How was Mercutio being bawdy about what he thinks Romeo has been up to all night in Act 2, Scene 4?

Something bawdy is lewd or obscene, especially in the way you're talking, so we're looking to see how Mercutio is being perverted, inappropriate, or sexually suggestive as he teases Romeo about what went on the previous night. Readers should be aware that much of what Mercutio says in Act 2, Scene 4 is rather crass--not at all appropriate for young children.

For a little context, recall that Romeo had basically disappeared the previous night as he and his friends were leaving the party, so Mercutio assumes Romeo went off to be with some girl, maybe Rosaline. His comments are focused on teasing Romeo about having spent all night having sex; Mercutio is teasing Romeo gently, as a friend, pretty much congratulating his buddy in an indirect, bawdy way for what he thinks Romeo had done the night before.

As readers, though, or as viewers if we're watching the play on stage, we experience some dramatic irony here: we know that Romeo has been with Juliet, but that they have not consummated their love for each other physically. So Mercutio's assumptions are actually incorrect.

Let's look at Mercutio's first handful of bawdy comments as Romeo enters the scene:

1. "Without his roe, like a dried herring. O flesh, flesh, how art thou fishified!" Here, Mercutio is saying that Romeo looks like a shriveled-up fish that has deposited its eggs, and now he looks weak and tired. Mercutio is hinting that Romeo is exhausted from having sex.

2. Next, Mercutio mentions a bunch of famous women and hints that the girl Romeo has been with must be even more fantastic than they were--based on how tired Romeo looks now: "Laura to his lady was but a kitchen-wench—marry, she had a better love to berhyme her—Dido a dowdy, Cleopatra a gypsy, Helen and Hero hildings and harlots, Thisbe a grey eye or so, but not to the purpose."

3. After Romeo gives Mercutio the excuse that he'd had to slip away from his friends to take care of some important business, Mercutio basically says, "Yeah, I know. You had important business to accomplish with your butt." Here are the words he actually says: "That’s as much as to say, such a case as yours constrains a man to bow in the hams."

4. When Romeo tries to clarify what Mercutio means, Mercutio replies "Thou hast most kindly hit it." On the surface, this means "Yes, that's what I meant." But it's also another bawdy joke; its second meaning is "you hit your target," or in other words, "you had sex."

5. Mercutio then alludes to female sex organs, calling himself "the very pink of courtesy."

Romeo joins in on the jokes, and he and Mercutio go on and on, playing off each other's choice of words and making more and more bawdy puns. The only thing that really stops them is the sudden appearance of Juliet's nurse. You can understand the puns and innuendos that Mercutio is making if you notice that he's bringing the conversation back again and again to Romeo's exhausted body.

Place in the correct order the structures which inhaled air passes through on the way to the blood stream: alveoli, nasal cavity, larynx, pharynx,...

When humans breathe in air, most of the time it is through the nose, though we can also breathe in through our mouths. Assuming air comes in through the nose, the correct order is:

1. Nasal cavity. This is a hollow portion of the skull containing hairs and mucus, and both warms and adds moisture to the incoming air, and removes foreign matter such as dust. This cleaning by mucus continues throughout the respiratory system.


2. Pharynx (throat). Both air to the lungs, and food to the gut, pass through the pharynx; the epiglottis, a flap of tissue, helps keep food and water from entering the lungs.


3. Larynx (voice box). Air passes over vocal folds in this area, enabling speech.


4. Trachea (wind pipe). This tube has supporting cartilage; it stays open so that air may easily pass through.


5. Bronchi. These airways split from the trachea and enter each lung; they become increasing small, and are termed secondary and tertiary (3rd) bronchi in the lobes of the lungs.


6. Alveolar ducts. These connect the bronchioles with the alveoli.


7. Alveoli. These are very small sacs in the lungs that are in such close contact with the capillaries of the bloodstream that oxygen and carbon dioxide can diffuse across the membranes; higher oxygen content of the inhaled air allows oxygen to enter the blood, and higher carbon dioxide level in the blood allows it to diffuse back to the alveoli so that it can be exhaled.

How does the setting in "Dead Men's Path" create conflict between Obi and the villagers?

The setting in "Dead Men's Path" creates tension between Michael Obi, who has just been appointed headmaster of the Ndume School, and the villagers because of the path that runs through the schoolyard. The villagers rarely use the path, but "it connects the village shrine with their place of burial." Furthermore, one villager states, "Our dead relatives depart by it and our ancestors visit us by it. But most important, it is the path of children coming in to be born..." Michael Obi believes that a school, where students are taught to use reason and logic, is no place for such beliefs. He responds, "Our duty is to teach your children to laugh at such ideas." 

Michael Obi, who is new to the village, is young and energetic and has many modern and "wonderful ideas." He views the school as unprogressive and hopes to modernize it. He has a negative attitude about the school, the villagers, and their customs. When he sees an old villager walking through the school along the path, he is dismayed and insists on blocking the path with sticks and barbed wire despite the fact that he hears of how important the pathway is to the villagers. His refusal to remove the barrier leads to the villagers' trampling of the schoolyard, which reflects poorly on Michael Obi, who the Supervisor believes acted with "misguided zeal."

What is the climax of Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool?

The climax of a story is a very particular part of the plot that is the height of the tension. The climax happens at the end of the rising action, but prior to the resolution. In Moon Over Manifest, the rising action is the largest part of the plot involving the entire story from Miss Sadie, the diviner. Miss Sadie's story allows Abilene to figure out the truth about her father. The moment Abilene finds out the truth is the climax of the story.

This climax definitely needs some explanation. After Miss Sadie's story is told, Abilene is able to match the letters and different mementos to the story. Abilene finds out, even though she had always thought her father's name was Gideon, he really had the nickname of Jinx. Poor Gideon/ Jinx blamed himself (at least partially) for Ned's death and (later) for Abilene's sickness. Gideon/ Jinx also believed he could not properly care for Abilene and wanted her to live a better life. This devastated Gideon/ Jinx; therefore, he fled from the devastation and sent Abilene to Manifest. Before he left, however, he placed the mementos under a floorboard that is now in Abilene's possession and gave the compass to her with an inscription that reveals information about Ned's death. Miss Sadie's story is the catalyst that allows Abilene to piece the truth together in the book's tension-filled climax.

Of course, after this climax (when Abilene figures out the truth), comes the resolution: the reunification of Abilene and Gideon/ Jinx. Abilene sends a telegram, and Gideon arrives by rail. Neither is sure they will stay together in Manifest, but they know that looking into each other's eyes feels "like home."

In A Raisin in the Sun, should the Youngers have taken the money from Mr. Linder?

This question is totally subjective and, therefore, can be argued either way. However, I am inclined to argue against taking the money from Lindner.

For those who say that the Youngers should have taken the money, the judgment would be a matter of practicality. Lindner makes it clear that blacks are not wanted in Clybourne Park:

What do you think you are going to gain by moving into a neighborhood where you just aren't wanted...people can get awful worked up when they feel that their whole way of life and everything they've ever worked for is threatened.

As a result, the community prepared "to buy the house from [the Youngers] at a financial gain to [the] family." The expectation is that they will buy a house in a neighborhood that is predominately black, or one that is more accommodating to integration (the latter was uncommon in Chicago at this time).

By choosing to take the money, the Youngers would have moved into a neighborhood where they would have been welcomed by their neighbors and not subjected to harassment or coldness. They would have been in a position in which they could have actively belonged to and contributed to a community.

