Friday, July 31, 2015

How is Ebenezer Scrooge of A Christmas Carol a Gothic character?

While A Christmas Carol might seem Gothic at first, with its abundance of ghosts and clanking chains, Scrooge doesn't seem to be a Gothic protagonist, not in the traditional sense.  Protagonists of Gothic novels tend to be avatars of innocence, and as such are very often young and female.  Examples are Jane Eyre, Emily St. Aubert of Ann Radcliffe's The Mysteries of Udolpho, and Laura of Carmilla.  These hapless young women are usually plagued and victimized by powerful evils out of their control, which in their turn are almost always metaphors for oppression, hence subgenre designations such as Female Gothic (Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights) and Irish Gothic (Carmilla).  If these protagonists get happy endings, which they don't always, it's by the power of their innocence and goodness.


I say all this because when A Christmas Carol is viewed in this light, Scrooge begins to look a lot like a Gothic villain, representing the evil of avarice.  He's the consummate miser at the beginning of the story, and just letting Bob Cratchit stay home on Christmas Day is like pulling teeth for him.  Furthermore, the Ghost of Christmas Present implies that Scrooge's unmitigated greed will be the ultimate cause of Tiny Tim's death.


Which brings me to a related point:  if Scrooge is the Gothic villain in this story, the evil powerful oppressor, then Tiny Tim and Bob Cratchit represent two different facets of the Gothic protagonist.  Tiny Tim is obviously the avatar of innocence, like I mentioned earlier, and Bob Cratchit represents the virtuous, working hero who becomes more common in later Gothic fiction (e.g. Robert Audley of Lady Audley's Secret, Gabriel Utterson of Jekyll and Hyde).


Back to Scrooge, though.  To provide a short answer to your question, Scrooge absolutely starts out as a Gothic villain, and he's redeemed in no small part due to the innocence and purity of Tiny Tim and Bob Cratchit.


I hope this helps!

Thursday, July 30, 2015

Compare and contrast "The Necklace" by William H. Coles and "The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant.

Guy de Maupassant's classic short story, "The Necklace," set in 19th century Paris, is about a middle class woman who longs to be rich. When she borrows and then loses the necklace of the title her life is changed forever. De Maupassant's story is a firm condemnation of materialism as the sought after wealth which the necklace symbolizes turns out to be a fake.


William H. Coles short story of the same name is about upper middle class Americans on tour in India in the present day. There is a deliberate contrast between the ostentatious materialism of the necklace worn by Betsy and the appalling squalor of the Indian people.


It's possible to compare Madame Loisel with the narrator's companion, Helen. At the beginning of de Maupassant's story Madame Loisel covets the opulence of the rich. She dreams of lavishly furnished rooms with expensive pieces of art and of servants catering to her every whim. In Coles' story, Helen spends part of her life in a seventeen room estate she receives in a divorce. The narrator lives in a small apartment and there is some conflict over where the couple might end up living if they marry. Coles says that Helen "longs" for the comfortable life in her mansion.


In de Maupassant's story Madame Loisel changes over the course of the story. She goes from being a self centered and impetuous young woman to being determined and hard working. Once the necklace is lost her life is changed and she rises to the occasion. At one point de Maupassant calls her heroic in her determination to help her husband pay off the debt they accrue in replacing the necklace.


Likewise, Helen changes over the course of the story. She is profoundly effected by the plight of the Indian poor, especially after the expensive necklace Betsy wears is stolen by street people in New Delhi. In the climax of the story Helen gives away all the worldly possessions she has in her purse to a mob of beggars outside the Taj Mahal. This symbolic cleansing of materialism is similar to the privations experienced by Madame Loisel. Both women have an important epiphany about the importance of wealth. Helen, when Betsy loses the necklace and later dies, and Madame Loisel, when she discovers the necklace she borrowed from Madame Forestier was fake.


A major difference in the stores is that de Maupassant's tale ends on a sad note. Madame Loisel's life is ruined and she seems to realize too late that life's meaning transcends wealth and materialism. For Helen and the narrator of Coles' story, the experience in India strengthens their relationship. Helen will not take her life for granted. She tells the narrator that they can live wherever they want and still be happy. She has realized through the interaction with Betsy and Anwar how important her relationship with the narrator is for her. In a final bit of symbolism relating the two stories, the narrator gives Helen a very inexpensive native Indian necklace as a symbol of their new life.    

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

What are the differences between BRN and American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing?

The organizations mentioned in this question are the BRN, the Board of Registered Nursing of California, and the American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing.  


The Board of Registered Nursing is a California state government agency that was created by law. The board consists of four members of the public and five registered nurses. The board also sets educational and practice standards for nurses in California.  Furthermore, the BRN issues and renews licenses for nurses and addresses disciplinary action for nurses in California.


The American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing (AAACN), on the other hand, is a national organization that provides networking, advocacy, and leadership development to all nurses in an ambulatory setting. Unlike the BRN, the AAACN has close to 3000 members that are restricted to those nurses practicing in an ambulatory care setting. The organization also offers a special certification in Ambulatory Care Nursing and accredits the RN-BC.

How do other characters interact with Aunt Alexandra in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird?

Aunt Alexandra fusses with Atticus throughout the novel. Alexandra disapproves of the way Atticus is raising his children. Particularly, she is upset with Atticus for not instilling in them a sense of family pride. She tells Atticus that he needs to teach his children the importance of the Finch family name. Atticus attempts to please his sister but feels silly telling his children useless information. She also argues with Atticus about defending Tom Robinson. Alexandra thinks the Atticus made the wrong decision by taking the case and believes it will only adversely affect the family. Atticus defends his choices and continues to make independent decisions despite Alexandra's disapproval.


Aunt Alexandra treats her niece, Scout, with contempt. Scout views her Aunt as an authoritative, callous adult. Their interactions are brief and often controversial. Alexandra is constantly chastising Scout for her "tomboyish" ways. Scout not only disagrees with Alexandra on the topic of fashion but reacts with disdain when she is told not play with Walter Cunningham.


In Chapter 24, Aunt Alexandra hosts the missionary circle at the Finch residence. The neighborhood ladies, which include: Mrs. Merriweather, Mrs. Farrow, Miss Stephanie, and Miss Maudie join the circle to discuss issues throughout Maycomb and abroad. The ladies seem to enjoy Alexandra's company which is why they are in attendance. Scout mentioned earlier in the novel that Alexandra fit in perfectly with the ladies in Maycomb. Mrs. Merriweather makes an indirect comment criticizing Atticus, and Miss Maudie subtly rebukes her. Alexandra gives a look of approval to Maudie, letting her know she appreciates the gesture.

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Explain the concept of globalization and its advantages and disadvantages for social, political and economic development.

Globalization is the process of achieving an international marketplace for goods and services. It is an attempt to minimize the effect of national boundaries as a deterrent for trading materials. It is characterized by loosening of legislation that hampers the export of goods. Companies can manufacture and sell goods in a variety of different countries. Large multinational corporations are the biggest players in globalization.


The advantages of globalization are generally felt in more developed countries. The consumer benefits the most in terms of prices and the variety of goods and materials available for purchase. Companies can generally achieve lower operating costs through globalization. This sometimes happens by exploiting labor from underdeveloped countries. An advantage for developing countries is the introduction of new technologies and business models that may help in their efforts at modernization.


Globalization also comes with a downside for both developed and undeveloped societies. For undeveloped countries, the exploitation of labor and resources by multinational corporations can be seen as a deterrent to economic progress. Countries may become overdependent on the goods and services of another country which can lead to international disputes and warfare. This has been a theme of the modern Middle East as the major supplier of petroleum. Another negative of globalization is that economic conditions like recession may impact other countries as all of the nations become interconnected. For developed countries, the loss of manufacturing jobs is a real issue as companies pursue labor sources that are cheaper.

What is the significance of the orientation and layout of the periodic table?

