In Pygmalion what is it that Higgins learned from Eliza even though he was her teacher?

One might be tempted to say that the pig-headed Henry Higgins learned nothing from Eliza Doolittle, but that's not entirely true. While he continues to treat her rudely and orders her around as if she is his errand-girl, by the end of the play he has developed a grudging admiration for her newfound spunk. She is no longer afraid to fight back against him. He says, "I like you like this." He also praises her strength of character. He even tells her she is throwing herself away on Freddie, saying she could marry a king if she wanted.

Higgins also expresses surprise when Eliza informs him that she learned how to be a lady from Pickering's example, not from Higgins, indicating that Eliza's good opinion means something to him. 

In the end, Higgins has, in fact, brought a statue to life, as in the original Greek myth: Eliza becomes her own person, independent of her "creator." His behavior may not change, but he has possibly developed an awareness that Eliza is a human being, not just an experiment in linguistics. 

In Go Set a Watchman, what is Jean Louise talking about when she says that her uncle Jack elects to "disappear in the mist?"

This occurs on p.201 in the middle of a long, and fairly convoluted conversation between Uncle Jack and Jean Louise. When she says "disappear into the mist" she means that he is choosing to be murky in his answers. He is choosing to make his answers unclear, and this confuses her.

At this point, she is upset (disgusted might be a better word) at Atticus and feels like she has been betrayed.  She does not know this current Atticus - this one who goes to town hall meetings with racists and keeps books on suppressing the "negro." She is trying to express this to Uncle Jack, and he is trying to explain exactly what is going on. That is part of the problem - his explanation.

Uncle Jack almost talks in riddles. It takes him a very long time to get to the point, and even then, it is not direct. 

At one point in the conversation they are standing in front of a mirror and Uncle Jack asks Scout what she sees. He says he sees two people. She asks if it is the tomboy and the woman, and he says it is more than that. It is at that point she says to him,

"Uncle Jack, I don't know why you elect to disappear into the mist..." (201).

She is referring to him, once again, not simply answering her question and getting to the point. By this point in the conversation he has been providing her with lots of anecdotes and stories, with the intention of getting to his point via the stories, but Scout has become increasingly frustrated with this method of conversing. She feels like he is simply giving her the run-around.

What are the elements of Gothic style in "Eleonora" and "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe?

Most of Poe's "Eleonora" fits more neatly in the Romantic style (Gothic being an off-shoot of this). However, the setting in the undetermined past and the virginal maiden are both elements of the Gothic. The fact that the valley begins to die and lose its colors and Eleonora returns from her crypt to confront the narrator reflects facets of the Gothic preoccupation with death and the supernatural. Even the description of "the strange city" smacks of the Gothic.

"The Tale-Tale Heart," on the other hand, fits more neatly in the Gothic style. Gothic stories often use characters who are mad, and the narrator here fits that category well. The story also features a gruesome murder in the dark, and that preoccupation with fear and death are hallmarks of the Gothic style. Finally, the beating heart, either originating from a supernatural source or the narrator's own madness, is a pretty strong indication that "The Tell-Tale Heart" is a Gothic story.

What role do animals play in the nitrogen cycle?

The nitrogen cycle is one of the cycles of matter and details the movement of various forms of nitrogen through the components of the environment. There are different forms of nitrogen, such as organic nitrogen, ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. Animals play a key role in the nitrogen cycle. Animals are consumers of nitrogen or nitrogenous products. They obtain the required nitrogen from plants or other animals, which they eat. Animals store nitrogen in their body in the form of proteins and nucleic acids (such as DNA). When animals die, their bodies act as sources of nitrogenous products. Decomposers (such as soil microbes), break down the nitrogen in animals' bodies and release it to be used by other consumers. Similarly, plants also act as both consumers and producers (after their death) of nitrogen.

Hope this helps. 

Where is the narrator as he tells his tale?

At the very beginning of The Black Cat, the narrator tells his readers that he is currently awaiting his own execution for the crimes he committed. He does not specify where exactly he is, but I think it is safe to assume that he is in a cell in prison, where most criminals await their executions, and he is certainly a criminal. The story he tells is one of animal cruelty and murder. Not only does he cut out the eye of his own pet cat (a cat named Pluto), he hangs the very same cat from a tree, killing it; this brings the bad luck upon the narrator that he blames for his later actions. Of course, animal cruelty is not why the narrator is being executed; instead, it is because he murdered his wife by cutting her head open with an axe and then sealing her in a wall, along with their new cat, which is his ultimate downfall.

In From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, why does Claudia enjoy planning?

At the beginning of From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, Claudia, the main character, is planning to run away. The author, E.L. Konigsburg, writes on the first page that:

She planned very carefully; she saved her allowance and chose her companion.

We find out later that one of the main reasons Claudia is running away at all is because it gives her the chance to plan an adventure. Not only is she a careful planner, but she very much enjoys planning, too. There's direct evidence of this on pages eight and nine. Let's look at the passage that provides this evidence:

Besides, once she made up her mind to go, she enjoyed the planning almost as much as she enjoyed spending money. Planning long and well was one of her special talents.

The second sentence in the passage is what tells us the reason why Claudia enjoys planning. It's one of her "special talents." In other words, she's really good at it. Isn't it true that in most cases, you enjoy doing the things you're especially good at?

What does it mean for her to have "two deaths?"

In Half-Hanged Mary, Mary Webster is being hung for the alleged crime of being a witch. At 6am, she ominously pronounces that 'Most will have only one death/I will have two.'

There are two things she may be alluding to when she says this:

1)Mary counts her hanging as the first death. Since she lives to tell the tale, Mary will likely experience her second death when either old age, disease, or some other factor claims her life. Meanwhile, the hanging has rendered her an untouchable figure in her Puritan community. The specter of her first death surrounds her like a poisonous aura, an 'ambiguous nimbus.'

2)Mary's terrible ordeal has robbed her of her reason and her identity. Prior to her hanging, she was fraudulently accused of being a witch, and now, after her botched hanging, she finds that she is one. The loss of her faculties is a sort of spiritual death. Along with the death of her reason, the obliteration of her identity is now complete. She will forever be held at arms length by every respectable citizen in her Puritan community. Now, the only one who can understand her speech is God, because no one else has experienced death twice.

Before, I was not a witch.
But now I am one.

I skitter over the paths and fields
mumbling to myself like crazy,
mouth full of juicy adjectives
and purple berries.
The townsfolk dive headfirst into the bushes
to get out of my way.

Holiness gleams on my dirty fingers,
I eat flowers and dung,
two forms of the same thing, I eat mice
and give thanks, blasphemies
gleam and burst in my wake
like lovely bubbles.

My audience is God,
because who the hell else could understand me?
Who else has been dead twice?

What equations would you use for parabolic motion equations such as for horizontal motion, and for vertical motion?

All of the equations used in projectile motion are based on the three basic kinematic equations

v = u + at

v^2 = u^2 + 2ax

x  = ut + (1/2)at^2

in these equations v represents final velocity, u represents initial velocity, a represents acceleration , x represents displacement and t represents time.

So if we apply these equations to the vertical motion we get

Initial vertical velocity = V sin theta

v(y) = v sin theta - gt    where v(t) is the vertical velocity at time t and v is the velocity

                                    of projection. In this case the acceleration is that due

                                     to gravity and is considered negative.

V^2 =( V sin theta)^2 - 2gy

y =  ( V sin theta)t - (1/2)gt^2      where y is vertical displacement

Since gravity does not act horizontally we have for the horizontal motion

Initial Horizontal velocity = V cos theta

V(x)= V cos theta       ( the horizontal velocity never changes )

x  =  ( V cos theta)t

In Jane Eyre, what does Jane like about the bird book? Does this tell us something about her character?

In Chapter One of Jane Eyre, we find Jane reading Bewick's History of British Birds. On one level, Jane likes this book because of its "certain introductory pages" which she cannot "pass a blank." Strong images of birds and ideas of faraway places, like Norway, Iceland, Siberia, and the Arctic appeal strongly to Jane. She forms her own impressions of these places in her mind which are "shadowy," yet "impressive." 

