What is the relationship between Art and Politics in Roman art?

This is a very broad question! It's slightly difficult to answer without more context, but here's what I think you're looking for:

When I think of the connection between art and politics in the Roman Empire, the first person I think of is the Emperor Augustus, Rome's first Emperor. He was a master of propaganda, and during his long reign commissioned many gorgeous works of art, some of which live on until this day, that broadcast his political message loud and clear. Here are a few examples:

The Aeneid

The Aeneid was an epic poem written by the poet Virgil, commissioned by Augustus. The work tells the story of Aeneas escaping the fall of Troy and travelling to Italy to found what would later become Rome. The poem is chock full of references to Augustus' greatness. He claimed descent from Aeneas and the goddess Venus, several characters predict his coming greatness, and Aeneas even carries a shield that depicts Augustus' victories in battle, hundreds of years before they even happened!

Don't misunderstand, the Aeneid is a BRILLIANT piece of literature, but it is impossible to divorce it from its political connections.

The Ara Pacis

The Ara Pacis was (and is—it's still there!) a public altar built by Augustus to celebrate the peace he brought to the Roman Empire. It is covered in images that he wanted connected with himself—goddesses representing peace, Rome, fortune, his family protecting the well-being of the state, and all kinds of things he wanted people to think of when they thought of him.

All of Augustus' buildings in some way display the symbols and messages he wanted broadcast to Roman society.

Statues of Livia and Octavia

Augustus was also very big on morality, and he passed a great deal of legislation trying to make Rome more moral in his eyes. A bit part of the propaganda surrounding this movement were his wife, Livia, and his sister, Octavia. In statues they are always portrayed as super virtuous, even occasionally as goddesses like Juno.

As you see, Augustus used art to further his political message. He wasn't the only Emperor to do this, but he did it first and, I would argue, best.

Why did 19 out of 24 states not want newly freed African Americans after the Civil War?

First of all, I am curious as to the source behind your statement that 19 of 24 states “did not want” African Americans after the Civil War.  I assume that you are referring only to Northern states, as there were actually 36 states in the US after the Civil War.  Eleven states seceded during the war, which means there were 25 states that were not part of the Confederacy.  In addition, I know of no objective way of saying that some of the Northern states “did not want” African Americans while others did.

If, however, we assume that your premise is correct, I would argue that Northern states did not want African Americans because America was a very racist place in those days.  We typically say that the Civil War was fought to free the slaves, and this is true to some degree.  However, it was not fought because Northerners believed that African Americans were equal to them or because they wanted to give African Americans equal rights.  Instead, most Northerners were deeply racist, taking for granted the idea that white people were inherently superior to black people.

Because of this, there were many people in northern states who did not want African Americans in their states.  The Territory of Oregon (before it was a state) went as far as to pass legislation banning free blacks from settling in the state.  Indiana also barred African Americans.  Clearly, there were states where many white people did not want black fellow-citizens.

There are two related reasons for this. First, there was simple racism.  Whites did not like blacks and therefore did not want them around.  Second, and perhaps more importantly, there was racism mixed with economic factors.  Many whites felt that African Americans who came into their states would compete with them for jobs, farmland, and other resources.  They did not really mind competing against other whites, but they did not want to have to compete against blacks as those were not people “like them.”  For these two reasons, many people in northern states did not want African Americans in their states after the Civil War.

How do I differentiate a solid, liquid, or gas?

One can figure that out by looking at the differences in the properties of these states of matter. For example, solids have a definite shape, while liquids are somewhat more flexible and take the shape of the container they are in. Gases have no particular shape. Try to pour the unknown material. If it can be poured into another container with continuous flow, it is a liquid. If it falls into the other container in a single motion and retains the original shape, it is a solid. If it is difficult to transfer it into a container due to its shapeless state, then it is a gas. Another way to figure out which state this substance is in is to try to disturb it with air flow. Solid surfaces will not be disturbed by air flow, liquid surfaces will show waves or ripples (depending on their viscosity), while gaseous substances may simply blow away with air.

Hope this helps. 

How did the geography of Greece impact Greek History?

The largest geographical impact on Greece was the fact that much of it is coastal.  Most of Greece is a peninsula.  Greece is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea, the Ionian Sea, and the Aegean Sea.  Off the mainland are thousands of islands.  

Being located on the water had both positive and negative impacts on Greece.  Trade was important in ancient Greece.  Major cities, such as Athens, were located on or near the three seas.  Traders from Asia, Africa, and other parts of Europe could easy access Greece by water.  Greek traders could easily access other places in the world by sea.  This had a positive impact on the ancient Greek economy.  Major cities on the water were vulnerable to attacks by Greece's enemies.  This was the negative impact of the majority of Greece being located on the coast.

In the novel The Outsiders, is Darry smart enough to go to college?

Yes. Similar to Ponyboy, Darry excelled in high school both in the classroom and at athletics. In the first chapter of the novel, Ponyboy mentions that Darry earned an athletic scholarship to go to college, but their family did not have enough money to send him. After Darry's parents had died in a car accident, he was forced to get two jobs in order to provide for his younger brothers. Ponyboy resents the fact that Darry acts cold and is never in the mood to have fun. Unfortunately, Darry had to grow up quickly, and never had the opportunity to go to college. In Chapter 8, Pony is having a conversation with Two-Bit and he mentions that the only thing that prevents Darry from being a Soc is the members of their gang. He then comments that Darry is too smart to be a Greaser. If Darry came from a wealthy family and did not have the responsibility of taking care of his siblings, he would more than likely graduate from college. 

How do they decide which twin needs to be released in The Giver?

The Nurturers weigh both twins and release whichever one weighs less.

In Jonas’s community, people go out of their way to make sure no one is uncomfortable. Ironically, in a place where conformity is everything, being identical is not allowed.  The community carefully controls the birth rate and the physical features of its citizens, but apparently they cannot control whether there will be one child or two.  It seems that non-identical twins are acceptable, so they do not intervene until they know that the babies are identical.  Consider the conversation between Jonas’s mother and father.

Right now we're all preparing for a release we'll probably have to make very soon. There's a Birthmother who's expecting twin males next month."

"Oh, dear," Mother said, shaking her head. "If they're identical, I hope you're not the one assigned--" (Ch. 14)

From this we can assume that the twin will only be released if the babies are identical.  They are preparing for the release, so they seem to know that they are identical or that they might be.  Interestingly enough, even though no one in the community has any concept of death, releasing seems to be considered an unpleasant job.  Jonas’s mother tells his father she hopes he’s not the one to do it.

Jonas’s father explains the process that he will use to ensure that the right twin is released.

I'll have to select the one to be nurtured, and the one to be released. It's usually not hard, though. Usually it's just a matter of birthweight. We release the smaller of the two." (Ch. 14)

Why do they do this?  In this community, it is considered improper to not follow the rules.  Rules are incredibly important.  The community functions under a series of rules for almost everything, which are designed to maintain conformity.  Everyone follows the rules, and no one is ever uncomfortable because they know exactly what to do, and do exactly what they are told.

Jonas’s father does not seem to understand that he is killing the baby.

"Do you actually take it Elsewhere, Father?" Jonas asked.

"No, I just have to make the selection. I weigh them, … and then I get the smaller one all cleaned up and comfy.  Then I perform a small Ceremony of Release and--" He glanced down, grinning at Gabriel. "Then I wave bye-bye…" (Ch. 17)

Actually, Jonas’s father is taking one to Elsewhere.  That is what killing the twin does, since Elsewhere is a euphemism for death.  Yet Jonas’s father does not seem to think anything of it.  You can tell by the fact that he talks about waving bye-bye to the baby as if it is just leaving the room, and not dead.  The fact that he looks at Gabriel, who is constantly threatened with release, is even more disturbing.

