In the poem "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" by T.S. Eliot, how are sound devices used?

T. S. Eliot uses sound in beautiful and intriguing ways in his poem "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock." Three sound devices he uses are consonance, alliteration, and assonance. Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds, usually those that fall in the middle or at the end of words. Alliteration is the repetition of initial consonant sounds, and assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds. An example of consonance appears in the first stanza. Look at how many words have "s" and "t" or "st" sounds: let, against, patient, deserted, streets, muttering, retreats, restless, nights, hotels, sawdust, oyster, tedious, argument, insidious, intent, it, visit. The repetition of these sounds over and over again add to the quiet, even mysterious, feel of the evening being described. Alliteration can be found several places. Lines 17, 18, and 19 all start with a word that starts with "L": licked, lingered, let. This is another soft sound and lends a slow, easy, tired feeling that goes along with the scene. Another excellent use of alliteration occurs in line 56: "fix you in a formulated phrase." (Note that alliteration refers to sounds, not letters.) This repetition seems to reinforce the judgmental or critical attitude of those who Prufrock believes are analyzing him. Assonance occurs each time there is a rhyme because rhyming words have the same vowel sounds. Beyond that, however, certain vowel repetitions can help create a mood. In lines 120 and 121, the poem says: "I grow old . . . I grow old . . . / I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled." The long "O" sound reinforces the plaintive lament coming from the depths of J. Alfred Prufrock's being.

What happened during the Battle of Lexington?

The Battle of Lexington took place on April 19 1775 in Massachusetts and is remembered as the first military engagement of the American Revolutionary War. 

At dawn on that fateful day, the British, led by Major Pitcairn, arrived at Lexington Green to find a number of American militia armed and waiting for them. The militia were heavily outnumbered (around 70 to 240 British) and Pitcairn advised them to lay down their arms or be killed. Suddenly, a bullet whizzed through the air - immortalised as the shot heard around the world - and several more followed. When the smoke cleared, eight militia were dead and another 10 were wounded on the ground. 

Historians still don't know who fired the first shot but American blood had been spilled. The remaining militia retreated and the British did not linger, heading onward to Concord to rendezvous with other soldiers. 

What is the Old Testament?

The Old Testament is the first part of the Christian Bible, beginning with the Book of Genesis and ending with the Book of Malachi. There are 39 books in the Old Testament, and though they vary widely in content and form, they are unified thematically by the concept of a divine covenant between the God of the Hebrews and his chosen people. This concept is elucidated through histories, books of prophecies, and poems.

The Old Testament is generally based on the Hebrew Bible (though its books are not in the same order), and is thought by most scholars to be written over a long period of time beginning around the tenth century B.C.. Indeed, the Torah, called the Pentateuch by Christians, is believed by many Jews and Christians to have been written by Moses. It sets down many of the basic beliefs shared by both and forms the foundation of the Old Testament. 

In The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, how does the description of the setting in paragraph seven contribute to the theme of American change?

A key to understanding how paragraph seven comments on American change is to look specifically at the many contradictions present in the comparisons between Sleepy Hollow and the rest of the country. These contradictions are presented immediately at the beginning of paragraph seven, and they are continued by Irving’s use of a water metaphor as the paragraph develops. When compared to the overall events of the story, they show that even though the narrator likes Sleepy Hollow, the village nevertheless suffers from not changing with the rest of the country.

It seems that the paragraph begins by initially asserting praise for the village of Sleepy Hollow. The narrator says, “I mention this peaceful spot with all possible laud ...” Yet why would he praise a place that in earlier paragraphs he alleges is haunted and possibly even cursed? This contradiction reveals that Irving’s praise of Sleepy Hollow’s lack of progress is perhaps satirical. This idea is supported by another contradiction as he claims that Sleepy Hollow’s “population, manners, and customs, remained fixed; while the great torrent of migration and improvement, which is making such incessant changes in other parts of this restless country, sweeps by them unobserved.” The word used to describe the rest of the country is “improvement,” a positive quality that is immediately contradicted by describing these improvements as “incessant,” a word that is not directly negative but usually retains a negative connotation. Using this contradiction, Irving suggests that the American progress happening elsewhere is good, an “improvement,” but his narrator speaks of it with a negative attitude -- much like that of villagers who are resistant to change.

Irving then uses a simile to emphasize the difference between villages like Sleepy Hollow and the rest of America: “They are like those little nooks of still water which border a rapid stream … undisturbed by the rush of the passing current.” This description initially makes it sound like Sleepy Hollow is a peaceful place, one to be admired, which makes it seem that Irving contradicts himself. Does he like this village or not? Is it better than the “rapid stream” -- the rapidly changing America -- or not? Since Irving uses a water metaphor, we need to consider the behavior of water to answer these questions. While it is true that water pools “undisturbed” by the main stream are essentially peaceful, those still waters are also areas where algae, bacteria, and insects like to breed. In other words, the water that does not move -- the village that does not change and grow -- grows stagnant and complacent, breeding harmful elements even if it is peaceful, much as the village breeds superstition and fear even if it seems quaint and quiet compared to the rush of progress.

The paragraph ends by Irving’s narrator telling us that it has been a long time since he “trod the drowsy shades of Sleepy Hollow …” a peaceful and nostalgic image that is complicated when he then says  “yet I question whether I should not still find the same trees and the same families vegetating in its sheltered bosom.” Though he seems to look back on the place with fondness, he is certain that the people there have been “vegetating” and “sheltered,” both qualities that are generally considered to be negative. Irving shows that nostalgia creates fondness, yet he nevertheless reinforces that change is needed for growth, continuing the paragraph’s theme of American change as necessary for progress and advancement.

The setting in paragraph seven, then, is a commentary on American progress that establishes a basis for the rest of the story. By showing that Sleepy Hollow and places like it are resistant to change, Irving shows that they sometimes suffer a lack of education that breeds superstition and fear, as happens in the story’s main plot. At the same time, though, one can argue that because of his nostalgic presentation, Irving also laments the lack of imagination that sometimes is a consequence of progress and more realistic living. In this way, Irving foresaw what continues to be a major theme of American literature in general: finding a balance between progress and history, future and past.

How does our sense of hearing impact our perception?

Hearing is how we perceive sound through vibrations and changes in pressure. It is a large part of the human sensory experience, but people who are hard of hearing or deaf typically rely on their other senses to get a greater understanding of what's happening in their surroundings. Hearing is part of a defense mechanism which causes us to react strongly in the presence of a loud sound. You may know this as covering or blocking your ears if there is a loud noise. When this happens, you are not really protecting your ears from the noise but from the intense vibrations which can do damage to the ear itself.

Hearing loss and auditory processing disorders can help us understand better the role hearing plays in human perception and response. Being able to pick up on distinct sounds helps us keep track of movement in our surroundings and anticipate coming actions and how we might respond appropriately.

How does William Shakespeare present commitment in Romeo and Juliet?

Shakespeare presents commitment in two distinct ways.  Through Juliet, Shakespeare shows unwavering commitment.  Through Romeo, Shakespeare shows commitment as nothing more than a passing fancy.  

Juliet is utterly committed and devoted to Romeo.  She's willing to die for him.  She is willing to defy her parents for him.  That's a big deal, because her parents are a major part of her life right from the beginning of the play.  And they are not overbearing parents either.  Lord Capulet even defends Juliet against Paris's advances.  