However, they also would have been submitting to de facto segregation, and to the white supremacist's tendency to tell black people where they can and cannot go. Moreover, redlining was a common practice in Chicago at the time. Redlining was the practice of raising house prices and mortgage rates in certain areas based on the racial or ethnic make-up of those communities. Banks and realtors frequently profited off of redlining. In this system, blacks would pay much higher mortgages than whites for similar homes. In many instances, people would spend their lifetimes paying off the mortgage for a house that had been overvalued to the banks' advantage. The Youngers would have been victims of this practice.

One could also argue in favor of taking the money by saying that the Youngers would have earned a profit from the sale of the house in Clybourne Park. If there is an opportunity to earn money, why not leap at the chance? For some people, this might not be a problem. However, the Youngers, like most of us, have pride. The money is tainted because the family is being paid to stay away; they are being characterized as undesirables. To accept the money would be to accept this characterization of themselves. Moreover, due to mortgage rates which were inflated by redlining, the profit would have eventually been absorbed by mortgage payments.

Hansberry makes the buying of a house central to her story because home ownership is an implicit part of the American Dream. However, by pointing out that many whites have their "dream" disrupted when blacks move into their neighborhoods, Hansberry indirectly critiques what the American Dream is predicated on: the subordination of black people. This indicates that the dream is only available to some.

By not taking the money, the Youngers assert that they are as entitled to aspirations, such as home ownership, as white people are. They are as entitled to move wherever they please, as white people are. They are entitled to feel that they are as worthy of citizenship and a sense of belonging as anyone else. Taking the money would undermine these principles in favor of temporary capital gain, which is not the message Hansberry wanted to send in her play. Even Walter, who is arguably the most covetous character in the play, does not care so much about the possession of money itself as he does about what money can afford for him and his family: respect and access.

In Ernest Rutherford’s gold foil experiment, most positively charged particles passed through the foil, but a few particles were deflected...

Rutherford inferred that the atom had a concentrated center, a nucleus, made up of positively charged particles. He believed that charges were deflected strongly because that they collided with the nuclei of atoms. The reality is that the protons, being positively charged, deflected the electrons (protons were not yet known at the time of the gold foil experiment). 

The primary breakthrough of this experiment was that atoms can be said to have a center, a nucleus, around which electronics orbit. Before Rutherford's gold foil experiment, J. J. Thompson had proposed in his "plum pudding" model that atoms were simply made up of randomly distributed particles. Rutherford proposed a new model that included a nucleus. He later named the proton.

In Chapter 6 of To Kill a Mockingbird, how does "One Eye, Two Eyes, and Three Eyes" relate to the story?

In Chapter 6, Jem decides to return to the Radley house in the middle of the night to get his pants back.  Scout does not want him to go and threatens to tattle.

After a period of quiet, Jem says to Scout, "'Sleep, Little Three-Eyes?'"  This is referring to the Grimm's Fairy Tale called "One-Eye, Two-Eyes, and Three-Eyes."  In the story, there is a sister with three eyes.  The three-eyed sister is supposed to watch her two-eyed sister.  The sister with two eyes sings a lullaby to the sister with three eyes, in hopes that she will fall asleep.  Two out of the three eyes on the three-eyed sister fall asleep.  Her third eye is awake in the story.  The two-eyed sister thinks that her sister is completely asleep.  Instead, the three-eyed sister spies on her with her one awake eye.

Jem refers to this part of the story when he mentions "Little Three-Eyes."  He is pointing out that Scout is awake and is watching him to make sure he does not sneak out to the Radley house.  This reference to a story within another story is called allusion.

What is the effect of the quote "I have bought the mansion of love but not possessed it" in Romeo and Juliet?

This quote is from Juliet's soliloquy in Act Three, Scene 2. She is waiting for Romeo to come and spend the night with her so they can consummate their marriage. By this statement, she is saying she has married Romeo, but not fully yet made her marriage and her union with him whole. Of course, this soliloquy is full of dramatic irony. The audience knows what Juliet does not: Romeo has just complicated his marriage by killing Tybalt. This line demonstrates several things to the audience. First, it underscores Juliet's powerful love for her new husband and her strong sexual desire for him. In context, the audience will realize that even though the young couple does consummate their marriage, Juliet will never fully enjoy the "mansion of love" because she will not be able to live and grow old with Romeo. This sad reality was revealed in the play's Prologue, and events in the previous scene have pushed the plot toward this tragic conclusion. 

What does Atticus want the jury to note about Mayella’s bruises?

Atticus wanted the jury to note the location of Mayella's bruises, which Sheriff Tate says were on "her right eye...that side of her face." He goes on to say that "her arms were bruised" and that she had "finger marks" around her throat (170). The point of this becomes clear as he shoes that Bob Ewell is lefthanded, and that Tom Robinson lost the use of his left arm when he was young. Atticus has him stand in the middle of Mayella's testimony to demonstrate that his arm simply hangs beside his body. It seems very unlikely that he could have been the one that left the bruises around Mayella's neck, and that Tom could have punched her on the right side of her face, since his left arm (obviously it would be easier for a person to deliver a punch with his left hand to the right side of Mayella's face) is so weak. Basically, Atticus is trying to establish a reasonable doubt in the minds of the jury that Tom is guilty. If not for the racism of the all-white jury, this almost certainly would have been enough to secure Tom's acquittal. 

If Snowball ,from Animal Farm, had come back to make a speech for the animals to join his side instead of Napoleon's, what would he have said?

If Snowball had come back to make such a speech, he no doubt would have emphasized how far Napoleon had deviated from the ideals of Animal Farm. Soon after the animal uprising, Napoleon and the other pigs (which in the early stages, we must remember, included Snowball himself) quickly began to give themselves special privileges, which included milk and apples in their mash. By the end of the book, of course, they are indistinguishable from the humans, wearing clothes, walking upright, gambling, and drinking. Snowball would probably have decried all this as contrary to Animalism, which he played a major role in developing after Old Major's death. He also would perhaps have cited his role in the uprising itself, particularly his valor in battle against the humans, both of which Squealer downplayed after Snowball's exile. Perhaps he would have emphasized his role in planning the windmill, a project which Napoleon adopted as his own after opposing it when Snowball proposed it. In sum, he would probably restate his commitment to the ideals of Animalism and suggest that by following him, they might return to the original purpose of Animal Farm.

Why is Saint Augustine so important to western civilization?

Augustine of Hippo (354 – 430) was one of the most important Church Fathers. He was extremely influential on medieval Christian thought, and later among thinkers of the Protestant Reformation. His theological contribution to these great movements in Christian history is the primary reason for his importance to western civilization.

Augustine’s years as a priest and bishop involved copious amounts of intensely thoughtful writing. Accordingly, his personal psychological and spiritual journey is well-documented in his literary works. After experimenting with philosophical theories and different religious traditions—such as Manicheanism, Neoplatonism, and Gnosticism—he realized his struggle in understanding the origins of human evil and the truth behind the Gospels.

In his most influential work, Confessions, Augustine addressed three religious problems in this regard: the problem of evil; the relation between body and soul; and the Christian understanding of sin and redemption. All of these are aspects of the same problem. Augustine’s method of inquiry involves many elements similar to traditional Greek philosophy, which broadened the scope of Christian thought.

Further reading: Slocum, Kay. Medieval Civilization. London: Laurence King Publishing, 2005.

I have to write an argumentative paper on history of organized crime. I want to discuss how immigrants arriving in this country in hopes of the...

