What would be a character sketch of Portia's father in The Merchant of Venice?

As Portia's father is dead before the play begins, our primary knowledge of him must come from the contents of his will and what they say of his values and his love for his daughter. He stipulates that his daughter's suitors must choose between three caskets and he who chooses correctly wins Portia's hand.

The caskets are of gold, silver and lead. The correct casket is the one of lead. The very fact of their composition lets us know that Portia's father is not interested in men seeking fame and fortune or those pursuing greed or vanity. He knows that his daughter is worth more than these worldly goals.

Each casket also has a clue indicating its contents. Portia's father has carefully composed each clue to have more than one meaning and thus further weeds out the competition for his daughter's hand by forcing each suitor to reveal more about their own characters in how they choose. Clearly her father is a man who deeply loves his daughter and wants her to spend her life with a man who thinks with his heart rather than his head.

The first suitor chooses the gold casket with the clue, "Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire." The Prince of Morocco (first suitor) interprets this to mean that the object of desire is Portia. But what does this say about him? It reveals his greedy, acquisitive nature. It also reveals that Portia's father does not see her (or perhaps even all women) as objects of desire to be owned or conquered. Rather he values his daughter for her intelligent mind and ability to think critically, thus he wants a potential husband to see her in the same way.

The second suitor, the Prince of Arragon, chooses the silver casket which comes with the clue, "Who chooseth me shall gain all he deserves." This prince's choice reveals his vain nature and absolute lack of humility. More is revealed about Portia's father here. He seeks a humble man who will appreciate the special qualities of his daughter and not treat her merely as an appendage by which he can look good to others.

Ultimately, the correct choice is made by Bassanio, already the beloved of Portia. He chooses the lead casket, which has been passed over by the others due to its lowly nature and looks. The clue is, "Who chooseth me must give and hazard all he hath." By Portia's father's standards, the man who chooses this casket is indeed worthy of his daughter and her considerable fortune. This man will be willing to sacrifice selfish, self-seeking motives in order to be an appropriate steward to his daughter's future.

Another aspect of the play that particularly reveals Portia's father is her famous discourse on mercy;

"The quality of mercy is not strain'd.

It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven

Upon the place beneath. It is

twice blest:

it blesseth him that gives and

him that takes."

Portia has been carefully raised by a kind, caring, educated father who instilled the values of faith and humility in her along with the intellectual capability of winning carefully constructed arguments. It can be construed from Portia's life and from the will her father left behind that he was a man of integrity and honor: a proud father and a deep thinker.

Who or what is the protagonist and antagonist of the story, "The Lottery"?

The protagonist is the most prominent, or central, character in a story. The protagonist of the short story "The Lottery" is Tessie, but she is a representative of the whole village. All the villagers, just like Tessie, are equally bound to, and affected by, the lottery. They all have the same chance as Tessie of being picked as "winners," which entails that each villager lives, albeit obliviously, with the terrifying thought of death in the back of their minds.

While Tessie is the selected villager in this particular celebration of the lottery, the reality is that it could have been any of them, by rule of probability. Therefore, the whole village is truly the protagonist of the story but, in this particular version of the lottery, the protagonist would be Tessie because she stands out even further by being the selected one to die.

This being said, the antagonist is the opponent of the protagonist. It is the person, place, force of nature, spiritual intervention, or thing that prevents the protagonist from accomplishing his or her purpose in the story.

From the very moment that Tess enters the story, she has had a problem with the lottery being conducted. She was doing her dishes, and had to stop her duties as a housewife, because of the lottery.

"Wouldn't have me leave m'dishes in the sink, now, would you. Joe?,

When her family is picked, she realizes that the end is coming.

"You didn't give him time

enough to take any paper he wanted. I saw you. It wasn't fair!"

When her name is finally pulled, she knows her death is impending. Therefore, the fact that the lottery brings death, and thus the end to all the purpose of anyone who is selected, makes it the antagonist of the story.

Why is Things Fall Apart a suitable title for the novel?

The title Things Fall Apart directly relates to the major themes in Chinua Achebe's novel. The protagonist Okonkwo is first introduced in an environment in which he has truly succeeded. He has worked his way up from a childhood of shame and poverty, caused by his father's inaction, into a role within his society that is considered the epitome of masculinity and power. 

However, as the novel progresses, things do fall apart for Okonkwo. With the arrival of the European colonists and missionaries, his family and culture rapidly deteriorate. His son leaves his family and becomes Christian, adopting a new name. He accidentally kills another man, and he is banished from the village for nine years. Finally, he cannot rally his village around him to rise against the imperialist threat. As such, his entire life falls apart, just like the title. 

Where does Miss Maudie talk about Boo Radley in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird?

In Chapter 5, Scout spends her evenings sitting on Miss Maudie's porch while Jem and Dill play together. One evening, Scout asks Miss Maudie if she thinks Boo Radley is still alive. Miss Maudie tells Scout that Boo's real name is Arthur and mentions that he is still living. When Scout asks Maudie how she knows that Boo is still alive, Maudie says that she hasn't seen him carried out yet. Scout then comments, "Maybe he died and they stuffed him up the chimney" (Lee 28). Scout explains that Jem told her that and Maudie says that Arthur just stays in the house because he doesn't want to come out. Scout proceeds to question Miss Maudie about Boo by asking her why Boo chose to stay inside. Miss Maudie tries her best to explain that Boo's father was a "foot-washing Baptist" who believed that any type of pleasure was a sin. She tells Scout, "There are just some kind of men who—who’re so busy worrying about the next world they’ve never learned to live in this one, and you can look down the street and see the results" (Lee 28). Scout then asks Maudie if she believes the things that other people say about Boo Radley, and Maudie says, "No, child" (Lee 28). Miss Maudie tells Scout that Arthur was a kind boy and that she doesn't exactly know what goes on inside the Radley home. She simply comments that it is a sad home.

Why does Kurt Vonnegut choose to make a man like Pilgrim be the protagonist of Slaughterhouse Five?

Vonnegut states in the first chapter that he is attempting to write an anti-war novel. He promises Mary O'Hare, to whom the book is dedicated, that he will not have any John Wayne type characters in his novel, meaning that he will not glorify war. Billy Pilgrim is the perfect protagonist for an anti-war novel because he shows the effects war can have on the psyche. Vonnegut writes, "Billy Pilgrim has come unstuck in time." Billy travels from one moment in his life into another. He has no control over what moment in his life he will have to relive next: essentially he cannot live in the present. It soon becomes clear, however, that Billy suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. He cannot live in the present because of the trauma he has experienced during the war, especially during his time as a prisoner of war.

Even before Billy experiences post-traumatic stress, it is clear that his character will not make war look admirable. When Billy first arrives at the Battle of the Bulge, he has no combat boots and no gun. Vonnegut writes that he looks more "like a filthy flamingo" than a soldier. Later Billy looks foolish in a coat that is too small and combat boots that have been painted silver. At one point, Billy looks so foolish he is even slapped by a German civilian for making such a mockery of war.

Billy's last name, "Pilgrim," is also significant in that it sets him apart from the macho John Wayne type of character. In the film The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, John Wayne's character repeatedly calls Jimmy Stewart's character "Pilgrim." Thus, Billy is more like the kinder and gentler Jimmy Stewart than the heroic and macho John Wayne.

What is something unique about the setting of Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter? How does this characteristic affect the characters?

The Scarlet Letter takes place in Puritan Boston in the middle of the 17th century.  This is a pretty singular time and place in history because the Puritans were a pretty peculiar group.  They settled the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the hopes of creating a society in which the civil and the ecclesiastical were one and the same: religious law was the law.  Further, they believed that the only way the colony would succeed was if everyone conformed to these laws that would regulate correct behavior.  Therefore, Hester Prynne's crime would have been particularly egregious in their eyes because it, in theory, could result in God punishing the entire community.  The first governor, John Winthrop (whose death is actually reported in the story), said that they would be as a "city on a hill"; in other words, the eyes of the whole world would be on them, and so if they succeed, they will be a model for everyone, and if they fail, the whole world will watch them do it.  This community felt a great deal of responsibility, and that makes the setting and characters unique.  It makes the Puritans particularly unmerciful and unsympathetic in regard to Hester; it also makes the Reverend Dimmesdale's sense of responsibility and guilt that much more understandable given the possible ramifications for the entire community.

In Night, why does Elie say the people looked like buffoons on the morning of the evacuation?

In section five of Elie Wiesel's memoir Night the prisoners at Buna are being evacuated to the west with the onslaught of the Russian army. Elie is just recovering from foot surgery and he and his father have decided to leave with the majority of the prisoners despite the fact that they could have stayed behind. In an unfortunate irony, the camp was liberated two days after the prisoners departed. On the morning of the evacuation Elie describes his fellow prisoners. They have all put on several layers of clothing in order to stay warm on their journey. He notes that they look totally prepostorous and that the scene is like a "masquerade." He calls the men "mountebanks" and "buffoons." A mountebank is someone who attempts to deceive and a buffoon is a ridiculous looking person. The men look ridiculous because they have "ghostlike" faces looking out from under "piles of prison clothes." To add the absurdity of the situation the prisoners are also told to clean the prison barracks even though they are leaving.  

