What is the symbolism of the bad weather at the end of the story "The Scarlet Ibis"?

The storm at the end of “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst portends impending disaster just as the first storm does earlier in the story. The Scarlet Ibis arrived in the yard as a result of being carried off course by a storm. It was weak, and out of its element which resulted in its death.

At the end of the story, the storm rolls as the boys are rowing in the creek. As the storm clouds gather, Brother has Doodle row them back to the Horsehead Landing, which taxes his strength and mind. He is frightened by the storm. After the death of the Scarlet Ibis, he seems to know what his own fate will be.

Black clouds began to gather in the southwest, and he kept watching them, trying to pull the oars a little faster. When we reached Horsehead Landing, lightning was playing across half the sky and thunder roared out, hiding even the sound of the sea. The sun disappeared and darkness descended, almost like night.

The symbolism is parallel to the first storm, only this time its victim is Doodle. He is so exhausted from rowing he is unable to keep up with Brother who runs ahead to get out of the rain. When Doodle can no longer continue running, he takes shelter under the red nightshade bush where he dies. The situational symbolism of the storms results in the death of both the Scarlet Ibis and Doodle. They were fragile creatures, out of their element, who were taken too soon.

In Their Eyes Were Watching God, what is the theme and analysis of the novel?

In Their Eyes Were Watching God, arguably one of the most prominent themes of the novel is living one's dreams.  In the second chapter of the novel, the narrator reveals Janie's beliefs about love as she compares love to a blossoming pear tree.  The sense of beauty, freedom, and independence that Janie feels love offers is represented by the unfolding nature of spring.  Janie wants to find true love for herself.  However, Nanny has a different idea and marries her off to Logan Killicks so that Janie will be financially secure.  But Janie reasons that "marriage does not make love," and after he treats her like a "mule," she goes off down the road when Jody Starks comes through.  Yet her marriage to Jody ends up being no better as he forces her to tie up her hair and treats her like a piece of property.  Through all the hardship, however, Janie does not lose the belief that love should impart a sense of freedom, so after Jody dies, Janie again looks for the kind of love she wants and deserves.  She finds this love in Tea Cake.  After he dies, Janie is content being on her own because she has realized the dream of love that she had as a teenager.

Was the defeat of Japan in WWII a blessing in disguise ?

It is certainly possible to argue (though not everyone would agree) that losing WWII was a blessing in disguise for Japan.  Because Japan lost WWII, and because of the Cold War, Japan was more able to become a world economic power.  Incidentally, the defeat in WWII could also be seen as a moral blessing, one which made Japan a “better” country.

Before WWII, Japan had become, in some ways, a very brutal country.  Japanese were certainly oppressive towards foreigners in their empire and in places they wanted to conquer.  They were willing to commit atrocities like the Rape of Nanking.  They were willing to subjugate the Koreans whose land they had conquered.  This brutality also showed up in things like their treatment of Allied POWs during the war.  Finally, they were somewhat brutal towards their own people.  Discipline in the military was harsh.  People, both military and civilian were conditioned to believe that they should die rather than surrender to an enemy.  This led to things like the mass suicide on Saipan late in the war.  Japan’s government was harsh towards dissidents, creating a police state in which freedom was quite curtailed.

Because it lost the war, Japan went (or was forced) in a different direction.  It became a democratic country with healthy respect for human rights.  It renounced military capabilities, becoming a country dedicated to peace.  In short, Japan became a country in which people acted and were treated more morally.  This can clearly be seen as a blessing in disguise.

In addition to its moral change, Japan’s economic outlook changed after the war.  Before the war, it had been prosperous, but not a world power.  After initial post-war hard times, Japan’s economy boomed.  This was helped in large part by the US’s desire to have Japan as a bulwark against communism in East Asia.  It was also helped when the US used Japan as a major supplier for things it needed to fight in the Korean War.  Japan’s economy was also able to boom because it no longer put any significant amount of its national efforts towards the military.  This freed up money and other resources to be used in the civilian economy.

In these ways, we can clearly argue that it was a blessing in disguise for Japan to lose in WWII.

Why did Winnie's family feel as though "some part of her had slipped away" in Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt?

Winnie is different after her adventure with the Tucks, and has changed because of her new understanding of the world. 

It is clear to her parents that Winnie has changed when she returns from her adventure with the Tucks.  They do not know all of the details.  After all, the fact that the Tucks are immortal because they drank from a spring in the woods not far from the Fosters’ house is a big secret.  However, they know that there is something different about their daughter. 

Well, thought Winnie, crossing her arms on the windowsill, she was different. Things had happened to her that were hers alone, and had nothing to do with them. It was the first time. And no amount of telling about it could help them understand or share what she felt. (Ch. 21) 

You would be different too if you had been on such a grand adventure.  Winnie led a somewhat sheltered life.  She had not been far from home before, and was concerned that she was being smothered by her mother and grandmother.  After the Tucks “kidnapped” her, she learned about immortal people and then saw a man killed when Mae hit him with a shotgun. 

These experiences would definitely affect Winnie’s behavior, and make her seem to come back changed.  The Tucks were wonderful people and Winnie learned a lot about life from them.  With Mae being in prison,  Winnie faced some internal conflict due to her part of the plan to help her escape.  This was a big decision, and while it is not legal to bust someone out, Winnie felt it was the right thing to do. 

Winnie is definitely affected by both Mae’s upcoming jailbreak and the death of the man in the yellow suit.  She saw a man killed before her eyes, even if Mae did not intend it. 

She lay in the dark, propped up on the pillows, and stared at the lighter square of her window, at the heat lightning throbbing. It was like pain, she thought again, a dull pain on the fringes of the sky. Mae had killed the man in the yellow suit. And she had meant to kill him. (Ch. 21) 

Winnie’s plan is to sneak out and help Mae break out of prison so that no one finds out she is immortal.  If they tried to hang her, they would find out.  Winnie feels that the Tucks are good people, and she is trying to do her part, but the whole thing leaves her sad, conflicted, and scared.

If a mother is O positive, the father is B positive, and the baby is O negative, is that man the father of the baby?

If a baby's mother has an O positive blood type and a man has B positive blood type, it is possible for that man to be the baby's father if the child has O type blood or B type blood (either positive or negative). So, in short, yes, it is possible for him to be the father. However, it is not a guarantee—that blood type could be born to a mother with O negative blood type and a man with A, B, or O type blood. 

Blood typing can appear complicated, but it can be quite simply broken down by realizing what is possible and what is impossible based on genes provided by parents. The different types of blood are determined by either the presence or absence of certain antigens (an antigen is a substance in the blood that can activate an immune response if something foreign enters the blood). Certain blood types will or will not produce certain antigens, and that's how blood types can be relatively easy to determine.

For example, a person with type A blood has A antigens. A person with type B blood has B antigens. A person with type AB blood has both antigens, and a person with type O blood does not have any antigens.

If you have two parents with A blood, their child cannot have any other blood type besides A or O, because there's no way for B antigens to be produced; they can only come from an existing parent. 

If you have a parent with AB blood and a parent with A blood, the child can have A, B, or AB. 

It's possible for a child to have any of the four blood types (A, B, AB, or O) if one parent has A type and the other has B type.

The "positive" or "negative" delineation does not affect genetic typing of blood. A positive or negative indicates the presence or absence of another type of antigen called the Rh factor, which can be either present (positive) or absent (negative).

For example, someone with A+ blood has the A antigens and also carries the Rh factor antigen. Someone with A- blood has the A antigens but lacks the Rh factor.

Overall, looking at blood type is a good place to start in determining what the blood type of a child is likely to be based on the blood types of his/her parents. In the majority of cases, however, at least two blood types are possible, so it cannot be said for sure that an A parent and a B parent will create an AB child. The only time that a single blood type is possible as a result of two parents is an O type baby resulting from two O type parents.

Why do you think the nurse puts off giving Juliet the news when she knows Juliet has been waiting? What does this scene reveal about their...

This scene is for comic relief, but it also shows Juliet and the nurse have a close and loving relationship. 

The reason the Nurse puts Juliet off is because she knows Juliet is waiting. She realizes how important marriage is to an impatient teenage girl, and she is teasing Juliet, milking the moment for all it is worth. The scene is very funny, so it creates comic relief for the audience between many dramatic and important scenes. Additionally, it shows what a close relationship the two have.  

Nurse

I am a-weary, give me leave awhile:
Fie, how my bones ache! what a jaunt have I had!

JULIET

I would thou hadst my bones, and I thy news:
Nay, come, I pray thee, speak; good, good nurse, speak.

Nurse

Jesu, what haste? can you not stay awhile?
Do you not see that I am out of breath? (Act II, Scene 5) 

We know Juliet is not close with either her father or mother. She was basically raised by her Nurse. Nurse is charismatic, bawdy, and genuine. She teases Juliet because she cares about her. She knows about Romeo. This means Juliet trusted her with this secret information.  

JULIET

Here's such a coil! come, what says Romeo?

Nurse

Have you got leave to go to shrift to-day?

JULIET

I have.

Nurse

Then hie you hence to Friar Laurence' cell;
There stays a husband to make you a wife. . . (Act II, Scene 5)

Since Nurse is one of the few people who knows about Romeo and Juliet, she is also one of the few who understands why Juliet can’t marry Paris.

If the knee was a ball-and-socket joint, how would movement be affected?

The knee is a hinge joint. If the joint were to be ball and socket, it would be maneuverable in three dimensions, rather than two. At the same time, it would be less strong than it is as a hinge; ball and socket joints are easily dislocated and lack the strength to move in a single direction.

Knee joints are designed to move in only two directions because the lack of side to side wobble prevents the leg from bending to the side and falling out from under a runner, and improves stability on uneven surfaces. In addition, the way people walk has no need for side to side motion in the knee joint, as it would only make it harder to keep in a single direction.

Was the Constitution a conservative document that restrained the "democracy" unleashed by the Revolution (Patrick Henry might have believed...

I would argue that the Constitution was a conservative document that was meant in part to pull back from the democracy of the Revolution.  The Constitution was not revolutionary when compared to the Articles of Confederation or the constitutions that the various states had created after independence.

In order for the Constitution to have been a revolutionary document, it would have had to do something that was really novel compared to what the Articles of Confederation and the state constitutions had already done.  In addition, the Constitution would have had to have gone beyond those other documents.  It could not simply be different; it also had to be more liberal in some important way or ways.  The Constitution does not meet these criteria for being revolutionary.  It does not give the vote to more people than the earlier documents did.  It does not do more to protect people’s rights.  It does not do more to ensure that the people will be sovereign.

