What are Viola's views on love in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night?

Twelfth Night is a play about love of all kinds, and not just its happy aspects. Many of the characters — including Viola — discover that grief, fear, and despair can come to those who lose their hearts. Twelfth Night is rightly considered a comedy, but the emotional perils that it explores give it a chiaroscuro quality. Imagine a group of people dancing merrily along the edge of a cliff — that’s life in Illyria.

The first thing we learn about Viola is that she loves her twin brother, Sebastian, and dreads the thought that he may have drowned. The sea captain who rescued her from the wreck gives her hope that Sebastian may still be alive, but Viola has to struggle with her fear and sorrow until almost the end of the play. When she disguises herself as a young man, she is startled to look in the mirror and see what looks like her lost twin gazing back at her:

VIOLA
I my brother know
Yet living in my glass; even such and so
In favour was my brother, and he went
Still in this fashion, colour, ornament,
For him I imitate . . . .
                                        [III, iv]

Viola’s love for Orsino also brings her pain. She can be near him only by maintaining her disguise, but as long as she does so, she has no hope of winning his love. To make matters worse, Orsino is already in love with the beautiful Olivia, and he sends Viola to woo her on his behalf. Viola finds herself in the agonizing situation of trying to persuade another woman to marry the man whom she herself worships:

VIOLA
                                      I’ll do my best
To woo your lady. [Aside] Yet a barful strife!
Whoe’er I woo, myself would be his wife.
                                                       [I, iv]

When Orsino remarks that women are incapable of loving as deeply as men do, Viola disagrees, arguing that it is women who love more truly:

We men may say more, swear more, but indeed
Our shows are more than will; for still we prove
Much in our vows, but little in our love.
                                    [II, iv]

But however hard things get for her, Viola never shows any sign of withdrawing emotionally. She weathers the pain and continues to love deeply. (Though she mocks herself a little for this, calling herself “Patience on a monument, smiling at grief.”) This bravery, and the loyalty and openness that go with it, are key to understanding Viola’s character.

What items best represent things Scout would use or cherish in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird? How are the items connected to Scout?

In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, we learn a great deal about Scout's interests and belongings, and these tell us a great deal about her character and character development.

In the very first chapter, we learn that Scout is precocious enough to know how to read even though she has not yet started school. In the second chapter, Scout astonishes her teacher by being able to read the alphabet, "most of My First Reader and the stock-market quotations from The Mobile Register." However, rather than being praised for her precociousness, Scout is told not to read any more because she is learning incorrectly. It's at this point in the story that we learn just how much Scout values reading; she values it so much that it has become a part of her daily existence:

Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing. (Ch. 2)

Reading is a part of her daily existence because she spends time with her father, curled up in his lap, reading whatever he is reading. Hence, one object that Scout cherishes is books, and books symbolize both her love for her father and her love of knowledge, just as her father loves knowledge.

By Chapter 9, we begin to see the extent to which Scout is a tomboy. Due her tomboyish nature, she prefers spending time with boys, like Jem and Dill, and is even physically aggressive, as seen in the fact that she is constantly picking physical fights with boys. In addition, we learn that she prefers to wear overalls, something her Aunt Alexandra strongly objects to. In Chapter 9, Scout narrates a continual argument she has with her aunt about Scout's boyish behavior. According to Scout, Aunt Alexandra tells Scout she "could not possibly hope to be a lady if [she] wore breeches" (Ch. 9). When Scout retorts that she "could do nothing in a dress," her Aunt Alexandra reminds her that Scout "wasn't supposed to be doing things that required pants" (Ch. 9). Based on this dialogue, we know that another item Scout values is her overalls. By wearing her overalls, she demonstrates her stubbornness, rebelliousness, and her desires to be her own person.

However, later, due to the influences of Calpurnia, Miss Maudie, and Aunt Alexandra, Scout does grow accustomed to the idea of growing to be a lady. She reaches her decision that she can be a lady soon after the trial when, during Aunt Alexandra's missionary circle meeting, she witnesses her aunt and Miss Maudie act very bravely in the face of the bad news that Tom Robinson had been shot to death. As Scout phrases it, "After all, if Aunty could be a lady at a time like this, so could I" (Ch. 24). Since, on that day, Scout is dressed in her best "pink Sunday dress, shoes, and a petticoat," we can say that these are also items of importance to Scout and represent her maturity.

How did the Reconstruction period affect the lives of African Americans?

The Reconstruction was an influential period of time after the completion of the Civil War in which discussions and policies concerning the rights of African Americans in the United States were heavily discussed and debated. Some of the important changes during this time that affected the lives of African Americans included:

• Congress granted African American males the right to citizenship and the right to vote. These rights were directly tied to the 14th and 15th Amendments of the U.S. Constitution. 

• For the first time in U.S. history, blacks and white men participated together in the constitutional conventions held from 1867-1869.

• Because African Americans made up a large portion of the Republican party in the South, 265 African American delegates were elected to serve in state legislative bodies. More than 100 of these delegates had been born into slavery. This political representation allowed for African Americans to have a stronger voice regarding state and federal laws.

This Reconstruction also brought with it violence from the Ku Klux Klan. Though all problems were far from being resolved during this period, the Reconstruction set the stage for the decades of race relations that continue to this day.

Nothing is what it seems in the play Macbeth. Give 5 examples of this and support it with quotes.

The prophecies that the Weird Sisters deliver to Macbeth -- that he will become Thane of Cawdor and, at some point, king -- appear to be very good; however, they will eventually lead him down a murderous and violent path that ends with his own destruction.  As Banquo warns him, "oftentimes, to win us to our harm, / The instruments of darkness tell us truth, / Win us with honest trifles, to betray 's / In deepest consequence" (1.3.135-138).  He cautions Macbeth to be wary of those prophecies because they could be a trap designed to manipulate him.  However, to Macbeth, the news only seems good.

Duncan is betrayed by the traitor, the old Thane of Cawdor, and he laments that "There's no art / To find the mind's construction in the face" (1.4.13-14).  He wishes there were a way to look at someone and to know what he is really thinking.  Duncan says of Cawdor, "He was a gentleman on whom I built / An absolute trust" (1.4.15-16).  In other words, the thane appeared to be loyal and honorable, but he was really traitorous and deceptive.

After Macbeth returns home, and he and Lady Macbeth await the arrival of Duncan, she says to him, "Look like th' innocent flower / But be the serpent under 't" (1.5.76-77).  She means that Macbeth must appear to be the friendly and loyal servant to the king that he has always been, but he needs to harbor his murderous thoughts in secret, hiding them under the false goodness of his exterior.

Then, when Duncan does arrive, he says, "This castle hath a pleasant seat.  The air / Nimbly and sweetly recommends itself / Unto our gentle senses" (1.6.1-3).  He compliments the Macbeths' home, saying that it looks like such a lovely and welcoming place; however, he does not realize that the owners are plotting his murder, a crime which will occur in this very place.  It looks welcoming, but it is not.

In this same scene, Duncan calls Lady Macbeth his "fair and noble hostess' (1.6.30).  She, like her home, seems welcoming and sincere and open, but she is actually deceptive and murderous and selfish.

In The Merchant of Venice, why does Gratiano say, "Let me play the fool" in Act 1, scene 1?

Gratiano has just told Antonio that he does not look well and that he is much too serious. He tells him that those who care too much about the world tend to lose the little they have. He says that Antonio does not look his old self.  

In reply, Antonio tells him that his vision of the world is just that - it is the world and nothing more. It is a stage on which every man plays a part and his one is a sad role. 

Gratiano suggests that if the world is as Antonio says, then he will play the part of a jester who will encourage laughter, causing faces to wrinkle. He would rather seek pleasure in wine and harm his liver than burden his heart with sad groans which could kill him.

Let me play the fool:
With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come,
And let my liver rather heat with wine
Than my heart cool with mortifying groans...

Gratiano then asks why a warm blooded man should sit like an old man as if he is made of stone and be asleep when he is actually awake. He further asks why any man should become ill by constantly being irritable. It is obvious that Gratiano wants Antonio to adopt a more pleasant demeanour for he then tells him that he loves him and that he is advising him out of love. 

He mentions the fact that there are many men who hardly ever speak. They develop a certain air about them by being silent. These men adopt a stern look and their faces look like stagnant ponds covered in filth. They attempt to create the impression that they are wise and philosophical men who deserve respect. Their superciliousness demands that others should be quiet and listen when they speak. Even dogs should stop barking.

He furthermore states that he knows such men and that they are only deemed wise because they hardly ever say anything, but when they do speak, it becomes evident what fools they actually are. He concludes his speech by saying that he would lecture Antonio some more about the subject at a later occasion. He suggests that Antonio should not use his melancholy as bait for him to offer any further opinions, for he is but a fool.

But fish not, with this melancholy bait,
For this fool gudgeon, this opinion.

He then asks Lorenzo to leave with him and greets, stating that he will continue trying to encourage Antonio after dinner.

Gratiano's attempt to encourage Antonio out of his melancholy is quite strange, to say the least. In order to cheer up his friend, he rather criticises the negative qualities of a sombre mood instead of saying something positive, although his suggestion at the start is that he would play the jester and encourage mirth. His speech comes across as more of a stern lecture than an inspiration. I am sure that if I were Antonio, I would be even more depressed after such a 'cheerful' talk! 

As it is, Antonio's mood is not lightened at all and he, somewhat sarcastically, remarks that he will now speak much more after Gratiano's lecture.

Is Juliet a selfish character in the play?

I wouldn't call Juliet a selfish character because I don't think it is selfish to be in love and to put that love and the person one loves first.  What should she have done differently: marry Paris?  Such an action would have gone against her conscience; she knew that she was already married in the eyes of (her) God, and she believed it to be wrong to marry another (or to marry someone she didn't love). 

One might argue that she was selfish not to be more loyal to her father and mother, but how loyal can we really expect her to be when her father threatened to throw her out and allow her to beg and starve in the street if she disobeys him?  This is hardly the behavior of a loving parent that deserves his child's obedience. 

