What effect does the setting have on Fahrenheit 451?

Good question!

Setting affects Fahrenheit 451 in several different ways, all of which are important.

The first of these is that the novel is set in the future. This aspect of the setting is essential for the novel, since it is a warning about a possible (horrible) future, one Bradbury clearly wants readers to avoid. Many of the technological advances described in the novel were just getting started when Bradbury published his classic novel.

The second aspect of setting that affects the novel is the specific work setting of Guy Montag in the firehouse. It blends the fellowship of a friendly work environment with a traumatically alien reality: these firemen sit around playing cards waiting to burn books. They don't save lives. They kill animals there in the firehouse, for fun.

The third aspect of setting that plays a major role is domestic. The fires these men set are not in a public place, or some industrial setting, where they might seem natural, or at least acceptable. They invade people's homes in order to burn their books.

And the final aspect of setting playing a major role is nature. The smells of rain and plants Montag experiences with Clarisse are the intense opposite of the technologized home in which the Montags live.

In Act II, Sergius exclaims to Raina that she is his "lady and his saint." When she begins to respond, (saying "My lord and my-") he interrupts...

This is our first hint that Sergius isn't just disillusioned about warfare. He also has misgivings about what Raina expects of him. He is finding those expectations onerous, a sentiment he'll explore later: He doesn't like being admired for something he's not, or held to standards that he can't meet.

But for now, during this interchange, he isn't ready to confess why he falls short. He isn't ready to disavow his image as the heroic lover, or consider the possibility of terminating their engagement. He just wants Raina to tone it down, so that he doesn't feel so sharply the difference between the image and the reality.

Notice, for instance, the way he frames his request:

SERGIUS. Sh--sh! Let me be the worshipper, dear. You little know how unworthy even the best man is of a girl's pure passion!

He doesn't speak of his personal inability to live up to Raina's expectations. He speaks in generalities of what the best men are like, leaving Raina free to infer that Sergius is one of these men. And because he doesn't actually claim to be "the best man," his comment can be interpreted as admirably humble and chivalrous. In effect, he is telling Raina not to praise him because women are superior. Sergius may be incompetent in many respects, but he knows how to choose his words in ways that portray him in a flattering light.

In addition, the stage directions that follow indicate that Sergius has been speaking to Raina with the "loftiest expression," reinforcing the impression that Sergius is happy to be perceived as a great lover. So while his interruption betrays his internal conflict, that conflict hasn't yet come to climax.

What passages in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird show Scout's and Jem's moral growth?

For Scout, one of the most evident moments of moral growth occurs soon after Tom Robinson's trial in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird.

Prior to the trial, Scout was significantly influenced by racial prejudices. The influence of prejudice is seen in the fact that she questions her father's rightness in accepting Robinson's case. The influence of prejudice is best seen in a conversation she has with Dill outside of the courthouse during the trial. Dill must be escorted out of the courtroom because he begins crying. When he explains to Scout he is crying because of the horrible way Mr. Gilmer, the prosecuting attorney, was treating Robinson, Scout shows she possesses racist beliefs when she responds, "Well, Dill, after all he's just a Negro," meaning that since he is only a Negro, he isn't entitled to the same amount of respect as others (Ch. 19).

However, her perspective significantly changes after the trial. In Chapter 26, Scout begins the third grade. During a class discussion on Hitler, Scout is very surprised to hear her third-grade teacher speak out so vehemently against Hitler's treatment of the Jews. She is surprised because she very clearly remembers hearing a racist remark her teacher made while exiting the courthouse after the jury's guilty verdict had been read, as she informs Jem in the following:

I heard her say it's time somebody taught 'em a lesson, they were gettin' way above themselves, an' the next thing they think they can do is marry us. Jem, how can you hate Hitler so bad an' then turn around and be ugly about folks right at home--. (Ch. 26)

Scout's comment about her teacher's ugliness shows she is well aware of the hypocrisy her teacher is guilty of. Scout's awareness of hypocrisy shows she has achieved significant moral growth since Robinson's trial.

How was American culture transformed during the 1920's?

An argument can be made that the America we know today was forged during the 1920's. The period that followed the Great War was one of great economic growth and social change. America's wealth grew because of an industrial boom and the rise of the consumer economy. Americans bought goods that were not available at an affordable rate for their parents. Automobiles and household appliances drove this consumer economy and more Americans had disposable income than at any time in history. Those that could not purchase goods charged them with consumer credit, another new development.

The 1920's also saw a great change for women. Many shunned restrictive traditional conventions of dress and behavior. They entered colleges in larger numbers and pursued careers that their mothers would never have dreamed of pursuing. Women were also granted the right to vote with the Nineteenth Amendment and were now expected to be involved in the political process. African-Americans also fought for similar opportunities during the decade of the 1920's.

The Twenties are also the decade of mass popular culture. For the first time, Americans felt a sense of community due to transportation technologies. Radio and motion picture introduced Americans to movie stars and sports icons. Jazz music was also introduced as a very popular music form. With more leisure time and expendable income, Americans treasured their pop stars and invested in entertainment.

What are some examples of how magical realism is used in the book Shoeless Joe?

Magical realism (also called magic realism) is a literary movement often associated with Latin-American authors. Magical realism attempts to establish a realistic setting in which fantastic or paranormal events are accepted as part of the natural world order. Characters who encounter "magic" in their world accept it as a real, concrete event, which serves to draw the reader into the author's creation. 

W.P. Kinsella develops magical realism in Shoeless Joe by allowing his characters to discover that their dreams can be realized as long as they are willing to suspend their skepticism and embrace their imagination. 

I would argue there are three seminal moments of magical realism in Shoeless Joe.

1. After Ray and Salinger talk with the elderly Archibald "Moonlight" Graham, Ray encounters a reincarnation of the younger Graham and decides to help him achieve his dream to play baseball with Shoeless Joe Jackson.


2. As fans flock to Ray's field to watch the other reincarnated players, Salinger accepts the ballplayers' offer to join them as they disappear into the cornfield.


3. Ray has a game of catch with his father's younger self, which allows Ray to bury the resentments of his past.

Characters within Kinsella's world accept these events as real, which seems to strengthen the emotional impact of the magical realism in the novel.  

Why does Gatsby's death mean the end of the American Dream?

Gatsby is something of a romantic, someone who believes in a person's power to change personal destiny and fulfill his or her wildest dreams. In essence, this idea is the classical definition of the American Dream, and it is also, at least at first, the quality that seems to characterize Gatsby's life most. Born to a poor and insignificant family, Gatsby works hard to acquire wealth (often through illegal means), believing that, by amassing a vast fortune, he will win happiness and Daisy's love.

Gatsby's brutal murder instantly shatters this ideal. Gatsby doesn't win Daisy's love, and his decision to take the blame for Daisy's hit-and-run accident results in a quick and ruthless death. In light of these events, Gatsby's mad dash for wealth and possessions becomes quite meaningless. By extension, the American Dream, on which Gatsby's efforts are modeled, is also shown to be rather hollow. 

In Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick, why does Kevin call his mom "the Fair Gwen"?

Kevin's mom is a beautiful woman, and he calls her "the Fair Gwen" because "Gwen" is her first name, "fair" means "beautiful," and because "the Fair Gwen" was also the name of a famous queen from the legends of King Arthur.

You can find Kevin's eager, detailed explanation of all this in Chapter 4, specifically on page 17 in my copy of the novel. And you can find Max's description of Gwen's beauty in Chapter 2, on page 7--basically, he thinks she looks like a movie star even though she's sweaty and dressed kind of sloppy, since she's carrying all those moving boxes.

More specifically, Kevin has chosen this complimentary nickname for his mother because it reflects his own interest in the Arthurian legends. You know how Kevin loves knights, dragons, monsters, and especially quests? Referring to his mom as a lovely queen from the time of knights and quests is just one way that Kevin imaginatively colors his own world. It shows us how creative he is, which is good, but it also shows us that Kevin doesn't quite live in the real world, which is sad.

Why does Georg not consider himself a poacher in Saki's "The Interlopers"?

Georg doesn't consider himself a poacher because he believes he has a claim on the disputed land.

According to the story, the forest land in question is well-stocked with game, and it has been the subject of much controversy between the Znaeym and von Gradwitz families for decades. In a past judgment, a court awarded the land to the von Gradwitz family, but the Znaeym family has never accepted the decision.

A famous law suit, in the days of his grandfather, had wrested it from the illegal possession of a neighboring family of petty landowners; the dispossessed party had never acquiesced in the judgment of the Courts, and a long series of poaching affrays and similar scandals had embittered the relationships between the families for three generations.

Ulrich von Gradwitz often finds himself patrolling his land in anticipation of encroachments by members of the Znaeym family. Ulrich is determined to keep his sworn enemy, Georg, from hunting in his forest. Fueled by decades of "personal ill-will," he resolves to kill Georg should he ever meet him face to face. To Ulrich, Georg is a "tireless game-snatcher and raider of the disputed border-forest." Georg is equally determined to lay claim to the game on Ulrich's land. As a matter of opinion, Georg doesn't consider himself a poacher because he feels the land actually belongs to him and his family.

How do the different isotopes of zinc behave differently to each other? What is the most commonly used isotope of zinc?

Zinc is an element on the periodic table with an atomic number of 30 (meaning there are 30 protons in the nucleus).  The isotopes of a particular element differ in the number of neutrons present in the nucleus.  There are numerous known isotopes of zinc.  Only five of them, however, are found in nature.  Almost half of all naturally occurring zinc is Zn-64 (the mass number is 64).  This means that this particular isotope of zinc contains 30 protons and 34 neutrons.  The four other naturally occurring isotopes are Zn-66, Zn-67, Zn-68, and Zn-70.  All of these are considered radioactively stable.  The other isotopes of zinc only really differ from one another in terms of nuclear stability, with half-lives ranging from hours to nanoseconds.

Which of these species is an outgroup?

An outgroup in the evolutionary sense is a clade of organisms that is closely related to the organisms we're interested in (the ingroup), but not more closely related to anything within that ingroup than anything else, "equidistant" from them in an evolutionary sense. The optimal choice for the outgroup is the clade just outside the ingroup.