She hath not seen the change of fourteen years,
Let two more summers wither in their pride,
Ere we may think her ripe to be a bride.

On the flip side is Romeo.  That guy doesn't know how to commit to anything.  When the reader is first introduced to Romeo, he is crying about how Rosaline doesn't share his commitment to her.  Then he is committed to Juliet.  Later, he tells Tybalt that he doesn't want to fight (because they are now family).  Minutes later, Romeo is killing Tybalt.  I don't think that Romeo actually knows what real, true commitment looks like. 

What does Waller do to Mammy in Chapter 5 of Nightjohn?

In Chapter 5, Waller chains Mammy up, whips her clothes off her, forces her to wear a horse harness, and subsequently whips her until her back is raw.

As the chapter begins, Sarny talks about the excitement of learning her letters and numbers from John, another slave. The young girl is so happy to learn that she scratches out her first word ('bag') on every piece of dirt she can find. Eventually, the plantation owner, Waller, catches her in the act of writing.

Waller is furious and proceeds to physically attack Sarny, who just manages to get away from him. Sarny runs to Mammy in fear. Eventually, Waller catches up to Sarny and demands to know the identity of the person who has been teaching Sarny how to read and write. Mammy doesn't give him a name, and Waller soon turns his fury on her. He has her shackled to the walls of the spring house and leaves her there in great pain for most of the day. When he does finally emerge from the house, he demands an answer to his original question, but Mammy still remains stubborn. At that, Waller tears her from her chains, rips her clothes off her, and orders her to put the horse harness around her neck. He then proceeds to whip her back mercilessly while she desperately tries to pull the buggy he is on. Due to his sadistic nature, Waller also makes all the field slaves witness Mammy's humiliation.

Unable to bear it any longer, John finally speaks up and admits to teaching Sarny how to read and write. Upon hearing that, Waller has both of John's middle toes hacked off with a chisel and hammer. Chapter 5 ends with Sarny wishing the worse kind of hell there is on Waller.

In Chapter 11 of Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States, who were some of the reform minded authors who protested?

In Chapter 11 of A People’s History of the United States, Howard Zinn is discussing the late 1800s.  As this is the time just before the Progressive Era, he does not discuss the muckrakers, who are the best-known reform-minded authors in American history.  Instead, Zinn briefly discusses two authors who wrote important books that were critical of America’s economic and political system of the time.

The first of these authors is Henry George who, in 1879, wrote the book Progress and Poverty.  In this book, George criticized the concentration of wealth in the US.  He argued that land was the source of all wealth and of inequality.  Therefore, he proposed a single tax on land.  This would fund government programs to reduce inequality and would also encourage large landowners to sell some of their land, thus reducing inequality further.

The second author is Edward Bellamy who wrote Looking Backward in 1888.  That book looked back at its own time through the eyes of a man who fell asleep and awakened in the year 2000.  Bellamy emphasizes that the US is a socialist society by 2000 and describes all the ways in which this system is superior to what actually existed in the country at the time in which he wrote.

These two men are the reform-minded authors who are discussed at greatest length in this chapter.

Comment on the following lines, "So there it is," he added. "And I know it's kind of a bad time to be telling you, but there simply wasn't any...

Those lines are spoken by Patrick Maloney almost right after he gets home from work.  All that the reader is told before those lines is that Patrick had something the he wanted to tell his wife, Mary.  Dahl never elaborates on what Patrick told Mary.  All the reader knows is that Mary didn't like what she was hearing.  

And he told her. It didn't take long, four or five minutes at most, and she sat still through it all, watching him with puzzled horror.

Based on his words about giving her money, it's likely that Patrick was telling Mary that he was leaving her, or that he wanted a divorce.  The news was a shock to Mary, because she assumed that Patrick loved her as much as she loved him.   Mary practically worships the ground that Patrick walks upon, so the news devastates Mary.  Bummer for Patrick that Mary made the end of their marriage sooner rather than later.  

From Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, who are Mrs. Phelps and Mrs. Bowles? Where are their husbands?

Mrs. Phelps and Mrs. Bowles are Mildred Montag's friends who come over to watch television with her one night. These women represent the decline of humans in a world without more significant things to do with their lives than to watch TV and be self-involved. When Guy Montag turns off the TVs, the women are irritated. He tells the women he notices that their husbands are not with them that night. Mrs. Phelps explains that the army called up her husband, Pete, but that he would be back in a couple of days. Mrs. Bowles never offers any explanation for where her husband is.

Mrs. Phelps, however, proves just how disconnected she and her husband are from their marital relationship by saying the following:

"Anyway, Pete and I always said, no tears, nothing like that. It's our third marriage each and we're independent. . . He said, if I get killed off, you just go right ahead and don't cry, but get married again, and don't think of me" (95).

Mr. and Mrs. Phelps are examples of the decline of loyalty and love in personal relationships if society becomes too distracted by entertainment and insignificant ideas and beliefs. Mrs. Phelps also doesn't have any children because she's so self-absorbed and a result of the society in which she lives.

Mrs. Bowles, on the other hand, does have two kids but says that they are physically easy to have if you have them by Caesarian section. She goes on to say the following:

"I plunk the children in school nine days out of ten. I put up with them when they come home three days a month; it's not bad at all. You heave them into the 'parlor' and turn the switch. It's like washing clothes: stuff laundry in and slam the lid" (96).

This woman exemplifies bad parenting and poor relationship skills as well. Later on, Montag brings up the fact that Mrs. Bowles has also had abortions as a way to rid herself of unwanted children--a common practice for this society to avoid responsibility and to be selfish.

Evaluate the possible meaning of the last lines of "Ode on a Grecian Urn" by John Keats concerning Truth and Beauty. Link your interpretation to...

The interpretation of the last two lines of Keats' "Ode on a Grecian Urn" is controversial, primarily because it is unclear whether the urn speaks some or all of the words. Quotation marks would elucidate the situation; unfortunately, different versions of the poem published during Keats’ lifetime present these lines with different punctuation. In one version, the words “Beauty is truth, truth beauty,” are enclosed in quotation marks, but not the rest of the lines. In another version, no quotation marks are used at all. Given this ambiguity, it is left for the reader to decide what construction makes sense in view of the poem’s title, other content, and the mindset of the Romantic Era.

Here are some of the possible interpretations of the last two lines:

1. The urn says, “Beauty is truth, truth beauty,” and also says to the lyric speaker and other people viewing the urn that this is all they know and all they need to know.


2. The urn says, “Beauty is truth, truth beauty,” and the lyric speaker says to the figures on the urn that this is all they know and all they need to know.


3. The urn says, “Beauty is truth, truth beauty,” and the lyric speaker says to the urn that this is all it knows and all it needs to know.


4. The urn says, “Beauty is truth, truth beauty,” and the lyric speaker says to his readers that this is all they know and all they need to know.


5. The urn says, “Beauty is truth, truth beauty,” and John Keats says to his readers that this is all they know and all they need to know.

 Of these, the last option can be easily eliminated. It makes the error of attributing the words of the poem to the poet rather than to the poem’s persona. Unless one has outside corroborating evidence from the poet that he is speaking in his own voice, this is an assumption that leads to faulty interpretation of poetry. Although later in the 19th century John Keats was claimed by the followers of Aestheticism, they actually were placing on him notions that did not exist in his era, at least not in the way aesthetes such as Oscar Wilde understood them. 