The periodic table of elements is an arrangement of all the known chemical elements in a tabular manner. These elements have been arranged in a number of columns (known as groups) and rows (known as periods). The arrangement is according to the properties of the elements, for example, elements with similar properties are listed close to each other, and all the noble gases are part of the last group, while all the alkali metals (such as sodium, potassium, etc.) are part of group I. Moreover, there is a trend of properties in a particular group or period. For example, the atomic radius increases as we move down a group, while it decreases as we move across a period. Due to this unique layout and orientation of periodic table, we can even have spaces for as yet undiscovered elements, based on their properties. 


Hope this helps. 

When will Korea take action against North Korea?

South Korea will very likely not take action against North Korea unless South Korea is invaded or severely threatened. South Korea certainly will not take action against North Korea on its own. If action were taken, it would be done with other countries involved. These countries would include the United States and Great Britain. The United Nations would very likely have a role in some action.


There are some scenarios where the action might be taken. If North Korea launched a missile at South Korea, South Korea would respond. If North Korea invaded South Korea, there would also be a response. There currently is a lot of discussion about taking action against North Korea if North Korea develops a nuclear weapon. While there may be other scenarios involved regarding taking action against North Korea, before any action was taken against North Korea, South Korea would consult with the United States as well as other countries and other organizations. Since the Korean War ended, there have been opportunities to consider military action, but no major actions have occurred. Most incidents that have occurred have been near the border of these two countries.

Monday, July 27, 2015

If the pressure is held constant, does increasing the solute concentration increase or decrease the water potential number?

Water potential describes the tendency of water to move from one place to another. Water moves from areas of high water potential to areas of low water potential.


Water potential is dependent on the solute potential and the pressure potential.


Water potential = solute potential + pressure potential



  • Solute Potential: Solute potential describes the effect that dissolved solids have on the water potential. As solute is added to water, the value of the solute potential becomes more negative and the water potential decreases.


  • Pressure Potential: Pressure potential describes the effect that pressure has on the water potential. Positive pressure increases the water potential, while negative pressure decreases the water potential.

If the pressure is held constant, changes in the water potential will be dependent only on the change in the solute potential. The addition of more solute to the water results in a decrease in the water potential number.

Sunday, July 26, 2015

I am writing a Literary Analysis essay about Arthur Miller and The Crucible, I can't think of any really good hooks, any ideas?

Without knowing what you are going to analyze in The Crucible, I can only give you some general tips for how to start your essay.  As an English teacher, I tell my students to avoid the old standard ways of starting an essay with a definition, quote, or question.  Now, this is my personal opinion.  They are such overused ways to start an essay that they become ineffective clichés.  So, that is the first advice.  Sometimes people start essays with an anecdote or “short story” or an interesting fact that will grab the reader’s attention.  Those facts must “wow” your reader, or they, too, are ineffective.  Think about these ideas as you write your “hook”:


  • Who is your audience?  Make sure your hook is formal, like this essay probably is, and focus on what idea you want to get across to your reader.  Set up your credibility as a writer with the hook.

  • How do you want your audience to feel about what your essay is about?  Think about how your hook will set up the mood and the tone of the essay.

  • Think about writing your hook last.  Have a strong thesis to guide your paper, and after writing the essay, return to the hook and background information needed in your introductory paragraph. 

  • Use descriptive writing and figures of speech to set the scene or get across an idea. 

Ideas for The Crucible hooks?  Again, this depends on the topics you are writing about.


  • Why did Miller title the play, The Crucible?  What is a crucible?

  • Why did he write this play?  What connections are there to the McCarthy hearings and his experiences with the Red Scare?

  • Think psychological—What motivates people?  How is the play symbolic of the human condition?

I hope this helps!!

How and why do the actions of the executive and/or judicial branches affect our life?

There are three branches of the US government. They are the executive branch, the legislative branch and the judicial branch. The legislative branch makes laws. The judicial branch headed by the Supreme court- which in turn oversees the district courts- interprets and reviews laws whilst the executive branch headed by the President signs, repeals and vetoes laws. The executive branch also commands the armed forces, directs national defense and implements foreign policy. So these branches are responsible for the laws that govern the entire operation of our society. Every aspect of life that you can think of is ultimately dictated by these branches: healthcare, operation of the civil service - police, teachers, and nurses, care of the mentally ill and the physically disabled, the prison system and prison reform. These branches thus work together to create the best possible society for all of us.

Compare and contrast the loss of immortality suffered by Gilgamesh and the fall from grace suffered by Adam and Eve.

In both the Biblical story of Genesis and the Epic of Gilgamesh we find a story of the decline of humanity from an idyllic state to our current mortal state. In both cases this decline is attributed to offending one or more gods. 


The two narratives, however, follow a different path. Adam and Eve initially are immortal, and as we read through the book of Genesis we discover how they lost their immortality. In the case of Gilgamesh, the hero is very long-lived, but not himself immortal. After the death of his friend Enkidu, Gilgamesh undertakes a quest in which he travels to obtain immortality, which is possessed by Utnapishtim and is a gift of the gods. Humans are not by nature immortal by can be made immortal if the gods will it.


Utnapishtim tells the story of humans angering the gods and the gods sending a great flood, during which only Utnapishtim and his wife were spared, a story that bears obvious similarity to that of Noah. 


Although Gilgamesh fails the test Utnapishtim sets him, Utnapishtim does tell Gilgamesh of a plant that can restore lost youth. Gilgamesh finds the plant, but puts it down briefly and it is stolen by a serpent, ending Gilgamesh's chance of becoming immortal. The agency of a serpent is also a similarity to the Biblical account, although Gilgamesh's serpent is just a snake, not a devil in disguise.   

Saturday, July 25, 2015

Evaluate the integral and interpret it as the area of a region. Sketch the region.

Since  for  and  for  we have


 


Now we apply formula  



 



                                                                                    

Friday, July 24, 2015

What is trailing Montag? What does this mean? Of what literary device is this an example of?

Montag has committed the worst crime in his society; he has taken and read some books. The irony of it all is he is a fireman--one whose job it is to burn books. After he sees a woman burn herself up for her books, Montag is physically and psychologically sick about his whole world. Before the woman burns herself, though, Montag steals a book from her hoard. Someone, probably his boss, Captain Beatty, must have seen him do it because that night after the woman dies, Montag goes home and hears the Mechanical Hound outside his home. He describes it as follows:



"But there was something else in the silence that he heard. It was like a breath exhaled upon the window. It was like a faint drift of greenish luminescent smoke, the motion of a single huge October leaf blowing across the lawn and away. The Hound, he thought. It's out there tonight. It's out there now. If I opened the window. . ." (48).



Beatty comes over the next day to find out why Montag isn't at work and lectures him on the history of the firemen. He "teaches" Montag the reason books became outlawed is for the benefit and happiness of humanity. He also says that firemen do get curious about what they are burning sometimes, and that's natural. However, if a fireman takes a book, he has 24 hours to burn it or the other firemen will.


Montag does not heed Beatty's warning and pulls his wife into his secret about the books he has. He makes her read them with him while he's trying to make up his mind whether to go back to work or not. Then, he and Mildred both hear the Hound outside their house as they are reading. They hear a faint scratching at the door. Mildred says, "It's only a dog, that's what! You want me to shoo him away?" (72).


Both instances of the Hound sniffing around Montag's house are examples of literary devices called Foreshadowing. Montag knows what the Hound does, but his wife doesn't. Montag doesn't seem to grasp the hint of the dog sniffing around, though, because he is so engrossed in his reading. Later, Beatty says the following:



"Old Montag wanted to fly near the sun and now that he's burnt his damn wings, he wonders why. Didn't I hint enough when I sent the Hound around your place?" (113).



Foreshadowing is a hint or suspenseful clue about something that will happen later in the story. The Mechanical Hound is sent twice from Beatty as a hint to Montag that he's in trouble; but, it is also a hint for the reader to provide a suspenseful foreshadowing of what comes later. Eventually, Montag is viciously hunted down by the Mechanical Hound, who seeks to kill him.

Why did they want to sell the Louisiana Territory?

