What are three instances in "The Birds" in which a character behaves ignorantly or endangers themselves or others?

There are a number of instances likes this in "The Birds." One example is when Mrs Trigg dismisses Nat's story about the attack on his home. In fact, she goes as far as to mock him:

“Sure they were real birds,” she said, smiling, “with proper feathers and all?"

Her disbelief and ignorance towards the birds' attack on Nat and his family is significant because it foreshadows her own demise later in the story.

Secondly, Mr Trigg demonstrates his ignorance when he fails to board up his windows and doors, despite the advice on the wireless and the warnings from Nat. He thinks that these warnings are nothing more than scaremongering and he believes that he can protect himself with just a gun—another example of his ignorance.

Finally, while not strictly a character in the story, the BBC endangers people by not maintaining its emergency broadcasts. For much of the story, Nat and his family wait desperately by the wireless for news of what to do next and for updates on the situation across the country. By not updating people on the current situation and not giving further advice on what to do, the BBC leaves families, such as the Hockens, to battle the birds alone.

If tobacco had never existed, what might the world be like today?

The world might look very different today if the tobacco plant had never existed or been cultivated. Over the past several centuries, tobacco has held a key role in globalization of trade, as well as a huge impact on people's health.

It is believed that tobacco has been cultivated by Indigenous Americans for centuries, perhaps thousands of years. Traditionally, the tobacco plant was used medicinally and in rituals. Because this plant was so highly prized by Indigenous Americans, they offered it as a gift to European explorers and colonists. Explorers like Christopher Columbus were impressed by the "cure-all" powers tobacco was believed to have and enjoyed the stimulating effects from smoking the dried leaves. These explorers brought tobacco back to Europe to share with the elites as evidence of the possible profits waiting in the New World.

Our history of global trade (and how the world is shaped today) would have been quite different without tobacco. Almost immediately after Europeans began colonizing the Americas, tobacco trade was roaring across the Atlantic and spreading around the globe. Tobacco was in high demand as a stimulant and (somewhat luxurious) trade good, in a similar class as tea and coffee. Much like tea and coffee, the growing and trading of tobacco soon became commercialized. We can observe commercial tobacco in the world around us today, primarily in the form of cigarettes and the companies which produce them. If tobacco had not been a part of the picture, slavery might not have been implemented in the United States, and Transatlantic trade would have been driven by other goods, like sugar.

With the spread of tobacco use, health problems grew, too. If tobacco had never been cultivated by Indigenous Americans and traded by Europeans, or if it had never existed in any form, global health would be very different. Lung, mouth, and nose cancer would be incredibly rare. Rates of heart disease would be significantly lower. Low birth weight and infant lung problems would also be far less common if tobacco use had never proliferated. On the other hand, tobacco's medicinal uses would also be missing from the world. Indigenous Americans often chewed the leaves to relieve toothache, which is arguably a positive use of the plant, and they might otherwise have suffered the pain of an infected tooth. Perhaps the biggest impact of tobacco on the world is the high numbers of people who would have lived longer, suffered less, and contributed more to the world without tobacco-related illness.

I am a collector of World War ll memorabilia. I have one piece called a short snorter. They were done in both the pacific and european theatres....

The location seems to be Washawng, in what was called Burma then but is now called Myanmar.

May 3, 1944, the Tenth Air Force was deployed several places in the region, including Washawng, but this appears to be from ground troops so that's probably not it. The Northern Combat Area Command was also deployed in that region, and had ground troops, though I can't find any particular references to Washawng in NCAC records. As of May 3 1944, the only US units I see assigned to the NCAC in Burma are the 5303d Combat Troops, so that would be the most likely. The 10th Air Force was also attached to the 5303d in 1943 and 1944, so that would make sense for the joint operation.

Unfortunately I've not been able to find any references to Mike Council in particular (or variants such as Michael). And as for the Japanese Sergeant, who knows?

Which reason does Brutus give to justify killing Caesar?

Brutus justifies killing Caesar on the grounds that Caesar would become a king. In his soliloquy in the opening scene of Act II, Brutus describes his former friend as a "serpent's egg/ Which hatch'd would as his kind grow mischievous." Brutus says in the same soliloquy that he has no "personal cause" to kill Caesar. After the deed is done, Brutus observes, "ambition's debt is paid," a theme he repeats in his speech to the people of Rome. He says Caesar was his friend, but that "as he was ambitious, I slew him." Essentially, Brutus fears Caesar will, by virtue of his exploits and popularity, name himself king of Rome, overthrowing the Republic Brutus feels honor-bound to protect. Caesar was Brutus's close friend, but he was a threat to Rome and Roman liberties, so Brutus killed him. Rome, he assures the crowd, comes before his personal feelings. Some of the assassins had ulterior motives, but Brutus acted from a sense of patriotic duty.

What is Atticus and Aunt Alexandra's exchange regarding Calpurnia and the children in To Kill a Mockingbird?

The exchange you are asking about takes place in Chapter 14. At this point in the story, Atticus has agreed to defend Tom Robinson in his rape trial, and tensions are beginning to rise in Maycomb. Aunt Alexandra has just come to live with Atticus and the children, apparently indefinitely. She says she wants to be a good feminine influence on Jean Louis (Scout), who will soon be expected to act like a lady. It's also possible Aunt Alexandra wants to protect and guide Atticus and the children through the trial. Aunt Alexandra definitely wants to instill her sense of propriety and her snobbery about being a Finch into the children.

Meanwhile, Scout wishes to visit Calpurnia, Atticus's black maid, at her house some weekend. She asks Atticus's permission, in the process revealing she and Jem attended Calpurnia's church a few weeks ago. 

Aunt Alexandra is shocked and immediately forbids Scout from going to Calpurnia's house. Atticus backs his sister up, which forces Scout to obey her, but Scout overhears Atticus and Alexandra discuss the matter once she leaves the room.

Alexandra thinks Atticus and Calpurnia (who has effectively raised Scout) have done a bad job of raising Scout and left Scout too wild. She does not want Calpurnia to influence Scout. Now that Alexandra is living there, she argues Atticus can and should fire Calpurnia.  

Atticus refuses. He offers three reasons: 

1. Calpurnia is a "faithful member of the family" who has been with him and the children for years.


2. It would not be so easy for Aunt Alexandra to take over Calpurnia's duties: "We still need Cal as much as we ever did."


3. Calpurnia has actually done quite a good job raising the children, not indulging them but being "harder on them in some ways than a mother would have been... and another thing, the children love her."

Why was oil a valuable resource during the war?

Oil was of course of great importance to all the countries involved in World War II. But some countries had plenty of it, while getting oil was a huge problem for other countries. The United States had more than enough oil, but the biggest concern was getting it to where it was needed. The United States was shipping oil to Great Britain in tankers. It was especially needed to be refined and to fuel aircraft. The Germans were trying to cut the flow of oil to Britain by using large packs of submarines to torpedo the tankers, and this remained a problem throughout most of the war.

The U.S.S.R. had plenty of oil as well as lots of other resources in its vast territories. However, the Germans were trying to capture the Soviet oil fields in order to have the oil for themselves as well as to deprive the Soviets of their own oil. Japan, like Britain, had no domestic oil resources. But they had captured a huge amount of territory during the early part of the war, and they were importing oil mainly from what was then called the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia). Later in the war the U.S. was able to hurt Japan badly by using submarines to torpedo tankers bringing extremely vital oil to the Japanese. Oil fueled war industries, fueled tanks, ships, and especially aircraft. Germany was at an extreme disadvantage towards the end of the war because it was running out of oil. Their huge panzer tanks were useless without the oil which they consumed in large quantities. Their aircraft were grounded without high-octane gas refined from oil.

How is Macbeth seen as a tragic hero?

Macbeth is a tragic hero because of his rather spectacular and dramatic corruption: he begins the play as a good, brave, and loyal man who allows his pride and ambition to overwhelm his better qualities.  If Macbeth were a villain to begin with, and he simply stayed villainous throughout the play, then it wouldn't really be such a tragedy.  The end, with his destruction, would really just be the just desserts of a very bad man.  However, because Macbeth is so good in the beginning, a man known for his courageous and excellent service to Scotland, his story becomes much more tragic.  He is manipulated by the Weird Sisters and by his own wife, persuaded to act against his conscience, and -- once he does -- the violence to which he gives in becomes a slippery slope, and he must commit more and more in order to retain what he has acquired. 

In Cofer's "American History," what happens when Elena goes to Eugene's house?

In Cofer's "American History," Elena suffers the results of a prejudiced situation when she goes to her friend Eugene's house. First, the mother, not Eugene, meets Elena at the door. After Elena explains that she is Eugene's friend and there to study, the mother responds with the following:

"Listen. Honey. Eugene doesn't want to study with you. He is a smart boy. Doesn't need help. You understand me. I am truly sorry if he told you you could come over. He cannot study with you. It's nothing personal. You understand?"

Eugene's mom rejects Elena's friendship with her son because Elena is Puerto Rican and lives in the tenement apartments next door. The mother tries to overshadow her prejudiced feelings by saying they won't be residing in that house for very long, so there's no need for Elena and Eugene to be friends. She says when they move it will be harder to leave if he has to say goodbye to any friends. 

Elena is shocked and can't move after hearing such prejudiced excuses. Eugene's mother has to ask Elena in an angry tone if she understands before Elena finally snaps out of her amazement and turns to leave. Because of this exchange with Eugene's mother, Elena's hopes of having a friendship with Eugene are dashed. She learns there will always be prejudiced people in the world and to listen to her mother more often. In fact, Elena's mother warned her about going over to Eugene's house right before she went there. It is possible, though, that Elena needed to experience the heartaches she did in order to face the realities of life.