Instead, when the Constitution differs from the Articles of Confederation and from some state constitutions, it generally does so in ways that were meant to limit democracy.  The earlier constitutions put all or most of the power in the hands of the legislature.  Since the legislatures were elected by the people, this gave the people fairly direct control over the part of government that held the power.  In this way, these constitutions were quite democratic.  By contrast, the Constitution gives much of the power of government to bodies that were not elected by the people.  It creates four parts of government:  the president, the Supreme Court, and the two houses of Congress.  Of these, only the House of Representatives was to be elected directly by the people. 

By doing this, the Constitution clearly reduced the amount of democracy in the United States.  Power was divided between many parts of government and many of those parts of government were insulated from public opinion.  This is clearly a conservative move meant to reduce the amount of democracy so as to prevent the majority of the people from dominating the country’s politics.   

What is the irony behind the title of "Lamb to the Slaughter" by Roald Dahl?

The irony of the title lies in its ambivalent implications; through his fantastic story, Roald Dahl introduces an unlikely twist to the way this famous phrase is interpreted. He chooses to focus on a more direct interpretation rather than emphasize the conventional metaphor we are used to.

The phrase "lamb to the slaughter" is typically an allusion to Christ being led as an innocent to his undeserved death. In this story, the narrator chooses to use the phrase to characterize an actual leg of lamb as a weapon. The leg of lamb is literally the instrument of slaughter.

In the story, Mary Maloney is a faithful and loving wife; she is a woman who enjoys waiting on her husband. One evening, her husband comes home visibly agitated, only to confess that he has decided to leave her. The news shocks Mary to the point that she finds it difficult to function. At six months pregnant, Mary is in an unenviable position.

After her husband's refusal to eat dinner and his injunction that she not make a fuss, Mary whacks him on the back of his head with a frozen leg of lamb.

Name a real-world object that has a top view of a triangle, and a side and front view that are each triangles.

We are asked to find a real-world example of an object that has a triangular view from top, front and side.

Any example of a triangular pyramid will do. There are many buildings with this shape like the proposed triangle tower in Paris. (The top view is closer to trapezoidal.)

The spikes the police use to stop cars are the skeleton of a triangular pyramid.

The reuleaux polyhedron (each face is a reuleaux triangle) is another example.

There are three sided tents (with a triangular base) that fit this description also.

`y = 1/2 (xsqrt(4-x^2) + 4arcsin(x/2))` Find the derivative of the function

The derivative of y in terms of x is denoted by  `d/(dx)y` or `y'` .

 For the given problem: `y =1/2[xsqrt(4-x^2)+4arcsin(x/2)]` , we apply the basic derivative property:

`d/(dx) c*f(x) = c d/(dx) f(x)` .

Then,

`d/(dx)y =d/(dx) 1/2[xsqrt(4-x^2)+4arcsin(x/2)]`

`y’ =1/2 d/(dx) [xsqrt(4-x^2)+4arcsin(x/2)]`

Apply the basic differentiation property: `d/(dx) (u+v) = d/(dx) (u) + d/(dx) (v)`

`y’ =1/2[d/(dx) (xsqrt(4-x^2))+ d/(dx) (4arcsin(x/2))]`

For the derivative of `d/(dx) (xsqrt(4-x^2))` , we apply the Product Rule: `d/(dx)(u*v) = u’*v =+u*v’` .

`d/(dx) (xsqrt(4-x^2))= d/(dx)(x) *sqrt(4-x^2)+ x * d/(dx) (sqrt(4-x^2))`

Let `u=x` then `u'= 1`

    `v= sqrt(4-x^2) ` then `v' =-x/ sqrt(4-x^2)`

Note: `d/(dx) sqrt(4-x^2) = d/(dx)(4-x^2)^(1/2)`

Applying the chain rule of derivative:

`d/(dx)(4-x^2)^(1/2)= 1/2(4-x^2)^(-1/2)*(-2x)`

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

                    `=-x/(4-x^2)^(1/2)`  or - `–x/sqrt(4-x^2)`

 Following the Product Rule, we set-up the derivative as:

`d/(dx)(x) *sqrt(4-x^2)+ x * d/(dx) (sqrt(4-x^2))`

`= 1 * sqrt(4-x^2)+ x*(-x/sqrt(4-x^2))`

`= sqrt(4-x^2)-x^2/sqrt(4-x^2)`

 Express as one fraction:

`sqrt(4-x^2)* sqrt(4-x^2)/ sqrt(4-x^2)-x^2/sqrt(4-x^2)`

`=( sqrt(4-x^2))^2/ sqrt(4-x^2) –x^2/sqrt(4-x^2)`

`=( 4-x^2)/ sqrt(4-x^2) –x^2/sqrt(4-x^2)`

`=( 4-x^2-x^2)/ sqrt(4-x^2)`

`=( 4-2x^2)/ sqrt(4-x^2)`

Then, `d/(dx) (xsqrt(4-x^2))= ( 4-2x^2)/ sqrt(4-x^2)`

For the derivative of `d/(dx) (4arcsin(x/2))` , we apply the basic derivative property: `d/(dx) c*f(x) = c d/(dx) f(x)` .

`d/(dx) (4arcsin(x/2))= 4 d/(dx) (arcsin(x/2))`

Apply the basic derivative formula for inverse sine function: `d/(dx) (arcsin(u))= (du)/sqrt(1-u^2)` .

Let `u =x/2` then `du=1/2`

`4d/(dx) (4arcsin(x/2))]= 4*(1/2)/sqrt(1-(x/2)^2)`

                    `= 2/sqrt(1-(x^2/4))`

                    ` =2/sqrt(1*4/4-(x^2/4))`

                     ` = 2/sqrt((4-x^2)/4)`

                    ` = 2/ (sqrt(4-x^2)/sqrt(4))`

                   `=2/ (sqrt(4-x^2)/2)`

                   `=2*2/sqrt(4-x^2)`

                   `=4/sqrt(4-x^2)`

Combining the results, we get:

`y' = 1/2[d/(dx) (xsqrt(4-x^2))+ d/(dx) (4arcsin(x/2))]`

`=1/2[( 4-2x^2)/ sqrt(4-x^2)+4/sqrt(4-x^2)]`

`=1/2[( 4-2x^2+4)/ sqrt(4-x^2)]`

` =1/2[( -2x^2+8)/ sqrt(4-x^2)]`

` =1/2[( 2(-x^2+4))/ sqrt(4-x^2)]`

` =(-x^2+4)/ sqrt(4-x^2)]`

or `y'=(4-x^2)/ sqrt(4-x^2)]`

Applying Law of Exponents:  ` x^n/x^m= x^n-m` :

`y' =(4-x^2)/ sqrt(4-x^2)`

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

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

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

Final answer:

`y'=(4-x^2)^(1/2)`

 or

`y'=sqrt(4-x^2)`

What is Romeo's motivation for killing Tybalt?

Romeo kills Tybalt right after he marries Juliet in Act III. He is now family to Tybalt and does not want to fight him, but he can't tell anyone why. Romeo wasn't ever much of a fighter in the first place, and, due to the Prince's ultimatum from Act I, there are many reasons why Romeo wouldn't want to fight Tybalt. Still, Mercutio engages Tybalt in a duel after Tybalt hurls insult after insult at Romeo. In an effort to stop the fight between Tybalt and Mercutio, Romeo comes between them. Mercutio is fatally wounded because of the interference. A few of Mercutio's last words are directed at Romeo:

"Why the devil came you between us? I was

hurt under your arm" (III.1.99-100).

"A plague o' both your houses!

They have made worms' meat of me. I have it,

And soundly too. Your houses!" (III.1.103-105).

Once Mercutio dies, Romeo feels guilty for having come between his friend and Tybalt in the duel, but he also feels guilty that Mercutio was fighting in his stead. In fact, in a moment of reflection, Romeo thinks he would have been in the right mind to fight his own battle against Tybalt if he weren't so in love with Juliet. Romeo realizes this when saying the following:

"My very friend, that got this mortal hurt

in my behalf; my reputation stain'd

With Tybalt's slander,—Tybalt, that an hour

Hath been my cousin! O sweet Juliet,

Thy beauty hath made me effeminate

And in my temper soft'ned valour's steel! (III.1.107-112).

Romeo believes loving Juliet makes him less of a man to the point that he didn't stand up for himself. Romeo believes Mercutio's death is his fault. His goal then changes from keeping the peace to avenging his best friend. It's as if Mercutio's death awakens a rage inside of Romeo that is unlike his personality and he forgets himself. One might say Romeo suffers from the traumatic event by going crazy for a time. As all reason seems to exit Romeo's mind, he attacks Tybalt with great ferocity. Therefore, Romeo is motivated by his own guilt and Mercutio's death when he goes after Tybalt to kill him.

In "Contents of the Dead Man's Pocket," how is Tom's apartment a symbol that impacts the theme of the story?

In the story, Tom's apartment is a symbol of poverty. Tom, the husband, works tirelessly in his bid to get ahead, while his wife, Clare, thinks that he works too hard and too much.

Tom even foregoes the pleasure of going to the movies with Clare in order to finish an ambitious project. By putting all his energy into the project, Tom hopes to garner the attention and admiration of his boss. In fact, he has spent countless hours studying customers and their reactions to specific grocery-store displays. Tom thinks that he may have come up with some unique ideas for a display method that can possibly captivate the attention of shoppers. He has noted all his calculations, figures, and facts on a yellow piece of paper. Sadly, for Tom, it is this piece of paper that floats out onto the ledge just beyond his reach.

The text tells us that Tom desperately tries to reach for the yellow paper. To do this, he pushes the window upwards with all his might to get it open. This is the same window that gives Tom problems at the beginning of the story. We get the idea that Tom and Clare's apartment is not the highest quality apartment on Lexington Avenue. The text provides further clues for this: the author tells us that Tom and Clare pay less rent than their neighbors, to the tune of seven and a half dollars less. For this privilege, the couple gets to live in an apartment with a window that is difficult to open, a door that seems equally problematic, and a living room that is considerably smaller than any of their neighbors'. The apartment is also quite possibly cramped, as Tom's desk is situated right next to the living room window.

Basically, Tom's apartment is a symbol of his poverty. This symbol of his apartment impacts the theme of the story by underlining the desperate lives many people lived in the dawning new age of materialism after World War Two. With two world wars concluded, many Americans were ready to move forward with their lives and to participate in a burgeoning economy. Industrialization gave rise to better technology and more mechanization, making mass production of goods possible. Yet, all this progress came with a price. Young couples like Tom and Clare struggled to find their place among this progress.

