Give some examples of mixtures, compounds, and solutions.

Materials can be classified as either elements, compounds or mixtures. An element is the purest form of a substance and cannot be further sub-divided into different or non-identical materials. A compound is made up of two or more elements combined together in a certain fixed ratio. It can be sub-divided into its constituents chemically. A mixture is composed of two or more compounds and can be sub-divided into its constituents by physical methods.

Some examples of elements include iron, aluminum, sodium, gold, silver, uranium, etc. Some examples of compounds include water (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), glucose (C6H12O6), methane (CH4), etc. Some examples of mixtures include trail-mix, mixed salad, etc. 

A solution is formed by mixing a solute into a solvent. For example, mixing sugar (solute) in water (solvent) forms sugar water solution. Similarly, saline water solution can be prepared by mixing salt with water. 

Hope this helps. 

`y = 1/2 (1/2ln((x+1)/(x-1)) + arctanx)` Find the derivative of the function

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

 For the given problem: `y = 1/2(1/2ln((x+1)/(x-1)) +arctan(x))` , we may apply the basic differentiation property: `d/(dx) c*f(x) = c d/(dx) f(x)` .

`d/(dx)y =d/(dx) 1/2[1/2ln((x+1)/(x-1)) +arctan(x)]`

`y'=1/2d/(dx) [1/2ln((x+1)/(x-1)) +arctan(x)]`

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

`y'=1/2[d/(dx) (1/2ln((x+1)/(x-1))) +d/(dx)(arctan(x))]`

For the derivative of `d/(dx)(1/2ln((x+1)/(x-1)))` , we may apply again the basic derivative property:`d/(dx) c*f(x) = c d/(dx) f(x)` .

`d/(dx) (1/2ln((x+1)/(x-1)))=1/2d/(dx) (ln((x+1)/(x-1)))`

For the derivative part, follow the basic derivative formula for natural logarithm function: `d/(dx) ln(u)= (du)/u` .

 Let `u =(x+1)/(x-1)` then `du = -2/(x-1)^2` .

 Note For the derivative of `u=(x+1)/(x-1)` ,we apply the Quotient Rule: `d/(dx)(f/g) = (f'*g-f*g')/g^2` .

Let:

`f= (x+1)` then `f'=1`

`g=(x-1)` then `g'=1`

Then,

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

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

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

                ` =(-2)/(x-1)^2`

Applying: `d/(dx) ln(u)= (du)/u` on:

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

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

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

Cancel common factors 2 and `(x-1)` from top and bottom:

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

Recall `(x-1)*(x+1) = x^2-x+x-1 = x^2-1` then the derivative becomes:

`1/2d/(dx)(ln((x+1)/(x-1)))=-1/(x^2-1)`

For the derivative of `d/(dx)(arctan(x))` , we apply basic derivative formula for inverse tangent:

`d/(dx)(arctan(x))=1/(x^2+1)`

Combining the results, we get:

`y'=1/2[d/(dx) (1/2ln((x+1)/(x-1))) +d/(dx)(arctan(x))]`

`y'=(1/2) [-1/(x^2-1) +1/(x^2+1)]`

`y' =(1/2) [-1/(x^2-1) *(x^2+1)/(x^2+1) +1/(x^2+1)*(x^2-1)/(x^2-1)]`

`y' =(1/2) [(-(x^2+1) +(x^2-1))/((x^2-1) (x^2+1))]`

`y' =(1/2) [(-x^2-1+x^2-1)/((x^2-1) (x^2+1))]`

`y' =(1/2) [(-2)/((x^2-1) (x^2+1))]`

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

or

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

What were the long-lasting consequences of Reservation of Separate Amenities Act?

The Reservation of Separate Amenities Act created legal segregation in South Africa. This law allowed for segregation in public facilities including restaurants, schools, transportation, and theaters. This law stated that segregation could occur even if the facilities were not equal in quality.

The long-term impact of this law and others that made up the apartheid system was that the races were kept apart, and the white minority remained in control of the government. It also created a great deal of tension between white South Africans and non-white South Africans.

Eventually, there was a great deal of international pressure placed on the South African government to end the system of apartheid. Several countries imposed sanctions on South Africa. Travel, trade, and international sporting competitions were reduced or banned.

This pressure eventually worked as the Reservation of Separate Amenities Act ended in 1990, and apartheid ended in 1994.

Are we in a post-television era now?

As James Poniewozik wrote for TIME magazine in 2014, the ways people engage with video media are changing rapidly. Since television sets became popular household appliances throughout the Western world in the 1950's, the pattern of engaging with television programming has remained fairly consistent-- until the last few years. For the past half a century, people watched television by turning on their set when their desired program was scheduled to air. This changed a little bit with the introduction of the VCR and services like Tivo, which allow people to record a program and watch it later. On-demand video services also allowed people to watch their programs on their own time, but these three things weren't really enough to inspire people to ditch their cable service altogether.

Throughout the past several years, companies like Netflix have dramatically altered the way we engage with television and film. Subscription services allow viewers access to a wider variety of programming than is currently broadcast, with the benefit of being able to watch these media whenever is convenient for us. I can think of two major changes in our behavior with regards to television viewing. In the past our watching a television program was dependent upon a broadcast schedule, but subscription services now allow us to watch on our own schedule. Additionally, the broadcast-dependent behavior of watching television typically meant that people would only watch one episode of a program in a thirty minute or one hour sitting. Subscription services may have many more episodes available, allowing for something called "binge watching."

Of course, many people use their subscription services to stream programs and films through their television set. Such services may also be used on computers, tablet devices, and even smart phones. I feel that rather than saying we are in a "post-television" era, it might be better to say we are in a "post-broadcast" era. Watching television is no longer dependent upon the broadcast schedule, but many people are still reliant upon a television set to watch video media.

What are three instances when music influenced or affected Brent in Whirligig by Paul Fleischman?

Two appear in the fifth chapter, “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.” Here Brent is staying at the hostel in San Diego, when he hears and sees a man playing a concertina. (A concertina is an accordion, also called a squeezebox, which is often depicted as an instrument of Italians and a sound of Italy.) It makes a “cheery, reedy sound.” Brent envies “the man his power to entertain himself and others.” By the end of the chapter, Brent has bought himself a harmonica. He teaches himself some basic songs. Then he uses the harmonica to christen the new whirligig with music. From this point on, he plays the harmonica at various parts of his journey. He had not been particularly musical beforehand.

In the final chapter, “Everybody Swing!” Brent is in Weeksboro, Maine. He comes upon a place where people are square dancing. The music is “brisk, bouncy, and infectious.” He sees that the dancers form in essence “a human whirligig, set in motion by music instead of wind.” Someone grabs his hand and invites him to join along, and amazingly enough, he does. The Brent we met at the beginning of the book would never have done this, let alone with a bunch of strangers. But he quite enjoys himself here, in the final pages. This is one example of his transformation during this challenging time.

How does Angus Tuck feel about living forever?

Angus Tuck does not enjoy the prospect of living forever.  He wishes that he could live and die like all other living creatures.  

The reader (and Winnie Foster) learns in chapter twelve that Angus Tuck does not enjoy immortality. In that chapter, Angus invites Winnie out on the pond with him.  He uses the time to explain why it is important for Winnie to keep the spring a secret.  He also confesses to Winnie that he deeply wishes for the chance to go back to a life in which he can die.  He explains to Winnie that part of living is dying.  To Angus, without the ability to die, a person can't really claim that he or she is really living.  That person is simply existing . . . like rocks on a road.  

"If I knowed how to climb back on the wheel, I'd do it in a minute. You can't have living without dying. So you can't call it living, what we got. We just are, we just be, like rocks beside the road."

What is the result when silver nitrate reacts with sodium chloride?

Silver nitrate which is AgNO3 and sodium chloride which is NaCl are both soluble in water. When aqueous solutions of the two are mixed a double replacement reaction takes place. It's also called a precipitation reaction, because an insoluble precipitate forms:

`AgNO_3_(aq) + NaCl_((aq))-> AgCl_((s)) + NaNO_3_(aq)`

Written as an ionic equation:

`Ag^+_(aq) + NO_3^+_(aq) + Na^+_(aq) +Cl^-_(aq) -> AgCl_((s)) + Na^+_(aq) + NO_3^-_(aq)`

Solid AgCl (silver chloride) forms because it's not soluble in water.

Precipitation reactions are often represented by net ionic equations, which leave out the aqueous (dissolved) ions that appear on both sides of the equation. The net ionic equation for this reaction is:

`Ag^+_(aq) + Cl^-_(aq)> AgCl_((s))`

The ions that are not included in the net ionic equation are called spectator ions because they are present but don't participate in the reaction.

To determine the outcome of a double replacement reaction, write formulas for products by switching the ions in the reactants. The negative ion of each reactant will be in a compound with the positive ion of the other. Now use a table of solubility rules to determine if either product is insoluble. If so, it will precipitate. If both products are soluble there will be no precipitate. Ions that are aqueous on both sides of the reaction are spectator ions and they cancel out.

What are some quotes from Roger that depict his sadistic personality in Lord of the Flies?

In Chapter 8, Roger and the hunters track down a pig who was nursing her young and brutally murder it. As the boys are pulling their spears from the bloody pig, Roger notices that he stuck the pig with his spear up its backside. Roger giggles and says,

"Right up her ass!" (195).

Roger's sadistic personality is portrayed by how he is amused with savagely killing the sow. Roger takes pleasure in acting like a savage and murders for fun. As the novel progresses, Roger becomes even more sadistic until he eventually kills Piggy.

Roger's sadistic personality is depicted again in Chapter 10 when he is told to halt at the gate before entering Castle Rock. Roger responds by saying,

"You couldn’t stop me coming if I wanted" (228).

