How does Romeo change after the party in Act I Scene 5?

Up until the party, Romeo was obsessed with Rosaline. He can think of nothing and no one else but her. However, when he sees Juliet, his love quickly switches from Rosaline to Juliet. He is sure that she is the one he wants to marry (just as he was sure that it was Rosaline that he wanted to marry). His obsession is now for Juliet, whom he has not met. This shows the fickleness and immaturity of Romeo. In the famous balcony scene, when he tries to swear by the moon, Juliet chides him, saying that he should “swear not by the moon, th’ inconstant moon.” Yet this is exactly describing Romeo’s character. He is inconstant as the moon. His whole acquaintance with and marriage to Juliet lasts about a week. Who knows who will come into his sights in the immediate future? His change at the party is typical of his shallow character, despite his protestations.

What transforms the balcony scene into a great moment of poignancy in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet?

It would be difficult to overestimate the impact of this particular scene upon dramatic literature, and upon the idea and image of love and romance. The language is beautifully crafted and the imagery sets the tone for the play's theme of the "star-cross'd lovers" who are destined to be together, yet whose situations tragically keep them apart.

Romeo's comparing Juliet to the rising sun, and her description of his name as her enemy, are both expressive of these major themes in the play. The sun and moon imagery the lovers use to describe and refer to one another throughout the play is introduced here. "Arise fair sun and kill the envious moon that is already sick and pale with grief": here Romeo compares Juliet's beauty to the sun and portrays her as more beautiful than the moon. He then continues "It is my lady; oh it is my love! Oh, that she knew she were!" His love and longing is laid bare here, contributing to the scene's poignancy.

We also hear of Juliet's deep love of Romeo despite having just met him, and she suggests she would marry him so that their names will no longer be at odds because of the family feud: "Be but sworn my love and I'll no longer be a Capulet." This also hints at the tendency of these lovers to see themselves reflected in the other, and the sun-moon and day-night imagery also reinforces this theme of the yin-yang, male-female opposites that describe the union of love.

When Romeo finally leaves, Juliet says "Parting is such sweet sorrow," and this foreshadows the moment when Romeo believes she is dead and decides to kill himself rather than live without her. This hint of what is to come also adds poignancy to the scene.

In acid base neutralization, if the concentration of the base remains constant but the concentration of the acid is increased, is the amount of...

The answer to this prompt depends strongly upon the initial conditions, i.e. the state of the reaction before the acid concentration was increased. If the acid and base were in equal proportion according to a stoichiometric ratio, then the results will be somewhat different than if the two were not in proportion.

Regardless of those conditions, we can discuss a few general things about the statements being investigated. First, we should acknowledge the difference between energy and temperature. Energy is more difficult to define, but we can understand it in this case as the effect of changing the bonds in the acid and base. Temperature, on the other hand, is a measure of molecular motion. The temperature of two objects of different masses do not necessarily tell us about their energy, or vice versa; energy applied to mass A may result in a greater temperature change than the same energy applied to greater mass B, and so temperature is not a proportional indicator of energy itself unless we know about the interaction between the molecules of the system and energy. 

Let's assume that the system is hydrochloric acid (HCl) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH). These will neutralize to produce sodium chloride (table salt, NaCL) and water (H2O). Let's assume the solvent is water. In this case, the neutralization will add water to the system, as well as dissolving salt in it, which slightly raises its heat capacity. Therefore, if we're being really precise, we should acknowledge that this reaction will raise the volume of water in the system as well as its heat capacity, and if there was no exothermic aspect of this reaction, then we would expect the temperature of the system to go down as the energy is distributed. 

Now let's assume that we simply added more HCl to this already-balanced condition from the outset. The only thing that would be accomplished by this is that there is a greater amount of HCl present, which increases the chances of the NaOH encountering it, thereby speeding up the neutralization. However, the total amount of energy released would not change, because we still have the same number of NaOH molecules reacting.

If, on the other hand, HCl was our limiting reagent, and we increased it, we would expect the total amount of energy to increase, since more reactions are taking place in total, and therefore the temperature should increase as well. 

Thus, we can summarize that the amount of energy released depends directly upon the number of neutralization reactions taking place. Temperature change depends on the amount of energy released, and the heat capacity and mass of molecules capable of distributing it. 

Who starts a quarrel in Romeo and Juliet?

The main quarrel or conflict in the play is between the two houses of Capulet and Montague, a quarrel that started long before the first events of the play itself. The conflict is introduced in the Prologue, which describes the feud as follows:

Two households, both alike in dignity, ...

From ancient grudge break to new mutiny ...

The first example of this enmity occurs when Sampson and Gregory, two servants of the house of Capulet, deliberately offer provocation to Abraham and Balthasar, two members of the Montague household. Sampson bites his thumb at the Montague household, a rude gesture comparable to a raised middle finger in contemporary North America, to start a fight, and after a brief verbal exchange, the two pairs begin to brawl. Tybalt and Benvolio, two nobles, walk by and are drawn into the fight, which in short order becomes a full-blown riot, eventually stopped by the Prince, who expresses frustration with how the feud has affected the city of Verona.

How was the summer of 1887 special for Helen in The Story of My Life? How did Helen learn the joy of nature?

The summer of 1887 immediately followed Helen's breakthrough in learning to communicate using the manual alphabet.  With the power of communication available to her, Helen was eager to learn all she could.  She wanted to learn the names of everything around her.  Learning the names of things gave her joy and helped her to feel more connected to the world she had long been distant from.  Miss Sullivan took Helen outside to the river one day and taught her about how plants grow.  Helen described this important day of learning in her autobiography:

I learned how the sun and the rain make to grow out of the ground every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, how birds build their nests and live and thrive from land to land, how the squirrel, the deer, the lion and every other creature finds food and shelter (The Story of My Life, Chapter V).

Miss Sullivan also instilled in Helen a love of nature.  Helen had already learned to enjoy the smell and touch of nature in the garden on her family's property.  With Miss Sullivan's help, Helen developed a special connection with nature.  She learned to appreciate it in a new and deeper way.  

Helen also experienced nature's fury.  One day, she was under a tree when a sudden thunderstorm came.  She sensed the change in the weather and she clung to the tree in fear.

How does James Thurber use fantasy to convey ideas about reality in "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty"?

Fantasy is utilized by author James Thurber as Walter Mitty's escape from an embarrassing or humiliating situation.

"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" begins in media res of one daydream, and Mitty is summoned back to reality by the scolding of his overbearing wife: "Not so fast! You're driving too fast! [...] What are you driving so fast for?" Mitty's fantasies impinge upon reality, as in one daydream he has been driving quickly because he imagines that he is piloting an eight-engined Navy hydroplane.

Clearly, the boundaries between the two realms of fantasy and reality become extremely porous as Walter Mitty goes in and out of fantasy, just as the voice of Mrs. Mitty fades in and out. After a particularly detailed scolding about buying overshoes and wearing his gloves, and then a command from a traffic cop ("Pick it up, brother!"), Mitty lurches ahead, and then drives around aimlessly until he passes a hospital. Again, his imagination is ignited and takes control of his mind; he dreams that he is a competent surgeon. This fantasy is interrupted by the real voice of a parking-lot attendant, "Back it up, Mac! Look out for that Buick!" But, after grumbling to himself, Mitty has soon returned to his imaginary world in which he plays the roles of heroes that are desperately struggling to heal Mitty's wounded ego and manhood. Unfortunately, these fortifying daydreams are all too soon erased when Mrs. Mitty scolds anew. In the end, as he seeks refuge in a winged chair of the hotel where he is to wait for his wife, Mitty, broken by this termagant, imagines himself against a wall, facing a firing squad and a possible breakdown in real life.

What impact did Scout have on 3 other characters in the book?

Scout has an impact on Dill, Boo Radley, and Walter Cunningham. 

Scout impacts many people in her life, of course.  She and her brother Jem are almost inseparable during the summer.  Her father Atticus and her aunt Alexandra worry about her and what kind of adult she will turn out to be.  She has a friendship with her neighbor Miss Maudie.  However, there are three characters whose lives Scout touches in such a way that she leaves a lasting impact. 

Dill is closer to Scout’s age than Jem’s.  He is a bit odd, and definitely lonely when he first comes to Maycomb.  Due to their closeness in age, they become friends despite the gender difference.  Dill even asks Scout to marry him, an innocent and childish acknowledgement of her importance to him.  Dill does not have much at home.  His father is absent, and his mother eventually remarries.  Having Scout in his life makes it much fuller.  This is why he runs away and hides under her bed. 

Scout’s impact on Boo Radley is profound. He is another very lonely person.  Boo is the reclusive, shy neighbor who watches the children in his neighborhood as if they were his own.  Scout, Jem, and Dill spark an interesting friendship with Boo through trying to get him to come out.  At first, Scout is afraid of him.  As she gets older, she comes to realize the role she has played in his life. 

Boo leaves presents for Scout and Jem in a tree knot.  He even carves little figures of them out of soap dolls.  He seems to take a special interest in the spunky Scout.  When Miss Maudie has a fire at her house, Boo sneaks out of his and leaves a blanket on her shoulders. 

“Then whose blanket is that?”

“Blanket?”

“Yes ma’am, blanket. It isn’t ours.”

I looked down and found myself clutching a brown woolen blanket I was wearing around my shoulders, squaw-fashion. (Ch. 8) 

Later, when Boo rescues Scout and Jem from Bob Ewell, she walks him home.  Standing on the Radley porch, Scout realizes how big of a role she and her brother played in his life.  They were friends, from afar.  Scout and Jem gave Boo the courage to leave his house. 

A third person Scout impacted was only around her for a brief time, but surely an event he would never forget.  When Walter Cunningham and the angry mob surrounded Atticus, trying to get at his client, Scout decided to jump into the fray and have a conversation with Mr. Cunningham.  She was hoping to trade on the fact that she was the same age as his son and the two were sort of friends.  It worked. 

