What are three strong examples of the theme of appearance vs. reality in Macbeth?

Appearance is often different from reality in Macbeth. We see one example of this when Duncan arrives at Macbeth's castle. He speaks at length about the pleasantness of Macbeth's home, and is full of praise for Lady Macbeth as a hostess. Lady Macbeth goes to great lengths to make Duncan feel welcome. In reality, however, she and her husband are plotting to murder the King, and the audience knows this. The witches' prophecies also appear different than they actually turn out. For instance, they summon an apparition that tells Macbeth that he cannot be killed except by someone "not of woman born." Taking this to mean that he cannot be killed by any person, Macbeth is unpleasantly surprised to discover that Macduff, who was "untimely ripped" from his mother's womb, fulfills this prophecy. Finally, the apparent transformations of the Macbeths over the course of the play strongly suggest that they were never as they seemed. Lady Macbeth, fearsome, strong, and ruthless in plotting against the King, is a shell of her former self by the time she dies. Macbeth, who appears as a loyal and brave thane early in the play, is a murderous monster driven by his own ambition by the end.

How does Mayella feel about Tom in chapter 18 in To Kill A Mockingbird?

Mayella Ewell does not reveal her real feelings about Tom Robinson in Chapter 18 of To Kill a Mockingbird. Instead, she acts as a mere mouthpiece of her father, who caught her kissing Tom.

In his summation at the end of Robinson's trial in Chapter 20, Atticus alludes to Mayella, saying that she has broken "a rigid and time-honored code of our society," a tradition that if broken, a person is ostracized from society. She has broken this forbidden code because her desires have been too strong for her to resist. So, now in court she makes the effort "to destroy the evidence of her offence," as Atticus says, by accusing Tom of rape and pretending that she has done nothing wrong.

Coerced by her father to accuse Tom, Mayella states that she called Tom to break down a chiffarobe for her and earn a nickel. According to Mayella, she went into the house to get the nickel when Tom "run up" behind her, putting his hands around her neck and

"...cussin' me and sayin' dirt--I fought'n'hollered, but he had me round the neck. He hit me agin an' agin--...he chunked me on the floor an' choked me'n took advantage of me." (Ch. 18)

After Mayella gives this testimony, in her narration Scout remarks that like her father, Mayella feels confidence afterwards, but "there was something stealthy about hers, like a steady-eyed cat with a twitchy tail." Under the coercion of her father who witnessed her forbidden behavior, Mayella now places damning blame upon the innocent Tom Robinson. In order to not be accused of breaking a strong social code in Maycomb in trying to sexually entice a black man, she lies about what happened in Chapter 18.

Do you think Mrs. Jones is wise or foolish to trust Roger? Why?

The question of Mrs. Jones' decision to trust Roger is one of the interpretive questions often discussed when analyzing Langston Hughes' short story "Thank You, M'am."

When analyzing the question of her decision to trust Roger, readers often look at Roger's choice not to attempt to rob her again when Mrs. Jones leaves him alone within arm's reach of her purse and the door. One might say that Roger's choice not to rob her when again given the chance offers proof that her choice to trust him was wise. That is certainly one interpretation.

Looking deeper at the themes of trust, dignity, and integrity that Hughes weaves into the story, one could also say that regardless of the choice Roger made when the purse was again in his reach and her door open, she made the right choice in trusting him because she left him with the choice to choose to have dignity and integrity. One might say that treating him with dignity and offering him the chance to prove he was worthy of her trust and that he had integrity was the best choice she could make.

Write the partial fraction decomposition of the rational expression. Check your result algebraically.

To decompose a fraction, factor the denominator.

Then,  write a fraction for each factor. Since the numerator is still unknown, assign a variable to the numerator of each fraction. 

  and   

Add these two fractions and set it equal to the given rational expression.

To get the values of A and B, eliminate the fractions in the equation. So, multiply both sides by the LCD.

Then, plug-in the roots of each factor.

For the factor (x-3), its root is x=3.

For the factor x, its root is x=0.

So the given rational expression decomposes to:

This can be re-written as:

To check, express the two fractions with same denominators.

Now that they have same denominators, proceed to subtract them.

Therefore,   .

Does the poem "I'm nobody! Who are you?" create effective, clever, or memorable images? If so, give one or two examples.

Yes, this little poem by Emily Dickinson does create clever and memorable images. In the first stanza, the narrator creates a conspiratorial feeling by saying, "Don't tell! they'd advertise - you know!" You can almost picture the speaker leaning toward you, putting her finger to her lips to shush you, and possibly winking playfully. 

In the second stanza, Dickinson conjures up the image of a Frog. She says that being famous, being "Somebody," is being "public - like a Frog." If you have walked by a swamp in the early summer and heard bullfrogs calling, you know they seem to be trumpeting out their importance. Some bullfrogs' chests puff up into a big bubble as they repeatedly and insistently croak out, "Me-ee! Me-ee! Me-ee!" (You can see an example on the video link below--start watching at 1:14.) Dickinson goes on to give the name of the month--June--which helps you picture the scene, and to speak of the "admiring bog," which helps you visualize the swamp. I think the image of a bullfrog to symbolize self-importance is very clever and effective! 

"There is only one sin, only one. Every other is a variation of theft." In The Kite Runner, who says this, what is the explanation?

This statement was made by Baba to Amir. Amir was informing the reader about the conditions before the Taliban took control of Afghanistan. People in Afghanistan enjoyed extensive freedoms back then. At the time, drinking was not a crime, but those who partook of liquor did so in private, out of respect.

This led to a conversation in the study between Baba and Amir. Amir was talking about what he learned from Mullah Fatiullah Khan, who was guiding his religious studies. At the time of their conversation, Baba was drinking whiskey and Amir was reiterating what the Mullah taught about the consequences of drinking. To this effect, Baba decided to explain to Amir his version of sin.

Baba informed Amir that there was only one sin, that of theft. Every other sin was a variation of theft. He further explained that, when an individual kills a man, they rob a life, they rob the wife’s right to a husband and the children’s right to a father. He stated that a lie robs a person's right to the truth and when a person cheats they steal the right to fairness. To this end, Baba concluded that there was nothing worse that stealing.

"There is no act more wretched than stealing, Amir," Baba said. "A man who takes what's not his to take, be it a life or a loaf of naan... I spit on such a man. And if I ever cross paths with him, God help him. Do you understand?"

How can I create a headline story, like in a newspaper, based on the novel To Kill a Mockingbird from a character's perspective?

The first thing you need to do is to decide on a character from the novel who you think you can write a news story from their perspective.  Which characters could you relate to the most as you read the novel?  Did you identify with Scout, Jem, Tom Robinson, Boo Radley? 

Next, choose the most exciting or dramatic event involving that character.  Here is a list of some possibilities:

• Scout seeing Boo Radley for the first time. (Maybe she can interview him!)


• Jem fighting with Bob Ewell.


• Dill’s perspective of the trial.


• Tom Robinson’s perspective about going to jail for a crime he didn’t commit.


• Atticus’ view of the trial, and why they didn’t win.


• Boo Radley’s perspective on what kept him a recluse and how he saved the children from Bob Ewell. 


• Calpurnia’s perspective on the trial or life in Maycomb as a black woman.  Perhaps she would write an article about how Atticus kills the rabid dog.


• Miss Maudie and her house burning down. 


• An article on the lynch mob from Scout, Jem, or Atticus’ perspective.

There are numerous ways to go with this topic.  Come up with a great, exciting headline, and answer the who, what, when, where, and how found in all newspaper articles.  Make sure you add enough details!

Which Enlightenment idea was included in the U.S. Constitution before the Bill of Rights?

There are many Enlightenment ideas reflected in the U.S. Constitution. Generally, the concepts of limited government, representative government, the rule of law, popular sovereignty, religious tolerance (as expressed in the outlawing of religious tests), and others underlie much of the Constitution. Perhaps the Enlightenment philosophe whose ideas are most obvious in the document (before the Bill of Rights) is the Baron de Montesquieu. Montesquieu had argued in his book The Spirit of the Laws that an ideal government divided sovereignty between legislators, a judiciary and a king. He based his theory on the British system of government, which he thought was the best in the world, and the idea was that dividing power might stop the development of despotic government. The Framers of the Constitution (and for that matter the state constitutions that preceded it) drew on this idea in their creation of a government that featured a legislature, executive, and a judicial branch. Montesquieu was read and admired by many of the Framers, especially James Madison.

What does Elena enjoy looking at from her window?

Elena is a teenage Puerto Rican girl who lives in Paterson, New Jersey in 1963. Her family lives in an apartment complex called El Building, and she likes to go out on the fire escape to read. Her friend Eugene lives next door and she likes to look down into his backyard as well as into the kitchen. She first started watching the yard and the kitchen next door when an elderly Jewish couple lived there before Eugene's family moved in.

