Respond in a complete paragraph to the following questions: 1) Write a few sentences from the point of view of Fortunato or of the listener....

1) Write a few sentences from the point of view of Fortunato or of the listener.

From the listener's perspective, Montresor's narrative is engaging and disturbing at once. Montresor begins by giving his macabre confession about the murder of Fortunato. According to Montresor, Fortunato wounded him in "a thousand" ways, and Montresor is justified in seeking revenge. However, from the listener's perspective, it is clear that Fortunato may not be the most reliable narrator. The listener is drawn into the increasing suspense of the story as Montresor explains his intention to kill Fortunato in such a way that he will be aware of the fact that his suffering is an act of revenge.

2) Why does Poe use the first-person point of view in "The Cask of Amontillado?"

"The Cask of Amontillado" is told from Montresor's perspective in order to create a heightened sense of suspense that builds throughout the story. Because the story is being told by Montresor, his recollection of events is often thrown into question. This leaves the reader to wonder whether any of Montresor's claims of vengeance are true or whether he is simply mad. The central event of the story, or Fortunato's murder, would be less jarring if it was told from the victim's perspective. The first-person perspective allows the narrator to build up to the murder with his own remembrances, preparations, and ponderings on his motivations. The true horror of the story is encapsulated in the rapture in which Montresor lures his victim to his death and relishes his torment.

0.30 g of citric acid is dissolved in distilled water to produce 100.0 mL of a 0.016 M solution. How much citric acid is needed in order to...

The balanced chemical reaction for this problem is:

`C_6 H_8 O_7 + 3 NaHCO_3 -> 3 CO_2 + 3 H_2O + Na_3C_6H_5O_7 `

First, we need to get how many moles of sodium bicarbonate to be neutralized. 

Moles of NaHCO3 = 

`30 mL * ((1L)/(1000 mL)) * ((0.5 mol es NaHCO_3)/L) = 0.015 mol es NaHCO_3 `

To get the moles of citric acid (C6H8O7) that will react with 0.15 moles of NaHCO3 = 

`0.015 mol es NaHCO_3 * ((1mol e C_6H_8O_7)/(3 mol es NaHCO_3)) = 0.0050 mol es C_6H_8O_7`

Now we can solve for the amount of citric acid needed to completely react with sodium bicarbonate.

(1) In terms of mass:

`0.005 mol es C_6H_8O_7 * ((192.12 grams)/ (1 mol e C_6H_8O_7)) = 0.96 grams of C_6H_8O_7`

(2) In terms of the citric acid solution:

Molarity = moles/volume of solution

Volume of solution = moles citric acid/molarity of the citric acid solution

`Volume of solution = (0.005/0.016) = 0.31 L`

How does the Vietnam War affect Holling's life in Gary Schmidt's The Wednesday Wars?

In Gary Schmidt's The Wednesday Wars, Holling's life is affected the most by the Vietnam War the moment he learns Mrs. Baker's husband has been declared missing in action. Up to that point, no one close to him had been personally affected by the war, so he is able to view it only from a distance as just something noteworthy happening in the world.

It is in the opening chapter of the book that Mr. Guareschi, the school principle, announces to Holling's school that Lieutenant Tybalt Baker, Mrs. Baker's husband, "would soon be deployed to Vietnam with the 101st Airborne Division" ("September"). Immediately after this announcement, Holling observes with little interest as his father watches Walter Cronkite report the news on the war. Early in the story, Holling is more concerned about his own personal problems than about the war.

His interest in the war changes in the month of February. During this month, on a day when Meryl Lee and Holling are cleaning the chalkboards after school together, Mr. Guareschi enters Mrs. Baker's classroom to hand her a yellow telegram that declares Lieutenant Baker to be missing in action near the Khesanh base. By March, Walter Cronkite announces on TV how grim the situation is at the Khesanh base. As many as 5,000 marines were trapped on the base, surrounded by 20,000 Vietcong soldiers, who shot at all helicopters that came to deliver supplies to the troops. The Vietcong also launched 500 mortar shells per day and laid explosives in tunnels they dug. During March, Holling's entire family starts watching Walter Cronkite on the news together, and each time Holling watches, he looks for a "sign, any sign of Lieutenant Tybalt Baker" ("March"). Holling's serious devotion to watching the news on the war and his constant thoughts of Lieutenant Baker show us just how much he has been emotionally affected by the war since growing close to Mrs. Baker and learning about her husband being declared missing in action.

At another point in the story, while visiting Saint Adelbert's Catholic Church with Mrs. Baker, Holling lights a candle and "pray[s] for Lieutenant Baker," showing us just how deeply affected he has become by the loss of the loved one of a person close to him ("May").

By the end of the novel, the war is still not over, and Holling reflects that in just five years time he will be old enough to be drafted, a thought that disturbs him so much he stays awake all night.

How is magical realism used in Shoeless Joe?

Magical realism is the use of supernatural elements in an otherwise normal and ordered world. In Shoeless Joe by W.P. Kinsella (the novel that was the basis of the film Field of Dreams), the main character, Ray Kinsella, hears a voice that tells him to build a baseball field. The voice, that of a ballpark announcer, says "If you build it, he will come" (page 3). Ray immediately envisions the field he is instructed to build, including the speakers and lights, in a form of magical realism. As the narrator says, "that is all the instruction I ever received" (page 4). He somehow magically knows how to build the field. His construction of the field is another example of magical realism, as supernatural events can occur without reason or explanation. 

The field becomes the home of ghosts from baseball's past. Ray has always been interested in the stories of his father, a baseball fan who loved "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, a player on the 1919 Chicago White Sox team that allegedly threw the World Series when bribed by gangsters. Shoeless Joe was banned from playing baseball as a result of this scandal. Joe and other baseball players materialize on the field, against the backdrop of normal events at the farm. The combination of supernatural events occurring along with everyday events is the hallmark of magical realism. In Shoeless Joe, these events also serve as wish fulfillment, as tourism at the magical baseball games allows Ray to keep his farm, which has been threatened with foreclosure. 

When is Jem shown to have changed in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird?

Jem reaches one of his greatest moments of change after Mrs. Dubose's death in chapters 11 and 12 of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird.

In Chapter 11, Jem is worn down by all the ridicule he faces for Atticus's decision to defend Tom Robinson. He is so worn down that he flies into a violent rage the moment Mrs. Dubose insults the children by saying, "Your father's no better than the niggers and trash he works for!" (Ch. 11). As punishment for his having whacked all the camellias off of the bushes in her garden, Jem is made to read to her daily. The night of her death, Atticus explains he would have asked Jem to read to Mrs. Dubose regardless because Atticus knew she had been working on ridding herself of her morphine addiction, developed due to her illness, before she passed away, and Atticus knew reading to her would distraction her from her withdrawal symptoms. Since Atticus had known she was working on ridding herself of her morphine addiction, regardless of how warranted morphine use was due to the pain she suffered, Atticus explains he saw Mrs. Dubose as a "great lady" because she was such a courageous woman. Atticus further explains he had wanted Jem to see that true courage is more than just being aggressive:

I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. (Ch. 11)

After this lesson of what courage is and that to be a great lady is to be courageous, Jem begins changing a great deal. He especially changes in his treatment of Scout. Whereas before he used to insult her by calling her a girl, now he gets annoyed anytime she does something tomboyish and shouts at her, "It's time you started bein' a girl and acting right!" (Ch. 12). Jem's behavior towards others also becomes gentler, just like his father's behavior. For example, soon after Tom Robinson's trial and death, just as Scout is about to squash a roly-poly bug one night, Jem stops her, saying, "Don't do that, Scout. Set him out on the back steps," which Scout feels is uncharacteristic of Jem (Ch. 25). But, Jem's new behavior reflects all he has learned about courage and showing respect for others.

What is the significance of the character of "Whit" in John Steinbeck's novella Of Mice and Men?

Whit's role is small but significant in Of Mice and Men. He is introduced one night in the bunkhouse when he shows a letter that's been printed in a pulp magazine to Slim. His effort to impress Slim and his desire to connect to a "celebrity," someone published in a magazine, shows readers that Lennie and George are not the only men with dreams... nor are they the only men whose dreams are being crushed by the weight of the migrant worker life. 

Whit is described as a young man, but also one whose posture suggests that he has aged prematurely; he carries the weight of his life and job on him at all times. 

A young laboring man came in. His sloping shoulders were bent forward and he walked heavily on his heels, as though he carried the invisible grain bag.

