What are the advantages and disadvantages of Nick as a narrator in The Great Gatsby?

The major advantage to having Nick be the narrator of The Great Gatsby is his intimacy with the situation. He is Daisy's second cousin "once removed" and is neighbor to the eponymous Jay Gatsby. 

Nick's position as Daisy's cousin and Jordan's boyfriend allows the reader to empathize with Daisy's desire to have an affair. Jordan, because she is in a relationship with Nick, details the affairs Tom has while married to Daisy. She tells Nick about Daisy's happiness ("It was touching to see them together—it made you laugh in a hushed, fascinated way.") before the accident Tom has while driving with a chambermaid during their stay in Santa Barbara for their honeymoon.

In addition, Nick sees a side of Daisy most are not able to see. Daisy introduces Nick to her daughter and then, in a moment of honsety, Daisy utters her famous lines to him: "I hope she'll be a fool—that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool."

However, Nick's proximity to and admiration for Gatsby distorts Nick's telling of the story and makes him an unreliable narrator. Nick begins the novel by proclaiming Gatsby singular in that he had "an extraordinary gift for hope, a romantic readiness such as I have never found in any other person and which it is unlikely I shall ever find again." In addition, Nick never once condemns Gatsby's desire to tempt Daisy to infidelity, while it's clear he does not hold Tom's infidility under the same standard. 

While Nick's proximity to the story gives the reader a great advantage in understanding the motivations of the characters, his unreliability taints the events in the novel tremendously.

`(1/2)x + (3/4)y = 10, (3/4)x - y = 4` Solve the system by the method of substitution.

Express `y` from the second equation: `y=(3/4)x-4,` and substitute it into the first equation:

`(1/2)x+(3/4)*((3/4)x-4)=10,` or

`(1/2)x+(9/16)x-3=10,` or

`(17/16)x=13.`

So `x=(16*13)/17=12+4/17` and `y=(3/4)*(12 +4/17)-4=9+3/17-4=5+3/17.`

The answer: x = 12 and 4/17, y = 5 and 3/17.

What do Jesus, da Vinci, Michelangelo, Shakespeare, Beethoven, St. Francis, and Copernicus have in common in A Wrinkle in Time?

All these historical figures are examples of Earthlings who, according to Mrs.  Whatsit, Mrs. Which, and Mrs. Who, fight the Black Thing. Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Which, and Mrs. Who explain that the Black Thing tries to take over planets, including Earth. Meg has already identified it as a concentrated form of pure evil, when she and Calvin and Charles Wallace viewed it from Uriel, on the back of Mrs. Whatsit. Having now tessered through it and felts its power and with the knowledge that her father is in its clutches, Meg despairs of him escaping. The act of identifying the philosophers, mathematicians, artists, and other great figures of culture and history who have helped fight it off with their creativity and innovation helps to inspired Meg to believe that the Black Thing can be beaten. 

What were the names of the companies that built the Transcontinental Railroad?

Train tracks linked thousands of towns and cities in the eastern United States by the mid 1800s.  There was a lack of railroad tracks in the western part of the country.  All that changed in 1862, when Abraham Lincoln signed the Pacific Railroad Act.  This bill stated that two railroad companies would build tracks to connect the East and the West.  One company would start in the Midwest and build their tracks west.  The other would start in California and build their tracks heading east.  The two railroad companies would receive money and land for each mile of railroad track laid.

The two railroad companies were the Central Pacific Railroad Company and the Union Pacific Railroad.  The Central Pacific Railroad Company started in the west and headed east.  The Union Pacific Railroad started further to the east and headed west.  They met in the middle in Utah in 1869.

What is different about the Radley House in Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird?

The Radley house is run down and neglected in a neighborhood full of manicured lawns and well cared-for houses:

Rain-rotted shingles drooped over the eaves of the veranda; oak trees kept the sun away.  The remains of a picket drunkenly guarded the front yard— a "swept" yard that was never swept— where johnson grass and rabbit-tobacco grew in abundance. (To Kill a Mockingbird, Chapter 1)

The picket fence is in need of repair and grass grows tall in the yard.  One might think that the house is abandoned.  There are no screens on the doors.  A screened door lets the breeze in on a hot Alabama day, but the Radley family keeps their doors closed.  In addition to that, "the shutters and doors of the Radley house [are] closed on Sundays, another thing alien to Maycomb's ways: closed doors meant illness and cold weather only."  Sundays are usually for visiting in Maycomb, but no one seems to visit the Radley family.  They live mysteriously on the quiet street.

Oak and pecan trees are on the Radley property.  They also have a garden and keep chickens.  Despite these normal aspects, the house stands out because of the rumors surrounding it and because it does not fit in.

Does Walton ever actually find a northern trade route to the Americas in Frankenstein?

In short, no. He sets out to find one and spends many years at sea, and is prepared to spend many more, however, due to his encounter with Victor Frankenstein, he changes his mind and goes back to England. He realizes that his pursuit for this passage is not unlike the pursuit of knowledge that Victor was seeking. It is driven by a blind ambition that risks too much. Just as Victor lost many of his loved ones, and his sanity, in pursuit of his dream, Walton recognizes that he acting with the same tunnel-vision that propelled Victor.

"Yet, it is terrible to reflect that the lives of all these men are endangered through me. If we are lost, my mad schemes are the cause" (Ch. XXIV).

He ends up turning back to go home before he finds the passage.

"The die is cast;I have consented to return, if we are not destroyed. Thus are my hopes blasted to cowardice and indecision; I come back ignorant and disappointed" (Ch. XXIV).

While unhappy at returning before accomplishing his task of finding a passage, he avoids making some of the same mistakes that Victor made. 

How does Dickens use the Ghost of Christmas Past to reflect on Scrooge's childhood and his memories associated with that time in his life?

Charles Dickens writes that the Ghost of Christmas Past first takes Scrooge to his boyhood where he lives at a residential school.  He finds his young self alone at Christmastime in the schoolroom and is absorbed in books while his schoolmates are out and about.  We find out that Scrooge's childhood has been difficult.  His schoolmaster is very stern and his father is not a kind person.  The spirit describes young Scrooge as "a solitary child, neglected by his friends, [who] is left there still."  Scrooge is impacted by the spirit's description of his boyhood self and he sobs.  The spirit takes Scrooge to another time in the same place.  A young Ebenezer Scrooge is once again alone at Christmastime.  His younger sister, Fran, enters.  She begs him to come home with her, telling him that their father has changed and has become a kinder, gentler person.  Scrooge, speaking to the spirit, reflects sadly that his sister died young.  Scrooge's childhood is overall sad and lonely, which he reflects upon during his conversations with the Ghost of Christmas Past.  

What is the theme of John Keats' "What the Thrush Said"?

To understand the themes running through this sonnet, one must go through the letter in which this piece had first appeared. Keats wrote this sonnet in a letter, dated February 18, 1818, to his friend John Hamilton Reynolds.

The first eight lines resounds with a highly optimistic note. The thrush promises that those have faced the severe winter, would certainly get to delight in the warm spring and those who have been suffering through darkness would surely get to see a morning three times brighter.

What follows in the following sestet, contains the main themes of the sonnet. It talks about being "passive and receptive" rather than handering after knowledge.

Earlier in the letter he says,

“Memory should not be called Knowledge - Many have original minds who do not think it - they are led away by Custom.

Keats proposes to be meditative and become patient observer. He says,

“How happy is such a voyage of concentration, what delicious diligent Indolence!”

This thought gets reflected in the following lines from this sonnet:

…He who saddens 
At thought of idleness cannot be idle, 
And he's awake who thinks himself asleep.

The poet says he would rather concentrate patiently and experience the knowledge that comes all by itself, as does a bee to a flower.

“let us not therefore go hurrying about and collecting honey, bee-like buzzing here and there impatiently from a knowledge of what is to be aimed at; but let us open our leaves like a flower and be passive and receptive.”

Thus, the main themes of this wonderful sonnet include the importance of being “passive and receptive” without being impatient.  If we be what the poet proposes, the thrush promises that the true knowledge and the real joy of experiencing it would follow as naturally as spring follows winter and day follows night.

O fret not after knowledge--

What is meant by "tearing the light out of my eyes" in The Crucible?

The statement was made by Abigail to Proctor in an attempt to remind him about their previous intimate relationship. Proctor arrived at Parris’s house to witness Betty’s situation and while in the house he met with Abigail who was still seemingly attracted to him. Abigail tried to win him back by reminding him of their encounter. However, John had made up his mind not to engage Abigail on an intimate level. After much discussion about their situation, Abigail explained to John how he enlightened her to the ways of Salem and the true nature of the people in the society. In her statement, Abigail told John that it was impossible to undo what she already knew about the ways of Salem. She further claimed that John loved her and still did love her. Thus in her statement, Abigail was referring to the knowledge Proctor helped her acquire and the love they shared equating it to the “light”.

Abigail: And now you bid me tear the light out of my eyes? I will not, I cannot! You loved me, John Proctor, and whatever sin it is, you love me yet!

Where did Jenny and her grandmother go in Chapter 8 of the book Whirligig?

