Name the three energy roles of organisms in an ecosystem. How does each type of organism obtain energy?

I believe the types of organism classifications you are looking for are producers, consumers, and decomposers.

Producers are autotrophs such as plants, and some types of protists. These are the organisms that are capable of taking the light energy of the sun and transforming/storing it as chemical energy in the form of sugars. That is, they perform photosynthesis (carbon dioxide + water ---> sugars and oxygen). Without this group, the rest of the living things on earth would quickly die out. There are some producers that are chemotrophs--these utilize the energy from geothermal features such as the vents in the deep ocean.

Consumers are heterotrophs--organisms such as animals and some protists, that consume the stored energy from plants or from other animals. Even if total carnivores (animals that only eat other animals) they are still dependent, ultimately, on producers, as their prey eat the producers.

Decomposers such as fungi and bacteria also utilize the energy contained in dead plant and animal matter. They are not classified as consumers, however, as they do not "eat" the organic matter; instead, they chemically alter the dead matter and absorb the energy.

In Chapter 15 of The Bronze Bow, who does Jesus help the most?

Throughout Chapter 15, Daniel begins traveling to Capernaum each morning to listen to Jesus preach. Daniel is drawn to the hope and promise in Jesus' messages and shares Jesus' stories with his sister, Leah. Leah listens intently to Daniel speak about the messages he hears, and they develop a closer relationship. Although Daniel does not often understand the meaning of Jesus' messages, he feels like nothing is impossible after hearing him speak. Speare writes, "He could truly believe that the kingdom of God was coming nearer, and he could almost hear the sound of trumpets in the distant hills" (162). Jesus helps Daniel the most because Daniel's heart is gradually becoming softer and he is encouraged. Daniel also slowly becomes confident in his skill and feels satisfied helping out the townspeople. Jesus provides Daniel with a sense of inner peace and contentment. Daniel's spirit is renewed with each message he hears Jesus preach, and he is filled hope throughout the month of Ab.

What gift did Della buy for Jim and why in "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry?

Della buys Jim a watch fob because his watch is his most prized possession.

Della and Jim Young do not have much money. Despite this, Della really wants to buy Jim a good Christmas present. She is even willing to sell her hair to get him a nice gift.

This is ironic because we learn Della and Jim both highly prize her hair.

Now, there were two possessions of the James Dillingham Youngs in which they both took a mighty pride. One was Jim's gold watch that had been his father's and his grandfather's. The other was Della's hair. 

Della is still willing to sell her hair so she can buy Jim a really nice gift to show him how much she loves him. She searches high and low until she finds it, and then doesn’t think twice before buying it.

It was a platinum fob chain simple and chaste in design, properly proclaiming its value by substance alone and not by meretricious ornamentation — as all good things should do. It was even worthy of The Watch. 

The fact that Della sold her hair becomes even more ironic when we learn Jim sold his watch in order to buy her a nice hair set. Della sold her hair to buy him a fob for a watch he no longer has, and he sold his watch to buy combs for hair she no longer has.

One thing is for sure, hair grows back. Della knows her hair will eventually be beautiful again, so she did not mind selling it too much. Her hair was her most prized possession. Once it grows back, she will be able to enjoy the combs. Unfortunately, the watch fob is kind of useless unless Jem gets his watch back.

With the aid of examples, distinguish between inflectional morphemes and derivational morphemes.

Inflectional morphemes are words that are created from a lexeme, or a basic unit of meaning in a language, without creating a new category in one's lexicon. An example of an inflectional morpheme is "books," which is created from the word "book." The new word that is created is in the same grammatical category as the original word (in the case of "book" and "books," both are nouns). Other inflectional affixes (affixes are added to the root of a word) change the word with regard to tense, case, and gender, such as "brings" from "bring" (changing tenses); "Mary's" from "Mary," (changing cases); or "masseur" from "masseuse" (changing gender). 

On the other hand, derivational morphemes are words that have different lexemes from the original word. A derivational affix can produce a word that's in a different grammatical category from the original word. For example, adding "ly" to the word "quick" changes the grammatical category of the word "quick" (as "quick" is an adjective, and "quickly" is an adverb). In addition, a derivational morpheme can have a very different meaning than the original word. For example, if you add "non" to "sense," you produce the word "nonsense," which is in the same grammatical category as the first word (both are nouns). However, "nonsense" has a very different meaning than the word "sense." If an affix changes the part of speech of the word or the meaning of the word, it is a derivational affix. 

What ideas do you have about the character Quince in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream? How does he move and speak in Act 1, Scene 2?

Peter Quince is the writer and director of the Athenian men's production of "Pyramus and Thisbe." He is logical and intelligent, but he must also be patient because he has to deal with Nick Bottom's narcissism in Act 1, scene 2. This is the scene when the men are first getting together to learn about their parts for the play, and Quince can't keep the meeting on track because Bottom is either interjecting too much, trying to play everyone else's parts, or telling Quince how to run the show.

As far as how Quince speaks, he is the opposite of Bottom, who misspeaks often. Quince is articulate and correct with his speech, but he tends to repeat himself at times:

"But, masters, here are your parts; and I am to entreat you, request you and desire you, to con them by tomorrow night and meet me in the palace wood" (I.ii.81-84).

The above passage shows Quince being redundant with his speech, which is used as a literary device to drive home a very important point. Another time that Quince is repetitive is when he urges Bottom to take the part of Pyramus:

"You can play no part but Pyramus, for Pyramus is a sweet-fac'd man, a proper man as one shall see in a summer's day, a most lovely gentlemanlike man" (I.ii.71-73).

This passage shows Quince repeating the descriptions of Pyramus' character to let Bottom know how he is to portray the hero as well as how important he is to the play.

As for the way Quince moves, that is to be determined by director and actor when the play is performed because Shakespeare does not provide many detailed stage directions in his plays. However, based on Quince's intelligent and patient character, it could be inferred that he is as thoughtful with his movements as he is with his speech.

Why is Lennie hallucinating in Chapter Six of Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck?

Of Mice and Men is barely a hundred pages long. It is rarely called a novel, but more frequently a novella. Steinbeck made it short because he fully intended to convert it to a stage play to be produced in New York the same year the novel came out, which was 1937. He wrote the book in such a way that it would be easy to convert it to a script for a play. The dialogue was practically fully written, and the principal sets were already described. They would be a bunkhouse and a barn. Crooks' room would be attached to the barn, and it could be represented on a stage as one side of the barn which could be lighted when it was in use and left in the dark when the action was taking place in the barn. The campsite by the river could be represented by a bare stage with an artificial campfire lighted by a couple of colored light bulbs. It was a low-budget stage production.

Steinbeck intentionally shortened the "novella" because a stage play would only run about an hour and a half. He did not have any outdoor scenes in the book, except for the campsite scene at the beginning and end, because he could not have outdoor scenes in his stage play. Outdoor events, such as horseshoes clanging and Candy's dog being shot, could be represented by offstage sound effects. Steinbeck knew from the first that George was going to kill Lennie, because this was the best way to shorten the story to around an hour and a half on the stage. This kind of ending is often called "a shotgun ending." Steinbeck referred to his book as "a playable novel," meaning a novel that would be very easy to convert to a play because all the dialogue, all the action, and all the settings were already written. In Hollywood the book might be regarded as "an extended treatment."

Most of the exposition in the book is conveyed to the reader through dialogue between the characters. This is invariably how exposition is conveyed in stage plays and in motion pictures. This means there has to be at least two characters present in a scene. However, Lennie is alone in Chapter Six. Steinbeck had to invent some way in which there could be dialogue to tell the future theater audience what was going on in Lennie's mind while he was all alone. So he has Lennie confronted by an imaginary Aunt Clara and also by an imaginary gigantic rabbit. These do not have to appear in the novella, but in the stage version there would be a real woman representing Aunt Clara.

And then from out of Lennie's head there came a little fat old woman. She wore thick bull's eye glasses and she wore a huge gingham apron with pockets, and she was starched and clean. She stood in front of Lennie and put her hands on her hips, and she frowned disapprovingly at him.

And when she spoke, it was in Lennie's voice.

On stage the fact that Lennie's was speaking for the actress playing his Aunt Clara would show that she was an hallucination. The same would be true when the gigantic rabbit appeared on stage. There would be no need for a real rabbit. Undoubtedly it would be represented by an extremely large stuffed rabbit, and the audience would understand that it was an hallucination because it would also be speaking with Lennie's voice. John Steinbeck probably did not like using such gimmicks, but he had no other choice when transferring that scene from the book to the stage. Lennie must be shown spending time all alone. He is waiting for George as instructed to do if he got himself in trouble and had to run away and hide. If he is is waiting all alone, there has to be some indication of his thoughts and feelings, which would be turbulent under the circumstances. Steinbeck could have simply described Lennie's thoughts and feelings in straight prose in the book--but he knew they would have to be represented differently on the stage, unless he had Lennie deliver a monologue like Hamlet. So in both the book and the play Steinbeck had Lennie speak to two imaginary characters, Aunt Clara and a gigantic rabbit.

In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, why is Romeo so unhappy?

At the beginning of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Romeo's father, Lord Montague, tells his nephew Benvolio that he is concerned for his son. He describes Romeo's behavior as depressing because he shuts himself up in his bedroom without light, he isn't social, and he seems depressed. Benvolio tells his uncle that he will find out why Romeo seems so unhappy. The interchange between Benvolio and Romeo is as follows:

"'What sadness lengthens Romeo's hours?'

'Not having that which, having, makes them short.'

'In love.'

'Out.'

'Of love?

'Out of her favour where I am in love'" (I.i.156-161).