Readers learn that Whit is yet another character who sees Slim as a leader and as someone to admire. It's not a stretch to believe that Whit sees himself as someday possessing the same confidence and leadership as Slim. He shows Slim the magazine--only Slim--and when Slim doesn't make the connection to the name, Whit reminds him that William "Bill" Tenner was also a worker on the farm several months earlier. Through Whit, readers learn that Bill Tenner achieved one of his dreams--to have his letter published in his favorite magazine. Readers can also see a desire in Whit to connect, in however small a way, to Bill's success. 

"That's him," Whit cried. "That's the guy!"
"You think he's the guy wrote this letter?"
"I know it. Bill and me was in here one day. Bill had one of them books that just come. He was lookin' in it and he says, 'I wrote a letter. Wonder if they put it in the book!' But it wasn't there. Bill says, 'Maybe they're savin' it for later.' An' that's just what they done. There it is."

He goes on to say that he was the one who primarily ran the cultivator with Bill. 

"I wonder if Bill seen it," he said. "Bill and me worked in that patch of field peas. Run cultivators, both of us. Bill was a hell of a nice fella." 

When George asks to see the letter, Whit will let him see it, but he doesn't allow George to hold the magazine as he did Slim. This particular detail illustrates that George and Lennie have not yet been fully accepted by the ranch hands, though Whit can't quite resist showing the letter to anyone who wants to see it. 

Whit is an incredibly minor character, but he serves the larger purpose of illustrating the hopelessness with which George and Lennie are living. Unlike the older men like Slim and even Candy, Whit is a young man with a potential future; yet readers know that it's unlikely for Whit to ever be more than exactly what he already is: a worker already bent over with the weight of laboring for someone else's gain. 

What is electric current?

Electric current is the rate of flow of charged particles in an electric circuit. Since the unit of charge is Coulomb (C) and that of time is seconds (s), the units of electric current are Coulomb/s or, more specifically, Amperes or A. The charged particles causing the electric current are typically the electrons. The motion of these negatively charged particles result in the electric current. Current is typically denoted by the symbol I.

There are two types of currents: alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC). In the case of direct current, electrons flow in one direction, while in the case of alternating current, the direction of electron flow cycles (at about 50 Hz or 60 Hz). At our homes we use alternating current, while batteries supply us with direct current.

Hope this helps. 

In Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, how can Marlow's ironic rendering of an experience he had 20 years earlier be seen as a means to make amends...

Throughout Heart of Darkness, Marlow can be seen as immature or naive. He searches for wealth and adventure in the jungle, unaware of the danger and corruption of the ivory trade because he is blinded by greed. Marlow's coming-of-age experiences occur in the jungle, where he sees the death of slaves, the death of Kurtz, and the savage nature of the natives. Upon his return to London, Marlow matures and escapes the suffocating darkness of the jungle and the ivory trade. 

There is situational irony present in the telling of Marlow's tale, however. Marlow is aboard a ship like the one he originally took to Africa, surrounded by the dark pollution of London. The fragmented nature of his story, peppered with flashbacks and moments from the present, suggests Marlow has been negatively affected by his experiences. He is a haggard man with a troubled past, and his repetition of phrases makes him seem mentally affected as well. Marlow's rendering of the story is a testament to the darkness he experienced. It serves as a warning to others and an amendment for his own previous naivety as he works to remove that same naivety in the next generation of sailors and explorers. 

`44` g of `C_3H_8` react with `80` g of `O_2` to form `CO_2` and `H_2O.` How many grams of `CO_2` will be formed?

First, write the balanced equation, this is simple:

`C_3H_8 + 5O_2 = 3CO_2 + 4H_2O.`

Hence each mole of propane `C_3H_8` requires `5` moles of oxygen `O_2.`

Also we need to compute molar masses: for `C_3H_8` it is `3*12+8*1 = 44 g/(mol),` for `O_2` it is `2*16 = 32 g/(mol)` and for `CO_2` it is `12+2*16 = 44 g/(mol).`

Now we can determine what initial substance will react completely: `44g` of `C_3H_8` is `1` mole and `80g` of `O_2` are `80/32 = 2.5` moles. `1` mole of `C_3H_8` requires `5` moles of `O_2,` but there are only `2.5,` so all oxygen will be used.

Finally, `5` moles of oxygen make `3` moles of `CO_2,` so `2.5` moles make `1.5` moles of `CO_2,` and they have the mass of `1.5*44 =` 66 g. This is the answer.

What are the sugars or carbohydrates called that plants make during photosynthesis?

In the process of photosynthesis, plants convert sunlight energy to the chemical energy of sugar. The balanced chemical reaction for this process can be written as:

`6CO_2 + 6H_2O + sunlight -> C_6H_12O_6 + 6O_2`

In this reaction, carbon dioxide and water are consumed, in the presence of sunlight, to generate glucose and oxygen. Thus, the sugar or carbohydrate that plants make during photosynthesis is the glucose.

Apart from generating glucose, photosynthesis is also essential for two key purposes. Firstly, it generates oxygen, which is necessary for the survival of all aerobic species, like human beings. Secondly, the process is also a sink of carbon dioxide and helps maintain the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide at livable levels.

Some of the glucose generated in the process of photosynthesis is broken down by cellular respiration to generate energy (in the form of ATP molecules).

Hope this helps. 

Are frogs amphibians that live their life under water?

Frogs are in fact amphibians. The word amphibian is from the Greek language meaning “both lives.” A frog’s life cycle includes a metamorphosis. Adult frogs lay their eggs in water. Once the eggs hatch, a tadpole emerges. When the tadpole hatches from the egg it has a tail with no arms. Tadpoles are restricted to the water and have gills to breathe. After about a week, the tadpole’s body starts to change. After about six weeks, the external gills disappear; and after eight weeks, hind legs are formed. After about 12 weeks, front legs are formed and the tail begins to shrink. When the tail disappears, the frog will hop out of the water and live on land. The adult frog will live its life on land, only returning to the water to lay eggs.

`f(x,y) = 2ln(xy)` Determine whether the function is homogenous and if it is, determine its degree

Given

`f(x,y) = 2ln(xy)=2ln(x)+2ln(y)`

to check whether the given function  is homogenous

then it has to be

`f(tx,ty)=t^n f(x,y)`

so ,

`f(tx,ty)=2ln(tx *ty) = 2ln(t^2 xy) = 2ln(t^2)+2ln(xy)`

`=4ln(t)+2ln(x)+2ln(y)`

which is not of the form` f(tx,ty)=t^n f(x,y)`

so the function is not Homogenous.

What happens in the beginning of the book "My Side of the Mountain?"

In the book My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George, several important events occur in the beginning.

The story originates with an entry from Sam about surviving the winter. Although this is not the chronological beginning of Sam’s story, it shares about his later experiences and reveals some of Sam’s achievements (such as making it through a snow storm). As the text reveals:

“It snowed all day yesterday and today. I have not been outside since the storm began, and I am bored for the first time since I ran away from home eight months ago to live on the land.”

As the story progresses, Sam eventually discusses how he starts his adventure and progresses more chronologically. Sam illustrates that he arrives in the wilderness with only a few possessions. Subsequently, he describes how he continues to improve and survive.

Thus, the beginning of the story focuses on Sam’s later achievements of surviving in the winter. Although that is not chronologically the beginning of Sam’s adventure, it gives the readers a glimpse into Sam’s future and success in the wilderness.

Where is the cold equation explained in the story?

In the story, the cold equation is explained simply:

The men of the frontier knew — but how was a girl from Earth to fully understand? h amount of fuel will not power an EDS with a mass of m plus x safely to its destination. To him and her brother and parents she was a sweet-faced girl in her teens; to the laws of nature she was x, the unwanted factor in a cold equation.

Basically, Marilyn represents x, the "unwanted factor" in the cold equation that will doom her to death. Since Marilyn's weight adds too much to the mass of the EDS ( Emergency Dispatch Ships), she must be expelled from the craft. To keep her on board will doom the rest of the crew as well as those who await emergency supplies of a fever serum on Woden, a frontier station.

The author further makes the point that scientific laws are "irrevocable and immutable" and that such order is a necessity in terms of human existence.

The circumference of a circle was always pi times the diameter, and no science of man would ever make it otherwise. The combination of chemical A with chemical B under condition C invariably produced reaction D. The law of gravitation was a rigid equation, and it made no distinction between the fall of a leaf and the ponderous circling of a binary star system.

Since each EDS can only carry a limited amount of rocket fuel, the computers must calculate the exact amount of fuel needed by taking into account the course coordinates as well as the masses of the EDS, pilot, and cargo. Unfortunately, because the computers have not been programmed to take into account the added mass of a stowaway, Marilyn will end up being sacrificed to the dictates of the "cold equation."