Atticus said nothing. I looked around and up at Mr. Cunningham, whose face was equally impassive. Then he did a peculiar thing. He squatted down and took me by both shoulders.

“I’ll tell him you said hey, little lady,” he said. (Ch. 15) 

Scout helps Walter Cunningham, Sr. come to his senses.  Being confronted with a little girl, even though she never directly addresses the situation, helps him realize that what he is doing is wrong.  Atticus is impressed by this.  He tells Scout that every mob is made of people.  Scout addressed Walter’s humanity.

Why were colonies a benefit to the Imperialist powers?

There were three main reasons why colonies benefitted the imperial powers (or why those imperial powers thought colonies helped them).  One of these reasons was economic, one was political, and one was military.

Powerful countries took colonies partly because they felt those countries would help them economically.  There were two ways in which colonies could help.  First, colonies could serve as places to get raw materials. Industrialized countries needed raw materials and colonies were places where they could get those resources without having to buy them.  Second, colonies could be markets for the imperial powers.  Industrialized countries could produce large amounts of goods. They had to sell those goods somewhere and they felt that colonies made good “captive markets” in which to sell. In these two ways, colonies could benefit imperial countries economically.

The political and military benefits of colonies were closely related. Militarily, colonies could help a country project its power around the world.  For example, US naval bases in Hawaii and the Philippines were seen as a way that American power could extend into Asia.  Ships from those bases could intervene relatively quickly in anything that happened in Asia and the Pacific.  This kind of military power helped bring political power as well. A country with colonies had political power because it was militarily strong and also because of the prestige of having colonies.  Colonies, then, could help an imperial power have more power and could help it to seem more important in international politics.

Thus, we can see that imperial powers got military, political, and economic benefits from having colonies.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, why does Scout think the trial is a "gala"?

Scout notices that many people treat the trial of Tom Robinson like a party, or gala, especially those who may not be close with Tom Robinson and thus see it as more of a form of entertainment. On page 160, Scout observes:

It was a gala occasion. There was no room at the public hitching rail for another animal, mules and wagons were parked under every available tree. The courthouse square was covered with picnic parties sitting on newspapers, washing down biscuits and syrup with warm milk from fruit jars. Some people were gnawing on cold chicken and cold fried pork chops. The more affluent chased their food with drugstore Coca-cola in bulb-shaped soda glasses. Greasy-faced children popped-the-whip through the crowd, and babies lunched at their mothers’ breasts.

Instead of the somber attitude that one might expect from people during a trial, the atmosphere that she describes outside of the courthouse is quite party-like. People are gathered eating food that they have brought, much like they would do at a social gathering. This seems a bit out of place, as a man is on trial for his life. It seems that people fail to acknowledge this, at least at the moment. Children, especially, seem completely oblivious to the fact that a trial is taking place and behave as if they are at a picnic of some kind and are almost having fun as they “pop-the-whip through the crowd.” Harper Lee is criticizing the people of Maycomb and their indifference toward Tom Robinson and his fate.

How does Bob Ewell treat the court and the attorneys?

In To Kill a Mockingbird, Bob Ewell treats the court and the attorneys with contempt and disrespect.

When he is called to the stand by Mr. Gilmer, Bob begins by addressing his lawyer rudely; when asked if his name is "Mr. Robert Ewell," Bob glibly answers: "That’s m’name, cap’n." After hearing this, Scout says she doesn't understand Mr. Ewell's attitude; since he is Mr. Gilmer's witness, "he had no business being rude to him, of all people."

In his next question, Mr. Gilmer asks Bob Ewell if he is Mayella Ewell's father, and Mr. Ewell also answers disrespectfully: "Well, if I ain’t I can’t do nothing about it now, her ma’s dead." In both instances, Bob Ewell is rude to his own defense lawyer. Judge Taylor puts Bob Ewell in his place, though. He commands Bob to answer Mr. Gilmer's future questions without resorting to "obscene speculations."

It isn't long, however, before Bob Ewell behaves badly again. When questioned about Mayella's screaming, Bob resorts to using a racial slur to slander Tom Robinson's character. He also accuses Tom of being the man who took brutal advantage of Mayella. Because of Bob Ewell's rude language, Judge Taylor has to hammer his gavel for a full five minutes before the courtroom can be brought to order.

What is the central idea in "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson?

There are, I'm sure, differing opinions on this, but most people see the central idea of "The Lottery" as the idea that blind adherence to tradition and to authority is a very bad idea, for individuals or for communities.  This is a story in which people participate in a ritual that ends in the certain death of one of their own, and no one in the story even knows why! Yet they all happily follow Mr. Summer's instructions, to the bitter end.  I have read that Jackson had Nazi Germany in her mind as she wrote this story, as an answer to the question of how in the world people could live within a few miles of a concentration camp and be completely unaware that Jews, Gypsies, and many others were being slaughtered in the hundreds of thousands. The story does to some degree explain this, but its theme is really universal, telling us that even in the loveliest and most innocent-seeming of villages, there is a price to be paid for not questioning tradition and not thinking for oneself.  

In "Once Upon a Time," what is the relationship between the characters in the story and community in which they live?

The characters in the story live in a terribly divided community, and so this analysis must take place in two parts: one must examine both the family's relationship with their neighbors and their relationship to the people of color who live outside their suburb.

The suburb in which the family lives is understood, particularly in the context of apartheid South Africa, to be both white and afraid of those who are not. Race is a recurring theme throughout the story, no less present for the family's denials of racism:

He was masked; it could not be said if he was black or white, and therefore proved the property owner was no racist.

The family is guided by their fear. They insure against disaster, and in cases in which no such insurance is available, they actively attempt to prevent damage by installing security measures such as alarms, fences, wire coils, and so on. The community of the suburb is homogenous; the actions taken by the family are by no means unique. Gordimer states that: 

The alarm was often answered — it seemed — by other burglar alarms, in other houses, that had been triggered by pet cats or nibbling mice.

Guided by a shared fear and persistent racism, the family is shown to be typical of the community of the suburb.

The community outside the suburb is greatly feared by the family. They are described as rioters, burglars, loafers, hooligans, loiterers; that the story opens with the narrator's fear of being murdered implies that the family is afraid of being killed as well. They are "people of another color," not only living in another part of the city but "quartered" there. The trustworthy ones were made housemaids and gardeners: servants. 

Despite the family's persistent fear of the people from outside the suburb, their housemaid and gardener are very loyal: when their son is caught in the coil, they are described as "the hysterical trusted housemaid and the weeping gardener" while the parents of the child are simply described as "the man" and "the wife." Faced with the death of a child, the maid and gardener, whose own community is somewhat dehumanized over the course of the story, are shown to be more human than the parents of the child. 

What techniques does the author use in the exposition of "The Most Dangerous Game" to foreshadow the plot twist which is to come?

In the exposition of his short story "The Most Dangerous Game" Richard Connell uses both setting and dialogue to foreshadow later events. The initial setting of the story is on a yacht heading toward South America where the protagonist Rainsford and his companion Whitney will hunt jaguars. As they pass an unseen island Whitney tells Rainsford that the sailors and even the captain of the yacht are uneasy about passing what is mysteriously called "Ship-Trap Island." Whitney says that, "Sailors have a curious dread of the place." The mystery of the island is later revealed. It is the home of General Zaroff who, because he has grown bored with hunting animals, now uses his private island to hunt the sailors who are shipwrecked. Therefore, the "dread" is well founded.

During the conversation between the two men Whitney also suggests that the animals they hunt understand fear and pain. Rainsford objects to this assertion, claiming animals have no understanding. Whitney disagrees, saying,

"I rather think they understand one thing—fear. The fear of pain and the fear of death."

This discussion most likely was on Rainsford's mind later in the story when he is being hunted by the general. He finally understands the fear that the hunter strikes in his prey. After the general survives one of Rainsford's traps and assures the American that he will return, Rainsford's fear is magnified:

...Rainsford, with fear again gripping his heart, heard the general's mocking laugh ring through the jungle...Rainsford took up his flight again. It was flight now, a desperate, hopeless flight...

At the end of the story Rainsford admits that he is a "beast at bay" and there can be only one outcome to the hunt, the death of one of the men. Rainsford's experience as a hunted animal echoes the words of Whitney in the exposition of the story. 

Why does the speaker identify so intensely with the wind?

The speaker, who we can interpret as Shelley himself, wants to be like the west wind. He interprets the power of the wind as a metaphor for poetic inspiration and as a catalyst of social change. This idea of the wind inspiring and powering flight lends itself to ideas of being uplifted:

If I were a dead leaf thou mightest bear;
If I were a swift cloud to fly with thee...

He wants to be lifted to new poetic heights. And in terms of Shelley's ideas about social change, he wants to see a powerful movement. He hopes that his poetry, like the power of the west wind, might power a social change and/or movement.

The final stanza really sums up these ideas. He is literally saying to the wind, "be me." Just as the wind scatters leaves and seeds all over the world to go into the ground and be born again, Shelley wants his own poetry to be scattered all over the world in the hopes that his lines might grow, inspire, and uplift those who read them:

Be thou, Spirit fierce,
My spirit! Be thou me, impetuous one! Drive my dead thoughts over the universe
Like withered leaves to quicken a new birth!
And, by the incantation of this verse, Scatter, as from an unextinguished hearth
Ashes and sparks, my words among mankind!

Why does Connie leave the house with Arnold at the end?

In part, Connie agrees to go with Arnold at the end of the story because he threatens her and her family, telling her that if she doesn't come out of the house, he is going to hurt her family when they come home. She leaves the house with Arnold to prevent her family from getting hurt. In addition, it seems as though Arnold has a strange hold over her mind and convinces her that she and her past do not exist anymore. She thinks about her life "that it was nothing that was hers, that belonged to her, but just a pounding, living thing inside his body that wasn’t really hers either." Arnold has a mesmerizing kind of effect on her, and he tells her that her family doesn't really know her and never did. She watches herself leave the house as if she has been transported out of her body. She observes herself as if she is a double and does not recognize the part of herself leaving the house. In the end, she goes out with Arnold into a land that she doesn't even recognize because he has mesmerized and changed her so completely. 

