You are worried that the economy is facing a downturn. What actions can you take using the Federal Reserve?

The Federal Reserve (also known as the Fed) is in charge of monetary policy for the United States.  Therefore, if you fear a recession, you can use the Fed to carry out expansionary monetary policy to try to get the economy to grow.  There are, in theory, three actions the Fed could take.

First, the Fed could decrease the required reserve ratio.  If the Fed did this, banks would be able to lend more money.  This would increase economic activity and the economy would grow.  In practice, the Fed rarely does this.

Second, the Fed could lower interest rates.  If the Fed charges lower interest rates when it loans money to banks, the banks will charge lower interest rates when they lend money out.  This will increase lending and the economy will grow. The Fed does this at times, but it cannot really do that right now because interest rates are already very low.

Finally, the Fed could buy government securities in open market operations.  When the Fed does this, it gives banks money in return for government securities.  In essence, it is creating money that did not previously exist.  This is the tool that the Fed uses most often because it can be carried out on a day-to-day basis as circumstances warrant.

At the end of A Christmas Carol, what does Scrooge represent?

Ebenezer Scrooge represents a couple of things at the end of the story, change and hope.

He represents change because he has so completely transformed throughout the course of the story. At the beginning he was a lonely, angry, greedy man who cared for no one.  By the end of the story he is a family man who is happy and generous with his money and his affection. 

"He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or any other good old city, town, or borough, in the good old world. Some people laughed to see the alteration in him" (Stave Five).

He also represents hope because if Ebenezer Scrooge can change, maybe anyone can! At the beginning of the story we get the impression he is so stuck in his ways that nothing could possibly make him nicer or more generous. Dickens spends a lot of time in Stave One describing Scrooge as a terrible person and so his change is even more significant. As people we often look at our own habits and think we are incapable of changing them. We sort of give into the idea that we are a certain way, like stubborn, or penny-pinching. However, this story shows that even those of us who are very hardened in our ways can change for the better, and that gives all of us hope for ourselves and others.

In "By the Waters of the Babylon" what does John notice about the way the gods lived in the past? How do you think John was able to see these things?

When John sleeps in the New York City apartment, he has a visionary dream that permits him to see how the gods lived in the past. Here are six specific things he notices in that dream:

1. The gods had artificial lights and used them to stay active at night.

John sees a street scene at night, but it wasn't dark. He says that "everywhere there were lights," and he takes care to distinguish these lights from "torches" (lamps lit by fire). During his dream, he attributes the lighting to "strong magic" and notes that the gods "had turned night to day for their pleasure—they did not sleep with the sun."

2. The gods traveled in "chariots" that were so numerous they "blocked the streets."

John doesn't understand how they work, but he is obviously talking about automobiles.

3. The gods lived under crowded conditions.

Watching the busy street scene, John says "there were gods beyond number and counting. . . The noise of their coming and going was the noise of many waters."

4. The gods had the ability to fly.

John describes the gods as "restless" and says they could "fly in the air."

5. The gods sometimes traveled underground.

John tells us they "burrowed tunnels under the rivers."

6. The gods had the ability to obtain goods from distant places.

John notes "[n]o part of the world was safe from them, for, if they wished for a thing, they summoned it from the other side of the world."

How was John able to see these things?

The author leaves the reader with some ambiguity on this point. To some degree, we are free to conclude that John is receiving a mystical vision. Remember that John is an intelligent, observant person. He has been reading the ancient books for some time, and he has enough evidence around him to make many inferences without the help of any mystical forces.

For instance, John seems familiar with the idea of crowded cities from his readings, and, before his dream, he observed paved "god-roads" throughout the city. It would be natural for him to infer that a city street would be bustling and crowded, and that the gods would travel on their roads in special chariots.

Also, before his dream, John went into a subway station, and saw stairs leading down into "great caves and tunnels." These would have had the appearance of structures built by human beings, so it would not be a big stretch for John to guess that the ancients built tunnels under rivers.

John's assertion about the gods summoning things from "the other side of the world" may have been inspired by the luxury goods he found in the apartment and elsewhere. Perhaps his statements about artificial lighting and the power of flight also reflect his prior experiences. He may have formed these intuitions based on his readings, his observations of the ruined city, and his belief that the ancients could do marvelous things.

I need help writing a 2,000-word essay summarizing Book 3 of Summa contra Gentiles.

Summa contra Gentiles or Summa contra Gentes was written by St. Thomas Aquinas and is a cornerstone of Roman Catholic theology. Its date of composition is debated, with some scholars arguing for the 1260s and others for the 1270s. The most distinctive feature of St. Thomas Aquinas' theology is the way it synthesizes traditional Christian doctrines with Aristotle.

Book 3 of Summa contra Gentiles provides a philosophical analysis of what can be understood about God and his relationship to the world simply by the operation of reason prior to revelation. It relies heavily on Aristotle's Physics and Metaphysics, especially on Aristotle's understanding of causation. 

To write your 2,000-word essay, you should start by discussing the four Aristotelian causes that Aquinas uses to explain providence--the final cause (or telos), material cause (substance), formal cause, and efficient cause--and how he maps these onto the nature of God and the way God acts in the world. Perhaps the most important section of the book, and the one you should cover in greatest detail in your summary, is the notion of God as final cause, which is both the end of human striving and the source of it. A second important issue is the need for evil and its compatibility with divine providence. 

In To Kill a Mockingbird, where is Miss Caroline from?

We do not know exactly where in Alabama Miss Caroline is from - only that she is from Northern Alabama. We find this out in Ch. 2.

Although she is from the same state, she is clearly out of her element in this small, poverty stricken town. It is obvious that Miss Caroline is an outsider. She seems utterly disconnected from the first graders she is tasked with teaching. We see this throughout Ch. 2, where her efforts to teach are met either with unexpected results or unhappy ones.

For example, when she puts the alphabet on the board for the class she is surprised to see that everyone knows it already. She doesn't realize they know it because the majority of the students are repeating the first grade. Then, when she realizes Scout can read, she admonishes her for learning outside of school. All of these moments help to set up Miss Caroline as an outsider in Maycomb. 

Do you think Della and Jim's characters are real or merely creations of the writer to illustrate his views on giving?

What Della and Jim demonstrate is true love ~ selfless love. A true lover has just one desire and it’s to make his or her loved one happy; no matter if it is at the cost of one’s own happiness or comfort.

It’s not impossible to find selfless love in real life. Therefore, it wouldn’t be right to say that persons like Della and Jim do not exist who can go to the extent of sacrificing their most precious belongings in order to bring cheer in the lives of their loved ones.

But of course some tricks used in the story may cause a reader to doubt its plausibility. We see both Della and Jim have got really very special possessions. The two of them are extremely poor; so poor that they decide to do away with their most precious belongings on the same day in order to buy the best possible gift on Christmas.

The most surprising thing happens when we learn that what each of them has bought for one another by giving up their invaluable possessions actually is now of no use to them. Ironically, their sacrifices themselves have rendered their gifts useless!

Now, this development may cause one to question the plausibility of the action. But one should be rather careful to call the characters as unreal; because if considered separately, their sacrifices don't seem impractical.

As far as the writer’s illustration of his views is considered, it could be said that a piece of art certainly reflects the artist’s thoughts. So, it wouldn't be wrong to say that what Della and Jim do in the story mirror the writer’s personal beliefs and opinions.

What are the medicinal benefits of the palmyra fruit?

