In "All Summer in a Day," why did William lock Margot in the closet?

William locks Margot in the closet because the sun is coming out and he does not want her to see it.

The problem between Margot and the other kids is that she is from Earth and they have lived on Venus for all of their lives.  They are jealous of Margot because she has seen the sun, and they do not remember the last time it came out when they were toddlers.  Margot also does not relate well to any of the kids from Venus.

The appearance of the sun brings out the worst in the kids. They are very excited because the sun only comes out once every seven years.

They turned on themselves, like a feverish wheel, all tumbling spokes. Margot stood alone. She was a very frail girl who looked as if she had been lost in the rain for years…

Margot has been on Venus for only five years. She remembers the sun, but the children cannot stand the idea.  They have turned to bullying to deal with the situation, because Margot has not assimilated into Venus life. She does not play their games and has not made friends.

"All a joke!" said the boy, and seized her roughly. "Hey, everyone, let’s put her in a closet before the teacher comes !"

The children do not really think about what they are doing when they put Margot in the closet.  They make it a “joke” even though it is supremely cruel.  When the sun comes out, the children simply forget about her in all of the excitement.  They seem to have intended to pretend to lock her in there so she would miss the sun, but then they actually did it.

This story is a good example of the pointless cruelty of bullying.  If someone is different, then that person becomes a target.  This is even more true with children, who are intolerant of uniqueness and privilege.

In The Scarlet Ibis, the author uses color descriptions all through the text, from the very first paragraph to the very last. How does this enhance...

As “The Scarlet Ibis” opens, Jame Hurst uses the colors purple and silver which symbolize bereavement and gloom. Brother, who narrates the story, is remembering his younger sibling who passed away. He is sitting in the green room. Green is generally a symbol of life and Brother is contemplating the life he shared with Doodle as the background of the story unfolds. The tone of deep sadness that is presented in the first paragraph contributes to the theme of siblings caring for each other and the feelings of loss and guilt that Brother exhibits. Perhaps the most important color in the story is red or scarlet. It is used to describe Doodle when he is born, it is the color of the Ibis, and the bleeding tree, all which play prominently in the story. Red is a color that symbolizes love, passion, and blood. Brother obviously loves his brother as he attempts to make his life as meaningful as possible but he does it with such passion that it leads to Doodle’s death. Doodle dies under the bleeding tree which, once again, brings the color red into the story. The Scarlet Ibis is a rare bird with bright red feathers. In this story, the bird symbolizes Doodle, who is also a “rare, delicate bird.” The author use of color contributes to the tone of sadness, passion, and ultimately, loss. As the reader experiences these feelings while reading the story, the themes become more evident.

Can I please have help on writing an article or speech on how women are portrayed in the media?

You should begin by having an opinion or point of view on the subject. Some suggestions:

1. 
   

   Women are portrayed realistically.

   
   


2. 
   

   Women are objectified.

   
   


3. 
   

   Women are portrayed in various ways.

   
   


4. 
   

   Women in advertising are portrayed differently from how they are portrayed in dramas or comedies.

   
   

Etc., etc. Examine your own opinions and make a list of your observations. When an individualized point of view emerges from your contemplations, state it as a thesis statement; then follow the guidelines for designing a convincing argument, based on logic and evidence. A speech will have a slightly different form, because its job is to sway others who have their own opinions formed already. Speeches, in addition can take advantage of paralinguistics, such as voice inflection, hand gestures, facial expressions, eye contact, etc. Your teacher undoubtedly wants you to demonstrate your abilities to form an idea, express it clearly, argue it convincingly, and use language in a strong rhetorical form.

How has the lottery evolved over time in the short story "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson?

In "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson, we have reason to believe that the process for the lottery has evolved over time. In the fifth paragraph we learn that the materials used originally for the lottery were lost, and that the black box now used to house the family names is older than the oldest man in town, Mr. Warner. We also know that the first lottery took place even before that:

"There was a story that the present box had been made with some pieces of the box that had preceded it, the one that had been constructed when the first people settled down to make a village here." (Jackson 1)

This tells us that the original settlers possibly brought the idea with them from wherever they had come, which is not revealed to us.

On page two, we find out that the ritual itself has changed in some ways over the years, too. Some of the citizens have memories of a recital given by the lottery official, a ritual salute, and a chant. The slips of paper with names on them had once been wooden chips.

The one thing that has not changed about the lottery is the end result. Somebody has to die.

What does John mean when he says, "It is better to lose one's life than one's spirit"?

The story that you are asking about is "By the Waters of Babylon" by Stephen Vincent Benet.  The quote that you are asking about occurs fairly early in the story.  John has left to go to the Place of the Gods, but he has not crossed the river into the city proper.  The quote is better understood with a bit more text with it.  

If I went to the Place of the Gods, I would surely die, but, if I did not go, I could never be at peace with my spirit again. It is better to lose one's life than one's spirit, if one is a priest and the son of a priest.

John is genuinely afraid of going to the Place of the Gods.  All of his life he has been taught that the Place of the Gods is a forbidden location.  He has been taught that anybody that goes there will die.  John truly believes that he will die, when he crosses the river to enter the city.  

John's quote about his spirit is the equivalent of somebody saying "If I'm going to die, I want to die a man."  Or, "If I'm going to die, I want to die happy/honorably/bravely/etc."  John knows that going to the Place of the Gods is something the he doesn't want to do; it is something that he must do. John is saying that if he simply returns home without having crossed the river, he will always be unhappy with himself.  John is not willing to live the rest of his life like that.  That's why he says that it is better to die than live with an upset or absent spirit. 

What is the appearance of Michael Anagnos from The Story of My Life?

The presence of Michael Anagnos in Helen's story is due to the fact that he was, at the time, "the director of the Perkins Institution in Boston."  This was a well known school for students who were blind.  Helen father, Captain Keller, wrote to Mr. Anagnos to inquire about a possible teacher to come to Alabama to help his blind and deaf daughter.  Mr. Anagnos kindly wrote back when a teacher had been found.

Several years later, Helen wrote a short story called "The Frost King" for Mr. Anagnos.  She sent it to him and he published it in a report for the Perkins Institution.  It was later discovered that Helen's story closely resembled another story and was considered plagiarism.  Helen was distraught over this, but Mr. Anagnos reassured her that he knew it had been a mistake.  Later, he came to believe that Helen had indeed deceived him.  This led to the end of their friendship, much to her devastation.

What is one action Kevin does in Freak the Mighty?

Considering that Kevin does many "actions" in Freak the Mighty, I thought it might be a good idea to choose one that says something about his character. One "action" that Kevin does all the time is read. This action is intended to show Kevin's intelligence.

Matter of fact, I watch tons of tube, but I also read tons of books so I can figure out what's true and what's fake, which isn't always easy. Books are like truth serum--if you don't read, you can't figure out what's real.

In this quotation, Kevin is speaking to Max who, of course, is a big fan of the television set. Kevin is always described as the opposite of Max. While Max's important "action" here is watching TV, Kevin's important "action" is reading. As described, Kevin reads in order to find out what is true and real. This is a testament to how smart Kevin is. 

Kevin needs these smarts because of his physical disabilities. Kevin has a kind of growth condition and many birth defects that cause him to be of incredibly small stature. One of these many defects is that Kevin's heart is literally too big for his body. (This becomes a metaphorical element as well in that Kevin also has love for everyone, often to his own detriment.) Not only is Kevin's heart too big, but his imagination and his intelligence are "too big" for his body as well. Kevin never "fits" into society, school, or any situation well. Kevin uses his imagination (and his reading prowess) in order to make life livable.

What does Emerson suggest about nature's beauty when he writes: "the influence of the forms and actions in nature is so needful to man, that, in...