In The Help by Kathryn Stockett, how is racism more prominent in the book than it is in the film?

I’m not sure that racism is more prominent in the book than in the film. It may be just that the book can paint more pictures in readers’ imaginations than the film can illustrate in two-and-a-half hours of motion. In this respect, yes, more deliberate instances of racism and prejudice appear in the book. For example, Aibileen isn’t allowed to check books out of the white library in Jackson, so Skeeter checks them out for her. This act isn’t referenced at all in the film. Hilly goes on about her bathroom initiative much more often in the book than in the film. We hear of more violence and unrest on the streets of Jackson in the book. Yet, the filmmakers were subtle but strong in depicting the divide between black and white people. We see African Americans quietly using other entrances for public facilities. We see a “Whites Only” sign painted on the side of a taxicab. We see all of the black maids, impeccably dressed in their housekeeper uniforms, as they get off the bus to go to their jobs at the big estates. So, while the book “tells” additional stories relevant to the theme, the film “shows” in other ways how the racial divide manifests in this environment.

In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, what does Mercurio think is in Tybalt's letter to Romeo?

Tybalt sends a letter to Romeo at Lord Montague's home on the day after the young Montague and his cousins went, uninvited, to the masquerade party at Lord Capulet's.  When Benvolio tells Mercutio about this letter, Mercutio says that he believes it to contain "A challenge, on my life" (2.4.9).  In other words, he's quite certain that Tybalt's letter to Romeo contains a challenge to a fight because he anticipates that Tybalt is angry about the presence of Romeo and his friends at the Capulet party. 

Mercutio is, of course, right.  The letter does contain a challenge, or so we can assume, because Tybalt comes looking for Romeo later on, clearly looking for a fight.  In Act 3, scene 1, Romeo refuses to fight Tybalt because he just married Tybalt's cousin, Juliet, in secret.  Mercutio interprets this as a "dishonorable, vile submission," and he fights Tybalt instead (3.1.74).  Tybalt slays Mercutio, then Romeo kills Tybalt, and this is what leads to Romeo's exile from Verona.

What is the source of inspiration for Macbeth?

Like many of Shakespeare's plays, Macbeth was based on existing material. In this case, the source materials included a few historical documents, primarily Holinshed's "Histoirie of Scotland" from the 16th century. In it, Holinshed describes Macbeth, a king who ruled Scotland from 1040 - 1057 after defeating King Duncan I in battle. Shakespeare made changes to Macbeth's character, as well as the timeline, events, and general mood of his reign in order to make a better play. For a more thorough look at how Shakespeare changed the historical source material, see the first link. 

Equally relevant to Shakespeare's creative decisions were the politics of the day. Queen Elizabeth I had recently died, leaving rule of England to King James of Scotland. The political insecurities of Macbeth's Scotland reflect the insecurities of the Jacobean period. Additionally, Shakespeare would be wise to seek the new monarch's favor and patronage, as his acting company had regularly performed for Elizabeth's court. Macbeth is full of things to interest and flatter King James, including naming the honorable Banquo as his supposed ancestor, validating his right to rule, and including supernatural elements, of which King James was particularly fond. In fact, another one of Shakespeare's sources was written by James himself in 1599: Daemonologie.

Why is Mama most deserving of her dream?

Mama has certainly given up the most for the family to deserve her dream of a house with a yard and room for a garden.  For instance, in the opening scene of the play, Hansberry describes the apartment which Mama and Big Walter had picked out when they were first married.  It was never intended to hold the number of people it currently does, and Mama has had to deal with that disappointment in her life, among many others, like the death of her husband, who worked his whole life trying to keep the family above water.  Mama has also had to deal with the disappointment of her children.  Walter Lee take most of the play to learn what it really means to be a man and take care of his family, finally understanding that money is not the most important thing in the world.  And Beneatha is just as selfish as Walter Lee, without the extended family. She is the only member of the family (besides Travis) who doesn't work toward the family's life.  Instead, she spends money on her education without thought as to how that affects others.  And since Big Walter's death, Mama has taken on the role as the head of the household because Walter Lee cannot be trusted, which is why she made the down payment on the house in Clybourne Park in the first place.  So, ultimately, Mama is the most deserving of achieving her dream, though she risks it all in the end to hand over the reins to Walter Lee.

Who does Paul think is responsible for the incident he remembers?

Paul is quite certain that his older brother, Erik, is responsible for the incident that Paul remembers.

If you look toward the end of the chapter called "Friday, December 1," near the very end of the novel, you'll see where Paul recalls the entire incident that damaged his eyes when he was five years old, the incident that he had struggled to recall correctly. All his life, his parents had told Paul that his eyes were damaged when he looked directly at the sun during an eclipse. But Paul has a feeling that this is incorrect, and that his older brother Erik is somehow responsible for the injury.

When Paul finally recalls the traumatic event with clarity, here's what he remembers: Erik, along with his "goon" (his dumb, violent friend named Vincent Castor), had attacked the young Paul. These kids were angry with Paul for tattling on Vincent, who had been spray-painting graffiti. Erik held Paul's eyes open while Vincent sprayed the white paint directly into Paul's eyes. Paul also recalls screaming and rolling around immediately afterward, then being driven to the hospital by his mother.

As you can see from Paul's recollection in that chapter, it was mainly Erik (plus Erik's vicious buddy Vincent) who should be directly blamed and held responsible for Paul's eye injury.

What is the difference (health disparity) in prenatal care for 16 to 45-year-old women with Medicaid versus the general population?

According to Oberg, Lia-Hoagberg, Hodkinson, Skovholt, and Vanman (see the citation below), women who don't have any insurance or who have Medicaid (the health insurance program for the poor) have fewer visits to the doctor when pregnant and start receiving care later in the pregnancy than women with private health insurance.

The book Prenatal Care: Reaching Mothers, Reaching Infants, edited by S.S. Brown (see the citation below), cites research by Cooney, who found that women in New York City in several different sub-categories defined by race, age, and marital status received later prenatal care and fewer doctor visits when they had Medicaid compared to women with private health insurance. Other studies in other areas of the United States confirmed these findings. Researchers believe that this might be because enrolling in Medicaid takes time and delays pregnant women's first visit to receive prenatal care. In addition, research suggests that clinics that serve women on Medicaid may be crowded, and therefore women have to delay their care. In addition, research suggests that women on Medicaid are more likely to have low socio-economic status, less education, be in poor health, and be under 20, which are all factors that are associated with less prenatal care. In addition, research in some states (see "The Birth Certificate and Medicaid Data Match Project: Initial Findings in Infant Mortality 4 Minnesota Department of Health – 2005") has found that infant mortality is higher for mothers who are in some groups of Medicaid.  

Citations:

Oberg, Lia-Hoagberg, Hodkinson E, Skovholt C, Vanman R. Prenatal care comparisons among privately insured, uninsured, and Medicaid-enrolled women. Public Health Rep. 1990 Sep-Oct;105(5):533-5. 

Prenatal Care: Reaching Mothers, Reaching Infants. Institute of Medicine (US) Committee to Study Outreach for Prenatal Care; Brown SS, editor. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 1988.

The Birth Certificate and Medicaid Data Match Project: Initial Findings in Infant Mortality 4 Minnesota Department of Health – 2005.

How is Shakespeare interested in the essentials of human nature in the play Macbeth?

Shakespeare seems interested in what it would take to turn a good person into a bad one, how ambition and pride can corrupt an otherwise loyal and noble nature.  There is no question that Macbeth begins the play as a good man: he is loyal to his friend, kinsman, and king, Duncan; he is willing to lay his life on the line to protect Scotland; his wife, arguably the person who knows him best, feels that he is "full o' th' milk of human kindness" (1.5.17).  In his exploration of human nature, Shakespeare shows that it wouldn't take much to begin to corrupt even a man such as this: almost as soon as the Weird Sisters tell Macbeth that he will be king, he begins to dream of what it would be like.  Then, when Duncan names his son, Malcolm, his heir to the throne, Macbeth immediately contemplates Duncan's murder, saying,

Stars, hide your fires;
Let not light see my black and deep desires.
The eye wink at the hand, yet let that be
Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see.  (1.4.57-60)

In other words, he asks the stars to go dark so that no one will be able to see what terrible thoughts he's thinking; his eye, he says, will be afraid to see what his hand is going to do, but his hand is still going to do it anyway.