In Chapter Eight, Jenny takes her grandmother for a drive. Although Jenny is anxious about driving a manual car, her grandmother seems to be oblivious to Jenny's discomfort. Before long, Jenny finds herself driving into downtown San Diego.

Her grandmother first orders her to stop in front of a stucco house where her sister, Rachel, used to live. Upon further instructions from her grandmother, Jenny finds herself driving to her grandmother's old neighborhood. While there, her grandmother points out to Jenny the location of the old pharmacy and theater. Soon, they arrive at her grandmother's old house, where Jenny's mother grew up and where many family get-togethers were held. Jenny and her grandmother also drive past the stationary store that used to belong to Jenny's grandparents.

After driving past yet another landmark, her grandmother's old apartment, Jenny is instructed to stop the car at a two-story house where a whirligig is mounted on a porch wall. The whirligig is shaped like a whale with a white triangle for its spray. A black-haired woman sits on top of the spray. Jenny's grandmother points out the simple joy the whirligig has always given her. She reasons that someone built it to give joy to all who look upon the whirligig as they pass by. So, Jenny and her grandmother visit many sentimental landmarks before they stop to admire the unusual whirligig.

What are some of the key obstacles that we confront today which surround the availability of affordable housing?

There are many factors that affect affordable housing. Perhaps looming largest at the moment is the fact that foreclosures have increased greatly in recent years. The banking industry devised a system whereby stock dividends and payouts were based on mortgage-backed securities, and many of these mortgages were defaulted on, which caused the stock market and much of the American economy to collapse almost overnight in 2008. This crisis in the mortgage industry has made it difficult for low-income buyers to procure mortgages, because mortgages are now more difficult to obtain, and previous homeowners are finding it difficult to fix their credit in the wake of foreclosure.

Affordable housing is also affected by the large number of derelict homes and apartment buildings in many areas. Houses left empty due to foreclosure are owned by banks who have little incentive to sell them, especially when foreclosures occurred in places where a failing economy caused many people to lose their homes (Florida is a good example of this: a housing boom in the 1990s created many jobs for builders, but the boom ended, and many houses were left unfinished, and many homeowners lost their jobs) These bank-owned homes are usually not maintained very well (most of the management companies keep the grass mowed to prevent fines, but title else is done in most cases), and are vulnerable to vandalism and mold, which can drive up the cost of rehabilitation.

Also, copper thievery is a major issue; many of these empty houses have their copper wiring and pipes stolen by thieves who can get money for the scrap metal. This means that an empty house that might have only needed a small amount of money to be made livable would suddenly need all new plumbing and electric systems, which can cost upwards of $30K; that keeps these fixer-uppers out of the hands of buyers who can't afford these rehab costs. Renters who would like to own homes cannot afford both the cost of a mortgage and the cost of rehabilitation, especially since fixing up a home can include big-ticket expenses such as new plumbing systems or a replacement roof.

Large cities sometimes face housing shortages, especially in cities with high turnover due to transient populations such as college students or contract employees. Boston is facing this issue and the shortage of available housing, as well as a "real estate bubble" that has been increasing over the last decade, is driving rental prices up enormously.

Another reason for a lack of affordable housing is that rent control and rent stabilization, once a staple in large cities, has been largely eliminated. The rules of this system stated that rents could not be raised based solely on market values because in large urban real estate markets, this could prove unfair to tenants. New York City once had a widespread system of rent control and stabilization; now it is one of the most expensive housing markets in the world, and rent control has all but disappeared.

Another obstacle to affordable housing is the fact that wages have not kept pace with inflation, and this means that the percentage of income usually devoted to housing costs has had to increase; the acceptable percentage was once 25%, but many people use now devote 30, 40 or even 50% of their income to maintain housing, especially in high-rent cities like New York, San Francisco and Boston.

Voters in Virginia elected the first black governor to office in 1989. Which of the seven principles of Constitution did the election represent?

There are seven major principles of the Constitution. These principles include popular sovereignty, republicanism, separation of powers, federalism, balance of powers, limited government, and individual rights. When people elect a leader such as the Governor, this is an example of republicanism.

Republicanism refers to people electing their leaders. In a republic, people elect their leaders to represent them and to carry out the laws. This contrasts from a pure democracy where all citizens make laws and make decisions. In our country, we elect leaders to the legislative branch to make our laws. We elect leaders to the executive branch to carry out our laws. When the people of Virginia elected the Governor in 1989, this is an example of republicanism in action. 

I am having difficulty understanding the theory of social facilitation, specifically, how can it be called a theory of psychology if there seems to...

Social facilitation refers to phenomenon by which people's performance improves when they are watched by others. Experiments in this field measure the extent to which people's performance improves when they are acting alongside others (co-action effects) or by having others present (audience effects).

Research in this area goes back to studies by Triplett (1898), who found that cyclists' speeds increased when they were racing against other cyclists. He replicated these effects in laboratory studies using children with fishing reels, and he found that the children worked faster to wind the reels when they were with other children. These studies were related to the co-action effect--that is, people work faster when alongside other people doing the same task. 

Studies have also found that the audience effect--just having others present--can improve people's performance of tasks. For example, Travis (1925) studied subjects who performed psychomotor tasks better in front of an audience. However, Pessin (1933) found that subjects were better at learning nonsense words when they were not in front of an audience than when they were. Cottrell (1968) hypothesized that people's anxiety about being evaluated by other people is responsible for social facilitation to occur. 

In 2002, Rafaeli conducted a meta-analysis of social facilitation and found that the presence of others only affects the physiological arousal of the performer if it's a complex task. This study found that others' presence affects the performance of simple tasks but not complex tasks. In other words, this study suggested that the nature of the task affects whether social facilitation occurs or not.

Sources:

Cottrell, N. B., Wack, D. L., Sekerak, G. J., & Rittle, R. H. (1968). Social facilitation of dominant responses by the presence of an audience and the mere presence of others. Journal of personality and social psychology, 9(3), 245.

Pessin, J. (1933). The comparative effects of social and mechanical stimulation on memorizing. The American Journal of Psychology, 45(2), 263-270.

Rafaeli, S.; Noy, A.; Correspondence (September 2002). European Journal of Information Systems, Volume 11, Number 3: 196-207.

Where did Goodman Brown find one of the pink ribbons from Faith?

As Young Goodman Brown is led deeper and deeper into the forest by the Devil, he approaches a Witches' Sabbath amid the burning trees.  He hears a lone female voice, lamenting some sorrow, and he fears that it is the voice of his wife, Faith, whom he left at home when he went into the forest.  Although she implored him to stay at home with her, he would not, determining that he would go just once more into the forest and then "'cling to her skirts and follow her to Heaven.'"  However, this is an abuse of his Christian faith, something which one cannot simply pick and choose when to exercise and when to leave behind.  In the woods, then, he sees one of Faith's pink ribbons flutter from the sky above and catch on a tree near him.  Convinced that this means that she, too, is attending the Witches' Sabbath, he cries out that his "'Faith is gone!'" meaning both that his wife's innocence is gone as well as that his own faith has vanished too.

Who makes business decisions in the market economy?

In a market economy, individuals, based on the principles of supply and demand, make business decisions. Supply and demand determine what products will be produced, how many will be produced, and what the price will be. If the price is too high, there will be a surplus of goods. This will cause the prices and the quantity produced to drop. If the price is too low, there will be a shortage of products. This will cause the prices to rise, and the quantity produced to increase.

Supply and demand determine how much investment will occur in the economy. If the rate is return and the opportunity for making a profit are low, less investment should occur. If the rate of return and the opportunity for making a profit are high, more investment should occur.

The forces of supply and demand help individuals make economic decisions in a market economy.

How do you calculate the heat liberated in joules (J)?

Heat is liberated when an exothermic reaction takes place or when latent heat is released (during a phase change). The heat released during a chemical reaction can be measured by an increase in temperature, while the heat released during a phase change (say water to ice) can be calculated by knowing the latent heat. For a given exothermic reaction, heat released is given as:

q = mC(deltaT)

or

Heat released = mass x specific heat capacity x temperature change

If the mass is measured in grams, specific heat capacity is measured in joules per gram per degree Celsius and the temperature is measured in degrees Celsius, then the heat released will have the units of joules or J. 

Similarly, given the latent heat of transformation and mass of the substance, we can calculate the heat liberated in joules by multiplying the two values together.

Hope this helps. 

Why is Macbeth first introduced to us through the witches?

The fact that the witches, or "weird sisters" open Macbeth is key to the events of the plot, the tone of the play, and the way readers see Macbeth himself.

In the opening scene, the weird sisters announce that they're going to meet Macbeth after a battle has ended, and they part with the famous "Fair is foul, and foul is fair" line. First, this is the witches' creed; they like what's foul or evil and rotten, but the line takes on added significance once we arrive at Act 1, Scene 2, and we learn that Macbeth had a key part in winning the battle.

The Sergeant tells King Duncan and his son Malcolm about the fight and declares that "brave Macbeth- well he deserves that name" faced their enemy in combat and beheaded him. Macbeth is a faithful servant to his king, and a war hero who helped defend their kingdom. In the words of the witches, Macbeth starts out as "fair" or good. However, they've also warned us what will happen- Macbeth will become foul (or maybe he already is on the inside).

