Why do you think Wordsworth compared the solitary reaper's song to that of the nightingale and cuckoo bird?

In the poem of the same name, Wordsworth is wandering in the Scottish highlands when he comes across a woman, the solitary reaper, singing and reaping grain all alone. Her beautiful song fills the air and the poet is transfixed. He likens her music to that of the nightingale and cuckoo because both birds have distinctive voices. The nightingale in particular is often noted for its song. Further, Wordworth and other Romantic poets placed a very high value on nature and also tried to show the worth of common people. By comparing the song of this ordinary, laboring woman to the sound of natural creatures, the narrator pays her a high compliment: she sings as well as a bird. This elevates the common worker. Often in poems, the laborer was depicted as a clown or a clod, someone rough and uncouth. By describing this woman as a sublime element of nature, the poet elevates her status.

In the story "Chickamauga" by Ambrose Bierce, what is ironic about what frightens the boy?

In Bierce's short story "Chickamauga," a young boy has frightening experiences as he walks through the woods. In particular, he encounters a group of soldiers who are bloody and injured as they come back from fighting. Surprisingly, the boy is not scared of these men. In fact, he climbs on the back of one of them as if they are playing. As the story progresses, he leads them forward like it is a game.

The things that do scare the boy are interesting. He startles at the sight of a rabbit and at one of the men when he raises his fist at the boy. The reader does not yet know that the boy is a deaf mute, so it is difficult to understand why he is afraid of a rabbit or a gesture, but not of bloodied soldiers. The irony of the boy's fear is that the thing that should scare him--the violence of war--does not.

It is not until the last scene, where the boy sees his mother murdered, that he shows appropriate, real fear. He finally realizes the dangers of war only when they strike something or someone he knows, namely his mother.

In "All Summer in a Day," why did Margot not want the shower water to touch her?

In Bradbury's story, Margot is the only child her age on Venus who consciously remembers sunlight. The other children of her age group came to Venus when they were so young that all they remember is the constant rainfall that continues for years and years on end. To them, all this water is normal. Margot, however, remembering sunshine, finds the rain depressing, to the point that her parents are considering returning to Earth because of her despondent state. The shower only serves to remind Margot of the endless rain, which she is thoroughly tired of. She wants to be dry, not wet, baking in the sun, not under the tyranny of a constant downpour, and so rebels against the shower. To her, the shower symbolizes the constant rain she hates.

What are examples of the gloomy atmosphere Joyce tries to create that gives the sense of struggle? What is the significance of the three book...

The priest left the following books on the shelf: The Abbot (by Walter Scott), The Devout Communicant, and The Memoirs of Vidocq. The first book is about Mary Queen of Scots and blends Romanticism and sexuality with political conflict. It is a sequel. The third is a crime novel about a French police commissioner who is also a thief. There's more than one book with the title The Devout Communicant. Any of these would focus on Christian religious devotion. Taken together, they communicate the idea of coming in on an ongoing story, getting a new perspective on things you think you know, that religion is important, but also that you can expect figures of power to have secrets and a secondary identity.

Taken together, those books contribute to the gloomy atmosphere in the story. To identify more specific examples tied to the youths, look at lines like the very first: "North Richmond Street, being blind, was a quiet street except at the hour when the Christian Brothers' School set the boys free." The boys aren't off school. They are free, meaning they were contained or trapped while in school. They go to school in a "blind" street." Right away, that's pretty bleak.

As for the relationship between light and dark, see the start of the third paragraph: "When the short days of winter came, dusk fell before we had well eaten our dinners. When we met in the street the houses had grown sombre. The space of sky above us was the color of ever-changing violet and towards it the lamps of the street lifted their feeble lanterns."

They eat in the dark. They meet in the serious dark (as indicated by the sombre houses.) They sky is violet, which is quite dark, and the lamps are too weak to light anything. This is less good and evil than hope and despair—the gloom mentioned before.

What is a good thesis statement for the story "Cathedral" by Raymond Carver?

A good thesis for Raymond Carver's "Cathedral" can be that a person can share meaningful experiences with those from whom he least expects anything.

The narrator, the husband of a sensitive woman, is a man who has a purposeless existence. He is disconnected from his wife, disinterested in most things, and suffering from an existential angst. He is less than thrilled--jealous, in fact--that his wife has invited to their home her blind friend, Robert. As he listens to his wife talk to Robert, he has resentment that she can speak of feelings and share with her friend things that she has not even mentioned to him.

After his wife goes on to bed, the narrator and Robert stay in the room where the television is, and they smoke some cannabis. When Robert asks the narrator to draw a cathedral that is being described by the speaker of the television program they are watching, the narrator finds a brown paper bag on which they can draw with Robert keeping his hand on top of that of the narrator. This act of creation becomes a meaningful spiritual experience for the two men, and the trust and friendship shown to him by Robert gives the narrator a new meaning to his life. 

“Well?” [Robert] said. “Are you looking?” My eyes were still closed. I was in my house. I knew that. But I didn’t feel like I was inside anything. “It’s really something,” I said.

For the first time, the narrator feels things, spiritual things, and he has had a meaningful experience.

Discuss why Eliezer lied to Stein, his relative, about Stein’s family. Discuss whether or not you think he was morally right and what choices he...

After having been in Auschwitz for eight days, Eliezer and his father came upon Stein, a relative. Stein told them that he was from Antwerp and that Reizel, his wife, was the niece of Eliezer's mother. Stein and Reizel had two little boys, and Stein was anxious for news of his little family. Eliezer's father did not remember Stein, but Eliezer did; he remembered that they had not received any letters from Reizel since 1940. Stein himself was deported in 1942.

However, Eliezer lied to Stein and told his relative that his wife and sons were fine. Because Stein was so grateful for the news, he always brought small portions of food to share with Eliezer and his father when he visited them. During his visits, Stein admonished his relatives to eat so as not to face the danger of selection. Despite his emaciated figure, Stein was in good spirits; the thought that his wife and sons might still be alive was what kept his courage up.

In due time, another batch of prisoners arrived from Antwerp, and Stein was rapturous. The thought that he was finally to be reunited with his family made him very happy. However, Eliezer admitted that they never saw Stein again, presumably because he must have found out the real news about his family. The implication was that Stein might have given up hope and died after he received the likely news of his family's demise.

Two major considerations to guide you as you decide on an answer to your question:

1) If a lie lessens another person's suffering, the lie is a moral action. For example, Eliezer's lie allowed Stein to live his last moments in some semblance of peace and happiness.

2) If a lie prevents another person from seeing the full truth and adjusting to it, the lie is an immoral action. For example, Eliezer's lie may have cruelly intensified Stein's suffering when he finally received news of his family's demise.

Basically, you will have to decide which you agree with. Was Stein better served because his last moments were happy? Or would he have been better served if he had known the truth immediately? The answer boils down to how you and I define morality when the situation is dire and escape impossible.

Other than Johnny, who else admired Dally in the novel The Outsiders?

In Chapter 2, Ponyboy, Johnny, and Dally sneak into the drive-ins to watch a movie. After they enter, Dally begins to annoy two Soc girls who are watching the movie, and Johnny sticks up for them by telling Dally to stop. Ponyboy and Johnny befriend the two girls, Cherry and Marcia, and Johnny asks Cherry why she wasn't scared of them like she was of Dally. Cherry tells them that they seem sweet, and Johnny mentions that Dally isn't such a bad guy. Ponyboy then comments that Dally would have left them alone if he knew them and Marcia responds by saying that she is glad Dally doesn’t know them. Cherry then comments, "I kind of admire him” (Hinton 24). Later on that night, Cherry and Marcia's boyfriends arrive to pick them up in a blue Mustang. Before leaving, Cherry looks at Ponyboy and says that she could fall in love with Dally and hopes that she never sees him again. Cherry is attracted to Dally's "bad-boy" persona and unique approach to life, but is afraid of loving him. She admires him because he doesn't care what other people have to say about him and does what he wants, when he wants.

Why does Squeaky in "Raymond's Run" pretend she is in the country?