Killer whales are not an outgroup for mink whales, because they are several clades apart. They aren't closely related enough.

Horses are an outgroup for pigs, because they are very closely related and if we separated the pig clade into specific species all those species would be equidistant from horses in evolutionary terms.

Horses are not an outgroup for pigs and water buffalo, because horses are more closely related to pigs than they are to water buffalo, and thus fail the "equidistant" criterion.

Mink whales are not an outgroup for cows and water buffalo, because they are too distantly related.

Therefore the correct answer is C: Horses are an outgroup for pigs.

In the novel Monster by Walter Dean Myers, how is Steve treated like he is less than human?

Throughout the novel, Myers examines how the judicial system treats young minorities as subhuman beings instead of unique individuals. At the beginning of the novel, the prosecuting attorney, Sandra Petrocelli, labels Steve Harmon a "monster." From the start of the trial Steve is viewed as less than human. Throughout the majority of the trial, Steve is voiceless and unaware of what is going on. He is essentially treated as an absent participant whose fate lays in the hands of the attorneys and jurors. Whenever Steve is not in the courtroom, he is locked behind bars inside a jail. Steve describes his violent, dangerous environment as a place where inmates continually attempt to harm one another at all hours of the day. Steve fears for his life and is forced to act like he is a callous, threatening individual in order to survive. Steve's experience in prison also makes him feel like he is less than human.

Who is Nell in Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson?

In Laurie Halse Anderson's Fever 1793, Nell is a young girl who becomes orphaned and homeless after her mother dies of yellow fever. Matilda, the novel's main character, discovers her crying in the street as she wanders her city in the hopes of finding someone who can help her. She decides to help Nell, and carries her through the streets until Matilda finds someone she knows: Eliza, her family's former cook. Eliza allows the two to stay with her briefly, but when she suggests that they find an orphanage, Matilda refuses and moves back into her abandoned family home with Nell. When Nell becomes sick with yellow fever shortly after that, Matilda nurses her back to health using the methods she remembers from the hospital she stayed in.

How did Friar Laurence lie in Romeo and Juliet?

Although Friar Lawrence does not necessarily lie directly, he commits a number a deceptive actions in order to achieve social and political harmony. One such action is his decision to secretly wed Romeo and Juliet. This is a deceptive act because the wedding is not disclosed to the social sphere, and the Friar commits this act in the hopes that their union will eventually bring peace in Verona. Later on in the play, the Friar then provides Juliet with a sleeping potion so that she may fake her own death. Again, while this action is not an outright lie, it is deceptive, nonetheless. The Friar provides Juliet with the potion so that she may reunite with Romeo. Therefore, the Friar is repeatedly shown to use deception as a means to bring peace to the other characters. In this case, Shakespeare may be using the characterization of the Friar in order to comment on the role of the church during the 16th century. 

What are some ways that Darell Curtis from The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton is tough?

Darry is the oldest of the three Curtis brothers, and he takes responsibility for the family when their parents die.  Pony’s conflicts with Darry usually revolve around the fact that he feels that Darry is too tough on him and does not really care about him.  Pony is closer to his other brother Sodapop, the middle brother.

Pony says that Darry always works hard, and he is always “hard and firm and rarely grins at all.”

Soda tries to understand, at least, which is more than Darry does. But then, Soda is different from anybody; he understands everything, almost. Like he's never hollering at me all the time the way Darry is, or treating me as if I was six instead of fourteen. (Ch. 1) 

Only twenty years old, Darry has to hold down a job and be a guardian to his two younger brothers.  He is strict with Pony because he is desperate to keep him out of trouble.  They are greasers, and live in a tough neighborhood.  They are also constantly under threat by the Socs.

Darry would kill me if I got into trouble with the police. Since Mom and Dad were killed in an auto wreck, the three of us get to stay together only as long as we behave. So Soda and I stay out of trouble as much as we can, and we're careful not to get caught when we can't. (Ch. 1) 

Things come to a head when Pony accidentally falls asleep in a vacant lot and comes home late.  Darry is angry, they argue, and Darry hits Pony.  Pony runs off, and that is the night when he gets into the fight with Randy and Bob in the park.  The two Socs attack Johnny and Pony, and Johnny ends up killing Bob because he was trying to drown Pony in the fountain.

The relationship between Darry and Pony improves after he returns from the hospital.  Darry is shaken by Pony's injuries, and Pony realizes that his brother really does care about him.  He is tough on him because he cares.

What came first: the chicken or the egg?

The classic question of which came first, the chicken or the egg, can be answered in a variety of ways.  Perhaps the more troubling part is that each answer is correct!  Depending no how the question is approached will dictate which correct answer most directly applies.  This forum is not suitable for addressing every situation or approach, but a few of the more prominent ones are discussed. 

The easiest approach is via creationism.  Creationism refers to any religion which is based on the belief God(s) spontaneously created the world and all living animals.  In this scenario, the chicken would logically come first as the spontaneous result of a divine command. (Chicken 1, Egg 0)

Quantum theory might suggest they co-occurred.  In theory neither the chicken nor the egg existed until observed as a phenomenon in nature.  When the chicken was created, the ability to lay eggs, a natural process for chickens, was created inherently as part of the whole. (Chicken 2, Egg 1)

Philosophical examinations of the question might lead down several winding paths.  One path would argue neither the chicken nor the egg must come first.  The chicken must be alive to lay an egg.  The egg the chicken hatched from is not its egg but rather the egg of the mother hen.  Therefore, if the chicken and the egg in question are bound by ownership, then the only egg the chicken owns is one it lays.  Existentially, whatever attributes are attributed to it, it is not a chicken until it hatches, despite the possibility it could be a chicken.  For example, we eat scrambled eggs, which are the yolks from the eggs.  We don't say we eat scrambled chicken. (Chicken 3, Egg 1)

Evolution points to the egg being first.  Archeologists have uncovered evidence of egg nests dating to about 77 million years ago.  These egg laying dinosaurs far pre-date chickens.  This indicates the egg came first and was later part of the chicken's evolution.  The problem again revolves around the definition and general use of the word chicken.  The domestic chicken evolved from a variety of jungle fowl, most commonly the red and gray jungle fowl.  Cross-breeding throughout generations led to the domestic chicken stock.  Following the scientific logic, the egg was essential in creating the domestic chicken breed and therefore came first. (Chicken 3, Egg 2)

In a general approach, the basic matters of life suggest the egg came first.  Two birds, not chickens, provided the genetic material for the egg.  Once the egg was hatched and the animal deemed a chicken, then the egg from whence it emerged would be the first chicken egg, supposing egg ownership is attributed to the emergent chicken and not the parents. (Chicken 3, Egg 3)

In reality, there is no one way to answer this question.  The answer depends on the scientific or philosophical approach to the question.  Even then, both sides of the argument make valid points.  It is a good thought exercise, but ultimately it is only that and not a reasonable question with a single answer.

What is Rousseau's idea of a social contract?

Rousseau's social contract theory was an important concept for Enlightenment philosophy.  The social contract is the idea that government is a necessary evil because individuals in nature act selfishly.  Since individuals think of themselves first, a person's safety and freedom would be in peril without a government to protect it.  The social contract is the idea that individuals sacrifice certain freedoms for the benefit of the protection provided by the government.  The government has a responsibility in this contract too, however.  The government should act in the best interests of the individuals that it represents.  If the government does not act responsibly within this social contract, the citizens have a duty and right to replace that government and form a new contract.  The writings of Rousseau were very influential on the founders of the United States, and Thomas Jefferson, in particular.  

Describe the similarities and differences between plants and fungi. Consider how they grow, multiply, etc.

Plants and fungi are two of the five kingdoms of living organisms on earth (the other three are animalia, protista, and monera). They share many characteristics, but are considered entirely different organisms. Below is a list of the ways they are similar and different.

Ways Plants and Fungi are Similar

• Both are fixed organisms without the ability to move


• Both have structures that attach them to the ground or another location (roots in plants, and micro-filaments in fungi)


• Both are eukaryotic organisms

Ways Plants and Fungi are Different

• Plants and fungi have different DNA sequences


• Plants and fungi have different cell structures


• Plants use photosynthesis (solar power) to create energy; Fungi require external sources of nutrients


• Plant cell walls are made of cellulose; fungi cell walls are made of chitin 


• Plants are producers; fungi are decomposers

There are more differences than similarities when it comes to fungi and plants. Though in some cases, their physical appearance may be similar, their physiology and function are not often comparable.

How did the ability to domesticate animals help a civilization's ability to become powerful and rich ?

The domestication of animals provides a handy source of food, meat and dairy products, in one place, allowing people to settle in that place, no longer expending all their energy on traveling for game to sustain them.  Concomitantly, if one is settled in one spot, one can grow food, which has the same consequence, less time and energy moving about foraging for food. When people stay in one area, they are inclined to build permanent structures, homes, shelter for animals, places to store excess food.  They begin to have a greater sense of community in one place, as well, and the elimination of the need to travel far and wide for food allows for a little more "specialization" of tasks.  In combination, these elements set the stage for community structures to be built, religious institutions and community storage facilities, for example.  Infrastructure emerges, means of dealing with sewerage, paths or roads, the community well.  All of this leads to what we think of as civilization.   

What conflict exists between Maggie and Dee even before Dee arrives?

It seems that Dee and Maggie have never been close; they really have very little in common.  Maggie feels that Dee has always gotten whatever she wants, and Dee really has no respect for Maggie and her way of life (with their mother).  Dee has always been embarrassed by their home, and Maggie finds comfort there.  Anticipating Dee's visit, Mama says that Maggie will spend the time "eyeing her sister with a mixture of envy and awe.  She thinks her sister has held life always in the palm of one hand, that 'no' is a word the world never learned to say to her."  Dee has always gotten whatever she wanted: their first house, that she hated, burned down; she got to go away to school; she got fancy clothes and shoes, and so on.  Maggie also remembers the way Dee used to treat her and Mama when she lived at home, or when she would visit, and she is clearly made nervous by the prospect of seeing her sister again.  Dee barely even seems to acknowledge her sister's presence, and she seems to think that her education and intellect make her better than Maggie and her mother.  This conflict has existed ever since Dee used to "burn [them] with knowledge" as a child. 