Romeo's line which explains his sadness seems ambiguous when taken out of context. With a little more explanation the audience understands that Romeo is sad because he can't have the love he wants with Rosaline. This love makes time seem short to Romeo; but without love, his hours are lengthened with sadness. The background to this scene is explained later as Romeo tells Benvolio that Rosaline chose to be nun, which abruptly ended their relationship. Romeo is also upset that such a beautiful girl would desire to become a nun and not share her beauty with the world--or him. Of Rosaline's determination to live a chaste life, Romeo is greatly saddened and says the following:

"She hath forsworn to love, and in that vow

Do I live dead, that live to tell it now" (I.i.216-217).

The fact that Romeo feels like his life is more dead than alive is another way of saying that he is unhappy; and within the context of the conversation about Rosaline forswearing to love again, here is his reason for sadness. 

How is the first line of Pride and Prejudice "It is a truth universally acknowledged..." an example of authorial intrusion?

Authorial intrusion describes when an author sort of steps away from the story to address the audience directly.  It has the effect of making the reader less of an outsider to the story and establishes something more like a one-to-one relationship between author and reader.  It lessens the distance between the two.  The first line of the novel, "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife," is so famous, in part, because of its irony.  Austen infuses such irony throughout the entirety of the novel, and she uses it to help us understand that she does not agree with such a statement. 

Further, this kind of irony allows us to ascertain that she takes serious issue with the way the marriage market, in general, works.  Consider the choice of someone like Charlotte Lucas: she can either marry an idiot or run the risk that she will become a burden and embarrassment to her family.  Therefore, one could read this line as an example of authorial intrusion because Austen is using irony to show the reader that she disagrees with a statement such as this as well as alerting us to the fact that this text will vigorously employ irony to skewer common attitudes about everything from marriage to women's reading.

What is a justification for Shylock seeking a pound of Antonio's flesh in The Merchant of Venice?

Shylock's primary motive for seeking a pound of Antonio's flesh was to take revenge. At the time that Antonio signed the bond as surety for the loan Shylock made to Bassanio, the moneylender had no idea that Antonio would later experience misfortune and lose his ships. He had, however, included this as a condition in the deal, obviously hoping that Antonio would forfeit and that he would then be able to have his revenge. The reason for Shylock seeking revenge is clearly stated in the aside he utters in Act 1, scene 1:

I hate him for he is a Christian,
But more for that in low simplicity
He lends out money gratis and brings down
The rate of usance here with us in Venice.
If I can catch him once upon the hip,
I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him.
He hates our sacred nation, and he rails,
Even there where merchants most do congregate,
On me, my bargains and my well-won thrift,
Which he calls interest. Cursed be my tribe,
If I forgive him!

Antonio had agreed to this particular condition for he was confident that his ships would all arrive safely at their destinations and that he would easily settle the debt within the three month period. He acted against Bassanio's advice to sign the bond for he was putting himself at risk. Bassanio, unlike Antonio, had the presence of mind to realize that there always existed the possibility that things might go awry.

Shylock obviously shared this sentiment for he was generous enough to exclude charging interest on the bond. As it was, Shylock had nothing to lose whilst Antonio, conversely, could pay with his life. As it turned out, fortune favored Shylock since Antonio suffered disaster when all his ships and their precious cargo were destroyed. It seems as if the Christian merchant had tempted fate too much and suffered the unfortunate consequences.

In addition, Shylock believed that the law was on his side and that his appeal for restitution was justified. Antonio was, after all, of sound body and mind when he signed their agreement. He knew exactly what the conditions were and signed the bond even against his best friend's admonition that he did not trust Shylock.

Ironically, though, it was Shylock's malice that turned against him. He was so determined in hurting Antonio that he turned a deaf ear against numerous appeals for mercy. He even rejected an offer by Bassanio of twice the original amount owed to him. Shylock believed that he was entirely within his rights. Eventually, it was Portia's intelligent intervention that not only saved Antonio's life but also irrevocably altered the Jew's destiny.

Portia proved to the court that Shylock's malicious claim against the Christian was a crime punishable by death and the forfeiture of his entire fortune. The duke, though, was merciful and spared him his life. Antonio's also appealed, and spared him the ignominy of losing his entire fortune. In the end, Shylock had to forfeit half of his estate to his daughter and her Christian husband and had to relinquish his own religion and become a Christian.

How does Phillis Wheatley personify the American colonies in "To His Excellency General Washington"?

In Phillis Wheatley's homage to George Washington, commander of the Continental Army, the poet creates a goddess she calls Columbia to personify the American colonies. The goddess wears olive and laurel to symbolize peace and victory and inspires admiration—and fear—in those who would oppose her. Wheatley refers to Eolus, the Greek god of the winds, as a peer of Columbia's, but the goddess was Phillis Wheatley's creation.  

The line "Columbia's scenes of glorious toils I write" refers to the state of the colonies when she wrote the poem and sent it to George Washington in October 1776. The outcome of the Revolutionary War would not be known for another seven years. Wheatley's poem was meant to honor Washington and encourage him to continue to lead "Columbia" to victory.

When and where was The Castle of Otranto published?

Horace Walpole's book, often considered the first gothic novel, was published in 1764 in London, England. Walpole was fascinated with the Middle Ages; the novel is set in the medieval era, purporting to be based on an Italian manuscript published in Naples in 1529. To make matters more complicated, the 1529 manuscript is said to be based on papers dating back to the years between 1095 and 1243, the height of the Middle Ages. Of course, the story is really the invention of Walpole and was written in the 1700s. 

The novel begins with the young Conrad being crushed to death on his wedding day by a giant helmet falling from the sky, a fantastic event typical of Romance, but Walpole weds this and other Romantic elements to what he hoped would be a realistic story. He incorporated what would become typical features of the Gothic genre, from a medieval setting to secret passageways to odd, scary sounds.

What are some quotations in Fahrenheit 451 that relate to the topic, "words are powerful", and, more specifically, "words are hurtful"?

Fahrenheit 451, a novel about a dystopian American society in which books are burned and no one is allowed to read, is about the importance of knowledge and the consequences of censorship. 

One important quotation on this topic is by Faber, who says: "The magic is only in what books say, how they stitched the patches of the universe together into one garment for us." By this, he means that the power of books (and words) is that they can bring together all the little things we notice or think into a larger picture of the whole "universe", and all of life, that can tell us who we are, what we are doing, and why it matters. 

That quote can be contrasted to one by Beatty, a fireman, who says: "A book is a loaded gun in the house next door... Who knows who might be the target of a well-read man?" In this passage, Beatty says that the knowledge and ideas in books (and words) are dangerous, because they can make someone powerful. In particular, he says that these words can make someone more powerful than his neighbor, and give him the ability to hurt, or control him (as with a gun). 

What impact does Walker's use of point of view have on the reader's understanding of the plot in "Everyday Use"?

The use of the first-person narrative by the story's Mrs. Johnson is especially important to the plot's development because her voice represents the past, and the respect and dignity that it should be afforded, most particularly as it applies to the sacrifices and challenges faced by previous generations that have allowed Dee to move out successfully into the world.

Mrs. Johnson and her daughter Maggie live in a house that is not much better than a shack.

It is three rooms, just like the one that burned, except the roof is tin; they don't make shingle roofs any more. There are no real windows, just some holes cut in the sides, like the portholes in a ship, but not round and not square, with rawhide holding the shutters up on the outside. 

Maggie is shy of the world—especially new people—because of scars she suffered as a child when the previous house burned. 

How long ago was it that the other house burned? Ten, twelve years? Sometimes I can still hear the flames and feel Maggie's arms sticking to me, her hair smoking and her dress falling off her in little black papery flakes.

Maggie also bears scars that cannot be seen, and her behavior bears this out:

She has been like this, chin on chest, eyes on ground, feet in shuffle, ever since the fire that burned the other house to the ground.

Maggie demands nothing of the world. Maggie's sister, Dee, is very different in several key ways.

Dee is lighter than Maggie, with nicer hair and a fuller figure. 

Dee had been outside watching the fire burn the house, without offering help or showing concern. Mrs. Johnson saw her and expected Dee to celebrate the event:

Why don't you do a dance around the ashes? I'd wanted to ask her. She had hated the house that much.

Her mother says Maggie "is not bright. Like good looks and money, quickness passes her by."

Early on, Dee is her own person. She wanted a better life and better things for herself. We can infer she was hateful toward her sister, until Mrs. Johnson and the church raised money to send Dee away to school. At graduation, Dee had to have a "yellow organdy dress." She understood style when no one else around her knew of such a thing. And she "was determined to stare down any disaster." Life has changed considerably for Dee. When she left, she never looked back. On this particular day, she is returning with the man in her life, "Hakim.a.barber."

Dee and her man arrive, and as one might expect, she is beautiful. Her mother says she has lovely feet that look like God fashioned them himself. Dee is wearing bright and very long native African clothing. She has real gold jewelry on her ears and wrists. Looking at their visitors, Maggie makes a sound in her throat like you would "when you see the wriggling end of a snake just in front of your foot on the road."

Dee has obviously left her past behind. Not only is she grandly dressed, but she also has renamed herself "Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo," refusing to bear, as she says, the name given to her by her people's white oppressors. Mrs. Johnson explains that it is a name given to her in honor of her aunt, but like much of what Mrs. Johnson has to say, Dee is barely listening. Even though her mother is right there, missing nothing, Dee is rude enough to make meaningful eye contact with Hakim.a.barber over Mrs. Johnson's head.

Mrs. Johnson describes her daughters and Dee's man. In describing herself, we find little resemblance to the others—in this woman who whittled out a quiet—though rough—life, surviving as a single mother in her ramshackle home.

In real life I am a large, big boned woman with rough, man working hands. . . I can kill and clean a hog as mercilessly as a man. . . I can eat pork liver cooked over the open fire minutes after it comes steaming from the hog.