Ironically, in striving for better lives (through material success), men like Tom lost intimate connections with their loved ones. This is the central theme of the story. The drive to succeed and to erase the suffering brought about by the Great Depression and two agonizing world wars put infinite pressure on men. So, Tom's apartment is also a symbol of struggle and working class angst. Tom works hard because he believes that he can make a better life for himself and Clare. We see this in their conversation:

He smiled. "You won't mind though, will you, when the money comes rolling in and I'm known as the Boy Wizard of Wholesale Groceries?"

"I guess not."

However, all this working and striving has come at a cost for Tom and Clare. Tom wants to go to the movies with Clare but can't let himself go. He thinks he has too much work to do. By the end of the story, Tom comes to understand that the most important things in life can't always be figured in monetary terms.

So, Tom's apartment is an important symbol in the story; it impacts the story by highlighting the main reason why Tom is unusually focused on climbing the ladder at work.

To what question does Julia say, "No," in 1984 by George Orwell?

I am assuming that this is a question for Part 2, Chapter 8 of the novel 1984. If so, this part takes place when Julia and Winston come to O'Brien's flat to pledge their interest in working for the Brotherhood (the rebellious group that plans to go against the Party). To test their commitment and resolve, O'Brien asks Winston and Julia several questions, including whether they would be prepared to give their lives for the Brotherhood and whether they would be willing to murder for the greater good of their cause. Winston answers for himself and Julia when he says yes. When O'Brien asks whether Winston and Julia are willing never to see one another again, for the cause, Julia answers no, and Winston agrees. 

What would have happened if Romeo had been caught by the Capulets during the balcony scene?

It's unclear what might have happened if Romeo had been caught in the Capulet orchard as he attempts to catch another glimpse of Juliet after falling in love with her earlier at the Capulets' party. On one hand, Juliet fears Romeo would be put to death if her family found him below her balcony. As soon as Juliet recognizes Romeo, she warns him of this in the balcony scene, Act II, Scene 2:

The orchard walls are high and hard to climb,
And the place death, considering who thou art,
If any of my kinsmen find thee here.

Her words certainly apply to her cousin Tybalt, who is already angry at Romeo because he overheard Romeo at the party in Act I, Scene 5. Tybalt calls for his sword, but is intercepted by Lord Capulet before he can engage Romeo. Capulet doesn't want his party disrupted by a continuation of the feud; in fact, he actually has words of praise for Romeo:

He bears him like a portly gentleman,
And, to say truth, Verona brags of him
To be a virtuous and well-governed youth.
I would not for the wealth of all this town
Here in my house do him disparagement.

Because of Capulet's seeming admiration for Romeo, it is unclear what he would have done if he had caught Romeo on the grounds of his estate. The question may depend on Lord Capulet's mood at the time. He displays a mercurial frame of mind throughout the play. At times, he is sensible and loving, but at others, he is quick to anger and completely intractable. One thing is for certain: if Tybalt had discovered the son of Montague, things would probably not have gone well for Romeo.

What is the main function of the male reproductive system?

The main function of the male reproductive system is to produce male sex cells or gametes known as sperm cells.

These contain a nucleus with the haploid chromosome complement which will fuse at fertilization with a haploid egg nucleus to produce a diploid zygote or fertilized egg.

A special type of reductive division called meiosis produces four haploid sperm cells from a diploid testis cell. During meiosis, chromosomes will be rearranged in new ways allowing great variation among the various sperm cells.

An additional function of the male reproductive system is to produce necessary hormones known as androgens. Males who are XY produce male hormones early in a developing embryo. This allows the development of gonads to follow a male pattern resulting in a penis and testes. Cells that have receptors for testosterone will be influenced by this hormone. Testosterone is important for the formation of secondary sex characteristics which become apparent at puberty. 

Testes, which are part of the male reproductive system, produce sperm cells which is their primary function as well as male sex hormones which lead to the development of secondary sex characteristics from puberty and throughout the adult life of a male.

In Monster by Walter Dean Myers, what are some details about prison life that most notably affect Steve?

Steve Harmon describes the horrors of prison throughout the novel Monster and most notably is disturbed about the ongoing violence that takes place in the jail. In the Prologue of the novel, Steve mentions that someone was hit in the face with a tray during breakfast. There are several other scenes that depict the violent environment, including Steve hearing inmates raping another prisoner and a brawl that takes place during Sunday church service. The constant threat of violence scares Steve and is the major cause of his anxiety. Steve also finds it difficult to live in an environment surrounded by strangers. Steve expresses his loneliness throughout the novel and struggles to identify with the other prisoners. Steve also mentions how hard it is to act tough all the time. He cannot be himself in prison and is forced to walk around with a scowl to make himself appear tough in order to be protected. Between the constant threat of violence, loneliness, and psychological challenges, Steve Harmon's experience in prison is terrifying and difficult.

Why is knowing and understanding English important if you want to join the military?

If you live in a country where English is the dominant language, then it is fairly clear why you would need to know and understand English in order to do well in the military.  In such militaries, essentially all communication would occur in English. Your superiors would address you in English. People trying to teach you would do so in English. You would have to speak English to communicate with your fellow soldiers. You would not even be able to fight very effectively in a unit because you and your comrades would not be able to talk to each other about plans, possible dangers, and other topics about which soldiers must communicate in combat.

If you live in a country whose primary language is not English, English would be much less important. It would only be potentially important if you wanted to attain high rank or pursue a particular specialty. For example, you might want to be an intelligence officer, in which case you might want to know English so you could read intelligence gathered from English-speaking countries. If you wanted to reach a really high rank, it might help to speak English so you could communicate with officers from English-speaking militaries when you worked with them on things like joint maneuvers.  In such a country, knowledge of English would be much less important, but it would still matter in some circumstances.  

My project is to write a letter to the author of Romeo and Juliet. Where should I start?

Writing a letter to the greatest English author of all time sounds pretty intimidating, but let's see if we can brainstorm something!

It sounds like your assignment is intended to encourage you to reflect on William Shakespeare's play, Romeo and Juliet. A good place to start might be to address any questions that came up in your mind as you were reading. Maybe you were curious about why "thumb-biting" was so insulting, or perhaps you want to know why Romeo and Juliet couldn't have just run away together without the faked death? What kinds of questions came up for you in the reading? Were they resolved in the text?

You might also wish to review the play. Though Shakespeare is long dead, people can, and do, still review his work. Was there anything about the play you particularly liked or disliked? What would you have done differently? Do you think later adaptations of Shakespeare's play tell a better story than the written original? Do you think that this story is a realistic one?

Personally, I would be very curious to know what inspired Shakespeare to write this play, and how he felt when he was writing it. Romeo and Juliet is actually based on a much older Italian legend, first translated into English as The Tragical Historye of Romeus and Juliet. I wonder why Shakespeare liked this story so much to turn it into a play, when there were certainly hundreds of other legends he could have chosen. It is well known that Shakespeare often inserted (semi-)autobiographical feelings into his works, and I'd be very curious to know whether he did so for this play.

As with writing any letter, be sure to include a respectful salutation and closing. 

I hope this is enough to get you started! Until a time machine is invented, I'm afraid your letter will have to wait to actually be sent.

Where did immigrants come at different periods of US history? What were the major push and pull factors for the different waves of immigrants? How...

There have been three major waves of immigration to the United States if we look from the beginning of the country to the present day.  The first wave came in the 1840s.  The next wave came beginning around 1890 and ending with WWI.  The final wave of immigration is the one in which we are currently living.  It has been going on for roughly the last 30 years.

The first wave of immigration featured people from Ireland and Germany.  The push factors were economic in the case of the Irish and mostly political in the case of the Germans.  It was during this decade that a terrible potato famine devastated Ireland’s farms.  Huge numbers of Irish fled the country in order to avoid starvation.  In the late 1840s, Germany was hit by political upheaval.  A democratic revolution occurred but failed.  This pushed out many Germans who feared that the government would retaliate against them for having participated in the revolution.

The second wave of immigration mainly consisted of people from Southern and Eastern Europe.  These were Italians, Greeks, Poles, and others.  The push factors for these people were both economic and political/religious.  The Southern Europeans generally came for economic reasons as they lived in very poor countries.  Many of the Eastern Europeans were forced out of their countries largely because they were being persecuted for being Jewish.

The final wave of immigration has come from Asia and Latin America.  This wave has been motivated almost completely by economic factors.  However, some of the immigrants have been pushed out by political factors.  Examples of this would include some of the immigrants from China and many of the immigrants from Vietnam, particularly in the time after the Vietnam War.

In all cases, there have been two major pull factors.  First, the United States has been seen as the land of opportunity.  People have believed that they would be able to find jobs in the US.  Second, the US has been seen as the “land of the free,” a place where immigrants of all sorts could fit in and become part of the country, regardless of ethnicity or religion.  These factors have attracted people to the US at all points in our history.

All waves of immigrants have been treated with a mixture of welcome and hostility.  Some Americans have welcomed them because of their potential to help our economy.  Others have opposed immigration on the grounds that immigrants were unwilling to assimilate, that they brought health risks, that they were likely to commit crimes, that they were politically undesirable, and that they were the wrong religion.  Such attitudes have sprung up among such groups as the Know-Nothings in the 1850s and the KKK in the 1920s, and in support for anti-immigrant politicians today.

What does the following quotation from Theodore Roethke's "I Knew a Woman" mean?"Of her choice virtues only gods should speak,Or English...

The quotation is from Theodore Roethke's poem "I Knew a Woman." The poem starts by invoking the typical tropes of romantic love poetry. 

The first typical trope of the genre is what is sometimes called a "humility topos," in which the narrator apologizes for his own ability to rise to his subject, suggesting that only gods or the great poets of an earlier era could possibly do justice to the task of describing the woman's virtues. 

He uses a heroic couplet to start:

Of her choice virtues only gods should speak,

Or English poets who grew up on Greek

This particular couplet emulates the mock-heroic style of Alexander Pope (who translated the Iliad and was an English poet) in The Rape of the Lock or Byron in Don Juan, making what appears to be an epic statement in the first line of the couplet and then undermining it with a trivial parallel in the second line. 

The poet imagines that all the great poets and Greek gods should sing together in a chorus to do an adequate job of praising the women he is describing. 

What is the connection between dictatorships and George Orwell's allegorical depiction of an autocratic society through Animal Farm?