One might also argue that taking her own life was selfish, but I don't think this is ever a compelling or appropriate argument.  A person doesn't end her life because she is selfish, she does it because she is in terrible pain and sees no other way to end that pain.  Further, Juliet wouldn't be in this situation at all if her family had not engaged in a ridiculous and violent feud with the Montagues over little else besides "family honor."  If anything, it is their selfishness that causes problems, and not hers.

Who preached "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" in the mid-1700s in the Massachusetts Bay Colony?

"Sinners in the Hands of Angry God" is a sermon that was written and delivered by Jonathan Edwards.  

The sermon was originally preached in July of 1741. It is Jonathan Edwards's most famous piece. It is terrifying to read because it has a visceral fire and brimstone message.  

Edwards delivered the sermon in the middle of the period known as the Great Awakening. The sermon itself talks about Hell as a very real place. It emphasizes that all people deserve the horrors of Hell, and that God is the only reason people are not doomed to eternal suffering. The sermon's vivid imagery and language awaken people to their sin. The goal is to steer people back toward a life of devotion to Christ.

In "Harrison Bergeron," why do you think Vonnegut decides to write the dance this way?

There are two dances in this story. The first dance illustrates the status quo—what things are like in this world where artificial constraints are placed on individuals to make sure that nobody stands out. The second demonstrates what the world could be like if individuals were free to develop to their fullest potentials. Vonnegut's choices show a real genius for solving problems inherent in writing a concise, comic story set in an alien society. They permit him to convey crucial information with great brevity and humor, and avoid bogging down the narrative with potentially awkward, intrusive, third person exposition.

At the beginning of the story, we're presented with generalizations about how the society is run. We then get a concrete example of how it works by learning about George's transmitter. The entire story will be told inside George's living room where George is watching TV. How can the author show us what conditions pertain outside that small space? How can he give us an impression of how the police state touches the lives of everyone?

In a masterstroke, Vonnegut lets us watch TV and see the dance through George's eyes. We are provided with a sample of the wider society—the ballerinas—and by eavesdropping on George's thoughts, we get some expository analysis from an insider, a member of the society:                           

He tried to think a little about the ballerinas. They weren't really very good—no better than anybody else would have been, anyway. They were burdened with sashweights and bags of birdshot, and their faces were masked, so that no one, seeing a free and graceful gesture or a pretty face, would feel like something the cat drug in.

In just two sentences, we learn the lengths the government takes to achieve its goal (i.e., making dancers wear bags and masks), and we learn that the measures are very effective (the dancers aren't very good). We also learn the insider's understanding of why everyone should support the government's programs (so ordinary people won't feel like "something the cat drug in").

George is an excellent vehicle for conveying these observations. Vonnegut needs to call our attention to both the external reality of the situation and internal view of reality that the government wants people to adopt. From what we've been told, it sounds like very few people living in this society are capable of this sort of analysis. We're told that George is different—his intelligence is "way above normal"—so it's not jarring or implausible that he might have thoughts that would inform the reader in such a convenient way. The author could have conveyed the information by adopting the sort of third-person, omniscient perspective we see in the first paragraph. Presenting George's perspective helps the author reduce such intrusions, allowing the reader to experience this dystopia in a more direct way.

The second dance, too, functions as a way to convey a crucial point with humor,  brevity, and the absence of an intrusive, moralizing, omniscient voice. If Harrison and the ballerina hadn't engaged in their superhuman dance, Harrison's takeover of the TV station would have seemed merely like a terrorist act, a demonstration of bullying and brute force.

By describing, in a few lines, "an explosion of joy and grace" with dancers leaping "like deer on the moon," Vonnegut permits readers to formulate their own answer to the charge that seeing graceful dancers would make people "feel like something the cat drug in." We are also elevated and transported by great talent.

Do you think that the narrator is to blame for Doodle's death in "The Scarlet Ibis?"

It is hard to blame the narrator ("Brother") completely because he is just a kid himself. He openly admits his responsibility in tormenting Doodle and pushing him too far, though, so the narrator is largely to blame.

Brother says Doodle was "a disappointment" from the beginning. Brother wanted a more physically able companion. As a result, he resents Doodle. Brother torments Doodle by showing him the casket that was meant for him.

Brother teaching Doodle to walk seems like a generous gesture to his parents, but Brother reveals he only taught Doodle to walk out of shame.

They did not know that I did it for myself, that pride, whose slave I was, spoke to me louder than all their voices, and that Doodle walked only because I was ashamed of having a crippled brother.

At the end of the story, when Doodle has "failed," Brother leaves him, literally and symbolically. Brother runs away faster and faster, knowing Doodle will push himself but inevitably be unable to keep up. As Brother runs away, he feels a "streak of cruelty." He runs faster and pushes Doodle to run himself ragged. He puts Doodle through physical and emotional strain and this becomes too much for Doodle's body to handle.

According to Rudyard Kipling in "The White Man's Burden," what is the impact of imperialism upon the people in European colonies?

Kipling assumes that European imperialism is beneficial to colonial peoples. To him, European people ought to take up the struggle to bring "civilization" in the form of education, medicine, ports, and roads to people around the world. Kipling characterizes the people in these colonies in extremely condescending and racialized terms: "half-devil and half-child," and does not believe that they are capable of understanding or appreciating the blessings of civilization. Indeed, those men who take up the "white man's burden" will earn little but the "blame of those ye better." This is why, he thinks, the burden of empire falls on the imperialists rather than colonial peoples. He assumes that people in the colonies (in this case, the Philippines, the subject of the poem) are inferior to imperialists (the United States, which was debating whether to annex the Philippines). He does not pause to consider that the people of the Philippines ought to be able to decide for themselves who their rulers should be, or that there is anything of value in Filipino culture or civilization. 

What happens in the beginning of the book?

By "beginning of the book" I am going to assume that you would like events that happen during September.  The book doesn't have a numbered chapter system.  Instead, each chapter is the name of the month that the book is taking place during.  The entire novel takes readers through Holling Hoodhood's seventh grade year.  

One of the first things that readers learn about Holling is that he isn't Catholic or Jewish.  He is Protestant.  That isn't a big deal in and of itself, but Holling is the only Protestant in his entire school. This makes Wednesday afternoons a bit awkward for Holling, because all of his classmates either go to Hebrew School or Catholic Catechism.  In order to put Holling somewhere, the school administration arranges for him to spend Wednesday afternoons with Mrs. Baker.  Mrs. Baker is not warm and welcoming at this point in the book, so Holling assumes that Mrs. Baker hates his guts.  Mrs. Baker even tries to have Holling retake the previous year's math class, so she doesn't have to deal with him.  That fails, so she makes Holling do menial tasks like cleaning desks and chalkboards.  

Chapter one also has a great recess event.  Holling is out during recess trying not to be noticed by older kids like Doug Switeck's brother. It doesn't work, and Holling is pulled into a pick up game of soccer.  Holling is tasked with guarding the older brute of a boy.  Doug Switeck's brother tries to run down Holling in front of the goal.  At the last second, Holling sidesteps out of the way and trips the bully.  Doug Switeck's brother goes flying toward the goal post and hits his head super hard.  Everybody is wonderfully impressed that Holling could "take out" the older boy.  

Finally, chapter one introduces readers to Holling's home.  The house may look nice on the outside and the inside, but readers learn that Holling's home life is not good.  His mother is a weak willed secret smoker.  His sister is antagonistic to just about everybody, and Holling's father only cares about himself and his business.  

What are three ways an author may develop a character?

Building a character is important to any story line. A well-developed character (or characters) allows a reader to connect with the story, meaning the story itself becomes more personable, involving, and interesting. An author can build a character through character backgrounds, character descriptions, and character actions and dialogues.

CHARACTER BACKGROUNDS

Throughout a story, an author will give the reader bits and pieces of information about a character to reveal something about who they are. If the character is a person, the author will likely include information about who they were or where they were before the story takes place. Often, this information comes in the form of memories, flashbacks, and/or personal anecdotes.

CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS

In order for a reader to connect with a character, an author will need to include a description about what they look like and what their personality is like. When characteristics of a character are directly stated, this is called direct characterization. Important attributes may include gender, physical appearance, likes/dislikes, attitude, ethnicity, language, location, or family structure.

CHARACTER DIALOGUES

Another way an author will communicate what a character is like to a reader is through the way the character interacts with other characters. This process of "showing and not telling" provides the reader with evidence of a character's personality and allows the reader to make their own judgements. "Showing not telling" is known as indirect characterization. If an author says, "Jane was a polite woman," it may not be as effective as showing a situation in which Jane acted politely with another character. Likewise, character actions become very important. If the author says, "Mike had a keen eye for fashion," it may not be as effective as saying, "Mike took his fashion portfolio with magazine clippings and ran to the bus stop. He didn't want to be late for the fall gala where he would meet the country's top designers."

`sqrt(x) + sqrt(y)y' = 0 , y(1) = 9` Find the particular solution that satisfies the initial condition

For the given problem: `sqrt(x)+sqrt(y)y' =0,` we may rearrange this to

`sqrt(y)y' = -sqrt(x)`

Recall that `y'` is denoted as `(dy)/(dx)` then it becomes:

`sqrt(y)(dy)/(dx) = -sqrt(x)`

Apply the variable separable differential equation in a form of `f(y) dy = g(x) dx` .

`sqrt(y)(dy) = -sqrt(x)dx`

Apply direct integration using the Power Rule: `int u^n du = u^(n+1)/(n+1)` .

Note: `sqrt(x) = x^(1/2) and sqrt(y) = y^(1/2)` .

`int sqrt(y)(dy) = int -sqrt(x)dx`

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

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

`y^(3/2)/(3/2) = -x^(3/2)/(3/2)+C`

`y^(3/2)*2/3 = -x^(3/2)*2/3+C`

`2/3y^(3/2) = -2/3x^(3/2)+C`

The general solution of the differential equation is `2/3y^(3/2)= -2/3x^(3/2)+C` .

