In To Kill a Mockingbird, why might some people misjudge Judge Taylor's ability?

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is set in the south during the time of the Great Depression.  It centers around the trial of Tom Robinson, a negro who stands accused of raping a young white girl.

Judge Taylor is not a prominent character since the story is told from the perspective of a six-year-old girl by the name of Scout.  Her involvement is due to the fact that she is the daughter of the defense lawyer, Atticus Finch.

Judge Taylor is well advanced in age.  He is a man of simple pleasures such as singing and partaking of his dipping tobacco.  He is a singularly unremarkable man.  The only clue that one might have that he knows more than it seems he does is his appointment of Atticus vs. the newbie lawyer, who would have traditionally "drawn the short straw" in such a controversial case.

A senile, simpleton of a judge who did not even have the good sense to assign the "correct" defense counsel!  Those are ample reasons to misjudge the good judge's abilities.

Why do you think the title of the poem “Superior” by Rabindranath Tagore is appropriate?

The title is ironical and suits well to the content of the poem. The narrator is a teacher who is rather bemused by the activities of the child and finds her “silly” and “absurdly childish.” However, we find that the child with her unsullied imagination and innocence, stands on a far higher pedestal than that of her teacher.

The “schoolmaster” doesn't approve of the way the child perceives the world around herself. He wants to teach the child that it’s foolish to believe stars and streets lights are same things.

He finds it ludicrous when the child puts the pebbles into her mouth believing them to be some edible stuff. He is piqued when the child bursts out laughing after tearing the pages of her book. He complains to the child’s mother,

“she tears the leaves with her hands and roars for joy at

nothing; this is your baby's way of doing her lesson.”

He’s not able to understand why “she laughs and thinks it great fun” when he scolds her for tearing the pages of her book.

The child believes she can touch and hold the moon. The teacher, however, finds her imagination “funny” and absurd.

What the poet wants to bring home is the point that the child’s innocence and angelic imagination enable her to experience the joys that the teacher is completely deprived of.

As a person with knowledge and experience, the teacher is expected to be much “superior” to the child in every respect. However, his bookish knowledge and so-called experience constrict his thoughts and imagination.  

The use of dramatic irony permeates the poem throughout. We pity the peevish teacher who’d never know that how greatly he falls short of the pristine and unrestricted imagination that lights up the child’s mind. 

In the story of Echo and Narcissus, what suggestions are made about the role of love in ancient culture? How is our modern understanding of love...

First, keeping in mind many ancient sources and especially Ovid’s Metamorphoses (which is probably the most famous rendition), let us explore the story a bit before we get into your question. Narcissus was the son of a god and a nymph. He was very beautiful. He was so beautiful, in fact, that the woodland nymph named Echo became attracted to him. Echo (due to her past exploits) was doomed to only repeat the last words said to her, which is where we get the auditory term “echo” from. After getting Narcissus’ attention (away from hunting) by repeating his last line (“Who’s there?”), Narcissus sees Echo and understands her desires, but rejects her completely. Some say it was the curse of Nemesis and some say it was by Narcissus own devices, but eventually Narcissus catches a glimpse of himself in a pool of water and becomes so entranced with his reflection that he never leaves. Some say he wastes away at the pool and some say he commits suicide because he finally realizes that love cannot exist in this way. This being said, love is explored (both in the ancient world and in today’s world) through this story through three elements: reciprocation, pride, and control.

The first element of love that the story of Narcissus makes clear is that love must be reciprocated to exist. The way that we say this in the modern world is that love should be a “two-way street,” and not one-sided. Echo truly tries for reciprocation (keeping in mind the way she was cursed to only repeat words), but she is completely rejected. As a result, love does not exist between the female and the male figure. In regards to Narcissus himself, he “falls in love” with his own reflection, but this is not real love in that it cannot be reciprocated. Why? A reflection in water can reciprocate nothing. Some versions show Narcissus simply wasting away in front of his own image as a result (therefore causing his death). Other versions show Narcissus committing suicide due to his eventual knowledge that this love cannot possibly be the “two-way street” he desires. This first element of love, then, is shared between the ancient and the modern world.