Based on how Christians treated him, is it wrong for Shylock to take revenge on them? In reversed positions, would Antonio demand fulfillment of...

Shylock certainly has good reason to be bitter, but it does not follow that he is therefore right to seek to cut out a pound of Antonio's flesh. There is good evidence Antonio would not do the same.

First, about Shylock's bitterness. It is obvious the Gentile characters all share anti-Semitic assumptions. Shylock is often referred to as "Jew," in context clearly used as a racial slur. Elsewhere, the characters attribute Shylock's evil character to his being a Jew. His daughter Jessica has a very different character, causing characters to speculate her mother must have committed adultery with a Gentile. Incredibly, Jessica does not even argue the injustice of this. In Act I, Scene 3, when Shylock accuses Antonio of regularly spitting on him and calling him a dog, Antonio does not deny it, but responds, "I am as like to call thee so again,/To spit on thee again, and spurn thee too." This is the only time in the play that we see Antonio say anything unkind to anyone. 

Looking at all this, it is clear Shylock has lived his life as a member of a hated minority. As he points out in Act III, Scene 1,  "If a Jew wrong a Christian, what is his humility? Revenge."  This is undoubtedly true.  So in one sense, Shylock is only doing what has been done to him or what would many Gentiles would do to him if given the opportunity.

There is, however, a paradox about bitterness and revenge. No matter how justified, they are always ugly. What Shylock wants to do to Antonio is not really justified by what Antonio has done to him.  

Antonio says Shylock hates him primarily because Antonio often covers the debts of those who borrow from Shylock and find themselves facing high interest. If this happens many times, it is easy to see how Shylock could come to see Antonio as a bitter enemy always trying to ruin him; however, rescuing people from a loan shark is not a crime deserving of death. It seems that Shylock has transferred all his bitterness and frustration against all Gentiles — and indeed, his bitterness over every single time things have gone wrong for him — to a single person: Antonio.

Thus, what Shylock wants is all out of proportion to what Antonio owes him. He does not just want his money back. He does not just want back ten times the money that Antonio owes him (which would, arguably, repay him for the interest he might have made if Antonio hadn't rescued Shylock's debtors). He does not want Antonio publicly sued for slander, or made to apologize, or anything like that; he wants blood. Shylock is entitled to apologies and perhaps payments for the way he has been treated, but after being insulted for so long, his desire for justice has morphed into a desire for bloody revenge.

There is no evidence that Antonio ever desired to take a pound of Shylock's flesh or that he would ever draw up an agreement with that possibility in it. In fact, when given an opportunity to ruin Shylock, Antonio asks the Duke to let Shylock keep half his wealth after Shylock says he might as well die if all his wealth is taken from him (Act IV, Scene 1). 

"I don't know, but they did it. They've done it before and they did it tonight and they'll do it again and when they do it — seems that only...

This quote is on page 285, near the beginning of Chapter 22 of To Kill a Mockingbird. Atticus has just returned home after the devastating verdict in Tom's trial — Tom was found guilty despite Atticus's clear demonstration that Bob and Mayella were lying. Jem was particularly optimistic about the possibility that Tom would be acquitted, and he asks Atticus how the jury could have ruled as they did, knowing that Tom was likely not guilty of the crime. This quote is Atticus's response, and it demonstrates that he is as disappointed by the verdict as Jem, and he does not know how to explain the racism that informed the decision to his children. The final line of this quote is especially powerful; it reflects a persistent theme of the book — the idea that children haven't "learned" to be bigoted. This suggests that racism is not a basic part of the human condition, but rather something we learn from our surroundings.

How are the themes of revenge, nemesis, and death interrelated in Shakespeare's Hamlet?

Hamlet wants to get revenge on his nemesis, Claudius, for killing his father.

A nemesis is an enemy, but it is usually used to refer to an enemy of a personal nature.  When Hamlet learns that his father was killed by Claudius, he is horrified.  This information comes from his father’s ghost.

Ghost

Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder.

HAMLET

Murder!

Ghost

Murder most foul, as in the best it is;
But this most foul, strange and unnatural.

HAMLET

Haste me to know't, that I, with wings as swift
As meditation or the thoughts of love,
May sweep to my revenge. (Act 1, Scene 5)

Hamlet’s ghost wants Hamlet to avenge his death.  Hamlet is already angry at his uncle for marrying his mother.  It is even worse to learn that he accomplished that by killing Hamlet’s father.  The idea of killing him in revenge makes sense.

Hamlet has a little bit of a hard time getting revenge for his father.  He concocts an elaborate plan, which involves Hamlet pretending he is crazy and trying to get his uncle to incriminate himself by staging a play with a similar plot to the murder of Hamlet’s father.

The spirit that I have seen
May be the devil: and the devil hath power
To assume a pleasing shape; yea, and perhaps
Out of my weakness and my melancholy,
As he is very potent with such spirits,
Abuses me to damn me: I'll have grounds
More relative than this: the play 's the thing
Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king. (Act 2, Scene 2)

That doesn’t really work, if Hamlet expected Claudius to jump up and confess.  Eventually, Hamlet does get revenge on his nemesis, but at great cost.  In a duel with Ophelia’s brother, Hamlet is killed along with his uncle and his mother.  Everyone is poisoned, either by the sword or the drink.  Nothing goes quite as planned, but Hamlet's father is avenged.

If you were standing on the South Pole at the time of the autumnal equinox, where would you expect the Sun to be at midday?

When the earth experiences the Spring or Autumnal Equinox, the sun is exactly above the equator. This means that the two hemispheres receive equal light, for example.

If the South Pole is at a 90 degree angle with the equator, and the sun is in line with the equator, then it would be correct to say that the sun will be positioned exactly upon the horizon. The sun would appear as a half circle bisected by the horizon line.

To say midday in reference to the South Pole is a bit strange. The South Pole is in every time zone simultaneously, and would therefore have no proper time. Instead, you would say that this even occurs exactly on the equinox, which is the moment the sun aligns with the equator. This is a time, not a day, and could be calculated exactly.

In Act 1 of Antony and Cleopatra, Cleopatra is “cunning past man’s thought,” but Antony is aware and engages in many a battle of wills with...

In the first scene, Antony and Cleopatra are arguing about Antony’s loyalties.  Is Antony loyal to her, or to Rome?  Antony is having an affair with Cleopatra, but he is married to Fulvia.  He is supposed to be loyal to Caesar, but he has been staying in Egypt and does not want to return to Rome.  Antony makes light of the arguing and doesn’t want to hear the messengers from Rome, whom Cleopatra has urged him to hear.  She feels like he is shirking his responsibilities.

MARK ANTONY

Fie, wrangling queen!
Whom every thing becomes, to chide, to laugh,
To weep; whose every passion fully strives
To make itself, in thee, fair and admired!
No messenger, but thine; and all alone
To-night we'll wander through the streets and note
The qualities of people. (Act 1, Scene 1) 

In this scene, Cleopatra seems to know the score.  She asks why Antony would “marry Fulvia, and not love her.”  She tries to get Antony to listen to the messengers from Caesar.  She is aware that while Antony has been playing in Egypt, Caesar has been gaining power and influence.  He can’t run away from his responsibilities forever.

Cleopatra is aware of the precarious position they are in.  If we are declaring winners, Cleopatra won the first scene because the next scene has Antony finally listening to what the messenger has to say, and finding out that his wife Fulvia made a move against Caesar.  She is dead.  Antony is being called to Rome, something he finds difficult.  He describes how he must break his “strong Egyptian fetters.”

In the next scene, Cleopatra argues with Charmian about the best way to handle Antony.

CHARMIAN

Madam, methinks, if you did love him dearly,
You do not hold the method to enforce
The like from him.

CLEOPATRA

What should I do, I do not?

CHARMIAN

In each thing give him way, cross him nothing.

CLEOPATRA

Thou teachest like a fool; the way to lose him. (Act 1, Scene 3) 

Cleopatra knows that Antony wants a strong woman.  He likes Cleopatra for who she is.  She is not just beautiful, she gives as good as she gets in battle.

The argument that ensues between them is expected at this point.  Antony barely gets a word in edgewise in this argument.  It is driven by Cleopatra.  Cleopatra’s reaction to Antony’s wife’s death is complicated.  On the one hand, she sees in his reaction to Fulvia’s death his reaction to her death.  She is evaluating it.  On the other hand, she is glad he is unattached.  However, he has to go back to Rome because of the trouble Fulvia caused, which Antony is being blamed for.  He tries to explain this to her.

When Antony is away, Cleopatra frets.  The way she maintains control over him is with her feminine wiles.  She worries that he will go to Rome and never come back.  This is why she sends messengers to see how he is doing.  She wants to know every detail.  She also comments, though, that she loves Antony and it is not just about maintaining her power.

