What was Tom's conflict in "Contents of the Dead Man's Pocket"?

Tom experiences several conflicts throughout the story, both internal and external.  They include man vs. man, man vs. nature, man vs. self, and man vs. society. 

To begin, an external, man vs. man conflict is when Tom's wife wants him to join her at a movie for the evening.  However, Tom chooses to stay home to continue working.  

Another external conflict is man vs. nature.  This arises when the draft from the door closing as his wife leaves causes the sheet of paper to fly out the open window.  Tom must risk his life on the edge of the building to retrieve the important piece of paper, which brings us to the two main conflicts of the story.  

Tom's internal, man vs. man conflict revolves around how much importance he should place on his work.  He feels that what he is doing is very imporant; however, he also regrets missing quality time with his wife.  At first, Tom clearly chooses his work over his wife when he decides not to go to the movie with her.  He also puts his work first when he risks his life to recover the paper from the building's ledge.  Tom's internal conflict is also indicative of another external conflict.

Probably the most significant conflict of the story is Tom's external, man vs. society issue.  He feels that he needs to work so hard for a promotion that is not even a given.  There is no telling whether his extra work will pay off in the end; however, he feels the societal pressure to do so in the hopes of earning more money to provide a better life for his family.  

Does Atticus really believe people are created equal, or does he just say this as a strategy to influence the jury? Does he tell the jury this for...

During Atticus' closing remarks, he explains to the jury Mayella's motivation for falsely accusing Tom Robinson of assaulting and raping her and also addresses the significant prejudice against African Americans throughout the community of Maycomb. Atticus concludes his final remarks by commenting on Thomas Jefferson's famous words that "all men are created equal." Atticus mentions that he finds Jefferson's assumption that all men are created equal to be ridiculous. He goes on to say that people vary in different ways from intelligence to opportunity. Atticus then comments that there is one institution where every man is viewed and treated equally. He then mentions that the United States' court system is the only place where all men are considered equal. He goes to say that a court is only as good as its jury and urges each jury member to judge Tom Robinson's case without prejudice.

Atticus mentions that all men are created equal in a court of law to influence the jury's decision. He wants them to treat Tom Robinson equally and not let their prejudiced beliefs get in the way of their judgment.

In what parts of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird do people talk negatively about Tom Robinson being black or talk negatively about black people?

Racist dialogue concerning either Tom Robinson or African Americans in general occurs all throughout Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. Some of the best examples can be seen during Aunt Alexandra's missionary circle meeting in Chapter 24.

In this chapter, Scout is invited to join her aunt's missionary circle for refreshments, as part of Scout's training to be a lady, and she does so dressed in her Sunday best. However, Scout witnesses some very unladylike conversation in that the things the ladies say at the meeting are very racist and hypocritical. One example can be seen in the conversation that follows when Mrs. Merriweather says to Scout how fortunate she is to "live in a Christian home" outside of all of the "sin and squalor" of other regions, such as Africa. One woman named Gertrude responds to Mrs. Merriweather's comment about "sin and squalor." While we aren't told what Gertrude says, we are told Mrs. Merriweather's surprising response:

Sin and squalor—what was that Gertrude? ... Oh that. Well, I always say forgive and forget, forgive and forget. Thing that church ought to do is help her lead a Christian life for those children from here on out. (Ch. 24)

When Scout asks Mrs. Merriweather whom she is speaking of, Mrs. Merriweather replies that she is talking about Helen Robinson, Tom Robinson's wife. In other words, Mrs. Merriweather is saying that Helen should be forgiven and her disgraces forgotten, even though Helen has actually not done anything wrong. Mrs. Merriweather is also saying that the town needs to help Helen "lead a Christian life," which assumes Helen has not been doing so already. But that assumption contradicts what we already know to be true of the Robinsons; we learn back in Chapter 9 that the Robinsons are decent folks and active members of Calpurnia's church. All of Mrs. Merriweather's comments show she has judged Tom Robinson to be guilty, despite court evidence proving the contrary. She also believes Tom's guilt has somehow rubbed off on Helen. Mrs. Merriweather's comments further show that she assumes all African Americans are somehow inherently immoral or evil.

We see the exact same prejudiced assumption expressed later in the conversation by Mrs. Farrow:

We can educate 'em til we're blue in the face, we can try till we drop to make Christians out of 'em, but there's no lady safe in her bed these nights. (Ch. 24)

As we can see, Mrs. Farrow's comment shows she assumes that African Americans are incapable of being educated and incapable of being taught Christian values because she assumes not just that they are inferior to whites but that they are inherently evil.

What does the road symbolize in "The Road Not Taken"? What about the woods?

The Road Not Taken, by Robert Frost, is potentially the most famous English-language poem. In the poem, a narrator is faced with two different paths in the woods. He takes one of these paths, and foresees himself claiming that this choice "made all the difference." The narrator sees his choice as significant whether or not the choice actually made a difference. In the poem, the roads and the wood are prominently featured, and these images are crucial to the poem's success.