Mrs. Johnson has no illusions about life. She has unrealistic dreams in her sleep sometimes, but when she wakes she knows who see is, what her life is like, and how it is likely to remain. She has lived during difficult times and fended for herself and her family. She does not have a need for frivolousness and fancy behavior. She is, however, amiable enough to try to please Dee in accepting the changes in her daughter's life.

The reason it is so important to the plot that the story is told by Mrs. Johnson is expressly because she knows who she is and where she belongs in this world. She understands the importance of those who have come before her to make her life possible. She remembers those in her past. She recalls being a part of a long line of strong, hardworking women.

Dee, on the other hand, has made it her business to reinvent the world according to what she wants. While it appears she has done well for herself, she is seemingly oblivious to how she might help her mother's meager existence.

As Dee makes her way around the house, she begins to ask her mother if she can have some things that catch her attention, the churn top and the dasher. She then goes into her mother's trunk in her bedroom. It contains quilts, one of which Dee very much wants. Grandma Dee pieced it together; Big Dee and Mrs. Johnson quilted it. There were pieces in the quilt with Great Grandpa Ezra's Civil War uniform. This quilt is almost a living thing, carrying a history with it that Dee cannot and will not ever appreciate. As is always the case with Dee, she believes if she wants something, she should have it. She has no nostalgic ties to any of the items; she sees only how everything would look gracing her home.

Maggie, on the other hand, loves this quilt because of its history. In this way, she is much like her mother. For Maggie, the quilt would not be hung on a wall, but used as it was intended and, with an appreciation for the time and hands that created it, used everyday.

Dee lacks understanding of her heritage.

Maggie does not. Mrs. Johnson understands this truth and the importance of it. Ironically, Dee believes she is becoming more connected with her ancestors by changing her name and manner of dress. In truth, the connections she should strive to establish are with those who came before her: the women who were treaty badly and/ or enslaved. Those women managed to survive, something that ultimately allowed Dee to be born and improve her circumstances beyond her humble beginnings.

Giving the quilt to Dee would be like cutting off a part of the Johnson women's identity. In truth, none of the women are in any way connected to their forbearers in Africa, but there is a steely connection that lies between these women and their heritage—something Dee cannot conceptualize.

Mrs. Johnson drives the plot by allowing the reader to see things from Dee and Maggie's eyes, but she also provides the reader with an understanding that where and who you come from is more important than what you own or where you live. Mrs. Johnson is not a dreamer; she has been a warrior her entire life. She understands the value of the women who have come before them, and recognizes there is no better way to pay homage to these women than Maggie's "everyday use" of the quilt.

How is the value of human life, especially the lives of the young ones, addressed in Kira's society?

Kira's society places a very low value on human life, especially the lives of babies and children. Kira's society values those who "contribute" to the physical needs of themselves and the community; thus Vandara, when she argues for driving Kira away, points out that Kira can't contribute by planting, weeding, or tending animals. Children can't do that, either, so they are considered a drain on community resources until they are able to work. A child who is born disabled is normally killed during the first few days of life. Babies or children who are orphaned are given to others who may want them because "healthy, strong tykes were valuable; properly trained, they could contribute to family needs and would be greatly desired." Yet until children are old enough to pull their weight, they are neglected and abused by the society. Mothers often yell at and beat or slap their children. There appears to be no formal education for youngsters. They run wild around the village. Kira tells them stories and teaches them games, but Vandara uses that against her, saying that it makes the children noisier and disrupts the work of the adults. 

The Council of Guardians, or possibly only Jamison, values certain children for their artistic abilities. This is in contrast to the overall attitude of the community toward children. The guardians kill (or try to kill) the parents of Jo, Thomas, and Kira so that they can harness the children's creative abilities for the Council's purposes.

What are the themes in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban?

There are many themes present within J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, many of which address and critique real human and social issues.

One of the most prominent themes is that of the failings of legal systems across the world to effectively and justly deal with those who have been accused of a crime. One of the tenants of the modern justice system is that an individual is innocent until proven guilty; however, within the book, we see both people and creatures suffer time and time again for crimes they did not commit. Buckbeak is sentenced to death after attacking Malfoy, despite the fact that the animal was provoked by Malfoy's malicious spirit. Sirius Black is locked away in Azkaban and tormented by Dementors, despite being innocent of the crime he has allegedly committed, mainly for the sake of the Ministry appearing tough on crime. Even Ron and Hermione's friendship suffers when Ron rashly and incorrectly accuses Hermione's cat, Crookshanks, of eating his rat, Scabbers. Meanwhile, those who actually guilty of horrible acts continue to walk free throughout the wizarding world: Peter Pettigrew, Lucius Malfoy, etc. Clearly, these are all huge miscarriages of justice.

The book also examines the duality of our world, where not everything is always as it seems (demonstrated by Hermione's use of the Time-Turner) and the role that betrayal and loyalty plays in human relationships (brought to light by the revelation that Pettigrew had betrayed Harry's parents, leading to their untimely death). 

In "The Mending Wall" by Robert Frost, what does the wall symbolize?

One of the great things about poetry is that it is intended to evoke a response from the reader, but each reader need not have an identical response. Thus, when discussing what something in a poem may, or may not, symbolize, one should frame said discussion in terms of possibilities.

With respect to Frost’s poem, “Mending Wall,” one possibility is that the wall symbolizes a shared obligation. In the first two thirds of the poem, this is what the wall seems to symbolize to the speaker of the poem. The speaker does not see a practical purpose for the wall, nor, at first, does the speaker appreciate the neighbor’s assertion that good fences make good neighbors. The speaker feels obligated to mend the wall each year because the neighbor wishes to mend it.

Another possibility is that the wall symbolizes a needed separation between the neighbors. This appears to be what it symbolizes to the neighbor. Like the speaker, the neighbor does not seem to believe that the wall has a practical use, such as keeping out livestock, but the neighbor does apparently see a need for the division of land to be marked, and for that marker to be mended each year. This fits with the maxim about good fences making good neighbors in that the wall provides a boundary and prevents disputes or misunderstandings about where one neighbor’s land ends and the other’s begins, thus reducing the chance of acrimony between the neighbors.

A third possibility is that the wall symbolizes the relationship between the neighbors themselves. From what the speaker tells us, the two do not seem to have much in common, and it appears that mending the wall may be the only activity they do together. In coming together to mend the wall, they also, in a sense, make sure their relationship as neighbors remains intact. Like the wall, that relationship has few practical consequences in their daily lives, but their yearly shared labor on the wall gives them a chance to interact and work together. In this way, the wall is making them good neighbors, not by keeping out livestock or demarcating their separate properties, but by bringing them together in a common goal, thereby maintaining their relationship as neighbors.

A reader of the poem may identify with one of these possibilities more than another, depending on that reader’s life experiences and world view, or a reader may identify with an interpretation of the reader’s own. Or, a reader may see all three possibilities, as well as perhaps other possibilities, working together to create layers of meaning. In such, each reader is having a response to the poem, and in some way understanding a deeper, symbolic meaning of the wall.

Is Macbeth a tragic hero? If yes, how is he tragic?

The answer to this question is a resounding yes! Macbeth is absolutely a tragic character, and he is tragic because he is a formerly honorable man whose lust for power leads to his destruction and death. 

Usually, tragedy in literature deals with the desolate or melancholy fate experienced by a hero. In Shakespearean terms, tragedy generally involves the downfall of a king, often as a result of some personal flaw. In Shakespeare's Macbeth, Macbeth undoubtedly begins as a hero, as he nobly leads his army to victory over the enemies of King Duncan. However, spurred on by his growing ambition, and encouraged by the three mysterious witches, Macbeth embarks on a bloody quest to gain the crown of Scotland and destroy all those who oppose him. Thus, Macbeth is a tragic figure because he is an initially heroic man who meets his downfall at the hands of a personal flaw: his own ambition.  

How were the ghettos and the Yellow Star the first acts of dehumanization by the Nazis?

The forced concentration of Jews into ghettos and the requirement that Jews in Nazi Germany and occupied areas wear Yellow Stars were acts of dehumanization, but were not the first acts of dehumanization in Nazi Germany. The Nuremberg Laws of 1935 had already stripped Jews of their German citizenship, essentially making them subjects of the state, and had decreed that Jews could not marry or have sexual relationships with non-Jews. These laws were informed by the Nazis' belief in eugenics and in the superiority of Aryans over other types of people, including Jews, Slavs, Gypsies, and people of African descent.

The Nazis first developed the idea that Jews should wear stars to identify them after Kristallnacht, a pogrom in which synagogues, Jewish businesses, and Jewish homes were destroyed in 1938. In addition, about 100 Jewish people were killed during Kristallnacht. When Germany invaded Poland in 1939, Jews in Poland were forced to wear Yellow Stars, and the Nazis enforced this rule in all the countries they conquered. The one exception was in Denmark, where King Christian X bravely said he would also wear the badge if it were instituted. Danish Jews never wore the Yellow Star. The badge had different styles in different countries (see the link below), but the intent was the same—to identify and isolate Jews. 

The star was intended to be dehumanizing, as it clearly made a separation between Jews and other people. The star identified Jews as isolated and different from their countrymen and also had the effect of making it easier for Nazis to begin to round Jews up in a plan of forced ghettoization. The Warsaw Ghetto, for example, was established in 1940. From there, about 250,000 Jews were sent to the Treblinka concentration camp. Over 300,000 Jews eventually died in the Warsaw Ghetto from starvation, disease, and deportation to concentration camps. 