In Chapter III of his most well-known work, Nature, Emerson writes that "The influence of the forms and actions in nature, is so needful to man, that, in its lowest functions, it seems to lie on the confines of commodity and beauty."  He means that nature's influence is so necessary to humankind that, at its most basic level, we can appreciate it for what it gives to us and the way its beauty positively affects us.  In terms of its commodity value, he says that if one has been "cramped" by work or society, nature acts as a medicine that can restore both mind and body.  Further, when a person of any profession leaves the society of others and retreats, alone, to nature, he is made whole again, that one can and will find oneself in the calmness of nature.  Nature is both invigorating and curative.

Moreover, in terms of beauty, "Nature [often] satisfies by its loveliness, and without any mixture of corporeal benefit."  We need not necessarily gain anything from nature in order to appreciate it; sometimes, we simply appreciate its incredible beauty for what it is and not the effect that it has on us.  Emerson goes on, "How does Nature deify us with a few and cheap elements!  Give me health and a day, and I will make the pomp of emperors ridiculous."  It is as though the beauty of a day in nature -- its creatures, its clouds, its light, its trees, and so forth -- is of greater worth and beauty that even the riches and jewels possessed by an emperor.  

Is a convex lens that converges light called a diverging or converging lens?

A converging lens is a convex lens that converges light. This means that the converging lens causes parallel light rays to come together. The point at which the parallel rays of light meet is called the focal point. Such lenses create real images. In optics, a real image is an image that is formed by converging light rays. The real image is found in the plane of convergence. When a screen is placed within this plane, then the real image can be seen on the screen. Thus, the images found on the screens in movie theaters are examples of real images.

On the other hand, a diverging lens is a concave lens that causes light rays to refract and diverge. Such lenses form virtual images.

What were the key distinctions among the Early, High and Late Middle Ages?

The Middle Ages refers to the period of time in Europe between the decline of the Roman Empire in the West and the Renaissance- from the fifth to fifteenth centuries. We can further break up this time period into the Early, High, and Late Middle Ages based on cultural particularities in government, religion, education, and economy. 

The Early Middle Ages are characterized by the decentralization of government after the fall of the Roman Empire. Where much of Western Europe was previously united under the Roman Empire, now local kings were ruling territories and often invading and warring with each other. Much of the information we have about this time is archaeological, but there are some written sources from the clergy and nobility to fill us in on what happened. This was a time of rampant invasion and immigration, but many of the modern European nations trace their origins to groups who settled during this time. Some of those groups are the Lombards (who conquered much of modern-day Italy,) the Britons (as in Brittany,) and the Franks (as in France.)

Latin scholarship really fell out of fashion during this time, but many people turned to monasticism as a way of life. The church served to fill in some of the gaps where governmental administration fell short. Much of the population were poor, land-working peasants, but the feudal system had not really been formalized yet. Many practiced subsistence farming or worked for a landholder.

The eighth and ninth centuries saw the rise and fall of the Carolingian Dynasty. Charlemagne ruled from 771 CE and was coronated as Holy Roman Emperor in the year 800 CE. His coronation re-unified the church and state in the West, and during his reign he united much of Western Europe under the Carolingian Empire.

This unification was not to last. Raids by Vikings and migration among ethnic groups served to dismantle the Carolingian Empire. Western Europe returned to a localized system of kingdoms and feudalism was prevalent. Under the feudal system, all the land in a kingdom was divided up among the nobility, who further lent it to vassals in exchange for military service, and peasants worked the land for the vassals. There was a great population boom during the High Middle Ages, thanks to agricultural advancement, but much of the population remained poor peasants.

Many kingdoms had hereditary kingship, establishing dynasties of rule like the Capetians in France and the Ottonians in Germany. The Crusades took place during the High Middle Ages, and religion and military service were highly connected. This was also a time of religious reform throughout monasteries of Western Europe.

The Late Middle Ages were ushered in by climate instability, which caused crop failure, famine, economic stress, and encouraged the spread of plague throughout Europe. Many modern European nations trace their nationalist identities to the kingdoms consolidated under the kings of this time. Religious and secular law were revised and codified, and the use of the printing press enabled a slow but significant rise in literacy among the peasantry. Though education was still primarily for clergy and nobility, advancements were being made and laid the way for the Renaissance.

Why was Stanley Yelnats' family cursed in Holes?

There are several stories being told in parallel in the book and one of them is the story of Stanley's great-great-grandfather Elya Yelnats. He is the one who is blamed for the generations-long curse that has affected the family and prevented them from ever being successful.

The story is that he went to a woman in Latvia named Madame Zeroni for advice. She also gave him a pig which helped him on his way to success but her price for her help was that Elya carry her to the top of a nearby mountain. Elya took her advice and after finding success, he quickly forgot about his promise and never did carry Madame Zeroni to the top of the mountain. So she laid a curse on the family that constantly caused them to have bad luck.

What is the meaning of the sentence that starts with "An artist once discovered a valuable possibility in this street. . . " in "The Last Leaf" by...

O. Henry is being facetious. He could not possibly know about the first artist who discovered Greenwich Village and started a trend. The author is painting a fanciful word-picture based on his impression of the maze-like streets of the Village.

In a little district west of Washington Square the streets have run crazy and broken themselves into small strips called “places.” These “places” make strange angles and curves. One street crosses itself a time or two. 

O. Henry amuses himself and the reader by imagining some starving artist getting lost in this maze and realizing the "valuable possibility" of living there. A bill collector could never find him but would wander around until he came out empty-handed where he first started.

Suppose a collector with a bill for paints, paper and canvas should, in traversing this route, suddenly meet himself coming back, without a cent having been paid on account!

O. Henry invents an imaginary original colonist who was responsible for the influx of all the other struggling artists who have inhabited this district ever since. The real attraction, of course, was cheap rent. Sue and Johnsy are two struggling artists. Old Behrman is another, although he represents the artists who have given up the struggle. Being artists, these colonists have brought the district a certain charm in spite of the fact that most of them have little money. They can decorate the windows with flowers and hang their unsold paintings on all the walls. They can have a great amount of social activity with a little cheese and cheap wine and guitar music. O. Henry suggests some of the attractions when he writes:

Then they imported some pewter mugs and a chafing dish or two from Sixth avenue, and became a “colony.”

In To Kill a Mockingbird, why does Boo Radley give Scout the blanket during the night of Miss Maudie's fire?

Boo Radley puts the blanket over Scout’s shoulders because he feels protective of her.

When Miss Maudie’s house catches fire, most of the town comes out to help her.  Atticus tells Scout and Jem to get up, and stations them well away from the fire but close enough to watch.  This means he puts them in front of the Radley house, right by the gate.  After the fire, Atticus notices something odd about Scout.

I noticed Atticus looking at me, first with curiosity, then with sternness. “I thought I told you and Jem to stay put,” he said.

“Why, we did. We stayed—”

“Then whose blanket is that?”

“Blanket?”

“Yes ma’am, blanket. It isn’t ours.” (Ch. 8)

Scout and Jem have no idea where the blanket came from at first.  They were so caught up in watching the men try to rescue Miss Maudie’s belongings at the fire that they didn’t even notice when the blanket appeared.  Nathan Radley was helping at the fire.  The blanket could not have come from him.  It is clear from where they are standing, in front of the Radley gate, that it could only have come from one other source—Boo Radley.

Scout is baffled by this event.  She has spent most of her young life afraid of Boo Radley, and here he was helping her.  It is an unusual interaction to be sure.  Scout doesn’t make the connection with the presents left in the tree.

Jem’s first concern is that Atticus will tell Nathan Radley about the blanket, and that will get Boo in trouble.  Jem knows that Boo considers himself their friend, and that putting the blanket on Scout’s shoulders was just another friendly gesture.  He did it quietly, because he did not want to be seen.  He just wanted to protect Scout.

