What are some bad things Ralph does in Lord of the Flies by William Golding? What are some good things he does?

Ralph is written as a round character, meaning that he is well-developed and, like a real person, has positive and negative traits and behaviors. Right from the beginning of the story, readers understand that Ralph is just a typical boy when he can't resist teasing Piggy for his nickname. He also tells the other boys the name even though Piggy specifically asked him not to. Like most young people, he pays more attention to the older boys and tends to ignore the little ones. He only off-handedly gives Piggy the assignment to take roll of all the littluns, not realizing the importance of someone taking responsibility for their care. This leads to the death of the boy with the birthmark in the fire. In addition, he ridicules Simon and calls him "batty." Although Ralph doesn't get carried away with hunting to the extent that Jack does, when he has a chance to hunt, he gets overly excited and participates with the other boys in a mock pig hunt that actually hurts and scares Robert. This foreshadows Ralph's worst failing, namely participating in the murder of Simon. 

Despite those failings, Ralph does a lot of good things and represents the side of virtue and order on the island. He feels sympathy for Jack when the other boys don't vote for him, and so Ralph lets Jack choose something to be in charge of. He runs the meetings in democratic fashion, trying to let everyone speak as long as he has the conch. He works hard building shelters even when most of the boys don't help. He continually thinks about the long-term welfare of the boys, namely their rescue, and works hard to keep the signal fire a priority. He eventually recognizes Piggy as a true friend and disapproves of Jack's violent and unethical behavior. He stands up for Piggy against Jack and tries to get Piggy's glasses back after Jack steals them. Although Ralph is not perfect, he displays many admirable qualities.

How can we relate the play Macbeth to today's life?

One of the ways in which we can relate this play to life today is by examining the character of Macbeth.  He has a number of flaws and is easily manipulated, and, even in the 21st century, we can learn from his mistakes.  After he first speaks with the Weird Sisters and after he learns that he's been made Thane of Cawdor, he comes to believe, whole-heartedly, in everything they tell him.  His friend, Banquo, however, is more circumspect, saying, "oftentimes, to win us to our harm, / The instruments of darkness tell us truths, / Win us with honest trifles, to betray 's / In deepest consequence" (1.3.135-138).  Banquo is right to be suspicious of the witches' motives, and perhaps had Macbeth regarded them with greater caution (or listened to his friend's wise words), the play would not have ended so tragically.  

Further, Macbeth is aware of his flaw of "Vaulting ambition," but he lacks self-awareness when it comes to other potential problems with his own character (1.7.27).  For example, he seems unaware of the fact that his pride might be even a worse flaw than his ambition.  He determines not to go ahead with Duncan's murder based on his ambition alone, but when his wife wounds his pride, he relents.  She says, "When you durst do it, then you were a man"; in other words, he was a man when he planned to kill Duncan, but his reversal has rendered him a "coward" (1.7.56, 47).  She goads him and scolds him and insults him, and he gives in to her relatively quickly.  Again, he is surprisingly easy to manipulate, and his lack of self-awareness helps to cause his tragedy.

From Macbeth, then, we can learn to be more cautious in our dealings with others.  A healthy dose of skepticism is not a bad thing.  Moreover, it seems important that we develop an awareness of our flaws not only so that we can work to become better but also because it will help prevent us from being exploited or manipulated by others.

How does Napoleon gain power over Animal Farm and how does he maintain it?

Napoleon gains power over the animals by two means. First, he twists the ideas of the animals' revolution to suggest that questioning his authority is tantamount to treason to Animal Farm, and the good of the whole. This is part of his larger strategy of manipulation of the truth. Squealer, his "propaganda minister," is especially adept at getting the animals to believe whatever is necessary to promote Napoleon's power. After Napoleon drives Snowball from the farm, for example, it is Squealer who convinces the animals that constructing the windmill was actually Napoleon's idea (even though Snowball had publicly endorsed it against Napoleon's wishes). He further suggests that Snowball, who had in fact fought bravely in the battles to establish Animal Farm, had in fact been in league with Jones, the farmer, the whole time. Snowball's ability to twist information is best exemplified by the winnowing down of the original Seven Commandments to one, which claims that while all animals are equal, some animals "are more equal than others."

The other means by which Napoleon maintains power is terror. We see this most clearly when he uses the dogs to massacre dozens of animals in the barnyard, each of which is accused of (indeed many freely confess to) treason against the farm. This bloodletting is meant to remind readers of the bloody purges of Joseph Stalin in the Soviet Union. Like Stalin and many other dictators, Napoleon justifies this violence by suggesting that it is all for the greater good, but also that the farm is constantly under threat from the outside. The humans, Napoleon claims, are conniving with Snowball to destroy the animals' ideal society. If the farm is always in crisis, then Napoleon can always justify extreme means to supposedly protect it.

The overproduction, lack of production or production of the wrong enzyme can cause cells to do what?

The exact effect depends strongly upon the enzyme in question, but in general we can say that these malfunctions could cause the cell to operate less efficiently, or to die. 

Let's say the enzyme in question is helicase, which assists in DNA replication by "unzipping" the double helix via breaking the hydrogen bonds between the nitrogenous bases:

• Overproduction of helicase could result in excessive splitting of strands outside of the normal conditions in which this process is allowed; in one of the sources below, observations suggest this can lead to illegitimate recombination, which is the fusing of two nonhomologous DNA strands. This would almost certainly lead to loss of function and fidelity in the organism.


• Lack of production of helicase would lead to inability to catalyze this reaction, which may prevent the organism from undergoing mitosis successfully.


• Production of the wrong enzyme would depend upon what "wrong" enzyme was produced, but the effects would also include those that occur due to a lack of production, since no helicase is being made.

In Arthur Miller's The Crucible, why does Elizabeth Proctor say, "John, if it were not Abigail that you must go to hurt, would you falter now ? I...

Elizabeth Proctor knows that her husband, John, was having an affair with Abigail Williams some seven months prior when Abigail worked for their family.  In fact, this is why she dismissed Abigail from their service.  Now, the accusations made by Abigail and her friends are growing quickly, and yet Abigail had told John privately, on the day Betty Parris took sick and the accusations began, that Betty wasn't witched, that she'd only been frightened by her father.  John failed to share this information with anyone in authority at the time, and Elizabeth exhorts him to make it public now.  John doesn't seem to want to, and this prompts Elizabeth to suggest that he might, perhaps, still have some feelingd for Abigail and that this is why he doesn't want to come forward with information that would get her in trouble.  Elizabeth believes that he doesn't want to speak up because it would hurt Abigail for him to share what she told him.

How does Romeo change during Act One?

The biggest change in Romeo's character occurs at the end of Act One, when he encounters Juliet at the Capulet family masque. To this point, he has been sullen and moping, heartbroken over his unrequited love for a girl named Rosaline who the audience does not meet. Rosaline, it seems, has not only rejected Romeo, but has sworn to remain chaste, refusing the attentions of all men. Romeo's cousin Benvolio and his friend Mercutio constantly try to cheer him up, and indeed this is their motive in encouraging him to go to the Capulet's ball in the first place. When he meets Juliet, his demeanor changes immediately. He is smitten with her at first sight, and determines at that moment that he will marry her. So at the beginning of the play, he is lovesick and depressed, and at the end he is again in love, this time for good.

What are some discussion questions for the book Unwind by Neal Shusterman?

There are many potential discussion questions for the book Unwind. At its core, the book asks readers to wrestle with the idea of abortion. In Shusterman's book, pre-birth abortion is illegal, but retroactive abortion is legal. Parents may choose to have their teenager (ages 13-18) "unwound." An unwound child's body parts are then donated to other people. The legal document that outlines the entire process is called "The Bill of Life." What's interesting is that the document supposedly satisfied both the Pro-life and Pro-choice armies. For a discussion question, you could ask something as straightforward as the following: "What do you think about the Bill of Life?" or "What is the difference, if any, between aborting a teenager and aborting a fetus?"  

You could ask something more directly related to the plot, too. I like asking my students about Connor's motivations. For example: "Why do you think Connor rescued Lev?" I would leave it open-ended like that because it will spark a lot of different discussion directions.  

You could make discussion questions that ask your readers what they might do in situations that occur in the book. For example: "If you found out your parents planned to have you unwound, what would be your response? Why?" You could also turn that question around a bit: "If you knew your parents could choose to have you unwound for any reason, what effect would that knowledge have on your actions and behaviors?"  

In The Crucible, is Danforth acting fairly and without bias in the court?

No, Danforth absolutely has a bias, and it causes him to treat others unfairly.  When John Proctor brings Mary Warren to the court to confess that she and the other girls have been lying all along, Danforth asks him, "Do you know, Mr. Proctor, that the entire contention of the state in these trials is that the voice of Heaven is speaking through the children?"  Evidently, Danforth has already decided that the girls are speaking truthfully, that they are God's mouthpiece in fact, and so anyone they accuse must automatically be guilty.  This is precisely the kind of bias that prevents people from receiving fair trials and assigns a ridiculous amount of power to the undeserving.

Moreover, when Mr. Hale begs Danforth to allow Francis Nurse and Proctor to leave and come back with a lawyer to help them present their evidence, Danforth refuses this request, asserting that lawyers are neither necessary, nor would they even be helpful in these trials.  Because no witnesses can be called to testify to the innocence of the accused (since witchcraft is an invisible crime), this court can only rely on the testimony of the accusers.  Then, he says, "As for the witches, none will deny that we are most eager for all their confessions."  He calls the accused "witches" before they have even had a trial!  Danforth assumes the accused are guilty, and this bias makes him all the more dangerous for them.

Did Coleridge translate the Rubaiyat?

The Rubaiyat was a collection of poems attributed to a Persian poet named Omar Khayyám, who lived in Persia during the twelfth century A.C.E.. It was first translated into English, not by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, but by an Irish poet and scholar named Edward FitzGerald. First published in 1859 (over twenty years after Coleridge's death) it became a classic in English literature. The Rubaiyat bore much of FitzGerald's stamp--its meditations on the meaning of life, on the role of God in the universe, on pleasure, and on human love appealed to FitzGerald's contemporaries. They also reflected his own ambivalent views about religion, and those of his age. But FitzGerald is also deeply sympathetic to the society that produced Khayyám's work, and he uses it, in a way, to criticize his own society. 

