What were Chinua Achebe's major concerns when writing Things Fall Apart?

Chinua Achebe, author of the novel Things Fall Apart, was a preeminent Nigerian author whose works defied the Eurocentric biases of classic literature and were lauded as brilliant texts. In Things Fall Apart, it is apparent that one clear concern motivated Achebe's detailed narrative. 

The Igbo people represented in Achebe's novel are whole, round characters with complex emotions and relationships. In this way, they are relatable to the reader, even if the reader is not Igbo. This is a crucial aspect of the novel, which explores in minute detail the values, mores, societal structure, and traditional culture of the Igbo people. To emphasize the illustration of the Igbo, Achebe also presents a contrasting culture -- that of the imperialist Europeans. Achebe, concerned with an accurate and humanizing depiction of the Igbo culture, accomplishes his goal by creating empathetic characters whose way of life is clearly represented through explicit and implicit illustration. 

How do I determine pH, pOH, [H+] and [OH-], if all I have is the concentration of H2CO3 as 3.51 x 10^-2 M?

Carbonic acid is a weak acid and when in solution, the following reaction takes place:

`H_2CO_3 (aq) -> H^+ (aq) + HCO_3^(-) (aq)`

The dissociation constant for this reaction, Ka1 = 4.3 x 10^-7.

Since both the products are in a 1:1 molar ratio, we can assume that at equilibrium, the concentration of each of them is x M. The leftover concentration of carbonic acid at equilibrium is 3.51 x 10^-2 -x M.

Using the equation for dissociation constant:

`Ka_1 = ([H^+][HCO_3^-])/[H_2CO_3]`

`4.3 xx 10^-7 = (x xx x)/(3.51 xx 10^-2 - x)`

solving this equation, we get, [H+] = 1.23 x 10^-4 M

pH = -log [H+] = - log (1.23 x 10^-4) = 3.91

since pH + pOH = 14

pOH = 14 - pH = 10.1 

and pOH = -log [OH-]

solving this equation, we get [OH-] = 8.12 x 10^-11 M

Hope this helps. 

What are the moral lessons in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone?

The main lesson in the story is that you should not judge people based on appearances.  By this I mean what people look like but also their actions. Sometimes people have secrets that you just do not expect.  Harry thought that Snape was out to get him because he treated him unfairly and he seemed odd.  In reality, the quivering Quirrell was hiding Voldemort.

Harry felt that Snape was targeting him because he was a dark wizard. Snape’s classroom was in the basement and he certainly wasn’t winning any personality contests, but this led Harry to make the assumption that Snape was trying to steal the Sorcerer’s Stone.  He didn’t look closer to see what was really happening.

Quirrell seemed completely harmless.  When the children were trying to stop Snape from cursing Harry’s broom during the Quidditch match, they actually managed to stop Quirrell instead.

Hermione had fought her way across to the stand where Snape stood, and was now racing along the row behind him; she didn't even stop to say sorry as she knocked Professor Quirrell headfirst into the row in front. (Ch. 11)

The children do not realize until it is too late that Snape has been trying to protect Harry and Voldemort is trying to get the Stone from Quirrell, the actual Death Eater.  Harry is able to prevent Quirrell from getting the stone because Dumbledore provided an enchantment so that only someone who did not intend to use it could possess it.

Harry has a good heart, but he does not always think things through.  He needs to learn that appearances can be deceiving and you should not judge people based on limited information.  He does realize this, as he makes friends with two of the most unusual children at Hogwarts. Hermione seems like a know-it-all and Ron Weasley is the youngest son of a poor family.  Harry is able to see past things that might make them unpopular to see that they are good friend material.

How were the Australian prisoners of war treated by the Japanese?

In general, the Japanese had a strong disdain for prisoners of war.  Culturally speaking, the Japanese did not believe in surrender or capture, so they looked down on the prisoners of war that were under their care.  During World War II, the Japanese were notorious for their brutal treatment of prisoners of war, regardless of their origins.  Over 22,000 Australian prisoners were captured during the war.  Eight thousand died under the supervision of the Japanese. Most died of malnutrition and were treated with brutality and malice.  The Japanese also used Australian prisoners of war to build rail lines in different locations throughout their Pacific Empire.  Over a thousand prisoners of war perished on ships that were accidentally torpedoed by the Allies.  This happened because the vessels were unmarked and the Allies did not realize prisoners were on board.  

Who is Jacob Sartorius?

Jacob Sartorius is a thirteen-year-old boy from the United States who has become very popular on the social media application Vine as well as the website Youtube. He creates video content of himself in humorous yet relatable situations or singing. He has released a single with the title "Sweatshirt." His videos have earned him recognition by magazines as well as professionals in the music industry. Because he is so young, his mother manages all of his social media accounts. His video and music content are very popular among young people, and Sartorius often uses his notoriety to speak out against bullying and the pressure young people may feel in relationships. In fact, his song, "Sweatshirt" is about offering a girl his sweatshirt to wear as a symbol of their relationship in place of any public displays of physical affection.

Jacob Sartorius and his media can be found on websites like Instagram, Youtube, and Vine by searching his name.

In Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, how might Okonkwo be considered a tragic hero?

Aristotle says that the tragic hero is any protagonist who meets his or her downfall "through some combination of hubris, fate, and the will of the gods" ("Aristotle on Tragedy," paragraph 1). 
If we suspend a postcolonial reading of Things Fall Apart to substitute an Aristotelian reading, we may consider Okonkwo the tragic hero of the piece.

Okonkwo's hubris is integral to his role in Igbo society. He lives his life to prove that he is a strong man, unlike his father, whose memory is a constant humiliation. Okonkwo mistreats anyone he sees as weak, including his own family members. He favors his captured son, Ikemefuna, over his biological son, because he considers Ikemefuna to be more manly. This does not stop Okwonko from sending Ikemefuna to be murdered as a retributive killing. His fear of being thought weak compels him to follow through, no matter how fond he is of the boy.

There are a few instances where the hand of fate governs Okonkwo's downfall. The primary crisis comes when the white man brings their customs and religion to the region. Okwonko's reaction is to fight back, but he finds that not everyone feels the same. The social codes he has dedicated his life to are coming apart before his eyes, as if he has been living a lie. The world as it was no longer exists, and he cannot live in the world that it is becoming. His only option is to kill himself, though he knows this act is forbidden by the gods. There is a sense that Okonkwo was backed into a corner by circumstance and could not escape this fate, making him a tragic hero.

What change did the Industrial Revolution bring about in English society?

The growth of the population was one of the most important and most visible changes in English society during the Industrial Revolution. In 1781, for example, the population of England and Wales was 7.5 million people but, by 1851, it had risen to almost 18 million people. This population boom continued throughout the nineteenth century, reaching 32.5 million people by 1901. (See the first reference link).

It was the "rapid economic growth" of the Industrial Revolution which enabled the country to support such a large population. A range of public health initiatives, like better drainage, for example, improved living conditions in England's towns and cities while the rate of infant mortality decreased. Moreover, from the 1850s, living standards increased and food prices fell while the rate of infectious diseases, like typhus, also declined. These factors encouraged a healthier and more fertile population. 

For more information, please see the reference link provided. 

In The Scarlet Letter, what change did Hester see in Chillingworth's face after seven years?

In chapter 14 of The Scarlet Letter, titled "Hester and the Physician", Hester goes to Chillingworth and wants to have a word with him. Chillingworth starts to talk by telling Hester about how the magistrate has been debating over the use of the scarlet letter, and whether Hester should continue to wear it. After a brief discussion on the matter, Hester looks deep into the face of the man, and notices great changes. She

...was shocked.... It was not so much that he had grown older... But the former aspect of an intellectual and studious man, calm and quiet...had altogether vanished, and been succeeded by an eager, searching, almost fierce, yet carefully guarded look.

Like the passage states, Chillingworth is not necessarily a faded-looking old man. He is aging, of course, but the chapter even says that he "bore his age well," had a certain amount of "vigor," and was altogether quite alert.  The problem is that his anger and hatred are essentially coming through his facial expression, and he can no longer hide them. What Chillingworth has against Dimmesdale is an obsession with vengeance that he himself can't rationalize or justify. As a result, this hatred consumes even his physical appearance.

Chillingworth cannot quite conceal this angry, wild look that Hester notices. Even when he tries to smile, the fake nature of the smile comes through, to the point that his "blackness" is more evident than anything else. Other things were indicative of a man so angry and consumed by hatred that he can no longer control himself:

Ever and anon, too, there came a glare of red light out of his eyes; as if the old man's soul were on fire, and kept on smoldering ...until..it was blown into a momentary flame. This he repressed as speedily as possible, and strove to look as if nothing of the kind had happened.

So what we have is a facial expression where the eyes glare with anger, and the gesture is altogether wild, while "carefully guarded." The man is consistently watchful of concealing his anger, and thus he fails at it because he feels too much of it.  

The key difference is that Chillingworth was once a passive, pensive, and quiet man. Those were the key traits that Hester remembers most about him. Now, those traits are gone and she is the one who can see this difference as the woman who was once his wife. 

A slit of width 0.010 mm has light of frequency 5.0 x 10^14 Hz passing through it onto a screen 60 cm away. How wide is the central maximum? (c =...