Give an example of a social change in germany after Hitler came to power

One prime example would be the Nuremberg Laws in which Jews were prohibited from being doctors or lawyers, it was against the law for non-Jews to marry Jews, and it was illegal for non-Jews to use Jewish businesses.  All of these things changed the social structure of many large German cities as Germany was long considered a haven for Jews escaping pogroms in Poland and Russia.  Hitler even prohibited anyone from speaking out against these policies; he called the Jews saboteurs and anyone who was helping them would suffer the same fate.  Hitler used military-style rallies and parades in order to give the German people the image that they were waging war against all who sought to keep Germany from Hitler's idea of its destiny.  Hitler's idea of racial purity extended to his extermination of anyone with mental and physical handicaps.  

According to Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet, what kind of man is Tybalt?

In Act ll, Scene 4, when Benvolio asks Mercutio what he thinks of Tybalt, Mercutio replies with the following:

More than prince of cats, I can tell you. O, he is
the courageous captain of compliments. He fights as
you sing prick-song, keeps time, distance, and
proportion; rests me his minim rest, one, two, and
the third in your bosom: the very butcher of a silk
button, a duellist, a duellist; a gentleman of the
very first house, of the first and second cause:
ah, the immortal passado! the punto reverso! the
hai!

Mercutio says Tybalt is greater even than the prince of cats, which suggests he is agile and fit. He calls him courageous and says that he deserves whatever compliment he can be given. He further states that Tybalt is a very skilled swordsman who fights by the book and makes it seem as easy as participating in a recital, for his timing during a duel is precise. His skill allows him to know exactly what distance to maintain and how fast or slow he has to be during a sword fight. He can defeat an opponent in three easy strokes. He is a duellist's duellist — one from whom others can learn.

Furthermore, by calling Tybalt a butcher, Mercutio is suggesting that Tybalt is a master at cutting an opponent to pieces for he knows exactly where to strike. He is so accurate that he can hit any target. Because he is so skilled and confident of his ability, Tybalt has the confidence to manipulate any argument and turn it into a sword fight because he believes he can win. He is truly a master of his craft and knows all the techniques to win any duel.

It is clear that Mercutio has great respect for Tybalt's talent and speaks admiringly of him in this extract. He does, however, change his tune when he expresses his resentment for Tybalt and his ilk. He says the following:

The pox of such antic, lisping, affecting
fantasticoes; these new tuners of accents! 'By Jesu,
a very good blade! a very tall man! a very good
whore!' Why, is not this a lamentable thing,
grandsire, that we should be thus afflicted with
these strange flies, these fashion-mongers, these
perdona-mi's, who stand so much on the new form,
that they cannot at ease on the old bench? O, their
bones, their bones!

In this extract he tells Benvolio how much he hates Tybalt and his friends' affectatious mannerisms. He believes they are putting on airs by adopting a particular style of dress and speaking in an odd accent. He finds it sad that they should put up with such individuals for he cannot tolerate them. They are so conscious of new trends and so slavishly follow them that they are tiringly critical of old styles and norms.

Sadly, the mercurial Mercutio cannot resist a challenge and, although he is aware of Tybalt's skill, he later dares him to a duel and, in the process, loses his life when the well-meaning Romeo intervenes and, unfortunately and tragically, puts his friend at a disadvantage. 

In Jane Eyre, what is the significance of the setting at Ferndean?

In Chapter 37 of Jane Eyre, Jane travels to Ferndean where she is reunited with Mr Rochester. This large manor house, purchased by Rochester's father, is a building of "considerable antiquity" and is "deep buried within a wood." 

In its "ineligible" and "insalubrious" condition, Ferndean is a lonely and isolated place. When Jane arrives there in the evening, she can hardly separate the trees from the house and is not certain if anyone is living there at all. In this condition, Ferndean comes to represent Mr Rochester's current state of being: blind and emotionally scarred, he shuns society while he mourns the fire at Thornfield and his separation from Jane. The thick trees which surround Ferndean represent the barrier that he has created between himself and the outside world; a barrier which only Jane, his true love, can penetrate. 

That Ferndean is also the setting of Jane and Rochester's marriage and new life together is also significant. It symbolises a new beginning where the pair can escape the past and build a happy life together.  

How do Atticus, Calpurnia, and Jem help Scout mature?

Atticus helps in Scout's maturation in many ways, most importantly with his presence as a firm (but fair) disciplinarian who makes himself available to Scout so she may reason out the many questions and frustrations that occupy her young mind.

A prime example of Atticus' ability to help Scout mature is his advice early in the novel, couched in terms a child could understand, that "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view . . . until you climb into his skin and walk around in it." Scout goes on to apply this lesson to many of the people of Maycomb County, most notably Boo Radley, Tom Robinson, some of the area's eccentric ladies, and poor residents like the Cunninghams and the Ewells.

Though her older brother Jem grows impatient at times with Scout, he is often willing to tease out the mysteries of their young lives together and field her inevitable questions while serving as a fairly dependable protector during their escapades in and around Maycomb. This allows Scout the room to mature at a fairly leisurely pace. During the trial of Tom Robinson, Jem often serves as the interpreter of the action in the court for Scout, as they sit together in the balcony with Reverend Sykes and the other black citizens watching the trial.

Scout claims that Calpurnia doesn't care for her, since Calpurnia is often the first to criticize Scout's dress, speech, or actions. Jem and Scout invite Walter Cunningham home for supper (lunch) after it is revealed he has no lunch on the first day of school (and after Scout had attacked Walter for involving her in a controversy in the eyes of the children's teacher). Scout then humiliates Walter after he pours what Scout views to be an inordinate helping of syrup on his vittles; Calpurnia calls Scout into the kitchen and scolds her for treating her guest so rudely, helping Scout acquire an important lesson in manners.

How did Jimmy and Bob first get to know each other in "After Twenty Years" by O. Henri?

Jimmy and Bob have known each other all their lives. They grew up in the same neighborhood in Manhattan. That means they probably played together in the streets like all the other kids. They went to the same public school. When Bob is first talking to the beat cop, whom he does not recognize, he tells him about their long relationship, including the following:

I was eighteen and Jimmy was twenty. He and I were raised here in New York, just like two brothers, together.

This bit of explication is necessary to the story because it explains the rather strange appointment the two youths made to meet again at the same site in twenty years. Jimmy was twenty years old at the time. So he was making a commitment that was equivalent time-wise to his entire lifetime. How could he know where he would be--or what he would be? Bob was only eighteen. Perhaps it was because they were both so young and inexperienced that they were willing to make such an extravagant commitment. It is noteworthy that Bob, the adventurous one, had to travel a thousand miles in order to keep that appointment; whereas Jimmy, the conservative one whom Bob describes as "a kind of plodder," hardly has to travel any distance at all, because the site of their future rendezvous is right on his beat. Bob hardly had to worry about Jimmy showing up. Jimmy was there every night.

Although Jimmy and Bob were "just like two brothers," twenty years makes a lot of difference in people's lives. Jimmy and Bob could not be friends anymore. They are erstwhile friends. Their relationship is based on the fact that they used to be "just like two brothers." The changes wrought by the passage of time is the theme of this story. The whole city has changed, and the two men have changed--or evolved--correspondingly.

What is the symbolism of the dragon in Beowulf?

The dragon in Beowulf could be said to symbolize several things, but many readers have noted that it likely symbolizes abstract ideas like greed, hoarding, and destruction. Indeed, the dragon is the opposite of the generous and kind Beowulf, who benevolently gives gifts to his loyal followers and rewards virtue and good actions. The dragon, on the other hand, greedily amasses gold and riches and refuses to share its vast store of wealth. Even worse, the dragon does not use this hoarded wealth in any constructive fashion. Rather, the dragon sits on its hoard and guards it jealously simply because it doesn't want others to have a share in its riches. In this way, it's easy to see how the dragon symbolizes negative qualities in opposition to Beowulf's just and benevolent reign. 

In "The Cask of Amontillado," how does Fortunato knowing so much about wine benefit Montresor's plan to kill him?

Montresor's plan to enact his revenge against Fortunato makes use of his wine cellar as the scene of the murder.  To lure Fortunato away from the crowds gathered for Carnival, Montresor claims to have what he thinks is a bottle of amontillado, a Spanish sherry, hidden away in the depths beneath his ancestral home.  Montresor claims to be uncertain about whether or not it is really amontillado to pique Fortunato's interest because he knows that Fortunato is proud of "his connoisseurship in wine" and will want to taste it.  As they descend the many steps among the catacombs, Montresor keeps plying Fortunato with wine, knowing that when he becomes intoxicated he will be easier to overpower and entomb.  Fortunato's interest in wine, therefore, is the lever that Montresor is able to use against him.

How can a teacher gain control of his/her class?

The first thing to realize here is that you are not alone.

Working at a school, you have a community of teachers who will almost definitely be glad to help you. Admitting that you need some tips from other teachers does not make you look bad. It makes you look like you want to get better as an instructor (and also signals to other instructors that you respect their professional knowledge). After all, every teacher was new once and almost no one masters the craft of teaching on the first day. It takes time to become a good teacher.

I will offer some ideas here that I feel work across disciplines, but I would also encourage you to ask another science teacher for some instruction and class management ideas that have worked for him/her.

In addressing issues of student confidence, your own confidence and classroom management, these ideas may be helpful:

• Use quizzes.


• Create definite and predictable routines.


• Let students work together. 


• Use as many activities as you can in every class period.


• Be consistent and have a list of responses for behavior management.

Use quizzes to check for understanding and strive to construct questions on several levels of difficulty. Make the quizzes brief and make some quizzes really easy and basic. Use the quizzes as a means to (1) check for understanding, (2) review concepts and encourage studying and (3) to build student confidence.

Offering students regular and realistic chances to get an “A” can go a long way to helping students realize that they can succeed. You might consider also creating a system where the worst quiz grades in a unit are eliminated and only the top three, four or five quiz scores count toward the grade. This can reduce performance anxiety.