Roger's comment reveals his savage nature is uncontrollable, and nobody could stop him from doing what he desires. Even the savages begin to fear Roger, and Golding suggests he is more evil than Jack.

What are the important tips of the history of Fortunato and Montresor?

Edgar Allan Poe's short story, "The Cast of Amontillado," is the story of Montresor's revenge against Fortunato. It is clear from the text that Fortunato and Montresor have a history together, and that it's been a difficult relationship, at least from Montresor's perspective. 

In the opening line, Montresor, who narrates the story,  states: "The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best I could, but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge." The reader is never told what injuries Fortunato has inflicted upon Montresor, but one can use other evidence from the text to determine the nature of insults Fortunato has likely made against Montresor.  

Later in the story, while the pair is in the catacombs, Fortunato makes a gesture that Montresor does not return. Fortunato makes the statement that Montresor does not comprehend, and this shows that he is not of the brotherhood. When Montresor replies yes, insinuating that he is a mason, Fortunato replies "You? Impossible! A mason?" This would have been insulting to Montresor. The Freemasons are a rather secretive society and an exclusive one. Anticipants, which is what a person wanting to join the organization is called, have to be recommended by someone in order to join. Often, one's family history is taken into account when a person is being considered. When Fortunato expresses disbelief that Montresor could be a part of the brotherhood, he is insinuating that he is not worthy to be a Freemason, either by his own virtues or because of his family's status, or both. Montresor insists that he is a mason. When Fortunato demands proof, he shows him his trowel. Fortunato is speaking of the secret society, and Montresor is talking about the profession in which one uses mortar and bricks or stone to build things. He is about to become that type of mason in order to exact his revenge on Fortunato. 

According to the Montresor, the two men must have been friends prior to Montresor's plot of revenge. Montresor says: "It must be understood that neither by word nor deed had I given Fortunato cause to doubt my good will. I continued, as was my wont, to smile in his face, and he did not perceive that my smile now was at the thought of his immolation." Montresor repeatedly refers to him as his friend throughout the text, both to his face and as part of the narration. This fact of friendship gives the reader questions as to the psychological health of the narrator, for what true friend carries out a plot of destruction as cruel as the one Montresor executes? 

If they were good friends, why would a mere insult cause Montresor to bury his friend alive? Aside from the questions of the narrator's psychological health, Montresor gives us one other clue as to his actions. Fortunato asks him about his family's coat of arms. Montresor describes it as an azure field with a huge human foot crushing the head of a serpent whose fangs are in its heel. Then Fortunato asks what the motto is. Montresor replies: "Nemo me impune lacessit." This is Latin for no one insults with impunity. Ironically, Fortunato does not see the connection between the insults he has hurled at Montresor and the family motto. Montresor has carefully hidden his true feelings from Fortunato. 

Another piece of textual evidence that points to the history of the two men is the dialogue between them at carnival about the Amontillado. Montresor knew Fortunato well enough to know that he considered himself a wine connoisseur and that if he told Fortunato that he'd go to Luchesi instead, Fortunato's interest would be piqued. He knew that Fortunato's pride would compel him to follow Montresor, and he uses the "carrot" of Luchesi to lure him deep into the catacombs to his doom. 

In Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick, what does Freak call his English class?

Freak calls his English class a zoo.

We'll find this answer toward the very end of the book, in Freak's Dictionary, the special section of word definitions and jokes created by the character Freak. There, under the word "ZOO," this definition appears: "an eighth-grade English class."

Why does Freak think his class is like a zoo? In other words, how does Freak's English class resemble a place where wild animals are kept?

Look back to Max and Kevin's first few days of school, in Chapter 12, when they attend Mrs. Donelli's English class for the first time, and notice how all the other kids shout and scream and hurl insults at Max when the teacher simply asks him to stand and tell the class something about his summer vacation. That wild, messy, loud behavior is a lot like what you'd expect from zoo animals! 

Give an account of Harris' visit to the maze at Hampton Court and getting lost there.

Harris tells this story in Chapter VI. We’ve already gotten a hint that Harris is the kind of person who thinks he knows everything about a subject, when he really knows very little. This tale supports the assessment.

Harris got a map of the hedge maze, and he thought he knew very well how to navigate it. He took a cousin along and assured him that they would need only 10 minutes to pass through the hedges successfully. Once in the maze, the two men kept meeting people who were lost inside it. Harris invited everyone to follow him, since he knew what he was doing. Well, naturally, the whole group ended up getting lost. They just couldn’t find their way back out, no matter which way they turned. Consulting the map didn’t help at all. Eventually the group yelled for the keeper of the maze for help. The keeper was young and new to the job, though. He brought a ladder and climbed into the maze to help the visitors – and promptly got lost, himself. They all had to wait until an older and more experienced keeper came back from his dinner, before everyone was led successfully out of the maze.

All this being said: both Harris and J. thought they should take George to the maze, on their way back past Hampton Court.

In chapter three of Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, what does the fight between Lennie and Curley show about their characters? Why doesn't George help...

Curley is described as belligerent and "pugnacious." He is also a former boxer who competed in the Golden Gloves (an amateur boxing competition). In chapter two, Candy describes how Curley often liked to pick a fight with bigger men:

“Never did seem right to me. S’pose Curley jumps a big guy an’ licks him. Ever’body says what a game guy Curley is. And s’pose he does the same thing and gets licked. Then ever’body says the big guy oughtta pick somebody his own size, and maybe they gang up on the big guy. Never did seem right to me. Seems like Curley ain’t givin’ nobody a chance.” 

Lennie, on the other hand, is childlike, and despite his size and strength, does not like fighting. In chapter two, he pleads with George not to let Curley "sock" him. In chapter three, however, Lennie cannot avoid the fight with Curley, who has been insulted by the other men and thinks that if he beats Lennie, he will gain back respect.

At first, Lennie doesn't engage Curley. He automatically waits for George's instructions about what to do. George knows that Lennie is much stronger than Curley, and once he tells Lennie to fight, he knows things will be over quickly. There is no reason for George to enter the fight. All it takes is one move by Lennie, and Curley is "flopping like a fish on a line." Because Curley wishes to avoid embarrassment over being bested by Lennie, he agrees to Slim's demand that he should use the excuse of getting his hand "caught in a machine" to explain his injury. George really had no alternative but to call for Lennie to fight. Lennie was already beaten up badly when George yelled. Had George allowed the fight to continue, Lennie might have been really injured because Curley was an experienced boxer.

What discovery did you make by reading Into the Wild?

The answer to this question is going to differ from reader to reader. Different readers will have different experiences with this book.  Feel free to state what it is that you discovered, and then explain it a bit.  

For me, one thing that I discovered was that I like Krakauer as an author.  I had never read one of his books before.  I historically do not like nonfiction, but Krakauer's writing style just never felt like I was reading a textbook.  I enjoyed how he would insert his opinion about McCandless into the pages all while attempting to present McCandless to readers in a mostly neutral format. 

I also discovered Chris McCandless.  I had never heard of him before I read the book.  

Expanding on discovering Chris McCandless, I also discovered that I saw strong parallels between McCandless and Thoreau.  Krakauer also must have seen these parallels because Krakauer frequently discusses Thoreau's  Walden and the man's desire to "live deep."  McCandless also seemed to want to live in the moment and experience it in a sort of solitary bond with nature.  

How does Jem change throughout To Kill a Mockingbird?

Jem matures into a young man who cares about other people and no longer fears neighborhood monsters. 

At the beginning of the book, Jem is still very much a child.  He enjoys playing make-believe games with his Scout and Dill. He fears Boo Radley. He is a sensitive and intelligent boy, but, at age ten, he is still a boy.

Like Scout, Jem has to grow up during the Tom Robinson trial. He struggles to find himself and his place in the world. For example, when Jem runs away from the Radley house and loses his pants, he does not want to tell Atticus where they are. He is not afraid of being punished, worrying instead that Atticus will think badly of him. 

Jem develops empathy for Boo Radley before Scout does.  He realizes Boo put the blanket on Scout’s shoulders during the fire and mended his pants for him. Jem pleads with Atticus not to tell anyone, as he does not want Boo to get in trouble, as evident in this quote from Chpater 8:

Mr. Nathan put cement in that tree, Atticus, an‘ he did it to stop us findin’ things—he’s crazy, I reckon, like they say, but Atticus, I swear to God he ain’t ever harmed us, he ain’t ever hurt us, he coulda cut my throat from ear to ear that night but he tried to mend my pants instead… he ain’t ever hurt us, Atticus.

During the trial, Jem feels very involved in the process. He is old enough to follow the proceedings, but still naïve enough to think Tom Robinson will be acquitted. Jem follows the evidence, not the way people actually think. He feels cheated when Robinson is convicted. This is the first time he really understands racism. 

Scout and Jem begin to grow apart as Jem enters junior high. He eats a lot, is moody, and shows her new places on his body where hair is growing. He also tries to make Scout mind him, and Atticus says she has to when he can make her. 

When Jem is attacked by Bob Ewell and breaks his arm at the end of the book, all Jem cares about is that he can still play football. Jem wanted Atticus to stand up to Bob Ewell, and did not understand why he would not carry a gun. That was just Atticus’s way. At the end of the novel, Jem is twelve-years-old, almost a teenager.

How does "Kabuliwala" render the richness of the inner world of man?

The richness of the inner world of humanity is seen when Tagore recognizes that Kabuliwala's story is similar to his own.

Throughout the story, Tagore viewed Kabuliwala from a distance.  The old Afghan merchant was seen as Mini's friend, a singer of songs with the girl, a bringer of grapes and raisins, and then, as one arrested by the authorities. There was never a clear attempt to know Kabuliwala's story. 