How did the United States change economically, socially and politically, from 1877 to 1980?

Since this question encompasses over a century of time, the United States of course changed dramatically during the time period you are asking about.  The country became much more modern economically and socially.  Politically, there was less change overall, but new issues did become important between these two dates.

In economic terms, the United States industrialized and boomed in this time period.  In 1877, the country was really just beginning its major industrialization.  By 1980, it was coming to the end of the time when industry would drive the economy.  This time period saw the introduction of assembly line production and of Taylorism, both of which made industry much more efficient.  This allowed prices to fall and goods to become available to a broad range of consumers.  Over this time period, the US economy came to be dominated by large companies.  It also became much more technologically advanced, with machinery changing practically every sector of the economy from farming to the production of airplanes.  In these ways, the US economy changed dramatically during this century, becoming much more modernized and industrial than it had been at the beginning.

In social terms, the US of 1980 would have been almost unrecognizable to a person from 1877.  In 1877, African Americans had very few rights.  By 1980 they were legally equal and had started to become much more prominent in many areas of American life.  In 1877, women could not vote, were expected to stay home, and were subject to strict expectations about dress and behavior.  By 1980, women were not only voting but were holding office.  They were working for pay much more than ever before.  Women were now wearing bikinis to the beach and jeans to work.  Thanks to “The Pill” and the sexual revolution of the 1970s, they were much freer to engage in sex outside of marriage, just as men had always been.  In 1877, there had been few options for mass entertainment.  By 1980, there were televisions, radios, cassette players, movies, and many other types of entertainment.  American society had come to put a premium on leisure and having fun in a way that would have seemed hedonistic and indulgent to a person from 1877.  These were tremendous changes that would have made the America of 1980 seem very strange to a person from 1877.

With politics, there was perhaps less absolute change.  The same two parties that existed in 1877 still existed in 1980.  There was still a great deal of emphasis on issues of economic inequality.  Politics was also still concerned with the question of how much of a role the government should play in society.  However, there were many new issues.  Issues of minority and women’s rights (which by now included the issue of abortion) now existed which were essentially unimportant in 1877.  The two political parties in 1980 clashed over the role of the US in the world and its stance with respect to communism.  These were not issues in 1877.  While there were still arguments about how much the government should be involved in people’s lives, even conservatives accepted much more government involvement than anyone would have imagined in 1877.  In this way, while there were some similarities in the politics of these times, many new issues had arisen in 1980 that were not important in 1877.

In all of these ways, the US underwent a great deal of change between 1877 and 1980.

Briefly describe the results of water movement through xylem vessels in celery.

Water molecules are held together by polar covalent bonds. Since the oxygen atom is more electronegative than the two hydrogen atoms in water, the oxygen is negatively charged while the hydrogen atoms are positively charged. This allows every water molecule to hydrogen bond to four other water molecules. The attraction of water molecules to other water molecules is known as cohesion. 

The property of cohesion helps water to move up from roots to stem to leaves against gravity. As some molecules in the leaves escape as water vapor due to the process of transpiration, the rest of the column of water in the xylem tubes pulls on water molecules below it which helps pull the entire column of water up. Now, there is more room for water to enter the roots and be transported upward in the xylem tubes.

Water is also attracted to the lining of the xylem tubes. This is known as adhesion. By sticking to the lining of the xylem as well as to other water molecules, water is able to move up the celery stalk which is a stem even against the downward pull of gravity. 

In "The Signal-Man" by Charles Dickens, when the narrator encounters the signalman for the first time, he notices that the man appears to be under...

In "The Signal-Man," one of the narrator's earliest observations of the signalman relates to his strange behaviour and agitated manner. We see evidence of this early in the story, as the narrator makes his way to the signal box:

His attitude was one of such expectation and watchfulness that I stopped a moment, wondering at it.

Similarly, the narrator notices this a second time, as he observes the signalman carrying out his duties. He is unable to conjure an explanation for such behaviour, though he clearly finds it compelling:

He directed a most curious look towards the red light near the tunnel’s mouth, and looked all about it, as if something were missing from it, and then looked it me.

Finally, though the narrator does not yet know the reason for the signalman's strange behaviour, he begins to wonder if he is mentally ill:

I have speculated since, whether there may have been infection in his mind.

It is also worth noting that these quotes are effective at building suspense as the narrative develops. This is because they foreshadow the final appearance of the ghost in which the signalman tragically loses his life. 

Why is the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come the most frightening of all three ghosts in A Christmas Carol?

The Ghost of Christmas Yet to come is more frightening because his features are less distinct and he represents death.

Dickens is very careful to not show too much detail with the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come.  The main reasons for this is that the future is unknown.  However, the future is also frightening.  We do not know what will happen. We do know for sure that at some point in the future we will die.

Scrooge is frightened when he sees this ghost, even though he has already spent a lot of time with the other three ghosts.  His fear of this ghost is based on what it represents.  Scrooge knows that he was not a very good person.  He is hoping to change, but what future will he see?

He felt that it was tall and stately when it came beside him, and that its mysterious presence filled him with a solemn dread. He knew no more, for the Spirit neither spoke nor moved.  (Stave 4)

The ghost does not talk.  It is very dark and phantom-like.  The other ghosts had personalities and were bright, and the Ghost of Christmas Present was pretty cheerful.  This ghost is spooky, like the Grim Reaper.

Scrooge is afraid to see a future based on the person he was.  In his mind, he is already repentant.

“Ghost of the Future!” he exclaimed, “I fear you more than any spectre I have seen. But as I know your purpose is to do me good, and as I hope to live to be another man from what I was, I am prepared to bear you company, and do it with a thankful heart. Will you not speak to me?” (Stave 4)

When the ghost shows Scrooge his terrible future, where he is lonely and despised, Scrooge begs the phantom to acknowledge that he can change. Scrooge points out that the ghosts have wasted their time if their intervention could not change the future.

What are some quotes from the novel To Kill a Mockingbird that portray Scout conforming to the prejudiced beliefs of her community? How are these...

In Chapter 10, Calpurnia spots Tim Johnson, the rabid dog, staggering down the middle of the street and begins to call and warn all of the neighbors. When Calpurnia asks Jem if the Radleys have a phone, Jem looks in the phone book and tells her that they don't. Calpurnia then runs over to the Radley front porch, bangs on their door, and warns them about the rabid dog. Scout looks at Jem and comments,

"She's supposed to go around in back" (Lee 124).

Scout is simply describing a societal norm, which simultaneously happens to be based on prejudiced ideologies. In 1930s Alabama, black people had to enter a white person's home using the back door. This custom was typical of Southern states which abided by Jim Crow laws that discriminated against black individuals.

In Chapter 12, Calpurnia takes Scout and Jem to First Purchase African M.E. for Sunday service. After the service, Scout notices that Calpurnia is talking differently than she does at home. Scout candidly asks Cal,

"Why do you talk nigger-talk to the—to your folks when you know it's not right?" (Lee 167).

Scout unknowingly uses a racial slur when she refers to Calpurnia's speech as "nigger-talk." Scout clearly has heard this term used flippantly throughout her community, which reflects the prejudiced societal norms of Maycomb.

In Chapter 19, Dill begins to cry in the middle of the trial and Scout is forced to take him outside. When they get outside, Dill explains to Scout that he was extremely upset at the way that Mr. Gilmer was talking down to Tom. Dill tells Scout that Mr. Gilmer sneered at Tom and kept calling him "boy." Scout doesn't see what the big deal is and says,

"Well, Dill, after all he's just a Negro" (Lee 266).

Mr. Gilmer's disrespectful attitude towards Tom doesn't bother Scout because she is used to seeing members of her community talk down to black people. In a way, Scout has conformed to her society's prejudiced beliefs by accepting Mr. Gilmer's rude behavior.

What does Otis say the Littmus Lozenge tastes like to him in Kate DiCamillo's Because of Winn-Dixie?

In Chapter 19 of Kate DiCamillo's Because of Winn-Dixie, Opal gives Otis the candy called a Littmus Lozenge she had asked Miss Franny Block, the town librarian, for. When Otis tries the candy, he starts crying and says, "It tastes good, but it also tastes a little bit like being in jail."

Otis explains that he was arrested one day for playing his guitar on the street without a permit. When cops asked him to leave, he refused, and the cops handcuffed him. Since he couldn't continue playing his guitar with the handcuffs on, Otis, unfortunately, grew so angry he hit one of the cops, knocking him unconscious. Therefore, Otis was arrested on more serious charges, and while in jail, the cops refused to let him have his guitar, which broke his heart. Now, he no longer plays on the street. He only plays for the pets in the store.

Prior to Chapter 19, we learn in Chapter 17 that Miss Franny's great-grandfather, Littmus W. Block, made a fortune from his development and manufacture of Littmus Lozenges. She further explains that her great-grandfather, Littmus W. Block, returned from the Civil War, having fought for the Confederates, to find all of his family members dead from typhoid or from fighting on the battle field, leaving him an orphan. It was at that point in his life he decided to manufacture candy and secretly made them taste "sweet and sad." After Opal tried one of the candies herself, which she observed tasted like root beer and strawberry plus sorrow, she asked for more to give to people she knows who have experienced their own sorrows.

What dilemma does the sniper face when trying to shoot at the other sniper?

If the question is asking if the sniper had a moral dilemma about shooting the enemy sniper, I'm sorry to say there isn't a moral dilemma. The sniper has just killed the old woman and the soldier in the vehicle. The protagonist has been wounded in the process by the enemy sniper. He knows that he's in a tight spot. He can't stay on the roof and hide until morning because the enemy knows his location. The sniper knows he has to kill his enemy or will be killed himself. 

Morning must not find him wounded on the roof. The enemy on the opposite roof covered his escape. He must kill that enemy and he could not use his rifle.

The dilemma he faces is a tactical dilemma. He has been wounded and can no longer lift his rifle. He has to figure out how to kill his enemy using only his revolver.