Here, we have a problem where light passing through a slit forms a diffraction pattern. This pattern will have bands of light at intervals, going from light to dark and back again. The brightest band is called the central diffraction. To calculate the width of this bright band, we can use the equation `y=lambdaL/a` where y is the distance from the central diffraction maximum, or the brightest point in the band, to the central diffraction minimum, the first point with no light. Because the length y is only half of the width of the central band, y must be multiplied by two. To calculate the wavelength, remember to divide c by the frequency.

When I ran the numbers, I calculated a width of .072 meters, or 7.2 centimeters. 

For more advice on this problem, this has a full derivation of the problem complete with pictures.

What does Section One of Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men reveal about Lennie's and George's relationship?

First, we learn that Lennie and George are opposites in terms of their physical appearance. George is "small and quick" and Lennie is huge and walks like a bear. These physical descriptions also give indications of each man's personality. George is intelligent and skeptical. Lennie is slow and simplistic. Note that they are walking single file at the beginning. The trail might be narrow but this does suggest that, with George in the lead, George is the leader of the two men. 

Their dialogue demonstrates that they are friends and that George is the leader and somewhat of a parent or guardian to the simplistic Lennie. Lennie got into some trouble at their last job (Weed) and George got him out of it. We really see how simple and innocent Lennie is when George makes him get rid of the dead mouse he'd been carrying. 

The hope of owning their own land is a dream that sustains both men. Lennie asks George to repeat their plight and hopes for a better future. George notes that ranch workers are typically lonely. Lennie counters with the notion that he and George are different because they have their friendship and a plan for a future. (This is a dialogue that they have had many times before. Lennie always asks George to talk through it to make him feel better. Lennie recites his lines like a prayer with the hope that they will eventually "live off the fatta the lan'.") 

Is there such a thing as silence? Critically discuss with reference to John Cage and Jacques Derrida.

American experimental composer John Cage is well-known for Silence, his first book of lectures, scores, and writings published in 1961. In this work, Cage explores the nature of silence, which he believes can never truly exist. He says, “There is no such thing as an empty space or an empty time. There is always something to see, something to hear. In fact, try as we may to make a silence, we cannot. Sounds occur whether intended or not.” Cage may be most widely recognized for his 1952 composition 4’33” in which musicians are present on stage but play no music for a period of four minutes and 33 seconds. While often misinterpreted as four minutes and 33 seconds of silence, the work actually draws attention to the natural sounds of the environment as the audience and performers listen to the sounds of the space and each other. Cage’s avant-garde body of work is influenced by his study of Zen Buddhism, which sees silence as an aspect of spiritual practice.

Jacques Derrida, a French philosopher born in Algeria, is considered a leading figure in postmodern philosophy. Derrida views silence as the source of infinite possibilities in relationship to speech. As soon as speech emerges, the field of possibility closes. In Derrida’s words, “Silence plays the irreducible role of that that bears and haunts language, outside and against which alone language can emerge.” Derrida is known for his perspective, called deconstruction, on exploring dichotomies such as speech and silence. His deconstructionist form of literary criticism upended traditional assumptions of Western thought.   

If one mole of ethanol completely burns to carbon dioxide and water, the mass of carbon dioxide formed will be ___.

When ethanol (C2H5OH) burns, it reacts with oxygen (O2) and forms carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O). The well-balanced chemical equation for the combustion reaction can be written as:

`C_2H_5OH + 3O_2 -> 2CO_2 + 3H_2O`

As can be seen from the equation, 1 mole of ethanol reacts with 3 moles of oxygen to form 2 moles of carbon dioxide and 3 moles of water.

Since 1 mole of ethanol is given in the question, it will form 2 moles of carbon dioxide.

The molar mass of carbon dioxide = (number of carbon atoms x atomic weight of carbon) + (number of oxygen atoms x atomic weight of oxygen)

= 1 x 12 + 2 x 16 = 44 g/mole.

Thus, 2 moles of CO2 will be formed, which means 2 moles x 44 g/mole = 88 g of CO2 will be formed.

Hope this helps. 

What is a good thesis for The Giver by Lois Lowry?

There are many good thesis possibilities for The Giver. The book has so much to teach us about how not to live.  Let's look at a few possibilities.

One potential thesis from The Giver is that not having choices is a form of slavery.  The people in the story have few choices in life. What their careers are going to be is decided for them. Whom they will partner with to raise children with is not within their control. They are "given" children and have no choice about this.  Even who will bear the children is decided by the Elders.  This is, in effect, a community of slaves. 

Another possibility is the thesis that people are not fully human if they are prevented from experiencing emotions.  The people in The Giver have had all of their emotions repressed. They do not experience hatred, jealousy, or envy.  That doesn't sound too terrible.  On the other hand, though, they do not experience sexual longings. Nor do they experience love.  There can be no true happiness without unhappiness, and the story supports this thesis very well.

Still another thesis is that sameness is a dreadful idea, taking away the wonderful variability of life.  This is true in ways large and small.  There are no hills and valleys in The Giver. There is no stormy weather.  People's clothing, housing, and furnishings are all the same.  There is no color.  There is a schedule from which there are few deviations. This kind of sameness would be terrible for anyone to live with, since while we do feel best with some routine, we also need some variability. 

Each of these theses can be fully supported from the text, and when you write your thesis statement, remember that it must include your thesis and your supporting points, too. For example, here is a thesis statement I might write for The Giver:

The Giver shows that depriving people of memory is a way of dehumanizing and endangering them. 

That gives me two points to make in my essay, one on dehumanizing people and other on endangering them.  I can support my idea now with examples of each from the story.  For your thesis statement, you can do the same, with your thesis, your main idea, and your supporting points. 

In the novel Bud, Not Buddy, how does Bud end up on the "lam"?

At the beginning of the novel, Bud is sent to live with the Amoses. Bud and Todd Amos have an altercation after Todd sticks a pencil up Bud's nose while he is sleeping. Bud slaps Todd in the face, and Todd proceeds to beat Bud ruthlessly. However, when Todd's mother walks into the room, Todd acts like he's having an asthma attack and blames Bud for his "dire condition." Mr. and Mrs. Amos send Bud to sleep in their raggedy shed as punishment. Bud manages to escape from the locked shed and decides to seek revenge on Todd. Bud then sneaks back into the Amoses' house and fills a glass with warm water. He quietly walks into Todd's room and gently pours the liquid onto Todd's pajama pants, causing him to pee his bed. Bud knows that he is in serious trouble and needs to leave the Amoses' home immediately. The slang term "on the lam" means "on the run." Bud mentions that he was "on the lam," meaning that he was running away from both the Amoses and the authorities after escaping their custody.

What is the significance of removing Old Major's Skull, banning the term "Comrade," and changing the name of the farm to "Manor"?

These three actions occur in the closing pages of Animal Farm and are all out carried out by Napoleon during a conversation with Mr. Pilkington. For Napoleon, displaying Old Major's skull and referring to each other as "Comrade" represent nothing more than "strange" customs which ought to be "suppressed."

Furthermore, Napoleon also changes the name of Animal Farm back to Manor Farm, its name under Mr Jones:

Henceforward the name was to be known as 'The Manor Farm'—which, he believed, was its correct and original name.

These acts are highly significant for two reasons. Firstly, they are symbolic of Napoleon's transformation from ordinary pig to semi-human being. By doing away with these customs, Napoleon makes it clear that he desires to be like a human and to run the farm as a human would. He craves the respect and admiration of other humans, caring less and less about the opinions of the other animals.

Secondly, these acts are also symbolic of Napoleon's alienation in his quest for absolute power. Burying Old Major's skull, for instance, is an act which disrespects the boar's role in promoting the ideas of revolution and equality. Napoleon knows this but does it anyway, proving beyond all doubt that he runs the farm and that he really is "more equal than others."

In Shakespeare's The Tempest, what is the nature of the relationship between Prospero and Miranda?

Prospero and his daughter Miranda have been trapped on an island together for almost her entire life. He is the only man, or even person, she can remember. Only the spirit Ariel and the creature Caliban live with them. Prospero has kept his past a secret from Miranda, who questioned him for many years about her mother. He eventually reveals to her that he was a duke. Prospero’s brother Antonio usurped him and put him and the young Miranda on a dilapidated boat. Miranda is shocked at this news. Prospero has attempted to shelter her from their wonderful and terrible past. In spite of his harshness, he says that she gave him strength to survive after his banishment: “O, a cherubim / Thou wast that did preserve me.”

Miranda is gentle in comparison to her seasoned and sometimes bitter father. Prospero has Ariel create the titular tempest in order to bring those who betrayed him to the island. Miranda cries to see the storm assault the boat: “O, I have suffered / With those that I saw suffer.” When she sees Ferdinand, Prospero hopes that the two will fall in love. However, he makes their courting difficult because he wants them to truly value their relationship: “but this swift business / I must uneasy make, lest too light winning / Make the prize light.” Miranda is unaware of her father’s designs.

Prospero is a controlling father who leaves Miranda out of his plans and sometimes influences with magic. However, he also loves and attempts to protect her. She knows very little of the world and relies on him. Perhaps at the end, when he abjures his magic and allows Miranda and Ferdinand to be together, he is finally ready to let her go.

