. It seems likely that he will eventually be killed by gangsters, but Max and Al are "through with it," as Max says to Al just before they leave the diner. If "The Killers" is read as Nick Adams' story, then there is a resolution as far as he is concerned. 

"I'm going to get out of this town," Nick said.

"Yes," said George. "That's a good thing to do."

There are many unanswered questions raised by Hemingway's famous story. One of them is raised by George when they are waiting to see if Ole will show up. George asks Max:

"What you going to do with us afterward?"

"That'll depend," Max said. "That's one of those things you never know at the time."

Yet there is a good indication that Max and Al fully intended to wipe out all witnesses after they shotgunned Ole while he was seated at the counter. George was the only one who could offer any resistance. Nick and Sam were tied up in the kitchen. Max would have had one more shell in his shotgun, and then he could have reloaded to take care of Nick and Sam. But there was no point in killing the witnesses if they hadn't witnessed anything. The indication that Max and Al intended to kill George, Nick and Sam is contained in one bit of Al's dialogue and one observation from Max.

"So long, bright boy," he said to George. "You got a lot of luck."

"That's the truth," Max said. "You ought to play the races, bright boy."

Can Sita from The Ramayana by Valmiki be a role model to modern women?

In my mind, there is little doubt that Sita devi can serve as a role model to modern women.

Sita devi can serve as a role model to modern women in a variety of ways. The first way is through her independent spirit.  She is fiercely independent and unwilling to bend her will to any external force.  Her father, King Janaka of Mithila, instructed her to affirm self-respect and not acquiesce to anything beneath her dignity.  As she matured, Sita devi took these lessons to heart. She chose to serve Lord Rama because she loves him.  Such displays of independence make her a role model to women and men. She is able to show how freedom means being able to strike a balance between one's voice and showing care for another.  In the modern setting, there is a belief that independence means being non-negotiable when it comes to one's voice.  To be free means rejecting anything and anyone else that might be limiting.  Sita devi demonstrates how individuals can possess their own voice even when combining it with another person's.  When Sita devi serves Lord Rama, it is not because he silences or compels her.  It is because both of them know that they are stronger when their voices combine.  They draw strength from one other.  Sita's insight into this relationship dynamic is something that modern audiences can appreciate. 

Sita devi's devotion is sometimes misread as weakness. It is important to challenge this with evidence from The Ramayana.  As much as she loves Lord Rama, she is fiercely independent when it comes to rebuking Ravana. Even though the conditions in Lanka would test the resolve of anyone, Sita does not relent.  This is another area where Sita devi can be a role model to women and men.  Ravana offers her luxury and wealth.  He offers her royal status if she consents to marry him.  All she has to do is simply nod her head and she would find herself set for life.  Yet, Sita remains defiant.  She suffers greatly for her defiance.  Banished to the Ashoka grove, she has to deal with the terror of the demons that do Ravana's bidding.  While Sita is weary, her resolve does not waver. Even when Hanuman comes to rescue her, saying that he will take her to Lord Rama, Sita devi insists that she will not touch another man.  While she knows this means she will suffer more indignities, she tells Hanuman that she will only go home with Lord Rama.  

Sita devi does not sacrifice her word for anything.  She refuses to compromise her virtue for convenience.  Sita reminds the modern audience that one has to stand for something.  Convictions help us endure difficult times. Sita is a role model because she proves that convictions matter most when times are the most trying.  In the modern setting, we are besieged with opportunities to maximize our comfort at the cost of beliefs.  Sita devi reminds us that when we lack convictions, we are no different than the beasts and demons of Ravana's Lanka.  Through her example, Sita devi tells us that we must stand for something if we wish to be something.  She would be a role model for women and men because she is a constant reminder that we must be above putting a price on ourselves.  Ravana believes he can woo Sita and win her over because he thinks she has a price.  His downfall proves that Sita's virtue and independence was so fierce that even he could not match it.

In Act III of The Merchant of Venice, what kind of rationale does Bassanio employ to make a decision on a specific casket while he dismisses...

The three caskets that suitors must choose from in order to win Portia's hand are gold, silver and lead. Each suitor chooses a casket based on the box and his understanding of the riddle presented with it. Each suitor deliberates about which casket to choose based upon his logical reasoning skills derived from his upbringing. Unbeknownst to Portia, her father's reasoning is what protects her from suitors who would not do well being her husband. For example, the African man from Morocco has nothing in common with Christian Europeans; therefore, his reasoning is based on what he perceives them to be. Morocco reasons not to choose the lead box because Portia is worth more than that; he believes that the silver box promises that he will get what he deserves, but that might not extend to Portia; and finally, the gold box represents her value and what many men seek. Hence, the Moroccan chooses the gold box and is told "All that glitters is not gold" (II.viii.65) and Portia is saved from being married to someone who does not understand her religion or her culture.