George Orwell's Animal Farm is an allegorical tale in which farm animals assume the roles otherwise occupied by human beings. Orwell, whose 1984 continues to stand as the seminal depiction of a totalitarian society in which independent thought is crushed and the ruling regime employs propaganda and the perversion of education to control the public, wrote Animal Farm as an indictment of the perversion of the Russian Revolution of 1917. As students of Russian history know, there were two "revolutions" in Russia that year, the first, in February, removed the czar and his family from power and replaced it with a Provisional Government led by Alexander Kerensky, a somewhat moderate socialist. The second revolution is the one familiar to most, the Bolshevik Revolution that removed the Provisional Government and installed the brutal and enormously autocratic figures such as Lenin, Trotsky, and, of particular significance, Stalin, to the top echelons of Russian government. It was the political machinations of such figures, especially Stalin following Lenin's death, that inspired Orwell's novella.

In Animal Farm, the animals revolt against their human master and pledge allegiance to a more equitable society in which all animals are equal. The animals agree to comply with seven commandments, the last of which states that "All animals are equal." The pigs, however, conspire to fill the leadership vacuum created by the farmer's forced departure, and it is the machinations of the pigs, particularly Napoleon, Squealer and Snowball, that represent those of Stalin and his allies (most of whom would eventually be victims of Stalin's paranoia and maliciousness). As Napoleon and Snowball struggle against each other for supremacy, the former emerges on top. It is then that Napoleon, representing the figure of Joseph Stalin, truly subverts the principles of the original revolution by moving to consolidate his position as leader--a move that thoroughly undermines the notion of equality among all animals. Once entrenched in power, Napoleon is free to replace the seven commandments with the only one that truly matters: "ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS."

The concept of "first among equals" would become a defining characteristic of the dictatorship that ruled the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, or U.S.S.R. In this, Orwell was borrowing an old Latin adage, primus inter pares, or first among equals, to illuminate the extent to which the pigs, led by Napoleon, have succeeded in undermining the founding principles of the revolution. Equality is reduced to a slogan with no grounding in reality. What transpired in Soviet Russia following the February 1917 revolution would be repeated in countries like Cuba, where the 1959 popular revolt against Fulgencio Batista would be subverted by the thoroughly dictatorial Fidel Castro and his Argentine ally, Che Guevara, and in Nicaragua, where a successful revolution in 1979 to overthrow one dictator, Anastasio Somoza Debayle, was similarly subverted by the Marxist Sandinista movement.

Animal Farm is entirely about the tendency of the better organized, more ruthless among revolutionary movements to undermine other factions or individuals involved in those movements and to impose, once in power, a form of dictatorship usually more brutal than the one it replaced. Orwell intended his allegory to constitute a warning against those who would take too lightly the truly autocratic among themselves. The pigs in Orwell's story lead a revolt against humans, but assume the posture of dictators in their own right.

How was Britain different after World War II?

Though Britain emerged as one of the victors of World War II, the nation faced many hardships in the years that followed.  Years of military attacks, such as the German Blitzkreig, had left many cities and towns in ruins.  After six years of war, Britain was stretched thin.  They still had colonies around the world and they also occupied a sector of Germany.  The country faced the possibility of bankruptcy.  Rationing continued even after the war ended.  Even bread was rationed due to the need to feed those in British occupied Germany.  The country faced a difficult winter in the late 1940s.

Political changes also occurred.  The Labour Party came back into power following the end of the war.  This lasted until the early 1950s.

Despite the hardship, Britain did see some positive events in the five years following the end of the war.  Queen Elizabeth's celebrated wedding occurred in 1947, and the following year London hosted the Summer Olympic Games.  By the 1950s, prosperity returned to the country.

Who were the other three candidates running against Lincoln in his first election?

Lincoln won the presidency in 1860 due to a split in the Democratic Party. The Northern Democrats selected Senator Stephen A. Douglas; his claim to fame was the popular sovereignty bill that created the bloody conflict between slaveholders and abolitionists in Kansas. Douglas only won his home state of Missouri in the 1860 election. Southern Democrats selected John Breckenridge as their candidate. The Lower South supported Breckenridge as a bloc because of his pro-slavery stance. The final candidate was John Bell of Tennessee, who ran on the Constitutional Union ticket. He was popular in Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky. His party was neutral on the slavery issue. Allcandidates won electoral votes — I am enclosing an electoral map. Lincoln ultimately won with less than fifty percent of the popular vote.  

Was the New Deal successful or not?

The answer to this is, to some extent, a matter of opinion or of how you define success.  The New Deal did not end the Great Depression. If this is the definition of success, it did not succeed.  However, we can at least argue that the New Deal kept the Great Depression from getting even worse. If that is the definition of success, it did succeed.

The New Deal was not able to end Great Depression.  After President Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected and implemented the New Deal, the economy did improve.  It grew at a rather rapid pace, although that is no too surprising given how low it had sunk by 1933.  However, in 1937, another recession hit and the US economy slowed again.  The economy did not get back to full strength until the US started to gear up for WWII.

This brief history shows us why it is hard to say whether the New Deal succeeded.  One the one hand, we can say that it succeeded because the economy grew after the New Deal started. Things got better and, even after the recession of 1937, never got to be nearly as bad as they were in 1933. On the other hand, the New Deal did not (at least in the time before WWII started) get the economy back on track. We can say that the New Deal failed because the US economy did not return to full strength until WWII began in Europe.

How are symbiotic relationships similar to and different from predator-prey interactions?

Technically, a predator-prey relationship is one type of symbiosis. Symbiosis is any type of interaction between two different species of living things in the same environment. A predator-prey relationship is between two animal species —one kills and eats the other. Not all sources include this as a type of symbiosis, arguing it is different from the three other types of symbiotic interactions between organisms.

In the first of these, mutualism, both species involved benefit in some way. An example of mutualism is a bee visiting a flower — the bee obtains food, and the plant is pollinated.

Commensalism is an interaction benefiting one organism, and neither benefiting nor harming the other. Barnacles attach to large marine animals such as whales to move to where food is found; the whales are not affected.

Parasitism involves a parasite living on or in an organism. The parasite benefits, and the host is negatively affected, but usually not killed; a successful parasite does not kill its host so it continues to have a place to live. Fleas and ticks on a dog, or a tapeworm in its digestive tract, are examples of this type of interaction.

The predator-prey relationship can be considered to be a type of symbiosis because it is the interaction of two species. It can also be considered to be similar to parasitism, as one organism benefits while the other is negatively impacted. The predator-prey relationship can be considered be different from the other types of symbiosis since one of the organisms does not survive the interaction.

What is an important place in J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, and why is that place important?

The setting in The Catcher in the Rye can be analyzed on a number of levels. The time period in which the book takes place, New York City and Eastern prep schools, and the time of year — December right before Christmas — are all significant. If you are looking at a specific place, though, one of the most significant moments in which place is important is in Chapter 25, when Holden watches his little sister Phoebe ride the carousel at the zoo.

This scene is important for a few reasons. For one, this is the first time Holden has been happy during the entire book. He says he is "damn near bawling" from happiness. This is because he reaches a realization at this moment, summed up with the symbol of the carousel itself. As Phoebe rides, she reaches out to grab at these rings that carousels had at that time. A slot released them sporadically, and if you reached out at the right moment, and far enough, you could grab one and get a prize. As Holden watches her, he thinks,

The thing with kids is, if they want to grab for the gold ring, you have to let them do it, and not say anything. If they fall off, they fall off, but it's bad if you say anything to them.

Despite Holden's informal and devil-may-care way of communicating, he is getting at a deeper point here. The carousel is a symbol of childhood, that beautiful, elusive thing that Holden both craves (for himself and for all the other children in the world) and is curious about leaving, for the frightening, more sexual, world of adulthood. As a "catcher in the rye," he wants to save children from falling off the cliff and losing their innocence, just as he fears Phoebe will fall off the carousel as she reaches for the rings. Still, he recognizes that if a kid wants to reach for the rings (or reach for adulthood), he has to let them, even if they lose their innocence in the process. Growing up is something everyone has to do eventually, and maybe it isn't even as bad as Holden always thought it was.

What are quotes Bob Ewell says that demonstrate he is bitter and the main antagonist in To Kill a Mockingbird?

It is after the trial that Bob Ewell lashes out at Atticus and seeks retaliation against those involved.

• In Chapter 22 the neighborhood scold, Miss Stephanie, cannot wait to knock on the Finch door and report what has happened that morning: Bob Ewell stopped Atticus on the post office corner, spat in his face, and told him he'd get him if it took the rest of his life.

• In Chapter 27, Bob Ewell acquires a job with the WPA but is soon fired for laziness. When he reports to the welfare office for his check, Ewell "openly accused Atticus of getting his job." 
  


• Later in Chapter 27 after Mr. Link Deas hires Helen Robinson as his cook, she is harassed as she walks past the Ewell place. After Mr. Deas accompanies Helen home one evening, he calls to Bob Ewell on his way back and tells him he will have him in jail if he does not stop harassing Helen.
  As Helen walks to work the next morning, Ewell follows her from a distance until she reaches the house of Mr. Deas. Helen calls Mr. Deas at his store, and he hurries to his house. 
  When Mr. Deas tells Ewell he will have him arrested for assault if Helen is frightened anymore, Ewell sourly calls out as he leans on the fence,

"Don't you look at me, Link Deas, like I was dirt. I ain't jumped your—"

"You don't have to touch her, all you have to do is make her afraid, an' if assault ain't enough to keep you locked up awhile, I'll get you on the Ladies Law, so get outa my sight!

It is clear Bob Ewell seeks to harm those who have brought him embarrassment or challenged him during the trial. He even snuck around Judge Taylor's house on a Sunday evening when the judge was alone (Chapter 27).

In To Kill a Mockingbird how are Jem and Dill affected by racism?

Jem and Dill are shocked and disillusioned by the way Tom Robinson is treated during the trial. First, Dill becomes emotionally overwhelmed by the way Mr. Gilmer, the prosecuting attorney, speaks so condescendingly and disrespectfully to Tom. He becomes so upset that he cries during the trial; so Jem has Scout take Dill outside to calm down. Once they get outside, Scout tries to explain that attorneys have to talk that way because that is their job. Scout even says something very insensitive: "Well, Dill, after all he's just a Negro." This shows that Scout does not have the mature perspective that Dill has, yet. Dill responds to her by saying the following:

"I don't care one speck. It ain't right, somehow it ain't right to do 'em that way. Hasn't anybody got any business talkin' like that--it just makes me sick" (199).