The sniper comes up with a ruse to expose the enemy sniper. It works, and the protagonist then shoots and kills his enemy. In fact, the protagonist is excited and eager about the kill right before he pulls the trigger.  

The Republican sniper smiled and lifted his revolver above the edge of the parapet. . . His hand trembled with eagerness.

Then when the smoke cleared, he peered across and uttered a cry of joy. His enemy had been hit.

How far do Sources A to F support the assertion that the Cold War began due to Stalin's intransigence? Note: Please refer to images that I...

These sources offer conflicting ideas about whether Stalin's intransigence was to blame in starting the Cold War. Source E, written by American diplomat Henry Kissinger in 1994, offers the strongest case that Soviet intransigence was to blame. Kissinger refers to the "Long Telegram" sent by American diplomat George Kennan, who was stationed in Moscow at the start of the Cold War. Kennan believed that the Soviets' refusal to cooperate with the U.S. after the war arose from their Communist ideology, not from anything the U.S. had failed to do with regard to diplomacy. Source B, a cartoon from an American newspaper in 1947, suggests that the Soviets played a role in starting the Cold War, along with the United States, as the picture shows Stalin, the Soviet leader, carving up the world, along with Uncle Sam. 

Sources A and C suggest that United States, not the Soviets, was responsible for starting the Cold War. Source A, written by a Soviet ambassador, states that the U.S. was bent on world domination after World War II, enforced through the arms race and the stockpiling of weapons. Source C, written by an American academic in 1959, states that the U.S. was pursuing an "open-door policy," enforced through use of the atomic bomb, that left the Soviets no choice but to either give in to American domination or to fight it. Source E, written by a Soviet ambassador, suggests that internal conflicts within the Democratic Party in the U.S. led America to take a more hostile approach to the Soviet Union.  Source F, written in 1986 by an historian, offers a slightly different view. This source suggests that Britain and the powers in Western Europe compelled the U.S. to intervene in Europe after the war. 

What happens in chapter 4 of Twilight?

Let me start with chapter 3.  Tyler Crowley almost hits and kills Bella with his van in the parking lot, but Edward miraculously stops the van with his bare hands.  

Chapter 4 starts with Bella being the talk of the school because of her near death experience.  Tyler Crowley follows Bella around like a guilty puppy.  

Tyler Crowley was impossible, following me around, obsessed with making amends to me somehow. 

Bella doesn't appreciate all of the attention that she is getting, but the one person that she does want attention from (Edward) is ignoring her.  

When he sat next to me in class, as far from me as the table would allow, he seemed totally unaware of my presence.

A school dance is coming up, and Bella wants no part of it.  Despite not wanting any part of going to the dance, Tyler, Eric, and Mike all ask her to the dance.  Bella lies to each of them and tells them that she will be out of town that weekend. Edward overhears one of the boys asking Bella, and he hears Bella's excuse.  Edward believes her lie and offers her a ride to Seattle.  Bella is shocked that he is now talking to her, and Edward responds by saying that he's tired of trying to stay away from her.  

"It would be more… prudent for you not to be my friend," he explained. "But I'm tired of trying to stay away from you, Bella."

Bella is completely enamored by his vampire beauty and sultry voice, and she can do nothing except nod her agreement. 

His eyes were gloriously intense as he uttered that last sentence, his voice smoldering. I couldn't remember how to breathe.

"Will you go with me to Seattle?" he asked, still intense.

I couldn't speak yet, so I just nodded.

What is the climax of Number the Stars?

Lois Lowry's work of historical fiction, Number the Stars, follows the story of Annemarie Johansen, who puts her life at stake to rescue her Jewish best friend, Ellen Rosen, from being sent to a concentration camp. Ellen hides from Nazi forces searching for Danish Jews by hiding her identity and pretending to be Lise, the deceased older sister of Annemarie.

The climax of the novel occurs when Annemarie is tasked with delivering a very important packet for the Resistance to her Uncle Henrik. As Annemarie walks on the path to the harbor, she is confronted by four Nazi soldiers with snarling dogs. Annemarie pretends she is taking food to Henrik, but the soldiers do not believe her, tearing apart her basket of food and opening the Resistance's envelope to reveal a simple handkerchief. Annemarie is eventually released and successfully delivers the handkerchief (which turns out to contain a scent that will distract search dogs from discovering Jews hidden in the boat in the harbor) to her uncle.

What makes "That Was Then, This Is Now" a coming of age novel?

Bryon and Mark are both teenagers whose lives drastically change after a series of unfortunate, tragic events. At the beginning of the novel, Bryon and Mark are both carefree boys who have fun getting into trouble and messing around. Bryon is slightly more mature than Mark at the beginning of the story because Mark has no regard for authority whatsoever. As the novel progresses, Mark gets beaten up, Charlie dies, and Bryon falls in love with Cathy Carlson. The older Bryon gets, the more he begins to distance himself from Mark. Bryon gains perspective on life and understands that Mark does not know the difference between right and wrong. Bryon continues to mature and develop into a responsible young man, while Mark continues to break the law. Eventually, Bryon finds out that Mark is selling pills and calls the police on him which ends their friendship. At the end of the novel, Bryon no longer feels like a carefree child and realizes that there are consequences in life. Bryon's transformation and moral development classify That Was Then, This Is Now as a coming of age novel.

Why did Spain leave the Caribbean untouched?

Spain did not leave the Caribbean untouched during the Age of Exploration or thereafter. In fact, Christopher Columbus first claimed Caribbean islands, including Cuba and Puerto Rico, for Spain. As a result, thousands of indigenous peoples, including the Taino, were enslaved and decimated by diseases like smallpox. Spain established dozens of Caribbean colonies and remained among the dominant European powers even after the loss of Jamaica to England in the eighteenth century. Cuba and Puerto Rico in particular remained under Spanish control until the Spanish-American War in 1898 resulted in limited independence for Cuba and U.S. territorial status for Puerto Rico. Throughout the eighteenth century, the Caribbean was fiercely contested between Spain, England, and France. The fact that England largely prevailed in these struggles may explain why we do not think of the region as Spanish in character, but the fact is that the Caribbean experienced Spanish influence before, and perhaps even more profoundly, than any other region in the Americas during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

In Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, why does Shylock hate Antonio and want revenge against him?

Shylock and Antonio have a bad history. For one, they both disdain one another because of their religions. Shylock sees Christians as sanctimonious, like Antonio, or wild, like Gratiano and his friends. Antonio also expresses antisemitism. Shylock says to Antonio, “You call me misbeliever, cut-throat dog, / And spit upon my Jewish gaberdine.”

On top of that, the two have very different views of money, partly because Shylock’s main source of income is through charging interest. This is due to his outsider status as a Jewish man in Venice. Not many job opportunities were available to him. Antonio’s practice of lending “out money gratis” (without interest) undercuts Shylock’s business. Antonio sees Shylock as greedy and predatory, “and he rails, / Even there where merchants most do congregate, / On me [Shylock], my bargains and my well-won thrift.”

There is also a personal animosity between the two men. Antonio has kicked, insulted, and spat upon Shylock. When Shylock justifies usury by using examples in the Bible, Antonio compares him to the devil, “An evil soul,” “a villain,” and “A goodly apple rotten at the heart.”

Shylock’s fury is released when his daughter Jessica runs off with a Christian and steals his money. He decides to take out his anger on Antonio. It is then that he clearly describes his hatred against Antonio:

He hath disgraced me, and hindered me half a million; laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends, heated mine enemies; and what's his reason? I am a Jew.

Shylock’s deep resentment cannot be assuaged by pleas for mercy. However, in the end, Antonio is released, and Shylock is the only one to pay for his hatred.

How does the society in Gathering Blue maintain itself and control its citizens?

The society in Gathering Blue is led by an oligarchy, a Council of Guardians who enforce the laws and resolve disputes. While the guardians and their functions are rather mysterious to Kira, she eventually learns that the guardians are not above cruel, even murderous behavior. Her father was attacked and left for dead by one of the current guardians who wanted to be appointed to the Council rather than Christopher. It also seems that the Council may have deliberately caused the deaths of one or both parents of Thomas and Jo. The Council is gathering artists whom they can train to carry on the history of the society and to record its future. In fact, "they were forcing the children to describe the future they wanted, not the one that could be." Thus they lock Jo in her room and won't allow her to sing her own songs. Even the adult singer, whom people only see once a year, is actually a captive, as Kira learns when she observes his chained feet during the Gathering.

In the society, the guardians have power over life and death, and the citizens do not have rights. At Kira's trial, although the Council rules to save Kira's life, the chief guardian states to Vandara, "Actually ... you have no rights at all." The guardians evidently enjoy a much higher standard of living than the regular citizens, but there seems to be no thought of revolt. The society easily disposes of "damaged" people, and citizens probably know that the Council can dispose of anyone just as easily. 

The guardians also use the annual gathering, the worship object (cross), and the song, singer's robe, and singer's staff as tools to maintain order and cohesion within their society. Although much of the song is probably unintelligible to the populace, the citizens revere and obey the ritual. Finally, the Council enforces gender roles. Women cannot go on the hunt, and they cannot learn to read. 

What are some examples of onomatopoeia in Romeo and Juliet?

Although you could definitely create a comic book version of this play and fill it with classic examples of onomatopoeia like "smack" and "pow" as the characters are fighting, you won't find any of that in the original text of the play.

What you will find, though, are some examples of words that are onomatopoetic in a subtle way: words whose sounds suggest their meaning, and in some cases originally arose by imitation.

What I mean is that, for example, the word "hiss" came about because it echoes the actual sound of hissing, and words like "blow" and "thrust" perhaps didn't, but they still sound like appropriate approximations of the actions they denote. So let's see how "hiss," "blow," and "thrust" all come together in Act 1, Scene 1, as Benvolio is describing how the fight happened, especially how Tybalt was hacking his sword through the air:

"He swung about his head and cut the winds,
Who, nothing hurt withal, hissed him in scorn.
While we were interchanging thrusts and blows..."