Later, when the witches interact with Macbeth and start to show him visions of himself as king, which is the impetus for him to commit murder and treason, it could be argued that the witches "foul" Macbeth by hexing him or infusing him with evil. Or, it could also be argued that the witches are figments of Macbeth's already rotten inner desires. In any case, the general story is just as the witches predicted in the opening scene; Macbeth, who once was fair, grows more and more foul throughout the play.

In William Shakespeare's The Tempest, Ariel states, "Hell is empty, and all the devils are here." How does this quote relate to Ariel's discovery...

Ariel, in Shakespeare's The Tempest, is a magical spirit who, having been freed from the imprisonment imposed upon him by his earlier master, Sycorax, a mean-spirited witch, by Prospero is now condemned to find himself compelled to serve this new, albeit largely more benign, master. While Prospero has promised Ariel his freedom should the latter serve obediently and without complaint, the continued requirement to serve a master continues to bother the always helpful spirit. In Act I, Scene I, the ship transporting the former's nemeses, including Ferdinand, the reigning king's son, is caught in an enormous storm, or tempest, and the passengers are forced to abandon the vessel. These individuals, including Alonso, Prospero's brother who usurped the latter's rightful position as duke of Milan, are, per Prospero's instructions, allowed to live and are dispersed across the island now inhabited by the former duke of Milan and his daughter, Miranda. In Scene II, Prospero discusses with Ariel the ship's destruction and the survival of the passengers. Prospero had dispatched Ariel, who can change form at will and travel at great speed, to bring about the ship's ruin, although the inherently decent Prospero ensures that the ship's crew survives the storm. In any event, Prospero discusses the event with Ariel, in which the latter describes the ship's destruction through the spirit's efforts. It is in this context that Ariel, in describing how Prospero's nemeses jumped from the burning vessel into the sea, quotes Ferdinand's cry:

All but mariners
Plunged in the foaming brine and quit the vessel,
Then all afire with me: the king's son, Ferdinand,
With hair up-staring,--then like reeds, not hair,--
Was the first man that leap'd; cried, 'Hell is empty
And all the devils are here.'

So, what did Ferdinand mean by this exclamatory remark? As we learn, Alonso and the others conspired in Prospero's ouster and exile, and it is the former duke's intent to make his enemies pay for their treachery. Ferdinand, however, is not at all like his father. His observation that "hell is empty and all the devils are here" means that he recognizes the true character of his father and those with whom he has traveled, and that he views these men as essentially evil. Ariel's kind nature, however, influences Prospero in the latter's conduct of his vengeful plans. Oh, and Alonso is revealed as remorseful himself and merely prone to misguided acts of disloyalty.

What did Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice think constituted a good marriage?

Elizabeth believes marriage should be based on love, but she is also practical: she does not wish to make a financially unsound match. For example, she tells her Aunt Gardiner that she finds Wickham "the most agreeable man I ever saw," but knowing he has no money, she notes it would be better if he didn't become "really attached to me ... I see the imprudence of it." At the same time, she has a strong reaction when her best friend Charlotte announces her engagement to the ridiculous Mr. Collins, calling it "impossible!" Much of the novel shows Elizabeth maturing and learning to be realistic about love, learning that it must be based both on a sensible regard for financial circumstance and propriety and on a mutual esteem that is more important than "head over heels" passion.

Elizabeth learns as she travels. When she visits Charlotte after her marriage to Mr. Collins, she realizes that the marriage is not so bad: she "had to meditate on Charlotte's degree of contentment ... and to acknowledge it was all done very well." When she visits Pemberley, her heart begins to change towards Mr. Darcy, as she sees how well he manages his estate: "I believe," she tells her father, "I must date it [falling in love with Darcy] from my first seeing his beautiful grounds at Pemberley." In the end the two will marry, a match based on each overcoming both pride and prejudice, and developing not only love but a rational respect for the other. 

Why does the old man begin by referring to the "spot remover"--its cost, and the need one might have to save up for it?

The old man in the story is in a criminal business and has to keep a low profile. This explains why he has such a nondescript and out-of-the-way establishment and why customers can only come to him by referral from previous customers.

An old man sat in the rocking-chair, reading a newspaper. Alan, without a word, handed him the card he had been given. "Sit down, Mr. Austen," said the old man very politely. "I am glad to make your acquaintance."

The old man is too clever to refer to the main product he sells--a poison--by its true name. It is especially desirable because it is undetectable. He also refers to it as a "glove-cleaner" and a "life-cleaner." These terms are somewhat appropriate because the person using the poison might want to wear gloves so as not to leave any incriminating fingerprints, and that person might want to start a new life by cleaning up his present one, so to speak.

The old man warns Alan Austen that the "antidote" or "life-cleaner" is very expensive.

"Do you know the price of this? For one teaspoonful, which is sufficient, I ask five thousand dollars. Never less. Not a penny less."

Austen is bright enough to understand the old man's innuendo, but he believes he will never have any need for such a substance. He is so much in love with Diana that he thinks it will last forever. The whole point of John Collier's cynical story is that love does not last forever. That is why the old man can make a good living by selling love potions for only a dollar. He knows the buyer will be back in time to buy the "chaser," which sells for five thousand dollars per teaspoon. The old man is trying to advise Alan to save up for the "chaser" because it is so expensive. This is Collier's way of informing the reader that it is easy to fall in love but that it can be very costly and complicated to get out of a marital relationship if a person wants his or her freedom. 

The old man tells Alan what to expect once Diana has fallen madly in love with him as an effect of the love potion.

"She will want to know all you do," said the old man. "All that has happened to you during the day. Every word of it. She will want to know what you are thinking about, why you smile suddenly, why you are looking sad....How carefully she will look after you! She will never allow you to be tired, to sit in a draught, to neglect your food. If you are an hour late, she will be terrified. She will think you are killed, or that some siren has caught you."

This sounds very much like a description of Mary Maloney in Roald Dahl's story "Lamb to the Slaughter," and it explains why her husband Patrick tells her he wants a divorce. Too much love and attention can be suffocating. Patrick resorts to the drastic expedient of telling Mary he wants a divorce--but she resorts to an even more drastic expedient of hitting him over the head with a frozen leg of lamb. 

Are John Collier and Roald Dahl offering a true picture of marriage? Maybe not, but something like forty to sixty percent of American marriages end in divorce.

Which of the following is a power delegated to the states?

I assume there should be a list of choices included in this question. Since there are none given, I will give examples of powers delegated to the states.

In the Constitution, some powers are set aside for the federal government. Only the federal government has certain powers, which are called the enumerated powers. Some powers are set aside only for the states, which are called the reserved powers. The state and the federal government share some powers, which are called the concurrent powers.

The reserved powers are the ones set aside only for the state government. These include making decisions regarding education within a state, determining punishments for crimes for breaking state laws, and determining trade policies within a state. The state government, not the federal government, would determine education policy within a state. The number school days that exist in a school year is a decision made at the state level. The same is true for what the punishments would be for breaking a state law. The reserved powers are those set aside for the state government.

What are the dynamics of language and family from the book Hunger of Memory?

The initial chapters of Richard Rodriguez's memoire, The Hunger of Memory: The Education of Richard Rodriguez, focus heavily on the issues of identity, language, and family. Rodriguez explores the tension that arose in his family, and with his own identity, as he and his siblings began speaking English instead of Spanish at home.

At the start of his memoires, Rodriguez describes the situation where he and his siblings spoke English at school and Spanish at home. At that time, the use of Spanish in his home was a refuge for the young Rodriguez. He felt that it gave his family a secret that they could share against the English speaking world at large. In this way, his notions of language and family were inextricably linked at an early age.

When the nuns from the school the sibling attended came to his home and told his parents that Rodriguez and his siblings were not learning English well enough and that they needed to speak it at home, his parents compliance changed the dynamic of their family, and Rodriguez's role within it. Rodriguez's formerly gregarious parents became uncertain when speaking with their children. His father even began to withdraw from family activities that required him to speak English.

Soon, Rodriguez realized that these traits in his parents carried over to when they spoke English with anyone. In this way, the introduction of English into the family dynamic led the young Rodriguez to reevaluate his family and his place in it.

In the remainder of the book, the tension between language and family, and Rodriguez's identity within his family, play out through the course of his education.  

Would evaporation happen faster or slower in a thick liquid? Explain.

The thickness of a liquid refers to its viscosity. More viscous fluids appear thicker, as compared to less viscous fluids, which appear thinner. A viscous fluid (such as honey) moves much slower, as compared to water, which is a less viscous fluid. Viscosity of a fluid is due to intermolecular attraction; viscous fluids have much higher attraction between constituent molecules as compared to a less viscous fluid. When we heat a fluid, the molecules acquire kinetic energy (thus slowly overcoming these attractive forces) and start moving more rapidly. In comparison, the same amount of heat is able to cause much more rapid movement of molecules in a less viscous or thinner fluid. Thus, the thicker (more viscous) fluids evaporate much more slowly as compared to thinner fluids (less viscous). This is one of the reasons why painters mix paint very frequently, as water evaporates quicker than paint.