Although they are not allowed to interact with Boo either, Jem confesses to Atticus that they have had interactions.  He wants Atticus to leave the matter alone.

“…Mr. Nathan put cement in that tree, Atticus, an‘ he did it to stop us findin’ things—he’s crazy, I reckon, like they say, but Atticus, I swear to God he ain’t ever harmed us, he ain’t ever hurt us, he coulda cut my throat from ear to ear that night but he tried to mend my pants instead…” (Ch. 8)

Atticus understands the situation.  He assures Jem that he will not try to return the blanket.  Boo Radley came out that night because, like every other person in Maycomb, he wanted to help.  Too shy to actually take part in the fire-fighting methods, he decided to watch over Scout and Jem. 

This is a turning point in the relationship with Boo Radley for Scout.  There is a long line of evidence that Boo cares about them.  He laughed when they tried to make him come out, he left presents in the tree, and he mended Jim’s pants.  Boo is looking out for them. It’s a good thing too, because if he hadn’t been, he might not have been able to save them from Bob Ewell’s murderous rage on Halloween night.

What does mg stand for?

The abbreviation"mg" stands for milligram. It is a unit of measurement of mass (which is one of the fundamental properties of matter). Other related units of measurement of mass are gram and kilogram (which is the SI unit for measurement of mass). A milligram is one-thousandth of a gram (gm), which in itself is one-thousandth of a kilogram (kg). Mathematically, 

1 mg = 0.001 gm and 1 gm =0.001 kg, 

thus, 1 mg = 0.000001 kg

That is, a milligram is one-millionth of a kilogram. 

For day to day measurement, we commonly use the kilogram. Milligrams are more commonly used for research purposes (say for making solutions) or measuring precious or expensive materials. Kilogram, gram and milligram are commonly used around the world. However, the United States uses pounds as their unit of mass.

Hope this helps. 

What does Katniss believe will be the consequences of her action in her private audition with the Gamemakers in The Hunger Games?

Katniss fears retribution from the Gamemakers for shooting the apple.

Katniss volunteers to take her sister’s place as tribute in the Hunger Games because her sister is too young and has no survival skills.  Katniss, on the other hand, is an expert with a bow and arrow.  During the evaluation period where the tributes are supposed to show off their skills, the Gamemakers completely ignore Katniss so she loses her temper and shoots an arrow directly at the Gamemakers.

Without thinking, I pull an arrow from my quiver and send it straight at the Gamemakers’ table. I hear shouts of alarm as people stumble back. The arrow skewers the apple in the pig’s mouth and pins it to the wall behind it. Everyone stares at me in disbelief. (Ch. 7)

The arrow does not actually hit anyone, of course.  Katniss is not ready to murder.  She is demonstrating her contempt for the games and all they stand for with this gesture.  She has had it, and her emotions got the best of her.

Katniss is convinced that her actions will get her into big trouble. The Capital is not known for its sense of humor, and does not appreciate acts of defiance or rebellion.

Now I’ve done it! Now I’ve ruined everything! If I’d stood even a ghost of a chance, it vanished when I sent that arrow flying at the Gamemakers. What will they do to me now? Arrest me? Execute me? (Ch. 8)

She knows that she is at the mercy of the Gamemakers, and has been since she volunteered.  Actually, she has been at their mercy for years because she had to buy extra entries into the games just to feed her family.  She knows that they can do anything they want to her.  She is afraid they might take retribution by targeting her family.

Katniss cries until dinner, and then when Haymitch asks her what happened she tells him.  He tells her that they will not arrest her because it would be a pain to replace her, and they will not likely take retribution against her family because people would ask questions.  What had happened was private, and no one but the Gamemakers knows about it.

Portia tells Katniss that scores only matter if they are very good.  When she receives a very high score, an eleven, she is shocked.  This score makes her a target for everyone in the games.  They know that she is good.  The Gamemakers got their revenge.

What type of switch is most commonly used for domestic purposes?

I assume that you are talking about electrical switches, when you say switches. There are a number of different electrical switches available in the market, depending on their function. 

The most commonly used switch, for domestic applications, is the one that controls one fixture and has a simple "on" and "off" feature. These are also known as single-pole switches. These simple switches are used to control the operation (on and off functions) of lighting fixtures, fans, etc. and are found throughout the house. In the "on" position, the electrical circuit is closed and the connected appliance functions. In the "off"position, the electrical circuit is open and the connected appliance does not operate. 

In comparison, other more complex switches (such as double-pole, multi-location, pressure switches, temperature switches, etc.) are used to control more than one device and may have other features. 

Hope this helps. 

In which centuries were 2012 BCE and 1 CE?

Trying to figure out what to call a century can be pretty tricky, especially when we make a distinction between BCE and CE. The way we mark time is based upon a fixed date presumed to be the birth of Jesus Christ. Although this way of marking time is based in religious calendar systems, it is increasingly secularized. Some people use the terms BC ("Before Christ,") and AD ("After Death," or anno domini, "in the year of our Lord,"), but most scholarly publications will use BCE (Before Current Era) and CE (Current Era) to distinguish between these times. 

In all that came after the beginning of the Common Era, we count time in a progressive manner moving forward. Every year, we simply add one year onto the date we were using previously, and every century we add one in the hundreds place. Simple enough, right? Well, it gets tricky when we are trying to figure out what to call a century. At first reckoning, we might think that the 1st Century refers to the years 100-199 CE. It's easy to make this mistake because the number one is in the hundreds place and there is no number in the thousands place. When we say the 1st Century, though, we're actually referring to the years 1-99 CE. This means the year 1 CE came during the 1st Century CE.

In determining how to call a century from before the shift to the current era, we must work "backwards!" Think of BCE time as a countdown to point zero. Though a year zero never existed, for the purposes of this question we could consider the moment of transition between BCE and CE to be "point zero." The farther back we go in BCE time, the greater temporal distance from point zero, and so the larger the number. Just like with dating centuries in CE, the number of the century is not really representative of the number in the hundreds place. The 1st Century BCE is still the years 1-99 BCE; not 100-199. This means that the year 2012 BCE took place in the 21st Century BCE.

A handy way to figure out "when" years and centuries occurred and how to call them is to add or subtract one from the hundreds place.

For example, if you have the year 1492 and want to know what century this occurred in, add one to the hundreds place. This tells us that 1492 occurred during the 15th Century.

Similarly, if you know that something occurred during the 15th Century, but you're not sure what years this might have been, just subtract one from the hundreds place. This tells us that the 15th Century occurred during the years 1400-1499.

What signs did John receive to guide his journey to the east in "By the Waters of Babylon"?

In Stephen Vincent Benét's "By the Waters of Babylon," John (the protagonist) is going on a journey of discovery. This is the final step of his initiation as a priest for his tribe. When John feels he "is a man at last," he tells his father, who is also a priest, that he is ready to go on his journey. John's father worries about his son's very strong dreams about the Place of the Gods, in which John sees the gods walking. John's father cautions him that these dreams may "eat you up." For this reason, it really should not surprise readers that John ultimately feels he should go to the Place of the Gods for his journey, even if it is forbidden.

Once John begins his journey, he fasts and waits for a sign about where he ought to go. To end his fast, John manages to kill a panther by shooting an arrow through its eye. He also sees an eagle flying east. John reasons that if animals are traveling east, he can, too, even if it breaks his tribe's traditions.

What is the standard of beauty in the poem Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening?

The standard of beauty in this poem is undoubtedly nature. The speaker is fascinated by it and decides to stop in the woods to admire the winter scene although he has "promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep." Watching the woods fill up with snow, the speaker rests for a while and is away from the civilization. He enjoys the tranquility and mystery offered by the woods.  To him, the woods are " lovely, dark and deep," which can both delight and puzzle one. The woods can symbolize death because the speaker is allured by the vastness and darkness around him.