In discussing this, your first job should be to distinguish between facts and myths. The actual reality, for the past century, has been that immigrants, on the average, have been more law-abiding than American citizens, and less likely to commit and be convicted of crimes. On the other hand, a story, for example, of a tailor and his wife who moved from Italy to the United States, opening a dry cleaning and tailoring shop, and had a couple of kids who grew up and went to college doesn't make for a thrilling movie, while stories of Mafia bosses are dramatic and exciting. 

Like most immigrant communities, the Italian-Americans of the early twentieth century were, overall, hard working and law abiding, although, as within any group, there were among them a few who turned to crime. The precipitating factor for the growth of organized crime was 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, or Prohibition, which made the sale of alcohol illegal. The response to this was a growth in organized crime, both among ethnic groups in urban centers and the renowned moonshiners of Appalachia. The Sicilian Mafia, an existing organized crime group in Italy that was under pressure from the fascist dictator Mussolini, saw this as an opportunity to expand operations into the United States. 

Thus your thesis might focus on how Prohibition led to the growth of organized crime, and how after alcohol was legalized, and profits from bootlegging disappeared, organized crime moved into dealing other illegal substances and other activities. You might conclude by speculating on how legalization and regulation of drugs may actually reduce organized crime by taking away its most profitable business. 

"The Mexican War may accurately be blamed for causing the Civil War." Why?

It is (at least arguably) accurate to say that the Mexican War caused the Civil War because the Mexican War upset the status quo on slavery.  By doing so, it led to more conflict between the North and the South.  This conflict eventually led to the Civil War.

Before the war with Mexico, the North and South had come to an uneasy compromise on the issue of slavery.  This had been put in place in 1820 with the creation of the Missouri Compromise.  People knew which areas could have slaves and which could not.  Many people were unhappy with the situation, but not enough to cause serious trouble.  The war with Mexico changed this.

First, the war itself caused discord between the North and the South.  Many people in the North felt that the war was being fought in order to take more territory for slavery.  For this reason, many Northern members of Congress supported the Wilmot Proviso.  This proposal stated that slavery should be banned from any land taken from Mexico in the war.  Of course, the South opposed the Proviso vigorously.  Thus, the war itself brought about some animosity between the two regions.

Once the war was over, things only got worse.  The US took huge areas of land from Mexico.  Those areas had to be organized into territories.  This brought up the issue of whether the territories made out of the Mexican Cession would be free or slave.  In other words, the war forced the North and South to come into conflict over what areas would and would not have slavery.

This conflict led to the Compromise of 1850, which was meant to calm things down just as the Missouri Compromise had three decades before.  The Compromise of 1850 was largely successful, but one part of it was terribly controversial.  This was the Fugitive Slave Act, which made it much easier for escaped slaves to be returned to their owners.  Perhaps more importantly, it required private citizens to help capture escaped slaves and it set up a process that would make it easy for any black person, even a free one, to be sent South.  The North resented this law and the South was unhappy that the North was so resistant to returning slaves.  This helped pull the two regions apart.

The Fugitive Slave Act also helped influence Harriet Beecher Stowe to write Uncle Tom’s Cabin.  This book was influential enough that Abraham Lincoln is supposed (though this may be apocryphal) to have said to Beecher Stowe that it caused the Civil War.  The book caused conflict between the North and South because it increased anti-slavery feeling in the North.

We can even say that the Mexican War helped bring about the Kansas-Nebraska Act.  This law was created in order to build a transcontinental railroad.  If the US had not taken the Mexican Cession, there would have been no need for such a railroad.  The Kansas-Nebraska Act opened Kansas up to slavery if the people wanted it, thus abrogating the Missouri Compromise.  The discord over this law, and the violence of “Bleeding Kansas” helped deepen the enmity between North and South.  For this reason, the Kansas-Nebraska Act is generally seen as a major cause of the Civil War (it even gave John Brown his start in anti-slavery violence).

In short, the Mexican War reopened the issue of slavery in the United States.  It forced the North and South to try to agree again on what areas should and should not have slavery.  In doing this, it helped bring about many of the events that led directly to the Civil War.

In the Two Minutes Hate in George Orwell's 1984, what are three Party slogans?

In Part One, Chapter One, Winston describes the Two Minutes Hate. As this event draws to a close, the face of Big Brother appears on the telescreen followed by the three slogans of the Party:

WAR IS PEACE

FREEDOM IS SLAVERY

IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH

These slogans are paradoxical but demonstrate the extent of the Party's power. The Party is so powerful, for instance, that it can make people believe that two opposing and illogical ideas are one and the same.

Furthermore, it is significant that these slogans appear at the end of the Two Minutes Hate. On a practical level, they bring the Hate to an end, functioning like a calm after the storm. Looking deeper, however, they make people feel safe and protected by the Party. We see this most strongly in the description of the "little sandy-haired woman" who calls out "My saviour!" when she sees Big Brother's face and the slogans on the telescreen.

I need to write an essay in which I imagine the philosophers Descartes and Locke having dinner together. What would be some key topics for them to...

The most important step you need to take to outline this conversation is to establish what beliefs both men had in common, and how Descartes' modes of thinking about and perceiving the world might lead organically to Locke's political philosophy. In other words, because Descartes was the first major rationalist of the Enlightenment, who paved the way for all other Enlightenment philosophers with his brilliant use of thought experiments, you would first want to get Descartes and Locke to discuss their shared view of how to understand the world: through careful analysis and a the refusal to take accept any statement of fact on faith (also known as Skepticism).

Descartes and Locke could easily discuss Descartes contributions to mathematics, as well as his attempt to reconstitute humans'  understanding of the world through logic and methodical thought experimentation. Locke could very easily claim that Descartes' attempt to re-conceptualize the world led directly to Locke's attempt to re-conceptualize the assumptions about how governments worked, and to argue against absolute monarchies and for his new model of "The Social Compact/Contract."

These two men could also discuss the similarities between how the Social Compact reimagined political philosophy and how Cartesian geometry reimagined the physical world, by marrying geometry to algebra. Similarly, Locke's idea of the social compact brought together personal ethics, which had once been the sole province of religion, with theories of government.

You might even have Descartes suggest that Locke's social compact theory, which relied on citizens to consent to and adhere to laws of their own creation, was in reality a complex geometrical formula that requires reciprocity, which in geometric terms, might be compared to supplementary angles, which Descartes helped to measure, or the X and Y axis, neither of which works or can even exist in any sensible way without the other.

Remember that Descartes was a major contributor to our understanding of physics, and the social compact theory is a great example of a symbiotic relationship of two equal forces keeping one another in check. On one hand, citizens must agree to enact certain laws that govern their society, and on the other hand, those same citizens must submit to those laws that they have enacted, and be held accountable for any breach of those laws. This is a very rational, Cartesian idea, whose elegant construction Descartes would have loved.

You might also have the two philosophers compare Descartes' famous axiom which proved his existence, "Cogito Ergo Sum," (I think therefore I am,") with Locke's notion that, for a government to have legitimate power, its own people must both give it power and submit to that power. Both of these ideas rely on the notion of reciprocity and equality. In fact, the whole notion of equality, which is a balance of power and rights, is a mathematical equation.

Both Locke and Descartes understood the importance of natural equilibriums, because both were students and devotees of Aristotle, whom they would also certainly discuss. Without Aristotelian logic, neither Descartes nor Locke could have formulated their philosophies or world views. Both men and all of today's scientists and thinkers are descendants of Aristotelian analysis. So Locke and Descartes discussion should probably begin or end (or both) with a discussion of their chief intellectual influence: Aristotle.

What are some methods of separating heterogeneous mixtures?