The fourth interpretation seems less supportable by the work. Although it might seem to fit with the title in that the lyric speaker is commenting in the last lines “on a Grecian Urn,” in the rest of the poem the lyric speaker addresses the urn and the figures in it, not the reader of the poem. To break this perspective at the end of the poem would be inconsistent with the voice in the rest of the poem. 

The third interpretation might be acceptable, except “ye” is a plural form of “you.” In other parts of the poem where the lyric speaker addresses the urn, he uses “thou,” as in “thou shalt remain, in midst of other woe than ours, a friend to man, to whom thou say’st.” That Keats would switch to “ye” two lines later seems unlikely. 

The second interpretation seems valid. The lyric speaker has addressed previously in the poem some of the figures depicted on the urn, including the youth, the lover, and the melodist. These figures, since they are suspended in time and action, always depicting the beauty and truth of their roles and emotions, only know that beauty is truth, and truth beauty. Since they are themselves art, they represent beauty and truth at the same time, and as they are preserved forever as they are, they will never have a need to know anything more in life. They are untouched by any other influences, and they have no need of any other input—they are perfect just as they are. This interpretation is consistent with the title because the lyric speaker finishes his “Ode on a Grecian Urn” by addressing and commenting on the figures portrayed on the urn. 

Finally, the first interpretation may be the one that rings truest with the poem’s title, content, and Romanticism. If the urn speaks the last two lines in their entirety, then the statement is made from the limited perspective of the urn. It does not mean the statement about beauty and truth is true—only that it is true from the urn’s perspective. The urn is a work of art that has obviously captured the imagination of the lyric speaker. It has drawn him into a drama and an experience that brought him great pleasure and release from any other cares he had in his life. Art has the ability to transport us, however temporarily, into a world where all that matters is the beauty of the sights, sounds, and emotions the piece conjures up within us. A piece of art persuades us that it is everything we need to know: a perfect intertwining of truth and beauty that transports our spirit and even transcends time and space. Debating the validity of the claim is superfluous; it is not a metaphysical proposition after all, but merely hyperbole from a personified object. This explanation is supported by the title, since the poet allows the urn itself to have the last word about itself in the "Ode on a Grecian Urn.” It also makes sense for the urn to speak back to the lyric speaker after he has been speaking to it throughout the poem. It is consistent with the Romantic mindset of valuing imagination. For Keats to have allowed this poem to end with a didactic metaphysical statement would seem at odds with the awe and wonder he has treated the urn with in the rest of the poem. Since via his imagination he has entered fully into the world of the urn, it seems he would end the poem still within that magical world and give the urn the final say on the matter.

Discuss any four modes of transport and briefly elaborate the role and importance of each in the development of a country?

Transportation is an important key to the economic and social success of any civilization. Transportation by automobile has transformed modern nations by allowing consumers and goods to unite. Goods are transported by freight to market where consumers can also travel by automobile to purchase these goods. The automobile also allows resources that are needed for production to be shipped in an efficient way. The success of the automobile depends on the availability of a modern road and highway system that is not overcrowded and run down. A counteractive effect to the use of automobiles is the negative environmental impact that burning petroleum has on the environment as carbon is emitted into the atmosphere.

The environmental impact of the automobile can be mitigated with different modes of public transportation. In this category, trollies, subways, and bus systems can be lumped together. Mass transit allows for a decrease in carbon emissions while providing a convenient and cheap way for people to get from one point to the next. Strong systems of mass transit allow people to live outside of the city if they have a job that requires them to enter urban areas. This allows for the development of suburbs and less crowding in the city. Mass transit systems reduce noise pollution, lessen the traffic burden on the highway system and reduce the emissions of greenhouse gasses. It also has the effect of improving tourism in a city as people are comfortable traveling downtown for shopping or cultural activities.

The airplane and air traffic systems also have a positive effect on modern nations. It has the effect of allowing companies to grow to different states or countries without losing productivity. This is true because employees can get to far away places in a fraction of the time. This creates opportunities for companies to expand. The airplane also helps travel and tourism as people are more likely to vacation in distant places.

Rail systems and boats have the same economic benefits that automobiles have as products and resources can be shipped in a quick and efficient manner. They may even be considered more efficient forms of transport as they do not have to fight the traffic that exists on many of the roads and highways of modern nations. Railroads tend to expand the industrial capacity of a developing nation.

How would you describe the successes and failures of the progressive era? What were some of the successes and failures?

In looking at the Progressive Era, there were many successes and a few failures. The successes centered on dealing with many of the problems that existed in our society.

One success of the Progressive Era was getting people more involved in politics. As a result of the 17th Amendment, the citizens began to elect the United States senators instead of the state legislatures doing this. With the 19th Amendment, women received the right to vote. Citizens could introduce legislation in the state legislature as a result of the initiative. Citizens could remove elected offices from office before their term was up as a result of the recall. Citizens could vote on proposed ideas as a result of the referendum. The Progressive Era helped citizens become more involved in politics.

The Progressive helped workers. Working conditions in factories were poor. People worked long hours often in unsafe conditions. As a result of the Progressive Era, worker compensation laws were passed to help workers who were injured while working. Health and safety laws were passed to improve the dangerous conditions that existed in factories. Child labor laws were passed to reduce the number of kids working instead of going to school. Compulsory school attendance laws were also passed.

The Progressive Era was responsible for taking on big businesses. The presidents of the Progressive Era broke up many big businesses. These businesses used a variety of arrangements to reduce competition and increase prices. Laws were passed to regulate the actions of businesses. The Bureau of Corporations could investigate businesses. The Hepburn Act allowed the Interstate Commerce Commission to set railroad rates. The Meat Inspection Act allowed for the federal government to inspect meat that was processed in the meat factories. The Bureau of Mines allowed for monitoring of the mining companies. The Clayton Antitrust Act prevented price discrimination by businesses.

One area of failure was the lack of help provided to African-Americans who were facing discrimination. The Jim Crow Laws continued to exist. Lynching continued to occur. African-Americans were not able to see a significant improvement with the inequalities that they continued to face.

While unions were allowed to exist as a result of the Clayton Antitrust Act, it wasn’t until the National Labor Relations Act, called the Wagner Act, was passed during the New Deal that unions really began to benefit from laws that allowed unions to exist.

The Progressive Era had many more successes than failures. Much was accomplished to improve conditions in our country during the Progressive Era.

What term is commonly used to mean "inside."

Typically, the word "interior" is used to mean "inside." For example, when we are discussing various cell organelle (specialized structures that carry out specific functions), we commonly use the term "cell interior" to refer to anything that is inside the cell. A place that is located away from the coast is commonly referred to as an interior place. Another word commonly used to mean inside is "within." For example, within the cell refers to something that is inside the cell. 

In life sciences, a commonly used term "in vivo" is generally used to describe something within a living organism. An example of its common usage is in vivo experimentation or surgery. This term is used for saying within something living; interior or within can be more generally used.

Hope this helps. 

What are some quotes from To Kill a Mockingbird about how Tom Robinson symbolizes a mockingbird?