The Prince of Aragon (a pun on arrogance) displays his own conceited personality because he believes he is better than the "many" who would choose the gold box. He doesn't choose the lead box because it is not beautiful enough even to consider. Therefore, he chooses the silver casket because its riddle says that he shall get what he deserves--and he feels he deserves everything and anything he wants. Since he chooses incorrectly, Portia is saved from having to marry someone who is arrogant and self-serving.

Bassanio, on the other hand, presents himself as the humble Christian that Portia's father would have wanted her to marry--even if he is poor. His logic stems from his common upbringing which values the spiritual over the temporal. Bassanio looks upon the gold and silver caskets as possible temptations or deceivers. They may look good and be desired by the world, but they cannot buy what matters most in life. He draws an analogy to beauty products cover up hair and faces (wigs and makeup) but the truth is revealed once those things are taken away. The lead box, however, offers no deceit and stands for itself without disguise. Bassanio reasons as follows:

"But thou, thou meagre lead,

Which rather threaten'st than dost promise aught,

Thy paleness moves me more than eloquence

And here choose I. Joy be the consequence!" (III.ii.104-107).

Bassanio chooses lead because it does not promise anything beyond itself. It doesn't boast or brag and it doesn't tempt or disguise itself. He concludes that Portia's picture must be in a casket that represents truth rather than great speeches or beautiful things of the world might offer. 

What are three ways to describe slope?

Here are some ways to describe slope:

(1) Verbally slope indicates the steepness of a line (the sign indicates direction and the absolute value describes the steepness -- the larger the absolute value the steeper the graph.) This is related to the grade of a hill or the pitch of a roof.

(2) Algebraically slope is typically represented by m: for instance the equation of a line can be written as y=mx+b where m represents the slope. Also the slope formula where . However, some linear functions use other letters for the value that is the slope of the graph such as a direct variation y=kx where k is the constant of proportionality.

(3) Graphically slope is often represented as rise over run, or , or the ratio of the change in the vertical direction to the change of the horizontal.

(4) In modelling situations we say that the slope is the constant (or average) rate of change.

What is the summary of the meeting of the Estates General of 1789?

The Estates-General was a key event in the French Revolution. This began as a meeting of the "three estates" of French society (the nobility, clergy, and peasantry) to try and solve the issues troubling the nation. The government was in extreme debt due to their involvement in a number of wars and several years of crop failure. The peasant class (called the third estate) had been angered by the rise in prices of bread, which exacerbated pre-existing tensions between the land-holding nobility and the laborers who worked the land. 

At the Estates-General of 1789, conflict arose when the three estates could not decide how to vote. If the Estates were to vote independently of one another, it would give an advantage to the nobility and clergy, who made up a relatively small part of society. If the three were to vote all together, the votes of the peasantry were sure to overpower the nobility and clergy. Naturally, the nobility were reluctant to let their decision-making power be overwhelmed by the laboring class!

When a solution to the dispute over voting could not be achieved, the representatives of the Third Estate formed the National Assembly with the intent of solving France's problems with the peoples' interests at heart. They invited the other two Estates to join, and though the King initially resisted, the nobility and clergy eventually had no option but to join the National Assembly. The peasant class could easily have overpowered the First and Second Estate, so resisting did not make much sense.

Later that year, the combined Estates (now known as the National Constituent Assembly,) would pass the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen. This document effectively put an end to the feudal system (and rule by nobility) in France, promoting the values of equality, liberty, and brotherhood for all.

I need some facts on New Imperialism.

New Imperialism was a period of territorial expansion by the countries of Europe, the U.S. and Japan which began around 1870 and lasted until the mid-twentieth century. During this time, these imperial nations colonised vast swathes of Asia, the Middle East and Africa. 

There are a number of factors which explain this sudden expansion in the late nineteenth century. First of all, these imperial nations had all reaped the benefits of industrialisation: they were at the height of their economic, political and military power and wanted to demonstrate their wealth and prestige to the rest of the world. These nations also believed themselves to be culturally superior to other cultures, an idea we call 'ethnocentrism', and so expansion also provided them with an opportunity to transmit their norms, values and religious beliefs on other 'uncivilised' races.