This changes when Kabuliwala returns to visit Mini.  The recently released prisoner arrives at Tagore's doorstep on the eve of Mini's wedding.  Initially, Tagore displays a dismissive attitude towards the visitor, claiming that there are preparations for the ceremony that need to take place. However, he has a change of heart and calls Mini down to see her old friend.

The Kabuliwala is not able to process how much his little friend had changed.  After eight years, she was no longer a chatterbox girl, but a young woman about to enter the next stage of her life.  As the Kabuliwala sits on the ground, overwhelmed with the moment, Tagore recognizes the richness of his inner world: "I remembered the day when the Kabuliwala and my Mini had first met, and I felt sad."  This is the first time he recognizes the full dimensions of the Kabuliwala.  When the Kabuliwala reveals that he himself is the father of a girl about Mini's age, the intricacy and richness of his narrative is further revealed.  He communicates this not through words, but through an object:

... he put his hand inside his big loose robe, and brought out a small and dirty piece of paper. With great care he unfolded this, and smoothed it out with both hands on my table. It bore the impression of a little hand. Not a photograph. Not a drawing. The impression of an ink-smeared hand laid flat on the paper. This touch of his own little daughter had been always on his heart, as he had come year after year to Calcutta, to sell his wares in the streets.

Tagore realizes the richness of the Kabuliwala's inner world:

Tears came to my eyes. I forgot that he was a poor Kabuli fruit-seller, while I was--but no, what was I more than he? He also was a father. That impression of the hand of his little Parbati in her distant mountain home reminded me of my own little Mini.

Tagore recognizes that he bears much in common with this "Kabuli fruit-seller."  They are both fathers who are struggling with the passage of time. When Tagore gives the Kabuliwala money to go back to Afghanistan to see his daughter, it is an acknowledgement of the connection they share with one another.  Acknowledging the Kabulwala's humanity allows Tagore to feel that his daughter's wedding was "all the brighter for the thought that in a distant land a long-lost father met again with his only child."

The richness of humanity's inner world is understood when we realize that we have more in common than our differences. There is much in way of difference between Tagore, the accomplished writer, and a fruit seller from Kabul.  Yet, in one moment, Tagore recognizes the rich, inner world of the Kabuliwala, and in acknowledging it, he validates their shared narratives. 

Can you think of a combined definition for honesty and truth?

According to the Dictionary website, the definition for honesty is dependent upon the concept of truth. Honesty may be defined as "truthfulness, sincerity, or frankness." Truth may be defined as something which is "[in] conformity with reality," or that which is factual. To combine the definitions is actually quite simple, as long as one begins with the definition of truth and accounts for the additional implications of honesty. Honesty is essentially the enactment of truth, or acting in accordance with or attesting to truth. To combine the meanings of both in one definition, one might say that honesty and truth are those things which are in accordance with reality. This definition accounts for the truthful or factual state of things, as well as the enactment of honesty. Of course, reality may be considered from both subjective and objective standpoints, so truth and honesty may be debatable to some extent. I think that even in acknowledging the subjective nature of reality, my proposed definition holds up.

In Lord of the Flies by William Golding, what are the boys' different reactions to their circumstances?

The boys quickly form groups on the island, largely based on their reactions to their circumstances.  Ralph and Piggy are the first to meet up, and their basic reaction is to try to form a civilized society in a manner that adults would approve of.  They feel the need to gather the boys together, set up a governmental system, make rules, and keep rescue at the top of their goals at all times.  In Chapter 5, Ralph tells the others, “‘[W]e...ought to die before we let the fire go out.’”  When struggling against Jack’s constant questioning of the rules, Ralph says, “‘Because the rules are the only thing we’ve got!’” The rules are what protect them and the littluns from Jack’s group, but Ralph and Piggy simply don’t know how to convince the others to follow them.

The littluns are mostly six year olds, who don’t seem to have much reaction at first (likely because they are in a prolonged state of shock), and can be referred to as the lost ones.  They don’t really have a place in this society, neither disrupting nor contributing.  They spend their days playing lackadaisically on the beach, relying on the kinder older kids like Simon to help them get fruit.  But in Chapter 5, when the littluns Phil and Percival try to speak up about their fears at the meeting, all the terror of their situation comes spilling out in howling tears.  They feel lost, helpless, and terribly alone.  The older boys haven’t even counted how many there are or learned their names.

Jack and his hunters seem to be the only ones emotionally unaffected by their dire circumstances (although deep down, it becomes apparent that each is struggling with his own inner demons).  They excitedly make their situation into a game of hunting and bullying for power.  This group could care less about keeping a signal fire going, except when they want fire to cook a pig. Jack lures boys over to his tribe, saying “‘Who wants to join my tribe and have fun?’” He then keeps them distracted from their true nightmares by keeping them busy with hunting, chanting and giving sacrifices for the beast, and making war on Ralph’s group.  Most of the boys in this tribe are willing to go along with Jack and Roger’s savage behavior because at least they don’t have to face the reality that they will probably die here before they get rescued.

Simon, however, has a very different reaction to their circumstances than all the others.  A shy, insightful, quiet boy, he quickly tunes in to the real evil on the island--the fear and hatred inside the other boys.  Whenever there is an assembly, he stays on the edges and rarely speaks, unless he feels it is critical, such as his sad attempt to tell them all that the beast is really them. “Simon became inarticulate in his effort to express mankind’s essential illness.”  Mostly he escapes into his thicket in the jungle, which is where he witnesses Jack’s tribe savagely murder the mother pig and stick her head on a spike for the beast.  Simon seems to have powers of prophesy, knowing that he will not make it off the island alive, but Ralph will.  Ultimately, he sacrifices himself in an attempt to tell them the truth about the “beast” on the mountaintop.  Although many critics refer to Simon as a Christ-like figure, in the end he is unable to save them all from their own flawed reactions to their terrible circumstances.  

How does the poet powerfully convey his attitude to war in "Anthem for Doomed Youth"?

Wilfred Owen conveys his anti-war attitude through the central metaphor around which the poem is organized. The poem asks how the young soldiers who died on the battlefields are being memorialized. The first line of the poem asks where the "passing-bells" are for the dead soldiers. "Passing-bells" are bells rung right after someone has died, indicating that it is time to say a prayer for the deceased. The rest of the poem answers that instead of passing-bells to commemorate the way in which the soldiers have sacrificed their lives, there are only the rattling of the guns and the explosion of shells. These images emphasize that the soldiers will not be commemorated, and, in what amounts to a travesty, the war only continues after their deaths.

In addition, Owen uses word choice and metaphors throughout the poem to emphasize his anti-war sentiment. For example, in the first line, he compares the dead soldiers to cattle in a simile. The use of the word "cattle" implies that the soldiers are being butchered and that their lives are worth very little. He later uses a metaphor to compare the sound of the shells to the sounds of a choir singing for the dead. The replacement of a choir with shells is a mockery of the sacrifice the soldiers have made. In the second stanza, he uses other metaphors, such as the pallor, or whiteness, of girls' brows when the deaths of the soldiers are announced. This whiteness stands in as the soldiers' pall, or the cloth spread over their coffin. Instead of having candles, the soldiers only have lights in their dead eyes. This series of metaphors emphasizes the futility of war and the way in which it degrades those who have died fighting it. 

Compare Nathaniel Hawthorne's introduction of Dr. Chillingworth to his introduction of Mistress Hibbins in The Scarlet Letter.

When the narrator introduces Chillingworth, he is wearing a "strange disarray" of European and native attire.  His brow is "furrowed" and he is a somewhat small man, but he possesses a "remarkable intelligence in his features."  When he recognizes Hester on the scaffold, "A writhing horror twisted itself across his features, like a snake gliding swiftly over them."  Such a metaphor certainly helps us to understand that there is some evil in this man, that he is, at least, capable of doing evil.  In a book where the Christian religion is so important, we cannot help but link this snake to the serpent in the Garden of Eden: the serpent was the devil in disguise.  Therefore, it helps to tell us aught of Chillingworth's nature and capabilities.

Later, when Mistress Hibbins is introduced, she is referred to as the governor's "bitter-tempered sister" who would later be executed as a witch.  Notably, she tries to get Hester's attention, whispering, "Hist, hist!" from her window.  This sound is remarkably close to a hiss, the sound made by a snake, which is precisely the animal to which Chillingworth was compared.  Thus, we can understand that she has a nature to do evil as well.  She invites Hester to a witches' meeting in the woods, saying that she told the devil himself that Hester would come.  If she is thus in league with the "Black Man," then we know that she is engaging in sinful behavior, and this description of her helps to shed light on the path Chillingworth is taking.

How would you analyze the following story's context, tone, and style? Birmingham bans apostrophes from road signs Councillors in Birmingham...

Context

Context includes the time period the writing is set in, the prevailing social and political conditions at the time of publication, and specific influences that inspired the writer to pen such an article.

The above passage appears to be a news article from a British newspaper. It was written in 2009. Although not immediately current, it addresses an ongoing national discussion about the dangers of "dumbing down" in the United Kingdom. In fact, there have been a slew of articles since then that have reported on the "dumbing down" phenomenon in education that concerns many British citizens.

The prevailing debate centers on questions of fairness versus quality: should academic institutions concentrate on instilling high standards of academic excellence or on providing equal opportunities for all? Recently, a barrage of articles (the above being one of many) have condemned the public predilection for pop culture and its disdain for serious discourse; as a result, there have been ubiquitous calls for a national examination of the public consciousness.

Critics of the "dumbing down" phenomenon contend British colleges and universities now award top honors to more than 70% of new graduates, essentially making their new degrees "meaningless" in terms of quality. The context of the article centers on the national debate regarding eroding academic standards and the simultaneous decline of British culture.