Mixtures are made by mixing various components. The resultant mixture may have a uniform composition or a non-uniform composition. The mixtures that have a uniform composition are known as homogeneous mixtures, while the mixtures with non-uniform composition are known as heterogeneous mixtures. Air is a homogeneous mixture, while trail mix is a non-homogeneous or heterogeneous mixture. 

There are a number of ways of separating a heterogeneous mixture. The most obvious way is the manual separation of individual components. For example, we can separate out individual components of trail mix (such as raisins, dry fruits, nuts, etc.) manually. If some components are magnetic, they can be separated by using electromagnets, that is, a magnetic separation. Centrifugation can also be used to separate out components. Filtering the mixture through various filter layers (or sieves) can also separate out various components. The flotation process is another option.

Hope this helps. 

Find three numbers to make the expression rational`sqrt(x+y+z)`

An expression represents a rational number if the simplified result yields a number of the form`p/q` where p and q are integers and `q!=0`

A square root is rational only if the expression in the radical simplifies to a perfect square. Thus`x+y+z`must add to a perfect square.

Examples include x=y=z=0

x=y=1, z=2

x=y=z=3/4

x=2,y=6,z=8

etc...

What are three ways in which Edmund Dantes has become the Count of Monte Cristo in the novel The Count of Monte Cristo?

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In The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare, what is the relationship between Portia and Nerissa?

Portia is the daughter of a rich nobleman from Italy. Nerissa is noted as her "waiting-woman" in the text of the play before they first enter in Act 1, Scene 2. By the way they speak with each other, we know that they are close friends, but Nerissa only discusses Portia's life with her, not necessarily her own. Nerissa maintains her servant status with Portia by always being available when she is needed. This does not mean that Nerissa is Portia's cook or maid because that is not what a lady-in-waiting entails. A lady-in-waiting usually acts like a personal assistant for the lady in question. She may filter through guests for Portia or carry messages for her. She is a also a chaperone and witness who can be called on to account for her lady's actions and choices because she is with her at all times. For example, if a man were to claim that Portia did something unladylike with him, Nerissa could be able to say that he is lying if she attends to Portia like she should. Since the women are together continually, they naturally become friends. They are so close that one might think they are sisters; but again, Nerissa always maintains her status as a servant and knows her place. 

What was the name of Gulliver's second ship?

Gulliver's first ship was called the Swallow, and he worked as the ship's doctor  under Captain Abraham Pannell.  When he returned to London, he purchased a small house and got married.  Then he says that he determined again to go to sea and served as the doctor on two more ships, but he doesn't name either of these.  He spent about six years on various voyages between these two ships.  After this, he tried to return home and set up a medical practice, but, after three years, it became obvious that it wasn't working out.  So, he took an offer from the commander of the Antelope.  This is the ship that wrecks and from which Gulliver swims to arrive in Lilliput.  Gulliver doesn't say the name of the ship that carries him to Brobdingnag.

Is the Robert Frost poem "The Road Not Taken" about the road not taken or about the road less traveled?

I believe the poem is about both the road not taken and the road less traveled.  

That sounds like a cop out, but I believe the answer is up to individual readers. Your question is reminiscent of the age-old question of whether the glass is half empty or half full. The poem's narrator says he took the road less traveled and that doing so "made all the difference."

The narrator doesn't say whether that was a good difference, though. He doesn't say if his choice was good and beneficial to him. He simply tells his reader his choice made a difference. It's possible the poem is about the advantages of taking the road less traveled; however, it is equally possible the poem is about the disadvantage caused by missing the road not taken. By taking the road less traveled, the narrator misses the road that is more traveled. There might be better life rewards by taking the more well-traveled road, which could explain why it is more well traveled.

A positive and uplifting interpretation of the poem would say the poem is about the benefits of taking the less-traveled road. A negative interpretation might say it is about missing the road not taken.

What is the distance of various planets from the Sun?

Planets are objects that are in orbit around a star. In the case of our solar system, all the planets are in orbit around the Sun. There are 8 planets in our Solar System (Pluto now being relegated to the category of Dwarf Planet since 2006), namely Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. The average distances of these planets from the Sun is given below:

• Mercury: 57.9 million km


• Venus: 108.2 million km


• Earth: 149.6 million km


• Mars: 227.9 million km


• Jupiter: 778.5 million km


• Saturn: 1.429 billion km


• Uranus: 2.877 billion km


• Neptune: 4.498 billion km

Pluto is at a distance of 5.906 billion kilometers from the Sun.

Note that these are average distances of planets from the Sun, since their orbits are not perfectly circular.

Hope this helps. 

In the book Lord of the Flies by William Golding, what does the island look like?

In his novel Lord of the Flies, Golding describes the island that the boys land on at length. The climate is clearly tropical; there are many different fruit trees that the boys use as a source of food. The beaches are also "fledged with palm trees," which produce many coconuts that lay scattered on the beach. 

The island itself hosts a coral reef, which keeps the water in the bay still and calm. As a result, the boys are able to fish and find small crustaceans to eat as well. Beyond the beach is a wide swathe of forest lands, which hosts the wild pigs that become a main motivator and source of conflict between Jack and Ralph. 

In the middle of the forest is a mountain, which is covered in "pink granite." It is on this mountain that the boys believe the beast lives. 

What is a good thesis statement for this topic? Throughout the novel, we learn that Gatsby’s goal in life since he was a young man is to win...

You could argue that Fitzgerald denies Gatsby his dream just as it seems as though it is about to come true in order to make a point about the impossibility of the American Dream.  Tom Buchanan has old money, money that he has inherited from his wealthy family, money for which he has never had to work.  Gatsby was not born into such a family; instead, if he wanted to provide Daisy with the kind of life to which she has been accustomed, he would have to earn his money another way.  Unable to find any honest way to quickly acquire the funds he needed (even an inheritance that was left to him was stolen away from him), he resorted to bootlegging, profiting from the illegal production, distribution, and sale of alcohol during Prohibition.  He longs to achieve the same status as someone like Tom Buchanan, and he seems to believe that money is all that is required to get there.  However, he doesn't realize that new money, money that has been earned, is of much less value to the upper classes than old money.  Further, the fact that Gatsby has had to resort to illegal means to earn that money corrupts the dream all the more.  When Daisy learns that Gatsby has made his money illegally, it is enough to push her back into her husband's legally rich arms.

George Wilson, husband of Myrtle, the woman having an affair with Tom, has also attempted to reach the American Dream, but legally, and he's been unsuccessful as well.  He lives in the valley of ashes with his cheating wife, trying to turn a profit but lacking in opportunity and being misled again and again by Tom.  In the end, Wilson kills himself and Gatsby, believing that Gatsby had been sleeping with Myrtle, who was killed in an accident by Daisy, and so everyone who'd been attempting to achieve the American Dream is gone.  Who remains?  Daisy and Tom: the selfish, racist, elitist couple who basically barrel over everyone in their path.  They have all the power and can essentially do whatever they want, and they survive.  If society didn't privilege people like this, then such an outcome would not have been possible.  If society truly valued loyalty and hard work, then Gatsby and Wilson would have lived prosperously.  The fact that these two men, the ones who were most cheated of the dream, die shows that the American Dream is really only a corruption of an ideal at best.

How did Calpurnia and Atticus feel when Scout criticized Walter in To Kill a Mockingbird?