The speaker does not want to return to the duties and obligations represented by the modern world he lives in. He wishes he could stay in the woods and admire the beautiful winter scenery, but he knows that he must return to the civilized world. If the woods indeed symbolize death, then the speaker's earthly mission is not yet complete because he feels he has "miles to go before I sleep,   and miles to go before I sleep."

How is Banquo represented as being honest and open with everyone?

First, when Banquo and Macbeth receive the Weird Sisters' "prophecies," Banquo's response is characteristically artless.  Although Macbeth seems to believe them without question, and is further convinced by the fact that their first statement -- that he will become Thane of Cawdor -- has come true, Banquo is open about his concerns.  He says,

But 'tis strangeAnd oftentimes, to win us to our harm,The instruments of darkness tell us truths,Win us with honest trifles, to betray 'sIn deepest consequence. -- (1.3.134-138)

He worries that the Weird Sisters may be attempting to do the men harm by telling them the truth about something small so that they will believe in the inevitability of something bigger.  Specifically, they might have told Macbeth the truth about becoming Thane of Cawdor just so he would believe that he would also become king; then, if this belief ignites Macbeth's ambition, it could lead him to do things that would be harmful to himself or others.  Banquo openly shares his concerns with his friend from the start.

Later, at Macbeth's castle, Banquo admits that he "dreamt last night of the three Weird Sisters" because, to Macbeth, "they have showed some truth" (2.1. 25-26).  Their words, and perhaps his own suspicions of Macbeth's capabilities, have been weighing on his mind, and it seems like he's trying to sound his friend, to figure out how much Macbeth is considering what they said. Macbeth, characteristically deceptive, says, "I think not of them" (2.1.27).  Macbeth has been thinking a great deal of them!  Shakespeare is developing Banquo as a foil to Macbeth.  A foil is a character who contrasts with the protagonist in order to highlight particular qualities of the main character.  Banquo's honesty emphasizes Macbeth's willingness to lie.

Even when Macbeth suggests that if, in the future, Banquo will support him and join his cause, it will benefit Banquo, Banquo says that he will do nothing that would force him to lose his honor:

So I lose [no honor]
In seeking to augment it, but still keep
My bosom franchised and allegiance clear,
I shall be counseled. (2.1.36-39)

Banquo will not consent to do anything that might go against his conscience, and he is honest with his friend, even though such a statement might convey his suspicions to that friend.  Why would Banquo think that Macbeth might ask him to do something that he would find unscrupulous unless he felt fairly certain that Macbeth was capable of committing unsavory or immoral acts? 

With Banquo, what you see is what you get.  He is unafraid to stand up for what he knows is right, even if it could upset a friend.  He is unwilling to betray a friend in order to win the favor of another. 

Once Macbeth has committed the murder, Banquo "fear[s] / [He] played'st most foully for 't" (3.1.2-3), but considers the possibility that since what the Weird Sisters told Macbeth came true then perhaps what they forecast for him would come to fruition as well.  He speaks his hope once and then says, "But hush, no more" (3.1.10).  Perhaps he doesn't even want to consider the possibility that his progeny would be kings because he doesn't want to be driven to violence the way Macbeth has been.  Or maybe he knows that for the crown to pass to his family, something terrible will have to happen to Macbeth.  Either way, he stops himself from dreaming because of the possibility that it could lead to further violence.  This is an honest and good man, indeed.

What are the possible things that Framton Nuttel could find out that Vera lied about if he went to ask his sister? Or maybe he can't? Why?

This is an interesting question. Many readers must have wondered if Vera would ever get caught. Framton Nuttel would surely mention his visit to her. They seem to be in fairly close contact. However, the author makes it clear that Framton's sister hadn't been back to that part of England in years and didn't have a good recollection of some of the people to whom she wrote letters of introduction on her brother's behalf. His sister had told him.

"I shall just give you letters of introduction to all the people I know there. Some of them, as far as I can remember, were quite nice."

And when Vera casually inquires if he knows anyone in the area, he tells her:

"Hardly a soul," said Framton. "My sister was staying here, at the rectory, you know, some four years ago, and she gave me letters of introduction to some of the people here."

So Framton has met a few people through his sister's letters, but he has not made any real connections, probably because he creates such a poor impression on strangers. He has no one in the vicinity whom he can ask about Vera's story. However, he must start feeling suspicious after he has time to think about what happened. If he tells his sister about it, she will have no one to ask except the vicar. This is probably what Framton will do and what his sister will do. She can only write the vicar a letter. There were, of course, no telephones in those times.

The vicar would be astonished when he received the sister's letter. He wouldn't have to make inquiries because he would know that all the Sappletons were alive and well. As a matter of fact, he would probably see all of them, including Vera, every Sunday. The vicar would realize that Vera had made up a ghastly story to frighten their visitor. The only question seems to be what the vicar would do about it. Framton's sister would not know anything that would be helpful to her brother because she had been away from that rural area for four years and didn't really know any of the people very well. She would not want to make personal inquiries except to the vicar--and it is possible that she might not even want to do that. Why not? Because it would only stir up trouble. If the vicar talked to Mr. and Mrs. Sappleton, they would be very embarrassed. They would know their niece was lying, but they wouldn't want the incident to be spread around all over the neighborhood. They would feel that a total stranger had caused them trouble and now that total stranger, whom Mrs. Sappleton didn't like, was bringing in his sister and the vicar to create further trouble. It would look as if they drove a poor, sick man away when he was only seeking a tiny amount of tea and sympathy.

If Framton's sister wrote the vicar, he would certainly reply to her. But his reply would probably be that the Sappletons were all alive and that he saw them frequently. He would say that he knew nothing about anybody being killed while hunting and that it must have been some misunderstanding. The vicar's sympathies would naturally be with the Sappletons because they are local residents and parishioners.

There is a chance that the vicar might want to have a private conversation with young Vera and tell her that she shouldn't be making up stories. But we can imagine how Vera would handle the vicar! She would probably just make up another wild story to discredit Framton. After all, he is the one who is suffering from the nervous disorder. He is therefore not in perfect control of his mental faculties. He just misunderstood something she said about the danger of being sucked into a bog and then imagined that her three male relatives were returning from the dead. It was all in Mr. Nuttel's imagination, and he ran away so fast that he didn't even get to meet the three returning hunters. If only that nice Mr. Nuttel had stayed for tea, he would have seen that they were perfectly all right.

In Shakespeare's Hamlet does Hamlet actually become mad or not?

I would first like to say that this is a highly contested question. Critics continue to argue vigorously about it. My opinion, however, is that Hamlet does not actually become insane, but puts on an act meant to throw his enemies off balance. 

Polonius understands this when he says of Hamlet's behavior: "Though this be madness, yet there is method in ’t.’’

Polonius is an old windbag, but he is also a shrewd courtier who, though appearing witless, has, in fact, survived by using his wits. 

But beyond the words of a courtier, we have the steadiness of Hamlet's purpose throughout the play. He might spout nonsense from time to time, and he definitely gets depressed at the corruption he witnesses all around him, but he stays on point, so to speak. His task is to determine if Claudius murdered his father, and if he did, to avenge the death. He works on this goal in a systematic way: he stages the play within a play to see his uncle's reaction to a murder that looks very much like what the ghost described. Once he establishes Claudius's guilt, he refrains from murdering him during his prayers so that Claudius won't go to heaven. When he does stab Polonius by mistake, it is because he thinks he is Claudius. Had it not been a mistake, he would have picked a rational moment to kill his uncle, when he is eavesdropping in an underhanded way and is "in sin," not in prayer.

While the events of the play do push the introspective Hamlet towards instability, he never acts merely crazily or like a madman. As Polonius says, there's always a method behind what he does. 