Here are articles on "dumbing down" in British society:

The "dumbing down" of British culture and society.

Universities 'dumbing down' degrees so more students graduate with top class honors.

Style

In any piece of writing, style includes diction (word choice) and syntax (sentence construction). In the Birmingham article, the author has chosen to use a more formal style of writing, as opposed to an informal style. Slang is not used in the article at all. The formal style with few contractions is perfectly suited to the serious subject matter.

Also, the style of the article is more informative than expository. In expository writing, the author provides evidence for taking a particular stance on a topic; on the other hand, informative writing aims to impart the straight facts and circumstances of a situation without the inclusion of personal opinion. In the Birmingham article, the author delineates the prevailing sentiments on both sides of the "dumbing down" debate, but he doesn't provide any arguments to support a personal stance on the matter.

Tone

As a practice, tone constitutes the author's own attitudes towards the subject matter. In the Birmingham article, the author is serious, clear, concise, and candid. It is an article devoid of tangential information; the author is focused on the "dumbing down" debate exclusively.

What are the "forms of flight" in the short story "The Leap"?

The narrator of "The Leap," the daughter of the trapeze artist known formerly as Anna Avalon, states that her mother exchanged her one form of flight--soaring through the air into the arms of her husband Harry Avalon--for the "flight" of the mind obtained through reading.

• Leaps through the air

The Flying Avalons were a spectacular circus act. As Harry Avalon, blindfolded, swung by his knees, his wife Anna, also blindfolded, would leap from her shining bar into his arms, kissing him before she grasped his hands. However, after lightning struck the main pole and "sizzled" down the guy wires, Harry tumbled to his death, but Anna was able to save herself, although she was injured.

• Leaps through the imagination

While she was in the hospital of the town where the circus was held, Anna fell in love with her attending physician, who monitored the set of her arm, which was "complicated." He would sit by her bedside and Anna would entertain him with tales of many of the places he yearned to visit. Thus, through his listening, the doctor made "leaps" of imagination to these untraveled cities and countries.

This physician repaid Anna for her descriptions of so many interesting places by teaching her to read, a skill she had not learned because she began her circus career so young. Being able to read helped her overcome the boredom of being confined to a hospital room as well as her grief and desolation after the loss of her husband and unborn child. The narrator observes,

I wonder if my father calculated the exchange he offered: one form of flight for another. For after that, and for as long as I can remember, my mother has never been without a book.

Both the narrator's father and her mother made "leaps" of the imagination; one traveled as he listened to tales of faraway places, and the other traveled on the pages of books.

How does Sir Gawain demonstrate nobility in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight?

Sir Gawain demonstrates his nobility in several ways. In the very beginning of the novel, when the Green Knight storms King Arthur's castle, Gawain volunteers to take up the challenge the Green Knight offers. King Arthur is more than ready take on the Green Knight's challenge, but Gawain wishes to go in his place because he is of lesser value to the court than King Arthur is: 

'I am the weakest, I know, and of wit feeblest.

least worth the loss of my life, who’d learn the truth.

Only inasmuch as you are my uncle, am I praised:

No bounty but your blood in my body I know.

And since this thing is folly and naught to you falls,

and I have asked it of you first, grant it to me;

and if my cry be not comely, let this court be free

of blame.’

Gawain knows he will most likely be killed by the Green Knight, but nonetheless takes up this challenge because it would not be right for the King to die for such a foolish cause.

Later in the novel Sir Gawain further shows his nobility by striving to find the Green Knight on the day they had agreed to meet. It is stated that, while on his journey to find the Green Chapel, Gawain battles his way though the woods and survives near deadly cold weather. It is seen as noble that Gawain deals with all this valiantly and with almost no complaints.

When he is finally able to rest for a while at the castle of Bertilak, he is tempted by Bertilak's wife:

'. . . my lord and his lords are far off faring,

other knights are abed, and my ladies also,

the door drawn and shut with a strong hasp.

And since I have in this house him who all like,

I shall work my time well, while it lasts,

                    with a tale.

          Your are welcome to my body,

          Your pleasure to take all;

          I must by necessity

          your servant be, and shall.’

Although Gawain is tempted to have an affair with Bertilak's wife on three separate occasions, he never gives in, and this restraint is seen as both noble, and the epitome of Gawain's virtuous nature. While tempting Gawain Bertilak's wife gives him a few kisses and Gawain is noble enough to tell Bertilak of this. As well, Gawain "returns" the kisses to Bertilak. 

Then, when Gawain finally heads directly to the Green Chapel, he is advised one last time to turn back but Gawain nobly goes forth thinking he will most certainly die. And, when Gawain kneels to take the blow from the Green Knight's ax, he flinches the first time, but the second time he takes the blow without recoiling at all. 

Overall, Gawain is mostly just noble in his abilities to face the things he fears the most and keep his word. 

What special knowledge was John taught as a priest's son in By the Waters of Babylon?

John learned basic first aid.  He tells readers in paragraph five that he was taught how to stop a person from bleeding out.  

l was taught how to stop the running of blood from a wound and many secrets.

A second skill that John learned was how to read and write.  As a priest, he needs to know how to do both, because he has access to books left over from the great burning.  His ability to read will help John transform his society and bring back some of the lost knowledge.  At the end of the story, he vows to return to the city and begin educating his people.  

Nevertheless, we make a beginning. it is not for the metal alone we go to the Dead Places now— there are the books and the writings. They are hard to learn. And the magic tools are broken—but we can look at them and wonder.

Lastly, as the son of a priest, John was taught the ways of the dead houses.  This means that he was allowed to go into the homes located in the Dead Places.  He studied their layout and the remains of the people in those houses, but John doesn't elaborate on any specifics of what he learned from those houses.  

What is there to infer about Brom Bones' character from his actions ?

Washington Irving was one of America's earliest satirists and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", a short story set in the colonial period, observes the insularity of the early Dutch settlers of the Hudson River valley and the lengths to which they would go to ensure the purity of their community. Brom Bones is a symbolic character meant to represent the bounty of America, a young country rich in resources with strong ties to its European heritage.

It is widely expected that Brom Bones and Katrina Van Tassel, scions of wealthy Dutch-American families, will eventually marry and merge the extensive landholdings of their fathers.  Because they are young, Katrina and Brom play games with each other before they consent to settle down together to please their parents and the community at large.  When outsider Ichabod Crane comes to town and becomes the schoolteacher, Katrina's beauty and wealth capture his attention.  He courts her, and she welcomes the attention because it appeals to her vanity and makes Brom jealous.  

Brom is a flat and stereotypical young male character: hyper-masculine, brawny, reckless, and confident.  With the home field advantage, he makes short work of the effete and superstitious Ichabod, running the interloper out of town with the Headless Horseman ruse.  In the end, Brom and Katrina marry and the insularity of their Dutch-American village is preserved. Brom's actions also suggest that "simple country folk" should not be underestimated; his native cleverness enables him to prevail over the sophisticated intellectual who dares to disrupt Sleepy Hollow's way of life.

What is the importance of developmental psychology to a teacher?

A teacher will be expected to deal with students in their early years, when they are beginning to develop who they are and what they stand for. In youth, people can often have very different ways of thinking from mature adults, and teachers need to be prepared for this. 

Most colleges have teachers take classes in psychology or developmental psychology with the hope that teachers can apply what they learn to teaching students who are still developing as people.

Instances in which this training can help teachers include understanding the lack of logic and reasoning behind young students, defending against the pack mentality of youth, and maintaining authority over children. Developmental psychology is very important to teachers and educators of all types.

How is Juana's life changed by the scorpion bite in The Pearl?

After the scorpion bites her baby, Juana's simple, but relatively peaceful life becomes disturbed and complicated by reversals of fortune.

Before her baby is bitten by the scorpion, Juana is content with her simple life as peasant. She sings softly in the morning as she prepares a meal:

Juana sang softly an ancient song that had only three notes and yet endless variety of interval....Sometimes it rose to an aching chord that caught the throat saying this is safety, this is warmth, this is the Whole.

However, the "Whole" is shattered with the events subsequent to the incident of the scorpion. Then, the "Song of Evil" enters her family's lives. As a result of their fear of the baby's dying from the scorpion bite, Kino seeks the doctor, but when he sees that Kino is a peasant without money, the doctor tells his servant to say that he is out. An angered Kino strikes the gate with his fist, bringing blood to his knuckles.

After this rejection, Kino decides that he must dive deeper into the ocean than he usually does in order to find a pearl with which to hire a doctor. Ironically, while she waits on Kino, Juana makes a poultice of seaweed that is "as good a remedy as any" for the baby. Finally, Kino comes onto shore with a magnificent pearl. 
Thinking he has found "The Pearl of the World," Kino plans to return to the doctor. However, word of this pearl soon reaches others and they come to ask Kino for favors. The avaricious doctor pretends that the scorpion's bite, which appears to be healing, can become inflamed again, so he must treat it. When Kino tells him he can pay with the pearl he has found, the doctor acts as though he has no knowledge of this great pearl.
But that night the "Song of Evil" enters the home of Kino and Juana as a robber, who is probably sent by the doctor, sneaks around and, hearing him, Kino strikes "first blood."

Because they are but peasants, Kino and Juana are exploited. When Kino takes his pearl to the pearl dealers, who are really agents of the same dealer, they conspire and pretend that this beautiful pearl is worthless because it is over-sized. Their refusal to give him what he feels it is worth causes Kino to vow to go to Mexico City and sell it there. But their neighbors worry because other men who have tried to do the same thing have met harm or death.

"That good wife Juana...and the beautiful baby Coyotito, and the others to come. What a pity it would be if the pearl should destroy them all."

