What does Queenie symbolize in "A Christmas Memory"?

In “A Christmas Memory” by Truman Capote, the rat terrier named Queenie symbolizes a number of ideas.

The story is set in the poverty-stricken South, where Buddy and his cousin live in a house with extended family. This was a common practice at the time. Queenie functions as a third friend to Buddy and his cousin. The dog has a royal name but does not live a royal life. Queenie rides around in a dilapidated baby buggy instead of a fancy carriage and begs for table scraps. The dog can be found lounging in front of the fire in a royal fashion while Buddy and his cousin work on their fruitcakes.

Queenie has also sometimes been interpreted as a symbol of Truman Capote's connection to the people of different sexual orientations. Capote uses subtle symbolism with his use of the dog's name and the "fruitcakes" (see this argument). There was a lack of acceptance for gay people in the 1940s and 1950s; some think Capote subtly addresses this in his short story.

A junior member of staff has just returned to work after taking a special leave to care for her elderly mother. For financial reasons she needs to...

Compassion and empathy should be inherent in managers.  As such, they ought to modify working arrangements when applicable to meet the needs of the organization and employees. In the difficult situation described here, there are a few areas the manager can review to see what options are available. Organizations differ on the regulations regarding the following suggestions, but it should be assumed the manager has the authority to authorize such accommodations.

First, the employee and manager need to discuss the vital roles of the job which require the employee to be at the business location. The manager may have suggestions for adjusting meeting times or other blocks of responsibility to narrow down a window for the employee. As an example, after discussion it is deemed the employee must be present from 10 AM to 2 PM every day but can work at different, more flexible times the rest of the day.

Responsibilities that can be accomplished off-site should be reviewed as well. E-mails, documentation, research, and other tasks may be handled at any number of locations and may not require physical presence in the office. Reviewing hardware and software requirements for these tasks will help determine if the employee can telework, meaning they work from home part of the day.

With a work schedule created to accommodate the employee, the manager must set guidelines to evaluate the accommodations. A review might be conducted one month, three months, and then six months after the arrangements begin to ensure work products are not suffering and the arrangement can be handled by both parties. The managers must take care to demonstrate to the employee the flexibility is a show of good faith on the company's part, but if the arrangement no longer is effective then the employee may be expected to return to normal duty hours or face termination.

The remainder of the office needs to be alerted to the change, and this notification should come from the manager. The announcement should include the new schedule and note the arrangement was made with the full support of the management team. Any problems that arise should be brought to the manager's attention to be addressed. This lets other employees know management supports the new arrangement, but will also be receptive to concerns about the matter should they arise.

The last part is to address the male co-worker in private. He does not need a formal reprimand, but should be given a friendly reminder that comments such as the ones you noted could place him and the company in the position to defend a hostile work environment complaint from any number of female employees.

What are some examples where Calpurnia teaches or exercises the Golden Rule throughout the novel To Kill a Mockingbird?

There are several scenes throughout the novel where Calpurnia teaches and exercises the Golden Rule, which is "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

In Chapter 3, Jem invites Walter Cunningham Jr. over for dinner. When Walter pours syrup all over his plate, Scout asks him what the "sam hill" he is doing. Scout embarrasses and criticizes Walter for his unmannerly eating habits. Calpurnia immediately requests Scout's presence in the kitchen and chastises Scout for her behavior. Cal says, "There’s some folks who don’t eat like us...but you ain’t called on to contradict ’em at the table when they don’t" (Lee 17). Cal also says,

"Don’t matter who they are, anybody sets foot in this house’s yo’ comp’ny, and don’t you let me catch you remarkin’ on their ways like you was so high and mighty! Yo’ folks might be better’n the Cunninghams but it don’t count for nothin’ the way you’re disgracin’ ’em" (Lee 17).

Calpurnia is essentially referencing the Golden Rule by telling Scout to treat Walter Cunningham respectfully which is the way Scout would like to be treated. Also, in Chapter 12, Calpurnia takes the children to First Purchase African M.E. for Sunday service. The children notice that Cal speaks differently around her community members than she does around the home. When Scout asks Cal why she talks incorrectly, Cal says,

“It’s not necessary to tell all you know. It’s not ladylike—in the second place, folks don’t like to have somebody around knowin’ more than they do. It aggravates ’em" (Lee 78).

Again, Calpurnia references the Golden Rule by taking into consideration the thoughts and feelings of her community members.

What does 'scape a brawl' mean in Act 3?

It means "escape a brawl," or in other words, "avoid getting into a physical fight."

A brawl is a noisy, chaotic fight, the kind that we expect the Capulets and the Montagues to get into. It won't be just one-on-one--it'll involve lots of Capulets against lots of Montagues, and that's going to get messy and painful, possibly causing injuries or deaths, and it might get them in trouble with the law, too.

This phrase appears in the very beginning of Act 3, Scene 1, as Benvolio and Mercutio are hanging out together outdoors. Here's what Benvolio says:

I pray thee, good Mercutio, let's retire.

The day is hot; the Capulets, abroad;

And if we meet we shall not 'scape a brawl,

For now, these hot days, is the mad blood stirring.

What he means is, "Okay, seriously, Mercutio, let's get out of here. It's so hot, and our enemies the Capulets are hanging around nearby, and if we run into them, there's no way we can avoid getting into a fight with them. It's because it's so hot outside that it makes people get irritated easily and want to start fights with each other."

Benvolio's words here are foreshadowing the terrible way this scene will end. As you can see, he often tries to be a peacemaker, or at least keep his friends out of trouble. But after he says this to Mercutio, the two of them just playfully bicker for a while, not heading inside, and then the Capulets do show up. Romeo does, too, and a brawl does break out--and Mercutio dies.

What are some quotes from Buried Onions that prove these five injustices Eddie experienced throughout the novel: crime, violence, racism, poverty,...

Eddie is the protagonist of Gary Soto's novel Buried Onions. Eddie is the victim of the realities of his lower class existence in the Mexican-American barrio of Fresno. He is the victim of crime in chapter two (see pages 29-30) when Mr. Stiles's truck is stolen from the front of his apartment. Eddie had been using the truck to go to the dump for Mr. Stiles. He had only stopped at his apartment for a minute to get a drink and change shirts.

Eddie is the victim of violence in his encounter with Samuel and Angel (see chapter eight, pages 131-133). He is convinced that Angel is after him, because he would not help him go after Jesús's murderer, and he knows that Angel has a gun. Eddie is also plagued by the young cholo Samuel and fights the two of them in chapter eight. While Soto never overtly refers to racism in the novel, it is implicit throughout, most notably in the reaction of Mr. Stiles. After Eddie discovers the truck while he and José are having breakfast, he phones Mr. Stiles, apologizing and telling him the whereabouts of the truck. For his efforts, Eddie is turned in by Mr. Stiles and arrested because it was alleged a Mexican-American boy of Eddie's age had assaulted an old man at a laundromat and the truck was involved (chapter six, page 104).

Eddie is definitely the victim of poverty. There are examples throughout the novel. In chapter one, he is willing to do virtually anything for a dollar when he meets an old man who needs a piece of insulation moved (pages 16-17). Lack of opportunity surrounds Eddie. Some of his friends are dead. Some, like Angel and Lupe, are gangbangers involved in petty theft and violence. Only José has slipped out of the cycle of poverty by joining the Marines. So too, Eddie joins the military in order to pursue whatever opportunity he can find in the armed forces after failing or being denied in his pursuit of an honest living on the streets of Fresno (chapter nine, page 142).

What comments by the narrator take the reader into the mind of Miss Brill? What insights into her character are given by the various questions and...

From her thoughts, we can tell that Miss Brill lives inside her own head and doesn’t really engage with the world. 

One of the first hints that Miss Brill does not like to interact with others, but rather considers herself a people-watcher, is her reaction when people sit next to her. The couple sits down, but isn’t talking.  

Only two people shared her "special" seat … They did not speak. This was disappointing, for Miss Brill always looked forward to the conversation. She had become really quite expert, she thought, at listening as though she didn't listen, at sitting in other people's lives just for a minute while they talked round her.

Miss Brill doesn’t engage with anyone.  She does not strike up a conversation with the people on the bench.  She wants them to talk.  Everyone and everything exists for her entertainment.  She sees things around her as if they were theater, not real life. 

Oh, how fascinating it was! How she enjoyed it! How she loved sitting here, watching it all! It was like a play. It was exactly like a play. … They were all on stage. They weren't only the audience, not only looking on; they were acting. Even she had a part and came every Sunday. 

Miss Brill considers just her place on the bench making her a part of everyone else’s lives.  She does not understand that people find just sitting there every week and watching everyone peculiar.  When she hears derogatory comments about herself, she doesn’t react.  She feels like it is someone else who is crying.

Miss Brill's reaction to the insights and the fact that "she thought she heard something crying" demonstrates how detached she is from her own experiences.  She takes small enjoyment in the vicarious experiences of others, and pretends she is happy, when she is really just a lonely and reclusive introvert.

In the novel Lord of the Flies, what strategies does Jack use to make his group of boys stronger?

Jack uses several effective strategies to increase his tribe's comradery, efficiency, and loyalty. First, Jack encourages his hunters to paint their faces to mask their identity. These masks essentially remove their consciences and allow them to participate freely in savage acts without feeling ashamed. He then creates rituals such as ceremonial dances and chants. These routines draw the boys closer together which increases their comradery. They practice hunting and go on numerous expeditions which make them efficient killers. Jack fearlessly leads his group of boys on hunts and continually challenges Ralph in front of his savages which elevates his standing among the boys. Jack then perpetuates the existence of a beast with seemingly mythological powers by claiming that the beast can switch forms. He uses the boys' fear to manipulate them into following his commands and severely punishes individuals to intimidate the group of boys. Jack also creates common enemies in Ralph and the beast. His tribe focuses on destroying both of these targets which allows Jack to direct their attention elsewhere so he can maintain his role as chief without worrying. Jack successfully gains favor among the boys and is revered as their fearless chief by the end of the novel.

What was JFK's greatest success?

While there are many possible answers to this question since it is an opinion question, I would suggest that the handling of the Cuban Missile Crisis was President Kennedy’s greatest success. The Cuban Missile Crisis had the potential to lead to nuclear war.