"Over the years I had become part of their family, without their knowing it, of course. I had a view of their kitchen and their backyard, and though I could not hear what they said, I knew when they were arguing, when one of them was sick, and many other things."

Elena likes looking at the yard and the kitchen because they represent peace, family, and having one's own space to call home--unlike an apartment. She would like to have a kitchen table or yard so she can sit and read in a comfortable place rather than the fire escape of a big, ugly building.

Using various adjectives, describe Bruno's character in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas? e.g. inquisitive, curious...etc.

Adventurous: Throughout the novel, Bruno mentions that he wants to become an explorer when he grows up. He recalls going on various expeditions and exploring places at his old home in Berlin. When he arrives at Out-With, he is curious and longs to go on adventures to explore his new environment. Bruno finally gets his chance to be an "explorer" when he is asked to help find Shmuel's father. Tragically, Bruno's final expedition leads him to a gas chamber where he loses his life.

Polite: Bruno is a polite child who has strong morals and a conscious. He never interrupts adults when they are speaking, and does not mention sensitive subjects around his new friend out of fear that he will offend him. Bruno treats Maria, Pavel, and Shmuel with respect, despite the fact that many adults display contempt for them. He shows sympathy for Shmuel and regrets denying their friendship in front of Lieutenant Kotler. When he sees Shmuel following their precarious situation in the kitchen, he is quick to apologize for his actions.

Lonely: Bruno is lonely when he first arrives at Out-With. He continually mentions that he misses his old friends, and longs to play with Shmuel. Bruno tells Shmuel that he wishes he lived on the other side of the fence because there are other children who live there. In Bruno's mind, Shmuel is lucky because he is surrounded by so many kids.

In "Eveline," why did Joyce choose the names he did for the characters?

Joyce carefully chose the names for the characters in the story "Eveline" and many other stories in Dubliners because he wanted to attach symbolism and irony to his characters, so that they are not only defined by their distinctness, but by universality as well. 

Two most prominent characters in "Eveline" that deserve attention are the protagonist, Eveline, and her lover, Frank. Our protagonist, Eveline, is given the name which means "little Eve," so we may interpret this in two ways. Firstly, Eveline can be associated with Eve, who was banished from the Garden of Eden with Adam because they could not resist temptation. So, symbolically, Eveline's connection with Eve is interesting because we can wonder whether Eveline will yield to breaking the rules like Eve did, or if she will be obedient and stay at home and be a dutiful daughter.

Secondly, the world "little" could relate to what an insignificant life Eveline has led all along. Her life is the sum of her completed duties. She longs to feel love and safety, but we learn that she does not possess enough courage to change her life for the better.

Frank, Eveline's lover, is presented as someone who could save Eveline from her oppressive daily routine and offer something more fulfilling. His name implies honesty and openness, but we cannot help but wonder whether his intentions are honest. Will he really save Eveline? Or will he "drown" her as she suspects at the end of the story? This honesty, attached to Frank's name, could be the product of Joyce's irony. But we can never be sure, of course.

When did Japan attack Pearl Harbor?

Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, at approximately 8:00 A.M. Hawaiian time.

The United States knew an attack was coming, but we didn’t know where it would occur. The United States had broken the Japanese secret code. As a result, we knew that Japan was planning to attack us. On the morning of the attack, about an hour before the attack began, our radar picked up a group of planes. However, our military personnel believed they were American B-17 planes coming from California. Therefore, no action was taken.

Japan was upset with us because we stopped selling them supplies they needed to carry out their military objectives. They needed oil and scrap metal from us, and we stopped selling those items to them with the passage of the Export Control Act in 1940. We also froze their assets in our banks in 1941 as Japan became more aggressive in Asia and in the Pacific region.

December 7, 1941, is a “date which live in infamy” President Roosevelt declared in his address to Congress.

What is the name of the author of "The Adventure of the Speckled Band"?

The Adventure of the Speckled Band was written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, whose name is sometime abbreviated as "ACD." This particular story in the Sherlock Holmes series was first published in February of 1892. In this adventure, Mr. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson are asked by Miss Helen Stoner to figure out what is going on at her home. Miss Stoner fears that someone or something may be trying to kill her because her sister died years prior in circumstances very similar to her own. 

It has been proposed that the Sherlock Holmes stories are semi-autobiographical, with Doyle himself being represented by the character of Dr. John Watson. Though the content of the stories is most certainly fictional, Doyle did state that he was inspired to create the character of Sherlock Holmes by his once-professor Dr. Joseph Bell and his powerful skills of observation.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, what are the first two things Aunt Alexandra says when she comes to the Finch's house?

In typical Aunt Alexandra fashion, she starts barking out orders the second she walks in the door of the Finch’s house. Aunt Alexandra is asked by Atticus to help by staying with the children during the trial because he fears for Scout and Jem’s safety.  Calpurnia can’t stay at the Finches all the time, so Aunt Alexandra fills in. Aunt Alexandra likes to rule the roost, so to speak, and she thinks she knows how to do everything better than anyone else. Her criticisms of Calpurnia and Scout don’t allow for a very happy visit.  She starts ordering Calpurnia around, and later, she tells Atticus that Calpurnia is not needed while she is there.  She also starts to criticize Scout for not behaving like a girl and for her lack of southern manners. 

Scout describes the moment Aunt Alexandra arrives in this quote:  ‘"Put my bag in the front bedroom, Calpurnia," was the first thing Aunt Alexandra said. "Jean Louise, stop scratching your head," was the second thing she said.’

Although Aunt Alexandra is tough, bossy, and doesn’t agree with Atticus defending a black man, she does soften by the end of the novel when she realizes what Atticus, Scout, and Jem go through during the trial and afterwards.

What are the common features of protists

The term “protist” refers to a diverse taxonomic group of eukaryotic cells that cannot be classified as plants, animals, or fungi. Being eukaryotic means that protists have a nuclei and membrane-bound organelles. Protists may be unicellular, live in colonies, or multicellular. There are three groups of protists, which are identified and briefly explained below.

1.      Animal-like protists can move and are heterotrophic. Being heterotrophic means that these organisms consume other things in order to obtain energy.

2.      Plant-like protists are autotrophic. Being autotrophic means that these organisms make their own energy, most often via the process known as photosynthesis.

3.      Fungi-like protists are also heterotrophic and reproduce by suing spores.

Protista are often referred to as “pond life” because many protists can be found lignin in wet or moist environments, such as ponds. Examples of protists are amoebas, euglena, paramecium, plasmodium, and some algae.

When does "After Twenty Years" take place?

There is little in the story "After Twenty Years" to indicate its time period. We know it is a time period of electric lights. Although the action happens in New York City and the streets are mentioned, we are not told whether horses and carriages or cars are going down the streets, or both. Only "foot passengers" are mentioned, and the officer is patrolling his beat on foot. The fact that the story mentions that the drug store was "brilliant with electric lights" may indicate that electric lights in stores were somewhat new. Electricity came to New York City around 1884 and became more and more widespread over the succeeding decades. The fact that the man went "West," rather than specifying a specific state, such as California, may hint at a time of rail travel rather than automobiles. The officer mentions that the police communicated to Chicago via a "wire," meaning a telegraph. Telegraphs were used into the 1920s and 1930s because they were cheaper than placing long distance telephone calls. These clues suggest that the late 1800s or early 1900s was the setting for this story. But the best way to nail down a more specific time period is to consider the story's author, O. Henry. He published most of his stories from 1906 to 1910. Since he seems to have made no effort to identify any particular time period in the story, we could assume he meant it to be contemporary for his time, so we can place the story in the first decade of the 20th century. 

Why may Puck be considered the protagonist in A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare and not Bottom?

A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare does not have a traditional protagonist. Normally, a protagonist is both the most important character in a play and the person whose desires, needs, or situation drives the plot of the play. The main conflict of the play is usually concerned with how the protagonist struggles against obstacles to reach a goal or resolve a problem, sometimes successfully and sometimes not.

The main conflicts in the play are among the two sets of young lovers and Titania and Oberon. In the case of the young lovers, we have a fairly conventional narrative trajectory in which Hermia loves Lysander and Helena loves Demetrius but there are obstacles to their happy unions; after a few plot twists, both young women end up with the men they love. Thus in this sense we have a very traditional comic plot arc in the lovers' stories, and in some ways the young lovers are the closest characters to traditional protagonists.

The Titania-Oberon conflict over the changeling is also resolved, but we do not have a fully fleshed out narrative arc, meaning that they do not function as protagonists.

Bottom, as one of the rustics, functions as comic relief, and although he is part of Titania's story, his role, and that of the play within the play, are comic diversions; he has no major narrative of his own about his own aspirations and goals.