In Jacob Have I Loved, what do you see as the main differences and similarities between Sara Louise and Caroline?

Sara Louise (as she prefers to be called) and Caroline have much in common. They are twins. They live on a small island called Rass in the Chesapeake Bay with their parents and grandmother. They both attend the same high school and share many experiences. They both took piano lessons as children.

They are also very different from one another. Sara Louise was born first and was a healthy baby. Caroline was born sickly and needed extra care. Caroline has "blonde curls framing a face that is glowing with laughter," while Sara Louise has darker features. Caroline was much better at playing piano than Sara Louise when they were young. She becomes a talented pianist, and she also has a beautiful singing voice. Caroline takes vocal lessons on the mainland to further develop her talent, while Sara Louise prefers to spend her time outdoors.

"One has all the goodness and the other all the appearance of it" (Mr Darcy and Mr Wickham) How far do you agree with Jane's statement in Pride and...

Jane's statement is absolutely accurate. We see Darcy and Wickham through Elizabeth Bennet's eyes. When she first meets them, she mistakes their surface appearances for who they really are. Elizabeth thinks that Mr. Darcy is prideful and snobby--which he is, at the dance. He rejects any of the local girls and afterwards works to sabotage Elizabeth's sister's engagement. Darcy judges the Bennets on their social status and assumes they are after husbands who have money. Wickham, raised in the same household as Darcy, appears to Elizabeth to be charming and abused by Darcy. However, Darcy is really the person who is good at heart and he knows things about Wickham which are not revealed until later in the book. Darcy saves Elizabeth's young, foolish sister Lydia from disgrace with Wickham. Wickham allows Lydia (he doesn't prevent her from following her intentions) to run away with him, an action that will ruin her reputation and that of the Bennets. Darcy pays Wickham off so that Wickham will marry Lydia and prevent a scandal. Darcy also revises his earlier estimation of Jane and Bingley's relationship. Elizabeth eventually sees first-hand that Darcy is very good at heart, loved by his family and servants, and that Wickham is a lying scoundrel, interested only in money and his own pleasure.

What does Reverend Hale think about John Proctor?

When Reverend Hale first meets John Proctor, he is suspicious of John because he, too, is caught up in the fervor of the accusations circulating throughout Salem.  Although Hale is the area’s authority on everything “devilish”, he is also intelligent enough to understand human motivation.  As he gets to know John, he realizes that John is a good man with some flaws.  This change in opinion starts when Hale questions John and asks him to recite the 10 Commandments.  Unfortunately, John forgets the one he is guilty of—Thou Shall Not Commit Adultery—during the interview.  Shortly after that, Elizabeth is arrested, and Hale sees John for who he really is, an honest, hard-working man who loves his wife. 

Throughout the rest of the play, Hale advises John encouraging him at the end to save himself by lying to the court about being a witch.  John refuses, and Hale begs for mercy with the judges.  John, however, will not stain his name with a lie and is hanged. Hale is saddened by the tragic end of John Proctor and the others as we see the witch trials come to an end due to Hale and the public’s sentiment against the hangings.

True or false? Some acids are corrosive.

This is a true statement. A corrosive substance is one that will damage other materials with which is comes into contact. Corrosion of metals is another term for oxidation, and acids tend to oxidize metals. The degree of corrosion depends on the strength and concentration of the acid and on the reactivity of the metal. Hydrochloric acid oxidizes zinc according to the following equation:

`2HCl + Zn -> ZnCl_2 +H_2`

Oxidation is the loss of electrons. It occurs simultaneously with reduction, which is the gain of electrons. In this reaction zinc is oxidized from Zn to Zn2+ by the H+, and the H2+ is reduced to H+.

Acid can be used to clean metal by removing a thin surface layer. Acid rain causes corrosion to metals such as building components and vehicle parts. It also speeds up the corrosion caused by metals in contact with each other because it provides an aqueous ionic environment in which electrons are more easily transferred. 

Acids also damage other materials that aren't metals.  Acids can cause chemical burns to the skin. Acid precipitation causes the degradation of limestone statues and architecture. Limestone is calcium carbonate.

In The Great Gatsby, what all does Jay Gatsby lie about?

This is a very interesting question.  Believe it or not, you might actually debate whether he told outright lies about many things at all!  You can say he definitely lied when he said his parents were dead, as his dad showed up at his funeral.  And of course, he lied for Daisy by saying he was driving the car that killed Myrtle.  But other than these, he told lots of half-truths.  Are half-truths necessarily lies?  For example, Tom asks about Gatsby being an "Oxford man." He says he did, indeed, attend the elite university; but only for five months, and only because the military paid the bill.  He tells Daisy that he owns drug stores. When Tom confronts him on this one, we learn that it's true--Gatsby (and some shady partners) does own a few drug stores, but they are just fronts for selling Prohibition alcohol.  You might say that Gatsby lies about his past, about his background.  But to him, the past that he created for Jay Gatsby, the one that buried James Gatz, IS his truth.  Ironically, the only outright lies ("They say he murdered a man!") to note are those created FOR him, not by him.

A lever, 4 metres long, has a fulcrum placed 3 metres from the effort end. What force will be necessary to lift a load of 600 N?

The property of a lever can be given as: 

W1 x D1 = W2 x D2

where, W1 and W2 are weights on the two ends of the lever and D1 and D2 are distances of the weights from the fulcrum, respectively.

Here, effort can be termed as W1 and the load of 600 N as W2. D1 or the distance of the effort arm is 3 m and that of load arm is 1 m (= 4m - 3m), that is D2 = 1 m.

Substituting the values of W2, D1 and D2 in the equation, we get:

W1 x 3 m = 600 N x 1 m

or, W1 = 600/3 N = 200 N.

Thus, an effort of 200 N is able to lift a load of 600 N, if the fulcrum is placed 3 m from the effort arm.

Hope this helps.

As the Greeks studied science, how did they begin to change their relationship to their religion and to other gods?

I'm not sure it's quite accurate to say that the Greeks studied "science", since they were far from formalizing the Scientific Method as we know it today. But they did make many significant advances in philosophy and mathematics, which laid a foundation for later developments in science.

In any case, it's quite clear that the intellectuals of classical Greece did not believe in religion. They were atheists; in fact, the word "atheist" is originally from the Greek atheos. There were many different schools of thought among the Greeks: Stoicism, Platonism, Pythagoreanism, Sophism, and more. They disagreed on just about everything---but were remarkably uniform in their rejection of all theistic religions. Only a handful of Greek philosophers ever wrote anything suggesting that they believed in literal gods such as Zeus or Apollo.

One particular Greek philosopher who wrote a great deal about religion (all of it negative) was Epicurus; he wrote the first recorded use of the Problem of Evil. Note that he was writing in the 4th century BC, centuries before Jesus was even born.

Most of the population of Greece was illiterate, however, and knew very little about the intellectual traditions that were forming among their elite. It is quite likely that most of the population continued to believe in the classic Greek pantheon (Zeus, Hera, Apollo, etc.) even as the intellectuals rejected it.

What is different about the wasps found in the Hunger Games?

The wasps found in The Hunger Games both in and out of the arena are called tracker jackers. These are wasps that have been genetically engineered by scientists in the Capitol. Tracker jackers are essentially biological weapons made using wasps as a template for behavior and venom delivery. They share some similarities to traditional wasps, such as being subdued by smoke. Also, the topical effects of the sting can be soothed using specific plants belonging to their prospective worlds in nature for both wasps and tracker jackers.

The differences between tracker jackers and wasps are mostly found in their venom and aggression. The sting of a tracker jacker bring on very large and painful welts that can keep swelling for many minutes after the original sting and ooze liquid. The venom also brings on severe hallucinations to the point where they can even hijack a person's memories and alter the sufferer's recollection of reality. This memory hijacking is generally from usage of the venom in a concentrated laboratory setting, and not recorded as an effect of getting stung. Multiple stings can be lethal. Tracker jackers will attack anyone that damages their hive and often pursue their target for miles.