When the Soviet Union began to build missile sites in Cuba and to place missiles with offensive capabilities in Cuba, President Kennedy had to respond. The security of the United States and the Americas was potentially at stake. President Kennedy was able to buy time by establishing the naval blockade around Cuba. The Soviet ships would take about ten days to reach Cuba. This gave us time to negotiate.

There were people who felt we should have gone to war over this issue. President Kennedy, wisely, chose a different path. Through negotiations, this crisis came to end peacefully with both the United States and the Soviet Union realizing they needed to prevent a situation like from happening again. Both countries realized we were too close to a possible nuclear confrontation. After the crisis ended, we signed an agreement with the Soviet Union banning the aboveground testing of nuclear weapons.

I would suggest that resolving the Cuban Missile Crisis peacefully was President Kennedy’s greatest success.

Which two characters in To Kill a Mockingbird are compared to a mockingbird? Why is the mockingbird an appropriate symbol for these two characters?...

In the final section of To Kill a Mockingbird, both Tom Robinson and Boo Radley are compared to a mockingbird in the sense that they are both people who are unfairly targeted because of qualities they cannot change. At the beginning of the book, Miss Maudie says, "mockingbirds don't do a thing but make music for us to enjoy." This speaks to the idea that there are certain people who are senselessly hurt or killed because they are easy targets. These people love to help and bring joy to others, but are often killed for no reason. 

Tom wants nothing more than to live his life freely and pursue his happiness, just like any white man in the south is able to do. He is a kind man who did nothing but help others and work hard for others his entire life. Mr. Underwood compares Tom's death to the killing of a mockingbird and describes it as a "senseless slaughter." Tom was killed for the sake of killing; it was an acceptable act to mistreat and murder black folks in the south, just as it was acceptable to kill mockingbirds for pleasure. 

In Boo Radley's case, his handicap led him to be hidden from society and sheltered by his family. The townspeople gossip, and children make fun of him and play tricks on him. Still, he went out of his way to bring happiness to the children, doing small acts of kindness that gave them hope. Boo even saved Jem's life when Bob Ewell tried to attack him. In many ways, Boo is unaware of the evils of the world, much like the sweet songbird for which the book is named. 

Both of these characters are kind, but they are also somewhat child-like. They believe if you show others love and kindness and don't harbor any ill-will toward a fellow human being, that kindness will be returned. They feel wronged when it isn't.

Boo, however, doesn't even realize the extent to which he is ostracized. He is not as wise to the ways of the world as others might be. He does have many adults in the town who he sees as friends, much like Tom has. Unlike Boo, though, Tom knows enough to feel that although he is innocent, his skin color makes it so there is no chance he will win his case. Tom knows that being accused of a crime against a white woman is as good as signing a death warrant if you're a black man in the south. 

In the poem "Don't Quit," what do these lines mean? "Life is queer with its twists and turns, As every one of us sometimes learns."

“Don’t Quit,” by Edgar A. Guest, is a motivational poem. Its four stanzas encourage the reader to keep on going and to make progress toward a goal, even if a situation seems impossible or insurmountable. The motivating narrator implies that everyone has experienced such times, and many have come through them successfully. It’s a good poem to read when you’re feeling down, depressed, or overwhelmed by some problem. You are not alone in feeling this way. For many centuries, others have been in these situations and have survived.

The second stanza begins: “Life is queer with its twists and turns, / As everyone of us sometimes learns …” The key words here are “queer” and “sometimes.” Since Edgar Guest lived at the turn of the last century, he uses the word “queer” to mean “odd” or “strange.” Life doesn’t proceed as if it were a flat, straight road. It has twists and turns in it. (Guest is quietly using the road image as a metaphor for life, without using the word “road.”) Then comes that follow-up line, “As everyone of us sometimes learns.” Does every person learn that life can be complicated, all the time, in every instance? No. According to Guest, “everyone of us sometimes learns.” In other words: sometimes we learn that life has challenges, and sometimes we don’t remember this fact. The implication is that the successful folks are the ones who learn from past events and mistakes and who proceed anyway, knowing that success surely must lie ahead.

How does the theme of man vs. society affect Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Minister's Black Veil" and "Rappaccini's Daughter"?

The idea that the individual is always at odds with society is conveyed by "The Minister's Black Veil" when Mr. Hooper begins to wear the black veil and is immediately and permanently feared, shunned, and misunderstood by his community. Mr. Hooper has only realized something true about humanity—each of us harbors secret sins that we want to hide from everyone else, ourselves, and even God—and wearing the veil is his attempt to take responsibility for and acknowledge this truth. His attempt to be virtuous and honest only results in his congregation's distrust and suspicion and fear. They avoid him, discontinue standing dinner invitations, and even send a group of church officials to ask him about the veil's meaning rather than ask themselves (though they already seem to have a vague notion of its symbolism); to these men, "that piece of crape [...] seemed to hang down before his heart, the symbol of a fearful secret between him and them." The irony is that the veil actually symbolizes the way in which all human beings are similar, but the disconnect between the individual and society is such that society cannot see this.

In "Rappaccini's Daughter," the conflict between Beatrice and society is similar. Despite her sweetness, honesty, and love of all creatures, Beatrice finds herself at odds with society through no fault of her own. Her father raised her to be poisonous to her fellow men, though she would clearly prefer contact and connection. She's fascinated by any living thing, even insects, as she seems to mourn them when they die by crossing herself and bending over them. She is mortified in the end when Giovanni accuses her of taking part in her father's plot to separate him from society by rendering him as poisonous as she. Even though she is gentle, loving, and good, she is still accused of sinfulness and deceit. She is a woman apart, and there is simply no way to bridge the chasm between herself and others. The one attempt to do so results in her death.

Why does Myers include the flashback to when Steve was twelve years old towards the beginning of the novel?

The flashback which takes place early in the novel shows twelve-year-old Steve Harmon walking with his friend Tony in a neighborhood park. Tony picks up a stone and throws it off of a lamppost. Steve then throws a rock which accidently hits a woman after the rock sails past the lamppost. A tough man who was walking next to her turns around, looks at the two boys, and asks who threw the rock. Steve yells, "Tony! Run!" (Myers 47). The guy then punches Tony as Steve backs away. After the woman pulls the man away, Tony says to Steve, "I didn't throw that rock. You threw it" (Myers 47). Steve responds by saying, "I didn't say you threw it. I just said "Run." You should've run" (Myers 47). Steve's flashback gives the audience insight into Steve's personality. Steve was okay letting Tony take the blame and punishment for something he did. Steve also justifies not taking responsibility by saying that he told Tony to run. Steve has a tendency to make bad choices and tries to justify his wrong actions instead of taking responsibility for them. Steve does the same thing in his attempt to distance himself from his participation in the plot to rob the drugstore during the trial.

Chapter-2.pmd The year is 1916. You are a general in the Tsarís army on the eastern front. You are writing a report for the government in...

First, generals were not invited to criticize the Imperial Russian government--in many cases, these positions were not granted based on merit but rather on who one knew inside the imperial court.  Also, the seat of the imperial Russian government was St. Petersburg--Moscow would not become popular with Russian leadership until after the Revolution.  

The Russian Army had a lot of problems on the Eastern Front, but the most glaring problem was that of logistics.  The average Russian soldier went into battle poorly equipped and poorly trained.  While the Western Front was a war of attrition, the Eastern Front became a war of movement as Russia lost land to both the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Germany.  If I was a general who had the capacity to criticize the government and cause change, I would ask for better rail lines--much of Russia's supply problems were caused by not using uniform rail gauges--this simple change would have given the troops more food and these better conditions would have improved non-combatant casualties and improved desertion rates.  I would also encourage better cooperation among generals, as key battles early in the war such as Tannenburg were lost due to generals working in competition instead of cooperation with each other.  

A brief character sketch of Miss Helen Keller.

Helen Keller became deaf and blind as a toddler due to an illness.  When she was a child in the late 1800s, there were very few opportunities for anyone who was deaf and blind.  Despite this, Helen's parents were determined that their daughter should receive an education.  They contacted many people until they found help through a teacher.  Miss Annie Sullivan came to be Helen's teacher when the girl was almost seven.  Miss Sullivan worked very hard, and eventually she taught Helen to communicate using the manual alphabet.  Helen called this new knowledge her "soul's sudden awakening."

Helen was able to use the manual alphabet to fully communicate for the first time in her life.  She used her new knowledge of communication to get an education.  Helen eventually went to school and then college.  She enjoyed writing, which led her to write her autobiography.  Helen also loved traveling.  She enjoyed visiting a variety of places, such as Niagara Falls, New York City, the Hudson River Valley, and Nova Scotia.  Helen had many different friends, who she loved to visit and spend time with.  Helen described the impact that her friends had on her life:

In a thousand ways they have turned my limitations into beautiful privileges, and enabled me to walk serene and happy in the shadow cast by my deprivation.

What is the overall summary of The Odyssey?

Like all good epics, The Odyssey begins in media res, or "in the middle." The narrative of the poem begins in Ithaca, where Odysseus' son and wife, Telemachus and Penelope, respectively, are besieged by coarse suitors vying for Penelope's hand in marriage. Urged on by the goddess Athena, Telemachus sets off to look for his father Odysseus (who fought in the Trojan War), while Penelope keeps the suitors at bay. Meanwhile, Odysseus is stranded on Calypso's island, but he yearns to return home to Ithaca. He soon gets his wish and is able to escape, although he's shipwrecked on the Phaeacians' island. There, he recounts his previous adventures.

During Odysseus' extensive narrative, we learn of the extent of his travels, which include his encounters with Polyphemus (a hideous Cyclops), the sorceress Circe (who turned half of Odysseus' men in animals), and the frightful Scylla and Charybdis, along with a trip to the world of the dead. Following his story, we return to the present, where the Phaeacians approve of Odysseus' tale and take him back to Ithaca at last. Back on his home turf, Odysseus teams up with Telemachus (who has conveniently also returned to the island), and drives the suitors from his palace.

Any summary of The Odyssey, however, is doomed to fall far short of the actual poem. The classic piece is truly epic, as it spans many years and chronicles a quintessential human desire: the quest to find/return home. As such, while you may be able to understand the rough outline of the story with the summary, you haven't truly experienced the majesty of The Odyssey until you've read it cover to cover.  