Puck is a more important character in the play than Bottom, but carries out his deeds at the behest of Oberon. We don't really get a sense of Puck as having motives and a story of his own, but merely acting in and recounting the stories of others. In a way, he is like the playwright, a creator and facilitator of other people's stories rather than the protagonist in his own story.  

What are ten things we know about Atticus in the novel To Kill A Mockingbird?

Atticus is one of the main characters in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird. He is the morally upright lawyer who defends Tom Robinson. This is a list of 10 things the audience learns about him throughout the novel.

1. Atticus Finch went to law school in Montgomery, Alabama.


2. Atticus is currently a lawyer in Maycomb, Alabama.


3. He paid for his brother, John Hale Finch, to go to college to study medicine.


4. Atticus was elected to the state legislature, where he met his wife.


5. Atticus is a widower. His wife died of a sudden heart-attack six years after they became married.


6. Atticus has two children named Jeremy and Jean Louise.


7. Atticus likes to read. Scout mentions that it is her father's favorite thing to do, and there are many scenes throughout the novel that depict Atticus reading.


8. Atticus is an expert marksman. He kills Tim Johnson with one shot in Chapter 10.


9. Atticus' nickname growing up was Ole' One-Shot Finch.


10. Atticus acts the same in his house, as he does in public. Miss Maudie tells Scout this in Chapter 5.

What are Tybalt's character traits as they are presented in Romeo and Juliet?

When we first meet Tybalt at the Capulet's ball, he comes across as quite aggressive and vengeful. When he notices Romeo, who had gate-crashed the ball and is a sworn enemy of the Capulet's, being a Montague, he remarks:

This, by his voice, should be a Montague.
Fetch me my rapier, boy. What dares the slave
Come hither, cover'd with an antic face,
To fleer and scorn at our solemnity?
Now, by the stock and honour of my kin,
To strike him dead, I hold it not a sin.

It is clear from the extract that he has recognised Romeo from the manner in which he speaks. This shows that Tybalt also has a keen ear and is constantly aware of what goes on around him. It is as if he is paranoid about protecting the house of Capulet and in his overzealous loyalty would kill anyone from the opposition, in this instance, a Montague. He immediately calls for his sword, since he sees it as an insult that an enemy should have invaded and mocked the graciousness of their celebration. He vows to kill the insurgent as a matter of honor and duty to his family. He does not perceive such an act as evil.

In spite of the fact that his uncle, Lord Capulet, instructs him not to cause a scene and thus disrupt the party, Tybalt is stubbornly insistent, allowing his affirmed loyalty and emotion to be dismissive of his uncle's entreaty. He responds:

It fits, when such a villain is a guest:
I'll not endure him.

This indicates that Tybalt is stubborn and insistent, saying that Romeo's presence would have been excusable if he had been invited, but he was there without invitation and had to be dealt with.

It is only when his uncle imposes a threat and tells him to calm down, that Tybalt grudgingly accedes. He does however, grumble that it is a shame and that Romeo's intrusion will increase his resentment. Lord Capulet clearly knows that Tybalt is of a choleric disposition, meaning that he has a quick temper.

We also learn from Mercutio in his discussion with Benvolio, that he deems Tybalt to be quite a prima-donna, a playboy, fashionable, one who is keen on putting on airs. Mercutio seems to admire him, for he says that Tybalt is also tall and is a skilled swordsman. He resents the fact, however, that Tybalt and his like never seem to be satisfied and constantly change their style and manner. He resents the fact that he has to be regularly confronted by them, and sees them as pesky flies.

Later in the play we witness further evidence of Tybalt's hate, short temper and aggression. He actually sends Romeo a written challenge to a duel for having insulted the house of Capulet by surreptitiously attending a function to which he was not invited. When he confronts Romeo, we also learn that he is forthright and fearless, for he immediately challenges Romeo who rejects his challenge. This infuriates Mercutio who then takes up Tybalt's challenge. Mercutio is tragically killed because of Romeo's intervention which gives Tybalt a slight advantage which he then uses to fatally wound Mercutio.

Romeo later avenges Mercutio's death by killing Tybalt, an event that eventually leads to the tragic denouement of this dramatic tale.

Why are the king and duke nearly successful in their attempt to swindle the Wilks sisters in the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn?

One of the main reasons that the king and duke are nearly successfully at swindling the Wilks sisters is because the sisters trust their emotional responses instead of closely examining the facts. The king also does his best English accent while the duke pretends to be deaf and dumb like the real William Wilks. To the majority of the Southern townspeople who have never met an Englishman, the king's impression is convincing. The king and duke also successfully integrate with society by introducing themselves as Harvey and William Wilks while the king addresses the townspeople by name. The king and duke do a good job at convincing everyone, with the exception of Dr. Robinson and Levi Bell, that they are Peter's brothers by weeping and mourning at the funeral. After the king and duke receive Peter's endowment, they "graciously" give their share of the money to the girls to avoid suspicion. When Dr. Robinson attempts to expose the king and duke as frauds, he does so in a condescending manner and is unable to earn the trust of the Wilks sisters and the townspeople. Like most of the Southern townspeople in the novel, the community members do not think independently and blindly believe what they want to. The king and duke are nearly successful at swindling the Wilks sisters by exploiting their emotional responses and earning the trust of their community members. 

Hydrogen shows properties similar to both alkali metals and halogens, then why is it placed in first group?

While hydrogen has properties similar to alkali metals and properties similar to halogens, owing to its unique characteristics, hydrogen is considered neither an alkali metal nor a halogen. It is placed in group I solely because of its electronic configuration with one electron (electron configuration is the arrangement of electrons in orbital shells). It has 1 proton (the most common isotopic form) thus an atomic number of 1 (the number of protons equals the atomic number). The periodic table arranges elements according to their atomic number and electronic configuration, which are the two factors explaining the reason for the position of hydrogen at the top of group I: atomic number and electronic configuration.

Hydrogen shares some properties of alkali metals and halogen, yet it is neither. Similar to alkali metals, hydrogen has 1 electron in its outermost shell and can form compounds with non-metals (such as HCl, etc.). However, it has non-metallic character, is a gas (while alkali metals are solid) and cannot lose its valence electron. Hydrogen is also similar to halogens, since it forms diatomic molecules (H2, same as halogens- Cl2, etc.), needs one more electron to completely fill its outermost shell, etc. However, it is not entirely a halogen either. 

What is the difference between the men and women in Twelfth Night?

Truth be told: nobody's a hero, nobody's perfect, and everyone is infatuated. There aren't any real differences between the characters that are owed to gender; differences in motive, however, play a key role. Viola and Sebastian are twins, so in some ways they are similar, bound by blood. Because they look similar, Olivia ends up mistaking one for the other late in the play, and Sebastian pledges to marry her after just meeting her. Sebastian is a lost soul; he simply wants to be reunited with his sister and to figure out his place in the new world. Viola is in love with Orsino but can't express her love because she's pretending to be a man. She wants to tell Orsino how she feels and keep Olivia from falling deeper in love with her. Orsino desperately wants Olivia to marry him, but, naturally, she won't. She takes a liking to "Cesario" instead, who is actually Viola in disguise. Olivia wants Cesario/Sebastian, but does everything she can to keep Orsino at bay. All of this, of course, gets resolved, but not before chaos ensues. Malvolio is probably the one character in the play who walks away empty handed and cast out; life doesn't treat him very well in the play, nor do the people in Olivia's house. None of the men are perfect matches for the wives they choose; Olivia barely knows the man she's marrying, and Orsino is convinced he is in love with another woman right up until Viola reveals herself.

At what point does the conflict between Mr. White and the paw actually begin? Explain.

This is a fantastic question. Let me give you a play by play of sorts.  At first, Mr. White is intrigued by the paw.  He listens intently at the stories of Sergeant Major Morris.  When Morris speaks of the power and evil of the paw and throws it into the fire, Mr. White quickly saves it.  This action shows that Mr. White wants to protect the paw.  There is no conflict yet. 

After Mr. White makes a wish, whether he believes in the paw or not, the conflict begins.  In fact, that night as he is looking into the fire, he sees face.  He sees a horrible face of monkey.  Here is the quote:

One face was so horrible and monkey-like he stared at it in amazement.

This starts the conflict.  Mr. White begins to fear.  The next morning, Mr. White believes that the paw also moved. This scares him. Shortly thereafter, Herbert died at work in an accident. This intensifies the conflict.  When Mr. White makes his second wish - to have his son back, he is uneasy.  The only reason he makes this wish is because of Mrs. White's insistence.   When there is a knock at the front door, fear grips him.  Finally, he wishes everything away. This last action shows that he completely believes in the power of the paw and accepts defeat.  In other words, he will cut his loses and move on. The paw wins. 