France decided to the sell the Louisiana Territory to us in 1803. The Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of country extending the land we controlled from the Atlantic Ocean, west to the Rocky Mountains, North to Canada, and South to the New Orleans and the border with Spanish Florida.


Napoleon was gearing up for a major war in Europe. While at one time Napoleon hoped to extend his control in North America, that was no longer an option by 1803. Napoleon really had no use for the land he controlled in North America. He also needed money to finance the war he would be fighting in Europe.


When the Americans approached with an offer to buy New Orleans and West Florida for $10 million, he decided to counter the offer with one of his own. He offered the entire Louisiana Territory to us for $15 million. While there was some hesitancy by President Jefferson to make the purchase because of constitutional concerns since President Jefferson didn’t believe the Constitution gave him the authority to buy land, President Jefferson was persuaded to agree to make the Louisiana Purchase and all of this land became American territory in 1803.

Thursday, July 23, 2015

Why did the Igbo consult oracles? Are they unique in this regard?

In Things Fall Apart, the Igbo people are deeply religious and follow their customs and traditions very strictly. One of these religious customs is to consult Oracles when any major decision needs to be made by the tribe. They use different Oracles for different matters, and they believe that the Oracles act as a kind of liaison between them and their gods. One example of this is when they have to make a decision about whether to go to war with a neighboring tribe. Achebe writes that the people of Umuofia (the village in which the characters in the novel live) “never went to war unless its case was clear and just and was accepted as such by its Oracle--the Oracle of the Hills and Caves.” It is not enough for the people themselves to determine whether a war is justified; they have to make sure it is approved by the Oracle, or they could risk some kind of punishment.


Whether they are unique in their use of Oracles is a matter of interpretation, but many would say that they are not unique. While it is true that this is part of what causes the Igbo people to clash so greatly with the Christians who arrive and try to convert the Igbo, it is also not very different in theory from what many other religions do. It is not uncommon for certain religions, even today, to use some sort of mediator to act as a messenger between the people and a God or gods. In fact, the use of Oracles goes back even to ancient Greece and can be seen represented in plays like Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, where men would go and seek out Oracles to find out their fate and determine how to act from there.

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Why does Jing-Mei hate the tests her mother gives her?

Jing-Mei, the narrator in the Amy Tan short story "Two Kinds," resents the tests her mother gives her. Her mother gives her tests in a misguided attempt to turn her daughter into some kind of prodigy. The mother demands that Jing-Mei multiply numbers in her head and recall parts of the Bible after spending a few minutes staring at a page.


Jing-Mei performs badly on these tests, and she is frustrated and humiliated. She says, "And after seeing, once again, my mother's disappointed face, something inside me began to die. I hated the tests, the raised hopes and failed expectations." She feels like a part of herself is withering and dying when being subjected to the tests because she can never meet her mother's expectations. Instead, she looks in the mirror and sees an angry reflection of herself. At that moment, she decides what her way of being a prodigy is going to be. Her sense of being special and powerful is going to come from resisting her mother. And, after failing all the tests, she turns to outwitting her mother and resisting what her mother wants in any way she can. 

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

In Monster by Walter Dean Myers, what is the significance of the scene where the camera fade's into the interior of Cell Block D, Manhattan...

Following the Prologue of the novel, the first scene in Steve Harmon's screenplay fades into the interior of Cell Block D, which is located in the Manhattan Detention Center. The camera travels down the grimy corridors where the audience hears screaming and explicit language. The camera then focuses on the interior of a cell where Steve Harmon is sitting on his cot with his head in his hands. It is the day that Steve Harmon's trial is beginning, and he is extremely worried. When Steve puts a blanket over his head, one of the inmates comments,



"Ain't no use putting the blanket over your head, man. You can't cut this out; this is reality. This is the real deal" (Myers 12).



The next scene shifts to Steve traveling in a van to the courthouse where his trial will take place. The opening scene of the screenplay is significant because it sets the stage for the rest of the story. The audience grasps the terrible situation Steve is in by viewing the environment inside the jail. The audience also witnesses Steve's anxiety about his upcoming trial, which will become the focus of the story.

Why does Aunt Alexandra say that Scout cannot invite Walter Cunningham over?

Aunt Alexandra tells Scout that she cannot have Walter Cunningham over because Aunt Alexandra is a snob.  She is a strong proponent of the southern society's strict social class divisions.  She is a Finch, and the Finch family is one of the oldest and most well respected families in all of Maycomb county.  Aunt Alexandra thinks that fact alone gives her and the family a huge sense of entitlement.  Walter Cunningham is not from a well respected, deep roots family.  His family is kind and honest, but ultimately poor.  For that reason, Aunt Alexandra tells Scout to be cordial to Walter, but minimize any contact she has with him.  Aunt Alexandra believes that the Finch family is too good to be associated with the Cunngingham family.  Aunt Alexandra tries to be a bit kind in her first explanation.  



The thing is, you can scrub Walter Cunningham till he shines, you can put him in shoes and a new suit, but he'll never be like Jem. Besides, there's a drinking streak in that family a mile wide. Finch women aren't interested in that sort of people.



But Scout pushes the issue, and Aunt Alexandra is then incredibly blunt and cruel in her reasoning.  



Because--he--is--trash, that's why you can't play with him. I'll not have you around him, picking up his habits and learning Lord-knows-what.


A number of characters disappeared during the journey, either died or left the family. It looks like the novelist John Steinback removed them on...

The deaths of Grandpa (soon after the Joad family left home) and Grandma (as they crossed into California) are understandable. Not only are they weakened by age, but their spirits remain back in Oklahoma with the land. Seemingly, the new home is only for the young. The departures of Connie and Noah can also be viewed as the weeding out of the weak. Al leaves the family to start his own, hinting at the small hope of a future somewhere for the Joad line. It is the departure of Tom, the protagonist, that is surprising. Tom has been the voice of reality amidst the turmoil of a life falling apart for the family. From the beginning, though, Tom’s presence has carried with it a hint of the possibility of his leaving, since he is on parole and not allowed to leave the state. His voluntary departure, however, even though it is to save himself from being caught, makes the reader wonder what the family is left to count on. With Ma, Pa, Uncle John, and Rose of Sharon (along with Ruthie and Winfield), only the bare bones of the clan are left. There is not much hope that Tom or Al will return, so the Joad family’s future is unclear. At the time of the writing of the novel, the Depression was still going on, so Steinbeck could not see the hope of a better future any more than the Joads could.

Monday, July 20, 2015

Which cities were major starting and ending points for wagon trains traveling westward? What pattern in location can you find? How would these...

The Oregon and California Trails started from Independence and St. Joseph, Missouri.  Council Bluffs, Iowa was a later jumping off point.  For the Mormon Trail that was going to Salt Lake City, Utah, Nauvoo, Illinois was the primary location.  All of these places were quite close to rivers and were growing western towns.  The towns themselves grew between the period of 1840 and 1860 due to American westward migration and to the towns and merchants moving there wanting to sell the "greenhorns" things.  All of these places were close enough to be reachable by wagon, as there were no mountain ranges in the Midwest to cope with and if one was willing to wait for spring, the towns were close to the border of what was then American prairie, as that started in Illinois.  Commerce and close proximity to grazing land were the reasons the "jumping off points" for the westward trails existed.  

Is Romeo believable in his soliloquy?

Assuming you mean his balcony scene soliloquy in which he compares Juliet to the sun, yes, Romeo is completely believable. He has just fallen passionately in love. He is young, heady, without restraint. His over-the-top comparison of Juliet to the sun, his extravagant claim that her eyes are so bright that if they were stars in the night sky the birds would think it was daylight and start to sing (you might listen to an old Carpenter's song called "Close to You" to catch the gist of Romeo's mood), his adoration of her in all ways, is completely consistent with how people, especially young people, feel when they fall giddily in love. At first, the beloved is all perfection, a god or goddess, the miracle that will complete us. Shakespeare captures this overflowing exuberance in Romeo's exaggerated language. Whether the glow of first love is an illusion is another question--Juliet undoubtedly is not all perfection-- but that people feel it as strongly as Romeo did is entirely believable. 