What is Angela Wexler's occupation?

In the story, Angela is Grace Wexler's daughter. Angela's relationship with Grace is dysfunctional and fraught with conflict. As a domineering and opinionated mother, Grace imposes her will on Angela without consideration or sympathy.

Eventually, Angela Wexler rebels against her mother's vision of a perfect daughter and goes back to college to become an orthopedic surgeon. At the beginning of the story, she is engaged to be married to Dr. Denton Deere, a plastic surgery intern at St. Joseph's Hospital, but she soon breaks off their engagement to finish her medical studies. Later in the novel, Turtle tells Julian Eastman that Angela is an orthopedic surgeon, so she does graduate from medical school.

After five years, Angela meets Denton again. He is now a neurologist but has never gotten married. As the story concludes, we find out that Angela and Denton do eventually marry, and they have a little girl by the name of Alice.

`int sqrt(x^2 - 9)/x^3 dx` Evaluate the integral

`intsqrt(x^2-9)/x^3dx`

Let's evaluate the integral: Apply integration by parts,

`intuv'=uv-intu'v`

Let `u=sqrt(x^2-9)`

`v'=1/x^3`

`u'=d/dx(sqrt(x^2-9))`

`u'=1/2(x^2-9)^(1/2-1)(2x)`

`u'=x/sqrt(x^2-9)`

`v=int1/x^3dx`

`v=x^(-3+1)/(-3+1)`

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

`intsqrt(x^2-9)/x^3dx=sqrt(x^2-9)(-1/(2x^2))-intx/sqrt(x^2-9)(-1/(2x^2))dx`

`=-sqrt(x^2-9)/(2x^2)+1/2int1/(xsqrt(x^2-9))dx`

Apply the integral substitution `y=sqrt(x^2-9)`

`dy=1/2(x^2-9)^(1/2-1)(2x)dx`

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

`dy=(xdx)/y`

`=-sqrt(x^2-9)/(2x^2)+1/2int(ydy)/x(1/(xy))`

`=-sqrt(x^2-9)/(2x^2)+1/2intdy/x^2`

`=-sqrt(x^2-9)/(2x^2)+1/2intdy/(y^2+9)`

Now use the standard integral:`int1/(x^2+a^2)dx=1/aarctan(x/a)+C`

`=-sqrt(x^2-9)/(2x^2)+1/2(1/3arctan(y/3))`

Substitute back `y=sqrt(x^2-9)` and add a constant C to the solution,

`=-sqrt(x^2-9)/(2x^2)+1/6arctan(sqrt(x^2-9)/3)+C`

Why is Max so appealing to Feld in The First Seven Years?

Max is so appealing to Feld because Feld sees Max as a means to an end. Basically, Feld sees Max as Miriam's ticket to a better life. Because his daughter refuses to attend college, Feld sees a potential romance between the two as a way for Miriam to improve her station in life.

Feld reasons that Max's own commitment to higher education may even inspire Miriam to pursue her own studies. If not, he imagines that marriage between the two will still be a positive development. Miriam will be married to a 'fine scholarly boy' instead of wasting her youth working in an office with 'loud-mouthed salesmen and illiterate shipping clerks.' So, Feld puts his plan into action. He tries to get Max to go out on a date with Miriam.

For his part, Max does take Miriam out on two dates; however, the relationship never really gets off the ground. Sadly, Feld had not bargained for the fact that Miriam and Max might be ill-suited for each other.

In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, what does Scout compare the courtroom atmosphere to?

In Chapter 21, as Scout and the rest of Maycomb are waiting for the verdict in the trial of Tom Robinson, she thinks:

"The atmosphere in the courtroom was exactly the same as a cold February morning, when the mockingbirds were still, and the carpenters had stopped hammering on Miss Maudie’s new house, and every wood door in the neighborhood was shut as tight as the doors of the Radley Place. A deserted, waiting, empty street, and the courtroom was packed with people."

Even though the courtroom is full of waiting people, Scout feels like it's similar to the emptiness of a winter morning when everything is still, even the mockingbirds. The courtroom has a feeling of anticipation, and activity has been suspended until the verdict is announced. 

Scout also feels that the courtroom has a somewhat surreal atmosphere. As the jury comes in to announce their verdict, she says, "What happened after that had a dreamlike quality: in a dream I saw the jury return, moving like underwater swimmers..." The action seems to occur in slow motion, as if they are swimming underwater, as the verdict they announce--Tom Robinson's guilt--seems so nonsensical to her. She has waited so long for the verdict that its announcement takes on a quality of being utterly unreal to her. 

What was the "Age of Discovery" and which three factors made it happen?

The Age of Discovery, also known as the Age of Exploration, occurred from the mid-15th century through the 16th century. This was a time when explorers from Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands, and England took an expanded worldview and engaged in extended sea exploration.

Historians often say the three reasons for the exploration were “God, gold, and glory.” In other words, the adventurous men who set out from Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands, and England had religious, economic, and personal reasons for their exploits. At this time, there was a lot of curiosity about the world and water trading routes to the Indies.

Economically, there would be great advantages to finding a water route to the Indies and expanding the land holdings of the various countries. The explorers and their sailors would become wealthy men when they found gold, silver, and other precious commodities through their travels. Their home countries would share in this wealth by sponsoring the travels.

Another compelling reason for exploration was to spread Catholicism to the inhabitants of the new lands. The land route to the Indies was fraught with danger brought about by the Crusades; therefore, a water route would provide a safer route for trade and the spread of the “Word of God.” As the exploration expanded to other areas, the “native” peoples encountered in the new lands would be converted to Catholicism.

As the explorers' "discoveries" increased countries' landmasses and brought about easier ways to trade, they also benefitted from receiving personal recognition and glory.  

What conflict at the Constitutional Convention did the Great Compromise resolve?

When the Founding Fathers met to discuss a new plan of government, there was a significant difference of opinion regarding how representation in Congress would be determined. The large states believed that they should have more representatives than the small states because they had more people living in their state. The small states wanted equal representation in Congress because they feared the large states would have too many representatives. They feared this would make it more difficult for the small states to get Congress to pass laws that would help them get the things that were important to them. They also were concerned that their voices might not be heard.

Roger Sherman proposed the Great Compromise. There would be two houses of Congress. In the House of Representatives, the population of a state would determine representation. This would allow the large states to have more representatives than the small states. In the Senate, representation would be equal. Each state, regardless of size, would have two senators.

This compromise allowed both sides to get part of what they wanted. The Great Compromise resolved the issue of how representation in Congress would be determined.

What are some examples of parent and child relationships in Elie Wiesel's Night?

There are contrasting examples of parent and child relationships, particularly father and son, in Elie Wiesel's Night. Throughout the memoir, Elie does his best to remain faithful to his father, despite incredible difficulties and brutality. In fact, for Elie and his father, their roles are increasingly reversed over the course of the story. Elie takes on the parental role as he is constantly vigilant to his father's needs and survival. He feels guilty that he cannot do more for his father, who seems to age quickly in the camps. Unfortunately, Elie is sometimes paralyzed by fear in the face of his father's tormentors. Mostly, however, he is an important resource for his father. At one point in the forced march from Buna to Gleiwitz, as Elie is desperate to stop and even to die, he forces himself to go on for the simple reason that he cannot let his father down:

My father's presence was the only thing that stopped me....He was running at my side, out of breath, at the end of his strength, at his wit's end. I had no right to let myself die. What would he do without me? I was his only support. 

Again, at Gleiwitz, Elie show his devotion to his father during one of the infamous selections. When his father is sent to the left, and certain death, Elie goes after him and causes such confusion that he is able to direct his father back to the right and survival. Finally, however, there is nothing Elie can do and his father dies of dysentery at Buchenwald. 

In contrast, there are two examples of father and son relationships which totally break down in the midst of the violence and inhumanity of the concentration camps. In section six, Elie tells the story of Rabbi Eliahou and his son. During the forced march from Buna, the Rabbi's son had attempted to distance himself from his father. Unlike Elie, the boy was perfectly willing to abandon his father if he felt it would lead to his own survival. In section seven, Elie relates an even more brutal story of a son who hastens his father's death over a morsel of bread. As the Jews pass through a German town, the civilians throw pieces of bread into the train cars just to see the men fight over the food. Elie witnesses a man clutching a piece who is instantly attacked by another man that turns out to be his own son:

"Meir, Meir, my boy! Don't you recognize me? I'm your father...you're hurting me...you're killing your father! I've got some bread...for you too...for you too..."

While Elie is certainly not perfect in his relationship with his father, he never resorts to abandonment or violence. He is with his father almost to the end, describing the last time he saw him:

Bending over him, I stayed gazing at him for over an hour, engraving into myself the picture of his blood-stained face, his shattered skull. 

How do I write a strong thesis statement for my research paper? I am trying to prove that the events of the Holocaust influenced Shirley Jackson's...

Firstly, I think it's important to understand that the goal of a thesis is not to prove something; instead, a thesis states your argument for your readers and communicates the overall point of your essay or paper.

Secondly, you should consider that a thesis statement will convey the subject of your assignment, the attitude of your argument, and the direction in which you will lead the reader. In order to do this, you will need to develop your reasoning for why you are making the point you are making to your reader. In this case, how do you think the events of the Holocaust influenced Shirley Jackson's writing of The Lottery?

You will need to brainstorm a list of possible ways the Holocaust may have influenced her writing and consider how the events that took place during the time of the Holocaust may have appeared in the story itself. For example, you may talk about the lack of individuality (being treated as a number, rather than a person) that was evident in the story and how that parallels the Holocaust. You may also talk about the theme of cruelty by (seemingly) civilized people that characterized the story and also was very evident in the Holocaust.

Of course, these are just two examples of thematic elements you could use in your paper. It will be up to you to produce other ideas and make strong arguments for how your ideas relate to your thesis.

For your thesis statement, be sure to include your argument (that the events of the Holocaust influenced Shirley Jackson's writing of The Lottery) and all of your supporting points in one sentence. 