Using the given initial condition `y(1)=9` , we plug-in `x=1` and `y=9`  to solve for C:

`2/3(9)^(3/2)= -2/3*1^(3/2)+C`

`2/3*27=-2/3*1+C`

`18=-2/3+C`

`C = 18+2/3`

`C = 56/3`

So,

`2/3y^(3/2)= -2/3x^(3/2)+56/3`

`y^(3/2)=(3/2)(-2/3x^(3/2)+56/3)`

`y^(3/2)=-x^(3/2)+28`

`(y^(3/2))^(2/3)=(-x^(3/2)+28)^(2/3)

`y =(-x^(3/2)+28)^(2/3)`

or

y = `root(3)((-x^(3/2)+28)^2)`

What happens when George tries to think for himself in "Harrison Bergeron"? Why is he so heavily "handicapped?"

George Bergeron has intelligence that is considered "way above normal," with normal intelligence being defined as the intellectual capacity to think only in short bursts. Because his society requires everyone to be equal, George's intelligence must be artificially reduced to match that of the average person. George therefore wears tiny radio receivers in his ear that are tuned to a government transmitter that sends out some type of sharp noise every twenty seconds or so. This noise is so jarring that it interrupts George's train of thought so he cannot develop any of his own ideas. The loud noises are transmitted at regular intervals. They are not punishments for George's specific thoughts, but they have the effect of preventing him from being able to pursue a given line of reasoning to a well-considered conclusion.

The entire system is set up so people like George will not take "unfair advantage of their brains." Two of the eight ballerinas dancing on television appear to have mental capabilities similar to George's, as they wince and react each time he hears a loud noise. The government requires that all people must be equal, so George's ability to think deeper or more productive thoughts than other people must be taken away via legally stipulated "handicaps."

The ear receivers are not George's only handicap. He also wears 47 pounds of lead pellets in a bag around his neck that cannot be removed under penalty of law. Carrying this weight around all the time makes him equal with others who don't have his physical strength or stamina. Because of George's physical and mental superiority to others in his culture, he must wear significant "handicaps."

What are all the settings in the book The Help?

The main setting of The Help is the city of Jackson, Mississippi, during the time period of 1962-1964. Within this framework are the various homes we are led into. Most of them surround the main characters who tell the story: Aibileen Clark, Minny Jackson, and Eugenia Phelan, known as Miss Skeeter. Aibileen is a black maid who works in the Leefolt household. Her own home serves as a meeting place for her and Miss Skeeter, whenever they work on collecting maid stories and work on writing the book. Minny is a black maid who works for Miss Celia and Johnny Foote, in a mansion out in the countryside. Minny lives with her husband Leroy and several children in the black part of Jackson. Miss Skeeter lives with her parents, Carlton and Charlotte Phelan, in her childhood home, a cotton plantation and estate called Longleaf. Another key site is the home of socialite Miss Hilly Holbrook, the president of the Jackson Junior League. These are the places we become most familiar with, throughout the book.

In Chapter 12 of Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick, what are three examples that illustrate the mood?

Chapter 12 starts off with a lighthearted mood of friendship, joy, and relief. You can tell by the way Max says "that really gets me laughing," "I'm rolling on the ground like a moron and Freak is strutting around and saying stuff like..." and "Everything is pretty much okay after that."

But school starts for Kevin and Max in that chapter, too, and the mood becomes tense. "Gram acts kind of worried," Max says, and as he and Freak move through the school together, there are "whispers in the hallways." Eventually the whispers erupt into loud insults as the chapter's tense mood reaches it climax; the kids insult both Max and his father, the felon, as they shout "Killer Kane!" and "Had a kid who got no brain!"

Surprisingly, though, that eruption of tension in the classroom takes a different turn when Kevin gets the class to be silent. The mood suddenly shifts to one of clamorous excitement, then, as he climbs onto Max's shoulders and riles the kids up. "He's raising his fist and punching it in the air," "he's got all the other kids chanting," and "it's like music or something" as Kevin and Max are suddenly controlling the clamor in the room.

In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, why is Scout and Atticus's relationship important?

Since Scout is the narrator of the book, her relationship with her father is important.  Most of the book’s events relate to the trial of Tom Robinson. Scout’s relationship with her father is good.  Atticus is a conscientious father who tries to guide Scout through the difficult events.

When Scout gets frustrated because her teacher doesn’t like that she knows how to read, Atticus reacts compassionately.  He explains to her that she still has to go to school, but they will continue to read together.  He also tells her that she will get along better with people if she learns to look at things from their point of view.

Atticus is aware that the trial will be hard on Scout in particular, because she is just old enough to begin to understand what is going on but not really old enough to appreciate it completely.  He knows he can’t protect them from what people will say, so he tries to explain his reasons for taking the case.

“If you shouldn’t be defendin‘ him, then why are you doin’ it?”

“For a number of reasons,” said Atticus. “The main one is, if I didn’t I couldn’t hold up my head in town, I couldn’t represent this county in the legislature, I couldn’t even tell you or Jem not to do something again.” (Ch. 9)

Atticus wants his children to understand that you should do what you believe, no matter how difficult it is.  If something is hard or even impossible, that doesn’t mean you should not try if trying is the right thing to do.  This is also why he wants them to understand Mrs. Dubose’s addiction.  She struggles, and eventually succeeds.  Atticus wants Scout and Jem to understand that courage takes many forms.

Atticus is often busy, and his children find him satisfactory but boring.  While he threatens to spank them all of the time, he never actually does.  When Uncle Jack spanks Scout for fighting with her cousin Francis, Atticus says she deserved it, but he has gotten away with threats thus far.  Scout and Jem respect their father, and usually try to do what he tells them.

Scout and Jem worry about their father, and involve themselves in the case more and more.  When Atticus brings a lamp with him and goes down to sit outside the courthouse at night, the children follow him.  They witness him talk down an angry mob out to lynch his client.  Scout decides to help her father, and strikes up a conversation with one of the men, her friend Walter Cunningham’s father.

Scout worries about her father when Bob Ewell threatens him.  He tries to explain that Ewell is not dangerous, but of course he turned out to be wrong.  Scout’s reaction to Boo Radley when he saves her shows that she has learned Atticus’s lessons about treating people with respect.

In the essay, "Straw Into Gold: The Metamorphosis of the Everyday," Cisneros used an analogy to the fairy tale Rumpelstiltskin...

Cisneros' technique is similar to Morrison's in the sense that both are references to fairy tales, where the main protagonists are women who manage to transcend adversity and misfortune.

In Cisneros' essay, the title references the story of Rumpelstiltskin, where a miller's daughter (with the help of an imp named Rumpelstiltskin) manages to transform straw into gold and eventually marry the king. Cisneros uses the "straw into gold" analogy to highlight how she has blossomed from an awkward child into a successful and empowered woman. Her thesis is that every woman has the potential to succeed, regardless of her current challenges. In this, her analogy is similar to Morrison's, who argues that all women have the power to take hold of opportunities and to realize their ambitions.

In Morrison's essay, the writer references the story of Cinderella and her step-sisters to argue that it is the province of every successful woman to ensure her fellow sisters' self-determination and empowerment; essentially women should refrain from masculine competitiveness and aim to foster the inherent, nurturing tendencies of their feminine nature. Morrison asserts that she is "alarmed by the violence that women do to each other: professional violence, competitive violence, emotional violence...the willingness of women to enslave other women."

Morrison's technique is different from Cisneros' in the sense that Morrison focuses not just on women transcending adversity, but also on feminine violence against their same-sex counterparts. Morrison's essay highlights what women decide to subject their peers to when they are in a position of power, while Cisneros largely concentrates on women transcending traditional norms and societal expectations.

What do the boys want Braithwaite to do in To Sir, with Love?

The boys want Mr. Braithwaite to box Denham and answer the boy's challenge.

Described as a "husky blasé" student, Denham is insolent and defiant. He is "watchfully hostile" to his teacher, and makes snide remarks whenever he can. One day Braithwaite notices that Denham and his friend Sapiano are snickering at something which Denham hides inside his half-open desk. When Braithwaite pulls open the desk, he discovers that Denham has a pornographic magazine with an enlarged picture of a scantily clothed woman. When his teacher takes this photograph from him, Denham smiles insolently at him, having intended that Braithwaite discover it. After tearing up the picture and starting back to the front of the room, Braithwaite hears Denham's racial insult, and he realizes that something will happen soon.

On Thursday of the week in which Denham's picture was taken from him, there is an air of expectancy and excitement in the classroom, and at recess students stand in small clusters and whisper. Then, in the afternoon physical education class, Braithwaite notices that Sapiano has his arm bandaged. When he asks the class to line up, Denham, who is interested in boxing and is in great shape, requests that they have boxing first this day. Agreeing to do this, Mr. Braithwaite instructs the boys to arrange themselves in pairs according to their sizes. Soon, Denham points out that his sparring partner Sapiano is hurt this day, and he asks if he can box with his teacher. 

"Go on, sir, take him on," the students encourage their teacher.
"No, Denham, I think you'll have to skip it for today." (Ch. 11)

Then, Denham takes off his gloves and he drops them by Braithwaite, who can read the disappointment in his students' faces, as well as their disgust because they believe he is afraid. Braithwaite changes his mind, saying, "Okay. Let's go." When they box, Braithwaite tries mainly to dodge the jabs of Denham, who is a good boxer. "Come on, Sir, go after him," Patrick Fernham calls out. Suddenly, Denham punches his teacher hard in the face; the blood he has drawn and the encouraging shouts to "Go after him" from students incite Braithwaite and he punches Denham solidly in the solar plexus. When this blow doubles the boy over and he collapses on the floor, the other students react as though their teacher has "suddenly grown up before their eyes."

Ordering everyone else to line up for vaulting, Braithwaite takes Denham to sit against a wall. After class he tells the boy that he simply landed "a lucky punch," and he suggests that Denham soak his head in some cool water.

This incident marked a turning point in my relationship with the class. Gradually, Denham's attitude changed, and...that of his cronies....now [Denham's comments] were more acceptable to all of us, for they were no longer made in a spirit of rebellion and viciousness. (Ch. 11)

This incident is, indeed, a turning point as Braithwaite receives the students' obedience and respect from then on. Denham still makes some derogatory comments, but the venom and bitter sarcasm is no longer in his words.