When Jonas tells The Giver about the release, the old man says, "I wish they wouldn't do that," and Jonas tells him that it would be confusing to have two identical people (Ch. 19).  Apparently that simple fact, that someone might mistake one for the other, makes people uncomfortable.  They are uncomfortable enough to kill one of the babies to prevent it.

When Jonas sees the ceremony of release, which was videotaped, he is completely shocked.  The event is a turning point for his character.  This climactic event causes Jonas a great internal conflict.  He simply cannot believe what he sees, and from then on finds it impossible to exist within his community’s norms.  Instead, he and The Giver plan his escape.  They hope to return the memories to the people, and with them the ability to feel.  When you can feel emotions, you no longer cannot react to the murder of an innocent baby.

What is the connotation of the words "surged," "bore," and "protesting?"

They surged about her, caught her up and bore her, protesting, and then pleading, and then crying, back into a tunnel, a room, a closet, where they slammed and locked the door.

In this passage from "All Summer in a Day," Margot, a weak but thoughtful child, is cruelly bullied by her classmates. This is not the first time they have treated her this way, but it is the worst. The words "surged," "bore," and "protesting" all have the connotation that what is happening to Margot is against her will. The idea of "surged" implies that many children moved together at once in a force that was irresistible. Like the oncoming tide, or a flood, they overwhelmed her, and she was powerless against them. 

"Bore" means that they moved her under their volition, not hers. One thinks of athletes being carried on high by many hands after scoring a big win for the team, but that is the irony here. She is not liked by the others, and they are displaying their power over her, not their approval of her. 

"Protesting" indicates that she seeks to rebel against their actions toward her. Just as the American colonists protested against the overbearing, unjust actions of England by throwing tea into Boston Harbor, so Margot tries to protest the unfair treatment she is receiving at the hands of her oppressive classmates. Unfortunately, she is only one among many, and the cruel children do not heed her protests.

The words used in this sentence point out Margot's lack of power and the unfair, unjust treatment she receives at the hands of her classmates.

How does Scout describe Boo Radley in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird?

In Chapter 29, Scout recounts the story of how she and Jem were attacked earlier that night. Scout tells Sheriff Tate that someone yanked Mr. Ewell off her, but she wasn't sure who it was. Scout thought that Jem had recovered and pulled Mr. Ewell off, and asks who actually saved her. Sheriff Tate tells Scout that the man who yanked Mr. Ewell off her is standing in the corner of the room. Scout looks up and finally sees Boo Radley for the first time. Scout says that he had white, sickly hands that had never seen the sun. His hands were so white that they stood out against Jem's dull, cream colored wall. (Lee 362) Scout describes Boo Radley as having a thin frame, a jutting out chin, and hollow cheeks. She thought Boo was blind because he had gray, colorless eyes. Boo also had thin, feathery hair on top of his head.

What is the main problem in Walk Two Moons?

The main problem in Walk Two Moons is dealing with life-changing loss. In both stories, Sal’s and Phoebe’s, the girls must deal with the “desertion” of their mothers. Both Mrs. Hiddle and Mrs. Winterbottom voluntarily leave their families in order to get in touch with who they really are, apart from their families. Both families feel that they have been deserted, questioning their importance in the lives of their mothers. As the mothers go to “find themselves,” Sal and Phoebe must learn to find their own selves as well. It is a big step in growing up, and it isn’t pleasant. Learning to stand on your own often involves pain and accepting that pain as part of your life. Both girls eventually learn this, though Sal has the harder task. The girls try to bring their mothers back, Sal through her trip to Idaho with her grandparents, and Phoebe through her “detective work.” The girls’ stories have different endings, but they learn the same lesson: Growing up is difficult but possible, as long as you find your strength within yourself, not in someone else.

Why did God cast Satan out of heaven?

God cast Satan out of heaven because Satan, through pride, lust, and greed, wanted to usurp God’s heavenly throne. Satan wanted to be as God at the very least, and also above God. He was full of pride because of his beauty. First we’ll consider the biblical references to Satan’s expulsion then some discourse in Paradise Lost (by John Milton) concerning this expulsion.

God created Satan as a beautiful and talented angelic being – a covering cherub, as the Holy Bible states. However, the Bible states:

 “Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings.”

            [Ezekiel 28:17 – New International Version (NIV)]

Satan was cast to the earth, as well as those angels (now demons) who chose to follow his corrupt ways. A third of the angels listened to Satan’s devious plans and followed Satan, hoping to seize God’s throne and rule the universe with Satan. The demons (formerly angels) fell to the earth with Satan – essentially evicted from heaven.

In Isaiah 14:13, it states that Satan desired to be the leader in heaven above all the angels.

“You said in your heart, "I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.”

[Isaiah 14:13 - New International Version (NIV)]

In Paradise Lost, on page 114 of my hard copy version (The Works of John Milton – The Wordsworth Poetry Library) it states that the “infernal Serpent”, Lucifer who became Satan:

what time his pride

Had cast him out from Heaven, with all his host

Of rebel Angels, …

Therefore, we see here that Paradise Lost’s rendition of this event synchronizes with the biblical account. Furthermore, the account continues on this page 114 that Satan did indeed conspire to “set himself in glory above his peers.” Pride was certainly the downfall of the Devil and this is corroborated in the biblical account and in the epic poem Paradise Lost. On the next page in the Wordsworth edition of Paradise Lost, its states that God (the Almighty Power) cast Satan downward to earth so no profane and immoral being would inhabit the holy expanse of Heaven. It states that God expelled Satan and he was hurled:

… headlong flaming from the ethereal sky,

With hideous ruin and combustion, down

To bottomless perdition, there to dwell

In adamantine chains and penal fire,

Consequently, it is now obvious to the reader of the biblical account and the Paradise Lost account that God would not give space to rebellion in his Holy Heaven. Lucifer and his demons had freedom of choice, just as human beings do. He is suffering the consequences of the choice he made – his demons are as well. In Paradise Lost, Satan subsequently conspires to deceive Man and he also desires to regain his former exalted position in Heaven.

Satan wanted to be God. He thought that he was so excellent and wonderful that he should sit on the throne of Heaven. However, a created being is not, and cannot be, above the One who created him. Satan was cast out of Heaven because of his rebellion against God and God’s Government and Laws.

Find the volume of the solid obtained by rotating the region bounded by the given curves about the...

The volume of the solid obtained by rotating the region bounded by the curves , about x axis, can be evaluated using the washer method, such that:

Since the problem provides you the endpoints x=1,x=2, you may find the volume such that:

Hence, evaluating the volume of the solid obtained by rotating the region bounded by the curves , about x axis , using the washer method, yields

What are the main symbols in Romeo and Juliet?

There are many symbols within Romeo and Juliet, but I'll overview some of the major symbols to help start the discussion.

1. 
   Light and Darkness - Shakespeare uses the symbols of light and darkness in many of his plays, but this is especially true in Romeo and Juliet. When Romeo sees Juliet on the balcony, he describes her as the sun. She is the bringer of lightness in his world. In previous scenes, Romeo was depressed and downtrodden, but Juliet brings a new perspective to Romeo. These symbols of light and darkness progress throughout the play, with images of candles and the sun returning in various situations. 