CLEOPATRA

Who's born that day
When I forget to send to Antony,
Shall die a beggar. Ink and paper, Charmian.
Welcome, my good Alexas. Did I, Charmian,
Ever love Caesar so? (Act 1, Scene 5)

By comparing Antony to Julius Caesar, Cleopatra is making a distinction between the two relationships for the audience.  She loves Antony, and it is not just about getting or maintaining her own power.  Antony, on the other hand, is diminishing in power.  This is why he had to run off to Rome when (Octavius) Caesar demanded it.  Cleopatra is worried about what is next for them.

In the book Hoot by Carl Hiaasen, where did Beatrice take Roy after she tied Dana to the flagpole?

Beatrice and Dana were both bullies to Roy when he first moved to Coconut Cove, Florida. Dana bullied Roy for sport--he had a reputation for it. Beatrice was a bully to Roy because of his curiosity about the running boy, who is Beatrice's step brother. She did not want Roy finding out her brother's secret. Mullet Fingers had run away from boarding school.

In chapter 10, Beatrice helped Roy by tying Dana to a flagpole clad in only his underwear. Dana had been seeking revenge on Roy for punching him in the nose on the bus in chapter 2. Roy punched him because he was intent on finding out what the running boy was doing and had no time for Dana's humiliation. Beatrice intervened because she needed a favor from Roy. She thwarted Dana's plan for revenge so that Roy could help her with her step-brother. 

Mullet Fingers, whose real name is Napolean Bridger Leep, was bitten by dogs and suffered from a serious infection. Beatrice picked Roy up on her bicycle, and they traveled to Roy's house to get medical supplies to treat Mullet Finger's arm. They lie to Roy's mom so she won't suspect anything, saying they are working on a science experiment. 

They find Mullet Fingers in Jo Jo's Ice Cream Truck, suffering a fever and swollen arm from the dog bite. They decide they must take him to the hospital and lie about his identity. 

In "Everyday Use," what things did the characters find important or worthwhile? Why were those items important to them?

In the story, both Maggie and Dee desired two family heirloom quilts for themselves, but they have very different reasons for wanting them.

The quilts contained pieces of clothing worn by relatives all the way back to the Civil War. To Dee, these hand-stitched quilts represent a priceless artistry that is worthy of preservation, and she feels she is the best person to showcase the quilts to their glory.

Maggie was promised the quilts by Mama as a wedding gift. To Maggie, the quilts represent her mother's love and her memories of her grandmother. Unlike Dee, Maggie appreciates the quilts for their sentimental value. Dee finds the quilts worthwhile for a different reason. To Dee, the history of her family's struggles for equality and autonomy (as evidenced by the small piece of Great-Grandpa Ezra's Civil War uniform on the quilt) was secondary to her need to highlight her sophisticated tastes.

Similarly, Dee's fascination with the churn top and the dasher demonstrates her self-absorption. She viewed these two items as valuable from an artistic perspective, not a sentimental or historic one. On the other hand, both Maggie and Mama hold the same views in regard to the items, particularly the quilts.

While Dee imagines Maggie is "backward enough to put them to everyday use," Maggie knows the quilts are more than just artistic showpieces. Because of her own physical suffering, Maggie can appreciate the historical sacrifices and trials African-Americans have had to endure on the road to freedom. This is why she initially consented for Dee to take the quilts. Her words "I can 'member Grandma Dee without the quilts" demonstrate her introspective nature, one which places more emphasis on authenticity than superficiality.

What did Bryon mean when he asked himself, "Was Mark a throwback?"

In Chapter 10, Bryon comes home and is emotionally drained. He looks for a cigarette to smoke because he is stressed out about the traumatic events he's recently experienced in life. Bryon does not have any cigarettes in his pocket and remembers that Mark has a spare carton under his mattress. Bryon reaches under the mattress and pulls out a long, cylindrical tube full of pills. Bryon then realizes that Mark has been selling pills and calls the cops on him. When Mark walks in and sees that Bryon has found his pill stash, Mark tries to explain himself by saying that they really needed the money. While Mark is talking, Bryon begins to think of Mark's "golden-eyed cowboy" father, and wonders if Mark was a "throwback." Mark has absolutely no concept of what is right and wrong. He doesn't obey any laws because, in his mind, there are no laws. Essentially, Mark is a modern day cowboy who lives by his own rules and doesn't care about authority. Bryon recognizes Mark's "cowboy-like" approach to life, and views him as a "throwback" version of a Wild West Outlaw. Bryon believes that Mark needs to learn that he cannot do whatever he wants without paying the consequences which is why he calls the police. 

What made the Greasers become hardened and jaded? Can you "stay gold" when you live on the East Side?

Throughout the novel, traumatic events make the members of the Greaser gang become hardened and jaded. Dally laments to Johnny about how he became hardened after he went to prison. Following Johnny's death, Dally loses his mind and robs a store. Shortly after robbing the store, the police shoot and kill Dally in a vacant lot. The two traumatic events drastically affect Ponyboy's mental stability. Ponyboy starts to become hardened and callous like Dally. He becomes extremely depressed and stops caring about his life. Experiencing significant tragedies at such a young age causes Ponyboy and the other Greasers to become jaded about their future. They essentially feel hopeless because they live in constant fear and poverty. Johnny encourages Ponyboy to "stay gold," which is another way of telling him to remain innocent. In my opinion, it would be impossible to "stay gold" in such a violent society with little to no support. Growing up on the East Side, tragedies are frequent and traumatic experiences are inevitable. An adolescent could not avoid tragedy and remain innocent in such a tough environment.

How is nobility demonstrated in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar and by which characters is it demonstrated?

The concept of nobility and honor is represented through the honorable actions of Caesar, Antony, and Brutus.

Julius Caesar is considered too ambitious to be left alive.  Brutus has noble intentions when he decides to take part in the conspiracy to assassinate him.  Mark Antony even acknowledges his nobility in a speech after his death. 

Caesar is a noble character, except from the perspectives of the assassins.  According to Caesar and Antony, he was just doing what he thought was best for Rome when he went against Pompey.  It was a necessary act, and not an ambitious one. Antony says he was noble after seeing his body.

O, pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth,
That I am meek and gentle with these butchers!
Thou art the ruins of the noblest man
That ever lived in the tide of times.
Woe to the hand that shed this costly blood! (Act 3, Scene 1) 

This is why Antony vows to avenge his death.  In this way, Antony was acting nobly too.  After all, Brutus and Cassius are the ones who killed the rightful leader of Rome.  For Antony, there is nothing more honorable than leading an army against them. In his mind, the proscriptions were also honorable.  The men who lost their lives or property were enemies, and they were at war. 

Brutus is very idealistic in his goals with regard to how the assassination will take place.  He does not want to do it secretly, because that would mean they were just common killers.  He wants the people to see that he and the others are liberating Rome.  He also does not want to have anyone else killed, even Antony. 

Let us be sacrificers, but not butchers, Caius.
We all stand up against the spirit of Caesar;
And in the spirit of men there is no blood:
O, that we then could come by Caesar's spirit,
And not dismember Caesar! (Act 2, Scene 1) 

When Brutus commits suicide, it is again a noble act by Roman standards.  Brutus and Cassius discuss how they do not want to be captives marched in triumph through Rome.  It is more honorable for them to just kill themselves.  Antony gives a speech over Brutus’s body in which he states that Brutus did not do what he did out of ambition or greed, but because he thought it was the right thing to do for the good of Rome. 

ANTONY

This was the noblest Roman of them all:
All the conspirators save only he
Did that they did in envy of great Caesar;
He only, in a general honest thought
And common good to all, made one of them. … (Act 5, Scene 5)

Antony and Octavius tried to continue as stewards of Rome for reasons they both thought were noble.  Of course, while they start out working together, they eventually come into conflict.  You can see the beginnings of it in the way they interact with each other.  This conflict is shown in the sequel, Antony and Cleopatra.

How is Nerissa a loyal friend to Portia in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice?

Portia is a wealthy heiress whose father has died and left her with no other family. Nerissa is Portia's servant, and of a lower social class, but she seems to act more as a sister and friend. Nerissa is Portia's listening ear and empathetic voice. Not only does she bounce Portia's thoughts off of her wisdom, but she also accompanies Portia on all her mental, emotional, and physical adventures. When the audience first sees Nerissa, she is helping Portia categorize all of her suitors to analyze their good qualities, if any. She is also the one who reminds Portia of Bassanio, the one, in her mind, most suited for marrying her mistress.

Nerissa also goes undercover with Portia as a law clerk to assist with Shylock's proceedings against Antonio. Nerissa could have declared Portia a fraud, but she is a loyal friend for life. The two women are so connected, they also play a joke on their husbands together by retaining their wedding rings while in disguise. When the men come home afterwards, they are caught in their faults, which helps to prove the follies of men in their minds and teach the men a lesson. Nerissa and Portia are both forgiving, however, and reveal their parts in the trial and how they set their husbands up for the joke. Therefore, Nerissa is more than a servant for Portia; she is her sister and partner in crime, her loyal assistant and supporter. Anything Portia does, Nerissa also does because of her sisterly love and friendly loyalty.  