Defoe's Robinson Crusoe is the best example of a new idea of modern man. Why?

Robinson Crusoe can be seen as an example of the common man that arose out of the transition from the Renaissance to the Enlightenment. The novel was written at the same time as the settlement of America, where people left the Old World to make their own new lives in the wilderness, using whatever skills and materials they had at hand. Crusoe used the things on the island (representing the New World) along with whatever he was able to salvage from the shipwreck (representing the Old World). His success in his survival speaks to the success of the colonists in the Americas. The rise of capitalism, where each person is able to climb up the socioeconomic ladder through his own efforts, is paralleled in Crusoe’s life on the island. It is no longer through the privilege of birth or of patronage that one can achieve success, but with the work of one’s own two hands and a creative mind.

What are some ideas for a costume inspired by botany?

Botany is the study of plants and their biology. Lucky for you, plants take many shapes, forms, and colors, which offers you some flexibility in coming up with costume ideas.

To help get some ideas, I recommend looking at photographs of plants and trying to relate the images to shapes one might find in clothing. Consider how the petals of flowers drape over one another like the layers of a skirt or dress. The branches of trees and saplings may be reminiscent of arms and legs. Be sure to look at photos of plants from various stages in their life cycle--some plants are most interesting or beautiful at their peak of growth, while others are more interesting during the growth process. Do you have a favorite plant, or one you are interested in?

You might even consider going outdoors to gather some pieces of plants--blooms, leaves, bark, moss. Use these as inspiration while sketching a design for a costume. 

This website offers stock photos of a wide variety of plants.

What are some essay topics in relation to the themes of gender and power in Shakespeare's Macbeth?

Gender and power are closely tied in Macbeth, and they can be examined from a variety of perspectives.

At the most superficial level, we can examine who has "power" and who does not. Arguably, the most powerful character is Macbeth, a man, yet he gained his power (being king) from the prophecies of the witches and the encouragement of his wife. While Macbeth ostensibly occupies the power in a "manly" fashion (murder), we might question whether he was actually installed there by female power, as a puppet ruler, beholden to female provocations. Perhaps Macbeth holds the traditional male power because he has to (the role being a male one), and because it is politically expedient for him to do so, and because those who manipulate him seek to use that power for their own gain. This also lends further significance to Macduff's birth by cesarian section; Macbeth is defeated by someone who is "not of woman born", perhaps implying that "true" male power, or at least, a lack of female genesis, was the only way to defeat the largely "female" force that put Macbeth into power.

We should also examine how carefully Shakespeare constructs the idea of being female, as opposed to the reality of it. There are numerous occasions where the female nature is directly addressed in stereotypical terms;

O gentle lady, 'tis not for you to hear what I can speak: The repetition, in a woman's ear, would murder as it fell.

This implies that the nature of women is fragile. Yet on multiple occasions, and especially in private, Lady Macbeth depicts herself in far more brutal terms, in contrast to and especially in contradiction to the aforementioned stereotypes;

I would, while it was smiling in my face,

Have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums

And dashed the brains out, had I so sworn as you

Have done to this.

Lady Macbeth is not only defying the expectations of her gender, but using them to enhance her argument. By painting herself as a violent monster, or acting as if she wishes she were one, she simultaneously reveals the depths of her craving for power (being so willing as to defy societal expectation and her own feelings) as well as bringing tension and immediacy to her arguments with Macbeth; he must commit the murders because she cannot.

Finally, we can look at these roles from outside of the play itself; how did the realities of Shakespeare's time affect his writing, and how are our modern sensibilities affecting our interpretations of his work? Consider the lack of female actors, for example, and the fact that it was men portraying women as a matter of course during that time period. Today this might be attacked as an implication that women are incapable of performance art, whereas at the time it may have simply been a practical matter, and one as socially acceptable as we consider it unacceptable today. To this point, we can analyze gender and power in the play on what we might call a spectrum of intent; if we are upset by the fact that Lady Macbeth was played by a man, why does this upset us, and how does the play reflect and contradict our current ideas of gender and power?

What is a theme statement for Act II of Shakespeare's Macbeth?

When one disrupts the natural order, unnatural and unpredictable occurrences will result.  Macbeth disrupts the natural order when he murders the king, God's chosen representative to rule (according to their belief).  As a result, he "heard a voice cry, 'Sleep no more!  Macbeth does murder sleep'" (2.2.47-48).  He's committed an unnatural deed, and now he fears that nature will not let him sleep peacefully anymore.  Further, though it is midday, "dark night strangles the traveling lamp" and the sun does not shine (2.4.9); "a mousing owl" has killed a much more powerful falcon (2.4.15-16); and Duncan's horses turned wild and began to "eat each / other" (2.4.23-24).  Strange and unnatural things begin to occur as a result of Macbeth's disruption of the natural order, as though nature itself rebels against the disruption.

Appearances can be deceiving.  After Duncan's murder, Donalbain says, "There's daggers in men's smiles" (2.3.165).  He and his brother, Malcolm, understand that someone who now pretends to be their friend has murdered their father and that they, too, are not safe.  Moreover, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth appear to grieve heartily for Duncan's death; he claims, "Had I but died an hour before this chance, / I had lived a blessed time," and she pretends to faint as a result of her sorrow (2.3.107-108).  However, as Duncan's murderers, the pair put on a good show of grief (as they had planned to do).

From To Kill a Mockingbird, please provide quotes about the Cunninghams to support the notion that one does not truly know who a person is until...

Throughout To Kill a Mockingbird, a human side of the Cunningham family was shown.  Scout and Atticus looked beyond their reputation to see the Cunninghams for who they were.  Scout and her father had a special understanding about the family.  They came to recognize their struggles.

The Cunningham family was large and had a negative reputation in and near Maycomb, Alabama.  Members of the family were viewed as being "the wrong crowd."  They got drunk on whiskey, went to the gambling hall, and went to the movie theater on Sundays.  Scout first mentioned the Cunningham family and their bad reputation in chapter one:

"They did little, but enough to be discussed by the town and publicly warned from three pulpits: they hung around the barbershop; they rode the bus to Abbottsville on Sundays and went to the picture show; they attended dances at the county's riverside gambling hell, the Dew-Drop Inn & Fishing Camp; they experimented with stumphole whiskey."

Scout introduced young Walter Cunningham in chapter two.  He was in her class on the first day of school.  Miss Caroline, their teacher, expected Walter Cunningham to live up to her expectations of what a student should be.  Walter Cunningham did not fit that expected mold.  He wore no shoes and it was evident that he had hookworms.  He often had to help his father with farming, so he was unable to attend school all year.  Scout described him:

"Walter Cunningham's face told everybody in the first grade he had hookworms.  His absence of shoes told us how he got them.  People caught hookworms going barefooted in barnyards and hog wallows.  If Walter had owned any shoes he would have worn them the first day of school and then discarded them until midwinter."

Walter Cunningham did not bring lunch to school with him.  Miss Caroline questioned him about it.  When he said that he forgot it, the teacher offered to loan him a quarter.  Walter refused to take it.  After a back and forth conversation, Scout piped up and explained to Miss Caroline that he could not take it.  She told her teacher that Cunninghams "'never took anything they [could not] pay back.'"

It was after this that Scout, the narrator, showed how the Cunninghams were determined to pay back any money they owed.  Walter's father had sought legal help from Scout's father.  Unable to pay with money, the man had given the Finch family firewood, turnip greens, hickory nuts, and more.  She recalled it:

"One morning Jem and I found a load of stovewood in the back yard. Later, a sack of hickory nuts appeared on the back steps.  With Christmas came a crate of smilax and holly.  That spring when we found a crokersack full of turnip greens, Atticus said Mr. Cunningham had more than paid him."

Miss Caroline did not know Walter Cunningham or his family.  She expected Walter fit her ideal of what a student should be.  She thought that students should be attentive, eager to learn, clean, well fed, and healthy.  Walter Cunningham was from an uneducated family, was repeating the first grade, had no shoes, was not completely healthy, and had no lunch to eat.  Scout understood Walter because she remembered how determined his father had been to pay his legal fees.  She recalled how for months he had paid Atticus back any way he could.  Scout had a "special knowledge of the Cunningham tribe."

Later, in chapter fifteen, Atticus sat outside the jailhouse guarding Tom Robinson.  Jem and Scout snuck out to the jailhouse.  A mob of angry men approached Atticus.  Mr. Cunningham, Walter's father, was among them.  Scout spotted him in the mob.  She persistently engaged him in conversation.  She told him to tell Walter she said hello.  Finally, he agreed to do so.  Then he told the mob to leave.

In chapter sixteen, Atticus spoke to Scout about the incident.  He told her that:

"'Mr. Cunningham was part of a mob last night, but he was still a man.'"

He was referring to the fact that despite his anger, Mr. Cunningham was a regular person.  Atticus looked beyond the Cunningham reputation and saw the man as he was.

Later, in chapter twenty-three, Scout and Jem had a conversation about family background.  They talked about people being more educated as having a better family background.  Scout disagreed, using the Cunninghams as an example:

"'Walter's as smart as he can be, he just gets held back sometimes because he has to stay out and help his daddy.  Nothin's wrong with him.  Naw, Jem, I think there’s just one kind of folks.  Folks.'"

Once again, the Cunningham family was shown to be made up of regular people with the additional struggles of poverty and little time for education.

What happened during the Great Depression?

The Great Depression was a period of economic struggle in the industrialized Western world, lasting from about 1929 to 1939. After World War I, the United States had become a creditor to much of Europe. When the United States' Stock Market crashed in late 1929, it ruined thousands of American banks and disrupted both national and international economy. Because so many European nations were dependent upon the support of the United States, the failure of the American economy hit Europe hard, too. 