What is the theme of The Pearl by John Steinbeck?

John Steinbeck's novella The Pearl was published in 1947. It tells the story of a poor family, father Kino, mother Juana, and child Coyotito, who try to live with the consequences of Kino's discovery of a great pearl. The pearl should make them rich (at least in terms of the context in which they live), but its value leads to all manners of unexpected problems and one tremendous tragedy.

Students often have trouble determining themes to a work. There is frequently more than one theme to any work as long as a novel, or even a novella. To find a theme, the student should ask themselves: What is the main message that the writer wants to get across? If I could boil this work down to one or two sentences, and still maintain its spirit, what would those sentences be? Make sure that the theme you formulate is not a summary of the story, or an event from the story—it has got to be the writer's central, universal message, and it must be stated in your own words, not the words of the author. 

For a story like The Pearl, I think you have to take the ending into account when determining the theme. As the family tries to escape persecution (because of others' greed for the pearl), their infant son is killed. At that point, they give up their journey and return to their hometown. Strangely, however, they are not broken--they are surprisingly strong.

When they reach the shore, Kino takes out the giant pearl and looks at it:

Evil faces peered from it into his eyes, and he saw the light of burning . . . and the pearl was ugly; it was gray.

These lines signify how Kino has changed. Character change is often a strong clue to theme. Then he flings the pearl into the ocean, where it settles out of sight under the sand on the ocean floor.

So, with this in mind, what is Steinbeck's central message? He has shown us a young family that makes a great discovery that should lead to happiness and prosperity—but it leads only to trouble and the ultimate heartbreak. The pearl, a symbol of beauty throughout the world, has become ugly to him, and he chooses to cast it away.

It should be noted that, throughout the ordeal, the family has been able to stay together and support each other. Several other family members have stood by them without being consumed by the greed that has afflicted so many others in the story.

With all of this in mind, I would say the theme is something along lines of:

The pursuit of happiness or fulfillment cannot be tied to a material object or the search for wealth, because those things are subject to change and corruption—we must seek happiness in our relationships with the important people in our lives.  

Why was Johnson put through the impeachment process? Did it work?

Technically, Andrew Johnson was impeached for violating the Tenure of Office Act, a measure passed by congressional Republicans that forced the President to consult the Senate before firing Cabinet officials. Johnson removed his political rival, Secretary of War Edwin Stanton from office in defiance of this law, and was duly impeached by Radical Republicans in the House of Representatives. As with most struggles between the President and Congress, the motives for impeachment went deeper. Johnson had consistently opposed the Reconstruction measures of House Republicans, vetoing the Civil Rights Act of 1866 as well as the Freedmen's Bureau, both of which were intended to protect the rights of black men and women in the South. So impeachment was a political move. Whether it "worked" or not largely depends on an understanding of how impeachment works. "Impeachment" is often used in popular discourse to mean the removal of the President. But in reality, impeachment is only the act of bringing charges against the President. This must be done by a majority of the House, as it was (by a very large majority) against Johnson. However, only the Senate, essentially acting as a jury, may actually remove a President, which can only be done by a two-thirds vote. After a very long deliberation, the Senate fell one vote short of the two-thirds vote needed for removal, so efforts to remove Johnson were not successful. But the very act of bringing charges against Johnson weakened the President, and he was able to stay in office only because he agreed in principle not to oppose the Reconstruction initiatives of his Radical Republican rivals. So the impeachment of Johnson ended up being a successful political gambit on their part.

In A Separate Peace, what happens to Devon in chapter 13?

I believe this question is asking to describe what is physically different about Devon School in chapter 13.

The answer to this question can be found in the early parts of the chapter. The reader knows from earlier in the book that the book is set during World War II—specifically, the 1942-1943 school year. These dates put the war effort in full stride. The United States is training massive numbers of troops and support units and needs space to do so.  

The narrator tells readers in chapter 13 that the Far Common is donated to the military for the war effort. The area is now full of troops and military equipment for training purposes. The specific use of the area is to teach parachute riggers their trade.

Although the Paramount Decision opened the door for increased independent film production, independent filmmakers were generally still...

In a word? Distribution.

Before the landmark Supreme Court decision United States vs. Paramount Pictures (the Paramount Decision), film studios were operated as vertically-integrated oligopoly---frankly almost as feudalism. No one involved in production of a film was allowed to work with other studios once they signed a contract with one studio, and there were only eight major studios producing films at all. As a result workers in the film industry were underpaid and mistreated, while profits for the corporations that owned these huge monopolies were enormous. In 1948 the US government finally brought an end to this system by enforcing anti-trust laws against the film oligopoly and forcing them to allow competition.

(As Disney buys up more and more of the copyrights to beloved franchises---they already own Star Wars, Star Trek, and Marvel---we may yet see the return of the old studio monopoly system in a slightly different form!)

But while this did open up production of films to more competition, the Paramount Decision did not apply to the distribution of films, which remained under the control of a handful of companies (and does to this day). Much of the monopolistic exploitation that the film production companies had used continued in a new form as independent filmmakers could make their films, but not show them in theaters or on TV without the support of Hollywood corporations.

Fortunately, this too seems to be failing at last, not because of anti-trust enforcement (the US essentially stopped enforcing all anti-trust laws under Ronald Reagan!) but because of the disruptive power of computers, digital video, and the Internet; as it now becomes affordable for an independent filmmaker to shoot, edit, and then stream films for only a few tens of thousands of dollars (instead of millions before), more and more films are being made outside the conventional Hollywood channels and distributed directly from the filmmakers to the viewers.

Why do the women in the countryside think Ichabod is an important person? How do the young girls respond to him?

Ichabod Crane is considered an important person in Sleepy Hollow. This idea might seem strange, as Ichabod is undoubtedly ridiculous and comical by turns, but the fact remains that he's a school teacher, and school teachers were generally considered important people during Washington Irving's day. After all, school teachers were far more highly educated than the average person, and a teacher's life seemed to be filled with more leisure than the average farmer's. As such, Ichabod appears to be something of a gentleman to the humble inhabitants of Sleepy Hollow.

By extension, the women of Sleepy Hollow regard Ichabod as an ideal husband for their daughters. Along the same lines, the girls of Sleepy Hollow see the school teacher as an eligible future spouse. The exception to this rule is Katrina Van Tassel, who also happens to be the woman Ichabod is most interested in. Katrina is ultimately interested in Brom Bones, so Ichabod's expression of affection late in the story is met with a stinging rejection.

What is the central conflict of the story "All Summer in a Day"?

The central conflict of the story is that Margot does not fit in with the other children.

The basic situation is that it has been raining on Venus for seven years.  The children, who are nine years old, do not remember ever seeing the sun.  The sun is scheduled to come out, so the kids are very excited.  Margot is excited too, but she is a child who just doesn’t fit in.

Margot is from Earth, and the other children are from Venus.  In addition to that, Margot is delicate and sensitive and just doesn’t associate with the other kids.

They turned on themselves, like a feverish wheel, all tumbling spokes. Margot stood alone. She was a very frail girl who looked as if she had been lost in the rain for years and the rain had washed out the blue from her eyes and the red from her mouth and the yellow from her hair.

The other kids tease Margot and don’t understand her. They are envious of her, and like many kids they turn that envy to cruelty.  When the class is preparing for the sun to come out, the children tease Margot for the poem she wrote.  She remembers the sun, and that really eats at them.

When the teacher leaves the room just as the sun is about to come out, the conflict comes to a head.

"Get away !" The boy gave her another push. "What’re you waiting for?"

Then, for the first time, she turned and looked at him. And what she was waiting for was in her eyes.

The boy tells Margot it was all a joke, and suggests they lock her in the closet.  He is using her desperation and expectation against her, even though all of the children want the same thing.  They are all ramped up, and need a target for their energy and aggression.  Margot is an easy target.

What is the purpose of Ishiguro's novel The Remains of the Day, especially in relation to Stevens the butler?

The overarching purpose of Ishiguro's novel is to document and describe the decline of the traditional English lifestyle, and he pays particular attention to the rapid changes that took place within the country's traditional class structure during the first half of the Twentieth Century. Stevens is particularly important in the novel because he represents a key component of the old, upper class establishment: the butler. As a butler, Stevens' entire existence relies upon serving his master and the gentry as a whole. In the process of this service, Stevens neglects all of his personal desires, subordinating them to the demands of his job and the needs of the wealthy. By the end of the novel, however, the old upper class has begun to fade away while the middle class rises to prominence, and so it's suggested that Stevens' sacrifice has been unnecessary. All in all, the main point of the novel is to not only describe a changing English class structure, but to also chronicle how this monumental change affects the individuals, such as Stevens, who have given their lives to the established order.

What are the five most important events in Frindle?

The book Frindle is ultimately a story about power relations within society. The authors present the story through the eyes of a fifth grade boy named Nick Allen, who is represented as smart and a bit of a rule-breaker. In the story, Nick's rebellious attitude was aimed toward a social issue that was more than the issue itself. The word used for a simple item, in this case a pen, became a symbol of social justice for the powerless (students) against a powerful hierarchy (teachers/parents/administration).

1. The first important event in the book is when Nick first learns about words and where they come from. This knowledge prompted him to take initiative to create his own word and replace a long-standing word for an item people use on a daily basis: a pen. What better way to demonstrate influence than by affecting an item everyone uses? Nick created the word "frindle."