What kind of child was Helen Keller before her illness in The Story of My Life?

Before her illness Helen Keller was a precocious and active toddler. 

From a young age, Helen Keller showed signs of intelligence and spunk.  She says that as the firstborn, “I came, I saw, I conquered.”  Even as a very young baby, she was intelligent and dominating. 

I am told that while I was still in long dresses I showed many signs of an eager, self-asserting disposition. Everything that I saw other people do I insisted upon imitating. At six months I could pipe out "How d'ye," and one day I attracted every one's attention by saying "Tea, tea, tea" quite plainly. (Ch. 1) 

Little Helen was obviously very smart.  The fact that she was able to learn language so young turned out to be both helpful and harmful.  She knew some words, but she also maintained the babyish ones like “wah-wah” until she had Anne Sullivan to teach her the correct ones.  

She walked at a year old.  Helen’s illness would hit before she was two. 

Then, in the dreary month of February, came the illness which closed my eyes and ears and plunged me into the unconsciousness of a new-born baby. They called it acute congestion of the stomach and brain. The doctor thought I could not live. (Ch. 1) 

Helen did live, and the fever left one day as quickly as it had come.  However, she was left without the ability to see or hear.  Little Helen gradually got used to “silence and darkness.”  Doctors did not know if she would ever be able to see or hear again.  She never did. 

Since the family could not communicate with Helen, they had to find her a teacher.  Anne Sullivan came and replaced Helen’s baby sounds with real words when Helen was six years old.  Helen was intelligent enough to learn several words in one day, starting with “water.”  Anne Sullivan spelled words into her hand since she could not see the words or hear them.

Use context clues to determine the meaning of the word tradition as it is used in paragraph 5 of “The Lottery.” Write your definition of...

In the fifth paragraph of Jackson's "The Lottery," the word "tradition" appears as follows: "no one liked to upset even as much tradition as was represented by the black box." In the story, the black box holds the slips of paper representing each member of the village, with one slip bearing the infamous black spot that signifies the stoning of that person. The black box is old and splintered, but it is the original box that was used when the villagers first began the practice of the lottery. Because the villagers are quite tied to their traditional practices, they do not want to replace the box with a newer one. The villagers do not want to "upset" any aspect of their ongoing practice, and for them, the black box is one of the iconic elements of this practice. "Tradition" in the context of the story refers to the act of blindly following a long-held practice, even if—like the black box—time prompts a revision of the practice.

What character traits in Fortunato make him fall prey to Montresor?

It is mostly Fortunato's pride and arrogance that renders him vulnerable to Montresor's plans.  Montresor knows that Fortunato will not be able to resist the implication that Luchesi is as good a connoisseur of wine as Fortunato, and that Fortunato will insist on accompanying Montresor to his vaults to see the wine Montresor claims to have purchased.  Further, Montresor knows that Fortunato will not be able to resist the opportunity to tell Montresor that he made a mistake and paid far too much for wine that couldn't possible be the rare Amontillado.  Moreover, Montresor knows that, despite his repeated warnings to Fortunato that the vaults are too damp, especially given that Fortunato has a cold, Fortunato will proudly insist that he is fine, that the damp is nothing.  In this way, then, Montresor knows that he can manipulate Fortunato's pride to be Fortunato's downfall.

Why does Jerry continue to try to swim through the tunnel and not swim back?

Once Jerry is far into the tunnel, there really is no choice but to continue pressing forward. The tunnel is fairly narrow, so there is not enough space to move his arms in the wider way he would need to in order to move backward. Moreover, the tunnel is dark and he cannot see for most of the early part of his swim, so he would not be able to tell where he was going, especially moving backward (and against intuition). Swimming backward would take so much longer that he would waste precious air. Further, completing this task is a major point of pride for Jerry. He doesn't want to back out and give up—he wants to make it all the way through to prove something to himself: that he is as capable, independent, and brave as the older boys who did it before him.

In the poem "The Soldier," what are the connotations of the phrase "suns of home"?

The "suns of home" can possibly be taken as a homophone for "sons." The soldier who is narrating is fighting in the war (1914-18) alongside other Englishmen, all sons of home, all radiating the hope of going home, of returning victorious at the end of the conflict. To the soldier, it is a blessing, an honor to be in their company—hence the notion that he is "blest by suns of home."

On the other hand, if we look at the definitions of "sun" in the Oxford dictionary, there are two in particular that become relevant and might be a better fit as to connotations. The first is to consider the sun as "a person or thing regarded as a source of glory or inspiration or understanding." The second says the word is "used with reference to someone's success and prosperity." In both cases, we can either apply the notion of the "sons of home" or keep the flow with the previously established theme of England's grandeur.

In the case of the 'sons,' they are proving true and loyal, honorable in every sense—they are glorious, they are an inspiration, and they provide a greater understanding as to the love of one's own country and patriotism. They hopefully will return successful and aid in the prosperity of the soldier's beloved England.

In the case of England's motherly figure and description of magnificence, we can see that she is glorious, that she provides the soldier with the inspiration and understanding to fight. Furthermore, the soldier's sacrifice—as he clearly believes death is imminent (and actually, the author himself, Rupert Brooke, was a soldier in the war and payed the ultimate price) is contributing to England's success. England remains a motherly figure and thus she prospers. She is all that is good and beautiful, all that is abundant and worthy.

In J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, what does Holden notice when he arrives at the theater?

In the beginning of Chapter 17, Holden is waiting at the Biltmore for his date, Sally Hayes, to show up. While waiting in the lobby, Holden notices all of the women who are there; and of course, he has to catalog and criticize them. Most of them are girls his age who have just been released from school for the holidays. Holden mostly notices the women's legs, though. He notices if they are nice or not; if they are crossed or not; and if the women themselves would be "swell" or not. Then his thoughts take him to where these women might be in a few years. This prompts Holden to think of the types of "dopey" men they will marry, which disappoints him.

Once Sally Hayes comes, Holden notices her dress, her hair, and how wonderful she looks. They get into a cab and make-out on the way to the theater. Because Holden is making out with Sally, he doesn't really notice the theater when he arrives. His narration goes from the cab directly to Holden discussing how "crappy" the show is. It isn't until the intermission, when they go into the theater's lobby for a break, that Holden notices people smoking and acting "phony."

"At the end of the first act we went out with all the other jerks for a cigarette. What a deal that was. You never saw so many phonies in all your life, everybody smoking their ears off and talking about the play so that everybody could hear and know how sharp they were" (126).

It is out in the lobby that Sally meets a friend named George, who comes over and talks to her. Holden doesn't appreciate listening to their "phony" conversation, either. 

In conclusion, there isn't something specific that Holden notices right when he arrives at the theater because the narration goes from what is happening in the cab straight to his opinion about the show. However, Holden does notice women's legs at the Biltmore while waiting for Sally before going to the theater. Then, while at the theater, Holden notices people's phony conversations with each other, which disgust him. 

What is the figure of speech in the following sentence? "I am amazed, because it does fly just like a little bird, flitting up and down and...

This sentence from Chapter 3 of the novel contains a simile: a comparison between two things. The narrator, Max, compares Kevin's toy to a bird. By describing how the ornithopter (mechanical bird toy) truly seems to move like a real bird, "flying" and "flitting" around, Max is able to express the beautiful, natural movement of the toy.

We can definitely tell that we're look at at a simile because:

• it compares one visible thing to a second imaginary thing


• and it contains the word "like."

Similes can contain the word "as" instead of "like." That is, Max could have said instead, "The toy does fly as a bird does" or "The toy flies as high as a bird." Both "as" and "like" get the job done: they let us compare one thing to another thing.

Similes like these are a valuable tool for describing objects, images, and emotions. They help us visualize what's happening in a story. Here, the simile comparing the toy bird to the real bird helps us imagine what Kevin's toy bird looks like, so we feel like we're really there with Max and Kevin in the backyard, watching their friendship begin.

In Chapter 9 of Animal Farm, what are the living conditions like for all the animals except the pigs and dogs?

Conditions are not good for any animals other than the pigs.

The pigs are not as good at managing the farm as they claim to be. Food is short. The pigs have reneged on the promises of Animalism one by one. Older animals are not able to retire. Pigs and dogs get special privileges while other animals have food rationed.

Meanwhile life was hard. The winter was as cold as the last one had been, and food was even shorter. Once again all rations were reduced, except those of the pigs and the dogs. A too rigid equality in rations, Squealer explained, would have been contrary to the principles of Animalism (Chapter 9). 

The pigs once again use Animalism to excuse their actions.  They have always explained that they are the brain trust, and since they are superior they deserve special privileges.  This is why they are the ones living in the house, eating milk and apples, sleeping in beds, and drinking alcohol.    

The pigs tell the animals they have better living conditions than they did with Jones, but the animals do not really remember if that is true. All they know is that life is “harsh and bare” and that they seem to be always hungry and always working. The truth is that the pigs are abusive and neglectful. They treat the animals than the humans treated the animals. 

Even though the farm is low on money, there is definitely a hierarchy of where the farm’s resources are going. Napoleon gets what he wants first. The other pigs then get their privileges, followed by the dogs, who the pigs favor because they guard the pigs. The other animals get what little is left. 

There were the bricks, sand, and lime for the schoolroom to be purchased, and it would also be necessary to begin saving up again for the machinery for the windmill. Then there were lamp oil and candles for the house, sugar for Napoleon's own table (he forbade this to the other pigs, on the ground that it made them fat), and all the usual replacements such as tools, nails, string, coal, wire, scrap−iron, and dog biscuits (Chapter 9). 

The other animals starve so the pigs can have luxuries. This is a sign of a tyrannical regime for sure. The pigs do not care about the animals they are supposedly looking out for.

The worst part is that the animals also live in fear. Besides the propaganda of telling them that Jones will come back, the pigs also threaten the other animals with the dogs if they do not follow the pigs' rules. Soon, all of the commandments are replaced with one: All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others. The pigs are on top, and everyone else is beneath them.

Why is public awareness an important condition for democracy to function? Why is democracy often called the best form of government?