In the story, Squeaky loves to run, and she thinks that she's the "fastest thing on two feet." During the May Day celebration race, she tries to pretend that she's in the country. However, her imagination falls short, and she comes to realize that, no matter how much she tries, "even grass in the city feels hard as sidewalk, and there’s just no pretending you are anywhere but in a “concrete jungle...”

However, the main reason Squeaky pretends is because her happiest memories from her childhood consist of "running through the fields of corn and chugging up the hill to the orchard." These happy memories of the countryside are a great inspiration to her at the beginning of every race. When her thoughts center on the countryside and on her "kissing the leaves of the trees" as she flies in the sky, Squeaky begins to feel as light as a feather. This feeling puts her in the right mindset by the time she puts her fingers "over the Get on Your Mark" words on the ground.

When the pistol goes off, Squeaky already has her momentum, and she is powering off the start line as if she is as weightless as the feather in her daydream. So, Squeaky pretends that she's in the country because it is a great inspiration to her at the beginning of every race.

Is Mayella Ewell in Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird a static or dynamic character?

Mayella is a static character, because she is a supporting character and does not change. 

In literature, a static character is one who does not change from the beginning to the end of the book.  A dynamic character grows and changes.  This is why main characters like Scout tend to be dynamic, and supporting characters are usually static.  Mayella Ewell is a supporting character who does not change.

Mayella is not a character who appears directly much in the novel, even though she is very important to the plot of the book.  She is the one who kissed Tom Robinson and caused him to be accused of rape, but Mayella is not really an actor.  She gets pulled along with events. She is not dynamic, because she does not change from the beginning to the end of the story. 

We know very little about Mayella until the trial.  The first thing we learn about her is that she keeps geraniums on her otherwise trash-infested property.  At the trial, Scout feels sorry for her when she learns how miserable she is.  Mayella’s father’s testimony is coarse and uncouth, making jokes about her parentage and describing her rape in a brutal and crude manner. 

During Mayella’s testimony and Atticus’s cross-examination of Mayella, it becomes apparent that the poor girl has a miserable existence.  Her life is all about taking care of her many siblings and trying to feed them on the game her father shoots, since none of the welfare checks seem to make it into the house. 

As Tom Robinson gave his testimony, it came to me that Mayella Ewell must have been the loneliest person in the world. She was even lonelier than Boo Radley, who had not been out of the house in twenty-five years. When Atticus asked had she any friends, she seemed not to know what he meant, then she thought he was making fun of her. (Ch. 19) 

Tom Robinson testifies that Mayella was lonely, and he felt sorry for her.  It was a big mistake for him to say that, because the jury did not approve, but it shows that she really was quite lonely. Mayella had no one.  She couldn’t have a relationship with Tom Robinson because it would be considered inappropriate since he was black.  Although Mayella's lonely and sad life moves the plot of the story forward through the trial, this is the only place she appears.

How did Reconstruction impact the lives of African-Americans both politically and socially?

Reconstruction had a significant impact on the lives of African-Americans both politically and socially. After the Civil War ended, African-Americans were free to move about the country. They were able to officially get married. They were able to search for their family members from whom they had been separated. They were able to build their own schools and their own churches. They were able to go to work for whoever they wanted. The federal government also provided help by giving African-Americans food, clothing, and medical care when necessary.

Politically, there were important changes made. African-Americans were considered citizens if they were born in the United States as a result of the 14th Amendment. They had the same rights as citizens, and those rights couldn’t be taken away without due process of law. African-American males couldn’t be denied the right to vote because of their race or because they had been slaves as a result of the 15th Amendment. African-American males began to vote, and some African-American males got elected to office.

After the Civil War ended, African-Americans benefited from Reconstruction both politically and socially.

In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, why is Nick pleased with Gatsby's honesty about Oxford?

In Chapter 7, Tom, Daisy, Gatsby, Nick, and Jordan are in a suite at the Plaza Hotel, when Tom challenges Gatsby about whether he really went to Oxford. Gatsby says that he only attended Oxford for five months in 1919, so he can't really say he's an Oxford man. Gatsby claims that after the Armistice, officers were allowed to visit universities in England or France. Nick says that "I had one of those renewals of complete faith in him that I'd experienced before" (page 129). Jordan has long doubted Gatsby's claim that he went to Oxford, and Nick has been dubious about this claim as well. At this point, Nick may still be doubtful about whether Gatsby actually attended Oxford, but he wants Gatsby's marvelously confident persona to stay intact so that Gatsby has a chance of winning Daisy and defeating Tom. Nick also simply wants to continue believing in Gatsby, who represents to him the "orgastic future" (page 180), or the promise of what's to come. 

In Chapter 16 of Walk Two Moons, Sal imagines hearing whispers telling her to "slow down" when she is riding with her grandparents. What reason...

Earlier in the book, the whispers Sal heard were telling her to “hurry, hurry,” or “rush, rush,” as she and her grandparents drove from Ohio to Idaho to visit Sal’s mother. Sal had wanted to get out there by the time of her mother’s birthday, and the trip seemed to be taking longer than necessary. Now the whispers have changed to “slow down.” Sal thought it could be “some sort of warning,” but she did not think more about it, because she was busy telling backseat stories about her friend Phoebe. But the whispers were right. Sal should have been relishing the hours she was spending with her Gram and Gramps. Gram had just been released from the hospital after recuperating from a snake bite. No one in the car realized that her time was limited. On the other hand, Sal’s mother, Chanhassen, would always be waiting in Idaho. At this point in the book, we’re still not sure what has happened to her.

What can we infer about Ralph's nail biting in The Lord of the Flies?

For Ralph, nail biting marks a new awareness of the dangerous circumstances of his situation. This realization shows how Ralph's character matures, which is an important journey that young protagonists often undertake in literature and one essential to this novel's broader themes. In this particular case, the nail biting shows how Ralph loses the innocence of childhood by realizing the uncertainty that comes from knowledge. 

Near the beginning of chapter seven, Ralph has a sudden realization of how dirty he is and how much he misses being clean, wishing for toiletries like soap and a toothbrush. When he suddenly looks at his nails he realizes: "They were bitten down to the quick though he could not remember when he had restarted this habit nor any time when he indulged it." Ralph is now marking the passage of time, which along with his desire to return to civilized society, shows how he is maturing. Unknown to him, he has already been making difficult decisions that manifest in the nervous habit of nail biting. Unlike several of the other boys, he now realizes the true dangers of their situation, which makes him a more capable leader but also a more thoughtful--and uncertain--individual. 

This newfound maturity, though, also serves to distance him from the other boys who do not take their situation as seriously. It also creates friction between Ralph and Jack. In chapter eight, Ralph's leadership is directly challenged by Jack, who takes command by dissolving the group and leading most of the boys away to form his own group. Though Ralph becomes increasingly less assured as the novel progresses, he is now directly plunged into conflict that interferes with his decision making: "He broke off, frowning, thinking the thing out, unconsciously tugging at the stub of a nail with his teeth." His indecisiveness and uncertainty are manifesting, yet at the same time he is "thinking the thing out" even if he is nervous about events as he does so. Ralph has matured throughout the novel, and as he continues to develop he begins to act more like an adult, realizing that uncertainty is part of decision making and problem solving.

Later in chapter eight, we are told that "Ralph sat down and began to poke little holes in the sand. He was surprised to see that one had a drop of blood by it. He examined his bitten nail closely and watched the little globe of blood that gathered where the quick was gnawed away." This description of Ralph's nail both mirrors the current events of the plot and foreshadows what is soon to happen. His nail has been "gnawed away" just like his role as chief is taken away. He has lost his power like he has lost his nail. While the nail has been destroyed solely by him, Ralph is at least partially responsible also for his loss of leadership due to mistakes and errors in judgement, most notably his misjudging and underestimation of Jack and the other boys. 

As Ralph continues to guide the few followers he has, he attempts to solve problems even with doubts and anxieties. Part of being an adult is recognizing and reflecting on one's own mistakes, as Ralph does. In addition to this, the "little globe of blood" that drops from his nail to the sand foreshadows the blood that will be spilled in the events that follow. There are more challenges ahead--potentially fatal ones--and Ralph must survive by learning from his mistakes and continuing to mature, which furthers his transition away from the naivety of childhood and into the stressful responsibilities of adulthood. 