The Austro-Prussian War in 1866 was the result of Austria's opposition to unification. True False

This is false, as German unification was not complete after the war.  The war (sometimes referred to as the Seven-Weeks War) was started over a dispute over the ownership of the duchy of Schleswig-Holstein.  Denmark occupied Schleswig, and Germany occupied Holstein.  In 1846, Denmark occupied both duchies.  The combined forces of Austria and Germany went to war with Denmark in 1864 and drove out the Danish.  Schleswig was to be ruled by Germany, and Austria was to be ruled by Holstein.  In 1864, Kaiser William I of Germany and his Prime Minister Otto von Bismark thought that Austria was becoming too powerful, so Bismark, insisted on a war with Austria in order to check its growing power in Europe.  Germany (dominated by Prussia) defeated a conglomeration of Austria, Italy, and smaller southern German states.  

What is the unchanged image in Rip Van Winkle? What is its meaning?

This is a bit of a tricky question, because the narrator emphasizes that everything has changed in the village. The question might be referring to one of two things -- the mountain scene, or the portrait on the sign of the inn. Let's look in more detail.

When Rip arrives at the village, he sees immediately that change is everywhere ("everything is strange"), and it makes him doubt himself:

"…he began to doubt whether both he and the world around him were not bewitched."

But Rip confirms that it must be his old village when he looks back at the one thing that hasn't changed -- the mountain scene:

"Surely this was his native village, which he had left but the day before. There stood the Catskill Mountains—there ran the silver Hudson at a distance—there was every hill and dale precisely as it had always been. Rip was sorely perplexed."

If that's the "unchanged image" indicated by your question, then its meaning is that Rip really is back in his home village.

Alternatively, your question may be referring to the portrait on the sign for the "little Dutch inn." At the beginning of the story, this is noted to be "a rubicund portrait of His Majesty George III," the ruling king. Later, when Rip returns and discovers that the village has changed, he sees the sign again, and it still has the portrait on it. But the portrait has been altered:

"He recognized on the sign, however, the ruby face of King George, under which he had smoked so many a peaceful pipe; but even this was singularly changed. The red coat was changed for one of blue and buff, a sword was held in the hand instead of a scepter, the head was decorated with a cocked hat, and underneath was painted in large characters, General Washington."

It seems that the inn keeper changed the appearance of the man in the portrait in order to keep up with changing times. The village is no longer subject to King George. Now it's part of the United States. By altering a few details, the inn keeper can now claim it’s a portrait of the President, not the king. Perhaps he made these changes to save money and fuss -- it saved him the trouble of having to hire someone to paint an entirely new portrait of George Washington.

So the meaning in this case is that we have confirmation that Rip has overslept for many years. He fell asleep before the Revolutionary War, and woke up afterwards.

What is the significance of the following quote from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein?"Natural philosophy is the genius that has regulated my fate; I...

Great question! In the book Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Victor shares his experiences as a young boy.

In the beginning of the story, Victor relates that he had a happy childhood, but that “Natural philosophy” changed his fate. Victor explains that as a child, he was quite happy until he encountered the forbidden science of Cornelius Agrippa (as shown in the quote).

Victor continues by blaming his father for not stopping his admiration for this science. Victor reveals that his father only declares:

“Ah! Cornelius Agrippa! My dear Victor, do not waste your time upon this; it is sad trash.”

Thus, Victor believes that his father should have explained why the science was a waste of time. Subsequently, Victor reveals that his father could have demonstrated the wonders of modern science.

Regardless, Victor continues to explore the theories related to Cornelius Agrippa. Consequently, Victor eventually makes the creature, leading to a long list of unfortunate experiences for Victor (such as the deaths of loved ones).

`y = x/2 + 3 , 1

To find the area of this surface, we rotate the function `y = x/2 + 3 ` about the y-axis (not the x-axis) in the range `1<=x<=5 ` and this way create a finite surface of revolution.

A way to approach this problem is to swap the roles of `x ` and ` ``y `, essentially looking at the page side-on, so that we can use the standard formulae that are usually written in terms of `x ` (ie, that usually refer to the x-axis).

The formula for a surface of revolution A is given by (interchanging the roles of `x ` and `y ` )

`A = int_a^b (2pi x) sqrt(1+(frac(dx)(dy))^2)dy `

Since we are swapping the roles of `x ` and `y `, we need the function `y = x/2 + 3 ` written as `x ` in terms of `y ` as opposed to `y ` in terms of `x `. So we have

`x = 2y - 6 `

To obtain the area required by integration, we are effectively adding together tiny rings (of circumference `2pi x ` at a point `y ` on the y-axis) where each ring takes up length `dy ` on the y-axis. The distance from the circular edge to circular edge of each ring is `sqrt(1+(frac(dx)(dy))^2) dy `

This is the arc length of the function `x = f(y) `in a segment of length `dy ` of the y-axis, which can be thought of as the hypotenuse of a tiny triangle with width `dy ` and height `dx `.

These distances from edge to edge of the tiny rings are then multiplied by the circumference of the surface at that point, `2pi x ` , to give the surface area of each ring. The tiny sloped rings are added up to give the full sloped surface area of revolution.

We have for this function, `x = 2y -6 ` , that  `(dx)/(dy) = 2 `

and since the range (in `y `) over which to take the integral is `1 <=x <=5 `, or equivalently  `7/2 <= y <= 11/2 `  we have `a = 7/2 ` and `b = 11/2 ` .

Therefore, the area required, A, is given by

`A = int_((7)/(2))^((11)/(2)) 2pi (2y -6) sqrt(5) dy `   `= 2sqrt(5)pi int_((7)/(2))^((11)/(2)) 2y - 6 \quad dy `

`= 2sqrt(5)pi y(y - 6)|_((7)/(2))^((11)/(2)) = (sqrt(5))/(2)pi [11(11-6) - 7(7-6)] `

So that the surface area of rotation A is given by

`A = 24(sqrt(5)) pi `

What points should I consider in a reflection piece about love and death in Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte?

I would explore the following points. Heathcliff is described in the novel as a fiend, as a diabolical character.  He is considered an anti-hero in literature because of his demonic and villainous personality.  This relates to the tragic love in the story because Heathcliff's love for Catherine is so strong and passionate that he places his feelings above all other considerations.  He woos and marries Isabella in an attempt to torture Catherine with jealousy.  Even after Catherine's death, his fury does not end, and he torments Isabella even further (see Chapter 17).  This passionate love and his attempts at revenge upset the social order of the society.  It actually causes serious illness and death of Catherine.  At the end of the novel, he is so tormented by his thoughts of Catherine haunting him that he becomes violent with the younger Catherine.  He is described by Nelly in Chapter 32 as a "ghoul or a vampire" with "deep black eyes."

The moors can be considered a symbol of the wild, uncontrolled passion of Catherine and Heathcliff.  On the moors their love first developed, and it is from the moors that Catherine haunts him and he goes out to seek her ghost. The moors represent danger, as Nelly indicates when she fears for Catherine's life when she sets out on the moors to seek Heathcliff.  Normal society takes refuge from the severe, dangerous wilderness of the moors by staying in the orderly world of the home, but Catherine and Heathcliff express their unbridled love most fully in the wilderness of the moors.  They are even buried on a wild slope adjoining the moors (see end of novel, Chapter 34).

What is an ionic solution?

An ionic solution, as the name suggests, is a solution containing ions. Ionic solutions are formed by dissolving ionic compounds in a solvent (typically water). An example of an ionic solution is common salt (sodium chloride, NaCl) dissolved in water. When ionic compounds are dissolved in water, they dissociate into cations and anions. The presence of these ions is the reason we call the resultant solution an ionic solution.

Ionic solutions are important for their ability to conduct electricity. For example, we can try to pass electricity through a piece of common salt, but nothing will happen, as the solid sodium chloride does not have free charges. When the same salt is dissolved in water, it dissociates into cations (sodium ions, Na+) and anions (chloride ions, Cl-). Now we have free charges available and these will be able to conduct electricity and hence an ionic solution formed by dissolving sodium chloride in water will conduct electricity.

Hope this helps. 

In Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, how does Tom sense immediately that Gatsby is a bootlegger?

Tom is skeptical about Gatsby from the moment he meets him. He first learns that Gatsby and Daisy already know each other. He says: 

I wonder where in the devil he met Daisy. By God, I may be old-fashioned in my ideas, but women run around too much these days to suit me. They meet all kinds of crazy fish. 

Tom doesn't trust Gatsby and he doesn't like Daisy going to parties by herself. As a result, he goes with Daisy to Gatsby's next party in Chapter 6. At the party, Tom is unable to get any information about who Gatsby is or how he has so much money. Then he assumes Gatsby is a bootlegger to account for Gatsby's money. When Nick asks Tom where he'd heard that Gatsby is a bootlegger, Tom says, "I didn’t hear it. I imagined it. A lot of these newly rich people are just big bootleggers, you know." In the next chapter, Tom reveals to Nick and Jordan that he has been investigating Gatsby's past. When Daisy scolds Tom for interrogating Gatsby, Tom says, "‘I suppose the latest thing is to sit back and let Mr. Nobody from Nowhere make love to your wife." 

Although Tom is judgmental in general, he is somewhat justified in being skeptical. Other than Nick, no one really knows Gatsby's past or how he has wealth. Tom assumes the worst. 

How are both Orwell and the elephant examples of a seeming control, when in reality each has little control?

In "Shooting An Elephant," both George Orwell and the elephant appear to possess a degree of power and control. Orwell, for instance, is a sub-divisional police officer, in charge of bringing the elephant under control and restoring calm to the town of Moulmein. Similarly, the elephant is in the midst of its "must" and is rampaging across the town. It is so strong and powerful that it tramples and kills a local man.

Looking deeper, however, it becomes clear that neither Orwell nor the elephant has any real control. In Orwell's case, he is the victim of British imperialism, forced to shoot the elephant because the situation dictates that he takes decisive action. Failure to do so would result in his humiliation, as he quickly understands:

And suddenly I realized that I should have to shoot the elephant after all. The people expected it of me and I had got to do it.

Likewise, the description of the shooting of the elephant suggests that the elephant does not really possess any power or control. In contrast, the phrase "he sagged flabbily to his knees" implies that the elephant is a vulnerable and powerless creature, brought quickly into submission by Orwell's weapon.

What did Meg from Little Women wear most of the time?