But it is not just the book's aesthetic qualities which Jane appreciates. This book offers Jane an escape from the realities of life with Mrs Reed and her cousins. She is an outsider in their home and the victim of all manner of abuses. This leads her to an important conclusion in Chapter Two: "I was a discord in Gateshead Hall; I was like nobody there; I had nothing in harmony with Mrs. Reed or her children, or her chosen vassalage."

Bewick's book, then, tells us much about Jane through its escapist qualities. Like a little bird, Jane wishes to fly away from Gateshead Hall and escape her outsider status. This sets the stage for her removal to Lowood School and her new life as the governess in the home of Mr Rochester. 

In the book Fahrenheit 451 how old is Clarisse?

Clarisse is seventeen years old.

Clarisse is Montag’s neighbor.  She knows that he is a fireman and seeks him out one night.  He is surprised that a teenager would be out so late by herself, so he asks her how old she is.

"I'm seventeen and I'm crazy. My uncle says the two always go together. When people ask your age, he said, always say seventeen and insane. Isn't this a nice time of night to walk? I like to smell things and look at things, and sometimes stay up all night, walking, and watch the sun rise." (Part I)

Clarisse is an unusual girl from an unusual family.  While most people in Montag’s community like to drive fast and spend all of their time watching television, Clarisse is a slow down and smell the roses type of girl.  She and Montag have a good talk.  She asks him if he is happy, and it never occurred to him to ask.

Montag sees Clarisse often after that, and he comes to get used to talking to her.  She is so different from everyone else he knows, because they are all distant and shallow.  One day he asks her why he feels like he has known her for a long time. 

"Because I like you," she said, "and I don't want anything from you. And because we know each other."

"You make me feel very old and very much like a father."

"Now you explain," she said, "why you haven't any daughters like me, if you love children so much?" (Part I)

He doesn't have children because his wife Mildred is little more than a statue.  All she does is watch television and listen to the radio.  They barely talk to each other.  She is not interested in children.

One day Clarisse is just no longer there.  Mildred tells Montag that she was killed when a car ran her down.  He is shocked that Mildred would not want to mention that.  It is no big deal to her, just a neighbor being killed.

Montag asks Beatty about it, and he says Clarisse is better off dead.  She and her entire family were trouble.  They were independent thinkers, and you can’t have that.  This confuses Montag and he questions it, which fits with his new worldview.  His society does more than ban books—it bans independent thought.

Clarisse is a catalyst for Montag.  She breaks him out of his shell of indifference, and makes him question himself and his actions.  Although she is only in his life for a short time, she makes a big impression on him.  In many ways, his pursuit of knowledge is a tribute to her memory.

In A Christmas Carol, what does this quote mean? "He turned upon the Ghost, and seeing that it looked upon him with a face, in which in some...

This quote is taken from the first stave of A Christmas Carol and, to understand its significance, we must look at its position in the text. At this point, Scrooge and the Ghost of Christmas Past have just revisited some of the most important experiences in Scrooge's early life. Specifically, Scrooge has watched the ending of the relationship with Belle, his former fiancée, and seen a glimpse of her later life, as a happily married woman with children. Scrooge is overcome with emotion and unable to bear any more. He says:

"Spirit!'' said Scrooge in a broken voice, "remove me from this place!'' 

The above quote then follows. 

We should interpret this quote as the physical representation of the experiences which transformed Scrooge from a normal young boy into a greedy misanthrope. By seeing these faces in the ghost's, he is forced to confront and accept the fact that his past behaviours have created his own misery. For Scrooge, his only option now is to begin the process of change. We can interpret this quote as a turning point in the book, then, which Dickens highlights through this macabre and rather Gothic description. 

Who is Prince Escalus? What lines suggest how he feels about the feuding?

He is the ruler of Verona, and not an effective one, as three brawls between these rival families have broken out on his watch ("Three civil brawls, bred of an airy word"). We can take "airy word" to mean these fights start over nothing, and have escalated quickly. As he finishes admonishing the families for fighting, he warns them "your lives will pay the forfeit" if there is one more brawl. But later, after Romeo kills Tybalt, Escalus banishes him instead of killing him ("We presume to stop the continued family once again").

When he gets what he wants (an end to the fighting), it comes at a great cost. Consider his last words...

A glooming peace this morning with it brings;

The sun, for sorrow, will not show his head:

Go hence, to have more talk of these sad things;

Some shall be pardon'd, and some punished:

For never was a story of more woe

Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.

What is his conflict about?

Tom Benecke is all alone throughout most of the story. He sends his wife off to the movies so that he can work on a business report. Since he is all alone, his conflict is mainly an internal one, of the kind often categorized as "man against himself." He is torn between his desire to retrieve the paper that blows out the window and his fear of heights. He decides that getting the paper should be easy if only he doesn't look down. There is a streak of perversity in all of us. Tom knows he shouldn't look down, but he is tempted to do so just because he knows he shouldn't. Most people have had the experience of being on a very high place and feeling the temptation to jump. Maybe it's a death wish. Heights can be terrifying, but they can also be exhilarating. That may explain why so many people go in for rock climbing, mountain climbing, parachute jumping, bungee jumping, and other such dangerous sports. That may also explain why Jack Finney's story is still being read after so many years. We as readers share Tom's fear, but we are also vicariously enjoying the whole adventure. 

The story is told from Tom's point of view--but it is told in the third person by an anonymous narrator. The advantage of this form of story-telling is that we readers can share in Tom's emotions, but if he falls to his death on the pavement eleven floors below, we can remind ourselves that it's him, not us. The title of the story seems to imply that Tom is as good as dead when he decides to climb out on that ledge. We keep expecting him to fall and to have someone going through his pockets down below to find out who he is and perhaps determine whether it was suicide or an accident. The yellow sheet in his pocket won't help much because it is all written in his own private shorthand.

Tom succeeds in resisting the temptation to look down until he gets to the spot where his paper has become stuck. Then when he reaches down very awkwardly to get the tips of his fingers on the paper, he momentarily forgets about his determination to resist looking down. What follows is the best piece of writing in the whole story.

He saw, in that instant, the Loew’s theater sign, blocks ahead past Fiftieth Street; the miles of traffic signals, all green now; the lights of cars and street lamps; countless neon signs; and the moving black dots of people. And a violent instantaneous explosion of absolute terror roared through him.

After he has seen that sight he is nearly petrified. Eventually he forces himself to start creeping back towards his window. He never looks down again, but the spectacle he saw is imprinted in his mind, as if he were a camera and only needed a fraction of a second to snap a picture. The reader, of course, has seen the same picture and can understand how it would make it harder than ever for Tom to stay on that ledge clinging to edges of the bricks.

The internal conflict in “The Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket” is far more important than the external conflict, which involves retrieving the yellow sheet of paper and getting back into his apartment though a window which refuses to open. Tom is not trying to conquer Mount Everest but only to conquer himself.

Sketch the region enclosed by the given curves. Decide whether to integrate with respect to or . Then find the...

Since the curves are and y = x + 4, you must integrate y with respect to x. First, you need to find the point of intersection between the curves  and y = x + 4, by solving the equation:

Hence, x = -1 and x = 4 and these values are the endpoints of the definite integral you need to evaluate to find the area enclosed by the given curves.

You must check what curve is greater than the other on interval , hence, you need to check the monotony of the function and you need to notice that f(x) increases on and it decreases on , hence, the function on ]  and on

You may evaluate the area such that:

Hence, evaluating the area enclosed by the curves yields

The area evaluated above is the area of the region between the red curve and orange curve, for

______ is an example of infotainment.A. Reporting on a peace agreement in the Middle EastB. A segment on the politics behind Social Security...

You have chosen the correct answer for this question.  Option E, showing a police chase, is definitely the best example (among the options given) of infotainment.

Infotainment is somewhat difficult to identify in an objective way.  It can be defined as news that is broadcast both to entertain and to inform.  The connotation is that infotainment is not really serious news.  Therefore, it can be difficult to objectively tell where “serious news” ends and infotainment begins.  For example, you might argue that it is important to show the police chase so people can know where the chase is, whether it threatens them, and how the police are behaving. 

However, of the choices given, the police chase is the clearest example of infotainment.  The others are more of “hard news” that would not be at all entertaining (as opposed to informative) to most people.

Provide an outline of the characters Elizabeth and Darcy from Pride and Prejudice.