Hope this helps.  

What sociological perspective describes the efforts of the Salvation Army in combating social problems within our society?

The functionalist perspective describes the efforts of the Salvation Army with combating social problems within our society.

The functionalist perspective hinges on the fact that all levels of society work well together. Both the poor and the wealthy have a relevant place in the workings of such a society. In terms of the Salvation Army, poor people contribute necessary labor within the construct of such an organization. Also, because the poor exist in society, we have ready customers for the Salvation Army thrift stores in many cities and towns.

The functionalist perspective allows that there will be some jobs that people of a higher social status do not want to perform. On the other hand, the poor are willing to perform these jobs, so this allows a functionalist society to operate properly. In essence, the idea is that poverty creates jobs.

Source: Sociology: Understanding a Diverse Society.

Radiation transfers energy from the Sun to various parts of the Earth and its atmosphere. What process is driven by this transfer of energy?...

Radiation from the sun is transferred to the Earth. In fact, the sun is the ultimate source of energy on Earth. The radiation from the sun is converted into heat energy that is used to warm the earth. This heat energy is used to drive the circulation of the atmosphere and oceans. The circulation of the atmosphere and oceans is a result of convection currents. Convection currents are caused by density differences. These density differences are due to the expansion and contraction of particles as they gain energy.

The answer is not the “constant pattern of ocean tides” because this is a result of the moon’s gravitational pull on the ocean waters.

Earth’s magnetic poles cause it to spin on its axis, therefore this option is not the answer.

The movement of tectonic plates is also due to convection currents. However, the heat that generates the convection currents that drive tectonic plate movement comes from the heat of Earth's inner core. Therefore, this option is also not the answer.

What is the theme observed in the poem 'Snake' by D.H.Lawrence ?

In the poem "Snake," Lawrence utilizes a theme of nature and contrasts the world of nature and creatures such as the snake with the human world of man. He contrasts the basic nature of the snake to simply "be," acting only with instincts to the actions of man that are so conflicted by conscious thought and emotion.

In both his physical descriptions of the snake and his actions as well as the conflicting emotions both revering and disgusted by the snake throughout the poem, Lawrence continues to contrast the simple wonder of nature with the complicated condition of being human.

Along with the differences the poem refers to between nature and humanity, the poem also brings the two together. The images Lawrence paints with words depict the dichotomy of the condition of being human wherein we can identify with the simple, instinctive life of the snake, even longing for that simplicity at times while acknowledging the human condition that confines us.

After reading and analyzing lines 81-85 in Beowulf and the opening stanza in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, what do these two passages have...

Lines 81-85 of Beowulf describe how Hrothgar's hall, Heorot, is prosperous and pleasant for the time being, but a darker future is foreshadowed; a time when the hall will burn, and family feuds will lead to open war.

The opening stanza of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is an abbreviated history and genealogy lesson; it tells of how, at the end of the Trojan war, the hero Aeneas left Troy, and he and his descendants came to rule areas further and further west of Troy, beginning with the founding of Rome and ending with the establishment of Britain. 

What these passages have in common is their emphasis on family connections, and their chronological context (i.e. they took place in the past and had a set of events leading up to and following them). The stories are not self-contained, but "organic" in a sense; they are products of the histories that preceded them and fed those that followed. Likewise, the emphasis on family connections points to this as a reliable source of knowledge and driving action; not only can we assume that important events will ultimately be the product of family relationships, but that we can expect "greatness" to be heritable across the generations of those families as well. 

Where does Lady Macbeth wait for Macbeth after the murder of Duncan in Macbeth?

Lady Macbeth waits for Macbeth outside Duncan's chambers after he kills Duncan because she wants to make sure that Macbeth does it right.

Macbeth was not really committed to killing King Duncan.  Even though he was excited about the possibility of being king when he heard the witches’ prophecies, and was angry when he learned that he was not Duncan’s heir, he lost his nerve when he returned home. 

Lady Macbeth seems to predict this.  When she gets his letter, she knows that he will never follow through.

Glamis thou art, and Cawdor; and shalt be
What thou art promised: yet do I fear thy nature;
It is too full o' the milk of human kindness
To catch the nearest way: thou wouldst be great;
Art not without ambition, but without
The illness should attend it … (Act 1, Scene 5)

Basically, Lady Macbeth is saying that Macbeth does not have it in him to kill.  He is too nice, and while he has ambition, it is not enough to stay his moral reservations about killing.  Basically, he is not ambitious enough.

It turns out she is right.  Macbeth falters and makes arguments with himself about why he should not kill Duncan.

He's here in double trust;
First, as I am his kinsman and his subject,
Strong both against the deed; then, as his host,
Who should against his murderer shut the door,
Not bear the knife myself. (Act 1, Scene 7)

Macbeth has talked himself out of the murder. He feels bad, because Duncan is his guest, and his relative.  He cannot bring himself to kill him when he has done nothing wrong.  He is a good king, and a good friend.

For this reason, Lady Macbeth takes charge.  She plans the murder carefully, and admonishes Macbeth for not being manly enough when he objects.  He follows her orders for the most part, but she gets upset with him when he does not leave the knife behind.  It is part of her plan to frame Duncan’s guards.  This is why Lady Macbeth has to watch her husband carefully and wait for him. She is sure that he will either chicken out or mess up.  She is close enough to hear what happens.

He is about it.

The doors are open, and the surfeited grooms

Do mock their charge with snores. (Act 2, Scene 2)

Although Macbeth is ambitious, he is also weak-willed.  Until Lady Macbeth pushes him and forces him to kill Duncan, he waffles.  If not for her intervention, he never would have acted.  Once he kills Duncan, however, he has set off on a path he cannot come back from.  He is so desperate to maintain his throne that begins a murderous spree against perceived enemies.  Eventually his paranoia results in him losing his fighting spirit and letting Macduff kill him.

`(4x^2 - 1)/(2x(x + 1)^2)` Write the partial fraction decomposition of the rational expression.

`(4x^2-1)/(2x(x+1)^2)`

`(4x^2-1)/(2x(x+1)^2)=A/(2x)+B/(x+1)+C/(x+1)^2`

`(4x^2-1)/(2x(x+1)^2)=(A(x+1)^2+B(2x)(x+1)+C(2x))/(2x(x+1)^2)`

`:.(4x^2-1)=A(x+1)^2+B(2x)(x+1)+C(2x)`

`4x^2-1=A(x^2+2x+1)+B(2x^2+2x)+2Cx`

`4x^2-1=Ax^2+2Ax+A+2Bx^2+2Bx+2Cx`

`4x^2-1=(A+2B)x^2+(2A+2B+2C)x+A`

Therefore from the above,

`A+2B=4`

`2A+2B+2C=0`

`A=-1`

Solve the above equations for getting the values of A, B and C,

Substitute back the value of A in equation 1,

`-1+2B=4`

`2B=4+1=5`

`B=5/2`

Substitute back the values of A and B in equation 2,

`2(-1)+2(5/2)+2C=0`

`-2+5+2C=0`

`2C+3=0`

`2C=-3`

`C=-3/2`

`:.(4x^2-1)/(2x(x+1)^2)=-1/(2x)+5/(2(x+1))-3/(2(x+1)^2)`

`(4x^2-1)/(2x(x+1)^2)=(1/2)(-1/x+5/(x+1)-3/(x+1)^2)`

What is the most important event in "Girl" by Jamaica Kincaid and why?

It is difficult to identify any specific events in the story "Girl," as the entire story is a monologue from a mother to her child, with only two interruptions by the daughter and no writing that is not dialogue. Still, one can infer from the words spoken what might be going on. 

In looking at places where the mother repeats herself, one big event, or possibly character change, stands out. From the beginning of the story, the mother accuses the girl of doing things that will turn her into "the slut [she is] so bent on becoming." Despite the mother's best efforts to teach her daughter the good, proper, and effective ways to behave, the girl insists on doing things like walking the wrong way on Sundays and not fixing the hem that comes out of her dress, all of which makes the girl seem like a slut, according to the mother. There is still hope that if she starts listening to her mother's instruction she can turn into a good and proper woman – the kind of woman who the baker will let squeeze the bread. Still, the mother is not confident that the girl will obey.

Later in the story, the slut admonishment changes a bit: "this is the way to behave in the presence of men who don't know you very well, and this way they won't immediately recognize the slut I have warned you against becoming." Now the mother assumes that the slutty quality is inherent in her daughter, making the new goal to disguise her daughter's sluttiness from others. The event that would spark such a change is less clear. Has the daughter done something specific, like an encounter with a boy? Or is the mother just responding to numerous instances in which the girl has failed to live up to her expectations? Is the admonishment even related to sexual behavior at all? It's hard to say. Regardless, it's clear that the girl is not inspiring confidence in her mother, who seems to think the girl will never live up to be the kind of woman who can maintain a reputation as clean and virtuous and thus survive in their patriarchal society.

Give a summary of lines 1-6 of the Prologue to Antigone.