2. 
   Stars and Heaven - Juliet repeatedly uses the imagery of stars, asking to cut Romeo out into little stars and make a face of him in Heaven. This celestial imagery is used frequently, and while it is romantic, it often makes Romeo and Juliet appear quite young. Their love is juvenile, and yet Romeo and Juliet compare it to gods, heaven, and cosmic entities.  


3. 
   Poison - Poison is also a recurring symbol. There is the tangible poison that is used to put Juliet to sleep, as well as kill, but there is also symbolic poison. The hatred that is felt between the Montagues and Capulets is poisonous, for instance.

Why do you think it was important to Mr. Ewell to get revenge on Atticus? What does this tell us about him as a person?

Bob Ewell seeks revenge on Atticus because, in Ewell's opinion, Atticus humiliated him on the witness stand. In exposing the truth behind the Tom Robinson case, Atticus showed Tom did not beat or try to rape Mayella; instead, Atticus suggested that Ewell, Mayella's own father, beat and abused his daughter. This revelation came in a very public setting, so Ewell believes Atticus ruined his reputation in the eyes of Maycomb. Since Ewell is so concerned with his own reputation, we can assume he is an accordingly shallow individual who cares only for surface appearances.

Ironically, Ewell already had a lousy reputation. Known as a shiftless, irresponsible drunkard who did little to care for his large and impoverished family, Ewell didn't have a good reputation before the trial. As such, it's ironic that he should be so concerned with seeking revenge on Atticus for damaging his reputation, as he never had much social esteem in the first place.

Why is the sky blue?

In order to understand why the sky appears blue during the day, one must understand some general principles about light. The white light released by the sun actually contains a mix of all of the colors of light the human eye can see. This is known as the visible spectrum. This can be observed by shining light through water, which causes the light to scatter. The observer is able to see the light in its various visible colors. This is known as the Tyndall effect, first discovered by John Tyndall in 1859. 

The Tyndall effect is also why the sky appears blue during the day. During the day, the sun is at an angle relative to the viewer on the ground here on Earth. The blue light is scattered more than all the other colors. Because of this scattering by molecules in the atmosphere, when one looks up at the sky it appears blue. Interestingly, when the sun is further away relative to the viewer, such as at sunrise or sunset, the blue light is scattered so much that the observer now sees the scattering of red and orange light instead of blue.

Hope this helps!

How many joints are there in the human body?

There are 200-400 joints in the human body. The answer to your question varies on the resource used. Factors that influence the answer are definition and age. A short explanation as to how each factor influences the answer is provided below.

1. Definition

Resources vary in the following three key points:

- Whether or not joints that produce little movement, such as skull sutures, are included in the total count.

- Whether or not co-dependent joints are considered to be one joint.

-  How individual variations, such as floating ribs, are accounted for.

 2. Age

Over time, some bones fuse together. An example would be the hip bone. Prior to puberty, the hip bone is made of the ilium bone, pubis bone, and ischium bone. Whether or not the area where these bones once came together is counted in the sum of total human joints is debatable. 

"Peeling off" of the layers of rock is called? Describe how this process happens?

"Peeling off" of outer layers of rocks happens through the process of exfoliation. This is a result of thermal stresses developed in the rocks and is an example of thermal weathering (which is a form of physical weathering).

Rocks, when exposed to temperature differences (especially between the day and night times), undergo exfoliation. The rocks are heated by sunlight or forest fires and gets really cold at night times. However, the inner layers are somewhat protected from these temperature variations. It is also to be noted that various minerals have different responses to temperature increase. Thus, outer layers of the rocks will expand during daytime and contract during night time. This expansion and contraction of outer layers is different that that of inner layers, resulting in peeling off of outer rock layers.

Hope this helps. 

How do the guests from "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment" react to their physical transformations?

Dr. Heidegger's guests are delighted with their physical transformations, and they immediately begin to behave like their younger selves.

Each one of them made mistakes in their youth, and they are convinced, before drinking the potion, that they would not make the same mistakes if they were given an elixir of immortality after a long lifetime. However, the fountain of youth brings out the self-same youthful flaws. Mr Medbourne (a once prosperous merchant who lost everything through wild speculation) reacts by thinking about money. Colonel Killigrew (who wasted his life in the pursuits of sinful pleasures that ravaged his soul and body) sings a drinking song and flirts with the Widow Wycherly. Mr Gascoigne (a ruined politician) becomes preoccupied with political matters and begins discoursing about political issues to no one in particular. Mrs Wycherly (once a beautiful woman who now lives in deep seclusion) becomes transfixed by her own reflection.

Recall also that all three men had, in their youth, vied for the hand of Clara Wycherly. As a result, when their youth is (temporarily) restored, they also begin competing for her affections once again.

In William Shakespeare's Macbeth, would you consider Macduff a hero or a coward for his actions in Act IV? Some people view him as both. Explain...

There are very pertinent reasons why some would consider Macduff both a coward and a hero. To understand this perception, one needs to look at the circumstances in which he did what he did. The context provides greater clarity.

Firstly, one should understand that Macduff is very loyal to both his king and country. In Act 2, scene 3, it is he who discovers Duncan's most foul murder and when Macbeth later declares:

... Against the undivulged pretence I fight
Of treasonous malice.

Macduff retorts: 'And so do I'. This makes it quite clear that he will do everything in his power to fight the treasonous evil that has reared its ugly head in Scotland, just as he did when he fought against the traitors MacDonwald and the thane of Cawdor as well as Sweno and the Norwegian forces.

When Macbeth explains why he, in a moment of overwhelming passion, had killed Duncan's supposed murderers, one notes Macduff's skepticism, for he asks Macbeth why he did so. He is clearly not satisfied by Macbeth's explanation, for he later declares that he will not attend Macbeth's coronation, but would rather travel to Fife, his castle. He also makes the following statement Ross tells him that he will attend the coronation at Scone:

Well, may you see things well done there: adieu!
Lest our old robes sit easier than our new!

The fact that he does not attend the coronation and expresses his concern that their new leader (Macbeth) might be a greater discomfort than the previous one (Duncan) conveys his suspicion that Macbeth had a hand in king Duncan's murder.

Macduff disappears and we only hear of him in Act 4, scene 2, when Lady Macduff asks Ross why he had fled. Macduff's actions might seem cowardly in this regard, for he had left his wife and family unprotected, vulnerable to Macbeth's murderous spree. He seemingly was thinking only of himself when he hurriedly left Scotland.

Lady Macduff is deeply upset about her husband's actions and even when Ross asks her to not be as harsh in her judgment of him, she refuses to budge, seeing Macduff's actions as a betrayal of his family. She is so disturbed that she tells her son that his father is dead, not physically, but dead to them since he has abandoned them. This then, can be deemed as extreme cowardice. His entire family is later murdered by Macbeth's assassins.

We learn later however, that Macduff has gone to England to join Malcolm, the true heir to the Scottish throne (so named by his father, when he gave him the title, Prince of Cumberland) to raise an army against Macbeth. They have already received the support of king Edward and would march against Macbeth with troops led by Siward. Malcolm tests Macduff's loyalty by saying that he will be a far worse king than Macbeth could ever be and that Macduff should tell him if one such as he would be fit to rule Scotland. Macduff, in a moment of deep despair, passionately cries out:  

Fit to govern!
No, not to live. O nation miserable, ...

... Fare thee well!
These evils thou repeat'st upon thyself
Have banish'd me from Scotland. O my breast,
Thy hope ends here!

Macduff says that such a ruler should rather be killed. He would, instead, suffer self-imposed banishment than serve under such a corrupt ruler. He is clearly loyal to his country and refuses to serve a king that would lead it to its doom. He declares that his hope of setting things right in his beloved Scotland ends at this moment. He is clearly deeply distraught. Malcolm however, assures him that all he said has just been a test to see where Macduff's real loyalties lie.