At the beginning of the book, Meg wears old clothes, but she dreams of the old days, when her family was wealthier and she could wear nicer clothes. Though Meg has to wear poplin to balls, she dreams of wearing silk, and she is very careful to wear gloves. When she attends the ball at Laurie's house, she wears silvery drab with a blue velvet snood trimmed with lace and a pearl pin. While she wears thin, drab, old dresses, she dreams of luxury, and she is finally able to dress in finery when she is at the Moffats' house. The girls who are attending parties at the Moffats' house dress Meg up and crimp her hair and put powder on her arms. Laurie, who sees her at the party, calls her foolish, and she realizes the error of her ways. Her mother tells her that while it is nice to be rich, it is better to be loved. After that time, Meg dedicates herself to simplicity, and she is married to John in a simple dress that enhances her natural beauty, and she eschews silk, lace, and flowers. 

What does Creon order after he decides that he was wrong to have Antigone entombed alive?

In Sophocles's Antigone, Creon orders that Antigone be entombed alive as punishment for her act of burying the body of her brother, Polynices. This sentence is given in lieu of a public execution, as Creon wants to save Thebes, and himself, from the ignominy of executing his niece, who is a princess of Thebes. He knows that entombing her alive is a death sentence, but he believes that her death will leave no stain on the state as she was not directly executed by the state.

After Antigone is taken away to be entombed alive, Teiresias, the blind prophet, arrives in Thebes and warns Creon that the gods are angry at his refusal to bury the bodies of Polynices and the others who fought against Thebes. After Creon and Teiresias argue, Teiresias warns Creon that Creon's affront to the gods (not burying the bodies of those who fought against Thebes and in entombing Antigone alive) will lead to the death of Creon's son, Haemon.

Following Teiresias's departure, Creon decides to release Antigone from her tomb. However, when he and his men arrive, they find Haemon has already opened the tomb. Inside the tomb, they find that Antigone has hung herself, and before Creon's eyes, Haemon kills himself.

In The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton, what are four conflicts that concern the Socs?

The Socs are continually fighting with the Greasers throughout the novel. The majority of their interactions result in violence, and both gangs hate one another. There are several scenes that depict the severity of the brawls involving the two gangs. Johnny is almost beaten to death, Bob Sheldon dies after attempting to drown Ponyboy, and Ponyboy suffers a concussion in the final rumble. The violent conflicts between the two gangs are significant to the plot of the novel.

One of the major conflicts concerning the Socs happens when one of their most respected gang members dies. Bob Sheldon was viewed as a leader in the gang and lost his life after Johnny stabbed him in self-defense. This tragic event only increases the tension between the two opposing gangs, which results in further violence. Losing one of their close friends affects each Soc differently and the traumatic event takes an emotional toll on the gang.

Another conflict involving the Socs concerns the loyalty of their members. Both Cherry Valance and Randy Adderson are jaded about their Soc lifestyle and choose to help the Greasers. Cherry Valance agrees to help spy on the Socs before the big rumble while Randy simply refuses to fight alongside his gang because he feels that fighting is useless.

There is also conflict regarding the Socs' personal relationships with their friends and families. Cherry tells Ponyboy that the Socs are aloof and superficial. She laments about how everyone lies to each other simply to keep up with appearances. Cherry understands that there is no real connection between her group of friends and describes it as one big rat race. Randy also tells Ponyboy that Bob Sheldon's parents kept giving him material things instead of teaching him that his actions had consequences. Randy explains that Soc parents are detached from their children and not aware of their extensive issues.

Name two parts of a chemical reaction.

A chemical reaction is said to take place when chemical changes take place. Chemical changes refer to a change in the chemical composition of the reacting species. In other words, chemical reactions produce (at least one) chemically different compound than those which participated in the reaction. A chemical can be written as:

A -> B

in this reaction A is the species which reacts and is called the reactant, while B is the species which is formed as a result of this reaction and is called the product. Thus, each chemical reaction has 2 sides: a reactant side and a product side. The reactant side is typically shown on the left, while the product side is typically written on the right side of the equation. There can be single or multiple reactants and/or products. We can also show the phase of the various reactants and products in a chemical reaction, such as solid, liquid, gas, and aqueous.

Hope this helps. 

What is the foreshadowing for the quote "In front of us flames, In the air that smell of burning flesh" in Night?

This quote comes at the end of section two of Elie Wiesel's memoir Night. The Jews of Sighet have been transported by train from their homes to Birkenau, the reception center for the infamous Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz. As they arrive and step off the train they are greeted by the flames of the crematories and the smell of burning flesh. This scene is foreshadowed in the words of Madame Schächter who, from the beginning of the journey, has been screaming out that she sees fire and flames, but when the men look out the windows they see nothing:

"Look! Look at it! Fire! A terrible fire! Mercy! Oh, that fire!"

Some of the men pressed up against the bars. There was nothing there; only darkness.

Madame Schächter's cries leave the Jews uneasy as they try to convince themselves that she has simply gone crazy. They tie her up and gag her, but she breaks free and continues raving about the fire. Once they arrive at Birkenau, the flames come into view proving Madame Schäcter to be a prophetess. Once they disembark, Elie loses sight of Madame Schächter and her son. Like his mother and sisters, he never sees them again. Later, in section three, just as they turn away from the burning pit of flames they have been advancing to, Elie's father reminds him of Madame Schächter.

Is a BS in banking and finance a worthwhile degree?

Because the banking and finance industry is a very broad field, obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree in banking or finance is definitely a great start to seeking a career in banking, investments and the financial service industries. Depending on your career interest, a Bachelor’s degree in banking and finance can open paths to various employment opportunities such as:

• Investment Banking


• Mortgage Lending


• Commercial Lending


• Entry-Level Bank Management or Management Trainee


• Credit Card Department


• Auditing or Bank Regulatory Departments


• Sales or Personal Banking Representative


• Analysts


• Credit Underwriters

Once you have identified a career path of interest, you may find that pursing an additional certification or graduate degree will be an added plus if pursuing advancement opportunities, especially in areas such as:

• Corporate Banking


• Corporate Finance


• Senior Level Management or Executive Level Management


• Corporate Risk Management


• Financial Planning Management Advisor


• Licensed or Certified Financial Advisor or Planner

What are the fat man's feelings towards sending young people to war?

The fat man believes it's only right that young people who love their country be allowed to go to war. He argues that any patriotic young person should be permitted to answer the call of his country. After all, he reasons that someone must go to defend all their freedoms, and since they are too old to go, they might as well allow their sons to fight. His opinion is that "if one dies young and happy, without having the ugly sides of life, the boredom of it, the pettiness, the bitterness of disillusion...what more can we ask for him?"

On the surface, the fat man may seem courageous and, perhaps, even philosophical about his approach to young people going off to war. After all, he maintains that his own son died "satisfied at having ended his life in the best way he could have wished." He seems less inclined to dwell on his personal loss than the other passengers are. However, his resolute and indomitable facade soon crumbles in the face of a very decided question from the plump woman.

In the end, the woman's question reinforces for the fat man the finality of his son's death and the reality of his loss; then, in a touching demonstration of his own vulnerability, he is finally able to come to terms with his grief.

His face contracted, became horribly distorted, then he snatched in haste a handkerchief from his pocket and, to the amazement of everyone, broke into harrowing, heart-breaking, uncontrollable sobs.

Why did Matsuo Basho travel?

Matsuo Basho was Japan's preeminent 17th century haiku poet. He lived from 1644 to 1694.

Originally raised as a samurai, Basho was introduced to the arts of Zen Buddhism at a very young age. Enraptured by the quiet grace inherent in Zen philosophy, Basho eventually chose to apprentice himself to the poet, Todo Yoshitada. Between 1684 and 1689, Basho made four travel pilgrimages with the purpose of seeking beauty for its own sake, sharing in the experience of beloved former poets, and finding ultimate enlightenment.

It was on Basho's third journey that he wrote the material for The Narrow Road to the Deep North. The book (a succession of 44 diary-like entries) begins with a prologue praising the poets of old, a Zen Buddhist practice of honoring the great men of one's past. It basically catalogues Basho's travels to the northernmost parts of Honshu (Japan's largest island), a fifteen-hundred mile journey from his home in Edo to Ogaki.

In his poetic work, Basho alluded to ancient shrines, Japanese monuments, and landmark sites; his reverence for the old ways was evident in all his haikus. In Japanese aestheticism, the twin ideals of sabi (an admiration for the old) and wabi (a reverence for simplicity) embody the Zen Buddhist philosophy of enlightenment. Thus, Basho traveled in order to seek deeper enlightenment through his oneness with nature; the desire to explore old paths and distill the meaning of life into accessible poetry characterized all four of his spiritual pilgrimages.

Examine the claim that contemporary celebrity represents a new form of religion with celebrities as its figures of religious worship.

The phenomenon of hero worship is nothing new. Stuart Fischoff, a professor of media psychology at California State University, says that evolutionarily, humans adapted to recognize and imitate “alpha” males or females, to follow the leader of the “pack.” When taken to its extreme, however, this interest in celebrities can verge on obsessive or addictive behavior and can be classified as celebrity worship syndrome, a relatively new term first used in 2003 by James Chapman in the Daily Mail story “Do you worship the celebs?”. Some fan bases do resemble religions in their devotion to their celebrity gods—organizing conventions, performing rituals, and creating “altars” to their idols.

Scales have been developed to gauge the extent of celebrity worship, the most common being the Celebrity Attitude Scale (CAS). The CAS distinguishes between three levels of celebrity adoration, from relatively normal celebrity interest to more pathological obsession. The entertainment-social classification includes people who are attracted to a celebrity for the entertainment value and social community of other fans. The intense-personal dimension distinguishes fans who have compulsive feelings about their celebrity idol. The borderline-pathological classification includes people who have uncontrollable behaviors and/or fantasies relating to the celebrity. Some psychologists suggest this behavior may stem from a lack of real-life intimate relationships, with the celebrity adoration acting as a substitute for conventional relationships.

Researchers have found that people scoring at the high end of the scale have higher rates of related psychological and social issues with body image, interpersonal boundaries, narcissism, addiction, crime, stalking behavior, compulsion, depression, and anxiety.