Tom Robinson is a great example of a mockingbird. In chapter 10, Atticus explains to Jem and Scout about how it a sin to kill a mockingbird. 

"I'd rather you shot at tin cans in the backyard, but I know you'll go after bluejays. Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird."

When Scout hears this, she remarks that this is the first time she ever heard her father say something was a sin. She asks Miss. Maudie about it, and Miss. Maudie tells it is a sin.

"Your father's right," she said. "Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corncribs, They don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird."

Tom is a kind and gentle black man. He is hardworking and doesn't bother anyone. He just lives his life quietly. When Mayella accuses him of rape, Atticus knows he is innocent, but he also knows that in this town, it will be hard to get him off. It is no surprise when Tom is found guilty and eventually shot and killed, which is a sin just like shooting a mockingbird. Tom represents how ugly the world was and how innocent people are often judged and convicted just by the color of their skin.

In Of Mice and Men, what character traits does Curley's wife possess besides loneliness?

Curley's wife, because she is the spouse of the son of the ranch owner, tries to lord it over the ranch hands, revealing her arrogance and a lack of sensitivity for their feelings. And although Candy and Crooks try to warn her that she shouldn't toy with Lennie, whose behavior can be unpredictable because of his mental disability, her arrogance causes her to disregard their advice, leading to her death. 

Curley's wife, though clearly unhappy, comes across in the novel as a petty person. For example, she abuses her power as a white woman over the black Crooks, threatening to say that he made a sexual overture towards her to reduce him to a state of humiliated servility, a petty gesture on her part. Instead of feeling sympathy for her husband's crushed hand, she is glad he got hurt, another instance of her pettiness.

Curley's wife is an angry and disappointed woman, who feels disregarded by her husband and isolated as the only female on the ranch. 

A feminist reading might fault Steinbeck for creating so relentlessly unpleasant a female character as Curley's wife, but a defense could be that Steinbeck sees her too as a victim of a social order that encourages some to feel superior to others merely on the basis of having a little more money. 

`int_sqrt(pi/2)^sqrt(pi) theta^3 cos(theta^2) d theta` First make a substitution and then use integration by parts to evaluate the integral

You need to use the substitution `theta^2= t` , such that:

`theta^2 = t => 2theta d theta= dt => theta d theta= (dt)/2`

Replacing the variable, yields:

`int_(sqrt(pi/2))^(sqrt pi) theta^3(cos(theta^2)d theta = int_(t_1)^(t_2) t*cos t*(dt)/2`

You need to use the integration by parts such that:

`int udv = uv - int vdu`

`u = t => du = dt`

`dv = cos t => v = sin t`

`int t*cos t = t*sin t - int sin t dt`

`int t*cos t = t*sin t + cos t + C`

Replacing back the variable, yields:

`int_(sqrt(pi/2))^(sqrt pi) theta^3(cos(theta^2)d theta = (theta^2*sin (theta^2) + cos (theta^2))|_(sqrt(pi/2))^(sqrt pi)`

Using the fundamental theorem of integration, yields:

`int_(sqrt(pi/2))^(sqrt pi) theta^3(cos(theta^2)d theta = (pi*sin (pi) + cos (pi) - (pi/2)*sin(pi/2) - cos(pi/2))`

`int_(sqrt(pi/2))^(sqrt pi) theta^3(cos(theta^2)d theta = -1 - pi/2`

Hence, evaluating the integral, using substitution, then integration by parts, yields `int_(sqrt(pi/2))^(sqrt pi) theta^3(cos(theta^2)d theta = (1/2)(-1 - pi/2).`

In the introduction to Gertrude Stein's The Making of Americans, what does the following quote mean: "I am writing for myself and strangers."

Stein can be an exceptionally difficult writer to understand as she was trying to break writing conventions and force people to concentrate on her words. She relies heavily on repetition and sometimes on punning to make her points.

If we put this quote into a fuller context, we can start to understand it:

I am writing for myself and strangers. This is the only way that I can do it. Everybody is a real one to me, everybody is like some one else too to me. No one of them that I know can want to know it and so I write for myself and strangers.

As a little bit of background, Stein tends to write about Americans as strange or foreign. For instance, the title of her book Four in America, that covers such iconic American figures as the Wright brothers, is a pun on "Foreign America." So for this ex-patriot lesbian, typical American life and values are strange or alien. Her is a different, more elite viewpoint.

Thus, when she says she is writing to strangers, that first includes most of her audience. But more specifically, the people she is writing about are also strangers because they won't recognize themselves in the book. "Everyone is a real one to me," she says, meaning she is writing about real people. "But everyone is like someone else too to me," she says, saying that each of these real individuals is a type too. All of this will be "strange" to the people she is writing about because "no one of them ... can want to know it." People, she says, don't like to accept that they are types as much as individuals.

In the end, she says, people won't understand what she means, so they will remain strangers and not intimates. She repeats this over and over. She says she wants readers, so she has to accept strangers. But since she will understand what she means, she writes to two audiences: herself--who understands--and strangers--most of the rest of the world, which refuses or is unable to see what she sees. 

Stepping into Stein's writing is stepping into a truly other world, one that reflects ways of thinking we have to some extent abandoned. One of these is her notion that the artist understands and sees things that the rest of the mere mortals of the world don't. 

In Animal Farm, what are Boxer's strong points?

In Animal Farm, Boxer's work ethic and loyalty are his strengths.

Orwell makes it clear that Boxer works harder than any other animal on the farm.  His physical strength is distinctive:  "Boxer was an enormous beast, nearly eighteen hands high, and as strong as any two ordinary horses put together."  When it comes to work, Boxer uses his strength towards collective aims.  This can be seen in the first harvest, in the building of the windmill, and defending the farm against external threats.  His strength is one of his attributes.

Boxer displays an intense sense of loyalty to the farm.  In the opening chapter, he and Clover gingerly navigate the smaller animals so that he won't hurt them. He continually shows his loyalty towards the revolution with his efforts and his loyalty to Napoleon.  Boxer's mantras of "I will work harder" and "Napoleon is always right," show his loyalty.  Boxer is honorable in how he remains loyal and does not ask questions.  Orwell sees this as a source of strength and undeniable weakness.  Boxer is so loyal that it never occurs to him that the pigs care for power more than they care for the aims of the revolution.  Boxer's loyalty towards the other animals is ultimately shown in the way he works, even as he gets older, to help the farm, something that eventually ends up killing him.

What do lines 81-85 of Beowulf and the beginning stanza of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight have in common?

Lines 81-85 of Beowulf come at the end of a section in which the poet describes the building of Heorot, King Hrothgar’s hall. The lines in question are prophetic. They tell of the future burning of Heorot as a result of treachery by Horthgar’s in-laws.

The first stanza of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a mythological history that connects the founding of Britain with the fall of Troy and the founding of Rome. The first four lines of the first stanza address the actual fall and burning of Troy through treachery.

The primary commonality between lines 81-85 of Beowulf and the first stanza of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is the burning of Heorot and Troy, respectively, as a result of some form of treachery. In both instances, the great works of civilization (Hrothgar’s hall and the city of Troy) are brought down by human behavior that could be construed as uncivilized.

Additionally, if you are using particular translations of the two poems, you may want to look closely at the language of the two translations in the sections in question to determine if those particular translations use any common language and/or imagery.