Good luck!

Where did Rainsford sleep the second day/night?

Rainsford falls off the yacht during the first night. He makes his way to shore and to General Zaroff's estate. Zaroff's silent assistant, Ivan, leads Rainsford to a room to change. Zaroff and Rainsford have something to eat and this is when Zaroff explains his theory about the "most dangerous game." When he was still on the yacht, Rainsford had told Whitney that there are only two kinds of people in the world: the hunters and the huntees. However, upon hearing that Zaroff hunts human beings, Rainsford is appalled. Zaroff hunts that night but Rainsford retires to a room in Zaroff's house and tries to sleep. 

On his second night on the island, Rainsford becomes Zaroff's prey. Rainsford tries to lose Zaroff without leaving a trail. He then climbs into the crook of a tree. But Zaroff closes in. Rainsford slightly injures Zaroff with a trap. Zaroff goes home to attend to his wound. Rainsford makes another trap which claims on of Zaroff's dogs. Zaroff goes home for the night. Rainsford falls asleep near the swamp on this second night on the island. He wakes up the next morning to the sound of Zaroff's hounds. 

Why does NH3 have a -33 C boiling point?

There is now way to say (yet?) why a certain substance has a certain boiling point or freezing point. However, we can compare ammonia with other molecules and explain why the boiling point is such relative to the boiling point of these substances.

We compare the boiling point of NH3 to N2 and H2O. We compare it to N2 because N2 is heavier and has nitrogen, while H2O has hydrogen bonding like NH3.

Factors that mainly affect the boiling point of substances are molecular weight and molecular forces of attraction present. Heavier compounds will have higher boiling points. Meanwhile, stronger intermolecular forces will allow for a higher boiling point too. Hydrogen bonds are the strongest IMF so the presence of H-bonds will influence the boiling point. The shape of the molecule also affect how molecules interact, and hence the distribution of IMF - and surface area, hence strength of interaction between molecules. Taking all these into consideration, we can explain why NH3, while lighter than N2, has a higher boiling point; and why NH3 has a lower boiling point than water.

N2 only has london dispersion forces - it is a non-polar molecule. The boiling point of N2 is -196C. Thus, while it is heavier than NH3, it has a (significantly) lower boiling point. NH3 is polar due to difference in electronegativity of N and H, and presence of a lone pair. Also, it has H-bonds between H and N. This alone explains why it has a significantly higher boiling point (-33C) than the heaver N2. Meanwhile, it has a lower boiling point than water (100C). Water is a special molecule. It's structure allows for multiple hydrogen bonding in it's liquid state. Moreover, water is bent, while NH3 is pyramidal. Hence, the partial charges are more spread for NH3, giving it less of a dipole than water (dipole moment of 1.4 versus 1.8). The lower dipole moment, less hydrogen bond, and less IMF surface area due to shape, gives NH3 a lower boiling point than water (even if they have almost the same weight).

--short answer

Boiling point depends on molecular weight, shape of the molecule, and intermolecular forces of attraction present in a molecule. Using these, NH3 can be compared to related molecules and justify why it has a certain boiling point. Briefly, NH3 while it has a negative boiling point, actually has a higher boiling point than most gases it's size, due to hydrogen bonding. However, unlike water, which has more H-bond and a higher dipole moment, it's boiling point is lower.

What happened between Abigail Williams and John Proctor prior to the opening of The Crucible?

The audience learns that John Proctor's wife, Elizabeth, had been unwell for some time following the birth of their third child. During this time, Abigail Williams, the orphaned seventeen-year-old niece of their pastor, came to the Proctors' home to help with Elizabeth's household tasks.  John and Abigail's shared attraction became a sexual relationship, and it is implied in her dialogue that he took her virginity. Elizabeth discovered the affair and Abigail was dismissed from their employ. John, however, continued to lust for Abigail and would sometimes look up at her window after she returned to her uncle's home in the parish house. Abigail proclaimed her love for John and tried to rekindle the affair but John insisted that their relationship was over and rebuffed her advances.

Miller, Arthur.  The Crucible.  Viking, 1953.

How old was Romeo if Juliet is 13?

While Juliet's age is placed at approximately two weeks before her fourteenth birthday ("a fortnight and odd days") on Lammastide, a church feast which occurs on August 1, Romeo's exact age is never revealed. It has always been assumed that he was older than her, and the text tends to bear this out. The audience should consider Romeo to be of equal age as the men who are his peers, including Mercutio, Benvolio, Tybalt, and Count Paris, yet some elements of the text place Romeo both younger and older than the other young men of the play. In Act III, Scene 1, Tybalt refers to him as a "boy," but this may be more of an attempt at insult rather than a reference to age. In Act V, Scene III, Romeo refers to Count Paris as "Good gentle youth," suggesting Romeo may be older than Paris. More likely is that Shakespeare uses these terms interchangeably and that these men are all in the same age range. That Juliet is so young is somewhat surprising. While some nobility might seek to marry their daughters when they are as young as 13, the typical age of marriage during Renaissance times was older, and Lord Capulet seems to acknowledge this when he suggests to Paris that he wait at least "two more summers" before marrying Juliet.

In Boyne's The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, how are clothes used as a symbol of status in the novel?

In Boyne's The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, clothing differentiates between people's jobs as well as social classes. For example, Maria usually wears a maid's uniform. Pavel wears striped pajamas during the day, but when he is a waiter he wears a uniform with a white jacket. Bruno even gets new shiny shoes to wear on the night that Hitler has dinner at the family's home in Berlin so that he looks good enough to present to the Furor. Also, his father's new uniform, worn by commandants, is clean, pressed, and made out of the best quality to represent Hitler's Nazi soldiers at their best. Of course, since Hitler's Nazi party and soldiers are considered the best in Germany, they should wear the best. When father wears his uniform at a dinner party with his parents, Bruno's mother asks if her husband doesn't look handsome in it. The meaning behind the uniform is more important to Grandmother than the fact that her son looks handsome. Bruno hears and observes his grandmother's response to the uniform as follows:

"'Handsome?' asked Grandmother leaning forward and staring at her daughter-in-law as if she had lost her reason. 'Handsome, did you say? You foolish girl! Is that what you consider to be of importance in the world? Looking handsome?'" (92).

While Bruno's mother and father are proud of his uniform and the status that comes with it, Grandmother clearly understands that the uniform represents more than just decoration for her son's looks. She is against the Nazis and does not appreciate the fact that her son is one of them. Bruno's father and mother are a part of the Nazi party and the German military, so when they get to Poland, they keep company with other soldiers who are dressed alike. Therefore, people dressed alike also spend time together. Bruno makes this interesting observation about clothing as follows:

"Father and Mother obviously enjoyed the company of the soldiers--Bruno could tell that. But they'd never once invited any of the striped pyjama people to dinner" (101).

This observation shows that Bruno can see the difference between who his parents spend time with based on clothing. Bruno is also quick to observe that everyone in the encampment wears the same striped clothing when he first arrives at Auschwitz as in the following passage:

". . . the small boys, the big boys, the fathers, the grandfathers, the uncles, the people who lived on their own on everybody's road but didn't seem to have any relatives at all--were wearing the same clothes as each other: a pair of grey striped pajamas with a grey striped cap on their heads" (38).

When he points these people out to his sister Gretel, she also observes that they are dirty. Being dirty also separates classes because those who are clean don't want to mix with those who aren't. When Bruno meets Shmuel for the first time, he makes a similar observation as follows:

"He wore the same striped pajamas that all the other people on that side of the fence wore, and a striped cloth cap on his head. He wasn't wearing any shoes or socks and his feet were rather dirty. On his arm he wore an armband with a star on it" (106).

Along with being dirty, Bruno notices another part of the clothing--the yellow star. The star is another status symbol that Jews are forced to wear during the Nazi regime so Germans would not mingle or do business with them. Bruno doesn't understand this, though, and it's because Bruno wears the striped pajamas at the end of the book that he is killed with Schmuel. If he had been wearing his daily clothes, he would have been easily identified as German and not killed. 

How does Yeats creat "terrible" beauty out of his imagery?

Irish poet William Butler Yeats has been called the greatest poet of the twentieth century. His subject matter is compelling and frequently tackles dark aspects of human nature and history. The tone of his poems is often melancholy and sometimes disturbing. Although many of Yeats' poems are very beautiful and moving, it is also true that Yeats has a masterful way of creating tension in his poetic imagery that is thought-provoking and disturbing. The phrase "terrible beauty" is an apt description for Yeats' unique approach to poetic imagery.

For example, in "The Stolen Child," a poem about a child who goes to live with the faeries, there are depictions of beautiful images of nature that also have a forlorn quality. The sadness of the human world is depicted in a way that makes it seem somehow desirable for the child to leave this world to live among the faeries. We also understand the faeries are somewhat manipulative in trying to convince the child that their world is a better choice: 

We seek for slumbering trout

And whispering in their ears

Give them unquiet dreams;

Leaning softly out

From ferns that drop their tears

Over the young streams.

The intentional behavior of trying to give "unquiet dreams" to the trout, and the idea that the ferns drop "tears" into the stream, are ways of making the natural world seem like a sad place, a world "full of weeping" as the poem repeats several times. This sadness and fear linked with beauty gives the poem this quality of "terrible beauty."

Is there any connection between Estella and the Victorian England legal system in Great Expectations?

Estella’s parents were both criminals. 

Estella owes her life with Miss Havisham to the Victorian English legal system. Her mother and father were both criminals. Her mother Molly was acquitted of murder, and her father Abel Magwitch was expelled to Australia. 

Jaggers represented both Estella’s mother and father. He thought she was a beautiful little girl, and he had seen so many cases of children who were victims of the legal system or their parents’ crimes. He decided to save Estella by giving her to Miss Havisham, but had no idea what would result from that. 

Estella’s father was on his own on the streets from a very young age. He had no chance to be educated, and eventually fell in with a bad crowd. He ended up with the conman Compeyson, a despicable character. When the two were finally arrested, Compeyson was a smooth talker and convinced everyone he was a gentleman. He placed the blame on Magwitch and got off with an easier sentence. 