2. The second important event is when Nick's parents and teacher (Mrs. Granger) suggest that he drops the issue and put and end to the "rebellion." This event demonstrates the first time Nick was confronted with a direct power conflict.


3. The next important event is when the word "frindle" spreads across the school. Even if Nick wanted to back down and curb his rebellion, he no longer had complete control of the idea. The word had spread to his entire school and other people had taken on the cause. This is the point where Nick realizes he has organized a true activism effort that was much bigger than himself.


4. The next important idea is when Mrs. Granger meets with Nick and says she secretly supported his rebellion all along - she wanted him to learn about the power behind words and how even "powerless" people can make huge gains in the world through activism.


5. Finally, the end of the story concludes with evidence of Nick's success in leading his "frindle rebellion." The word "frindle" had been published in the dictionary, much to the pleasure of Mrs. Granger who contacted Nick in support.

What does justice mean for characters like Atticus, Mayella, Bob, Tom and Boo in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird? Is justice served?

In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, for Mayella Ewell, justice means nothing more than vindicating herself of her own social crime and protecting herself from her father's wrath.

As Atticus points out in his closing remarks during the trial, Mayella committed an act condemned by Maycomb's society. As Atticus phrases it, "[S]he kissed a black man. Not an old Uncle, but a strong young Negro man" (Ch. 20). Since her father saw her commit the act, she knew she had no choice but to try to clear her name, and she did so by either choosing to or going along with her father's choice to accuse Tom Robinson of rape. She also accused Robinson of rape in order to escape her father's abusiveness. As we learn from Atticus's cross-examination of the witnesses, Mayella was severely abused by "someone who led almost exclusively with his left [hand]," and Bob Ewell was the only person present who was even remotely capable of using his left hand (Ch. 20). Therefore, a second reason why Mayella accuses Robinson before the court is to escape her father's savagery, showing us that Mayella only understands justice to mean vindicating herself, meaning freeing herself of all blame and danger.

In contrast, Atticus views justice as a means of exposing the truth. Atticus pursues justice by trying to acquit Robinson of the crime he is being charged with. One of Atticus's means of acquitting Robinson is exposing the fact that since Ewell is ambidextrous and Robinson is crippled in his left arm and hand, Ewell is the more likely suspect of any wrongdoings. Yet, Atticus also knows that justice is not equally distributed to all men due to racism and prejudices. He knows that the prosecution wants the jury to believe "that all Negroes lie, that all Negroes are basically immoral beings, that all Negro men are not to be trusted around our women" (Ch. 20). As a result, he begs the jury to judge based on the actual evidence and not based on their prejudices. All in all, while Atticus knows justice can expose the truth and punish and reward those according to their deserts, he also knows that justice is only an ideal that is often hampered by men's prejudices.

In what chapter and on which page does the following quote from The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton occur?"That's why people don't ever think to blame...

In Chapter 9 and on page 141 of the SPEAK Penguin Group edition of The Outsiders, Ponyboy says,

"That's why people don't ever think to blame the Socs and are always ready to jump on us. We look hoody and they look decent. It could be just the other way around---half of the hoods I know are pretty decent guys underneath all that grease, and from what I've heard, a lot of Socs are just cold-blooded mean---but people usually go by looks" (Hinton 141).

Just before the Greasers are about to rumble against the Socs, Ponyboy realizes that his gang should not be fighting alongside the Brumly boys. Pony distinguishes the difference between Greasers and hoods by mentioning that the hoods were future convicts. When the Socs finally arrive, Ponyboy notices that they are clean shaven and are wearing striped and checkered shirts. He says that the Socs were dressed like they were going to the movies, which is one of the main reasons why people don't blame them for causing trouble. One of the central themes Hinton explores throughout the novel deals with false appearances and people's perceptions of others. Although the Socs look decent, they are actually heartless, violent individuals. Their pleasant appearance is deceiving and hides their true nature. The same can be said for the Greasers and other hoods. Even though they look tough and intimidating, most of them are kindhearted individuals. Ponyboy is frustrated with how society unfairly judges others based solely on looks and is conflicted about his Greaser persona. Pony wishes to live in a world where people value personality and character, rather than outward appearances.

What was the Northern economy based on during the Civil War?

The Northern Union economy was mainly an industrial one.  The rise of large factories meant that manufacturing was the most important industry in the Union states.  Banking was also important in the North.  There was immense wealth in the Southern Confederate states, but it was mainly tied to land, agriculture (namely cotton), and the monetary value of slaves.  When it came to waging war, the benefits of weapons manufacturing and cash flow proved to be extremely beneficial to the North.  Union states still had a great deal of agriculture, which kept people fed during the Civil War.  

The Union had a larger population than the Confederacy, and it was growing.  The Union had about double the population of the Confederacy.  They had more manpower because of this.  They had a larger workforce to keep factories running throughout the war, and they also had more men to fight against the Confederacy.  The Union Army had twice the amount of soldiers that the Confederate Army had.

What are three reasons citizens may not take legal action when their rights are violated by the police?

There is no question that some people will not avail themselves of their legal rights when they feel their rights have been violated by the police.  There can be so many reasons for this, but three come immediately to mind. 

First, in spite of the media attention focused on police misbehavior in recent times, there are still people who are ignorant of what their rights are, and thus they do not know that their rights may have been violated.  A person who is illiterate, for example, may have no idea that there are avenues to pursue. Some people may think that the way the police treat them is simply how it is supposed to be.

Second, a person who believes his or her rights to have been violated by the police may fear some form of retribution for having complained.  A complaint or an allegation against an officer is not made in secret. The department is aware.  This means that the complainant and his or her family are being protected by the very institution being complained of.  Police are loyal to one another, and it is not completely unreasonable to fear that one may be subject to excessive traffic stops or even a delay in the police coming when called for an emergency. In a small town in particular, the person who complains may very well feel this is a risk not worth taking. This does not necessarily mean this happens, but certainly, such concern is not completely misplaced. 

Third, a mistrust of the system may lead to the feeling that pursuing one's legal rights is futile. There have been so many instances in which police have been alleged to have violated people's rights and they have been acquitted or found not liable.  These make the news with a loud splash and are likely to make some people feel that it is hopeless to take on "the system." 

I'm sure there are other motives for refraining from pursuing one's legal rights against police action, but certainly these three are part of the picture.

How would you create a flow chart to explain the different steps involved to pass an ordinary bill compared to a money bill?

All bills, except money bills, may begin in either the House of Representatives or Senate. To make it easier, I will share the steps that a money bill must follow in order to become a law. The steps are the same for all bills, but a money bill must start in the House of Representatives.

• The bill must be introduced into the House of Representatives.


• Once the bill is introduced, it will go to a committee in the House of Representatives. This committee will decide if the bill should move forward. If the committee doesn’t feel the bill should move forward, then it will kill the bill by voting not to present it to the entire House of Representatives.


• If the bill clears the committee, then the full House of Representatives will vote on the bill. If it passes, it will go the Senate.


• Once the bill passes the House of Representatives, it will go the Senate and be introduced there.


• It will then be assigned to a committee of the Senate. This committee will decide if the bill should move forward. If the committee doesn’t feel it should move forward, then it will kill the bill by voting not to present it to the entire Senate.


• If it passes the Senate committee, it will go to the full Senate for a vote. If it passes the Senate, the bill will move forward.


• If the bill has the same wording in the Senate and the House of Representatives, it will go to the President. If the wording is different, a conference committee will work out the differences so both houses can pass the bill with identical wording. Then it will go to the President.


• If the President signs the bill, it will become a law.


• If the President vetoes the bill, it will go back to both the Senate and the House of Representatives. If both houses pass the bill with at least a two-thirds majority, the veto is overridden. The bill will then become a law.

What was it like for Elie Wiesel after the war?

In 1945, Jewish man Elie Wiesel was liberated from the Buchenwald concentration camp.  He did not let his traumatizing concentration camp experiences keep him from living an active life.  He was a man with many accomplishments.  His hardships inspired him to help others and advocate for them.  

After the war, Wiesel went to France to study.  He took an interest in journalism.  He wrote a memoir about his experiences in the concentration camp.  The memoir was in Yiddish.  He shortened the memoir and released it as La Nuit in France.  In English, the book was simply called Night.  This is his most popular work.  He wrote many other books, as well.

In the 1950s, Wiesel immigrated to the United States.  He met and married Marion Rose, who was also a Holocaust survivor.  Together, they had a son.

Wiesel became an activist.  He gave many speeches about peace in times of violence and turmoil.  His views and his activism were based based on his traumatizing experiences as a Jewish man living under Nazism.

Wiesel was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.  In 1986, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.  In his later years, he became a college professor.

What does the figurative language and imagery suggest about the theme of the poem "She Walks in Beauty"? What idea is Lord Byron communicating,...

A prototype of literary romanticism, Lord Byron creates with figurative language and imagery an image of a woman illuminated in the starry night, as well as a woman who illuminates the spirit of the speaker who views her. She walks gracefully and creates an aura around her of harmony and perfection, the theme of the poem "She Walks in Beauty."