What was Scrooge's motivation for the way he acted prior to the visits from the ghosts?

Even as Scrooge wished to become wealthy by working constantly, underpaying his employees and cutting corners, his treatment of his fellow humans is rooted in more than sheer desire for riches. We learn that his youth was a disaffected one, and that he was lonely as a child (partly why he identifies with Tiny Tim). We also learn that the love of his life left him when she believed he would continue to become dispassionate in his pursuit of money and success.

Scrooge seems to be determined to exercise control over others; his love of wealth is a love of possessing the concept of the work and resources of others, but he does nothing to enjoy that wealth, or the leisure time he has earned through decades of toil. Hearing himself being spoken ill of after his death is a wake-up call; he had not realized he was so disliked and this hurts him deeply. His greatest regret, after the ghosts put things into perspective, is that he has wasted so much of his life, and that regret washes away in an instant when he decides immediately to improve his situation. He spends his money, gives to those less fortunate, and decides to indulge in worldly pleasures for the good of others. He wishes to shower Bob Cratchit and his family with gratitude and kindness. He is redeemed by the realization that it is never too late to be a good person, to show generosity and compassion to others.

What were FDR's foreign and domestic policies?

Roosevelt served three full terms in addition to almost one more year as President, so naturally his foreign and domestic policies changed over time. I will discuss the most important aspects of each.

FDR's domestic policy was dominated by his response to the Great Depression, which was at its worst when he was inaugurated in 1933. His response, known as the "New Deal," was a collection of federal programs broadly aimed at relief, recovery, and reform. These programs represented a remarkable, unprecedented expansion of the powers and the scope of the federal government. Some, like the Civilian Conservation Corps, which put young men to work on conservation projects, were intended to be temporary "make work" programs that would be eliminated after the Depression ended. Others, like Social Security, were permanent structural reforms that persist today. By the end of the 1930s, the outbreak of World War II ended the Great Depression, and FDR's domestic priorities shifted to mobilizing the nation for war. 

World War II was the single most significant aspect of FDR's foreign policy, though other developments, like the "Good Neighbor" policy intended to foster better relations with Latin American nations, were also important. The United States took a rather firm isolationist stance toward events in Europe, much to FDR's frustration. He generally sought to promote a more active role in world affairs, advocating for the "quarantine" of aggressor nations and pushing for increased American aid to Great Britain after the outbreak of the war. After Pearl Harbor dragged the United States into war, FDR worked hard to maintain the somewhat uneasy alliance with the Soviet Union. Even as the United States fought on two sides of the globe, FDR promoted a postwar order that would include international institutions like the United Nations as well as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to promote economic stability and growth around the globe.

So in short, FDR's domestic policy was dominated by his response to the Great Depression, and his foreign policy by his response to World War II. 

How does Holmes respond when Dr. Mortimer tells him that he and others in the area believe a supernatural creature is loose on the moors and...

At first, Holmes is surprised that Dr. Mortimer-- a "man of science--" has suggested that a supernatural being is the killer of the late Sir Charles Baskerville. He even asks Dr. Mortimer whether he really believes in this spectral hound. Dr. Mortimer says that he does not know what to believe because the beast was at least earthly and tangible enough to kill, but is otherwise ghostly and elusive. Holmes is a little disappointed that Dr. Mortimer seems to believe in ghosts and is confused as to why he is seeking his help if he believes the answer is simply something supernatural.

Dr. Mortimer wishes to know how to proceed in carrying out the will of Sir Charles, and it is at this time he mentions Sir Henry-- the heir of the estate. From here, Holmes carries on a line of questioning about the inheritance of the estate. It is at this point that we could say Sherlock Holmes really "gets the scent" on how to proceed in this investigation. 

Let A, B and C be three sets. If A ∈ B and B ⊂ C, is it true that A ⊂ C? Please elaborate the solution for the problem. I am not clear with...

``Hello!

I think you mean  `A sub B` and `B sub C.` Yes, this implies that `A sub C.` Let's prove.

A set `A sub B` means by definition that any element `a in A` is also ` in B.`  `B sub C,` in turn, means that any `b in B` is also `in C.`

Now whether  `A sub C?`  Any ` a in A` is also `in B` because `A sub B.` `a in B` implies `a in C` because `B sub C.` This way we proved that any `a in A` is also `in C,` so by definition  `A sub C.`

These are some questions that may be asked during a person's teen years. I need help in trying to answer them for an assignment. Sometimes I...

The adolescent years are a period of change and transition for young people and can therefore be unsettling and even frightening. Thus many teens have questions and fears about how their lives and bodies are changing. Often they may turn to educators for advice, and though professional counseling is advisable for highly troubled teens, educators can help by reassuring teens than many of the changes they are undergoing are perfectly normal. In response to three of your individual questions:

1. 
   Sometimes I want to stay a child. Why am I afraid to become an adult?: As a child you are protected and taken care of by your family. Becoming an adult means earning a living, cooking, running errands, and even, perhaps, getting married and having children of your own. This is a major increase in the level of complexity and responsibility you have in your life. What will make these transitions less scary is the degree to which you prepare yourself for them by getting a part time job, learning to cook and clean, setting up a bank account, making wise decisions and gradually assuming other adult responsibilities and chores. 


2. 
   Both of my best friends look like young women. Why do I still look like a little girl?: People's bodies develop at different rates, with the age of onset of puberty anywhere from 9 to 15. If you are engaged in sports such as gymnastics or ballet, low body fat can delay puberty, or result in athletic amenorrhoea. Although late puberty may simply be a result of genetics, if you are over 14 and have not had your first period, you might want to visit your health care provider for a check up. 


3. 
   Why do I feel so awkward, like my arms and legs do not belong to me any more?: As an adolescent your body can go through rapid changes such as growth spurts. It sometimes takes a few months to adjust to changes in your body. If you find the condition persistent or disturbing, consult your health care provider.

How can I expand on the view that aggression was clearly not the cause of the Cold War?

It is possible to expand on the view that aggression was not a cause of the Cold War. The Cold War began because the Allies believed they could not trust the Soviet Union.

Before World War II ended, Great Britain and the United States made some agreements with the Soviet Union. One agreement dealt with Poland. We wanted some members of the pre-war Polish government to be in the post-war Polish government. The Soviet Union agreed to this and said there would be free elections in Poland. When the post-war Polish government was established, there were very few pre-war Polish government members in the new government, and there were no signs of free elections.

Another agreement with the Soviet Union was that the people of Europe would be free to choose the kind of government they wanted to have after World War II ended. This agreement was known as the Declaration of Liberated Europe. However, shortly after this agreement was made, the King of Romania said he was pressured to have a communist government in his country.

When these agreements weren’t followed, we realized we couldn’t trust the Soviet Union. This began a series of confrontations and competitions between the United States and the Soviet Union, which is known as the Cold War.

Why was the Berlin Wall detrimental to Germany? What are some reasons why?

The Berlin Wall was detrimental to Germany in that it separated families.  The Soviets, worried about a drain of ability and anti-Soviet information to the Western side, built the wall.  The Soviets picked all industrial equipment out of East Germany and brought it back to Russia.  They did not fix the buildings that were pockmarked with shells from the war.  The economy in East Germany was terrible.  This contrasted with West Germany, which was rebuilt by the occupying British, French, and American armies.  These soldiers spent money in the area, thus creating more jobs.  West Germany received money from the Marshall Plan in order to rebuild.  By the end of the Cold War, the Berlin Wall was a literal symbol of the conflict between America and the Soviet Union.  It was thick and impenetrable, and it slowed down Germany's economic growth.  