The basic idea of democracy is quite simple, but the details get quite complicated. The basic idea is just that the people vote to choose who will be in charge or what policies will be made. It contrasts with other forms of government such as dictatorship, where one person makes most of the decisions, and oligarchy, where a small group of powerful individuals make most of the decisions.

But in order for democracy to really work in practice, people have to have at least a basic idea of what it is they're voting for. If people had no idea who the candidates were or what they would do in office, voting would be meaningless, basically just random. This is why we need at least some minimal level of public awareness for democracy to function; people must know what they want, and which candidates are most likely to give them what they want. One of the most common arguments against democracy is that people, or some specific group of people, lack the necessary awareness to vote wisely, and should therefore be "protected" from their own bad decisions. The idea is not obviously nonsensical, but historically, following this argument has almost always led to oppression and persecution.

Indeed, it should really be no mystery why democracy is widely considered the best form of government. There are two quite fundamental and overwhelming reasons: One theoretical, the other empirical.

The theoretical reason is that if a society is supposed to act in the best interests of its population, the only way to do that is to have some mechanism for determining just what those interests are, and ensuring that the system of government is responsive to them. Voting provides just such a mechanism. While conceivably a dictator or oligarchy could have the best interests of the people at heart, there's nothing to guarantee that this will be so, because the process of selecting leaders and policies in those systems is in no way tied to the public interest. Whereas, in a democracy, the selection mechanism is directly linked to what the people want, or at least what they think they want.

The empirical reason is that democratic countries are just... better, by almost every conceivable measure. They are less likely to fight wars with one another. They have stronger economic growth and more stable economic prosperity. They almost never have famines. They almost never commit genocide. Their education level is higher. Their lifespans are longer. Their crime rates are lower. People are just richer, safer, healthier, and all around happier in democracies.

There are those who think that democracy is overrated, or at least that it's possible to become too democratic; but the empirical evidence really is quite strong that at least within the range of real-world countries (even Switzerland is not totally democratic about everything), more democracy seems to be almost always a good thing.

Compare the conditions that gave rise to decolonization in India and Algeria? What role did the French play in Algeria as compared to the British...

The British were forced to grant India independence in part because of the Quit India movement launched by Gandhi in 1942 and supported by the All-India Congress Committee. Gandhi gave a speech in which he advocated the British withdrawal from India and the use of civil disobedience to achieve Indian independence. The British were alarmed by the advance of Japanese troops to the border of India and Burma, and they jailed Gandhi and other leaders of his party shortly after the speech. However, after World War II ended, the British government was forced to grant Indian independence because of their great debts from the war, and India became independent in 1947.

Algerian independence, on the other hand, involved a great deal more overt violence and long-term bloodshed on both sides. The independence movement was launched in 1954 by the Algerian National Liberation Front (FLN), and it led to the end of the unstable Fourth French Republic and the start of the Fifth Republic under Charles de Gaulle. The FLN called for Muslims to resist French rule, and the French political response, which was to state that Algeria could not leave the French Republic, further radicalized the Algerian people.

Part of the reason the French wanted to keep Algeria as part of the republic was that about one million French people lived there. These French people, who were Christian and Jewish, were referred to as "Pied-Noir," or "black foot," and had taken lands that belonged to Algerians in the 19th century. The Algerians used guerrilla tactics to fight for their independence, unlike the passive resistance that Gandhi used to win Indian independence. They launched the Battle of Algiers in 1956-1957, which involved women and other guerrilla fighters placing bombs in public locations. The French sent hundreds of thousands of troops to put down the insurgency but were unsuccessful in combating guerrillas. By 1960, the United Nations had passed an initiative supporting Algerian indendepence, and de Gaulle opened up negotiations with the Algerians that resulted in their independence in 1962. As a result, most French people in the country left and went back to France.

Which events happen first in Edgar Allan Poe's "The Black Cat"?

Technically speaking, in Poe's story "The Black Cat" the first thing that 'happens' is that the narrator informs us he is going to die tomorrow and wishes to unburden his soul tonight by exposing "a series of household events" that have terrified, tortured, and destroyed him in the time leading to this moment. 

You asked which events happen first, but I am not sure how far into the narrative you would like to consider as "first events". The sequence of events he describes are as follows:

1. The narrator had a normal childhood and was known to be docile and fond of animals.

2. As a young man, he married a woman who also loved animals and brought a lot of pets into their household.

3. The narrator developed a fond relationship with their black cat named Pluto.

4. The narrator began to drink excessively, which resulted in violent tendencies.

5. One day while drunk, the narrator cut out Pluto's eye with a penknife.

6. Pluto thereafter began to avoid the narrator, which caused the narrator to feel perversely annoyed by Pluto.

7. The narrator placed a noose on Pluto's neck and hung him from a tree in the garden.

8. On the night of the hanging, the narrator's house caught fire, and everything was destroyed except for one wall in the middle.

9. The narrator thought he saw the figure of a cat on the remaining wall and then tried to think of a logical reason how the shape could have been put there.

10. After months of obsessing about the incident, the narrator noticed a different black cat at the "den of more than infamy" where he was drinking, and led the cat home with him.

11. The narrator began to hate the cat, while the cat began to like the narrator even more.

12. The narrator thought the cat's white spot suddenly seemed disturbingly shaped like the gallows.

13. The cat followed the narrator and his wife into the cellar one day. The narrator attempted to kill the cat with an axe, but his wife grabbed his arm, so he plunged the axe into her head instead.

14. The narrator decided to wall his wife's body up in a wall of the cellar. 

15. After three days of not seeing the cat anywhere, the narrator felt relieved he would no longer have to look at it.

16. On the fourth day after the murder, police came to investigate the premises.

17. The narrator bragged to the police about the solid construction of his house and rapped on a wall with his cane to prove how strong its walls were.

18. The rap on the wall was answered by a voice from within the wall.

19. The police tore the wall down and found the corpse there with the cat perched on its head.

We can assume the narrator was probably then arrested, tried, and sentenced to the death penalty, as the beginning of the story appears to be a confession on the eve of a death he knows is coming the next day. A death sentence seems more likely than that he simply lived a long life and feels like he will die of natural causes tomorrow. Being sentenced to death is also more likely than the narrator planning to kill himself out of remorse because he seems to blame the cat rather than himself for his actions.

Why were the muckrakers important to the Progressive Movement?

The muckrakers exposed, in dramatic and visceral ways, the many social ills that plagued the nation during the Gilded Age. While the effects of their efforts are difficult to measure, they created considerable popular and political momentum for reform. For example, Lincoln Steffens, in his collection of articles entitled The Shame of the Cities, described the political corruption that accompanied the rise of political machines in many American cities. Ida Tarbell exposed the abuses of John D. Rockefeller, who had amassed unprecedented wealth and power through his management of the Standard Oil Trust. Ida B. Wells-Barnett detailed the crime of lynching in the South. The photographs of Jacob Riis and Lewis Hine brought the conditions faced by tenement dwellers and child laborers, respectively, into the consciousness of comfortable middle-class Americans. Perhaps most famous was the publication in 1906 of The Jungle, a novel by Upton Sinclair that described the conditions in Chicago meatpacking plants in the lurid detail characteristic of the muckraking style. Sinclair's novel sickened many Americans, including the Progressive-minded President Theodore Roosevelt, who urged Congress to pass the Meat Inspection Act in response. So the overall effect of the muckrakers' work was to draw attention to social ills that then became targets for Progressive reform.

Write ` ` `f(x)=|x|` as a piecewise function. Find the domain and range of `f(x).`

Hello!

Actually, the function `|x|` (absolute value of `x` ) is defined as a piece-wise function:

`|x| = {(x if xgt=0),(-x if xlt0):}`

There are two "pieces" on which this function is defined using elementary functions, `(-oo, 0)` and `[0, +oo).`

The domain of a function is the set of numbers where it is defined. As we see, absolute value function is defined everywhere, so its domain is the entire set of real numbers `RR` (also we can write it as `(-oo, +oo)` ).

The range of a function is the set of all its values. Our function, `|x|,` is obviously always non-negative, so negative numbers are not in its range. Any non-negative number `y` is, in turn, in its range, because `|y| = y.` Thus the range of absolute value function is `[0, +oo).`

Were characters in The Giver (other than Jonas and the Giver) believable?

The characters’ choices in The Giver should seem unbelievable and horrific to its audience.

For example, Jonas’s father, a seemingly “good” man, does not show any guilt after euthanizing the smaller twin in Chapter 19. While watching this scene, Jonas feels horror and repulsion, and he cannot fathom his father’s willingness to casually commit murder to save his community from the small inconvenience of interacting with two similar-looking people. The Giver’s audience should feel the same disgust and disbelief, especially since in our society, Jonas’s father would be seen as a cold-blooded murderer who would receive a harsh penalty, perhaps even capital punishment, from our legal system.

Similarly, Fiona, a character admired by Jonas for her gentleness and good nature, uses a discipline wand against the elderly. Our society would also see this as an “unbelievable”, inhumane crime. We would use the term “elder abuse” to describe her actions. Therefore, from one perspective, the characters in The Giver are not believable.

However, there’s another perspective. One could say that the characters in The Giver make believable choices given the fact they are brainwashed into submission by the constant rules and regulations of their society. Even if we look back only one hundred years into our history, we see that when unjust rulers seize control of countries and begin extensive programs of propaganda, repression, and intimidation, seemingly moral people commit unbelievably horrific acts.

For example, you may have studied genocides, the deliberate killings of large groups of people, in your Social Studies or History classes. I have included a reference link to endgenocide.org to show that genocides are horrifically common and that despite humanity’s best efforts, they continue to occur. I have also included a link that discusses author Lois Lowry’s feelings about the similar timing of The Giver’s publication and the worst days of the Rwandan genocide.

Therefore, given that our history shows that ordinary people are capable of terrible crimes, the characters’ inhumane actions in The Giver may not seem so unbelievable after all.

What were the developments in music in the Sultanate Period?

Before the Sultanate Period, much of the music that was played in India was of a religious nature. People sang songs to show their devotion to their spirituality. When the Sultanate Period began, new instruments and musical styes were slowly introduced.The Turks brought with them to India musical instruments, such as the rabab and sarangi, that were unfamiliar to most in India.