Though Macbeth admits to having "Vaulting ambition," it is evidently not enough to compel him to follow through with the murder because he tells Lady Macbeth, "We will proceed no further in this business" (1.7.27, 1.7.34).  At this point, she wounds his pride, calling him a "coward" and implying that he will not be a man if he does not keep this promise to her to kill the king (1.7.47).  It is only after she berates and degrades him, insulting his masculinity and pride, that he finally resolves to commit regicide. 

In the end, Shakespeare seems to conclude that it doesn't take much to corrupt a good person if one can appeal to his ambition (as the Weird Sisters do) and pride (as his wife does).  Then, once a person has made the initial decision to do wrong, it will take less and less to convince him to do more wrong.  Human nature is revealed to be fairly corruptible, and so we must be on our guard against attempts to manipulate us.

How did Bryon feel about the girls he dated in That Was Then, This Is Now? What did this reveal about him?

Throughout the novel, Bryon portrays himself as a ladies man who enjoys flirting and hooking up with various girls. In Chapter 1, Bryon mentions that he's not afraid to lie to girls if he can get away with it. He then admits to telling girls he was in love with them insincerely. As the novel progresses, Bryon begins to fall in love with Cathy. He says the only thing about Cathy that bothers him is that she is not obsessed with him like most girls. After Cathy meets Bryon's ex-girlfriend, he is pleasantly surprised to find out she is not jealous of Angela. He says Cathy was the first girl he dated who wasn't scared of other women. Bryon decides Cathy has more sense than the other girls he's dated. Bryon's confessions about his past relationships and feelings towards females reveal he is a rather shallow individual. Bryon's attitude towards women suggests he also has self-esteem issues because he was attracted to jealous girls who lacked confidence. His nonchalant attitude toward authentic relationships also depicts his immature personality.

When is Macbeth seen as a leader? When is Macbeth seen as a follower?

In Shakespeare's Macbeth, Macbeth can be seen as both a follower and a leader. At the very beginning of the play, we see Macbeth as a great military leader, as he skillfully directs his army on the battlefield and ultimately leads them to victory over Macdonwald. It is this display of courageous leadership that prompts King Duncan to name Macbeth the Thane of Cawdor, an action that ultimately drives Macbeth to believe that he can trust the witches' prophecy and that he has the right to murder Duncan.

Surprisingly, in murdering Duncan, it's possible to see Macbeth as more of a follower than a leader. For instance, though Macbeth wants to kill Duncan and take the crown for himself, his conscience initially overrules his ambition and he hesitates to act. It's Lady Macbeth who ultimately possesses the conviction to murder Duncan, and so she plays a leading role in convincing Macbeth to carry out the deed. Thus, in this instance, we can see Lady Macbeth as the leader and Macbeth himself as a mere follower. 

In Chapter 5, is there evidence that Brent has never before had to take care of himself? Explain.

In Chapter 5, titled "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," Brent realizes that he hasn't packed any long-sleeved shirts, nor has he remembered to pack shampoo. As a result, he's too cold, and his hair is stiff from being washed with regular soap. These details indicate that, if he'd ever gone on trips before, his parents had probably been the ones to help him pack, or at least to remind him to bring appropriate items for the weather and for his personal hygiene. 

Also, when Brent arrives at the bus stop in San Diego, he nearly loses his backpack to a pair of thieves, not realizing quite quickly enough that one of the thieves was attempting to distract him while the other grabbed the bag. Brent's gullibility and willingness to allow a stranger into his personal space suggest that he has not been alone much in the real world outside his suburban community back home. But he learns from the experience and now knows that taking care of himself demands a higher level of vigilance, even from the strangers who inhabit the "anonymous community" to which he feels a strong new connection.

Other than these small indications that Brent has rarely, if ever, had to take care of himself before this trip, he does very well in new situations in this chapter. He picks up new skills, from recognizing constellations to trying the harmonica, and he learns that other people his age are actually interested in museums, that men can cook, that politics is actually an engaging topic of conversation. Brent even learns from his mistakes as he builds the whirligig. All these new ideas and experiences broaden Brent's mind in Chapter 5, helping him become a more self-sufficient (and interesting) person.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, did Tom Robinson have a fair trial?

Tom Robinson did not have a fair trial in Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird.  However, some of the townspeople in Maycomb might claim that the trial was fair, because Tom had a great lawyer who represented him to the best of his ability. The law states that in order to find a defendant guilty, you must find them guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This doesn’t mean any slight doubt, or beyond all doubt, it means a doubt which would cause a reasonable person to hesitate in taking away another person’s freedom. 

Atticus proved that Tom Robinson was not guilty, and yet Tom was still found guilty by the jury. A jury is supposed to be free of both sympathy and prejudice for the defendant.  Obviously, the jury was not impartial to Tom Robinson due to his race, and they convicted him based on their racial prejudices. 

For these reasons, Tom Robinson did not receive a fair trial.

What is the plot diagram of "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe?

The rising action of this story consists of the vast majority of the text.  It includes the narrator's introduction, his account of the old man, his motivation for and intention to kill the old man, as well as all of the repetitive and minute descriptions of how he crept into the old man's room so slowly each night at the same time.  It even includes his murder of the old man and the disposal of the body via dismemberment and burial beneath the floorboards.  The climax (or the apex of Freitag's triangle) is when the police have arrived and the narrator begins to feel terrible anxiety and believes that he hears the old man's heart beating beneath the floor (despite the fact that he's dead).  At this point, either the narrator is having a total nervous breakdown or the old man is somehow, supernaturally, undead (spoiler: it's the former), and it is the moment of greatest tension in the story.  The falling action and the resolution of the story include the narrator admitting to the police that he murdered the old man.

What happens to the paratrooper in Lord of the Flies?

At the beginning of Chapter 6, an aerial battle takes place ten miles above the island. During the battle, a paratrooper gets shot out of the sky and lifelessly descends onto the island. The dead paratrooper's body initially lands on the side of the mountain and is carried by a heavy breeze up the mountain, until it finally rests among the shattered rocks at the top. The strings from the parachute are tangled in the trees and strain whenever the wind blows, moving the dead paratrooper's head and chest up and down. This movement gives the illusion that the paratrooper is alive. Samneric mistake the dead paratrooper's body for the beast on the island, and quickly run down the mountain to inform the rest of the boys. The dead paratrooper's body symbolizes the manifestation of evil on the island. The paratrooper's descent also alludes to Lucifer's fall from heaven.

How does the dialect and setting add to the short story "The Last Leaf" by O. Henry?

The setting of old Greewich Village with its leafy streets and ivy-covered two-story brownstones is an appropriate one for two young aspiring artists who need a place that has low rent, as well as a location where they can join other artists in the area. Old Behrman, who lives on the first floor, has a Yiddish accent that lends color and authenticity to the story. He is probably from Germany, one of many displaced Jewish persons from Europe who have come to New York.

Behrman may have had to flee Europe; at any rate, now he has little. But, he holds to hope, "the thing with feathers/That perches in the soul" as described by Emily Dickinson. For, Behrman hopes that one day he will paint his masterpiece. And, of course, he does because it is his painting that saves Johnsy from death.

When Sue, Johnsy's roommate, summons Behrman to pose for her, she reveals that Johnsy has pneumonia and now feels that she will die when the last leaf of ivy falls from the brownstone. Hearing this, the old curmudgeon is angered,

"Vass!" [What] he cried. Is dere people in de world mit der foolishness to die because leafs dey drop off from a confounded vine? I haf not heard of such a thing. No, I will not bose as a model for your fool hermit-dunderhead. Vy do you allow dot silly pusiness to come in der brain of her? Ach, dot poor leetle Miss Yohnsy."

Yet, there is something endearing about his candid tirade. Certainly, his wrath is nothing to be feared because when Sue says, "Mr. Behrman if you do not care to pose for me, you needn't," he contradicts her, "Who said I will not bose? Go on. I come mit you." And, it is fortunate for Johnsy that he does because he is moved by his love for the young woman so much that he goes out into the winter storm and paints an ivy leaf onto the window. By his doing so, the "last leaf" will not fall and put Johnsy into despair.

Indeed, the Greenwich Village setting of young artists and the Yiddish accent of the colorful old Behrman lend a certain poignancy to O. Henry's story as well as some added color to the tragic circumstances of Johnsy's illness and Behrman's sacrificial death.

How can I write a conclusion for my geography project?

Your conclusion, whether it be in an essay or part of a presentation, should serve two purposes:

1. Re-state your thesis, which should be mentioned in your introduction.


2. Wrap up any "loose ends" from your body paragraphs or previously discussed material.

If you aren't sure what your thesis statement is, consider the "big idea" of your project. What is the main thing you want people to learn from your essay or presentation? Think of your project like a sandwich-- the introduction and conclusion paragraphs are like the bread, and all of the stuff in the middle is your evidence and reasoning for your thesis. Try to avoid introducing any new ideas in your conclusion paragraph.