The following sentence's meaning is ambiguous. Provide two explanations that illustrate the different meanings of the sentence: Visiting relatives...

Ambiguity is created because the function of the word "visiting" is unclear in the sentence. The intended meaning depends on whether the word "visiting" is being used as a gerund (a verb functioning as a noun) or an adjective.

If "visiting" is meant as a gerund, then it is the act of visiting relatives that is the problem. In this case, "visiting relatives can be problematic" is an observation that the act of visiting one's relatives can create difficulties for the visitor. For example, the relatives might live in a place that is inconvenient to get to or uncomfortable to occupy. It could also refer to the relationship one has with the relatives; perhaps your personalities are incompatible and the visit will be filled with tensions, misunderstandings, or other difficulties that create problems. It could also mean the time spent visiting relatives is time one needs or wants to spend differently.

If "visiting" is meant as an adjective that modifies "relatives," then the problem is the relatives who are visiting. For example, your relatives may impose on you by making inconvenient demands or overstaying their welcome.

What is Montresor's attitude toward revenge, or punishment in "The Cask of Amontillado"?

It is apparent that Montresor feels revenge is justifiable when insults and injuries go beyond the pale [outside the boundaries of normal behavior].

Poe's unreliable narrator explains to his audience that he has endured multiple injuries until the point that they become so excessive—"a thousand injuries"—as well as compounded with "insult" that he feels compelled and justified to avenge himself. Nevertheless, there are certain stipulations for seeking true revenge:

1. The act of revenge must punish, and it must punish without any risk to the avenger. (In his act of luring Fortunato into the catacombs, Montresor takes no risk as he commits this act during the Carnival in which people are distracted in their celebrations; furthermore, Fortunato is disguised by his costume.)


2. The revenge must "punish with impunity." There must be no consequences that result from this act of retribution. (Apparently, there have been no consequences for Montresor since it has "half a century" and "no mortal has disturbed" the remains of Fortunato.)


3. The avenger must not himself be the recipient of any retribution for his act. (Montresor has received no punishment for his crime. No one has avenged Fortunato's death against him, either.)


4. The revenge is not accomplished if the victim is not aware of the identity of the avenger. (Fortunato certainly has known that he was being walled in to die by Montresor.)

Why did nationalism became popular in 1945?

Nationalism became popular in 1945 because of the weaknesses of the British and French positions due to WWII.  The Vietnamese under Ho Chi Minh felt as though they should be rewarded for fighting against the Japanese during the war.  They resisted French efforts to bring them back under colonial rule and finally pushed the French out in 1954.  India became a nation after WWII after resisting British rule for decades.  In 1945 Jewish nationalists started to argue for a homeland in the Middle East--their arguments were strengthened by the atrocities committed during the Holocaust.  The formation of Israel in 1948 was the result of decades of arguments for creating a Jewish homeland.  Nationalist movements also sprang up in Eastern Europe as a response to Soviet control.  After WWII, Soviet soldiers fought against the same Baltic partisans who helped them defeat Hitler.  There were also resistance movements in Hungary and Poland against Soviet control--these were quickly and ruthlessly put down.  Just like after WWI, nationalism became very important after WWII as marginalized people sought to take control of their own affairs.  In some cases they were successful.  

Comparison and contrast the four Reconstruction plans.

There were four plans of Reconstruction that were being considered at different times. President Lincoln proposed his plan before the end of the Civil War. He believed the President should be in charge of Reconstruction. His plan, known as the Ten Percent Plan stated that when ten percent of a state’s voters promised to be loyal to our government, they would then be able to form a new state government. They would write a constitution that would ban slavery. President Lincoln would have offered amnesty to all white southerners who promised to be loyal. However, this would not apply to the former leaders of the Confederacy. President Lincoln encouraged the states to give the former slaves the right to vote. He did not require this to occur, however.

Congress also developed a plan of Reconstruction known as the Wade-Davis Bill. Some people in Congress felt President Lincoln’s plan was too easy on the Confederacy. This plan required a majority of white males to agree to be loyal to the Union. Only men who said they didn’t take up weapons against the Union would be allowed to vote for delegates who would write the new constitutions. The new constitutions would have to ban slavery, and former leaders of the Confederacy couldn’t hold political office.

After the assassination of President Lincoln, President Johnson proposed his plan. He offered amnesty and a return of property if people would be loyal to the United States. The leaders of the Confederacy would have to apply directly to President Johnson for amnesty. Only people who were pardoned and who promised to be loyal could vote for delegates who would write the new state constitutions. The southern states would have to reject secession. They would also have to ratify the Thirteenth Amendment in the state constitutions that would be written. There weren’t too many rights given to the former slaves. President Johnson wanted the states to decide what rights to give them.

The Radical Republicans also proposed a plan. They wanted to give voting rights to African-American males while preventing ex-Confederate leaders from voting. They wanted to redistribute land by giving some land from the plantation owners to the former slaves. They also wanted to provide money for African-Americans to build their own schools.

Several parts of the Radical Republican's original plan went into effect. There were many components to the actual plan. For example, the Reconstruction Act of 1867 divided the South into five military districts. The southern states also had to ratify the Fourteenth Amendment, which said all people born in the United States were citizens and had the rights of citizens. These rights couldn’t be taken away without due process of law. Former leaders of the Confederacy couldn't hold political office. The Freedmen’s Bureau worked to help the former slaves adjust to being free. Eventually, the Fifteenth Amendment was passed. This said a person couldn’t be denied the right to vote because of race, color, or if they were a slave.

Many plans of Reconstruction were presented. The Radical Republican plan, one that was concerned quite harsh, was the plan that was used to rebuild the South.

At the Statesville County Fair, the probability of winning a prize in the basketball toss game is 0.1. Show the probability distribution for the...

(a) We are given that the probability of winning p=0.1, and we are asked to give the probability distribution for n=8 trials.

This is an example of a binomial distribution: there are two outcomes (win/lose), the outcomes are independent, the probability does not change, and there are a finite number of trials. Thus we can use the binomial probability to compute the individual probabilities.

A probability distribution consists of a number of possible events and their associated probabilities.

P(0 wins)= `([8],[0])(.1)^0(.9)^8~~.4305 ` where the first factor is the number of combinations of 8 items choosing 0.

P(1 win)= `([8],[1](.1)^1(.9)^7~~.3826 `

etc... (These could also be computed with a statistical package in a graphing calculator or with something like Excel.)

The probability distribution:

X    P(X)
0    .4305
1    .3826
2    .1488
3    .0331
4    .0046
5    .0004
6    `2.3"x"10^(-5) `
7    `7.2"x"10^(-7) `
8    `1"x"10^(-8) `   or `(.1)^8 `

You can display this graphically using the probabilities along the vertical axis and the events along the horizontal axis.

(b) If the game is played 500 times, we can use the expected value to compute the number of prizes to keep on hand. The expected value is given by `mu=np ` , so here we have 500(.1)=50.

(In the real world, you would want to keep a few more than 50.)

Where is the turning point in the poem "Out of Cradle Endlessly Rocking?"

"Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking" is one of Walt Whitman's more complex poems. Its content is not as layered as that in other poems, but its form is. Multiple voices speak; natural objects and birds are anthropomorphized, or given human qualities; the poem weaves in and out of time, reverts to memory, then back to present-day.

Your focus on the "turning point" in the poem is totally subjective. Arguably, it begins early. A "curious boy" stands on the shores of Paumanok watching two birds sailing through the air and singing to one another, always together. Then, the female disappears:

Till of a sudden,

May-be kill'd, unknown to her mate,

One forenoon the she-bird crouch'd not on the nest,

Nor return'd that afternoon, nor the next,

Nor even appear'd again.

The narrator describes the lonely bird's futile song:

He call'd on his mate,

He pour'd forth the meanings which I of all men know.

This last line is the narrator speaking as a man, recalling this memory from boyhood. Later, there is a reversion back to the past, to the moment at which the boy understands the meaning behind the bird's song:

The aria sinking,

All else continuing, the stars shining, 

The winds blowing, the notes of the bird continuous echoing,

With angry moans the fierce old mother incessantly moaning,

On the sands of Paumanok's shore gray and rustling,

The yellow half-moon enlarged, sagging down, drooping, the fact of the sea almost touching,

The boy ecstatic, with his bare feet the waves, with his hair the atmosphere dallying,

The love in the heart long pent, now loose, now at last tumultuously bursting,

The aria's meaning, the ears, the soul, swiftly depositing,

The strange tears down the cheeks coursing,

The colloquy there, the trio, each uttering, 

The undertone, the savage old mother incessantly crying,

To the boy's soul's questions sullenly timing, some drown'd secret hissing,

To the outsetting bard.

The bird's lonesome song ("the aria") "[sinks]" or fades, perhaps due to the death of the male bird ("the outsetting bard"). The present participle "outsetting" echoes "to set out," or to depart. Meanwhile, as with the death of any living being, nature continues to operate with indifference ("the stars shining, the winds blowing").

Because this is a poem about love, eventual heartbreak, and erotic awakening, the "fierce old mother" has been interpreted in a number of ways. Some regard her as the boy's literal mother, back on shore, lamenting his emerging manhood. Others interpret her as nature, or an aspect of it. Her portrayal as "fierce" and "angry" would explain her cruel separation of the birds. The description of her as "old" plays into our expectations of nature as the ancient Earth Mother.

The decrepit image of the mother contrasts with the boy's fertile love and virility. There is parallelism between "the yellow half-moon" and an erection. At first, it is "enlarged," then, as if having fulfilled a sexual encounter, "[sags] down" and "[droops]." The moon is so large that it sinks on the horizon, "the face of the sea almost touching," as though they are in communion.

Nature partakes in the boy's fulfillment: "The boy ecstatic, with his bare feet the waves, with his hair the atmosphere dallying." Notice the inversion in this line and some others. The noun subjects and noun objects are side-by-side while the verbs are pushed to the end of the lines. This form mimics the communion between the boy and nature while also providing the stanza with near-rhyme.

There is, perhaps, another shift in the next stanza:

Demon or bird! (said the boy's soul,)

Is it indeed toward your mate you sing? or is it really to me?