While children usually associate adults with complete knowledge and confidence, adults do not always know the correct answer or course of action. Because of this, they often make mistakes even if they think carefully or agonize about their decisions. When this happens, one must acknowledge their uncertainties and mistakes if they hope to learn from them. Over the course of the novel, Ralph has come to learn this fact of life. In essence, the nail-biting shows Ralph's coming-of-age as he learns that adulthood is not care-free, and that stress and anxiety are natural consequences of responsibility.  

In Chapter Two of Of Mice and Men, how does the boss react to Lennie's silence?

In Chapter Two of Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, the boss reacts to Lennie's silence with some initial suspicion. George repeatedly answers on Lennie's behalf when the boss questions them about their names and where they've been working, which prompts the boss to ask, "He ain't much of a talker, is he?" George immediately defends Lennie, stating, "No, he ain't, but he's sure a hell of a good worker. Strong as a bull."

Lennie attempts to echo George, which only sends him into a bit of a panic. As George continues to answer for Lennie, the boss gets irritated and suspects that George is manipulating Lennie in some fashion--perhaps acting as his helper in order to steal all of Lennie's wages. George explains that Lennie is not "bright," lying to the man by telling him that Lennie is his cousin who was kicked in the head by a horse as a child. The boss decides to hire them to join the grain team anyway, provided that George not "try to put nothing over." 

In Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, what hard choice does Holden Caulfield have to make and how does it affect him and others?

In Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, the hard choice that Holden has to make is whether to grow up and face adulthood or not. This also includes the choice to face his parents after being dismissed from his third private high school or to run away. If Holden stays to face the consequences of his actions, then his parents may be able to get him the help he needs to face adulthood. If, however, Holden chooses to run away, he will only perpetuate his fear of adulthood and possibly keep running for the rest of his life. In addition, Holden and his family members will all experience the consequences of whatever he decides. For example, his parents and siblings will mourn the loss of another brother if Holden disappears from their lives, especially after experiencing Allie's death a few years previously.

The one who might suffer the most by Holden running away is his little sister, Phoebe. In fact, she packs a suitcase with plans to run away with him! Once Holden realizes that Phoebe won't go home without him, he changes his mind about running away and says the following:

"'I'm not going away anywhere. I changed my mind. So stop crying and shut up,' I said. The funny part was, she wasn't even crying when I said that. I said it anyway, though. 'C'mon, now. I'll walk you back to school. C'mon, now. You'll be late'" (207).

The above passage shows Holden actually making the decision to stay for Phoebe's sake. He makes a very adult-like decision by placing his own desires and fears aside for his little sister. This is the first step that Holden takes towards adulthood. As a result, Phoebe stops crying and Holden takes her to the zoo and for a carousel ride. Eventually, Holden receives the help he needs by checking into a hospital near his older brother in California, and the family doesn't have to suffer a life of estrangement from Holden.

In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, what is Romeo's relationship with his parents like?

Romeo's parents seem to genuinely care about his well-being and happiness, and they are particularly distraught by his recent behavior.  His father says that Romeo, now, "With tears augment[s] the fresh morning's dew" and "Shuts up his windows, locks fair daylight out" (1.1.135, 1.1.142).  In other words, Romeo is always crying and refuses to come out of his room or even admit daylight, and his parents have no idea why.  In typical teenage fashion, really, Romeo refuses to tell his parents why he is so sad.  Lord Montague has even asked other friends of Romeo to try to win his confidence, but Romeo will not explain to anyone. 

His parents, like most parents, just want to know what is wrong because they would like to help.  Montague says, "Could we but learn from whence his sorrows grow, / We would as willingly give cure as know" (1.1.157-158).  They would very much like to understand what ails Romeo because they would be willing to do just about anything to cure it.  Therefore, this honestly seems like a pretty normal relationship between a teenage boy and his parents; he wants to keep his feelings private and his parents really just want to help him with whatever is wrong.  They do not seem to realize that it could be something with which they might not be able to help, and so they ask Benvolio to try to assist them.

What is a good example of a monologue, a soliloquy, and an aside in A Midsummer Night's Dream?

Below, you'll find some examples of a monologue, a soliloquy, and an aside in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream:

1. Monologue: At its simplest, a monologue is an individual speech delivered by an actor. Monologues serve many purposes within a play, often providing exposition, analysis of the action, and more. A classic example of a monologue in A Midsummer Night's Dream is Puck's "I am that merry wanderer" speech (Act 2, Scene 1, 42-58). In this monologue, Puck affirms his reputation as a merry prankster, describing his various, mischievous adventures. This monologue is important, as its primary purpose is to illustrate Puck's impish character.


2. Soliloquy: A soliloquy is a type of monologue in which the actor is either alone, or believes himself or herself to be alone. Generally, a soliloquy provides a character's intimate thoughts and illustrates inner emotions and feelings kept secret from the other characters. Act 1, Scene 1 of Dream ends with the excellent "How happy some o'er other some can be" soliloquy (226-251), in which Helena muses on the luckiness of Hermia, who has secured Demetrius' love, and on the fickle nature of love in general. This soliloquy gives us an insight into Helena's inner turmoil as she pines after a man who does not love her.


3. Aside: An aside is a portion of speech spoken by a character that is not intended to be heard by other characters on the stage. Generally, the character says his or her private thoughts in an effort to explain his or her motives or actions. Though it is not specifically marked as such, we can assume Puck's incursion into the rude mechanicals' practice in Act 3, Scene 1, is an aside: "What hempen homespuns have we here swagg'ring here,/ So near the cradle of the Fairy Queen?/ What, a play toward! I'll be an auditor;/ An actor too perhaps, if I see cause" (68-71). In this short section, Puck speaks aloud his thoughts, but his speech is not heard by the other characters. Instead, Puck's dialogue is meant to explain the imp's actions and thoughts to the audience. As such, we can classify this tiny speech as an aside. 

Why aren’t Ponyboy and Johnny scared when they enter the flaming church?

In Chapter 6, Ponyboy and Johnny arrive back to the church from eating at Dairy Queen with Dally, only to find out that the abandoned church is on fire. While Ponyboy is watching the fire, he overhears a woman tell a man standing next to him that there are children inside the church. Ponyboy tells them that he will save them and runs into the burning church. As soon as he enters the church, he hears, "Hey, Ponyboy" and turns around to see Johnny (Hinton 78). As they are searching for the children, Pony thinks to himself, "Why aren't I scared?" (Hinton 79). Ponyboy and Johnny end up finding a group of children trapped in a back room and proceed to help them jump out of a window to safety. While Johnny is throwing children out of a window, Ponyboy looks at him and notices that Johnny isn't scared either. Pony mentions that it was the first time in his life that Johnny did not have a defeated look on his face. Ponyboy says, "He looked like he was having the time of his life" (Hinton 79).

There are several reasons why Ponyboy and Johnny were not afraid when they entered the flaming church. They were focused and on a mission when they entered the church and were excited to be engaged in such a heroic task. Pony and Johnny were also feeling the effects of adrenaline from the suspenseful situation. Deep down they knew that they were engaged in an extremely noble cause. They probably viewed themselves as being "gallant," similar to the Southern gentlemen in the novel Gone With the Wind. Pony and Johnny were essentially living out their fantasies by rescuing the helpless children which explains why they were not afraid.

What is a major theme in "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" by James Thurber?

Marital conflict is a recurring theme throughout “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.” Mitty is first pulled from his daydream of commanding a hydroplane in the Navy by his wife complaining that he is driving too quickly. He doesn’t bother to respond to his wife and continues to drive in silence. In fact, it isn’t until her tenth sentence of the story that Mitty responds to her, and when he does it is a protest: “I don’t need overshoes.” She ignores this and reminds him that he is no longer a young man, and his response is to race the engine. His methods of revenge against her actions are petty—after his wife suggests that he wear his gloves, he dons them and promptly takes them off after driving away.