Sometimes writing your introduction and conclusion paragraphs can be the hardest part of writing a paper. Imagine you are speaking to someone who has no previous knowledge of your subject-- in this case, map analysis and interpretation. What do you want this person to know? Is there one particularly effective method of map analysis, or are there many? What are the steps of map analysis, and must they be followed strictly in order? You could try talking about this subject with a friend, parent, or teacher, and see what kind of conclusion comes naturally to the discussion.

If you'd like some feedback on your conclusion once you have written it, you may like to use our Essay Lab service.

Why does Columbus come to believe that the Native Americans are incredibly generous?

They ... brought us parrots and balls of cotton and spears and many other things, which they exchanged for the glass beads and hawks' bells. They willingly traded everything they owned... --Christopher Columbus

When Christopher Columbus reached the Bahamas in October of 1492, he believed that he had reached islands off the coast of India.  For this reason, he called the people that he met Indians.  The description above is directly from the journal of Columbus.  It is obvious that his impression of them is that they are generous because of the gifts that the Natives immediately brought him. Columbus realized through their generosity that he could enslave and exploit this population.  The population of the Taino was wiped off of the island within a generation of their generous meeting with Columbus.  Columbus forced the Taino to work in mines for the benefit of his new colony and the crown of Spain.     

What is the tone in the poem "Sympathy" by Paul Laurence Dunbar?

The tone of Paul Laurence Dunbar's poem "Sympathy" is one of desperation and agony; yet, there is also a reverent understanding for this unconquered, though desperate, human spirit.

There is an old Negro spiritual that contains these lines,

Ole Satan is mad en I am glad
Ain't got tired yit
Missed a soul he thought he had
En I ain't got tired yit

Oh, been in de war so long, ain't got tired yit
Oh, been in de war so long, ain't got tired yit

The little caged bird exemplifies this same unconquered spirit of the speaker of this spiritual. This bird must sing, or he will die. He must beat his wings against the bars of his cage in the desperate hope that one day somehow those bars will break and he will escape the misery and oppression he endures.

The speaker of "Sympathy" also feels the frustration and helpless rage of the bird that is a symbol of the repressed spirit of the "Negro." Both the bird and the speaker are confined against their wills and repressed; now, all they can do is pray and send "a plea upward to Heaven." 

How does Annemarie's understanding of pride change over time in Number the Stars by Lois Lowry?

Annemarie grows up a lot during the events of the war. She sees her friend’s family have to run away. Her family participates in Resistance activities. Annemarie learns Denmark is a proud country that will not bow to Nazi control. 

Annemarie’s family discusses the story of the sinking of Denmark’s fleet. She thinks about how the old king must feel terrible to lose the fleet, but proud to have kept it from the Nazis. In the same way, the people of Denmark try to prevent the country’s Jews from being victims of Nazi genocide. 

Annemarie realizes pride is a complex thing. Even when everything has been taken from you, you can still have pride. She considers the case of her friends the Rosens, who will have to leave everything behind in order to go into hiding. 

All of those things, those sources of pride — the candlesticks, the books, the daydreams of theater — had been left behind in Copenhagen. They had nothing with them now; there was only the clothing of unknown people for warmth, the food from Henrik's farm for survival, and the dark path ahead, through the woods, to freedom (Chapter 11).

For the Rosens, survival is of the utmost importance. Losing personal possessions means nothing as long as the Rosens have their lives and each other. In war, priorities change.  People realize what is really important. 

Another source of Annemarie's pride is her family's assistance with the Resistance. Peter was arrested, but he did not regret what he had done. He helped people while he could, and for this he was proud. 

He had written a letter to them from prison the night before he was shot. It had said simply that he loved them, that he was not afraid, and that he was proud to have done what he could for his country and for the sake of all free people (Chapter 17).

War is difficult for everyone. Annemarie realizes each person has to do what he or she feels is right. Pride means knowing you are standing up for what you believe is right. 

How were the colonial forces able to defeat the British army?

There were several reasons why the colonists were able to defeat the British army. One reason was the British generals didn’t make wise decisions. At the Battle of Saratoga, the British planned for three divisions of troops to meet near Albany, New York. However, General Howe didn’t follow the plan and went to Philadelphia instead. Additionally, General Burgoyne carried so many unnecessary luxury items with him, which caused his army to move very slowly. This allowed the colonists to regroup when needed. This third army that was expected to arrive at Albany was defeated. Thus, only one of the three armies made it to Albany. The British lost this battle and failed to isolate the New England colonies from the rest of the colonies.

The colonial victory at Saratoga not only gave the colonists hope, it opened the door for foreign aid. Both Spain and France were waiting until the colonists won a major battle before committing to help them. Now that colonists won a major battle, foreign countries began to help the colonists.

Another blunder the British made was bringing their fleet to Yorktown. This gave General Washington an opportunity to trap the British fleet. General Washington moved his army by land to the area around Yorktown. The French fleet sealed the entrance to Chesapeake Bay preventing the British fleet from escaping by water. The British were surrounded and had to surrender.

The colonists had very good military leadership. George Washington was an outstanding leader. He had experience fighting  from the French and Indian War. He was able to alter his plans to fit any situation. For example, his flexibility allowed us to surround the British fleet at Yorktown. He also understood the importance of getting some kind of victory heading into the first winter after the Revolutionary War began. Thus, he moved his troops on Christmas night, when the British would least expect an attack, to fight the British at Trenton. This victory, along with another one at Princeton, gave the colonists some hope as the winter of 1776-1777 arrived.

There are many reasons to explain why the improbable colonial victory over the British occurred.

What would Junior from Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian think of a cultural outsider?

In order to answer this question, we have to think of Junior within his own cultural context. As a Native American, Junior is surrounded by many different cultural phenomena for which the "white man" is in large part to blame. In his own family, he has experienced crippling alcoholism, death, and diminished opportunity for success. He is very aware of the challenges that he faces specifically because he is Native American. He even witnesses his best friend, Rowdy, being beaten by his own father, and takes part in a few fights himself. Violence, addiction, and death are a very large part of the world that he lives in, but he is also very proud of his heritage and recognizes the many beautiful things that fill his life: the warm smell of fry bread, his grandmother and her old school ways, and the pow-wows that he sometimes attends. The Rez is also very beautiful and home to many colorful characters who are important to him, and whom he would defend against outsiders, because when you're an oppressed person like Junior is, you realize that you need to stick with the people who defend and support you. 

Having said that, I think it's safe to say that Junior would feel weary of outsiders at the very least, and even more likely is that he would outright not trust them. There is an understanding among Native Americans who live on reservations that you just don't really trust a white person, because you can't, given the history. And on Junior's reservation, it's no different. When the white millionaire comes, lugging the heavy beaded dance outfit that he believes belonged to Junior's grandmother, everyone looked at him with awe first, before they realized that he was full of it. Still, they didn't like being scrutinized and examined for their culture. They felt like this guy was treating them like a novelty and he was, essentially, though he didn't see it that way.

So even though everyone was respectful enough to hear him out, they felt uncomfortable and disliked him being there. They were even confused about the old white hippies who liked to hang out on the reservation. Junior realizes, as they all do, that there is a cognitive dissonance that goes along with ignoring their oppression, but pretending to appreciate their culture. When you can ignore the many ills that befall Native Americans, but use your knowledge of their culture as a status symbol, or come to "hang out" with them because they are a novelty, you become a person that Junior simply cannot trust. It follows that he would treat someone like that with a healthy dose of skepticism. 

How can I write a topic sentence for Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet about love or infatuation, or perhaps about how teenagers are confused about love?

Certainly, you could claim that teenagers have a tendency to lack perspective due to their often limited life experience, and this tendency causes Romeo and Juliet to believe that their love is the only thing that makes life worth living. 

You could also claim that it can be difficult for anyone, but especially teenagers (again, because they lack life experience), to differentiate between love and infatuation, and this inability to tell the difference causes Romeo and Juliet to act impulsively in an attempt to honor their strong feelings for one another.

Further, you might claim that the heightened emotions surrounding the initial meeting of Romeo and Juliet, emotions that arise as a result of the long-standing feud between their families, confuse them and make them believe that they desperately love each other when it is really just the excitement of engaging in a relationship of which they know their parents would disapprove.

What does the reader learn from Mayella's testimony in Chapter 18 of To Kill a Mockingbird?