The reason why Macduff fled Scotland now becomes pertinently clear. He wants to rid his country of the tyrant Macbeth as soon as possible. There was not a moment to lose. If he should have tarried, he might have been found by Macbeth's killers and been assassinated, just as Banquo and others had been. Macduff realised that he would leave his family vulnerable, but he sacrificed their safety for the greater good - the rescue of his beloved Scotland.

Macduff had made a desperate choice: Stay behind and ensure your family's safety and be killed in the process, or go to find help to destroy the malignant tyrant and ensure a life free of tyranny for you and your family. He possibly naively believed that the depth of Macbeth's evil would not be so great as to slaughter his entire family in their fragile state and that he would grant them some mercy.

In this sense then, Macduff's actions were heroic. 

How does Ahab's speech in "The Quarter-Deck" affect Ishmael?

In Chapter 36 of Moby-Dick, "The Quarter-Deck," Ahab convinces (most of) his crew to join his personal quest for vengeance against the white whale Moby Dick by inciting their passions:

Drink, ye harpooneers! drink and swear, ye men that man the deathful whaleboat's bow--Death to Moby Dick! God hunt us all, if we do not hunt Moby Dick to his death!

After this climactic moment, Ishmael as narrator provides a dramatic account of the entire crew's behavior afterwards but neglects to tell the reader what he himself felt at that moment.  However, at the beginning of Chapter 41, "Moby Dick," he begins

I, Ishmael, was one of that crew; my shouts had gone up with the rest; my oath had been welded with theirs; and stronger I shouted, and more did I hammer and clinch my oath, because of the dread of my soul.  A wild, mystical, sympathetical feeling was in me; Ahab's quenchless feud seemed mine.  

From this quotation, we can see that more than being merely a part of Ahab's "crew," Ishmael identifies himself and his purpose with Ahab's revenge plot.  He, too, was party to the "oath" that he narrates chapters earlier to such an extent that Ahab's "feud" becomes Ishmael's own.  Thus, the speech in "The Quarter-Deck" excites Ishmael to pursue Moby Dick to the death.

Compare the ways Shakespeare and Golding present villains in Macbeth and Lord of the Flies. Please help me with this essay. I know the structure...

• First, let's discuss how to write an essay. Perhaps the simplest, clearest and most efficient plan for an essay is that of the five paragraph essay that is explicated in an excellent text, The Practical Writer by Edward P. Bailey and Philip A. Powell (available on the internet).

Here is what is called by Bailey and Powell "an overview" of the 5-paragraph essay:

PARAGRAPH 1

"Motivator": This is the beginning of the introductory paragraph. Meant to grab the reader's interest, this is often an observation, a quotation, or even a question to pique the curiosity of the reader.

"Thesis Statement": The thesis statement comes at the end of the introductory paragraph and it states the main idea of the writer, (her argument/purpose and direction of the essay) Often it answers the question, What statement can I make about this topic?

"Blueprint": 

A blueprint is brief summary of the main points which will be presented in the essay this follows as part of the sentence that contains the thesis statement. Because a five-paragraph essay has 3 central paragraphs, the blueprint should have 3 strong points, one for each paragraph. (These points are made into the topic sentences for the paragraphs.)

PARAGRAPHS 2,3,&4
The Body:

These paragraphs are the meat of the essay. Each paragraph begins with a topic sentence formed from the 3 main points of the blueprint. Support from the two literary works lend them veracity and viability. (You must prove your points). This support comes from your discussion of certain passages, characters, etc. and specific details and citations as proof of what you state.

PARAGRAPH 5
Conclusion: 

The conclusion is little more than a reworded thesis statement (="once again let me tell you what those 3 paragraphs were saying") and what is called "a clincher." The clincher gives a sense of finality to the essay; it makes clear that the essay is finished.

Source: http://www.downage.org/ebooks-list/the-practical-writer-with-readings-7th-edition_inge.html

*************************************************************

• Now, let's discuss the writing of your essay. Obviously, you are looking for similarities and differences in the two literary works regarding the treatment/theme of evil. 

One motivator that could be used is a reflection upon the origin of the evil that makes a villain. (In other words, is it inherent as Golding implies, or it is attained as apparently Lady Macbeth calls upon the spirits and Macbeth's belief in the witches and his ambitious acts lead him? You might consider some ideas like these and create your motivator from your thoughts)

Your thesis is going to be your main idea on the evil that makes a villain in these works. For instance, you could have something like this if your topic is villains: 
In both Lord of the Flies and Macbeth, there are villains who develop as a result of forces that motivate them such as their (3 points=)nature, influences upon them, and environment.

So, then, the three topic sentences for the 3 body paragraphs will be built from these 3 points, or whatever you come up with. Think about and plan out what specific details from the works you can use to support thee topic sentences. For instance, under influences upon them, the boys in Goldings' book are outside society and its laws; they have no conditioning on them. (Remember Roger who did not at first hit Henry in Ch. 4 because of his conditioning; however, later in the narrative, he follows Ralph up the mountain, pounding with a stick behind him; further, he sadistically rolls a boulder down upon Piggy, smashing his head and sending him hurling into the ocean.)
Be sure to support, support, give details, quote. If you prove what you contend, your essay will have worth. Good Luck!

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

Since the equations of the system are not transcendental equations, you may solve the system algebraically.

You need to use substitution method, hence, you may use the second equation to express x in terms of y, such that:

Replacing for x in equation , yields:

You may use quadratic formula, such that:

Hence, evaluating the solutions to the given system, yields and

How did Judaism survive the diaspora?

Two other related aspects of Judaism were quite important, too. First was that the Torah was central to Judaism, the reason Jews are called the people of the book. The fact that a book was more important to Judaism than any other physical object or place made it easy to carry the religion with people wherever they went.  Little is more portable than a book.  Second, the idea of having a rabbi-centered form of Judaism, rather than a priest-centered form of Judaism, allowed for a democratization of the religion and an independence from just one temple, a kind of decentralization, instead of a dominant priestly caste that was dependent on one temple in one place that could be and was destroyed.  Rabbis were the teachers, not simply religious leaders, and as such, they ensured that all males (and now females, too) learned to read the Torah and observe all proper prayers and rituals. Had the religion not made this paradigmatic shift from priest to rabbis, so that all Jews could read Torah and be properly observant, it is quite possible that Judaism would be no more.

Identify the protagonist of "The Leap."

The term "protagonist" is actually derived from classical Greek and literally means first contestant or leading actor. It is used by literary critics to refer to the most important character in a literary work.

In "The Leap", the two most important characters are the narrator and her mother Anna. Although the narrator is the viewpoint character, Anna comes across somewhat more vividly than the narrator, who considers herself somewhat of failure, especially in contrast to the heroism of drama of her mother's life.

Although one could make an argument that the narrator is the protagonist in so far as the portrait of Anna is constructed as a way for the narrator to resolve issues about her own identity, a stronger case can be made for Anna, as she is in many ways a traditionally heroic character, gifted with tremendous physical prowess and courage.

In "The Pit and the Pendulum," what does the author use to symbolize angels in the first paragraph?

The opening paragraph is being narrated in past tense, which is important to note.  It hints that even though the narrator's sentence was death, the narrator might actually survive somehow.  Either that or he is narrating the story from his prison cell.  Regardless, the narrator tells the reader about his trial and sentencing at the hands of the inquisition in the first paragraph.  As he is struggling to come to terms with what his judges are pronouncing, he is rapidly looking around the room.  He's looking for help from any source available, and at one point his eyes fall on seven candles that are burning on a nearby table.  Those candles are what the narrator imagines are angels, and he hopes that they are to there to save him.  He quickly realizes though that the candles are not angels and will not save him. 