Clearly, Dill understands the nastiness behind the way Mr. Gilmer was speaking to Tom Robinson, but he can't articulate it. Dill feels great empathy for Tom because of the racism and prejudice being displayed. He is sickened and cries because of how much it frustrates him to see Tom treated so poorly. 

Jem, on the other hand, understands the ways of attorneys and trials; so, he puts up with Mr. Gilmer's attitude for longer than Dill can. With faith in the justice system, and in Atticus's arguments for the defense, Jem holds onto hope for Tom's acquittal up until the disappointing verdict is read. This is when Jem breaks down and cries. Atticus does his best to explain the nature of racism afterwards--although he doesn't use that word. He tells Jem that a jury of white men simply could not acquit Tom because of a long-standing tradition of prejudice and racism in the South. Jem has such a difficult time accepting this that he never wants to talk about the trial again. For example, when Scout wants to understand the difference between how Hitler treats Jews and the way her teacher, Miss Gates, spoke about African Americans after the trial, Jem explodes as follows:

"Jem was suddenly furious. He leaped off the bed, grabbed me by the collar and shook me. 'I never wanta hear about that courthouse again, ever, ever, you hear me? You hear me? Don't you ever say one word to me about it again, you hear? Now go on!'" (247).

Even months after the trial, Jem still isn't ready to face the facts of racism and prejudice--or at least he can't talk about them.

In what ways do Holling's parents, particularly his father, fail him repeatedly by neglecting him in Gary Schmidt's The Wednesday Wars? What other...

One way in which Holling's father lets him down in Gary Schmidt's The Wednesday Wars concerns breaking his promise to take Holling to the Yankee's baseball game on Opening Day. In fact, he practically lied about agreeing to take him.

Danny, Doug, and Holling had all been given Opening Day tickets by Joe Pepitone and Horace Clarke. In the chapter titled "April," Holling informs us that his father had promised to get Holling out of school early and drive him to the stadium so Holling can join Danny and Doug with their fathers to watch the game. Mr. Hoodhood was supposed to have written a note to Holling's cross-country coach requesting permission for Holling to be excused for practice that day. But, when Holling reminds Mr. Hoodhood the night before Opening Day, Mr. Hoodhood just shakes his head since he never wrote the note and says in reply, "Isn't there enough happening in the world that you shouldn't have to go into the city for a baseball game?" ("April"). In Mr. Hoodhood's mind, Holling's personal interests are trivial in comparison to the things going on in the world such as the funeral of Martin Luther King Jr. the world had just watched. The next morning, Mr. Hoodhood signs the note Holling writes for him and says "sure, sure" in reply to the reminder that he should pick Holling up at noon. But, when Mr. Hoodhood doesn't show, Holling phones Hoodhood and Associates, his father's architecture firm, only to be told that his father has an "important meeting with the Chamber of Commerce scheduled for four thirty" ("April"). News of the important meeting means that Mr. Hoodhood either forgot his important Chamber of Commerce obligation, which is highly unlikely considering how absorbed he is with his title, or he lied to Holling when giving his promise.

It is Mrs. Baker who comes to Holling's rescue. As Holling explains, once the class broke up to go to either temple or mass, five minutes before the game started, Mrs. Baker announced that she could drive Holling and get him there in time to see at least "some of the game."

A plastic ball and a metal ball of similar shape and size are dropped. The metal ball has a greater mass. Why does the plastic ball reach a...

As a metal ball of greater mass is dropped at the same time as a plastic ball of less mass, the only acceleration that initially acts on both balls is the acceleration caused by gravitational force of the Earth on both balls; this acceleration, g, is a constant of approximately 9.81 meters per second squared. In "free fall" where there is no air resistance, both balls would land on the ground at the exact same time because the only acceleration acting on both balls would be g, ensuring that both balls would have the same velocity at any given point in time during their fall.

However, when air resistance is considered, it's a whole different story. When an object falls, it gets faster and faster, and as it goes down, it encounters the upward force of air resistance. This air resistance is caused by the object falling and pushing against the air itself on its way down, and colliding with air molecules which push back up on the object falling. As the object gains speed, it encounters a greater air resistance force.

As both balls fall, the ball of greater mass experiences a greater downward force of gravity, as Force = mass * acceleration (F=ma). As both balls have the same acceleration g, the ball with more mass, the metal one, will have a greater force F. Now, as both balls fall, they experience the same upward force of air resistance. Yet because the plastic ball has a smaller downward gravitational force, eventually the upward air resistance force will equal the downward gravitational force on the ball. These two forces will cancel out, resulting in zero net external force on the plastic ball, causing it to stop accelerating and reach a constant velocity, also called the terminal velocity. Meanwhile, the metal ball of greater mass has a greater downward force, and as it falls, the air resistance force never gets large enough to equal the downward force, hence there is always a net force downward on the metal ball, causing it to keep accelerating and not reach a constant terminal velocity.

` `

What differences are there between Miss Maudie's and Miss Stephanie's attitudes to events in Chapter 16 of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird?

There are marked differences between the attitudes of Miss Stephanie and Miss Maudie. In Chapter 16, Miss Stephanie is eager and excited to attend the trial; on the other hand, Miss Maudie refuses to go.

On the day that the trial of Tom Robinson begins, there is a virtual parade of personalities: Mr. Dolphus Raymond, presumably drunk, rides by on his thoroughbred horse in an unsteady manner; a wagonload of women wearing long-sleeved cotton dresses are driven by a bearded man who wears a wool hat. They are Mennonites who rarely come to town. A backward man named X Billups passes; his name is X because an X is all his parents could write when they filled out the birth form. Various other odd individuals pass until the wagon of "foot-washers" pass and one woman shrilly criticizes Miss Maudie, citing a passage from the scripture.

This is the virtual circus of people that the authentic Miss Maudie chooses not to be among in the courthouse. She also feels that it is "morbid" to watch the unfortunate Tom Robinson be on trial for his life, likening the entire affair to "a Roman carnival." On the other hand, Miss Stephanie delights in such goings-on because this occasion feeds her nature for gossip. She passes Miss Maudie's house wearing a hat and gloves for the "gala occasion." Clearly, Miss Maudie is much more charitable in her attitude about people than is Miss Stephanie, who delights in talking about what people have done and said as she has proven in previous chapters, when she has gossiped about Boo Radley and others. 

According to Elie Wiesel, what was his purpose in writing Night?

Eli Wiesel tells us in an interview that he wrote Night partly to speak for the dead, and for the survivors who could not speak of the atrocities. He told the story of his survival experience with a sharp honesty that would help those of the future also have an accurate representation.

He witnessed and experienced some of the harshest experiences possible for a child of his age, and although the writing is from the memories of an adult author, the voice is still strikingly innocent. In this way, Wiesel communicates the memories of those who shared his experience.

His observations, descriptions of the struggles of those around him, and description of the actions of Nazi soldiers and guards all work together to document historic events, preserve the memories of himself and those around him, and serve as a warning to future generations about the harsh reality of genocide.

He did not seek to be seen as a hero, or martyr of any sort. Rather, he wrote to preserve the truth, speak for a generation, and give the future something to consider.

What is the solution of dy/dx = (x^2+y^2)/(xy)

The differential equation `dy/dx = (x^2+y^2)/(xy)` has to be solved.

`dy/dx = (x^2+y^2)/(xy)`

This can be written as

`dy/dx = x^2/(xy) + y^2/(xy)`

`dy/dx = x/y + y/x`

`dy/dx = (y/x)^-1 + y/x`

Let `f = y/x`

`y = f*x`

`dy/dx = f + x*(df)/(dx) `

Now substituting for `dy/dx` and `y/x` in the equation we get

`f + x*(df)/(dx) = f^-1 + f`

`x*(df)/(dx) = 1/f`

`f*df = dx/x`

Take the integral of both the sides

`int f*df = int dx/x`

`f^2/2 = ln x + C`

The constant C can be included in the logarithm of x as `ln(k*x)`

`(y/x)^2/2 = ln(k*x)`

`y^2 = 2*x^2*ln(k*x)`

`y = +-sqrt(2*x^2*ln(k*x))`

The solution of the differential equation `dy/dx = (x^2+y^2)/(xy)` is `y = +-sqrt(2*x^2*ln(k*x))`

Carefully reread "The Veldt" by Ray Bradbury and write an essay explaining what advice would you would give George and Lydia Hadley on how to...

The problem is that George and Lydia have allowed the house to become the children's parent. The nursery, a "virtual" world, has become the only world the children want to live in. Even George and Lydia, themselves, have become addicted to the technological convenience of the automated house. Their children are addicted to the nursery just as some children (in our time) are addicted to video games, iPad, and cell phones. Too much technology and the child will have less experience in the real world and will therefore have less empathy, social skills, etc. 

Speaking about this problem of technology taking over the role of parent, Lydia says to George: 

This room is their mother and father, far more important in their lives than their real parents. And now you come along and want to shut it off. No wonder there's hatred here. 

So, the solution of turning off the nursery is too drastic. George and Lydia should wean them off of the nursery. And if they want to reestablish their roles as parents, they need to take the time to do things with the children. The nursery is the only thing that shows the children attention. George and Lydia must start doing this. They need to take an interest in the lives of their children. In order to begin this transition, they might try taking an interest in the nursery itself (but on their terms). Take some time every day to act out something they'd seen in the nursery. This way, they are away from the nursery (technology), they are interacting with the kids, giving time and attention to them, and they are acknowledging something the children are interested in. The key is giving the children time and attention. George and Lydia need to become the nursery. 

What are some examples of cowardice in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar?

Since the play is named after him, it is perhaps surprising that one of the most cowardly characters in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar is Caesar himself. Take, for example, lines 96-137 in Act 1, Scene 2, in which Cassius tells Brutus of several instances of Caesar's cowardice. During a swimming race, Cassius says, Caesar grew frightened and tired and had to be rescued from the water. Along the same lines, Cassius remembers an instance in which Caesar came down with a sickness and behaved pitifully: "His coward lips did from their color fly" (128), Cassius says. The implication of these two details is that, instead of acting with the courage expected of a leader, Caesar instead is ironically prone to cowardice and seems to wilt when faced with obstacles and the hardships of life. These examples are meant to undermine Caesar's status as a capable leader and suggest that he is not as fit to rule as the Roman masses think he is. 

Why does Odysseus blind the Cyclops rather than kill him when the giant is asleep?