What does Farquahar visualize moments before he is hanged? How is his journey connected with this earlier vision?

In the moments before Peyton Farquhar is hanged, he "closed his eyes in order to fix his last thoughts upon his wife and children."  It makes a great deal of sense that a person, in their final moments, would visualize the people they love best in the world and try to focus on them in order to make their last thoughts happy ones.

His mental journey, then, the journey he imagines as he is falling to his death, is to be reunited with his family (this journey constitutes the majority of Part III as Part II gives readers the background information we need to understand why he is being hanged).  He imagines quite an epic trek: first he must swim through the rushing water and volley of bullets as the Union soldiers attempt to kill him again, then he must walk many miles in the dark through a forest.  But "The thought of his wife and children urged him on."  Finally, after having fallen asleep while walking, "He stands at the gate of his own home."  The last thing he is aware of is his beautiful wife waiting for him "with a smile of ineffable joy, an attitude of matchless grace and dignity."  Thus, Farquhar very successfully visualized his family so that they would be the last thing he thought of before he died.  He didn't just visualize them but dreamed up an entire scenario in which he escaped death so that he could return to them.

`int u sqrt(1 - u^2) du` Evaluate the indefinite integral.

You need to use the following substitution  `1 - u^2 = t` , such that:

`1 - u^2 = t=> -2udu = dt=>u du = -(dt)/2`

`int u*sqrt(1 - u^2) du = -(1/2)*int sqrt t dt`

`-(1/2)*int sqrt t dt = (-1/2)*(t^(3/2))/(3/2) + c`

Replacing back `1 - u^2` for t yields:

`int u*sqrt(1 - u^2) du = (-1/3)*((1 - u^2)^(3/2)) + c`

Hence, evaluating the indefinite integral, yields` int u*sqrt(1 - u^2) du = -((1 - u^2)^(3/2))/3 + c`

What reasons are there for a nation to want to become unified?

There are at least two major reasons why people of one nation (one ethnic group) would want to form a unified country.  One reason is nationalism.  The other reason is a desire for greater power.

One reason why a nation would like to unify is because they are nationalistic.  That is, they feel a close tie to others of their nation and they feel that their nation is distinct from and superior to other nations.  They want to have a unified country of their own so that they can be together with their own kind.  That way, they can all be together without being ruled by people of other nations.  This, for example, is one reason why the Kurds would like to have a country of their own.

Another reason a nation might want to form a unified country is to become more powerful.  The country might feel that uniting with others of their nation will make their country bigger and stronger.  An example of this would be the unification of Germany in the 1860s and 1870s.  Before this time, there were many small states with ethnic German populations.  By uniting, they created one German state that had a great deal of power.

These are the two main reasons why nations want to create unified countries.

Why does Carl object to his wife's father coming to visit?

Carl dislikes the visits from Grandfather because, as he explains to his wife, "your father only talks about one thing." Grandfather led a wagon train from the Midwest to the California coast in his younger days. Once he arrived at the ocean, there was no place else to go. He tells the same stories over and over again; Carl says he has heard one particular story about how the Indians drove off the horses "about a thousand times." According to Carl, Grandfather never even changes the wording in his stories. Carl can't stand the repetitive nature of the stories; he says as a last resort he can excuse himself and go sit in the bunkhouse with the hired hand if the stories get too dull. Although Carl listens patiently enough to Grandfather's story in the evening, the next morning at breakfast before Grandfather appears, Carl mocks Grandfather and complains to his wife, saying, "That time's done. Why can't he forget it, now it's done?" Grandfather overhears Carl's harsh words, and Carl tries to take them back. Grandfather admits "an old man doesn't see things sometimes" and resolves to tell the stories only to people who want to hear them. 

Grandfather hints at another reason why Carl may not like hearing Grandfather's stories. When Jody, the boy, insists he likes the stories, Grandfather says, "Of course you do, but you're a little boy. It was a job for men, but only little boys like to hear about it." One might surmise that Carl feels less important than his wife's father because the older man has done something great in his life; Carl, on the other hand, leads a pretty mundane existence. A glimmer of jealousy and/or lowering of his own self-esteem may spring up in Carl each time he hears of what the previous generation accomplished. Since Jody has his whole life ahead of him, he finds the stories of great deeds inspiring. Carl, on the other hand, finds that Grandfather's tales only serve to reinforce the fact that "westering has died out of the people," including himself.

What minerals from volcanoes can eventually become rock? What kinds of rock can those materials become?

When one stops to think about it, all the rocks we encounter in the earth's crust had as their starting point the minerals produced from hot, molten magma in the earth's mantle.

There are a lot of minerals and elements that come from volcanic eruptions and activity that can become rocks. 

Gold veins and deposits are found worldwide, particularly around areas that have volcanic activity.  Diamond deposits are also found in areas that are formed from volcanic activity.  Bauxite is aluminum ore, the same aluminum used widely in drink cans, aluminum foil, you name it.  Nickel is an element used to make stainless steel, found in various volcanic deposits around the world called kromatiites.  Obsidian is a type of glass formed from the silicone in the volcanic lava flows.  The different colors are indicative of the multiplicity of minerals that are dissolved in the lava content. Bauxite is a rock that can form from basalt, which has silica content.

Volcanic rocks are named according to their chemical composition. Basalt is a very common volcanic rock with low silica content. (volcanodiscovery.com)

How many times is night invoked in Shakespeare's Macbeth?

There are two significant times when night, or darkness, is invoked in the play. Darkness and the night are symbols throughout the play, but the literal invoking of the night is accomplished by Lady Macbeth. 

In Act 1, scene 5, Lady Macbeth invokes the night to help with the killing of King Duncan. 

LADY MACBETH: Come, thick night, / And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell, / That my keen knife see not the wound it makes, / Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark / To cry "Hold, hold!" (I.v.57-60)

She calls for the "smoke of hell" to cover the knife as Macbeth goes to kill Duncan. The literal darkness becomes a symbol for the dark acts that the Macbeths commit. 

This invocation is flipped when Lady Macbeth begins to feel guilt over the murder. In Act 5, scene 1, Lady Macbeth insists on a candle to protect herself against the evil forces she has summoned. 

DOCTOR. How came she by that light?

GENTLEWOMAN. Why, it stood by her. She has light by her continually. 'Tis her command. (V.i.23-25)

These two instances of night being invoked are in communication with each other, bookending Lady Macbeth's appearances in the play and demonstrating the arch of her actions and remorse. 

`int e^(tan(x)) sec^2(x) dx` Evaluate the indefinite integral.

You need to use the following substitution  `tan x = t` , such that:

`tan x = t=>sec^2 x dx = dt `

`int e^(tan x)*sec^2 x dx = int e^t dt = e^t + c`

Replacing back `tan x` for t yields:

`int e^(tan x)*sec^2 x dx = e^(tan x) + c`

Hence, evaluating the indefinite integral, yields `int e^(tan x)*sec^2 x dx = e^(tan x) + c.`

What is the plot of the story "A Christmas Carol?"