Mrs. Mitty does not appear in the story again until the very end, but her presence is felt throughout. After a man parks Mitty’s car for him, Mitty recalls resentfully that she makes him go to a garage to have the chains taken off his car after he got them tangled around the axles. Later, having forgotten what his wife told him to get at the store, Mitty’s frustration appears to be entirely directed at her and the inevitable questions that will occur if he cannot remember what he needs to purchase.

Mitty’s resentment is on display throughout the story: it fuels his constant need to escape from reality. His incompetence in the real world, often pointed out by his wife, must be countered by Mitty’s brilliance in his daydreams.

Mrs. Mitty’s point of view is not given, but it is not difficult to understand her frustration. Having pointed out that her husband was driving too fast for her comfort—something that, it is implied, she has reminded him of previously—he doesn’t deign to respond. Of course she nags him to do the errands and reminds him to put on his gloves; it is difficult to imagine Mitty getting anything done without her guidance, much as he dislikes it. Mrs. Mitty seems to get the short end of the stick, if anything.

At the end of the story, having been left outside of a drugstore for a moment (he notes that it has been “more than a minute”), Mitty imagines walking toward a firing squad. The subtext is fairly clear: Mitty would prefer an honorable death by firing squad to his wife’s nagging.

How does Schlosser explore irony in Chapter 4 of Fast Food Nation, titled "Success," through his focus on Dave Feamster's Little Caesars'...

The title of Chapter 4, "Success," is ironic, as fast-food franchisees are less and less successful. While people who owned early McDonald's franchises were often successful, current-day franchisees are struggling, including people like Dave Feamster. For example, Schlosser cites a professor who has shown that about 38% of franchise businesses fail after four to five years, compared to about 6% of independent businesses. Feamster, a former NHL player, works hard and makes a respectable living as the owner of Little Caesars' franchises. However, other franchisees struggle, in part because fast food chains put competing restaurants close to each other to get a larger slice of the market. The people who work at fast food restaurants really struggle to get by because they earn so little. At the end of the chapter, the author quotes Christopher Reeve, who gives a motivational speech at the sales seminar. He reminds his audience that there is more to life than money--which is ironic because the entire franchise industry and its employees are focused mainly on money. 

At the conclusion of "A Visit of Charity," what does Marian do after leaving the nursing home?

At the end of Welty's story "A Visit of Charity," Marian retrieves a red apple she has hidden in the bushes. She then jumps on the bus and takes a big bite out of the apple. This is an interesting moment in the story. At the start, she stops by the bush, but Welty never reveals what she does there. After stopping, she goes into the nursing home. However, when she leaves, she gets the apple out, so the reader knows then that she hid it there upon her arrival.

The apple is red and the girl's coat is also red, so this is a significant color. As she spends time in the nursing home with the objectified, animal-like old women, Marian just wants to escape and to thrive. Red, then, symbolizes life in this story. By running out of the nursing home and taking a big bite out of the apple, Marian shows that she rejects old age and death, and chooses youth and life. She will not think of the old women anymore and will go on living a vibrant life.

Why would Friar John be said to be to blame for Romeo and Juilet's deaths?

Friar John could be blamed for Romeo and Juliet's deaths for the following reason. He was the man charged with carrying Friar Laurence's message to Romeo explaining the plan to reunite the two lovers. The Friar had written Romeo to inform him that Juliet, despite appearances, was not dead, but had merely taken a poison that temporarily made her appear that way. John is unable to get through to Mantua, where Romeo lived in banishment, because he was quarantined in a house due to an outbreak of plague. He returned to Laurence without delivering the letter, and couldn't even get the message back to Laurence. It seems fairly harsh to blame Friar John for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet, since his failure to deliver the message was really beyond his control. But Balthasar, Romeo's servant, is unaware of the plot, and does get through to Romeo with the news that Juliet lies dead in the Capulet family crypt. Romeo, not having received the letter from Laurence, believes her to be actually dead, and goes to commit suicide by her side. When Juliet awakes to find Romeo's dead body, she kills herself. So John's failure to deliver the message has tragic consequences.

In the report for a CT scan, what does "heterogeneity of the liver" mean?

The term "heterogeneity" means variation or difference among a set of subjects--in this case, the liver. In a healthy liver, the tissue among all of the lobes is quite the same--we would call this homogeneity. A liver which presents heterogeneity has some variation in the tissues or structures of the organ. It is hard to say precisely what the physician is describing, but heterogeneity is an abnormal presentation. A heterogeneous liver may be caused by masses (such as tumors), fatty liver disease, cirrhosis, or possibly congenital abnormalities.

We can't really give medical advice or interpretation on this website, so I highly recommend that you get in touch with your physician if this is concerning a CT scan that you had done.

Did Shakespeare create a believable love in Romeo and Juliet?

I believe he did, yes, for a few reasons.  First, Romeo and Juliet are both so young; we know Juliet is thirteen, and though we do not know Romeo's exact age, most readers assume that he is also a teenager due to his behavior.  Teenagers have a tendency to feel things really, incredibly deeply, and so Shakespeare's representation of their love as intensely passionate and overwhelming feels very true to life.  Teenagers also have a tendency to lack perspective needed to see that the way they feel today isn't necessarily the way they will feel next week or next year, and everything often feels very immediate and urgent. 

Further, Romeo and Juliet believe that their parents would oppose their match; they talk a lot about the danger Romeo would be in, especially, if he were found in Juliet's garden or bedroom.  It is developmentally appropriate for teenagers to rebel against their parents and to do things to which they believe their parents would object.  Therefore, Romeo and Juliet's intense feelings and their drive to pursue those feelings at all costs, despite anticipating their parents' disapproval, seems very realistic and believable.

Use the following stem-and-leaf plot, representing the starting salary (in thousands of dollars) of ten friends after college graduation, to...

For a stem and leaf plot, the number to the left of the bar is generally the stem and the numbers to the right of the bar are the leaves. The stem is the first digit(s) and the leaves are the next significant digit. The leaves are not separated by commas.

For this plot the data are 17,19,20,21,23,23,24,30,33,40

Note that the key tells us that 1|7 is 17. (It could have been 170 if the key was 1|7=170 or .17 if the key had been 1|7=.17 etc...)

Since there are 10 data items the median is the arithmetic mean of the 5th and 6th numbers of the ordered list -- here the median is 23. The mode is the number(s) that occur the most often -- here the mode is 23.

To find the mean we add the numbers and divide by 10 (the number of elements).

The lower quartile is the median of the lower half (the first 5 elements) and is 20 while the upper quartile is the median of the upper half which is 30.

What was the name of the large island?

"Ship-Trap Island" is the name of the large island in this story.

We discover this name in the third paragraph of the story, as Rainsford and Whitney are standing on the yacht, viewing the island off in the distance:

"The old charts call it 'Ship-Trap Island," Whitney replied. "A suggestive name, isn't it? Sailors have a curious dread of the place. I don't know why. Some superstition--"

As Rainsford and Whitney ride past the island, they discuss it a bit more:

"The place has a reputation--a bad one."

"Cannibals?" suggested Rainsford.

"Hardly. Even cannibals wouldn't live in such a God-forsaken place. But it's gotten into sailor lore, somehow. Didn't you notice that the crew's nerves seemed a bit jumpy today?"

With these characters being on a ship, and with the distant island portrayed as so creepy and named "Ship-Trap Island," we definitely get the feeling that at least one of these characters will encounter the island: either to be trapped by it, or perhaps to be trapped on it.

As you read the rest of the story, finding out about the dangerous hunting game taking place on the island, you start to realize how appropriate the island's name really is. Though the island is named for the literal line of rocks surrounding it, which tends to sink (and therefore trap) any ships that approach it, you also notice that Zaroff, the resident of the island, has set up his own trap for ships: a system of lights that look like a safe channel but actually lead straight into the dangerous rocks. In this way, both nature and man have made the island an effective trap for ships.

Why don't we use radio carbon dating for dinosaur bones?

A radioisotope will decay at a fixed rate as a value known as its half-life. In this case, the parent isotope will eventually decay and form a daughter isotope. It does this by losing nuclear particles over time. Radioisotopes are unstable but they eventually decay into a stable isotope. By observing the ratio of isotopes in a fossil, the number of half-lives can be calculated and thus the approximate age of the fossil determined.