For I, that was a child, my tongue's use sleeping, now I have heard you,

Now in a moment I know what I am for, I awake...

His sense of being "awake" echoes the title of the poem. He is no longer a slumbering babe, but a man who understands his romantic and erotic purposes. His perception of the bird has changed, however. Is the male bird simply a lonely warbler, wandering around singing to a long-lost mate? Or does he exist specifically to teach the boy an existential lesson? Is he a messenger from another world -- a netherworld?

From the voice and in mind of the boy, nature takes on many aspects: simple and obvious, sensual and supernatural. The poem follows his shifts in consciousness and time, anticipating the stream-of-consciousness narratives that would emerge in the twentieth-century. 

What did Martin Luther King, Jr. do for civil rights?

Martin Luther King, Jr. served as the public face of the Civil Rights Movement in the late 1950s and early 1960s.  He is not personally responsible for everything that the movement accomplished during this time, but we typically credit him with those accomplishments as he was the main figure who could be identified as the leader of the movement. 

Martin Luther King, Jr. was not the only leader of the Civil Rights Movement.  Obviously, he was only one man and the movement certainly could not have survived without all the masses of people who engaged in the protests that made it effective.   However, King did provide important leadership for the movement.  He is credited with being the main leader who set the strategy for the movement.  It was he who pushed for the nonviolent civil disobedience that was the hallmark of that movement.  Importantly, he also served as the movement’s public face.  He was able to reach out to white Americans, getting many of them to support the Civil Rights Movement.

In part because of his leadership, the Civil Rights Movement was able to achieve two main accomplishments.  The first of these was the Civil Rights Act of 1964.  This law made it illegal to discriminate on the basis of race in public accommodations such as restaurants and bus stations.  In one stroke, this law destroyed the system of segregation that had existed in the South for decades.  The second was the Voting Rights Act of 1965.  This law made sure that states could no longer create rules that were ostensibly not about race but which made it very difficult for black people to vote. 

In these ways, we can say that Martin Luther King, Jr. accomplished a great deal for civil rights.  He provided very important leadership that allowed the Civil Rights Movement to thrive.  In part because of his leadership, the movement was able to achieve legal equality between blacks and whites by the middle of the 1960s.

What were working conditions like between 1820 and 1860?

Working conditions changed between 1820-1860. Prior to the Industrial Revolution, many workers worked in small, worker-friendly environments. The workers and owners knew each other and often knew their families. Many workers enjoyed a very good working relationship with the owners of the business.

When the Industrial Revolution arrived, workers went to work in large factories. This changed the working relationship greatly. There were many workers working in the factories. The workers often didn’t know each other, and they certainly didn’t know the owners. Working conditions deteriorated. They worked long hours for low pay. There were no health and safety regulations. As a result, it was common for workers to be injured on the job. If they got hurt, they were often replaced without any compensation. There were also kids working in the factories instead of going to school.

The poor working conditions led to the development of labor unions. The labor unions tried to help workers improve their working conditions and improve their level of pay. Between 1820-1860, many workers had poor working conditions.

In The Outsiders, is Dally a round or flat character?

A round character is complex and displays various personality traits that change throughout the novel. In contrast, a flat character is one-dimensional and usually defined by a single trait. Throughout The Outsiders, Dally would be categorized as a round character. Through the majority of the story, Dally is characterized as a brash, callous individual who does not care about anyone. As the novel progresses, Dally displays loyalty and empathy towards his fellow Greasers, particularly Johnny. Pony initially does not like Dally because he is a hot-head with an affinity for violence and breaking the rules. After Johnny stabs Bob Sheldon and goes on the run with Ponyboy, Dally willingly helps them escape to Jay Mountain. When Johnny tells Dally that he is going to turn himself into the police, Dally demonstrates his love for Johnny by warning him about how jail will negatively affect him. Later on, Dally selflessly risks his life entering the burning building to save Johnny. After Johnny dies, Dally loses his mind and robs a grocery store. The police end up killing Dally, and Ponyboy realizes Dally was a gallant, selfless individual who cared deeply about Johnny. Dally's various character traits illustrate his complex personality, which makes him a round character. 

Where is the theme of fear portrayed in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird?

There are several scenes throughout the novel To Kill a Mockingbird where the theme of fear is portrayed. At the beginning of the novel, Jem, Dill, and Scout all fear the ominous Radley residence. Many terrifying rumors surround the Radley home, including the belief that Radley pecans will kill you. The children run past the Radley home on their way to school, Jem contemplates touching the side of the Radley home for three days, and Scout is reluctant to play the game "One Man's Family" out of fear that Boo might be watching them.

Another scene where the theme of fear is depicted takes place in Chapter 10. When the rabid dog, Tim Johnson, staggers down the main road of Maycomb, all of the neighbors lock their doors because they fear being bitten by the rabid dog. Fortunately, Atticus kills Tim Johnson in one shot.

In Chapter 15, Atticus and his children are surrounded by the Old Sarum bunch who wishes to hang Tom Robinson. Tom fears for his life, but once again, Atticus courageously defends Tom by refusing to step aside from the jailhouse.

Another moment where the theme of fear is portrayed is found in Chapter 23 after Bob Ewell spits in Atticus' face while he is leaving the post office. Jem and Scout fear for their father's safety and begin to lose interest in their normal activities. Jem even tells Atticus, "We're scared for you, and we think you oughta do something about him" (Lee 292). When Atticus discovers how deeply frightened his children are, he tells them that Bob got all the bitterness out of his system the morning Bob spit in his face. Atticus reassures the children that there is nothing to worry about, and they stop being afraid.

In Chapter 28, Harper Lee also portrays the theme of fear when Jem and Scout are walking to and from the Maycomb Halloween festival. On their way to the auditorium, Cecil Jacobs scares them while they are walking in the dark. When Jem and Scout are walking home, they stop and listen to hear if someone is following them. Scout gets scared and even asks Jem if he thinks they should sing to keep their minds occupied. Initially, they think Cecil is attempting to scare them again, but it turns out that Bob Ewell has been stalking them. Fortunately, Boo Radley comes to their rescue when Bob Ewell attacks.

are there any poetic devices in this poem e.g simile, metaphor and personification?

There are many poetic devices in Emily Dickinson's "A Bird come down the Walk-" including metaphor, simile, personification, and alliteration.

Metaphor is present in the third stanza.

He stirred his Velvet Head.

This is a metaphor because the narrator compares the bird's head to velvet without the use of "like" or "as." This emphasizes the texture of the bird's head and creates an idea of softness.

Simile is present in the third stanza.

He glanced with rapid eyes
That hurried all around-
They looked like frightened Beads, I thought-

This is a simile because the narrator compares the bird's eyes to beads. This is also personification because the beads are "frightened," and as we know, beads are inanimate objects and cannot be frightened.

Another simile extends through the fourth and fifth stanzas.

And he unrolled his feathers
And rowed him softer home

Than Oars divide the Ocean

That simile compares the feathers to oars dividing the ocean. We can then imagine the motion of the wings and the slickness of the feathers.

Alliteration is also present throughout the poem. Alliteration is the repetition of the beginning sound of a word. 

Too silver for a seam-
Or Butterflies, off Banks of Noon

This quote contains two different moments of alliteration - in the first line with the letter "s" and in the second line with the letter "b."

Hope this helps!

There are 70 m^3 of calcium hydroxide and a gas mixture that is 7% CO2. What volume of CO2 is needed to convert the calcium hydroxide to CaCO3?

Calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) is converted to calcium carbonate (CaCO3) by treating it with carbon dioxide (CO2).  The equation is shown below:

Ca(OH)2 + CO2 --> CaCO3 + H2O

We have 70 m3 (cubic meters) of calcium hydroxide.  If we convert this to milliliters (also called cubic centimeters), then we can use the density of calcium hydroxide (2.211 g/mL) to find the mass in grams.

70 m3 * (1 x 10e6 mL / m3) * (2.211 g / mL) = 1.55 x 10e8 g Ca(OH)2

Now divide by the molecular weight of Ca(OH)2 to get the amount in moles.

1.55 x 10e8 g * (1 mole / 74.093 g) = 2,091,965.5 moles Ca(OH)2

We can see from the chemical equation above that one mole of CO2 will react with one mole of Ca(OH)2, so we will need the exact same number of moles of CO2.  The molar volume of any ideal gas is 22.414 L per mole, so we can use this as a conversion factor to convert the moles of CO2 into a volume in liters.

2,091,965.5 moles * (22.414 L / mole) = 46,889,314.7 L CO2

So that is the amount of pure CO2 gas needed for the reaction.  Since you stated that the gas on hand is 7% CO2, divide the volume by 0.07 to find the volume of that particular gas mixture required for the reaction.

46,889,314,7 L / 0.07 = 669,847,353.1 liters of gas

How is fate explored in the novel? What are Frankenstein and the monster's attitudes toward fate?

Throughout the novel, Frankenstein does not take full responsibility for his actions. He doesn't believe that he has control over his decisions, but instead blames fate. Before telling his story to Walton, Frankenstein says that his "fate is nearly fulfilled" and that "nothing can alter [his] destiny." In fact, Frankenstein believes that his fate was already sealed by the age of fifteen, when during a storm he witnessed lightening strike a tree, leaving only a "blasted stump." This observation sparks an interest in Frankenstein and brings about his destiny:

Destiny was too potent, and her immutable laws had decreed my utter and terrible destruction.

In college, his professor's words are "the words of fate, enounced to destroy [him]." When discussing the books given to him by his professor, he states that this day "decided [his] future destiny." Yet, Frankenstein seems mistaken. It is Frankenstein's decision to read the books and use the knowledge as he does, which leads to his demise.

Similarly, Frankenstein's creation (the monster) uses the idea of fate to avoid taking full responsibility for his actions. He states that his rejection by Felix and his family leads to his miserable fate. When he decides to approach the family, he describe the conversation as "an interview with them which would decide my fate."

How are fairies and humans alike in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream?

"Shall we their fond pageant see?

Lord, what fools these mortals be!" (III.ii.114-115).