Create definite and predictable routines. For all grade levels, students thrive on routine. This is true outside of the classroom as well. Routine is comforting. In the classroom, where students are dealing with many personalities every day and also engaging in challenging course material, routine can reduce anxiety and help students learn.

This may be somewhat counter-intuitive because routines may at first seem boring or repetitive, but in my experience starting every class period with by asking students to copy down two or three subject-related vocabulary terms helps to set the tone, get students settled in and anchor the class period in a predictable activity. Many options are available, naturally, and using vocabulary is just one example. 

(Combining these first two ideas, I had good results with giving students eight vocabulary terms per week (two per day, Monday to Thursday) and then a vocabulary quiz on Friday. Students knew what would happen at the start of each class. They got some easy points on the weekly vocabulary quizzes. And I used the time they were copying terms and definitions from the board to take attendance at the beginning of the period.)

Routines also communicate the idea that you, as an instructor, are organized. If you have a system, students feel confident that you can teach them. If you are looking to build up your students’ confidence in you, routines can be a great and big step in that direction.

Let students work together. Behavior issues, in my experience, diminish when students have opportunities to talk in class. Also, when students work in pairs or small groups you can move around the room and interact with individual students or groups, allowing students who do not want to ask questions in front of the whole class to ask questions in this context without drawing unwanted attention. An additional benefit here is that students see other students struggling and might realize that their own difficulties are normal.

Use as many activities as you can in every class period. Keep things moving during a class period and also put the class agenda on the board. The agenda can work as a count-down for students, letting them track their progress through the class session on any given day. The agenda also communicates your sense of organization and planning, letting students know that you are fully prepared for the class (thereby building confidence).

Using many activities helps to eliminate some behavior problems. If students can see that they will be doing many things (on the agenda) and then are engaged in multiple activities, they are less likely to succumb to boredom. Boredom is not necessarily always a response to a lack of stimulus. Sometimes boredom comes from a sense of being stuck in one place for a long time. Bad behavior results from this but can be circumvented, to some extent, by letting students move from activity to activity and thus not be stuck doing one thing for an entire class session.

Be consistent and have a list of responses for behavior management. If you have a student that is interrupting class with a panic about “not getting it,” you might consider immediately responding by telling that student you are available after school to answer any and all questions. The rest of the class needs to learn and so must move on, but any questions can and will be answered, the student will be caught up, after school. Say this every time. Say it to everyone.

Let students know that you are tracking their behavior. Make a chart for yourself where you mark five points for each event of bad behavior. Tell students that when they reach fifteen points, you will send an email to the principal to let the administration know you are concerned with this student’s ability to behave in class. When they reach twenty-five points, you will send an email to the student’s parents asking for a conference.

Write the email ahead of time and think about showing the students. Let them know that you have a plan. Their choices have consequences. This system of cause-and-effect is in their control. They can choose to have these emails sent or choose not to. Consider adding a plan to get students back to zero somehow, if that seems like a good idea to you.

Whatever happens, stick to the script. Be consistent. Your consistency speaks to your professionalism and to the authority of your systems. You do not have to be the authority, per se. Your routines and behavior management program can be the authority. And you can just teach. This is not you versus them. They should know that you are on their side and rooting for them to learn, get the “A” and avoid getting those emails sent out.

Giving advice is always easier than implementing advice, but hopefully you can see some relatively easy ways to put some of these ideas into practice.  

What kind of text is Robert Frost's "Mending Wall"? How do you know ?

One of the most difficult things to do with poetry is to analyze its meter. In fact, meter is rarely even taught in high school anymore, and not many college classes concern themselves with it either. Unless you are an English major you have probably never had to work with terms like iambic, trochaic, spondiac, anapestic or dactylic. Yes, those words really mean something. They refer to the pattern and number of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of poetry, the units of sound that give poetry its rhythm.

“Mending Wall” is obviously a poem. But what kind of poem?

First of all, it doesn't rhyme. Despite what many high school students might say, a poem doesn't have to rhyme to be good poetry. In fact, forcing certain words into a poem simply because they rhyme with other words can ruin a poem.

Although “Mending Wall” doesn't rhyme, it does possess another key element of most poetry: a defined meter. This poem's meter is called blank verse. Blank verse is unrhymed poetry that contains ten syllables per line. Within each line, the syllables are alternately stressed and unstressed.

An analysis of “Mending Wall” shows that within its 44 lines there are 31 ten-syllable lines. The other 13 lines are eleven-syllable lines. So Frost plays a little fast and loose with the precise definition of the term, but he probably wasn't worried about sticking to the exact rules of meter. Poets don't mind breaking the rules at all, as long as it helps them express their message more forcefully.

So, after all that, the answer to your question is: Frost's “Mending Wall” is blank verse poetry.

Explain three important changes that occurred in the United States during World War 1.

Woodrow Wilson was President of the United States at the time, and initially tried to keep the US out of the war. While Europe had been fighting since 1914, the US didn't start sending troops until 1917.

One of the biggest changes in American society during WW1 was the role of women. Most of the able-bodied men were drafted as soldiers, but the war required an unprecedented level of materiel that had to be made in factories, so there was a shortage of factory workers. Factories began to employ women---over 3 million by the end of the war---and as a result, formal employment for women became much more common and much more expected. This sowed the seed of changes in the role of women in society in general, and likely contributed to the success of the Women's Suffrage movement that gave women the right to vote in 1920.

The tax system also changed dramatically in WW1; the income tax had only just began in 1913, and at the time it was very small. But during the war, the need for huge amounts of government (specifically, military) spending led to a surge in tax rates, which raised the top income tax rate from just 15% all the way up to 77%. This made taxes in the US not only much higher, but also much more progressive---and laid the foundation for the current tax system which is now heavily based on progressive income taxes (albeit not quite as progressive anymore).

Finally, civil liberties in the US were curbed during the war, not unlike the erosion of civil liberties that happened in the aftermath of 9/11/2001---but if anything even more severe. The Espionage and Sedition Acts didn't just affect actual espionage and sedition, but essentially criminalized protesting the government. This was argued to be necessary to maintain order and win the war, but it deeply undermined free speech and freedom of association. The US Postmaster General was given the authority to ban anything sent through the mail that even criticized the war effort. The Sedition Act was repealed in 1921, but the Espionage Act was only slightly weakened, and the precedent was set for eroding civil liberties during wartime.

To what extent does Napoleon's stealing of the milk and apple demonstrate the significance of power in George Orwell's Animal Farm?

In Chapter 3 of George Orwell's Animal Farm, the pigs begin displaying their sense of power and superiority by hoarding for themselves five buckets of milk and all the windfalls of apples.

Earlier in Chapter 2, after the pigs milk the cows for the first time, the animals are left with five buckets of milk no one is completely sure what to do with. The chickens suggest the milk should be used in all the animals' mash, but Napoleon responds by telling them not to concern themselves with the milk and sending them off to work on the harvest. When the animals return, they find the milk has disappeared.

In the next chapter, the animals learn that the pigs are using the milk in their own mash alone; plus, the pigs are now commanding that all windfalls of apples be brought to them. When the other animals complain, Squealer is sent to explain that they are hoarding the milk and apples for the sake of their own health. He further argues that since the pigs are the brains of the farm, the maintenance of the pigs' brains and health is critical to keep Farmer Jones away:

We pigs are brainworkers. The whole management and organisation of this farm depend on us. Day and night we are watching over your welfare. It is for YOUR sake that we drink that milk and eat those apples. (Ch 3)

Squealer's speech shows us that the pigs have already placed themselves in a position of superiority. They are proving that they cannot adhere to the seventh commandment that states "[a]ll animals are equal" since they see themselves as mentally superior to all the other animals. Hoarding the apples and the milk foreshadows the pigs' domination and power, led by Napoleon, that is soon to come, a dominance justified by what will become their one remaining commandment: "ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS" (Ch. 10).

Why is voting in a democracy important?

Voting in a democracy is very important. One reason is that it is part of our responsibility as a citizen to do so. There are people throughout the world that don’t have this right and would do almost anything to get the right to vote. Many people have fought for the right to vote throughout our history. Many people in our country didn't have the right to vote for many years. It is important to exercise this right that so many people worked so hard for us to have.

Another reason is that our political system is based on the idea that government gets its power from the people and is based on the consent of the governed. If people don’t vote, they are letting other people decide who their leaders will be. If they don’t vote, they really shouldn’t complain about their leaders. By voting, we are sending a powerful message to our elected leaders.

How does Frankenstein's character change in Chapter 3?

In Chapter 3, Victor Frankenstein has reached young adulthood and is ready to leave for the university. Before he leaves, however, his mother dies. This loss sets him on the path to questioning the meaning of life and death. Is there a way to prevent someone from dying? He studies the writings of the alchemists, who tried to find some substance that would transmute any substance to gold and in the process sought the philosopher’s stone, which would grant immortality. Though these writings were being held in disrepute at the time of the novel, they still led the way to modern chemistry, and Victor becomes interested in them despite his father’s dismissal of their teachings.

In his studies at the university, Victor is discouraged from reading any more of the alchemists. However, his grief at his mother’s death leads him back to this prospect, especially with the help of his chemistry professor. He becomes passionate about finding the secret of life to the point of obsession. This will lead him to his forming of the creature.

How did the geography of Venus change when the sun came out in All Summer in a Day?

All Summer in a Day is a short science fiction story written by Ray Bradbury, originally published in 1954. The story introduces a group of kids living on Venus, which is dominated by rainfall and the absence of the sun. In the story, Venus only received sunlight for two hours every seven years (note: not scientifically accurate).