In Chapter 3, Scout watches as Walter Cunningham Jr. pours syrup all over his meat and vegetables. Scout is disgusted and asks Walter what the "sam hill" he is doing. Atticus quickly glances at his daughter and shakes his head as a sign of disapproval. Nonetheless, Scout continues to protest until Calpurnia requests her presence in the kitchen. When Scout walks into the kitchen, Cal chastises Scout about her rude behavior. Calpurnia tells Scout she has no right to criticize Walter for the way he eats and she needs to stop acting "so high and mighty!" (17). Cal also tells Scout she needs to start treating her company with respect. Both Calpurnia and Atticus are ashamed and upset at Scout's criticism of Walter Cunningham, Jr. at the dinner table. While Atticus simply shakes his head at Scout, Calpurnia lectures her about treating others with respect.

What does Kate realize about her relationship with Helen at the end of the story?

Kate realizes that it is Annie (Teacher) who has become the primary influence on Helen’s life, even though she is her mother. It is Annie who has found the secret of communicating with Helen, which Helen recognizes at the water pump. In order to communicate with Helen, Kate must learn from Annie the finger alphabet and how to reach Helen. It is true that Helen learned some self-invented sign language to communicate with her mother, but she did not learn anything beyond the basic requests of childhood. To go on to advanced and abstract language, all teaching must come from Annie, both for Helen and for Kate. Kate has taken a step back as a mother, allowing Annie to be the primary source of knowledge and even love and affection. The family has become secondary; the teacher has become primary.

What are some examples of the author, Bapsi Sidhwa, using jokes to balance out the horrific war scenes in Cracking India? How does the use of this...

When the author describes the Partition of India into India and Pakistan, which is a traumatic and violent situation, her account is laced with dark humor. For example, the author describes the process of Partition as "Playing English gods under the ceiling fans of the Faletti's Hotel--behind Queen Victoria's gardened skirt--the Radcliffe Commission deals out Indian cities like playing cards" (page 150). The author's dark humor emphasizes the capriciousness and ridiculousness of the way in which India was partitioned. The narrator, a girl named Lenny, says, "I am Pakistani. In a snap. Just like that" (page 150). The humor that the author uses and often places in the mouth of her innocent narrator emphasizes that the context of the novel is also nonsensical and darkly funny in some ways. For example, the British members of the Radcliffe Commission divide up India as if it were a stack of playing cards, and they designate Lahore, where Lenny's family lives, as part of the new country of Pakistan. Lenny's humor is funny because it emphasizes the nonsensical nature of what the British are doing in India.

Even horrific war scenes in the novel have a kind of dark humor to them. As Ranna, a Muslim boy, is fleeing Amritsar and Sikhs are on a deadly rampage in his town, his aunt greets him by saying, "Who is this filthy little beggar?" (page 216). When he wonders where his aunt and mother are, a Hindu soldier tells him, "Don't you know? Your mother married me yesterday" (page 219). Again, the sarcastic and dark humor that this character encounters as he flees death and destruction serve to emphasize the nonsensical nature of what is happening in India and Pakistan. These interjections of humor enhance the sense that the setting of this novel, which takes place during the Partition of India, is filled with absurd actions and nonsensical violence. 

`f(t) = arcsin(t^2)` Find the derivative of the function

The derivative of a function with respect to t is denoted as f'(t)

The given function:` f(x) = arcsin(t^2) ` is in a form of a inverse trigonometric function.

Using table of derivatives, we have the basic formula:

`d/(dx)(arcsin(u))= ((du)/(dx))/sqrt(1-u^2)`

By comparison, we may let `u = t^2` then `(du)/(dx)= 2t` .

Applying the formula, we get:

`f'(t) =(2t)/sqrt(1-(t^2)^2)`

`f'(t) =(2t)/sqrt(1-t^4) `    as the first derivative of `f(x)=arcsin(t^2)`

Note: `(t^2)^2 = t^(2*2) = t^4` based on the  Law of Exponents: `(x^m)^n = x^(m*n)`

Lighting a candle is an example of _____.

Changes can be categorized as either physical changes or chemical changes. Physical changes are those that do not involve any change in the chemical composition of the material. A phase change (such as melting) is a common example of a physical change. Chemical changes, on the other hand, involve changes in the chemical composition of a substance. Oxidation, hydrolysis, etc. are examples of chemical changes.

When we light a candle, few changes take place. The wax melts and converts to liquid form. But chemically it still is wax and its chemical composition remains the same. Thus, a physical change occurs. When the wick burns, it produces soot and gases. The chemical composition of the material changes during this process and hence this represents a chemical change.

Thus, lighting a candle is an example of both a physical change and a chemical change.

Hope this helps. 

Do you think the poet's sigh indicates regret or relief in "The Road not Taken?"

This could be argued either way, but I am going to say the poet's sigh indicates regret, and I will explain my reasons for saying so.

The most common interpretation of the last line of the poem is that the poet is probably content to have taken the road less travelled. That is why we often advise people—particularly young people—to take the "road less travelled," or the more unconventional choice, to live a rich life. The poem itself, however, is ambiguous on this point, meaning one can read the last lines as either approving or disapproving of the less-travelled road:

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

Was the difference positive or negative? We don't know. We only know it has made "all" the difference, for better or for worse.

Assuming taking this road made a negative difference and the poet knows he definitely should have taken the other road, then the "sigh" would surely be one of regret. The poet says at the beginning of the last stanza,

I shall be telling this with a sigh

somewhere ages and ages hence

But what if the story had a happy ending, and the road less travelled made a positive difference? Wouldn't the sigh then be one of relief?

Not necessarily, in the context of the poem. The poet is imagining telling this story with "a sigh" at some time "ages and ages hence." In other words, he imagines sighing in the far future—not next year, but "ages and ages" from now. He will be in middle or old age and looking back over his life when he sighs. We know from psychology that one of the attributes of middle- and old-age is regret. No matter how good our lives have been and how many good decisions we have made, there is always something to regret. That is simply part of being a human being; we can't do it all, and one path pursued, no matter how wonderful, means another path is not pursued. The poet recognizes this truth when he says earlier in the poem that, much as he would like to return and take the other path to see where it would lead, "I doubted if I should ever come back." It is directly following that line that he says, "I shall be telling this with a sigh." The sigh suggests the narrator realizes that as he ages he will regret roads not taken, paths not pursued. This might be a bittersweet regret, but it will be regret all the same. This regret underlies so much poetry, a lament that we are not immortal; our time runs out and our choices form us in one way rather than another.

In what ways is Squeaky a better person at the end of "Raymond's Run" by Toni Cade Bambara than she was at the beginning?

Squeaky becomes more tolerant of others by the end of the story.

Squeaky has a high opinion of herself and her abilities, but she also is a hard-working and talented young lady.  She is very successful at taking care of her brother and a good runner.  She is not so good at making friends.

One of the problems Squeaky has with other kids her age is that she is very judgmental of them.  She hates false modesty and insincerity, and she believes that these are the traits of many kids in her neighborhood.  Squeaky knows the value of hard work, and she knows that everyone has to work for their achievements.

For example, Squeaky complains that Cynthia Proctor pretends she doesn’t study for tests or practice the piano.  She just magically gets good grades and knows how to play. This irritates Squeaky, who works hard and does not care who knows it.

I could kill people like that. I stay up all night studying the words for the spelling bee. And you can see me any time of day practicing running. I never walk if I can trot, and shame on Raymond if he can’t keep up.

When Squeaky hears that Gretchen, the new girl, is going to run in the May Day race, she is annoyed.  She feels like she is the fastest runner in the neighborhood and everyone knows it.  Gretchen is friends with the girls who used to be her friends.  Squeaky feels left out.  She and Gretchen smile at each other, but it is insincere.