Estella’s mother was a very angry and jealous person. She believed that Magwitch was cheating on her and strangled the other woman she suspected Magwitch was seeing.

The murdered person was a woman… It was a case of jealousy. They both led tramping lives, and this woman in Gerrard-street here, had been married very young, over the broomstick (as we say), to a tramping man, and was a perfect fury in point of jealousy (Chapter 48).

Jaggers was able to get her acquitted through legal maneuvering and made her the housekeeper. Molly threatened Estella’s life, so Magwitch never knew if she was dead or alive. On his deathbed, Pip tells him Estella is alive and a lady.

Even though Estella was never arrested, the legal system altered the course of her life. She may not have had a happy life, but Jaggers is right that she would never have been a lady if he had not saved her. She probably would have ended up a criminal like her parents.

What does Act I, Scene 2, tell us about Macbeth?

This particular scene shows us what other characters think about Macbeth at the beginning of the story. The wounded captain calls him "brave Macbeth" and details Macbeth's courageous, though brutal, behavior during the two battles in which he fights (line 18). He is relentless and swift, like "Valor's minion," or the chosen darling of valor or courage (line 21). Further, when Duncan hears the captain's report, he cries, "O valiant cousin, worthy gentleman!" This tells us Macbeth is actually related to the king and that the king thinks of him incredibly highly (line 26). In fact, Duncan thinks so well of Macbeth that he decides to give him an additional title, the Thane of Cawdor, and he tells the same men to execute the old Thane of Cawdor for treason and inform Macbeth of his new title. This scene makes it clear that everyone thinks highly of Macbeth, he is beloved by his king, and he seems to be quite loyal to the crown.

In Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, how does the character Quince move and speak in Act 1, Scene 2?

Quince the carpenter is the leader of the merry band of actors who are practicing their play for the royal wedding. These men are not professionals. They are working men, craftsmen from the local village. They are doing their best to produce something befitting Theseus and Hippolyta’s wedding.

Quince tries to be businesslike. He calls the men together and gives them their parts. Bottom, the weaver, immediately causes trouble. He wants to play every part, and believes he is better than anyone else.

QUINCE

That's all one: you shall play it in a mask, and
you may speak as small as you will.

BOTTOM

An I may hide my face, let me play Thisby too, I'll
speak in a monstrous little voice. 'Thisne,
Thisne;' 'Ah, Pyramus, lover dear! thy Thisby dear,
and lady dear!'

QUINCE

No, no; you must play Pyramus: and, Flute, you Thisby. (Act 1, Scene 2)

It may be easy to see Quince as just one of the bumbling fools, in over his head. However, he is really quite ambitious. He wrote the play, silly as it is, that the men will be performing. He really does try to take things seriously. He wants the play to do well, and he does attempt to keep the others in line. This is more difficult with the pompous Bottom, who likes to take charge himself, and the other actors who tell him they can’t memorize many lines.

Quince does his best to patiently explain the play to Bottom and make sure that the others know their parts. He also gives Bottom some leeway to make some of his own acting choices, wanting to placate him into compliance. In this way, he is a good director. In giving Bottom what is probably the most important part, he recognizes that as goofy as Bottom is, he is probably the strongest actor there.

What is mercantilism and what did it have to do with the European colonization of North America?

Mercantilism, also called "commercialism," is the idea that the best way to improve a nation or state is by profiting off of goods and trade. During the colonial period (15th-19th century in North America) the most desired goods in Europe were exotics- silk from China, tea from India, chocolate from South America, sugar from the Caribbean, spices from Thailand, and so on. Expansion into North America and claiming new land for one's own country held the promise of profit, even if it meant stealing or engaging in genocide. One could rest assured that whatever resources they found on the land claimed for their mother country would be profitable simply because they were exotic to the Europeans. 

Explorers and merchants traveling to and from the New World not only hoped to bring exotics into their country, they hoped that the sale of these goods would bring more gold and silver in the form of coinage. Colonies which specialized in exporting particular goods- such as sugar, tobacco, or furs- could expect to not only sell these in their home country but to merchants from much farther away. These merchants from nations which did not have a colony producing that particular good might be willing to pay even more and then profit off of the sale in their home country.

In an attempt to sustain the high demands of mercantile economic philosophy, a number of colonizing nations imported slaves and employed religious and cultural conversion as a means of ensuring free or cheap labor.

What was the Cold War? What was NATO? What was the purpose of the Warsaw Pact? Which countries were part of NATO? Who was a...

You have asked a lot of questions in your post. I will answer the first question you asked.

The Cold War was a period of confrontations and competitions between the United States and the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union wanted to spread the system of communism, and we wanted to prevent it from spreading.

We worked to stop the spread of communism in many places. We developed the European Recovery Program to provide aid to countries that were trying to prevent communism from spreading. For example, we gave aid to Greece and Turkey, and neither country became communist. We helped the people of West Berlin when the Soviet Union established the Berlin Blockade. We developed the Berlin Airlift to fly supplies into West Berlin until the blockade was lifted. We went to the United Nations to help South Korea fight the invasion by North Korea in June 1950. With the United States in the lead, South Korea remained noncommunist.

Another area of competition between the United States and the Soviet Union was to be the first country to accomplish certain things with their space program. The Soviet Union was the first to launch a satellite into space. They also were the first country to get an astronaut in orbit around the earth. The United States was the first country to land an astronaut on the moon.

From the end of World War II until 1991, the United States and the Soviet Union were involved in the Cold War.  

What is the point of view in "There Will Come Soft Rains" ? Where is it shown in the text ?

Ray Bradbury's 1950 story "There Will Come Soft Rains" features a third-person omniscient point of view. This means that the narrator observes and describes action but does not participate in it and has the ability to understand and communicate the thoughts and feelings of the characters. The narrator's tone is dispassionate as the automated house continues to go about its programmed tasks in the absence of the family it served prior to the nuclear devastation that has claimed their lives. 

Though there are no humans in the story, the narrator describes the emotions of the robot mice who emerge to clean up after the family's dying dog tracks mud into the house: "Behind it whirred angry mice, angry at having to pick up mud, angry at inconvenience".

The house itself is anthropomorphized, "its bared skeleton cringing from the heat, its wire, its nerves revealed as if a surgeon had torn the skin off to let the red veins and capillaries quiver in the scalded air", as it is consumed by fire at the story's conclusion.

Bradbury, Ray. "The Will Come Soft Rains" Doubleday, 1950.

In Their Eyes Were Watching God, what impact do Janie's three marriages have on her?

In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie's three marriages shape, to a certain degree, Janie's individual identity and sense of self.  Janie does not have a choice in marrying Logan Killicks--her grandmother Nanny marries her off to him so that Janie will be secure.  Before getting married, Janie feels that love offers a sense of freedom, and she longs for this feeling.  However, she soon learns that a marriage cannot make love, and Logan's treating her like "a mule" leads her to run off with Joe Starks.  In her marriage with Joe, Janie feels like she has found love in the beginning, but soon Joe begins treating her like a piece of property as evidenced by him making her tie up her hair.  Janie is not free to speak her mind in the store, nor can she dress in a manner that reflects her identity.  Janie feels like she loses a sense of herself in her second marriage, and when Joe dies, Janie feels like she has been set free.  Janie resolves to find someone who will celebrate her independent spirit, and when she meets her third husband Tea Cake, he does just that.  So, by the end of the novel, Janie has learned through her three marriages that her independent spirit is valuable.

How does Steinbeck explore the theme of death in Of Mice and Men?

There are literal deaths and one symbolic death in Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men. Not surprisingly, the deaths of mice, Candy's dog, Lennie's puppy, Curley's wife and Lennie are all linked to the symbolic death of the dream farm which George, Lennie and Candy hope to go to and "live nice." The farm is an illusion of paradise. It is a place of innocence where George can relive his childhood, Lennie can "tend rabbits" and Candy can "hoe in the garden." Indeed, the dream farm is the garden of Eden where the men will be free from the toil and alienation which plagues their lives on the ranch.

Death, however, ultimately extinguishes this dream. The early deaths of the mouse Lennie is carrying in his pocket, Candy's dog and Lennie's puppy prove to be foreshadowing of the human deaths which will take place in the final two chapters. These human deaths are symbolic of a loss of innocence and because they occur, they disrupt and destroy the dream of paradise, where death, sexual urges and loneliness are unknown.

In Chapter Five, Lennie is alone in the barn lamenting the death of his puppy, which he has accidentally killed, when Curley's wife sneaks up on him and urges him to have a conversation with her. Apart from the sexual seductress and manipulator that has been her character portrayal thus far, in this scene she brings humanity and even a certain innocence. She has been the victim of circumstance and her longed for dreams have been shattered. She also recognizes the innocence in Lennie. Just as Crooks had determined in Chapter Four, Curley's wife understands that she can talk to Lennie about anything. In a "passion of communication" she tells him about her life before meeting Curley, showing herself to be capable of the same types of dreams which drive George, Lennie and Candy. Unfortunately, as she attempts to soothe Lennie over the death of his puppy by allowing him to stroke her hair, she falls prey to the same plight as the puppy when Lennie becomes fearful of her screaming and accidentally breaks her neck. After her death, Steinbeck describes her dead body as that of an innocent person, without malice or corruption:

Curley’s wife lay with a half-covering of yellow hay. And the meanness and the plannings and the discontent and the ache for attention were all gone from her face. She was very pretty and simple, and her face was sweet and young. 

Her death marks the end of innocence and the loss of the dream. Lennie has now stepped beyond the boundaries of humanity and his punishment in the next chapter is conceived by George as soon as he is witness to the dead body of Curleys' wife. Candy too realizes the consequences of Lennie's action and knows that the dream is over as he repeats the "old words" about "a circus or a baseball game" and the "little fat stove." 

In the final chapter, George tells Lennie to look at the Gabilan Mountains just across the river and he can see the dream farm:

“We’ll have a cow,” said George. “An’ we’ll have maybe a pig an’ chickens . . . an’ down the flat we’ll have a . . . . little piece alfalfa—” “For the rabbits,” Lennie shouted.