Their worries are prophetic. Despite Juana's efforts to stop him, Kino refuses to be cheated on this Pearl of the World. Then, after Kino kills a thief, Juana tells her husband,

"Kino, this pearl is evil. Let us destroy it before it destroys us. Let us crush it....Let us--let us throw it back in the sea where it belongs."

Nevertheless, Kino insists, "I will fight this thing." Tragically, however, Juana is wiser, for on their journey to the city, Kino kills another man, but not before the thief, believing that he has heard a coyote howl, shoots Coyotito as he wails in the night. After this tragic occurrence, Juana convinces Kino to walk with her to shore and toss back the pearl.

And the pearl was ugly; it was gray like a malignant growth.

Their simple, but loving and peaceful life broken by murders and the tragic loss of their baby, Juana and Kino's existence is forever altered. 

From Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven," is the Raven a bad person or a good person?

One way to interpret characters in poetry is to analyze them both with a literal eye as well as a figurative one. In Poe's "The Raven," a man sits grieving in his chamber over his lost love, Lenore. The man is literally just a man who is grieving, but figuratively, he could represent anyone who has lost a loved one. In the same way, the raven is literally a bird who accidentally flies into the man's room. Figuratively, though, ravens have been messengers of truth in other tales, such as the Grimm's Fairy Tales. However, in the world of Poe, where insanity and darkness thrive on the peculiar, the raven might represent the man's subconscious truth telling him to accept the fact that Lenore is gone and to stop wallowing in grief. Therefore, the raven is neither good nor bad; nor is he a person, but a raven, who symbolically attempts to reason with a desperate and grieving man to accept his loss. If a person must be selected to be the antecedent of the raven, then it would be the man's true consciousness striving to make him understand reality, accept the truth, and let go of his grief. 

From what point of view is "A Retrieved Reformation" by O. Henry written?

The point of view of the story is third-person omniscient. 

Point of view is the perspective a story is told from, or which character is telling the story. The third-person omniscient point of view is a perspective that distances itself from a specific character, instead telling us about multiple characters. No one character tells the story, even though the story focuses on Jimmy Valentine. A third-person narrator knows what other characters, such as Ben Price, are thinking. 

Third-person narration uses third-person pronouns and names to tell the characters’ stories. For example, in the beginning of the story we can tell what Jimmy is thinking.  Third person pronouns like “he” are used to tell his story. 

Jimmy took the paper without showing much pleasure or interest. He had been sent to prison to stay for four years. He had been there for ten months. But he had expected to stay only three months. Jimmy Valentine had many friends outside the prison. 

Most of the story follows Jimmy Valentine, the safe-cracker just released from prison. He is the one who is supposed to be getting a new life. We are not allowed inside Jimmy’s head the way we usually are if there is a first-person narrator. There are advantages to a third-person point of view, though. Since the story uses a third-person omniscient narrator, we know what more than one character is thinking. 

Ben Price knew how Jimmy worked. Jimmy would go from one city to another far away. He always worked alone. He always left quickly when he was finished. He enjoyed being with nice people. For all these reasons, it was not easy to catch Mr. Valentine. 

Ben Price finds out Jimmy Valentine cracked open another safe, but also that he did it to save a little girl. Since the story has a third-person narrator, we know Ben Price expected Jimmy to foul up. When Jimmy saves the child, Ben realizes Jimmy had reformed and decides to let him go.

What was Khosrove's reaction when his house was on fire?

In "The Summer of My Beautiful White Horse," Khosrove is at the barber shop having his "mustache" trimmed when his house, eight blocks away, catches fire. His son, Arak, runs to the shop to tell him but Khosrove simply sits up in his chair and roars:

"It is no harm; pay no attention to it."

The barber is so shocked by his relaxed attitude that he reiterates the news that Khosrove's house is on fire. Once again, Khosrove appears unconcerned by the event:

"Enough, it is no harm, I say."

This demonstrates Aram's point that Uncle Khosrove is indeed the "crazy" member of the Garoghlanian family. He sees no point in worrying about things that have already happened and this is shown later on when he has a conversation with the farmer, John Byro, who complains about losing his white horse. For Khosrove, there are bigger and more important issues to feel sad about, like losing the "homeland."

What did Eliezer care about after his father passed away?

In Chapter 8, Eliezer and his father arrive Buchenwald. Throughout the chapter, Eliezer's father gets weaker each day until he is unable to move. Despite his father's declining physical condition, Eliezer remains loyal to him and continues to bring his father soup and coffee. Eliezer is even tempted to stop feeding and caring for his father when someone advises him to keep the food for himself, but Eliezer continues to look after his father. On the night of January 28, 1945, Eliezer's father dies and is taken away before daybreak. When Eliezer gets up on the morning of January 29, 1945, he knows that his father has died because his cot is empty. Eliezer mentions that there were no prayers said over his father's tomb or candles lit in his memory. After his father's death, Eliezer said that he did not weep and that nothing mattered to him anymore. Eliezer loses all hope and essentially becomes numb after his father's death. The traumatic experiences have left Eliezer emotionless.

When, where, and how does Mercutio die in Romeo and Juliet?

Mercutio is killed by Tybalt, Juliet's cousin, in Act 1, scene 3.  This scene takes place on the day after the party at Lord Capulet's house, and Tybalt is looking for Romeo because he wants to challenge him.  Tybalt feels that Romeo has dishonored the Capulets by coming, uninvited, to their celebration.  However, when Romeo arrives, having just married Juliet in secret, he will not fight Tybalt.  When Tybalt insults and challenges him, Romeo says that "the reason [he has] to love [Tybalt] / Doth much excuse the appertaining rage / To such a greeting" (3.1.63-65).  He talks about loving Tybalt, though for reasons that Tybalt cannot understand (the two are now related by marriage), and Mercutio interprets this as a "dishonorable, vile submission" on Romeo's part (3.1.74).  He then challenges Tybalt in Romeo's stead.

Mercutio and Tybalt fight in the streets of Verona, and Romeo tries to stop them, reminding them that to fight like this is a crime, and he comes between the two.  When he does so, Tybalt stabs Mercutio under Romeo's arm, and, within minutes, Mercutio dies of the wound.  Romeo then slays Tybalt, is forced to flee by Benvolio, and is later banished by the Prince for his crime.

What might cause a daily headache?

This is a tricky question because I do not know your lifestyle or health conditions, and there are many things which might cause a headache. Please consult your physician if this headache does not go away and is troubling you.

Here are some things you should consider, whether or not you see your physician:

Are you hydrated? Not drinking enough water is a common problem which can result in a headache. If you are experiencing headache on a regular basis or at about the same time every day, you should up your fluid intake. Most people require around 64oz of water every day, but if you drink caffeinated beverages, perform physical activity, or have blood pressure problems, plan to drink more than that. A good rule of thumb is that for every caffeinated beverage you drink, try to drink at least 8oz of water, as caffeine is a diuretic.

If you drink caffeinated beverages like coffee, tea, and soda pop, you may be experiencing what is known as a "caffeine headache." Consider how many caffeinated beverages you drink on a daily basis and try to reduce this to just one or two 8oz servings. Be sure to drink plenty of water, too!

Are you eating well? Nutritional deficiency is another common cause of headaches. Make sure you are eating a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, as these are rich in many of the vitamins and minerals our body uses to function properly. Deficiency in vitamin D or magnesium are common nutritional causes of chronic headaches.

Allergies can also cause headaches, especially during the times of year when plants are releasing pollen and crops are being harvested. People with undiagnosed food allergies can experience chronic headaches if they are ingesting foods they are allergic to on a daily basis, as this triggers an immune response and inflammation in the body. If you do not know whether you have any allergies or what treatment would be appropriate for you, speak with your physician and ask about a referral to an allergist. 

It is also possible that you experience stress which causes muscles in your neck and shoulders to tighten up, creating tension around your head. Try stretching out your neck and shoulders by allowing your head to fall gently to one side, then forward, then to the other side in a half-circle motion. This helps to release tense muscles along the neck and upper back.

Again, please speak to your physician if you are suffering from a daily headache!

What are some quotes from Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird that depict Tom's innocent nature when he agrees to help Mayella Ewell?

In Chapter 19, Tom Robinson takes the witness stand and testifies that he did not assault or rape Mayella Ewell. Tom tells Atticus that he was acquainted with Mayella Ewell and even helped her bust up an old chiffarobe. Atticus then asks Tom if he ever went inside her yard again. Tom responds by telling Atticus that he entered the Ewell yard numerous times. Tom comments that every time he walked past the Ewell home, Mayella asked him if he could help her with various small jobs and tasks. When Atticus asks Tom if he was ever paid for his services, Tom says,

"No suh, not after she offered me a nickel the first time. I was glad to do it, Mr. Ewell didn't seem to help her none, and neither did the chillun, and I knowed she didn't have no nickels to spare" (Lee 117).

Later on in the trial, Mr. Gilmer comments that Tom must have been a generous person for helping Mayella with her chores. Gilmer then asks Tom why he did all that work knowing that he wouldn't get paid. Tom says,

"I felt right sorry for her, she seemed to try more'n the rest of 'em---" (Lee 120).

Despite Tom's generosity and willingness to help out Mayella, he is viewed with contempt by the jury because he is a black man who felt sorry for a white woman.

How is the movement of matter through the biosphere different from the flow of energy?

The answer to this question is that matter is recycled in the biosphere, but energy is not. Energy must be continually added to the biosphere in the form of sunlight.

The definition of "biosphere" is the sum total of all living things and their environments on our planet. With the exception of chemotrophs (organisms that can obtain usable energy from geothermal activity) all living things ultimately rely on producers/autotrophs that capture the energy of the sun. These producers transform light energy through the process of photosynthesis, and "store" the energy in the form of complex sugars that they, or the organisms that consume them, can break down in order to use the energy for their life processes. The efficiency of the energy transfer from one organism to the next is approximately ten percent; much of the energy is lost to the system in the form of heat. If energy from the sun was no longer available, life as we know it would no longer be possible. In other words, the energy flow is one way.