Palmyra palm fruit or sugar palm fruit is similar to the coconut and has many health benefits. The plants are native to southern Asia and Indonesia and it has a black husk with a jelly substance inside. Because palmyra palm fruit is high in vitamins and minerals like vitamin B, vitamin C, iron, calcium, and potassium, it is considered to be a healthy addition to our diets. 

Some health benefits from consumption of Palmyra fruit include:

• Soothing for the skin (especially to reduce itchiness of heat rash or discomfort of inflammatory skin conditions)


• It can help cool the body down 


• It is hydrating


• It helps settle the stomach from nausea or vomiting


• Its sap can improve digestion


• It can help those who are anemic (because it contains iron)

Palmyra fruit can also be used on people of all ages. 

Why did John Adams believe the soldiers in the Boston Massacre were innocent?

“The Part I took in Defence of Cptn. Preston and the Soldiers, procured me Anxiety, and Obloquy enough. It was, however, one of the most gallant, generous, manly and disinterested Actions of my whole Life, and one of the best Pieces of Service I ever rendered my Country. Judgment of Death against those Soldiers would have been as foul a Stain upon this Country as the Executions of the Quakers or Witches, anciently. As the Evidence was, the Verdict of the Jury was exactly right.”   –John Adams

John Adams decided to defend the soldiers and commander of the troops in the Boston Massacre.  He did so at a time when tensions were high in Massachusetts and political fallout was very possible.  As a lawyer, it is not your job to judge guilt or innocence about your clients.  The duty of the attorney is to ensure that clients are given a solid defense.  What can be said about Adam's defense of the British soldiers is that it was very effective.  In the case of the commander, Thomas Gage, Adams and his legal team were able to prove reasonable doubt about whether he was the man that yelled "fire" to his troops.  Adams believed that members of the mob may have yelled the command which resulted in the deaths of American colonists.  In the case of the soldiers, Adams painted a scene of chaos and violence in which the troops had to fight for their lives.  Adams believed that it was the right of the British soldiers to defend themselves from imminent bodily harm or even death.  

I'm wondering what influenced the decision to live in Greece since it was so mountainous and it was surrounded by seas.

What influenced the decision to live in Greece is that there was arable land there and people tend to live everywhere where it is possible to make a living.  In other words, people live practically everywhere that they can and Greece is a place where people can live.  Therefore, people decided to settle in Greece.

This question seems to imply that people only live in the most hospitable of locations.  This is simply not the case and it was not the case even in ancient times when the population of the Earth was so much smaller.  Think about some of the places that have long been populated.  The Arctic has long been populated by the Inuit and others.  Tiny atolls in the Pacific, like those of the Marshall Islands, have been inhabited for millennia.  These are places where it is not easy to scratch out a living and yet people have lived there for a very long time.

What this should tell us is that people will live everywhere where it is possible to live.  Greece is not a place where it is hard to live.  Its climate was good for growing things and, while it was mountainous, there was plenty of land that could be cultivated.  The sea was also a source of food.  Because of these factors, we should not be surprised about the fact that people chose to live in Greece.

What is the historical significance of Animal Farm?

Aside from having literary significance as a great, canonical novel in the English language, Animal Farm is significant in that it reflects the unease and disillusionment many intellectuals on the left felt with events in the Soviet Union. Though the book was published after World War II, it was written as many, including democractic socialists like Orwell, were discovering the horrors of Joseph Stalin's Soviet Union. The animals' revolution, like that of the Bolsheviks, collapses into brutality and tyranny, betraying its founding ideals in a nightmare arguably worse than the society they overthrew. Animal Farm, along with the equally grim 1984, serves as a reminder that revolutions are doomed to fail if they do not respect the rights of individuals. Of course, it can be read as a simple barnyard fairy tale, but realizing the context in which it was written provides the reader with a deeper understanding of the work. Animal Farm is a far more powerful work if the reader realizes just what it is that Orwell is satirizing.

Please write a summary which reflects pages 110-140 of Fahrenheit 451.

This section of Fahrenheit 451 contains the climax and its resolution in the narrative as Guy Montag finally revolts against his stultifying society.

In Part 3, "Burning Bright," Montag is surprised that a call to which he has been assigned is his own home, from which Mildred with a face "numb and featureless" flees with a suitcase. As usual, Beatty teases Montag about responsibility and consequences attached to his recitation of poetry, saying that the beauty of fire is that "it destroys responsibility and consequences."Further, he orders Montag to burn his own house, and afterwards, he will be under arrest. All this time Faber calls to him over the two-way radio, asking what is happening and pleading with him to save the books. Then, the green bullet falls from Montag's ear and Beatty discovers it.

After burning his house, Montag stands with the flame thrower still in his hands. Beatty berates Montag further, asking him just where the books have taken him now. Then, after quoting from Julius Caesar, Beatty mocks Montag "Go ahead now, you second-hand literateur, pull the trigger!" And, as Beatty walks forward, telling Montag to turn over the flame thrower, Montag instead turns the flame thrower upon Beatty, setting him ablaze, shrieking and writhing.

Having knocked out the other firemen, Montag is attacked by the Mechanical Hound which shoots the procaine needle into his leg, causing Montag to lose feeling in the leg. Nevertheless, he runs and retrieves four remaining books, sobbing at his losses and his unintended murder of Beatty. Suddenly, a thought takes hold of him: "Beatty wanted to die." But, this thought is temporarily pushed aside as Montag must flee the scene because he has listened to the Police Alert on him. But, where? The only one he can trust is Faber; besides, without knowing it, Montag has been heading toward the professor's home. Before he goes too far, Montag realizes that must clean up, so he steps into a restroom at a gas station. While inside, he hears on the police radio that war has been declared; then, he thinks he hears a police beetle rushing toward him at tremendous speed. Running as hard as he can, Montag slips and falls, and the beetle swerves, just missing him. The beetle heads back, but by this time Montag is gone.

Montag plants the books in the kitchen of another fireman named Black, in retaliation for his burning of other people's houses. Afterwards, Montag hurries to the home of Faber, who is glad to know that Montag is alive. Montag tells him that Beatty had heard Faber's voice, but he has killed Beatty. Montag expresses his astonishment at all he has done, but Faber tells him that he has done what was necessary. Montag adds,

"I could feel it for a long time, I was saving something up, I went around doing one thing and feeling another. God, it was all there. It's a wonder it didn't show on me, like fat. And now here I am, messing up your life. They might follow me here." 
"I feel alive for the first time in years," Faber counters. 

Faber takes Montag into a room where he shows him what is being broadcast: a Mechanical Hound is being flown to the scene of the burning. Because Montag knows the infallibility of the Hound, he wonders if he will have time for a speech before being killed. "What could he say in a single word, a few words, that would sear all their faces and wake them up?" he wonders.Turning to Faber, Montag tells him to clean up his scent after he departs and to fill a suitcase full of his dirtiest clothes, to hold his smell there even if he is gone.

Montag rushes to the river. He sees the Mechanical Hound hovering near Faber's house, until it finally turns and goes on. But, he hears the police telling people to watch out their windows for Montag. So, he hurries on and as he reaches the river, he douses himself with the whiskey and puts on some of Faber's clothes.

He felt as if he had left a stage behind and many actors....After a long time of floating on the land and a short time of floating in the river, he knew why he must never burn again in his life.