Beginning with Elizabeth Bennett, she is a high-spirited and intelligent young lady. She is a keen social observer who mocks contemporary ideas of marriage and is very skeptical of the marriage market in general. In Chapter 21, for example, she is the first to realize that Miss Bingley does not want Jane to marry her brother, despite the obvious love between the pair:

Indeed, Jane, you ought to believe me. No one who has ever seen you together can doubt his affection. Miss Bingley, I am sure, cannot. She is not such a simpleton. Could she have seen half as much love in Mr. Darcy for herself, she would have ordered her wedding clothes. But the case is this: We are not rich enough or grand enough for them.

Elizabeth is also a very loving sister who is dedicated to preserving the well-being of her family. She walks to Netherfield, for example, after receiving the news that her sister, Jane, has developed a cold and remains with her until she is well. Later, when her sister, Lydia, elopes with Mr Wickham, Elizabeth is extremely worried for her welfare, not just the impact of this scandal on her family's reputation.  

But Elizabeth does have one major flaw: she represents "prejudice" in the novel because she allows her feelings towards Darcy to be manipulated by the false testimony of Mr Wickham. It is not until she learns the truth directly from Darcy in Chapter 35 that she changes her opinion. But this revelation marks a turning point in the novel: once her view is corrected, she begins to perceive Darcy in a different light and eventually agrees to marry him.

Conversely, Fitzwilliam Darcy represents the "pride" in Pride and Prejudice. This attitude derives, in part, from his wealthy and aristocratic background which imbues him with a sense of social superiority. In his dealings with women, Darcy often comes across as cold and blunt. We see this in Chapter 11, when Miss Bingley invites Elizabeth to join her for a walk around the room. Darcy immediately senses a ruse and is dismissive in his attitude:

You either choose this method of passing the evening because you are in each other's confidence, and have secret affairs to discuss, or because you are conscious that your figures appear to the greatest advantage in walking; if the first, I would be completely in your way, and if the second, I can admire you much better as I sit by the fire.

Similarly, in his first marriage proposal to Elizabeth, he emphasizes her "inferior" social status instead of the reasons why he loves her. This prompts a strong reaction from Elizabeth but demonstrates both his sense of superiority and his often-blunt attitude towards others.

But Darcy will admit fault when he knows he is wrong. In Chapter 50, for example, he says to Elizabeth: "I was given good principles, but left to follow them in pride and conceit." His ability to open up with Elizabeth demonstrates a warmer side to his character and is a driving force in encouraging her to fall in love with him. In other words, Elizabeth is the only person who can help him to overcome his pride, while Darcy is the only person who dissipate Elizabeth's prejudice.

Is Juliet a static or dynamic character?

Throughout the course of a story, characters may experience change. If a character does not change during the story, that character is considered static. On the other hand, if a character does change, that character is considered dynamic. With this idea in mind, I think it’s best to categorize Juliet as a dynamic character since her opinions about marriage change and she becomes more independent.

In Act I, Scene III, Lady Capulet comes to talk to Juliet about getting married. When Lady Capulet asks Juliet what she thinks about getting married, she blatantly says, “It is an honor that I dream not of.” In other words, she has zero interest in marrying anyone; in this specific case, they are referring to Paris.

Shortly after in Act I, Scene V, at the ball in which Paris is supposed to woo Juliet, she catches a glimpse of Romeo. Without even knowing his name, Juliet is infatuated with Romeo: “If he be married / My grave is like to be my wedding bed.” She’ll die if Romeo is already married. Keep in mind, this comment is coming from the girl who said marriage isn’t even on her radar just two scenes ago. In fact, in Act II, Scene II, she proposes marriage to Romeo:

“Three words, dear Romeo, and good night indeed. 

If that thy bent of love be honorable,

Thy purpose marriage, send me word tomorrow,

By one that I’ll procure to come to thee,

Where and what time thou wilt perform the rite,

And all my fortunes at thy foot I’ll lay

And follow thee my lord throughout the world.”

Back to the conversation between Lady Capulet and Juliet in Act I, Scene III, Lady Capulet pleads that Juliet makes an attempt to like Paris, to which she responds, “I’ll look to like, if looking liking move. / But no more deep will I endart mine eye / Than your consent gives strength to make it fly.” With that, Juliet is agreeing to obey her parents’ wish, but she isn’t making any promises about the outcome.

After Romeo and Juliet have already been married by Friar Lawrence, in Act III, Scene V, Lady Capulet tells Juliet she will marry Paris, “Marry, my child, early next Thursday morn / The gallant, young, and noble gentleman, / The County Paris, at Saint Peter’s Church, / Shall happily make thee there a joyful bride.”

While Juliet has already declared her independence from her parents by marrying Romeo in the first place, it is only after Juliet refuses to marry Paris that she displays her independence to them. Lord Capulet responds angrily (and, quite frankly, abusively) to her disobedience and what he views as ungratefulness.  

In what ways was Nathaniel Hawthorne connected to the Salem Witch Trials?

Nathaniel Hawthorne's most direct link to the Salem Witch Trials was a family one.  His great-great-grandfather, John Hathorne, was a judge during the trials.  Hawthorne considered the Salem Witch Trials to be one of the greatest tragedies and most humiliating moments in American history, and he was ashamed of his ancestor as a result.  In order to differentiate himself from John Hathorne, Nathaniel added the "w" to his last name.

We can see Hawthorne's attempts to work through the sense of guilt he felt as a descendant of a man responsible for the senseless deaths of nineteen people, and the incarceration of a great many more, including a small child of four, Dorcas Good, who experienced an extreme mental break, as a result of her time in jail, a break from which she never recovered (she'd confessed in order to be with her mother after her mother had been accused).  Hawthorne's The House of the Seven Gables deals directly with the subject of ancestral guilt and whether or not such guilt, when left unaddressed, continues to follow one's descendants.

According to Lorraine, what is John like in Paul Zindel's The Pigman?

Lorraine's perspective of John is sweet and kind. She feels like he portrays himself worse that he really is. For example, John writes the first chapter and talks about him smoking, swearing, drinking, bombing bathrooms, and rolling fruit to scare substitute teachers. He basically shows his rebel side and Lorraine clarifies in chapter 2 that he isn't as bad as he portrays himself to be. She says that he gets away with all of the rebellious things he does because he's "extremely handsome" (7). When they first met on the bus, he seemed very odd to her, too, because he just laughed and laughed at nothing whatsoever, and he made her laugh, too. So, he's probably goofy as well. She also gives a more direct characterization of John in the following passage:

"He's six feet tall already, with sort of longish brown hair and blues eyes. He has these gigantic eyes that look right through you, especially if he's in the middle of one of his fantastic everyday lies" (8).

She even goes on to say that the source of the problem is his family. His dad used to give him alcohol to drink, which can never be a good message to send; but, his parents are older and don't seem to know how to bond with him in a loving way. Aside from that, however, John is compassionate and fun. He makes immature mistakes, but he honestly cares for people like Mr. Pignati and he likes to have fun. For example, he doesn't mind skating around the house, making fun of mall floorwalkers, and and throwing parties. 

One of the best descriptions of John that Lorraine makes is as follows:

"John has made an art out of it (making prevarications). He prevaricates just for prevaricating's sake. It's what they call a compensation syndrome. His own life is so boring when measured against his daydreams that he can't stand it, so he makes up things to pretend it's exciting" (27).

Basically, he's a liar; but that's a fun way to say it. Lorraine turns out to be John's proverbial Jiminy Cricket, though; so they even each other out in the end.

In Animal Farm, who reduces the ideals of Animalism to the phrase, “four legs good, two legs bad?"

In Animal Farm, it is Snowball, one of the pigs, who reduces the principles of Animalism down to this single maxim. This takes place in Chapter Three after the expulsion of Mr. Jones, when Snowball is trying to help the other animals memorize the Seven Commandments. Frustrated by their inability to learn, Snowball thus reduces it, believing this maxim contains the "essential principle of Animalism."

This tactic is successful, and the animals next inscribe the maxim on the barn wall above the Seven Commandments and in "bigger letters."

That Snowball and the other pigs are responsible for developing the farm's new ideology demonstrates their superiority over the others. This foreshadows the future conflict between the pigs and the other animals, as the former ascend to become tyrannical rulers of the farm. 

Identify and discuss five examples of imagery in "Winter Dreams" that convey the emotional intensity of Dexter and Judy's entanglement.