And then my vision fell upon the seven tall candles upon the table. At first they wore the aspect of charity, and seemed white and slender angels who would save me; but then, all at once, there came a most deadly nausea over my spirit, and I felt every fibre in my frame thrill as if I had touched the wire of a galvanic battery, while the angel forms became meaningless spectres, with heads of flame, and I saw that from them there would be no help.

How is Nicholas more clever than his aunt in "The Lumber Room"?

Nicholas is much more clever than his self-appointed aunt because he is skillfully able to manipulate words and actions to his advantage.

• The first instance of how Nicholas's cleverness defeats his aunt occurs at the beginning of the story as he defends his refusal to eat his "wholesome bread and milk" because there is a frog in his bowl. Immediately, his rigid aunt insists that there "could not possibly be a frog in his bread-and-milk." Of course, Nicholas has counted on both her peremptory nature as he has made his declaration, as well as her crassness that prevents her from analyzing his choice of verb. For, without her analysis of the verb which merely states the present condition without any action, Nicholas has established the veracity of his statement. But the crass aunt declares it impossible for a frog to be in his bowl because she seems to have wrongly assumed that Nicholas is declaring that a frog has somehow appeared and jumped into his bowl, rather than his mere pointing out its existence, and not perpetrating a falsehood.

"...the fact that stood out clearest in the whole affair, as it presented itself to the mind of Nicholas, was that the older, wiser, and better people had been proved to be profoundly in error in matters about which they had expressed the utmost assurance."

• A second instance of the clever nature of Nicholas occurs when the aunt metes out punishment to him for his prank of placing the frog in his bowl, making him stay home while the others go to Jagborough Cove. He correctly predicts that his cousins and younger brother will not have fun at the beach while he remains at home because he has noticed that his boy-cousin's boots are too tight while his aunt has ignored the boy's complaints twice. Also, Nicholas may be aware that the tides are at their highest on this day, so the beach has been covered with water when the children arrive, thus preventing any play in the sand, a fact that the aunt has not considered.


• A third instance of Nicholas's superiority comes from his causing the aunt to believe that he wishes to be in the gooseberry garden, which she has forbidden him to enter. As she guards the garden assiduously, Nicholas easily enters the lumber room where he delights in flights of fancy with no worry of discovery.


• A fourth instance of Nicholas's more clever nature occurs after the aunt falls into a rain tank in the gooseberry garden. Unable to climb out, the aunt cries for help, but Nicholas ignores her. Finally, he closes the book of birds that he has been looking at, locks the lumber room, and goes outside to the garden. He asks who is calling him, and the aunt tells him that she has fallen and cannot get out of the rain tank. 

  
  

  "'Your voice doesn't sound like aunt's,' objected Nicholas; 'you may be the Evil One tempting me to be disobedient. Aunt often tells me that the Evil One tempts me and that I always yield. This time I'm not going to yield.'"

  
  

  
  
  Nicholas says he does not know the voice is his aunt's, and it may be the voice of the Evil One tempting him. As a test, he asks if there will be strawberry jam for tea. His aunt replies, "Certainly there will be" in order to get him to help her. However, Nicholas cleverly responds, 

"'Now I know that you are the Evil One and not aunt,' shouted Nicholas gleefully; 'when we asked aunt for strawberry jam yesterday she said there wasn't any. I know there are four jars of it in the store cupboard, because I looked, and of course you know it's there, but she doesn't, because she said there wasn't any. Oh, Devil, you have sold yourself!'"

Cleverly, Nicholas has caught his aunt in her previous lie. So, he tells the "Devil" he cannot enter the garden and she remains stuck in the tank until a kitchen maid rescues her. That evening the ingenious Nicholas, who has outsmarted his aunt, enjoys his victory as he luxuriates in his reverie about the tapestry in the lumber room.

How useful are postmodern critiques for contemporary social policy?

I think that Postmodern critiques are very useful for contemporary social policy because they guarantee an inclusion of voice.

Postmodernism is not an all- encompassing, absolutist statement.  When Derrida talks about Postmodern deconstruction, there is an emphasis on the questioning of underlying assumptions.  In Postmodern critiques, there is an analysis of values.  This can apply to authorial intent, individual action, but also to social policy.  When Postmodernism offers a critique of social policy, it scrutinizes why things are the way they are. 

I think that this is very useful to contemporary social policy because it prevents the belief that there are no more problems.  Contemporary social policy is geared towards providing blanket solutions.  When people form social policy, they do so to "solve" a problem. In solving a problem, another side might go silent because of the faith in the problem being "solved."  In these instances, contemporary social policy is seen as "totalizing," or representing the whole of something.

Postmodern critiques are important because they stress that while one problem might be solved, another one might exist. By its very definition, Postmodernism denies totality.  As a result of rejecting an approach that embraces "the answer," different points of view emerge.  Postmodern critiques will always keep pushing the envelope in suggesting the need for more examination and greater inclusion of voices.  This is a good thing. Societies that do not value a multiplicity of voices run the risk of silencing them.  This reality is avoided in a Postmodern critique.

We can see the role that Postmodern critiques play in today's world. At one point in time,  globalization was seen as "the answer."  It was perceived as a totalizing answer because "everyone" had jobs, while greater wealth and opportunity emerged. However, Postmodern critiques have allowed people to understand that with globalization, wealth inequality and different forms of economic abuse have emerged.  Different Postmodern critiques of social policy helped to convince Americans that the Patriot Act, passed after the attacks of September 11, should be reexamined. Contemporary Postmodern critiques of social policy regarding the use of police force have emerged in the last year or two when it comes to how people of color are being treated. Postmodern social critiques are extremely valuable to contemporary social policy because they prompt reexamination and reevaluation of held beliefs, ensuring that voices are not silenced through the drive for absolute totality.

Give examples of ethos, pathos, and logos in King's "Letter from Birmingham City Jail."

King's "Letter from Birmingham City Jail" has often been used as a model of ethos, pathos, and logos, the three pillars of argument. 

Ethos is credibility or authority. King establishes his authority from the start of the letter, writing, "I have the honor of serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every Southern state, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia." He also establishes his authority by comparing himself to no less of a person than the Apostle Paul, and refers to Socrates as a model, showing he is an educated man.

King uses pathos or emotional appeal when he writes: "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly." He appeals to emotions with even more direct examples at the end of the letter:

I guess it is easy for those who have never felt the stinging darts of segregation to say "wait." But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate-filled policemen curse, kick, brutalize, and even kill your black brothers and sisters with impunity; when you see the vast majority of your twenty million Negro brothers smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society; when you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six-year-old daughter why she cannot go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and see tears welling up in her little eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children, and see the depressing clouds of inferiority begin to form in her little mental sky, and see her begin to distort her little personality by unconsciously developing a bitterness toward white people; when you have to concoct an answer for a five-year-old son asking in agonizing pathos, "Daddy, why do white people treat colored people so mean?"...then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait.

King also relies on logos, or facts, to explain why the civil rights movement has come to Birmingham: "Birmingham is probably the most thoroughly segregated city in the United States. Its ugly record of police brutality is known in every section of this country. Its unjust treatment of Negroes in the courts is a notorious reality. There have been more unsolved bombings of Negro homes and churches in Birmingham than in any other city in this nation. These are the hard, brutal, and unbelievable facts." 