In many places, production almost came to a halt. Construction, manufacture of goods, even agriculture became severely stunted because companies couldn't afford to pay workers. This became cyclical as employment rates went up-- people couldn't work, so they didn't have money to buy anything and encourage further production. International trade declined greatly, as well. Nations sought to keep their goods in-country to be used and avoid sending potential profits overseas. With the Dust Bowl drought of the mid-1930's, American agriculture suffered even more.

Different countries responded in different ways to the impacts of the Depression. In nations like Germany and Japan, militarist governments intended to restore stability through both regressive foreign and aggressive national policy. In Germany, such policies often did more to address the "symptoms" than the cause of the Depression. For example, Adolf Hitler developed of work-creation scheme which kept people employed and busy, but didn't do much to address the economy itself. In the United States and Britain, welfare states were created with the intent of protecting and supporting the people in times of economic struggle. American President Franklin D. Roosevelt introduced the New Deal, which helped to re-structure the economy to prevent further Depressions and also support those who were suffering in the current one. 

How does the time or place switch around during Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis? How does this switching serve the story?

The events of the story take place in chronological order over a period of a few weeks.  The time period is during the Great Depression, and the location is Michigan.  The story begins in Flint, Michigan, and it ends in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  The reason that the setting changes is because Bud is travelling across the state in order to find his father.  He succeeds in finding his grandfather.  

The only time that the story breaks away from the day-to-day narration of Bud's adventure is when the story does a flashback to a time when Bud's mother was still alive.  The flashback does a great job of showing readers how strong and passionate a woman Bud's mother is.  She cares deeply for Bud's welfare and wants to impart strong morals on him.  The flashback also explains why Bud always introduces himself as Bud, not Buddy.  His mother named him Bud, and she told him that Buddy was a name for a dog; therefore, his name was Bud, not Buddy.  

`y = log_3(x^2-3x)` Find the derivative of the function

`y= log_3(x^2-3x)`

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:

`(dy)/(dx) = d/(dx) [log_3 (x^2-3x)]`

`(dy)/(dx) = 1/(ln(3) * (x^2-3x)) * d/(dx) (x^2-3x)`

`(dy)/(dx) = 1/(ln(3) * (x^2-3x)) * (2x - 3)`

`(dy)/(dx) = (2x - 3)/((x^3-3)ln(3))`

Therefore, `(dy)/(dx) = (2x - 3)/((x^3-3)ln(3))` .

What is the theme of Chapters 1-12 in Jerry Spinelli's book Maniac Magee?

The theme of belonging is important to Chapters 1-12, which begin with Maniac running away and end with him moving in with the Beales.

A theme of the first 12 chapters of the novel could be the importance of a loving, stable home.  Manic leaves his aunt and uncle because they are in no way ready to have a family.  They are miserable with each other, and they can’t see past their own issues to take care of their new son. 

Aunt Dot and Uncle Dan hated each other, but because they were strict Catholics, they wouldn't get a divorce. Around the time Jeffrey arrived, they stopped talking to each other. Then they stopped sharing. (Ch. 1) 

After the death of his parents, the drama is just too much for Maniac.  He needs a home, and his aunt and uncle are not creating one.  He runs, and just keeps running.  Maniac is searching for a new family. 

When Maniac arrives in Two Mills, he meets the Beale family pretty quickly.  Everyone else in Two Mills is obsessed with race, but Maniac does not care.  He does not really see why people of different skin colors would live in different parts of town. 

When Mr. Beale finds out that Maniac has no place to go, the Beales take him in. 

Mr. Beale made a U-turn right there and headed back. Only Mrs. Beale was still downstairs when they walked into the house.  She listened to no more than ten seconds' worth of Mr. Beale's explanation before saying to Maniac, "You're staying here." (Ch. 13) 

Maniac is just happy to finally have an address again.  He does not realize that some people may not want him living there.  He likes Amanda, who loves books as much as he does.  The Beales accepted him for who he is.  For the time being, he is happy.

What were the basic features of the government of the American colonies? What were the major similarities and differences between the government of...

Most of the American colonies shared a few basic governmental features, all of which were derived from English political tradition. All had a governor that was either royally appointed or chosen by the proprietors of the colony. In some colonies, governors were often natives of the colony, but in most they were sent from Britain, usually having secured the appointment by earning the favor of the King or one of his ministers. These governors had to work with the lower house of a representative assembly, chosen through elections by landowning colonists (the amount of land a person had to own varied by colony). These representative bodies, comparable to the British House of Commons, made laws and often fiercely guarded their power to tax and emit money. Most colonial assemblies, like Parliament, had an upper house. In Parliament, the upper house was the House of Lords, but in the colonies it generally served as a governor's council, which was chosen by the executive himself. Finally, most colonies, like England, had county governments, with county officials that included sheriffs, coroners, and justices of the peace. These people were either appointed or elected, but as in England, they were the political officials that most ordinary people interacted with the most regularity. What was most different was the extent of political participation. While both the British and colonial governments set landholding requirements for voting, the extent of landholding in the colonies was far greater than in Great Britain. Therefore, a much higher proportion of American colonists could vote than in the mother country.

Why are countries like North Korea, Somalia, and Afghanistan part of the United Nations? Shouldn't they get kicked out and punished for crimes...

There are two main reasons why the United Nations does not expel countries like the ones you mention.  First, the UN wants to keep as many countries as possible within the organization in hopes of helping them improve themselves.  Second, it would be very difficult to expel most countries.

As you can see in the link below, it is possible for the UN to expel a country.  However, the Security Council has to recommend that the country be expelled.  This is very unlikely to happen.  Let us look at the countries you mention.  North Korea is allied with China, which is a permanent member of the Security Council.  China would almost surely veto any attempt to expel North Korea. Afghanistan’s regime has been put in place and propped up by the US, which is also on the Security Council.  The US would not allow Afghanistan to be expelled.  In order to expel any country, the Security Council would need the unanimous consent of China, the US, France, Great Britain, and Russia.  This is very unlikely to happen.

Just as importantly, the UN does not want to expel countries.  The UN is an organization that is dedicated to improving the world and making it more peaceful.  The organization can only do its job if it engages countries.  If the UN were to expel North Korea, for example, it would no longer have any leverage over that country.  It would have no way to try to influence North Korea and improve its behavior.  Think about this in terms of a child at school who misbehaves.  The school might like to be rid of the child, but then they would lose the chance to have any effect on that child’s life.  If the UN expelled countries that acted badly, it would forfeit any chance of influencing those countries to mend their ways.  Thus, expelling countries would be counterproductive to the UN’s goals.

In 1984 by George Orwell, why does the Party own everything?

In 1984, the Party claims it owns everything in Oceania for the "good of the majority" (Part Three, Chapter Three). In reality, the truth about the Party's ownership is far more sinister: the Party owns and controls everything, from housing to razors, to keep the people of Oceania in a state of dependence. This view is supported by O'Brien who, in Part Three, Chapter Three, reveals the reason why:

Obedience is not enough. Unless he is suffering, how can you be sure that he is obeying your will and not his own? 

In other words, by controlling everything in Oceania, the Party guarantees the public will stay loyal. They will do this because they need the resources the Party owns and controls in order to live.

Moreover, as we see from the above quote, the Party deliberately keeps living standards low and certain items in short supply. Again, this guarantees that people will stay loyal because they are suffering and people who suffer are far less likely to rise up and overthrow the Party, provided they are unaware the Party is the cause of their suffering. Instead, the people are forced to rely on the Party to help them, thereby reinforcing their state of dependence.

How does the surprise ending affect the reader's understanding of the plot in "A Day's Wait"?

The surprise ending of Hemingway's story "A Day's Wait" begins when the sick boy asks his father, "About what time do you think I'm going to die?"

The reader has been assuming all along that the nine-year-old boy is just suffering from a case of the flu. The doctor told the father "there was nothing to worry about if the fever did not go above one hundred and four degrees."

The boy they called Schatz had a temperature of one hundred and two, but he was too young to understand there was a big difference between Fahrenheit and Celsius. It would appear that the family had been in Europe and is now in America, where Fahrenheit is standard.

When Schatz asks what time he will likely die, his father begins to understand that the young boy has been lying there all day expecting to die. The reader and the boy's father understand Schatz has been displaying great courage, not unlike a grown man who was terminally ill and expecting to die very soon. The reader experiences many of the feelings the father must have felt at that time. In addition to relief, the father must have admired his son's bravery at the same time he pitied the small boy for the mental anguish he must have endured during that long day in bed. 

What were the long-term effects of World War II?

The long-term effects of World War II were many, and as we discuss them, it is important to remember that the most important effect of the war was the over 50 million people, mostly civilians, who died during it. 

Long-term effects included the emergence of the United States and the Soviet Union as the world's two predominant superpowers. With Europe in ruins, these nations did much to shape the postwar order. Disputes between the United States and the communist Soviet Union over what this postwar order would look like fairly quickly escalated into what was known as the "Cold War," a struggle that spanned most of the rest of the twentieth century. This conflict saw the emergence of a Communist bloc in Eastern Europe and the division of Germany (and its old capital Berlin).

Another effect of World War II was the emergence of international institutions like the United Nations and the International Monetary Fund that were intended to maintain international law and stabilize the global economy. These institutions had been an aim of Woodrow Wilson and other leaders after World War I, but the new internationalist stance of the United States (another long-term effect of WWII) made it possible to establish them.

World War II led to the destabilization of the empires held by many European nations, including Great Britain. Many former colonies gained their independence, either in the face of European resistance or with European acquiescence. The independence of such nations as India, Indochina (Vietnam) and many former African colonies was a direct result of this trend. 

Within the United States, the war's end brought a significant demographic change known as the "baby boom" that changed the next half-century of American history. It ushered in unprecedented economic expansion and served as a starting point for major social change, including the civil rights movement for African-Americans.

These are only a few of many changes that emerged in the aftermath of World War II, many of which still have ramifications today.

How does Orwell portray Squealer in a negative light when he retells the story of the Battle of Cowshed and explains why Napoleon sent Boxer to the...