What was the South African government like under Apartheid?

Between 1948 and 1994, South Africa’s government was ruled by the National Party, which instituted the system known as Apartheid. In creating Apartheid, the National Party’s goal was to ensure that Afrikaners, white descendants of 17th century Dutch settlers, maintained political control in post-colonial South Africa. The Apartheid era was defined by extreme segregation and oppression; the legacy of which South Africa continues to grapple with more than two decades later.

Throughout the 1950s, the National Party stripped voting rights away from black South Africans, along with other minorities described under the umbrella term ‘Coloureds.’ The National Party did this by manipulating the court system and passing a series of laws in the legislature which it controlled. By 1960, black South Africans had lost their right to vote.

Though Afrikaners were the majority white population in South Africa, other whites such as the descendants of English settlers, along with a sizable Jewish community, were weary of the Afrikaners’ dominance of South Africa’s political system. Though Afrikaner politicians attempted to strengthen ‘white unity’ through declaring South Africa a republic in 1960, groups within South Africa’s white community continued to distrust one another until the end of the Apartheid era.

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, the Apartheid government attempted to gain international support through its anti-Communist policies. Though America was learning many valuable lessons concerning racial equality from the Civil Rights Movement, the American government continued to support South Africa through the mid 1980s as part of its strategy to win the Cold War against the Soviet Union. In fact, it was the U.S.’s Central Intelligence Agency that assisted the Apartheid government in arresting Nelson Mandela, who at the time was affiliated with the South African Communist Party.

On the home front, the National Party continued its oppression of ‘Coloured’ South Africans by relocating millions of people to a series of ‘Bantustans,’ quasi-independent countries located in some of South Africa’s most inhospitable areas. In the Bantustans, education, sanitation, and other social services were severely limited. By the mid-1980s, life for white South Africans was comparable to living in wealthier areas of the United States. Life for black South Africans, however, was at Third World poverty levels.

The world turned against South Africa's Apartheid government throughout the 1980s. Trade sanctions placed on South Africa by nearly two dozen countries severely weakened South Africa’s economy. Combined with the condemnation of Apartheid by religious leaders such as Pope John Paul II, the National Party began to re-evaluate its stance on Apartheid. A defining moment came in 1989 when F.W. de Klerk became South Africa’s president. Though a conservative, de Klerk understood that Apartheid could no longer exist. De Klerk lifted restrictions on previously banned political parties such as the African National Congress. His efforts also led to the release of Nelson Mandela from prison in 1990.

After two years of negotiations, South Africa had its first free elections in 1994. Nelson Mandela was elected president, and the African National Congress, once labeled a terrorist organization by the National Party, became the majority political party in the country’s legislature. Apartheid was officially over.

What is the climax of George Washington Cable's "Tite Poulette"? What are the most important actions/events characterizing this section, and why...

The climax in "Tite Poulette" extends from the moment Kristian Koppig is stabbed to the moment Madame John unobtrusively observes Kristian declaring his love for Tite Poulette. The climax is the highest point of the story, and in this instance, the climax is significant because it brilliantly highlights the theme of discriminatory caste systems in 19th century New Orleans. In focusing on Kristian, Madame John, and Tite Poulette's emotional reactions, Cable portrays for us the cruelty of unjust laws that circumscribed Southern living.

An important scene in the climax rests upon Kristian's delirious proclamation to Madame John that he cannot marry Tite Poulette because she is "jet black." In this instance, Kristian's words unwittingly expose his heart: he is in love with the daughter of a quadroon woman. However, the law forbids such a miscegenistic alliance. How then will the conflict resolve itself? During his convalescence, Madame John regales Kristian with an account of her nursing a Spanish couple through a bout of yellow fever. After hearing that the couple had succumbed to the fever, Kristian hopefully asks if an infant had been left behind. Here, Cable highlights how decent men are reduced to grasping at straws in order to justify forbidden romantic attachments.

Madame John's answer leads to an anguished reaction from Kristian. Herself affected beyond endurance, Madame John sends Tite Poulette to Kristian's bedside, itself another significant action. Then, unobserved, she watches the emotional exchange between Kristian and her daughter. The conflict is resolved when Madame John produces supposedly legal papers declaring Tite Poulette's "white" heritage, which clears the way for the two lovers to marry. Love wins in the end: "I have struggled hard, even to this hour, against Love, but I yield me now; I yield; I am his unconditioned prisoner forever. God forbid that I ask aught but that you will be my wife."

In which act of Arthur Miller's The Crucible does Reverend Parris care about his name?

I probably could make the argument that Reverend Parris cares about his name and his name's reputation throughout the entire play.  But if I had to pick one act that shows Parris very worried about his name and reputation, I would pick Act One.  

There is a sequence early on in Act One where Parris and Abigail Williams are discussing what is wrong with Betty.  Abigail tells Parris that the girls were dancing and nothing more.  Parris isn't convinced though, and really starts grilling Abigail about witchcraft and conjuring spirits.  

The reason that Parris is questioning Abigail so strongly is that he knows that there are people in Salem that don't want him to be minister anymore.  

Parris: There is a faction that is sworn to drive me from my pulpit. Do you understand that?

Parris is worried that his enemies will use the girls' forest activity against him.  It might work, too, since Betty was there, and she is his daughter.  Plus, Abigail was there, and she is his niece.  The family association would blacken his name.  

Parris: Now then, in the midst of such disruption, my own household is discovered to be the very center of some obscene practice. . . Now tell me true, Abigail. And I pray you feel the weight of truth upon you, for now my ministry's at stake. . . Abigail, I have sought here three long years to bend these stiff-necked people to me, and now, just now when some good respect is rising for me in the parish, you compromise my very character.

Was Julius Caesar a tyrant or a good leader?

Julius Caesar was loved by the soldiers and the common people, but despised by the upper class for how he came to power. 

Julius Caesar was a brilliant military tactician and leader. He got along with almost everyone because he was a Patrician but did not come from a wealthy background. He had an ear for languages, which made it easier for him to interact with leaders from other countries—even those Rome was fighting or conquering. 

Caesar’s leadership style was to lead from the front. A good example of how much he was admired and respected The fact that he was so admired and respected is that he was able to get his army to march on Rome, which was illegal. It horrified the senators in power, especially Pompey. It showed them Caesar had more power than them, because he was backed by an army willing to do anything for him. Caesar’s army was loyal to Caesar. He made them a lot of money. In Ancient Rome, soldiers were paid partially in spoils. 

Caesar was an avid reader and a prolific writer. He had knowledge in a wide variety of fields, from geography to engineering, and was a skilled speaker. He could encourage and motivate his soldiers and (usually) convince the senate, too. A group of senators felt Caesar was gaining too much power, though. They decided to stop him by stabbing him 23 times on the senate floor.

A tyrant is someone who is exacting and only cares about himself. He exerts his will on others. Brutus called Caesar a tyrant, but the people of Rome and Caesar's soldiers do not seem to have agreed with him. For some time, the senate was mixed on the issue and unsure who should have power. Eventually, they sided with Antony and Octavius (Caesar's heir), who formed a second triumvirate with another of Caesar's lieutenants, Lepidus.

What Brutus really objected to was that Caesar came to power by driving Pompey out. Ancient Rome was not the stable, quaint republic Brutus imagined, though. It had faced violent upheaval and civil war for years through Gaius Marius, Sulla, and the first triumvirate (where Caesar shared power with Crassus and Pompey). The assassins were a little idealistic in calling Caesar the villain.

Find values for `a` and `b` that will make `f` continuous everywhere, if f(x) = { `-3x^2` if `x lt 1;` `ax + b` if `1lt=xlt=4;` `x + sqrt(x)` if `4...

Hello!

The formulas used to define `f(x)` are elementary functions and they are continuous on a given intervals. The only problem problematic points are the joint points `1` and `4.`

Even at these points `f` has limits from the left and from the right. And for `f` to be continuous at `1` and `4` it is necessary and sufficient for these limits to coincide. It is evident that

`lim_(x->1-) f(x) = -3,` `lim_(x->1+) f(x) = a+b,`

`lim_(x->4-) f(x) = 4a+b,` `lim_(x->4+) f(x) = 6.`

This gives the linear system for `a` and `b,` `a+b=-3` and `4a+b=6.` Solve it by substitution: `b=-3-a` and `4a-3-a=6,` thus `a=3` and `b=-6.` This is the (unique) answer.

In Hinton's That Was Then, This Is Now, what does Bryon learn from Mark, and how does it help him change?

Bryon learned from Mark that one's actions can negatively affect other people and that consequences are essential in teaching individuals the difference between right and wrong. At the beginning of the novel, Bryon willingly broke the law with Mark and did not feel bad about how his actions hurt others. As the novel progresses, Bryon matures and begins to feel empathy for those around him. He realizes that Mark has no conscience and does not understand the concept of right and wrong. Mark's willingness to harm others and not think twice about taking advantage of people concerns Byron. After hearing Mike's story, witnessing Charlie die, and finding M&M high off of LSD, Byron's perspective on life changes and he understands that Mark is a dangerous person. Mark's actions and disregard for others teaches Bryon that in order to make the world a better place, he must take responsibility and do everything that he can to stop those who are willing to hurt people. Although Bryon loses his best friend, he does the right thing by calling the police to lock up a criminal.

What are the internal and external conflicts in "How I Met My Husband" by Alice Munro?

In "How I Met My Husband," the external conflict is the love triangle between Edie, Chris Watters, and Alice Kelling. Edie, who is fifteen, is enjoying a flirtation with Chris when Alice, his fiancee, shows up. Chris has a relatively innocent tryst with Edie that Alice finds out about and that causes Alice to erupt in anger. Chris leaves after this tryst, and Edie never sees him again.