Several significant pieces of evidence are revealed throughout Mayella's testimony in Chapter 18. When the prosecutor, Mr. Gilmer, questions Mayella, she confidently gives a recited account of what happened on the evening of November 21st. After Mr. Gilmer is finished questioning, Atticus cordially begins to cross-examine Mayella. Atticus begins by asking her several questions about her background and family which depict her miserable home life. The reader learns that Mayella's father is an alcoholic, the Ewells are dirt poor and filthy, Mayella's siblings are often sick, and Mayella is left to care for her siblings on her own. Mayella also admits that her father has an abusive personality when he is drunk.

When Atticus questions Mayella if she remembers being hit in the face, she says, "No, I don't recollect if he hit me. I mean yes I do, he hit me" (Lee 248). At this point, the reader can surmise that Mayella is lying because her testimony is conflicting. When Atticus asks her to identify her perpetrator, Mayella points to Tom Robinson. Atticus then asks Tom to stand before up, and the reader learns that Tom's left arm is severely crippled and useless. Reverend Sykes explains to Jem in the audience that Tom had his arm caught in Dolphus Raymond's cotton gin when he was a boy. Mayella goes on to testify that Tom choked her, released his grip, and threw a glancing punch off of her right eye. Atticus comments, "You're becoming suddenly clear on this point" (Lee 250). Mayella's sudden recollection raises several "red flags," as well as Mayella's refusal to answer Atticus' final set of questions.

The reader learns that Mayella's father was, more than likely, the perpetrator because he was an abusive alcoholic and it would have been physically impossible for Tom to have assaulted her. Mayella's testimony is also conflicting and deeply flawed. The reader learns that Mayella's story is fabricated and that Tom Robinson is being wrongfully accused.

Who was Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce tribe?

Chief Joseph was, as you say, a member of the Nez Perce tribe who lived in an area that is now made up of parts of the states of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho.  He is best known for having led a faction of the Nez Perce who resisted being pushed onto a reservation.  This faction attempted to make it to Canada, where they thought they could live as they wanted.  However, they were caught by the US Army in Idaho before they could reach Canada.  This was when Chief Joseph allegedly gave a speech that has helped to make him famous, one in which he supposedly said that his heart was “sick and sad” and that he would “fight no more forever.” 

Chief Joseph was born in what is now Northeastern Oregon in 1840.  His real name translates to something like “Thunder Rolling Down the Mountain.”  He was widely known as Young Joseph because his father was called Old Joseph.  His father had this name because he had been baptized at a mission in what is now Northern Idaho a few years before Chief Joseph was born. 

Old Joseph was one of the leaders of the Nez Perce.  As such, he had been very involved in dealing with the white authorities in what was then the Washington Territory.  In 1855, Old Joseph was involved in setting up a reservation for the Nez Perce in what is now Oregon, Washington, and Idaho.  This reservation was quite large and included much of the Nez Perce’s historical lands, including the Wallowa Valley, where Young Joseph was born. 

As was very common in the spread of the US across the continent, American authorities soon wanted to reduce the size of the reservation.  Gold had been found in the area and whites wanted the land for themselves.  In 1863, the American authorities proposed a new, much smaller reservation that did not include the Wallowa Valley and much of the Nez Perce heartland.  In another common historical occurrence, some of the Nez Perce accepted this new reservation and signed a treaty while others did not.  This led to a split in the tribe.

In 1871, Old Joseph died and Chief Joseph took over as leader of his band of non-treaty Nez Perce.  He continued to negotiate with US authorities.  In 1873, he got the government to agree that the Nez Perce could remain in the Wallowa Valley.  Four years later, however, the government changed its mind and the Nez Perce were ordered to leave.  Joseph’s band of Nez Perce was once again divided on the question of whether to go or to fight.  Joseph was inclined to avoid fighting, but others in the band killed a number of white settlers and the whole band decided to flee.

This is when Chief Joseph started to rise to fame.  For more than three months, the band of Nez Perce travelled through parts of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana, trying to make it to Canada, where Sitting Bull was living with a band of his people.  The US Army pursued the Indians as they went, and many battles were fought.  Chief Joseph is said to have led his people with great skill during this trek, which is often called the Nez Perce War.

Finally, in October of 1877, the Army caught the Nez Perce, who were largely out of supplies and exhausted, about 40 miles short of the Canadian border.  Chief Joseph surrendered, allegedly saying,

Hear me, my chiefs! I am tired; my heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever.

However, as with many alleged speeches by Indian leaders, it is not at all clear that Chief Joseph actually spoke these words.  Whatever the truth is, Joseph became famous as the skillful war leader of the Nez Perce and as the eloquent speaker who finally surrendered his people for their own good.

Joseph continued to lead his band after they were captured and sent to Kansas and then to Oklahoma.  He tried to get the government to allow them to return to the Wallowa Valley, but failed.  Eventually, his band was sent to Northeastern Washington, where they lived on a reservation with Indians from other tribes in the region.  Joseph died on this reservation in 1904.

Chief Joseph, then, was a famous Native American leader of the Nez Perce tribe.  He is famous for having led his people on their trek towards Canada and for having fought brilliantly as he did so.  He is famous for the words that he allegedly spoke when surrendering, and he is famous for having constantly worked on behalf of his people until his death.

How did slavery in America develop?

Slavery developed in America over time. As more colonies were created, especially in the South, the need for slaves grew. Some slaves came with the original settlers. Slaves were used in the Jamestown settlement to help with the growing of tobacco. As farming became more important, so did the need for the slaves.

The South was an excellent region for farming. The soil was very fertile, and the climate was warm and mild. Some southerners had very large farms. The farm owners wanted inexpensive labor to work on these farms, which were called plantations. Having slaves work on these farms could fill this need.

When Eli Whitney developed the cotton gin in 1793, the need for slaves also grew. The cotton gin made it easier to separate the seeds from short-staple cotton. Since short-staple cotton could be grown anywhere in the South, the whole South was now open for growing cotton, which was a very profitable crop to grow. The ability to grow more cotton increased the need for slaves. The cotton gin was a critical factor in increasing the number of slaves needed in the South.

To some degree, the continuation of slavery also resulted from a belief that the European race and ways of life were superior to the African race and ways of life. Eventually, slavery became so ingrained in the culture of the South, it was hard for southerners to see a life where there was no slavery.

Slavery was a part of our history from the time the earliest settlers came until the Civil War ended.

What is the source of the conflict between John the Savage and Bernard Marx?

In Aldous Huxley's dystopian novel Brave New World, John the Savage and Bernard Marx are aligned to become allies. Both men are seen as outsiders by the dominant social class in the ruling society, the Alphas. However, their contrasting perspectives on the Alphas and on the society in general lead them to deep interpersonal conflict, revealing their literary classification as foils. 

Bernard is rejected by the Alphas despite the fact that he is one of them. He desperately seeks to be accepted, and he seeks solace in anger and rejection of the Alphas when he has no power to influence their perception of him. However, once they begin to treat him as one of their own, he will do anything to maintain his status. 

On the other hand, John is from the Reservation, and the Alphas eagerly accept him out of curiosity -- he is a novelty to them. However, he finds their society and beliefs distasteful. As such, he rejects and rebels against society and the Alphas, presenting a clear opposition to Bernard's perspective. 

Where does Melba get her diary in Warriors Don't Cry?

Melba's wise grandmother, Grandma India, gives Melba her diary. When Melba was about six, she told her grandmother that she thought bodies were just containers for sprits and that one day, she would exchange her black body for a white body so she could have more control. Her grandmother agrees with her about spirits but says that what Melba wants is to be free, not to be white. Her grandmother recognizes Melba's need to write down some of her deep thoughts, and she buys Melba a pink diary that she can lock with a small key (page 11). Each night, Melba goes to her bedroom and eagerly addresses letters to God in her diary. She later writes in her diary during her tumultuous and difficult year at Central High School. Her entries are addressed to God, and they help her process what is going on.

What is the meaning of "be a hero in the battle of life" in Longfellow's "A Psalm of Life"?

This phrase comes from two different lines of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem "A Psalm of Life." When put together, they create a phrase which encourages people to be heroic in the battlefield that is life:

In the world's broad field of battle, 

   In the bivouac of Life, 

Be not like dumb, driven cattle! 

   Be a hero in the strife!

The entire poem itself is about someone imploring a psalmist to value the beauty and fullness of life. This narrator tells the psalmist not to think of life as empty. He reminds the psalmist that, while the body turns to dust after death, the soul lives on. People leave legacies after their deaths. In the future, someone else might see that legacy and be encouraged.