Puck says that mortals are fools, but the fairies demonstrate many of the same flaws as humans. Both fairies and humans can be selfish, manipulate loved ones, and make mistakes. For example, Titania and Oberon love each other, but he is selfish because he wants to take away her boy for himself. Demetrius is also selfish because he loved Helena and then decided to marry Hermia, possibly for financial and status reasons. Egeus is also selfish because he would rather have his own daughter killed than see her married to someone she loves.

Next, both fairies and humans manipulate the ones they love to achieve their selfish purposes. Oberon practically drugs his wife, Titania, and allows her to fall in love with a the donkey-headed Bottom just so he can get the boy away from her. This is not a fair fight. It works out for him in the end, but it's never a good idea to manipulate a loved one. Demetrius manipulates Helena because he loved her once, but then goes off to marry her best friend. Furthermore, Egeus manipulates his daughter Hermia by threatening to kill her if she doesn't marry Demetrius. This is manipulation of the worst kind.

Finally, both fairies and humans make mistakes. Puck makes a big mistake with the love potion. Oberon becomes angry when he thinks that Puck is deliberately creating chaos among the four lovers. In his own defense, Puck says the following:

"Believe me, king of shadows, I mistook.

Did not you tell me I should know the man

By the Athenian garments he had on?

And so far blameless proves my enterprise,

That I have 'nointed an Athenian's eyes" (III.ii.362-365).

With Oberon's guidance, Puck is able to stop Lysander and Demetrius from killing each other, and all is made right between the lovers in the forest by morning. The humans, of course, make many mistakes. Helena's decision to tell Demetrius of Hermia's elopement with Lysander makes her look like a fool and it creates problems in the forest for everyone. Finally, Hermia's wedding to Demetrius would have been a mistake if Theseus hadn't overturned his decision from the beginning of the play. Puck sums everything up in the end as follows:

"If we shadows have offended,

Think but this, and all is mended:

That you have but slumber'd here

While these visions did appear . . .

Gentles, do not reprehend.

If you pardon, we will mend" (V.i.409-412 and 415-416).

Fortunately, all is mended and all of the flaws, both fairy and human alike, find solutions in the end.

What is the most important thing to Margot from "All Summer in a Day"?

Sun is the most important thing to Margot.

For Margot, there is nothing more important than the sun.  She is from Earth, so she remembers the sun.  Not only does she remember it, but she cares more about the sun than anything else.

The other kids in Margot’s class have never really seen the sun in their lifetime.  It last came out seven years before.  Margot, on the other hand, remembers the sun.  That memory dominates her existence, and makes her different from the other kids.  They are jealous of the fact that she came from Earth, but coming from Earth makes the constant rain even harder on her.

There was talk that her father and mother were taking her back to Earth next year; it seemed vital to her that they do so, though it would mean the loss of thousands of dollars to her family.

Margot keeps herself apart from the other kids.  She doesn’t really understand the other kids, and they do not really understand her.  She is obsessed with the sun.  It is all that matters to them.

When the class sang songs about happiness and life and games her lips barely moved. Only when they sang about the sun and the summer did her lips move as she watched the drenched windows.

She does not ever get involved in the games the other kids are playing.  She won’t play with them and she barely talks to them.  When she does interact with the other kids, they are rude to her and bully her.

Unfortunately, the other kids in the class do act very cruelly to Margot.  They lock her in a closet so that she misses the sun.  This is something that will utterly destroy her, because she needed the sun even more than the other kids.

How could the character Sue from "The Last Leaf" be described?

Sue is the pivotal and viewpoint character in O. Henry's story "The Last Leaf." She interacts with the other three characters, Johnsy, the doctor, and Old Behrman. She is also working for a magazine editor who may or may not accept her sketches and pay her the money she badly needs to survive. Sue is a struggling artist like Johnsy, but Sue is apparently more aggressive and more competent than her friend. Sue is a go-getter. She is spunky, aggressive--the kind of person who is likely to survive in New York and ever prosper. She loves her friend Johnsy, but she also depends on her for companionship and moral support. She wants Johnsy to survive because she loves her and also because Johnsy is the only friend Sue has in this big, cold, competitive city. Sue handles both the doctor and Old Berhman while nursing Johnsy herself and doing sketches for a magazine story.

It should be noted that when Old Behrman sacrifices his life to paint the last leaf on the wall of the adjacent building, he is not only doing it for Johnsy but for Sue. He is doing it to try to save Johnsy, but he is also doing it because he cares as much about Sue, who cares so much about Johnsy. If Johnsy were to die, that would not be the end of Sue's story. Sue would have to live on, and her life would be different--lonelier and much harder without her friend.

Sue is actually pretty bold to have come all the way from Maine to New York City by herself in those days. Her strong, independent nature is evident throughout the story; whereas Johnsy's passive, dependent nature is also evident. Johnsy needs help from Sue, the doctor, and Old Behrman. Sue has nobody to help her, but she is capable of looking out for herself and even looking out for Johnsy. Sue is courageous. She maintains a cheerful, optimistic attitude in spite of the fact that she is afraid for her friend and afraid for her own future.

What is the name of the new street drug that rots your flesh and can be fatal?

You may be referring to Krokodil, the flesh-eating drug which originated in Russia in 2002. In the United States, it was originally reported to have been found in Utah and Arizona in 2013. So, yes, it's a fairly new drug.

Krokodil is the nickname for desomorphine. It can be made at home by cooking up codeine (an over-the-counter drug for headaches) with paint thinner, hydrochloric acid, gasoline, and other corrosive ingredients. Krokodil is more toxic than morphine and more addictive than heroin. For someone going through withdrawal from Krokodil, he/she can expect to endure excruciating physical pain for at least a month. For those who are fortunate enough to walk away from the drug, many scars will remain; former addicts may have to contend with speech impairment issues, mild to severe brain damage, motor skill impairment issues, and limb loss.

Krokodil is so named because it causes the skin of addicts to become inflamed, scaly, and green in color. Because Krokodil is supposed to be injected into veins, any accidental injection into the flesh itself can lead to necrosis, the death of skin tissue. Often, the skin rots off completely, and you can see bare bones as a result of the rot. It's a very dangerous drug!

For more, please refer to my sources below.

Which variety of English would be appropriate for writing a letter to the Minister of Education raising your concerns about the quality of...

When asking about "which variety of English would be appropriate," you are asking about which linguistic "register" would be appropriate to use in a given situation among given participants. To write to the Minister of Education about the quality of education in the country, the appropriate variety (register) would be a formal variety, indicating respect for the high position of the Minister and versed in the appropriate vernacular of discussion in the field of education.

"Variety" when used to mean register specifies syntax, tone, vocabulary that is uniform with or similar to all other communication at a similar level on a similar subject or discipline. The formal variety in a letter to a Minister acknowledges respect for the other participant's position (e.g. the high position and authority of the Minister of Education), makes use of flawless Standard English syntax and grammar, employs an informative tone that is objective and impersonal, uses a vocabulary that reflects knowledge of the discipline of education (if a non-professional is writing formally about a professional discipline, their knowledge of the vernacular of the discipline will be limited but can reflect a serious, well considered, well reasoned discussion within their scope of knowledge).

The basic division of varieties (or registers) is formal, neutral and informal. Linguists may use various divisions and different labels for varieties but each descriptive set of divisions has at its conceptual core the three simplified divisions of formal, neutral and informal. A neutral variety would be inappropriate for a letter to a Minister as it may be subjective, expressive of unsubstantiated opinion, and inexpertly composed. An informal variety would be inappropriate as it would contain culturally limited idioms, slang and perhaps vulgarities and would present opinion and information in an inarticulate, therefore inaccessible, composition.

Some other discussions of varieties, or registers, describe the divisions as follows:

• very formal, formal, neutral, informal, very informal


• casual, consultative, formal, frozen


• static, formal, consultative, casual, intimate

Each of these divisions of varieties, or registers, accords with the accepted linguistic definition of registers (or varieties) as being:

A set of specialized vocabulary and preferred (or dispreferred) syntactic and rhetorical devices/structures, used by specific socio-professional groups for special purposes. A register is a property or characteristic of a language, and not of an individual or a class of speakers. ("Linguistic Register," Harold Schiffer, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania)

a variety of language defined according to its use in social situations, e.g. a register of scientific, religious, formal English [dialect is defined as "according to user"]. (Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics)

As a note on the use of the technical linguistic term "variety," you can see from the uses of "variety" and "register" that linguistic terms may have overlapping meanings and uses. As Zwicky and Zwicky write: "[D]ifferent linguists have used an array of technical terms in varying and overlapping ways." (Zwicky and Zwicky, "Register as a Dimension of Linguistic Variation"). As a case in point, "variety" may also refer to national English varieties that have developed distinctive characteristics in vocabulary, syntax and phonetics that distinguish them from Standard British English. An example is the variety of Indian English, another is the variety of American English. In the same way that "variety" may mean "register," "variety" may also mean variety of national English.

Who is the speaker of the italicized portions in Gary D. Schmidt's novel Trouble?

Multiple chapters of Gary D. Schmidt's novel Trouble end with paragraphs written in italics. The speaker in those italicized portions is still the same third-person-limited narrator relaying the whole story; however, the narrator's focus switches in those sections from Henry to Chay Chouan.

Like all third-person narrators, a third-person-limited narrator is not a character of the story and instead relays the story as an observer, using third-person pronouns such as he and she. However, whereas a third-person omniscient narrator will get into the heads of every single character in the story, a third-person limited narrator will only focus on getting inside the head of one character. In Schmidt's story, the narrator focuses on getting inside Henry Smith's head. We can tell because Henry is the focus of every single scene; plus, the narrator relays only the thoughts and feelings of Henry through the narration. Numerous examples can be found throughout the book, but one example of the narrator relaying Henry's thoughts and feelings in the narrative text can be found at the end of Chapter 12, after Henry has had his first meal with his brother's killer:

He looked across at Chay. Who had murdered his brother, Franklin. And he felt anger rise in him and sour the chowder in his stomach. (p. 165)

In contrast, if we learn the thoughts and feelings of other characters, it is because they speak them aloud.