Throughout this poem, there is a balance as "all that best of dark and bright," the opposing forces, meet in "her aspect and her eyes," and create harmony. The opening line—"She walks in beauty, like the night/ of cloudless climes and starry skies"—is a simile which initiates the woman's harmony with nature as well as her ethereal beauty, evoked by the second line: "Of cloudless climes and starry skies." The light/dark imagery introduced in the first line is continued in the second stanza with the words "shade" and "ray," "raven tresses," and "softly lightens." The flow of the beautiful lady's dress and her walking "in beauty" and delicate harmony is further expressed with the fluid motion of alliteration found in the second stanza: "Had half," "Which waves," "serenely sweet," and "dear their dwelling place" and "So soft, so" in the third stanza.

Certainly, then, the woman's physical loveliness and her inner beauty are in perfect harmony with the beauty of nature, and both have reached perfection. These ideas about harmonious beauty and perfection can be expressed in the thesis for the essay, written after the introductory sentences. These introductory sentences can, perhaps, explain how Lord Byron was inspired to write this poem after having seen his beautiful cousin by marriage, Mrs. Robert John Wilmot, dressed in a black mourning gown brightened with spangles much like stars against the night sky.

What is a summary of The Light Between Oceans by M. L. Stedman?

The Light Between Oceans is a novel by author M. L. Stedman that follows Tom Sherbourne, a man returning to Australia after experiencing the ravages of war on the Western Front. The story takes place in 1926, when Tom begins working as a lighthouse keeper at Janus Rock. The island features an isolated lighthouse nearly a full day away from the nearest town on the coast. Tom's wife Isabel comes to live with him on the island, but their peaceful life is tarnished by grief when Isabel miscarries twice and has one stillbirth.

Tom and Isabel are still grieving their lost children when a boat washes up on the island. They discover a dead man and a crying baby inside the boat and Isabel immediately decides to keep the infant and raise her as her own. Tom is unsure at first and feels obligated to report the dead man and the infant to the local authorities. He is ultimately convinced by his wife, who views the baby as a "gift from God," and they pretend that she is Isabel's stillborn child. Once Lucy reaches the age of two, the small family leaves the island and moves to the mainland, but the decision is not without consequences.

When Tom and Isabel reach the island, their dreams of a family are shattered once again when they discover that Lucy's birth mother is looking for her and that her real name is Grace. The couple's marriage is tested to its limits as they must come to a decision about their daughter's future and whether to confess the secret they buried long ago. Tom is filled with guilt and sends an anonymous note to Lucy's mother, telling her that her daughter survived. This launches a police investigation, which quickly reveals Lucy to be Grace. She is removed from the island and returned to the custody of her mother, Hannah. Isabel is furious with Tom, who covers for her by telling the police that keeping Grace was his idea. Even when he is jailed on her behalf and faces the threat of hanging, Isabel refuses to help him and attempts to frame him for the murder of Grace's father.

Meanwhile, Hannah finds that her reunion with her daughter is bittersweet. Grace resents being taken from Tom and Isabel and grieves their loss endlessly. She begs to be returned to the only parents she has known. Reluctantly, Hannah agrees to return Grace to Isabel if she will testify against Tom. Isabel ultimately decides that she is not able to betray her husband and confesses. He is released from prison after six months and she is sent to a mental institution. The couple moves to a small coastal town far away and Grace grows up with Hannah. Twenty years after Grace was found, Isabel dies of cancer and Lucy-Grace shows up at her funeral to make amends. The book ends on a somewhat hopeful note with Lucy-Grace saying she hopes to visit Tom again someday.

In David Rabe’s The Vietnam Plays Volume One, The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel, Ardell and Sergeant Tower function as guides for Hummel. What...

Ardell serves as Hummel's conscience and alter-ego, as well as the reader's projected voice of rational inquiry about constructs of war and masculinity. Although Ardell is Hummel's guide throughout the play, his intentions are often ambiguous; Ardell frequently chastises Hummel for behaving foolishly, yet he also empathizes with Hummel's emotional pain and confusion. Nonetheless, whether overtly rebuking or encouraging Hummel, Ardell's overarching objective is always supportive. Ardell wants Hummel to make individualistic choices that are not governed by a desire to please or a sense of duty. For example, when Hummel voluntarily returns to duty after his first injury instead of asking for a release, Ardell berates him for prioritizing vain action over his own life. In addition, before Hummell attempts suicide by over-dosing on aspirin, Ardell demonstrates genuine understanding of the desire to escape the war and the pressures of fulfilling external expectations of being a man and a soldier; Ardell tries to teach Hummel that suicide is an avoidable response to feelings of inner emptiness and futility. 

The hyper-masculine Sergeant Tower is an effective foil for the ineffectual, self-doubting Hummel. Tower is Hummel's commanding officer in basic training and frequently punishes Hummel for disobedience or for not measuring up to expectation by requiring him to do extra physical conditioning. Tower's primary objectives are to create strong soldiers and turn wimps into men through forceful language and harsh discipline. In this sense, Tower is interested in helping Hummel transform from underdog to 'real' man. However, unlike Ardell, Sergeant Tower does not offer the vulnerable Hummel emotional support or sympathy as that would be considered 'unmanly'.

What is the view point of the author in "The Most Dangerous Game?"

Richard Connell's short story "The Most Dangerous Game," was published in 1924. The short story is written in the 3rd person, limited, which means that the thoughts and feelings of one of the characters are visible to the author. For a fictional work to be third person omniscient, the author has to have knowledge of all the character's thoughts and feelings.  

Here is an example from the text: 

"Rainsford's second thought was even more terrible. It sent a shudder of cold horror through his whole being. Why had the general smiled? Why had he turned back?" 

This quote shows that Rainsford's thoughts are perceived by the author.
The other characters, Ivan, Whitney, and General Zaroff, are revealed only through dialogue and physical description. Their thoughts and feelings are not revealed by the narrator.   

 

`y = log_3(x) , (27,3)` Find an equation of the tangent line to the graph of the function at the given point

`y=log_3(x)`

The line is tangent to the graph of the function at (27,3). The equation of the tangent line is _____.

To solve, the slope of the tangent line should be determined. Take note that the slope of a tangent line is equal to the value of the derivative at the point of tangency.

To determine the derivative of the function, apply the formula `d/dx[log_a(u)]=1/(ln(a)*u)*(du)/dx`.

`(dy)/dx = d/dx[log_3 (x)]`

`(dy)/dx =1/(ln(3)*x) * d/(dx)(x)`

`(dy)/dx =1/(ln(3)*x)*1`

`(dy)/dx = 1/(xln(3))`

The point of tangency is (27,3). So plug-in x = 27 to the derivative to get the slope of the tangent.

`m=(dy)/dx = 1/(27ln(3))`

Hence, the line that is tangent to the graph of the function at point (27,3) has a slope of `m = 1/(27ln(3))` .

To get the equation of the line, apply the point-slope form.

`y-y_1=m(x - x_1)`

Plugging in the values of m, x1 and y1, it becomes:

`y - 3= 1/(27ln(3))(x - 27)`

`y-3=1/(27ln(3))*x - 27 * 1/(27ln(3))`

`y - 3 =x/(27ln(3)) - 1/ln(3)`

`y =x/(27ln(3)) - 1/ln(3)+3`

Therefore, the equation of the tangent line is `y =x/(27ln(3)) - 1/ln(3)+3` .

How does Of Mice and Men demonstrate the power of dream?

The dream of owning their own farm animates George and Lennie. It motivates them to continue their wandering life of hard labor and uncertainty. When they are feeling down, George weaves the alternative vision of what it will be like on their own farm:

An’ when the salmon run up river we could catch a hundred of ‘em an’ salt ‘em down or smoke ‘em. We could have them for breakfast. They ain’t nothing so nice as smoked salmon. When the fruit come in we could can it—and tomatoes, they’re easy to can. Ever’ Sunday we’d kill a chicken or a rabbit. Maybe we’d have a cow or a goat, and the cream is so God damn thick you got to cut it with a knife and take it out with a spoon.

The dream is so compelling that other ranch hands are pulled in. Candy, aging and with only one hand, catches the vibe as he overhears George and Lennie talking about their dreamed-of farm in the bunkhouse. He eagerly offers to put in his $350 and help anyway he can around the farm. Even the hardened, cynical Crook let's himself catch the wave for just a moment of palpable longing before he backs off, saying it will never happen.

George and Lennie's dream of their own home is the American Dream, the dream of independence, simple abundance, and a fresh start that brought people to America. Steinbeck's point is that in Depression-era America, people are being denied this dream, which after all is fairly simple: a modest home, autonomy, privacy, not being overworked, enough to eat. We know the extent to which George has been destroyed at the end when he gives up the dream.

What is the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth?

At the beginning of the play, we see that Lady Macbeth is Macbeth's biggest support. When he falters in his belief to go after his ambitions, she encourages him by being dominant and eloquent. She questions his strength and manhood when she hears that he hesitates to murder Duncan. Macbeth can rely on his wife, and she is his accomplice when he murders Duncan and takes the throne. In short, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth love, understand, and support each other.

However, when Macbeth becomes the leader, he changes drastically. His wife  assumes a less important role in his life and becomes neglected because Macbeth is preoccupied with retaining his power and ensuring that he is harmed by no one.