The internal conflict revolves around Edie's growing sense of herself as a woman. At the beginning of the story, she tries on a dress that belongs to her employer, Mrs. Peebles, and she wants to feel older and more sophisticated than she is. Her flirtation with Chris is part of this process, and she observes the interaction with Chris and Alice without truly understanding it—or Chris's apparent inability to be committed to a woman—the way an older person would. Instead, she waits by the mailbox to receive the letter she thinks he will write her. She has a realization over time: "Till it came to me one day there were women doing this with their lives, all over. There were women just waiting and waiting by mailboxes for one letter or another" (page numbers vary by edition). Edie has the epiphany that women too often believe what men say and live their lives waiting for happiness that never comes. At that point, she resolves her conflict by getting involved with and eventually marrying the mailman who visits the house each day.

How does Bob describe Jimmy's strengths and weaknesses?

Bob's descriptions of Jimmy turn out to be ironic because, although he doesn't know it, he is describing Jimmy to Jimmy's face. Speaking to the patrolman, whom he doesn't know is Jimmy Wells, Bob says that Jimmy was his "best chum" growing up, and he considers him the "finest chap in the world." These are general positive descriptions showing that Jimmy was a good friend to Bob. Bob goes on to deliver some veiled criticisms of Jimmy, though. He insinuates that Jimmy's loyalty to his hometown of New York was naive. He seems to doubt that Jimmy will have become as financially successful as he has because, in his words, Jimmy was "kind of a plodder." This means Jimmy didn't have drive and competitiveness; by staying in New York rather than going out West, Jimmy has become a run-of-the-mill kind of guy in Bob's estimation. Bob assumes he has gotten "in a groove." 

Notwithstanding these perceived shortcomings, Jimmy has strengths, according to Bob. Bob says he "always was the truest, staunchest old chap in the world." Although "true" in this context indicates loyalty, it also implies a level of integrity and commitment to what is true and right. "Staunch" also speaks of loyalty. Bob is convinced Jimmy will never forget about their meeting; he is reliable and can be depended upon to keep a promise.

It turns out Bob understands his friend's character well. The qualities that Bob relates about Jimmy are the qualities that make it necessary for him to turn Bob over to the law. His plodding and getting into a groove in New York City have allowed him to become a consummate police officer, having the ability to withhold his identity from Bob and pull off a sting operation under the nose of a man who has been able to "compete with some of the sharpest wits going." Jimmy remains true not only to his promise to his friend but also to the requirements of the law and society, delivering Bob into the hands of the Chicago police.

How does Romeo glorify Juliet's beauty?

When Romeo first sees Juliet at the Capulet ball, he is immediately enraptured by her beauty. He immediately asks the servingman at the party who she is. He says that Juliet stands out against the darkness like a jeweled earring in an Ethiopian. He says her "beauty too rich for use, for earth to dear." Compared to the other women at the party, Juliet is like a white dove among crows. He famously says he "ne'er saw true beauty till this night." 

In Act II, during the famous balcony scene, Romeo glorifies Juliet's beauty by saying Juliet is the sun. He says even the moon is jealous of Juliet's beauty. He compares her eyes to the two brightest stars who had to go away but "do entreat in her eyes." He says her eyes are so bright and if they were stars that "that birds would sing and think it were not night." He refers to Juliet as "bright angel," "a winged messenger of heaven." 

How were Diana and Lyddie similar? How were they different?

Both Diana and Lyddie are strong-willed, independent, and determined women. They are both strong-willed and independent because both women have a goal in mind, and they will not be swayed from that goal no matter what anybody says. They are determined to see things through. Lyddie is determined to work hard, earn money, and pay down her family debt. Diana is determined to get better working conditions in the mills for the girls.

I think that a basic difference through much of the story is that Lyddie is much more selfish than Diana. Lyddie doesn't have a heart of stone, but she is completely focused on herself, the money, and her family debt. She is willing to put up with horrible working conditions in order to succeed. Also, because Lyddie is so willing to put up with so much, she isn't at much risk of losing her job. Diana, on the other hand, is much more willing to give of herself to help other people. She doesn't hold a grudge against Lyddie for having to teach her. She uses her own contacts to get Lyddie medical help, and she risks being fired from all factory work in order to get better working conditions.

In "Lamb to the Slaughter," Mary Maloney's dialogue is distinctive in this story. Her way of speaking to others doesn't change, even after she has...

The consistent nature of Mary's dialogue helps the reader to compare and contrast her, before and after the crime. In doing so, the reader can also make conjectures about Mary's state of mind, her true character, and the internal factors that motivate her to be how she is. 

The way that she is able to control the atmosphere of the house, and the manner in which she maintains consistency in the midst of chaos, helps the reader see right through Mary's manipulative nature. Sweet and subservient as she may be, she still holds the strings tightly throughout very chaotic times. One must question whether her submissive behavior has a bigger and more direct purpose. This, however, is never revealed. 

Therefore, the effect that the writer creates is one of speculation. The reader no longer has complete knowledge or understanding of the character as her lack of affective tuning, or reacting according to the situation, renders her hard to predict.

And in the other room, Mary Maloney began to giggle.

The speculation that is created from the strange behavior from Mary is what makes the character so mysterious and enigmatic, creating a completely different atmosphere in the reading of the story from beginning to end. 

What are the main themes in the play Loyalties by John Glasworthy?

It is an irony that one of the main themes of Loyalties is the concept of loyalty. Each character has a different person or concept to which he or she is loyal.  Captain Dancy misjudges the loyalty of his friends.  Mabel is fiercely loyal to her mate.  Winsor is loyal to tradition.  Canynge is loyal to his reputation in the Army.  Most importantly, De Levin and Jacob Twisden are the only people loyal to the truth.  Of course, De Levin is the victim.  Jacob Twisden is the lawyer.

COLFORD.  Guilty or not, you ought to have stuck to him—it's not playing the game, Mr Twisden.

TWISDEN. You must allow me to judge where my duty lay, in a very hard case.

Yet another theme is that of discrimination.  In fact, this is the most general of themes to notice about this play.  In short, it is Jewish people (and especially De Levin) who are discriminated against.  He is trying to gain membership to the Jockey Club.  The rich people do not want to allow him membership and, as a result, stage a robbery.  De Levin decides to find the real culprit behind this robbery and find the only person he can trust is Twisden.

What is the fourth apparition in Macbeth?

After the Weird Sisters show Macbeth the first three apparitions—the helmeted and disembodied head, the bloody child, and the child crowned who holds a tree in his hand—he asks to know if "Banquo's issue [will] ever / Reign in this kingdom" (4.1.116-117). The Weird Sisters caution him that he should not try to learn anything else from the spirits, but Macbeth curses them if they remain unwilling to answer his question. The witches then show him a spectral line of eight kings that all look like Banquo, and the eighth king is holding a mirror in his hand that reflects the line. Macbeth interprets the reflection of the line of eight in the mirror as "show[ing] [him] many more," as though the line will go on and on (4.1.135). The eighth king is followed by the ghost of Banquo. The ghost points at the line and smiles as if to indicate that they are "his" own (4.1.139). Therefore, Macbeth is given to understand that Banquo's issue will most certainly reign in this kingdom and for quite a while.

In "The Sniper" by Liam O'Flaherty, how do the conflicts experienced by the main character reveal his personality?

The Republican sniper, who is the protagonist of Liam O'Flaherty's short story, is at once cold and calculating, while also revealing profound guilt and regret as he battles an enemy sniper on the rooftops of Dublin during the Irish Civil War. At first, the sniper displays a fearless, calculating approach to his job. He is described as a "fanatic" who was used to "looking at death." He kills, seemingly without remorse, the old woman and the armored car commander. When he is wounded by the opposition sniper, he acts without panic, treating his wound and devising a plan to rid himself of his enemy. He tricks the Free State sniper into revealing himself by faking his own death. Then, he uses his pistol to coldly shoot his opponent. O'Flaherty even notes that the Republican sniper did so with a smile. Afterward, however, the shock and senselessness of his actions overwhelm the sniper as he temporarily breaks down into grief and madness:

The sniper looked at his enemy falling and he shuddered. The lust of battle died in him. He became bitten by remorse. The sweat stood out in beads on his forehead. Weakened by his wound and the long summer day of fasting and watching on the roof, he revolted from the sight of the shattered mass of his dead enemy. His teeth chattered, he began to gibber to himself, cursing the war, cursing himself, cursing everybody.

While being initially portrayed as heartless and machine-like, the sniper is given very human qualities in this paragraph. He understands the cruel nature of war and how it has impacted his life. Even before it is revealed that he had killed his own brother, the reader may decide that the sniper will always carry the figurative scars of warfare. After the final line of the story, it will be impossible for him to ever forget what he has done.

In Tuck Everlasting, what was Miles's job, and why was it helpful?

Readers are told that Miles tends to have jobs in the carpentry trade. For him personally, his job is useful, because he can get a carpentry job just about anywhere. He and the rest of the Tucks are forced to move every ten years or so, because they are immortal. Carpentry skills are needed everywhere, so Miles can easily move, hide his immortality, and find work.

His skills benefit the Tuck family once Mae Tuck is put in jail. She is likely to be executed for killing the man in the yellow suit. Of course the execution won't work on Mae, so the Tucks have to break her out of jail in order to keep their secret.  Miles's plan is to remove the jail window, bars and all, in order to free Mae. For a skilled carpenter, removing a window is an easy job. The plan works, and Mae is able to escape the jail. She and the Tuck family are then able to safely leave the area.  

In Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, what does Beatty criticize about schools, universities and printed material?

Beatty says that the increase in population had something to do with the necessity of banning books: 

Once, books appealed to a few people, here, there, everywhere. They could afford to be different. The world was roomy. But then the world got full of eyes and elbows and mouths. Double, triple, quadruple population. Films and radios, magazines, books levelled down to a sort of paste pudding norm, do you follow me? 

Also, according to Beatty, as technology became faster, books were cut shorter. Attention spans shrunk. Everything became condensed. This compression of thinking activities gives everyone more time to focus on work and leisure. With people thinking less profoundly, they are less likely to confront real sadness, loneliness, and so on. Beatty says that with less critical thinking there is less conflict and controversy. This lack of conflict makes for a complacent, numbed, but generally happy populace. The "smart" people of the world have always been the subject of abuse, so why not just make everyone equal and eliminate the stress on education. Beatty says, "And wasn't it this bright boy you selected for beatings and tortures after hours? Of course it was. We must all be alike. Not everyone born free and equal, as the Constitution says, but everyone made equal." 