What was the attitude towards family in Shakespeare's time?

Just as in our own time, the family was one of the basic social and economic units of Tudor life. That being said, we might be surprised if we were to hear someone today express the sort of attitudes that governed Tudor family life. For example, married couples tried to have many children, just in case some of them died. This would be shocking to hear someone say today, but a harsh reality of Shakespeare's time was that many people, including children, were lost to illnesses that we can now prevent and treat. Something as slight as a flu might rob a family of several children, so it was lucky if parents had others who survived.

The founding of a family was quite different from our methods today. Wealthy families would arrange marriages for their children to maintain their wealth and status. The poor might also intervene in their child's decision to marry, and most people of all classes entered into somewhat loveless marriages. The popular belief was that marriage was more of an economic partnership than a romantic one, and you could learn to love each other in time. Of course, you had better not get too attached to your new spouse, because one of you might catch the flu or die in childbirth.

Most Tudor women were always in some state of childbearing. Women might marry as young as fourteen or sixteen and would become pregnant quickly. As soon as they were done breastfeeding- if this was done at all- they would quickly become pregnant again. As I mentioned before, having lots of children increased the chances that some would survive to inherit the family name and business, but it was very tough on mothers. Often, the elder sisters of a family would help to care for their younger siblings. This helped to ease a mother's workload and prepare the young lady for when she had her own children.

The understanding of child development was very different from our modern perspective, and children were often beaten for not acting "up to standards." Children were believed to have a natural sinfulness about them which manifested in crying, tantrums, and breaking rules, and which was easily remedied with a sound beating. This was not at all unusual in Tudor society and physical violence was one of the accepted means of establishing and reinforcing social dominance. Husbands often beat their wives, masters would beat apprentices, and elder children would beat their younger siblings.

Though Tudor families were shaped by the harsh realities of death and illness, they enjoyed many of the same pleasures we have today. Families ate meals together, attended church together, and might even share in leisure activities like singing or games. It is fair to say that their attitude towards the family was far more practical and detached than our modern perspective.

How is Pipestone National Monument related to Walk Two Moons?

Sal is traveling across the northern plains with her grandparents. They are on their way to Idaho to see her mother. Along the way, Sal tells stories about her friend Phoebe, who still lives in Ohio. In Chapter 12, “The Marriage Bed,” they reach the western end of Minnesota. Gramps takes a detour to visit Pipestone National Monument. They get to see Native Americans carving the special pale red stone that is quarried in the area. Sal has Native American roots; and this is really the only time in the book that she comes into contact with Indians who are not directly related to her. She and her grandparents smoke and pass around a peace pipe. Gramps buys two of them in the gift shop: one for him, and one for Sal.

“It’s not for smoking with,” he said. “It’s for remembering with.”

How did President Jefferson go against one of his principles in order to buy land?

This question refers to Jefferson's decision to go through with the Louisiana Purchase from France in 1803. Jefferson had always favored a strict interpretation of the Constitution--he thought that the government should not exercise powers that were not expressly described in the Constitution. On these grounds he had opposed the chartering of a national bank, among other acts of government under Federalist leadership. When Jefferson was presented with the chance to purchase the vast territory of Louisiana at about three cents an acre, he knew the offer was too good to pass up. Yet the Constitution did not give the President the power to purchase territory. Despite his misgivings, Jefferson signed off on the deal, which was later approved by Congress (with some opposition from the opposing Federalist faction). In so doing, he not only secured American control of the Mississippi River, but doubled the size of American territory.

What are examples of metonymy in Anthem by Ayn Rand?

Metonymy involves using a word or concept associated with something instead of the thing itself. An example is "suit" for "business executive." An example in Anthem is the following from Chapter 1: "It is as if we were speaking alone to no ears but our own." In this case, "ears" comes to stand for the entire human being who the narrator, Equality 7-2521, is speaking to. Another example from Chapter 1 is the following: "We think there are mysteries in the sky and under the water and in the plants that grow." In this example, "the sky" stands for more than just the sky but represents the entire heavens, and the water represents the seas; the plants represent the entire natural world of flora and fauna. A final example from Chapter 1 is "no eyes can see us as we crawl under our seat and under the cloth of the tent." In this example, "eyes" stand for the ability of other people to see the narrator. 

How was exploration affected by the invention of the printing press?

The printing press had enormous effects on human society; as seminal technological advances go, it's right up there with writing, the computer, and the steam engine, just a tier below fire, the lever, and the wheel.

The printing press made it possible to copy writing quickly, accurately, and cheaply; this meant that transferring information from one place to another, or sharing it with a large number of people, suddenly became much, much easier.

It's probably no coincidence that the printing press was invented around the same time as the Age of Exploration began; printing changed the economics of long-distance trade a great deal.

The ability to carry information reliably over long distances (along with some other advances in monetary policy and accounting methods during the same period) made it easier to keep track of business transactions involved in overseas trade.

Stories about glorious adventures overseas (many of them completely false, but how could people know that unless they traveled themselves?) could also be printed and sold in mass quantities for the first time, drumming up public interest in missions of exploration not to mention being themselves a source of profit.

The printing press also had more indirect effects that may have been even more important; by increasing literacy and improving education, printed books also contributed to the advancement of science and technology, including technologies such as sextants and chronometers that were vital for safe, reliable navigation across the oceans.

"The Canterville Ghost" is a ghost story with a difference. To what extent is this true?

"The Canterville Ghost" has all of the elements of a traditional ghost story: it is set in Canterville Chase, a haunted mansion, has its share of supernatural phenomena, like the blood-stain on the library floor, and features a resident ghost called Sir Simon.

But "The Canterville Ghost" is also a ghost story with a difference because it is filled with unexpected instances of humour and satire. We see this most clearly in the characterisation of the Canterville ghost himself because he is so different from the ghosts depicted in traditional stories. He is easily offended, for example, and is constantly outwitted and terrorised by the Otis children. When they create their own version of the Canterville ghost to scare him, in Chapter Three, the real ghost is terrified:

Never having seen a ghost before, he naturally was terribly frightened, and after a second hasty glance at the awful phantom, fled back to his room.

In fact, "The Canterville Ghost" is a story which flips the traditional ghostly tale on its head. This is because the Otis family are more successful in scaring the ghost than he is in scaring them. It is this twist which makes "The Canterville Ghost" so darkly funny and so different from other ghost stories. 

How has imperialism changed the world positively?

Imperialism has had some positive impacts on the world. As a result of imperialism, there was development in regions of the world that were previously undeveloped. When imperialistic countries colonized parts of Africa, the Americas, and Asia, they brought with them a desire to improve and to develop these areas of the world. The imperial powers established a system of commerce in their colonies. They eventually developed the infrastructure to help these regions grow and develop. They were able to settle in areas that had few people living in them, and then they helped those areas grow, develop, and expand.

As a result of imperialism, there was more trade. Businesses used the resources from their colonies to provide new products to their colonies. As more people came to the colonies, the colonies grew and the economy expanded.

There were other benefits to imperialism. The imperial powers were able to develop a political system in the lands they controlled. They were also able to spread their religion, usually Christianity, to their colonies. In some cases, the colonies allowed people to practice their own religion freely and to experience political freedom. As a result of imperialism, many countries eventually became independent. They had learned how to govern themselves and how to develop an economic system from the imperial powers.

There were positive impacts of imperialism.

What does the phrase, "that was his last blow at fate," mean in "Desiree's Baby"?

In "Desiree's Baby," Armand discovers that his child is not white, and Desiree says she will leave. When Desiree asks if he wants her to go, he says yes. Then, when she tells him goodbye, he doesn't answer and this is "his last blow at fate." By rejecting both Desiree and the baby, Armand is essentially abandoning them. Desiree and the child have very few options if Armand sends them away, and by not responding to her, he seals her fate of being alone in the world. Her only option is to return to her mother, but distraught over Armand's rejection, she walks into the bayou. 

Desiree's fate was shaky to begin with because of her unknown origin, but Armand's silence at the end forces her to find her way in the world without the security of a husband or family home.  

In Hatchet, how do Brian's thoughts, feelings, and reactions change as a response to what has happened to him?

One way in which Brian's thoughts, feelings, and reactions change him is in his development of "tough hope."