I love that word "entanglement" as a description of Judy and Dexter's relationship. It's perfect for them: Judy keeps drawing Dexter in with her charms and beauty, filling his head with thoughts of marrying her, and then pushing him away while she gets involved with other men. Helplessly lovesick, Dexter willingly lets her do all this. And the intensity of their on-again, off-again liaison is beautifully conveyed by Fitzgerald's use of imagery. Let's check out some examples.

1. "It was a mood of intense appreciation, a sense that, for once, he was magnificently attune to life and that everything about him was radiating a brightness and a glamour he might never know again."

Here's an example of imagery so vibrating with intensity that it's not even focused on any particular object. Dexter imagines himself as surrounded by "brightness" and "glamour" as Judy approaches him from the water. His entire world is humming with light and beauty because she's in it.

2. "Early in their acquaintance it had seemed for a while that there was a deep and spontaneous mutual attraction that first August, for example--three days of long evenings on her dusky veranda, of strange wan kisses through the late afternoon, in shadowy alcoves or behind the protecting trellises of the garden arbors, of mornings when she was fresh as a dream and almost shy at meeting him in the clarity of the rising day."

The intensity of their relationship here, in its early stages, is communicated through images of darkness, shadows, and light. The image of the "protecting trellises," in particular, emphasizes the passionate secrecy of their affair.

3. "Judy Jones, a slender enamelled doll in cloth of gold: gold in a band at her head, gold in two slipper points at her dress's hem. The fragile glow of her face seemed to blossom as she smiled at him. A breeze of warmth and light blew through the room."

This is how Judy waltzes back into Dexter's life just when he'd made up his mind to forget her and marry Irene. Imagery of Judy as not even human but a perfect "doll," dressed in heavenly "gold," almost literally an angel wearing a golden halo, and emanating "warmth and light" from her smile--all of this is classic material from Fitzgerald, who likes to overwhelm us with this kind of passionate imagery.

4. "The strong walls, the steel of the girders, the breadth and beam and pomp of [the mansion] were there only to bring out the contrast with the young beauty beside him. It was sturdy to accentuate her slightness--as if to show what a breeze could be generated by a butterfly's wing."

Here, the imagery of the strong, masculine mansion is juxtaposed with Judy's graceful, slender figure, a comparison which reveals the depth of Dexter's obsession with her. That is, he is so focused on her that he perceives everything else in terms of her. 

5. "The gates were closed, the sun was gone down, and there was no beauty but the gray beauty of steel that withstands all time."

This imagery plays out in Dexter's mind when he realizes that Judy's desirability as a creature of eternal beauty was an illusion. The images of a closed gate, darkness, and cold steel combine to convey the crushing depth of Dexter's sense of loss. It's not just that he's losing Judy forever, but that he's losing his entire conception of what she was.

What is the plot and who are the characters in Chapter 13 of the book Lyddie ?

Lyddie is upset because her fellow factory girls want her to sign a petition for workers’ rights.  She doesn't sign even as conditions get more dangerous, and eventually she gets hurt.

The main characters in this chapter are Lyddie and Diana.  Lyddie is a factory worker who is trying to raise money to pay off her family’s debts.  Diana is a friend of hers who has been at the factory for fifteen years and is part of the movement for a ten hour work day.  Betsy and Amelia are others friends of Lyddie’s, also factory workers.

Factory work is not easy.  Lyddie does not want to do anything that will cause trouble.  Her friend Diana is an organizer for a worker’s rights movement, but Lyddie does not want to be involved.

She liked Diana, really she did, yet she found herself avoiding her friend as though radicalism were something catching, like diptheria. She knew Mr. Marsden was beginning to keep track of the girls who stopped by Diana's looms. She could see him watching and taking mental note. (Ch. 13)

Even though Diana is her friend, she finds herself avoiding her.  She shouts at Diana when she invites her to a meeting of the organization, and feels bad about it.  She wants to tell Diana that the reason she can’t get involved is because she needs the job.  She is responsible for her family.

Lyddie even refuses to look at the special newsletter that Diana’s group puts out.  Betsy makes a comment out this.

"Leave Lyddie alone, Betsy. You'll only get her into trouble."

"Never fret, Amelia. Our Lyddie loves money too much to risk trouble." (Ch. 13)

Lyddie is embarrassed because she doesn’t think they understand why she needs the money.  She is not being greedy, she is just worried about her family.  She refuses to think of herself as a slave.  She feels like working in the factory has given her a measure of control over her life since her father left.

Lyddie sends a letter to her mother promising her more money.  She worries about her mother, who has not been the same since her littlest sister Agnes was born and their father left.  She also worries about her little brother Charles, who works at a mill.

In a letter to Charles, Lyddie writes that she wants to try to get the farm back so the family can be together again.  Lyddie works hard, and is able to keep up with the machine speedup.  The overseer Mr. Marsden adds a fourth loom to her workload. 

Although she was never able to go to school, Lyddie tries to educate herself with a copy of Oliver Twist.  She is surprised when she learns that Amelia wants to go to college.

Things are getting so bad that any girl who does not desperately needs to money leaves.  They are immediately replaced.  There are girls who get sick and even serious injuries and deaths, but Lyddie does not have much pity.

Diana took up a collection for the hospital fees, but Lyddie had no money on her person. Besides, how could she give a contribution to some foreigner when she had her own poor baby sister to think of? She vowed to send her mother something next payday. (Ch. 13)

All Lyddie can think about is her family.  She worries about her two younger sisters and her mother.  She just keeps working.  The girls rarely get a day off, and do not get holidays.  Lyddie keeps working until one day she injuries herself on the loom, with a shuttle causing a gash in the right side of her head.  Lyddie doesn’t even want to leave work with blood gushing.  Diana asks for her to be taken to Dr. Craven, and he turns out to be the father of Diana’s baby.

How were the Maya, Toltec, Inca and Aztec civilizations different politically, economically, socially and culturally?

The Maya, Toltic, Inca, and Aztec are four indigenous South and Mesoamerican cultures. Much of what they held in common was determined by natural resources- like the production of pottery and stone goods, or the raising of crops of maize and beans. Depending on the time period, extent of the civilization, and geographic location, there were some distinctive differences that set them apart.

The Maya civilization has its origins prior to 2000 BCE, but really crystallized and thrived between the third century BCE and the seventeenth century CE. Early on, society was sharply divided between the elite and lower classes. Over time, the population increased and so did the degree of stratification and specialization. Classes of farmers, soldiers, slaves, artisans, merchants, and nobles all served to maintain and reproduce society in support of a divine, hereditary king. The king's job was to negotiate the relationship between the people on Earth and the Gods.

Maya territory was widespread throughout the modern-day nations of Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador. City-states primarily supported themselves but also established trade networks with each other to manage a surplus or dearth of specialty goods. Art made from wood, jade, and ceramics were common and might be traded. The Maya developed systems of writing mathematics, and astronomy, including a complex calendar.

The Toltec civilization is still a little bit mysterious to archaeologists. They are considered to have been influenced by, but separate from the greater Maya culture. They rose as a conquest-driven society, incorporating surrounding territories and instituting trade and some degree of cultural homogenization in these areas. Unfortunately, much of what we have learned from writing about the Toltecs is heavily bound up with mythology, so it can be hard to say what is true. We do know that they were a relatively short-lived society, thriving from about 900 to 1168 CE. They had a cultural narrative of a luxurious lifestyle and skilled potters and metallurgists, but archaeology does not support this claim. However, we know that they used systems of writing and medicine and traded obsidian with neighboring territories.

The Aztec civilization was centered in Northern Mesoamerica and experienced their peak between 1345 and 1521 CE. The empire was established through conquest but informally maintained through the installation of local rulers or alliances formed by marriage. Government was localized but involved tribute from all states to the central city of Tenochtitlan. Society was essentially organized into the nobility, peasantry, and slave classes. Different regions of the empire had specialties of production, like cloth, obsidian, or craft goods. These goods or a surplus of crops were used as tribute to the ruling class, and a commercial economy also involved trade of such goods or a monetized system using cacao beans. Music and poetry were highly valued by the Aztecs, and they also had a system of writing which may be studied from surviving ritual codices.