Della saves her money to buy goods from the grocer, the vegetable man, and the butcher. Which statement in the story describes Della's relationship...

Before the days of supermarkets, housewives used to have to go to a number of different shops in order to get food for one or two days' meals. There were no refrigerators, so the women had to shop frequently or their food would spoil. Typically they carried wicker shopping baskets because the shops did not provide bags. The women would naturally form familiar relationships with the shopkeepers. Many of the shops were mom-and-pop enterprises, so the shoppers would get to know both husband and wife. In butcher shops, for example, the husband would do all the meat cutting and his wife would deal with the customers. Della did not to alienate any of these business people, who were struggling to survive themselves, but she must have caused some irritation by scrutinizing the scales, counting and recounting the change she received, and sometimes haggling over the price of an item. She would have gone to the butcher, the baker, the greengrocer, and perhaps to the fruit seller, delicatessen, and the seller of dairy products on a typical day. Going shopping was a big event in her day. She spent much of her time alone in her apartment. Her relations with the shopkeepers would have been important to her, since they were among the few people she knew. 

The statement in the story that best describes her relationship with the shopkeepers is:

Pennies saved one and two at a time by bulldozing the grocer and the vegetable man and the butcher until one's cheeks burned with the silent imputation of parsimony that such close dealing implied. 

This shows how hard it was to save a penny in those days. Food were so low that the shopkeeper himself was counting his profits in pennies. No doubt these men and women were less cordial to Della than they might be with some of their other customers. They did not understand that she was trying to save a tiny sum of money to buy her husband a Christmas present at the end of the year. No doubt they categorized her as one of the women who was unpleasant to deal with. They may have considered "parsimony," or stinginess, as a character trait, which was obviously not the case with Della. She was so generous that she sold her beautiful hair in order to buy her husband a totally unnecessary and extravagant Christmas present.

How are Charles Dickens' novels and themes still relevant today?

Charles Dickens wrote many novels, but the themes of those novels were often the same as one another and have relevance in any timeframe, even today and in the future. This is part of what makes a classic piece of literature a classic.

One very common theme is poverty. We see this theme in Oliver Twist, Hard Times, and even A Christmas Carol. Dickens was writing during the Industrial Revolution in London and the stark contrast between the wealthy and the poor was more prevalent than ever before. Lower classes worked very long, hard hours in jobs that often physically injured them and paid them very little. Families lived in abject poverty, were behind on bills, were on the brink of starvation, and all of that in spite of most members of the family working wherever they could, if they could. Those who could not pay their bills were put into debtor's prison (where they could not work) until their debt was paid off. While our world today does not have debtor's prisons and work conditions have clearly improved in most developed countries, there are many countries in the world where the conditions of the Industrial Revolution are still seen in many ways. We have modern day "sweatshops" for example, where workers are expected to put in excruciatingly long hours (sometimes 18-20 in a day), are paid very little, and have few other employment options to leave for. In developed countries, we still see poverty as a significant social issue and probably always will.

Another common theme is tension between the social classes. This theme appears in several of his novels, including Great Expectations, David Copperfield, and A Tale of Two Cities. Much like poverty created tension between the halves and the have-nots, money helped to re-enforce and create new social tensions. Prior to the Industrial Revolution and the capitalization of society, wealth was often most respected if one's family had what was called "old money." This mean the money had been in the family for a long time and the family had been of high class for generations. During the Industrial Revolution a middle class was able to actually appear and move up financially, but socially they were not still s respected as those with old money. The poor were simply still poor, but now looked down upon even more by those in the new middle class and the upper classes. We certainly still see this today. One prime example of this is in America where we have the poverty class, the middle class, the upper middle class, and the wealthy. Think about the stories on the "Top 1%" or "Top 2%" that the politicians are always talking about. They are referring to those top 1% of earners in the country who own the majority of property and wealth. These upper classes control a great deal of our economy, our government, and our policies. So, we are constantly affected by social class and there are often tensions between those classes as their individual needs clash.

Plot the complex number and find its absolute value.

The absolute value of a complex number is . According to this formula, you need to determine a and b, such that:

Hence, the distance of the complex number from the origin is given by its absolute value .

In the Argand diagram, the complex number is the point or the vector from the origin to the point .

Why did George Orwell write Animal Farm as a fable?

George Orwell wrote Animal Farm as a fable because this genre is one of the most effective satirical literary devices. Orwell desired to satirize the Soviet Union--to show that Stalinism was not true to the principles of the Russian Revolution. The format of the fable allows one to accomplish this without bogging down the reader in pages and pages of narrative.

The reason Animal Farm is so much shorter than 1984--Orwell's most popular work--is that symbolism accomplishes much of the descriptive legwork. Orwell does not have to spend pages and pages proving that Napoleon and the other pigs are pigs; he makes them actual pigs and reinforces this description throughout the book.

Moreover, the simplicity of the fable inhibits the peculiar psychology of the author from impeding the story's narrative and moral. It is for this reason that C.S. Lewis--an expert on allegory--considered Animal Farm vastly superior to the dystopian 1984.

Do all the witches' predictions come true in the play Macbeth? (Please explain your answer.)

No.  All of the predictions do not come true within the time frame of the play.

The witches first predict that Macbeth will be Thane of Cawdor and King.  Both of those happen.  

They also predict that Banquo will not be king, but his lineage will produce kings.  Banquo doesn't become king, so that part is true.  But during the play, no offspring of Banquo takes a throne of any kind.  Perhaps they will later, which will then make the prediction true. 

They predict that "Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill / Shall come against him."  That does happen, because the approaching army camouflages themselves in tree branches from the forest.  

The witches predict that “none of woman born / Shall harm Macbeth."  They also tell Macbeth to beware of Macduff.  Those two predictions also come true.  Macduff does kill Macbeth, and he was not born through the regular process.  He was a cesarean birth.   

How were the Jews labeled by the Germans in the novella "Night" by Elie Wiesel?

I am assuming that by "labelling," you are referring to physical labelling, as opposed to the verbal ways in which the Germans referred to the Jews.

Even prior to their arrival in concentration camps, Germans labeled Jews by requiring that they wear a patch with a yellow Star of David on it.  Elie wears such a patch in Night.  Typically, this patch would also contain the word "Jew" in the language of the country where the Jewish person lived.

Once the Jewish people entered the concentration camps, they were given striped outfits (not unlike what prisoners wore in the past).  As all concentration camp inmates wore "stripes," Jews were once again distinguished by yellow stars, this time sewn on the outfits.  Jews and other prisoners were likewise identified individually by unique numbers, which were tattooed onto their arms.

Best Christmas Pageant Ever: What did the Herdmans want to do to Herod?

In chapters 4 and 5 of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever there are actually multiple ideas mentioned about what the Herdman children want to do to King Herod after they learn that he intended to harm the baby Jesus. The Herdmans had never heard the story of Jesus's birth before, and when it is read aloud to them by the narrator's mother, they are shocked and angry to learn that Herod would want to hurt a baby. Imogene Herdman's initial reaction on page 47 is to exclaim, "My God! He just got born and already they're out to kill him!"

According to the narrator at the bottom of page 47, the Herdmans "all got mad" when they learned Herod is not a character present in the Christmas pageant because they "wanted somebody to be Herod so they could beat him up". This is not stated directly by a Herdman kid in this chapter, but it is what the narrator reports to us that they wanted. Furthermore she says that they "wanted a bloody end to Herod".

Later on page 50 when Mother is describing the evening to Father back at home, Father remarks to her, "According to you, their chief instinct was to burn Herod alive." She corrects him, however, and explains that their chief instinct was to save Mary and the baby Jesus, and that to want to "do away with Herod" was the correct instinct a person ought to have since it is correct to recognize that Herod is the villain of the story. Again, we do not see any Herdmans actually mention "burning alive", but we do get the impression that in any case they want to get revenge on Herod on behalf of the baby.

On page 52 after the Herdmans have gone to the public library to read about Herod and find out whatever became of him, they return to pageant rehearsal and report that Herod had in fact killed many people and lived to an old age. The narrator tells us, "The Herdmans wanted to rewrite the whole pageant and hang Herod for a finish. They couldn't stand it that he died in bed of old age."

All in all, it is clear that the Herdmans want justice for the persecuted baby and believe that revenge is the best way to achieve it. Whether they want to beat up, burn alive, or hang Herod, the bottom line is that they want him to suffer dire consequences for trying to orchestrate harm to happen to baby Jesus.

Who are the Montagues in Romeo and Juliet?

Montague is Romeo's family name. In Romeo and Juliet, the two feuding families are the Capulet and the Montague families. Romeo belongs to the Montague family, while his young love, Juliet, belongs to the Capulet family.