As he floats, Montag understands that the burning must stop. He relishes the sights and dry smell of hay because in the night he can enjoy the warmth of a barn and the dream of fresh milk, and a few apples and pears. But, when he steps out of the water, Montag is taken by surprise at the appearance of what he thinks is the Hound. However, it is only a deer. Filling his lungs with the smells of a real world of leaves and animals, Montag finds the railroad tracks about which Faber has told him. And, there is a fire, a strange fire that warms, not burns; around this fire there are hands and voices. Then, one of the voices calls to Montag, inviting him into their circle. Montag thanks them, and he inquires how they know his name. The man named Granger reveals a television operated by batteries, and they watch as police are putting an end to the chase as they have the Hound sniffing for a scapegoat "to end things with a bang." Soon, a solitary man walking is found; he is seized by the Hound, and the screen blackens. Then an announcer says, "Montag is dead."

Granger asks Montag if he wants to join them; Montag explains that he knows some of Ecclesiastes and a little of Revelation in the Bible. Turning, Granger introduces Montag to other literary works in the forms of people in order to keep the knowledge intact. "...we're the odd minority crying in the wilderness."

What are sanity and insanity indicators relating to the narrator in the story ''The Tell-Tale Heart''?

In Edgar Allan Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart," a narrator tells the story of an old man he is caring for, whom he eventually kills. From the start, he addresses the reader (by using second person-you) saying that the reader may find him to be very nervous. By the end of the story, his guilt over the murder has caught up with him and he confesses to the crime. There are many examples in the story that support a reading of the narrator being sane and also insane.

The points that show the narrator as sane include his explanation of the time and days, as well as the steps he took to commit the crime. He seems logical in this explanation, even though his motivation may be problematic. The examples that point to his insanity are his insistence on killing the old man while the eye is open and the heartbeat he claims to hear throughout the story. Because we know that there is no way he can hear a dead man's heartbeat, this is perhaps the strongest example that points to the narrator's insanity.

What are three very important lines pertaining to "The Leap" by Louise Eldrich?

Three meaningful lines in "The Leap" are as follows:

1. "I owe her my existence three times."


2. "My mother once said that I'd be amazed at how many things a person can do within the act of falling."


3. "I know that she's right. I knew it even then. As you fall there is time to think." 

These lines are important because they tie to the theme of making connections and decisions. Connections between the mother and the daughter run throughout the narrative of Louise Erdrich's story, and decisions are often involved.

1. Anna Avalon, whose last name suggests aviary movement, leaps through the air during a terrible storm and grabs a life-saving guide wire, saving her life which enables her to meet her husband and give birth to their daughter, the narrator. 
2. Years after her trapeze flight through the air, Anna tells her daughter that she was able to calculate her chances of survival since she did not grab her husband's ankle and fall to her death with him. Instead, she twisted her body so that she could change directions and grab the wire that saved her life. 
3. The narrator states that after her mother rescued her from her burning bedroom and, holding her in her arms, they jump to the firefighters' net, the narrator was, indeed, able to think as they fell through the air:

I slowly wondered what would happen if we missed the circle or bounced out of it.

She puts her faith in her mother and holds on as they fall to safety.

As these quotes illustrate, this story addresses moments of decision in people's lives and the manner in which they respond to these critical times, brief times which change the course of people's lives and make connections with others.

What does Sodapop tell Ponyboy about his plans for Sandy and himself?

At the end of Chapter 1, Sodapop is lying in bed next to Ponyboy. Ponyboy asks him why he dropped out of school and Sodapop tells Pony that he dropped out of school because he's dumb. He laughs it off and says that he plans to marry his girlfriend, Sandy, after she gets out of school and he gets a better job. Later on in the novel, we find out that Sandy left town to live with her grandmother in Florida. Steve says that her parents didn't approve of her marrying Sodapop, so they made her leave town. In Chapter 12, it is implied that Sandy had gotten pregnant, and that was the reason her parents made her move to Florida. In the 1960s, premarital relations were frowned upon and Sandy's parents probably wanted to keep her pregnancy a secret. Regardless, Sodapop is devastated that the girl he plans on marrying has moved to Florida.

Is revenge emphasized more in Hamlet or in Macbeth?

Certainly revenge is much more a part of Hamlet's story than Macbeth's. In Macbeth, the Weird Sisters meddle with Macbeth out of malice, not because they are seeking revenge on him for some prior slight. Further, though Macduff does want to avenge his family after Macbeth has them slaughtered, his desire to depose and punish the tyrant existed long before Macbeth ordered their brutal murders. Likewise, Malcolm seeks to do what is best for Scotland and that is to dethrone Macbeth; it has less to do with revenge and more to do with what is right for the country.

In Hamlet, however, the plot doesn't begin to advance until Hamlet meets with his father's ghost and the ghost charges him to avenge his murder. Old King Hamlet instructs Hamlet to exact revenge on Claudius, and it is Hamlet's action (or inaction, as the case may be) toward this end that moves the plot along. Moreover, the motif of avenging sons runs through the play: first, young Fortinbras wants to attack Denmark to avenge his father's death and the loss of their lands; second, Hamlet has an actor recount the tale of Pyrrhus, son of the slain Achilles, when Pyrrhus avenges his father's death by slaying his killer; third, Laertes returns from France when he has learned of his father, Polonius's, death because he suspects foul play. When he learns that it was Hamlet who killed his father, it is Laertes's attempt to exact revenge that directly and immediately leads to the deaths of himself, Hamlet, Claudius, and Gertrude. Thus, revenge is a much more prevalent theme in Hamlet than it is in Macbeth.

How did the Cold War change the world?

While the Cold War had the effect of creating larger military expenditures in powerful countries and violent conflicts in poor countries, the greatest lasting impact was its effect on the global economy. The most obvious impact of the Cold War was the introduction of global interdependence. Increasingly, countries came to realize that their economic success depended on cooperation with other countries. This was especially true of the first world nations, those countries that Allied themselves with the United States and the West. The roots of globalization can be found in the partnerships that were established shortly after World War II. These partnerships include the European Union (EU), Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), and North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Each of these organizations partners with its members to create favorable trade conditions. Additionally, the money that flowed to the countries of Western Europe through the Marshall Plan guaranteed future cooperation between the United States and Western Europe and helped to strengthen those economies for trade.

What goes through Lady Macbeth's mind before the slaying of King Duncan in Macbeth?

There is a brief glimpse into the human heart of Lady Macbeth. She says that she would have killed King Duncan herself if he had not looked so much like her father. By this we know that there are at least two people that Lady Macbeth loves: her husband and her father. Though her love for Macbeth is manipulative and ambitious, her love for her father seems to be more pure and admirable. She has compassion, at least in the very bottom of her heart, that makes it difficult for her to see Duncan murdered.

Yet it is only for her father that she suffers during the killing spree. She chides her husband for failing to kill the guards when his heart begins to weaken from the horror of what he has done. Lady Macbeth has no such compassion and easily kills them herself. Later, when her mind is going, she wonders (speaking of the murdered Duncan), “Who would have thought that the old man to have so much blood in him?” It is only when her mind is broken that she is able to see the horror of what she has done.

How did the book World History inspire Helen?

Helen loved studying history.  She received the book World History by William Swinton as a birthday gift when she turned thirteen.  She described this it as the "first book that gave [her] any real sense of the value of history."  The book gave Helen a new perspective on the world.  It was through reading it that she began to appreciate and understand history.  The book itself told the story of the history of civilization.  Helen loved how the book told a story of progress.  She appreciated how it showed that mistakes made by past civilizations taught later ones.  These later civilizations learned from the previous mistakes to make the world a better place.  Civilization rose and fell and rose again, and Helen loved reading about this movement of history.  She described what she read in the book, saying that "by liberty, tolerance and education the great and the wise have opened the way for the salvation of the whole world."