Dinosaurs went extinct 65 million years ago. To determine the age of a dinosaur fossil, carbon dating can never be used. Carbon-14 only works for fossils less than 75,000 years old. By the time a dinosaur fossil was found, any carbon-14 the organism would have taken up and incorporated into its tissues during its life, would have decayed too much to be useful as a tool to determine its age. Carbon-14 has a half life of 5730 years and this radioisotope eventually decays into Nitrogen-14. 

However, the isotope uranium-235 has a half-life of 704 million years. It decays to lead-207. Therefore, in a dinosaur fossil, only a small fraction of U-235 would have decayed and the age of the fossil could be determined by the ratio of U-235 to Pb 207 found in the specimen.

Is there foreshadowing of what will happen in the ending in "The Bet" by Anton Chekhov?

In Anton Chekhov's "The Bet," as the banker and the lawyer argue about whether the death penalty or life imprisonment is crueler, the banker contends that the death penalty is more humane:

Capital punishment kills a man at once, but life imprisonment kills him slowly.

This statement acts as foreshadowing of what will occur with the lawyer, who is of the opinion that "[T]o live anyhow is better than not at all." For, after he and the banker wager on his being able to stay in solitary confinement, and he rashly adds ten years to the proposal of five years, he experiences several psychological changes that steadily debilitate his spirit.

During his confinement, the young man educates himself, plays the piano, indulges himself. After a while he again returns to disciplined studies, learning new languages, and then, he is back to escape with wine and such. After so many years of an isolated existence, the lawyer finds that any meaning in a person's life depends upon sharing ideas and feelings with others. Truly, the examination of human ideas has little meaning without someone with whom to measure them and discuss them. He learns the truth of Milton's phrase that "no man is an island unto himself."

Finally, after so many years of the deprivation of human company, the lawyer despairs. He writes a letter in which he declares that everything is empty, nothing endures, and all is vain, empty, and illusory. Certainly, the younger man's spirit has died slowly, just as the banker has declared at the beginning with the words, "life imprisonment kills slowly." 

How can I come up with a working thesis on the Dylan Thomas poem "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night"?

You could certainly address the fact that the speaker uses myriad types of men to prove to his father that everyone, no matter how wise they are or how well they've lived, fights death in the end; he then uses this argument to claim that his father ought to fight too.  

He argues that, although they know they must and should die, wise men fight death because they feel they've not had enough impact on the world.  Good men fight death because they want more opportunity to do good works in the world.  Wild men who seemed to make the most out of every moment, regret, in the end, that they did not, and so they fight death as well.  Finally, serious men, nearing death, realize that they could have been happier during their lives, and so they rage against death.  Finally, then, he says to his father, "And you, my father, there on the sad height, / Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears [...]."  He's speaking to his father, who is just about to die, and he begs him to fight fiercely, though it will be both a blessing and a curse.  A life extended seems like a blessing, but pain or disease extended seems like a curse; still, the narrator selfishly desires his father to fight death and has tried to convince him that this is what everyone -- including the best men -- do, and so he should do it too.

What were the terms of the codicil to the uncle's will in "One Thousand Dollars" by O. Henry?

A codicil is a legal document that alters the content of a will. It also serves to explain some aspects of the will in question.

In the story, Gillian was bequeathed one thousand dollars according to his deceased uncle’s will. The lawyers tell Gillian he is expected to report his spending of the sum as per the terms of the will. Gillian does not know how to spend the money and decides to give the money to Miss Hayden. Gillian claims a codicil was found that says Miss Hayden is to receive his additional one thousand dollars.

After giving his money to Miss Hayden, Gillian went to the lawyers to report his spending of the inheritance, at which point the lawyers reveal a real codicil. The codicil states that Gillian should receive an extra $50,000 if he spends his initial sum well but will forfeit the additional sum to Miss Hayden if he squanders the initial amount.

What are some questions that a person interviewing him could ask General Zaroff of "The Most Dangerous Game"?

Before conducting interviews with people, journalists and others usually examine the backgrounds and histories of the individuals to be questioned. For, such examinations into personalities often help interviewers to generate cogent questions.

Delving into General Zaroff's personality may certainly lead to questions about his philosophy of life and his motivations for what he does. 

Asking Zaroff some questions about his childhood may prove interesting and revealing. Also, asking him how much his war experiences have caused him to believe in his Darwinian philosophy of 

"Life is for the strong, to be lived by the strong, and, if need be, taken by the strong."

may be instrumental in revealing his attitudes and motivations.

Further, it may be asked why Zaroff has taken this Darwinian philosophy further with his attitude of "The weak of the world were put here to give the strong pleasure." Also, Zaroff can be asked how he justifies this thinking within the Christian culture he has most likely been raised as well as in the context of the laws of most countries. 

Who were not involved in the deaths of the two lovers, Romeo and Juliet, in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet?

Whether directly or indirectly, all the personages of the tragedy Romeo and Juliet are involved in the deaths of the two lovers.

Even the Prince declares that all have been involved in the tragic deaths of the young lovers:

Go hence, to have more talk of these sad things.
Some shall be pardoned and some punished. (5.3.323-324)

Here is how the various characters have been involved in the deaths of Romeo and Juliet:

• In the opening scene, the servants of both the Capulet and the Montague households insult each other and renew the feuding which creates the tension that exists throughout the drama, a tension that eventually leads to the deaths of Romeo and Juliet.


• Tybalt and Benvolio become engaged as Tybalt threatens Benvolio with his sword drawn. Further in the play, Tybalt wants to kill Romeo at the Capulet party, he fights with Mercutio and Romeo, and is killed by Romeo, who is then banished from Verona, a situation which leads to tragic ends.


• Lord Montague and Lord Capulet come out to fight during the brawl in the first act. Lord Capulet later demands that Juliet marry Paris, precipitating Juliet's reactive actions that lead to her death.


• Benvolio inadvertently initiates conflicts because he urges Romeo to attend the Capulet party, where Romeo sees Juliet for the first time. If Romeo had not seen Juliet, he may not have every met her, and would still be alive.


• Mercutio has a temper that matches Tybalt's; their fight causes Romeo, who has just married Juliet, to try to intervene. Tragically, Romeo kills Tybalt, an act that leads to his banishment and, later, his receiving of misinformation about Juliet that causes him to purchase poison. 


• The Nurse acts as an intermediary for Juliet, arranging for Romeo to consummate the marriage with Juliet in her apartments. Further in the play, the Nurse encourages Juliet to marry Paris although she knows that Juliet is already married to Romeo. This action is part of what precipitates Juliet's drinking the potion which places her in the Capulet catacomb, the place where she later discovers a dead Romeo who has sought her. In her terrible grief, Juliet then kills herself.


• Peter, the Nurse's servant accompanies her when she meets Mercutio; however, he does not report to the Capulets the romance between Juliet and the enemy Montague. (His report may have changed the course of things.)


• Friar Laurence is probably the most responsible for the death of Juliet because he has taken upon himself to perform the marriage ceremony of Romeo and Juliet, he has given Juliet the potion to drink, he has said nothing to the parents of the lovers, and he has abandoned Juliet in the tomb where she awakens and discovers Romeo's dead body, a sight which leads to her suicide.


• Lord and Lady Capulet insist that Juliet marry Paris. Their angry reactions to Juliet's pleas alienate her from her parents, causing her to turn to Friar Laurence in her dilemma. His potion buys time, but places her in a fatal situation later on, a situation brought about because of the parents' insistence that she marry Paris. 
  Lord Capulet angrily rejects his daughter by fatally ordering her to go to the church on Thursday or "never after look me in the face." Similarly, Lady Capulet dooms Juliet: "I would the fool were/married to her grave."

What quotes in The Crucible show that Reverend Parris mentions hell a lot in his sermons?

In Act I, when Thomas Putnam accuses John Proctor of hardly ever coming to Sabbath day services, Proctor retorts,

I have trouble enough without I come five mile to hear [Parris] preach only hellfire and bloody damnation.  Take it to heart, Mr. Parris.  There are many others who stay away from church these days because you hardly ever mention God any more.