Between 1438 and 1533 CE, the Inca civilization thrived in what we now know as Peru, Bolivia, Columbia, and Ecuador. Territory was acquired through conquest or peaceful assimilation, and society was highly stratified and organized through an administrative system based on the number ten. An absolute king lived in the capital city of Cuzco, and below him was a nobility of ten families, then a lower nobility of ten more families, and so on. Local administration served to maintain a census and collect taxes (paid in goods,) which were then redistributed throughout the empire. The Inca had a refined and complex weaving culture, and even considered textiles to be of greater value than precious metals. They also crafted art from wood, ceramics,  metal, and painted murals, all of which incorporated geometric motifs. Society was highly controlled by the government, so much so that people could not change their style of clothing without governmental approval.

As you can see, all relied on agriculture and systems of trade. Some societies employed systems of taxation or tribute to maintain the empire, but others were more loosely or locally governed. Perhaps the biggest difference between these cultures is the degree to which their society was stratified, specialized, and under control by a central power.

http://www.ancient.eu/Maya_Civilization/

http://www.ancient.eu/Toltec_Civilization/

http://www.ancient.eu/Inca_Civilization/

http://www.ancient.eu/Aztec_Civilization/

Who started the Hippie Movement?

There is not one person who is credited with starting the Hippie Movement, but there are several social reasons why many young people during the 1960s and 1970s strayed away from the mainstream society and began to live the Hippie lifestyle. Its origins may trace to European movements such as the Bohemians, who deeply valued art, music, and literature. During the 1960s, many young people in the United States were enraged at social issues, such as civil rights, equality for women, and the growing tension in Vietnam. There was also anger towards authority and a curiosity about psychedelic drugs. Due to this unrest, the Hippies took a countercultural stance and believed that there were other "American Dreams" that did not involve traditional beliefs and culture. The Hippies created different music, believed in peace and love, and were known for experimentation with sex and drugs. Although there is not one root cause or one primary leader, the Hippie Movement was an outlet for many frustrated young men and women who needed to separate themselves from what they believed to be a corrupt society and create a utopian society instead.

What is a good visual exercise to demonstrate the fright, fight or flight response in dementia?

The fight or flight response refers to the biological process related to the autonomic nervous system. Specifically, the body’s sympathetic system is activated in the face of a threat. This system mobilizes the body for action: either standing one’s ground and fighting, or fleeing from the threat, hence the phrase fight or flight. When the threat has passed, the parasympathetic system kicks in and begins to return the body to normal.

Dementia can be caused by many diseases. Its most common form is Alzheimer’s disease. Symptoms and progression of dementia depend on the specific cause of the dementia. Very general symptoms might include forgetfulness especially with short term memory (e.g., forgetting where you put your car keys or forgetting someone’s name you know well). In Alzheimer’s disease people generally progress through stages beginning with mild symptoms and impairment, progressing to moderate, then severe. In severe stages of the disease the person has often wasted significantly and may even be in a non-communicative vegetative state. A great website to learn more about Alzheimer’s disease http://www.alz.org/ and dementia.

A visual exercise for autonomic arousal (i.e., fight or flight response) in the average person would be to present the person with some sort of threat. Think about childhood games where you yelled out “boo!” to scare your friend, which then resulted in your friend being scared (autonomic arousal). It is not really possible to provide an example specific to someone with dementia without knowing how far along in the disease process they are, but the same general concept can be applied. To induce this response one would present a threat or something frightening and they may respond in the same manner a well person would (i.e., startled, fearful, screaming). Ethically, I would advise against intentionally exposing someone to this situation. If you are looking for fight or flight responses that already exist in the demented person, you might consider the following situation. Imagine you have dementia and have been removed from your home for nursing home care. You no longer have familiar surroundings and might easily become lost or confused in your new environment full of people you do not know well. You might observe in this individual many behaviors and signs of autonomic arousal (fight or flight) ranging from looking fearful or crying to elevated blood pressure. 

What does Nagaina do to make matters worse for Nag and herself?

When Rikki- tikki first meets Nag and Nagaina, he bites Nagaina, but releases her tail too early. She survives, although she is injured and very angry. Nagaina then plots to kill the human family.  She feels that if the humans are gone, then the mongoose will leave also. That will leave the garden safe for her, Nag, and their children.  Nag is not too sure that anything will be gained by killing the humans, but Nagaina convinces him.  Her main concern is for her eggs.  They are on the verge of hatching, and,

“……our children will need room and quiet.”  (pg 5)

Nag had not thought of that, so he enters the house with the goal of killing the humans.

“I will kill the big man and his wife, and the child if I can, and come away quietly. The bungalow will be empty, and Rikki-tikki will go” (pg 5)

However, Rikki-tikki had been warned by Chuchundra, the muskrat.  Chuchundra alerted Rikki-tikki to the sound of Nag  and Nagaina’s scales scrapping against the floor. Rikki-tikki heard  their plans. When Nag enters the bungalow, he hides in the water-jar in the bathroom.  Rikki-tikki waits until Nag falls asleep and then jumps on his back and holds on for dear life.  The noise brings the man of the house, who shoots Nag with a shotgun.  Rikki-tikki didn’t think that was necessary because he had already killed Nag.

Nag’s body is tossed onto the rubbish heap, and Nagaina goes there to mourn the death of her husband. When she does so, she leaves her eggs unprotected.  Rikki-tikki sends Darzee’s wife to pretend she has a broken wing and keep Nagaina busy while he goes and bites the ends off of all but one of her eggs, killing all the cobras inside.  Rikki-tikki saves one egg, and entices Nagaina away from Teddy, the human child, with it.  Nagaina rescues the egg and dives into her cobra hole with Rikki-tikki biting her tail.  She drags him into the hole.  Rikki-tikki emerges, and Nagaina and her egg are dead. So, Nagaina’s decision to attack the family in hopes of getting rid of Rikki-tikki resulted in Nag’s death, her death, and that of her children.

What did the Progressives try to accomplish?

The Progressives tried to accomplish many things. They saw many problems in our society and tried to correct them.

The Progressives believed too many people weren’t involved in politics. Thus, they set out to change that. The 17th Amendment allowed the people to elect our United States senators. Women got the right to vote with the 19th Amendment. People could remove elected officials from office as a result of the recall. People could even get legislation introduced in the state legislature with the initiative.

The Progressives wanted to control the actions of big business. Laws were passed to inspect the meat industry as well as to regulate the food and drug industries. The government went after businesses that formed monopolies if they did things to hurt the American people. For example, the Northern Securities Company was ordered to dissolve as a result of a Supreme Court decision. Businesses were also prevented from charging different prices to different customers.

The Progressives want to protect workers and children. Child labor laws were passed, and kids had to attend school. Worker compensation laws were passed. Laws were passed to require factories to take steps to ensure worker safety.

The Progressives wanted to correct the problems they saw in society. They wanted to level the playing field for the common person.

What did Atticus tell Tom after the trial in To Kill a Mockingbird?

The trial ends in Ch. 21 and towards the end of the chapter it says Atticus went to Tom Robinson and

"whispered something to him. He put his hand on his shoulder and whispered something to him" (Ch.21).

We are not told what Atticus whispers to Tom. In Ch. 22 we know that Atticus plans to appeal, so it is possible that this is what he whispered to Tom, but we cannot know for sure. It is also not uncommon for a defense attorney, with an unfavorable outcome at hand, to offer his condolences to the defendant. Atticus might have been saying something along the lines of "I'm sorry about the outcome, but we'll keep fighting..." which would be typical in real-life and fit with what we know in the next chapter.

Alison has a car. The part of each tyre in contact with the road flattened, is shown in the diagram. When Alison gets into the car, the force...

When a stationary car is on the road, the weight of the car is transferred to the road through the tyres and they get flattened a little bit. When extra weight is added to this system, in the form of people getting in the car and/or material (or goods) being put in the vehicle, a greater amount of weight has to be transferred. This is what happens when Alison gets into her car. Now the tyres are required to support the weight of both the car and Alison and hence the tyre surface area in contact with the road increases. One can also think of this in terms of pressure (which is the ratio of force and area). As the weight of the car increases, the road-tyre contact area increases, thus keeping the ground pressure constant. 

Hope this helps. 

Was Poland with the Allied or Axis Powers?