In Chapter 7, Squealer tells the animals that Snowball colluded with Mr. Jones and attempted to sabotage the Battle of Cowshed. Squealer's lie is so fabricated that even Boxer questions it. When Boxer recalls that Snowball was given 'Animal, Hero, First Class' immediately after the battle, Squealer insists he has secret documents to prove Snowball was working with Mr. Jones. Squealer uses Boxer's illiteracy to his advantage to manipulate him. Boxer then mentions that Snowball was wounded during the battle, and Squealer comments that it was arranged for Mr. Jones to inflict a flesh wound. Squealer then goes into great detail about how Napoleon saved the day. When Boxer still doesn't believe him, Squealer appeals to authority by saying that Napoleon initially announced this information. After Boxer accepts Squealer's story, Squealer threatens the animals by saying,

I warn every animal on this farm to keep his eyes very wide open. For we have reason to think that some of Snowball’s secret agents are lurking among us at this moment! (33).

In Chapter 9, Boxer is sent to the knackers. Squealer tells the animals that Napoleon paid extra money to send Boxer to the veterinarian. Squealer then announces three days later that Boxer died a peaceful death. Squealer cries and says Boxer's last words were,

Forward in the name of the Rebellion. Long live Animal Farm! Long live Comrade Napoleon! Napoleon is always right (49).

Then, Squealer's mood changes as he fabricates a believable story that a veterinarian actually purchased the knacker's van. Later that night, Squealer and the other pigs drink whiskey and party.

Orwell presents Squealer in a negative light by illustrating his ability to fabricate believable lies, manipulate history, and use logic to outsmart the other animals. Squealer is also insensitive and dangerous. He feigns tears and uses the animals' emotions to manipulate them.

In Flowers for Algernon, why does Charlie lose his job?

Charlie’s job loss is directly related to his increased intelligence after the surgery.

On the surface, Charlie’s increased intelligence made him a better worker. He took on new responsibilities, like operating the dough mixer, and even found a way to increase productivity at the bakery. At first, these new  talents earned him a raise. However, when Charlie found out that his coworker Gimpy was embezzling money, his decision to confront Gimpy resulted in tension leading to his termination. This confrontation was the final straw, as the bakery employees realized they could no longer exploit Charlie, but instead had to fear his new canny intelligence.

Before his surgery, Charlie’s coworkers loved him precisely because they could harass and taunt him without any repercussions. His coworkers, particularly Joe Carp and Frank Reilly, enjoyed setting up elaborate situations that resulted in Charlie’s humiliation. For example, they invited Charlie to a bar, persuaded him to drink too much alcohol, and then laughed as he embarrassed himself in front of the women on the dance floor. They then left him to find his own way home despite his extreme drunkenness. From this situation and others like it, I can infer that Charlie originally played an important role in the social life of the bakery.

By bearing the brunt of his coworkers’ jokes, Charlie was able to diffuse tension and made each coworker feel much better about his own intelligence and abilities. When Charlie’s intelligence increased, he became no longer willing to play this role, and instead of making his coworkers feel better about themselves, he intimidated them with his intellectual conversation and new abilities. It's important to note that Charlie didn't mean to injure his coworkers' pride or cause tension; in fact, he continued to wish his coworkers well and value their friendship even after his surgery. However, despite Charlie's best intentions, his new insight caused tension in the bakery and the employees banded together and pressured Donner, the bakery’s overall boss, to fire Charlie.

Why are there so many stage directions in Samuel Beckett's play Waiting for Godot?

It is Beckett’s intention to convey his ideas not only through spoken dialogue, by also by means of several “stage languages”: gesture, proxemics, blocking, costume, etc.  To do this, it was necessary to dictate the details of these languages, rather than leave them up to the whims or aesthetic tastes of a director.  (It should be noted that when one reads a "normative" play, for example from a Samuel French publication, the stage directions were not written by the playwright, but inserted by the editor, usually following a director's choices in a premiere production.)

  Thus, there are "so many" stage directions because four characters (not including the boy messenger) must be conducted in every movement and gesture.  Take, for example, the complexity of the hat-juggling action.   In many respects, the play is as much a dance as it is a “play,” because in Beckett’s view of the world, human actions are as important as human utterances – virtually all of Beckett’s work stresses the physicality of our being, as much as or more than our “thinking” – the very duality of Gogo and Didi makes this same point. Directors who have ventured to ignore or depart from Beckett’s stage directions have invariably diluted the play’s impact.  To ignore these elaborate directions would be like changing the dialogue in a classic play.  The final stage direction (“They do not move.”) is essential to the play’s theme.

What similarities are there between the Jungle Book and Gaiman's Graveyard Book?

The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman, and The Jungle Book, by Rudyard Kipling, are quite similar in their themes and character choices. Though one takes place in a graveyard (presumably the very one in Sussex which inspired Gaiman) and the other in the jungles of South Asia. In fact, Gaiman deliberately mirrored the title and content of Kipling's work because it is a story he enjoyed and wanted to transform in his characteristic spooky style.

Both stories feature boys who are orphaned in early life but adopted into a surrogate family. For Mowgli, of The Jungle Book, his new family is more a pack of animals, including wolves, a bear, and a panther. For Bod, of The Graveyard Book, his surrogate family are the ghosts who dwell in the graveyard. In both stories, the boys are cared for and learn special skills from their new families. Though they do not live in human society, they learn to get on well enough. Both Bod and Mowgli do have some encounters with other humans and are apparently able to socialize in an appropriate way. 

The nature of the antagonist in both stories is very similar-- the fear that the one who orphaned the boys will return. Mowgli and his animal family are constantly evading the tiger Shere Khan, who is believed to have killed Mowgli's human family. For Bod, "the man Jack" has returned to hunt him down. In both, the protagonist overcomes their would-be killer. 

In the end, both Bod and Mowgli decide that they cannot live among their strange, surrogate families for ever. Bod's experiences at human school and brief friendships with other human children, as well as Mowgli's brief adoption into a human village, has shown them that there is more to life waiting for them. Even if it means giving up their supernatural or animal powers, both boys decide that their place is among other humans like them.

What are the stages of mitosis?

Mitosis is part of the cell cycle, and the cell cycle guides the development and reproduction of cells.  The entire cycle is traditionally divided into three parts.  Those parts are interphase, mitosis, and cytokinesis.  

Interphase is subdivided into three smaller phases.  Those phases are G1, S (synthesis), and G2.

Following interphase, the cell will begin undergoing mitosis.  Mitosis is often called cellular division, and it has four main stages.  The four stages of mitosis are prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase.

During prophase, the chromosomes condense and become visible, the mitotic spindle begins forming, and the nuclear membrane breaks down.  

During metaphase, the chromosomes are lined up at the middle of the cell. They are ready to be pulled apart by the spindle.  It's important to note that at this point in mitosis, the chromosomes are paired up with chromosome copies called sister chromatids.  

Next comes anaphase.  During anaphase, the sister chromatids are pulled apart by the spindle.  The now separated chromosomes are pulled to opposite sides of the cell.

The final stage of mitosis is telophase.  During this phase, the spindle breaks apart, two new nuclei begin forming around the chromosomes, and the chromosomes begin to "decondense."

Cytokinesis follows mitosis.  Technically, cytokinesis can start during telophase, so it tends to overlap with mitosis a bit.  Cytokinesis is the final division of the cytoplasm into two distinct cells.  

How much borax should I dissolve in hot water in order to ensure it won't return to its crystalline state as the solution cools back down? Will a...

This is a complicated question, because the answer might sound vague. The answer is really however much you can put into solution at the current temperature.

You seem to be aware of the solubility curve, in which the higher the temperature of a solvent, the more solute you can dissolve into it. For borax, I was able to find a graph with an experimental solubility curve for borax at this website. 

Let's say you have a solution at 100 degrees Celsius, and you want to still have a clear solution when you drop the temperature to 40 degrees. If you have less than 60 grams per liter, then according to this data, you will still have a clear solution with no falling out of solution. More than that, and you run the risk of some dropping to the floor of your beaker.

This being said, there is a property of solutions known as supersaturation, where a solution has more solute than it should be able to hold. This can be achieved by warming a solution, bringing it to saturation, and then letting the liquid cool. If there is no structure for a crystal to form in the beaker, the solute will stay in solution as it cools. As soon as a structure is presented, such as a seed crystal, all of the excess solute will bond to the seed crystal until the solution reaches its saturation point again. This guy demonstrates a supersaturated solution of sodium acetate, but borax is capable of the same reaction. 

Less solute will work for sure, but you can still supersaturate if you must.

`dy/dx + 2y/x = 3x-5` Solve the first-order differential equation

Given` dy/dx+2y/x=3x-5`

`y'+2y/x=3x-5`

when the first order linear ordinary Differentian equation has the form of

`y'+p(x)y=q(x)`

then the general solution is ,

`y(x)=((int e^(int p(x) dx) *q(x)) dx +c)/e^(int p(x) dx) `

so,

`y'+2y/x=3x-5--------(1)`

`y'+p(x)y=q(x)---------(2)`

on comparing both we get,

`p(x) = 2/x and q(x)=3x-5`

so on solving with the above general solution we get:

y(x)=`((int e^(int p(x) dx) *q(x)) dx +c)/e^(int p(x) dx) `

=`((int e^(int 2/x dx) *(3x-5)) dx +c)/e^(int 2/x dx)`

first we shall solve

`e^(int 2/x dx)=e^(2ln(x)) =x^2`     

so

proceeding further, we get

y(x) =`((int e^(int 2/x dx) *(3x-5)) dx +c)/e^(int 2/x dx)`

=`((int x^2 *(3x-5)) dx +c)/x^2`

=`((int (3x^3 -5x^2) ) dx +c)/x^2`

= `(3x^4 /4 -5x^3/3+c)/x^2 `

so `y(x)=(3x^4 /4 -5x^3/3+c)/(x^2 )`

What is the concept of the play Pygmalion?