In the beginning of the story, Bradbury introduces the planet's weather and geography:

It had been raining for seven years; thousands upon thousands of days compounded and filled from one end to the other with rain, with the drum and gush of water, with the sweet crystal fall of showers and the concussion of storms so heavy they were tidal waves come over the islands. A thousand forests had been crushed under the rain and grown up a thousand times to be crushed again.

In the story, most children (aged about 9) had only ever experienced life on Venus, but some people remembered the environment of Earth. Margot, a transfer student, remembered the sunlight she experienced on Earth. Her experience, which differed from that of her peers, opened her up to criticism from her friends. In fact, Margot's experience depicts how important geography is to Bradbury's story for its ability to drive social interactions:

And then, of course, the biggest crime of all was that she had come here only five years ago from Earth, and she remembered the sun and the way the sun was and the sky was when she was four in Ohio.

The story built to a moment in which the children were finally (for the first time) able to experience the sun. Bradbury took this opportunity to further describe the geography of Venus:

They stopped running and stood in the great jungle that covered Venus, that grew and never stopped growing, tumultuously, even as you watched it. It was a nest of octopi, clustering up great arms of fleshlike weed, wavering, flowering in this brief spring. It was the color of rubber and ash, this jungle, from the many years without sun. It was the color of stones and white cheeses and ink, and it was the color of the moon.

By the end of the story, Bradbury had introduced the environment of Venus, teased the story (and the characters) with a two-hour glimpse of the sun, and took the sun away again to conclude the story. Although the geography itself did not change in the story, it played a central role for the characters.

What is the problem with the morality of the Puritans' beliefs in Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown"?

The problem with the Puritans' morality in this story is that they are total hypocrites.  The Devil says to young Goodman Brown, "'I have been as well acquainted with your family as with every a one among the Puritans; and that's no trifle to say.'"  He claims that he helped Brown's grandfather whip a Quaker woman in the street, and that he gave Brown's father a bit of fire with which to set fire to an Indian village.  Moreover, the Devil says that he is just as well acquainted with all the other Puritans as he was with Brown's forebears.  Thus, even though they always seemed pious and God-fearing to Brown, it is now made clear that they only appeared that way but were actually sinful and vicious.

Further, on the path in the woods, Brown sees the Devil speak with Goody Cloyse, the pious old woman who'd taught him catechism.  It turns out that she's good friends with the Devil.  He later sees the deacon and the minister, and they know the Devil well too.  Then, when Brown gets to the witches' Sabbath, he sees infamous sinners sitting with those people known in Salem for their "especial sanctity."  Therefore, the problem with the Puritans' morality is that none of them are, in fact, truly moral.  They all pretend to be righteous and pious, but it turns out that all these people who seem to be so good are really terrible sinners who delight in their sinfulness.

For your birthday, your friends have joined forces and offer you a choice among the following options (they will pay all expenses of your choice)...

The opportunity cost is the cost you pay of what you can't do instead. Its value is determined by your second-best alternative.

(a) Since we are handed an objective cardinal utility function and a limited number of alternatives, for the purposes of this problem it's easy to figure out what our opportunity cost is: The best option is worth $1500 to us, and the second-best option is worth $1000 to us, so the opportunity cost is the $1000 of our second-best alternative. Our real economic profit is the difference, $500.

(b) If we are offered a new alternative that's worth $1100 to us, that now becomes our second-best alternative; so our opportunity cost rises from $1000 to $1100. Our real economic profit is now only $400.

(c) It may seem a bit counter-intuitive that the cost we pay and therefore profit we get from doing something depends on something else we didn't do, but the key is to understand that we could have. In fact, most of what we call costs in the real world are ultimately opportunity costs, because a dollar bill has no inherent value; it's only valuable to us because it can be used to buy things. So when you spend $100 on something, you're not actually losing anything by not having the $100; you're losing the opportunity to spend that $100 on something else.

You might even actually feel worse about your decision if you have a higher opportunity cost, thus making that cost directly reflected in your experienced utility. In the question we just answered, we've gone from "paying" dinner with the movie star to "paying" $1100. So we don't feel as thrilled to get the season tickets, because they were $500 better than the dinner date, but only $400 better than the cash.

What two pieces of evidence show that Juliet is dedicated and intelligent?

After Juliet learns that her new husband, Romeo, has killed her cousin, Tybalt, her thoughtful response showcases her intelligence.  She knows that she should love her husband, but she should also hate the man who killed her kinsman.  Her wordplay and use of oxymora (compact paradoxes that are comprised of two conflicting words) to accurately capture her conflicting feelings about Romeo illustrates how smart she is.  Juliet says,

O serpent heart hid with a flowering face!

Did ever dragon keep so fair a cave?

Beautiful tyrant! Fiend angelical!

Dove-feathered raven, wolvish-ravening lamb!

Despisèd substance of divinest show,

Just opposite to what thou justly seem’st.

A damnèd saint, an honorable villain! (3.2.74-80)

She laments that his handsome face and sweetness seems to have masked his inner fiend, that he is truly dangerous even though he appears to be kind and loving.  To be so articulate in such a moment of deep grief, especially at thirteen years old, is surely a mark of intelligence beyond her years.

Then, after Juliet has been told that she must marry the County Paris in two days or her parents will leave her to beg and die in the streets for her disobedience, she goes to Friar Lawrence's cell to ask him for help.  While there, her words prove her dedication to Romeo.  She would rather die than be disloyal to him, and she is dedicated to finding a way for them to be together despite his banishment and her impending nuptials to Paris.  She says, in part,

Give me some present counsel, or, behold,

'Twixt my extremes and me this bloody knife

Shall play the umpire, arbitrating that

Which the commission of thy years and art

Could to no issue of true honor bring. (4.1.63-67)

She asks him to give her advice about what to do, or else she will use her dagger to resolve the conflict between what she wants to do and what she is being forced to do.  In other words, if he cannot cannot, in his wisdom, discern another honorable way for her to resolve the conflict, she will kill herself.  If this isn't dedication, I don't know what is.

In George Washington Cable's literary work "The Grandissimes," what events led to the feud between the De Grapions and the Grandissimes?

The feud between the two families originated from a long-ago gambling conflict between Agricola Fusilier and Nancanou, husband to one Aurora De Grapion-Nancanou. Aurora, one of the female heroines of the story, was originally a De Grapion; when she married young Nancanou at sixteen, she became Aurora De Grapion-Nancanou. Aurora's husband was said to have been an educated man of "cultivated tastes."

Accordingly, on one of his business trips to New Orleans, Nancanou took to socializing with Agricola Fusilier, Honore Grandissime's uncle. Conveniently, Nancanou had dropped Aurora and their daughter off at her father's house before he engaged in revelries with Agricola. Both men eventually spent themselves into a stupor, alternately drinking, dancing, and gambling together. On one of those dissolute days, Nancanou found himself on the losing side during a gambling bout; down to his last quarti, he realized that he needed to adopt some desperate measures in order to recoup his costs and to protect his reputation.

So, Nancanou pledged the whole of his estate against a play. It was said that Agricola initially refused to take up Nancanou on his offer, but he soon relented. In the end, Nancanou lost badly and accused Agricola of having cheated his way through. Incensed at having his integrity called into question, Agricola challenged Nancanou to a duel. Before the duel, Nancanou sent Agricola a clear title to his estate, lacking only his wife's signature to legitimize the transaction.

The duel ended with Nancanou's death. In the aftermath, Agricola wrote to Aurora with a stipulation: Aurora could keep her husband's estate if she would agree in writing that "the stakes had been won fairly." If she refused, Agricola would claim the land and holdings for his own.

Gravely insulted by Agricola's terms, the widowed Aurora and her father both wrote back a coldly polite letter, inviting Agricola to lay claim on the land if he so pleased.

They kept all their rage to themselves, and sent the polite word, that they were not acquainted with the merits of the case, that they were not disposed to make the long and arduous trip to the city and back, and that if M. Fusilier de Grandissime thought he could find any pleasure or profit in owning the place, he was welcome; that the widow of his late friend was not disposed to live on it, but would remain with her father at the paternal home at Cannes Brulées.

Eventually, de Grapion (Aurora's father) passed away, and since his property was greatly mired in debt, both Aurora and her daughter, Clotilde, became homeless. They soon found themselves in New Orleans and according to Dr. Keene, "without a male protector" and ostensibly "without adequate support." Because of these events, the legendary feud between the de Grapions and Grandissimes soon came to be known throughout New Orleans society.

Why does Momaday want to visit Yellowstone, the Rockies and the Black Hills?

The Way to Rainy Mountain is N. Scott Momaday's reflection on Native American culture, particularly that of his Kiowa tribe which came out of the mountains of Montana and, as Momaday puts it, "ruled the whole of the Southern Plains." At one point he recounts the life of his grandmother. She was, for Momaday, symbolic of the "golden age" of the Kiowa because she had been present at the "last Kiowa Sun Dance." Although his grandmother spent her entire life in Oklahoma "in the shadow Rainy Mountain," Momaday claims that within her "mind's eye" she had witnessed all of the places the Kiowa had traveled after they came down out of the mountains. She had told stories of the Crows, the Black Hills, and the legends of the Kiowa.

Momaday sets out on a "pilgrimage" to visit the places which were in his grandmother's "blood." He travels to Yellowstone to begin his journey where his ancestors had started and then travels south and east into the Plains where the Kiowa first met the Crows and Blackfeet and formed an alliance with those tribes. In the Black Hills, at Devil's Tower, Momaday tells of the legend of the eight children, one who became a great bear and the other seven, the stars of the Big Dipper. Like pilgrims before him, Momaday sought to witness the natural elements which shaped his culture and the destiny of his Kiowa ancestors. His pilgrimage ends at the site of his grandmother's grave at the foot of Rainy Mountain.    