Sunday, July 19, 2015

Why does a 1kg object fall faster than a feather?

This was first proven true by the renown astronomer and scientist
Galileo Galilei.  At the time of Galileo, many believed a more massive object would indeed fall faster than a less massive object.  Galileo proved both objects would accelerate at the same rate of speed by demonstrating, using two sphere-like objects, dropped from the tower of Pisa.  In a sealed vacuum environment, where there were no air resistance to impede the motion of the feather, the 1 Kilogram object would fall at the same rate as the much lighter feather.  This is so because the force of gravity being exerted on the two objects is the same.  On earth, you have extenuating circumstances, such as air resistance holding the feather in sway.  If the air resistance were removed, the feather would fall at the same rate as any other object, whether it was heavier or not.  The Apollo 15 astronauts recreated Galileo's famous experiment on the moon, where the force of gravity is much less and there is no atmospheric intervention.  They were greeted with the same results Galileo attained, about 300 years earlier.

How does the setting both help and hinder Rainsford in his quest to survive on the island?

The setting of the story is "Ship-Trap Island."  Obviously it's an island.  But it is not a desert island.  It is loaded with trees, brush, and undergrowth.  That is one advantage right there, because it gives Rainsford plenty of places to hide.  Also remember that Rainsford is a very accomplished, world famous hunter.  He knows how to stalk prey and set traps.  The forested island gives him plenty of tools to work with.  He sets traps and diversions for Zaroff, and both of those things help Rainsford survive.  


The island does hinder Rainsford though.  Because it's an island, he has no way of truly escaping.  He can't just keep running and hope to get to civilization.  He's stuck there.  The island is also Zaroff's island.  While it does give Rainsford tools to work with, it is still foreign to him.  Zaroff intimately knows the island, and is able to use that to his advantage while hunting Rainsford.  

Saturday, July 18, 2015

What logic leads Socrates to the conclusion that human wisdom is worthless? What are two fundamental ideas that back up his reasoning?

For Socrates, an unexamined life is not worth living, yet Socrates finds the examined life to lead to the discovery that he has no wisdom. At the same time, the oracle of Delphi has declared Socrates to be the wisest man. To disprove the oracle, he searches for he who must be wiser than himself, as Socrates believes he has no wisdom, and yet, finds that it is those who think they are the most knowledgeable and wise who are indeed the most ignorant. Therefore, wisdom -- as expertise on matters of being human -- is only held by those who have not done enough examining to see their (true) ignorance, and thus the worthlessness of wisdom. If chasing wisdom is what makes a life both examined and worthwhile, then without the chase (which requires not having already achieved or grasped wisdom) there is no worth.

Why does the family have to tell everyone when they take a bath in "The House on Mango Street?"

In Chapter One, the narrator tells us about the house she hoped she would have. She imagines it would be large and beautiful, and that it's the house her Papa talked about and the one her Mama dreamed about.


She says:


"And we'd have a basement and at least three washrooms so when we took a bath we wouldn't have to tell everybody."


But then, the narrator describes the house that her family actually does move into, and it's nothing at all like she hoped it would be. Instead of being clean and white, it's got crumbling bricks and a "swollen" front door. There's only one bathroom, which everyone has to share. With the narrator, her mom and dad, and "Carlos and Kiki" and "Nenny," that makes six people sharing one bathroom--so if you're going to be in it for a little while, taking a bath, you'd better tell everyone first in case they need to go in there and use the toilet soon.


Your question was "Why does the family have to tell everyone when they take a bath in 'The House on Mango Street?'" and the answer wasn't directly written in the text: that is, even if you read the whole chapter carefully, you won't find one sentence that tells you something like, "They have to tell everyone when they take a bath because..." It's one of those questions that requires you to understand what happened in the chapter, and figure out (infer) the answer on your own based on what you read.


The question might be important to consider because it shows us the difference between the narrator's expectations and reality. She wanted a wonderful house with more than one bathroom, but she got an old and cramped house with a single bathroom. That contrast sets the mood for the whole book: we see hopes vs. reality, and out of that contrast we see the narrator rising above the disappointment and setting her sights on something better, like when she says at the end of the chapter:


"I knew then I had to have a house. A real house."

What is one quote from Tom Robinson in chapters 17-20 of To Kill a Mockingbird that proves his innocence?

There is little Tom Robinson can or does say to convince the jury of his innocence. He tells his side of the story, despite Mr. Gilmer being condescending to him and trying to trap him. He explains that he was going by Mayella's house and she asked him to come inside because she had something for him to do. This conflicts with Mayella Ewell's testimony that she'd asked him to bust up a chiffarobe, and Mr. Gilmer says, "Then you say she's lying, boy" Robinson knows he cannot accuse a white person of lying, so he merely says, "I don't say she's lyin', Mr. Gilmer, I say she's mistaken in her mind." He cannot exonerate himself, but he does a pretty good job of avoiding Gilmer's traps. 


What proves his innocence is the testimony that Mayella was beaten on the right side of her face. Tom has a short, crippled left arm (while Bob Ewell is a left-handed man). 

What type of poem is Earth by Oliver Herford?

Herford's "Earth" is a seemingly simple, childlike poem in the mode of William Blake's Songs of Innocence. "Earth" uses an imperfect ABAB rhyme scheme as well as alliteration to produce a rhythmic, almost soothing effect. It's an ironic poem, rendering in placid words two terrible ideas: first, the destruction of the earth and everything on it, and second, the fact that a child on a distant world might think of the death of our planet as nothing more than a "pretty shooting star."


We see the rhyme scheme in the rhyming of alternating lines, ending on words such as "tonight" and "flight," "space" and "face," "lice" and "mice." The alliteration, or using words that begin with the same consonant in the same line, appears in spots throughout the poem. A few examples are "hissing headlong," "cattle, cockroaches ... kings," "millionaires ... mice."


The ironic contrast of a child enjoying a bright spectacle for a moment in the night sky and the catastrophe this event would be to us gives the poem its jolt. It might remind us Auden's poem, "Musee of the Belle Arts," describing a painting in which common people are indifferent to the dramatic fate of Icarus, falling from the sky as he travels too close to the sun. 

Friday, July 17, 2015

Think about the rhetorical devices in King's speech. Which device had the strongest effects?

Martin Luther King, Jr., used many rhetorical devices in his "I Have a Dream" speech, including tone, diction, figurative language, repetition, hyperbole, and allusions. To choose one device that made his speech most effective is difficult; each person would have to decide which one touches him or her the most. 


For me, one of the most moving parts of the speech is near the beginning where he combines an allusion to the Declaration of Independence with the metaphor of the "promissory note." This metaphor calls upon ethos (appeal to authority), logos (appeal to reason), and pathos (appeal to emotions) all at once. 



In a sense we have come to our nation’s Capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir.


This note was a promise that all men would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.


It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds."


But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.



In this passage, by invoking the Declaration of Independence, King builds his credibility in that he is basing his whole argument on the founding document of our country. This adds great authority to his words. By describing the promises of the Declaration as a promissory note that has come back as an NSF check, he pictures the reality of the situation for blacks in America. This is an appeal to logic; it is obvious that the blacks are not being treated as equals, especially in the South. Finally, comparing what America has done to blacks to a "bad check" arouses our emotions. Writing a bad check is a crime; it deceives and steals from the person it was written to. It is unjust, and everyone knows that bad checks have to be made good. I find this section very moving.


The other rhetorical device that is similarly effective for me is King's use of repetition. In the "I have a dream" section as well as in the "let freedom ring" section, King punctuates his sentences by repeating these hopeful, inspiring words over and over again. The listener is tempted to join in and repeat the refrain with King. One gets the feeling of beating waves upon the shore--with each wave, the tide comes closer and closer to washing over the beach, just as we hope the time of equality for blacks will wash over all of America. In this section, King combines figurative language, a hopeful tone, and elevated, lyrical diction with the repetition, making an eloquent argument for freedom and opportunity for everyone. 