Proctor defends his decision not to come to the meetinghouse on Sunday mornings because, he seems to say, life is hard enough without having to travel a significant distance only to hear a preacher who seems so negative, who inspires fear rather than hope or love, who speaks of the tortures of hell without at least tempering it with references to the pleasures of heaven.

Rebecca Nurse confirms John's point to an extent, saying, "It's somewhat true; there are many that quail to bring their children--."  We can assume that she was going to finish her sentence with "to Sabbath day service" or the like before Parris interrupted her.  He claims that he does not preach for the benefit of children because it is not children who are "unmindful of their obligations toward this ministry."  Thus, it sounds as though Reverend Parris feels that many in his parish do not treat him or his office with the respect that they should, and so he uses Sunday service as an opportunity to remind them that hell awaits if their failure continues.  

On what condition is the speaker prepared to change his dark complexion?

The Prince of Morocco refers to his complexion when wooing Portia. He is aware of the racism against men with his skin color. Earlier, Portia expressed frustration at having to face yet another suitor: “if he have the condition of a saint and the complexion of a devil, I had rather he should shrive me than wive me.” By “complexion of a devil” she is referring to the prince and his dark skin.

The prince immediately addresses these concerns, referring to his skin as “The shadow'd livery of the burnish'd sun.” He has no problem with his race, knowing that he is as brave and worthy as any. He even brags that beautiful women in his country have loved him for his looks, including his tawny skin. However, the only reason he would change his skin color would be to win Portia’s approval: “I would not change this hue, / Except to steal your thoughts, my gentle queen.”

Portia assures the prince that he has as good a chance as any suitor, since she is unable to select her husband herself. He fails the test that her deceased father set up and must leave in shame. Portia seems to have some respect for him, but she says, “Draw the curtains, go. / Let all of his complexion choose me so,” expressing a disdain for men who are not white.

In "The Monkey's Paw," how does W. W. Jacobs create suspense or tension in the story?

In W. W. Jacobs's "The Monkey's Paw," tension and suspense are created through foreshadowing, characterization, and mood. First, when Mrs. White asks Sergeant Major Morris if his three wishes were actually granted, the description of his reaction to this question is as follows:

"And did you really have the three wishes granted?" asked Mrs. White.

"I did," said the sergeant major, and his glass tapped against his strong teeth.

Both foreshadowing and characterization are used to create suspense at this moment because of the way Morris acts. His behavior suggests that the consequences of his wishes must have been terrible; and if the paw is used again, there will be dire future implications. In fact, when Mr. White asks how to use the paw, the way Morris explains the process of wishing is accompanied with a warning, as follows:

Hold it up in your right hand and wish aloud. . . but I warn you of the consequences.

Sergeant Major Morris continues to act with fear and caution as the Whites take more interest in the paw. He also warns them a couple of other times to either forget to wish for something completely or at least to wish for something sensible. Again, Morris's behavior not only warns the Whites of problems wrapped up in wishing with the paw, but also foreshadows possible future problems.

Finally, mood is used to create suspense in the story through descriptions of the weather and the Whites' behavior. For example, after Mr. White wishes for money, the men calmly sit down by the fire to smoke their pipes, but the weather and Mr. White's behavior are described as follows:

Outside, the wind was higher than ever, and the old man started nervously at the sound of a door banging upstairs. A silence unusual and depressing settled upon all three, which lasted until the old couple rose to retire for the night.

As the family waits to see if wishing on the paw will produce results, Mr. White seems tense and easily startled. Also, forceful winds, along with a dark and startling atmosphere in the house, create suspense and tension for the characters after the wish is made. These descriptions suggest there might be a supernatural and destructive connection between wishing on the paw and nature. Indeed, the anticipation of waiting for the results of the wish create tension and suspense on its own as well.

What were the chief goals and the major results of the Crusades?

Those who fought in the Crusades and those who decided Christians should fight in the Crusades perhaps had a different set of goals in some instances. The purpose of the Crusades—according to Pope Urban II—was to wrest the Holy Land of Jerusalem from the Muslims to regain Christian control of Jerusalem. 

Though this may have been important to many crusaders, the promise that the pope made to them that "All who die by the way, whether by land or by sea, or in battle against the [Muslims], shall have immediate [forgiveness] of sins" certainly was a large factor in their commitment to the Crusades.

As a result of the Crusades, the entire structure of European society was altered. Because of the significant amount of death that occurred during the Crusades, old families were essentially wiped out and new families began. Likewise, because many crusaders sold land to ecclesiastical groups and others in order to fund their trips, a balance in economic classes was forged, with those from lower classes having the opportunity to buy land and move up.

What material could I use to transition between teaching my students Shakespeare and the Augustan Age?

There are several possibilities. I think you might want to use a brief lecture as a bridge and talk about the Puritans, the Restoration, and the move toward tolerance after the traumas of the religious wars of the intervening period. 

A few works might help with this. A Letter Concerning Toleration by John Locke might be a good example of the shift in values towards reason and restraint. On a more literary level, one might use Pope's "Essay on Criticism" as a way of showing how literary tastes changed. His "Essay on Man" contrasts well with Milton, but is less important if you skipped over Milton. 

Some of how you handle the transition depends on what you are doing in your class. If you are focusing on poetry, this was a great age for satire, and Pope would be a good focus. If you are thinking about the rise of the novel, Watts is a bit dated but a good starting point for the conversation. Essays by Addison or Steele might also be a good way of establishing the new ideals of taste. 

To answer this more fully, I'd need a sense of the pedagogical context. The strategies that might work for a seminar in drama wouldn't fit an introductory lecture course. 

What page in To Kill A Mockingbird is the quote, "I'd rather you shot at tin cans in the back yard, but I know you'll go after birds. Shoot all the...

In Chapter 10, on page 119 of the Grand Central Publishing Edition of To Kill a Mockingbird Atticus says,

"I'd rather you shot at tin cans in the back yard, but I know you'll go after birds. Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird (Lee 119).

Miss Maudie elaborates on why it is a sin to kill a mockingbird by telling Jem and Scout that mockingbirds do nothing except make beautiful music for people to hear. Harper Lee uses mockingbirds to symbolize any innocent beings throughout the novel. When Atticus tells his children that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird, he is essentially teaching them a lesson on how to treat innocent people. There are several characters throughout the novel which can be considered symbolic mockingbirds. Tom Robinson and Boo Radley are mockingbirds because they are helpful, innocent individuals who do not harm anyone. Atticus defends Tom Robinson against the prejudiced community of Maycomb, which correlates with his belief that innocent beings should be respected and treated with compassion. His actions are congruent with the adage that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird.

In Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, what request does Nick make of Daisy when he asks her to tea?

In Chapter V, Nick relates that he called Daisy from his office the next morning at the behest of Jordan Baker and invited her to come to tea. The following dialogue reveals the request Nick makes of Daisy over the telephone.

"Don't bring Tom," I warned her.

"What?"

"Don't bring Tom."

"Who is 'Tom'?" she asked innocently.

Nick felt he had to warn her not to bring her husband Tom because that would be extremely awkward and would make Nick look guilty. Daisy may have asked "Who is 'Tom'?" "innocently," but it would only have been a pretense. She may have suspected that Nick wanted her to meet somebody--although she would have had no idea that it would have been Gatsby. When Daisy arrives at Nick's cottage she reveals only a part of what she was thinking when Nick asked her not to bring Tom.

"Are you in love with me," she said low in my ear, "or why did I have to come alone?"

She may be only half-joking. She may truly believe Nick might be in love with her, and she may find this exciting. 

`f(x) = log_2(x^2 / (x - 1))` Find the derivative of the function

`f(x) = log_2 (x^2/(x-1))`

The derivative formula of a logarithm is

`d/dx [ log_a (u)] = 1/(ln(a) * u) * (du)/dx`

Applying this formula, the derivative of the function will be:

`f'(x) = d/dx [ log_2 (x^2/(x-1))]`

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

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

To take the derivative of `x^2/(x-1)` , apply the quotient rule `d/dx[(f(x))/(g(x))] = (g(x)*f'(x) - f(x)*g'(x))/[g(x)]^2` .