On the battlefield that is life, the narrator encourages people to be heroic. They should not walk through life mindlessly and meaninglessly. Instead, they should intentionally fight for meaning and purpose in life. They should live in the present, and embrace the reality of life.

What is the main debate in the interpretation of "The Road Not Taken?"

In "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost, the usual debate centers around the speaker's choice to take the road less traveled. While some think it is best to take the road less traveled "because it was grassy and wanted wear," the speaker tells the story "with a sigh somewhere ages and ages hence." The sigh is confusing because it could be a contented sigh, or it could be a sigh of disappointment and regret. 

The speaker offers no clues about the nature of the sigh, so it is ambiguous and open to debate. The name of the piece itself is interesting and may contribute to the argument - it is called "The Road Not Taken," and not "The Road Less Traveled." Robert Frost names the piece after the road he chose not to go down, which makes the speaker seem wistful for a second chance at choosing between roads. Because the poem is open to interpretation, it is relatable to all who are making similar choices, for everyone learns that choosing a specific path will make "all the difference."

Another topic sometimes debated is the question of whether the speaker has actually taken the road less traveled. The speaker seems to acknowledge at one point that "both that morning equally lay / In leaves no step had trodden black." Does the speaker take the road less traveled—or just the one that initially seemed that way?

How do past inequalities connect to current inequalities in John Steinbeck's novel Of Mice and Men?

John Steinbeck's novella Of Mice and Men features many social inequalities that continue to plague modern society. I'll list and briefly explain each both in the context of the text and in today's world: 

1. Racism: 
   In Of Mice and Men, Candy is the only black character. He lives separately from the other men, all of whom are white, and is treated as inherently inferior. Racism, both overt and covert, continues to influence the ways in which many African Americans and other People of Color in the USA are treated. 


2. Ableism:
   Of Mice and Men features two types of disabilities. Candy is physically disabled, missing a hand, whereas Lennie is mentally disabled, with a disorder, undefined, that reduces his abilities to reason and make decisions. Many modern people struggle with ableism, which makes many buildings inaccessible to physically disabled people and insinuates a degree a dependency for many mentally disabled people who are often capable of far more than they are credited with. 


3. Sexism: 
   The sole female character in Of Mice and Men is never given a name; she is simply referred to as Curley's wife. This status as a possessed term instinctively transposes her to the classification of an object, which many feminists continue to fight against today. Modern advertising and media continue to render women as objects rather than subjects. 

What does Ralph Waldo Emerson mean when he says "And we are now men, and must accept in the highest mind the same transcendent destiny?"

To understand this line from "Self-Reliance," we have to put it in context. Emerson is urging the reader to listen to his own intuitive insights, and not put them aside because he doubts his ability to discern the truth.

"A man should learn to detect and watch that gleam of light which flashes across his mind from within, more than the lustre of the firmament of bards and sages. Yet he dismisses without notice his thought, because it is his."

He points out that both children and "great men" have in common a confidence in their own intuitions and insights:

"Great men have always done so, and confided themselves childlike to the genius of their age, betraying their perception that the absolutely trustworthy was seated at their heart, working through their hands, predominating in all their being."

This leads to the line in question. Emerson has explained what great men do. They trust in themselves, like children. Once, we were children, and so we possessed this trait of confidence and self-trust.

"And we are now men, and must accept in the highest mind the same transcendent destiny…"

In other words, as adults, we must embrace this childlike trait, and employ our most elevated form of thought to achieve transcendence -- going beyond the limits of the concrete world to appreciate the higher spiritual reality.

To underscore this message of reconnecting with one's childlike self-reliance, Emerson talks further about this virtue in boys. They aren't as oppressed by the pressure to censor themselves. They don't restrain themselves from saying or following through on what they believe, and this, says Emerson is a "healthy attitude of human nature." It's only later, as we grow up, that we stop listening to our inner voices.

"These are the voices which we hear in solitude, but they grow faint and inaudible as we enter into the world. "

And that, says, Emerson, is antithetical to our true purpose. God meant us to trust in our truthful, individualistic voices, and follow them to discover what really matters.

According to "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," what is the only way to escape God's wrath?

Edwards believes sinners can escape God's condemnation by repenting for their sins and accepting Jesus Christ as their ultimate savior.

Edwards's sermon argues the only way to escape God's anger is through complete submission towards him. Salvation is a two-step process. The first step is for human beings to recognize the need to change their lives. Edwards believes individuals sin when they value themselves more than their spiritual identity. Transgressions take place when people live with a focus on their own wants and desires instead of focusing on what God wants. Changing this condition is essential. Edwards believes people must stop thinking their power supersedes God's.  

Edwards feels commitment to a religious identity is the second step to escape God's wrath. Edwards argues that people must pledge themselves to the word of God through his son, Jesus Christ. Acceptance of Christ's teachings and living a life dedicated to the divine is the only escape from God's angry judgment. Edwards believes Christ "has flung the door of mercy wide open, and stands in the door calling and crying with a loud voice to poor sinners; a day wherein many are flocking to him, and pressing into the kingdom of God." Edwards emphasizes the urgency for repentance. He affirms that God has not exercised final judgment because he wants to give people time to acknowledge their wrongdoings.

According to Edwards, how fast will damnation come?

In "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," Jonathan Edwards asserts that damnation "does not slumber; it will come swiftly, and, in all probability, very suddenly" upon those who least expect it.

Edwards expects damnation to come quickly for those he feels are not assured of their salvation. In another part of his sermon, he maintains that many delude themselves into trusting their own "schemes" for ensuring their place in heaven. He argues that it is futile for men to "contrive" for themselves. Rather, he asserts that "whatever pains a natural man takes in religion, whatever prayers he makes, till he believes in Christ, God is under no manner of obligation to keep him a moment from eternal destruction."

In yet another part of his sermon, Edwards tries to frighten his listeners into action. He portrays hell as a place that has been steadily and unequivocally set aside for all sinners. He assures them all that "their damnation does not slumber; the pit is prepared, the fire is made ready, the furnace is now hot, ready to receive them; the flames do now rage and glow."

Basically, Edwards believes his stark portrayal of the horrors of hell will induce his listeners to take the necessary steps towards their own salvation.

How is Aldous Huxley's own life reflected in Brave New World?

The easy answer to this is question is that, like the characters in the book who took the mind-altering drug soma, Huxley also experimented with mind-altering drugs such as mescaline and, most famously  LSD, albeit starting in the 1950s, long after the novel was published. More interestingly, the novel reflects a society on the cusp of change. Huxley was involved with an avant-garde set of friends in post-World War I England known as the Bloomsbury Group. This group rejected Victorian sexual mores and engaged in freer sexual practices than the society at large. Brave New World both satirizes Bloomsbury sexual experiments and extends them out to a whole future society. Because our society, with safe birth control available, has largely embraced these freer sexual mores, it is easy to lose how shocking some of the customs in the book, such as the widespread and socially sanctioned "hooking up" for casual sex, would have been to early audiences. Likewise, the book was written before post World War II consumption patterns set in, so such practices as throwing out clothes insead of mending them would have been more shocking, and comic, to Huxley's contemporaries than they are to us. 

What is a serious cold like?

A serious cold, also called an acute upper respiratory infection, can be very uncomfortable. It's important to know the symptoms as well as how to tell the difference between a cold and a flu so that you can take proper steps to get back to health. The major difference between a cold and flu to watch out for is the duration of onset of symptoms. If you start to feel poorly over the course of a few days, it's probably a cold. If your symptoms come in within the course of a few hours, however, you should be treated for the flu.

An acute or serious cold may have symptoms like fever, a sore throat, coughing, sneezing, congestion, and fatigue. When you have a cold, it's important to stay hydrated, get plenty of rest, and use appropriate medication as needed. You may need to stay home from work or school to avoid spreading your cold or over-working your body, which might make it take longer to recover. Cold symptoms usually peak within the first few days, and the flu typically resolves itself in about the same amount of time. It your symptoms persist longer than a week, you should consider seeing a physician. Of course, if you develop any really severe symptoms like a high fever or you cannot keep fluids down, visit the hospital as soon as possible.

What does Daniel tell Jesus about himself?