Romeo falls in love with Juliet when he attends Lord Capulet's ball without permission. Deeply infatuated with the beautiful Juliet, Romeo wants to marry her, so he enlists Friar Lawrence's help to arrange matters for him. Meanwhile, Juliet's cousin, Tybalt, challenges Romeo to a duel. Not wanting to hurt Juliet's relative, Romeo refuses to fight Tybalt. However, Mercutio, Romeo's friend, decides to protect Romeo's honor by standing up for his friend. In the fracas, Tybalt kills Mercutio. Enraged, Romeo in turn slays Tybalt. Now Romeo finds himself liable for Tybalt's death, and in frustration and fear, he seeks Friar Lawrence's help.

Meanwhile, Lord Capulet has promised Juliet to Paris not knowing that his daughter is already married to Romeo. Friar Lawrence gives Juliet a potion in order to put her to sleep; the plan is for her to be laid out in the family crypt and to be eventually reunited with Romeo. However, Romeo never receives the message from Friar Lawrence in regards to this plan.

Instead, what Romeo hears is that Juliet is dead; he goes to her tomb and prepares to take his life by drinking poison. Unfortunately for Romeo, Juliet wakes up after he has killed himself. So it is that when Juliet opens her eyes, she sees Romeo's dead body and stabs herself to death with Romeo's dagger. Friar Lawrence does eventually arrive at the Capulet tomb, but he is too late to save the young lovers. In response to the death of their only children, the Capulets and Montagues decide to end their enmity with one another.

In what part of the story "The Possibility of Evil" does Miss Strangeworth show nosiness?

When Miss Strangeworth goes to the post office to mail the three anonymous letters she had written earlier that day, she overhears part of a conversation between Linda Stewart and Dave Harris.

Miss Strangeworth stood by the door, opening her black pocketbook to take out the letters, and heard a voice which she knew at once to be Linda Stewart's. Poor little Linda was crying again, and Miss Strangeworth listened carefully. This was, after all, her town, and these were her people; if one of them was in trouble she ought to know about it.

Miss Strangeworth takes an interest in all the people in her town, but this is the one place in the story where she shows particular nosiness. She suspects that Linda and Dave, both young high school kids, have been having sexual relations. The old lady had previously written one of her poison-pen letters to Linda's parents suggesting that this might be the case. As usual, her letter was written in such a way that the writer seemed to be doing the parents a favor by advising them on a situation which was fairly common knowledge in the community. Miss Strangeworth has caused concern for Linda's parents and has threatened to destroy the chaste relationship between Linda and Dave. Linda's father has forbidden Dave from coming to their house anymore and is trying to separate the two young lovers altogether. The conversation Miss Strangeworth overhears goes as follows:

"I can't tell you, Dave," Linda was saying—so she was talking to the Harris boy, as Miss Strangeworth had supposed—"I just can't. It's just nasty."

"But why won't your father let me come around anymore? What on earth did I do?"

"I can't tell you. I just wouldn't tell you for anything. You've got to have a dirty, dirty mind for things like that."

"But something's happened. You've been crying and crying, and your father is all upset. Why can't I know about it, too? Aren't I like one of the family?"

"Not anymore, Dave, not anymore. You're not to come near our house again; my father said so. He said he'd horsewhip you. That's all I can tell you: You're not to come near our house anymore."

"But I didn't do anything."

"Just the same, my father said . . ."

Miss Strangeworth notices that many of the people in her town seem troubled, but she doesn't realize that she is the source of most of their troubles with her letters. This is the case with Linda Stewart and Dave Harris. Miss Strangeworth thought there was a possibility that they were misbehaving and hinted as much to Linda's parents. The part of the conversation the nosy old lady overhears at the post office seems to confirm that her suspicions were correct. She regards this as a situation in which she has been helpful to Linda and to Linda's parents, whereas in actuality she has done nothing but spread unhappiness. Linda and Dave were the kind of small-town kids who would get married some day, but now their futures are probably going to be shaped differently.

Miss Strangeworth is obviously lonely and unhappy. She bears some resemblance to Miss Havisham in Charles Dickens' novel Great Expectations. Miss Havisham causes unhappiness for others, especially for Pip and Estella, because the eccentric old woman is so unhappy herself. Miss Strangeworth seems especially interested in poisoning love relationships. Linda and Dave are only one example. In one of her most recent letters she has notified Mrs. Harper that everybody knows her husband is having an affair with another women in the community. If she succeeds in planting the idea in the minds of Don and Helen Crane that they have a retarded daughter and shouldn't be having any more babies, then that could poison their love for each other. Miss Strangeworth sees the possibility of evil in everybody but herself.

Where was the slave trade banned as part of the Compromise of 1850?

The Compromise of 1850 was an important compromise. The country was dividing along sectional lines, especially over slavery. This compromise attempted to resolve some of the issues that existed at that time.

The Compromise of 1850 allowed California to enter the Union as a free state. The state constitution of California required California to be a free state. This provision benefitted the North. The Compromise of 1850 took the territory we got from Mexico and organized it into the New Mexico and Utah territories. The people of these territories would decide the slavery question. This benefitted the South as some of these areas were north of the 36°30’ line that was used to divide possible slave territory from the non-slave territory. It is possible this line would have been used in these territories.

The Compromise of 1850 banned the trading of slaves in Washington, D.C. This was good for the North. The compromise also required northerners to help capture runaway slaves. This was required by the Fugitive Slave Act and benefitted the South.

The Compromise of 1850 was designed to partially satisfy both the North and South. It did ban the trading of slaves in our nation’s capital.

In the book The Witch of Blackbird Pond, what does Mercy ask Kit's help with?

Mercy asks Kit to help her teach school.

There is a big learning curve for Kit in Wethersfield.  It takes her some time to learn the chores of the house and the customs of the people.  She helps out wherever she can.  One day, Mercy tells her that she has been offered a position helping Mercy teach school.

"The most wonderful thing, Kit! Dr. Bulkeley has recommended to the selectmen that you help me with the school this summer." (Ch. 8)

Kit had no idea that Mercy even taught school.  It turns out that she teaches at the “dame school” for younger children during the summer months.  She teaches them to read and write, and then when they get old enough they go to the grammar school.  Mercy's school is right there in the kitchen.

Kit is not sure about teaching, since she has never done it.  Mercy tells her that she is indeed qualified.

"I don't know much about children," said Kit dubiously.

"You know how to read, don't you? John Holbrook told Dr. Bulkeley you can read as well as he can." (Ch. 8)

This surprises Kit too.  Of course, being able to read and being able to teach are two different things.  Kit still does not quite fit into Wethersfield society.  Her education was much different than theirs, because in Barbados the culture was very different.  Kit read Shakespeare there, not just the Bible.  The people of Wethersfied do not approve of such reading.

Mercy tells Kit that they both will be earning wages, and that Kit will help a great deal.  She finds the texts boring and monotonous, and it tests her patience.  Remembering back to her own education, Kit decides to make up her own lessons with her pupils like her grandfather did with her.  She makes up rhymes with the children’s names and has them read them.  The kids love it, hanging on her every word.

Kit had no idea that her methods were novel and surprising. She only knew that the past ten days since the dame school had begun had been the pleasantest she had known in Connecticut. (Ch. 9)

Kit enjoys teaching and gets along well with the children.  Kit even tells the children stories, which Mercy worries is an “indulgence.”  One day she has the children act out the story of the Good Samaritan, since they already know it.  For this, Kit gets in trouble with the schoolmaster, who disbands the school and fires them both.  Kit finally gets Mr. Kimberley to give them one more chance, and then uses much more orthodox methods.

Most of us today would find no fault with Kit's methods, but Puritans would have found them scandalous.  Everything was simple and proper, and play-acting was clearly forbidden.  Kit had no idea that she was doing anything wrong, because she thought that the story being from The Bible would make it acceptable.

What happened in chapter 24 of To Kill A Mockingbird?

In chapter 24, we read of the women's missionary gathering. More specifically, Grace Merriweather gives a report of the Mrunas, an African tribe.  She praises the efforts of the missionary, J. Grimes Evertt. 

Aunt Alexandra also wants Scout to the present.  She thinks that Scout can use some training to be a lady.  But as the chapter progresses, we see that meeting is filled with religious hypocrisy. For example, Mrs. Merriweather thinks that she is a kind and loving person, but she is a bigot who is blind. For example, she considers the people in Africa are barely human. Here is a quote:

Mrs. Merriweather’s large brown eyes always filled with tears when she considered the oppressed. “Living in that jungle with nobody but J. Grimes Everett,” she said. “Not a white person’ll go near ‘em but that saintly J. Grimes Everett.”

We also see hypocrisy in Maycomb's treatment of Tom Robinson. If the missionary society really cared about people, shouldn't they do something for the injustices in their own backyard?