The title and basic concept of Shaw's play Pygmalion are taken from an ancient legend most famously recounted by Ovid, the story of Pygmalion and Galatea. In this story, Pygmalion was a Greek sculptor who created the statue of a beautiful woman and fell in love with the statue. He prayed to the Greek goddess Aphrodite to make the statue come alive. Aphrodite granted his wish.

The concept behind this is the idea of a man, unsatisfied with real women, molding his own ideal female. Higgins, although a confirmed bachelor, attempts to mold Eliza Doolittle into an ideal upper class woman. In one sense, Eliza, due to her superb ear and facility for imitation is the perfect subject for this experiment. However, unlike the marble sculpture, she has ideas, emotions, and a will of her own. Even though she does an outstanding job of learning how to pass as an upper class lady, she is not a purely passive receptacle of Higgins' creativity. 

How does Montag interact with Granger in Part Three of Fahrenheit 451?

After they watch the authorities falsify Montag's capture, Granger says to Montag, "Welcome back from the dead." He then introduces Montag to some of the professors in their group and asks what Montag can offer. Montag replies that he remembers some of the Book of Ecclesiastes and Granger says Montag should not worry if he has forgotten much of it. Granger says they have ways of getting a person to recall things. This is his way of saying that they know how to retrieve anything the brain has been exposed to. 

All of us have photographic memories, but spend a lifetime learning how to block off the things that are really in there. Simmons here has worked on it for twenty years and now we've got the method down to where we can recall anything that's been read once. 

Granger introduces Montag to other famous people and authors. These are people who have memorized famous authors and texts. Montag is overwhelmed and somewhat torn between his old life and this new one, but he knows he is in the right place. 

Granger and Montag watch the war and see the city reduced to ashes in the distance. Granger uses this as an opportunity to tell the story of the mythical Phoenix, the bird that rises from its own ashes. The group continues on its way with Montag thinking of this idea of a society reborn of its ashes. The novel ends with Montag considering ideas about knowledge, memory, and rejuvenation: 

A time to break down, and a time to build up. Yes. A time to keep silence and a time to speak.

What is the significance of this quote from Cicero? "The first law of historiography is daring not to say anything false, and the second is not...

It should, first of all, be noted that the correct quote is actually:

"... the second is not refraining from saying anything true ..."

This changes the intent from something sarcastic or witty to a rather straightforward meaning.

Cicero was a Roman orator from the 1st century BCE, famous for being a massively influential politician, philosopher, and speaker.

The rest of the quote, when put in context, is about the difficulties of writing about historical content. He contrasts these first two rules—that one should say nothing false and leave out nothing true—with the expectations of the readers, who desire opinion, analysis, and explanation.

These last two are, for the historian, particularly difficult, since they must rely, on some level, on speculation. As such, including them is in direct violation of the first two rules, which demand nothing but facts be reported. Further, including opinions on events, as is often asked, conflicts with the last clause about being free from bias for or against.

This quote, then, is simply about the contradiction between the strict rules for the historiographer and what is actually demanded of them. It is impossible to fulfill both.  

What were three goals of French colonization in the Americas?

One crucial goal of French colonization was to tap into the rich fur trade that was available in modern-day Canada and the Northeast. To this end, French companies chartered by the Crown sent traders to trade with Natives, particularly Algonquian peoples around the Great Lakes. Another motive was to spread Catholicism. Many French Jesuit priests ministered to Indian peoples throughout New France and Louisiana, the massive tract of land to the west of the Mississippi River. Unlike Spanish priests, who had frequently provoked resentment and even rebellions by their insistence that Indian peoples adhere to a dogmatic form of Christianity, French Jesuits converted them on their own terms, but still with limited success. Finally, a third motive for French settlement was to check English expansion in North America. This was especially true in the Ohio Valley, which became a scene of conflict that would lead to the Seven Years' War, a massive global conflict involving France and Great Britain. Indeed, it was the culmination of years of frontier conflict between France (and its Indian allies) and Britain and its colonies.

Why does the author, Langston Hughes, use Mrs. Jones' four names when describing her?

In “Thank You, M’am,” Langston Hughes creates a strong, formidable female character in Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones. Her full name emphasizes her larger than life stature and character traits. Both of the surnames, Jones and Washington, are recognized as being associated with slavery, and are widely used African-American last names.

Mrs. Jones is a common name that does nothing to enhance the reader’s image of the character who carries a “large purse that had everything in it but hammer and nails,” who is able to lift a teenage boy by the collar of his shirt. Therefore, by using her full name, Langston Hughes identifies the woman as being representative of the strong, tenacious, single women that lived in Harlem and other predominately African-American communities. Mrs. Jones was secure enough with herself to walk home alone late at night.

After Roger fails to steal her purse, Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones, a proud, hardworking woman, drags him back to her small apartment. Instead of calling the police, she uses her intuition, experience, and finesse to teach him a life lesson. 

When I get through with you, sir, you are going to remember Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones.

In her quiet but direct way, she teaches him the meaning of being trustworthy.

What makes Jonathan decide to return to the Breakfast Flock after it has cast him out?

In this enchanting and insightful short story, Jonathan Seagull is an inspiration; he is the one seagull who wants to achieve perfection in flight. When he reaches terminal velocity at two hundred fourteen miles per hour, he is ecstatic. However, he is soon ostracized by the rest of his flock and condemned to exile by the Council Flock.

Eventually, Jonathan is taken to the great seagull beyond, where he is able to further hone his ability to soar. He is happy there for a time, but he soon decides that he must return to the Breakfast Flock. As an enduring believer in ultimate flight, Jonathan is also an instructor at heart. He yearns to share all the knowledge he has gleaned with other seagulls who want to excel in flight and to be immersed in the truths that he cherishes. This is the main reason Jonathan wants to return to the flock, despite his outcast status.

Because passing on his knowledge is an act of love, Jonathan is compelled to seek out other outcasts once he returns. As time progresses, he is able to train other outcasts and eventually, they themselves are able to become instructors. Thus, Jonathan Seagull's desire of passing on his knowledge is fulfilled.

How did the U.S Constitution fix the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?

There were several weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation. One weakness was that the government under the Articles of Confederation couldn’t levy taxes. In the Constitution, the government had the power to levy taxes. There also were financial problems with the Articles of Confederation. Both the state governments and the federal government were able to print money. Under the Constitution, only the federal government could print money.

There were other weaknesses that existed. Under the Articles of Confederation, the government couldn’t control trade. With the Constitution, the government could control interstate trade. With the Articles of Confederation, there was no President. Instead, a weak three-person committee ran the government. This was done because people were afraid one person might abuse his power like the King had done. With the Constitution, there was a person, called the President, who had power and ran the government. However, the President could be impeached if he broke the law or abused his power.

 

In Fast Food Nation, how does Schlosser's strategy of comparing Disney and McDonald's, and their founders, make important points about the fast...

In Chapter 2, Schlosser writes about the many comparisons between the founder of McDonald's, Ray Kroc, and the founder of Disney, Walt Disney. They even, in fact, knew each other growing up. Schlosser writes that both men were masterful at sales, and shared a love of conservative politics (though, while Disney criticized government intervention, he relied on federal money to save his studio in the 1940s) and technology.

Ray Kroc incorporated Disney's emphasis on showmanship and marketing into his campaign to promote McDonald's, and the important point that Schlosser is making is that fast food is as much about salesmanship, toys, and entertainment as it is about the food (or maybe even more so). McDonald's has marketed itself directly to children through television commercials and "playlands," as well as cartoons, sweepstakes, and other means. Schlosser presents this information to emphasize that fast food is more than just food; its appeal also comes from the show and the attractions that the restaurants provide to children and their families. 

What examples of foreshadowing, imagery, similes and metaphors, symbolism, and/or theme can be found in the following excerpt from Shakespeare's...

In these lines, Juliet is talking to Friar Lawrence, complaining to him very dramatically about how she'd bravely and instantly do anything horrible, creepy, or painful in order to avoid marrying Paris. All she really cares about is rejoining Romeo somehow.

In terms of foreshadowing, Juliet's fearless and impetuous mention of bones, graves, and death provide a hint of what's to come: her reckless decisions, coupled with Romeo's, that will lead to both of their deaths. She's literally saying here that she'd prefer to leap to her own death or chain herself up to be eaten by bears rather than lose Romeo (or marry Paris). That tells you that she's willing to kill herself in the name of their love.

Note the imagery in these lines: of a faraway tower that's perfect for committing suicide, of lethal creatures like serpents and bears, and of yellow skulls, fresh graves, and a funeral shroud. These objects and creatures convey a mood of drama, foreboding, risk, and deadliness.

Juliet's reliance on concrete objects in her descriptions rather than on similes reveals the reality and solidity of her feelings of urgency and desire to Friar Lawrence. If you want to interpret these objects as metaphors or symbols, you can: she may be saying that life without Romeo is a death leap from a tower, that life with Paris would be a prison full of dead bodies, etc.

Finally, the lines convey the general themes of the life-or-death desperation and obsession inherent in young love, the idea that love becomes more dangerous as it becomes more intense and impetuous, and the idea that losing the person you love is similar to, or even worse than, death itself.

How do you perform a long jump?

The long jump (also called broad jump) is an athletic activity with the goal of jumping as far as possible in a single leap. In order to pull this off, the competing athletes prepare by running to build up momentum. They then use this speed to enhance the distance achieved in a single jump.

The Wikihow website has broken down the intricacies of performing an appropriate long jump, and I will summarize them here. First, it is important to inspect the jump area. Know how much distance there is available to build up speed before jumping. You can "mark" the distance by having a practice run from your starting point to the jumping point of the track, counting your steps. Next, get in position. Making sure you are in line with the center of the track and your jumping point, crouch down at your starting point. By engaging your leg muscles, push forward and upward out of the crouch and begin running towards your jumping point. When you get there—jump! Do not try to jump forward, as this can cause you to fall. Instead, jump upwards, but throw your chest forward and arms back. On the descent, bring your arms and legs in front of you. This helps to move your body weight forward, giving you a little more distance and preventing you from falling backwards. When you feel steady, stand and walk off of the track.