In Act 5, Lady Macbeth becomes tormented by her guilt-ridden conscience and her husband's lack of care, so her descent into madness is clear. Her death causes Macbeth to come to conclusion that life is futile.

What are the jobs of the Executive Branch of the United States?

The executive branch is responsible for enforcing the laws of Congress.  The President of the United States is the head of the executive branch and chooses the heads of all of the executive departments.  When Congress passes a law, the President supervises fifteen executive departments that can enforce that law. Examples of executive departments are the Department of State, Department of Defense, Department of Commerce, and Department of Education.  Depending on the type of law that is passed, one of those departments will execute or enforce the law.  Within the larger departments are hundreds of smaller agencies like the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Securities and Exchange Commission.  All of these agencies have been created to enforce federal laws.  

The Constitution of the United States also states that the President is commander-in-chief of the armed forces.  Because of this, the Executive Branch is responsible for the organization of the branches of the military.  The president, as head of the Executive Branch, also has limited legislative power in that he/she can veto laws or establish Executive Orders.  

What is an analysis of Act I, Scene 7, in Macbeth?

This scene is one of the most fascinating in Macbeth, and represents an important turning point in the play. At the beginning of the play we find Macbeth alone in his castle, and his soliloquy reveals that he is having serious second thoughts about murdering Duncan. Recognizing that Duncan is first his kinsman and second a good and decent man, he has to admit that "vaulting ambition" is his only motive to kill him. Duncan is also his guest, and to harm a guest was an especially grievous crime in Macbeth's society. By the end of his speech, he seems to have resolved not to carry out the crime. At this point Lady Macbeth enters the scene and after her husband says that they will "proceed no further in this business," she immediately begins to goad him into committing the murder. In one of the most chilling speeches in this very dark play, she says that she would have "dash'd the brains out" of her own infant before breaking a pledge to kill Duncan, which is what Macbeth has determined to do. She challenges Macbeth's masculinity, clearly recognizing that this appeal will resonate with her husband:

When you durst do it, then you were a man;
And, to be more than what you were, you would
Be so much more the man.

She goes on to essentially lay out the plan: Macbeth will murder the king in his sleep, and they will smear the dead man's blood on his sleeping guards, who Lady Macbeth plans to get very drunk. This scene is a turning point for Macbeth. By the end, he is "settled" on committing the deed, and he cannot turn back. He is embarking on a path of murder that will eventually consume his wife as well as him, and Lady Macbeth plays a very prominent role in ensuring he starts down this path. 

According to the poem "On his Blindness," who serves God best?

According to the poem, those who serve God best are those who can bear his "milde yoak" patiently.

To the poet, God does not need "man's work" or gifts; instead, God looks for humans to wear his mild yoke patiently. The "milde yoak" here is an allusion to the New Testament verse in Matthew 11: 28-30.

Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Here, the verse explains that God is a merciful and compassionate deity. He is neither a tyrant nor a cruel taskmaster; instead, the New Testament portrays God as someone who wants to provide rest for those who are troubled and weary from life's journey. Essentially, the poet comes to realize that God does not aim to "exact day-labor"; instead, those who serve God best are those who will wear his "milde yoak" patiently and those who "stand and waite" in God's presence.

Here, the poet is saying that God does not prize only those who move with "speed." He also appreciates those who can only "stand and waite." Since God needs nothing from human beings, it may be sufficient for those who cannot live the active life to serve him in quietness and contemplation.

In "Superman and Me," what does Alexie realize about paragraphs, and how does he use that to understand the world around him?

Alexie cites his grasp of the paragraph as his way of organizing information in his mind:

I realized that a paragraph was a fence that held words. The words inside a paragraph worked together for a common purpose. They had some specific reason for being inside the same fence. This knowledge delighted me. I began to think of everything in terms of paragraphs.

Alexie is able to apply the same "fence," or method of organizing information, to all kinds of different constructs in his life: his family, other families, the reservation, the state, and the country. Once he has a recognition of organization in place and understands how elements of his world connect, Alexie is able to extrapolate. He sees organization and structure in his Superman comic book and how its elements of picture, dialogue, and narrative work together. Alexie grasps how books are put together through the comic book's panels and pictures and sees how they combine to create meaning before he has actually learned to read words.

Why does Atticus consider it a sin to kill a mockingbird and not a blue jay?

In Chapter 10, Atticus tells Jem and Scout that they can shoot all the blue jays they want if they can hit them, but it is a sin to kill a mockingbird. Scout asks Miss Maudie why it is a sin to kill a mockingbird, and Maudie tells her that mockingbirds do nothing but sing joyfully. She also says that mockingbirds don't nest in anybody's corncribs or dig up their gardens. Mockingbirds are essentially innocent beings that do nothing to bother anybody. However, blue jays are notorious for ruining people's gardens and plundering other bird's nests. Blue jays are considered a nuisance which is why Atticus allows his children to shoot them. Metaphorically speaking, mockingbirds represent innocent people like Boo Radley and Tom Robinson. Blue jays symbolically represent malicious people like Bob Ewell. Atticus' comment represents his feelings about protecting innocent beings and punishing those who attempt to harm others.

In Zindel's The Pigman, has John matured since his freshman year in school?

In Zindel's The Pigman, John writes about being a troublemaker in school. He brags about being called the Bathroom Bomber because he used to set off tiny bombs in bathrooms during his Freshman year. He then brags about a prank he calls "the fruit rolls," which is when he gets other students in class to roll old apples at substitute teachers. John says the following about himself after bragging about his pranks:

"I gave up all that kid stuff now that I'm a sophomore. The only thing I do now that is faintly criminal is write on desks" (3-4).

This does not mean that John has matured. Someone who has a mature outlook on life wouldn't start a book that is supposed to be a "memorial epic" (5) by bragging about himself. Not only that, but as John is writing the first chapter, he has just done something very immature--he held a teenage party in Mr. Pignati's house without permission. During the party, John had his friend bring alcohol, the girls tried on the deceased wife's dresses, and police were called in to break it up. This does not demonstrate that John has matured. Even though John is the one who wants to write about his and Lorraine's friendship with the Pigman, which might seem honorable, he only suggests it to help Lorraine with her grief. Mr. Pignati died after they held that party at his house and she feels as though this pushed him into the grave. Therefore, John is not much more mature by his sophomore year. He is getting better, but he still has a way to go before one might call him mature. 

What happens during Aunt Alexandra's missionary circle?

In Chapter 24, Scout attends Aunt Alexandra's missionary circle along with several other ladies from the Maycomb community. Scout is apprehensive about joining the conversation and listens as the ladies discuss J. Grimes Everett's missionary work in Africa. Throughout their conversation, Lee exposes Mrs. Merriweather's ignorance and prejudice towards foreign cultures. Mrs. Merriweather and Mrs. Farrow then discuss how their African American maids are upset about the outcome of Tom Robinson's trial. The ladies criticize their maids' behavior and comment that Jesus would have never gone around grumbling. Mrs. Merriweather then indirectly criticizes Atticus for defending Tom Robinson by saying,

"I tell you there are some good but misguided people in this town. Good, but misguided. Folks in this town who think they're doing right, I mean" (Lee 142).

Miss Maudie is aware of Mrs. Merriweather's subtle criticism of Atticus and says, "His food doesn't stick going down, does it?" (Lee 142). Scout does not fully comprehend why Maudie is so upset but notices that Aunt Alexandra gives her a look of gratitude. Scout is in awe of Alexandra's subtle acknowledgment and realizes that she will soon enter into the world of women. Miss Merriweather then says that the people living in the North are hypocrites for trying to dismiss their prejudice against African Americans. Scout tries to occupy herself and begins to daydream while Miss Merriweather is talking. Suddenly, Atticus arrives home and interrupts the missionary circle to tell Alexandra and Cal that Tom is dead.

why did Triangular/Trans-Atlantic Trade form and how did it impact the world?

Transatlantic or triangular trade commonly refers to the historic slavery-based trading system between West Africa, the American colonies, and imperial European powers beginning in the 17th century. This system of trade was created by the European colonial powers in order to support their colonies in North America with a supply of African slaves. These slaves were used to tend to cash crops like tobacco and sugar in the Americas, which provided more profit to the European colonial powers. The system of trade had a number of impacts on the world. The slave trade was devastating to Africa's economy due to the loss of population, and some local leaders promoted constant warfare in order to take prisoners of war for trade as slaves. The trade also improved the economies of European powers and strengthened their colonies in North America, and promoted the rapid development of New England.

What is the significance of Billy Pilgrim's powerful reaction in the following passage from Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five? “Billy had...

Vonnegut has Billy react this way because the barbershop quartet reminds Billy of the German soldiers when they saw the destruction of their homeland after the bombing of Dresden. Billy, the prisoners of war, and the German guards had been in a meat locker below ground during the bombings. When they first saw the destruction, Billy noted that the guards (with their mouths hanging open) resembled a barbershop quartet.

"So long forever," they might have been singing, "old fellows and pals; So long forever, old sweetheart and pals—God bless 'em—"

The German soldiers have likely lost their families and friends, their "sweethearts and pals."