By establishing his credibility, explaining in factual terms why he is in Birmingham, and appealing to people's emotions with examples of what racism has done to black people, he writes a strongly persuasive letter arguing for racial equality now.

How does Bierce employ the use of irony in both "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" and "Chickamauga"?

Irony is an important literary element in both of Ambrose Bierce's stories. In fact, it is pretty central to most of his writing. In "Occurrence," the irony is two-fold. One aspect is that Peyton thinks that destroying the bridge will help the situation, when ultimately, that is where he meets his death. In addition, it is ironic that just as the noose tightens around his neck, he thinks he escapes, when in reality, he dies.

In "Chickamauga," the irony is that while the young boy plays soldier, there are grown soldiers in real life all around him. Bierce makes a statement that war adversely affects everyone and when we show children how to wield swords and fight, they will one day take part in real wars and die. In both stories, Bierce effectively uses irony to convey a sense of the tragedy and consequences of war.

When is money likely to be one of the most important motivators?

Basically, when either the amount of money is very large (compared to what they already have) or all other motivations cancel out.

Human beings are motivated by many things: Emotions such as pleasure, love, loyalty, anger, revenge, and hope. One of the strongest is groups they identify with such as families, countries, religions, or even sports teams. For some people, these motivations can become so strong as to outweigh anything else--even their own survival.

However, other people are not strongly motivated by these things, or live with them in good enough balance that they don't have to do much to satisfy them. In those circumstances, money can be a very powerful motivator. The fundamental basis of a capitalist economy is essentially the assumption that money can motivate people to do useful jobs that they would otherwise prefer not to do; and so far, capitalism seems to work better than pretty much everything else.

Another important consideration is how much money you already have; $100 is much more motivating to a starving child in Burkina Faso than it is to a middle-class office worker in Ohio, and in turn more motivating to the office worker than to a billionaire CEO. To the starving child, it is months of income, and possibly life itself; to the office worker, it is a night out with a fancy dinner and a movie; to the billionaire, it is a rounding error on a spreadsheet. We call this diminishing marginal utility of wealth--the more wealth you have, the less you gain from each new dollar.

I hope that you can help with my homework! I have some questions that are difficult for me. Its about the story "My Son The Fanatic." a) What...

a)To answer this question, try to think about the kinds of things fathers do to secure a better life for their children. This can be a little difficult if you are not a father; however, you can still answer this question by referring to what you know of the fathers you see on a daily basis. Then, refer to the story to see if any of your observations correspond to the text. If I may say so, the sort of things good fathers do are pretty universal.

Remember that Parvez is an immigrant. Many immigrants  deeply cherish the economic and political freedoms accorded to them in their adopted country, and Parvez is no exception. He is intent on working hard to secure a better future for his family. So, the economic perspective is key. We can see this in the text.

And so, for Ali, he had worked long hours and spent a lot of money paying for his education as an accountant. He had bought him good suits, all the books he required, and a computer. 

Parvez has worked long hours in order to afford a good education for Ali. To Parvez, success in the academic arena will lead to better economic opportunities and a good life for his son.

b)This question has a key word: 'past.' So, in order to answer this question, we have to figure out what is different about Ali at present and then find a contrast to that. From the text, we can see that Ali has given away many of his possessions, has taken to praying five times a day, and has resorted to outright rudeness to his father when questioned about his activities. This state of affairs is distressing to Parvez, so we have to ask ourselves how Ali's behavior was different before.

Instead of the usual tangle of clothes, books, cricket bats, video games, the room was becoming neat and ordered; spaces began appearing where before there had been only mess. Initially Parvez had been pleased: his son was outgrowing his teenage attitudes. But one day, beside the dustbin, Parvez found a torn bag which contained not only old toys, but computer disks, video tapes, new books and fashionable clothes the boy had bought just a few months before. Also without explanation, Ali had parted from the English girlfriend who used to come often to the house. His old friends had stopped ringing.

From this passage, we can see that this is the way Ali used to live. His room used to resemble that of a typical teenager's, and he possessed the usual items many teenagers owned. From this passage, we can see that Ali accepted his father's sacrifices as a matter of course. In other words, he took them for granted; he held the usual 'teenage attitudes' and enjoyed the typical life of a teenager in a free society. He lived this way until he chose to act differently.

c)To answer this question, look at the benefits inherent in Parvez' job:

Parvez had been a taxi driver for twenty years. Half that time he'd worked for the same firm. Like him, most of the other drivers were Punjabis. They preferred to work at night, the roads were clearer and the money better. They slept during the day, avoiding their wives. Together they led almost a boy's life in the cabbies' office, playing cards and practical jokes, exchanging lewd stories, eating together and discussing politics and their problems.

Parvez finds his job attractive because he can choose to drive at night when the roads are clearer and the pay better. In other words, the most attractive thing about his job is the freedom to choose when he will work. His job also affords him other benefits, and this is described in the text above.

d)To answer this question, we will try to ascertain what Parvez's philosophy is. Usually, our philosophy is greatly affected by our background. Parvez has a great love for his adopted country because he gets to decide his fate there; it is not decided for him by religious leaders. If you look at the text, you can see that Parvez's bad experience with religion has forever left a bad taste in his mouth. So, his dream of doing well in England must center on his philosophy about life. We can see this in the text. Parvez' dream of doing well centers on his desire to enjoy life to the fullest and to leave a good legacy for his descendants before he dies.

In his view this life was all there was and when you died you rotted in the earth. 'Grass and flowers will grow out of me, but something of me will live on ... 'In other people.'...'But while I am here on earth I want to make the best of it.'

Why did Napoleon want Louisiana, and why did he change his mind?

Napoleon acquired the Louisiana Territory from the Spanish Empire because he hoped to revive New France--the French colonies in the Western hemisphere. Some historians speculate that Napoleon also acquired Louisiana to prevent the United States from growing any larger. However, there were several reasons he changed his mind and decided to sell Louisiana to the United States.

First, he needed money for an impending war with Great Britain. Second, a recent slave revolt in a French colony in Haiti demonstrated the difficulty of managing New World colonies from Europe. Third, the Americans were prepared to go to war with France to retain the ability to ship cargo through New Orleans (New Orleans was an important connection between the Gulf of Mexico and the Mississippi River). For these reasons, Napoleon decided he was better off selling Louisiana to the United States and using the profits to finance his empire in Europe.

In Animal Farm, on what topic are the animals divided? What is Snowball’s platform? What is Napoleon’s platform?

After leading the uprising, and establishing Animal Farm, Napoleon and Snowball begin to clash publicly. Of course, part of their conflict is down to clashing ambitions, but they also disagree over serious issues. One is whether or not to construct a windmill. Snowball believes they should focus their energies and resources on building it, and Napoleon argues that they should focus on cultivating more food. Each pig received support from about half of the animals on the farm. Another issue is how to interact with the outside world. Snowball hoped to spread the rebellion based on Animalism to farms all over England, while Napoleon believed they should be more insular, and devote more resources to defense. Napoleon prevails by using the dogs to drive Snowball from the farm, and by persuading the animals that Snowball is actually a counter-revolutionary. He eventually takes Snowball's plan to build the windmill as his own.

What causes heart burn?

Heartburn is caused by acid refluxing back into the esophagus. Heartburn is a result of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).  Gastroesophageal reflux disease affects the muscular ring that is found between the stomach and the esophagus. This muscular ring is called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). Normally, the LES closes after food has been eaten. GERD occurs when this sphincter is weak or relaxes and opens when it shouldn’t.  As a result, contents from the stomach leak backwards from the stomach and up into the esophagus.  This may cause a burning sensation in a person’s chest that is commonly known as “heartburn”.