`f'(x) = (x-1)/(x^2ln(2)) * ((x-1)*2x - x^2*1)/(x-1)^2`

`f'(x) = (x-1)/(x^2ln(2)) * (2x^2-2x - x^2)/(x-1)^2`

`f'(x) = (x-1)/(x^2ln(2)) * (x^2 - 2x)/(x-1)^2`

`f'(x) = (x-1)/(x^2ln(2)) * (x(x-2))/(x-1)^2`

`f'(x) = 1/(xln(2))*(x-2)/(x-1)`

`f'(x)=(x-2)/(x(x-1)ln(2))`

Therefore, the derivative of the function is `f'(x)=(x-2)/(x(x-1)ln(2))` .

When does Miss Maudie show empathy in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird?

Miss Maudie exhibits empathy for Boo Radley in Chapter 5; she also exhibits this feeling for both Aunt Alexandra and Atticus in Chapter 24. 

Although the "foot-washing Baptists" rebuke Miss Maudie for her sins, she is truly a very charitable and warm-hearted woman who is much like a grandmother to Jem and Scout. Certainly, the children feel comfortable asking her just about anything because she replies honestly and with consideration for them. 
In Chapter 5 Scout inquires about Boo Radley and is first told that the man's name is Arthur. To her question about the possibility of Arthur's death, Miss Maudie replies that he is yet alive. She adds,

"Arthur Radley just stays in the house, that's all....Wouldn't you stay in the house if you didn't want to come out?"

She explains further that Mr. Radley is a hard man and that Arthur lives in "a sad house." She recalls that as a boy Arthur would always speak to her: "Spoke as nicely as he knew how." When Scout asks if Arthur may be crazy, Miss Maudie replies with genuine feeling and empathy for Arthur:

"If he's not, he should be by now....What happens in houses behind closed doors, what secrets--"

• Chapter 24

At the Missionary Tea, Mrs. Merriweather reveals her sanctimonious hypocrisy as she speaks of the great missionary work that Reverend J. Grimes Everett performs in Africa while she none-too-subtly reproves Atticus for seriously defending Tom Robinson:

"I tell you there are some good but misguided people in this town. Good, but misguided....some of 'em in this town thought they were doing the right thing a while back, but all they did was stir 'em up."

Because Mrs. Merriweather has made such insulting innuendos against Atticus in his own house and before his sister Alexandra, Miss Maudie fires back at her with a cynical remark, asking if Mr. Merriweather has his food sticking as he tries to swallow it ("His food doesn't stick going down, does it?"), implying that it must be difficult for him to eat food cooked by their black maid.

After this, Aunt Alexandra gives Miss Maudie "a look of pure gratitude" for her empathy. Later in the afternoon, Atticus comes home and announces to Alexandra and Miss Maudie that Tom Robinson has been shot trying to escape at the prison. He soon leaves, and Alexandra is very shaken by this terrible news. She tells Maudie that although she does not approve of all that Atticus has done, he is her brother and she worries about the stress that he is under: "It tears him to pieces....what else do they want from him, Maudie?"
With empathy, Miss Maudie replies, 

"Whether Maycomb knows it or not, we're paying the highest tribute we can pay a man. We trust him to do right." 

Alexandra asks, "Who?" and Miss Maudie replies, 

"The handful of people in this town who say that fair play is not marked White Only; the handful of people who say a fair trial is for everybody, not just us;....The handful of people in this town with background, that's who they are."

Having given Scout's aunt true moral support, Miss Maudie then suggests that they return to the ladies in the other room. Bolstered by Miss Maudie's support and empathy, Aunt Alexandra straightens her dress and re-assumes her role as hostess with renewed confidence.

Miss Maudie's wise and generous heart provides emotional support for members of the Finch family. This warm heart also extends its empathy to them and to others who need it, such as Boo Radley. 

What are four things that Mary does, says or feels that show her love for her husband in "Lamb to the Slaughter" by Roald Dahl?

In "Lamb to the Slaughter," Mary's love for her husband is one of the story's most prominent themes and it is expressed at a number of points in the text. At the beginning of the story, for example, Mary is depicted at home, waiting patiently for her husband's much-anticipated return from work:

She merely wanted to satisfy herself that each minute that went by made it nearer the time when he would come home.

Next, when he arrives at the house, Mary expresses her love through her complete devotion to looking after Patrick and his needs:

She took his coat and hung it up. Then she made the drinks.

In addition, Mary's love for Patrick is demonstrated by her enjoyment of their time together. This also provides Mary with an opportunity to consider what she loves the most about him, like his best features:

She loved the warmth that came out of him when they were alone together. She loved the shape of his mouth, and she especially liked the way he didn't complain about being tired. 

Finally, even after murdering him, it is evident through her response to his body that Mary still loves her husband:

She ran over to him, knelt down beside him, and began to cry hard. It was easy. No acting was necessary.

ABCD is a rhombus. M and N are points on BD such that DN = MB. Prove that Triangle DNC is congruent to triangle BMC.

Hello!

It is well-known that in any parallelogram the opposite angles are equal. A rhombus is a parallelogram, so the angles `ABC` and `ADC` are congruent.

Also, it is known that any diagonal of a rhombus bisects the corresponding angles. Therefore angles `ADN` and `CDN` are congruent, and `ABM` and `CBM` are congruent. From this and the first paragraph we infer that the angles `CDN` and `CBM` are congruent (both are halves of the congruent angles).

Now we can finish the proof. The triangles `DNC` and `BMC` have two pairs of congruent sides: ` ``DN = BM` by the conditions and `DC = BC` by definition of rhombus. Also the angles between these sides are equal in both triangles, `CDN = CBM` as proved above. Therefore these triangles are congruent by the side-angle-side rule (SAS).

Why doesn't von Gradwitz want witnesses to see what he has planned?

Ulrich von Gradwitz doesn't want any witnesses around when he kills Georg Znaeym. In other words, he aims to kill his rival if he catches him alone. Privately, Ulrich isn't interested in just apprehending his enemy; he means to kill Georg if the opportunity presents itself, and in the event he gets his chance, Ulrich doesn't want to be held accountable for the murder.

This is part of the reason von Gradwitz orders his men to lie in wait at the crest of the hill while he ventures further down the steep slopes. As luck will have it, he does come face to face with Georg. The text tells us both men are not entirely unhappy with this state of affairs. Each man cherishes hate and murder in his heart, and each is ready to "give full play to the passions of a lifetime." As the narrator relates, things don't turn out the way each imagines it will.

An unforeseen catastrophe sees both men pinned down by the branches of an enormous beech tree. The ending of the story is ironic, and the text suggests both men may die together at the hands of wolves.

In The Giver, why would Fiona, a trainee in the care of the old, probably accept the practice of releasing the old?

The only people in the community who know that release means putting someone to death are the Elders and the Giver.  Fiona has no idea that the elderly people she helps to care for are being killed. No one is present when the elderly are released except for a committee, one probably composed of some Elders, that is in charge of the process. It is also possible that, as in the release of an infant that Gabriel witnesses, a caregiver like his father will perform the actual release.  As far as most in the community know, people who are released, young or old, "were sent Elsewhere and never returned to the community" (43).  It is difficult to know what Fiona would do if she understood this, but since she does not, she pictures all who have disappeared from the community being Elsewhere, and thus there is no reason for her to protest the process or be at all concerned about it.  Additionally, this is a community in which people are almost "programmed" to follow all rules, and Fiona is probably going to accept any rules or processes that the Elders require. 

What does Ponyboy call Cherry after she delivers the news about the rumble?

Ponyboy calls Cherry a traitor after she gives him information about the rumble.