Gretchen turns out to be a pretty good runner.  Squeaky acknowledges that she has talent when she comes in second place.

And I look over at Gretchen wondering what the “P” stands for. And I smile. Cause she’s good, no doubt about it. Maybe she’d like to help me coach Raymond; she obviously is serious about running, as any fool can see.

This shows some personal growth for Squeaky.  She judged Gretchen, but she also watched what she could do.  Now that she sees that Gretchen actually is a good runner, she does not despise her any more.  In fact, she wants to be her friend.  She feels like she finally has something in common with someone.

Why did the federal government go to Little Rock, Arkansas?

This question seems to be referring to the crisis that emerged in Little Rock over attempts to integrate Little Rock Central High School in 1957. After a federal district court ruled that Little Rock must integrate its high school, nine African-American students, known henceforth as the "Little Rock Nine," were chosen to do so. As the school year began, angry white mobs formed outside the school to prevent the black students from entering. Arkansas governor Orval Faubus sided with the mobs, even using the state's National Guard to block entry to the school on the grounds that integration would provoke violence and disorder in the city. The issue became problematic for U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower for two reasons. First, it was publicized around the world, which was embarrassing for the United States in the midst of the Cold War. It was difficult to claim that the United States represented a beacon of freedom against the Soviet Union with the disturbing scenes playing out in Little Rock in the background. Second, Governor Faubus was directly and flagrantly flouting a federal court order enforcing the Supreme Court's 1954 decision in Brown v. Board of Education. Eisenhower very reluctantly exercised his power to nationalize the Arkansas National Guard and to send in federal troops to forcibly integrate Little Rock Central High School. So it was for these reasons that the federal government came to Little Rock in 1957.

What are the four most famous lines in the modern English version of Beowulf?

I have taught Beowulf for years, and I've never run across what I would call the four most famous lines of the epic. However, there are several key points in the story that might have passages worthy of being considered the most important parts of the story. Let's look at the first of these.

The initial focus of the story is Beowulf's quest to kill Grendel. No one has been able to kill this monster. Beowulf brags that he is powerful enough to do it alone and with his bare hands. Not all of the Danes believe he can. Here is what the poet says after Beowulf and Grendel tangle in Herot:

No Dane doubted

The victory, for the proof, hanging high

From the rafters where Beowulf had hung it, was the monster's

Arm, claw and shoulder and all.

This is perhaps the most famous image from the poem; it may be the most famous image in English literature. Beowulf has proved himself to be the warrior he said he was. Now, when he goes on to kill Grendel's mother and eventually, as an old king, the dragon, we are not surprised.   

What did Johnny's note to Ponyboy say in the novel The Outsiders?

In the final chapter of the novel, Ponyboy picks up the copy of Gone With the Wind and begins to think about Johnny. When Ponyboy opens the novel, a piece of paper slips out and falls to the floor. Pony picks it up and finds out that it is a note that Johnny had written to him. Johnny begins the note by saying that he told the nurse to return the copy of Gone With the Wind to Ponyboy so he could finish reading it. Johnny goes on to mention that he doesn't mind dying and feels that saving those children's lives was worth it. He then tells Ponyboy that he's been thinking about the Robert Frost poem "Nothing Gold Can Stay," and says that the poem is commenting on youth. He encourages Ponyboy to remain innocent and to tell Dally that he should watch a sunset sometime. Johnny also tells Ponyboy not to be so upset about being a Greaser because he has lots of time to make himself into what he wants to be. He also comments that there is lots of good in the world and tells Ponyboy to share that information with Dally.

Why did President Truman have a meeting at Potsdam in 1945?

The Potsdam Conference was held in the summer of 1945. Harry Truman, Joseph Stalin, Winston Churchill, and Clement Attlee attended it. One of the main purposes of this conference was to discuss what to do with Germany after World War II had ended.

The leaders reached several agreements about Germany and about Europe. They created a Council of Foreign Ministers. It included Great Britain, the Soviet Union, the United States, France, and China. They also agreed that an Allied Control Council would deal with the military administration of Germany. They agreed to have four zones of occupation. France, Great Britain, the United States, and the Soviet Union would have a zone that it would administer. Germany would be a demilitarized country. They also planned to try to develop Germany economically. The goal was to develop farming as well as developing industries that had no connection to military products, materials, or equipment. They also were going to put war criminals on trial. Germany would also pay reparations. There was some discussion about the border between Germany and Poland, but most of that was resolved after the war ended. However, Poland did get some land from Germany.

The leaders also agreed to issue an ultimatum to Japan to surrender without conditions. A little over a week after this ultimatum was issued, we dropped the first atomic bomb on Japan at Hiroshima.

There were many issues that were discussed at the Potsdam Conference.

How would the economic and political systems of the United States benefit from the Marshall Plan? Why?

The Marshall Plan, or the European Recovery Program, benefited the economic and the political system of the United States in several ways. The European Recovery Program offered economic aid to European countries that were fighting the spread of communism. We believed that if a country had a strong economy, they would be less likely to turn to communism. We also were trying to prevent communism from spreading as part of the policy of containment.

We benefited economically from this program. Much of the money that was given to the European countries, such as Greece and Turkey, was used to buy various products from the United States. This helped to keep people employed in the United States and helped our economy prosper.

We also benefited from this program politically. The more countries that remained noncommunist, the better for us. If our economic aid helped keep a country from becoming communist, then we would have more countries that likely would support us in the fight against the spread of communism.

The United States benefited in several ways from the European Recovery Program.

What is Percival's reaction/feelings towards the beast in Lord of the Flies?

In Chapter 5, Ralph holds an assembly meeting where the boys discuss the identity and nature of the "beast." Ralph, Jack, and Piggy all agree that the "beast" doesn't exist, despite the littluns' belief. One particular littlun named Percival Wemys Madison is pushed toward the center of the circle of boys to discuss the nature of "beast." When Percival is given the opportunity to speak, he begins to cry hysterically as he thinks about the "beast." Percival cannot control his emotions and begins to weep louder than the sound of the conch being blown, which triggers the other littluns' sorrows. When Jack asks where the "beast" lives, Percival mumbles to him that the "beast" comes out of the sea. Percival then passes out in the grass in the middle of the assembly. Percival is an innocent littlun who is overcome with fear at the thought of the "beast." He misses his home and cannot cope with the situation at hand. His imaginary fears are so intense that he loses consciousness when he is asked about the "beast." 

In Act 1, Scene 5 of Romeo and Juliet, what language technique is used in Juliet's phrase, "My only love sprung from my only hate!"?

When Juliet utters this line, she is referring to the fact that she feels herself to be in love with this handsome stranger she kissed at her father's party, but she has just learned that he is Romeo Montague, the son of her father's great enemy.  It is a paradox.  A paradox is a statement or situation that seems to be contradictory and therefore appears to be an impossibility; however, there is always some crucial piece of information needed to resolve and understand the paradox.  How can one's only love possibly be embodied by the same person who represents one's only hate?  It seems like an impossibility because a person cannot both love and hate someone else at the same time.  However, the feud between the Montagues and Capulets helps us to understand.  Juliet doesn't really hate Romeo, but she knows that she's expected to hate him because he's a Montague.  She loves him, but she knows that this love is going to be problematic because she is supposed to hate him.  It's a pretty sad irony.

What does an irrational number mean?

An irrational number is a (real) number which is not rational, this is the definition. A rational number, by the definition, may be expressed as `m/n,` where `m` is an integer and `n` is a natural number. Hence an irrational number may not be expressed this way.