When Brian is initially confronted with landing the aircraft, his thoughts center on how he is "gonna die." As he struggles to make sense of where he is and what he should do, Brian lacks the mental stamina to endure the perils of the wilderness. Brian's thoughts, feelings, and reactions help him develop a sense of internal strength, though. Brian begins this process by recalling the words of his teacher, Mr. Perpich, who would remind his students to approach challenges incrementally and that their own self-worth can help them face any situation bravely. From here, Brian develops a will to survive. For example, his reaction to the porcupine entering his shelter is to throw the hatchet against the wall, whereby sparks develop. From this, Brian learns how to make a fire. His experiences with needing to find food sources help him create different spears and weapons that he can use to hunt food. Brian emerges as a tower of mental fortitude in the way he deals with the tornado and moose attack. In each experience, Brian's thoughts, feelings, and reactions are geared towards surviving and enduring difficult times.

Over the course of the narrative, Brian develops a "tough hope," which demonstrates his commitment to survive the wilderness. His thoughts, feelings, and reactions show an unwillingness to be defeated:

He could feel new hope building in him. Not hope that he would be rescued—that was gone. But hope in his knowledge. Hope in the fact that he could learn and survive and take care of himself. Tough hope, he thought that night. I am full of tough hope.

Brian's "tough hope" transcends being rescued. It displays a resolve that he will survive. It represents how Brian's thoughts, feelings, and reactions have changed him.

What do you think has prompted Beneatha to cut her hair short and into an "Afro" hairstyle?

Beneatha is desperately seeking to “find herself.” Mama, Ruth, and Walter mention the many fads she has gone through, such as drama and guitar. This is why the family cannot take her dreams of becoming a doctor too seriously.  When Beneatha meets Joseph Asagai, who is from Africa, Beneatha becomes enthralled in the “back to Africa” movement, which became popular later in the 1960s. Having found herself displaced in the white culture of America of the time, Beneatha, along with many other African Americans, sought to reclaim their African roots and culture. Rather than be an “assimilationist,” which is an African American “adjusting” to the white culture to fit in, Beneatha cuts her hair short in the Afro hairstyle. She contemplates going with Joseph Asagai back to Africa, though the rest of the family disbelieves this.

How did King Leopold's real goal in the Congo differ from his purported goal?

In short, Leopold said he wanted to help the Africans, but he truly wanted to exploit them.  King Leopold attempted to describe his intentions in Congo as philanthropic to the international community.  Using the racism that was common in the 19th Century, Leopold describes a people in this rain forest region that were incapable of caring for themselves. He claims to be able to protect the Africans from Arab slave runners.  Leopold also feels that the region is to be converted to Christianity and opened for capitalist development.  He is able to convince other imperialist powers to operate Congo as his own private plantation.  Using military tactics and brutal enforcement of his policies, Leopold made the entire population his private slaves.  He forced them to harvest rubber until there was none left, all to personally benefit himself.  It has been estimated that Leopold was responsible for ten million deaths in the Congo.  

`int sec^2(3x) dx` Find the indefinite integral

Indefinite integral are written in the form of `int f(x) dx = F(x) +C`

 where: `f(x)` as the integrand

           `F(x)` as the anti-derivative function 

           `C`  as the arbitrary constant known as constant of integration

For the given problem: `int sec^2(3x)dx` , the integrand function: `f(x)=sec^2(3x)` is in a form of trigonometric function.

To solve for the indefinite integral, we may apply the basic integration formula for secant function:

`int sec^2(u)du=tan(u)+C`

We may apply u-substitution when by letting:

`u= 3x` then `du =3 dx` or` (du)/3 = dx` .

Plug-in the values of `u =3x` and `dx= (du)/3` , we get:

`int sec^2(3x)dx =int sec^2(u)*(du)/3`

                          `=int (sec^2(u))/3du`

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

`int (sec^2(u))/3du =(1/3)int sec^2(u)du`

Then following the integral formula for secant, we get:

`(1/3)int sec^2(u)du= 1/3tan(u)+C`

Plug-in `u =3x` to solve for the indefinite integral F(x):

`int sec^2(3x)dx=1/3tan(3x)+C`

What is the main problem in Unwind by Neal Shusterman, and how is Connor affected by it?

I would say that the main conflict that is affecting Connor, Risa, Roland, and other Unwinds is their struggle for survival.  

The book opens by telling readers that the "Bill of Life" allows parents to retroactively abort their child during the teenage years.  The child is "unwound."  This means that every single body part, organ, tissue, etc. is harvested and used for spare parts.  This allows the child to "live" forever in a divided state.  

Connor secretly discovers that his parents are having him unwound.  This is the story's inciting incident.  Connor doesn't want to be unwound, so that is the central conflict surrounding Connor.  He wants to avoid going to a harvest camp because he doesn't want to be unwound.  His desire to live causes him to take all kinds of drastic actions.  The first action is his running away from home and going AWOL.  Along the way he becomes friends with various other Unwinds that are also looking to avoid being unwound.  Connor eventually makes his way to the Graveyard, which is a safe haven of sorts for runaway Unwinds.  As the novel comes to a close, Connor has been given a new identity, which shows him as being too old to be unwound.  He then uses his newfound freedom to become the new head of the Graveyard and help other Unwinds find safety. 

What is the theme of the poem "Lucy Gray" by William Wordsworth?

William Wordsworth's "Lucy Gray" tells the story of an innocent young girl who is lost in the wild and never found again. The suggestion is that she dies, although at the end Wordsworth suggests Lucy might still dwell in the wilderness somewhere far from civilization. It's unclear whether he's implying that Lucy is still alive, or if he's merely suggesting that her spirit lives on in the natural world. 

"Lucy Gray" is part of Wordsworth's "Lucy" poems, a group that includes the famous "She Dwelt Among the Untrodden Ways." All of these poems meditate upon a similar theme: the death of some unimportant and unknown person who lived in relative isolation in the midst of natural beauty. In general, these poems depict a young girl called Lucy who lives in close proximity to the wild and is gradually absorbed by the wild lands she inhabits, either through death or simply by disappearing. "Lucy Gray" follows this theme, as it shows the young, innocent Lucy disappearing into the vast world of nature.

In "A Retrieved Reformation" by O. Henry, what is Jimmy's attitude toward the warden?

Jimmy's attitude towards the warden is dismissive. He playfully mocks the warden by displaying nonchalance and faux innocence when the warden gives him some unsolicited advice.

According to the story, Jimmy has only served 'ten months of a four year sentence.' Because Jimmy has influential friends, his stints in prison always appear to be short. In Jimmy's eyes, he can afford to disregard the warden's impassioned advice. For his part, the warden thinks that Jimmy is a good man who just needs to buckle down and to 'live straight.'

In the conversation with the warden, Jimmy never takes the bait. He refuses to engage the warden in a discussion of his future. Each time the warden questions him about his motives or his part in a previous heist, Jimmy resorts to humor to distract the warden. In the end, the warden can only dismiss Jimmy with a blunt 'Better think over my advice, Valentine.' When Jimmy is released the next day, the warden shakes Jimmy's hand and hands him a cigar. With Jimmy's confident stance, we know that we haven't heard the last of this enigmatic character.

In The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare, how does Matt win Attean's respect?

Matt won Attean's respect in a very unexpected way. When Attean invited Matt to leave with his tribe, Matt refused. Even though both Saknis and Attean reiterated their joint desire to have Matt with them as the tribe moved further north, Matt held steadfast to his decision to stay.

It was Matt's steadfast loyalty to his father and family that earned him respect in Attean's eyes. When Matt realized that his integrity had won him Attean's respect, he was initially shocked. After all, he had previously tried in numerous ways to earn his Indian brother's respect, but to no avail. It was only when he made his decision to keep his word to his father that Attean finally respected him as an equal.

There was no amusement and no scorn in Attean's eyes. How very strange, Matt thought. After all the brave deeds he had dreamed of to win this boy's respect, he had gained it at last just by doing nothing, just by staying here and refusing to leave.

`f(x) = tanh(4x^2+3x)` Find the derivative of the function

`f(x) = tanh(4x^2+3x)`

The derivative formula of hyperbolic tangent is

• `d/dx [tanh(u)] = sec h^2(u)*(du)/dx`

Applying this formula, the derivative of the function will be

`f'(x)=d/dx[tanh(4x^2+3x)]`

`f'(x) = s e c h^2(4x^2+3x)*d/dx(4x^2+3x)`

`f'(x) = sec h^2(4x^2+3x)*(8x+3)`

`f'(x)=(8x+3)sec h^2(4x^2+3x)`

Therefore, the derivative of the given function is `f'(x)=(8x+3)sec h^2(4x^2+3x)` .

When does the atmosphere surrounding the ride begin to change in "Because I Could Not Stop for Death" ?

In Emily Dickinson's "Because I Could Not Stop for Death," the atmosphere surrounding the ride begins to alter and grow colder when the carriage pauses before what the speaker recognizes as a grave.

The lighthearted tone of the poem, indicated by the speaker's mention that she has put away her "labor and leisure" for an unexpected ride, changes after the driver and the speaker pass the setting sun and the speaker grows cold and quivers with a chill. Then, as the driver approaches a "House" in the ground, the roof barely apparent, the speaker must wonder.  For, it is then that the speaker begins to realize that her ride has not been spontaneous, but is ironically, gravely serious.