Thursday, July 16, 2015

Write the partial fraction decomposition of the improper rational expression.

First we have to make the fraction a proper one, for this it is necessary to divide the numerator by the denominator with the remainder.



So 



The proper part has the decomposition form of




Multiply both sides by and obtain




So and from this we get and



The answer: 

What are the settings and characters in fables like?

Fables are generally short stories that teach a general or universal lesson called a moral. In many fables, the characters are introduced in the title of the story so the readers quickly know whom the story is about. The characters in fables are generally personified animals, and their numbers are very limited. Characters in fables can also be inanimate objects that are given the ability to interact with other characters. The animals act as substitutes for humans because fables teach a lesson about human nature.


Fables are often set in an ill-defined forest, small village, or rural setting. The setting is not generally well developed so it can be used as a background to teach the universal lesson. Less importance is put on developing the setting than on teaching the intended lesson.

In A Christmas Carol, why is it significant that Scrooge's fiancee is named Belle?

Yes, there is likely a significance here. Dickens, like most authors, tended to be intentional with character naming.  Note the alliteration used in Tiny Tim's name, and in the harsh sound of Scrooge's moniker (consistent with his harsh and unforgiving personality). Note as well how Fezziwig is far less harsh-sounding than either Ebenezer or Scrooge, differentiating them from each other.


The word "belle" means beautiful in French. True to form, Belle is described as quite a beautiful woman, both in her past and present versions. Similarly, the "belle of the ball" is a phrase used to describe the person in the room around whom all the men gravitate. This phrase plays into the scene in which Scrooge and Belle are dancing at the party, she is quite literally the "belle of the ball." Belle is both beautiful and a person around whom the others gravitate.

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

From Cofer's "American History," what do Elena and Eugene have in common?

Elena and Eugene both live in Paterson, New Jersey and attend Public School No. 13. Elena has been there longer, though, because Eugene moves into the house next door to her apartment building just before their freshman year of high school. She's Puerto Rican and he's White and from Georgia, but both are misfits in a predominantly African American school. Elena takes a liking to him for a couple of reasons. First, she figures they both could use a friend; and second, he lives in the house that she spies into while reading on her fire escape. She longs to sit with him at the kitchen table and read just like the old couple would do before they moved. Elena explains more of what they share in the following passage:



"I did not tell Eugene that I could see inside his kitchen from my bedroom. I felt dishonest, but I liked my secret sharing of his evenings, especially now that I knew what he was reading since we chose our books together at the school library" (Lines 160-164).



Hence, the two also like the same books and become pretty good friends. As they hang out with each other around school, the other students call them by the nicknames they have chosen for them: "Skinny Bones" and "the Hick."


Unfortunately, they both must live in a prejudiced society because Eugene's mother won't let her enter the home to study with her son. Elena is shocked and saddened that her only friend's mother would treat her that way, thus ending any hopes of Elena and Eugene sharing anything further.

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

How is Dexter affected by the news that Judy has married another man and subsequently lost her beauty? What does Dexter mean when he says "there...

As a young man, Dexter is ambitious and determined. He dreams of being more than just a caddy. He has "winter dreams" of a better life. The narrator adds that he is not a snob, but he does have a desire for an upper class kind of life: 



Often he reached out for the best without knowing why he wanted it---and sometimes he ran up against the mysterious denials and prohibitions in which life indulges. It is with one of those denials and not with his career as a whole that this story deals. 



Dexter had this urge to reach out for something better or something higher. Perhaps, this is simply his understanding of what it means to reach for the American Dream. He associates Judy's looks and money with the upper class and the glittering world of his aspirations.


Judy's looks fade as she gets older. When Dexter learns of this, he comes to the realization that her beauty is/was superficial and fleeting. Likewise, the glittering world of the elite social class she belonged to also became quite superficial to him. Dexter has an epiphany that this once evocative, fantastic world of his dreams had always been superficial, shallow, and fleeting. It leaves him feeling empty that this dream is gone now because he sees that there was never any substance in it. 

What are some effects of censorship or lack of free speech on a society? This question is based on the book Fahrenheit 451.

I think one effect of censorship on a society is a society that quite possibly winds up being quite ignorant.  Part of free speech, by intention or not, is the attitude that people have a right to know about something.  But if a society were created that never knew about the possibility of being told critical information, then the society would never care to know.  A society that doesn't care to know is a docile society, and it is easy to rule over.  It's easy to rule over, because the society always assumes that whatever information is coming from the powers that be is good and correct information.  Any other contrasting information has been censored, so there is never any reason to question the info being given.  That's what happened in Fahrenheit 451.  Without the books and the ideas that they contained, the society quickly became ignorant of other lines of thought.  Once that happened, the entire society became like Montag's wife.  

What do you learn about Rainsford's views on hunting?

Rainsford is a world-renowned hunter.  We know this, because general Zaroff has read his books.  Rainsford also loves hunting.  Big game is his thing.  Moreover, he does not really care about what animals think or feel. In fact, he does not even think about it.  


In a conversation with his friend, Whitney, he says there are only two classes in the world, the hunter and the huntee.  From these words, we can say that Rainsford is a man who enjoys the hunt without any consideration of animals. 


When he finds himself on the island with Zaroff and realizes that Zaroff hunts humans, he wants to get off immediately.  He wants nothing to do with him or his activity.  However, Zaroff does not allow him to leave because Zaroff wants to hunt him.  This causes Rainsford to have a new perspective on hunting as he is now the hunted. The text says:



Rainsford knew now how an animal at bay feels.



From this perspective, we can say that Rainsford's view on hunting expanded. Whether he changed or not is questionable. 

Sunday, July 12, 2015

What are some key quotes in Of Mice and Men that demonstrate the theme of hope and dreams?

When George narrates a vision of the future to Lennie and Candy, it represents how the theme of hope and dreams can be seen in Of Mice and Men.


In Chapter 3, Lennie asks George to narrate what their future might be like. It is clear that the life of moving from ranch to ranch and bucking bags of barley is taking a toll on both of them.  While George has repeatedly told Lennie of the future, this particular vision possesses greater depth: 



Sure, we’d have a little house an’ a room to ourself. Little fat iron stove, an’ in the winter we’d keep a fire goin’ in it. It ain’t enough land so we’d have to work too hard. Maybe six, seven hours a day. We wouldn’t have to buck no barley eleven hours a day. An’ when we put in a crop, why, we’d be there to take the crop up. We’d know what come of our planting.



Making direct references to the potential excitement of no longer having to "buck barley" and that "We'd know what come of our planting" show the theme of hope and dreams for the future. This is enhanced when George further describes a world where the life they lead would "be our own, an’ nobody could can us."  When Candy offers his financial help,  George represents the theme of hope and dreams:  “Jesus Christ! I bet we could swing her.” His eyes were full of wonder. “I bet we could swing her..."  The idea of "we could swing her" shows the zenith of hope and dreams in Of Mice and Men.  All three men believe in the authenticity of a future so very different from past and present.

How would you describe Unoka from Things Fall Apart?

In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo's father Unoka is described as the polar opposite of the hyper-masculine, bellicose Okonkwo. Indeed, Unoka serves as a potent contrast to his warrior son. Unoka is a peaceful, gentle man who would rather drink and play music than put forth effort into work. He gives very little thought to building a future for his son, instead focusing on living in the moment:



"In his day he was lazy and improvident and was quite incapable of thinking about tomorrow. If any money came his way, and it seldom did, he immediately bought gourds of palm-wine, called round his neighbors and made merry" (4).



Unoka struggles with debt and poverty as a direct result of his laziness, and his son Okonkwo suffers from his father's immaturity when he is unable to inherit anything from his debt-riddled father. Moreover, Unoka never took any titles in the Igbo clan. He is considered agbala, which has an interesting connotation: it not only means that Unoka has no titles, but also is another name for a woman (13). Unoka's equation with femininity is further reinforced by his death:



"He died of the swelling which was an abomination to the earth goddess. When a man was afflicted with swelling in the stomach and the limbs he was not allowed to die in the house" (18).



