In "Araby", what is the significance of the uncle quoting "The Arab's Farewell to His Steed"?

"Araby" is very much a story about disappointed hopes, letting go of childish fantasy, and learning that the world does not bend or change for one person's dreams.

In his attempt to get to Araby, the young boy meets with many delays that frustrate him in his desire to purchase something special for Mangan's sister, the girl with whom he believes himself to be in love.  The first of these delays is the lateness of his uncle on whom he must wait to give him the money to go.  When his uncle finally arrives, he sits down to his dinner (another delay!) and the narrator must wait for several minutes before asking him for the money.  Even then, his uncle jokes that many people are already in bed.  He asks, again, where the narrator wants to go (more delays), and then asks if the boy knows the poem "The Arab's Farewell to his Steed."  

The connection of the story to the poem seems to lie in the frustrated hopes of the young narrators.  In the poem, an Arab boy is compelled to part with his beloved horse when the horse is sold.  It's quite a romantic poem, with lots of beautiful descriptions of the boy's fervent love for his wonderful horse, how he aches not to have to give the horse up and dreams of riding away from the new owner to be able to keep his horse forever.  Yet, in the end, the boy must give him up.  Likewise, in "Araby," the young narrator lives on his dreams and is only beginning to acknowledge the reality of a life that moves on without regard to his love, a life where "sordid" things like money are considered to be of much greater value and importance than fantasies and feelings.  The uncle, perhaps, has a sense that the narrator is at such a point in his life and has yet to realize the nature of the world.  And although the boy leaves before he can hear the poem and make that connection, he learns that harsh lesson in the end.

Where does Odysseus lose all of his men?

Odysseus lost six men from the crew of each ship to the Ciconians at Ismarus; they were attacked at night by the survivors of the town they'd sacked.  He then lost six men total when they were eaten for meals, two at a time, by the Cyclops, Polyphemus.  Odysseus then lost all ships except for the one in which he was traveling when they landed at Laestrygonia, the home of the cannibal giants.  Next, he lost one man -- Elpenor -- at the home of Circe.  Elpenor drank too much and fell asleep on the roof, and then he accidentally fell off and died.  Then, Odysseus had to choose between going nearer Charybdis, a whirlpool that could suck down and drown his entire crew, or Scylla, a six-headed monster who could only kill six of his men at once.  He eventually chose to take Circe's advice and steer closer to Scylla, and so he lost six more men there when she came out of her cave and took them.  Finally, after his ship's crew ate the sacred cattle of the sun god, Helios, the remainder of Odysseus's men were slain by Zeus.  Only he survived to go on.

In chapter 13 of To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus says to Jem and Scout "Don't you worry about anything." He said "Its not a time to worry." What...

Aunt Alexandra has come to visit. The children’s mother is dead, so she has come to give them some “feminine influence”.  She also was concerned that the children know the importance of their heritage.

"…Aunt Alexandra’s appearance on the scene was not so much Atticus’s doing as hers.  Aunty had a way of declaring What Is Best For The Family, and I suppose her coming to live with us was in that category.” (pg 129)

Aunt Alexandra was obsessed with heredity.  She felt that the longer a person lived on a certain piece of land, the finer the family.  Scout says,

"Aunt Alexandra fitted into the world of Maycomb like a hand into a glove, but never into the world of Jem and me.” (pg 131-132)

When Aunt Alexandra would be entertaining the ladies of Maycomb, she would call Scout in to say hello.  She asked Scout to say hello to her cousin, Lily Brooke, and Scout said that she didn’t know Lily Brook was her cousin.  Aunt Alexandra was displeased that Atticus had not taught his children about the Finch family.  She went and returned with a book, Meditations of Joshua St. Clair, stating that their cousin had written that book.  All the children knew was that Cousin Joshua tried to shoot the president of the University.  It cost the family five hundred dollars to “….get him out of that one.” (pg 132)

Because of this conversation, Aunt Alexandra talks to Atticus, and Atticus visits the children in Jem’s room that night. Atticus tells them that Aunt Alexandra,

“……asked me to try and impress upon you and Jean Louise that you are not from run-of-the-mill people, that you are a product of several generations’ gentle breeding……She asked me to tell you you must try to behave like the little lady and gentleman that you are.  She wants to talk to you about the family and what it’s meant to Maycomb County through the years, so you’ll have some idea of who you are, so you might be moved to behave accordingly. (pg 133)

Jem and Scout are silent.  They don’t know what to say.  Finally Scout asks Atticus if all this behaving is going to change things between them.  She is asking whether he is going to back Aunt Alexandra on this, and what is going to happen to their relationship

That is when Atticus suddenly backs up and replies,

“Don’t you worry about anything……It’s not time to worry.”  (pg 134)

He is basically telling them that they are still children and should enjoy being children.  There will come a time when they should be aware of this, but the time is not now. 