The bullet to Lennie's head is the last nail in the coffin of the dream. Lennie's innocence and obsessions with "tending rabbits" are over. For George, there is really nothing left other than a "whorehouse," a "pool room" or a "gallon of whiskey." Fittingly, in the final scene he is on his way with Slim to "get a drink."

What are some examples of ethos, pathos, and logos in Chapters 17 to 19 of To Kill a Mockingbird?

Ethos involves establishing the credibility of the person making the statement to convince others that the person is reputable and trustworthy. When Heck Tate appears in court wearing a business suit rather than high boots and a lumber jacket in Chapter 17, he is trying to make an appeal to the jury through ethos. After Heck Tate testifies that he found Mayella Ewell beaten up, Atticus asks Heck why he didn't call a doctor if Mayella were so badly off. This is an appeal to the logos, or logic, of the jury that is trying Tom Robinson. If Mayella had been so badly beaten, it would've been logical for her to call a doctor. Atticus is using logic to cast doubt on Heck Tate's testimony about Mayella. Atticus also tries to show that only Mr. Ewell could've beaten up Mayella because Mr. Ewell is left handed, and she was beaten on the right side of her face. This is also an appeal to logos.

When Mayella Ewell appears on the witness stand at the beginning of Chapter 18, she appears afraid of Atticus. This is a way to appeal to the jury's sense of pathos, or emotion. If they feel sorry for her, they might be more willing to listen to what she says. In Chapter 19, after Tom Robinson testifies, Link Deas stands up in court and says that Tom has worked for him for many years and has never caused any trouble. This is a way to bolster Tom's credibility through ethos.  

What are two odd things we learn about Sandy in Chapter 25 of The Westing Game?

Sandy had a bruise even though Turtle never kicked him.  Sandy apparently played chess with Theo when he supposedly could not play.  

When Sandy is supposedly dead, the others discuss his death.  Crow is accused of having filled the flask that killed him.  When Turtle says that Sandy was her friend, Denton says that if he was her friend she should not have kicked him.  Turtle is upset by the suggestion that she kicked Sandy. 

“That’s a lie, that’s a disgusting lie,” Turtle shouted. “The only person I kicked today was Barney Northrup and he deserved it. I didn’t even see Sandy until tonight at the Westing house. Right, Baba?” (Ch. 25) 

The fact that Turtle kicked Barney Northrup and Sandy McSouthers had a bruise is evidence that they are the same person.  At this point, no one has any idea of this, or that both of those are disguises of Sam Westing.  Turtle is really sad because she was close to Sandy. 

Theo talks about playing chess with Sandy, but Turtle says thinks Sandy didn’t know how to play chess.  Theo tells the judge that Doug watched the table to see who was moving the pieces.  This is further evidence that Sandy was actually Sam Westing.  Judge Ford knows how Westing plays chess because Westing taught her chess. 

It is the chess game that finally convinces the judge that Sandy was really Sam Westing.  Theo says that he was winning because he had Sandy’s queen.

The queen’s sacrifice! The famous Westing trap. Judge Ford was certain now, but there were still too many unanswered questions. “I’m afraid greed got the best of you, Theo. By taking white’s queen you were tricked into opening your defense. I know, I’ve lost a few games that way myself.” (Ch. 25) 

Turtle thinks back and remembers Sandy winking and saying that the game is not over.  She and the judge are both pondering the situation.  This is how Turtle, who actually has less information than Judge Ford, realizes that Sam Westing is still alive and pretending to be Julian R. Eastman.  She regrets kicking him.

What importance does the life raft serve in Summer of My German Soldier?

In the story, Ruth is characterized as Patty's life raft. To Patty, Ruth (the family housekeeper) represents love, loyalty, and courage. She is the one constant in Patty's life.

Ruth is also the only one who visits Patty at the reform school. In discussing her parents, Patty is devastated when she discovers that her mother is indifferent to her fate. She begs Ruth to tell her what is wrong with her and why she is always getting into trouble. Ruth carefully explains that there's nothing wrong with Patty, and she reassures her that she loves her the way she is.

Ruth tells Patty the truth: that her parents aren't exactly the best parents around. They will always be what Ruth calls "irregular seconds," and she advises Patty to stop hoping that she will receive acceptance and love from them. Eventually, Ruth's visiting hours are up, and she has to leave. In watching her go, Patty imagines that her own "life raft" is "floating away towards the sea."

However, Patty experiences an epiphany as she watches her beloved friend and mentor leave. She thinks that she can see "land" in the distance and finally realizes what life rafts are really for: "taking the shipwrecked, not exactly to the land, but only in view of land. The final mile being theirs alone to swim." Patty comes to appreciate the role of a human "life raft" like Ruth.

In encouraging Patty to finish high school and to go on to college, Ruth has outlined for Patty a way out of her dismal situation. However, Ruth's encouragement and support can only go so far; it will be up to Patty to steer her own path and to work for her own success and eventual freedom. In this, the importance of a life raft cannot be underestimated: Ruth's support will enable Patty to see the possibilities in her life and to succeed in her attempts to break free.

What were the economic, administrative, and legislative weaknesses of the government under the Articles of Confederation? How were these weaknesses...

The Articles of Confederation created economic, administrative, and legislative weaknesses in the US government. These issues, while each distinct, were also interrelated, as they created a situation of political confusion and instability.

The economic weaknesses were that the government could not tax people directly and relied on the states for money. As the states did not give the government the funds it needed, the federal government was strapped for funds and could not often pay soldiers or bondholders. In addition, the central government and states could both issue currency, resulting in too much currency in circulation and rampant inflation. The legislative problems related to the government under the Articles of Confederation were that it could not regulate any inter-state issues, including commerce, and there were no standard tariffs (which are taxes on imports). With regard to administration, the Articles of Confederation made it very difficult to conduct relations with foreign countries (in part because there were no standard tariffs and in part because there was no President), and administer to the new lands that were admitted to the country after the Revolutionary War. These weaknesses resulted in the call for a new government and the creation of the Constitution in 1787. 

How did World War II impact the United States?

World War II impacted the United States in many ways. First, World War II ended the Great Depression, as people either went to work in munitions factories or joined the armed forces. This is important to note because even the New Deal programs could never get unemployment under ten percent. WWII also helped end segregation, as Franklin Roosevelt issued an order stating that any munitions plant that received a government contract had to be desegregated. Women also joined the workforce in droves; while Rosie the Riveter is a popular figure, many women did not do any actual "riveting," but were rather in clerical roles. Still, this was key in that women were becoming primary earners while their husbands served overseas. Soldiers returning home received government aid through the GI Bill, which gave soldiers either a free college education or loans to start businesses. The government did this to avoid another round of the Bonus Marchers it faced during the Great Depression.  

Internationally, World War II changed the United States in that it solidified the nation's role as a superpower. The United States had an internationalist leaning after the war, rebuilding Western Europe using the Marshall Plan and leading the creation of the United Nations. This contrasts with the United States' actions after World War I when it did little to rebuild war-torn Europe and insisted on the repayment of all money owed to it by European nations. The United States also had an atomic bomb, which became a leading factor in a growing Cold War with the Soviet Union. American armed forces were also larger than the rest of the world's combined, and this continued to be a trend. The United States also took a leading role in prosecuting war criminals in both Germany and Japan. Additionally, the United States occupied Germany and Japan to rebuild the countries and remove any of the remaining military fanaticism that caused the war. The United States also took key steps in creating Israel and making sure the United States would be Israel's primary supporter.  

In The Giver, how did Jonas react to the kids' war game?

Jonas is terribly upset when he sees his friends "play" at war because he now understands what war really is.  One of the most dreadful memories the Giver has now shared with him is a memory of war, and Jonas has experienced its horror and chaos, with boys and animals dying around him and his own pain from a wound.  As Jonas watches his friends, he realizes that war is not a game, but something that has actually happened and could happen again. He has almost a "flashback" to the memory he now has and he is "struggling not to cry" (Lowry 134). He begs them to stop playing, but they are not a bit happy about this.  He tries to understand their responses from their point of view. Since they have no memory or knowledge of real war, to them it is only a game.  But he understand that the separation between himself and his friends is irrevocable, and that as he has gained memories and understanding, he has lost his innocence.  He knows he loves his friends, but they are not capable of loving him, and he must go forward in many ways without them.  This is a terribly lonely feeling for Jonas.

What is the importance of natural regions of the world?

The natural regions of the world can be classified by physical features (mountains, hills, plains, etc.), climate (tropical, continental, polar, etc.) or vegetation (tropical, desert, coniferous forest, etc.).

The importance of these natural regions is that they largely determine what types of animals (including humans) can survive in each. The types of economic activities are therefore also related to the natural environment. For example, in a mountainous region, agriculture becomes difficult. In a desert, it is next to impossible. Terracing and irrigation can mitigate the conditions somewhat, but humans have usually adapted by turning to other activities, such as nomadic herding, hunting, or fishing. 

These choices have also led to differences in family and government structures, languages, and even religions. The importance of natural regions should not be underestimated. 

What effect did Reconstruction have on blacks? Were they better off after Reconstruction than they were before the Civil War?

Reconstruction had a major impact on African-Americans. African-Americans were better off as a result of Reconstruction, even if some of the improvements were temporary. Before the Civil War, most African-Americans in the South were slaves. They had no rights and no freedoms. This changed after the Civil War.

After the Civil War, the Freedmen’s Bureau was created to help the former slaves adjust to being freed. They received food, clothes, and medical care. They also received funds to build their own schools. The 14th Amendment was ratified that said that all people born in the United States were citizens and had the rights of citizens. These rights couldn’t be taken away without due process of law. The 15th Amendment gave African-American males the right to vote. Some African-American males got elected to office. African-Americans received rights that they didn’t have before the Civil War.

Even though many of these rights were restricted or taken away after Reconstruction ended, African-Americans were still free. Having freedom is far better than being a slave. African-Americans were being educated, something that didn’t happen during slavery. They were free to move from place to place with a pass. This also didn’t occur while they were slaves. Even though they had to struggle for about another 100 years before they regained some of the freedoms they lost after Reconstruction ended, such as equal access to public places, they were better off as free people than as slaves.