Towards the end of Chapter 8, Cherry Valance runs into Ponyboy and Two-Bit, and she tells them that the Socs are willing to play by the rules in the upcoming rumble. Cherry says that Randy told her that they would fight fair and not bring weapons. Cherry then tells Pony that Randy isn't going to show up for the fight and politely asks how Johnny is doing. Pony tells Cherry that Johnny isn't doing well and asks if she'll visit him. When Cherry says that she won't visit Johnny, Ponyboy gets upset and asks why not. Cherry tries to explain that she couldn't look at the person who killed her boyfriend because she still feels strongly about Bob. Ponyboy understands Cherry's reasoning but is still bitter about the situation. He knows that it wasn't Johnny's fault that Bob got drunk and tried to start a fight. Ponyboy then tells Cherry that he wouldn't want her to see Johnny anyway. He says, "You're a traitor to your own kind and not loyal to us" (Hinton 110). Pony can't help himself and voices is displeasure at Cherry and her easy-going affluent lifestyle. After making several negative comments, Ponyboy realizes that he was wrong and remembers that Cherry's struggles are similar to his. He then smiles at her and asks her if she can see the sunset good from the West Side. Cherry responds by saying, "Real good" (Hinton 110).

How does bullying relate to different types of deviance?

Researchers have studied the application of General Strain Theory (GST) to bullying. Hinduja and Patchin have found that people who experience greater strain and stress in their lives are more likely to engage in deviant behaviors, such as bullying. GST suggests that children who feel stress experience feelings such as depression, anger, frustration, and anxiety. As a result, they are more likely to take deviant actions such as bullying as a way to relieve these feelings. GST has been used to explain a wide range of deviant behaviors, including bullying. Bullying has also been linked to other deviant behaviors. For example, teenagers who bully others are four times more likely to be charged with delinquency than teenagers who do not bully others. Bullying is also linked with other forms of deviance, such as truancy, shoplifting, vandalism, and dropping out of school. Bullying is linked to negative emotions that may find an outlet in deviant behaviors, following the GST.

 Citation:

Patchin, J. W. & Hinduja, S. (2011). Traditional and nontraditional bullying among youth: A test of general strain theory. Youth and Society, 43 (2), 727-751.

What kind of life did Lucy live? What effect does Lucy’s death have on the poet?

In William Wordsworth's "She Dwelt Among the Untrodden Ways," the girl Lucy appears to have lived a life of relative anonymity, isolation, and loneliness. For instance, in the first line Wordsworth says that "She dwelt among the untrodden ways," suggesting that she lived alone far from conventional communities. Furthermore, at the end of the first stanza he claims that Lucy was "A Maid whom there were none to praise / And very few to love" (3-4), which suggests that few people loved or even cared about her. Despite this fact, Wordsworth concludes his poem by saying "she is in her grave, and, oh, / The difference to me!" (11-12). 

All in all, Wordsworth suggests that, though Lucy lived in relative obscurity, he found her life to be incredibly meaningful. Thus, the poem becomes an exploration of the ways in which even the simplest of people can still live lives of great significance. Since Wordsworth communicates this compelling idea in a few short lines, it's hardly surprising that this poem has proven to be one of his most popular compositions. 

What is the dramatic irony from "The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant?

Dramatic irony occurs when the audience (or reader) knows something that one or more of the characters do not. In other words, the audience is one or more steps ahead of the characters in the story. There really are no clues or hints that give the reader this kind of advantage over Madame Loisel, her husband, or any of the other supporting characters. The reader and Madame Loisel learn the necklace is made of fake diamonds at the same time.

There is, however, evidence of situational irony. This is when the outcome is different or opposite of that which was intended. Madame Loisel expected the necklace to bring her happiness. It did for a short time, but then losing the necklace made the rest of her life quite difficult. She expected that the necklace was made of forty thousand francs worth of diamonds. She later learned the diamonds were fake. Earlier in the story, Monsieur Loisel expects his wife will be thrilled about the invitation to the Ministry. She is initially too ashamed to consider going because she feels she requires expensive clothes and jewelry to even fit in with such a high strata of society.

If temperature and pressure are inversely related, how are both high at the plains?

According to the ideal gas law:

PV = nRT

where P is the pressure, V is the volume, n is the number of moles, R is the universal gas constant and T is the temperature. From this equation, we can see that pressure and temperature are directly proportional to each other and not inversely proportional. 

According to Gay-Lussac's Law, pressure and temperature are directly proportional, which means P/T = constant, provided that the volume is held constant. 

Thus, it is entirely feasible to have high pressure and temperature at the plains, as long as the gas volume is held constant. At high temperatures, the gas molecules attain higher kinetic energy and thus exert more pressure at the surfaces, as long as the volume is fixed. This causes an increase in the pressure exerted by the gas and hence high pressure and high temperatures exist together.

Hope this helps. 

How do you factor ab(a+b)+bc(b+c)+ca(c+a)+3abc?

In order to factor this expression, first open all parenthesis by distributing the term in front of the parenthesis. The given expression will then become

`a^2b + ab^2 + b^2c +bc^2 + ac^2 + a^2c + 3abc` .

We need to group these terms in a way so that we could find some common factors. Now there are 7 terms in the expression, which is not a very convenient number. However, the coefficient 3 in front of the abc term gives us a clue that this term should be broken up into 3: abc + abc + abc.

Now we have 9 terms, which we can group into three groups of three so that each group has a common factor:

`a^2b + a^2c + abc = a(ab + ac + bc)`

`ab^2 + b^2c + abc = b(ab + bc + ac)`

`bc^2 + ac^2 + abc = c(bc + ac + ab)`

Note that the expressions in parenthesis are the same, so the three groups of terms have a common trinomial factor! It can be factored out, and the entire sum of nine (originally, seven) terms becomes

`(a + b+c)(ab + ac + bc)` .

The given expression can be factored as `(a + b + c)(ab + ac + bc)`

How can the relationship between Wiltshire and religion be qualified in Robert Louis Stevenson's story?

In The Beach of Falesa, Wiltshire views religion from a non-conformist and slightly cynical standpoint. One gets the idea that he's not especially enthused about organized Christianity, nor does he harbor any illusions about the efficacy of religious orthodoxy. Although he is not immune to the trappings of organized religion (in the story, he is drawn to the melodious sounds of hymn-singing), Wiltshire despises religious hypocrisy. Rather, he is a plain-spoken man who prefers to let his actions speak for itself.

In the story, Wiltshire is an English copra trader who has just disembarked on the island of Falesa. He is a calculating businessman and aims to profit from his trade business. However, upon arrival at the island, he is accosted by Case, another fellow trader. Case encourages Wiltshire to think about getting a wife; as supposed proof of his solicitude, Case dangles Uma (a pretty, island girl) before Wiltshire. As the courtship continues, Uma becomes more infatuated with her new fiance.

Wiltshire and Uma eventually marry in a non-binding marriage ceremony. However, Wiltshire admits that his conscience gives him no peace; he knows that, as an accessory to the deception, he is taking advantage of a trusting, illiterate island girl.

A nice paper to put in a girl's hand and see her hide away like gold. A man might easily feel cheap for less. But it was the practice in these parts, and (as I told myself) not the least the fault of us white men, but of the missionaries. If they had let the natives be, I had never needed this deception, but taken all the wives I wished, and left them when I pleased, with a clear conscience.

The above passage nicely describes Wiltshire's religious views. He is disgusted by the hypocrisy of the missionaries, who, in order to avoid the appearance of impropriety, deem it permissible to solemnize and legitimize sexual dalliances with spurious marriage documents. Wiltshire contends that, if the missionaries had respected the traditions of the natives, he would not be assaulted by a guilty conscience for deceiving Uma.

Eventually, Wiltshire does fall in love with Uma, and he aims to make their marriage legal. To do so, he enlists the help of the missionary, Tarleton. Although he is under no illusions about Tarleton's opinion of him, Wiltshire allows the missionary to preside over his marriage to Uma.

This was the first time, in all my years in the Pacific, I had ever exchanged two words with any missionary, let alone asked one for a favour. I didn't like the lot, no trader does; they look down upon us, and make no concealment; and, besides, they're partly Kanakaised, and suck up with natives instead of with other white men like themselves.

In legally marrying Uma, Wiltshire demonstrates his personal integrity, which contrasts with the hypocrisy of the missionaries. So, Wiltshire's stance toward organized religion can be qualified as non-conformist and cynical; however, as a man of integrity, he does live under a strict moral code that prevents him from taking advantage of the less fortunate.