Also towards the end of this chapter, we also read of the death of Tom Robinson. According to the prison, Tom tried to flee, and he was shot dead. 

Which symbols are used to represent different Bohr's orbit?

there is no different orbit, only different energy level

The orbit with lowest energy level is n=1, and as energy increase, we have n=2, n=3 and so on. 

Bohr's model describe atom as negatively charged electrons move around an positively charged nucleus. which is similar to a solar system but it is hold together by the attraction force instead of gravity. 

So the area which the electrons moves, is called an orbit, different electrons have different energy so it moves in different orbit. 

For Bohr's model, orbits are only specified by difference on energy level, and there is no symbols to represent different orbits. 

Just n=1, n=2, n=3 and so on. 

What is the context for this paragraph from Act III Scene 3 in the tragedy of "Othello," written by William Shakespeare? ' Emilia : I am glad I...

In this passage, Emilia is acting for her husband Iago.  Previously in the scene Desdemona has taken out her handkerchief in an attempt to bind Othello’s head and alleviate his headache; the cloth is too small,  and Othello brushes it away impatiently and it falls to the floor.  In the passage quoted here Emilia has retrieved it, and is speaking of her resolve to give it to Iago, for he has often begged her to steal it from Desdemona (Emilia is Desdemona’s attendant).  This had proved impossible, however, for Desdemona kept it about her person at all times, for it was the first gift Othello ever bestowed upon her, and therefore she values it greatly.  Emilia states that she will “have the work ta’en out,” which here means that she will have the embroidery copied, and give the piece to Iago, who plans to plant the handkerchief in Cassio’s quarters, therefore condemning him and Othello’s young bride both.  Emilia, however, knows nothing of these plans and desires only to please her husband.

In this section of the play Iago has already planted a seed of doubt in Othello’s mind as to the actions of Cassio and Desdemona, hence Othello’s shortness of temper when Desdemonda comes to him with the handkerchief.  Shortly after the quoted passage takes place and Emilia alerts her husband to her actions, Othello returns and speaks in anguish of the suspicion brewing in his mind and the unrest it causes.  He demands to Iago:

Make me see’t; or at the least so prove it
That the probation bear no hinge nor loop
To hang a doubt on – or woe upon thy life!

Thus Othello has demanded concrete proof that his wife is being unfaithful – proof that Iago has now acquired in the form of Desdemona’s dropped handkerchief.  Finally, Othello’s wrath is being further provoked with the loss of this token, for in this passage Emilia notes that Othello “conjur’d her, she should ever keep it,” that is, he told Desdemona to guard it always, and never let it escape her possession.  That he should assume she has given it to Cassio willingly, Iago knows, will send him into a blind, jealous rage, and wreak vengeance upon them both, thus demoting Cassio from his rank as lieutenant and doubtlessly promoting the “friend” Iago to this position.

Connie and Rose of Sharon have some big dreams and plans. How do these sound like Grandpa’s dreams of the grapes?

Grandpa Joad, along with Connie and Rose of Sharon, believes that all their wildest hopes and dreams will be satisfied once they get to California. Connie wants to study to work in radio engineering, believing that all he has to do is take a correspondence course. Rose of Sharon wants a house and ice. Grandpa wants to take grapes and just rub them on his face. Connie and Rose of Sharon’s dreams are more practical, wanting to succeed and have shelter and a decent future for their coming child. Grandpa knows his life is coming to a close sooner than Connie’s and Rose of Sharon’s, so he wants mere sensation. His future is behind him, so he sees California as a type of heaven on earth. Unfortunately, all their dreams come to nothing, with Grandpa’s death soon after they leave home, and Rose of Sharon’s when Connie deserts her.

Suppose you are telling the story of Della and Jim from "The Gift of the Magi" to a group of your friends. Identify the two characters, tell what...

The two characters are Jim and Della Dillingham Young.  Jim is a hardworking young man and the husband of Della.  Della is an industrious young woman and the wife of Jim.  

They both want to purchase a special gift for each other.  Jim wants to buy Della a set of beautiful combs for her long hair.  Della wants to buy Jim a "platinum fob chain" for his beloved pocket watch.  They both have a dilemma: they do not have enough money.

Della decides to cut her beautiful hair and sell it in order to buy Jim the watch chain.  Jim decides to sell his heirloom watch to buy Della the combs.  They both sell their precious items and buy their intended gifts.  

When they present their gifts to one another, they realize what they have done.  Despite the fact that their gifts are rendered useless, their love for each other still shows.

What impact does the allusion to Ivanhoe have on the meaning of Chapter 11 in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird?

Sir Walter Scott's novel Ivanhoe, published in 1820, shares a few themes in common with Chapter 11 of To Kill a Mockingbird, and by alluding to Ivanhoe, author Harper Lee helps to underscore those themes.

Two major themes in Ivanhoe concern alienation and racial tensions. Ivanhoe is set in a time period when the Saxons in England were battling against the Normans for power, and only a few Saxons remained. The protagonist, Sir Wilfred of Ivanhoe is a Saxon himself and disinherited by his father for paying allegiance to King Richard the Lionheart, a Norman king. Sir Ivanhoe fought alongside King Richard in the Third Crusade. On the return to England, King Richard is captured by Leopold of Austria, and Sir Ivanhoe returns to England to find himself disinherited. Hence, Sir Ivanhoe's disinheritance serves to develop the theme of alienation. In addition, his alienation is a result of racial tensions between the Saxon's and the Norman's; therefore, alienation also helps to develop the theme of racial tensions.

While Jem certainly is not disinherited by his father, tensions are rising in the novel because Atticus has decided to move against the grain of society by putting his all into defending Tom Robinson. These tensions are leading to the alienation of Atticus and the Finch children from the rest of Maycomb's society. Atticus putting his all into defending Robinson would be very similar to a Saxon breaking family and social ties by showing allegiance to the enemies, the Normans. In this case, Maycomb's racially prejudiced citizens can be considered the Saxons, whereas the African-American and more fairer-minded citizens can be considered the Normans. In addition, like Sir Ivanhoe, Jem fights alongside the African-American citizens by destroying Mrs. Dubose's camellias in her flower garden, which would be the equivalent of Sir Ivanhoe fighting alongside Norman King Richard the Lionheart in the crusades. Hence, all in all, the allusion to Ivanhoe helps to underscore Maycomb's racial battle between its white and African-American citizens, a battle that leads to the alienation of the Finches, just as the Saxons and Normans are battling each other in Ivanhoe, leading to Sir Ivanhoe's alienation.

Of further importance is the fact that Ivanhoe is a tremendously huge novel of difficult reading, originally published as three volumes. Scout notes that, as his punishment, Jem returned to Mrs. Dubose's house the next day ready to read to her, "armed with Ivanhoe and full of superior knowledge" (Ch. 11). Evidently, Jem hopes to show off his superior intelligence, a young version of his father's intelligence, in hopes of Mrs. Dubose changing her mind about her criticisms of the Finch children and of her showing penitence. However, not only does Mrs. Dubose frequently correct his reading, by the end of Chapter 11, Jem has learned a great deal about bravery through Mrs. Dubose that connects to the additional theme of bravery found in Ivanhoe.

By the end of the novel, Sir Ivanhoe must battle against his enemies while severely wounded to rescue a character named Rebecca for being tried as a witch, and he succeeds. In this sense, Sir Ivanhoe can be paralleled to Mrs. Dubose who, though severely ill and in tremendous pain, battles against her morphine addiction in order to die addiction-free. Mrs. Dubose also succeeds, and Jem learns a great deal about bravery as a result of her success.

What events occur on Ismarus in Part One of The Odyssey?

Ismarus is another name for the Cicones’ stronghold. This is the first stop for Odysseus’ men after leaving Troy. Still on the battle-high of sacking Troy, Odysseus and his men decide to also sack the Cicones’ stronghold.

Event 1: Odysseus and his men act piratical by sacking the city, killing the men, and sharing the women and plunder. After this pillaging, Odysseus suggests to his men that they should cut and run with their spoils. His men choose to stay and drink wine and slaughter sheep and cattle on the beach.

Event 2: Some of the Cicones flee the city and go inland to get reinforcements.

Event 3: The next morning the Cicones show up with their reinforcements. Another battle commences and lasts all day, ending with Odysseus and his men fleeing on their ships. Out of each ship, six men have been killed. Since Odysseus left Troy with twelve ships, he lost 72 men in this battle.   

 This is all according to the Robert Fagles version.

What are the similarities and differences between Macbeth and Miss Havisham from Great Expectations?

On the most basic level, both Macbeth and Miss Havisham are the creators of their own doom. A situation is presented to both of them: the witches’ prophecy that Macbeth will be king; Miss Havisham’s being jilted by her fiancé. It is through their own responses to these situations that lead them to their deaths.