Some irrational numbers occur naturally from Pythagorean theorem, for example if a right triangle has both legs of length `1,` then the length of its hypotenuse is `sqrt(2),` an irrational number (ask me for proof if needed).

Written in decimal form, an irrational number has infinitely many digits after the decimal dot, and there is no period in them. This is also in contrast with rational numbers.

From the set theory point of view, there are much more irrational numbers than rational: the set of rational numbers is countable and the set of irrational numbers has the cardinality of continuum.

Despite of this, there are enough rational numbers to approximate any irrational number with any accuracy. In other words, the set of rational numbers is dense everywhere in the set of real numbers.

How to I write an introduction for an essay on the theme of dreams in Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men?

When writing an introduction, you want to make sure you have a clear thesis.  A thesis is a statement that tells the reader what you are writing about.  It should be one clear statement that directly addresses the prompt or topic.

There are many topics you could write about for this book.  I have provided you a sample thesis below so you can see how it works.

In Of Mice and Men, many characters pursue the American dream but are ultimately unsuccessful.

George and Lennie dream of buying a farm and tending rabbits.  Crooks dreams of having a space of his own.  Candy wants to participate in George and Lennie's dream.  None of these characters get what they want.

It is a good idea to begin with some kind of hook before your thesis.  Some people quote the book, and others tell anecdotes, which are brief, relevant personal stories.  It should be something related to your thesis and meaningful.  A good hook for this essay topic would be related to the American Dream concept.

Since the founding of America, people have attempted to find a piece of the American Dream by owning land.

Once you have chosen a topic and written a hook and a thesis, you have a few options depending on what your teachers wants.  Some teachers want a brief summary of the book in the introduction.  Make it no more than a few sentences.  Some teachers want you to preview your arguments.  Make sure you have planned your points and how you will support them.  Try not to be too repetitive, but previewing your argument lets the reader know what you will be talking about.

In The Outsiders, why did Johnny want to turn himself in after the murder?

Johnny wants to turn himself in because he thinks he will get off easy.

Johnny and Pony go on the run because they are jumped by Socs and things turn deadly.  Bob was drowning Pony, and Johnny intervened.  At that point, they ran away because they were afraid no one would believe them.  Johnny has never been in trouble, but is worried that no one will believe his killing the Soc Bob in self-defense.

The boys go to Dally, and he helps them run away.  He tells them where to hide out and what to do.  When Dally comes to visit them at the church, he brings Pony a letter from Soda saying he is worried and wishes his brother would turn himself in.

I know Dally knows where you are, but you know him. He keeps his trap shut and won't tell me nothing. Darry hasn't got the slightest notion where you're at and it is nearly killing him. I wish you'd come back and turn your selfves in but I guess you can't since Johnny might get hurt. (Ch. 5) 

Soda understands why they went to Dally for help instead of telling Darry and Soda what was going on.  After all, Dallas has more experience with law-breaking and he did know what to do.  He got the boys out of town and in hiding, and served as a link between them and their families (well, Pony’s family at least). 

Johnny surprises Dallas by saying that he wants to turn himself in. 

"I got a good chance of bein' let off easy," Johnny said desperately, and I didn't know if it was Dally he was trying to convince or himself. "I ain't got no record with the fuzz and it was self-defense. Ponyboy and Cherry can testify to that. And I don't aim to stay in that church all my life." (Ch. 6) 

Dally agrees reluctantly.  He does not trust the legal system.  He understands that these two are not hardened criminals, however.  They are just two scared kids who got in over their heads.  

Johnny doesn’t get to turn himself in the way he planned.  Dally, Johnny, and Pony all get injured trying to rescue some kids who get caught in a fire at the church.  At the hospital, prison for Johnny is not really on anyone’s minds because he is dying.  Eventually, Pony is released and his legal troubles are much more minor.

Why were women hated during the Elizabethan period?

I'm not sure that women were explicitly hated in the sense that people would shout at a woman, "I hate you!" However, one could argue that the oppressive and patriarchal society which dominated Elizabethan times prevailed out of some deeply ingrained hatred of women. Much of Western culture has a history of the oppression of and disdain for women, with claims that it is punishment for Eve's sin in the Garden of Eden. The Protestant reformer John Knox wrote just before the beginning of Elizabeth's reign that women were made to serve and obey men, that they were weak and foolish, and liable to become slaves to the devil. What it really boils down to is that the men in power in Elizabethan society believed and said that this was true, and so it was taught and accepted as truth.

During the Elizabethan era, women were expected to live lives as wives and mothers and not much else. The wealthier, upper-class families could sometimes afford a tutor for their daughter, but women on the whole received minimal education. Women were expected to be entirely subservient to the men in their lives, so Queen Elizabeth herself really shook things up when she refused to marry. Elizabeth's refusal to marry inspired many women in her country to change their position-- or at least their attitudes concerning gender roles-- in society. The increase in numbers of young women forgoing marriage in favor of being like the Virgin Queen might have provoked an even harsher attitude towards women, as it would have left many men without a wife to keep their house.

What three traits with three different types of evidence explain Dave Parker in the book No Talking by Andrew Clements? What three traits does...

One character trait of Dave Parker's in Andrew Clements' No Talking is leadership The narrator describes both Dave and Lysnsey as leaders when the narrator points out early in the story that both were the "king and queen of the fifth-grade cootie-clingers," which means they were the leaders of their fifth-grade class. Dave shows leadership skills by thinking up the contest. Leaders must be very creative thinkers, and thinking of a contest to see if boys or girls could talk less is certainly a very creative way to put an end to the conflict he created between himself and Lynsey by insulting her talking habits. Dave also thinks creatively, like a leader, when he thinks of rules for the contest such as the rule that contractions, if found in the dictionary, can count as one word.

A second characteristic Dave has is bravery, which is also a characteristic leaders have. Dave demonstrates bravery when he keeps up his vow of silence even in the face of authority figures. For example, when he knows his mother is getting worried because he won't answer her from the bathroom, he very bravely finds a way to pacify the situation by opening the door as quickly as possible, hugging her, and telling her in writing about the contest. Dave best demonstrates bravery when he stands up to Mrs. Hiatt's bullying. Mrs. Hiatt, the school principal, is upset that the kids aren't talking because it's too far out of the ordinary. When she commands them to talk and they refuse, she gets angered because she thinks they are disrespecting her. She gets so angry that she yells at Dave through her bullhorn, which Dave rightly sees as unnecessary and as a form of bullying. In response, he yells right back and defends their "right to remain silentita" (p. 108). Since it takes a lot of bravery to stand up to a school principal, Dave's action shows us just how brave he is, just like any leader.

In Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, what are six character traits one can infer about Percy based on the conflicts?

Percy is incredibly loyal to those people he cares for, a trait that we observe when he, his mother, and Grover have their confrontation with the Minotaur. After the beast grabs his mother and she dissolves in his grasp, the Minotaur goes after Grover. Percy says, "The monster hunched over, snuffling my best friend, as if he were about to lift Grover up and make him dissolve too. I couldn't allow that." He is willing to risk his own personal safety to protect Grover.

This willingness of Percy's to put himself in danger to protect another person (or satyr) shows his bravery too. He purposely attracts the Minotaur's attention in order to protect Grover, calling to the monster, "'Hey, stupid!  Ground beef!'" When he calls attention to himself in order to save his friend, Percy shows how brave he is.

In addition, Percy has a good sense of humor. After he arrives at camp and learns who Chiron really is, the centaur gives him a tour. Percy says, "I was careful not to walk behind him. I'd done pooper-scooper patrol in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade a few times, and, I'm sorry, I did not trust Chiron's back end the way I trusted his front." Kind of gross, but very funny.