Why does Gatsby throw so many parties?

Jay Gatsby, the focal character of The Great Gatsby, is known for throwing lavish parties at his mansion in West Egg. The narrator, Nick Carraway, has moved to West Egg for work and also to live near his cousin, Daisy. Daisy Buchanan lives across the bay in East Egg, in a house directly across from Jay Gatsby's home. Nick Carraway finds out in the duration of the story that long ago, Daisy and Jay were sweethearts. Jay had to leave for the army and had a mysterious career which made him very rich. In the meantime, Daisy was married.

Jay Gatsby throws his parties in honor of Daisy. In honor of the life they could have had together, in a big house with lots of money and friends and luxuries. He throws the parties, inviting all the wealthy people from the area, hoping that just once Daisy (and her husband) will come. Gatsby even makes a point of inviting some of Daisy's best friends, but Daisy never comes. 

Why does Waverly no longer have to do her chores in "Rules of the Game"?

Waverly’s brothers have to do her chores because she is participating in chess tournaments.

Waverly’s family gets a used chess set from a charity at Christmas.  Waverly seems to take to the game right away.  She actually becomes pretty good at chess, and then becomes exceptionally good.  A Chinatown bakery makes a cake calling her the Chinatown Chess Champion.

Soon after that, a flower shop, headstone engraver, and funeral parlor offered to sponsor me in national tournaments. That's when my mother decided I no longer had to do the dishes. Winston and Vincent had to do my chores.

Waverly’s brothers complain that they have to work while she plays chess.  Her mother tells them that these are the American rules.  She wants a daughter who is successful, and although pride is not part of the Chinese culture, pursuit of success is.

By my ninth birthday, I was a national chess champion. I was still some 429 points away from grand-master status, but I was touted as the Great American Hope, a child prodigy and a girl to boot. They ran a photo of me in Life magazine …

Waverly continues to be successful, but does not like all of the attention she is getting.  She feels that her mother is too controlling, and shows Waverly off too much.  She yells at her mother and runs away from her in the street, and this pits the two of them against one another.

Waverly loves playing chess, but she is not doing it for the fame.  She plays chess for the love of the game.  She does not appreciate the extra attention that her mother gives her, and feels like her mother is taking credit for Waverly’s success.  Her mother is not the only one who takes pride in her.  The entire neighborhood loves her for her success.

What is the definition of a law in science?

The definition of a law in science is a tricky one. A scientific law however does has very defined criteria. One definition of a law taken from Lincoln et al., 1990 states that a scientific law is: 

An empirical generalization; a statement of biological principle that appears to be without exception at the time it is made, and has become consolidated by repeated successful testing; rule.

Based on this definition, a law is any scientific statement or formula that has held true after undergoing repeated experiment and testing over a long period of time. It should be noted however that later findings may counter a law and prove that it only holds true under a certain circumstance or set of circumstances. A good example of this is Newton's law of gravity which holds true here on earth, but does not hold true in the larger context of gravity in space and in the universe. Hope this helps!

How is Kira's opinion about Jamison changing?

Kira first meets Jamison while she is on trial for her life. She must decide whether to defend herself or allow an appointed defender to manage her case. She doubts whether someone who doesn't know her can adequately represent her, but she agrees to let him be her defender. Even after he wins the case for her and spares her life, she is somewhat suspicious of him.

However, as he continues to come to her room and check in on her, always with kindness and helpfulness, she begins to trust him more. She wonders whether she should ask him about Annabella's assertion that beasts don't exist in the forest, and at first she lets the question remain unasked. However, she later trusts him enough to ask him about it, and he tells her that it's dangerous for Annabella to say such things, asserting that he has seen beasts himself. Annabella dies shortly after that, but Kira doesn't make the connection to Jamison. When she finds Jo locked in her room, and when she learns that Thomas's and Jo's parents have both died under questionable circumstances, she begins to realize that she is not really free, even though her door is unlocked. However, she remains relatively loyal to Jamison--even when she sees that the Singer's feet are chained and bloody. She even assures her father that Jamison will make a place for him in the community. Her father informs her that it was Jamison who attacked him and left him to die.

Despite learning the truth about Jamison and the guardians, Kira decides to stay in her village rather than leave with her father. Armed with the truth, and with her blue threads of hope, she believes she can overcome Jamison's regime and create a better future for herself and her people.

What kind of president was Andrew Jackson?

Andrew Jackson was one of the most powerful, influential, and controversial Presidents in American history. He was such a remarkable figure that the period from the late 1820s to the early 1840s is often called the "Age of Jackson." Jackson rose to power amidst the expansion of the American electorate to include almost all white males, and he claimed that the office of the President should be used to carry out the will of the American people.

Jackson was a fierce political fighter, and he, along with his second Vice President Martin van Buren, a very cagey politician, purged government offices of political rivals, replacing them with allies loyal to him. As a lifelong Indian fighter, he implemented a policy of removal, forcing the Native American peoples of the Southeast to move to designated Indian territory in modern Oklahoma. This opened up vast expanses of land for cotton growing and slavery. He even ignored a Supreme Court decision that nullified part of the Indian Removal Act, an unprecedented act by a President. As a champion of the so-called "common man," Jackson vetoed a rechartering of the Second Bank of the United States, seen by some as a vehicle for corruption and privilege. This was itself an enormous and fairly rare exercise of executive power, as was his threat to invade and subdue South Carolina when its leaders threatened secession over the Nullification Crisis in 1832-33. Jackson would go on to strangle the National Bank by removing federal deposits from it.

In short, Jackson was very much an activist president, more so than perhaps any previous leader. His political opponents formed a new party, and the name they chose--the "Whigs"--was telling. English Whigs were associated with opposition to royal despotism. Jackson was no king, but he was a remarkably powerful president for the times. 

How did the fire start in Anna Sewell's Black Beauty? Why was Ginger moving worriedly inside the stable? Why does the master say to James, "My...

In Chapter 16, Black Beauty of Anna Sewell's story narrates the account of how he had been subjected to a stable fire.

He and Ginger had been chosen to drive Squire Gordon and his wife to visit some friends in a village 46 miles away. They were with James, their stable hand, and stopped for the night  at a hotel, halfway through their journey. After James had made sure both Ginger and Beauty were well taken care of, he left the stable. Beauty reports that, later in the evening, a new traveler's horse was brought in, and while that horse was being tended to, a "young man with a pipe in his mouth" came in to chat with the hostler. The hostler asked his friend to go up into the loft to lay down some hay for the horse, and the hostler was careful to tell his friend to put down his pipe first. Only, sadly, neither the hostler nor the young friend remembered to pick the pipe up once again and take it out of the stable. As a result, the stable caught fire. Late in the night, Beauty was aroused from sleep to find the air "all thick and choking," to hear "Ginger coughing," and to hear her and all the other horses moving about restlessly because of the growing fire.

A horse's instinct is to not move when sensing danger; therefore, when the hostler rushed into the stable, untied the horses, and tried to lead and even pull them out of the stable, the horses would not follow him because, as Beauty notes, the hostler was "so frightened himself" that all he did was make the horses even more scared and unable to move.