Whereas Scout is influenced by discrimination at school, how does society influence Jem in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird?

In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, society's racism and social injustice most influence Jem in a very negative way.

While witnessing Tom Robinson's trial, Jem was well aware that all evidence revealed in the trial pointed to Robinson's innocence, not his guilt. The most critical point of evidence is that Mayella Ewell was bruised on the right side of her face, something only a left-handed man facing her was capable of doing. Evidence in court revealed that Robinson has been crippled in his left arm and hand since childhood; he is so crippled that he is unable to keep his left hand on the Bible long enough to take the oath as he is being sworn into the witness stand. In contrast, Bob Ewell proves to be left-handed and testifies to being ambidextrous. Due to all of the evidence, Jem is convinced his father will win the case and is absolutely devastated when the jury returns with a guilty verdict, because he knows they have made their verdict not based on evidence but based on racism. He is so devastated that he cries and says, "It ain't right," repeatedly on the way home after the trial (Ch. 22).

The day after the trial, Jem confides to Miss Maudie just how much the jury's decision altered his perception of Maycomb's people:

It's like bein' a caterpillar in a cocoon, that's what it is ... . Like somethin' asleep wrapped up in a warm place. I always thought Maycomb folks were the best folks in the world, least that's what they seemed like. (Ch. 22)

His statement helps us see that whereas Jem once saw Maycomb's people as good, decent folks, he now sees them as essentially evil due to the social injustice they have inflicted on Robinson out of racist hatred.

During their conversation, Miss Maudie helps him see that more of Maycomb's people tried to help Robinson than Jem has realized, including the African Americans, Judge Taylor, and Sheriff Heck Tate. Miss Maudie's words of wisdom help but not sufficiently. By the end of the novel, Jem's anger towards social injustice manifests in physical violence, whereas at the start of the novel, Jem had a much calmer temper than Scout. For example, Jem acts violently when Scout brings up the hypocritical behavior of her third-grade teacher. Scout describes his violent behavior in the following narration:

Jem was suddenly furious. He leaped off the bed, grabbed me by the collar and shook me. (Ch. 26)

He further shouts that he never wants to hear another word about the trial.

Jem's violent behavior shows us just how much Jem has been influenced in terms of being hurt and angered by society's injustices and racist hatred. 

What quantity of limestone, upon heating, will give 56 kg of CaO?

Limestone (Chemical formula: CaCO3), upon heating, produces lime or calcium oxide (chemical formula: CaO) and carbon dioxide. The reaction can be represented by the following chemical equation:

`CaCO_3 (s) + heat -> CaO (s) + CO_2 (g)`

Here, 1 mole of limestone produces 1 mole of carbon dioxide and 1 mole of lime or calcium oxide. 

The molar mass of limestone is 100 g (= mass of Ca + mass of C + 3 x mass of O = 40 + 12 + 3 x 16). Similarly, the molar mass of lime is 56 g.

Thus, we can also say that 100 g of limestone produces 56 g of lime.

Or, 1 g of lime is produced by 100/56 g limestone.

Thus, 56 kg of lime will be produced by 100/56 x 56 kg = 100 kg.

So, in order to obtain 56 kg of lime, we need to heat 100 kg of limestone.

Compare Don John (Much Ado About Nothing) and Lady Macbeth (Macbeth) as villians.

Lady Macbeth is a somewhat more complex villain than Don John for several reasons.  Macbeth is a tragedy and Much Ado About Nothing is not.  Much Ado is a comedy, and it does not require complicated dastardly motivations that speak volumes about human nature.  Don John's role is quite a small one because he is only really needed to instigate the conflict, and then he can disappear.  Macbeth, on the other hand, features characters, in general, who are a great deal more nuanced than Don John is, including Lady Macbeth.  She changes throughout the play, beginning as a woman who wishes to be utterly ruthless and remorseless, but by the play's end, she is devastated by her guilt and regret (so much so that she eventually takes her own life).  At the same time, however, Lady Macbeth's role is a relatively small one (compared to other characters in Macbeth) after Act 2 because she really serves as a yardstick (or a foil) by which the audience can measure how terrible Macbeth, himself, becomes.  

Did they keep beds upstairs in Tudor times?

Homes in Tudor England varied by social class.  Wealthier people had larger homes with many rooms, while poor families typically had three or fewer rooms in their house.  England's cold weather determined the sleeping arrangements of people.  

Wealthier people sometimes slept in canopied, curtained beds.  These beds kept drafts away from the sleepers.  Tudor style homes were some of the first to have chimneys.  With the development of chimneys, second floors became popular in Tudor houses.  Upstairs rooms could have a fireplace, so they could be used as bedrooms.  It was important to sleep near a fire for warmth during the cold winter months.

Poorer people had small, single story houses.  These cottages usually had one to three rooms.  People slept on mattresses on the floor.  These mattresses were commonly stuffed with straw.  Fires in these small houses were vented using holes in the thatched roofs.

What is the central theme in The Palace Thief?

The central theme in The Palace Thief is moral corruption.  The theme is furthered by the characters of both Sedgewick Bell and Hundert.

Sedgewick Bell is morally corrupt from the beginning.  As a student in Hundert's class, Sedgewick Bell continually lies and cheats.  He is never punished (or even reprimanded) for this moral corruption even when Sedgewick Bell wins the Tournament of Roman History through cheating.  Of course, Sedgewick Bell grows up to be a corrupt businessman.  As the head of a large corporation now, Sedgewick Bell asks for yet another Tournament of Roman History and wins again by cheating.  Sedgewick Bell is never exposed as the liar and cheater he truly is.

Hundert's moral corruption appears through his cowardice at not exposing Sedgewick Bell.  Hundert, Sedgewick Bell's original teacher, knows exactly what kind of a liar and a cheater Sedgewick Bell is.  Hundert is told by his superiors to keep Sedgewick Bell's corruption quiet due to his father's position as a senator.  Hundert could have exposed Sedgewick Bell in either tournament; however, Hundert does not.  His cowardice costs Hundert his self-respect as well as the position of headmaster.

Hundert was once manipulated by a powerful senator into making allowances for his ne’er-do well son, whom Hundert knows to have cheated and whose dishonesty he has never exposed.

The only exit from moral corruption can be seen in Hundert's retirement where he warns others of corruption within the system.

When the trade deficit decreases due to a government policy, does domestic investment decrease in the country as well?

When the trade deficit decreases due to government policy, domestic investment in the country does not decrease as well. This is because there is an indirect, or inverse, relationship between trade deficit and domestic investment. Conversely, there is a direct relationship between trade deficit and domestic savings. When the deficit decreases, savings decrease but investment does not decrease.

The current account is equal to the sum of the trade balance [deficit or surplus] and national income plus debts, and it reflects the indirect relationship between domestic savings and domestic investment. It also reflects the indirect relationship between trade deficit and domestic investment. The current account balance is equal to "the difference between national saving and national investment" (Federal Reserve).

Current account balance (deficit or surplus) is used interchangeably with trade balance, indicating either trade deficit or surplus. Consequently, the relationship between trade deficit and domestic investment is the same relationship as the one between current account balance and domestic investment: they move in opposite directions at any given time. 

If trade deficit has a direct relationship with savings—with both moving in the same direction at the same time (decreasing or increasing at the same time)—then there is also an indirect relationship between trade deficit and domestic investment, with each moving in the opposite direction from the other at any given time (decreasing or increasing in opposition to each other).

If trade balance (trade deficit) is equal to the difference between domestic savings and domestic investment, and if the movements of trade deficit and domestic savings are directly correlated, then the relationship between trade deficit and domestic investment must be an indirect, inverse relationship, with movement opposite to each other. If trade deficit decreases due to government policy, then domestic investment does not decrease; domestic savings decrease.

The current account is the sum of the trade balance and. . . transfers of income. . . [I]t is common to see the terms “current account balance” and “trade balance” used interchangeably. . . The current account also reflects a comparison of national saving and national investment. . . [T]he current account balance is equal to the difference between national saving and national investment. . . When a country has a current account deficit, national saving must, by definition, be below investment (Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco).

How would you compare the humor between the Osric scene and the gravediggers' scene? How does each serve to bring out the character of...

Before we discuss this topic, please keep in mind that it's very much possible to reach different interpretations of and observations about literature, especially works as complex and layered as Shakespeare's Hamlet. So feel free to use this discussion as a starting point to come to reach your own observations and interpretations.

Of course, as we see in these two scenes in the play, Hamlet has a unique sense of humor. What's so nice about Hamlet's fun and sarcastic conclusions about people and incidents he observes is that he's able to reach some very interesting and ironic truths about life while criticizing them. In his sarcasm, there are lessons to be learned about human nature, society, classes, life, and death. 

While observing the gravedigger, Hamlet discusses how people of wealth, high social class, virtue, and skill are now mere skulls thrown around without being given any care or importance. To me, this scene shows Hamlet is ever intrigued by the state of life and death. It hurts him to see people eventually end up in this state after death and are not helped by all they owned and accomplished in the world. He is clearly struggling with and trying to understand the meanings behind life and death. The scene also tells me of Hamlet's realization that the various social and economic classes are in truth meaningless, as none of it endures or avails one beyond death.

This realization is difficult to digest for Hamlet. He gives a lot of importance to wealth and classes. We see this when he makes fun of the gravedigger saying peasants like him are now going beyond their limits and showing their wit to noblemen like Hamlet. 

When Hamlet speaks about Yorick the jester, we again see how difficult it is for Hamlet to accept and understand the transition of man from life to death to soil that might be used to patch a wall. This is Hamlet's realization of how little meaning and significance man and life hold.

In the Osric scene, Hamlet makes fun of Osric, who he says is not a gentleman or a nobleman and is just tolerated because he is a wealthy landowner. Osric tries to impress Hamlet and Horatio by using fancy words he does not correctly understand, and Hamlet makes fun of his attempt. In my opinion, this scene shows Hamlet does not evaluate people by their wealth, but maybe by their qualities and standing. Considering the gravedigger's scene and this scene together, we can argue Hamlet wants people to know their place in the social structure and not go beyond their limits. All people are not of equal standing to Hamlet; a peasant and a lord are not the same, and an uneducated or ignorant man is not worthy of respect just because he is wealthy. These two scenes help us understand Hamlet's opinion about social class.