Please summarize "Do Something, Brother" by M. Gopalakrishna Adiga.

"Do Something, Brother" by M. Gopalakrishna Adiga is a satirical poem that points out Man's violent tendencies in constantly having to do something, without any thought of the consequences due to his actions. He compares Man to Mother Earth. She gives constantly while Man takes whatever he wants, needs, or feels like destroying. In this poem, Adiga shows that man's self centeredness just might be the end of the world as we know it. The poet mocks the idea that many religions give us--the idea that the world is here FOR Man. The poem, at the very end, tells the reader,

"Be doing something Brother, don't sit quietly

don't be merely a burden for Earth, to relieve

Earth's burden do as I tell you.

it's correct. It's natural."  (Adiga ll. 78-81 translated by Rowena Hill)

In other words, people should stop the violence and destruction and "doing for doing's sake" and instead, think before acting in order to take care of Mother Earth. We are all in this together. 

What type of sentence structure does Flannery O'Connor use to affect the pacing of "A Good Man Is Hard To Find?"

In this short story, Flannery O'Connor uses the simple or compound sentence with subject-verb-object construction almost exclusively. (Compound sentences join two simple sentences together with a conjunction such as "and" or "but.") Many of her sentences start with the word "he" or "she." This gives the story a trudging pace that feels like one is soldiering on with each sentence. Very little lyrical quality adorns the sentence structure. Most sentences are short and to the point. They do not meander, weave, or explore the intricacies of ideas. Rather, they state actions, thoughts, and ideas in a straightforward, businesslike fashion. Since the story is written primarily from the grandmother's point of view, the pacing reinforces the type of woman she is. She is one who does not overthink things; indeed, she acts on impulse and seems to think about consequences later, and even then she is reluctant to admit a mistake. So the pace of the sentence structure that keeps forging ahead without slowing down reflects the grandmother's personality that unfortunately keeps propelling herself and her family to its inevitable doom.

In the book, Animal Farm, I'm having trouble finding out why Clover hasn't retired in chapter ten. Is it because she feels the farm is in...

This is a good question, and it is related to the main theme of the book. By the time of chapter ten, the animals are older or passed way.  Muriel, Jessie, and Bluebell were dead - as was Jones.  In short, time has passed.

No one has retired, even though in the beginning of the book there was a promise of retirement.  The reason why there was no retirement was not rooted in Clover or anyone else's desire to work more. The reason why there was no retirement was because Napoleon and the pigs ran the farm in a totalitarian way. The animals were simply exploited to their death. 

Within this context, retirement does not exist. Orwell make this point when he says:

Clover was an old stout mare now, stiff in the joints and with a tendency to rheumy eyes. She was two years past the retiring age, but in fact no animal had ever actually retired.

In conclusion, the pigs ran a farm for their own benefit, and retirement did not factor in. 

What were three things that were important to Thoreau?

Thoreau was a philosopher, a nature-lover and naturalist, and a writer. These suggest the things that were important to him. One of his best-known quotes is:

Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth.

A philosopher is a person who is seeking the truth. The word "philosopher" means a lover of truth. Thoreau felt he needed independence in order to pursue his study of nature and to have a mind that was free, clear, and original. So philosophy and independence were two of the many things that were important to him. He could not depend entirely on nature or on his own mind for instruction. He was an avid reader, as can be seen from his many quotations and allusions throughout Walden. The following is a good example of how he sprinkles his own writing with references to great writers of the past.

It would seem that I made it [bread] according to the recipe which Marcus Porcius Cato gave about two centuries before Christ. "Panem depsticium sic facito. Manus mortariumque bene lavato. Farinam in mortarium indito, aquae paulatim addito, subigitoque pulchre. Ubi bene subegeris, defingito, coquitoque sub testu." Which I take to mean, -- "Make kneaded bread thus. Wash your hands and trough well. Put the meal into the trough, add water gradually, and knead it thoroughly. When you have kneaded it well, mould it, and bake it under a cover," that is, in a baking kettle. 

The third thing that must have been of the greatest importance to Thoreau was books. He graduated from Harvard, and could have taken a master's degree; but he was not like some students who think their education has come to an end when they turn in their caps and gowns and sell all those heavy textbooks. He continued to read serious literature for the rest of his life.

Books are the treasured wealth of the world and the fit inheritance of generations and nations. 

Another thing that was of great importance to Thoreau was his writing. He wrote millions of words, and his published writings fill twenty volumes. But writing is a form of thinking, so his writing might be considered a part of his philosophy. It would seem that the three things of greatest importance to Thoreau, then, were philosophy, nature (the love of nature and the study of nature), and freedom. Truth, of course, is an essential part of philosophy, as are reading and writing. He chose to lead an extremely simple life because he did not want to waste precious time earning money. He says in Walden:

"But I have since learned that trade curses everything it handles; and though you trade in messages from heaven, the whole curse of trade attaches to the business.” 

What is the significance of this passage from Beloved? “124 was spiteful. Full of a baby’s venom.”

Toni Morrison's Beloved starts with this line, a reference to the noises and spirits that occupy the house of Sethe, an escaped slave who escapes north to Cincinnati, Ohio, with her children. As the book starts (the action begins in 1873), Sethe's house, where she lives with her daughter Denver, is plagued with the memory of Sethe's dead child. Sethe killed the child to prevent her from being taken by slave captors, and the epitaph on her grave reads "Beloved." The house, number 124, symbolizes Sethe's continually troubled memory as she recalls her murder of her daughter, carried out to save the child from slavery, and other haunting memories of her enslaved past.

The other two parts of Beloved begin with references to 124, including "124 was loud" (in Part Two) and "124 was quiet" in Part Three. The ghost of the dead child will continue to trouble the house until Part Three, when Sethe is able, with the help of members of the community, to put her past into a more comfortable place and face the future. The ghost of Beloved is a symbol of the suffering of countless of slaves and the memory of the horrors of slavery. It is not until the community can come together in Beloved that Sethe is able to move on and rid 124 of the vengeful spirits that possess it. 

A bee sting has a pH of 5.5. What could be added to a bee sting to make it better and why?

The bee sting has a slightly acidic pH (a value of 5.5) and hence it can be neutralized by using something slightly alkaline (something with a pH value of more than 7). One can use some baking soda and rub it on a bee sting to neutralize it. This will provide a soothing effect. In general, the acid in the bee sting causes it to turn orangish yellow. The neutralization of a bee sting by baking soda will cause the color to turn green (as the pH increases to around 7).

In comparison, a wasp sting is almost neutral (pH value of about 6.9). It can be treated with the application of some vinegar on the sting. 

Hence, we can use the acid-base neutralization reactions to our advantage and achieve a soothing effect in the case of a bee sting or wasp sting.

Hope this helps. 

What can famous people say about bullying?

Famous people can speak out against bullying.

Adolescent bullying is something that almost everyone has experienced. When famous people speak out against bullying, it can be quite supportive to a person who is experiencing bullying. It  breeds connection.  For example, when Justin Timberlake says,  "I got slurs all the time because I was in music and art. But everything that you get picked on for is essentially what's going to make you sexy as an adult." Justin Timberlake shows us that someone who is being harassed for something can also be empowered by the things that they are being harassed for.  Mad Men star Christina Hendricks's words have the same effect:  "If I could go back and tell my 14-year-old self anything...it would be: 'Don't worry. You're going to be doing exactly what you want to be doing in 20 years, and those a***holes are still going to be a***holes.'" In both of these cases, famous people are connecting their experiences of harassment to real life.  Those who are feeling similar pain can recognize that they are not alone in their fight.  Famous people are often seen as "different" from others.  However, when they speak out against bullying, providing examples from their own life and how they overcame it, the results can be empowering because a human connection is made.