The LES may open when it should not because of the following reasons:

• consuming too much food


• obesity, constipation, or pregnancy causing pressure within the stomach to push on the LES


• consumption of certain foods such as foods that are high in fat, onions, coffee, citric acid, chocolate, or caffeinated beverages


• increased production of stomach acid as a result of stress or the lack of sleep


• taking certain medications


• smoking, which relaxes the LES and increases stomach acid production

In The Outsiders, what are some major events for Darry?

One major event in Darry's life happens prior to the opening of the story when his parents are killed in a car crash. Ponyboy tells the reader that Darry was very close to them, particularly to his father, and that after his death his life changed dramatically. Although he didn't show a great deal of emotion, it is clear that he immediately felt the weight of his responsibility to keep the family together. So he holds down two jobs and fights to make sure the two younger boys don't get sent to a group home.

Another major event in the story was when Darry hits Ponyboy. He is frustrated and Pony thinks he is just being mean but he loses his cool and slaps him. This of course is the night that Pony runs away and finds Johnny and they end up getting attacked and Johnny kills Bob.

One more major event could be the day that he and Ponyboy are reunited at the hospital. Darry has been worried sick and no one would tell him where Johnny and Pony were hiding out but he is overcome with relief when he sees that Ponyboy is going to be ok.

How to demonstrate air resistance that occurs on cars?

The motion of a car is resisted by air and this resistance is commonly referred to as air resistance. In ideal scenario, this air resistance is demonstrated and measured using a wind-tunnel facility, where a scaled model (say 1:10 or 1:20 scale model) or actual car is exposed to various air speed scenarios. There are several other simpler and more approximate ways of demonstrating air resistance on cars. For example, one can drive a car in few different conditions: still conditions (no air flow), with air flow or against air flow. In each case, the driver can determine the amount of fuel used to travel a specific distance at a pre-determined speed. Higher fuel consumption is just an indicator of extra energy required to counter the air resistance. 

Hope this helps.

What are short term sources of finances?

Bank overdrafts are financial facilities extended to individuals and businesses by banks where they are members. The bank allows the individual or business to withdraw funds from their account, over and above what they actually have, up to a set limit. Overdrafts are mostly emergency funds where a business needs funds in short notice to be repaid in the short-term. The major disadvantage of this financing method is the hefty interest rate charged on the amount.

Trade credit is a financial facility extended to the business by their supplier or vendor. The supplier delivers goods that will not be paid for immediately, but after an agreed period of time.

Credit cards are financial facilities that allow businesses to spend money they don’t have at the moment they need it. Businesses can make purchases using their credit cards. The vendor charges the card and the bank transfers the money. The business pays their debt to the bank after a short period of time. Some credit cards offer a grace period when they don’t charge interest if the debt is settled within that period.

Factoring is a financial facility that allows the business to sell its invoices to a bank or a financial institution offering factoring services. The business sells the invoices at a slightly lower value instead of waiting to be paid in full by their customers. Thus, the bank or financial institution collects the full value of the invoices and makes the difference.

In The Great Gatsby, what does Gatsby's association with Wolfsheim say about Gatsby?

The appearance of Meyer Wolfsheim in chapter 4 of The Great Gatsby, leads the reader to believe that Gatsby may not have obtained his wealth in a legal manner. This can be inferred from the interaction between Wolfsheim, Nick, and Gatsby while meeting for lunch. Upon first being introduced to the reader, Wolfsheim tells a story of a mobster friend who was killed in a nearby restaurant. Following this story, he is introduced to Nick Carraway. During this exchange, Wolfsheim says to Nick "I understand you're looking for a business gonntion (meaning connection)" (Fitzgerald p70), to which Gatsby quickly replies "this isn't the man" (Fitzgerald p71). This interaction suggests that Gatsby has a history of having a business connection to Wolfsheim in the past. Later in the chapter, Nick asks Gatsby who Wofsheim is after he excuses himself from lunch, to which Gatsby replies "he's a gambler", who "fixed the World's Series back in 1919." (Fitzgerald p73). This revelation shows that Gatsby is friends, and does business, with people who are involved in the criminal underworld, and suggests that Gatsby may have done the same to acquire his fortune. This disclosure plays into the larger theme of the novel, corruption of the american dream.

Hope this helps!

What is the moral lesson in the story "To Build a Fire" by Jack London?

The moral lesson in Jack London's short story "To Build a Fire" is that people should not think they are more powerful than nature. In addition, people should listen to others who have more experience than they do. London writes of the protagonist of the story, "The trouble with him was that he was not able to imagine." Though the man is new to the Yukon Territory, he ventures out on a sunless day while thinking that he can survive the cold. Though it is fifty degrees below zero, he has no real conception of what that means to him, his body, and his safety. As London writes, "It did not lead him to consider his weaknesses as a creature affected by temperature. Nor did he think about man’s general weakness, able to live only within narrow limits of heat and cold." The man is limited by his previous experience, so he thinks, without any evidence or reason, that he can outwit the cold, though people have warned him that he can't. In reality, the temperature is even colder than 50 below zero, and as the man dies, he thinks, “You were right, old fellow. You were right" about the old man in Sulphur Creek who had warned him not to venture out. In the end, the man realizes that nature is more powerful than he is and that he should've listened to people with more experience in the region. 

What is the summary for chapters 16, 17, and 18 in The Catcher in the Rye?

Chapter 16 from J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye begins right after Holden has breakfast and talking with a couple of Nuns. It's about noon and he has two hours until he meets Sally Hayes for their date. As he's walking towards Broadway, he sees a family that seems to have been coming from church. He hears the boy humming the song "If a body catch a body coming through the rye" and that gets him feeling better (115). He later tells his sister that he wants to catch little children running through the rye before they fall off a cliff. This is symbolic because it's as if Holden wants to catch children before they experience the horrible disappointments of becoming an adult; and of course, this scene points to the title of the book and its main theme.

Next, Holden notices everyone wanting to go to the movies, which he doesn't like, so he goes over to a music store to hang out for awhile. He then thinks of giving Jane a call. When he actually does call, her mother answers and he hangs up because he doesn't like talking to girls' mothers. Then he goes to choose a movie for him and Sally to watch and he chooses one she might like, but in the process, he calls her "queen of the phonies" (116). He thinks all actors are phonies, too, such as Sir Lawrence Olivier in Hamlet.

He goes on to say how his big brother D.B. took him to see the movie Hamlet but Holden didn't think the actor did a good job portraying the lead role. Holden explains:

"The trouble with me is, I always have to read that stuff by myself. If an actor acts it out, I hardly listen. I keep worrying about whether he's going to do something phony every minute" (117).

Then Holden goes to the park and thinks about his sister. He talks to a girl who happens to know his sister and tells him she might be at the museum. He tells her it is Sunday and she realizes her mistake; but this conversation motivates him to go visit the Museum of Natural History.

While walking to the museum he thinks about Gertrude Levine, a girl whose hand he had to hold while on field trips to the museum, and it was always sticky. Once he gets to the museum, he puts on his hunting hat and decides not to go in. He remembers his date with Sally and heads towards the Biltmore to meet her. 

While waiting for Sally at the beginning of chapter 17, Holden notices all of the girls and then thinks that most of them would marry "dopey guys" (123). Then he thinks of Harris Macklin, a good whistler from Elkton Hills, who was intelligent, but boring. Then Sally shows up and their date begins.