In the Prologue to Antigone, the first six lines are Antigone's statement to her sister Ismene:

"Ismene, dear sister, / You would think that we had already suffered enough / For the curse on Oedipus: / I cannot imagine any grief / That you and I have not gone through. And now –– / Have they told you of the new decree of our King Creon?"

In these lines, Antigone recalls the curse that has been put on her family because of the poor, misguided actions of her father Oedipus, who, blinded by his own hubris, tried to outwit his fate. Antigone says that she and her sister Ismene have already suffered terrible loss: both their parents are dead, and now both brothers too. Antigone then refers to the decree that Creon has made in Thebes, which the reader will soon learn is death to anyone who attempts to bury the body of Polynices, Antigone's and Ismene's brother, whom Creon considers a traitor to Thebes.  These opening six lines set up the central conflict of the play--is it better to suffer and obey the laws of the king or the laws of the gods?

Give evidence from text that Montresor in unreliable in "The Cask of Amontillado."

In "The Cask of Amontillado," Montresor is an unreliable narrator.  At the beginning of the story, he tells the reader that he has had to bear "a thousand injuries" from Fortunato.  However, Montresor never goes on to qualify exactly what Fortunato has done to him to cause him to want to take such harsh revenge.  When the reader encounters Fortunato, he appears as a bit of a braggart, but nothing more.  Yet Montresor insists that Fortunato deserves the punishment that is coming to him.  As Montresor leads Fortunato further into the cellar, the reader gets the sense that some ill fate is about to befall Fortunato from the hands of Montresor.  And indeed, Montresor walls Fortunato up in the cellar, all the while claiming that Fortunato is at fault.  Such evidence suggests that Montresor is not a reliable narrator.

Did the Sumerians invent the wheel or were they just the first people to refine its use?

It is still being debated by historians as to whether or not the wheel was invented by the Sumerians. They were the first to refine its use by building wooden wheels that attached to horses for plowing. The oldest wheel that has been uncovered was determined to be from Mesopotamia and dated around 3500 BCE. This was the period of the Bronze Age, and humans were already farming and herding animals. Historians mostly agree that was rather late for the wheel to be invented. However, one reason that it took until this point in history was that metal tools were needed to create the holes and axles. The wheel was also not just a cylindrical object that rolled on its side but was a cylinder that was attached to a stationary platform. The wheel-axle formation was a complex development which is why it is not surprising that the wheel, when first invented, was not used for transportation. Potters were most likely the first users of the wheels, the wheel found in Mesopotamia was determined to be a potter’s wheel. The idea that wheels could be used for transportation did not come about until 300 years later.

Determining the origin of an invention as old as the wheel is complex because of the simple reason that it was such a long time ago. For instance the oldest wheel may have been found in Mesopotamia but the oldest images of carts with wheels were discovered in Poland and the Eurasian steppes. Some historians believe that the complexity of the wheel’s design led to it only being designed once and then spread to other parts of the world. Other historians believe the wheel was instead developed independently around the same time across the world. Currently it is believed that the wheel either first came from Mesopotamia or the Eurasian steppes. There is contradictory evidence as to which area was the true birthplace of the wheel. While the oldest wheel found may have come from Mesopotamia, the linguistic evidence supports the idea that it originated in the Eurasian steppes.

What were the effects of Reconstruction for whites in the South?

Reconstruction had a significant effect on southern whites. There were many changes in the South as a result of Reconstruction. African-Americans got more freedoms. White southerners would no longer have total control over the African-Americans. With the passage of the 15th amendment, African-American males got the right to vote. This was difficult for many white southerners to accept. The Radical Republican plan also denied voting rights to ex-Confederate leaders.

The Republican Party got power in the South. Some white southerners refused to take part in the writing of the new state constitutions. As a result, the Republicans got control of many state governments, and some African-Americans got elected to office. Because the reconstruction process was directed by the Republicans, many white southerners voted for candidates from the  Democratic Party for years to come. Some white southerners also turned to a group like the Ku Klux Klan that tried to intimidate African-Americans into not exercising their rights. The Ku Klux Klan used scare tactics and threats against the African-Americans. This group was very active in the South for many years.

Reconstruction impacted white southerners because it imposed ideas and concepts that many white southerners had rejected for generations. They had to accept freedom for the former slaves. They had to accept African-American males voting in elections. They had to accept African-Americans becoming citizens. Creating, at least for a period of time, a more equal society in the South was very difficult for many white southerners to accept.

How does demand change?

To answer this, we first have to understand what demand is.  Demand is defined as the amount of a good or service that consumers are willing and able to buy at each potential price.  In other words, demand is represented by a line or a curve, not by a single point on a graph.  In order for demand to change, consumers have to come to be willing and able to buy more or less of a product at a given price. 

So, what could cause consumers to want a product more or less if the product’s price does not change?  There are a number of factors that can do this.  I will list them and discuss them briefly.

1. Consumer incomes.  This affects how much people are able to buy (as opposed to how much they are willing to buy).  For example, as the income of consumers in a country rises, they will tend to demand more cars, more meat, and more luxury goods.  These are things that they might always have wanted, but have been unable to afford.  When their income rises, they are able to afford more of these goods.


2. Number of consumers.  If there are more people in a given market, there will be more demand for any particular good.


3. Price of competing goods.  Let us say that a person likes Pepsi a little better than they like Coke.  Now let us imagine that the price of Pepsi goes up while the price of Coke does not.  The person might be more likely to buy Coke more often because it has become less expensive relative to its competitor, Pepsi.  So, the demand for a good can rise when the price of a competing good rises.


4. Price of complementary goods.  Some goods are often used together.  Tennis rackets and tennis balls, for example, must generally be used together.  A change in the price of one can affect demand for the other.  Imagine that tennis rackets become much more expensive.  Fewer people purchase rackets and play tennis.  This leads to a decrease in the demand for tennis balls.


5. Consumer expectations. This affects exactly when buyers are likely to buy a product.  Therefore, it tends to cause short term changes in demand.  For example, if you think that the price of houses is going to go down next year, you will be less likely to buy a house today and demand for houses will go down.  Conversely, if a company that uses iron ore thinks the price of ore will soon increase, they will buy more of it now while the price is low.


6. Consumer tastes.  In short, this one says that demand will change based on what people like.  If people decide that meat is healthier than grains, demand for grains will drop and demand for meat will rise. If people decide that Manchester United is a cooler team than Barcelona, demand for Barcelona shirts will decline and demand for United shirts will increase.

These are the factors that can cause demand to change.

What are Patrick Maloney's personality traits in "Lamb to the Slaughter"?

This question is tougher than it first appears, because Patrick Maloney is barely in the story. Well, he's in the story the entire time. He just isn't alive for much of the story.  

I would pick cold and selfish as the two leading character traits to describe Patrick. The reason I think that Patrick has both of those character traits is because he bluntly tells Mary that he is leaving her or divorcing her. He knows that she loves him dearly. He knows that she is pregnant. He even admits that his news is bad timing.  

"And I know it's a tough time to be telling you this, but there simply wasn't any other way."

Despite knowing all of that information, he still is willing to just walk away from Mary and his life. I can only imagine that his reasons are self-serving. Leaving your pregnant wife for selfish reasons is the definition of cold.

What are the quotes that show how Danforth represents Senator McCarthy?

In trying to find quotes that can link Danforth to McCarthy, you would want to find ideas that emphasize power.

Miller is skilled in how he makes power a character trait of Danforth.  In Act III, Danforth emphasizes that his court is "the highest court" and represents "the supreme government."  This is similar to how McCarthy felt that his proceedings of the House UnAmerican Activities Committee were above all else.  

When describing his work, McCarthy spoke about the extent to which he felt Communists had infiltrated into the American government:

"I have here in my hand a list of two hundred and five people that were known to the Secretary of State as being members of the Communist Party and who nevertheless are still working and shaping the policy of the State Department."

In a similar way, Danforth says that as a result of his proceedings, "near to four hundred are in the jails...and upon my signature...and seventy-two condemned to hang by that signature."  

Finally, Danforth suggests, like McCarthy, that those who are "innocent" have nothing to fear in his court.  McCarthy insisted if someone was "innocent" of Communist sympathies or affiliations, they had nothing to fear in being called in front of the committee.  In much the same way, Danforth says that, "a person is either with this court or he must be counted against it...no uncorrupted man may fear this court."  In these quotes, Danforth is shown to represent McCarthy and shown as similar because of their possession of great power and control.

How did weapons such as the airplane, bayonet, poison gas, and u-boats make World War I more deadly than previous wars?

World War I is often considered the first modern war. New weapons of combat were utilized to created unprecedented casualties. Airplanes were a popular weapon in the newspapers and on the radio. Papers told the tales of "dogfights" in the air and exalted the ace pilots with the most victories. Airplanes were used to bomb enemy locations with deadly effect. The more practical and successful utilization of aviation was in the area of gathering intelligence. When one side can easily track the locations of its enemies, the body counts will escalate.