`int sqrt(1 - 4x^2) dx` Evaluate the integral

`intsqrt(1-4x^2)dx`

`=intsqrt(1-(2x)^2)dx`

Now apply the integral substitution,

Let u=2x,

`=>du=dx`

`=intsqrt(1-u^2)du`

Now using the standard integral,

`intsqrt(a^2-x^2)dx=(xsqrt(a^2-x^2))/2+a^2/2arcsin(x/a)+C`

`=(usqrt(1-u^2))/2+1/2arcsin(u/1)+C`

Now substitute back u=2x,

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

`=xsqrt(1-4x^2)+1/2arcsin(2x)+C`

In The Scarlet Letter, what was an example of Hester Prynne's penance?

Hester does penance for her sin by simply remaining in the colony in the first place. She could simply leave, go home or go elsewhere in the colonies, and begin life anew with her daughter, but she chooses to remain. 

Here, she said to herself, had been the scene of her guilt, and here should be the scene of her earthly punishment; and so perchance, the torture of her daily shame would at length purge her soul, and work out another purity than that which she had lost; more saint-like, because the result of martyrdom.

Hester hopes that, by remaining in Boston, the process of atonement through the torture of her shame and public punishment and humiliation will be more complete, so she will acquire a certain kind of purity as a result. She's conscious it is her choice to stay, and she does so with intention and purpose. She feels her daily shame in this place will eventually wipe clean the sin from her soul, and though she can never be innocent of sin again, her choice to remain will bring her a different kind of clarity and goodness.

Why is Snowball so unpopular in Animal Farm?

Snowball is a popular character on the farm until he is attacked by Napoleon in Chapter Five and forced to flee. After this, Snowball becomes unpopular on the farm because he is vilified through Napoleon and Squealer's propaganda campaign. This targeted campaign begins soon after his departure when Squealer tells the other animals that Snowball is "no better than a criminal." When the other animals protest by arguing that he fought bravely at the Battle of the Cowshed, Squealer further blackens his character by stating that he lacks "loyalty and obedience" and quickly changes the subject to the return of Mr Jones. 

Similarly, Napoleon tries to increase his own popularity by further destroying Snowball's reputation. He tries, for instance, to take full credit for the invention of the windmill and claims that he prevented to be against it as a means of getting rid of Snowball who is a "dangerous character" and a "bad influence." With no opportunity to defend himself, Snowball's popularity plummets, leaving Napoleon free to continue his anti-Snowball campaign. 

In Lord of the Flies, how does the rise and fall of the conch correspond with the rise and fall of the boys on the island?

Piggy and Ralph discover the shell but it is Piggy who first notes how it could be used. Piggy is the intellectual one on the island. Fittingly, he suggests how to use the conch to summon, organize, and civilize the group. When Ralph finally gets a sound out of the shell, it is striking: 

A deep, harsh note boomed under the palms, spread through the intricacies of the forest and echoed back from the pink granite of the mountain. Clouds of birds rose from the treetops, and something squealed and ran in the undergrowth. 

The sound is powerful. Gradually, all of the boys flock to the origin of the sound. The entire structure of the first chapter is built around the effectiveness of the shell. It has allowed Ralph and Piggy to organize everyone. The conch is the symbol and also the tool that initially keeps the boys in a relatively democratic and civilized order. It is democratic because everyone has the opportunity to speak if he holds the conch. 

In Chapter 5, the boys are discussing the beast and they start fighting over the conch. It is now less of an organizing tool. Recognizing this and the inattention to the fire, a frustrated Ralph says to Piggy, "If I blow the conch and they don’t come back; then we’ve had it. We shan’t keep the fire going. We’ll be like animals. We’ll never be rescued." In other words, if the conch stops being useful, Ralph feels that the boys will be doomed. 

Another pivotal moment regarding the conch occurs at the end of Chapter 9. Jack has moved to other side of the island. When Ralph tries to assert his authority as chief, he uses the conch. But Jack has ceased respecting Ralph and anyone who holds the conch. Jack adds, "And the conch doesn’t count at this end of the island." More and more boys shift to Jack's tribe and the conch therefore has less power. Shortly after this, Jack riles up the boys and they inadvertently kill Simon in their frenzy. The conch is useless and savage behavior ensues. 

At the end of Chapter 11, Piggy and the conch are destroyed together. The symbol of order and the intellectual boy of reason perish together. It is a fitting tragedy. Any sense of order is completely gone at this point. In the final chapter, when Ralph is being hunted, the narrator notes "There was no Piggy to talk sense. There was no solemn assembly for debate nor dignity of the conch." 

In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, what does the town’s response to the fire at Miss Maudie’s house reveal about Maycomb’s universe of...

In very small towns, such as Maycomb, the "universe of obligation" is thought of in terms of being neighborly and helping one another, especially in crucial times.

In the Deep South, which is part of what is called "the Bible Belt," people would think of this universe of obligation as simply being Christian. Therefore, they would "do unto others" as they would wish done to them. [Luke 6:31]. In other words, Miss Maudie's neighbors help her because such actions are neighborly and right. 

Another passage that the citizens of Maycomb follow in Chapter 8 is also from the Gospel of Luke:

And the crowds asked Jesus, “What then shall we do?” And He answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” [Luke 3:10-11]

Miss Maudie is certainly a person that the community feels is worthy of protection and help. Because she is an older woman who has no family living with her, she clearly needs assistance from others when her house catches on fire.

The old fire truck, killed by the cold, was being pushed from town by a crowd of men.

Unfortunately, when the men finally get the truck before the burning house, the hydrant water is so cold that it freezes in the hose, bursting the hose as chips of ice are sent "tinkling down onto the pavement." Apparently, all that can be done is to salvage Miss Maudie's furniture. Atticus carries out her heavy oak rocking chair, knowing this chair is what she values the most. Miss Maudie's boarder, Mr. Avery, throws his mattress from upstairs as well as some furniture. Soon, men shout to him that the stairs are going and he better get out; so, Mr. Avery barely squeezes himself through the window and tries to slide down a pillar, but he slips and falls into the shrubs. When the fire rages and threatens nearby houses, fortunately, the fire truck from a neighboring town arrives and pumps water onto the Finch roof and others. 

With her house a total loss, Miss Maudie receives the charitable offer from Miss Stephanie that she can live with her "for the time being." Grateful, Miss Maudie expresses her concern that her burning house has caused so much commotion and danger.

How does Ross react to the murder of Macduff's family?

It is Ross, Macduff's cousin, who breaks the news to Macduff. He initially tells Macduff, who asks about his family, that they are "at peace." By this, he means, but is struggling to find the words to say, that they are dead. When Macduff says in response to this that he and Malcolm are on their way to Scotland, Ross is forced to tell the full story of their murder. He tells Macduff, after much delay (it seems, again, that he is very reluctant to tell such horrible news) that his "castle is supris'd," and that his "wife and babes" have been "savagely slaughter'd." Ross is obviously broken up by the news, and not just because he is Macduff's cousin. He has just, in the previous scene, visited Lady Macduff, and attempted to console her after her husband has been forced to flee. He tried to explain to the understandably upset wife why her husband had thought it necessary to leave her alone with her children in such dangerous times. He was the last character to see Macduff's family before their murder. 

What would a psychological reading say about "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman?

Most scholars agree that "The Yellow Wallpaper" is a thrilling psychological story. 

It becomes clear over the course of the story that the unnamed woman is suffering from Postpartum Depression, which is a condition that sometimes occurs in women after they've had a baby. Symptoms, according to Mayo Clinic, include excessive crying, fatigue, depression, irritability, decreased appetite, and anxiety. If left untreated, postpartum depression can turn into Postpartum Psychosis, in which the woman experiences hallucinations, delusions, paranoia, confusion and disorientation. By the end of "The Yellow Wallpaper," it's clear that the woman has gone mad, and her hallucinations of a woman trapped inside her wallpaper prove it. 

A psychological reading of "The Yellow Wallpaper" might suggest that the woman's captivity led her to madness. Physically, mentally, and emotionally, the woman is confined. Her husband, a doctor, orders her to be kept upstairs in a room with barred windows. He belittles her, treats her like a child, and also prevents her from expressing herself creatively through her journal by forbidding her to write. He expressly tells her not to give in to her emotions or fancies. Even the author creates an effect of captivity for the woman by leaving her unnamed throughout the story - her lack of identity could also be a contributing factor to her madness.

Many psychological readings are also tied to feminist readings of the story, as the woman's gender undoubtedly contributes to her treatment as a captive of her own home. 

How can the conflict of individual vs society be expressed as a theme in Lois Lowry's The Giver?

In The Giver, the community in which Jonas lives does not value individualism. In fact, it is seen as dangerous and punishable. The community values uniformity instead, so everyone and everything is as similar as possible. Therefore, we can see the conflict of individual vs society expressed in several areas, including:

• The rules set up by the community to control its citizens (the curfew, for example). In our own society, we generally have the freedom to come and go as we please.


• The fact that no one has an individual age, even the children. Although the children are categorized by years, in our own society we often look at very young children in terms of months. In this community a "one" could be a day old or 12 months old. After age 12, age is not even considered or labeled. Individual birthdays are not celebrated in this society, while in our society it is very much a mark of our individuality.


• One hallmark of the community Jonas lives in is that no one is supposed to question anything, especially the decisions made by the Elders. In our society we are encouraged to question authority; it is built into our constitution as a cornerstone of our Democracy. 


• In their community, sexuality is repressed so that individuals do not engage in sexual acts, even married couples. In our society, we generally consider sex and sexuality to be a normal part of a healthy lifestyle.

These are just a few of the ways in which the theme of individual vs society can be seen in The Giver. 

How can I write an essay on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein that addresses how Victor Frankenstein creates his own trouble?