Another implication is that pride is the enemy of love. It wasn’t long before pride was named as one of the seven deadly sins, and (kind of) continues to remain so; therefore, this is yet another similarity of the role of love between the modern and the ancient world. Pride in himself keeps Narcissus from loving another. He is too in love with himself to have room for anyone else. Further, he is unable to think of the desires of another with anything but disdain. This is the most pertinent element in a newly named mental disorder called Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD). People truly diagnosed with this disorder in the modern world continually find (usually after a lifetime of tragedy) that they are unable to have relationships with others because they are unable to make their own desires anything but paramount. Again, this second role of love (as an enemy to pride) is shared between the modern world and the ancient world.

A third role of love in the story of Narcissus and Echo, is that love is ultimately controlled by the gods. Now, here we have the first example of a thought restricted to the ancient world of the Greeks (and other polytheistic religions). Here we have to think about both characters being controlled by the gods. How was Echo controlled? She is punished by Hera in one of the famous arguments between Hera and Zeus. Hera is tricked into thinking Zeus is in the city and, as a result, she curses Echo into only repeating the last words said of anyone she comes across. This severely thwarts her attempts at love. This happens, of course, when Echo meets Narcissus and (in an effort to get his attention) can only repeat his last line which of course was, “Who’s there?” In regards to Narcissus, some versions of the story have the goddess Nemesis (the goddess of revenge) taking the side of poor Echo and punishing Narcissus. These versions have Nemesis luring Narcissus to the pool where he doesn’t realize that he is looking at a refection before he falls in love with it. These versions always show Narcissus taking his own life because love cannot be given in return. Thus, due to the gods controlling both characters, this is an aspect of love that is limited to the ancient world.

In conclusion, the elements of love discussed here are the following: love must be reciprocated, pride is love’s enemy, and love is controlled by the gods. It is only the following element limited to ancient culture. Further, it is interesting to note that Narcissus isn’t really human in that he is the son of a river god (Cephissus) and a nymph (Liriope). If human, then he certainly has a divine element. As a result, perhaps these issues could be deemed as more of a “god-problem,” but considering the Greeks used their myths to try to understand humanity, the question you ask is significant and worth exploring. Also, there is a suggestion that the role of women in a relationship should be passive. Echo is punished due to her exploits and her excessive talking, therefore doomed to repeat only the last words said by someone else. She has no real speech of her own. Perhaps more than the actual elements of love presented by the character of Narcissus, this element of gender-roles in love suggested by Echo is absolutely rejected in most of today’s modern world. These days, in the Western World anyway, women are regarded as equals in a relationship.

What is the terrible tragedy of Canterville Chase?

In Chapter One of The Canterville Ghost, Mrs Umney reveals to the Otises the terrible tragedy of Canterville Chase. In 1575, Sir Simon de Canterville murdered his wife, Lady Eleanore, in the library of Canterville Chase. (We learn in Chapter Five that Sir Simon murdered his wife because she was "very plain" and poor at housekeeping). Sir Simon lived until 1584 when the brothers of Lady Eleanore took their revenge and starved him to death, though his body was never found.

The blood stain in the library acts as a visual reminder of this tragedy. No matter how many times Mr Otis cleans it off with his stain remover and detergent, the stain has reappeared by morning. While we later learn that the ghost repaints it each night, its constant presence reminds the inhabitants of the murderous and bloody history of Canterville Chase.

It is only in Chapter Five that this terrible tragedy is rectified, when Sir Simon secures Virginia's aid in praying for his repentance. In return, he receives eternal rest in the Garden of Death and the residents of Canterville Chase are haunted no more. 

What are some examples of Romeo being emotionally immature in Romeo and Juliet?

Though Romeo's age is never given in Shakespeare's play he is probably around 18 or 19. In today's world 18 year-olds do not marry 13 year-olds, but during the 16th century, it was perfectly acceptable. We also know that he is old enough to be able to kill a man, as witnessed by his slaying of Tybalt in Act III. 