Over time, new sounds were forged thanks to the merging of Persian and Indian musical styles. Gradually, music evolved from being solely for devotional reasons to being more lavishly played for pleasure and enjoyment. This evolution in music was encouraged by leaders, including Babur and Akbar. Both of these men were documented lovers of music and they even held musical meetings. Akbar, himself, played the nagara—a type of folk drum.

Why is planet Mercury difficult to see?

Among the eight planets of our solar system, Mercury is the closest to Sun. It also has the smallest orbit of all the planets. These two factors mean Mercury is always very close to the Sun and the Sun's glare will interfere when we try to see it from Earth. This is why Mercury is so difficult to see from Earth.

Mercury is best viewed just before sunrise and after sunset. An observer also has to know where to look, as Mercury goes around the Sun very quickly. Mercury takes 88 days for a complete revolution, while Earth takes about 365 days. The best way to find Mercury in the sky is to contact and ask a local planetarium or find the best viewing times and location online.

Hope this helps.

`xy' = y` Find the general solution of the differential equation

An ordinary differential equation (ODE) has differential equation for a function with single variable. A first order ODE follows y' =f(x,y).

 The `y'` can be denoted as `(dy)/(dx) ` to be able to express in a variable separable differential equation: `N(y)dy= M(x)dx` .

To be able to follow this,  we let `y'=(dy)/(dx)` on the given first order ODE: `xy'=y` :

`xy' = y`

`x(dy)/(dx) = y`

Cross-multiply to rearrange it into:

`(dy)/y= (dx)/x` 

Applying direct integration on both sides:

`int (dy)/y= int (dx)/x`

Apply basic integration formula for logarithm: `int (du)/u = ln|u|+C` .

`ln|y|= ln|x|+C`

`y = e^(ln|x| + C)`

`   = Ce^ln|x|` since `e^C` is a constant

`y  = Cx`

In Of Mice and Men what does the quote "I ain't so bright neither" show?

In chapter 3 of Of Mice and Men George and Slim discuss Lennie, his cognitive potential, and his physical abilities as a big, strong worker. 

Slim, as always, sees the positive in everything and has nothing but good things to say about Lennie. George is less generous, but he does admit that Lennie's hard work is an asset. He also compares himself to Lennie, in terms of intellect, when he says:

He's dumb as hell, but he ain't crazy. An I ain't so bright either, or I wouldn't be buckin' barley for my fifty and found. 

Clearly, George admits that, if he were just a bit more fortunate in terms of intelligence, or strength, he would have found a way to be one step closer to that huge dream that he and Lennie share. 

...If I was even a little bit smart, I'd have my own little place, an' I'd be bringing in my own crops, 'stead of doin' all the work and not getting what comes up outa the ground.

George resents that he has to dig up for someone else when, in his dream, he is the one doing all the farming and planting for himself in order to live off of it; to live "off the fat of the land."

He also resents the fact that things always seem to work against him, even his intellect. This is a fact that occurs in several parts of the novella, where we find George begrudgingly pointing out how things end up turning out for him. He does have plenty of obstacles, when you analyze it: He is stuck with Lennie, who causes troublesome situations, and involves George in all of them. He is also stuck with poverty, a job he hates, and overall impotence over his own life. It is no surprise that he finds himself a not very bright man. Unfortunately, that has nothing to do with his situation. He is simply unfortunate.

What does each family in People of the Book teach us about the impact of families on individuals and society?

The various families presented in People of the Book affect the individuals around them as well as their communities. In this work, family dynamics are explored through the lens of culture as well as religion.

Lola's Family

Lola's family life is exemplified in her love for her younger sister and the Kamals, who become her surrogate family. Familial love motivates Lola and gives her the strength she needs to fight in the resistance. While she is living in the mountains among the other resistance fighters, she realizes that family bonds can be created between unrelated members of a community. Through Lola, we realize family is one of the primary factors that allows people to remain kind in the face of abject cruelty and violence. It is also family that allows a sense of community to survive throughout the Nazi invasion.

Hanna's Family

Despite the fact that Hanna never knew her father, her love for him is explored throughout the book. She wishes she had known him and longs for the closeness other parents and children share. Her interactions with Ozren show the other side of the family dynamic. Ozren is devoted to his ailing son to the point where it consumes him. Through the lens of Hanna's broken family relationships, the author shows family often strengthens the individual, but some individuals can be strong without close family ties.

The Kamal Family

The Kamal family is headed by Stela and Serif, a Muslim couple who save Lola after she flees to the mountains to escape the Nazi Invasion in 1940. The Kamals illustrate the importance of family in a multi-cultural setting. Their concern and compassion for Lola are products of their faith as well as their strong family ties. Their family bond not only saves Lola but gives hope to the community around them.

Rita's Family

Rita is shown the importance of family to the individual when she delivers her sister-in-law's baby and decides to keep him. Although her sister-in-law asks Rita to drown him, she instead chooses to take responsibility for him and discovers the significance of maternal love.

What are two questions left unanswered at the end of the book The End of the Affair, by Graham Greene?

The End of the Affair deals with a variety of spiritual and emotional topics and, as such, the ending leaves several questions without concrete answers. The nature of faith is one of the primary themes running throughout this story, and multiple loose ends are left after the narrative comes to a close. The two primary unanswered questions are whether Bendrix comes to truly believe in God and whether Sarah is a spirit who is capable of performing miracles or if this is merely the way her grieving loved ones have chosen to cope with her death.

Bendrix's Faith

At the beginning of the narrative, Bendrix is a staunch atheist. He and Sarah share a lack of belief until an air raid leaves him seriously injured at his front door. Rather than check to see if he is alive, Sarah retreats to his room to beg God to bring him back. She promises that if her lover's life is spared, she will end their affair in return. Bendrix lives and, unbeknownst to him, this is the real reason why Sarah stops seeing him. Only upon reading her diary many years later does Bendrix learn that she never stopped loving him. While he initially thinks that she has begun an affair with another man, he soon realizes that his greatest competition for her affection is the God whom she believes spared his life.

As the story progresses, Bendrix's apathy towards God turns to hate. After Sarah's death, his hatred unexpectedly takes a turn to openness. Sarah's own faith was born out of the epiphany that in order to truly hate someone, as Richard Smythe hates God, there must be some truth to them. Bendrix grudgingly comes to a similar realization and, towards the end of the book, he prays, "I'm too tired and old to learn to love. Leave me alone forever." Greene leaves it open-ended as to whether Bendrix will eventually adopt Sarah's reluctant faith in a God she once hated or remain in a state of grudging half-belief forever.

Sarah's Sainthood

After Sarah's death, there are reportedly several miracles that occur. Sarah's mother informs Bendrix that she secretly had a Catholic baptism as an infant. Her spirit is rumored to have the ability to perform miracles. After her death, Smythe's disfiguring birthmark disappears entirely. Parkis' son is also healed of severe internal pain with no apparent medical explanation. These miracles raise the question of whether Sarah has truly become a saint, despite the sins she committed during her life, or whether these instances of healing are mere coincidences.

These unanswered questions are part of the framework that makes this story so moving. By leaving some questions unanswered, Greene gives the story a surprisingly satisfying ending. It would be untrue to the thematic elements of the book and the characters themselves to answer either of these questions with objective certainty.

How can you write an extrapolation in Jimmy Wells' point of view in the form of a diary entry from "After Twenty Years" by O. Henry?

In order to extrapolate the feelings of Jimmy Wells, the reader can review what 'Silky' Bob has said of Jimmy, as well as what Jimmy himself has written to 'Silky' Bob; then, the student can compose the diary entry based upon the feelings of each man for the other.

Here are the characteristics of Jimmy:

• A true friend who keeps his promises.


• He loves New York and does not want to leave it.


• He is honest and forthright.


• He is sentimental

Here is what Bob has said of Jimmy that Jimmy has heard while standing in the doorway of the former restaurant:

• He is a loyal, reliable friend.


• He is a plodder. Bob considers Jimmy a plodder because he does not take risks, instead following the rules. (This difference between what the two men value is probably why they have parted.) 


• Jimmy has not wanted to leave New York and find adventure.

Here is what Jimmy has communicated to Bob in his note:

• He does not have the heart to embarrass Bob by making the arrest himself.


• He cares enough to write Bob.

With these feelings and characteristics in mind, the student can compose a diary entry that will be in concert with Jimmy's personality. For instance, Jimmy probably bemoans more than anything that he is responsible for 'Silky' Bob's return to New York. He might wish that Bob were arrested in Chicago and then he would not have had to deal with what he feels is a betrayal of his old friend. After all, Jimmy seems very saddened that his old friend turned out to be on the other side of the law than he is on. He may also recall all the conversations and good times at the restaurant. Most of all, he may recall what Bob has said of him this fatal night:

"I hope Jimmy has done half as well...I had to compete with some of the sharpest wits to get my pile. A man gets in a groove in New York. It takes the West to put a razor-edge on him." 

This statement by Bob may well upset Jimmy as he realizes that his old friend is not sorry for anything he has done.

_______________________________________________

In order to begin the diary entry, the student can look at the style of Jimmy's writing at the end of the story, when the letter he has written is revealed, and imitate this style. Here is a suggestion for a starting sentence:

                                                 (Put the date)

This was one of the toughest days of my life!  I can't believe I was part of the arrest of my old friend that I had really looked forward to seeing again for so long.  

Perhaps, the student could add why Jimmy feels this way; perhaps, too, Jimmy could reminisce about some of the things he and Bob did when young, how he lost touch with Bob, what made him be a policeman, how he feels about being one now, and how he hates to think of Bob going to prison, etc.)

By the 6th century BCE, the Persian empire was the largest the world has ever seen. what strategies did Persian kings develop to help them govern...

The two main strategies that held the Persian Empire together during its height were federalism and rapid communication.

Because the empire was so huge, it was necessary to establish lines of communication that were very fast (for their time) across it; for this, Persia established a postal service, one of the first in the world (and certainly the first on anything like this scale). Their motto (reported by Herodotus) may sound familiar: "Nothing mortal travels so fast as these Persian messengers. These men will not be hindered..., either by snow, or rain, or heat, or by the darkness of night." This postal service was centered around the Royal Road, a highway over 1500 miles long that crossed the empire. The postal service was so efficient it could cover that whole distance in a little over a week.