This track and field website features an article written by a sports coach on exercises which can be performed to get the most out of your long jump. Coach Jim Giroux recommends activities like skipping and running which involves gradually building up speed.

What types of plants are used for making electricity in dams?

No actual plants are used for making electricity in a dam, at least not what we typically consider to be a plant (containing leaves, stem, fruit, etc.). When we talk about plants in relation to electricity production, we are referring to power plants. 

Hydropower plants or hydroelectric plants are the places in which electricity is made. A dam is made to control the flow of water and to store it in a reservoir for various purposes, such as electricity production, irrigation, and flood control, among others. In brief, the water from the reservoir causes the blades of a turbine to move, which in turn rotates a generator and produces electricity. In this way, water is used for electricity generation and hence the name hydroelectricity. 

Similar to hydropower plants, other commonly used "plants" for electricity generation include thermal power plants (which use coal or natural gas as fuel) and nuclear plants (which use radioactive material, such as uranium, as fuel).

Hope this helps. 

What are themes and poetic elements in Mrs. Benjamin Pantier, Benjamin Pantier, Hamilton Greene, Chase Henry, and Elsa Wertman?

Benjamin Pantier

Theme of the poem: A formerly ambitious attorney is defeated by life and ends up a lonely alcoholic with no other companion but his dog. He loved a woman, his wife, whom he accuses of "[snaring his] soul," or making him feel small.

Metaphors: "Down the gray road" indicates the path toward death. Benjamin mentions all of the "friends, children, men, and women" who have passed "one by one out of life." "In the morning of life" indicates his youth -- the time in which he knew "aspiration and saw glory."

Imagery: "Snared my soul / With a snare which bled me to death" is a powerful image. A snare is a device with a loop that is used to trap animals. This image contributes to Benjamin's sense of his own helplessness in the face of his wife's supposed manipulations.

Alliteration/Consonance: "Then she, who survives me, snared my soul..." This line is alliterative, emphasizing the "s" sound. The result is like that of a hissing snake, which is a parallel Edgar Lee Masters may have wanted to draw to depict Benjamin's opinion of his wife.

Mrs. Benjamin Pantier

Theme of the poem: A woman dissatisfied with her husband, who she felt was beneath her. There is, too, an admission that her husband could not meet her sexual needs, either because she was too disgusted by him, or she simply desired more than one man.

Symbolism: "Whiskey and onions" are contrasted with Mrs. Pantier's "delicate tastes." Onions sauteed in whiskey might go on a hamburger, for example -- common food, unsuited to Mrs. Pantier's refined palate. This gustatory symbol indicates one of the ways in which Mrs. Pantier finds her husband's tastes unsuitable to her own.

Allusion: Though the reference is more direct than allusion generally permits, the references to Wordworth's "Ode: On Imitations of Immortality from Recollections in Early Childhood" and William Knox's "Mortality" are important. The "rhythm" of the "Ode" runs through Mrs. Pantier's ears, while her husband repeats bits of "that common thing" ["Mortality"] "from morning till night." The Wordsworth poem is a romantic paean to the glory of life and youth, spoken by a narrator on his deathbed. The Knox poem is more cynical and envisions both life and death as unremarkable. Each person's poetic preference is an indication of his or her personality and outlook on life, both of which are incompatible.

Idiom: "Marital relation" is, arguably, more of a euphemism than an idiom -- that is, it is a milder phrase than "sexual relations." However, it could apply as an idiom in that the phrase has a meaning that, according to Merriam-Webster's, "cannot be derived from the conjoined meanings of its elements."

Chase Henry

Theme of the poem: The town drunkard -- infamous in life -- is, ironically, "honored" in death by being haphazardly buried beside the town banker and the banker's wife. The point is that one's reputation and position in life are largely owed to chance.

Symbolism: The banker Nicholas and his wife Priscilla symbolize the well-respected upper-class to which Chase did not belong. They were probably the sort of people who would have shunned him.

Idiom: "Cross-currents."

Assonance: "When I died the priest denied me burial / In holy ground. / The which redounded to my good fortune." There is repetition of the long "i" sound in "died" and "denied" creating a bit of rhyme. There is the same pattern with the uses of "ground" and "redounded."

Hamilton Greene

Theme of the poem: A man who, unlike many of the characters in the volume, believes he had a charmed life: good parents, a good lineage, and professional success. Of course, this is undermined by Elsa Wertman's previous revelation about Hamilton's father, Thomas, and our understanding that she is Hamilton's birth mother. Hamilton is the embodiment of a secret.

The other poetic devices you've mentioned are not present here. However, you could argue that, when talking about the traits he inherited from his parents, those traits are respectively representative of what is deemed feminine ("vivacity, fancy, language") and masculine ("will, judgment, logic"). "Will," in light of Thomas Greene forcing himself on Elsa, has both a positive and negative meaning here.

Elsa Wertman

Theme of the poem: Elsa's pain is that of a vulnerable young woman who may have been raped, was impregnated as a result, and, for the rest of her life, bears the shame and secrecy of all that resulted from that encounter.

Imagery: "Blue-eyed, rosy, happy, and strong" emphasize Elsa's former innocence and her sense of fortitude, which was taken from her as a result of what was probably rape. 

From Coelho's The Alchemist, in what ways is the alchemist the most important character? He helps the boy through his adventure, but are there any...

The alchemist can be considered the most important character in Coelho's novel not only because his name is in the title, or because he shows Santiago how to achieve his Personal Legend and cross the desert without being killed. The alchemist is the most important character because of what he represents. He is the example of one who has already achieved his Personal Legend. He also represents the possibility for the boy, as well as the reader, to fulfill the measure of his creation. The measure of one's creation can not be fulfilled unless a transformation happens, though. For example, Santiago's transformation takes him from being a simple, inexperienced shepherd to a spiritually mature and transformed being. The boy could not have achieved this without paying attention to what he learns about alchemy. Plus, the alchemist knows what the boy must suffer and endure in order to transform himself. The alchemist knows these things because turning lead into gold teaches him that the process of transformation is more important than the result.

Santiago realizes the importance of the process of transformation when he asks the sun to turn him into the wind. The sun doesn't have the ability to do that, though. It is then that Santiago realizes that only he can make the transformation happen. Santiago's revelation about transformation is connected with his understanding of alchemy as learned from the alchemist. He explains in the following excerpt:

"This is why alchemy exists . . . So that everyone will search for his treasure, find it, and then want to be better than he was in his former life. Lead will play its role until the world has no further need for lead; and then lead will have to turn itself into gold. That's what alchemists do. They show that, when we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better, too" (150).

Santiago never would have made the connection between alchemy and personal transformation had he not met the alchemist and learned about it through discussions and personal experiences. Furthermore, Santiago represents the reader or any person in the world; however, the alchemist symbolizes the result, or the fact that complete transformation from something dull to something better is possible. Since the major theme of the novel is that transformation is possible and required to live a full, complete, and satisfying life, then the argument behind the claim that the alchemist is the most important character can be supported because he represents that ultimate transformation. Not only does he teach the boy how to transform, but what he does (alchemy) and who he is both represent the belief that achieving Personal Legends through personal transformation is possible.

Why will the Tucks never return to Treegap?

After The Man in the Yellow Suit threatens to kidnap Winnie and to sell the life-giving water from the spring to the public, Mae Tuck hits The Man over the head with Angus' shotgun. A constable who has just arrived on the scene witnesses this act of violence and has Mae arrested. The Man in the Yellow Suit dies later that night and Mae receives her punishment: she will be hanged on charges of murder. 

The Tucks know that if Mae is publicly hanged, their darkest secret will be revealed: their immortality. Mae will not be able to die in the noose, and the family will most likely be captured or forced to reveal the truth behind their everlasting life. It is for this reason that the Tucks will never be able to return to Treegap.

Thankfully, the Tucks and Winnie are able to rescue Mae from her fate before the truth comes to light; unfortunately, this means that the Tuck family are all fugitives of the law and must flee the town. Returning to Treegap would simply land them all back in trouble and, once again, cause far too much public interest in monetizing the spring water that made them immortal. 

In Robert Frost's "Birches," two strong similes give the poem a richness that is both imaginative and the result of close observation. What are the...

Robert Frost often includes natural imagery in his poems. His intent is usually to show how closely man is bound to the natural environment in which he lives. Other frequently studied poems like “The Road Not Taken” and “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” are completely constructed around images of the speakers' immediate environment.

The first simile in the poem, “like girls on hands and knees,” comes about a third the way through the poem:

You may see their trunks arching in the woods 

Years afterwards, trailing their leaves on the ground 

Like girls on hands and knees that throw their hair 

Before them over their heads to dry in the sun. 

Part of Frost's aim has been to show that the birches are vulnerable to the effect “swinging” by boys. This vulnerability is emphasized by comparing them to girls—the trees are delicate, like the girls, but also beautiful in their way.

The second simile comes about two-thirds through the poem. The poem has evolved by this point—Frost has become more serious. In this simile, “like a pathless wood,” Frost is saying that sometimes life becomes difficult, filled with worries and decisions that have no clear answer:

It's when I'm weary of considerations, 

And life is too much like a pathless wood 

Where your face burns and tickles with the cobwebs 

Broken across it, and one eye is weeping 

From a twig's having lashed across it open. 

He uses the simile to compare the physical pain of being cut by a twig to the distress caused by life's cares, and goes so far as to suggest he would like to “get away from Earth awhile.”

What kind of master is Perrault to Buck?

The story suggests that Perrault treats his dogs fairly and impartially. He ensured that all his dogs were fed and allowed an extra portion for Buck. However, Perrault favored Spitz with regards to dominance among the dogs. He did not view Buck as a worthy challenger to the position held by Spitz as the lead dog. However, his preferences did not impact how he treated Buck or the other dogs. At one point, Perrault inspected Buck’s paws after a tough journey on the cold landscape.