Why did Bilbo stand on Ravenhill with the elves at the end of the battle?

The climax of The Hobbit is the Battle of Five Armies, which begins as a confrontation between the armies of Elves, Humans and Dwarves arguing over the distribution of the treasure that lies in Erebor. However this conflict is interrupted by the arrival of an army of goblins and wolves, who are the enemies of elves, men and dwarves alike. They ally themselves against the goblins and wolves and attempt to trap them between two of the spurs of the mountain, hoping that their superior positions will make up for the superior numbers of the goblins and wolves. 

The elves take up the southern spur, and the dwarves and men the eastern one, bracketing the entrance to the mountain gate, which was guarded by Thorin's company. The southern spur, manned by the elves, happened to have an old watch post named Ravenhill, which was where the elvish king took up defense. Bilbo, who is mentioned as having been quite inconsequential to the battle's outcome, joined the elves at Ravenhill because he thought that escape might be most likely from that position, should it be necessary (as the western part of the southern spur faced away from the goblin and wolf armies, while the eastern spur was surrounded by them). 

Bilbo is also possibly stirred by the adventurous aspect of his heritage to stand by the elves, perhaps out of a sense of their nobility and innate goodness that would make dying in their service a better end than that of the more materialistic and conflicted men and dwarves. 

What were the motives of the suspects in The Hound of the Baskervilles?

Several suspects are considered in the case being investigated by Mr. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson. Their prime suspect is Mr. Stapleton, who is the estranged nephew of the late Sir Charles. He owns a very large dog, who would be capable of leaving the sort of large footprints found near Sir Charles' body. Mr. Stapleton, though having grown up distant from his family, would be next in line to inherit his family's fortune in the case of the death of his uncle (Sir Charles) and cousin (Sir Henry.) 

There are also Mr. and Mrs. Barrymore, who work as servants in the Baskerville home. They would essentially inherit the estate as its caretakers if Sir Henry were to die and no heir came forth to claim the fortune. They act rather strangely in the story, which brings us to our next suspect. Mrs. Barrymore's younger brother, Selden, is the escaped Notting Hill Murderer. He would not really have much motive in killing the Baskervilles beyond satisfaction of a morbid desire for murder, and perhaps some theft of valuable goods.

In Silas Marner, we are told that "Marner's inward life has been a history and a metamorphosis." What has his life been filled with before he comes...

The quote that is mentioned in this question continues on, saying that his metamorphosis is often typical of someone who has 

[has] fled or been condemned to solitude.

This is very true of Silas Marner's life, and it is also true that his inner life had been a metamorphosis. 

The presence of Silas in Raveloe is the consequence of a terrible event that took place in his former town of Lantern Yard, where he had led a very full and happy life prior to the event. 

 Prior to moving to Raveloe, Silas’s life had been filled with

Movement, mental activity, and close fellowship.

The narrator goes on to say that Silas was once able to achieve all of these qualities because he had been influential in a “narrow religious sect” where he was highly thought of.

Surrounded by friendship and support, Silas excelled in this group, even becoming somewhat legendary after a time during which he fell into a deep trance during a prayer-meeting. This reaction was attributed to some particular spiritual gift or ability that is unique to Silas.

Among his friends there was William Dane, his closest one, who was also considered to be quite influential in the group. Aside from William, Silas had a girlfriend named Sarah, who was a young servant. He intended to marry Sarah once they saved up enough money.

While he enjoyed his time in Lantern Yard, Silas was respected, loved, and supported. He was not the strange and enigmatic, big-eyed loner that people saw in Raveloe. This altered persona, the Silas from Raveloe, is the product of the transformation, or metamorphosis, that he suffers as a result of the horrible betrayal that is orchestrated by William, who literally makes the whole congregation gang up against Silas.

William Dane was a fake friend, and first spread a rumor that Silas’s fits were more sinister than saintly in nature. To add insult to the injury, William also frames Silas and manages to set him up as a thief. Finally, William takes Sarah from Silas and marries her.

Imagine how Silas’s life must have changed as a result of this horrible betrayal. He was secure, happy, and strong in Lantern Yard, believing that his life was set. Now he would have to start over again in a new town, alone, and trying to make peace with what they did to him so unfairly.

The life of Silas in Lantern Yard ends in shame and heartbreak. This is a tough place to rise up from. This is what his life had previously been filled with and this is why his only choice was to transform his life altogether through the enforced metamorphosis from sociable to loner.

Why does Jody, from the novel The Red Pony, name his colt Gabilan?

In Steinbeck's early novella, The Red Pony, the main character, Jody Tiflin receives a red colt from his father which he names Gabilan. In Spanish, gabilan or gavilan, means sparrow hawk. It is the name of the mountain range that borders the boy's family ranch in the Salinas Valley. Hawks, especially red-tailed hawks, are numerous in this area and throughout California.

Steinbeck's best novels, East of Eden, The Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice and Men, Tortilla Flat and Cannery Row are all set in California. Steinbeck grew up in the Salinas Valley and he describes that area beautifully in his stories. In the opening chapter of the novella Of Mice and Men, George and Lennie camp next to the Salinas River at the foot of the Gabilan Mountains. The "rocky Gabilan Mountains" are west of the fertile Salinas Valley and run through much of Monterey and San Benito County. They are the high range to the west as you drive north on the 101 freeway through King City, Soledad, Gonzales and Salinas.  

In Animal Farm, why do the animals like the song Beasts of England so much that they memorize it on the spot? To what emotions and needs does it...

In Animal Farm by George Orwell, the animals like the song "Beasts of England" for a number of reasons.  Firstly, the song is introduced to the animals by Old Major, the highly revered elder pig of Manor Farm, after his stirring speech in which he tells the animals about the dream he had of a world without man.  He claims the song comes from his childhood, which makes it even more endearing to the animals.  To them, Old Major is a sacred member of society, and he's sharing a piece of himself with them.

Further, the narrator tells the reader "it was a stirring tune, something between Clementine and La Cucaracha."  Both of these songs are very catchy, so it makes sense that a song based out of the same rhythms would be as well.  The animals, even the less intelligent ones, would have an easy melody to remember which, in turn, would allow them to more easily sing the song together.  This would increase their sense of community.

Finally, the other important reasons for the song's appeal can be found in the lyrics.  The song speaks of unity among all beasts "of every land and clime," and tells of a day when "Tyrant Man shall be o'erthrown." This appeals to both the animals' sense of brother and sisterhood and their desire to be their own masters.  The latter is further stressed in the third stanza, that claims that instruments of control, such as rings, harnesses, bits, spurs, and whips will disappear forever.  No longer will the animals be subjugated and forced to endure pain and hardship.  This vision of the future is particularly appealing to the animals, who have lived under the control of the negligent, often abusive Mr. Jones.

The next two stanzas appeal to the animals by depicting the promised land that will emerge when man is gone.  The animals will have "riches," such as "wheat and barley, oats and hay."  This appeals to the animals' desire for safety and sustenance.  They don't have many needs, but plentiful food is definitely important to them.

Finally, the appeal to camaraderie is reinforced through the last two stanzas, The sixth stanza claims that "All must toil for freedom's sake," and the final stanza, a near refrain of the first stanza, shifts the power of the song to the animals themselves.  Whereas the first stanza commanded the listener to "Hearken to my joyful tidings/ Of the golden future time," the final stanza amends the order slightly to "Hearken well and spread my tidings/ Of the golden future time."

Through its inspirational source, catchy melody, and uplifting lyrics, "Beasts of England" becomes a siren song for the animal revolution at Manor Farm.

What parts of speech in the classical rhetoric arrangement can be found in Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech?

Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech certainly does contain all of the parts of speech found in the classical rhetorical arrangement. Two of those parts include the introduction and narration.

In his speech, King opens with a very clear introduction in which he thanks the multitude for joining him on that historical day and provides background information supporting their fight for freedom. He provides background information by referencing the Emancipation Proclamation and by alluding to Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, in which Lincoln promoted the Civil War as a fight to end slavery. King alludes to the Gettysburg Address by opening his own speech with the phrase "[f]ive score years ago," meaning 100 years ago, to reference when the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, only two months after the Battle of Gettysburg, whereas Lincoln opened his own Gettysburg Address with the phrase "[f]our scour and seven years ago" to reference the start of the American Revolution. In opening with "[f]ive score years ago," King draws a parallel between his own speech calling for freedom and Lincoln's. By referencing the Emancipation Proclamation, he reminds the nation that his people are owed their freedom.

He next moves into his narration to make a firm declaration of the problem at hand by saying, "But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free." He continues to describe the problem by speaking of the poverty of the African-American people. His next two paragraphs continue to be part of his narration. In these two paragraphs, he elaborates on the problem by speaking of what the American people still owe the African-American people, specifically the guarantee of the "'unalienable rights' of 'Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.'" He further uses these two paragraphs to assert that his people are gathered there, at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., to demand what is owed to them.

According to Adam Smith, what are the benefits of specialization and the division of labor?

Specialization of labor is very important to Adam Smith--so important, in fact, that it is the first subject that he addresses in detail in Wealth of Nations. He claims in the first chapter of the book that specialization provides the "greatest improvement in the productive powers of labour." To illustrate his point, he famously used what he called a "trifling manufacture," the production of pins. One person carrying out all of the tasks necessary to manufacture a pin would have a very low output over the course of a workday. But by dividing this task into a number of very small tasks--drawing out the wire, cutting it, grinding it down, and so on, each performed by a single worker, Smith calculates that thousands of pins can be produced. Smith says that the same principle holds true no matter what is being manufactured:

The division of labour, however, so far as it can be introduced, occasions, in every art, a proportionable increase of the productive powers of labour.

The reasons this statement is true, Smith argues, are that there is an "increase in dexterity [skill] in every...workman" that results from practicing the same task over and over; that workers will not waste time by transitioning from one task to another; and that, by allowing people to focus on one task, division of labor allows for people to devise new ways to get better at that task. This includes, Smith argues, the invention of machines equipped to do the task. So the development of technology is in part the result as well as the cause of division of labor. Smith understands, however, that the effects of specialization of labor on workers could be bad inasmuch as the worker is stuck performing a boring task over and over. This is one reason that he insists on public education--to create good citizens as well as good workers. 

Describe the face of the half sunk statue. What were the emotions reflected on the visage?

The face is partly buried in the sand and the face is "shattered" and eroded. The face has a frown, a "wrinkled lip" and a "sneer of cold command." Although the statue was commissioned by Ozymandias to portray his greatness, the sculptor chose to portray the ruler's pride and selfish superiority. Ozymandias is frowning, showing disdain and his sneer illustrates his condescending attitude. The speaker of the poem notes that the sculptor understood the ruler's passions well. In other words, the sculptor focused on Ozymandias's pride, rather than his greatness, and chose to illustrate that and thereby mock the ruler. 

This shattered visage illustrates a haughtiness, condescension, pride, and even anger (the frown). The sculptor tried to show the ruler's contempt for those he thought were beneath him (essentially, everyone else). So, the emotions the face communicates have to do with Ozymandias's feelings of superiority and selfish pride.  The wrinkled lip certainly suggests condescension but might also suggest annoyance. The face/ruler is annoyed with how inferior everyone else is. 

How does O. Henry use suspense in "The Furnished Room"?

The story begins with descriptions of transients, homeless people, those who move from home to home out of economic necessity. This establishes a dark setting, stories about people who have no permanent homes. It is a description of countless nameless people, statistics really, and how they move through life "fugacious as time itself." Fugacious means "tending to disappear." The opening is quite bleak. 

Then we have an unnamed man looking for a room. The maid who answers his knock reminds him of a worm. The dark, depressing descriptions add suspense to the story by giving a foreboding sense of what might happen. 

The suspense is significantly increased when we learn that the man has been searching for someone he loves: 

He was sure that since her disappearance from home this great, water-girt city held her somewhere, but it was like a monstrous quicksand, shifting its particles constantly, with no foundation, its upper granules of today buried tomorrow in ooze and slime. 

The room the man finds himself in is filled with gloom, which O. Henry so poetically describes. All of this gloom combined with the saga of the man's ongoing, seemingly futile search adds to the suspense. The reader is left with bleak suppositions. If the man finds who he is looking for, will it be a tragic discovery? Given the bleak mood, setting, and situation, the suspense is heightened by the likelihood of something tragic to come. 

In To Kill A Mockingbird's courthouse scene, what are some prejudice quotes that don't involve racism?

There are examples of religious and class prejudices during the trial as well as sexism.

 We learn a lot about Maycomb from the trial.  Maycomb clearly has racial prejudice abundant, but we also learn that there are other types of prejudice in Maycomb.  These relate to religion, class, and gender.

The first example is the “foot-washing Baptists” and Miss Maudie.  They have a little Bible quote-off.

The driver of the wagon slowed down his mules, and a shrill-voiced woman called out: “He that cometh in vanity departeth in darkness!” Miss Maudie answered: “A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance!” (Ch. 16)

Miss Maudie mentioned the foot washers’ intolerance to Scout earlier, when she asked what foot washing Baptists were.  Maudie does not mind being the victim of their negative attention. She is a cheerful soul and very self-assured.

Another example of discrimination is class consciousness.  When Dill is impressed by Atticus’s holding off the mob of Cunninghams, Alexandra dismisses the entire Cunningham clan.

Aunt Alexandra stared him to silence. “It was not a hundred folks,” she said, “and nobody held anybody off. It was just a nest of those Cunninghams, drunk and disorderly.” (Ch. 16)

We already know that the Cunninghams are poor.  However, they are also proud and try to be good people for the most part.  Atticus acknowledges this.  For Alexandra to act dismissive of the entire Cunningham clan is prejudicial.  They are poor, so they are all drunkards in her eyes.

A final example of Maycomb prejudice occurs during the actual trial.  When the concept of race comes up, the suggestion is made to clear the courthouse—not just of children, but of women too.

“There has been a request,” Judge Taylor said, “that this courtroom be cleared of spectators, or at least of women and children, a request that will be denied for the time being. (Ch. 17)

The idea is that women are delicate and cannot stand to hear something as sordid as rape.  To group the women in with the children is sexist.  This is pretty much why Judge Taylor refuses the request.  The women who are there have come of their own will, and people can make the choice for their children.

It is clear that life in Maycomb involves a lot of judgement.  It is a small Southern town, and everybody knows everybody.  For this reason, people tend to paint everyone of a group with the same brush, and harbor stereotypes and prejudices of just about every kind.

For what did the Judiciary Act provide?

The Federal Judiciary Act of 1789 was an important law. One of the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation was that it didn’t have a court system where states could resolve disputes they had with each other. This law was designed to fix that.

The Federal Judiciary Act of 1789 created a federal court system. There would be 13 district courts with one in each state. There would be three circuit courts. The circuit courts would hear appeals from decisions made by the district courts. There also would be some trials in the circuit courts. Finally, there would be the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court would hear appeals from the circuit courts. The Supreme Court’s decision in a case would be final and binding. The original Supreme Court would have five justices plus a chief justice. John Jay was the first chief justice.

The creation of a federal court system provided a way for disputes to be resolved. The passage of this law corrected a major flaw that existed when the Articles of Confederation was our plan of government.