In contrast to the hostler, James entered the stable and, speaking in the same "quite and cheery voice" he always used, said, "Come, my beauties, it is time for us to be off, so wake up and come along." He also patted them, calmly put on their bridles, took the scarf from his neck and tied it around their eyes, and gently, successfully led them out of the stable. James's calmness and quick thinking took a great deal of courage, especially since, by the time he was able to go back for Ginger, the flames were so intense that things were starting to fall and crash inside the stable. It is due to his bravery that Squire Gordon says to him, "My brave lad! ... are you hurt?" (Ch. 16).

What is Black Beauty's third home in Anna Sewell's story?

If we count Farmer Grey's as Black Beauty's first home, the farm and meadow upon which Beauty was raised as a colt and broken in, then Earlshall Park would be considered Beauty's third home in Anna Sewell's Black Beauty.

Squire Gordon of Birtwick Park had to sell his horses and close up his estate to tend to his wife's health. He sold Ginger and Black Beauty to the Earl of W-- of Earlshall Park, thinking they would be well cared for their. If they had only been cared for by the coachman, Mr. York, they certainly would have been. Mr. York is described by Beauty as being very careful with horses; he especially wants to do all he can to manage their tempers and is very understanding when he hears Ginger's temper was influenced by harsh treatment and being made to wear the check-rein and gag bit. Mr. York also prefers the lose rein and gets very upset when the horses are harassed by the check-rein.

However, aside from Mr. York, others of the household are very foolish, which leads to both Beauty and Ginger soon being ruined. The first example of foolishness is that Lady W-- insists her carriage horses wear the check-rein for the sake of fashion. The second example of foolishness is that York, out of kindness and compassion, insists on keeping Reuben Smith as a groom, an alcoholic who tends towards binge drinking. Though when sober he is an excellent groom, one day with Beauty while drunk, he has a terrible accident that takes his own life and breaks beauty's knees, making Beauty no longer fit for carriage work, only fit for hard labor. A third example of foolishness is that Lord George, the Earl of W--'s son, though warned not to, ruined Ginger's breathing by running her too hard during a hunt.

Consider Hally's hitting Willie and his recollection of being beaten by his teacher in "Master Harold" . . . and the boys.

In "MASTER HAROLD" . . . and the boys, Hally tells Sam that he was given six strokes (beatings) by his teacher for doodling on his book. The context of the conversation suggests that corporal punishment is a regular occurrence at Hally's school—an act that is used by adults in a hierarchical position to punish children for their wrongdoings. Later in the play, when Hally hits Willie with a ruler on his backside, the act mimics the beating that he himself has received from his teacher, except that the power dynamic has shifted: Hally is only a seventeen-year-old child hitting an adult man. But in this society, racial hierarchy trumps that of age, and Hally uses his white privilege to take control over Willie. Just like Hally's teacher who wanted Hally to know that he stood in a lower place in the hierarchy of school, Hally wants Willie to know that he is in a low position at the tea shop.

What are examples of uneducated public and the fear of external enemies in Animal Farm by George Orwell?

The pigs learned to read by themselves.  Therefore, when it comes to education, they were at the top.  The other animals did not care about education.  The dogs learned to read, but they did not think reading was important. Benjamin could read, but he also did not care. The other animals never learned to read.  Here is a quote that explains the situation.

Clover learnt the whole alphabet, but could not put words together. Boxer could not get beyond the letter D. He would trace out A, B, C, D, in the dust with his great hoof, and then would stand staring at the letters with his ears back, sometimes shaking his forelock, trying with all his might to remember what came next and never succeeding.

Based on these words, we can say that public education was low.  The implication of this is that the animals could be swayed in various ways, because they could not see outside the matrix that the pigs created. 

The other corollary to the lack of education is fear.  The pigs were able to control the animals with the fear of Mr. Jones coming back. In one context, the pigs took the milk and apples for themselves. When it was discovered that they did this, they justified it by saying that they needed these for their brains.  The alternative would be the pigs failing in their jobs. If this happened, Jones would come back. Here is what Squealer says:

It is for your sake that we drink that milk and eat those apples. Do you know what would happen if we pigs failed in our duty? Jones would come back! Yes, Jones would come back! Surely, comrades,’ cried Squealer almost pleadingly, skipping from side to side and whisking his tail, ‘surely there is no one among you who wants to see Jones come back?’

In short, fear was a powerful tool in the hands of the pigs. 

What are some examples of the supernatural in "The Minister's Black Veil"?

In order to address this question, I want to clarify that "supernatural" does not simply refer to ghosts and goblins and vampires, as we common think of it today.  "Supernatural" actually has a much broader definition as anything that is outside of natural laws (so things that we cannot experience directly) and anything related to God or a god.

So, thought of in this way, there is much about this story that qualifies as supernatural.  First, the veil itself is a literal symbol of a supernatural state; it is a tangible object that represents something intangible: the truth that humans are not only inherently sinful beings but that we all seek to hide the existence of our secret sins from one another.  Second, the minister's belief that, after his death, it will no longer be necessary for him to wear the veil is a supernatural belief.  We have no way to prove the existence of a life after death in the natural world; there is nothing that we can examine or point to as evidence of this eternal spiritual life.  Thus, it too is supernatural.  Third, Mr. Hooper's belief that God can see even our most secret sins, though we'd prefer to "[forget] that the Omniscient can detect them" is a supernatural belief as well because, again, there is no objective evidence in the natural world that can prove the existence of God. 

In the end, the story doesn't offer us ghosts and werewolves but rather secret sins and spiritual life and God.  Perhaps it is not quite as titillating, or -- for some -- perhaps it is more so.

In the short story "The Scarlet Ibis" how old was the narrator when Doodle was born?

James Hurst's only short story, "The Scarlet Ibis," is about two brothers growing up on a cotton ranch in coastal North Carolina during the first part of the 20th century. The narrator (who is only referred to as "brother" during the course of the story) is six years old when his brother, William Armstrong, is born. Hurst writes in the third paragraph:

He was born when I was six and was, from the outset, a disappointment. 

William Armstrong is born with a physical disability. The narrator later nicknames his brother Doodle when the child is two years old. When Doodle is five years old the narrator takes him to Old Woman Swamp and teaches him how to walk. It is within a year from teaching Doodle to walk that the narrator pushes Doodle too far, and the young boy dies from internal bleeding. We can assume that the brother was about 12 when Doodle, about six, dies under the nightshade bush.   

What is Mira's character like in "Games at Twilight"?

Mira is the alpha leader of the group.  Kids do what she says, because she has a dominating personality.  Some people might call is bossy, and I would agree with that, but the story describes her personality a tiny bit differently.  

The motherly Mira intervened. She pulled the boys roughly apart.

Okay, so Mira is "motherly."  I still think bossy based on the following paragraph.  

"Make a circle, make a circle!'' she shouted, firmly pulling and pushing till a kind of vague circle was formed. "Now clap!'' she roared,. . . 

Mira says, kids do.  Bossy and motherly are a lot alike I believe.  Moms are in charge of their kids.  When my mom told my brother and I to do something, we were expected to do it.  I also believe that Mira is likely bigger and stronger than many of the kids in the group. Perhaps she is older, which is why she is able to be bigger and stronger.  But the text says that she verbally gives orders and physically pushes and pulls people around.  That sounds bossy to me. 

In 1984, what is the significance of Winston's dreams?