If certain books, printed material, and literature make certain people upset, why not just get rid of them all? This is the logic Beatty proposes to Montag and Mildred. Education just leads to sadness. Beatty adds, "Don't give them any slippery stuff like philosophy or sociology to tie things up with. That way lies melancholy." (This conversation between Beatty, Montag, and Mildred occurs at the end of Part 1.) 

What happens when silver nitrate solution is added to sodium chloride solution?

When silver nitrate (AgNO3) reacts with sodium chloride (NaCl), the following reaction takes place:

`AgNO_3 (aq) + NaCl(aq) -> NaNO_3 (aq) + AgCl (s)`

In this reaction, the cations, silver (Ag+) and sodium (Na+), exchange their anions, nitrate (NO3-) and chloride (Cl-). For example, silver nitrate is a reactant and is made up of silver and nitrate ions. However, during the reaction, sodium ion forms a bond with the nitrate ion and sodium nitrate is formed. Similarly, silver ion reacts with chloride ion and forms silver chloride. Thus, this reaction yields silver chloride and sodium nitrate. Thus, a double displacement reaction takes place. 

The reactants, silver nitrate and sodium chloride are both very soluble in water. In comparison, among the products, only sodium nitrate is soluble in water, while silver chloride is not. Silver chloride will precipitate out as a white solid and we obtain a milky white suspension as the product. 

What were the effects of the slave revolts?

Slave revolts occurred throughout the New World in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Because your question is very general, I would draw your attention to the important differences between the results of revolts in Brazil and the Caribbean and those which occurred in the United States. There is also a difference between revolts which occurred on ships, which tended to be more effective, and those which occurred on land, which were more likely to be put down by those in power.

Well-known revolts in South America and the Caribbean include the Bahia revolt in Brazil, the Morant Bay Rebellion in Jamaica, and the most successful revolt of all, the uprising in Haiti led by Toussaint L'Ouverture. With the exception of the Haiti uprising, which resulted in independence, these revolts were generally put down swiftly and violently.

Governor Edward John Eyre's response to the Morant Bay Rebellion resulted in the deaths of 439 black people, 600 floggings, and around 1,000 homes being burned to the ground. There was controversy in England over Eyre's actions, with intellectual figures such as Charles Darwin and Thomas Huxley condemning him, while Thomas Carlyle and Charles Dickens defended Eyre's need to restore order. 

In the United States, there was also violent retribution against blacks after slave revolts, though legislation was also enacted to deal with the threat of insurrection. However, most American revolts were foiled before they could be carried out. Gabriel Prosser's intended revolt in Richmond, Virginia in 1803 was spoiled by a black cook who informed on him and other participants. Denmark Vesey's intended revolt in Charleston, South Carolina was also foiled. However, in 1831, Nat Turner did carry out a revolt in Southampton County Virginia which resulted the deaths of 65 whites, including children. 

Before Turner's rebellion there had been talk among legislators of possible abolition of slavery. After the rebellion fear of blacks was palpable, resulting in more severe actions to control black people. The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was partially in response to fear of, not only of slaves, but also of free or escaped blacks. Slaves who were found to be off of plantations without written permission from their owners could be severely punished. Prior to Turner's revolt, slaves had more freedom to roam. Also, groups of blacks found to be congregating were deemed suspect and were often broken up and sent back to their respective plantations. Prior to Turner's revolt, blacks were allowed to congregate, particularly for religious services.

Generally, with the exception of Haiti, revolts led to violent retribution against blacks -- both free and enslaved -- and legislation intended to circumscribe their lives (e.g., ability to congregate, leave plantations, learn to read) even further.

The speaker in the poem has to make a decision. Where is he located? What decision must he make?

The speaker in the poem is at a fork in the road he's been traveling, in the middle of the woods somewhere.  He is now faced with the decision of which of the two roads in the fork to take, and he ponders the choice in the poem.  Literally, then, he must decide which actual, physical road to take next.  Figuratively, however, the two roads symbolize another choice, any choice, really, that a person might make in his or her life.  This choice could be any one that one might feel would likely make a big impact on the direction one's life will take from then on: whether to go to college or get a job, which college to attend, whether to have a family, whether to take time to travel, what career to choose, and so forth.  However, the speaker essentially says that all the roads have been traveled (or decisions have been made) roughly the same number of times: he says that the second road is "just as fair" as the first, that they lay "equally," and that "the passing there / Had worn them really about the same."  In other words, the roads may look a bit different but are both well-traveled.  Therefore, the message is not that one should make unique choices but that there really are no unique choices.  It is hardly the inspirational poem that most people make it out to be. 

In the end, the speaker plans to lie.  When he is old and telling people about this decision he had to make, he plans to say that he took the road that fewer people had traveled, implying that he made a unique choice.  The problem?  There is no "road less traveled," only our very human desire to believe that we have made significant and impactful and unique choices that have made our lives our own.

Why do you think the popular image of Salem is different than the actuality and what does this tell us about the presentation of history to the...

Nearly every American is at least nominally familiar with the Salem witch trials of 1692-1693. However, most popular conceptions of the Salem witch trials greatly exaggerate the facts of the event. Many people, for instance, believe the convicted "witches" were burned at the stake, when, in fact, they were hanged. These popular misconceptions probably stem from artistic license taken by authors--such as Arthur Miller--and filmmakers who embellished, changed, or ignored facts for dramatic affect, ideological reasons, or to create a smoother narrative.

The public needs to realize that there is no such thing as a film or novel which conveys a "true story." A movie or novel may be based on a true story, but all filmmakers and authors must inject their own point of view into the narrative, muddying the distinction between fact and fiction. Unfortunately, people tend to, subconsciously, let the spirit or mood of a work of art influence the way their imagination perceives the true event on which it is based.

How can I compare the two people who come and sit on the bench with Norman Gortsby in Dusk?

When the story opens, Gortsby is sharing a bench with an elderly gentleman who has "a drooping air of defiance." His appearance in the story at all seems to be to serve as the rightful owner of the cake of soap Gortsby eventually discovers on the ground. There is nothing distinctive about this old man. He is a nobody. The author gets rid of him quickly. This shows that the old man has no immediate function in the story. When he reappears at the end, however, the reader will remember him and that he had been sitting there.

As he rose to go Gortsby imagined him returning to a home circle where he was snubbed and of no account, or to some bleak lodging where his ability to pay a weekly bill was the beginning and end of the interest he inspired.

Why would the old man buy a cake of soap? He is obviously poor and can't afford luxuries. It must be because he lives in a place where soap is not provided. The narrator suggests that he might live in "some bleak lodging," something like a rooming-house in what the English call "a bed-sitter," a one-room combination bedroom and living-room. He would have no private bath but would have to use a common bathroom and bring his own soap.

The young man who comes and sits beside Gortsby as soon as the old man leaves is a far more complex character. He pretends to be an affluent young country gentleman who has just come up to London. His dialogue suggests that he has been to Eton and Oxford. In actuality he is trying to be a confidence trickster and does not appear to have had much experience at it yet. He has composed a story which is intended to make Gortsby believe that he might have an opportunity to make a friend of a young man his age who belongs to a higher social class. The trickster says he doesn't know a soul in London. He is not asking for money but only for a loan until he can get back into his hotel room tomorrow. Gortsby thinks he has exposed the other man as a phony when he asks to see the cake of soap the young man said he had come out to buy when he lost his hotel. This leads to the trickster's retreating in embarrassment and confusion. But then Gortsby finds a cake of soap on the ground by the bench and thinks he has missed a golden opportunity to rise in the world.

This is where the elderly gentleman plays the part he was intended for. Gortsby chases after the young trickster, gives him a sovereign, plus the soap, and his card. When he passes the bench where he had been sitting, he sees the old man searching the ground all around the bench. 

"Have you lost anything, sir?" he asked.

"Yes, sir, a cake of soap."

The fact that the old man is spending so much time searching for his cake of soap near the bench, "poking and peering beneath it and on all sides of it," is completely in character. It cost him a lot of money, relatively speaking. He is no confidence trickster but just an old former clerk living on a pension and required to buy a cake of soap for his personal use. Saki only created him and placed him on the bench beside Gortsby because he needed him for his surprise ending. Since Gortsby gave the old man's soap to the trickster, from whom he now realizes he will never hear again, Gortsby may feel obliged to pay the old man for his lost soap. It has been a bad evening for Gortsby.

What are three ways that natural resources make life easier for families?

Natural resources are the resources that are available naturally and are not synthesized by human beings. These include plants, animals, air, water, soil, and minerals. They have numerous uses in our day-to-day lives and are an integral part of our lifestyles, both for families and individuals.

Our food comes from natural resources, whether we are vegetarians or non-vegetarians. We eat either exclusively plant products or plant and animal products. Our transportation is mostly based on fossil fuels, which are composed of natural resources. Our energy is generated using natural resources. The fuels for energy generation include coal, natural gas, uranium, sunlight, and wind. Thus, both renewable and non-renewable energy sources are natural resources we use to fulfill our energy requirements. Water is another vital natural resource, as we use is for drinking, cooking, and cleaning.

Hope this helps.  

Why is Marie de France's "Lanval" one of the most enjoyable Arthurian works?

Please keep in mind that your question is an opinion question for which there is no "right" answer. That being said, one can make some definite points as to why any reader might consider Marie de France's "Lanval" to be an enjoyable and interesting piece of Arthurian literature.

First, Marie de France's "Lanval" is a good example of a lay poem that has a beautiful fairy tale element. A lay (or lai) is a narrative poem with lyrical elements. It is this fairy tale element that makes "Lanval" so intriguing. The main character of this narrative poem is a knight in King Arthur's court who is considered a foreigner and is slighted. A beautiful fairy appears to comfort this knight and promises him love and treasure unless the knight reveals her existence to other people. Their love story continues until the Queen wants the knight's love as well. This forces the knight to reveal that he loves someone else: the fairy. The knight is then put on trial for slighting the Queen. Breaking her original agreement, the fairy first sends her handmaidens and then appears herself in order to aid the knight. The knight and the fairy ride off together to Avalon in order to live happily ever after.