Poland was invaded by both Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union in 1939, and its invasion marked the beginning of World War II. Great Britain and France declared war on Germany as a result of this invasion. After the invasion, some Polish fighter pilots and other military personnel who had managed to escape from the nation before it was overrun participated in many of the major engagements of the war. They were based in Great Britain, and their contributions were especially noteworthy in the Battle of Britain, when Polish pilots flew alongside RAF fighters. Polish soldiers took part in the invasion of Normandy and other battles, as well. So Poland was on the side of the Allies, even though the homeland was under occupation by Nazi Germany. Once the Soviets, driven out when the Germans invaded the USSR in 1941, returned in 1944, they were assisted by Polish partisan fighters (though some also resisted the Soviets). 

Why is it important that Jem Finch grows taller in the book?

The visual impact of Jem Finch growing taller in Harper Lee's "To Kill A Mockingbird" suggest he is growing in several different aspects of his life.  He is no longer a child, doing things a child would do.  He starts to consider people other than himself.  He starts to consider other people's feelings and ways of doing things.  Take the time he had to serve some time with Mrs. Dubose when he disparaged her camellia flower beds.  Initially, he would have rather eaten a dirt sandwich than read to her.  But by the time he had served his sentence, he came to understand a little better why she was the way she was.  His interaction with Reverend Sykes at Tom Robinson's trial shows his thinking is starting to mature.  So the fact he is getting taller serves as a visual reminder that Jem is changing in a lot of different ways.

Which African country best overcame difficulties faced after gaining independence from colonial rule?

Botswana, which is a small landlocked country in southern Africa, has been a shining example of economic success for Africa's post-colonial legacy. The country, which gained independence from Great Britain in 1966, was one of the poorest countries on the continent at transition. It quickly installed a representative democracy to replace the colonial government. In the thirty years that succeeded Botswana's independence, Botswana experienced business growth at a rate of 9%. This is made even more remarkable when considering the geographic challenges that the country faces in being landlocked and having 70% of its territory falling in the Kalahari Desert.

Today, Botswana is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. It's gross domestic product per capita of $14,000 ranks fourth in the continent of Africa. Utilizing the measurement of Human Development Index (HDI), Botswana ranks first in all of Africa. Botswana has one of the most advanced banking systems on the continent, which has been fueled by resource development. Resources that are produced include precious metals, diamonds, and even fossil fuels.

What is the origin and meaning of the term "pot-house"?

The term pot-house, or pothouse, is basically a synonym for a tavern, though some dictionaries may specify a “small” tavern. According to Merriam-Webster the first known use was in the year 1598, and its origin is likely from Middle and Old English, a combination of the words “pot” and “house,” the first deriving from Old English pott, similar to Middle Low German pot, with the same meaning. House of course derives from the Middle English hous, Old English hūs, related to Old High German hūs. We can assume that the compounding of these two words arose in the same manner as the words “alehouse, “tap-house,” and “barroom;” in Germanic languages compounding has historically been a common practice in designating nouns based on their literal function and characteristics.

A good example for the use of the word comes from George Eliot’s Middlemarch: “…and you may carry your stories into every pothouse in the town, but you shall have no sixpence from me to pay your expenses there."

Does Atticus's advice get taken or not in Chapter 3 of To Kill a Mockingbird?

Atticus's advice about not understanding a person until one considers things from that person's point of view is certainly taken by Scout and also by Jem.

Certainly, the clearest evidence of this advice having been taken is in Chapter 31 of To Kill a Mockingbird as Scout stands on the Radley porch after having walked Boo Radley back to his home from her house. As Scout looks at her neighborhood from this perspective, she begins to understand how Boo has watched them through the seasons and vicariously lived through their activities. Thus, he must have thought of them as "his children." And, when they were attacked by the villainous Bob Ewell, "his children needed him."

Atticus was right. One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them. Just standing on the Radley porch was enough.

Scout has stood in Boo's "shoes" and walked in them.

Another example that supports the advice of Atticus is Jem's experience with Mrs. Dubose. Whereas he has previously believed Mrs. Dubose to be a cantankerous, spiteful old woman who cruelly maligns the integrity of his father, Jem's being forced to read to her in her dying days causes him to learn otherwise. Mrs. Dubose has been under the influence of morphine because of her terrible pain, so she was not truly herself when she issued such biting insults at his father.
Getting to know Mrs. Dubose better--standing in her shoes, so to speak--has caused Jem to understand her previous behavior.

To what extent can we consider the incident of the cave a turning point in relation between the British and the Indians in A Passage to India?

The incident at the Marabar Caves proved to be a significant turning point in the relationship between the Indians and the British in A Passage to India.

There had been existing tension between the Indians and the British who lived in Chandrapore.  However, it is clear that the reaction to what happened in the caves between Aziz and Adela brought these tensions to the surface.  It was a turning point between both groups because it helped to fill out the narrative that both sides had regarding the other.  The British who lived in Chandrapore saw the incident at the caves a prime example of how Indians are "savages" and cannot be trusted.  Members of British society like Heaslop, Turton, and McBride looked at Aziz's actions as representative of how all Indians behave, thereby justifying British rule.  At the same time, Indians viewed what happened in the caves as the embodiment of how the British take advantage of Indians.  The incident at the caves epitomized British disrespect towards "the natives."  The Indians saw Adela's claims as false. The incident in the caves was a significant turning point because it brought the simmering tensions of both sides to the surface.

The enmity between the Indians and the British was clearly seen in Aziz's trial.  Both sides viewed the other as playing "politics."  As a result, neither side trusted the other and the truth could not be achieved. The trial became a "muddle," just like the relationship between the Indians and the British after the incident in the caves.   

What is the tone of "I, Too, Sing America" by Langston Hughes?

The tone of the poem is pride and defiance.  It speaks of a racial divide in America that white people are perfectly content to ignore.  Sending the speaker to the kitchen to eat can be symbolic of segregation, but also of America's desire to ignore the race problem.  Kind of like out of sight and out of mind.  

Despite the poor treatment of black people, Hughes states that they will overcome and "grow strong."  He envisions a future where his people will rise up and demand full equality.  By suggesting he is a "brother," demonstrates an equal relationship.  The belief that black people will work to secure their rights against all odds is best exhibited in the following passage: 

But I laugh,
And eat well,
And grow strong.

The inclusion of "I laugh," is an example of defiance as a theme.  Despite whatever unfair treatment he is subjected to, he will not let it break his spirit. Hughes also says that America will be ashamed of its past treatment of black people which is also somewhat defiant.  

Nobody will dare
Say to me,
"Eat in the kitchen,"
Then.

Besides,
They'll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed--

What is a summary that thoroughly explains pages 140 to 165 of Fahrenheit 451?

In this last part of Fahrenheit 451, Guy Montag makes his escape and meets the community about whom Faber has told him, a community who invite him to live among them.

[This summary will begin after a break on the page that then begins with "He was three hundred yards downstream when the Hound reached the river."]

As Montag floats down a river to disguise his scent from the Mechanical Hound, he feels as though he has left behind some kind of drama, and is moving from an unreality to something real. Contemplating the moon and its light from the sun that always burns, Montag decides that he must no longer burn because the sun burns, too, and it burns Time. So, if he burns also, everything will pass; instead, the saving and beginning must recommence.

Some time later, Montag steps out of the river and finds a hay loft in which to rest. There he continues in his meditations on nature, considering how Mildred would react and reminiscing about the delightful Clarisse. In the morning, Montag finds the railroad tracks, the path to wherever he is going. Somehow Montag feels as though Clarisse has walked this path before. In less than a hour, he sees a fire, "A strange fire because it meant something different: It was warm. Around it stands men as they talk. Soon, one of the men looks up and seeing him, calls out, "You can come out now."
A man named Granger introduces himself and hands Montag something to drink that will disguise his scent. Then, he indicates that they have a portable television set and have been watching the news about the search for him. Further, Granger tells Montag that the government will have to find a scapegoat for Montag soon because the attention span of the people is too short to be sustained.
It is not long after this conversations that the men hear a voice on the television cry out, "There's Montag! The search is done!" As the camera zooms in, the man is attacked by the Hound, and the man screams and screams as he is made the scapegoat for the government when the Mechanical Hound leaps into the air striking him and killing him. Soon, the men hear an announcer on the television declare the search finished as a blurred face of the "criminal Montag" is displayed. 