From the beginning, Romeo displays behavior that could be considered immature. Benvolio tells Romeo's father that he often sees Romeo alone in a grove of sycamores. Montague says in Act I, Scene 1,

Many a morning hath he there been seen,
With tears augmenting the fresh morning’s dew,
Adding to clouds more clouds with his deep sighs.
But all so soon as the all-cheering sun
Should in the farthest east begin to draw
The shady curtains from Aurora’s bed,
Away from light steals home my heavy son
And private in his chamber pens himself,
Shuts up his windows, locks fair daylight out,
And makes himself an artificial night.
Black and portentous must this humor prove,
Unless good counsel may the cause remove.

We find out that Romeo's depression is caused by his unrequited love for Rosaline, who spurns his advances and says she will live "chaste." Rather than accept this rejection and move on, Romeo dwells on the topic. Through a litany of oxymorons, Romeo complains to Benvolio Act I, Scene 1,

Why then, O brawling love, O loving hate,
O anything of nothing first create!
O heavy lightness, serious vanity,
Misshapen chaos of well-seeming forms,
Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health,
Still-waking sleep that is not what it is!
This love feel I, that feel no love in this.
Dost thou not laugh?

Of course, Romeo totally forgets Rosaline once he sees Juliet at Capulet's party. Later Friar Lawrence criticizes Romeo for falling in love with Juliet so quickly. He says in Act II, Scene 3,

Young men’s love then lies
Not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes.

Shakespeare wants us to believe Romeo is truly in love but, on the surface, we may see an immature young man who falls for the first pretty face he comes across. During the balcony scene, instead of taking a little time to get to know Juliet and consider the situation, Romeo leaps to a marriage proposal. For her part, Juliet is perfectly willing to wait, but, when she tries to adjourn to her bedroom he presses her for an admission of love and proposes.

They are married the very next day, even though Friar Lawrence warns Romeo to take things slow. The Friar says in Act II, Scene 6,

These violent delights have violent ends
And in their triumph die, like fire and powder,
Which, as they kiss, consume. The sweetest honey
Is loathsome in his own deliciousness
And in the taste confounds the appetite.
Therefore love moderately. Long love doth so.
Too swift arrives as tardy as too slow.

Romeo ignores the Friar's advice for the rest of his life. He is impetutous in everything he does. He ignores common sense, as well as the edict of the Prince, when he fights Tybalt to get revenge for the killing of Mercutio. Afterward he acts like a child as he whines to the Friar about being banished and unable to see Juliet. Romeo says in Act III, Scene 3,

’Tis torture and not mercy. Heaven is here
Where Juliet lives, and every cat and dog
And little mouse, every unworthy thing,
Live here in heaven and may look on her,
But Romeo may not.

In the final Act Romeo again exhibits his immaturity by plotting his own suicide after hearing of Juliet's death from Balthasar. Instead of confirming the news or checking with the Friar, Romeo launches himself into despair, procures poison, and rushes back to Verona to "lie with Juliet."

At almost every turn Romeo proves to be ill suited to handle the responsibility of love and marriage. He is impatient, prone to depression and willing to act on his slightest urge. Even though he is older he never acts with same level of courage and maturity which Juliet displays throughout the play.  

In Ray Bradbury's Fahrinheit 451, what are the comments that Mildred and her friends made on the presidential race?

In Ray Bradbury's fictional depiction of a futuristic, dystopian society governed by an autocratic regime that has banned books and strictly controls all forms and sources of information, Fahrenheit 451, Guy Montag is a fireman-turned-critic of that dictatorial regime. While he has been a loyal servant of the government, dutifully burning books, and the homes in which they are discovered, his observations and encounters -- for example, the woman who burns herself to death along with her books in defiance of the system and his conversations with Clarisse, the vibrant young teenager whose family lives nearby -- have caused him to reconsider his views. As his evolution from automaton to independent-thinking radical continues, his disgust with his wife, Mildred, continues to grow. He has suffered silently as his marriage turned into a passionless relationship between two adults, but he is growing more impatient with the idiocy he observes from, among others, Mildred and her friends. Sitting among these women as they resond to his suggestion that they converse, he initially listens as they chatter on about children, only to have Mildred turn the discussion towards politics, "to please Guy." The following exchange reveals the full measure of Montag's disgust with the superficial and entirely uninformed nature of dialogue in the society he has served:

"Sounds fine," said Mrs. Bowles. "I voted last election, same as everyone, and I laid it on the line for President Noble. I think he's one of the nicest-looking men who ever became president."