We paused before a House that seemed
A swelling of the Ground--
The Roof was scarcely visible--
The Cornice--in the Ground--

In the last stanza, the tone is markedly somber as the speaker narrates from the "House" in the ground that it has been ages since she first guessed that the carriage was headed to the cemetery. The repetition of the words Ground and Eternity certainly connote the serious and final destination of the carriage ride--"toward Eternity."

In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, what is a good passage that shows Atticus takes pride in his work?

In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, one of the best passages depicting Atticus taking great pride in his work is found in Chapter 9.

Towards the end of the chapter, Jack, Atticus's brother, asks Atticus how bad Tom Robinson's case will be. Atticus laments that the case is very bad because neither the prosecution nor the defense has any concrete evidence and states he had "hoped to get through life without a case" influenced by racism. Yet, Atticus follows his laments by posing the following rhetorical question to his brother:

But do you think I could face my children otherwise? (Ch. 9)

In asking this rhetorical question, Atticus is stating he would not be able to, in good conscience, face his children or the rest of society if he did not accept the task of defending Robinson since he knows it is his moral obligation as a defense lawyer to give all charged with a crime the best defense possible, thereby upholding America's legal principle that all are innocent until proven guilty. The fact that he feels he will not be able to face anyone if he does not accept Robinson's case shows exactly how much pride Atticus takes in his work.

Atticus additionally reveals how much pride he takes in his work when he explains to his brother he "intend[s] to jar the jury a bit" (Ch. 9). Based on Atticus's later actions during the trial, we can see that, in saying this, Atticus means he plans to get the jury to think very introspectively about their racist beliefs in order to try and convince them to make their judgement based objective facts, not subjective racist beliefs. He further explains to his brother, "I think we'll have a reasonable chance on appeal" (Ch. 9). Both of these statements show just how dedicated Atticus is to putting his all into defending Robinson, which further shows us exactly how much pride he takes in his work.

Why did the governor's attorneys walk out of the court? How did the judge react to this?

In Chapter 9, the governor's attorneys walked out of the court as a protest. The lead attorney, Tom Harper, had initially asked Judge Ronald Davies to disqualify himself from the case, as he had been appointed by the federal government to preside over the arguments. The governor's attorneys feared the judge would be biased against the state, so their main priority was to get Judge Davies off the case.

Later in the proceedings, Tom Harper asked that Judge Davies dismiss the case altogether, claiming the case involved constitutional issues that would require a three-judge panel to proceed. Judge Davies asserted that the hearing would continue. Tom Harper then read a statement on behalf of all the governor's attorneys. He stated that the governor and the state's military officials would not concede their constitutional power to the federal government and that they reserved the right to administer the affairs of the state according to their best judgement.

After reading the statement, the governor's attorneys vacated the courtroom because they felt the case was stacked against them. Also, they believed the federal government had overstepped its authority, making their walk-out a protest of sorts. For his part, Judge Davies remained unperturbed by the actions of the governor's attorneys. He calmly pounded the gavel and called the court to order.

When the Department of Justice attorneys proclaimed that they were prepared to offer more than a hundred witnesses in support of the order for integration, Judge Davies said the one hundred witnesses would be allowed to have their day in court after the recess.

What were Wilson's goals for the United States in World War I?

The United States entered World War I in 1917. When the Germans resumed sinking our ships without warning, the United States declared war on Germany and fought on the side of the Allies.

President Wilson explained what he hoped to accomplish by joining World War I. President Wilson had very idealistic war goals. One goal he had was to make this “a war to end all wars.” In other words, President Wilson was telling the American people that if we were to be victorious in World War I, this would be the last war ever.

Another war goal of the United States was to make the world safer for democratic governments. Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Turkey all had nondemocratic governments. President Wilson believed an Allied victory would make the world a better place and a safer place for those countries that had democratic governments.

Finally, President Wilson said we didn’t want to gain any land if we were to win in World War I.

President Wilson had very idealist war goals.

What does a child learn in pre-school?

Pre-school (sometimes called pre-kindergarten or pre-K) is a combination of daytime childcare and early childhood education. Children may begin pre-school as young as three years, but more commonly at the age of four as preparation for entering kindergarten at five years. Pre-school helps children adjust to the environment outside of the home, learn to direct their attention for longer periods of time, develop social and fine motor skills, and begin learning some of the content they will encounter in primary school. Children in pre-school  might learn to sing the alphabet song, if their language has one, as well as counting. They may also learn to identify colors, shapes, animals, and natural phenomena like weather patterns. Pre-schools typically offer lessons in a "playtime" environment with group activities. Movement, singing, arts and crafts, and free play are also common in the curriculum.

Pre-school may be attended for a half day (in the morning or afternoon) or for a full day. As an example of how this time might be spent, a child may arrive at pre-school and sing a song, cut paper with safety scissors during craft time, have a snack, practice identifying shapes, make some animal sounds, ride a tricycle outside, and learn to wash their hands. Every pre-school differs a little bit in how they structure their schooling, but pre-school is generally intended to prepare a child mentally, socially, and physically for primary school. 

What is the reason octane (C8H18) is a liquid at room temperature while methane (CH4) is a gas at the same temperature?

We are talking about the difference in the physical state of octane versus methane at room temperature.  Methane is a very small molecule with a molecular weight of 16 g/mol.  It exists as a gas at standard temperature and pressure.  Octane is a much larger molecule with a molecular weight of 114 g/mol.  It exists as a liquid at standard temperature and pressure.  

All gasses at room temperature and atmospheric pressure are comprised of small molecular weight molecules.  The smaller a molecule, the more degrees of freedom of movement the individual atoms and bonds have.  The increased movement of these smaller molecules allows them to have more space between the individual molecules.  This increased molecular motion and space between molecules is one of the defining characteristics of a gas versus a liquid (or solid).  The larger octane molecules have less degrees of freedom and less molecular motion so they are able to be closer together, thus existing as a liquid instead of a gas.

In Liam O'Flaherty's "The Sniper," what does the woman symbolize?

Liam O'Flahtery wrote "The Sniper" as a means of showing the harsh realities and complexities of war. "The Sniper" exhibits the theme that war turns humans into objects and friends (or brothers) into enemies. As the sniper is hiding from enemy fire, he spots the old woman speaking to the man in the armored car. The old woman reveals the sniper's hiding spot to the man in the armored car and the sniper then realizes that the old woman is actually an informer. When the sniper shoots and kills the old woman, he is not thinking of her as a human being; the sniper is only thinking of her as being his enemy and a threat to his safety. The old woman is symbolic of war's ability to dehumanize people and turn them into objects and enemies. The sniper, being in immediate danger, was not able to take into account that the old woman was a human being like himself. The sniper's decision to kill the woman was fueled by his immediate need to protect himself from his enemy. The sniper does not view the woman as a person; he only views her as an enemy and a resource for the opposing side.

How does Quince move and speak in Act 1, Scene 2 of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream?

Act I, Scene II of A Midsummer's Night Dream opens at Quince's house.  Peter Quince is an amateur actor who is seeking to organize a group of other actors for a play.  Quince holds the script for the play in his hands and calls out the names of his fellow actors.  These actors are ordinary laborers, such as a tailor and a weaver.  Quince reads from the script and assigns each man his part.  He also explains the details of their assigned characters.  Some of the men question their roles, but Quince reasons with them and reassures them.  

Before he says farewell, Quince implores them to "fail [him] not."  Quince tells the players to meet him the next evening "in the palace wood, a mile without the town, by moonlight."  He is detailed in his directions, and also tells them to meet him "at the duke's oak."  He wants them to rehearse in the woods so that they will have more privacy.  He wishes for their rehearsals to be in secret.  He also tells them that before they meet, he "will draw a bill of properties."

Is Leslie a brave character?

Yes, I believe that Leslie is a brave character.  

Leslie's family has recently moved to the area, which means that Leslie is the new girl in school.  That is a scary situation for most kids.  Leslie very easily could have shied away from the other kids and hoped that some of them approached her.  That's not Leslie though.  During the first week of school, she bravely walks up to the clearly defined running races at recess.  Not only is Leslie brave enough to approach the group on her own, but she is also brave enough to approach a group that is completely male.  It has to be obvious to her that the activity is boy only.  Nevertheless, Leslie asks to participate.  Then she wins, and she wins over and over again.  

Another example of Leslie's bravery is when she goes into the bathroom to find out what is wrong with Janice Avery.  Avery is a complete bully, and she could physically or verbally harm Leslie in this situation.  Leslie takes the risk.  

Leslie also bravely crosses the bridge into Terabithia while the stream below is flowing dangerously.  Unfortunately that brave act winds up killing her, but the act was indeed brave.  

The witches prepare a spell to influence Macbeth. What kind of influence is it? Why?