Yet there was another part of Persia's successful strategy, which was that they devised the government so that they would not need to constantly micromanage the local affairs: federalism. The empire was divided into satrapies, essentially states, each governed by a local satrap. There were between 20 and 30 satrapies (they varied over time), and each one had its own system of laws and taxes tailored to that specific region. Satraps were monitored by the king, but also given substantial autonomy.

As part of this federal system, many different cultures and religions were allowed to coexist, as long as they obeyed the basic laws of the empire and paid their taxes on time. This prevented a great deal of ethnic violence and unrest that would otherwise have occurred, and kept the Persian Empire stable and flexible to change.

How is a comedy different from a tragedy?

These terms, adopted from Aristotle’s Poetics, serve as both dramatic taxonomy and as general terms for aesthetic judgments. As genres, they differ in their motives and “rules” of construction. Tragedies are carefully defined by such requirements as “a great man falls from a high place” due to “a tragic flaw” in his character, causing a national catastrophe (represented by a “chorus” of citizens,), etc.  Comedy has often been defined as “tragedy avoided.” In modern terms, tragedies are unhappy (tragic) occurrences from any cause (heredity, natural disaster, etc.), while comedies are stories with “happy outcomes,” reconciled dramatic twists, etc.—often humorous and/ or romantic, with likable characters and everyday, non-serious dilemmas. The passages of Aristotle’s descriptions of types of drama that deal with a definition of “comedy” have been lost to posterity.

What is a functionalist society?

There are three sociological perspectives or ways of looking at the world. One of these perspectives is called the functionalist perspective. It views society as having various interconnected parts. For instance, the family may produce and raise children. Another part, the schools, transmit knowledge to the children. So a functionalist society is one having various interconnected parts which all come together ultimately to produce a harmonious, balanced and stable society. The idea of functionalist societies is based largely on the work of Herbert Spencer, a social Darwinist who believed in survival of the fittest and also on the work of Emile Durkheim.

Some functions in society are considered manifest while some are considered latent. For example a manifest function of schools is to educate our children - it is an obvious function. Yet a latent, hidden or unrealized function of schools, is to provide a place where young people can learn to socialize. For example students often find a mate in college.

In The Great Gatsby, how are Wilson and Gatsby similar? Dissimilar? To whom is Nick more sympathetic?

Jay Gatsby and George Wilson are similar in that both of them attempt to achieve the American Dream: the idea that a person can begin with little to nothing, and, through hard work and perseverance, that person can prosper and achieve financial and personal success. Both men try to achieve this dream honestly, and both fail. Wilson continues to try to pursue the dream by honest work, and he just cannot get ahead. Gatsby seems to have decided honest work didn't benefit him much, so he turned to bootlegging (the production, distribution, and sale of illegal liquor during the era of Prohibition). In this way, then, the men differ: they take different paths in their attempts to reach the American Dream; however, they are similar in the fact that neither of them successfully attains it.

Nick seems, in the end, more sympathetic to Gatsby, if for no reason other than that Wilson kills Gatsby for committing a crime he did not commit. Ironically, Gatsby committed a number of other crimes for which he went unpunished, but murdering Myrtle Wilson isn't one of them. Gatsby's fundamental ability to maintain hope that he would, one day, have everything he'd ever dreamed granted him a kind of innocence that Nick seems to admire.

How would you characterize the role of religion in Nazi Germany during the Holocaust?

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, a young adult novel by John Boyne, takes place during the Holocaust and is told from the point of view of Bruno, a young German boy. Religious themes arise when Bruno meets Shmuel, a Jewish boy who lives on the other side of the fence. The reader understands that Bruno’s new friend is behind the fence of the concentration camp where Bruno’s father works as a Nazi officer. As Bruno gets to know Shmuel, this friendship conflicts with the anti-Semitic propaganda Bruno has been taught.

Regarding religious practices of Nazis, the German population in 1933 was about 67% Protestant and 33% Catholic. While Nazi leadership was somewhat divided in its view of the role of religion, the Nazi party generally viewed religion as somewhat of a threat. Nazism desired to transform German society into a unified national community. Religious differences would threaten that common national identity.

Hitler’s Minister for Church Affairs, Hans Kerrl, supported the idea of Christianity being adopted by the Nazi party into “Positive Christianity” that renounced the Jewish origins of the faith. Hitler’s Protestant Reich Church was a failed attempt to unify Germany’s existing Protestant churches. The Catholic Church and others were persecuted; more than 6,000 clergymen were executed or imprisoned on charges of treason. 

With the onset of war, however, Hitler softened his position on religion. Wanting to eliminate sources of contention within Germany, he announced that his regime would no longer take action against Evangelical and Catholic churches for the duration of the war. While the Nazi party saw traditional religion as a threat, elements of Nazism could be considered semi-religious with Hitler at its center as a sort of demigod.

Compare To Kill a Mockingbird and The Scarlet Ibis. How do they explore the ways in which individuals can be limited by society?

If someone in a community does not measure up to everyone else's standards of how to look and behave in "normal" ways, then people's prejudices seem to surface. As a result, the ones who are deemed unusual or different suffer the effects of discrimination and isolation. In both Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird and Hurst's "The Scarlet Ibis," characters who have different challenges or disabilities in life face injustice and harsh treatment at the hands of family and friends who should support them. The "different" characters that come to mind in these stories are Doodle, Boo Radley, and Tom Robinson.  

First, Doodle suffers the effects of discrimination and isolation within his own family because he is born with physical disabilities that not only embarrass his older brother but also discourage his parents. The parents love Doodle and do not mistreat him, but Brother does. Brother's pride leads him to taunt and push Doodle beyond his limitations only so Brother can have the type of sibling he wants and whom society will accept. Brother explains as follows:

The knowledge that Doodle's and my plans had come to naught was bitter, and that streak of cruelty within me awakened. I ran as fast as I could, leaving him far behind with a wall of rain dividing us . . . Soon I could hear his voice no more.

Brother, like society, sometimes does not know how to deal with people's disabilities. Brother does not understand Doodle's limitations; consequently, Brother only knows that he does not want kids at school knowing he has a disabled little brother. The above passage shows Brother leaving Doodle isolated and suffering alone when he needs help. Brother can be compared to society when it turns its back on those who have special needs. 

In To Kill a Mockingbird, Boo Radley and Tom Robinson are treated similarly to Doodle. Boo Radley possibly suffers from social anxiety, and Tom Robinson is black and has a crippled left arm. The community treats Boo Radley as though he is a monster or boogie man, while people treat Tom Robinson with prejudice more for the fact that he is black than for his deformed arm. As a result, Boo hides in his house every day, and Tom is falsely charged with raping a white girl. Because these characters are treated disrespectfully in society, they tend to withdraw or make decisions they otherwise wouldn't in order to please others or to escape society. It is through the characterization and exploration of these characters' lives that profound lessons are learned. For example, Scout paraphrases Mr. Underwood's comments from Maycomb's newspaper after Tom Robinson is killed while trying to escape wrongful imprisonment:

Mr. Underwood didn't talk about miscarriages of justice, he was writing so children could understand. Mr. Underwood simply figured it was a sin to kill cripples, be they standing, sitting, or escaping. He likened Tom's death to the senseless slaughter of songbirds by hunters and children (241).

Mr. Underwood does his best to inform society of its wrongs, but it takes generations' worth of time to change people's minds from such prejudices. Underwood's remarks also point out a common theme between the two stories, which is that it is wrong to hurt someone in any way simply because he or she is different. Not only that, it is wrong to hurt someone who cannot defend himself for herself because of unequal opportunities in life. 

It is interesting to note that Doodle dies running like Tom does, although, it should be noted, Doodle runs to make his brother happy with him and to accept him, and Tom runs to escape injustice. Boo Radley, on the other hand, runs from society by hiding inside of his house and never interacting with anyone in the community. All three characters never seem to find the justice or kindness they deserve. Because Doodle, Boo Radley, and Tom Robinson are never fully accepted within their families or communities, they are limited to living isolated lives both physically and psychologically. Society never accepts them for who they are. As a result, these three characters are not allowed to do anything more than keep running or keep hiding.

In Animal Farm, what does the Battle of the Cowshed show us about Snowball, Boxer, and Mollie?

The Battle of the Cowshed takes place in Chapter Four when Jones and his men try to recapture the farm. During the ensuing battle, the behavior of certain animals reveals much about their characters.

Snowball, for example, plans the battle tactics by reading a book on Julius Caesar's military campaigns and takes an active role in the fighting. This shows he is a natural leader and is committed to the principle of equality, as he fights alongside the other animals. His reaction to the death of the humans, however, illustrates he is a committed Animalist who still believes humans are the enemy:

War is war! The only good human is a dead one.

In contrast, Boxer's reaction to killing a human during the battle illustrates his soft and sensitive nature. He is overcome with regret and struggles to accept that his actions were justified, regardless of provocation:

I had no intention of doing that… I have no wish to take life, not even human life.

Mollie disappears as soon as the first gunshot is fired. Terrified of fighting and lacking courage, Mollie runs away from the battle and hides among the hay in the manger. She has no interest in fighting the humans, or anybody else — she simply wants peace. 

In The Giver, Jonas’s anxiety about Fritz getting his bicycle shows us what about this community?

Jonas’s reaction to Fritz getting his bicycle shows that his society is very intolerant of mistakes. 

The community is very intolerant of difference.  They are also very strict about rules and social conventions.  Things are done a certain way, and anyone who is a little bit different is brought into line as stringently as possible.  We get small examples of this throughout the book, with public scoldings about taking food home or having hair ribbons untied being routine.  With the discussion of Fritz, we see how deep this behavior goes. 

He knew that his parents cringed a little, as he did, when Fritz, who lived in the dwelling next door to theirs, received his bike and almost immediately bumped into the podium with it.  Fritz was a very awkward child who had been summoned for chastisement again and again. (Ch. 6) 

Jonas considers it completely normal to treat Fritz this way, punishing him because he is awkward.  It is similar to the story we hear later about how Asher was beaten as a toddler for using the wrong word.  Conformity is the ultimate goal, and children are socialized from a young age to not only accept it but enforce it.  Thus Jonas looks down on Fritz. 