However, in the italicized parts, the narrator relays the thoughts and feelings of Chay, which we can also tell at the end of Chapter 12 when the speaker reflects, "But why would anyone eat a chowder?," immediately after Chay had refused to order clam chowder in the chowder house. Through these italicized parts, we learn multiple details about Chay's backstory such as what happened to his pet dog and why, that there was a girl with him in the truck when he accidentally hit Franklin, and that Chay was the one who set on fire the boarding house owned by Chay's own father.

What were some of Mr. Gatsby's accomplishments?

Jay Gatsby accomplished a reinvention of himself. Growing up as Jimmy Gatz in rural poverty in the Midwest, he realized his prospects were dim if he stayed near his unsuccessful parents on their farm. By combining his restlessness, ambition, and some lucky breaks, he was able to make the connections he needed to change the trajectory of his life. He found success in the Army, showing himself to be a courageous leader and earning medals.  

Though he used criminal means to make his fortune, Gatsby achieved the material success he knew he needed to win Daisy. In contrast to "old money" types like Tom Buchanan, Jay Gatsby earned his fortune and had material possessions and personal wealth on par with the upper classes he hoped to join.

What is the meaning of eternity in "Death, be not proud"?

John Donne's "Death, be not proud," or Holy Sonnet 10, is a poem written in the form of an Italian sonnet. It is narrated in the first person. The narrator directly addresses Death, a figure personified in the poem. The concept of eternity is mentioned in the poem's last two lines.

One short sleep past, we wake eternally

And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.

The key to understanding the meaning of eternity in this poem is to know that Donne, born into a Roman Catholic family, converted to Anglicanism and was, in 1615, ordained as a priest in the Church of England. This means he is writing not just as a Christian, but as a theologically knowledgeable cleric, and distinguished preacher whose sermons are still widely read. 

Donne's concept of eternity assumes the immortality of the soul. He points out that although our body dies, our souls live on eternally (either in Heaven or Hell); thus, the triumph of death is only apparent and temporary, affecting our physical rather than spiritual selves.

In Christian theology, death itself is only temporary and will no longer exist after the Last Judgement. Paradoxically, while human souls live on forever, according to Christian theology, death itself "dies" or ceases to exist permanently.

If you had unlimited money, what would Quince's costume look like in Act 1, scene 2?

Peter Quince is one of the "rude mechanicals" in A Midsummer Night's Dream, one of the craftspeople who seek to put on an impressive, tragic play for Theseus' marriage to Hippolyta. Quince is the author of the play and many scholars see him as a comic representation of Shakespeare himself; both wrote and were happy to take parts in their own plays, and both had backgrounds as craftsmen. Because of this, I think it would be fun to give a nod to Shakespeare in costuming Quince, perhaps by giving him similar facial hair to Shakespeare's famous portrait, or his receding hairline. You could even have him carry around a quill to write with and scribble furiously throughout the scenes he's in.

Looking at Quince's costume in a broader sense, his overall look depends on the setting of the play. If you stage it traditionally, in ancient Greece, Quince would likely wear a short robe in a bright color, with a rope to tie it at the waist and simple sandals. The play is so famous, though, that it could be staged in any time or place. In a modern-day production, Quince might wear a flannel shirt and overalls and sit in a Hollywood director-style chair. The key, I think, is to make sure that his costume portrays his modest origins (he is a working guy, after all), while still suggesting his plans for glory through the arts.

In "To Build a Fire" by Jack London, why does the man go on the trip in the first place?

The unnamed protagonist of "To Build a Fire" is travelling alone, with only his dog as a companion, in order to meet back up with the other members of his party. We don't know exactly why he had traveled away alone from those men, but we do know that the purpose of his original errand was to check out if it would be possible to float some logs down the river. Now the man is on his way back to his companions' camp site, beginning a journey that he expects will be pretty short and pretty easy.

The journey and all the dangers it involves are the central part of the story; as readers, we don't really focus on why this guy is going where he's going. But the information about why he's on a trip in the first place appears near the beginning of the story:

He was headed for the old camp on Henderson Creek, where the boys were already. They had come across the mountain from the Indian Creek country. He had taken the long trail to look at the possibility of floating logs from the islands in the Yukon down the river when the ice melted. He would be in camp by six o’clock that evening. It would be a little after dark, but the boys would be there, a fire would be burning, and a hot supper would be ready.

As the story continues, the man occasionally thinks of how soon he'll be meeting up with "the boys."

`int_0^ln2 2e^(-x)coshx dx` Evaluate the integral

To compute this integral, recall the definition of hyperbolic cosine function:  `cosh(x) = (e^x + e^(-x))/2.`

Therefore the function under integral is equal to `1 + e^(-2x),` and its indefinite integral is  `x - 1/2 e^(-2x) + C.`

Now we can substitute the given limits of integration to the antiderivative and obtain

`int_0^(ln2) 2e^(-x) cosh(x) dx = ln2 - 1/2 (e^(-2ln2)) - (0 - 1/2) =`

`= ln2 - 1/8 + 1/2 =` ln2 + 3/8

(we used the identity `e^(lny) = y` and the property of exponent  `(a^b)^c = a^(bc)` ).

Why did Maniac bring Mars Bar to the party in Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli? What did he achieve?

When Piper invited Maniac to his birthday party, he agrees on one condition.  He has a “zany” idea.  He tells them he will come if he can bring someone.  The someone he has in mind is Mars Bar.  The McNabs would never expect him to bring a black boy to the party, and they tell him to bring whoever he wants. 

Maniac has a plan.  He doesn’t understand the racial divide in Two Mills.  He wants people of both races to see that there is no difference between people. 

Whites never go inside blacks' homes. Much less inside their thoughts and feelings. And blacks are just as ignorant of whites. What white kid could hate blacks after spending five minutes in the Beales' house? And what black kid could hate whites after answering Mrs. Pickwell's dinner whistle? (Ch. 41) 

Maniac first brings Mars Bar to the Pickwell house so he can see “the best the West End had to offer.”  Mars Bar is a big hit there.  He is polite, and the Pickwell kids love having him. 

The little Pickwells made as much fuss over Mars Bar as over Maniac. They believed, as did all little kids in the West End, that he carried a hundred Mars Bars with him at all times. Not surprisingly, Mrs. Pickwell never batted an eye when she saw who was coming to dinner. (Ch. 41) 

On the way to the McNab house, Mars Bar demonstrates his feat of stopping traffic.  It is also a big hit.  Things are going well until they get to the McNab house.

The McNabs and Cobras are unrepentant racists.  George McNab demands to know what Mars Bar is doing at the party.  Piper breaks the tension when he asks for his birthday present, but the Cobras do not talk to Mars Bar and George says to tell him when "it" leaves. 

Despite George’s rudeness to Mars Bar, Mars Bar tolerates them until a fight breaks out when Mars Bar insults the McNab house's smell.  Maniac prevents them from fighting.   They leave, and Mars Bar demands to know why Maniac subjected him to the McNabs.

"You suckered me. You soften me up with them Pick-peoples, then bring me here.  Wha'd you think! I was gonna cry Okay, I come over. I did it. It's done. And don't YOU be comin' 'round no more, ya hear me, fish! 'Cause you ain't only seen me half bad yet." (Ch. 41) 

Maniac realizes that he should not have expected a miracle.  It would have been better to just bring Mars Bar to the Pickwells and leave it at that.  You can’t change deep-seated beliefs overnight.  So while Maniac might not have changed the McNabs, he did show the Pickwells that everyone is the same, and gave Mars Bar something to think about too.

Describe Lyddie's life in the tavern. How does Lyddie react to seeing a factory girl for the first time?

Lyddie works almost sixteen hours a day in Cutler's Tavern. She has to rise early in the morning so the guests won't see that she sleeps under the eaves in a hallway outside the guest rooms. She works all day long until she is "ordered to bed late." She has no leisure time--and no one to share it with if she had. Mrs. Cutler is a mean woman who watches Lyddie intently to make sure she is not making mistakes or stealing. Lyddie rarely speaks to anyone, but she listens to conversations in the tavern and plans to tell the stories to Charlie. 

The first time Lyddie sees the woman in the pink dress, she does not know she is a factory girl. She sees her get off the coach and marvels at the woman's beautiful dress--although she feels it is inappropriate clothing to wear in a "dusty coach." The woman smiles at Lyddie in a friendly way, not at all proud. Lyddie has a hard time taking her eyes off her.

That September Lyddie sees the same woman and has a conversation with her. The woman tells Lyddie she is a good worker, and then she mentions that Lyddie could make much more money at the mill in Lowell and probably have more time to herself. Lyddie finds it impossible to believe that a person can save two dollars a week by working at the factory. Yet she knows the woman herself has made enough money to be able to afford a beautiful pink silk dress. 

In The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian, Junior’s parents, Rowdy’s father, and others in their community are addicted to alcohol,...

As The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian progresses, it is clear that the protagonist Junior develops a clearer understanding about how addiction affects people universally.  Growing up on the reservation, Junior has been surrounded by people who resort to alcohol to deal with the lack of opportunities and poverty on the reservation.  Several members of Junior's own family, such as his father, and others around him are often drunk, and Junior only sees addiction through the narrow context of the reservation.  However, after Junior begins attending Reardan and makes friends with students there, namely Penelope, he sees that addiction affects people of other ethnicities and classes too.  Penelope seems to have an ideal life on the surface; however, Junior eventually learns that her father is mean and abusive, and Penelope deals with her harsh home life by trying to exert control over her body, resulting in her bulimia.  Through conversations with Penelope, Junior learns that people universally struggle with addictions that have been a result of trying to cope with hardships in their lives.

Who is the protagonist of the novel Chains?

Chains, written by Laurie Halse Anderson, focuses on the story of thirteen-year-old Isabel. Isabel used to be a slave to a lady who had promised her freedom, but she is sold to a cruel and violent family who live in Manhattan. The book is set during the 18th century, around the time of the American Revolution. The family Isabel now works for are Loyalists—people who want the colonies to stay under the rule of the British monarchy. Another slave, Curzon, tells Isabel that she can spy on the family she now works for and pass along information to the Patriot rebels. Curzon tells her that if she spies on the family, she can go free and leave New York. Isabel is in a difficult situation for a long time, and her beloved sister is even sent away. Isabel learns to stand up for herself and her sister, and in the end she and Curzon escape to freedom.