Macbeth is aided in his path to destruction by his wife, who continually goads him to take action to fulfill the prophecy, though Macbeth considers the idea that it will come to pass even if he takes no action whatsoever. He knows the future, but he has decided how he will meet that future.

Miss Havisham has been humiliated in love, like many people before her. However, she decides to stop all time and sets about training Estella to exact her revenge on men, specifically on Pip. Her own prophecy about her death (being laid out on the table where her wedding supper still stands) is brought about, not directly by any action she takes, however. It is a result of an accident but is a side effect of her locking herself away in her chamber in the moldering rags of her wedding gown.

It is the downfall of both Macbeth and Miss Havisham through their fatal flaw: hubris. It is not through their circumstances but rather their responses to their circumstances that lead them to their doom.

In the book Of Mice and Men, what does the boss use Crooks for on the ranch?

Of Mice and Men was written in 1937. In those days the big growers did not have the kinds of agricultural equipment that have since been developed. The wagons used for harvesting were pulled by big teams of horses or mules. The boss needed a "stable buck" to look after the horses and their gear. He gave the job to Crooks because Crooks was black and had to take any kind of work he could get in those days of undisguised racial discrimination. Crooks probably gets lower wages than the other men. He is at the bottom of the social hierarchy. We can speculate that his injury took place after he took the job, and that it was while he was working with the horses that he got kicked by one of them. He managed to hang onto his job because he was already there and already competent at it. He could not have gotten hired in his present condition. He knows he is "on borrowed time." Sooner or later the boss will fire him and get a younger, stronger man to take his place.

How did political events shape plays written by William Shakespeare?

Political events had a profound impact on Shakespeare's plays in ways large and small. Shakespeare was inspired by both the politics of his time and the politics of previous eras of English history (indeed, he wrote ten plays devoted to English history), but some of the most interesting political influences on Shakespeare's writing need a little backstory to make apparent. Here's a good one:

One of Shakespeare's most popular plays, then and now, is "Richard III". Richard is a funny, scary, amazingly written villain, easily the worst, most murderous king England had ever seen and has inspired performances by actors like Laurence Olivier, Ian McKellen, and Kathryn Hunter (the first two are widely available on video). Shakespeare got a lot of the story of Richard's nefarious deeds from Thomas More's history of Richard's reign.

Here's where the politics come in.

The man who overthrew Richard III to become the next king was named Henry Richmond, and he was crowned Henry VII. His son ruled as Henry VIII and number 8's daughter was the current Queen of England, Elizabeth I. Henry VII personally approved the "official" history of Richard III as written by More; not suprisingly, he wanted to make himself look as good as possible by making Richard look like a monster. In fact, more recent historians have begun to think that maybe Richard III wasn't such an evil man after all and that More's history was in many details a slander designed to justify Henry VII's decision to start a war and seize the crown for himself.

Shakespeare took More's work and dramatized it as fact, and did it so well that Henry VII got his wish: he's the hero of the story. But if Henry hadn't needed such an elaborate political justification for seizing the throne, More might never have written a history of such a loathsome, evil man, Shakespeare wouldn't have read it and we all would have been denied one of literature's great villains. The politics of the time demanded a smear campaign against Richard III in the history books, and whether it was true or not, Shakespeare took political propaganda and spun it into a fascinating, devious, twisted character.

How did the government change the most because of theGreat Depression?

The Great Depression had an impact in many ways and in many areas. One of the most significant changes was how the role of government changed as a result of the Great Depression. During the 1920s, before the Great Depression began, the prevailing attitude about the role of the government was based on a philosophy called laissez-faire. Many people believed the government should have a very limited role in our society. This view was clearly reflected in many of the government policies of the 1920s. There were few rules and regulations during the 1920s.

When the Great Depression occurred, many people changed their belief about the role of the government. The Great Depression was so severe that people began to look to the government for help. They wanted the government to take action to ease the harsh impact of the depression. Many people were facing desperate times.

When Franklin D. Roosevelt took office, he dramatically increased the role of the government, especially in our economy. There were many job creation programs that were launched, including the CWA, PWA, and CCC. Laws were passed to control the actions of our banks and to regulate the stock market. The Glass-Steagall Act created the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Commercial banks were prohibited from investing in the stock market. The Securities Act created the Security and Exchange Commission to regulate the stock market.

Other government programs were established. The Home Owners Loan Corporation helped some homeowners refinance their loans. The Farm Credit Administration helped some farmers refinance their loans. The Agricultural Adjustment Act paid farmers not to grow crops. The Social Security Act was passed to help elderly people get a pension and to help those who were unemployed. Laws were passed to help unions form and to gain rights. The Wagner Act accomplished this for unions.

As a result of the Great Depression, people began to view the government as a safety net in case things got really bad. They began to expect the government to provide assistance during difficult times. This was one of the biggest changes that occurred for the government as a result of the Great Depression.

It is believed that Hester Prynne is an astonishing American answer to Milton's Eve. How does Hawthorne schematize moral terrain through Hester's...

Comparing Hawthorne's Hester Prynne to Milton's Eve provokes a great deal of questions, most of which inevitably involve religion and morality. By weighing the two female characters we see that Hester, unlike Eve, becomes the moral compass of her narrative, and is exemplary because of her personal strength and independence.

In many ways, Eve can be seen as the cause of humanity's downfall, and can therefore be blamed for many of the subsequent problems that plague the human race. As Milton writes her, she is also a submissive character, and yet she holds some power over Adam through her sexual energy. As such, though she eventually accepts her state of sin with a sense of dignity, she remains tremendously guilty. Thus, it almost appears as though Milton tries to argue that it is through "sexually irresistible women" that humanity's downfall was achieved.

Hester Prynne, on the other hand, is not submissive. Strong and independent, Hester seems capable of handling any misfortune with stoic grace and fortitude. Though Hawthorne implies that Hester is a sexual woman, she hardly fits the image of the stereotypically shallow sexual love interest. Instead, she is a strong, gentle, self-sufficient, and caring person, a good mother, and generally good role model. Her sexual charisma is just one component of her overall personal strength. As such, Hawthorne rejects the idea that women are the origin of sin, and he also rejects the notion of Eve's sexual power as sinful, choosing instead to present Hester's sexuality as an essential component of her strength as a protagonist. 

How does Logan Killicks dominate Janie in Their Eyes Were Watching God?

In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Logan Killicks is Janie's first husband, and he dominates her by not giving her a chance to become her true self.  Janie's grandmother is happy to have Janie marry Logan because he is an older man who appears stable to Janie's grandmother.  Once the two are married, Logan expects Janie to constantly work in and around the home, and he gives her no choices.  For example, Logan continues to do work around the farm, and now that Janie is with him, he feels that he can get done more work with the two of them.  He wants her to help plow the fields, so he goes off to get a mule to help her do the work.  Janie, however, has little interest in being herself worked like a mule, so she runs off with Jody Starks when Logan is away.  Janie is young and wants romantic love, but Logan is older and set in his ways--he feels that he shows his love by providing a stable home life for Janie.  He does not make any attempt to understand Janie's point of view, and thus he dominates her with his point of view.

In I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, how does Marguerite respond to her father's plans to take her to Mexico with him?

Marguerite is initially surprised at her father's invitation; after all, he has been neglectful of her for as long as she can remember. To her recollection, Daddy Bailey has shown, in his lifetime, very little affection or pride in her. He has also never introduced her to his friends or taken her to any of the places of interest in Southern California.

Yet, despite her initial surprise, she soon responds with great enthusiasm and excitement at the prospect of spending some private time with her father. Daddy Bailey's trip to Mexico is ostensibly to pick up ingredients and condiments for his gourmet Mexican meals at home. As a medical dietician for the United States Navy, Daddy Bailey is well-versed on the subject of food; additionally, he is also a very good cook who delights in preparing gourmet meals for Dolores and Marguerite during Marguerite's visit.

Ignoring Dolores' discomfort and obvious jealousy, Marguerite loses herself in the excitement of eventually seeing "sombreros, rancheros, tortillas, and Pancho Villa" in Mexico.

Who was Sherlock Holmes’ client in "The Red-Headed League?" What was his case?

In the story, “The Red-Headed League,” Sherlock Holmes’ client is a man named Jabez Wilson.  He is about 60 years old and he runs a small pawn shop.  He is a bachelor and does not have much of a life outside of his business.  He is very overweight and not in great shape.

Wilson’s case is a very unusual one.  Normally, a person would engage Holmes’s services if they felt they were in danger or if they had been victim of a crime.  With Wilson, no harm has come to him.  Indeed, he has actually made a good sum of money for very little work at all.  However, the circumstances in which he has made the money are so odd that he has come to Holmes.