The rise of New Imperialism had some important repercussions on these colonies. For a start, it destroyed many native customs and political and social institutions. The plundering of their natural resources also made these countries poorer as imperial nations grew richer.

Expansion also created rivalries between imperial nations which would have far-reaching consequences: conflict between France and Germany over Morocco and between France and Britain over the Sudan created the tensions which erupted in World War One.   

What are the key features of Henkel’s organizational culture? Does this company’s culture support good strategy execution?

According to the organization's page, the culture at Henkel's is based on the motto

"Excellence is Our Passion".

Essentially, what Henkel is expressing with this motto is that they want to do their best to be the best at everything that they do. They apply this motto to the production process and to the final product outcome. This is what makes Henkel's different, if we were to compare this particular motto to other corporations, which focus on the end product. 

The reality is that, if you do not focus on processes, there is no way to ascertain any predictability in quality for any end product. Process is everything. The process is a source of continuous analysis and should always be questioned, studied, and improved. Therefore, the culture and Henkel's both supports and appreciates processes. 

Another aspect of Henkel's culture is the importance of a competitive environment. 

 Our employees will always put their passion, pride and enthusiasm into making this happen. Conveying this attitude to our internal and external audiences is the task of our claim.

This is a very important point. In a highly-politicized society where there is high criticism about rewarding everyone the same, regardless of their contributions, Henkel's gives a huge reality check to employees, telling them how important it is that they make Henkel's into a sought-after brand that can be a high contender to other brands. This is fair game. It is also transparent. Every organization wants to be the best. There is no point hiding that corporate America, and corporations all over the world, are all about the competition. 

Our corporate culture and our vision, mission and values unite our diverse workforce and provide standards for how we conduct our business. Globally binding behavioral rules are specified in a series of codes. They provide guidance for the behavior and actions of our employees in all business areas and cultures in which we operate.

Finally, Henkel openly declares that the cultural expectations abide by every standard of ethical behavior and by best business practices. This is also an essential part of an effective culture, because it is a declaration that personal and corporate behavior will be ethical and that everyone will be respected and treated without bias. 

Therefore, the culture at Henkel's is one where the employees know that they will be competing to be the best, and that they have to put in as much as they expect to get. The company places equal importance on the process as well as the end product. The company abides by ethical standards of employment, and the culture is open and transparent. It is no doubt that Henkels is doing a great job and looking sincere, relevant and essential to the entire community. 

What does Shakespeare say about love in his plays Othello and Winter's tale, and how is the theme of love expressed dramatically?

Both of these plays demonstrate the troubling fragility of love. Two otherwise good men who love their wives go to violent extremes in the face of jealousy. Othello strangles his wife after learning she might be unfaithful, and Leontes takes similar action. The key difference is that in The Winter's Tale Leontes has a chance at redemption, while Othello never has such an opportunity. Shakespeare explores jealousy and the close relationship between love and hate. All it takes is a small spark of jealousy or betrayal to turn the powerful emotions of romantic love into a spiral of rage and distrust. In Othello this is expressed through the careful manipulations of Iago. All he has to do is stoke the fires of jealousy to drive Othello from adoration to violence. In the Winter's Tale it takes even less. Leontes comes to his incorrect conclusion based only on his own jealous leanings. He lashes out at his dearest followers and at the woman he loves. Both plays explore the frightening similarity between our most positive and negative feelings.

What do we learn about the differences between the north and the south side of Maycomb in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird? How do we know this?

Based on Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, one might conclude that those who live in the north of Maycomb, as well as in the north of the county in general, are typically rowdier, more uncivilized, and more racist. In contrast, those who live in the south, while typically social rejects, have more sensible and accepting dispositions. The above conclusions can be based on character descriptions and which direction the characters live in.

Early in the book, we learn that Mrs. Henry Lafeyette Dubose lives two houses north of the Finches (Ch. 1). Mrs. Dubose is described as the meanest old woman in the neighborhood, and we can tell she is racist based on the insults she hurls at the children about their father each time they walk past her house: "Your father's no better than the niggers and trash he works for!" (Ch. 11).

We further learn that the Cunninghams live in Old Sarum, a town in the "northern part of the county" (Ch. 1). Though the Cunninghams are generally honest, good people, they are also farmers with little education. Walter Cunningham Sr. leads a mob of Cunninghams to the county jail with the purpose of lynching Tom Robinson before he can stand trial, which is a very clear indicator that the Cunninghams have racist beliefs.