How does the speaker feel about giving up her life?

The speaker does not seem sad at all about giving up her life.  In fact, she seems to look on and talk about death as one might describe a lover: "He kindly stopped for [her]" in his carriage; they "drove slowly," taking their time; she's wearing a "Gossamer" gown' and he takes her to his "House that seemed / A Swelling of the Ground."  They even drive around in the carriage for a while, watching the children play, gazing at the sunset and the pretty fields.  The speaker especially references Death's "Civility," and we don't typically think of death as civil or polite; many often consider death to be quite rude, actually, coming at terrible times when people aren't ready for it.  However, Death, in this poem, is personified as a lover, someone who seems to be expected and prepared for, someone, even, who is welcomed.  The narrator seems to feel a certain sense of peace when she steps into the carriage with him, suggesting that she is neither frightened nor apprehensive about giving up her life.

Which of the following stories uses first person: "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County," "The Lady, or the Tiger?" or "The Necklace"?

First person narration means that the story is told by a narrator who inserts himself or herself into the story to some degree. You will be able to tell that a story is written in first person by its use of the first person pronouns, "I" and "me," in the narration, not just in dialogue. Stories can also be written in third person. Third person narration typically talks about the characters without giving personal reactions--the reader usually doesn't have a sense of who the narrator is. Of the three stories mentioned, "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" uses first person narration most fully. At the beginning of the story, the narrator says, "In compliance with the request of mine, who wrote me from the East, I called on good-natured, garrulous old Simon Wheeler." Notice the first person pronouns: mine, me, and I. The narrator also inserts himself into the story at the end. On the other hand, "The Necklace" uses the pronoun "I" frequently, but only when one of the characters is speaking. The narrator of the story never inserts himself into the tale by speaking of himself, so the story uses first person in dialogue, but not in narration.

"The Lady or the Tiger?" starts out talking about the "semi-barbaric king" using third person pronouns like "he" and "him." This third person narration continues throughout most of the story, but seven paragraphs from the end, the narrator says, "The more we reflect on this situation...." "We" is a first person plural pronoun. In the final paragraph the narrator says, "It is not for me to presume to set myself up as the one person able to answer it. And so I leave it with all of you." So this story also uses some first person narration, although most of the story is written in third person.

Do Harun in "The Meursault Investigation" and Leonard Marnham in "The Innocent"—or either one—behave as a “subject” or “object” when...

First, the definition of "subject" and "object," in reference to a character, is considered to be closely related to equivalent conventions in grammatical usage. The "subject" is the driver of the action and thus, commits an action aimed at the "object." The "object" of course, receives the action and is in the passive position.

So, it would appear that Harun in The Meursault Investigation is the "subject" in his killing of Joseph Larquais. Kamel Daoud's novel is a re-telling of Albert Camus' novel The Stranger. In The Stranger, a character named Meursault murders an Arab, who remains nameless. In The Meursault Investigation, Kamel Daoud names Camus' unknown Arab, Musa. Daoud's story is told from the viewpoint of Harun, Musa's brother.

In The Meursault Investigation, Harun is bereft of his brother, and their mother is shattered by the senseless murder of her son. Both suffer the added grief of burying Musa symbolically; they cannot claim his body because he has no name, and the funeral is held sans a body, with “an empty grave and a prayer for the departed.” Both Harun and his mother can make no sense of Musa's murder; it's not quite clear why Meursault felt compelled to pump five bullets into Musa.

Harun gets his revenge, however, when he kills a Frenchman, Joseph Larquais, at the instigation of his mother on a summer's evening. To Harun, this irreconcilable act of murder is a catharsis of sorts. Because Harun is the one performing the action, he is the "subject," the one who drives the action. Harun is eventually exonerated for his crime, unlike Meursault in The Stranger, but he later finds himself ambivalent about his acquittal.

In The Innocent, Leonard Marnham is an English engineer who has been sent to work in a joint British and American surveillance project; the purpose of the project is to uncover Russian intelligence secrets. Leonard himself is a socially awkward and sexually inexperienced man. His American superior, Bob Glass, takes him under his wing and tells him to always act like he's visiting a radar station when he's working. In actuality, what Leonard is really working on is an underground surveillance project that will allow the Allied powers to intercept all enemy communications that link to the "high command in Moscow."

Of course, it's not all work and no play for our protagonist, and one evening at a bar, Leonard's American counterparts encourage him to make his move on a woman named Maria Louise Eckdorf. Maria is a typist and translator who works for the British in a vehicle workshop; she and Leonard immediately take to each other (it is Maria who introduces Leonard to the delights of eroticism), but Maria has an uneasy relationship with her alcoholic ex-husband, Otto. When Otto discovers Leonard's presence in his ex-wife's life, he's furious and proceeds to brutally assault Maria.

Things come to a head when Otto eventually turns up at Maria's apartment; he claims his right to live there, since both of them applied for the apartment when they were still married. For her part, Maria is furious that Otto is trying to insinuate himself into her new relationship with Leonard; she shouts insults at Otto and demands that he leave. Incensed, Otto attacks Maria. Leonard steps in to quell the violence, but he soon becomes Otto's target.

Here, we can can say that Leonard is the "object" of Otto's violent action. In the end, to defend himself from certain death, Leonard grabs hold of a cobbler's last (a device shaped like a human foot, used for the manufacture and repair of shoes) and smashes it into Otto's skull. From the text, it appears as if Maria may have put the last within Otto's grasp; at the very least, both participated in Otto's murder. So, Leonard behaves as an "object" when killing Otto because it is a defensive act in response to Otto's violent attack.

How does government protect the rights of the people?

There are several ways the government may protect the rights of the people. One way is by having a written constitution that clearly states what rights the people have. Once the rights are established in written form by the constitution, then the government must take steps, including passing laws, which protect the people’s rights. The court system must also be sure the laws that are passed are legal, based on the written constitution. If the laws aren’t legal, then the government must stop following those laws.

When there are attempts by other groups of people or by other countries to take away our rights, the government must take action, either political, economic, or military, to be sure our rights are followed. This could mean imposing economic sanctions on a country. It could mean ending diplomatic relations with a country. It could also mean going to war against a country or group of people that are attacking our rights.

The government should have a system where people can freely elect their leaders. If the people feel the government or its leaders aren’t protecting their rights, they can replace those people in an election. Without elections, it is easier for a government to violate the people’s rights.

There are several actions a government could take to protect the rights of the people they govern.

In Sonnet XIX by John Milton, the speaker feels that the purpose of his talent is to enable him to serve God. What dilemma does this connection...

The speaker's dilemma is that, although he wants to serve God through his talent for writing, he's having a hard time doing so because he's recently gone blind.

He's caught between the impulse to write (and thereby honor his god) and the pragmatic concern of how to get that done without being able to see. Keep in mind that this poem was written in the 1600's, long before technology provided a way for blind writers to compose and revise their work.

This new blindness is not just a practical problem for the speaker but also a spiritual one. He worries that if his blindness prevents him from writing enough--or causes him to stop writing altogether--then maybe God will punish him for letting his talent go to waste.

Modern readers familiar with Christianity might suggest a logical solution to the speaker's dilemma: an acceptance of the notion that the Christian god only gives burdens to people who are strong enough to bear them, and further that this god has a detailed plan for everyone in the world--meaning that the speaker's blindness was given by God himself. Who could blame the speaker, under those circumstances, for struggling with the practical repercussions of his blindness? Certainly not the omniscient, benevolent god of Christianity.

However, the speaker resolves the dilemma in his own way, which might come as a surprise to readers today. He reasons that God as a supernatural being doesn't literally need the speaker to write. Instead, God needs the speaker to show patience and to deal with his blindness gracefully. Doing this will also make the speaker a good servant of God, he thinks.

What are some different types of nationalism and what are some effects of these types?

Nationalism is a strong sense of duty and pride to a cause or group.  I would suggest that all types of nationalism have two major effects.  First, nationalism can act as a bonding agent between the members of the group. Group members feel a sense of obligation to the group.  The group develops a sense of identity and shared purpose.  

A second effect of nationalism is that it can lead to conflict or warfare with other groups.  In the worst case scenario, it can spawn genocide.  Ethnic nationalism is a deep rooted pride in one's ethnicity.  Ethnic nationalism can be seen as a cause of World War I as the Serbs and other groups wanted their own states. Ethnic nationalism is also at the root of civil war and genocide on the continent of Africa today.  

Another form of nationalism is expansionist nationalism, the belief that your nation should spread its ideals, culture, and policies to other countries through imperialism.  In the past, this was the cause of a number of conflicts, including the proxy wars of the Cold War era and World War I and II.  

Religious nationalism is a firm belief that the doctrine of your faith is superior to others.  It seeks to force people to convert or strictly adhere to a single interpretation of scripture or dogma.  Religious nationalism can result in a loss of basic civil liberties for a segment of the population, usually women.  It can also lead to the development of oppressive theocratic states.   

Who is Juliet's messenger in Act II, Scene 4, and what are some of the issues she and Romeo discuss?

Juliet's nurse is her messenger in this scene, and Juliet has sent her to Romeo to find out what arrangements he has made with Friar Lawrence for their nuptials.  Before Romeo left Juliet's garden the night before, Juliet promised she would send a messenger to him early in the day.  Initially, Mercutio gives the nurse a hard time, insulting her and making inappropriate and lewd jokes towards her, and the Nurse becomes pretty angry with him.  After Benvolio and Mercutio leave to go to Lord Montague's house, the nurse and Romeo can speak in private. Romeo asks the nurse to offer his greetings to Juliet and to

Bid her devise

Some means to come to shrift this afternoon,

And there she shall at Friar Lawrence' cell

Be shrived and married (84-87).

Romeo wants Juliet to make up some reason to go and make confession today, and, when she arrives, Romeo will be there, prepared to marry her.  He's already made arrangements with the Friar to do so.