Fritz is only nine years old, but he already has a reputation.  Not only that, but the community looks down on his parents too.  For Fritz to be this much of a screw-up, clearly they are doing something wrong.  A parent’s job is to indoctrinate the children to the community’s values. 

His transgressions were small ones, always: shoes on the wrong feet, schoolwork misplaced, failure to study adequately for a quiz. But each such error reflected negatively on his parents' guidance and infringed on the community's sense of order and success. (Ch. 6) 

It is chilling how Jonas dismisses Fritz as infringing on the order of the community when he is acting as most nine year olds would.  In Jonas’s world, perfection is not just aimed for, it is expected.  Anything less than perfection is punished out of people from an early age.  If this does not succeed, there is always release.

Let `f(x) = 3 + x^2 + tan(pi/(2x)) , -1

Hello!

You wrote `f(x) = 3+x^2+tan(pi/(2x)).`

By the definition of an inverse function of `f(x),`  `f^(-1)(3)` is that number `x` for which `f(x) = 3.` Usually we require that such a number must be unique, otherwise `f^(-1)` would be a many-valued function.

a. In other words, we need to solve the equation `f(x) = 3.`

In our problem, `f(x)` takes any value infinitely many times, even at the given interval `(-1, 1),` even at any neighborhood of `x = 0.`

The cause of this is that `tan(pi/(2x))` tends to `+-oo` at points where `pi/(2x) = pi/2 + k pi` for some integer `k.` The `3+x^2` part remains finite and bounded at any finite interval and cannot prevent this behavior of `f(x).` These points are `x_k = 1/(1+2k)` and they tend to zero as `k` tends to `+-oo.`

Regardless of the number of solutions, the equation `f(x)=3,` which is equivalent to `x^2+tan(pi/(2x)) = 0,` cannot be solved exactly.

I might suppose that you misprint the formula, probably `f(x) = 3+x^2+tan(pi/2 x).` In that case, the only solution for `f(x)=3` at the interval `(-1,1)` is `x=0.` This is because `f` is strictly monotone on `(-1,1).` It is not obvious but true. Ask me if you need a proof.

b. If `f^(-1)(5)` exists, then by definition `f(f^(-1)(5)) = 5.`

How does Fortunato try to stop Montresor in "The Cask of Amontillado"?

Fortunato is too drunk to stop Montresor and doesn't realize he is about to be murdered.

Fortunato never really tries to stop Montesor, because he doesn’t realize what is happening.  This is because he is very drunk.  The murder happens during the Carnival holiday.  Fortunato is dressed up and drinking.  Montresor tells him he needs information about a rare wine. 

Fortunato falls for it, because he has a big ego.  When Montresor pretends that he is going to ask someone else about the wine, that gets Fotunato even more interested.  It never occurs to him that it is a trick.

"As you are engaged, I am on my way to Luchresi. If any one has a critical turn it is he. He will tell me --"

"Luchresi cannot tell Amontillado from Sherry."

This little bit of reverse psychology continues when Montresor pretends to care about Fortunato’s health.  He says he is coughing and they should turn back.  Fortunato doesn’t want to.  He laughs at Montresor’s trowel, again not realizing anything is up.  Montresor makes a jokes about Masons.

Fortunato doesn’t realize what is happening until he is actually being bricked into the wall.  The drunkenness wears off and he starts to panic.  Montresor is aware of this.

A succession of loud and shrill screams, bursting suddenly from the throat of the chained form, seemed to thrust me violently back. For a brief moment I hesitated, I trembled. Unsheathing my rapier, I began to grope with it about the recess; but the thought of an instant reassured me. 

It is no use by this time.  Fortunato never has a chance to stop Montresor. Montresor makes sure that Fortunato suffocates to death.  He remains there and in fifty years no one finds him.   Montresor has gotten his revenge for whatever imagined injuries Fortunato did to him.

How did World War 1 affect the relations between India and Britain?

At the start of World War 1, Britain controlled India as part of the British Empire. Most of the people of India wanted independence, and protests toward this end had already gone on for awhile, but so far the British government had contained the protests and maintained their hold on India.

When the war broke out, many in Britain feared they would lose the ability to maintain control of India, but actually quite the reverse happened; people in India rallied behind the British cause in the hopes that they could impress Britain enough to earn their independence. India became a vital strategic stronghold for the British Navy and Royal Air Force.

In total some 1.5 million men from India volunteered to fight for Britain, and 800,000 ended up doing so, in theaters of battle around the world. None other than Mahatma Gandhi wrote articles encouraging the men of India to enlist. Gandhi and many others hoped that by showing their solidarity with Britain in this time of need, they could earn India's respect and freedom from the Empire.

That didn't happen, at least not for many years. At the conclusion of the war, India was given a few provisions toward self-government, but only about 5 million people were actually allowed to vote---about 2% of the population at the time. Many felt betrayed by this weak concession, including Gandhi himself; this may have contributed to his later activism toward India's independence in the 1940s.

Why does Norton call Lorraine a "screech owl" in chapter 9 of Paul Zindel's The Pigman?

A screech owl is known for its high-pitched, loud, and annoying call. Norton probably calls Lorraine a screech owl because of these well-known qualities. However, Norton's derogatory term is unfounded because Lorraine doesn't go around screaming like a screech owl. Norton most likely uses the term because he is jealous that Lorraine has been monopolizing John's time recently. A screech owl would certainly claim someone's attention in the wild if a person heard it screeching. Similarly, Norton may feel that Lorraine has caught too much of John's attention.

Norton also knows that John and Lorraine have been spending time at Mr. Pignati's house, which makes him wonder why two teenagers would hang out with an old man. Norton's interest in the old man is to steal from his home, though, as shown in the following passage:

"'Has he got anything worth stealing?' Norton clarified, his eyes beginning to get mean and sneaky like an alley cat about to jump on a bird" (100-101).

When John won't tell Norton about the possible loot he could steal from Mr. Pignati's house, Norton attacks Lorraine in an effort to discredit John's association with her.

"Norton had reached a new peak of ugliness that day with the afternoon sun shining down on him. He paused a minute, then took a sip of his beer. 'Well, what are you and that screech owl going over there for?'" (101).

If Norton can make John feel ashamed for hanging out with Lorraine, then he thinks John will help him steal some valuable items from Mr. Pignati's house. Remember, Norton only calls Lorraine a screech owl after John refuses to provide information about Mr. Pignati's property; therefore, Norton calls Lorraine a screech owl because he is mad John won't help him steal from Mr. Pignati. 

Where does Mercutio say that people falling in love are fools in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet?

After the Capulet party, when Romeo escapes his friends and jumps the wall into Juliet's garden, Mercutio calls to him, saying, "Romeo! Humors! Madman! Passion! Lover!" (2.1.9).  In saying this, Mercutio implies that a lover is a madman, or someone who lacks sense, like a fool.  Such a lover is motivated by his humors (the four bodily fluids that ancient physicians believed directly influence our temperament and health) and his passion rather than his intellect or ability to reason or use sound judgment; this makes him a fool.

Mercutio later says that, for Romeo, compared to his love, Rosaline, Petrarch's "Laura [...] was a kitchen wench [...], Dido a dowdy, Cleopatra a gypsy, Helen and Hero hildings and harlots, Thisbe a gray eye or so, but not to the purpose" (2.4.41-45).  He implies, then, that each lover believes his love to be the most beautiful and wonderful; this makes each lover a fool, then, because they cannot all be right.  Mercutio lists some of the most exceptionally beautiful women in history and says that Romeo would (naturally) believe that his love is the best.  It seems as though there is something about loving that turns the lover into a fool who can no longer accurately discern reality. 

What role does guilt play in Lord of the Flies? For example, what does it mean when some boys feel guilt over Simon's death, while others do not?

At the end of Chapter 9, Simon is brutally murdered by the group of boys who initially mistake him for the beast coming out of the forest. The boys were so worked up into a frenzy that they were unable to control themselves as they beat, ripped, and stabbed Simon to death. In Chapter 10, Ralph climbs onto the platform and simply says, "Simon" (Golding 155). Piggy nods solemnly and gazes out into the lagoon. After Piggy suggests that Ralph call and assembly, he begins to shiver and says, "That was Simon...That was murder" (Golding 156). Piggy gets extremely upset and starts trying to defend their actions by saying that it was dark, and they were scared. Ralph takes full responsibility for what they did and feels appalled, excited, and guilty for participating Simon's murder. Piggy justifies their actions by claiming that it was an accident and tries to dismiss it, but Ralph refuses to drop the subject. Piggy says, "Look, Ralph. We got to forget this. We can't do no good thinking about it, see?" (Golding 157). Piggy then tells Ralph not to let Samneric know that they were participants and Ralph says, "But we were! All of us!" (Golding 157).

Piggy explains to Ralph that they only participated at the end of the dance and stood on the outside, which in a way makes them feel "less guilty" about Simon's death. He says, "That's right. We was on the outside. We never done nothing, we never seen nothing" (Golding 158). When Samneric arrive, they claim that they went straight into the forest after the feast. Piggy tells Samneric that he and Ralph left early too. Golding writes, "The air was heavy with unspoken knowledge." Sam then shouts, "dance?" and all of the boys shake (Golding 158). The boys continue to maintain that they left early and did not even witness Simon's murder.

On the other side of the island, Jack tells his savages that the beast disguised himself and that he may come again. Stanley raises his hand and says, "But didn't we, didn't we---?" (Golding 160). Jack yells, "No!," and Golding writes, "In the silence that followed, each savage flinched away from his individual memory."

Many of the boys, including the savages, feel guilty about Simon's murder. The fact that some of the boys feel guilty while others do not suggests that there are still remnants of civility and morality in them. However, Jack is completely void of civility and does not feel guilty over Simon's death. The other boys attempt to repress their feelings of guilt. Guilt is a very strong emotion and none of the boys, except Ralph, want to discuss the roles they played in Simon's death. Piggy tries desperately to justify his actions while Samneric claim that they were not even present. The fact that they have the ability to feel guilt suggests that they have not entirely turned into savage beasts. Essentially, the boys' feelings of guilt are a gauge of their of civility and morality. By the end of the novel, the majority of the boys have become so barbaric that they are unashamed, and feel no guilt about their immoral actions.