Despite his shock, after Buck emerged victorious over Spitz in the death fight, Perrault accepted Buck’s position among the dogs.

Although Perrault had a favorite among the dogs, he was more focused on performing his duties, and this forced him to push all the dogs to deliver equally.

In the book The War of 1812: A History from Beginning to End by Henry Freeman, what was the main idea, and what are some supporting details of the...

The main idea of The War of 1812: A History from Beginning to End is that the War of 1812 had its roots in conflicts that went back to the previous century and that it was a far-reaching conflict. For example, in Chapter 1, Freeman discusses how the roots of the war went back to the Seven Years' War, which began in 1754, and which involved many major European powers. The War of 1812 itself also involved the interplay between great world powers. For example, Great Britain was still embroiled in fighting the French during the War of 1812, and the interest of the British in the war grew when they had finally stopped fighting the French and turned their attention to attacking New Orleans (which the author discusses in Chapter 9). (The war had actually ended before Andrew Jackson's great victory in New Orleans, but news of the war's end, negotiated in Belgium, had not yet reached the American or British troops in the New World.) The war had far-reaching effects on Great Britain, Canada, and the U.S. The U.S. finally established its independence from Britain, and the border between Canada and the United States was established. 

How could the summary of "My Last Duchess" be concluded in a few lines?

I'm not sure if you are looking for a summary of the whole poem or just its conclusion, so I'm going to summarize the whole poem, and then you can pick from it whatever is useful to you: the whole or just a part.

A duke discusses a portrait of his former wife (who is now dead) with the servant of a man whose daughter he now wishes to marry and make his new duchess. The duke keeps the portrait behind a curtain so that no one can look at it without his permission. The painting was done by Fra Pandolf, and it is a good likeness, including the blush upon her cheeks. The duke describes his wife as one who was made happy by everything, no matter how large or small, and he disapproved of this because he wanted her to appreciate his gifts of status and fortune more than she appreciated other, more modest gifts. However, he refused to speak to her about it because he did not want to lower himself to explain his injured feelings to her; he is too proud for that. Instead, he seems to have had her killed: he says he "gave commands; / Then all smiles stopped together." In the end, he invites the man to whom he's speaking to return to their party, and he points out some other art pieces he owns, as though the painting of his last duchess is just another object he possesses.

How did Macbeth's own ambition lead to his downfall?

Macbeth's ambition was not merely a desire to become king of Scotland but was an overriding ambition, meaning he was not prepared to wait for the normal rules of succession to apply for him to become king. This would have meant King Duncan and his heirs would have to die before Macbeth could even be considered. Macbeth wanted to bypass this tedious and lengthy process. This meant Macbeth had to assassinate all those who would stand in his way, which leads to his downfall.  

Obviously, usurpation of the throne meant Macbeth had to do evil. He was encouraged in this malicious venture by the witches' favorable predictions that he would be thane of Cawdor and "king hereafter." When the first part of their prediction is realized, Macbeth feels confident the second will naturally follow. 

Lady Macbeth also shares her husband's lust for power and urges him to act. Macbeth initially expresses doubt about the success of such a malevolent enterprise, but Lady Macbeth was relentless. She calls him a coward, challenging his love for her and questioning his trust to such an extent that Macbeth eventually gives in. He then says, in the closing lines of Act 1, Scene 6:

I am settled, and bend up
Each corporal agent to this terrible feat.
Away, and mock the time with fairest show:
False face must hide what the false heart doth know.

This decision marked the beginning of Macbeth's descent into ignominy and eventual doom. He and his wife carefully plotted the king's murder, and, once they successfully murder Duncan, Macbeth is crowned king. Malcolm and Donalbain, the king's sons and heirs, fled, which makes them the prime suspects in their father's demise. 

Once Macbeth is king, he becomes paranoid and suspects practically everyone around him. He begins a malicious campaign in which he plans to destroy everyone he believes is a threat. This leads Macbeth to have Macduff's entire family and Banquo killed. 

Macbeth's tyranny was spurred on by the fact that his counsel with the witches made him believe that he was invincible. Through apparitions, the witches told Macbeth,

Be bloody, bold, and resolute; laugh to scorn
The power of man, for none of woman born
Shall harm Macbeth.

Be lion-mettled, proud; and take no care
Who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are:
Macbeth shall never vanquish'd be until
Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill
Shall come against him (IV. 1. 79-91).

Macbeth takes everything the witches say literally and believes he is indestructible. Later, Macbeth is confronted by reality when he learns Malcolm's troops are moving up Dunsinane hill, camouflaged by branches cut from the trees of Birnam wood, making the wood appear to be moving. When confronted by Macduff, Macbeth learns Macduff was not naturally born; he was 'untimely ripped' from his mother's womb.   

It is then—just before Macduff kills him—that Macbeth realizes he was deceived by the witches' use of equivocation and paradox, and he curses them. The witches made Macbeth believe he is charmed when, in fact, he is as mortal as everyone else.

How is Macbeth a tragedy of his character?

Macbeth is presented at first as a hero of Scotland, having protected the country from attack and civil war. As is typical with a Shakespearean hero, Macbeth enters the story from a high position of nobility and honor. The opportunity is presented to him to achieve more power through his own efforts at the expense of others. Macbeth ponders this dilemma that is presented in the prophecy of the three witches. Does he let fate give him the throne, or should his own efforts lead him to it? If fate has determined that he will be king, does he need to do anything? Macbeth does not trust fate that extensively, so he decides to take fate into his own hands, committing several murders as a result. He is driven to this by Lady Macbeth, who chides him for being weak. As in the story of the Garden of Eden, the wife (Eve/ Lady Macbeth) drags the husband (Adam/ Macbeth) into sin and evil. This shows a weakness in Macbeth’s character. His hubris is his fatal flaw, as it is with most of Shakespeare’s tragic heroes. With humility, Macbeth could have saved himself, but his pride leads to his downfall and death.

Do you think the daughter is just as unreasonable as the mother in "Two Kinds"?

In your question you are asked to state an opinion of the mother and daughter in Amy Tan’s story “Two Kinds.” In order to form an opinion of whether the daughter is as unreasonable as the mother, you must agree the mother is unreasonable.

As you read the story, look for evidence to support your opinion. My opinion is that both characters are unreasonable, but for very different reasons. The mother’s actions are based on her history of oppression in China, and the loss of her whole family including her twin daughters. After her long journey to America, she is determined her daughter will live the “American Dream.” She places a rigid work ethic on herself and expects her daughter to do the same. She believes in America, you can be anything, and instills that belief in her daughter.

“Of course, you can be a prodigy, too," my mother told me when I was nine. "You can be best anything.”

Unfortunately, she is determined to make her daughter into a prodigy, which she believes will come of hard work and obedience. In reality, prodigies are born with an innate ability to perform high above normal standards at a specific skill. Unfortunately, the mother does not understand this concept, and places unreasonable demands on her daughter.

The daughter, Jing-Mei “June” Woo, initially believes her mother and is excited about being a prodigy, but when the time comes to practice and perform on the piano, she realizes that she is not “special.” After a failed piano concert, the two have a hateful exchange, during which the daughter pushes her mother too far.

"Only two kinds of daughters," she shouted in Chinese. "Those who are obedient and those who follow their own mind! Only one kind of daughter can live in this house. Obedient daughter!"

"Then I wish I weren't your daughter, I wish you weren't my mother," I shouted. As I said these things I got scared. It felt like worms and toads and slimy things crawling out of my chest, but it also felt good, that this awful side of me had surfaced, at last.

"Too late to change this," my mother said shrilly.

And I could sense her anger rising to its breaking point. I wanted see it spill over. And that's when I remembered the babies she had lost in China, the ones we never talked about. "Then I wish I'd never been born!" I shouted. “I wish I were dead! Like them."

As she reaches adolescence, she completely defies her mother by going to the opposite extreme by refusing to practice or work hard in school. Instead she does the bare minimum to get by, which she knows makes her mother angry and distant. The rift between mother and daughter is deep and long-lasting. Although June is attempting to assert her individuality, she is hateful and aloof. Her actions are indicative of her unreasonableness and inability to understand her mother’s history.

The two characters demonstrate how unreasonable they can be by allowing their words to create a rift that is not forgiven until it is too late for the mother and daughter to realize their irrationality and enjoy each other as adults.

Why do George and Lydia suppose that they cannot change the nursery?

George thinks that the room is broken and Lydia thinks it is in a rut because the children have been thinking about Africa for too long. 

The Hadleys invested in a HappyLife home, which is a fully automated house that does everything for you.  One feature of this home is a special nursery for the children.  The nursery responds to the children’s thoughts and projects scenes on the walls, making the room seem to transport to different places. 

The walls were blank and two dimensional. Now, as George and Lydia Hadley stood in the center of the room, the walls began to purr and recede into crystalline distance, it seemed, and presently an African veldt appeared, in three dimensions, on all sides, in color reproduced to the final pebble and bit of straw. 

George and Lydia are concerned because the room seems to be taking over their children’s lives.  The kids do not want to leave the nursery, and refuse to turn it off.  The Hadleys are worried that their children are having dark thoughts, and those thoughts are turning up in the nursery. 

"The fool room's out of order," he said. "It won't respond."

"Or--"

"Or what?"

"Or it can't respond," said Lydia, "because the children have thought about Africa and lions and killing so many days that the room's in a rut." 

They even hire a psychologist, who tells them to get rid of it.  The room was very expensive, costing “half as much again as the rest of the house.”  However, the Hadleys are losing their children.  They do not feel a connection with them.  Mrs. Hadley is frustrated because the house seems to be their mother and they are too dependent on the nursery’s entertainment.

The Hadleys should have intervened earlier.  They are too late.  The children lure them into the room and kill them.  The psychologist sees them watching the lions eat their parents.