Wilson has recently hired an assistant in his pawn shop who is a very good worker and who has agreed to work for half price so he can learn the business.  The assistant, Vincent Spaulding, is a very good worker, but whenever possible he does tend to disappear into the shop’s basement (Wilson is not in shape to go down there much, if at all) to work in a dark room that he has set up.

Spaulding has pointed out an advertisement to Wilson.  The ad asks for red-headed men to come apply for a job that would pay them a decent amount of money for “purely nominal services.”  Since Wilson has very red hair, Spaulding suggests he should apply.  Wilson does, and gets the position.  He then “works” for eight weeks, copying from an encyclopedia a few hours a day during the slow time at his shop.  At the end of the eight weeks, the Red-Headed League (the organization that has been “employing” him) folds up and disappears without warning.  Wilson is curious about the whole matter and that is why he comes to hire Holmes.

How can I write about how sports have evolved over the years? What should I cover?

Here are some points you could make and expand upon.

Sports, especially professional leagues, have become much more of a business. The players are expected to do so much more about keeping in shape, staying out of trouble and being professionals.

Way back in the day, athletes would play for a minimal salary and generally would have another job, sometimes in factories.

Most athletes these days go to college and get a degree because they worry about a post-sports career.

Sports have become a great way for high school students to get accepted into college and get scholarships.

Teams and pro players are more concerned about concussions and other injuries.

Their personal lives are so much more public now thanks to newspapers and, especially lately, social media. This leads to everyone hearing about both the bad and good things they do for society. Think of the recent events such as spousal abuse, deflategate, etc.

Hope this helps you get started! Sounds like a great topic.

Let .Then the value of at deg is

You need to evaluate the sum of imaginaries of the given powers of complex number z, such that:

All the powers of the complex number z, may be evaluated with De Moivre formula, such that:

........

The imaginary part of the sum is

You may group the terms such that:

Since

You may calculate the next sum such that:

Notice that the term remains. You may take out the common factor such that:

You may put now , such that:

You may group again the terms, such that:

Factoring out 4 yields:

You may group again the terms, such that:

Using the formula of double angle yields:

Hence, evaluating

In Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, Montag enters his home after his first meeting with Clarisse. He stares at the blank wall, but in his memory,...

After meeting Clarisse in the beginning of Fahrenheit 451, Montag goes home and looks at a blank wall. However, the memory of Clarisse is so fresh in his memory that he can picture her perfectly. The following extended simile illustrates this:

She had a very thin face like the dial of a small clock seen faintly in a dark room in the middle of the night when you waken to see the time and see the clock telling you the hour and the minute and the second, with a white silence and a glowing, all certainty and knowing what it has to tell of the night passing swiftly on toward further darknesses, but moving also toward a new sun. (8)

This description is profound because it is thorough and accessible; most people can imagine what he's describing and picture it clearly in their mind's eye. The fact that he compares her face to a clock at night and muses about the clarity of moving towards a new sun (or starting a new day) suggests that Clarisse excites a part of Montag that has been dead or unexplored for a long time.

Montag further compares her face to a mirror because he feels that she understands him, and this is a rare feeling: "How rarely did other people's faces take of you and throw back to you your own expression, your own innermost trembling thought?" (8). He senses that she has an "incredible power of identification," and wonders if his eyelid itched if hers would blink. Their meeting seems meant to be for Montag.

Why do effervescent tablets dissolve in water? Why do they dissolve faster in hot water? Why do effervescent tablets dissolve slower in carbonated...

The chemical reaction that occurs when effervescent tablets are placed in water is as follows:

Reaction in Words: 

Citric Acid + Sodium Bicarbonate yields Water + Carbon Dioxide + Sodium Citrate

Reaction in Symbols:

~C_6H_8O_7 + ~3NaHCO_3  -> ~3H_2O + ~3CO_2 + ~Na_3C_6H_5O_7

How the Reaction Occurs:

• Before the tablet is dissolved, the citric acid and sodium bicarbonate are in solid form and unable to react with one another.

• In order for the citric acid and sodium bicarbonate to react, they must be dissolved in water. Dissolving breaks the two chemicals into their positive and negative ions. This enables them to come in contact and react with one another.

Why do effervescent tablets dissolve in water?

• Citric acid is an acid and sodium bicarbonate is an ionic substance. Both of these types of substances are soluble in water. When acids and ionic substances are placed in water, the substances break apart into positive and negative ions. Water is a polar molecule. This means it has a positive side and a negative side. These substances are able to dissolve when the positive side of the water molecules interacts with the negative ions and the negative side of the water molecule interacts with the positive ions. When a substance has been dissolved in water, it is called an aqueous solution. 

Why do effervescent tablets dissolve faster in hot water?

• In order for a reaction between two substances to occur, the substances must come in contact with one another. Anything that increases the probablity that the substances will come in contact with one another will increase the rate of the reaction. As temperature increases, the movement of the substance's particles increases. This makes it more likely that they will come in contact with one another and react. The more the substances are able to come in contact, the faster the reaction will occur.

Why do effervescent tablets dissolve slower in carbonated beverages?

• The ingredients in effervescent tablets are less soluble in carbonated beverages than in water. Water is often called "the universal solvent" because it is so good at dissolving ions due to its positive and negative sides. Since effervescent tablets are less soluble in carbonated beverages, it takes longer for the tablets to dissolve and enable the reaction to occur.

Evaluate the indefinite integral.

You need to use the following substitution  , such that:

Replacing back  for t yields:

Hence, evaluating the indefinite integral, yields

How is the shadow of an object affected by its distance from a light source?

In order to understand how an objects distance from the light source effects its shadow, lets first talk about what causes a shadow. A shadow is caused when an object lies in-between a light source and the background on which the light is landing. The object blocks a portion of light from the light source from making it to the final point on the background object, leading to a shadow.

To understand how the shadow is effected by the objects distance from the light source one must use principals of geometry. Thinking about it in this way, one can realize that the closer an object is to the source of light, the larger the shadow it casts. This is because the closer an object is to the light source, the greater area of the light the object will block, increasing shadow size. Alternatively, the further an object is located from the light source the less area it will block, leading to a smaller shadow being cast.

Another factor in shadow length is angle of the light source. The closer to horizontal the angle is relative to the object casting the shadow, the longer the shadow will be. Oppositely, the closer the light source is to completely vertical, relative to the object, the smaller the shadow will be cast. Hope this helps! 

In "A Christmas Memory" by Truman Capote, why does Buddy's friend remain unnamed?

In Truman Capote’s short story “A Christmas Memory” Buddy’s cousin/friend remains unnamed. This allows for Buddy to keep his memory of her personal and close to his heart. Her name is not necessary, her relationship with Buddy is. He gives a thorough description of her age, looks, and personality traits. She is in her sixties, does not care much about her appearance, is deeply religious, brave, and child-like. She does not need a name; her image makes her more relatable yet allows Buddy to keep her for himself. She is an enigma and a symbol of his childhood. It also provides a bit of mystery to the reader as to whom the woman is. The other adults in the story also remain unnamed but they are described as being uncaring and obtrusive.

Truman Capote did reveal that he based the cousin’s character on Miss Sook Faulk, one of his mother’s distant relatives with whom he spent some of his early years. Perhaps when the story was written, Capote tried to save her identity only revealing it later. Miss Faulk shared attributes with the character in the story. His mother left him in the care of relatives during some tumultuous years for the family.

An increase in the money wage rate decreases aggregate supply and shifts the aggregate supply curve leftward. A fall in the money wage rate lowers...

The answer to this depends on how, exactly, you are using the term “price level.”  If you are talking about prices in the economy as a whole, the price level causes a movement along the aggregate supply (AS) curve.  If you are talking about the price of labor and other resources that go into producing goods and services, the price level causes the AS curve to shift.

The AS curve shows what level of output an economy can produce at any given price level.  This means that the horizontal axis is measured in units of real Gross Domestic Product while the vertical axis shows the price level (GDP deflator) for the economy as a whole.  Given this information, we can see that when the prices in the economy as a whole change (when the GDP deflator changes), we are just moving along a given AS curve.

However, the price level of resources is something that will cause the AS curve to shift.  It is one of the major determinants of aggregate supply.  When the price of resources like labor or oil changes, the amount that producers are willing and able to produce changes as well.  This stands to reason because a manufacturer who has to pay more for labor and other resources will not make as much profit and will therefore not want to produce as many goods or services.  Please note, however, that this only applies to the short-run AS curve.  In the long run, resource prices do not affect the AS curve.

The most likely answer here is that the price level causes a movement along the AS curve because “price level” usually refers to the GDP deflator or other measures of general prices in an economy.  However, if you are using “price level” to refer to the price of resources, it can cause a shift in the short run AS curve.