In Philbrick's Freak the Mighty, what does Max mean by "your basic chunk of chain-link heaven"?

The characters in Philbrick's Freak the Mighty are not luxurious millionaires in the least. Max's grandparents are lower-middle-class citizens who have probably lived in their home for a very long time. As neighborhoods age, they tend to show some wear and tear. The house must be small, too, because Grim made a makeshift bedroom for Max in the basement out of "cheap paneling" and it tends to stink. When Max grows bored with his room, he can go outside to the back yard. Max describes it as follows:

"So finally I get bored in the down under and I'm hanging out in the so-called back yard, your basic chunk of chain-link heaven" (6).

From the tone of this sentence, one can infer that Max isn't impressed with his yard. First, he demonstrates his disappointment by saying the yard is "so-called" because it isn't pretty or anything special to look at. Next, he uses the word "chunk" which suggests that there isn't a lot of space for him there. Finally, he mentions that the yard is framed by a chain-link fence, but in order to throw in a sarcastic twist of verbal irony at the end, he says "heaven." Therefore, the yard is small, probably old, and framed by a chain-link fence. It's not much, but it's all he has.

How does Friar Laurence initially react when Romeo tells him of his plans to marry Juliet?

Friar Laurence is initially skeptical about Romeo’s love for Juliet.

Friar Laurence knows Romeo well. When Romeo tells him that he is in love with Juliet, his first reaction is to wonder if Romeo is sincere. After all, Romeo was supposedly in love with Rosaline only days earlier, and now he says he is in love with Juliet. He seems to be changing his mind very quickly.

When Romeo says he is in a good mood because he got something sweeter than rest, Friar Laurence immediately assumes he has been with Rosaline.

FRIAR LAURENCE

God pardon sin! wast thou with Rosaline?

ROMEO

With Rosaline, my ghostly father? no;
I have forgot that name, and that name's woe.

FRIAR LAURENCE

That's my good son: but where hast thou been, then? (Act II, Scene 3) 

Romeo acts like his being with Rosaline is a completely silly idea. He is in love with Juliet now. Friar Laurence chides him for switching girls so easily:

Holy Saint Francis, what a change is here!
Is Rosaline, whom thou didst love so dear,
So soon forsaken? young men's love then lies
Not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes.
Jesu Maria, what a deal of brine
Hath wash'd thy sallow cheeks for Rosaline (Act II, Scene 3)!

Friar Laurence thinks Romeo is just a young man guided by rampaging hormones. Romeo has to convince him his love for Juliet is sincere, and that he actually wants to marry her. He will never think about Rosaline again.  

One of the reasons Friar Laurence decides to marry Romeo and Juliet so quickly is that he thinks getting a Montague and Capulet together will be good for both families. If Romeo and Juliet can end their parents’ feud, everyone will benefit.

In Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, how does Lorenzo plan to disguise Jessica in order for her to escape from her father?

In Act 2, Scene 4, Lorenzo receives a note from Jessica saying that she has the clothes of a page ready for their escape. (A page is a young servant boy.) In this same scene, Lorenzo asks his friends if they are all going to the masque that night because he has a torchbearer ready to go with them. When they all tell him they will go, he advises everyone to meet at Grazanio's place before heading to the masque that night. In Act 2, Scene 6, Lorenzo meets Jessica at her window and helps her down with gold and jewels stolen from her father. As she is descending, Lorenzo tells Jessica that since she is clothed as a boy, she must act as the torchbearer for him and his friends as they go to the masque that night. Therefore, Lorenzo has Jessica disguised as a young servant boy and torchbearer to help her to escape her father's house.

During Atticus’s speech, Scout sees him do two things she has never seen him do before. What are they, and what do they reveal about how Atticus...

During his speech, Atticus loosens his clothing, and he sweats (two things Scout has never seen Atticus do before).

Before he addresses the court, Atticus loosens his tie and unbuttons his vest and collar. He also takes off his coat. Prior to this, Scout has never seen her father loosen his clothing; the only time he does so is when he's getting ready for bed. Later, when Atticus takes off his glasses and wipes them, Scout notices that he's sweating. She has never seen her father sweat before.

In loosening his clothing before he speaks to the jury, Atticus is letting the jury know that he feels comfortable addressing them as equals and friends. His uncharacteristic action demonstrates his belief that all men should be equal in a court of law.

“But there is one way in this country in which all men are created equal—there is one human institution that makes a pauper the equal of a Rockefeller, the stupid man the equal of an Einstein, and the ignorant man the equal of any college president. That institution, gentlemen, is a court..."

In his speech, Atticus tries to debunk the widespread belief that all African-Americans are untrustworthy or immoral human beings. He argues that immoral people can be found in all sections of society, irrespective of color. During his speech, Atticus sweats, something Scout says she's never seen her father do before; this is a strong indication that Tom Robinson's case has greatly affected Atticus.

Atticus finds himself having to speak some unpopular truths in court. It is a difficult undertaking and an ambitious one at best. He knows that it will not be easy for the white jury to accept Mayella's guilt.

“She was white, and she tempted a Negro. She did something that in our society is unspeakable: she kissed a black man. Not an old Uncle, but a strong young Negro man. No code mattered to her before she broke it, but it came crashing down on her afterwards."

Mayella's infatuation with Tom is a controversial possibility, one that the jury may not want to entertain. This may be part of the reason that Atticus sweats as he argues for Tom's acquittal; he's taking a huge risk in exposing the ugly truths behind Mayella's rape accusation. This is one way his speech is different from others he's made in court in the past: he has to confront the ingrained prejudices and biases of the society he is a part of.

Despite the risk, however, Atticus is willing to do the right thing. He is willing to risk the condemnation and judgment of society in order to save an innocent, black man from certain death. Atticus' actions in court demonstrate his earnestness and integrity.

Why do you think Orwell's voice as narrative is the only one readers hear? Is the absence of a dialogue a strength or weakness in "Shooting an...

Orwell seems to have wanted to emphasize the internal conflict experienced by the narrator, who does not really want to shoot the elephant but feels compelled to do so to "avoid looking a fool." He wants to emphasize, at least in part, the ways in which the demands and logic of the empire forced people to act against their own moral compasses. By shooting the elephant, the narrator becomes what the Burmese people expect (and indeed demand) him to be—a violent killer. We realize, only because we view the incident through his eyes, that he does not ultimately want to act in this way, though he also freely acknowledges that he hates the Burmese people. At the same time, the narrator's perspective and lack of dialogue with the Burmese people causes us to see the colonial peoples as essentially faceless and one-dimensional. They are an angry, baying mob whom the narrator views with contempt and more than a little fear. It could be argued that the narrator's point of view fails to interrogate the complexities of empire by depriving the Burmese people of any individuality.

Did the pigs destroy the children's books from which they learnt to read and write from? How long did they try to educate the other animals on the...

In Chapter Two of Animal Farm, the pigs reveal to the other animals that they have taught themselves to read and write. They did this over the course of three months and using an "old spelling book" which once belonged to Mr and Mrs Jones' children. The pigs then threw the book onto the "rubbish heap" - an act symbolic of their rejection of human oppression and their seizure of Animal Farm.

After this, Snowball, one of the pigs, decides to teach some of the other animals how to read and write. According to the text (in Chapter Three), the Revolution takes place in June and Snowball teaches these lessons until the "autumn," by which time almost all of the animals on the farm are literate "in some degree." This suggests that Snowball taught these literacy lessons for around three months in total. 

When does Miss Strangeworth stop calling Mr. Lewis "Tommy?"

In "The Possibility of Evil," Miss Strangeworth stopped using Mr Lewis's name, "Tommy," on the day that he left high school and started working in the grocery. Likewise, it was also at this time that Mr Lewis stopped calling Miss Strangeworth by her first name, "Addie."

Evidently, for Miss Strangeworth, Tommy's move from high school to the workplace symbolised the end of their childhood friendship. In her mind, Mr Lewis was now a respectable member of her town and should be addressed accordingly.

Moreover, in referring to the fact that Mr Lewis is in the grocery while Miss Strangeworth is "living alone" suggests that a romantic connection had once occurred and that Mr Lewis's move to the grocery brought it to an end. By calling him "Mr Lewis," Miss Strangeworth, therefore, reinforces the end of his connection and the beginning of a more formal and business-like relationship.

Which of the following key terms relate to Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird: Black Tuesday, Hot Steams, the Egyptian period, Missouri...

Many of the listed key terms both directly and indirectly relate to Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird.

Black Tuesday was the historic day of October 29, 1929, upon which over 16 million shares were sold on the stock market, causing the fatal stock market crash that began the Great Depression. Black Tuesday was preceded by Black Monday upon which the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 12.8 percent, which created widespread panic, leading holders of stock to sell all their shares. Widespread panic led to the significant financial losses that began the Great Depression.  Though Black Tuesday is never specifically referenced in the novel, the novel is set during the Great Depression, showing us the connection between Black Tuesday and Lee's novel. We know the novel is set in the midst of the Great Depression because, in the opening chapter, Scout describes Maycomb as moving slowly at the time the novel was set due to the following reasons:

There was no hurry, for there was nowhere to go, nothing to buy and no money to buy it with, nothing to see outside the boundaries of Maycomb County. (Ch. 1)

Scout further states that the novel is set during a "time of vague optimism for some people: Maycomb County had recently been told that it had nothing to fear but fear itself" (Ch. 1). This serves as a reference to President Franklin D. Roosevelt's first inaugural address. President Roosevelt was elected in the midst of the Great Depression due to his progressive reforms to help get the country out of the depression.

The National Recovery Act (NRA) was one of the progressive reforms President Roosevelt implemented in order to raise prices to stimulate economic recovery and create new jobs. Scout references the NRA soon after Tom Robinson's trial and untimely death. She narrates the ways in which Maycomb's citizens had moved on with their lives since his trial and death. In particular, she notes that "people had removed from their store windows and automobiles the stickers that said NRA--WE DO OUR PART" (Ch. 27).