"A Christmas Carol" has a very distinct beginning, middle, and end. First, it takes place in Victorian London and focuses on the main character, Ebenezer Scrooge. The plot follows his journey from selfish miser to generous patron.

The story begins with a lengthy description of how terrible Ebenezer Scrooge is. He's a very cold man who cares for nothing other than his money. We see him interact with his employee, Bob Cratchit, and treat him very harshly. We see him turn down a request for donation to charity, and we see him go home to his house on Christmas Eve. It is then he is haunted by his former business partner, who is dead and spending the after life in chains due to his own lack of generosity in life. He tells Scrooge he will be visited by three spirits this night and that he must change his ways.

Three spirits then arrive, one after another. The first, The Ghost of Christmas Past, takes Scrooge back to his childhood to remember when he was away at boarding school and quite lonely, takes him to his first employer who was kind to him, and takes him back to the memory of his fiance breaking off their engagement due to his greed.

The second spirit, the Ghost of Christmas Present, takes him through London and lets him see how everyone is celebrating the holiday, then to the Cratchit family home where Scrooge sees how meager their Christmas is and how much they struggle (as a result of his low wages), and finally to Fred's house where he sees how happy his nephew is.

The third and final spirit, the Ghost of Christmas future, shows Scrooge several unhappy scenes related to is own death. First, there are former business associates of Scrooge talking indifferently about his death (he does not yet know they are talking about him); then he is shown people buying items from his estate second hand and showing no care for his "valuable" items; he is shown people who owe him money that are actually grateful and releived that he has died; he is shown the Cratchit family without Tiny Tim, as he has died; and he is shown his own grave.

After all of these visits, he asks if his future will change if HE changes. And so he promises then to always have Christmas in his heart and to be a new man. He wakes up Christmas morning, buys the Cratchits a turkey for dinner, gives to charity, goes to Fred's and makes amends, and goes to the Cratchits to spend the holiday. He is a changed man. He ends up mending all fences, living a happy life, and becoming like an adopted family member of the Cratchit family.

In Jerry Spinelli's Stargirl, how does Leo's perspective of little things in life change from the beginning to the end of the book?

At the beginning, Leo is just as asleep as the rest of the school and community. No one does anything different from one day to the next just like no student is unique from another. Stargirl brings originality and spice to the kids at Mica Area High School whether they are ready or not. Leo is symbolic of the others in his high school who robotically go about their days doing what they are told and following the normal social rules of teenagers. For example, kids sit with their "own kind" and don't cross any clique's boundaries. Once Stargirl does this, the student body, and Leo, start to notice. One might say that Leo never noticed anything other than his own little world before he met Stargirl. 

For example, the town and the student body never attended the school's football games. Once there was a starring attraction, something big and out of the ordinary, people started to attend and to participate. 

"For the next home game more than a thousand people showed up. . . There was a line at the ticket window. The refreshment stand ran out of hot dogs. A second policeman was called in [and]. . . the cheerleaders were in their glory" (24).

Hence, Leo is not the only one who wakes up and starts taking notice of the community around him. It's easy to notice the big events, though. Eventually Leo dates Stargirl and she teaches him to notice the little things as well. She teaches him that she reads the fillers in the newspapers and learns about people by observing them; thus, she gives gifts to people because she cares. By the end of the book Leo gives her the credit for him noticing the little things in life, as follows:

"I read the newspapers. I read them from all over. I skip the front pages and the headlines and go to the pages in the back. I read the community sections and the fillers. I see the little acts of kindness happening from Maine to California. . . When I read about things like these I wonder, Is she there?" (185-186).

What are the reasons why Tybalt hates Romeo in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet?

Tybalt is a Capulet and the cousin of Juliet in Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. Romeo is a Montague and, for a reason never given, the two families are embroiled in a bitter feud which often spills over into the streets of Verona. In Act I, Scene 1, Tybalt expresses his hatred for the Montagues when he confronts Romeo's cousin Benvolio after a disagreement among Montague and Capulet servants. Tybalt says,

What, drawn and talk of peace? I hate the word
As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee.
Have at thee, coward!

At Capulet's party later in Act I, Tybalt overhears Romeo speaking. Romeo, Benvolio and Mercutio have crashed the party and are wearing masks to hide their identities. Tybalt is enraged that a Montague would have the temerity to intrude on a gathering held by their enemy. Tybalt intends to confront Romeo when Capulet, who doesn't want his party spoiled, stops him. Tybalt is not to be put off and vows to get revenge. He says in Act I, Scene 5,

Patience perforce with willful choler meeting
Makes my flesh tremble in their different greeting.
I will withdraw, but this intrusion shall,
Now seeming sweet, convert to bitt’rest gall.

Tybalt sends a letter to Romeo challenging him. When they meet, in Act III, Scene 1, Tybalt is ready to fight. He says,

Romeo, the love I bear thee can afford
No better term than this: thou art a villain.

In a case of dramatic irony, Tybalt doesn't know that Romeo has, a few hours earlier, married Juliet and is know his in-law. Romeo tries to avoid the fight by telling Tybalt he actually loves him. Romeo says,

I do protest I never injured thee
But love thee better than thou canst devise
Till thou shalt know the reason of my love.
And so, good Capulet, which name I tender
As dearly as mine own, be satisfied.

Mercutio, who also doesn't know Romeo's motives, hates that his friend has backed down and he fights Tybalt in his place. When Romeo tries to break up the fight, Mercutio is stabbed and dies. Romeo then becomes "fortune's fool" and seeks revenge. He kills Tybalt, and the remainder of the play plunges Romeo and Juliet toward their final tragedy. 

The devil explains that he cuts the trees down for firewood. What does that symbolize or represent?

In the story, the trees that the Devil cuts down for firewood represent the souls of men.

We know this because the text describes trees inscribed with the names of great men on their trunks. The imagery of a forest of trees ready to be turned into firewood represents the many souls Old Scratch will claim as his own. Each of these trees are also scored with an axe to designate ones ready to be chopped down. Scoring a tree readies the tree for felling; this is done by slashing or making vertical marks on the trunk in order to make it easier to remove the wood from the axe.

In the story, Tom Walker sees that one of the trees is inscribed with Deacon Peabody's name. The tree is huge and boasts an impressive exterior, but the interior is rotten to the core. By all indications, the tree is almost hewn through and a strong wind will soon fell it. Deacon Peabody is well-known for making shrewd bargains with the Indians to his advantage, and the fact that his tree is almost hewn through speaks volumes about his eternal fate. Another tree on the grounds has the name Crowninshield on it; this tree has just been hewn down. In life, this man earned his wealth through 'buccaneering' or piracy on the seas.

Old Scratch or the Devil tells Tom Walker that Crowninshield's hewn tree is just ripe for burning. The implication is that Crowninshield will burn in hell for the crimes he perpetrated while on earth.

“He’s just ready for burning!” said the black man, with a growl of triumph. “You see, I am likely to have a good stock of firewood for winter."

In a prairie ecosystem, seeds are eaten by mice, which are eaten by foxes. What will happen if the fox population suddenly increased?

An example of a food chain has been provided in this question. The components of this food chain are seeds, mice and fox. Here, seeds are the primary food, which is eaten by the mice, who in turn are eaten by the foxes. In a given ecosystem, various components of a food chain are connected to each other and a change at one level will affect the other levels as well.