Victor Frankenstein created his own troubles through his choices of rejection. First of all, he rejected the advice of his professors about studying the alchemical writers. These theories had already been tested and discovered to be unfounded. Yet Victor, through his own pride, chose to continue anyway. He did manage to give life to inanimate matter, but it led to horrible consequences. These consequences also were his choice. He decided to reject his creature through fear. He did not even bother to think about what the consequences of making this creature would be. What kind of life would he create? He did not even bother to stick around to find that the creature was benevolent at the first. If he had taken responsibility for his creation, he would not have alienated the creature and brought all his troubles on himself. Through pride, through rejection, and through arrogance, Victor Frankenstein not only brought about his own doom, but the doom of all those he truly loved.

Who was Thomas Hobbes?

Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury (1588 – 1679) was an English political philosopher. He is distinguished by an attitude of rationalism and materialism. He thinks that most human and natural phenomena can be explained rationally and scientifically.

Although Hobbes was a prolific author who wrote treatises on many different subjects, including physics, optics, and rhetoric, his most influential work was the Leviathan, a work that set forth the seminal "social contract" theory of government authority. This theory argues that people cede a degree of personal liberty to governments in exchange for safety and security. 

Hobbes famously stated that life in a state of nature was "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short" and that the natural state of humanity was perpetual war. He thus advocated strong, even authoritarian, government, as necessary to restrain the naturally chaotic and selfish impulses of humanity. 

What military strategies contributed to the allied victory in world war II?

Military intelligence played a key role in the Allied victory of WWII.  By 1943 the Allies had broken the key military and diplomatic codes for Germany and Japan and often had a better idea about the battle plans than the Axis generals.  Strategic bombing also played a key role by hitting industries such as oil, electricity, and manufacturing that made mechanized war possible.  The Allied use of the Norden bomb sight made strategic bombing easier, as bombers could now adjust for the speed of the plane and wind speed when dropping bombs.  While the Germans did this as well with their Luftwaffe, the Allied use of air support in ground campaigns, especially after D-Day was essential.  By late 1944 the Allies nearly had complete air superiority over the Germans in this war of attrition.  In naval warfare, Allied forces brought back the convoy system which kept destroyers and cruisers close enough to attack German U-boats.  The U-boats would continue to be a threat, however, until the concrete submarine pens were captured in France after D-Day.  

In the Pacific Theater, Douglas MacArthur used an island-hopping campaign that captured key islands which were then converted to American air bases.  This ultimately allowed American bombers to firebomb the main Japanese island of Honshu with as little loss of American lives as possible.  American submarines preyed relentlessly on the Japanese merchant marine, and by summer 1945 Japanese civilians faced shortages and starvation.  Of course, probably the greatest strategy was the use of two atomic bombs in quick succession to bring about the end of the war.  

In the novel The Kite Runner, why is violence essential to the plot and development of the story?

One of the significant themes throughout the novel deals with violence, in particular, rape. Khaled Hosseini uses violence to not only illustrate the negative effects individuals can inflict on one another, but also displays how countries like Afghanistan become ravaged and destroyed by war. It is the violent act of rape that essentially ruins Amir's relationship with Hassan. It is also the violent fighting among tribal groups, as well as the invasion of the Russian army which forces Baba and Amir to leave for America. When Amir travels back to Afghanistan, he is faced with the challenge of saving Sohrab from the violent members of the Taliban. Violence also parallels emotional pain. Characters who experience or witness physical pain, are emotionally scarred. Self-sacrifice is also associated with the theme of violence. Hassan, Baba, Sohrab, and Amir all risks their lives and physical well-being to save others throughout the novel. The threat of violence makes their sacrifices even more significant and meaningful. Hosseini suggests that only love and sacrifice can defeat the threat of violence.

What are some important facts about the Indus Valley Civilization?

The Indus Civilization (also referred to as the Indus Valley Civilization) was active on the Indian subcontinent from roughly 2500–1700 bce, according to the Encyclopædia Britannica. The Indus Valley Civilization was known for two important cities, Harappa and Mohenjo-daro, which were centers of political activity and commerce. Other cities affiliated with the civilization included Banawali, Kalibangan, and Surkotada (to name a few). The Indus Valley Civilization was literate, meaning that they could read and write; in fact, the script used by the Indus Valley Civilization has been partially deciphered, and researchers have suggested that it might be Dravidian.

In terms of lifestyle, the Indus Valley Civilization relied on irrigated agriculture. Crops included barley, mustard, sesame, cotton, peas, and dates, according to Encyclopædia Britannica. Archaeologists have discovered that the major cities of the Indus Valley Civilization were well-planned and that animals were commonly domesticated (UCLA: Social Sciences). Additionally, it appears that the people of the Indus Valley Civilization did not have horses but did possess and use bronze/stone tools (UCLA: Social Sciences). While it is not entirely clear what lead to the ultimate decline of the Indus Valley Civilization, it has been proposed that the influence and invasion of the Aryans, who began to attack Indus Valley villages, played a role (UCLA: Social Sciences).

In terms of fashion and appearance, we can gather some information about the habits of Indus Valley people by examining artwork from the civilization. As you can see from the figure linked above, it appears jewelry was worn on the arms and neck, and women's hair was pulled back into a deliberate hairstyle. We can also infer that the culture was enthusiastic about art and sculpture, as they dedicated the time to both pursuits. Examining jewelry found at archaeological sites, we can also see that the Indus Valley Civilization gravitated toward gold and agate in their crafts. Furthermore, the figurine of a dancing girl suggests that the Indus Valley Civilization appreciated both music and dance.

(Sources: see attached)

Why does the ghost fall ill?

The answer depends upon your definition of "ill." In the story, the author describes the ghost as having fallen "ill" on two occasions.

The first occasion happens after the ghost tries to put on his customary suit of mail. Apparently, he hasn't worn it in a long time, and he has forgotten how thoroughly heavy and unwieldy it is. The result is that he becomes "completely overpowered by the weight of the huge breastplate and steel casque" and ends up scraping his knees horribly and "bruising the knuckles of his right hand."

The author relates that "For some days after this he (the ghost) was extremely ill, and hardly stirred out of his room at all, except to keep the blood-stain in proper repair." So, the ghost becomes indisposed after he injures himself while trying to put on the suit of mail.

The second occasion happens when the ghost tries to frighten the Otis family with his "Headless Earl" disguise. He hasn't worn the disguise in seventy years and thinks that he can do a tolerable job in frightening the Otis children with it. At the appointed time, the ghost rigs himself up in his outfit (complete with big leather riding-boots and a pistol) and makes his way to the twins' room.

When he gets to the room, he finds the door ajar. As he swings the door open, a jug of cold water comes crashing down on him, "wetting him to the skin." Because he is drenched with the cold water during the cooler hours of the night, the ghost catches cold; this is the reason that he falls ill a second time.

The shock to his nervous system was so great that he fled back to his room as hard as he could go, and the next day he was laid up with a severe cold. The only thing that at all consoled him in the whole affair was the fact that he had not brought his head with him, for, had he done so, the consequences might have been very serious.

Is there a sense of justice in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and which parts of the novel shows justice or injustice?

Toward the end of the third chapter, "Dr. Jekyll Was Quite at Ease," Jekyll is speaking with his lawyer, Mr. Utterson, about his will.  Utterson has confronted Jekyll about the will, which concerns him, because, in it, Jekyll has left all his worldly possessions, should he disappear for a minimum of three months, to Mr. Hyde (a man who is completely abhorrent to Utterson in every possible way).  Utterson claims that he will abide by Jekyll's wishes but that he can never like Hyde, to which Jekyll responds, "'I don't ask that [...].  I only ask for justice; I only ask you to help him for my sake, when I am no longer here.'"  Therefore, it seems that, for Dr. Jekyll, it is just that this terrible little man who we learn later is a murderer, essentially comprised of nothing but the very worst parts of the relatively good doctor, should benefit from Jekyll's demise, should it come.  Most would argue that this seems relatively unjust, that Hyde should never benefit from someone else's misfortune, let alone the misfortune of the man whose own downfall permits Hyde to live.

Justice never really seems to be served in this novel.  Jekyll should not have attempted to rid himself of his "evil qualities" because the mixture of both good and bad is something that each person needs to work out for him or herself (as Stevenson seems to be suggesting).  Jekyll admits to experiencing a "profound duplicity" that resulted in a "morbid sense of shame," in his final letter, but it is not just for him to attempt to rid himself of part of what makes him human so that he can have an easier time of it. One could argue, on the other hand, that it is not just for Jekyll's strict, Victorian society to install such rigid rules regarding conduct that a mostly good man feels the need to go to such lengths to shed any semblance of moral ambiguity he possesses.  Further, justice is never really served to Hyde for the wrongdoings that he commits; he does take his own life, but that is his choice, and the capability to choose to avoid punishment by disappearing into Jekyll and, later, death, seems unjust as well. 

What character from either a book or a movie is similar to Peter Quince in A Midsummer Night's Dream?

Peter Quince is the leader of the rude mechanicals in A Midsummer Night's Dream -- he's doing his best to put on a good play for the Duke, but of course the entire troupe is made up of men who can't act at all. I'd say the easiest equivalent is Tom Wilkinson's character Hugh Fennyman from the movie Shakespeare in Love (1998), written by Tom Stoppard and Marc Norman, and directed by John Madden. Fennyman likes to think he's in control of his theater, but he really isn't. He deals with a group of misfit actors; he's constantly trying to put them in their place (but failing) as they rehearse Romeo & Juliet. Another (more recent) comparison might be drawn between Quince and Ms. Darbus from the High School Musical films. She's always very on edge around her students, trying to create the best possible performance out of something that will always be an amateur production. Her anxiety (superficial as it is) is actually quite funny to watch.