Onomatopoeia doesn't have to be loud. A bit later in that scene, we'll find an example of soft, quiet onomatopoeia in the word "sigh." Say it aloud and hear how it's an echo of the exhalation it means. It's something Benvolio says as he's describing Romeo's sad mood:

"Adding to clouds more clouds with his deep sighs."

How do the members of Jess's family feel about Leslie in Bridge to Terabithia?

In general, Jess's family does not have a big problem with Jess being friends with Leslie. That does not mean they are all completely supportive of Jess, though. Jess's dad is probably the least supportive of the friendship. He has some fairly archaic ideas about how boys and girls should associate. He also doesn't like how Leslie tends to pull his only son away from doing "manly" things. Brenda and Ellie don't seem to have a problem with Jess and Leslie being friends, either. They tease Jess a lot about it, but I don't believe that means they are against the friendship. I would say that they like that Jess and Leslie hang out together because it gives Brenda and Ellie the opportunity to tease Jess more. May Belle is the most positive about the friendship between Jess and Leslie. That's why she is always trying to tag along and find out what they do together in the woods.

What did George do once that made him stop playing jokes on Lennie in Of Mice and Men?

One day George told Lennie to jump into the Sacramento River, assuming Lennie knew how to swim. Lennie did jump, but he did not know how to swim, so he nearly drowned before the frightened George and other men could rescue him. After this experience of nearly causing Lennie's death, George has played no more practical jokes on him.

In Chapter 3, George is in the bunkhouse and talks with Slim, who remarks on Lennie's strength and his ability to do so much work. "There ain't nobody that can keep up with him," Slim declares. Then, Slim observes that George and Lennie make an odd pair, inviting George to talk about himself and Lennie. George tells Slim that they are from the same town and Lennie was cared for by his aunt. After Lennie's Aunt Clara died, he started to work with George. "Got kinda used to each other after a while," George remarks.

George then confesses that he became accustomed to playing jokes on Lennie because he was "too dumb to take care of himself" and it made George seem smarter. George even admits that he could be abusive to Lennie, and the big man would not even become angry. "That wasn't so damn much fun after a while" (Chapter 3). Finally, George explains that he stopped playing practical jokes on Lennie after the time he ordered him to jump into the Sacramento River and Lennie jumped without even knowing how to swim. Because Lennie nearly drowned before being rescued, and he had forgotten that George was the one who told him to jump, George felt so guilty about this trick that he stopped his pranks against Lennie, saying, "Well, I ain't done nothing like that no more" (Chapter 3).

What is the nature of divine justice in "Oedipus the King"? Are the gods fair or unfair?

The question of divine justice is important in reading Oedipus Rex. One problem with thinking about this question, though, is that we must not impose modern religious ideas upon the Greek text, and we also must avoid looking at the text through the lens of sophisticated Greek philosophical thought. Instead, we should think about whether the gods in the play acted in a way consonant with the common religious beliefs of the period.

To us, Oedipus is condemned to a horrible destiny due to the acts not of himself, but of his father Laius. In this way, he is condemned through no real fault of his own. He does everything possible to avoid harming his stepparents and is a good ruler who genuinely cares about Thebes. Although one could argue that he is somewhat arrogant, he is really in an impossible situation. If he does not seek out the murderer, the whole city will suffer. To us, this seems grossly unfair.

On the other hand, Laius fully deserves his punishment and the way Greek gods punished people who violated the bonds of hospitality did include destroying entire families. Thus the acts of the gods in condemning Laius were not unusually cruel by standards of the period. Moreover, as we discover in the play Oedipus at Colonus, Oedipus eventually does find peace and redemption. 

A type of element that tends to lose electrons when they bond with other atoms is called _____ ?

Elements are the purest form of substances and cannot be further sub-divided into non-identical constituents (assuming no isotopes), unlike compounds and mixtures. Elements can be classified according to their tendency to lose electrons, gain electrons, or share electrons. The elements that generally tend to lose electrons when making bonds with other elements are called cations. These are frequently metals. Anions, on the other hand, like to accept electrons when making bonds with other elements. 

The ions of metals that are formed after losing the electron(s) are known as cations, while non-metallic ions—formed after gaining electron(s)—are called anions. Thus, Na+ is a cation and Cl- is an anion.

Some examples of metals include, sodium, calcium, magnesium, lithium, potassium, etc. Among these, sodium tends to lose 1 electron and becomes sodium ion (Na+) and can easily react with chloride (Cl-, an ion of chlorine, a non-metal) to form NaCl. Similarly, a calcium atom tends to lose 2 electrons when bonding with two chlorine atoms to form a molecule of CaCl2.

Hope this helps. 

`int 1 / (xsqrt(x^4-4)) dx` Find the indefinite integral

For the given integral: `int 1/(xsqrt(x^4-4))dx` , we may apply u-substitution by letting:

`u =x^4-4 ` then ` du = 4x^3 dx` .

Rearrange `du = 4x^3 dx` into `(du)/( 4x^3)= dx`

Plug-in `u =x^4-4`  and `(du)/( 4x^3)= dx` , we get:

`int 1/(xsqrt(x^4-4))dx =int 1/(xsqrt(u))* (du)/( 4x^3)`

                       ` =int 1/(4x^4sqrt(u))du`

Recall `u =x^4-4` then adding 4 on both sides becomes: `u + 4 = x^4` .

Plug-in `x^4 =u+4` in the integral:

`int 1/(4x^4sqrt(u))du` =`int 1/(4(u+4)sqrt(u))du`

Apply the basic integration property: `int c*f(x) dx = c int f(x) dx` :

`int 1/(4(u+4)sqrt(u))du=1/4int 1/((u+4)sqrt(u))du`

Apply another set of substitution by letting:

`v =sqrt(u) `  which is the same as `v^2 =u` .

Then taking the derivative on both sides, we get `2v dv = du` .

Plug-in `u =v^2` , `du = 2v dv` , and `sqrt(u)=v `  , we get:

`1/4 int 1/((u+4)sqrt(u))du = 1/4int 1/((v^2+4)v)(2v dv)`

We simplify by cancelling out common factors v and 2:

`1/4int 1/((v^2+4)v)(2v dv) =1/2int (dv)/(v^2+4) or1/2int (dv)/(v^2+2^2)`  

The integral part resembles the integration formula:

`int (du)/(u^2+a^2) = (1/a) arctan (u/a) +C`

 Then, 

`1/2 int (dv)/(v^2+4) =1/2 *(1/2) arctan (v/2) +C`

                        ` =1/4 arctan (v/2) +C`

Recall that we let `v =sqrt(u) ` and `u =x^4-4 `  then  ` v = sqrt(x^4-4)`

Plug-in `v = sqrt(x^4-4)` in  `1/4 arctan (v/2) +C`  to get the final answer:

`int 1/(xsqrt(x^4-4))dx =1/4 arctan (sqrt(x^4-4)/2) +C`

I have an essay due in a couple of days on Shakespeare's Macbeth. We must compare a scene that stood out to us in the movie and compare that same...

There have been many movie versions of Macbeth, including one by Orson Welles. If I had your assignment, and your tight deadline, I would choose a movie scene that was very different from the same scene in the play. This would make it easy to point out the differences. Movies can do visual things that are vastly different from stage plays. The film makers have all kinds of technical effects available. Two scenes I would consider are the following.

You might compare a movie version of the scene in which Banquo appears at Macbeth's banquet to Act 3, Scene 4 in the play. Shakespeare was very limited in props and effects. He could only show Banquo with tattered clothes and a lot of blood on him. Any movie version would make Banquo more ghostly and the whole scene more spectacular. You could focus on the visual effects and ignore the dialogue if you wanted to make your job easier. I am thinking that you have very little time.

Another possibility would be to compare the scene in the movie in which Macbeth confronts the three witches and they show him the three apparitions. This would correspond to Act 4, Scene 1 in Shakespeare's play. No doubt any movie version of the apparitions would be far more spectacular because the film makers could employ all kinds of special effects. Therefore it would be easy to point out the differences.

Movie versions of plays always tend to do things that can't be done on a stage. The filmmakers will try to "open up" the play by showing outdoor scenes. For example, in Act 1, Scene 6, King Duncan can only pretend to be looking up at Macbeth's castle. But in a movie version they would probably show Duncan outdoors looking up at a real castle.

It seems to me that you would be well advised to stay away from scenes in which there are just two or three people talking to each other and pick a scene in which there are lots of visual effects.

How does the title Dreaming Me suggest that the experiences of the author, Jan Willis, with Buddhism entailed contending with aired dimensions of...

The author of Dreaming Me, Jan Willis, has always contended with a somewhat painful sense of her identity. When she was born, her skin was so light that people implied that she couldn't be her father's daughter, though she was. Her sense of alienation and her later participation in the Civil Rights Movement and the practice of non-violence drove her interest in Buddhism. When she visited Indian Buddhists, she felt truly accepted. She writes, "These gentle people actually practiced what the Buddha had taught, and so radiated compassion to all beings" (page 95).

She relates different dreams that she's had throughout her life at the beginning of each part of her book. In the first part, she dreams of a ferocious, bloody lion, and she writes, "In spite of my fear, I wanted to touch him" (page 4). In a sense, her writings and her studying and teaching of Buddhism are a way to touch this lion, this fear that she has about racism and her own self-identity. The tile of her book, Dreaming Me, connects to the idea that Willis must chase away her fears, or the lions, that cramp her sub-conscious. She says that she has dreamed of these lions since she first started doing research into her family in the southern U.S. These lions, or fears, include her fear of being rejected by her community for embracing Buddhism and being educated far from home.

In this book and in her life's study and teaching of Buddhism, she embarks on a journey to embrace the different parts of herself and her identity by exploring far-away lands like India and discovering more about herself, her family's history, and her family's Baptist religion. In the end, she can dream of herself and create a new identify for herself out of all these parts. She can, she writes, "make peace with them," referring to the lions of her dreams (page 314).

What was one success of the Articles of Confederation?

The Articles of Confederation was our first plan of government after the Revolutionary War. One success this plan of government had was in how it dealt with the organization and the sale of western lands.