How does Dickinson set up and then defy the reader's expectations through the central metaphor (the speaker's life as loaded gun) in "My Life had...

There are a variety of interpretations with regard to Emily Dickinson's poem "My life had stood—a Loaded Gun—" There may also be a variety of interpretations with regard to how the poem creates and changes the reader's expectations.

The speaker begins by noting that its life is at a standstill until its owner arrives, identifies it and carries it away. (The reader will hopefully, by now, realize the identify of "it," which is a gun.) The owner and his gun go into the woods together and the gun is used to hunt for deer. 

The entire poem personifies the gun. The author's imagery is impressive as she describes "speaking" for the owner, as well as the echoes from the mountains that convey a sense of the gun's report that is carried away, repeated through the air on which it travels.

Dickinson seems to set up the reader's expectations by providing descriptions of the gun that point not only to being the owner's constant companion and expressing power through each gun shot, but also the sense of being valued for the protection the gun offers:

And when at Night - Our good Day done -
I guard My Master's Head -
'Tis better than the Eider-Duck's
Deep Pillow - to have shared -

The mood of the poem startlingly pivots. The gun is now not used only to hunt animals, but to confront the owner's enemy. A certain uneasiness enters into the intent behind the use of the gun.

To foe of His - I'm deadly foe -
None stir the second time -
On whom I lay a Yellow Eye -
Or an emphatic Thumb -

The imagery of death continues as the poem's pivotal movement stops with the suggestion of the owner's death. The gun recognizes that his owner may well die before him, but that it would be best for the weapon if that were not the case; for while the gun has the power (and purpose) to kill when guided by its owner, it cannot die itself, entering into a seeming state of limbo and uselessness.

Though I than He - may longer live
He longer must - than I -
For I have but the power to kill,
Without--the power to die--

In reviewing the poem, the beginning presents the start of a relationship, the emergence of identity and purpose. The gun has, until this point, stood unheeded and unclaimed in a corner—forever waiting on another for its usefulness. While a weapon can be a daunting image, one might feel comfortable with images of hunting, traveling through the woods, and making a sound that echoes miles away. The first three stanzas convey not only a positive change in the gun's situation, but also the newness of camaraderie between man and gun. The positive expectation that has emerged in the beginning stanzas continues into the fourth, when the gun describes its importance in the man's life—for its owner may ever lay his head down and know a sense of peace and safety, and protection from harm that the weapon guarantees.

The expectation established and supported in the poem's first four stanzas changes dramatically in the fifth. A specter of death is presented. The owner's "foe" is presented—a vague threat; but more frighteningly "deadly foe" infers that the owner of the gun is armed and able—prepared— to act with deadly force.

It is in the final two stanzas that the poem defies the reader's expectations. The reader becomes aware of another side to the gun that has not been presented before. Whereas the first four stanzas describe the gun's benign existence, presenting no threat to any person, the fifth stanza describes that the gun never misses its mark: a man will not move again once he is shot by this owner and his weapon. The "yellow eye" brings to mind a predator—attacking. The image of "the emphatic Thumb" evokes the sense of malicious intent. There is no question of defense here, but of cool calculation as the shooter's thumb draws back the hammer of the gun, preparing to fire.

The final stanza presents the realization that the gun takes its purpose in the way the owner uses it. By the last section, the reader and the gun consider the death of the owner. It may be the cycle of life was we know it. Perhaps it has something to do with the way the owner engages his weapon. ("...all who draw the sword will die by the sword." Matthew 26:52)

The author allows that as with all things, there is a beginning and an end. While there was hunting and protection, there is now the image of death to contemplate. As a personified element in the poem, the gun does not face death at another's hand; it does not face death at all. While the owner may die, the gun has no such release. 

We could infer that Dickinson's poem addresses the phases of life: beginnings; days of thoughtless pleasure; a growing sense of power; the realization of responsibility that comes with the power to end something—particularly a life; and, the mortality of us all.

The author sets up the reader's expectations using the metaphor of the gun. For the first four stanzas, the expectations are met with positive perceptions. However, by the last two stanzas, Dickinson defies these perceptions with the realizations of life, and conversely, death. 

In the first chapter, J. went to the British Library to read up on a medical condition. After consulting a medical encyclopedia, he discovered that...

With this opening story, narrator J. reveals three of his most prominent attributes: his gullibility, his inclination toward exaggeration, and his ability to tell tales. He was consulting the medical book about one disease, and he got distracted by the descriptions of the others. He kept imagining that he had variations of many of the symptoms of the maladies listed in the reference book. He paged through them in alphabetical order, from “ague” to “zymosis.” In the end, he tells us that the only one he didn’t seem to have was “housemaid’s knee.” And why would he? He was an English gentleman who lived in a boarding house. He didn’t have to get down on his hands and knees to wash any floors on a regular basis. This is a humorous story that sets the stage for many more to come.

What does the short story "Raymond's Run" teach us about family?

Toni Cade Bambara examines both positive and negative family dynamics in the short story “Raymond’s Run.”

In “Raymond’s Run” each member of Squeaky’s family makes a significant contribution for the good of the whole family.  For example, Squeaky’s mother is responsible for the workings of the family home while her husband works. Squeaky’s brother contributes by doing odd jobs and she is responsible for Raymond who needs constant care due to his developmental disabilities. The author is highlighting the need for each family member to take responsibility for the others.

She also, describes how Squeaky’s father allows her to win when they run against each other. Her father helps her maintain her reputation, and helps her hone her skills as a runner. It is important for family member to support and bolster each other. On the other hand, Squeaky complains about the time she had to dress up and dance during the May Day. Her parents came to watch her. Squeaky did not appreciate her parents attempt to make her into something she was not.  

One of the most important family lessons the author emphasizes is that of Squeaky’s loyalty to her brother. Throughout the story she defends him against those who mock him for his disabilities, but she sees him as her responsibility not as a person with his own abilities. When he demonstrates his personal running skills, she sees her brother very differently.  At first she is his caretaker but at the end of the story she becomes his champion.

Toni Cade Bambara uses her short story to describe the value of family dynamics, and how significant it is for family members to remain loyal one another.

What are sublimation, decantation, sedimentation, filtering and sieving?

Sublimation is when a solid transitions into a gas, bypassing the liquid state. An example of this is when solid carbon sublimates into a gas as dry ice.

Decantation is when a mixture of liquids is allowed to separate, such that an element of the mixture may be removed. An example of decantation is when wine or beer is poured slowly to prevent sediments entering the glass with the alcohol.

Sedimentation is when particulates fall out of a mixture. An example is when you scoop up water from a lake or river, and over time a layer of dirt forms on the bottom.

Filtering is when a fluid is passed through a porous filter, picking out the solids in the fluid as it passes by. An example of this is when coffee is placed in a coffee filter, allowing water through but none of the grounds.

Sieving is similar to filtering, but is used to describe the filtering of large particles. An anthropologist would use a sieve to search for artifacts in a pan of dirt.

From the articles I-XXVII of the US Constitution, what are 5 examples of violations of popular sovereignty, political equality, political liberty,...

First of all, please note that there are not 27 articles to the Constitution of the United States.  Instead, there are only seven articles.  In addition, there are 27 amendments that have been ratified since the Constitution was created.  It is not clear whether you mean that we should find violations within the Constitution proper or whether you are including all the amendments.  Here are some violations:

• Article I, Section 2 says that people cannot be elected to the House of Representatives if they are not at least 25 years old.  This violates popular sovereignty because it does not allow people to vote for whomever they want.  It also violates political liberty because it discriminates against people under 25 years of age.


• Article I, Section 3, gives two senators to each state.  This violates political equality.  It means (today) that all the 38 million people in California are only represented by two senators, just the same as the 580,000 people in Wyoming.  This gives each person in Wyoming much more say over the Senate than each person in California.


• This same article says a person cannot be a senator unless they are at least 30 years old.  This violates the same things that I mentioned in the first bulleted point.


• Article I, Section 9 lists all sorts of things that the Congress cannot do.  This violates popular sovereignty.  The government should be able to do whatever the people want.  If the people want the government to make an ex post facto law, the idea of popular sovereignty says they should get their way.  Every amendment to the Constitution that says “Congress shall make no law…” does this as well.


• Article II, Section 1 creates the Electoral College.  This violates popular sovereignty because it does not allow the people to elect the president directly.

All of these are, arguably, violations of aspects of democracy.

Who in The Crucible uses their power in a positive way?

Mr. Hale eventually uses his power in a positive way.  It takes him a while to come around to the idea that the court in Salem is corrupt and that the girls are not being truthful, but once he does realize this in Act III, he tries to step in.  Hale tries to stick up for the Proctors when Elizabeth tells a lie to protect John after he'd sworn that she would never lie.  When Mary Warren accuses John of witchcraft, Hale argues that "this child's gone wild!" and he "denounce[s] these proceedings" by the end of the act.    

By Act IV, Hale has returned to Salem to try to convince those who are about to be hanged for witchcraft, John Proctor included, to confess so that they will not lose their lives.  He insists that Danforth "must pardon them," though Danforth will not because others have already been put to death for the same crimes.  Hale tells Elizabeth, "cleave to no faith when faith brings blood.  It is mistaken law that leads you to sacrifice.  Life, woman, life is God's most precious gift; no principle, however glorious, may justify the taking of it."  Although Hale is, ultimately, unsuccessful at saving anyone from death, he does try, and he's one of the only -- if not the only -- person who actually uses their power to try to do good.  Danforth, Hathorne, Parris, Putnam: they're all corrupt in their own ways.

Did opposition to the Vietnam War increase or decrease with the Tet Offensive?