Poison gas had two effects on the war. While not killing very many soldiers, it did have the effect of creating mass casualties. Soldiers could become sick enough from gas poisoning to have to be removed from the front lines until they recovered. Casualties were just as harmful to the war effort as deaths. Poison gas also had a dramatic psychological effect on soldiers. Infantryman would think they were sick from poison gas, when actually, they were just suffering from a common cold. The fear of gas attacks affected the strategies of both sides in a way that caused more death.

The u-boats, or submarines as they are called today, were also deadly for two reasons. First, it could be used to establish a blockade to starve out the enemy population. Secondly, the submarine was very effective at destroying battleships through the use of torpedoes.

Bayonets could be used to kill people from a distance through the use of ammunition, but could also be used to kill in hand-to-hand combat.

How would you describe Bottom's acting ability? What is Bottom's own opinion about his acting ability?

It's difficult to judge Bottom's acting ability from the play as written, because everything depends upon the performance of the play and the interpretation of the role. Bottom is arrogant and controlling, with an aggressive attitude, as shown when he insists he can play every role. In Act 1 Scene 2, when the players are preparing their performance of "Pyramus and Thisbe," every time Peter Quince announces which of the company will play a role, Bottom insists he wants to play it and describes in detail how he will do it better than the actor chosen. For example, in describing how he would play the lion, after Quince says he would be too loud and frightening in the role, he says, "I grant you, friends, if you should fright the ladies out of their wits, they would have no more discretion but to hang us. But I will aggravate my voice so that I will roar you as gently as any sucking dove. I will roar you an ’twere any nightingale." He goes on to describe the many different colored wigs and beards he has access to, as if this also adds to his prowess as an actor.

Ironically, the ability to portray "bad" acting is generally something that can only be done by a very good actor. Shakespeare used various conceits about acting in a number of his plays. It would be ironic to have Bottom portrayed as a very good actor who, despite his arrogance, is justified in his insistence that he is the best choice for the role. But most performances of this play portray Bottom as a fool who only thinks he is a good actor.

What demonic imagery appears in T"he Violent Bear it Away"?

Flannery O'Connor's work is always fraught with theological and religious imagery and implications. From the very beginning of The Violent Bear it Away, she begins weaving religion into Tarwater's world. His great-uncle, "The Prophet," is always telling him to "expect the Lord to call himself." After his great-uncle's death, Tarwater flees from the religious devotion immediately. He first and foremost burns the house in which his dead great-uncle lies, knowing that he wanted to be buried. He is essentially cleansing himself of that life. Then, when he goes to live with his uncle, Rayber, he realizes that his great-uncle's calling—to kidnap Rayber's idiot son and baptize him—has been transferred to him. Ultimately, Tarwater succeeds in "baptizing" the child, but he drowns him in the process on purpose. He then begins on his way back to his great-uncle's home and is raped by a man he hitches a ride from. It is at this point that Tarwater realizes that the "friend" he has seen showing up at every turn, guiding him all the way from burning the house to drowning the child, is in fact fiendish—perhaps even the devil himself. Rayber's brand of demonic activities—"saving" from baptism and becoming a secular monk—are nothing in comparison to Tarwater's succumbing to the demonic voices in his head. While Rayber failed in drowning his son because of his unreasonable love for him, Tarwater succeeded. 

In Lord of the Flies, what are some symbols, items, or artifacts that are associated with Ralph in important ways? So far I have the fire, the...

You have a good start on this question. The fire is most associated with Ralph since he is the one who is most concerned about keeping it burning as a way to get rescued. He is the most committed to being rescued of all the boys, so associating the naval ship with him is appropriate as well. Piggy is Ralph's right hand man, and he represents reason and maturity. If you want a symbol for Ralph's desire to be clean and civilized, it could be swimming. We see Ralph swimming in the lagoon in chapter 1, and he swims later as well. The conch is also associated with Ralph and is a symbol of order and civilization. Ralph is the one who finds the conch, and as the chief of the boys, he wields its authority. Finally, another item to associate with Ralph is the shelters. Ralph is the one who is most committed to building the shelters; he and only a few other boys put the last one up while most of the children are off playing. The shelters are also symbols of civilization and order. The primary items associated with Ralph reflect order, authority, and civilization.

Where did the Spanish influenza begin in the United States and how did it spread in Europe and West Africa? How did World War I contribute to the...

It is believed that the epicenter of the Spanish influenza was actually in France in 1918.  Early reports, however, show that it first showed up in the United States at Fort Riley in Kansas and in Haskell County, Kansas.  Due to the movement of troops during World War I, the Spanish flu quickly spread.  Soon it had spread to northern France and to Sierra Leon in Africa.  Within a year, the flu had spread all over the world.  The First World War was a major contributor to the spread of the disease.  Travel between North America and Europe was more frequent.  Soldiers traveled to the front and back home, bringing the disease with them.  Supply ships also went back and forth.  

The first phase of the Spanish flu resembled the common seasonal flu.  Elderly people and those in poor health were more likely to become sickened by it.  In the second phase, young people and healthy adults frequently became ill.  Many died from the Spanish flu.  World War I also contributed to the development of a more serious strain of the flu.  In peacetime, people who were ill stayed at home under the care of a doctor.  Soldiers fighting in the war were already suffering from horrific conditions.  They lived in muddy trenches, in close quarters with other soldiers.  When they became ill, they could not easily be isolated.  There were already not enough doctors to treat wounded soldiers.

In all, the Spanish influenza killed millions of people around the world.  Some estimates suggest that as many as one hundred million people died.  It had a devastating impact on people all over the world.

One strand of DNA has the nucleotide sequence AACGTA. What is the sequence of the other strand?

In a strand of DNA, the nitrogenous bases used to make up the "rungs" of the double-helix ladder are cytosine, guanine, adenine, and thymine.  These bases may be abbreviated cytosine (C), guanine (G), adenine (A), and thymine (T).  The bases pair up cytosine to guanine, while adenine pairs up to thymine.  When DNA replicates, the bases split right down the middle of the double-helix, providing a template for new DNA to be assembled.  If the DNA is as given, AACGTA, the corresponding DNA sequence that would be complementary would be TTGCAT.  This base sequence would pair correctly, using the established DNA code as a template.  Each set of three bases is a set called a codon.  There are two codons in this given DNA sequence, AAC and GTA.  The corresponding codons that correctly match up to those two are TTG and CAT.

True or False: Women vote more often than men.

 It is true that women tend to vote more often than men do.  We do not really know for sure why this is the case, but it definitely is true.

One theory is that women are more likely than men to act the way that they are supposed to act.  Women are socialized to behave better than men do.  This could lead more women to vote because they feel that it is their civic duty to do so. 

Another theory holds that women vote more because they are more interested in government than men.  According to this theory, women interact with the government more because they are more likely to be the primary the caregivers for their children or their parents.  This involves them more with the government and makes them care more.

Whatever the reason, women are more likely to turn out to vote than men are.  

How does Rip's "meekness of spirit" gain him popularity?

Rip's "meekness of spirit" means that he is most definitely not a leader, alpha male.  His character type is hardly ever seen in modern media examples.  Hyper-masculinity is the name of the game in many of today's movies, TV shows, and video games.  Rip Van Winkle is the antithesis of that character archetype.  In fact, Dame Van Winkle is that archetype.  Rip is described as having a meek spirit, which is then expanded upon.  He is said to be kind, patient, helpful, and honest.  About the only negative that the narrator mentions about Rip is that he avoids doing his own work at all costs.    

In a word, Rip was ready to attend to anybody’s business but his own; but as to doing family duty, and keeping his farm in order, he found it impossible.

The characteristics above grant Rip a great deal of popularity, because those are all characteristics of a good friend.  People like to be around Rip, because he's not pushy and overbearing.  His wife is, and the people know this.  That knowledge grants Rip a bit of extra sympathy from people as well.  

Certain it is, that he was a great favorite among all the good wives of the village, who, as usual with the amiable sex, took his part in all family squabbles; and never failed, whenever they talked those matters over in their evening gossipings, to lay all the blame on Dame Van Winkle.

Simply put, Rip is popular because he is so pliable and easy going.  He's the friend that does whatever you want to do.  He won't ever push his own will and desires on a situation.  I've had friends like this.  I never considered them weak or stupid, and I always loved hanging out with them, because they always just went with the flow.  

In Death of a Salesman, what does Willy Loman sell?

This question is not answered in the play. Evidently the author did not consider it important. Or perhaps he considered it important not to specify what it was that Willy Loman was selling, because that way it suggests that Willy is throwing his life away peddling mass-produced, meretricious items that could not be as valuable as a man's life. Whatever it is, it is just some more spurious goods which American factories keep turning out endlessly and which must be endlessly consumed by the American public. Willy is just a cog in the gigantic, complex machinery of American business. He has to sell a certain amount of the product, whatever it is, in order to keep his job and pay his bills, which he is just barely managing to do. No doubt Willy has no affection for whatever it is he is selling. He can't be a very effective salesman any longer if he doesn't care about the product he is handling. He may be sick of looking at it. According to the stage directions:

From the right, Willy Loman, the Salesman, enters, carrying two large sample cases.