"Oh, but the man they ran against him!"

"He wasn't much, was he? Kind of small and homely and he didn't shave too close or comb his hair very well."

"What possessed the 'Outs' to run him? You just don't go running a little short man like that against a tall man. Besides -he mumbled. Half the time I couldn't hear a word he said. And the words I did hear I didn't understand!"

"Fat, too, and didn't dress to hide it. No wonder the landslide was for Winston Noble. Even their names helped. Compare Winston Noble to Hubert Hoag for ten seconds and you can almost figure the results."

"Damn it!" cried Montag. "What do you know about Hoag and Noble?"

"Why, they were right in that parlour wall, not six months ago. One was always picking his nose; it drove me wild."

"Well, Mr. Montag," said Mrs. Phelps, "do you want us to vote for a man like that?"

Mildred beamed. "You just run away from the door, Guy, and don't make us nervous."

One could argue that Bradbury's depiction of this fictional society was, at least in some ways, a little too prescient. The women in this scene, including Montag's wife, are reflective of much of the electorate in today's society, with an emphasis on superficial characteristics like physical appearance rather than substance. It is also, apparently, a fixed election, as the reference to "the Outs" and their dismal choice of a candidate appears designed to ensure that the more physically-attractive of the two candidates, President Noble (note the manipulative use of names: "Noble" versus "Hoag," the former complementary, the latter derogatory) prevails with little difficulty. Totalitarian and other autocratic regimes routinely arrange sham elections to provide the imprimatur of legitimacy, despite the obvious corruption of the electoral process. This seemingly minor passage in Bradbury's novel is actually one of the more interesting for its implications for a society reduced to making important decisions on the basis of limited information while incorporating meaningless, superficial factors into those decisions.

How does Mrs. Bedlow help Lyddie in Lyddie?

Mrs. Bedlow helps Lyddie find a job and becomes her friend.

Mrs. Bedlow is the keeper of the boardinghouse where Lyddie lives. When Lyddie loses her job at the pub, her only choice is to get a job at the factory. Lyddie takes a coach, and the coachman introduces her to his sister.

Filthy as she had been, Mrs. Bedlow, the coachman's sister, had kindly taken her in. The boardinghouse keeper hurriedly gave her brother a cup of tea and sent him on his way. (Ch. 8)

After Mrs. Bedlow helps Lyddie get fed and clean, she makes sure that Lyddie is ready to get a job. Mrs. Bedlow gets Lyddie an interview with the Concord Corporation so that she can work at the factory.

"Of course, you're as good as anyone, a better worker than most, I suspect, but at the factory they'll look at your clothes and shoes to decide. The Almighty may look at the heart, but 'man looketh on the outward appearance' as the Good Book says…” (Ch. 8)

Mrs. Bedlow is a good judge of character. She knows that Lyddie is tough and that she will be a good worker. She just doesn't have very good clothes when she first arrives at the boardinghouse.

Mrs. Bedlow looks the other way when Lyddie’s little sister Rachel suddenly turns up. Children are not allowed in the boardinghouse, except for Mrs. Bedlow’s, but Mrs. Bedlow allows her to stay while Lyddie figures out what to do.

Lyddie has a lot of gumption, and she is a survivor. Her favorite saying is "we can still hop," and hop Lyddie does. She makes friends each place she ends up, and Mrs. Bedlow is an example of that. Mrs. Bedlow is a kindly lady who looks after the factory girls as if they were her own.