For example, if the fox population is suddenly increased, the extra foxes would need food, and this will cause a reduction in the mice population (due to sudden increase in predation levels). With sudden reduction in the mice population, there would be very few predators of seeds, and the seed content in the ecosystem will increase.

However, this is not a very sustainable scenario since the higher fox population cannot be indefinitely supported by ever declining mice population, hence at some point in time, a new equilibrium (between seeds, mice and fox populations) will be established. 

Hope this helps.

`int (ln(x))^2/x dx` Evaluate the indefinite integral.

You need to use the following substitution `ln x = u` , such that:

`ln x = u=> (dx)/x = du `

`int ((ln^2 x)dx)/x = int u^2 du`

Using the formula `int u^n du = (u^(n+1))/(n+1) + c ` yields

`int u^2 du = (u^3)/3 + c`

Replacing back ` ln x` for `u ` yields:

`int ((ln^2 x)dx)/x = ((ln x)^3)/3 + c`

Hence, evaluating the indefinite integral, yields `int ((ln^2 x)dx)/x = ((ln x)^3)/3 + c.`

In "By the Waters of Babylon,'' what does John describe in the apartment? What are the objects?

In “By the Waters of Babylon,” John describes many things that he sees in the apartment of the “dead god.”  Almost all of these things are easily identifiable from what John says.

John starts by mentioning “coverings on the floor.”  These are clearly carpets or rugs.  He then says that there were chairs that were “soft and deep,” which is self-explanatory.  He mentions pictures on the walls, one of which is a pointillist painting of flowers.  There was a “figure of a bird, in some hard clay.”  This could be ceramic or it could be plastic.  John then talks about the fact that there was a “washing-place but no water.”  This is presumably a sink or a bathtub/shower.  We cannot know which as we are not told how big it was.  In the kitchen was “a machine to cook food, (but) there was no place to put fire in it.”  This must be a stove/oven.  The “things that looked like lamps but they had neither oil nor wick” must have been electric lights.  There are faucets, which John describes as saying “hot” and “cold” but not being hot or cold.  Finally, John says that he saw “a place to make fire and a box with wood in it.”  This must have been a fireplace with wood to go in it.

These are all of the things that John describes seeing in the apartment where he spent the night and where he saw the body of the “dead god.”

In "The Lady or the Tiger?" by Frank R. Stockton, why does the king insist that the trial go on?

There appears to be three reasons for why the king insisted on the continuation of the trial.

First, the unusual trial was the centerpiece of the king's justice system, and it highlighted what he believed to be the wisdom inherent in his "barbaric idealism." It "pleased his fancy" to adopt a form of judgment that satisfied not only his ideals but also the dictates of his ego.

Second, the king was not especially pleased with the fact that his beloved daughter had taken to a commoner. According to the text, his daughter "was the apple of his eye, and was loved by him above all humanity." It was obvious that the actions of the princess had been a grave disappointment to him, so it would only be logical to suppose that the king would not have wanted to halt the trial.

Third, because of the nature of the trial, the accused would be conveniently "disposed" of (no matter which door he chose), and the king could just sit back and take "an aesthetic pleasure in watching the course of events" unfold before his eyes. Since the trial had been so cleverly designed, the king also knew that his own people could never level a "charge of unfairness" against him, "for did not the accused person have the whole matter in his own hands?" So, the king was heavily invested in letting the trial continue: aside from the benefits to his ego, the nature of the trial would let him avoid the charge of "unfairness" or arbitrary tyranny.

What is an electron? Why does it have a negative charge?

Atoms are composed of tiny particles called subatomic particles. The three main subatomic particles in the atom are:

• Protons: Protons are positively charged and are located in the nucleus of the atom.

• Neutrons: Neutrons have zero charge and are also located in the nucleus of the atom.

• 
  Electrons: Electrons are negatively charged and are located in the electron cloud that surrounds the nucleus of the atom. Electrons are extremely tiny.

The terms "positive" and "negative" were first used by Benjamin Franklin around 1750 to describe electrical charge. Two types of electrical charge were known at the time and could be observed by rubbing together different types of material. Franklin thought that one type of charge exhibited a slight excess of electricity, while the other type of charge exhibited a slight deficit of electricity. He called the electrical charge with the slight excess of electricity "positive". He called the electrical charge with the slight deficit of electricity "negative". Years later, as scientists began to better understand electricity, it became apparent that the two types of electricity would have been more accurately described if the "positive" and "negative" labels had been switched; however, at this point, switching the labels would have caused too much confusion and they were not changed. As the subatomic particles in the atom were discovered, Franklin's ideas about positive and negative charge were used to designate protons as positively charged and electrons as negatively charged.

How is Simon treated in a group from "Lord of the Flies"?

At first, Simon is treated with some disdain both by Jack and the other members of the choir. He faints in the heat after their march across the beach wearing their choir "togs," and Jack points out that he is always fainting wherever they go. To these boys, it is a sign of weakness that sets Simon apart already.

But he is accepted and he plays a helpful role in watching after the littluns so Ralph and Jack accept him as a useful member of the group but they don't ever trust him. 

Simon appears to be the only boy who never joined a particular tribe; he operated in a space apart. This was partially due to his initial faint and dismissal but also partially due to his ease with moving between the two groups. 

Eventually though, he is able to decipher the real meaning of the beast and once he climbs the mountain he knows that the dead pilot is in fact no monster but just a dead pilot. But as he tries to re-enter the group to explain all he has learned, the boys are in the midst of a hunting dance and brutally murder him.

If saccharin is bad and causes diabetes, how have I not contracted it after at least 45 years' use?

Saying that saccharin consumption is associated with a higher risk for diabetes does not necessarily mean that an individual person will contract diabetes after consuming saccharin for forty-five years, as you state you have done. Rather, it means that, on average, a person is much more likely to contract diabetes than an average person who has never consumed saccharin or other comparable artificial sweeteners.

The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis study linked above found that daily consumption of diet drinks (the vehicle through which most people consume artificial sweeteners such as saccharin) was correlated with a 67% increased risk for type 2 diabetes. This is a very serious risk, and just because a person has not contracted diabetes yet, it does not mean that they will not contract it in the future or that it is safe to continue consuming artificial sweeteners. Some smokers do not contract lung cancer, for instance, but that does not mean it is safe to adopt a smoking habit.

I am not sure if this question is a personal question or a question you are supposed to write a response to on an assignment, but if you are concerned with the health risks of saccharin, you should consult your doctor or personal healthcare provider.

What does Voltaire think might be a role of religion in government?

Voltaire was a philosophe during the Age of Enlightenment. While many people think he was an atheist, he was actually a Diest who saw God as the being who created the universe but was separate from everyday life. As such, he was extremely opposed to organized religion. 

During this time, the philosophes produced prolific writing regarding the role of the government in its citizens everyday lives. Voltaire saw no role for organized religion in the government, and he especially hated Catholicism for its deep roots and wide influence over the existing monarchies throughout much of Europe. Instead, he saw it as the responsibility of the people to be ethical and monitor their own behavior. 

He was quoted as saying, "If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent Him." However, he would not have advocated for that God, or its religion, to be part of the ruling body.