These seem like the cross that Willy has to bear. They beautifully and instantaneously characterize Willy Loman as a worn-out traveling salesman. They are obviously heavy. He is not selling lingerie but some kind of heavy merchandise. One might guess that the sample cases (which are bigger than ordinary suitcases) contain metal objects such as candle-holders, fake silver platters, and other such bric-a-brac. They may have been gradually going out of fashion in American homes, so that it is harder to peddle them to retailers. Willy has gotten stuck with a line of old-fashioned merchandise and a huge territory full of tight-fisted Yankee shopkeepers who deal with tight-fisted Yankee customers themselves. 

What scenes demonstrate Juliet's impulsivity?

As a 13-year-old girl, Juliet is predisposed to impulsivity. Specifically, however, we can see evidence of her impulsivity in three main areas.  First, Juliet shows impulsivity in her courtship of Romeo on the night of her party.  While she does not yet know that Romeo is a Montague, she is well aware that the man she has just met is NOT Paris, the man whom her parents would like her to marry.

Juliet also demonstrates impulsivity when she agrees to marry Romeo.  Again, not only has she just met him (as in hours ago), but she knows that she is intended to marry Paris.  To make such a decision, and to consent to a marriage that would occur less than 24 hours later, shows major impulsivity on her part.

Finally, Juliet shows impulsivity when hearing of Romeo's banishment.  Indeed, she threatens to end her own life when hearing the news, and demands that Friar Lawrence help her out of her predicament.  Had she waited, the plan they ultimately concocted might have been more thought out and might have been better executed.  In a way, it is Juliet's impulsivity that ultimately brings about her death.

Define Local Group

Local Group is a term used in astronomy. It refers to the group of about fifty galaxies that includes our own, the Milky Way. The Milky Way has about 400 billion stars and is 120,000 light years across. The Local Group spans ten million light years. Despite this great size the Local Group's gravitational pull makes the Local Group move through space as a unit.

Within the Local Group are about twenty bright galaxies, and thirty galaxies altogether: "the Local Group that contains approximately 20 bright galaxies and 30 galaxies total" (University of Tennessee). Other galaxies in the Local Group include the two Magellenic Clouds, which are the closest to the Milky Way. These can be seen from the Southern Hemisphere of Earth. Two that are visible from the Northern Hemisphere are Andromeda and M33/Triangulum. Of course, the stars of the Milky Way are the easiest to see from Earth. The second link below has some beautiful photos taken from Earth.

Would one say that indifference curves decrease since consumers prefer diversity?

When you say that indifference curves “decrease,” I assume that you are referring to the fact that they have negative slopes.  In other words, they slope downward from left to right.  I would not say that they slope downward because people prefer diversity. Instead, I would say that they slope downward because an indifference curve assumes a constant level of utility and people get more utility from consuming more of a given good.

An indifference curve shows us the various levels of two goods that a consumer could consume without changing his or her level of utility. When we make such a curve, we assume that the consumer actually wants both goods.  In other words, consuming more of a good would increase his or her utility. However, this causes a problem. We are saying that a consumer gains utility from consuming more of a good, but we have to keep that consumer’s utility unchanged.  In order to do this, we have to make our indifference curve slope downward. 

Let us imagine an indifference curve with apples and oranges as the two products the consumer can consume.  The consumer likes both apples and oranges so her utility would increase if she consumed more oranges. However, the definition of an indifference curve tells us that her utility has to stay the same. Therefore, as she consumes more oranges (thus increasing her utility) she has to consume fewer apples at the same time (dropping her utility and thus keeping it constant even as she eats more oranges).  This (and not a preference for diversity) is the real reason why the indifference curve has to slope downward.  It has to keep utility constant even as a person consumes more of one good.

How did technology impact the development of cell theory?

Technology such as lenses, magnifying glasses, and microscopes had an impact on the development of the cell theory. Below are some examples of how such technologies contributed to the cell theory.

• Robert Hooke is accredited with observing the first cells in 1665. At that time, Robert Hooke used a microscope to look at cork cells.


• In 1670, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek was accredited with being the first scientist to discover pond life. He used lenses to make the discovery.


• Robert Brown (1773-1858) used a microscope to discover the nucleus.


• More recently, the development of light and electron microscopes have enabled scientists to view living cells and molecules within cells respectively.

The cell theory is a scientific theory that describes the basic properties of cells. The cell theory states that cells are the smallest unit of life, that cells can only come from other living cells, and that all living things are made of cells.

Explain how various countries entered World War I in Europe.

There were various reasons why each country entered World War I in Europe. Europe had been heading toward war as the issues of imperialism, nationalism, and militarism were growing in Europe.

Austria-Hungary started the hostilities. After Franz Ferdinand, who was the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, was assassinated in Sarajevo in 1914, Austria-Hungary gave a list of demands to the Serbian government. Austria-Hungary believed that Serbia had some responsibility for the assassination of Franz Ferdinand. When the Serbian government could not meet all the demands that Austria-Hungary placed on it, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. Russia and Serbia had been allies for many years. As a result, Russia declared war on Austria-Hungary.

Other countries also entered the war. Germany had promised Austria-Hungary that it would provide support if Austria-Hungary got attacked. Thus, Germany declared war on Russia. Since France and Russia had an alliance, Germany and France declared war on each other on the same day. Great Britain didn’t join the war until Germany invaded neutral Belgium. When that occurred, Great Britain declared war on Germany. The United States entered World War I in 1917 after Germany began to sink our ships without warning them. This violated our rights as a neutral nation to trade with other countries, including countries that were at war.

There were various reasons why some countries joined World War I.

How is music connected to history?

Music is part of the culture and “personality” of a country (or even a geographic region). As such, it is part of the “biography” of that area, part of the changes brought about by other historical events, such as invasions, technological developments, and leaders (see the “Great Man” theory of historical change). So changes in music are part of the historical “record” of a region. Take, for example, the birth of Mozart – his musical innovations affected  all of Europe’s whole cultural signature. An even clearer geography example can be found in the Austrian Joseph Haydn’s influence on Britain’s culture, stemming from his visits in 1790-1791 and later. In modern times, the Beatles became part of America’s popular cultural history with the advent of “The British Invasion” in 1964. In another direction, we can view history itself by reflecting on the kind of music that a given historical period embraced. Jazz, for example, gives a good example of the image, the texture, of the roaring ‘20s. So, speaking generally, one can say that the background “sound track” of history is its musical signature.

What do you think the author means by the term "evil eye"? Why do you think the narrator of the story is so disturbed by the old man's eye? And why...

In "The Tell-Tale Heart," the narrator and the old man appear to live together because the narrator is a caretaker for the old man.  Either they are family members, or the narrator works for the old man.  The narrator appears to be so vexed by the old man's eye because the old man probably "sees" who the narrator really is--one who has gone mad.  At the beginning of the story, the narrator tries to convince the reader that he is not mad and that he just suffers from acute senses.  However, as the plot unfolds, the reader sees that the narrator is in fact mad as he fixates on the old man's eye and plots to kill him to rid the house of the eye.  The old man is not an active character in the story, so the reader cannot confirm whether or not he knows about the narrator's mental instability, but we can assume that he does know given that they live together.  The narrator is likely also aware that the old man suspects his insanity, and the eye "sees" through the facade that the narrator attempts to build to hide his true identity.

What do people in the same latitude share?

Latitudes are imaginary lines that specify the distance of a location from the equator. These lines run parallel to one another and are denoted by a N or S sign, to designate whether they are in the Northern Hemisphere or Southern Hemisphere, respectively. People on the same latitude generally share similar climate (on a longer time frame). The locations with the same latitude will have similar patterns of daylight and nighttime and hence very similar climatic conditions. However, there are some variations in climate for locations on the same latitude line, depending on the proximity to water bodies (rivers, sea, ocean, etc.), altitude of the given region, presence of forest cover, etc. Closeness to water bodies may cause the temperatures to be more moderate; higher elevation may cause lower temperatures (as compared to plains), etc. 

Hope this helps. 

In Anthem, explain what Liberty 5-3000 meant by the following line, "You are not one of our brothers, Equality 7-2521, for we do not wish you to be."

The moment Liberty saw Equality working on the road as a street sweeper while she sowed seeds in a nearby field, she knew he was different.  Their immediate chemistry and apparent “love at first sight” showed both of them that they were special and above their brothers and sisters of the society.  Liberty wanted Equality to be different, a sin in the society that insists that everyone be the same.  Like Equality, she is curious and knows deep down inside herself that the society in which she lives oppresses its people.  In her heart, she is seeking someone who is decidedly different, and that is why she runs away to the Uncharted Forest to find Equality and a different life. 

Liberty is breaking the law and committing a sin against the society by showing preference for Equality.  Liberty intuitively knows that Equality is unlike his brothers, and it is his charisma that draws her to him.  Liberty wouldn’t want Equality any other way, and it is the desire for each to find someone special that brings them together.

In Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, why is it important to Mr. Ewell to get revenge on Atticus? What does this tell us about him as a person?

In Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus describes the Ewells as "the disgrace of Maycomb for three generations" (30). Bob Ewell, in particular, is the current patriarch of his clan and maintains this infamous disgrace by the way he speaks, behaves, and lives. Bob Ewell doesn't have any self-respect when it comes to working a steady job, taking care of his family properly, or following most laws, but it doesn't mean he has no pride. When Atticus cross-examines him in chapter 17, he proves that Bob Ewell is a liar and possibly a child abuser. Also, Ewell looks foolish and low-class when compared to Atticus's education, wit, and manners. As a result, Ewell feels shamed and personally attacked; therefore, he seeks revenge because he has no other power or common sense to fall back on. Thus, in chapter 23, Bob Ewell spits in Atticus's face and challenges him to a fight, which Atticus declines.

Atticus explains to his son why Mr. Ewell seeks retribution the way he does as follows:

Jem, see if you can stand in Bob Ewell's shoes a minute. I destroyed his last shred of credibility at that trial, if he had any to begin with. The man had to have some kind of comeback, his kind always does. So if spitting in my face and threatening me saved Mayella Ewell one extra beating, that's something I'll gladly take. He had to take it out on somebody and I'd rather it be me than that houseful of children out there (218).

Atticus's explanation of Bob Ewell's character shows that he is not surprised by the way Ewell acts out after the trial. Nonetheless, Atticus does not expect Bob to take his revengeful feelings any further than simple actions like spitting in his face, hollering at Helen Robinson, or creeping into Judge Taylor's backyard. That is why Atticus is surprised when Ewell aggressively attacks his kids with a knife months after the trial. Needless to say, Bob Ewell is a self-centered low-life whose ignorant and hateful ways make him the perfect antagonist for Lee's story.

The climax in Raymond Carver’s “Cathedral” could be said to be the moment in the end of the story when the protagonist has his eyes closed...

The narrator is a man who merely resides in his house: He watches his wife go to bed at night, he sees no friends, staying at home and watching television. Even when his wife's friend Robert arrives, he sits and watches her go outside to greet him. But, when he experiences a spiritual moment of human communion with Robert as he draws a cathedral, the narrator closes his eyes that have been blind to what is within people so that now, with imagination, he may truly "see."

A man who places much emphasis upon the visual, the narrator has become a passive observer in his life and his troubled marital relationship. Ironically, it is a blind man who figuratively opens the narrator's "eyes"; that is, his awareness of the need for communication and tenderness with his wife, as well as the powerful significance of imagination.
Later in the night as he is alone with Robert and unconfined by the walls of his room and the screen of the television after it goes off, the narrator experiences true communion with his wife's friend when he draws the cathedral freely with his eyes closed--his pure imagination, that same capability that the blind man uses. He narrates,

I didn't feel like I was inside anything.
"It's really something," I said.

Throughout Pages 84-85, how does Ruth's reaction to Walter being drunk reflect a change in their relationship?

The change reflected is a confrontation of the difficulties that lie between them in Walter and Ruth's relationship.

Walter, in his reluctant embrace of white American society's standards of manhood and success, is quite chauvinistic toward women. This attitude also explains much of the underlying tension and rancor between him and his sister, Beneatha.

However, when Walter comes home drunk, he and Ruth slowly begin to deal with what comes between them.

Initially, he is hostile toward his wife. In a passive-aggressive statement about black people, he blames her for getting pregnant and, thus, making their economic difficulties more difficult. When she tries to offer him some coffee to help revivify him, he rudely refuses. When she tries to offer him something to eat, he complains about how she is always trying to feed him. Her feminine support annoys him. In frustration, she helplessly says, "What else can I give you, Walter Lee Younger?"

In the play's explanatory notes, we learn that "a new mood" has emerged in her, called up after he asks her, "Who cares about you?" He expresses a blatant disregard for his wife whom, he fails to realize, has suffered just as much, if not more than he, from racism and poverty.

Walter admits that things have been "rough," that not much is understood between them, and wonders how people get to the place "where we scared to talk softness to each other." When people are married, but feel trapped by social and economic circumstances, sometimes there is no one to blame, no one to be angry at, other than each other. This, arguably, is the "something" that "done come down between us," according to Walter. 

Ruth recollects about how things were when their son, Travis, was born. They were more hopeful, particularly about living in a nice home. Now, "it's all starting to slip away from us." At this admission, Walter turns her toward him and they kiss passionately. In that kiss, there is a sense of resolution: they have very little, but without each other, there may be nothing. 

In many ways, "A Raisin in the Sun" expresses Lorraine Hansberry's affirmation of the black family, and its preservation, as a bedrock of community and future progress. Walter and Ruth will remain together because they love each other, and because Hansberry has created two characters who will not succumb to white supremacy's hopes of destroying another black family. 

In "The Minister's Black Veil", what happens when Reverend Clark tries to remove the veil?

"The Minister's Black Veil" opens with an unsettling change in the lives of the residents of the village of Milford; one of their religious leaders, Parson Hooper, has suddenly taken to wearing a black veil that covers half of his face. The veil seems, in style and manner, to be something one would wear while in mourning, but Hooper refuses to explain exactly why, or for whom, he is wearing it. This leads the parishioners to speculate on his behalf, thinking that it must be for some sin he has committed and intends to spend his life in atonement for.

At the end of the story, as Hooper is dying, he is attended to by his former fiancee, and another priest, Reverend Clark. Clark also assumes that Hooper is wearing the veil because he has some sin to atone for. However, Hooper has led an exemplary life, and Clark wants Hooper to die in such a way that the memory of all his goodness will not be tarnished by the "shadow" that the veil metaphorically casts over them.

In a surprising show of strength and energy, Hooper clasps his hands over the veil as Clark attempts to take it off, saying that he will never remove it while he is alive.

Gawande, A. (2012). Big Med: Restaurant chains have managed to combine quality control, cost control, and innovation. Can health care? (Links to...

To an average reader who is not entirely familiar with the way that health care institutions are rescued from an unstable marker, the article may proof a bit misleading from the start.

First, the author spends a considerable amount of time talking about a comparable industry that also sells goods and services while closely watching for costs and quality: the food industry.

The article starts by explaining the dynamics of consumerism (cost control), culinary tendencies, food preparation techniques (quality control) , and the different ways to get the goods (innovation) in the Cheesecake Factory corporation. While this is an excellent way to break the ice and keep the attention of the reader, there was an excessive amount of detail involved in the description of the dishes, in the dialogue with the waiters, and in the celebration of the food. 

That, suddenly switched to the central question: What if the health care industry packaged its goods and services options in the same manner as The Cheesecake Factory. This means, can the health care industry provide goods and services that are made "from scratch" (with the recipient in mind), made into a variety of ways, be widely available, and from a selection that is sure to please everyone. 

Then the author continues to get into more information regarding The Cheesecake Factory that could have been left out, if the central topic is to re-focus on how the healthcare industries conduct their business. For example, take a look at this paragraph and tell  me how can it possibly tie in with the gist of what the author is trying to convey?

Factory’s major competitor, Darden, owns Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Red Lobster, and the Capital Grille; [..]We can bristle at the idea of chains and mass production, with their homogeneity, predictability, and constant genuflection to the value-for-money god.

This is where it becomes tangential and very hard for a student of the matter to read. 

Then you spend a bad night in a “quaint” “one of a kind” bed-and-breakfast that turns out to have a manic, halitoxic innkeeper who can’t keep the hot water running, and it’s right back to the Hyat.

The author makes a crass assumption that readers will relate universally to an experience in a Hyatt hotel, or elsewhere. I, myself, have never stayed in a Hyatt, as I am a Marriott and Hilton loyalty customer. I have not stayed at a Bed and Breakfast either, so I do not know the difference. The author must have been told at some point that the writing needs to have a lighter side to be digestible. The problem is that the lighter side went on to an extreme lightness. In not so many words, the details are unnecessary. 

After this point, the author keeps attempting to make the point of offering more varied and effective goods and services in the industry, watching specifically for the variables mentioned before, of cost control, quality control and innovation.

The narrative was going well until, once again, the author waxed into another allegorical Cheesecake Factory and Darden group restaurants scenario. We know that the idea is to juxtapose the two industries. For once, to analyze how the food industry watches out for its products with a vigilant focus on quality and price. Then, to see how the healthcare industry can do the same thing following the same formulaic process.

It works fine, but the article continues to move across the food and the health industry in a way that blurs the lines and does  not allow the reader to really focus on what they really need to know. 

In all, the article is interesting, to say the least, but the confusing part stems from the excessive details on how the food industry does things. We want to focus more on the health industry and perhaps add snippets of other industries' protocols. 

How do plants conduct chemical weathering?

Weathering is the process of breakdown of rocks, minerals, etc. It can be classified as either physical weathering or chemical weathering. Plants contribute to both the physical and chemical weathering. Plant roots grow and extend in the subsoil. This causes cracks and fissures in the rocks or widening of existing cracks, thus causing physical weathering. Plants also change the chemical conditions in the areas surrounding them and causes chemical weathering. Plants can produce humic acids, which helps dissolve minerals. The acids generated by live or decaying plants help in breaking down aluminum and iron compounds in the subsurface. Another example is growth of lichens on exposed rocks. Plants may also contribute to the growth and survival of microorganisms that cause weathering, such as mycorrhizal fungi. 

Hope this helps.