In 1984, Winston's dream function as an expression of repressed memories. In Part One, Chapter Three, for example, Winston dreams of her disappearance when he was a young boy. This dream reminds him of the tragedy of her death and makes him realise that such emotions no longer exist. This is because the Party has eroded private loyalty and replaced it with love and commitment to Big Brother:

Today there were fear, hatred and pain, but no dignity of emotion, no deep or complex sorrows.

In addition, Winston's dreams foreshadow some of the novel's key events. In this same chapter, for instance, Winston dreams of the girl with dark hair. This woman is a sexually-liberated and rebellious figure who foreshadows his relationship with Julia. Similarly, Winston's dream in which he hears O'Brien's voice foreshadows his rebellion against the Party and his incarceration in the Ministry of Love.

The letters a through z are used 3 at a time (repetition allowed) followed by 3 digits at a time (0

There are 6 positions in a license plate. 3 letters and 3 digits. 

There are 26 letters and 10 digits.

As the repetition is allowed in all the positions, 

the number of chances of 1st position is 26, 2nd and 3rd position is also 26.

the number of chances of 4th position is 10 and 5th and 6th is also 10.

To get total number of license plates is multiplication of all the number of chances of all the positions

Evaluate the indefinite integral.

You need to use the following substitution  , such that:

Replacing back for t yields:

Hence, evaluating the indefinite integral, yields

In "The Open Window," how does Saki catch readers by surprise?

In “The Open Window,” Saki introduces us to a very creative fifteen-year old, Vera.  A man, who has never met any of the family, Mr. Framton Nuttel, has come to visit with a letter of introduction from his sister. He knows nothing of the family he is visiting.  Mr. Nuttel is in the same situation as the reader.  The reader also knows nothing of the family. The background the reader gets comes from the young niece.  So, when she tells Mr. Nuttel of the tragedy that happened in the family, the reader believes her as much as Mr. Nuttel does.  The only advantage the reader has is that Mr. Nuttel is on the verge of a nervous breakdown, the reader is not.

Vera weaves a tale of how her uncle and two of her aunt’s brothers went off on a day of sniping, never to return.  Her aunt keeps a window open for them in hopes they will return someday because that was how they would reenter the house after a day of hunting.  The impression is given that the men died, and the reader and Mr. Nuttel sympathize with Mrs. Sappleton.   When the men do return, the reader is as surprised as Mr. Nuttel.  Saki makes it a bit more ghostly by having the men return in the dim light of evening.

“In the deepening twilight three figures were walking across the lawn towards the window, they all carried guns under their arms, and one of them was additionally burdened with a white coat hung over his shoulders.  A tired brown spaniel kept close at their heels.  Noiselessly they neared the house, and then a hoarse young voice chanted out of the dusk, ‘ I said Bertie, why do you bound?’ “ (pg 2-3)

The reader is as surprised as Mr. Nuttel until it is revealed that the whole story Vera told was a figment of her creative imagination.

My copy of the story was taken from the internet so the pages may not coincide with your copy.  However, they should be close. 

Where in Macbeth can I find quotes showing that Macbeth is honest and royal?

Macbeth is the epitome of honest and loyal to Duncan in the first act of the play. The king's son, Malcolm, reports to the king from the battlefield that Macbeth had been the most courageous of the thanes, even "unseaming" an enemy "from the nave to the chops" (I, ii).

A few hours later, another thane announces the bravery that Macbeth and Banquo have shown during another battle, prompting Duncan to offer Macbeth a higher title lost by a traitor - "What he hath lost noble Macbeth hath won" (I, ii).

Even after the original prophecies of the witches, Macbeth, while intrigued with their outcome, at first denies any action that might hurry them along as evidenced by his lines, "If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me, Without my stir" (I, iii).

Unfortunately, Macbeth's strength does not last long. After his initial resolve, he falls prey to the lure of power and position, and kills the king.

Why was the Louisiana Purchase made?

The Louisiana Purchase was made on France's part because the country needed the money; the United States wanted the territory owned by France because it was a vast area between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains that could be obtained for only a few cents an acre. This purchase also included the important port of New Orleans.

In 1803 President Thomas Jefferson was offered the opportunity to double the size of the United States with one stroke of a pen. Because of the tremendous costs of the Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815), France was in need of money. So, it offered one of its North American territories to the United States. When Jefferson learned that he could acquire approximately 827,000 square miles of land west of the Mississippi River for $15 million, he eagerly agreed, then asked Congress for approval. Congress gave its approval and the United States redrew its borders.

President Jefferson was eager to gain this property for the United States because the country was expanding westward, and navigation of the Mississippi River and having access to the port of New Orleans was crucial to American commerce.

In "The Bet," while listing the things he despises, why does the lawyer put “freedom” ahead of “life and health”?

Between "freedom and life and health," which would be the first wish of a prisoner who has been under rigorous solitary confinement for fifteen continuous years? Most probably, it would be "freedom." Freedom should be the most valuable and significant to him after his years long imprisonment. 

But by putting "freedom" ahead of "life and health" in the list of things that he despises, the lawyer wants to make it clear to the banker that even though "freedom" should have been his first wish, he values it least.

This implies that the lawyer no longer wishes to attain anything under the sun, even the ones considered to be of utmost significance to any living man.

The wisdom that he has acquired from intense reading is so great and deep that it has uprooted each of his instinctive desires for anything that binds him to the world. 

The wealth of inner peace that he has found has made him so content that even the wish to attain "freedom" appears despicable to him. Why talk about "life," "health" or the prize money of two million roubles? He says,  

“... I despise wisdom and the blessings of this world. It is all worthless, fleeting, illusory, and deceptive, like a mirage.”

How did the course of the war change from June to the end of December 1776? And what effect did this change have on the Patriots?

There were a few events that changed in the Revolutionary War from June 1776 to December 1776. However, the first major battle wouldn’t occur until October 1777 at Saratoga. While the British evacuated Boston in March 1776 because it wasn’t that safe for them to remain there, the Revolutionary War had not yet begun. It wasn’t until the Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776, that we were at war with Great Britain.

Thus, in June 1776, we still were colonies of Great Britain. That ended, in our view, with the Declaration of Independence. Militarily, things didn’t go well for the colonists when the war began. The British forced the colonial army out of New York and New Jersey in the summer and fall of 1776. Things appeared bleak for the colonists heading into the winter. George Washington knew it was important to have some sort of victory before the winter really started. On Christmas night, he led the colonial army across the icy Delaware River and surprised the British at Trenton. The British never expected an attack would come on Christmas. Shortly thereafter, the colonial army also won at Princeton.

While these victories weren’t major military campaigns, it gave the colonists hope heading into 1777 that they could win battles. To only have suffered defeats would not have been good for our army heading into 1777. These victories lifted the spirits of the colonists as 1777 began. This was a key part of our victories at Trenton and Princeton.

In The Scarlet Letter, was there any benefit, spiritual or physical, associated with Hester's sin? How would I explain this?

Excellent question! 

The simple answer would be "No," at a general level, and at first.

However, as Hester's life goes on, the answer changes to "Yes." As the legend of Hester's "sin" became solidified in the minds of the villagers, the effects of her actions and consequences will have an impact centuries later, as you can see in "The Custom House." In fact, according to the author, what took place in the village may serve as an interesting story to be told to future generations. 

Here is the support for both arguments. 

Argument: There was no physical benefit in Hester's sin

Upon the commission of Hester's sin, the only things that happened at a big scale were the following:

• Hester goes to prison alone, while Dimmesdale (who sinned along with her) gets to hide the sin and live in the free community. 