The Land Ordinance of 1785 was an excellent law that allowed for an orderly process to deal with lands in the West. The western lands were divided into townships that were six miles wide and six miles long. Each township was divided into 36 squares. The land was sold for $1.00 an acre. Most of the sections in a township were available for sale.

This law created a structured process for organizing the lands in the West. It also allowed the government to make money from the sale of these lands. Since the government couldn’t levy taxes, the sale of land was one way for the government to receive income.

The Land Ordinance of 1785 was one success of the government created by the Articles of Confederation.

What is an example of a force of attraction between two masses?

There are at least three forces that have an attractive aspect to them: the strong force, the electromagnetic force, and gravity. All three of these involve particles with mass, so all three meet the criteria of the question.

The strong force is what holds a nucleus together despite the repulsive positive charges of its protons. At the smaller scale, it also holds the quarks that compose the protons and neutrons themselves.

Electromagnetic attraction only takes place if the masses have opposite electrical charges, although this depends strongly upon the spin state of the masses as well; particles with integer spin can attract like charges instead of repelling them, but the possibility for attraction between masses remains, so this is simply picking at details.

Gravity is probably the most obvious of the attractive forces, and always involves attraction between masses. Our current understanding and theory is that gravity is always attractive, at least in part due to the aforementioned spin state of the gravitational interaction; gravity has a "charge." Because all other known masses share this integer charge, they all attract. 

What is a dialectical journal?

A dialectical journal is a format for logging entries and responses, either between a writer and reader or for an individual to record their own responses to events or media. Dialectical journals have become popular in public schools in the United States as a way for teachers to encourage their students to interact with and think critically about texts introduced in the classroom. For example, a class may be reading Romeo and Juliet, and the teacher might ask the students to "respond" to the play in their journals. This is an opportunity for students to flesh out criticism or commentary they have about the play, or ask questions on parts which confuse them. Teachers may then read the journals and in turn respond on paper or open up discussion with the entire class.

Dialectical journals may be useful for others engaged in study of media as a way of keeping track of their own thoughts in response to texts they encounter.

This method may be done with only a piece of paper and a pencil, though most teachers recommend dedicating a three-ring binder with loose leaf paper or a bound journal to this activity.

What are some key differences between the Tuck family and the Foster family?

One difference between the two families can be illustrated by examining their homes. The Foster family's home is cold and unwelcoming, while the Tuck family's home is a very warm and welcoming house. The book begins by describing the Foster house as a "touch-me-not" house. It's one of those homes in which everything looks neat and organized, but you are not allowed to touch anything. It's not a fun house to be in. Conversely, the house that the Tuck family lives in is not neat and ordered. It's not disgustingly messy, but Winnie gets the impression that the people and relationships within the house are more important than the tidiness of the house.

Another difference between the Tucks and the Fosters is their treatment of Winnie. The Fosters smother Winnie. They try to guide and rule over every part of her daily life. That's why Winnie is contemplating running away when the book first begins. On the hand, the Fosters treat Winnie like she is a full-fledged member of the family. They do want to protect her, but they don't try to control her or her decisions. The freedom that Winnie finds with the Tuck family stands in stark contrast to her experience with her own family, and it is probably why she falls in love with the Tucks so easily.

The outdoor temperature was 8 degrees at midnight.The temperature declined 5 degrees during each of the next 3 hours. What was the temperature at 3...

The outdoor temperature was 8 degrees at midnight (12:00 a.m.).

The temperature declined (or decreased) 5 degrees during each of the next 3 hours.

What was the temperature at 3:00 a.m. ?

At 12:00 a.m. the temperature was 8 degrees. During the first hour the temperature decreased by 5 degrees. This means at 1:00 a.m. the temperature was 8 degrees - 5 degrees = 3 degrees.

During the second hour the temperature decreased by another 5 degrees.  This means at 2:00 a.m. the temperature was 3 degrees - 5 degrees =-2 degrees. 

During the third hour the temperature again degreased by another 5 degrees. This means at 3:00 a.m. the temperature was -2 degrees -5 degrees =-7 degrees. 

The temperature at 3:00 a.m. was -7 degrees.

What is revolutionary about the rights laid out in the Declaration of Independence?

Democracies had existed before in history.  Classical Athens had a democracy.  Republics were also popular throughout history as well--most of the Founding Fathers looked to Rome as a model for their government.  What made the Declaration of Independence so unique was that it said that three basic rights--life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness--were given to everyone from birth.  Unlike Athens and Rome, there were to be no class distinctions in America.  While Thomas Jefferson did own slaves and nearly everyone agreed that the Declaration of Independence did not apply towards women, Native Americans, and African-Americans, the document was unique in that it gave the same rights to all free men.  

Another thing that was unique and even dangerous was that the Declaration of Independence gave the people the right to overthrow their government when it was not responsive to the needs of the people.  Jefferson even lays out the case for this when he describes British practices of arbitrary taxation and quartering soldiers in the colonies.  By giving the people the right to choose their own government, Jefferson implied that government exists for the people, not people for the government.  Of course, Jefferson follows up his proclamation that the people have the right to overthrow their government with the word "prudence," which means that the people should not undertake this responsibility lightly.  

What is the solution to the story "Thank You, M'am"?

At the end of the story, Roger does not run away but leaves Mrs. Jones on good terms.

The problem in this story is that Roger tries to steal a woman’s purse, and she tries to teach him right from wrong. It would seem that she succeeded, because not only did Roger not run away, he also had a nice talk with Mrs. Jones.

When Roger does not succeed in stealing her purse, Mrs. Jones ends up taking him home. She tells him that any contact he has with her is going to last awhile. Mrs. Jones behaves in a very motherly fashion to Roger. She notes that his face is unwashed and no one is home at 11 at night.

Mrs. Jones gives Roger many chances to walk away, but he doesn’t. He is curious about her, and he is not a bad kid. He just made a bad decision. Mrs. Jones explains to him that she knows what it is like to be young, and she tells him that if he wanted money he just needed to ask.

Roger tells her he wanted blue suede shoes, but it is obvious that he is just lonely and misguided. This meeting will clearly have an effect on him. He even asks her if she needs anything from the store. Roger feels like he has been mentored.

The boy wanted to say something else other than “Thank you, m’am” to Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones, but he couldn’t do so as he turned at the barren stoop and looked back at the large woman in the door. He barely managed to say “Thank you” before she shut the door. And he never saw her again.

There is a wistfulness to this last paragraph. Roger enjoyed Mrs. Jones’s company. He wants to be a better person. Although she may be somewhat gruff, she cared enough about him to bring him home. Her caring will have a lasting effect.

If light waves change speed as they pass from one medium into another at an angle, what will the light be?

If light waves change speed as they pass from one medium into another at an angle, the light will be refracted. To understand why this is true, one must first understand what refraction is. Refraction is generally defined as the phenomenon that occurs when a wave of light passes the boundary of one medium, and enters into another medium, leading to a change in the velocity of the light. This change in velocity also leads to a change in the wavelength of the light. Because of these changes in velocity and wavelength, the refracted light undergoes a shift in its angle in the second medium relative to the angle at which it left the first medium. This type of phenomenon is why objects underwater appear to an observer, located outside of the water, to be in a different location than the object is physically within the medium.

Why was Lennie frustrated in Of Mice and Men?

Lennie is frustrated because George doesn’t allow him to have pets.  He has trouble remembering things.  He is also frustrated when Curley picks on him, because he doesn’t understand what is happening. 

Before George and Lennie get to the ranch, they stop to rest and Lennie finds a mouse.  George knows he has it and makes him throw the dead mouse away, but this frustrates Lennie.  He wants to pet the mouse. 

Lennie's closed hand slowly obeyed. George took the mouse and threw it across the pool to the other side, among the brush. "What you want of a dead mouse, anyways?"

"I could pet it with my thumb while we walked along," said Lennie. (Ch. 1) 

Later, Lennie gets a puppy and the same thing happens.  He kills it by accident and Curley’s wife finds him stroking a dead puppy.  She doesn’t realize that his wanting to pet things gets him into trouble.  They were run out of Weed for him touching a lady’s dress.  He accidentally kills Curley’s wife too, breaking her neck because he wants to stroke her hair. 

Lennie also gets frustrated when he can’t remember things.  George looks out for him.  He knows where they are going and speaks for Lennie when they get there. 

"…You remember about us goin' in to Murray and Ready's, and they give us work cards and bus tickets?"

"Oh, sure, George. I remember that now." His hands went quickly into his side coat pockets. He said gently, "George... I ain't got mine. I musta lost it." He looked down at the ground in despair. (Ch. 1) 

George tells him he didn’t lose his work card, he just never had it.  He wouldn’t let him keep his own work card, because he would lose it.  Lennie doesn’t mind this though, because George is looking after him. 

Lennie gets into trouble again with Curley.  George tells him not to mess with Curley, because Curley wants trouble.  Lennie tries to listen, but Curley sees him smiling and picks a fight.  Frustrated, Lennie fights back when George gives him permission. 

George shouted over and over. "Leggo his hand, Lennie. Leggo. Slim, come help me while the guy got any hand left."

Suddenly Lennie let go his hold. He crouched cowering against the wall. "You tol' me to, George," he said miserably. (Ch. 3) 

Lennie doesn’t understand the world around him.  He is a mild-mannered, kind man.  However, he is very strong.  He was able to injure Curley badly just by hanging on to him.  He was frightened and frustrated by this incident too.

How does the electronegativity of elements depend on atomic size?

Electronegativity can be thought of as the ability of an atom to pull the bonding pair of electrons towards itself. The more electronegative an atom is, the closer the bonding pair will be to it. Metals generally have low electronegativity, while non-metals have higher values of electronegativity. When the electronegativity difference between the bonding atoms is high, we get an ionic bond. When the bonding atoms have similar electronegativity, we get a non-polar covalent bond.

Electronegativity is dependent upon the size of the atom, since the attraction for electrons falls rapidly as the distance from the nucleus increases. The larger the atom gets, the more distant electrons become from the nucleus and hence have lesser attraction to the atom. That is why electronegativity decreases as we go down a group in the periodic table. This is because between each successive group member (as we go down), an extra electron shell is added to the atom and the bonding electrons become more distant from the nucleus. However, when we move across a period in the periodic table, electronegativity increases, since the atomic size decreases across a period.