The roads can symbolize a direction or path in life. Pursuing a career as a doctor could be seen as a "road." Studying literature could also be seen as a "road." In this poem, the narrator decides to take a road that has not been trodden by as many people. Some paths, like being a doctor or a lawyer, could be seen as well-trodden paths. Whereas others, like those in the creative fields, are harder to decipher. These would be less-trodden paths. 

The woods can symbolize many things, but they may best symbolize hardship. In this poem, the well-trodden path is often seen as less wooded, meaning it is an easier path to take. The less-trodden path is viewed as more difficult to travel. For instance, one could say a creative "road" is harder because there are more opportunities to fail. 

How does Mordred divert from the code of chivalry?

The chivalric code dates from the Dark Ages of Britain, and was recorded in writing in the eighth century AD. Because this code was in use during the time of the Emperor Charlemagne, it is known as Charlemagne's Code of Chivalry. The medieval document known as the "Song of Roland" mentions the seventeen rules by which a knight was expected to live his life. Of these seventeen items, twelve rules apply to chivalry as opposed to combat, which demonstrates the importance of this code of behavior and ethics. The four specific concepts of chivalry emphasized by the Order of the Knights of the Round Table in the legend of King Arthur were Honor, Honesty, Valor and Loyalty. The seventeen rules described in the "Song of Roland" can be applied to the events in Le Morte D'Arthur. Mordred is generally disloyal and dishonorable because of his disrespectful behavior towards King Arthur.

Mordred, the son of Arthur, is conceived in an act of deception when the witch Morgause, his half sister, seduces him by tricking him into thinking that she is his wife Guinevere. Mordred, like Arthur, is brought up in secret and told that he has a rightful place in the kingdom. But his sense of entitlement (encouraged by his mother, who despises Arthur) is misplaced. In his arrogance he fails to "refrain from the wanton giving of offense," one of the seventeen rules of chivalry. He also shows greed in wanting to rule the kingdom and its wealth, therefore violating the rule of chivalry that states a knight must "despise pecuniary reward."

The main rule of chivalry violated by Mordred is his failure to "serve the liege lord in valor and faith" (liege is another word for king). He also fails to "obey those placed in authority." Mordred believes he has a right to the crown, but because he is of illegitimate birth, Arthur cannot grant him the right to the throne (even though Arthur has no other children). Mordred refuses this ruling and is determined to take Camelot by force, deliberately disobeying his king and betraying the code of honor.

In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, how does Scout's determination change from the beginning of the book to the end of the book?

"Determination" is when someone comes to a decision or becomes set on solving problems in a specific way. Thus, the way Scout solves problems is her determination. At the beginning of the book, Scout is rambunctious. She is quick to start fights with anyone who challenges her. Atticus, although a gentleman, is deliberate when he deals with and teaches Scout about how to change her behavior. He does not teach by violence, for example. He calmly speaks to her and tries to convey his message in reasonable tones. One such incident includes Atticus allowing Scout to listen to him speak about her with Uncle Jack after she got in a fight with her cousin Francis.

"She's coming along, though. Jem's getting older and she follows his example a good bit now. All she needs is assistance sometimes. . . So far I've been able to get by with threats. . . She knows I know she tries. That's what makes the difference. What bothers me is that she and Jem will have to absorb some ugly things pretty soon. I'm not worried about Jem keeping his head, but Scout'd just as soon jump on someone as look at him if her pride's at stake" (88).

Clearly, Atticus knows his daughter very well. He knows that even though she has a few knee-jerk reactions, she is trying to improve. By the end of the book, Scout has learned to be more guarded with her reactions to people who challenge her pride. Scout learns to look at other people from their perspective and she discovers that people aren't always what they seem to be. She grows a woman's heart because she wants to invite Walter Cunningham over for dinner again; she becomes friends with Cecil Jacobs again; and, she learns to mind her manners in public rather than verbally exploding in public.

One of the best demonstrations of Scout practicing her manners in public is when she puts on a dress and attends a tea party with Aunt Alexandra and Miss Maudie at her house. The guests get to gossiping and saying racist things, but Scout keeps her cool. 

"Aunt Alexandra looked across the room at me and smiled. She looked at a tray of cookies on the table and nodded at them. I carefully picked up the tray and watched myself walk to Mrs. Merriweather. With my best company manners, I asked her if she would have some.

After all, if Aunty could be a lady at a time like this, so could I" (237).

By the end of the book Scout has put off most of her tomboy ways and learned manners, how to control her temper, and how to handle some very adult situations. Her determination for solve problems peacefully and without fighting greatly improves.

Explain the relationship between the reactivity of an element and the likelihood of it existing as an uncombined element.

Reactivity is a measure of the reaction potential of an element. In other words, reactivity of an element tells us the likelihood of an element reacting with another element. For example, an element that has a high reactivity with oxygen, is likely to react with it, on exposure to oxygen or air. 

An element, that has a high reactivity, is more likely to exist in the combined form than uncombined form. For example, if an element has a high reactivity with oxygen, it is more likely to exist as oxide than as pure element, in nature. Nonreactive elements (such as noble gases), on the other hand, are more likely to occur in the pure form, since they are unable to combine with other elements. 

Thus, reactivity of an element is a deterrence to its existence in uncombined or pure form, in the nature.

Hope this helps.