Billy does not immediately know why he is having this reaction to the barbershop quartet. He has forgotten about this moment from the war, quite possibly because it was the most painful moment since he was witnessing complete and utter destruction. The trauma that Billy experienced during the war was so horrific that he is forced to revisit these moments through flashbacks. However, Vonnegut stresses that Billy specifically remembers this event, rather than flashing back to it.

Unlike the other traumas, Billy cannot go back to this one. It is too painful, and he has hidden the memory from himself until the moment that it comes flooding back to him when he sees and hears the barbershop quartet. It is only at this point that Billy can remember the destruction of Dresden.

`g(x) = 3arccos(x/2)` Find the derivative of the function

To take the derivative of the given function:` g(x) =3arccos(x/2)` ,

we can apply the basic property: `d/(dx) [c*f(x)] = c * d/(dx) [f(x)]` .

  then `g'(x) = 3 d/(dx) (arccos(x/2))`

  To solve for the `d/(dx) (arccos(x/2))` , we consider the derivative formula of an inverse trigonometric function.

 For the derivative of inverse  "cosine" function, we follow:

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

To apply the formula with the given function, we let `u= x/2` then` (du)/(dx) = 1/2` .

`d/(dx) (arccos(x/2))= - (1/2)/sqrt(1-(x/2)^2)`

 Evaluate the exponent:

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

Express the expression inside radical as one fraction:

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

Apply the property of radicals: `sqrt(a/b)= sqrt(a)/sqrt(b)` at the bottom:

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

To simplify, flip the bottom to proceed to multiplication:

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

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

Multiply across:

`d/(dx) (arccos(x/2))= - 2/(2sqrt(4-x^2))`

Cancel out the common factor 2 from top and bottom:

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

With `d/(dx) (arccos(x/2))= - 1/sqrt(4-x^2)` , then

`g'(x) = 3 *d/(dx) (arccos(x/2))`

 becomes

`g'(x)= 3*- 1/sqrt(4-x^2)`

`g'(x)=-3/sqrt(4-x^2)`

What is meant by "the unforgiving minute" in the poem "If" by Rudyard Kipling?

The stanza goes as follows:

If you can fill the unforgiving minute 

    With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,

Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,   

    And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

As you know, these are the last four lines of the poem. The "unforgiving minute" is metonymy, or the substitution of a name for an attribute, when referring to time.

Minutes are "unforgiving" because, if we waste them, we can never get them back. A minute that is lost is lost forever. Therefore, the paternal narrator encourages his son to make good use of that minute. Because the poem triumphs what would have been masculine virtues in the nineteenth century, he encourages his son to use that minute on a physical pursuit: "sixty seconds' worth of distance run." 

If his son can manage his time wisely, in addition to following the other advice in the poem, Kipling believes his son will have all that he desires in life ("yours is the Earth and everything that's in it").

What kind of relationship did Mrs. Bennet have with her children, especially Elizabeth and Lydia?

Mrs. Bennet wishes for all five of her daughters to marry well. When Mr. Bennet dies, Mr. Collins will inherit almost everything the Bennets own. She wants her daughters to be cared for in marriage. At times, she lacks decorum. She is often loud and indiscreet. Elizabeth is sometimes ashamed of her mother's behavior.  

In her eagerness to marry off her daughters, Mrs. Bennet is overly involved in their lives. She often overlooks impropriety in her two youngest daughters, Kitty and Lydia. She seems unconcerned with their boisterous behavior.

Elizabeth and Mrs. Bennet have a strained relationship. Elizabeth is much closer to her father than her mother. Mrs. Bennet wishes for Elizabeth to find a husband, regardless of how her daughter feels toward the man. When Mr. Collins proposes, Mrs. Bennet "insists upon [Elizabeth] accepting" his offer. She repeatedly tries to "coax and threaten" Elizabeth in an attempt to convince her to accept Mr. Collins. Mrs. Bennet is insistent, even though she does not like Mr. Collins very much. She only starts to like him when she sees he is interested in marrying one of her daughters.

Mrs. Bennet and Lydia are much closer. Mrs. Bennet seems to favor and often encourages Lydia, even if her behavior is inappropriate. When Lydia runs away with Mr. Wickham, Mrs. Bennet is distraught. She had been indulgent with Lydia, allowing her to travel with Colonel and Mrs. Forster to Bath. While in their care, Lydia ran away with Mr. Wickham. When Mrs. Bennet hears the news, she reacts

with tears and lamentations of regret, invectives against the villainous conduct of Wickham, and complaints of her own sufferings and ill-usage; blaming everybody but the person to whose ill-judging indulgence the errors of her daughter must principally be owing.

Eventually, Mr. Wickham agrees to marry Lydia. Mrs. Bennet is delighted to hear the news, and "to know that her daughter [will] be married [is] enough." She is not "humbled by any remembrance of [Lydia's] misconduct." She overlooks that Lydia nearly ruined the family's reputation with her behavior. Once again, Lydia is in her mother's favor.

What was the arena built for in "The Lady or the Tiger?" by Frank Stockton?

The king's arena in Frank Stockton's short story "The Lady or the Tiger?" was a "vast amphitheater" built in order to deliver the king's justice. It was large enough to house the king's subjects, "encircling galleries," "mysterious vaults," and "unseen passages." The king believed his arena was the agent of an "incorruptible" justice. When someone was accused of a crime, they were taken to the arena, where their judgment was in their own hands. They were given the choice of two doors. One of the doors would reveal a tiger, which promptly killed the accused and rendered him guilty. Behind the other door was a lady who "immediately" married the accused because, by choosing so judiciously, he had proven his innocence. The narrator refers to it as "poetic justice" because the accused could never know from which door might spring the tiger or the lady. Unfortunately, like all things supposedly incorruptible, the justice of the arena becomes corrupted when the king's daughter discovers the secret of the doors.

What details are missing from Chapter 5 of Tuck Everlasting?

In Chapter 5, although we meet Jesse Tuck and see him uncovering the secret spurt of water to drink from it, we don't find out why that source of water is hidden by the pebbles. What secret does it hold? Why does Jesse act as though he's been caught doing something secret when he realizes that Winnie is watching him? Why won't he let her drink the water? These are the main questions that go unanswered in the reader's mind in Chapter 5.

Some readers might also want to know why Jesse seems to tease Winnie on the topic of his own age, and why he's reluctant to tell her how old he is. What is he hiding about his age? Why won't he just say right away how old he is? Why does he seem so serious when he jokes that he's 104 years old?

And when Mae Tuck arrives at the end of the chapter and sees Winnie near the stream, why does Mae say that the "worst is happening at last"? 

After we read beyond Chapter 5, we figure out what those missing details were:

1. Jesse had tried to keep the water source hidden because it's actually magic water that makes people who drink from it live forever. He didn't want Winnie to drink it; he'd rather everyone lived in a natural life span instead.

2. Jesse told the truth about his age being 104. He really has lived that long, even though he only appears to be a teenager.

3. Mae sees Winnie near the magic water, and she thinks Winnie knows her family's secret. That's why Mae thinks that the worst has happened.

Does Mathilde Loisel deserve the punishment she receives?

The question of whether or not Mathilde Loisel deserves the punishment she receives in Guy de Maupassant's short story "The Necklace" requires a close look at the choices she makes in the story, and what motivates those choices.   

Mathilde Loisel's punishment consists of working for ten years (alongside her husband) to pay off a debt. This debt is incurred because Mathilde, a woman of meager means and great pride, borrows a necklace from a wealthy friend for a party. She assumes that the borrowed necklace is made of genuine diamonds. The necklace is lost during the evening, and Mathilde and her husband concoct a plan to replace the necklace without telling Madame Forestier the truth of its disappearance. They find a near-exact replica, but it costs them dearly. They purchase it for thirty-six thousand francs and spend the next ten years working off the debt. 

When Madame Loisel returns the necklace to Madame Forestier, she is nervous that her friend will discover the ruse. 

"She did not even open the case, as her friend had so much feared. If she had detected the substitution, what would she have thought, what would she have said? Would she not have taken Madame Loisel for a thief? 

Madame Loisel now knew the horrible existence of the needy. She made the best of it, moreover, frankly, heroically. The frightful debt must be paid. She would pay it. They dismissed their servant; they changed their lodgings, they rented a garret under a roof." 

If Mathilde Loisel had not been so consumed with pride, she wouldn't have felt it necessary to borrow jewels from a wealthy friend. If she wasn't so consumed with status, she would have been able to be honest with her friend about the necklace's disappearance and then might've learned the truth about its worth. If she hadn't been so filled with stubborn pride, she wouldn't have been compelled to work ten years to pay off the debt for the necklace. Whether or not Mathilde deserved the punishment, it's clear the punishment was self-inflicted. Madame Forestier did not demand a replacement. Madame Forestier didn't demand the return of the necklace sooner than it was returned. If Mathilde had chosen to be honest with the woman who is described as her friend since childhood, the purchase of the replacement necklace would not have been necessary. It is her pride that causes her to make the choices she makes, and pride often goes before destruction.

Is it possible for a person to incur an opportunity cost without spending any money? Explain.

Opportunity cost is what is given up when a scarce resource is used in a certain way. It is possible for a person to incur an opportunity cost without spending money. While money is a scarce resource, there are other scarce resources that don’t involve money.