This is a good question. The only conceivable answer is that Odysseus had no way of being sure he could kill such a gigantic man. Even if Odysseus had a sword, it would have been relatively puny compared to the Cyclops. Odysseus and his men had to create a weapon out of a long wooden stake. It took several strong men to drive the sharpened stake into Cyclops's eye. If they had thought of trying to drive the stake into his heart, they might have found they didn't have the collective strength to penetrate his flesh. What other way would there have been to kill such a monster? Odysseus probably made the right choice when he decided to blind him. Furthermore, the stone blocking the entrance to the cave was so huge and heavy that only Cyclops was capable of moving it. If they had killed him, they would not have been able to escape from the cave. As it turned out, Cyclops had to move the stone to let his sheep out to graze. The men were able to escape among the sheep because Cyclops was blind.

In the novel Lord of the Flies, what are some quotes that help the reader understand the characters Samneric?

Samneric are twins who are virtually inseparable throughout the novel. In Chapter 1, Ralph uses the conch shell to call the missing boys together on the island. The last two boys to arrive at the platform are the twins, Sam and Eric. Golding writes,

"They were twins, and the eye was shocked and incredulous at such cheery duplication. They breathed together, they grinned together, they were chunky and vital" (23).

Golding's initial portrayal of Sam and Eric remains unchanged throughout the novel as the twins are essentially considered one person.

In Chapter 6, the twins are supposed to be taking turns watching and feeding the fire, but they end up falling asleep because they do everything together. Golding writes,

"In theory one should have been asleep and one on watch. But they could never manage to do things sensibly if that meant acting independently, and since staying awake all night was impossible, they had both gone to sleep" (96).

Samneric are not considered intelligent, responsible, or independent. They do not follow through with taking turns and end up falling asleep during their duty.

After they return from the mountain, Ralph holds and assembly to discuss what Samneric saw on top of the mountain. While the twins are addressing the group, Golding writes,

"By custom now one conch did for both twins, for their substantial unity was recognized" (100).

Again, Samneric are considered one person and do not need to take turns using the conch shell to address the group.

When the witches' predictions begin to influence Macbeth, what thoughts form in his mind?

The best answer to this question is found in Act I, Scene 3, in which Macbeth both hears the witches' prediction and discovers the first part of the prediction came true. After hearing that he has been unexpectedly named Thane of Cawdor, Macbeth says "Two truths are told, / As happy prologues to the swelling act, / Of the imperial theme" (127-29). In this aside, we can see that, since the first portion of the prophecy has come true, Macbeth is becoming increasingly interested in the latter portion of the prophecy, the portion that predicts his rise to the crown. More specifically, we can see that Macbeth's thoughts are turning increasingly to the prospect of being king, suggesting that it won't be long until he takes matters into his own hands and usurps the throne by violent means.

How does Saki develop the central idea of friendship and revenge in "The Interlopers"?

The feud between the families of the von Gradwitzes and Znaeyms began with a lawsuit in the days of the grandfathers of Ulrich and Georg, but the animosity and ill will between the two young men is exacerbated by Ulrich von Gradwitz's strong hatred for Georg Znaeym. It is only an act of Nature that brings them together.

Because of this ill will, Ulrich goes into the forest where there is "a disturbing element," and he comes face-to-face with his enemy. A force of nature brings a huge beech tree's limbs down upon them, leaving the two men pinioned beneath it. At first, they curse each other and boast that each one's men will arrive before the other's and revenge will be served. As they wait to be rescued and their discomfort increases, Ulrich reconsiders his feelings. The wine in his flask is warming, so he offers it in a gesture of friendship to the other man, Georg Znaeym: "Let us drink, even if tonight one of us dies." At first, Georg rejects this offer from an enemy." As they lie in pain, though, the two men reconsider what is important in life. Ulrich says to Georg,

I've come to think we've been rather fools; there are better things in life than getting the better of a boundary dispute. Neighbor, if you will help me to bury the old quarrel, I—I will ask you to be my friend.

After some thought, Georg speaks in reconciliation,

What peace there would be among the forester folk if we ended our feud tonight. . . Ulrich von Gradwitz, I will be your friend.

Then, in a gesture of true friendship, each man offers to have his men help the other if they arrive first.

From 1775 to 1830, many African Americans gained freedom from slavery, yet during the same period the institution of slavery expanded. How did both...

This apparently contradictory trend can be explained in a few ways. First, the American Revolution produced a brief period of emancipationist zeal that extended even to the upper South. Almost every northern state passed gradual emancipation laws that brought slavery to an end in the period covered by this question. Massachusetts even abolished slavery outright by court decision. Even in Virginia, many slaveholders, most famously George Washington, freed their slaves (Washington did so in his will). But the period also featured massive economic change that revitalized slavery in the Deep South and led to its expansion. The most important of these changes was the introduction of the cotton gin, which made short staple cotton, which could grow in the Southern upcountry, a viable crop. Fueled by the demand created by the Industrial Revolution in the Northeast, England, and France, would-be cotton planters invested millions in slaves, many of which were sold south from the Upper South, where the climate and soils was less conducive to cotton cultivation. So the number and value of slaves expanded dramatically after 1815 or so, and this trend continued until the outbreak of the Civil War. As for how African-Americans reacted to these changes, their responses varied. Some free blacks in the North participated in the abolitionist movement and sheltered fugitives from the South. Some slaves ran away, and a few, most famously Nat Turner, violently resisted their enslavement. But most simply tried, through everyday actions, to keep their families intact, preserve their humanity, and ameliorate their working conditions as best they could. 

`y = sqrt(9-x^2) , -2

The function `y = sqrt(9-x^2) ` is rotated about the x-axis and the surface area that is created in this way is a surface of revolution.

The area to be calculated is definite, since we consider only the region of the x-axis `x in [0,3] `, ie `x ` between 0 and 3.

The formula for a surface of revolution A is given by

`A = int_a^b (2pi y) sqrt(1 + (frac(dy)(dx))^2) dx`

The circumference of the surface at each point along the x-axis is `2pi y ` and this is added up (integrated) along the x-axis by cutting the function into infinitessimal lengths of `sqrt(1 + (frac(dy)(dx))^2) dx`

ie, the arc length of the function in a segment of the x-axis `dx `in length, which is the hypotenuse of a tiny triangle with width `dx `, height `dy `. These lengths are then multiplied by the circumference of the surface at that point, `2pi y `to give the surface area of rings around the x-axis that have tiny width `dx ` yet have edges that slope towards or away from the x-axis. The tiny sloped rings are added up to give the full sloped surface area of revolution. In this case,

`frac(dy)(dx) = -frac(x)(sqrt(9 -x^2)) ` 

and since the range over which to take the arc length is `[-2,2] ` we have `a = -2 ` and `b=2 ` . Therefore, the area required, A, is given by

`A= int_(-2)^2 2pi sqrt(9-x^2) sqrt(1 + frac(x^2)(9-x^2)) dx `

which can be simplified to

`A = int_(-2)^2 2pi sqrt(9-x^2 + x^2) dx = int_(-2)^2 6 pi dx `

so that 

`A = 6pi x|_(-2)^2 = 6 pi (2 + 2) = 24pi `

Why are cilia and flagella important to unicellular organisms?

Cilia and flagella are found in most unicellular organisms, as well as in multicellular animals.

In unicellular organisms, they serve as the only means by which the organism can move itself around, other than simply following the natural currents of whatever medium they live in. Cilia are a large number of tiny strands, while flagella are a small number of larger (well, less-tiny) strands; but they both serve the same basic function, agitating the surrounding medium (usually water) to effectively "swim" through it in a particular direction, thereby improving access to nutrients or avoiding predators. In multicellular organisms (such as us) they also often take on many different functions, but in unicellular organisms they're almost always for locomotion.

Bacterial flagella actually function like propellers, spinning around in a screwlike motion to propel water backward. Eukaryotic flagella (such as those on human sperm) function differently, beating back and forth in a complex swimming motion.

How does the author characterize Margot in "All Summer in a Day"?

Margot is characterized as introverted and lonely.

Margot is always described as being isolated from the other children.  They all are wary of her and jealous of the fact that she came from Earth.  Margot is a timid child.  She does not play games with the others.  She does not even try to be included.

She was a very frail girl who looked as if she had been lost in the rain for years and the rain had washed out the blue from her eyes and the red from her mouth and the yellow from her hair. She was an old photograph dusted from an album, whitened away, and if she spoke at all her voice would be a ghost.

Margot wants to go back to Earth.  Since she remembers the sun, she wants to be there even more than the other kids.  She is fading away on Venus, with its constant rain.  She does not care what the financial ramifications for her family would be if she went back to Earth. 

Margot seems traumatized by being on Venus, and the other kids do not know what to make of it.

And once, a month ago, she had refused to shower in the school shower rooms, had clutched her hands to her ears and over her head, screaming the water mustn’t touch her head. So after that, dimly, dimly, she sensed it, she was different and they knew her difference and kept away.

Due to instances like this, the kids either ignore Margot or tease her.  The teasing comes to a head when poor Margot gets locked in the closet on the one day the sun finally comes out.  The children are being normal bullies.  However, even they are horrified by their cruelty when they realize that Margot missed the one day that the sun came out.

What was the weather like in the yellow fever epidemic that happened in Philadelphia in 1793?

The weather was especially hot and dry in Philadelphia all during the summer and the fall, dropping the water levels of streams and ponds in the area.  Mosquitoes, the disease vectors of mosquitoes (though no doctors in Philadelphia understood this at the time) breed best in stagnant water.  Refugees from the Caribbean, some of whom were fleeing the Haitian Revolution that happened that year, also led to the disease outbreak.  As early as July 1793, diarists were commenting on the unusual number of flies and mosquitoes around the docks that year.  From July through November, over 2,000 people died in the city.  George Washington and other key government officials fled the city for more upland areas during the disease.  The disease finally subsided in November of that year when colder temperatures killed the mosquitoes.  

This epidemic was notable because it happened in the nation's capital in 1793.  Yellow fever and malaria outbreaks would be a fact of life in the American South for years to come.   

Lady Macbeth advises her husband to "Look like the innocent flower, But be the serpent under it." What are examples of things in the modern world...

Politicians sometimes present themselves as "innocent flowers" when they are really "serpents." Before they are elected, some politicians make all kinds of promises to gain votes. After they are elected, though, politicians may neglect to keep their promises because they never intended to in the first place. 

Even a new job could be presented to a candidate as an "innocent flower" but really be a "serpent." If a candidate is offered certain perks or made particular promises about a new role or job, and then the job turns out to be dramatically different — less prestigious or more menial, for example — than they were told, this would qualify.