   The "swelling" of Unoka's stomach is reminiscent of a pregnant belly. This fact taken in conjunction with Unoka's pacifism and his role as agbala cause Okonkwo to label him as "feminine," and base his own life on being the antithesis of his father: "Okonkwo was ruled by one passion-- to hate everything that his father Unoka had love" (13). Therefore, Okonkwo sets himself as the exact opposite of his father, and embraces a violent form of masculinity.

Saturday, July 11, 2015

What incidents from Chapter 15 give Daniel a feeling of happiness, quietness, and hope?

In Chapter 15, Daniel begins traveling to Capernaum to listen to Jesus speak. Sometimes Daniel does not even understand what Jesus is talking about, but Daniel mentions that there is hope and promise in Jesus' words. Whenever Daniel would return from listening to Jesus preach, he would share Jesus' message with his sister, Leah. Leah and Daniel grow closer as they discuss what Jesus teaches, and Daniel tells his sister Jesus' message about the good Samaritan. Daniel admits that he loves to travel to listen to Jesus in the morning because "in the clear bright sunlight, nothing seemed impossible" (Speare 163). Jesus' powerful words make Daniel believe that the kingdom of heaven is truly near. Leah continually begs her brother to recite the story of the little girl that Jesus healed. Although Daniel finds his sister's fascination with the story a bit annoying, he tells it because it makes her smile. Leah tells her brother that she would go see Jesus if he came to their village, and Daniel begins to notice how Leah is changing for the better. Daniel also mentions that he is beginning to find satisfaction in his work and is developing confidence in his skill. Jesus' ministry has a profound effect on Daniel's life. Daniel feels a sense of hope and confidence after listening to Jesus' messages. His relationship with his sister is growing, and Daniel is beginning to take pleasure in his craft. These incidents give Daniel a sense of happiness, quietness, and hope.

What is the meaning of cell?

Cell can mean different things, depending upon which specific discipline of science we are talking about. In biology or microbiology, we refer to cell as the basic structural unit of all the living organisms. Our bodies are made up of cells and so are the bodies of animals and plants. Other commonly known cells are bacteria, some of which cause disease (pathogenic microbes).


In other common usage, cell is used to mean a battery, which is a device that is used to power devices such as clocks, torches, cell phones, etc. These cells are based on chemical reactions, which may or not be reversible. For reversible reactions, electricity has to be supplied to recharge the cell. If reactions are one way reactions, cells can only be used one time and once they are discharged, they cannot be reused.


There can also be other usages of cell, such as the box in which we add values in Microsoft Excel program, etc.



Hope this helps. 

Friday, July 10, 2015

A rock of weight 17.5 N is immersed in a beaker of water while suspended from a spring scale with a reading of 9.00 N. The weight of the beaker and...

The answer is;


The net force on the beaker table  = 23.5N



In this system the weight of beaker and the weight of water are the only forces that acts on the beaker table. The other forces in this system are the weight of stone. But this does not cater the weight on the beaker table because it is suspended from a spring scale. The weight of the stone is cancelled by the force on spring scale and the up-thrust caused by the water in the beaker table. This is related to Archimedes principle. They are internal forces and it doesnot affect the force on beaker table.


How ever we need to make and assumption in this situation;


When immersing stone in the beaker water of the beaker does not flow out and it will remain in the same volume.

Write the partial fraction decomposition of the rational expression.


Divide by applying long division method,



Now continue with the partial fraction of the remainder expression,





Let 






Equating the coefficients of the like terms,


  ---- equation 1


   --- equation 2


Add the equation 1 and 2,





Plug the value of A in the equation 1,





Thursday, July 9, 2015

A page of your notebook is fully covered by 6 pictures. Calculate the area of the page if each picture measures 8 by 6 cm.

We are told the dimensions of each picture (8 by 6 cm), so we can calculate the area of one picture. The area of a rectangle is simply the length times the width, so in this case 


The units in this case are square centimeters (cm^2).


Now, to calculate the area of the entire page, we need only multiply the area of one picture by six, since we are told six images cover the notebook page entirely. 


 cm^2.


It is interesting to note that while we know the area of the page, we cannot know anything about the dimensions of the page without more information. We do not know how the pictures are arranged - they might be in one column and six rows, two columns and three rows, or another arrangement.

What source is more important when analyzing history, primary sources or secondary sources?

The term “analyzing history” needs a bit of clarification. If we are differentiating between “gathering history” and “drawing inferences and conclusions” from historical documents, then to be sure the primary sources (actual recorded laws, testimonies. etc.) are paramount, since all “facts” are imbedded in these records. But secondary sources, such as contemporaneous news reports, private written reactions, responses to public events, etc., take on much more significance if the historian is seeking to clarify or elaborate on the significance of a historical event, since such secondary documents are socially significant, giving a picture of how the primary occurrences were perceived in context at the time.


A historian today, then, has two related tasks: to verify and interpret the primary sources of history, and to infer conclusions based on the total historical record.  The relative importance, then, depends on the task at hand for the historian (i.e. a biography, an elaboration on a historical event, a refutation of a popular myth, etc.)

What is Aeneas's mission?

Aeneas was a Trojan prince, a warrior and a hero in The Aeneid, which best captured his story and mission. After the fall of Troy, the gods asked Aeneas to flee from Troy. He was to gather some of the surviving Trojans and flee to Italy, to establish Rome, and become ancestors of the Romans. The people he escaped with were together known as the Aeneads, the only free Trojan survivors of the war and followers of Aeneas. Their initial attempts at establishing a new home failed, and his father died in Sicily. The Aeneads arrived in Carthage after their ship was thrown off course by strong winds. Aeneas developed an intimate relationship with the Carthaginian queen, Dido. A marriage was later arranged between the two. The union did not last due to Aeneas’s divine duty to reach Rome. Dido committed suicide after Aeneas insisted on leaving Carthage. Aeneas and the Aeneads left to establish Rome.


In summary, Aeneas’s mission was to lead some of the surviving Trojans to Italy and establish the Roman society.

Wednesday, July 8, 2015

How does the School of Athens by Raphael exemplify the characteristics of Renaissance art?

The School of Athens, by Raphael, is a prototypical Renaissance painting for many reasons.  The most obvious characteristic is the use of three-dimensional painting that utilizes the horizon, perspective, and a full background. The architecture and setting speak of a desire to glorify classical Rome and Greece, which were important characteristics of Renaissance art.  This is especially true when you look at the arches and the style of dress of the individuals.  The figures in the painting are drawn with intricate detail to the physical form and a keen interest in being anatomically accurate.  The individuals are painted with life-like detail.  Although the scene is a depiction of the practice of philosophical discourse, it demonstrates a lot of movement.  The details from the painting that have been mentioned are all important characteristics of Renaissance art and are demonstrated in Raphael's masterpiece. 

Write the partial fraction decomposition of the rational expression.


Let






Equating coefficients of like terms gives,






substituting the values of A and B in the above equations,








Duncan is talking about the thane of Cawdor. Why might his words apply equally to Macbeth?

Ross has just finished telling Duncan how the thane of Cawdor teamed with the Norwegian forces against Scotland, and how Macbeth and Banquo beat them back. Duncan says, "No more that thane of Cawdor shall deceive / Our bosom interest: go pronounce his present death." "Our bosom interest" here is the safety of Scotland. This is ironic, since Macbeth will almost instantly deceive another bosom interest--Duncan's life itself. 


Later, when Malcolm reports that before the treasonous thane of Cawdor was executed, he "very frankly...confess'd his treasons / Implored your highness' pardon and set forth / A deep repentance." Duncan responds, "He was a gentleman on whom I built / An absolute trust." Then he immediately turns to Macbeth and says, "O worthiest cousin!" 


More irony, in that while Macbeth is worthy at this point, he will soon betray Duncan's "absolute trust." 