Granger touches Montag's arm, saying, "Welcome back from the dead." Montag is safe now because the search for him is ended. He is introduced to the other men. Impressed with the credentials of these men who have been professors and specialists, Montag says, "I don't belong with you....I've been an idiot all the way." But the men tell him that they, too, have made mistakes--the "right kind of mistakes"--or they would not be standing there, and they invite him to join them. They are the preservers of knowledge, having each memorized pieces of history. literature, and international law. Some have had surgery to disguise their faces, but most of the time if they are stopped and searched, there is nothing to incriminate them, so they are not arrested. They await the time that people will finally realize that something has happened to the world. Then, all the thousands who have memorized books will be called in and things be put back into print again. And they will return important ideas to the people.

Granger then tells Montag of his grandfather, who was a sculptor. This man left something valuable for men when he died, Granger remarks. This is what men should do. In a short while, Montag cries, "Look!" because the war has begun and the bombs begin to fall. Sadly, he imagines Mildred dying in her hotel room. The men lie face down during the bombing, the rise to build another fire. Granger is reminded of the mythological Phoenix that also rose from ashes; he tells the others that they will remember and will meet lonely people who will need them.
Soon, the men begin to walk and after a short time, others follow them. Montag feels the "slow stir of words, the slow simmer." He prepares himself for what he can say to others that will be meaningful.

From J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, what are a few examples of how Holden Caulfield avoids forming relationships with others?

Holden suffers from depression and social anxiety. These two mental illnesses certainly don't help Holden to sustain relationships. In fact, Holden either avoids deepening a relationship with new people by running away or he sabotages his current ones by acting out in some immature way. Looking more closely at Holden, one might discover a pattern that he tends to follow. The destruction of the relationship generally starts in his head as he criticizes the other person for behaviors that he doesn't approve of.  Then, he loses control verbally by insulting the person, physically by hitting the person, or simply by avoiding the person all together.

One relationship that he hurts through verbal irresponsibility is with Sally. Holden says the following:

"'C'mon, let's get outa here,' I said. 'You give me a royal pain in the ass, if you want to know the truth.' Boy, did she hit the ceiling when I said that. I know I shouldn't've said it, and I probably wouldn't've ordinarily, but she was depressing the hell out of me. Usually I never say crude things like that to girls. Boy, did she hit the ceiling" (133-134).

The date breaks up after that and he probably never sees Sally after that. An example of how Holden ruins a friendship by hitting someone is with his roommate Ward Stradlater. Holden gets jealous because Stradlater has a date with his friend Jane and he doesn't feel he will respect her. After the date, Stradlater won't give Holden details and Holden flips out. 

"This next part I don't remember so hot. All I know is I got up from the bed, like I was going down to the can or something, and then I tried to sock him, with all my might, right smack in the toothbrush, so it would split his goddam throat open. Only, I missed. . . Anyway, the next thing I knew, I was on the goddam floor and he was sitting on my chest, with his face all red" (43).

In the end, Holden feels guilt and regret for his behavior, but he doesn't do anything really to mend these two relationships. 

The final relationship which is ruined by Holden running away is with Mr. Antolini; however, this is one where Holden might have done the right thing even though it put himself in danger. Holden wakes up to Mr. Antolini petting his head and he freaks out and runs away in the middle of the night. He jets out of there quickly instead of standing up for himself and holding Mr. Antolini responsible for his actions (192). On the other hand, Holden is the child in this situation and needed to run, but it is another example of how Holden compulsively runs away from people.

For other relationship examples, see what Holden says about Jane Gallagher, the girl he never calls (78-79), a schoolmate, Carl Luce (140-141), and his siblings (198-200).

The second angle in a triangle is one third as large as the first. The third angle is two thirds as large as the first angle. Find the angle...

Let the angles of the triangle measure a, b and c. 

Since, the second angle is one third as large as the first angle, we get: 

b = 1/3 a

Similarly, the third angle is two third as large as the first angle, thus:

c = 2/3 a

Since, the sum of all the angles of a triangle is 180 degrees, we get,

a + b + c = 180 degrees

substituting the values of a,b and c into the equation, we get:

a + 1/3 a + 2/3 a = 180

or, 2 a = 180

or a = 180/2 = 90 degrees

and hence, b = 1/3 a = 1/3 x 90 = 30 degrees

and c = 2/3 a = 2/3 x 90 = 60 degrees

Thus, this is a right angled triangle, with angles measuring 30, 60 and 90 degrees.

Hope this helps. 

In Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes, what does Charlie realize about Gimpy? Why is he so angry?

In Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes, Charlie realizes that the head baker Gimpy is stealing from the company. Gimpy is undercharging customers for kickbacks. Charlie does not know what to do, so he goes to Drs. Strauss and Nemur and asks for their advice. Dr. Strauss feels that Charlie should report Gimpy to Mr. Donner--that it is the moral thing to do, but Dr. Nemur does not think Charlie should get in the middle of it. He goes on to say that before Charlie's surgery, Charlie was nothing more than "an inanimate object"  (Keyes 21), which takes away all accountability for him. This enrages Charlie. He feels that Dr. Nemur does not understand that even though he might have been mentally disabled, he still had feelings and thoughts like every other person. In the end Charlie asks Alice for her thoughts, and she tells him that his decision is inside himself. For the first time, Charlie realizes that he can make up his own mind. He talks to Gimpy and gives him a chance to reform his ways. 

To Macbeth, the first and the second two apparitions say contradictory statements. What are the witches' motives for doing this?

The first apparition conjured by the witches in Act 4, scene 1, tells Macbeth to "Beware Macduff."  The second apparition says, "Be bloody, bold, and resolute. Laugh to scorn / The power of man, for none of woman born / Shall harm Macbeth."  Therefore, the first spirit warns Macbeth about the Thane of Fife while the second tells him to go ahead and feel confident because no man born of woman will be able to harm him: an apparent contradiction.

This is a trick.  It is true that Macduff will be the one to kill Macbeth; however, the second apparition's statement is so enigmatically worded that it sounds as though Macbeth has nothing to fear because, of course, every man was born of a woman.  However, Macbeth doesn't realize that Macduff was born via Caesarean section, and so he wasn't -- in an extremely literal and technical sense -- "born."  The witches hope to make Macbeth feel secure so that he does not put up his guard.  If he feels safe, then he will actually be more vulnerable and liable to make mistakes.

What inspired Myop to change?

Myop’s confrontation with the grim and dark reality of the world surrounding her induced the change in her. So far cocooned in parental love and care, Myop had been living in her own innocent and beautiful world. The discovery of the skull of a black man introduces her to an altogether different world, that's filled with violence and hatred.

Until this discovery, Myop had lived in her little idyllic world. Flowers, “pretty ferns and leaves,” streams, the woods, “the warm sun” and the harmless birds and animals including chickens and pigs, and her mother were the only members of this world. 

One day, while going back home from the woods, she accidentally stepped on a human skull. It was lying covered under leaves and twigs. Close to the skull was a tree, on one of its branches a rope was hanging. This clearly indicated that the skull belonged to a black person who must have been lynched.

Lynching African-Americans in public was quite common until mid-twentieth century. A black man could be lynched for practically no reason. It was a means to establish white supremacy over blacks.

The skull and the rope made it clear that a man was brutally murdered. She wasn't prepared to see this ugly face of the world that surrounded her. She was appalled and horrified. With this, her ideal world of innocence and beauty was shattered, leaving Myop a changed girl.

Were the colonist justified in revolting from Great Britain? Explain why this is potentially a bad idea.

The colonists were justified in revolting from Great Britain. However, there were risks involved in doing this.

The colonists believed the British government violated their rights. The colonists believed the tax laws such as the Stamp Act and the Townshend Acts violated their rights because they didn’t have representatives in Parliament who could vote on these laws. The colonists also felt the search warrants to cut down on smuggling were illegal. When Parliament passed the Intolerable Acts in response to the Boston Tea Party, the colonists refused to obey these laws. Eventually, fighting broke out at Lexington and at Concord. Many colonists knew a war against Great Britain was more likely after these battles occurred.