For example, time is a scarce resource. When a person has a limited amount of time and needs to do many things, a person will incur an opportunity cost when he or she chooses to use time in a given away. Let’s say a person has one free hour in a given evening. The person has a homework assignment that will take an hour to complete. This person also has an opportunity to visit a sick relative in a nursing home. This visit will last an hour. If the person decides to visit the sick relative, the opportunity cost will be not being able to do the homework assignment.

It is possible to incur an opportunity cost in situations unrelated to spending money.

What is the theme of The Pearl by John Steinbeck?

One of the main themes of The Pearl is the destructive power of greed. Kino disregards the safety and love of his family to pursue selling the pearl he finds. When the pearl brokers offer him a poor price, Juana, his wife, tries to throw the pearl into the ocean. In response, Kino beats her savagely, and then a series of misfortunes befall him. He kills a man who tries to rob him, and, as a result, he is forced to flee his home with his family. His house then burns down, and the boat in which he tries to flee has a hole in the bottom. When he attempts to flee by land, the men sent to pursue him wind up killing his baby. Left with nothing, he realizes the error of his ways and tosses the pearl back into the ocean. His greed caused his undoing, the unraveling of his family, the death of his baby, the destruction of his home, and the sorrow of his loving wife. 

Were there any specific laws or bills passed throughout the early 1970s that protected gay rights in California and/or the West Coast?

The answer to your question is yes; however, most of the laws that were passed were specific to certain states.

For example, the state of California passed a consenting adults law on May 2, 1975. The bill was named after San Francisco assemblyman Willie Brown. Passage of the bill allowed for consensual sex between adults of all varieties of sexual inclinations. The new law took effect on January 1, 1976. Here is a link documenting the Consenting Adults Act of 1975 in California.

Prior to this, San Francisco had already passed a homosexual rights ordinance in 1972. The ordinance prohibited discrimination against the LGBTQ community in the area of employment in the city of San Francisco. In 1978, another ordinance was passed; this time, the law prohibited discrimination against the LGBTQ community in the area of employment and housing in the private sector. Here's a timeline of gay rights history in the 1970s in San Francisco.

In Washington state, Seattle passed an ordinance prohibiting employment and housing discrimination against gays in 1973. That same year, the City Council in Berkeley, California, prohibited companies that engaged in business with the city from discriminating against the LGBTQ community.

In 1973, congressional representatives in Oregon voted on House Bill 2930 which prohibited discrimination against homosexuals in the area of employment. However, it didn't garner enough votes and wasn't passed. However, a 1974 ordinance that prohibited discrimination against homosexuals in municipal employment passed in Portland, Oregon. Also, anti-sodomy laws that criminalized homosexual behavior were repealed in Washington, California, and Oregon in the 1970s.

What rhetorical devices and strategies does Langston Hughes use in the short story, "That Word Black"?

The first and most obvious device that the author use is repetition. This is obvious when the speaker, Simple, consistently uses the word 'black' as a reference to the point he wishes to make, as in the following extracts:

"...the word black,... I reckon it all started with a black cat meaning bad luck. Don't let one cross your path!

"Next, somebody got up a blacklist on which you get if you don't vote right. Then when lodges come into being, the folks they didn't want in them got blackballed. If you kept a skeleton in your closet, you might get blackmailed. And everything bad was black. When it came down to the unlucky ball on the pool table, the eight-rock, they made it the black ball. So no wonder there ain't no equal rights for the black man."

The text follows this trend throughout and repetition is similarly used in references to the word white. In this instance, though, the writer uses contrast in order to highlight its distinction to black. He alludes to the significant contrasts in connotation that the two words have. Whatever is bad is black, he suggests white people believe, and whatever is good is white.

He proposes that when his day comes - a common idiom suggesting a future time when he is in control or successful - he will turn things around and reverse the connotations that the two words have.

The irony throughout the text is patently obvious and is emphasized in the final paragraph when Simple says:

The earth is black and all kinds of good things comes out of the earth. Everything that grows comes out of the earth. Trees and flowers and fruit and sweet potatoes and corn and all that keeps mens alive comes right up out of the earth––good old black earth. Coal is black and it warms your house and cooks your food. The night is black, which has the moon, and a million stars, and is beautiful. Sleep is black, which gives you rest, so you wake up feeling good. I am black. I feel very good this evening.

It is evident that he believes that the connotations are quite meaningless and without context. The prejudice associated with words is based on a particular mindset informed by prejudice and a generally adopted and irrational stereotype. There is no foundation or evidence to prove that the connotation is, in fact, true.

The last line ends with a rhetorical question a device the author also uses throughout the story:

"What is wrong with black?"

The answer is obvious and easy. The reader's response, however, will be informed by his own subjective understanding of the word derived from what he has learnt or experienced and what he chooses to believe.

What does the Prince hope to do by locking himself in the castle in "The Masque of the Red Death" by Edgar Allan Poe? Why would also he have the...

The Prince is attempting to keep himself and his guests in denial. His kingdom is dying off from the Red Death. He wants to make sure no one can get in and infect his castle, and he also wants to make sure no one can leave.

Prince Prospero is described as “dauntless,” meaning he is not intimidated by anything. The fact that he is not intimidated by the plague demonstrates this. Unfortunately, instead of trying to help his people or find a cure, he builds himself an impenetrable castle and holes himself up inside it with a thousand of his closest friends.

When his dominions were half depopulated, he summoned to his presence a thousand hale and light-hearted friends from among the knights and dames of his court, and with these retired to the deep seclusion of one of his castellated abbeys. This was an extensive and magnificent structure, the creation of the prince's own eccentric yet august taste.

The prince is avoiding reality. He is not just trying to make sure that death can’t get in; he is also trying to avoid facing his responsibilities. None of his people can leave, either. They are all going to stay, party, and pretend time stopped.

The party and masquerade are an example of the Prince’s insane desire to evade reality.

It was a voluptuous scene, that masquerade. But first let me tell of the rooms in which it was held. There were seven—an imperial suite. . . Here the case was very different; as might have been expected from the duke's love of the bizarre.

The prince and his courtiers can't keep pretending nothing has happened outside, and they can’t go outside because that will destroy the illusion. As a result, they barricade themselves inside and seal off the walls.

In the story "Lyddie" by Katherine Paterson, who are the Quakers?

In the story, the Quakers not only belong to a religious order, but members of the sect are also Lyddie's neighbors. For example, Quaker Stevens owns a farm near Lyddie's family's property.

In Chapter Two, Lyddie and Charles are being sent to work as a miller's helper and a housemaid respectively so that they can help to pay off their father's debts. Before they leave, they have to take the horse and cow to a Mr. Westcott to pay off a debt they owe him. Lyddie and Charles hope to sell their calf to Quaker Stevens for a good price.

Even though Quakers as a rule are expected to live simply, Lyddie notices that the Stevens farm is a substantial one. The farmer is kind to the children and buys the calf for twenty five dollars. Then, he invites them in for the noon-day meal. Both children notice that the kitchen itself is larger than their whole cabin and shed thrown together. The meal is lavish in the children's estimation, and the Stevens family is wealthy enough to own its own loom.

In the early chapters of the story, it is Quaker Stevens who lends his bull to the family as a favor: the bull mates with the Worthen cow, and each spring, calves are born and then sold for money. This is partly how Lyddie, her brother, and their mother survive after Lyddie's father leaves the family.

So, in the story, the Quakers are Lyddie and Charles' neighbors. They are kind, compassionate, and loving people who do the best they can to help Lyddie and her family, despite Lyddie's mother's suspicion of Quakers as "heathens" and "abolitionists." Later, Luke Stevens (the youngest son) asks Lyddie to marry him, but she decides to attend college instead. The novel ends ambiguously, and we are left to wonder if Lyddie will later accept Luke's suit.

`int (du)/(u sqrt(5 - u^2)) ` Evaluate the integral

`int(du)/(usqrt(5-u^2))`

` `

Let

`u=sqrt5sin(theta)`

`(du)/[d(theta)]=sqrt5cos(theta)`

`(du)=sqrt5cos(theta)d(theta)`

`int(du)/[usqrt(5-u^2)]`

`=int1/(sqrt5sin(theta))*[sqrt(5)cos(theta)d(theta)]/sqrt[5-(sqrt5sin(theta)^2)]`

`=int[cot(theta)d(theta)]/sqrt(5-5sin^2theta)`

`=int[cot(theta)d(theta)]/sqrt[5(1-sin^2theta)]`

`=int[cot(theta)d(theta)]/sqrt(5cos^2theta)`

`=int[cot(theta)d(theta)]/[sqrt(5)cos(theta)]`

`=int[cos(theta)d(theta)]/[sqrt(5)sin(theta)cos(theta)]`

`=int[d(theta)]/[sqrt(5)sin(theta)]`

`=int[csc(theta)d(theta)]/sqrt(5)`

`=1/sqrt(5)intcsc(theta)d(theta)`

`=1/sqrt(5)ln|sqrt(5)/u-sqrt(5-u^2)/u|+C`

`=1/sqrt(5)*ln|[sqrt5-sqrt(5-u^2)]/u|+C`

The final answer is 

`=1/sqrt(5)*ln|[sqrt5-sqrt(5-u^2)]/u|+C`