A house could also appear to be an "innocent flower" but actually be a "serpent." A house might seem like a great investment, and people might believe a particular house would make a wonderful home. If someone buys that house and later learns it needs a new roof, has cracks in the foundation, or faulty wiring, the house could easily be revealed as a serpent that will ruin the new owner's finances.

These are all examples of things that look good but are actually bad, just as Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth to be before they murder Duncan.

`y = tanh^-1(sin(2x))` Find the derivative of the function

This is a composite function, and to differentiate it we need the chain rule,

`(f(g(x)))' = f'(g(x))*g'(x).`

Here  `g(x) = sin(2x)`  and ` f(z) = tanh^-1(z),` so we need their derivatives also. They are known, `(sin(2x))' = 2cos(2x)`  (we use the chain rule for `2x` here),  `(tanh^-1(z))' = 1/(1 - z^2).`

This way the result is  `y'(x) = 1/(1 - sin^2(2x))*2cos(2x),`

which is equal to `(2cos(2x))/(cos^2(2x)) = 2/(cos(2x)) = 2sec(2x).`

What events in Theodore Taylor's The Cay reveal that Phillip felt conflicting emotions of superiority over Timothy while at the same time being...

In the beginning of Theodore Taylor's The Cay, Phillip has been influenced by his mother's racist views. Being racist, Phillip's first impression of Timothy is that he is ugly, and Phillip hates the fact he is stranded on a raft with an "ugly" black man. Thinking that Timothy is ugly allows Phillip to feel superior to Timothy. Yet, from the moment Phillip first gains consciousness on the raft after having received a severe head injury, he is dependent on Timothy, and that dependence grows stronger the moment Phillip becomes blind.

Early in the story, Phillip particularly displays his sense of superiority when he reflects to himself that his parents had taught him to "address anyone [he] took to be an adult as 'mister,' but Timothy didn't seem to be a mister. Besides, he was black" (p. 34). In other words, due to the color of Timothy's skin, because of Phillip's racist upbringing, Phillip doesn't think Timothy deserves the respect of a formal title.

Yet, despite this feeling of superiority, Phillip depends on Timothy for survival from the start. Timothy builds a shelter on the raft to protect Phillip's eyes from the sun, comforts Phillip when he throws up, and keeps him warm from the cold wind. Once Phillip goes blind, Timothy protects him from sharks, rescues him when he falls overboard, acts as his eyes by describing their surroundings, and once on the island, teaches him to not be afraid of his blindness and to be independent. Once on the island, before Phillip changes and grows independent, one of the clearest moments in which Phillip demonstrates his feelings of dependence on Timothy, while at the same time still feeling racially superior, is when Timothy goes off to explore the new island, and Phillip grows so frightened that when Timothy returns, Phillip demands, "Never leave me again. Don't you ever leave me again!" (p. 60). But, by and by, Timothy helps Phillip find the courage he needs to become independent.

`int (dx)/[(ax)^2 - b^2]^(3/2)` Evaluate the integral

`intdx/[(ax)^2-b^2]^(3/2)`

Let's use the integral substitution,

Let u=ax

`du=adx`

`=>dx=(du)/a`

`=int(du)/(a(u^2-b^2)^(3/2))`

`=1/aint(du)/(u^2-b^2)^(3/2)`

Now let's use the trigonometric substitution,

Let `u=bsec(theta)`

so `du=bsec(theta)tan(theta)d theta`

Plug these in the integrand,

`=1/aint(bsec(theta)tan(theta))/(b^2sec^2(theta)-b^2)^(3/2)d theta`

`=1/aint(bsec(theta)tan(theta))/(b^2(sec^2(theta)-1))^(3/2)d theta`

`=1/aint(bsec(theta)tan(theta))/((b^2)^(3/2)(sec^2(theta)-1)^(3/2))d theta` 

Now use the identity:`tan^2(theta)=sec^2(theta)-1`

`=1/aint(bsec(theta)tan(theta))/(b^3(tan^2(theta))^(3/2))d theta`

`=1/aint(sec(theta)tan(theta))/(b^2tan^3(theta))d theta`

`=1/(ab^2)intsec(theta)/(tan^2(theta))d theta`

`=1/(ab^2)int(1/cos(theta))/((sin^2(theta))/(cos^2(theta)))d theta`

`=1/(ab^2)int(1/cos(theta))*(cos^2(theta))/(sin^2(theta))d theta`

`=1/(ab^2)intcos(theta)/(sin^2(theta))d theta`

Now let `v=sin(theta)`

`=>dv=cos(theta)d theta`

`=1/(ab^2)int1/v^2dv`

`=1/(ab^2)(v^(-2+1)/(-2+1))`

`=1/(ab^2)(-1/v)`

substitute back `v=sin(theta)`

`=-1/(ab^2sin(theta))`

We have used the substitution `u=bsec(theta)`

So,`cos(theta)=b/u`

using pythagorean identity,

`sin^2(theta)+cos^2(theta)=1`

`sin^2(theta)+(b/u)^2=1`

`sin^2(theta)=1-b^2/u^2`

`sin^2(theta)=(u^2-b^2)/u^2`

`sin(theta)=sqrt(u^2-b^2)/u`

Also recall we have used u=ax,

`:.sin(theta)=sqrt((ax)^2-b^2)/(ax)`

`=-1/(ab^2sqrt((ax)^2-b^2)/(ax))`

`=(-1/(b^2))(x/sqrt((ax)^2-b^2))`

Add a constant C to the solution,

`=(-1/b^2)(x/sqrt((ax)^2-b^2))+C`

Why doesn't Mr. Lapham do much silversmithing?

At one time, Mr. Lapham had been a fine and talented silversmith. He had created a silver tea set for John Hancock's uncle. When he first viewed the pitcher from the set, Johnny Tremain had never seen anything "so intricate and beautiful as the woman with folded wings whose body formed the handle" (Johnny Tremain, page 16). He wondered who had made it. He thought that the delicate and detailed pitcher "must have been the work of one of the great smiths of forty or fifty years ago." Mr. Hancock pointed out the mark, which indicated that Mr. Lapham had indeed created it. Now, Mr. Lapham's hands were not what they once were. The older man gazed "down at his own gnarled fingers" (page 15).

In addition to Mr. Lapham's physical limitations as a silversmith, he also failed to listen closely to the orders of his customers and wrote down the specifications of their orders incorrectly. This caused him to make items differently than his customers had intended.

More and more responsibility fell on Johnny's shoulders as he became a skilled apprentice. Johnny took over the responsibility of recording orders because of his master's mistakes.

What does Sodapop from The Outsiders learn?

In chapter twelve of S.E. Hinton's novel The Outsiders, Sodapop receives a returned letter that he had written his girlfriend Sandy, who has gone to Florida. Sandy returned the letter unopened. Apparently, though Hinton is vague on this topic, Sandy had gone to Florida because she was pregnant. When Sodapop dashes out of the house, he drops the letter and Darry picks it up. In a short conversation, Darry tells Ponyboy that Sandy didn't seem to love Sodapop as much as he loved her. In fact, it seems that Sandy had become pregnant by someone other than Sodapop ("it wasn't Soda"). Despite that, Sodapop still wanted to marry Sandy, "but she just left." Throughout the story, Ponyboy had taken for granted his middle brother's carefree and boisterous attitude. In this chapter, he realizes that Sodapop had problems just like everyone else and, in the end, the three brothers' relationship is strengthened as they begin to understand each other in a more mature way.

In The Cay, what is the description of the island?

When Timothy and Phillip approach the island in Chapter Six of The Cay, Timothy must describe it to Phillip, as Phillip has gone blind. Timothy describes it as a small, uninhabited island. There is a beautiful white beach and low sea-grape bushes. About twenty to thirty palm trees grow on the hill. When they land on the island in Chapter Seven, Timothy describes the cay as quite beautiful, populated with native lobsters he refers to as "langosta." After Timothy walks around the island, he tells Phillip that the only things on the island are the beach, the sea-grape bushes, the palm trees, and some little lizards. There is no fresh water source. Timothy describes the island as one mile long and one-half mile wide and says that it is shaped like a melon. The rise with the palm trees is about forty feet from the ocean. 

What happens to Diana's parents in the book Lyddie by Katherine Paterson?

Diana, the worker at the mill who befriends Lyddie and helps her learn to do her job, has no family. When Lyddie goes to Diana's room after Lyddie's first day on the job, Diana draws Lyddie into speaking about her family and personal situation. Lyddie realizes she may have talked about herself too much, so she says, "But I reckon you know how it is with families, eh?" Diana explains that she can hardly remember her family. She had an aunt who cared for her until she was ten, but the aunt has since passed away. 

When July comes around, the month when most of the girls go home to see their families, Lyddie doesn't expect Diana to take a vacation. When she finds out Diana will be taking time off, she asks her where she will be going before she remembers that Diana has no family. Diana then responds that she was "orphaned young." She has worked in the mill for fifteen years, having started as a doffer when she was just ten years old. Diana considers the other workers at the textile mill to be her family, which may be one of the motivations she has for being so active in the Female Labor Reform Association.

In Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, how does Lennie make sacrifices for George?

Lennie is devoted to George and would undoubtedly like to make sacrifices for him and be able to do more for him, but Lennie is relatively powerless because of his mental handicap. There are a couple of instances in which he shows he would make a sacrifice if he could. In the opening chapter when Lennie prompts George's tirade by saying he likes beans with his ketchup, Lennie listens to George's verbal abuse occasioned by his pent-up anger and frustration. Lennie then gently says,

I was only foolin', George. I don't want no ketchup. I wouldn't eat no ketchup if it was right here beside me.

George feels a little ashamed of himself. He says,

If it was here, you could have some.

Lennie continues,

But I wouldn't eat none, George. I'd leave it all for you. You could cover your beans with it and I wouldn't touch none of it.

Poor Lennie, who has nothing to give his friend, tries to give him a whole bottle of imaginary ketchup.

In the same chapter, Lennie asks,

George, you want I should go away and leave you alone?. . . Well, I could. I could go off in the hills there. Someplace I'd find a cave. . . If you don't want me I can go off in the hills an' find a cave. I can go away any time.

In the very last chapter, just before George kills him, Lennie repeats his offer to go away and live in a cave. He knows he is a burden and would even sacrifice his life for his friend by living like a wild animal before he died of exposure or starvation. Lennie's kind heart makes him the most memorable and well-liked character in this book. Many readers remember Of Mice and Men mainly because of Lennie Small.

How would you describe Mrs. Baker, including her age, physical description, and character traits in The Wednesday Wars?