When Scout asks him,

“You really want us to do all that?  I can’t remember everything Finches are supposed to do……” (pg 134) 

Atticus responds,

“I don’t want you to remember anything.  Forget it”(pg 134)

What is the importance of your life to those you love?

On one level, this is a question no one can answer for you. An educator on an internet site has no idea of who you are nor the identities of the people that you love nor of the way they relate to you.

As you start to work on your own answer, using information relevant to your individual situation, a good starting point would be categorizing your relationships.

The first type of loving relationship most people have is to members of their families. Thus you might start by thinking of what makes you important to your parents and grandparents, perhaps as a repository of their dreams and aspirations, perhaps simply as a person they cherish and care for.

You may have siblings who find you important as a companion, mentor, person they can trust, or confidant. This will also be true of your friends. People with whom you have intimate relationships, whether of love or marriage, may find you important for sexual gratification, emotional closeness, companionship, or partnership in raising children or building a family.

If you have children, you will be important to them economically, as a protector and mentor when they are too young to care for themselves, and as a source of security and unconditional love. 

What are some of the character traits of the main characters in the novel The Boy In The Striped Pajamas?

Bruno: Bruno is an adventurous young boy who wants to become an explorer when he gets older. Bruno is naive and doesn't understand much about his current situation or environment. He is curious and asks many questions. He is also polite and respectful towards his parents, the servants, and his new friend Shmuel.

Shmuel: Shmuel is a sad boy who lives on the other side of the fence in Auschwitz. He is sickly and always hungry due to the fact he suffers from malnutrition. He displays happiness when he talks to Bruno and has a forgiving attitude.

Gretel: Known as the "Hopeless Case" throughout the novel, she is very rude and displays contempt towards Bruno. She is also a flirt and is continually trying to gain the attention of Lieutenant Kotler.

Bruno's Mother: She is an understanding individual who displays respect for the servants, unlike her husband. She is less strict when it comes to child-rearing, and is unhappy with her situation. Bruno mentions that she drinks her "medicinal sherries" and is continually taking long naps. She becomes depressed at Auschwitz and is furious when she finds out that her husband's job is to give orders to kill Jews. She has a romance with Lieutenant Kotler and concludes that Auschwitz is no place to raise children.

Bruno's Father: He is a strict man who is proud of his position as Commandant. He is rather rude to his wife and the servants throughout the novel. Bruno's father is a loyal Nazi who is respected by his soldiers. Despite his family's feelings, he chooses to move them to Auschwitz to fulfil Hitler's wishes. He is not afraid of confrontation and is continually arguing with his wife throughout the novel.

Lieutenant Kolter: He is a young, arrogant Nazi soldier who treats Bruno with contempt throughout the novel. He is violent and is continually punishing the Jews who live in Auschwitz. Kotler is also a flirt and carries on an affair with Bruno's mother throughout the novel.

Pavel: He is kind, caring, and sympathetic towards Bruno. Bruno mentions that he always looks sad and angry. He suffers from malnutrition, like most of the Jews in Auschwitz, and is treated terribly by Bruno's family throughout the novel.

What does Shakespeare use to demonstrate that summer weather is unpredictable in Sonnet XVIII?

In Sonnet XVIII Shakespeare uses the concept of sublunary, or earthly, corruption to demonstrate that summer weather is unpredictable.

In his Petrarchan sonnet, Shakespeare invokes the sense of harmony of the classical form and order demanded by this particular sonnet form. But, to expect such order in the universe is not possible because of sublunary corruption: Summer is but one season and then changes; sometimes it is too hot, or "rough winds" may disturb the beauty of nature. At any rate, this lovely season can end in destruction: "And every fair from fair sometime declines."

Since the elements of nature are transitory, verse is then appropriated as the form for the perpetuation of the speaker's love. Indeed, beauty will last forever in verse. In this way, the beloved's "eternal summer" will not wither or fade, and the beloved will remain as fair as she is at the time of the composition of this sonnet. The final couplet summarizes this eternalness:

So long as men can breath, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee. 

To be a successful entrepreneur it requires willingness to what?

There are many facets required to be a successful entrepreneur. You have to have the willingness to fail. While that sounds counterintuitive, you are taking a leap of faith when you become an entrepreneur. If you know that you may fail in your endeavor, you are ready for this line of work.  In the same regard, you have to have a willingness to persevere. Perseverance is the ability to keep working no matter what happens. While being an entrepreneur, you may fail many times. You have to keep working on your ideas and passions until you make it. Many people give up when their first business idea fails. Finally, you need to have the willingness to give all that you can give to your business and work. Entrepreneurs have to work extra hard to become successful. They are doing work that many people don't usually do; they are starting a business.