(Malcolm's reports of the thane of Cawdor, however, don't apply to Macbeth, for when Macbeth meets Macduff in the final battle and learns that he was "from his mother's womb untimely ripp'd," he tries to surrender, but Macduff points out that he'd be set up to be an object of derision, which Macbeth cannot bear. Macbeth then says, "I will not yield, / To kiss the ground before young Malcolm's feet, / And to be baited with the rabble's curse." This makes him quite the opposite of the thane of Cawdor.)

Tuesday, July 7, 2015

What were American attitudes towards immigrants?

American attitudes toward immigration have generally not been positive. Immigrants, for various reasons, have threatened Americans. Often, Americans have feared that immigrants will take away their jobs or help drive wages down by increasing the supply of workers. Americans have feared that immigrants will bring diseases to our country. Americans have been frightened by the different religious practices of the immigrants. The Irish, who were Catholic, frightened many Americans. When immigrants came from South and East Europe, people felt threatened by the different customs and languages of these immigrants. Other people believed immigration to our country would increase poverty and crime. Some people believed that immigrants supported anarchy or communist ideology.


There have been many groups that have worked to oppose immigration or intimidate immigrants in our country. The Know Nothing Party was an anti-immigrant group in the 1840s. The American Protective Association was another group against immigration. The Ku Klux Klan tried to intimidate those who weren’t white and Protestant. In the 1920s, laws were passed to restrict immigration to our country. The Emergency Quota Act and the National Origins Act limited immigration to the United States in the 1920s.


Considering that the families of most Americans were immigrants at one time, it is interesting to see how future generations have generally opposed immigration to the United States.

Monday, July 6, 2015

What are some examples of figurative language in the Odyssey?

Two prominent examples of epic simile come in books 5 and 6.


"Struggling, he grasped the rock with both his hands and hung there, groaning, till the great wave passed.  that one he thus escaped, but the back-flowing water struck him again, still struggling, and swept him out to sea.  And just as, when a polyp is torn from out its bed, about its suckers clustering pebbles cling, so on the rocks pieces of skin were stripped from his strong hands."  Here, Odysseus is compared to a polyp; he is essentially as small and weak as this tiny creature when pitted against all the might and power of Poseidon's vast waters.  The visual and tactile imagery of the pieces of skin he leaves behind, stuck to the rock, tells us how strong and determined he is even in the face of such terrible odds against him.


Then, once he reaches Phaeacia, "He set off like a lion that is bred among the hills and trusts its strength; onward it goes, beaten with rain and wind; its two eyes glare; and now in search of oxen or of sheep it moves, or tracking the wild deer; its belly bids it make trial of the flocks, even by entering the unguarded folds; so was Odysseus about to meet those fair-haired maids, all naked though he was, for need constrained him."  This simile compares Odysseus to a lean and hungry lion, a predator, a creature driven by animal instincts who is forced to act shrewdly out of pure need.  He needs water, he needs food, he needs shelter and rest.  In a way, the simile reduces him, simply, to these needs and his confidence in his own ability to find a way to have them met.  

What are Holden's feelings toward money?

In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden has a very casual relationship with money. He often spends it easily and thoughtlessly, yet at the same time he often seems to feel scornful of money. Here is one passage we can look at where Holden extensively describes his feelings toward money:



"While I was in the cab, I took out my wallet and sort of counted my money. I don't remember exactly what I had left, but it was no fortune or anything. I'd spent a king's ransom in about two lousy weeks. I really had. I'm a goddam spendthrift at heart. What I don't spend, I lose. Half the time I sort of even forget to pick up my change, at restaurants and night clubs and all. It drives my parents crazy. You can't blame them. My father's quite wealthy, though."



What we can gather from this passage is that Holden comes from a wealthy family and has always had what he needed and never wanted for anything; therefore, he doesn't need to worry about how much money he spends because he will always be able to get more. As he says, he is a "spendthrift," an extravagant squanderer of money. However, even though Holden doesn't need to worry about money, he recognizes that money doesn't necessarily make one happy. He says, "Goddam money. It always ends up making you blue as hell." It seems that whether Holden has money or doesn't or gives it away, it makes him sad.


Yet another example of Holden being careless with money is when he quite literally throws it away:



"I took out my dough and tried to count it in the lousy light from the street lamp. All I had was three singles and five quarters and a nickel left--boy, I spent a fortune since I left Pencey. Then what I did, I went down near the lagoon and I sort of skipped the quarters and the nickel across it, where it wasn't frozen. I don't know why I did it, but I did it."



He has almost no money left, yet from what he has, he throws the coins into the lake. Holden has a very immature and realistic relationship with money.

Sunday, July 5, 2015

Describe an example of a historical situation where the work of many people over time helped solve a human health problem.

It is rare today that a lone scientist working alone in a laboratory will make a break-through discovery which will revolutionize health care.  More likely, multiple scientist working in multiple laboratories following multiple avenues will come together to formulate a cure.  A great example is the polio vaccine.  Today we have two vaccines, the killed (inactivated) Salk vaccine, and live attenuated Sabin vaccine (oral polio vaccine).  The Salk vaccine, successfully tested in 1955, could not have been developed without prior experimental results, including, but not limited to: 1) the Enders, Weller, and Robbins demonstration that poliovirus need not be grown in animals but could be grown in culture; 2) the Brodian and Morgan discovery that there are 3 different serotypes of the virus and immunity to one does not confer immunity to the other -- this means the vaccine must be composed of 3 virus serotypes.  Likewise the Sabin vaccine would not be developed without multiple prior experimental results.  Notable is the work by Theiler and Koprowski, who showed the virus could be attenuated by passage in non-human tissue culture cells or at sub-physiological temperatures.  By 1979, widespread transmission of poliovirus was eliminated from the US (the US was declared poliovirus free).  However, sporadic, isolated cases of disease still occur in unvaccinated individuals.


In 1988, the World Health Assemble resolved to eradicate polio virus.  Again multiple researchers, corporations, foundations, and countries came together to initiated this endeavor.  Since that time, the Sabin vaccine has been administered to millions of children, resulting in active transmission in only Afghanistan and Pakistan.


Today researchers are still working on improving the polio vaccine, using techniques of molecular biology, better understanding of virus replication, and more thorough knowledge of immunity.

How do the Ghost of Christmas Present's robe and pile of food connect with the Victorian Era?

In Stave 3 of A Christmas Carol, Scrooge is visited by the Ghost of Christmas Present. On meeting the ghost, Scrooge finds him surrounded by a banquet of food which includes "turkeys, geese, game, poultry, brawn, great joints of meat, sucking-pigs, long wreaths of sausages, mince-pies" and "plum puddings." For Dickens, this represents society as it is in the present. The Industrial Revolution, which was in full swing at the time of writing, has created great opportunities and great wealth for Britain. This wealth, however, has not been equally distributed among the citizens of Britain and this view is supported by the image of the ghost's robe further along in the chapter. 


Nestled under the ghost's robe are two children. They are Ignorance and Want, described by Dickens as "Yellow, meagre, ragged, scowling, wolfish; but prostrate, too, in their humility." These children are the victims of poverty, of child labor, of all the evils of industrialization. They contrast sharply with the image of the ghost's banquet and Dickens has done this deliberately. He is appealing directly to the reader to appreciate the plight of Britain's industrial poor, especially children, who are the innocent victims of society's unequal distribution of wealth. 


This view is supported by the reference to the horn of plenty which appears later in this paragraph. 

Saturday, July 4, 2015

What are all the men in short supply of?

In Part 1, Chapter 1, of 1984, the reader learns that all male party members are in short supply of razor blades. This is repeated in Part 1, Chapter 5, during a conversation in which O'Brien asks Winston if he has any blades. Winston responds that he does not; and that he doubts if they are still in existence. The reader learns that Winston is lying here: he, in fact, has two razor blades at home but is "hoarding them up" because they are in such short supply. Presumably, Winston was able to obtain these two blades by "scrounging" on the free market.