• Hester gets put in the scaffold periodically to withstand the public scorn of the puritan villagers. And Dimmesdale is one of the magistrates who probes her publicly!


• Hester suffers the public punishment of wearing the scarlet letter for the rest of her life. She suffers as a result of it; she becomes the pariah of the town. 


• Hester suffers from the public hatred and humiliation of the women of the village. 


• Hester has Pearl, who actually reminds her of her sin, over and over. Ever since birth, Pearl has been a handful that Hester has had to deal with, alone. 


• Chillingworth enters the settlement to torment Hester and Dimmesdale, attempting to avenge the "sin" committed against him by the two.


• Hester's once luxurious black hair and strong presence were reduced to nothing. She would wear her hair completely covered, and she adapted to the rules of austerity of the puritans.

All this being said, nothing physically appealing, nor beneficial, was ever gained from her sin. 

Argument:  the sin did not benefit Hester, nor changed her for better or worse at a spiritual level . 

• Hester was neither more religious nor more repentant from committing her sin before nor after her punishment. 


• Hester even admits that she would go to the forest with Mistress Hibbins, the witch, if the magistrates dared to take Pearl away from her.


• Hester has some degree of faith in that things will get better in her life. She also has a degree of faith that Dimmesdale will love her and go away with her and Pearl. All that will come to a bitter end. Dimmesdale will die at the scaffold and won't even assure her that he will see her in the afterlife. 

These are the reasons why, upon first learning about Hester's story, we realize that all would have been easily fixed if Hester had never been caught, and if Dimmesdale had just had the gumption to escape with her. No actual benefit came out of her sin. 

On a larger scale, however, there are some things that did make a difference. 

The sentence in chapter 13 summarizes Hester's life:

The scarlet letter had not done its office

This shows that there has been some spiritual gain, mainly at a moral level. Hester became empowered by the scarlet letter. She says that the letter has taught her, and shown her what she had done. Pearl, an extension of the letter, is also proof that Hester was able to sacrifice and endure whatever came her way. 

In "The Custom House," we learn that the story of what took place between Hester and Dimmesdale became nearly legendary, supported by the remains of the glittery red letter that the author finds among the leftover things in his old post. 

Therefore, Hester's sin does not come to full effect, nor shows its entire effects, at the beginning. It all comes full circle much later, after Hester and Dimmesdale have both passed on. 

Why is it so important that the Star of David was imprinted on AnneMarie's hand in Chapter 5 of Number the Stars?

The Star of David symbolizes the connection between Annemarie and Ellen and the protection of the Jews.

Annemarie is not Jewish, but her best friend Ellen is.  The Star of David is an important symbol in the Jewish faith, like the cross is to Christianity.  Ellen can’t be seen wearing it because then people will know that she is Jewish.

Ellen is pretending to be Annemarie’s sister.  Annemarie holds the necklace for Ellen.  The Star of David is clutched in Annemarie’s hand because she is nervous as her family and Ellen are being questioned by the Nazi.  She told him that Ellen was her sister.

Annemarie relaxed the clenched fingers of her right hand, which still clutched Ellen's necklace. She looked down, and saw that she had imprinted the Star of David into her palm. (Ch. 5)

The family is pretty sure that the Nazi did not buy the fact that Ellen is Annemarie’s sister, because Ellen has dark hair and the other girls do not.  This puts her at risk for being identified as Jewish.  The Nazis are collecting the Jews.

The man questioned the fact that Ellen does not look like the other two girls, even after looking at the pictures that Annemarie's father showed him.

He laughed scornfully. "You have a blond child sleeping in the other room. And you have this blond daughter—"He gestured toward Annemarie with his head. "Where did you get the dark haired one? "He twisted the lock of Ellen's hair. "From a different father? From the milkman? (Ch. 5)

The man leaves, but they are not out of the woods yet.  There is a danger that he was suspicious and will come back.

Annemarie’s family is very brave to keep Ellen hidden there.  Her family is part of the underground movement protecting Jews.  The Star of David represents the solidarity between the Christians and Jews.  Annemarie’s family is protecting Ellen’s family from the Nazis.

What is the significance of the sea to Frankenstein in Mary Shelley's book?

In Frankenstein, the sea symbolizes the uncharted realms of science. Robert Walton has stated that he intends to conquer the sea and find the Northwest Passage, a shortcut around the continent of North America by sailing around the northern coast of Canada (unbeknownst to him, this is completely covered by ice and is thus impassable). He believes that this discovery will earn him fame and renown. When he picks up Victor Frankenstein, he is intrigued as to why this person is out in the middle of the ice in pursuit of a mysterious figure. Victor begs Walton to give up his mission to “conquer the sea” and reveal the truth in science. He tells the captain his own attempt to take command over life and death and how it led him to tragedy. The sea is a symbol of the uncontrollable nature of science and must be left alone.

Does education bring down political corruption?

Education is a powerful thing. It is most often viewed as a positive endeavor in itself. However, it does matter what is being taught and who is teaching it. After all, the Nazis and fascists all employed education to actually teach organized corruption. After one defines proper education and what comprises political corruption, one can use education through critical thinking to help bring down political corruption.

Let’s assume education with its positive connotations as delivering objective information about a subject; educators and students engage in a free exchange of ideas for the purpose of edification. Then, education can be used to teach subjects in a way that may enable people entering a political, legal, or journalistic career to fight political corruption.

There are many examples of political corruption, which news organizations provide Americans nightly. One example that people might not immediately consider is the corruption of how American government is supposed to function as delineated by the U.S. Constitution. Many American political representatives appear ignorant or dismissive of the very document they have sworn to uphold and defend.

Consider this: one can better understand the nature of political corruption in America by becoming educated about the constitutional foundations of the American government and political system. For instance, if one understands the nature of the separation of powers embedded in the American political system, the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, one can better realize when one branch impedes or infringes on another branch’s function or authority, which is a form of political corruption.

Why does Patrick Henry say that God is on the side of the colonists?

In his famous "Liberty or Death" speech--given before the Virginia Convention on March 23, 1775--Patrick Henry argued that God was on the side of the colonists in their conflict with Great Britain. As with the framers of the Declaration of Independence, Henry stated the British had violated natural, God-given law--specifically, the human right of freedom. Because the British had broken this natural law, it logically followed that God would side with the colonists, not the British.

Consequently, Henry declared that the colonists "will not fight our battles alone," for "There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations...who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us." Likewise, he said that the "God of nature" had given the colonists the means to defeat the British: "Three millions of people, armed in the cause of holy liberty."

Compare the diversity of a coral reef ecosystem to the species diversity of the urban ecosystem

The question above is referring to species richness which is the total number of species found in an ecosystem. The level of environmental stress will affect the number of species in an inverse relationship. More stress causes the number of species in a habitat to decline.

The living community and its nonliving environment are what we call an ecosystem.

A coral reef is an ecosystem found in warm shallow marine environments. Millions of coral animals in Phylum Cnidaria create colonies and build the structures that these tiny organisms live in which is the coral reef. They have symbiotic partners of algae called zooxanthellae which need sunlight to carry out photosynthesis. These algae live in the tissues of the coral animals and are important producers for the food webs that operate in this ecosystem. 