Matter, on the other hand, cycles through the living and non-living parts of the biosphere in what are termed biogeochemical cycles. Elementary students study the water cycle--evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and so on. Carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and other vital elements cycle through living organisms, the air, soil, rock, etc, and are reused continuously. Other than the small amounts of minerals that arrive on meteorites, what we have here on Earth is all we will have unless we eventually start obtaining and importing materials from other planets.

How does Shakespeare explore the theme of fate in Romeo and Juliet?

Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet opens with a prologue that details the subject of fate. In a description of the events to come, it is stated that:

From forth the fatal loins of these two foes

A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;

Whose misadventures piteous overthrows

Do with their death bury their parents' strife.

The particular use of the term "star-cross'd" suggests that Romeo and Juliet's relationship was doomed from the start—born, bred, and eventually killed off by the poor alignment of the stars or dismissive hand of fate. Is this true, though? Is fate responsible for the tragedy that occurs in this play, or are characters' impulsive actions and mistakes the source of their downfall? 

Shakespeare never gives us a concrete answer on the matter, but he certainly does reference fate frequently throughout the play. Prior to the Capulets' ball, Romeo states:

...my mind misgives

Some consequence yet hanging in the stars

Shall bitterly begin his fearful date

With this night's revels and expire the term

Of a despised life closed in my breast

By some vile forget of untimely death.

But He, that hath the steerage of my course,

Direct my sail! On, lusty gentleman.

Here, Romeo is predicting that the night ahead of them will be fateful, but not necessarily in a good way... rather, in a manner that ultimately will be resolved in death. Regardless, Romeo embraces his "fate," and fateful the night is; Romeo meets Juliet at this ball, which sets off the events of the remainder of the play.

Other references to fate are aplenty within the text. The metaphor of stars as guiding entities re-enters when Romeo describes Juliet's eyes as "two of the fairest stars in all the heaven." Within Juliet's eyes lie Romeo's fate. When Mercutio dies in a duel with Tybalt, Romeo exclaims, "This day's black fate on more days doth depend," which implies that, once again, another death was determined by fate. When Romeo falsely learns of Juliet's "death," he screams out, "I defy you, stars!"

Overall, Shakespeare explores the human tension between taking accountability for our actions and wanting to ascribe our problems to fate. While the characters within Romeo and Juliet often look to fate or the stars to deal with the losses they experience, they ultimately have to suffer the consequences of their actions on this earthly plane. 

What choice does Zaroff give to Rainsford, and why is there really no choice at all?

General Zaroff gives Rainsford a choice between two awful potentials.  Zaroff explains to Rainsford that he gives the men that are trapped on his island a choice.  They can either be whipped to death by Ivan, or they can attempt to survive Zaroff's hunting for three days.  General Zaroff gives Rainsford the exact same choice.  

For most men, the choice really isn't a choice at all.  Thus far, no matter what each man chooses, the end result has been the same.  Death.  The only difference is that choosing to be hunted might give a man a few extra hours of life.  Rainsford chooses to take his chances on the hunt instead of a guaranteed death from Ivan.  Rainsford's choice winds up being a good choice for Rainsford because Rainsford evades Zaroff and eventually ends up killing Zaroff.  

What are some examples of diction in the book Anthem?

Diction is, by definition, an author’s choice of words. There are many ways to go about finding examples of diction in a work because all words are, essentially, diction. With Anthem, though, there are some examples of unique or purposeful diction that stand out, particularly in Ayn Rand’s choice of pronoun usage and choices in naming her characters.

Most works, when told from a first person point of view like Anthem, use “I” when the narrator refers to him or herself. Ayn Rand, however, uses words like “we” in place of “I" or "our" instead of "my." When the narrator first introduces himself, he says, “Our name is Equality 7-2521” (18). This unique pronoun choice--using plural person pronouns instead of singular--usually throws readers off initially and can make reading Anthem a bit confusing. However, Rand does not do this to confuse readers. She does this to show the extremes of this collectivist society. The people in Anthem believe in equality and unity to an extreme degree. Therefore, no one person is supposed to have an individual identity. Equality states that “we strive to be like all our brother men, for all men must be alike” (19). If Equality were to refer to himself as “I,” that would show that he sees himself as an individual rather than a part of the larger community. Even the names, we see, show this focus on community rather than individuality; other names include Union, International, and Liberty, all followed by a number to show that each person lacks a singular identity.

As Equality starts to recognize his individuality and break from the collectivist society, about halfway through the novel he begins to refer to himself as “I” (94). Though a small change in diction, this signals a great shift in meaning. Equality starts to see all that he is capable of and what he is worth. He says

to earn my love, my brothers must do more than have been born. I do not grant my love without reason, nor to any chance passer-by who may wish to claim it. I honor men with my love. But honor is a thing to be earned (96).

Ayn Rand uses the shift to “I” to show Equality (who changes his name to the more individual Prometheus) has discovered his individuality. Though many other examples of diction are present in the novel, this is the one that is perhaps the most symbolic of the important change that takes place in the narrator’s mindset.

Why is the book Unwind a dystopian environment?

A good working definition of a dystopian society is the following:

A futuristic, imagined universe in which oppressive societal control and the illusion of a perfect society are maintained through corporate, bureaucratic, technological, moral, or totalitarian control.

I will get to a few specific characteristics in a moment, but let's unwind the above statement and compare it to Unwind. The book does take place in the future.  It's not a far off future, but the book does make it clear that technology exists that does not exist currently.  That technology is called "neurografting."  That technology allows doctors to use every part of a donor for transplants.  Our current technology isn't even close to that.  We can only currently transplant 25 different tissues and organs.  Because the book is set in the future, it is imagined.  

The second part of the definition talks about societal control through various methods.  No matter which method is used, the method will almost certainly use propaganda.  That is true in Unwind too.  The people have been convinced that unwinding is moral and humane.  It's even protected in the "Bill of Life" and states the following: 

However, between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, a parent may choose to retroactively "abort" a child . . . on the condition that the child's life doesn't "technically" end.

How the people in this future society have come to believe that an aborted, unwound child isn't dead is beyond me, but they have come to believe it.  They believe it because the only information that they are given about unwinding is positive and glorious information.  Take for example this line of logic from Samson Ward. 

"I was never going to amount to much anyway, but now, statistically speaking, there's a better chance that some part of me will go on to greatness somewhere in the world. I'd rather be partly great than entirely useless."

Another standard dystopian characteristic is that citizens often live in a dehumanized state.  That is sort of true for this book.  Not all citizens are treated as less than human.  Only teenagers between the ages of 13 and 18 are dehumanized.  At that point in a person's life, he/she is nothing more than a vessel carrying spare body parts for somebody else.  

How can I transcribe a text by highlighting the aspects of connected speech (stress, weak forms, cases of linkage, etc.)?

Connected speech is spoken language with a continuous sequence of sounds – these sounds can be observed most clearly in analyzing the difference between spoken language and reading a transcript of the same phrase or speech.

In learning about connected speech, it’s helpful to compare spoken language with a transcript side by side. The process of listening to the difference in the way spoken and written language is translated to a reader reveals quite a bit about connected speech. For this exercise, we will rely on Martin Luther King Jr.’s I Had a Dream speech.

0:45

I have a dream that the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave-owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

1:23

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today... (1:48) I have a dream that one day down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today.

General rules for stress patterns in the English language allow us to use spoken language and understand one another. If we take a very basic sentence, it’s easy to see how changing the stress of different words changes the meaning of the sentence.

The dog jumped over the river.

If we stress the word dog, we are implying that the dog (and not the cat or something else) is the subject who did the jumping. On the other hand, if we stress the word river, we are implying that the dog jumped over the river (and not the road or something else).

In the I Have a Dream speech, stress on different words becomes very obvious if you listen to the speech alongside a transcript. Take a listen (and look) at this sentence:

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

If you read this sentence without knowing where the stress is placed, you may guess Mississippi. Instead, MLK Jr. began by stressing the word “even” rather than Mississippi to signify the drastic environment of southern states – something that was better left to connected speech stress than explicit wording. In this example, connected speech was more effective than the written word.

A second important aspect of connected speech exists in weak formsof words. Consider this line from MLK Jr.’s speech:

… one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today.

In several places in the speech, MLK Jr. uses reductionism. This is evident in the word “with” that turns into the word “wit-“ or “wi-.” In spoken language there are many words that people reduce to weaker forms including: than (den), its (iss), his (iz), and some (sem).

Finally, linkage in connected speech is evident when letters (and sounds) are inserted in places they would not normally exist (and don't exist in the written form. Consider the sentence: I want to eat. In this sentence, "I want to eat" will turn into "I want toow eat," where a "W" intrudes after "too." This is not clear in the written word, but is very clear in spoken language.

In the I Have a Dream speech, MLK Jr.'s mention of the word "Georgia" turns into "Georgia(r)." The "r" intrudes at the end of "Georgia" where it does not appear in the transcript.

To better understand connected speech, try listening to the entire speech alongside the transcript.

What is the significance of Wounded knee? Where is it?

Wounded Knee refers to a location in the state of South Dakota as well as a massacre which occurred there in the year of 1890. There is a body of water called Wounded Knee Creek in what is now known as the Lakota Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, but prior to the establishment of Reservations in the United States, this was territory of the Oglala Nation. 