Mrs. Baker is a middle school teacher who appears strict at first. For example, she corrects Holling Hoodhood's grammar and forces him to read Shakespeare. She clearly has high standards and expects a great deal from her students with regard to their behavior and academic performance. She is the kind of teacher who likes her erasers neat, and she orders Holling to clap the dust out of them. She is, underneath her cool exterior, a very caring teacher who takes Holling to the hospital when he is hit by a bus while saving his sister from being hit.

Her family owns Baker Sports Emporium, and Mrs. Baker is a sports fan. She announces that Micky Mantle, a famous baseball player, is going to appear at her family's store, and she takes Holling to Opening Day at Yankee Stadium. She is married to Lieutenant Baker, who is sent as part of the 101st Airborne Division to Vietnam during the Vietnam War. She betrays no hint of fear or worry in front of her students when her husband goes missing (he is later found).

Interestingly, the author does not mention Mrs. Baker's appearance or age, but it might be assumed that she is fairly young, as there is no mention of her having kids and her husband is serving in Vietnam. It might also be assumed, based on her personality, that she has a very neat, proper appearance.

Who is following Winnie and the Tuck family in Tuck Everlasting?

The man in the yellow suit is following Winnie and the Tucks to find the spring that grants immorality. 

Winnie spoke to the man in the yellow suit at her house.  He asked her how long her family had lived near the woods and said he was looking for "a family." Her grandmother came out, and they heard music from the woods. (It was Mae Tuck's music box.)  Winnie’s grandmother thought it was elves, and the man in the yellow suit was excited to learn that she had heard it before.  He felt he was in the right spot.

Later, Winnie was in the woods when she saw Jesse Tuck drink from the spring. She wanted to drink too, because she was thirsty. Jesse and his mother kidnapped her, because they could not let her drink and accidentally become immortal.  They wanted to explain things to her later. 

As they were racing away on the horse, Winnie saw the man in the yellow suit. 

Discovering him, seeing his surprise, and presented at once with choices, Winnie's mind perversely went blank. Instead of crying out for help, she merely goggled at him as they fled past the spot where he stood. (Ch. 6) 

Winnie felt that since she was being kidnapped she should do something.  Mae Tuck told the man in the yellow suit that they were teaching their little girl how to ride.  She had no idea that he was looking for the Tuck family.  Of course, the man in the yellow suit knew who Winnie was and where she lived, but the Tucks did not know that. 

The man in the yellow suit’s objective was to find the spring and make money off of it.  The Tucks had kept it a secret for years.  They did not want anyone else to become immortal, because they had become immortal by accident and they felt it was unnatural.

The man in the yellow suit was able to follow them to the Tuck's house eventually.  By that time, the Tucks had already told Winnie about the spring.  They were horrified that the man in the yellow suit wanted to sell the spring water.  He also said he would have Winnie drink some and be his demonstration. At this, Mae Tuck hit him with a shotgun, killing him.  The constable finally arrived, and arrested her.

Why is Scout walking home from the play in her costume?

Scout had to dress up like a ham because "Mrs. Grace Merriweather had composed an original pageant entitled Maycomb County: Ad Astra Per Aspera."  Mrs. Merriweather wanted to highlight "the county’s agricultural products," which included pork.  During the performance, Mrs. Merriweather was to call out "Pork!" as Scout's cue to enter the stage.  Scout was to enter dressed up as a ham.  Her costume was made from

"chicken wire and bent... into the shape of a cured ham. This [was] covered with brown cloth, and painted... to resemble [ham]."

When the pageant arrived, Scout missed her cue.  She sat down near the stage and fell asleep.  When Scout woke up, Mrs. Merriweather had already called for her several times.  Scout went out on the stage, even though she had already missed her cue.  Later, Mrs. Merriweather informed Scout that she "had ruined her pageant."  The woman's cruel words "made [Scout] feel awful."  When it was time to go home, Jem suggested to Scout that she take off her bulky ham costume.  Scout decided to wear it home to "hide [her] mortification."

In "Rikki-Tiki-Tavi" by Rudyard Kipling, whom does the hero fight in the "great war"? Why does he fight?

Rikki-tikki fights the two cobras, Nag and Nagaina, because they threaten the people.

The story opens by telling us that we are going to hear about a war.

This is the story of the great war that Rikki-tikki-tavi fought single-handed, through the bath-rooms of the big bungalow in Segowlee cantonment. Darzee, the tailor-bird, helped him, and Chuchundra, the musk-rat ... gave him advice; but Rikki-tikki did the real fighting.

The war that Rikki-tikki fought was a war against snakes.  Rikki-tikki fought this war because, as a house mongoose, it was his job to protect the people and the garden from the snakes.  Rikki-tikki was brave and successful, because he defeated all of the snakes.

When Rikki-tikki washed up in the garden, the people were pleased and the cobras were not.  Rikki-tikki worried Teddy’s mother at first, because she thought the mongoose might be dangerous.  Teddy’s father assured her that the real danger was to the snakes.  Teddy was safer with Rikki-tikki there.

Rikki-tikki used cunning and perseverance to defeat the cobras.  He never let his guard down.  Even when Rikki-tikki killed a snake, he did not eat it because he did not want to be slowed down.  Thus, when he kills the little snake Karait, Rikki-tikki leaves the corpse.

That bite paralysed Karait, and Rikki-tikki was just going to eat him up from the tail, after the custom of his family at dinner, when he remembered that a full meal makes a slow mongoose, and if wanted all his strength and quickness ready, he must keep himself thin.

Rikki-tikki kills Nag first, and then Nagaina.  Nagaina is harder to kill because she has nothing left to lose at that point.  Her husband is dead, and Rikki lures her out by killing her baby cobras.  Rikki-tikki has to follow her into her hole, which is very dangerous. However, he emerges victorious.

`int_-1^2 2^x dx` Evaluate the definite integral

 Recall the First Fundamental Theorem of Calculus:

 If f is continuous on closed interval [a,b], we follow:

  `int_a^bf(x)dx` = F(b) - F(a)

 where F is the anti-derivative of f on [a,b].

This shows that we need to solve first the indefinite integral F(x) to be able to apply the difference of values F based on the given boundary limit of a and b.

 The resulting value will be the definite integral.

For the given problem `int_(-1)^(2)2^xdx` , the integrand function`f(x) = 2^x`

 which is in a form of a exponential function.

The basic integration formula for exponential function follows:

`int a^u du = a^u/(ln(a))`  

By comparison: `a^u` vs `2^x` , we may let:

`a=2` , `u=x` and then` du= dx`

Then applying the formula, we get:

`int 2^x dx = 2^x/(ln(2))`

indefinite integral function` F(x) = 2^x/(ln(2))`

Applying the formula:` int_a^(b) f(x) dx = F(b)-F(a)` :

Based on the given problem: `int_(-1)^(2)2^x dx` , the boundary  limits are:

lower limit:`a= -1` and upper limit:`b = 2`

Plug-in the boundary limits in ` F(x) =2^x/(ln(2)) ` one at a time, we get: 

`F(a) = F(-1)= (2^(-1))/ln(2)`

 `F(a) F(-1)=1/(2ln(2))`

`F(b) =F(2)= 2^2/(ln(2))`

`F(b)=4/(ln(2))`

Solving for the definite integral:

`F(b)-F(a) = F(2) - F(-1)`

              `= 4 /(ln(2)) - 1/(2ln(2))`

             ` = 4 *1/(ln(2)) -(1/2)*1/(ln(2))`

             ` = (4 - 1/2) *1/(ln(2))`

              `= 7/2*1/(ln(2))`

              or  `7/(2ln(2)) `   as the Final Answer.

What are 2 other books that talk about the main topics that Stephan Greenblatt talks about in his book The Swerve?

The Swerve is sort of two books (a number of reviewers have actually said that they liked one but not the other).

The first is a story, a riveting narrative account of the preservation of the works of Lucretius by Poggio Bracciolini in the 15th century. While it embellishes the story with many details we don't actually know, the basic account is uncontroversial and Greenblatt tells the story in a very compelling way.

The second is an argument, that the works of Lucretius were instrumental in creating the Renaissance, and in particular that the way Lucretius advances reason over faith (which he certainly does) was a vital component without which the Renaissance might never have happened.

There are a lot of books that are relevant to this second part, the argument as to what caused the Renaissance and the importance of the shift from faith to reason. I've linked three, which cover the spectrum of views.

The first, The Renaissance (Universal History) by Paul Johnson, is a mainstream account of the history of the Renaissance that mostly takes the same side as Greenblatt, arguing that the weakening of the Catholic Church and the expansion of rationalist ideals was vital in making the Renaissance what it was. (It doesn't really support the claim that Lucretius in particular was so important, however.)

The second, Renaissance: The Power of the Gospel However Dark the Times by Os Guinness, takes a diametrically opposed view, claiming that it was in fact Christian religion that created the Renaissance, with reason and faith working together or even faith more important than reason.

The third, Faith in the Age of Reason by Jonathan Hill, takes a more intermediate view, arguing for a positive role of both faith and reason in creating the Renaissance and subsequently the Enlightenment.

I need help with writing an essay on 54th Massachusetts Regiment.

During the Civil War, African-Americans were not recruited as Union soldiers until the formation of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment, the first military unit composed entirely of African-American soldiers. The idea of whether African-Americans could be recruited into the Union army was debated until the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863, which freed all the slaves in the south. The governor of Massachusetts, John A. Andrew, supported the recruitment of African-American soldiers, but after there was public debate about the fitness of African-American soldiers to command troops, he decided the commissioned officers of the regiment should be white men.

On May 28, 1863, the regiment, composed of 1,000 enlisted African-Americans, paraded through Boston and then were shipped to South Carolina under the command of Robert Gould Shaw. On July 16, 1863, the regiment fought on James Island as a way to divert the Confederacy's attention from the attack on Morris Island in South Carolina. Forty-five soldiers from the regiment died in that action. On July 18, 1863, the regiment led the attack on Fort Wagner on Morris Island, near Charleston, South Carolina. The troops refused to retreat while they hoped reinforcements (which never came) were on their way, and the Colonel Shaw was killed. Half of the approximately 300 soldiers were wounded, killed, or missing. As a result of the regiment's bravery in battle, other African-American units were allowed to be created during the Civil War. A monument by Augustus Saint-Gaudens was later built on the Boston Common to pay homage to this brave regiment. An essay could focus on the ways in which this unit changed people's ideas of what African-Americans were capable of during the Civil War.