Coral reefs are important places for fish to live, interact, hide and carry out their niches in the shallow ocean environment. Diverse species of fish, crustaceans, mollusks, bacteria, algae all interact in intricate food webs which all rely in one way or another in the presence of the reef. The reef also protects the coastline from erosion along with its role as an important habitat. Human activities including boating and diving, runoff from farms, spread of disease and rising ocean temperatures due to global warming have caused these important ecosystems to become endangered.

In an urban ecosystem, space is usually limited. Habitat is restricted mainly to the people who live there and any organisms who can tolerate being in close proximity to each other. Stress levels are higher in urban ecosystems due to noise, overcrowding, less resources, pollution and disease. Therefore, the number of organisms is less than in the coral reef.

Besides people and their household pets, you will find scavengers like mice, roaches, rats, pigeons. You will find various birds if there are enough trees for them along with squirrels. You can find bats living under bridges which resemble caves. There will be predatory birds like hawks circling above and usually scanning the area from buildings or street lights for prey. There will be various plants from gardens as well as established trees and weeds.

However, between the two ecosystems- coral reef and urban ecosystem there will be greater species diversity in the reef.

What details about the life of Miss Brill do we learn from the story ?

We learn that Miss Brill doesn't really have a great deal to do and that she is essentially alone.  Each Sunday, she goes to the park to listen to a band, but she mostly looks forward to eavesdropping on the people around her because this is the closest she gets to social interaction:

[...] Miss Brill always looked forward to the conversation.  She had become really quite expert, she thought, at listening as though she didn't listen, at sitting in other people's lives just for a minute while they talked round her.

Miss Brill doesn't seem to realize that the interest she takes in other people's conversations and lives suggests that she doesn't have much happening in her own.  She does read the newspaper to an old man a few nights a week, but this seems to be the extent of her "social" interaction, and even he typically falls asleep.  Further, she looks around her and sees that

Other people sat on the benches and green chairs, but they were nearly always the same, Sunday after Sunday, and [...] there was something funny about nearly all of them. They were odd, silent, nearly all old, and from the way they stared they looked as though they'd just come from dark little rooms or even -- even cupboards!

But, again, she doesn't realize that she, too, is old.  Our first clue is that she seems like she is no longer in great health: she feels a tingling in her hands and arms at the beginning of the story, and this is not a normal, healthy sensation.  Miss Brill only seems to realize her age when she is made fun of by a young couople.  To his girlfriend, the young man calls Miss Brill, a "stupid old thing" and he meanly jokes that everyone wishes she would keep her "silly old mug at home." 

Our last clue that Miss Brill is old and lives a fairly uneventful and sad life comes in the final lines of the story.  We learn about how she typically stops at the bakery for a slice of cake and how momentous an occasion it is when her cake has an almond in it.  Today, she skips the baker's and returns home, to "her room like a cupboard."  She'd previously identified those "old" people as looking like they had just come out of "dark little rooms or even -- even cupboards!"  In the end, there is some acknowledgement that she has too.  Miss Brill seems to, on some level, come to understand her similarity to these people as, "when she put the lid on [the box which holds her fur] she thought she heard something crying."  It, of course, cannot be the fox, and so it must be her.

What is the ultimate goal of Hinduism and Buddhism?

The goal of Buddhism is the cessation of suffering. Suffering, in Buddhism, is called Dukha, and refers to a sense of constant dissatisfaction that permeates our lives. This suffering results from Tanha—our craving to experience pleasurable things, and avoid unpleasant things. By eliminating our craving, we can eliminate our suffering. This goal of diminishing our desire, and ultimately our suffering, is achieved through the following of the Eightfold Noble path, a set of meditative and ethical teachings to guide the Buddhist follower on the path to enlightenment.

The cessation of suffering is called Nirvana, and in the context of Buddhism refers to liberation from the endless cycle of reincarnation called Samsara.

While early Buddhism emphasized the cessation of suffering for individuals, later expressions of Buddhism like the Mahayana tradition aim for the cessation of suffering for all living beings.

Hinduism, conversely, can be understood to have four goals—Kama, Artha, Dharma, and Moksha. Each successive goal is understood to be of greater value than the prior goal; i.e, Dharma is more important than Artha, and Moksha is of greater value than Dharma. Which goal any individual practitioner should follow depends on both their age and phase of life, and on their social place in the Hindu caste (Varna) system-- these four goals complement, not contradict, each other.

Kama can be understood as “pleasure” and refers to the sensual pleasures of life. Kama is an appropriate goal for a married couple. Western students might be familiar with this term from the famous Kamasutra, a text which focuses on the physical act of love.

Artha refers to the attainment of wealth and power. It is an appropriate goal for someone of a relatively high station in the caste system. It can be understood as financial security, success in one’s work and career life, or economic prosperity.

Dharma—roughly translated as “path,” or "duty"—refers to the fulfillment of one’s divinely ordained role here on earth. More spiritually significant than the achievement of Kama or Artha, all humans must strive to fulfill their Dharma, whether they be peasants, warriors, or Brahmans (priests). The fulfillment of Dharma is associated with the achievement of a moral, virtuous, and proper life.

Moksha, the last and most significant goal, can be translated as “liberation.” In some branches of Hinduism, it refers to escaping the endless cycle of death and rebirth, like Nirvana in Buddhism. In other interpretations, Moksha is understood as a merging of a soul, or Atman, back into the oneness of divine Brahma, the One Supreme Self from which all other selves come.

Sources:
Kent, Eliza. "Introduction to the Study of Religion." Class at Colgate University, 2010.

Where is the light-pole located in Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird? On what page can we find a passage describing the location of the light-pole?

In the very first chapter of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, we learn that a light-pole stands on the corner of the street near the Radley Place.

According to Scout's description of her neighborhood, her street continues south into a sharp curve. The Radley Place stands on that sharp curve so that, as one walks south, one "faced its porch." The sidewalk continues to curve around the property of the Radley Place, and the schoolyard is farther down the street, beyond that curve.

Scout further narrates that, as soon as she and Jem informed Dill of all the rumors and myths concerning Arthur (Boo) Radley, Dill became obsessed with the house. As Scout phrases it, the rumors and myths "drew [Dill] as the moon draws the water, but drew him no nearer than the light-pole on the corner, a safe distance from the Radley gate." She further describes that he would stand at the pole with "his arm around the fat pole, staring and wondering."

Based on this description, we know the light-pole stands on a corner. Plus, since Scout's street curves around the property of the Radley Place, we can assume that Scout is using the words "curve" and "corner" interchangeably in her descriptions. Therefore, the light-pole must stand on the curve of the sidewalk along the Radley Place.

Since page numbers will vary per published edition of the book, only an approximation of the page location can be given. The paragraphs describing where the Raedley Place is situated and Dill's fascination with the house are located in the first third of Chapter 1, approximately 5 to 6 pages from the start of the chapter.

What is Manley Pointer's motive for humiliating Hulga?

In Flannery O'Connor's "Good Country People," Manly Pointer claims to be a Bible salesman who is interested in Hulga. He flirts with her and the two of them go walking together the day after he comes to sell her mother a Bible. When they are up in the barn together, he convinces her to take off her prosthetic leg so he can see it. She does and he steals it from her. In doing so, he humiliates her. He does this for a couple of reasons. For one, it is a perversion he has to steal things like that from people--he admits as much and tells her all of the odd things he has taken from other people. The other reason he humiliates her is because he feels she acts superior to him with her higher education and imperious attitude. He enjoys taking her down a notch since he is a simple person and feels put down by her.