While the colonists felt they had the right to break free from British rule, there were some hazards in doing this. The British had taken care of many things for which we would now be responsible. We would have to build and supply our military. This wouldn’t be an easy task to accomplish. We would have to develop a plan of government that would allow us to govern ourselves. It turned out the first plan wasn’t that effective and had to be replaced. This showed how difficult it was to write an effective plan of government. The government would have to deal with those people who weren’t going to be happy with any form of government that we developed. We also were going to have to deal with other countries that were going to try to test us to see how we would respond to their aggressive actions toward us. For example, we would have to deal with countries that were interfering with our trade. Under British rule, these were things for which we were not responsible.

Independence sounded like a great idea to many colonists. It also carried with it a huge responsibility that we might not have fully been ready to meet at that time.

In "Raymond's Run", why would Squeaky's mother want Squeaky to be in the May Day program?

Squeaky’s mother wants her to run in the May Day race because all little girls do it.

Squeaky’s interest in May Day is purely athletic.  She wants to run in the May Day races.  Running is her life.  She runs the race every year, and she expects to win.  Squeaky works hard, training for the race daily.  Her mother is mostly embarrassed by this unladylike behavior.

I’ll high-prance down 34th Street like a rodeo pony to keep my knees strong even if it does get my mother uptight so that she walks ahead like she’s not with me, don’t know me, is all by herself on a shopping trip, and I am somebody else’s crazy child.

Squeaky feels that her mother wants to make her into something she is not, by forcing her to be a girl.  Squeaky has her own way of being a girl.  She doesn’t understand why her mother wants her to participate in the Maypole dance, and her mother can’t understand why she doesn’t want to.

The biggest thing on the program is the May Pole dancing, which I can do without, thank you, even if my mother thinks it’s a shame I don’t take part and act like a girl for a change.

Running is more important to Squeaky because it involves winning, and Squeaky likes to win.  She has trouble getting along with the other girls, because she feels that they are insincere.  The end result is that she is often all alone, except for taking care of her brother.

Mothers and daughters often have trouble seeing eye to eye.  A mother may wish that her daughter be something that she is not, while a daughter just wishes that her mother accepted who she was.  Eventually, Squeaky comes to terms with her true self, and even makes a friend.

When Montag enters his home, he stares at the blank wall, but in his memory sees Clarisse. What extended simile describes how he sees her? What is...

A simile is a comparison of two unlike things using the words "like" or "as". The extended simile found in Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 compares Clarisse's face to a mirror, which then is applied to Montag himself. It's as if Clarisse's face turns into a mirror as he thinks about her, thus ultimately bringing up Montag's face in front of him for analysis. Then, Montag himself, thinks up another simile to compare with the first. The passage is as follows:

"He glanced back at the wall. How like a mirror, too, her face. Impossible; for how many people did you know who refracted your own light to you? People were more often--he searched for a simile, found one in his work--torches, blazing away until they whiffed out" (11).

Hence, in this case, two similes are actually compared to each other. First the mirror is compared to his and Clarisse's faces; and then Montag contrasts her face against those of other people's. He realizes that other people's faces may light up for while, but they are eventually "whiffed out," or extinguished. Clarisse, on the other hand, shows his light to himself. He sees that both of them have a light within them that isn't easily extinguished. That light is life, and love, and inquisitiveness. This is significant because this is the event that sparks Montag to question the world in which he lives. This realization sets him on the path to analyzing his life and needing to discover what might be missing from it. He doesn't want to be a person who lives his life without that light and he sets out to discover it.

Does Cassius saying, "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in the stars/But in ourselves, that we are underlings," have any connection to Caesar saying...

The Romans of “Julius Caesar” spend a lot of time thinking and talking about planetary movements and other omens and what impact they have on human behavior. Caesar calls himself “constant as the Northern Star,” Cassius scoffs at the notion of heavenly influence, saying that our fate “is not in our stars,” soothsayers tell fortunes, priests make sacrifices and try to read entrails. It’s a superstitious society, much to Cassius’s dismay, and one theme of “Julius Caesar” concerns just how predetermined our fates are. The soothsayer predicts Caesar will die, and he does, exactly as predicted. Does that mean we can’t escape our destiny? Brutus has a plan for how to govern after Caesar’s death but it goes horribly wrong when Antony successfully turns the citizens against him: was that also predetermined? Or could Brutus have made different choices and created a different outcome? Cassius believes that people are “masters of their fates”; the play asks us to consider to what extent we think that’s true.

When you throw a ball against a wall, the ball bounces back. Is a force needed to make the ball bounce back? If so, what exerts the force?

According to Sir Isaac Newtons third law of motion, "For every action force, there is an equal reaction force in the opposite direction."  What this means is when you exert a force upon the wall, as the ball does when it strikes it, the wall exerts an equal force back upon the ball, causing the ball to bounce back in the opposite direction.  It also depends on other factors, such as the composition of the ball, whether the ball is inflated or flat, and the texture of the wall.  The amount of force is determined by the person throwing the ball.  A large force will result in the ball striking the wall and rebounding almost in a straight-line fashion back to the person.  A smaller force will result in the ball striking the wall with less impact, bouncing in a downward fashion on the return trip to the person.

What is economics?

You will get a variety of answers to this question because there are so many fields within the discipline of economics, but perhaps the simplest definition of economics is this one from the American Economics Association, who define it as "the study of how people choose to use resources." This involves how things are produced or made, how they are sold or traded, and how they are employed, used, or consumed. So in the end, economics is about choices that we have to make because resources of all kinds are scarce, or limited in quantity. Because this is very broad, there are different fields within economics. Microeconomics involves individual or family economic decisions. Macroeconomics involves economic theory and how economic decisions are made by societies and nations. So economics is more than just the study of money. It is the study of almost everything we do as a society--how we choose to allocate resources, what and how much we choose to consume, and how we choose to produce things, just to name a few topics.

How likely are you to die in a traffic accident than from other causes?

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) maintains records of fatalities associated with car accidents in the United States. The IIHS website is linked below where they report 32,719 fatalities in the year 2013. 

The US Census population clock (also linked below) reports that on Dec. 31st, 2013 there were approximately 317,773,895 persons present in the country.

To calculate the odds of dying in a car crash, we must take the number of traffic fatalities and divide by the population number. The result, expressed as a percentage, can give us an idea of the likelihood of dying in a car accident.

As you can see, the chance of dying in a car accident is very low, about 1 in 10,000.

However, this does not take into account dying in a car accident as opposed to other causes. The CDC reports that 2,596,993 deaths occurred in 2013. So we will calculate a new percentage as follows:

So, compared to all other causes, about 1 death out of every hundred deaths is from a traffic accident.

This changes the form of matter, but does not change the original substance into another substance. What is this?

Physical changes may change the form of a substance. However, physical changes do not change the composition of the substance. Thus, no new substances are made during physical changes.

Examples of physical changes are smashing, tearing, and mixing. Additionally, all phase changes are physical changes. An example of a phase change is liquid water freezing. During a phase change, energy is added or removed. When energy is added, the molecules begin to move faster and apart. When energy is removed, the molecules begin to slow down and come closer to one another. Although the distance between the molecules may change during a phase change, the composition of each molecule remains the same.

On the other hand, chemical changes can change both the appearance and chemical composition of a substance. Thus, chemical changes create new substances. Chemical changes involve the breaking of chemical bonds and the formation of new chemical bonds. Examples of chemical changes include fermentation, decomposition, oxidation, and combustion.

The total number of each type of atom within a chemical or physical change is the same before and after the change occurs. Thus, no matter is created nor destroyed during either a chemical or physical change. This concept is known as the law of conservation of matter.

How do the questions sociologists ask differ from the questions asked by psychologists or health care providers?

The main difference is “public and social” vs. “personal and individual.” Sociologists do research and ask about population shifts, socio-economic conditions of groups, the effects of public living on more than one individual, climate, geography, etc. – the social status of human populations. The psychiatrist, on the other hand, makes a complete survey of a single person and asks about the effects of world forces on individuals – how experiences to an individual alter his/her subsequent view of life, how early life shapes later life, and how the action-choices an individual makes are reflected in his behavior. A sociologist might ask a psychiatrist’s patient “What was your family life like? Financially well off or struggling for survival?”, while a psychiatrist would ask “Was you dad ever violent toward you?” If discussing a law, a sociologist might ask “Will this law discourage recidivism?” while a psychologist or psychiatrist might ask “”How will this law affect an offender’s self-image?”