To the south of the Finches live the Radleys. Though the Radleys are eccentric due to their religious beliefs as foot-washing Baptists, Arthur (Boo) Radley proves to be one of the most caring characters in the story, as evidenced by the fact that he reaches out to the children in his own quiet, reclusive way and saves their lives by the end of the story.

In addition, we know that Dolphus Raymond lives in the south end of the county based on the narrator Scout's descriptions of the passersby on the day of Tom Robinson's trial. On the day of the trial, she, Jem, and Dill stand on the Finches' front lawn and watch the "people from the south end of the county" pass the Finch house on their way to the courthouse (Ch. 16). Dolphus Raymond is one of those who passes by, "lurch[ing] by on his thoroughbred" (Ch. 16). Dolphus Raymond, though a wealthy landowner, is rumored to be the town drunk. He is also disapproved of by the rest of Maycomb society for living with and having children with an African-American woman. We later learn that he only pretends to be drunk to give Maycomb citizens an excuse to believe for his socially unusual behavior. As he explains to Scout and Jem, he would rather give Maycomb citizens an excuse for his behavior than ostracize himself from them entirely, which demonstrates his compassion for others and sense of personal humility. Therefore, not only is Dolphus Raymond not a racist person, but he is also a very kind and compassionate person; plus, he lives in the southern side of the county, far away from the more racist citizens on the northern side.

What does Atticus tell Scout about Miss Caroline in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Atticus tells Scout that she needs to look at things from Miss Caroline’s point of view.

Scout is very excited about starting first grade.  For years she has been watching Jem go to school while she has to stay home and miss all of the fun.  However, school is not at all what Scout expected.  She gets in trouble almost immediately for being able to read.

[As] I read the alphabet a faint line appeared between her eyebrows, and after making me read most of My First Reader and the stock-market quotations from The Mobile Register aloud, she discovered that I was literate and looked at me with more than faint distaste. (Ch. 2)

This is very disturbing to Scout.  She loves reading as much as she loves breathing, and although Miss Caroline tells her that her father has taught her incorrectly, he actually didn’t really teach her.  She learned to love reading because he loved reading.  She followed along with him as he read, whatever he happened to read, and soon she could read it too.

When Scout complains to Atticus that night about her unfair teacher, he tells her that she needs to learn to see things from Miss Caroline’s point of view.  Miss Caroline learned as much on the first day of school as Scout did.

She had learned not to hand something to a Cunningham, for one thing, but if Walter and I had put ourselves in her shoes we’d have seen it was an honest mistake on her part. We could not expect her to learn all Maycomb’s ways in one day, and we could not hold her responsible when she knew no better. (Ch. 3)

Miss Caroline is not from Maycomb, which made most of the children suspicious of her.  She also is a brand new teacher, and very young.  Atticus knows that there will be a bit of a learning curve for the teacher as well as for her students.  They will need to get used to her educational strategies, and she will have to get used to their Maycomb methods.

Scout is actually learning an important lesson in empathy.  She is young enough to still be figuring out the world.  Atticus is trying to help her understand that she needs to try to see another person's perspective on things before judging the person.  Throughout the book, Scout will continue to work on this lesson as she grows up.

What sort of suspense do we encounter in Shakespeare's Macbeth?

Macbeth by William Shakespeare is the story of the rise and fall of the medieval Scottish king Macbeth. In some ways, it is an unusual play in how it creates suspense. In most plays, suspense is created when a sympathetic character is in peril and we empathize with the character's fear of the unknown and share in the character's dread. By the end of the first act, after Macbeth kills Duncan, most of us no longer sympathize strongly with Macbeth or his wife, Lady Macbeth. Nonetheless, we are still involved in his story and curious about how it will turn out.

The most important device Shakespeare uses to create suspense is the supernatural, in the form of the three weird sisters and their mysterious prophecies. When you actually see them on stage, they create an atmosphere of horror and mystery, embodying pure evil, and uttering strange prophecies. Suspense develops as we wonder if and how their prophecies will be fulfilled and the ways in which Macbeth and his wife will violate their own feelings and ethics in order to obtain the glories the witches promise. 

The second element of suspense has to do with the downfall of Macbeth. As he becomes increasingly evil and ruthless, forces gather against him, and the sense of impending doom creates suspense until Macbeth is finally defeated by Macduff. In the final acts, we know that the witches' prophecies tend to be true, and so we experience suspense as we wonder if and how Birnam Wood can come to the castle and how Macbeth can be defeated when no man born of woman can defeat him.