Sally and Holden take a cab and they make-out in the back. This is when he tells her he loves her and she returns the sentiment. He discusses phony actors again and phonies at Ernie's. Then he gets jealous because Sally meets a good-looking guy and socializes with him. He almost takes her home because he's so jealous but she mentions ice skating so they go do that for awhile.

Eventually, Holden has an episode and asks her to run away with him. He says that they'll eventually get married, but they'll play until his money runs out and then he'll get a job and settle down. Sally tells him nicely that they are still kids and shouldn't do anything crazy. Holden's response is the following:

"C'mon, let's get outa here, . . . You give me a royal pain in the ass, if you want to now the truth" (133).

Sally won't put up with being treated that way, so she cries and leaves him, even though he tries to apologize.

Finally, in chapter 18, Holden thinks about Jane again and a guy she dated named Al Pike. He muses that Jane said Al was nice, but he had an inferiority complex. He tries to call Jane again, but no one answers. So he calls Carl Luce, an older buddy from Whooton School, and sets up a meeting at the Wicker Bar at ten o'clock. He kills the time before the meeting by seeing the Rockettes' Christmas show, which makes him think about believing in God and his dead brother Allie. He then watches a war movie that he hates, but it gets him thinking about the war and how his older brother D.B. had been in the army for four years. D.B. was actually a part of D-Day, too. Holden says, "I really think he hated the Army worse than the war" (140).

Holden remembers that D.B. got him to read A Farewell to Arms because he said it was a great book. Holden, like always, says that it and The Great Gatsby were full of phonies. It is interesting, though, that Holden speaks of literature, but then all of a sudden says the following:

"I'm sort of glad they've got the atomic bomb invented. If there's ever another war, I'm going to sit right the hell on top of it. I'll volunteer for it, I swear to God I will" (141).

How do the two Houyhnhnms react to Gulliver's speech?

The first Houyhnhnm to arrive walks around Gulliver and seems to inspect him; when Gulliver tries to reach his hand out to stroke the Houyhnhnm's face, the Houyhnhnm shakes his head and removes Gulliver's hand with his foot.  Another Houyhnhnm comes, and the two walk off a ways, appearing to converse with one another, walking back and forth as though they were "deliberating upon some Affair of Weight."  They look back at him quite often, as if to make sure he isn't escaping.  When Gulliver does attempt to go in search of a house or town, the first Houyhnhnm neighs so expressively that Gulliver seems to know that it means he is to remain where he is. 

The Houyhnhnms touch him with their hooves then, both his skin and his clothing, and they are very gentle -- to Gulliver's surprise.  He could hear them say the word "Yahoo" many times, and when he repeats it back to them, they are shocked, and they try more difficult sounds with him.  Finally, the first Houyhnhnm indicates that Gulliver should follow him, and he takes Gulliver to his home.

In Of Mice and Men what does Carlson want Slim to do for Candy? Why?

Carlson is a laborer on the ranch where the main characters George and Lennie go to work in John Steinbeck's novel Of Mice and Men. When the reader first meets Carlson in chapter two the setting is the bunkhouse and Carlson asks Slim about his puppies. Slim is the mule skinner and a leader for the men. His dog, Lulu, has just had a litter of puppies.

Carlson wants Slim to give one of his puppies to Candy, the old swamper. Carlson claims that Candy's dog should be euthanized because it is old and smells bad. Carlson says,

“Well, looka here, Slim. I been thinkin’. That dog of Candy’s is so God damn old he can’t hardly walk. Stinks like hell, too. Ever’ time he comes into the bunk house I can smell him for two, three days. Why’n’t you get Candy to shoot his old dog and give him one of the pups to raise up? I can smell that dog a mile away. Got no teeth, damn near blind, can’t eat. Candy feeds him milk. He can’t chew nothing else.”

Later in chapter three Slim agrees that Candy's dog should be put down and offers Candy a puppy. The old man is distraught and doesn't respond to the offer. Carlson uses his Luger to shoot the old dog. The purpose of the scene is to provide foreshadowing for George's eventual shooting of Lennie in chapter six. At one point Candy told George he should have shot his own dog. This leads George to the idea that he should be the one to kill Lennie after the accidental death of Curley's wife. 

Discuss Mansfield Park as a social document

Mansfield Park has become famous in recent decades as a critique of slavery. Part of the plot hinges on Sir Thomas's journey to Antigua to personally visit his plantation, a plantation run by slave labor. When he returns, apparently altered by the experience, Fanny wants, but fears, to question him about slavery. Similarly, through an offhand, throwaway comment, Maria Bertram airily dismisses the disgraceful hovels on her fiance Rushworth's grand Sotherton estate. These hovels are passed by quickly--but Austen includes them for the astute reader to see. They stand as a critique of a system in which landlords spent vast sums on picturesque landscaping (something that becomes a subject of conversation around dinner tables in Mansfield Park) but won't spend the least amount so that their tenants can have decent dwellings.

 Fanny herself is treated as a virtual slave by Lady Bertram and her sister Mrs. Norris. Mrs. Norris, especially, runs her around mercilessly. In one scene, Fanny is forced to cut roses in the hot sun, while Lady Bertram and Mrs. Norris sit in the shade because the heat is uncomfortable even for people who are doing nothing. Fanny ends up with a "sick headache" and Edmund is furious, although unable to get his mother to conjure the most basic understanding that if she was suffering in the shade, asking somebody else to toil in the hot sun was perhaps a cruel and insensitive demand. Austen here shows the ways lack of imagination can lead to abuse. It doesn't take an astute reader much to leap to what the slaves must have suffered on the brutally hot plantations in the Caribbean.

Further, the book critiques a marriage "market" in which women are routinely sold to the highest bidder. Maria Bertram is essentially sold off by Mrs. Norris, who brokers the marriage, to the wealthy but not very bright Rushworth. Maria despises him, and her father has doubts about the wedding, but all of these are repressed in the pursuit of wealth and status. Maria will, in the end, rebel against her marriage with unfortunate results. Likewise, the family is anxious to marry Fanny off to the wealthy Henry Crawford, and tries to coerce her when she resists his proposals. Money and status in their eyes--and society's eyes--trumps love. Likewise, Mary Crawford's downfall comes from her inability to accept that the man she loves, Edmund, really wants a career as clergyman that is, in her eyes, lacking in social status. Society has "deformed" her so that she can't accept love without high social status. Austen will never advocate for a wild "love" that breaks social barriers, but she does argue throughout her novels for marriage based on mutual respect, love and compatibility. She condemns sacrificing a woman's chance at happiness solely to money or status. She condemns selfishness in this novel about all the ways society has institutionalized and normalized selfish behavior. 

Describe Zaroff's conditions for the hunt in The Most Dangerous Game.

General Zaroff's conditions for the hunt include giving the man he is hunting good food, a hunting knife, and a three hour head start. Having these conditions tells the reader that General Zaroff is not interested as much in the killing of men, but in the hunting of men.  He is excited by the chase so he gives the men an even playing field.  If his sole intent was to kill, without regard for the experience of hunting, he would not give them men means for survival when he sends them on their way.  If the men survive three days, General Zaroff says that he will return them to the mainland, but to date that had not happened.

When Zaroff hunts Rainsford, the conditions change slightly in order to ensure an exhilarating  hunt.  When hunting Rainsford, Zaroff suggests that he wear moccasins to camouflage his footprints and make it harder to be tracked. He even tells Rainsford to avoid certain areas of the island that will make his capture inevitable.  

The purpose of these conditions in the story, and the slight change in conditions when it was time to hunt Rainsford, suggests that Zaroff is more interested in the hunt than in the killing of his quarry.