The three witches present a prophecy to Macbeth: they identify him as the Thane of Glamis, which he currently is. He is next addressed as the Thane of Cawdor, which he unknowingly already has been named by King Duncan on the betrayal and death of the previous Thane. Then they call him King. This is puzzling, because Duncan is already king. This all comes true. A second prophecy tells him that he should beware Macduff, that no one born of woman shall harm him, and that he will be safe until Birnam Wood shall come to Dunsinane Hill. The spells that they cast on these occasions make Macbeth vulnerable to these prophecies, weakening his resolve and humility, and exacerbating his pride. Coupled with his wife’s urgings, these spells push Macbeth over the edge to commit murder, which eventually leads to his own death, which the second batch of prophecies hint at (Macduff murders Macbeth, Macduff was not “born” but delivered by Caesarean section, and the opposing forces hide behind branches from the trees of Birnam Wood, giving the appearance of a marching forest). The spells did not create anything that was not in Macbeth’s soul already, but preyed on the weakness already there.

What would be Fortunato's perspective if he were the narrator of "The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe?

Fortunato would be mainly interested in what there was for him to gain out of Montresor's request for help. Montresor tells him two important things. One is that he bought a whole pipe of Amontillado, 126 gallons, at a bargain price. The other is that he is on his way to Luchesi to get his opinion of it. Montresor has already paid for the wine and had it transported to his palazzo. Why is he so anxious to get an immediate assurance that it is genuine? It must be that he intends to buy more if he is sure it is genuine Amontillado. He says he was looking for Fortunato but couldn't find him, which is why he is hurrying to find Luchesi. Obviously Montresor wants to buy more of the wine before news gets out that it is available at a bargain price.

Now Fortunato knows that the Amontillado is available at a bargain price. He does not want to show any interest in it because he would like to buy up the entire shipment himself. He realizes that it must have arrived in Venice aboard a Spanish ship from Barcelona. He doesn't need to go to Montresor's palazzo to taste the wine. He could just go to the docks and ask about a newly arrived Spanish ship. He could taste the wine aboard the ship to make sure it is genuine Amontillado, and then deal with the captain or purser on the spot. Fortunato is a rich man. He could afford to buy the entire cargo. And he thinks he could get an even better bargain than Montresor had gotten, since he would be offering to buy the entire shipload.

But if Fortunato declines to accompany Montresor to his palazzo, he knows Montresor will go straight to Luchesi--and then Fortunato would find himself competing for the Amontillado with another rich man who is also a connoisseur of wine. So Fortunato has to go to Montresor's palazzo primarily to keep Luchesi in the dark. Fortunato's perspective should reveal that he has no intention of telling Montresor the truth if the wine is really genuine. He intends to sip it, frown, shake his head, and say that it is only ordinary sherry.

Montresor's palazzo from Fortunato's perspective would look shabby. He would note that the servants had all left to take part in the carnival. His perceptions would be distorted because of all the wine he had been drinking. He would eventually find himself chained to the granite wall of the catacombs and would realize that he had been tricked. He would sober up quickly and think about how he could talk his way out of the fix he was in. He would try examining the chains and padlock in the dark. Then he would become panicked and start trying to break the chain or pull one end out of the rock. He would try screaming for help. He would try talking to Montresor, pretending he was taking this as a clever jest, hoping to plant some doubt and fear in his enemy's mind by suggesting that he was expected at home by a large group of people including his wife, relatives, guests, and servants. But in the end he would find himself walled up in a narrow niche listening in vain for the sound of approaching footsteps which might mean that Montresor had had a change of heart and was coming back to set him free.

Since Fortunato would have nothing with which to write his thoughts, his version of the events would probably best be handled as an interior monologue or else as straight stream-of-consciousness. Some of the same dialogue could be borrowed from Poe's version of the story. The most important difference would be that Fortunato would be thinking of tricking Montresor, whereas in the original version it is Montresor who is thinking about tricking Fortunato.

Why was the Boo Radley game invented in To Kill a Mockingbird?

In To Kill a Mockingbird, Jem invents the Boo Radley game to prove his bravery to Scout and Dill.

On page 35, Dill says that he’s able to tell if someone is about to die just by smelling them, teasing Scout that she would die in three days. Jem scoffs at this conversation and says:

“Yawl hush,” growled Jem, “you act like you believe in Hot Steams.”

Dill is unfamiliar with Hot Steams, and Jem begins describing the breath-sucking ghosts to him. Scout interrupts Jem, telling Dill not to believe him, then suggests the three of them roll in a tire to help escape the day’s boredom, as the children have all grown tired of acting out their usual scenes. Apparently upset at being snubbed by his younger sister, Jem pushes Scout, the first to roll, with much vigor, causing her to roll all the way into the Radley’s yard. Disoriented and scared, she runs back to the house without the tire, telling Jem to get it himself. A prideful boy, Jem cannot not refuse and runs to get the tire, “scowling triumphantly” when he returns. After a lemonade break, Jem suggests they play Boo Radley, wherein they each portray individuals from that family.

"Jem’s head at times was transparent: he had thought that up to make me understand he wasn’t afraid of Radleys in any shape or form, to contrast his own fearless heroism with my cowardice." - Scout, page 37

Scout sees through his attempt to show off. He invents the game as a power move, to prove once and for all that he is above questioning when it comes to his fears about the Radleys, himself playing the part of Boo in their performances over the course of the summer.

I am doing a research paper about Ray Bradbury and I'm trying to develop a research question. The three questions I developed are, 1: Who is Ray...

You have a great start to your research question! Let's try to hone this question a bit more and consider the things you want to research (and ultimately produce an answer for). Your listed questions are:

1. Who is Ray Bradbury?


2. What inspired him to start writing?


3. What is his favorite part about his job/why does he love his job?

Now, your goal is to formulate these questions into a single, coherent research question that you can tackle in a single paper. Firstly, let's think about how these ideas may be related. Your first question seems to be an umbrella question that covers a lot of ground: Who is Ray Bradbury? The answer to this question may very well inspire answers to your other questions. You may learn something about Bradbury that enlightens you as to his motivations for writing and/or why he loves his job. Likewise, the answer to your second question may inspire answers for your third question.

Given the way these questions are related, it makes sense to me to combine them in a way that asks:

How did specific attributes of Ray Bradbury's personality inspire him to jump into a lifelong writing career?

The above question tackles all three of your points, while maintaining focus on your main point: who Bradbury is.

Good luck!

What are the dynamics in the first chapter of The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery? Does this tension continue throughout the book?

In Chapter One, the narrator lays out a central tension that will run throughout the book, that of the "grownup" way of seeing the world versus a childlike perception that is imaginative, creative and full of wonder. The grownups, dulled by the (not really) important facts of their lives, no longer see beyond the mundane. The narrator illustrates this through his drawing of an elephant swallowed by a boa constrictor. Grownups universally identify it as a picture of a hat. Thus, from the start, the narrator creates an "us versus them" dynamic, with the reader drawn in on the side of "us": we are privy to the secrets the narrator shares; we are credited with understanding this more creative way of seeing reality. 

Later on, the narrator will recognize the Little Prince as a kindred spirit full of childlike wisdom and wonder when he immediately grasps what the picture is. To live most fully, one must have this creative, childlike imagination, a capacity to penetrate through the ordinary to the extraordinary at the heart of seemingly everyday things, a heightened capacity to love.

Does Romeo ever compliment Juliet on her personality and not just her appearance?

Romeo and Juliet are together three times during the course of the play. It's actually four, but it's hard to count Act V, Scene 3 because they don't really speak to each other. Throughout the scenes when they do speak, Romeo mainly concentrates on Juliet's looks and says virtually nothing about her personality. A good reason for that could be that he really doesn't know her very well and most of their discussions are pronouncements of love or, in Act III, Scene 5, a debate over which bird is singing outside of Juliet's bedroom in the morning after their honeymoon night. Romeo, however, does attempt to compliment something other than Juliet's appearance in the wedding scene, Act II, Scene 6. When Juliet arrives at Friar Laurence's cell, Romeo suggests that Juliet has more ability than he does to put into words the future happiness the two will share:

Ah, Juliet, if the measure of thy joy

Be heaped like mine, and that thy skill be more

To blazon it, then sweeten with thy breath

This neighbor air, and let rich music’s tongue

Unfold the imagined happiness that both

Receive in either by this dear encounter.

Juliet replies that she is now so rich because of their love that she cannot even count half of that wealth.

In Animal Farm, what are five similarities between Napoleon and Snowball?

While Napoleon and Snowball have different personalities, they share a number of common characteristics. They both have aspirations of leadership, for example, as we see in Chapter Two when they assume control of the preparations for the forthcoming rebellion. These preparations also demonstrate their intelligence, as shown by their work on the development of Animalism.

In addition, both Napoleon and Snowball are ambitious. For Snowball, this is expressed through his many education committees, designed to aid the intellectual development of the other animals. In contrast, Napoleon demonstrates his ambition when he steals the cows' milk so that the pigs can have it in their mash.

When the two pigs go head to head over the windmill, we get a sense of how competitive they are and neither one is prepared to concede to the other. This demonstrates their mutual stubbornness and ultimately leads to the breakdown of their relationship and Snowball's violent expulsion. 