In 1889, the Pine Ridge Reservation was established out of territory previously part of the Great Sioux Reservation. There was much conflict surrounding the founding of reservations, and many First Nations (American Indian) people were slaughtered or uprooted from their homes. Lands were seized by the United States government and the American Bison (a very important resource for the First Nations) were killed in such large numbers by American settlers that they almost went extinct. Reservations were intended to be spaces where First Nations people could maintain their traditional lifeways independent from the United States government. Unfortunately, the government was the entity appointing the location of the reservations and forcing First Nations people to move onto them. 

A religious and political movement was founded in this time by the Paiute Nation (in the region of present-day Nevada) prophet Wovoka. Wovoka had a vision that the Christian messiah Jesus Christ would return to Earth as First Nations man, and believed that if every First Nations person were to practice the Ghost Dance, all of the white settlers would leave First Nations land and the reincarnated Christ would restore these territories to splendor. Wovoka's vision included the promise that traditional resources like the Bison would be restored and the spirits of dead ancestors would be risen from the grave to teach the living.

The Ghost Dance movement gained a following, and the last Ghost Dances were held on the Pine Ridge Reservation in 1890. The U.S. government wanted to suppress the practice of Ghost Dancing and tried to make negotiations with First Nations chiefs to prevent people from practicing the dance. When this failed to play out as the government had hoped, they resorted to coercion by violence. The government intended to surround disarm the Lakota people on the reservation so as to prevent any further uprising. On the 29th of December, during rounds to seize weapons from the Lakota camp, a deaf man named Black Coyote refused to give up his rifle. In the struggle to take Black Coyote's rifle from him, the gun went off and fighting broke out. 

After the initial, accidental gunshot, both United States troopers and Lakota men opened fire. Though women and children tried to take shelter in camp or flee the gunfire, the Lakota camp was surrounded and the United States soldiers fired directly into the camp. In the span of less than an hour, hundreds of First Nations people were killed, with estimates ranging between 150 and 300. Survivors were forced to move to the reservation. On the side of the United States, 25 men were killed and several more were injured during the fight. 

It is important to put these numbers into perspective by understanding the percentage of people who were killed or injured during the Massacre. Of the perhaps 350 Lakota who were camped at Wounded Knee, even the most conservative estimate of 150 deaths indicates that nearly half the group was killed. In contrast, of the 500 soldiers and troopers sent by the U.S. government, only 25 (or 5%) died. The Lakota people were outnumbered, surrounded, and indiscriminately killed. 

The Wounded Knee Massacre is historically significant not only for the intensity of violence which occurred there, but also as an archetypal event for the long legacy of the colonization of the Americas and the eradication of First Nations people and culture. The Wounded Knee Massacre was initially called the Wounded Knee Battle, but this was a gross misnomer. A battle implies two (or more) groups of an equal mind to engage in combat-- the Massacre at Wounded Knee was an attack committed by the United States government against the Lakota People. 

The conflict did not end in 1890. In 1973, around 200 members of the American Indian Movement staged a protest at Wounded Knee. The activists were there to protest the corrupt tribal president Richard Wilson and the United States government's failure to negotiate and uphold treaties with the First Nations. Again, the Lakota people were surrounded by U.S. law enforcement and though there was only a total of two deaths, the occupation lasted 71 days. During this time, electricity, water, and food were cut off from Wounded Knee in an attempt to starve out the protesters. The U.S. law enforcement officials repeatedly opened fire on the Lakota people and both of the two people who died during the Incident were First Nations protesters.

I encourage you to read up on the current Dakota Access Pipeline protest to learn more about the continuing legacy of the oppression of First Nations people in the United States.

In Farewell to Manzanar, what are three causes and their effects on the story?

One significant cause in Farewell to Manzanar is the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. A specific effect of Pearl Harbor is the internment of all Japanese people by the US government. After Papa is taken by government officials, the family is forced to relocate to the internment camp of Manzanar in April of 1942.

When Papa is arrested and deemed to be a spy, it triggers his own decline. It emotionally breaks him. The effect of his arrest is that he feels as if he has no home. When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, Papa burned the Japanese flag he had brought with him and pledged allegiance to America. A result of his arrest is that Papa feels that America turned its back on him. The effects of this betrayal are that his alcoholism increases and Jeanne notices how he is never again the same in his interactions with the family.

An effect of internment at Manzanar is the loss of Jeanne's innocence. Jeanne learns the difficult and uncomfortable reality of prejudice. She comes to recognize that she will always be seen as "the other" in American society because of her ethnicity:

I smiled and sat down, suddenly aware of what being of Japanese ancestry was going to be like. I wouldn’t be faced with physical attack, or with overt shows of hatred. Rather, I would be seen as someone foreign, or as someone other than American, or perhaps not be seen at all.

An effect of Jeanne's imprisonment is a change in perception about the country she once fully embraced as her home. She understands that the stain of internment means that her Japanese ancestry will cause her to be seen as different. When she says that she will be seen as "other than American" or "not be seen at all," the effect of internment on her perception is evident. It has forever changed her. While she will not swallow Papa's bitterness, she has lost her innocence about the promises and possibilities of America.

Can you think of a movie that, in your opinion, best reflects your perception of democracy?

One movie that encapsulates some ideas and values that make our democracy work is A Civil Action, from 1998, starring John Travolta and Kathleen Quinlan. The movie is based on the book of the same name by Jonathan Harr, and it involves a real-life case in Woburn, Massachusetts, in which environmental pollutants are contaminating the town's water supply. As a result, many children in the area become sick with fatal diseases.

A resident of the town, played by Kathleen Quinlan, hires a personal injury lawyer (played by John Travolta) to sue the companies that are dumping contaminants in the water. Her activism shows the power that an individual can have in a democracy to challenge more powerful entities through the legal system. Though the lawyer loses the case, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a federal entity, later uses the information from the case to bring their own action against the companies who were contaminating the groundwater and forced them to pay heavy fines and clean up the polluted area. The action of the EPA shows the power of federal agencies to protect citizens in a working democracy. In a less democratic society, it may not have even been possible for an individual to challenge the larger companies in the first place.

What were the causes and long-term effects associated with the New Deal?

There were several causes that led to the launching of the New Deal. Prior to the beginning of the Great Depression, a laissez-faire attitude existed regarding the involvement of the government in the economy. That approach didn’t work once the Great Depression began. The depression was so severe that it required a lot of government intervention in the economy.

Conditions in the United States had deteriorated since the start of the Great Depression. At one point, about 25% of the American workforce was unemployed. Many people had lost their savings when the banks failed and the stock market crashed. Many people either lost their homes or farms or were in danger of losing their homes or farms because they couldn’t pay their mortgages. The American people looked to the government to try to ease these very difficult situations.

One long-term effect of the New Deal is that people still believe the government should act as a safety net when tough times occur. Whether it is a natural disaster or a serious problem with the economy, people expect the government to act in these situations.

Another long-term effect of the New Deal is that some government programs that were created during the New Deal still exist today. People depend on Social Security for all or part of their income when they retire. People also depend on unemployment benefits when they lose their job. People rely on the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to protect the money in their savings accounts.

There were many factors that led to the start of the New Deal. There also were long-term effects associated with it that still exist today.

Is WWI an important factor leading to the Russian Revolution?

World War I was absolutely an important factor leading to the Russian Revolution of 1917.  We can even argue WWI is the most important immediate cause of the revolution, but that does not mean the war caused the revolution.  Instead, the war acted as a catalyst to speed up the move towards revolution.

The Russian Revolution was really caused by the backwardness of the Russian economy and the unresponsive nature of its political system.  Economically, Russia was the least modern major country in Europe.  Its peasants were very poor and not very productive.  Its factory workers had low pay and bad working conditions.  Politically, Russia was also weak.  The Tsar ruled very much as an autocrat.  There was a legislature, the Duma, but it was weak and the Tsar dissolved it frequently.  Therefore, the people, many of whom were unhappy for economic reasons, had no way to persuade the government to do anything about their problems.  These were the root causes of the revolution.

Nonetheless, it was WWI that caused the revolution to happen right when it did.  Russian civilians suffered during the war, as most of what the economy produced went to the soldiers.  This led to shortages among the civilians, which resulted in bread riots.  During the war, the Tsar’s administration also did not perform well.  The Russian army was not very effective and did not seem to care much about the terrible number of men that it was losing in battle.  For these reasons, the Russian people became even angrier than usual.  Their anger over the war pushed them over the edge into rebellion.

WWI, then, is an important factor leading to the Russian Revolution.  It was not the root cause of the revolution, but it was the main factor that caused the revolution to begin when it did.

What are examples of duality within To Kill a Mockingbird and where are they found?

Merriam-Webster's online dictionary defines duality as "the quality or state of having two parts" (Merriam-Webster). Using this definition, we can find many examples of duality in American literature, and specifically, in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. Frequently when we discuss the notion of duality, we consider two ideas/principles/ways of being that are in opposition to each other, such as "war vs. peace" or "wrong vs. right." The characters within To Kill a Mockingbird are generally portrayed as either "wrong or right" or, to use somewhat stronger language, "good or evil." Harper Lee presents us with a depiction of humanity that is complicated and conflicted. The novel raises questions about whether one can be truly good or evil (and further, whether true evil or pure good exist), and asks us to consider the extent to which our behaviors are learned and reinforced. It presents immortality and injustice as something to be confronted, and it gives us the opportunity to examine reactions to and against these concepts.

Some examples of duality within To Kill a Mockingbird include innocence vs. experience/maturity, justice vs. injustice, comfort vs. poverty, morality vs. immortality, acceptance vs. intolerance, and many others. "Good vs. evil" can certainly be explored with To Kill a Mockingbird, but in order to do so, we must take into account how to define both ideas and whether or not gray areas (between good and evil) exist within the book. We must ask, "If these gray areas exist, where do they occur? What do they say about strict notions of good and evil?"