Opposition to the Vietnam War increased after the Tet Offensive. The offensive, which was a tactical failure for the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army, was nevertheless conducted on such a scale, and inflicted so many losses, that it raised the possibility in the minds of many Americans that victory was not attainable. This shift in public opinion was heavily influenced by media coverage of the war. By 1968, each of the major television networks had sent war correspondents to Vietnam, and the footage they sent back was difficult for Americans to accept. Images of American casualties and the brutality of guerrilla warfare (including the burning of Vietnamese villages) horrified many Americans. This culminated with Walter Cronkite, CBS News anchorman, warning on television that the Tet Offensive showed that the war was very likely to end in a "stalemate." After the Tet Offensive, the "credibility gap" between the news reports and the government (whose spokespeople claimed that the war was going well) only worsened. Domestically, the effects were profound--antiwar movements across the country became more frequent and more strident, the Democratic Party split between "hawks" and "doves," and President Lyndon Johnson declined to seek renomination for the Presidency. Johnson also began to attempt to roll back American involvement in the war by increasing bombing at the expense of ground operations. In short, opposition to the war dramatically increased (and went more "mainstream") after the Tet Offensive.

What is a theme in Act I, Scene 1 of Arthur Miller's The Crucible?

The fear of "the other" is one of the dominant themes in Act I, Scene 1 of The Crucible.

"The other" can be defined as anything different.  In his extensive stage directions, Miller suggests that the residents of Salem possessed a strong fear of this other. Miller explores this theme in several ways.  One way is in his suggestion that the people of Salem believed their lives should exist only for religious expression:

No one can really know what their lives were like. They had no novelists - and would not have permitted anyone to read a novel if one were handy. Their creed forbade anything re-sembling a theater or “vain enjoyment.” They did not celebrate Christmas, and a holiday from work meant only that they must concentrate even more upon prayer. 

Salemites' clutching to religion meant that anything outside of its jurisdiction was transgression and evil.  The fear of "the other" caused the people of Salem to always pay attention to what other people did. People in Salem clung to conformity as the only weapon against "the other": "But, as in all such matters, the issue was not clear-cut, for danger was still a possibility, and in unity still lay the best promise of safety."  People in Salem took sanctuary in conformity as a defense against anything believed to be different.  

This fear compelled the people of Salem to focus on what other people said and did.  Miller argues that the preoccupation with others was out of fear that they were doing something that the community did not sanction: "This predilection for minding other people’s business was time-honored among the people of Salem, and it undoubtedly created many of the suspicions which were to feed the coming madness." Miller suggests that the fear of the other was what caused Salemites to focus on what other people said and did.  He also believes that it played a significant role in the hysteria behind the trials.  To be accused of being a witch meant that a person was "different" and had broken from the community's expectation of spirituality.  

This theme is established in the play's opening scene.  It is evident in how Parris is worried about what others will say about him regarding the girls' actions in the woods.  It is also seen in how the girls launch into their accusations and how the townspeople respond.  The fear of "the other" theme introduced in the first scene of the first act is a significant theme throughout the drama.

Why does Melba's mother insist that she and Melba keep their encounter with the mob outside Central High School a secret even though it means...

Melba's mother insists Melba keep their encounter with the mob secret because she doesn't want their attackers to discover the true identity of their victims. Melba's mother asserts that, if the men ever discovered who they were attacking, they would likely hunt her and Melba down to "finish the job" of killing them.

In Chapter Four, Melba's mother takes Melba to Central High for her first day at school. They are met by a noisy crowd of white demonstrators and neighbors when they get there. The Arkansas National Guard is there as well, but they do nothing to protect Melba and her other black peers. As the crowd becomes more rowdy, Melba and her mother try to get away.

In the process of fleeing, Melba and her mother are pursued by a group of white men. One of the men has a rope, and another manages to catch up to Melba's mother. He tries to grab her arm, but she eludes him. Another man assaults Melba with a large tree branch, but he misses as well. Eventually, they are both able to reach their car and manage to get away, although one man throws a brick at their windshield.

Melba and her mother drive around for a while until they are sure the men are not following them. Due to this terrifying incident, Melba's mother forbids her from discussing the morning's events with anyone. She tells Melba that, even if she has to lie, she must never admit to being in the vicinity of Central High that morning. Their lives are at stake, and they must do everything they can to protect themselves. 

Suppose that there are two products: clothing and soda. Both Brazil and the United States produce each product. Brazil can produce 100 units of...

The PPF (production possibility frontier) of an economy describes the maximum output that the economy can produce. Here, only two goods, clothing (C) and soda (S), are considered. The PPF's for the two countries, Brazil and the US, are assumed to be straight lines to keep the model simple. The PPF line describes the possible combinations of output of the two goods, C and S. Points below the PPF represent the situation where the economy is producing goods at less than full capacity. Any point above the PPF represents a combined output that isn't achievable under current production possibilities (according to resources and available labour), but might be achievable in different conditions.

1) In the case of Brazil, we're told it can produce 100 units of clothing per year, or 50 units of soda. Therefore, its PPF is given by

2S + C = 100

because when C = 0, S = 50 (so that 2S = 100), and when S = 0, C = 100. The coefficients of S and C arise from the fact that production of C (clothing) to S (soda) is in the ratio of 2 to 1.

Similarly, the PPF for the US is given by

(65/250)S + C = 65

because when C = 0, S = 250 and when S = 0, C = 65.

2) We are told that, without trade, the US produces 32.5 units of clothing and 125 units of soda. This is the point on the PPF for the US where C = 32.5 (horizontal axis) and S = 125 (vertical axis). This is halfway along the PPF line, as the value of C is half of what the US can produce in total of C (65 units), and similarly the value of S is half what it can produce in total of S (250 units).

   We are also told that, without trade, Brazil produces 50 units of clothing and 25 units of soda. On Brazil's PPF line this would be the point where C = 50 (horizontal axis) and S =25 (vertical axis). Again, this is halfway along the PPF line as C is half the value that Brazil can produce (100), and S is half the value that it can produce (50).

3)  Assuming the Ricardian model of trade, that is, perfect competition, we can compare the opportunity costs for not producing each good in turn for each country to work out which product which country should export and which product which country should import.

The opportunity cost of a particular good produced is expressed in terms of how many units of another good could be produced in the same unit of time (here 1 year). This assumes that there is a limit to the availability of labour.

For each of the goods (C and S here), the opportunity cost is the ratio of possible production of one to the other. That is, it is the slope of the PPF line. If the line is drawn with C as the horiztonal or x axis and S as the vertical or y axis then the PPF is described as

S = 50 -(1/2)C   for Brazil,  and

S = 250 - (250/65)C  for the US.

The opportunity costs of making clothing (C) in terms of soda (S) are then, respectively, OC(Brazil) = 1/2 and OC(US) = 250/65. That is, labour devoted by Brazil to making one unit of C could have been used to make only 1/2 a unit of S. The opportunity costs of making S in terms of C are the reciprocal of those of C in terms of S, that is, OC(Brazil) = 2 and OC(US) = 65/250.

Because Brazil can make relatively more of C (clothing) than S (soda), whereas the US can make relatively more of S than C, Brazil has the comparative advantage in making clothing and the US the comparative advantage in making soda. Brazil can make OC = 2 times the amount of clothing that it can make of soda. In contrast, the US can make OC = 250/65 times the amount of soda that it can make of clothing. Therefore there are gains to be made from trade for each country in a trade agreement between the two where Brazil specializes in making clothing and the US specializes in making soda.

Because the US has a larger capacity for production, despite having a larger capacity for consumption also, it would either need to under-produce soda (it can produce 250 units of soda, but Brazil only requires 25 units and the US itself only require 125, meaning they can produce 100 units more than is required for these two countries alone) or enter a trade agreement with other (developing) countries such as Brazil that have relatively low production and consumption in comparison to the US (and similar developed countries). 

`(8, 2) , y' = 2y/(3x)` Find an equation of the graph that passes through the point and has the given slope

The given slope equation: `y' =2y/(3x)` is in form of first order ordinary differential equation. In order to evaluate this, we let `y'`  as `(dy)/(dx)` .

`(dy)/(dx)=2y/(3x)`

Then, express as a variable separable differential equation: `N(y) dy= M(x) dx` .

To accomplish this, we cross-multiply `dx` to the other side.

`dy=2(ydx)/(3x)`

Then, divide both sides by y:

`(dy)/y=2(ydx)/(3xy)`

`(dy)/y=2(dx)/(3x)`

To be able to solve for the equation of the graph, we solve for the indefinite integral on both sides.

The problem becomes: `int(dy)/y= int 2(dx)/(3x)`

For the left side,we integrate `int(dy)/y` using basic integration formula for logarithm: `int (du)/u = ln|u|+C`

`int (dy)/y = ln|y|`

For the right side, we may apply basic integration property: `int c*f(x)dx =c intf(x)dx` .

`int 2(dx)/(3x)=(2/3)int (dx)/(x)`

The integral part resembles the basic integration formula for logarithm:` int (du)/u = ln|u|+C`

`(2/3)int (dx)/(x)=(2/3)ln|x|+C.`

Note: Just include the constant of integration "C" on one side as the arbitrary constant of a differential equation.

Combining the results from both sides, we get the general solution of the differential equation as:

`ln|y|=(2/3)ln|x|+C`

or `y = e^((2/3ln|x|+C))`

To solve for the equation of the graph that passes to a particular point `(8,2)` , we plug-in `x=8` and` y =2` on the general solution: `ln|y|=(2/3)ln|x|+C` .

`ln|2|=(2/3)ln|3|+C`

Isolate C:

`C =ln|2|-(2/3)ln|3|`

Apply natural logarithm property: `n*ln|x|= ln|x^n|` and `ln|x|-ln|y| = ln|x/y|`

`C =ln|2|-ln|3^(2/3)|`

`C=ln|2/3^(2/3)| orln|2/root(3)(9)|`

Plug-in `C=ln|2/root(3)(9)|` on the general solution: `y = e^((2/3ln|x|+C))` , we get the equation of the graph that passes through (8,2) as:

`y = e^((2/3)ln|x|+ln|2/root(3)(9)|)`

 Which simplifies to,

`y = e^((2/3)ln(x))*e^(ln(2/root(3)(9)))`

 `y = 2/root(3)(9)x^(2/3)` as the final answer