The shortage of razor blades, then, tell us much about the nature of life under the party. It tells us about the existence of a black market where party members risk their lives by associating with proles in order to obtain the basic items they need. In this respect, the shortage of blades also illustrates the nature of life under the party. By controlling access to certain items, the party is better able to control the lives of its members.


Furthermore, while it preaches about plenty, the party, in fact, deliberately withholds certain necessities from its people, to keep them in a permanent state of dependence. 

Does Parris end up as a broken man in The Crucible?

In many ways, yes.  When Reverend Parris first appears in Act Four, "He is gaunt, frightened, and sweating in his greatcoat."  He confesses that none of the convicted will speak to him anymore and that his niece, Abigail Williams, the girl whose actions essentially started the entire hysteria, has run off with all his money.  "Thirty-one pound is gone," he says, "I am penniless.  He covers his face and sobs."  He knows that the trials had more to do with revenge and land than they had to do with witchcraft, and it has affected him physically.  He is disrespected by those people whom he had always previously respected, and he must continue to doubt the validity of the proceedings now that Abigail has robbed him and run off.  Even Danforth says, "Mr. Parris, you are a brainless man!"  This line shows how mentally and emotionally broken he has become.


On top of this, Parris is credibly fearful of rebellion now that it is clear that the majority of the community does not support the trials, and -- most especially -- he fears for his own life.  He says, "Tonight, when I open my door to leave my house -- a dagger clattered to the ground [....].  You cannot hang this sort.  There is danger for me.  I dare not step outside at night!"  His guilt, fear, and desperation have changed him dramatically from the once arrogant and certain man he was at the beginning of the play.  He is broken physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Friday, July 3, 2015

Why is the frequency of induced mutation higher than in spontaneous mutation?

Mutations are an interruption in the normal sequence of DNA within an organism.  Mutations have traditionally been of the spontaneous variety, occurring naturally in nature over the vast expanse of time.  The normal time line can be quite long, so spontaneous mutations occur at a much reduced rate than do induced mutations.  Induced mutations are those caused by scientists in a controlled laboratory setting.  They occur at the direction of the scientist, when and where he or she directs.  So the frequency at which the induced mutations occur would naturally be higher than that of the spontaneous mutations, which might take a very long time to occur.  Mutations may be a substitution, where a nitrogenous base is substituted for another, or an addition, where an extra base is inserted within the genetic code.  A deletion is where a base is pulled from the existing DNA sequence, without inserting another.

Discuss the characteristics of the Spartan economy.

The Spartans enjoyed the luxuries of a very strong economy for many years. The Spartan economy was based on agriculture and domination of its neighbors. Spartans depended on the conquered peasants from the outskirts of their territory to grow enough food for the entire population.  These peasants were called helots and had no political rights.  The helots were tied to the land like serfs but were very important to Sparta.  They were able to produce enough crops to sustain the entire population.  The Spartans were suspicious of foreign influence on their culture so they did not engage in trade.  The Spartans also had access to quarries, mines, and forest as natural resources.  Spartan males did not engage in the production of goods as they were required to serve as soldiers until they were sixty years old.  The Spartans used the perioikoi, the artisans of their conquered people, to manufacture the goods that were needed. It was also the perioikoi that engaged in trade with other city-states when necessary.  The perioikoi were also not afforded citizenship rights but were permitted to acquire wealth.

Thursday, July 2, 2015

In The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, what values and lessons does Junior's grandmother teach him by her examples, both in life and...

In The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Junior's grandmother is largely representative of the moral compass by which Junior is charged to live. Although many of the Indians around him, including his own father, have become alcoholics in response to the intense poverty and lack of opportunity on the reservation, Junior's grandmother never drank, and instead focuses her energy on her family. Junior's grandmother, in life, teaches him that he needs to try to understand the trials and tribulations of others so that he can empathize with others. She also teaches him that he should not hold onto anger and that he should stand up for himself and chase opportunities that come his way. When she tragically (and ironically) dies as the result of an accident caused by a drunk driver, Junior refuses to be angry because he knows that his grandmother would want him to show forgiveness to the person who caused the accident. So Junior's grandmother, both in life and in death, teaches Junior the gift of empathy.

How does the sociological perspective relate to social work?

The sociological perspective is the way a sociologist views, classifies, studies, and theorizes on social groups and social interactions. The sociological perspective is an academic perspective based on the tenets of academic and scientific reasoning: objectivity, discourse, experimental protocol, etc. The sociological perspective yields specific theories that help make sense of social interaction. 


Social work is the practice of applying these theories in order to help individuals to become better adjusted to their social groups. Individuals may struggle to operate functionally within family settings or other interpersonal relationships. Or, they may have difficulty adjusting to social norms or expectations. Social work takes the findings of sociology and uses them at a practical level in order to help people to function better within their social groups. Sociology can be understood as the philosophical underpinning of social work. Conversely, social work can be understood as the practical application of sociological theory -- for the help and improvement of individuals in society. 

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

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

You need to solve the system, hence, selecting to solve it algebraically, yields:




Replacing for in the first equation yields:




Now, you need to solve for x the equation, using graphical method, hence, you need to trace the curves for the equations and and then you need to find out where these curves intercept each other. Notice that the red curve representing and the black curve representing , intercept each other at a point located between [1,2], much closer to the value x = 1.


An empty relative density bottle weighs 40g. The bottle weighs 80g when filled with methylated spirit. And 90g when filled with water. Find the...

Hello!


I think that the volumes of spirit and water were the same, and probably equal to the inner volume of a bottle. Denote this volume as


A volume a mass and a density are bounded by the relation In particular,


and


where is the density of spirit, is its mass, is the density of water and is its mass. Denote also the mass of a bottle as


The masses are actually known: and


So we have two (linear) equations and two unknowns, and From the second equation substitute it into the first equation and obtain:



We can use any units for here because is dimensionless. Therefore:


= (40/50)*1000 = 800 .

How can one become a great scientist, and what is the basic knowledge of science that one should master in order to be one?

I wish becoming a great scientist was as simple as getting good knowledge of some areas of science. In general, all the scientists need good knowledge of few sub-disciplines of science, depending on their specific area of interest. In general, good knowledge of mathematics, especially statistics is required for most of the scientific work. Statistics helps in error analysis and experimental design. Simple equation to complex mathematical model may be part of research work as well. For scientists working with microorganisms, thorough knowledge of microbiology and chemistry is needed. Experimental scientists also need the knowledge of various equipment, such as microscopes, flow equipment, etc. Many scientific works also require the knowledge of different computer software. Thus, I would suggest good understanding of mathematics, computer software and discipline specific knowledge. More importantly, one has to have an attitude for learning continuously (as and when needed) to become successful in science and research. Also important are good verbal and written communication skills, since scientists have to communicate with the community regarding their research work.


Hope this helps. 

Discuss the witches' apparitions in Macbeth Act IV and Macbeth's reactions to and interpretations of them.

In Act 4 of Macbeth, Macbeth seeks the witches so that he can get another prophecy to find out whether or not his position as king is secure. While he is in their lair, the witches offer him four apparitions. In the first, Macbeth sees an armed head that tells him to beware Macduff. Macbeth has already suspected Macduff of being against him, so he resolves to murder Macduff to get him out of the way. The second apparition is a bloody child that tells him he shall fear none born of woman. Macbeth thinks that he is safe because he reasons that everyone is born of woman, so he basically dismisses this apparition. Third, a child wearing a crown and holding a tree tells Macbeth that he shall not fear until Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane. Macbeth also thinks that this is not serious because the trees are rooted in the ground and cannot move. Finally, Macbeth is shown a line of mirrors that reflect kings to come, and this apparition makes Macbeth angry. He leaves the lair convinced that Macduff's entire line must die so that he feels protected in his position as king.

How does author Elie Wiesel use symbolism to contribute to the meaning of Night?

In his book Night , Elie Wiesel uses symbolism throughout to enhance the text. First of all, the title itself is symbolic. The word "ni...