Ultimately, there are many ways in which duality can be explored in To Kill a Mockingbird. Contemplating the duality of justice vs. injustice, we might examine the trial and dialogue following it as an example. In Chapter 22, exiting the courthouse, Atticus and Jem have a simple exchange on the notion of justice vs. injustice and wrong vs. right:

"It ain’t right,” he muttered, all the way to the corner of the square where we found Atticus waiting. Atticus was standing under the street light looking as though nothing had happened: his vest was buttoned, his collar and tie were neatly in place, his watch-chain glistened, he was his impassive self again.
“It ain’t right, Atticus,” said Jem.
“No son, it’s not right.”
We walked home (Lee, Chapter 22).

On the notions of both innocence vs. maturity and comfort vs. poverty, we see in Chapter 12 a particularly representative example:

The Governor was eager to scrape a few barnacles off the ship of state; there were sit-down strikes in Birmingham; bread lines in the cities grew longer, people in the country grew poorer. But these were events remote from the world of Jem and me (Lee, Chapter 12). 

In the above passage, we see that Scout and Jem exist in a world of youthful innocence. They are, at least within the passage, unaffected by external events in Alabama, and they enjoy a position of relative comfort and security while city residents grow anxious about food or finances. They inhabit their own isolated space, which we might interpret as the space of childhood or the space of comfort.

When considering dualities, we can be as clever or creative as we desire, finding new and interesting ways in which concepts might oppose one another. They key to preparing any argument when interpreting and analyzing literature is finding support for it and explaining said support.

(Primary Source: Lee, Harper,To Kill a Mockingbird. New York: Grand Central Publishing, 1960. Print.)

What are some direct characterization quotes from The Shakespeare Stealer?

A clear example of direct characterization is present when Widge, the first-person narrator, describes what he saw of the stranger who came in the shadows to Bright's rectory. Widge tells the stranger's height, stature, persona, clothing, boots and beard. There are three distinct descriptive passages in Chapter 2 dedicated to the stranger. In the third passage, when the stranger leans toward the light from the pot of burning pitch, his face comes out of the shadow cast by the hood of his cloak, and Widge sees the alarming features of his visage.

When the stranger first enters the apothecary, Widge suggests that his stature was imposing and strong when he tells us that "The stranger stood just inside the doorway, motionless and silent."

The psychological impact of his stature and bearing cause Widge to say he might be a malignant force of darkness: "He might have been taken for one of the shadows [in the unlighted room], or for some spectral figure--Death, or the devil--come to claim us."

Noting that the stranger was "well over average height," Widge tells what he noticed of the stranger's clothing: "[A] long, dark cloak of coarse fabric masked all his clothing save for his leather boots."

Because of the "grotesque shadows upon the walls," Widge can at first see only one feature of the stranger's face: "The only feature I could make out was an unruly black beard, which curled over his collar."

Later, when the stranger leans over the "flickering flames of [the] pitch pot," Widge is startled at the sight of a long scar on the stranger's face: "On his left cheek, an ugly raised scar ran all the way from the corner of his eye into the depths of his dark beard."

Other details of description, like "glowering looks," are sprinkled throughout until Widge and he arrive in Leicester and Widge is handed over to servants to be given a bed and food until it is time to be taken to meet Simon Bas.

`r = 5%` Find the time necessary for $1000 to double when it is invested at a rate of r compounded (a) anually, (b) monthly, (c) daily, and...

Formula for compounding n times per year: `A=P(1+r/n)^(nt)`

Formula for compounding continuously: `A=Pe^(rt)`

A=Final Amount

P=Initial Amount

r=rate of investment expressed as a percent

n=number of compoundings per year

t=time in years

a) r=5% n=1 (annually)

`A=P(1+r/n)^(nt)`

`2000=1000(1+.05/1)^(1*t)`

`2=1.05^t`

`ln(2)=tln(1.05)`

`ln(2)/ln(1.05)=t`

`14.21=t`

Final Answer: 14.21 years

b) r=5% n=12 (monthly)

`A=P(1+r/n)^(nt)`

`2000=1000(1+.05/12)^(12*t)`

`2=(1.00416)^(12t)`

`ln(2)=12tln(1.00416)`

`ln(2)/[12ln(1.00416)]=t`

`13.89=t`

Final Answer: 13.89 years

c) r=5% n=365 (daily)

`A=P(1+r/n)^(nt)`

`2000=1000(1+.05/365)^(365*t)`

`2=(1.000136)^(365t)`

`ln(2)=365tln(1.00136)`

`ln(2)/[365ln(1.00136)]=t`

`13.86=t`

Final Answer: 13.86 years

d)`A=Pe^(rt)`

`2000=1000e^(.05*t)`

`2=e^(.05t)`

`ln(2)=.05tlne`

`ln(2)/[.05lne]=t`

`13.86=t`

Final Answer: 13.86 years

How did Henry VIII strengthen the Church of England?

King Henry VIII sought to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, which was rejected by the Catholic Church. The situation forced him to break away from the Catholic Church by establishing the Church of England, which honored his divorce.

Henry strengthened the Church of England by shifting the center of power from the Papacy to the throne. He also instituted legal changes that protected and strengthened the Church of England. The Ecclesiastical Appeals Act of 1532 instituted by King Henry VIII eliminated the Pope’s authority on religious and other public matters. The King was made the supreme authority on issues previously handled by the Pope in Rome.

The King successfully sought the ratification of three articles, which protected the royal authority on religious matters in what is known as The Submission of the Clergy. The Church was required to obtain royal approval in making church laws. Existing laws were to be reviewed by a committee selected by the King. The King’s approval was also required in preserving the acceptable laws. The authority vested in the throne allowed King Henry VIII to dissolve the monasteries and acquire their assets. The move to dissolve the monasteries shifted loyalty from the Pope in Rome to the King and the Church of England.

In The Great Gatsby, how does Fitzgerald use weather to reflect the mood of the story?

Fitzgerald uses the weather to intensify the mood in pivotal scenes in the novel. One notable example appears in chapter five on the day of Gatsby's reunion with Daisy. The weather is uncertain: rainy as Nick and Gatsby make the preparations, drizzly as Daisy arrives and she and Gatsby make their awkward re-acquaintance, and still unsettled when Nick leaves them together at Gatsby's house where "the rain was still falling, but the darkness had parted in the west."

When the tension ratchets up in chapter seven in the hours leading up to the showdown between Tom and Gatsby, the weather is described as "broiling" hot. Nick describes the hotel room where the climactic scene occurs as "large and stifling" and offering little respite from the heat they've been struggling with all day.

On the day of Gatsby's funeral in chapter nine, it rains. Nick describes raindrops "splashing... over the soggy ground," the owl-eyed man wiping his glasses "outside and in," and someone at the funeral murmuring, "Blessed are the dead that the rain falls on."

What is the story Killed at Resaca saying about heroism? The narrator expresses some ambivalence towards Lt. Brayle by using expressions like "vain...

Ambrose Bierce's short story "Killed at Resaca" is a commentary on the meaninglessness of heroism. 

The story follows the battle practices and foolish death of Herman Brayle, a Lieutenant in the Union Army who has been brought in "from some Ohio regiment" to serve as an officer due to the general's belief that to choose a man to lead a brigade who belongs to that brigade would result in distracting jealousy. We get our first sense of what it means to be heroic in the description of the general's reasoning:

Under such circumstances, a man's services had to be very distinguished indeed to be heard of by his family and the friends of his youth; and "the speaking trump of fame" was a trifle hoarse from loquacity, anyhow. 

In other words, it's not enough to simply serve your country in a war to be labeled heroic by your peers; rather, one must do something extraordinary. This seems to suggest the arbitrary nature of the term: that heroism is something to be sought after, like a prize... pursued even more fervently than the greater good of one's fellow unit or of the warring factions themselves.

We learn that Brayle prefers to stay in full uniform, as "a very striking and conspicuous figure," while the other officers prefer to dress more comfortably and with less flair. Although his inferiors admire Brayle, they do recognize his "objectionable and unsoldierly quality" of being "vain of his courage"; Brayle doesn't take cover in battle, whether he's on foot or on horseback. The narrator does suggest that, "in all these needless exposures of life there was no visible bravado nor subsequent narration," but they are needless nonetheless. Whether or not the tonality of these gestures is self-important, they are grounded in the same intention: to appear heroic or be heroic. This is a useless and stupid pursuit, and it is what ultimately costs Brayle his life. 

After being caught at an impassable gully, Brayle is shot to death by Confederate forces. Both sides immediately cease firing, and as Brayle's body is hauled away on a stretcher, Confederate officers pay tribute to this "sacred burden" and the Confederate soldiers play a dirge. This unlikely event highlights how silly military heroics are; two groups of men will pause to admire the "valiant" behavior of someone and then immediately resume killing each other after they are finished. Brayle's death doesn't lead to any real or lasting changes of heart within these troops. The bloody war rages on just as soon as his body is removed. In addition, there was nothing inherently "heroic" about it; Brayle dies in an intentional, suicidal fashion that does not actually aid the war effort in any capacity.

This point is really driven home by the end of the story. The narrator finds a letter in Brayle's belongings that was written by a female love interest. The woman writes that she has heard from another soldier that Brayle was "seen crouching behind a tree" in battle, and that she could "bear to hear of [her] soldier lover's death, but not of his cowardice." Thus, we learn the reasoning behind Brayle's behavior. He has acted in such a brazen, foolish fashion as not to be perceived as cowardly by a woman who knows nothing of the realities of war. He is not at all heroic--but rather, simply full of childish pride. The soldiers who have celebrated Brayle as a hero now look ridiculous given this new context, as they have honored a stubborn man's death at the request of a superficial, thoughtless woman.