The fairy tale element explained above is intriguing to readers because it expands the theme of courtly love to include Celtic mythology as well. The mentioning of the happiness in the "otherworld" of Avalon is a perfect example. In this "otherworld," lovers who are slighted by the masses can taste heaven on earth. In this case, it is Arthur's court that is part of the masses and considered gravely flawed. It is the foreign knight and the fairy that deserve the Celtic "otherworld."

In conclusion, one must not neglect the fact that love is vindicated in this narrative poem. The lay involves the fairy denying her original plan in order to prove her love to the knight. This type of emotional twist can be vastly satisfying for the reader, especially if he or she is interested in the romantic love elements in Arthurian literature.

When was Moon Lake by Eudora Welty written?

Eudora Welty was born on  April 13, 1909 in Jackson, Mississippi. Her mother was a schoolteacher who instilled in Welty a love of reading. Welty's father was an insurance executive. The Welty family thus belonged to the upper middle classes. After finishing high school in 1925, Welty attended  Mississippi State College for Women, then graduated with a degree in English from the University of Wisconsin. She spent most of her adult life in her home town of Jackson and her writing is mainly set in the Mississippi Delta and based on her own experiences and observations of that region, albeit with an admixture of mythology. She began publishing short stories in literary magazines and commercial magazines such as the New Yorker that catered to educated audiences. 

Her short story "Moon Lake" was initially published in the Summer 1949 issue of the distinguished souther literary magazine The Sewanee Review (Volume 57, No. 3, pages 464-508). It also appeared in Welty's 1949 short story collection The Golden Apples, a collection consisting of seven stories set in Morgana, Mississippi. The story was probably written in 1947 or 1948. 

Can someone please help think of some topics for paragraphs for an essay about the Battle of the Cowshed in Animal Farm?

The Battle of the Cowshed is the first conflict between the animals and Mr. Jones since they have defeated him in the Rebellion. 

Assuming that a five-paragraph essay will be composed, the student will want to build the topic sentences from the main points of the thesis statement which is probably about how the animals again defeat Mr. Jones and the men from Foxwood and Pinchfield.

**Since a five-paragraph essay has three main paragraphs, then the student will need three topic sentences. These may be constructed around the stages of the battle: the first skirmish, the second skirmish, and then the after-battle scene.

1. When the pigeons sweep over Animal Farm and land, they alert the animals about the approach of the men; also, the pigeons inform them that Mr. Jones has a gun in his hands.
But the animals have been prepared for battle by Snowball, who has even read about the conquests of Julius Caesar.
*So, the student can compose a topic sentence about how the animals are informed of the impending danger, but they are prepared. 

2. During the first skirmish, the men drive off the geese who have come out aggressively. The farmers feel triumphant, but the clever Snowball has planned on this outcome, hoping it will give the men a false confidence. Now, he uses a tactic of Caesar's to wait for the enemy to advance. He first releases thirty-five pigeons, who let loose their droppings on the men's heads. While the men are dealing with this offensive occurrence, the geese rush them and bite fiercely at their legs. Averting much of the painful attack, the men drive off the geese with sticks.
Although they have been defeated in their attacks, the birds have succeeded in causing enough confusion to keep the men from advancing. This is just what Snowball has intended to happen. Feeling triumphant, the men enter the yard and the larger and stronger animals fiercely attack them.

They were gored, kicked, bitten, and trampled. There was not an animal on the farm who did not take vengeance on them. (Ch.4)

*For this second skirmish, the student can compose a topic sentence about how the men fall for Snowball's clever plan of battle as they are lured to the Cowshed.

3. After the animals win the fight against the men, they name the skirmishes the Battle of the Cowshed since this is the site where the ambush has occurred. Furthermore, the animals decide to award medals and to Snowball and to the sheep who have died. These will be worn on Sundays and holidays.

*The topic sentence about the conclusion of the battle can be formed around the excitement of the animals' having won and been victorious.

In the poem "The White Man's Burden," why does Kipling suggest it is important for the 'white man' to 'take up' this burden?

In “The White Man’s Burden,” Rudyard Kipling emphasizes over and over that the white man is taking up his burden to help other people. However, there is a reason why it is important, from the white man’s point of view, to do so. The country that takes up the white man’s burden will earn the respect of the other important countries in the world.

When the white man goes out and takes up his burden, he is clearly (in Kipling’s opinion) not getting any tangible benefits from it. We are told that he has to “wait in heavy harness” on his subjects.  He has to “seek another’s profit/and work another’s gain.  He is making ports that he “will not enter” and roads that he “will not tread.” All his work is being done to help other people.

However, the white man is getting some benefit out of this.  What he is getting is a place among the important and respected countries of the world. A country that could and would go out and take an empire is clearly an important country.  It has the power to conquer others. It also has the patience and (in Kipling’s mind) the altruistic sense to go out and work long and hard to help civilize other people.  Such a country is taking an “adult” role in the world.  It is working hard to help improve other people, just as a parent works hard to improve their children.  Because of this, Kipling says at the end of the poem, the country that takes up the white man’s burden will earn “the judgment of your peers!”  In other words, the other important countries of the world will look at it and will recognize that it is a great country just like them. This, according to Kipling, is the main benefit that the white man gets from taking up his burden.

What ideas could I write about in an essay about climate change?

One common type of essay a student might write on climate change is an argument or persuasion essay. In an argument essay, you are mainly using logic, research, and evidence—or “logos”—to back up an opinion.

To begin, ask yourself: What, exactly, is the controversy or problem, and what is your opinion on it?  The most general argument about climate change revolves around the question of whether or not it is real. But there are also arguments about specific aspects of climate change, such as what to do about sea level rise, how to curb carbon emissions, or how to help climate change refugees.

Once you decide upon your exact scope and point of view, you can begin researching supporting evidence. For example, you might find scientific research which shows statistics about sea level rise in Greenland, and this might prove a point about how the government needs to take a certain type of action. The more supporting evidence you can find for each point, the stronger your argument will be.

It is also important to get familiar with the other side of your argument. Find out what individuals or organizations might disagree with your argument and why. Then you can address them in your essay and present evidence for why they are incorrect.

A persuasive essay is similar to an argument essay, but doesn’t always rely on research and logic. Instead, it can use a lot of emotional appeals, or “pathos,” like getting the audience to change based on their own sense of anger, guilt, sadness, desire, or excitement.  For instance, instead of presenting statistics about sea level rise, you might describe how upset or angry people should be that the polar bear population is being threatened and future children will never experience the joy of sharing this planet with them.

Another method often used in persuasive essays is called “ethos.” This is when you persuade your audience by showing that you, and your point of view, represent the trustworthy and ethical side of the issue, and that the opposing viewpoint is not honest or morally correct.

What is the theme of No More Dead Dogs?

The most predominant theme in the book No More Dead Dogs could be identified as honesty or integrity because the main character is described as a person who is brutally honest. The theme of honesty runs as a thread throughout the book, connecting to other mini-themes.

The subject of whether or not one can be too honest and whether or not it is ever appropriate to tell small lies to protect someone's feelings is also a part of the honesty theme throughout the book.

The themes of relationships and friendships, as they connect to the impact honesty can have on them, is also a part of the theme running throughout the book. Initially, the main character of the story gets himself into trouble for being brutally honest about a book he has been assigned to read. His honesty impacted his relationship with his teacher and he was sent to detention. Later in the story, his honesty about how he feels about football versus drama club impacts his friendships as he decides to abandon football to be in the drama club.

How many fifths are there in four wholes?

To determine the number of 1/5 there are in 4, divide the 4 by 1/5.

`4 -: 1/5`

To divide them, express the 4 as a fraction.

`=4/1 -: 1/5`

To divide two fractions, flip the second fraction and change the operation from division to multiplication.

`=4/1 xx 5/1`

`=20/1`

`=20`

Therefore, there are 20 fifths in four wholes.

Compare Mr. White's feelings about the monkey's paw when he makes his first, second and third wishes. How does his attitude change?

When Mr. White makes his first wish he does not have much faith in the power of the monkey's paw. He did, however, pay Sergeant-Major Morris a small sum of money for it, so he must have some small credence. He makes a wish for two hundred pounds at the suggestion of his son Herbert. His first wish is modest because he wants to test the paw. The fact that he makes such a modest wish shows that he does not have much faith in the thing. He is aghast at the outcome. His modest wish for two hundred pounds is apparently granted, but at the cost of his son's horrible death at the textile mill.

Mr. White has no desire to make another wish. He is afraid of the monkey's paw because of the consequences of his first wish. But at his wife's insistence he wishes for his son to return to them. Now he is hoping against hope that the paw has no real power and that his wish will not come true. After all, the idea of a shriveled paw possessing any power to grant any kind of wish is fantastic. He tries to make himself believe it must have been a pure coincidence that he received two hundred pounds as compensation for his son's fatal accident.

When Mr. and Mrs. White hear the knocking at their door, both of them feel sure that it is Herbert who has returned to them from the dead. But only Herbert's mother wants to let him in. Herbert's father doesn't want to have to look at his son, who must be a monster. Mr. White had previously told his wife, when she forced him to make his second wish:

"He has been dead ten days, and besides he--I would not tell you else, but--I could only recognize him by his clothing. If he was too terrible for you to see then, how now?"

By the time he makes his third wish, Mr. White loathes the monkey's paw but believes completely in its supernatural power. He uses it to cancel out his second wish, so to speak, and seems to succeed in causing the person outside to stop knocking and go away. The paw has now lost its power, if it ever had any, because the Indian fakir had only specified three wishes for three owners, and Mr. White was the last owner. So there would be no way of testing the paw further.

The reader is left to wonder whether that was really Herbert knocking at the door or some stranger who finally gave up and went away just as Mr. White was making his final wish.

`r = 6%, t = 40` Find the principal P that must be invested at a rate r, compounded monthly, so that $1,000,000 will be available for...

The formula in compounding interest is

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

where

A is the accumulated amount

P is the principal

r is the annual rate

n is the number of compounding periods in a year, and

t is the number of years.