In what way has the house infantalized the Hadleys in "The Veldt"?

The house takes care of the Hadley family’s every need. 

The Hadley family paid a fortune for the technological marvel that is their house.  The house is an automated smart home of sorts, but it does much more than most of our houses do today.  The house has so much technology that it seems to meet almost all of the family’s needs. 

They walked down the hall of their soundproofed Happylife Home, which had cost them thirty thousand dollars installed, this house which clothed and fed and rocked them to sleep and played and sang and was good to them. 

When your house does everything for you, it is infantilizing you.  Even this description seems to make the Hadley family seem more like babies than adults and half-grown children.  The house is babying them. 

Mrs. Hadley gets a little saddened because she feels as if the house has taken over the role she once played, as mother and caregiver.  She feels replaced and useless.  This makes her also feel less connected to her children. 

"That's just it. I feel like I don't belong here. The house is wife and mother now, and nursemaid. Can I compete with an African veldt? Can I give a bath and scrub the children as efficiently or quickly as the automatic scrub bath can? I cannot. And it isn't just me. It's you. You've been awfully nervous lately."

In fact, the Hadleys rely on the fancy nursery to keep their children entertained.  They do not feel comfortable around the nursery because they see disturbing images.  Mr. Hadley even brings in a psychologist to help him figure out what is happening to his children. 

“… Trust my hunches and my instincts. I have a nose for something bad. This is very bad. My advice to you is to have the whole damn room torn down and your children brought to me every day during the next year for treatment." 

The psychologist tells them that the room is a channel toward destructive thoughts.  It is the culmination of the technological smothering.  The children have retreated into their own minds in the nursery, and their minds are a disturbing place.

In Walk Two Moons, what stories did Sal's mother particularly enjoy?

Sal’s mother liked the myths and legends of the Native Americans, especially the creation myths that explained how things came to be. Mrs. Hiddle was proud of the Native American blood in her veins. When she named Sal “Salamanca,” she thought it was the name of an Indian tribe, but she was mistaking it for “Seneca,” a real tribe. Her own name was “Chanhassen,” which was an Indian word for “sweet maple sugar,” so everyone called her “Sugar.” She sometimes objected, saying that this was not her name. It was Chanhassen.

Sal heard her mother tell her several stories of the Indians. One she relates is of a time when the sky was so low that people kept bumping their heads on it. They got tired of this, so they pushed it up with poles. They pushed it so high that it stayed up there.

Another story is of Napi, the god who made people. He had to decide if they would live forever or if they would die. He dropped a stone in the water, stating that people would live forever if the stone floated, or they would die if it sank. It sank. Sal’s mother told Sal that, because she was so good at skipping stones on water, she would have been able to make the stone float.

What are the similar themes in the novels Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt and Night by Elie Wiesel?

The similar themes between Angela's Ashes and Night are the growth of the young male protagonist during a difficult situation to the point at which the protagonist is more powerful than his parents. In addition, the protagonists of both novels suffer the loss of their religious faith as a result of their experiences.

Frank McCourt begins his memoir with the phrase, "I wondered how I survived at all" (page 11). After his sister, Margaret, dies as an infant, his mother, Angela, is shaken and nearly catatonic from depression. As McCourt writes, "she has the wild look" (page 36), and she can hardly eat or speak. After the family returns to Ireland, they are desperately poor, and McCourt's younger twin brothers die. Angela is crushed by the tribulations she faces, and she largely resorts to relying on charity from the Catholic church and from public assistance, while McCourt's father, Malachy, leaves the family and spends his time and wages drinking. As a result, McCourt has to go to work at age 14 as a messenger boy. His father is largely absent, and his mother is what he describes as "a pious defeated mother moaning by the fire" (page 11). McCourt is on his own, and he must rely on himself. He assumes the responsibility of an adult, as his parents cannot provide for him.

In the process of maturation, he also becomes somewhat disenchanted with Catholicism, which he feels mainly instills feelings of guilt in him. The priests at his church refuse, for example, to give him confession on the day before his 16th birthday because he is drunk, and he is disgusted because he feels the church will not help the poor. He wants to become an altar boy, but the church turns him down because he is too poor. In the end, McCourt feels disappointed by his parents and by the church.

Like McCourt, Eliezer Wiesel, the narrator of Night, has to become his parents' caretaker. After the Nazis move into Hungary in 1944, Wiesel and his family are first sent to a ghetto and then to Auschwitz, a concentration camp. While Wiesel's mothers and sisters are sent to the gas chamber, he and his father, Chlomo, are sent to the labor camp. From that time on, until his father dies shortly before the camp is liberated, Wiesel becomes the parent. His father, weakened and depressed, becomes the child who Wiesel must look after. Wiesel becomes so tired of caring for his father that he even refers to him as "dead weight" (page 111) and does not cry when his father dies, as he's cried too much and is secretly glad to be free of the burden of caring for his father. 

Similar to McCourt, Wiesel, once a religious person, becomes disenchanted with religion. When he sees a child being hanged in the camps, a man behind him asks where God is. Wiesel thinks, "And from within me, I heard a voice answer: "Where He is? This is where--hanging here from this gallows..." Like McCourt, Wiesel's faith in his elders and in religion are crushed by his suffering. He finds religion of no avail, and, in the end, he is faithless. 

In Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, what are some quotes that describe the "woods near Athens" or the forest?

In the first act of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, Hermia gives a brief description of the forest in order to tell Helena where she and Lysander will meet on the night they elope. She says the following:

"And in the wood, where often you and I

Upon faith primrose beds were wont to lie,

Emptying our bosoms of their counsel sweet.

There my Lysander and myself shall meet" (I.i.217-220).

Hermia's description of the forest includes the primrose beds that she and Helena used to lie upon. Helena soon gets the idea to tell Demetrius of the lovers' plan. She hopes that he will go to the forest to look for Hermia and Lysander, and this will give her a chance to follow close on his heels. 

Sure enough, Helena chases Demetrius through the woods, but he isn't impressed. He threatens Helena with the following:

"I'll run from thee and hide me in the brakes,

And leave thee to the mercy of wild beasts" (II.i.231-232).

With what Demetrius says to Helena in the above passage, the audience learns that there are many thickets in the woods in which Demetrius could hide, as well as wild animals that could attack anyone.

Oberon, the king of the fairies, also describes the place where Titania is sleeping in the forest when he speaks with Puck as follows:

"I know a bank where the wild thyme blows,

Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows,

Quite over-canopi'd with luscious woodbine,

With sweet musk-roses and with eglantine.

There sleeps Titania sometime of the night,

Lull'd in these flowers with dances and delight" (II.i.254-259).

Oberon includes a list of different types of flowers in his account of the woods. Therefore, from these three descriptions of the forest, the audience can picture what plant and animal life there is in the woods near Athens. 

How can I analyze a quote from The Crucible effectively and in a discerning manner while also analyzing the aesthetic features that show key...

In order to analyze a quote effectively, it helps to know what point you are trying to make. Then, you would explain what the quote means, as well as how it supports whatever your claim is. The quote you provided is lengthy, so you might begin by paraphrasing its most important aspects: Abigail threatens the other girls, implying she has seen violent murders committed and has no problem viciously murdering the girls if they tell on her. 

After explaining the most important parts of the quotation, you would then need to connect it, via your own explanation, to your topic sentence or thesis statement. For example, if you were to argue Abigail is to blame for the witch trials, you might analyze this quote by saying it proves Abigail actively hides facts from authorities and refuses to take responsibility for her own actions, actions that may have made Betty and Ruth very ill and could jeopardize her uncle's position. Abigail's willingness to resort to violence against her "friends" proves her capable of committing violence against people she doesn't value. You might say this quote proves Abigail understands she has done things that would be considered wrong by her community and that this makes it seem as though she will continue to do wrong things whenever it suits her.

In terms of the quote's "aesthetics," Abigail begins by using very short, quick, sentences: "Now look you. All of you. We danced. And Tituba conjured Ruth Putnam’s dead sisters. And that is all. And mark this." This variation in syntax — normal sentence structure — shows she is quite serious, even threatening. If you read those lines aloud and really pause at each period, you can hear just how measured and frightening Abigail sounds. The next two sentences are quite long:

Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you. And you know I can do it; I saw Indians smash my dear parents’ heads on the pillow next to mine, and I have seen some reddish work done at night, and I can make you wish you had never seen the sun go down!

All of the "ands" seem to compound the terrible things that Abigail has seen and that she is willing to do to keep the girls quiet, including, "and I will come to you," "and I will bring a pointy reckoning," "and I have seen some reddish work," and "and I can make you wish." After her first several clipped, quiet, measured sentences, her sentences get longer and more threatening. This is one way in which you might analyze her sentence structure; it seems to show how comfortable Abigail is with manipulation, how strongly she feels about getting what she wants, and how far she will go to get what she wants.