Hope this helps.

Assess the role played by the Marshall Plan in United States' economic imperialism in Europe.

The Marshall Plan, commonly called the European Recovery Program, was a plan developed by the United States after World War II ended to keep communism from spreading in Europe. The Soviet Union was trying to spread communism while we were trying to prevent it from spreading. We gave economic aid to European countries that were fighting the spread of communism. For example, we gave aid to both Greece and Turkey. Neither of these countries became communist. We believed that if a country's economy was strong, they would be less likely to turn to communism. Since Secretary of State Marshall announced this plan, it is also called the Marshall Plan. 

By providing economic aid to some of the European countries, the United States was able to spread its economic influence in Europe. When the European countries received the aid from the United States, they often spent the money on products made in the United States. This helped keep people in the United States employed, which was good for our economy. The development of this program was part of the reason why we were prosperous after World War II ended. 

The United States not only spread its economic influence in Europe with this plan, it also helped our economy at home.

What is Alice Walker saying in "Everyday Use" about the nature of heritage?

It seems as though Walker does not want us to agree with Dee or Dee's ideas about heritage because she presents Dee as a relatively unsympathetic character.  She's described in ways that make her presence seem painful or damaging to her family: she "burned [them] with knowledge" when she was young, and she insisted that she would come to visit her mother and sister -- though she would never bring her friends -- because she seemed to be embarrassed about where and how they lived.  When she returns home, she is unkind and selfish, insisting that she be allowed to take items from her mother's house that her mother and sister still use.

Mama and Maggie, on the other hand, are very sympathetic.  Mama longs to have a good relationship with Dee, and she feels the sting of their alienation from one another.  Maggie is quiet and reserved but ultimately generous and kind.  They prize their heritage by keeping family stories alive, by knowing family history, and by using -- everyday -- the items hand-made by family members; this way of viewing heritage seems to keep it alive, in the present and not stuck in the past.  Dee, however, sees heritage as something to preserve and hang on the wall, something to show off but not to use, and certainly not to put to "everyday use."  In fact, she criticizes Maggie because she believes that Maggie would destroy their heritage by using these items each day.  Because of the way Walker presents these three characters, it seems as though she wants us to agree with Mama and Maggie's view of heritage: it is best kept and appreciated through frequent use and remembering, not by hanging it on the wall.  Heritage is in the stories that Dee doesn't know, not the quilts that she so desperately wants.

In chapter 10 of Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs, and Steel, what was the importance of diffusion?

In Chapter 10, Diamond explains that the diffusion, or spread, of crops happened more easily in some geographic locations than others. If crops are not spread naturally from one region to another, the crop must be domesticated independently in different regions, making the process more difficult.

Food production spread through natural processes in Southwest Asia (the Fertile Crescent) but not in the Americas and probably not in sub-Saharan Africa. Diffusion occurred more easily in Eurasia because of its east-west axis, meaning that areas within this region are in the same climate and biome zones. Crops that spread from the Fertile Crescent to other parts of Eurasia were therefore well adapted to the regions into which they spread, unlike in the Americas and Africa (which are on north-south axes). The orientation of a continent or region not only affected the diffusion of crops but also the likelihood that innovations would be easily spread from one part of the region to another. Regions with east-west axes, like Southwest Asia, were better able to naturally diffuse crops and innovations, making them more productive and prosperous. 

Describe Adam Smith's contribution to the scientific revolution

The scientific revolution, which refers to the development of modern science, occurred largely before Adam Smith's lifetime; it began with Copernicus's 16th century writings on astronomy and ended with the rise of the Enlightenment in the mid-18th century, and Smith lived from 1723 to 1790. However, the scientific revolution was a major influence on the Age of Enlightenment, which Smith was a key contributor to. It was the development of the modern scientific method during the scientific revolution that led Enlightenment-era philosophers to apply scientific thought to social life, and create new theories and fields of study around human behavior using scientific principles. Smith's writings helped develop the modern field of economics; "The Wealth of Nations," published in 1776, is considered one of the first texts of modern economics. Therefore, while Smith is not considered a contributor to the scientific revolution, the scientific revolution was crucial to the development of the Enlightenment and the field of modern economics.

How do I write an original scene based on 1984 by George Orwell? It has to be 1500-2000 words and be a scene about a minor character in the story....

1984 is a great choice for this assignment because it gives you license to be very creative if you so choose. How close do you want to stick to the actual storyline, and how dark do you want it to be?

You could write about O'Brien, who knowingly lures Winston and Julia into betraying Oceania. Is he a harsh, scheming character with no heart? Did something happen to make him into the person he is? Or maybe you could turn him into a triple agent: he actually is trying to bring down Big Brother but had to give up Winston and Julia to do so.

What about Winston's former wife, Katharine? Their story is told entirely by Winston, who by his own admission wanted to push her from a great height—perhaps she is a great deal more complex than he gives her credit for. 

You could write about Goldstein, who is a nebulous figure. Is he real or a figurehead? If he's real, you could write his story. If he's not, you could write the story of how he was created. (This could also work for Big Brother.)

Finally, there's a scene in which Winston hears a prole woman outside his apartment with Julia. You could tell her story from that day, how she saw a man looking out the window, or the story of the proles.

In The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton, what do Ponyboy, Sodapop, Steve, Darry and Two-Bit fight for?

In the beginning of Chapter Nine of S. E. Hinton's novel The Outsiders, the greasers are preparing for a rumble against the Socs. Ponyboy tries to determine why each greaser fights. He first questions his brother Sodapop, who responds by saying he likes to fight because fights are "a contest" and are similar to a "drag race." Steve responds that he fights because he has a bitter dislike for the Socs and that he would simply like to "stomp the other guy good." Darry, on the other hand, seems to fight so that he can show off his muscles and Ponyboy relates that Darry enjoyed contests of strength such as "weight-lifting or playing football." For Two-Bit, fighting was just part of life as a greaser. He says, "Shoot, everybody fights." In contrast, Ponyboy admits that he really doesn't like to fight and that fighting should be limited to "self-defense." Because of what happened to Johnny, however, Ponyboy is eager to fight in this rumble in order to "whip the Socs" who had caused so much trouble for the boys. In the end, Ponyboy sums it up: "Soda fought for fun, Steve for hatred, Darry for pride, and Two-Bit for conformity." 

What is the cultural setting of Miss Julie?

Miss Julie was written in 1888 by August Strindberg. It is set in Sweden and addresses the political and social upheavals of that country in the nineteenth century. 

Miss Julie is the daughter of a Count, a Swedish aristocrat, and the play is set in her father's manor. The setting is rural, meaning that the Count and his family are extremely powerful locally. During this period, the peasantry and growing bourgeois class were challenging the power of the hereditary nobility as Sweden was moving towards universal male suffrage and even extending the franchise to women. This meant that the social structure of society was undergoing dramatic upheavals, moving from an aristocratic one to a bourgeois one, with shifting gender roles. 

This cultural setting forms the backdrop for Julie's own transgressive behavior. She is portrayed as a dominatrix in her relationship with her fiancé (against which he eventually rebels). She breaks social barriers in sharing festivities with her servants and sleeping with Jean; traditionally, while male aristocrats were tacitly permitted to sexually abuse female servants, for a female noble to seduce a male servant was taboo. The play was considered scandalous in its own period. 

Why is the setting is such a critical element in the story's effect in “There Will Come Soft Rains?” The story is set in the future. Why...

One of the key elements of this story is the theme that technology and human innovation can be destructive.  This theme would not be as effective if the story were set in the past, where there was no such technology.

We do not know exactly what happened in “There Will Come Soft Rains,” but we know that the event was some kind of catastrophic nuclear event.  We can tell this from the description of the people and what happened to them.

The water pelted windowpanes, running down the charred west side where the house had been burned evenly free of its white paint. The entire west face of the house was black, save for five places.  Here the silhouette in paint of a man mowing a lawn. Here, as in a photograph, a woman bent to pick 3 flowers.

The man, woman, and their children have turned into spots of paint.  That is some kind of serious explosion.  That and the house’s automation are related in Bradbury’s exploration of the theme.  The house is fully automated, which is advanced technology.  It is some of the same advanced technology that killed the family.

The irony of it is that technology killed the family, and technology is at work in the house continuing on in its business without the family even being there.  The house is not aware that the family is gone.  It just does what it was programmed to do.

Until this day, how well the house had kept its peace. How carefully it had inquired, "Who goes there? What's the password?" and, getting no answer from lonely foxes and whining cats, it had shut up its windows and drawn shades in an old maidenly preoccupation with self-protection which bordered on a mechanical paranoia.

This situation would be completely different if the story took place in the past.  Yes, a war could still kill the family.  However, the cause of the family’s death would be a different message to society.  There would be no automated house.

Discuss features of realism. Give two examples that explain realism in practice

Legal realism is a philosophy that the law should be applied by judges according to certain principles. It developed in the late 1800's, chiefly by Oliver Wendell Holmes, in opposition to the traditional philosophy of legal formalism.

Legal realists generally felt that the law was not always applied fairly. They questioned the neutrality of laws that all too often favored the powerful. So they adopted a set of principles that they felt realistically looked at the behavior of judges and also helped ensure that the law benefited all the people, not just the powerful. Those principles are:

1. The law usually helps the powerful maintain their wealth. Realists helped combat this problem by frequently ruling against interests who sought monopolistic power.

The following is an example from legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com that demonstrates this principle:

For example, in Palmer v. Mulligan, 3 Cai. R. 307, 2 a.d. 270 (1805), a downstream landowner asked the New York Supreme Court to grant him the exclusive right to use river water for commercial activity despite any injuries that might result to upstream owners. The court refused to grant such a right because if it did "the public would be deprived of the benefit which always attends competition and rivalry."

2. Judges have their own personal styles and beliefs. Legal formalists would have you believe that the law can only be interpreted correctly in one way. But because of the terms that are used in creating laws, much of the interpretation of the law's applicability in a given case is a matter of a judge's opinion. Those opinions can vary widely, depending on a judges on beliefs and prejudices.