Percy is also optimistic and tends to give people the benefit of the doubt. When he meets Luke, despite the "bitterness" he hears in Luke's voice, the fact that Luke seems a little disillusioned with the gods in general, and that he sort of insults Percy, Percy says, "I figured Luke didn't mean to call me a nobody. He just had a lot on his mind." Percy sees the best in people and is willing to excuse Luke's behavior.

This optimism also makes him fairly trusting of others. When he, Annabeth, and Grover are at "Aunty Em's" (Medusa's) restaurant, Annabeth grows suspicious pretty quickly, but Percy continues to trust that this old woman doesn't have any desire to hurt them. He "was irritated with Annabeth for being so bossy, so rude to an old lady who'd just fed us for free." Percy's willingness to trust others—as he later trusts Ares, to an extent—gets him into a series of scrapes that could have turned out much worse.

Finally, Percy is also very social. He enjoys being with others, and he rejoices when he begins to feel accepted. But when he is claimed by his father, he is moved to cabin three, on his own. He hates it. He says, "I was absolutely miserable. Just when I'd started to feel accepted [...] I'd been separated out as if I had some rare disease." Percy seems to thrive on being with others, which is unsurprising given his other qualities.

In 1984 by George Orwell, who offers the starving prisoner a piece of bread?

In the novel, a starving man in Winston's cell sits on a bench near him. Initially, no one suspects that the man is starving, but eventually, his strange, skull-faced demeanor gives him away. Another prisoner, 2713 Bumstead J, takes a grimy piece of bread from his pockets to share with the starving man.

However, Bumstead's act of compassion is caught on camera, and he is dealt a ferocious blow by an officer which leaves him bleeding and badly bruised. Eventually, another officer orders the starving, skull-faced man to Room 101. When the starving man hears this, he becomes frantic. He begs the guards to kill him and even tells them that he will consent to seeing his wife and three children have their throats cut in front of him. In short, he will do anything and betray anyone, as long as he does not have to go to Room 101.

Eventually, he tells the guards to take Bumstead in his place. The starving man proclaims that it is Bumstead who is against the Party. However, the guards are unmoved. After one last desperate struggle on the part of the starving man, the guards take him away to Room 101.

In A Midsummer Night's Dream, what effect does love have on the characters?

Love is a central theme in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, and the primary effect it seems to have on most of the characters is confusion. For instance, consider the main plot of the play: while wandering through the woods, Helena, Demetrius, Hermia, and Lysander are bewitched by fairies and find themselves entangled in a complicated reversal of relationships, as Lysander and Demetrius both compete over the formerly scorned Helena, while Hermia angrily attempts to intercede. All in all, love within the play seems to produce confusingly entangled relationships that leave all involved parties baffled and distraught. This is only one of many effects love has on the characters, of course; in the case of Bottom and Titania, love has a primarily comedic effect, as it's hilarious to see the formerly dignified fairy queen falling for an absurd character like Bottom. However, in terms of the main relationships between the four Athenians, love's primary effect seems to be confusion.  

What are the two major issues and obstacles described in Chapter Two of Joseph J. Ellis's Founding Brothers?

Chapter Two of Founding Brothers is entitled "The Dinner," and it traces the fierce political debates that accompanied the passage of Alexander Hamilton's financial plan for the United States in 1790. The author, Joseph Ellis, traces the complex political machinations and backroom deals that sealed passage of a bill that allowed the federal government to "assume," or take on and pay off, debts owed by the states. One major issue dealt with in the chapter is the fact that Virginia politicians, including Congressman James Madison, vehemently opposed the measure on the grounds that it would require states that had already serviced their debts (like Virginia) to pay taxes to finance the debts owed by states that had not. More importantly, Madison believed that the act would make the states beholden to the federal government in a way that he had not intended at the Constitutional Convention. The determination of Hamilton to pass his package of economic measures, which included an excise tax and a national bank, without compromise was another issue. As Ellis observes, Hamilton believed in "consolidation" and thought Madison's opposition (coming from a man who had collaborated with him on the Federalist essays) to be "illogical and blatantly sinister" (62-63). So these issues, as well as the personalities of the men involved, led the nation to the brink of dissolution, or so at least many of the politicians involved believed at the time. Another issue that was extremely divisive was the location of the permanent capital of the United States. There were several different candidates, with "some location in Pennsylvania" having the most support. All of these issues represented serious obstacles to the development of the new nation, which was experiencing what we would today call political "gridlock." These issues were resolved by a compromise, allegedly reached over dinner at Thomas Jefferson's house, between Hamilton and Madison. Under the terms of this compromise, the Virginians would acquiesce in the passage of assumption in return for an agreement by Congress to place the permanent capital on the banks of the Potomac River, bordering Virginia and Maryland. Ellis shows that these agreements were far more complex than a simple handshake over dinner and wine at Jefferson's house.

What does Dudley Randall attempt to accomplish with his poem "Ballad of Birmingham"?

in his poem “Ballad of Birmingham," Dudley Randall creates a memorial for four young girls and a reminder of the violent race relations in America during the 1960’s. He accomplishes this by writing the poem as a dialogue between a mother and daughter prior to the 1963 bombing of the Seventeenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama.

The little girl in the poem requests her mother's permission to participate in the Civil Rights march taking place on that Sunday, but her mother, who is concerned for her child’s safety, does not allow her to go. Instead, the mother tells her to go to church to sing with the choir, thinking it will be a safer environment for the child. The author demonstrates the concern of the mother for her child during this tumultuous time. Unbeknownst to her, it is the last conversation she will have with her little girl.

“No, baby, no, you may not go,

For I fear those guns will fire.

But you may go to church instead

And sing in the children’s choir.”

The mother- daughter pair signify, not only the four mothers who lost their daughters that day, but they represent all who tried to shelter their children from the effects of racial prejudice.

Dudley Randall is able to create a permanent memorial to the girls, and a reminder of strife created by racial prejudice during the Civil Rights movement in America during the 1960’s.

What is George's and Lennie's dream for the future?

George and Lennie dream of owning their own farm. The dream is introduced in chapter one while the two men are camped in the clearing between the Gabilan Mountains and the Salinas River. It is apparently a long standing dream because George indicates that Lennie always seems to bring it up. For George it is a goal which will allow him to have the freedom of making his own decisions and quit the constant traveling around from job to job which is what he and Lennie have been doing ever since Lennie's Aunt Clara died. George dreams of the day when he doesn't have to listen to a boss or worry about getting "canned" (fired). He wants to see the profit of his own work and not be responsible to anyone else. George describes the dream farm, but there is obviously a frustration in George's words that the dream will never be realized:

“Well,” said George, “we’ll have a big vegetable patch and a rabbit hutch and chickens. And when it rains in the winter, we’ll just say the hell with goin’ to work, and we’ll build up a fire in the stove and set around it an’ listen to the rain comin’ down on the roof—Nuts!”

For Lennie the dream is linked to his obsession with petting soft things. He looks forward to going to the dream farm because George has promised him that he will get to take care of the rabbits. George hopes he can control Lennie's behavior by warning him that he won't get to "tend" the rabbits if he gets in trouble. 

The dream is like a paradise to the two men who are later joined by Candy and Crooks in the hope that one day they can all go off to the dream farm and "live nice" without worries, in the presence of friends and people that care about each other. The dream farm is a stark contrast to the alienation and loneliness which pervades life on the ranch where the men work. Unfortunately, of course, the dream is never realized as the "plans of mice and men often go astray."