Plugging in the values A = 1000000, r = 0.06 and t = 40 , the formula becomes:

`1000000=P(1+0.06/n)^(n*40)`

Since the r is compounded monthly, the value of n is 12.

`1000000=P(1+0.06/12)^(12*40)`

Simplifying the right side, it becomes

`1000000=P(1+0.005)^480`

`1000000=P(1.005)^480`

Isolating the P, it yields

`1000000/1.005^480=(P(1.005)^480)/1.005^480`

`91262.08=P`

Therefore, the principal amount that should be invested is $91,262.08 .

Where were the three main events in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?

I would argue that the three most important events, central to the plot, of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory are the announcement of the golden ticket contest, when Charlie finds a golden ticket, and when Mr. Wonka invites Charlie to inherit the factory. With these three plot points in place, much of the other minor detail and events could be changed while still maintaining the basic story arc. In fact, the film adaptations of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory made some changes to the story, but because they maintained these three major plot points, the plot itself was preserved.

The announcement of the golden ticket contest is the event which really kicks the plot into motion! Thus far, we have come to know Mr. Wonka's candy factory as a relic, just a part of the background of Charlie's life. We know that Mr. Wonka has become very secretive in order to protect his recipes, so when he decides to open up the factory to those few ticket-holders, the whole world is in a panic to find one. We can feel the excitement and tension building as one by one, the tickets are discovered. At the same time, one feels sad for Charlie, who has very little pocket money and can't afford to buy lots of candy like the other kids at his school.

As luck would have it, Charlie does come across one of the golden tickets! This draws Charlie right back into the center of the story-- he is the protagonist, after all. Through Charlie's mindfulness and kind heart, he manages to avoid the sort of terrible accidents that befall the other visitors to the factory. The other children fall victim to their own greed, pride, and glutton, but Charlie has grown up very poor and has never known the luxury of greed. 

Charlie's good behavior at the factory, and the fact that he is the only unencumbered or uninjured child left, inspires Mr. Wonka to take Charlie on as his apprentice. As the climactic point of the story, we can feel the excitement and opportunity coming to Charlie. The story is resolved quite quickly, with Charlie's family coming to live at the factory.

With these three main events of the story, one could make quite a lot of changes to the other details while still preserving the essence of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

How are alliteration and metaphors used in "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost?

The biggest metaphor in the poem is undoubtedly the roads as literal and figurative paths in life. Each path will lead to another, just as each decision we make in our lives leads to another, and eventually we end up far from where we started due to the long chain of events that follows each choice we make. The general mood created by the speaker's famous sigh in line 16 is sentimental and even nostalgic, which adds to the serious mood of the poem. 

The alliteration in the poem contributes to the lyrical quality of the poem. One of the only instances of Frost's alliteration is in line eight when the speaker says the path "wanted wear." However, instances of repeated consonants near each other also contribute to the poem's lyrical quality, like in line one with "yellow wood." 

What words are used to describe Odysseus as an epic hero in the introduction of Homer's The Odyssey?

Odysseus is described as "storm-tossed" because Poseidon throws him around in the ocean so violently, trying to kill him for blinding his son, Polyphemus, the Cyclops.  Zeus also sent a storm that delayed Odysseus and his crew on Thrinacia, the island where the sacred cattle of the sun god, Helios, are tended. The terrible storms Odysseus endured help to classify his journey as an epic one.

Odysseus is also described as "heartsick" because he tries so hard to get home for so many years (he was away for ten years for the Trojan War and then almost another ten while he tried to get home after the War), and so many obstacles appear to prevent him from returning to Ithaca safely.  The sheer length of his journey, in addition to the number of obstacles he faces, make it epic.  He even loses his entire crew over the course of several years because of their own stupid or disloyal or reckless actions. 

What is the European Union doing to help solve the Greek debt crisis?

The Greek debt crisis of 2010, resulting from the financial crisis of 2008, has been a major test of how the European Union can solve economic problems. The EU is an unusual organization in that it has created a monetary union without a fiscal union. It has the problem of not having the ability to adjust fiscal policies. 

Had Greece retained the drachma, it would have had the ability to devalue its currency to reduce debt. Since this is not the case, the European Commission, European Central Bank, and International Monetary Fund (often known as the "troika") have to take measures to avert a sovereign debt default and worsening of the financial woes of Greece, while reducing the chance of a "Grexit" (Greek exit from the EU).

There have been several stages to the troika's attempts to help out Greece. The main type of help being given is extended loans to help Greece avoid defaulting on its sovereign debt. Thus far, the bailout has amounted to €240 billion, something resented by many taxpayers in other EU nations. 

The troika has also helped renegotiate terms with Greece's creditors, reducing the amount of the debt and extending the repayment schedule. Perhaps even more important in the long run, each tranche of bailout money depends on Greece meeting certain conditions for reforming its fiscal policies, reducing wastefulness in government, making its tax system more efficient, cracking down on tax evasion, and engaging in various labor and business reforms to ensure Greece's long-term fiscal health.

What are the two subatomic particles that make up the nucleus of an atom?

The nucleus of an atom is made up of two subatomic particles: the proton and the neutron.

Atoms constitute the main building blocks of matter and they are made up of smaller subatomic particles consisting of a nucleus surrounded by electrons.

In the nucleus, the proton is electrically charged, carrying a relative positive charge but the neutron carries no electric charge and it is neutral. The nucleus is surrounded by electrons which carry a negative charge and they are arranged in shells or energy levels around the nucleus.

The atomic number of an atom is the number of protons in the nucleus and atoms are arranged in the periodic table in the order of their atomic number. Atoms do not have an overall electric charge because the number of electrons (carrying negative charges) in the atom is the same as the number of protons in the atom (carrying positive charges) in the ground state.

Give an example of a transverse wave.

Waves can be classified as either longitudinal and transverse. This classification is based on the relative direction of motion of particles and the wave propagation. If the particle displacement is in the same direction as the wave propagation, the waves are known as longitudinal waves. If the particle displacement is perpendicular to the direction of wave propagation, the waves are known as transverse waves.

Ripples on the surface of a water body are transverse waves, since the waves propagate in a horizontal direction, while the particles move in a vertical direction. Similarly, waves on a string are also transverse waves, since particles are displaced in a direction which is perpendicular to the direction of wave propagates.

Sound waves, on the other hand, are longitudinal waves. 

One can find more examples of longitudinal and transverse waves in everyday life.

Hope this helps. 

How did the Italian Renaissance period end?

The end of the Italian Renaissance occurred during the late 15th century through the early 16th century. The period of proliferation of education, science, and the arts came to an end for a number of reasons.

During this time, the Catholic Church controlled much of the wealth that fueled the progressive works created during the Italian Renaissance. As the beliefs of the Catholic Church were questioned by men like Martin Luther, the Protestant Reformation was born. Many, previously staunch, Catholics turned away from the church, which resulted in a reduction in its economic domination. The Counter-Reformation was formed, which stifled the creativity of the great thinkers as they strove to adhere to Catholic teachings out of fear.  

Instead of being one united country, Italy was divided into independent city-states. These independent states were ripe for war with other countries. They were small and less fortified than other countries in Europe. In particular, France waged war against these smaller states, which proved to be costly, and meant there was less money to devote to arts, science, and education. Knowing the implications of the French gaining the wealth of the Italian peninsula, Spain and Germany became involved in the disputes. In 1527, they overtook Rome, which signaled the end of the Papacy and its financial support of the Renaissance.

Successful world exploration also caused the demise of the Italian Renaissance. Christopher Columbus ventured to find a trade route to India, instead finding islands off the coast of South America, which peaked the interest of further exploration. When Vasco da Gama discovered a water route for European trade with India, much of the wealthy trade was diverted from Italy to Portugal and other European countries, leaving the city states of Italy with a sinking economy.

For these reasons, the visionaries and economic means necessary to sustain the Italian Renaissance were stifled, causing it to move away from Italy to other parts of Europe.

How many pages are in Chapter 2 of the novel That Was Then, This Is Now?

In the 2008 edition of the novel That Was Then, This Is Now published by Speak, there are seventeen pages in Chapter 2. The first page of the chapter begins on page 25, and the last page of the chapter ends on page 42. In the Google Books version of That Was Then, This Is Now there are eight pages in Chapter 2. In Chapter 2, Bryon and Mark visit their mother in the hospital, and she encourages them to talk to the boy who is lying in the next room because nobody has come to visit him. Mark volunteers to talk to the boy while Bryon goes to get something to eat. Bryon meets Cathy who is a waitress at the snack bar and asks her to hangs out. When Bryon goes back upstairs, he ends up talking with the boy across the hall. Mike Chambers tells Bryon that he was beaten up after he took a black girl home. Bryon is affected by Mike's story and thinks that it is unfair that people who try to help others end up getting hurt.

Do you think the speaker in ''The Road Not Taken'' made a wise choice?

In “The Road Not Taken,” the narrator remembers a time when he was faced with a decision. It may have been the choice between two physical roads that led in two different directions. Or, if the road image is seen here as a metaphor, it may have been the choice between two major life decisions – like whether or not to go to college, whether or not to get married, whether or not to move to another city or state to get a better job, etc. We have to make these decisions without knowing if they will turn out to be the “right” ones for us in the long run. Sometimes we look back with regret and wonder if our lives would have been better if we had made other choices and gone the other way. Only we can judge this outcome for ourselves.

The last stanza of the poem holds the key to your answer:

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

Now, his choice that day “made all the difference” in his life. But he anticipates that in the future, he’ll be telling this story “with a sigh.” Does this mean he already regrets the decision? Or will he sigh to his audience for another reason? He could sigh in frustration that he has to explain himself to others. What do you think? I have always read this poem thinking that the narrator was pleased with his decision not to follow the road that everyone else did.

Then again, the title of the poem is “The Road Not Taken.” Does it refer to the road that everyone else avoided? Or to that popular road that the narrator did not take in the end? Is the narrator now wistfully considering what would have happened if he had made the other choice? I tend to champion people who do things differently, so I think the narrator made the wise choice in taking the road less traveled. But I think you could argue this case either way.