Here's another example from legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com:

In The Nature of the Judicial Process, a groundbreaking book first published in 1921, [Supreme Court Justice Cardozo] argued that law is a malleable instrument that allows judges to mold amorphous words like reasonable care, unreasonable restraint of trade, anddue process to justify any outcome they desire.

3. Judges should consider the overall effect of their decisions on society. It is proper, according to a legal realist, to consider what will happen to society as a result of his decision. The aftermath of a ruling matters.

4. Judges should be practical in their decision making and try to arrive at a “durable” decision that will have lasting value.

5. Lawyers should look at the history of a specific judge in order to understand what might happen in his court. It isn't enough just to examine the laws in question in a specific case, you must try study the judge too.

Is Nick Carraway an honest person in The Great Gatsby?

Nick Carraway certainly believes he is an honest person, and, in my opinion, he is. Nick seems to be telling readers the truth when he tells this story; he shares a great deal of information that reveals his emotional vulnerability, such as when he and Jordan speak for the last time. He admits he was "Angry, and half in love with her, and tremendously sorry, [he] turned away." A dishonest person would be likely to hide such things. 

Also, when Nick sees Tom Buchanan for the last time in the text, he initially refuses to shake Tom's hand, saying, "You know what I think of you." In addition, Nick seems to understand the complexity of his feelings about Gatsby: although Gatsby represents everything Nick dislikes, Nick still ultimately thinks Gatsby is better than the rest of the shoddy "Eggs" crowd. I think Nick feels a little helpless against the Buchanans' power, but he is still relatively honest.

What is Atticus' defense strategy in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird?

Atticus' strategy to defend Tom Robinson is to essentially illustrate the Ewells' despicable character, draw attention to the Ewells' conflicting testimonies, highlight the location of Mayella's injuries, reveal that Bob Ewell is left-handed, and to point out Tom Robinson's handicap. Atticus also plans to encourage each jury member to view the case void of prejudice by judging solely on the evidence and testimonies presented.

Atticus begins to by questioning Sheriff Tate to describe the specific location of Mayella's injuries. Tate says that Mayella was beaten predominately on the right side of her face and that her right eye was swollen. When Bob Ewell takes the stand, Atticus asks him to confirm Sheriff Tate's testimony regarding the location of Mayella's bruises, and he does. Atticus then proceeds to ask Bob to sign his signature on the back of an envelope. When Bob signs the paper, it is revealed that he is left-handed. The significance of Bob's "strong hand" comes into play later on in the trial.

When Atticus cross-examines Mayella, he asks her numerous questions regarding her home life. It is revealed that the Ewell family is dirt poor, Bob is a hopeless alcoholic who has violent tendencies when he is drunk, and Mayella is solely responsible for raising her siblings. Atticus asks Mayella to describe the assault, and she is unable to give an accurate description of what happened. When Atticus asks her if she remembers being beaten in the face, she says, "No, I don't recollect if he hit me. I mean yes I do, he hit me" (Lee 248). Atticus understands that Mayella's fabricated story will crumble under pressure, which is why he continues to question her about the events of the evening when she was allegedly raped.

When Atticus asks Mayella to identify her perpetrator, she points to Tom Robinson. Atticus has Tom stand up to reveal to the jury and audience that his left arm is severely crippled. This is a significant moment in the trial because the audience is aware that an individual leading predominately with their left arm could inflict injuries to the right side of a person's face. Tom cannot use his left arm, and Bob Ewell is, in fact, left-handed which suggests his guilt.

When Mayella claims that Tom was the man who raped her, Atticus simply asks, "How?" (Lee 249). Mayella knows that it is obvious that Tom could not have raped her and begins to alter her testimony. Atticus applies more pressure by asking her consecutive questions that she refuses to answer. Atticus asks, "Why don't you tell the truth, child, didn't Bob Ewell beat you up?" (Lee 251). Mayella's silence signifies her guilt.

When Tom takes the witness stand, Atticus begins by bringing up the fact that Tom was once convicted of disorderly conduct. Jem tells Dill that Atticus was showing the jury that Tom had nothing to hide. Atticus allows Tom to tell his version of what happened the evening of November 21st which is drastically different from Mayella's story. Atticus had mentioned before that he wanted the entire truth to be told during the trial which is why he allows Tom to tell it in explicit detail.

During Atticus' closing remarks he elaborates on the fact that no medical evidence was presented and draws attention to the Ewells' conflicting testimonies. Atticus reveals Mayella's motivation for accusing Tom Robinson by claiming that she felt guilty about getting caught seducing a Negro. He then urges the jury not to let their prejudice affect their decision because every man is considered equal in a court of law. By appealing to the jury's conscience, he hopes that Tom will be acquitted.

Explain how the character of Macbeth changed after the killing of King Duncan.

Prior to killing Duncan, Macbeth felt guilty and unsure.  He told his wife, Lady Macbeth, "We will proceed no further in this business" (1.7.34), and he even hallucinates a dagger, first clean and then bloodied, because he is so anxious and guilt-ridden at the thought of the murder he's about to commit.  However, once Macbeth has done the deed, and after he gets over his initial concern for his soul, he becomes a great deal more ruthless and feels a lot less guilty about the violent steps he takes. 

Once he's killed Duncan in order to acquire the throne, he soon begins to feel that he must get rid of Banquo and Banquo's son if he is to keep his new position and power.  The Weird Sisters had said that Banquo would not be king, but he would father kings, and Macbeth doesn't want to lose the throne to anyone of Banquo's line.  He promptly decides to kill his once-best friend; he convinces two murderers that it is Banquo's fault that they are poor and destitute, and thus persuades them to murder him (and Fleance, though Fleance escapes).  Further, Macbeth feels no guilt about this action, and he no longer considers the state of his soul. 

Descending into even greater ruthlessness and tyranny, Macbeth eventually murders the family and servants of Macduff, as a way of sending a message to his political enemy.  Macbeth has murdered Duncan and Banquo, and attempted to murder Fleance, and now he actually murders an innocent woman and her children as well as a great many innocent servants, simply because of their connection to Macduff.  It is a despicable move that showcases just how much worse a person Macbeth has become; he's abandoned every loyalty and he seems to have no conscience left. 

Who was Robert Frost?

Robert Frost was an American poet born in San Francisco, California at the end of the 19th century. He wrote a number of his most famous poems, including "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," "The Road Not Taken," and "After Apple Picking" fairly early on in his career. Frost is often referred to as an American nature poet; however, the general appeal of his poetry is not found merely in its nature imagery, but in its metaphorical musing on the nature of life, death, work and happiness, and these themes are illuminated by the detailed images he creates.

Frost came from a fairly wealthy family, but he was expected to make his own way and work for a living. He attended Harvard briefly and also tried to earn a living as a farmer. However, his early years did not see him established in a steady vocation. Frost lived in a number of places, including England, and around the New England states. His travels exposed him to many people and sights that inspired his work. His poetry seemed to flourish best when he settled in Vermont, but prior to that Frost was obliged to take on occasional teaching jobs to support his family. Eventually he was able to make his living as a poet.

Frost won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry four times; this is one of the highest accolades available to poets. Also, Frost's work has been anthologized more often than perhaps any other American poet's. Having one's poetry included in an anthology usually indicates that the poet's work is considered important enough to be part of the literary canon.

Frost's work is well loved for its universal appeal and simple language that reveals deep truths about the human condition; he could be called the most famous American poet.

What role did John Calvin, Ignatius Loyola, and John Knox play in the Reformation?

John Calvin, Ignatius of Loyola, and John Knox each played an important role during the Reformation era.

• John Calvin was a French Protestant theologian whose most important work was the development of what later came to be called "Calvinism." Calvinism emphasizes the sovereignty of God in human salvation, as opposed to Arminianism, which emphasizes humanity's free will to choose salvation.


• John Knox led the Reformation in Scotland and served as the founder of the Scottish Presbyterian denomination. Knox was instrumental in Scotland's later conversion to Presbyterianism rather than Anglicanism (as England did when it became Protestant).


• Unlike the other two men, Ignatius of Loyola opposed the Protestant Reformation. He founded the Society of Jesus, an organization which emphasized obedience to authority (especially religious authority). In this way, Ignatius helped promote the Counter-Reformation, the Catholic response to the Protestant Reformation.

What pages of To Kill a Mockingbird describe the location of Deer's Pasture?

Deer's Pasture was a field in between the Finch house and the schoolyard.  It could be reached by "[crawling] under the fence" in the Finch's backyard.  One summer, Scout and Dill "kicked Jem's football around the pasture."  

The first mention of Deer's Pasture was in chapter six.  In my book, it is on page 55.  It was on this page that the location of the pasture was mentioned.  This was from the scene when Scout, Jem, and Dill snuck around the Radley house to spy on Boo.  The three children ran away through Deer's Pasture as Mr. Radley shot his gun into the air.

Later in that same chapter, Deer's Pasture was mentioned again.  In my book, it is on page 58.  Jem snuck through Deer's Pasture to go back to the Radley house and retrieve his pants.

Deer's Pasture was mentioned a final time in chapter fifteen.  In my book, it is on page 150.  Dill and Scout spent time in Deer's Pasture, "creeping around" and playing with a football together.

What animal does Ponyboy dissect?

In Chapter 1, Ponyboy is describing how the Socs are different from the Greasers. He mentions that the Soc girls looked down on the Greasers and treated them like they were dirt. Later on that night, Ponyboy is doing homework and starts thinking about how the character Pip from the novel Great Expectations is similar to the members in the Greaser gang. Pony says that Pip also felt lousy when he was looked down upon by others because he wasn't a gentleman. Pony then comments about a time in biology class that he was looked down upon by a girl. In class, Ponyboy had to dissect a worm, and he took out his switchblade to cut it open because the razor the teacher gave him was dull. The girl who was sitting beside Pony gasped and told him, "They are right. You are a hood" (Hinton 14). Ponyboy then mentioned that her comment didn't make him "feel so hot."