In Chapter 21, Daniel visits Jesus to warn him about his enemies. Jesus thanks Daniel then asks him why he is troubled. Daniel tells Jesus, "Because I don't know where to turn. Everything has failed. Everything I hoped and lived for" (Speare 223). Daniel is confused and losing hope in his cause. When Jesus asks Daniel what he lives for, Daniel responds by telling Jesus that he lives for freedom from Rome and to avenge his father's death. Jesus notices that Daniel lives for two reasons, and Daniel comments that they are essentially the same thing. Jesus then asks Daniel if he is sure, and Daniel becomes frustrated. He voices his displeasure and tells Jesus that all he wanted was a chance. Daniel doesn't know how or why all of his plans failed but feels a sense of hopelessness. Daniel goes on to tell Jesus how Samson sacrificed his life for him, and died without understanding anything about Israel or the kingdom. Jesus acknowledges that Samson gave all he had and asks how Daniel will repay him. Daniel says, "By vengeance!" (Speare 224). Jesus asks Daniel if he can repay love with hate, and Daniel stubbornly responds by saying, "Should I love the Romans who killed him?" (Speare 224). When Daniel finally tells Jesus that he will fight for him, Jesus simply says, "I would ask something much harder than that. Would you love for me to the end?" (Speare 225).

According to Mr. Douglass no other nation would have the nerve to put a law like The Fugitive Slave Law on its books. Why not?

A lot of countries have had slavery throughout history. Slavery was essentially the default labor system in most of the world from the dawn of civilization until well into the 18th century.

But the US slavery system was unusual in a number of ways, which can help explain why the US would establish such a historically unusual (as far as I can tell, unprecedented) law as the Fugitive Slave Act.

First, slavery was not legal in all the United States. Most countries had more centralized governments where slavery was either legal in the whole country or illegal in the whole country; the federalized US system was decentralized enough that there were both "free states" and "slave states" within the United States.

Second, in the US, slavery co-existed with an industrialized economy. For most of history, slavery has been used predominantly for agriculture, and is most common in countries that have heavily agriculture-dependent economies. The US economy was quite industrialized, however--especially by the standards of the time--but it was again not industrialized everywhere. Free states in the North were much more industrialized than slave states in the South. Even aside from its moral horrors, slavery just isn't an efficient system when you are industrialized. So it wasn't just moral compunction that kept slavery out of the North (many people in the North actually had no particular problem with slavery); it was also basic economic incentives.

With this in mind, we can understand the Fugitive Slave Act as a strange kind of compromise. (Indeed, it was part of the Compromise of 1850.) The South wanted slavery to be legal everywhere, while the North wanted all slaves freed. Congress was too divided between North and South for either measure to pass, so instead a compromise was struck where slavery would remain legal in the South and illegal in the North, but the "property rights" of Southern slaveowners would still be protected by requiring federal marshals to arrest and return fugitive slaves. In practice, almost no evidence was required to convict someone of being a fugitive slave, so many people who had been born free--but Black--were sent into slavery as a result of the law.

To Frederick Douglass, this law no doubt seemed extremely hypocritical (hence his line about "the nerve"), but I don't think it was uniquely hypocritical as far as national policies go, once you factor in that the US has a federalized system and states were fiercely divided on the issue of slavery. Compromise between widely divergent opponents often comes out looking like hypocrisy. Whereas most countries had a unified policy on slavery either for or against, the US was strongly divided, and so had a strange mix of pro-slavery and anti-slavery policies depending on which side won any given argument.

We might like to imagine that all reasonable people would be opposed to slavery from the start, but that simply wasn't true; millions of Americans supported slavery and voted accordingly. The real lesson here is that otherwise good people can think and do some truly terrible things--and we should perhaps think about what sort of terrible things we might be doing that we don't realize, which our descendants will some day look back on and be appalled.

In Adrienne Rich's poem "Diving into the Wreck," what context encouraged Rich to write this poem? Who is the author directing her message toward?

There was a lot going on in the world which may have prompted Adrienne Rich to write "Diving into the Wreck." On a personal level, Rich went through painful problems in her marriage to her husband, Alfred Conrad, an economics professor at Harvard. Rich moved out of their shared house into her own apartment, and in 1970, Conrad killed himself. A few years later, Rich acknowledged her identity as a gay woman and moved in with her female partner.

On a more public level, the United States was embroiled in turmoil in the early 1970s, with the Vietnam War, issues of race still topic on the tail of the Civil Rights Movement, and the fight for women's equality sparking across the country. As a feminist and political poet, Rich was very likely inspired to write this poem by the chaos around her, both in the private and public spheres. The poem deals with gender and sexual identity, encountering the "damaged" self, and the search for understanding the pain in our lives.

Rich likely wrote this poem to encourage those around her—Americans, particularly American women—to begin this journey into the self, which is, after all, an inevitable one. As Rich poignantly points out at the conclusion of the poem,

We are, I am, you are

by cowardice or courage

the one who find our way

back to this scene.

Why did S.E. Hinton create Johnny as a character in The Outsiders?

Johnny Cade plays a significant role in the novel The Outsiders. S.E. Hinton created the character of Johnny to drive the plot of the story and develop other characters in the novel. When Johnny stabs and kills Bob Sheldon, the plot advances, as he and Ponyboy are forced to hide out on Jay Mountain. During their time spent hiding out in the abandoned church, Ponyboy and Johnny become close friends. Through their conversations and experiences, Ponyboy gains perspective on life and becomes a more empathetic character. After Johnny is seriously injured in the church fire, Ponyboy visits him in the hospital. Hinton invokes emotion by depicting Johnny's tragic condition, and Dally is negatively affected by the death of his close friend. Dally ends up losing his mind and is killed by the police after he robs a store. Following Johnny and Dally's deaths, Ponyboy becomes extremely depressed until he reads a note Johnny wrote to him in the hospital. Johnny's note significantly influences Ponyboy and motivates him to tell the story of the Greasers. Hinton created the character of Johnny Cade in order to develop Ponyboy's character, evoke emotion from the reader, and drive the plot of the novel.

Describe the lives of the Chinese people during the Cultural Revolution, paying particular attention to women.

During the Cultural Revolution of 1966-1976, Mao tried to silence internal critics, reduce inequalities between social classes, and restore a sense of Communist fervor in Chinese youth. These years were hard for all Chinese people, including women. The Red Guards were tasked with carrying out what was called "mass criticism campaigns" in which they questioned and harassed people who were accused or suspected of carrying out anti-Communist (or capitalist) activities. Red Guards often had a free hand to torture and harass people, and they raped, beat, and tortured women, particularly those seen as "bourgeoisie." Some women were also sent to labor camps and separated from their families as punishment. During much of this time period, universities stopped functioning. It is estimated that anywhere from 500,000 to 7 million Chinese people were killed during the Cultural Revolution, and many people who were deemed "intellectuals" had to serve time in harsh labor camps. 

What was Orwell's job in Lower Burma?

In "Shooting An Elephant," George Orwell writes about his experiences while he was employed as a "sub-divisional police officer" in Moulmein, a town in Lower Burma. This means Orwell policed the town, alongside other Indians (as Burma was a province of India at this time) while representing the interests of the British Empire.

From the text, we can learn about Orwell's duties as the sub-divisional police officer. When an elephant goes on the land around Moulmein, for example, Orwell is called on by his superior to bring the situation under control. He has no love for this particular duty, nor for the job more generally, and it is clear from the text that he is "hated by large numbers of people" in Moulmein. They jeer and assault him at every given opportunity, though lack the "guts" to commit open rebellion. As such, Orwell experiences intense hatred towards his job:

As for the job I was doing, I hated it more bitterly than I can perhaps make clear. In a job like that you see the dirty work of Empire at close quarters.

Despite his hatred of the job, Orwell served in Burma for five years, from 1922 until 1927. (See the reference link provided.)

What is the theme of "Marriage is a Private Affair" by Chinua Achebe?

The theme of a piece of literature is the truth about human nature revealed in the story. A theme is often linked to a change in a main character. The theme of Chinua Achebe's short story "Marriage is a Private Affair" may be that the father, Okeke, realizes in the end that love, especially familial love, is more important than tradition. The conflict in the story revolves around Okeke's disapproval of his son's marriage to a girl who is outside of their ethnic group. Nnaemeka, from the Ibo tribe, marries Nene, an Ibibio woman, much to the dismay of Okeke, who objects to Nene for multiple reasons. Not only is she not Ibo, but she is also a teacher; and in Okeke's understanding of Christianity, women should not be teachers. Moreover, Okeke had intended for Nnaemeka to marry a girl from his small village because tradition usually dictated that fathers would arrange the marriages of their sons in the Ibo culture.

Because Nnaemeka goes ahead with the marriage anyway, Okeke basically disowns him and doesn't see him for eight years. In the meantime, the couple are happy and prosperous. They have two sons who soon learn about their grandfather and "insist" on being taken to him. When Nene writes to Okeke about her sons' wishes, he begins to soften and the suggestion at the end of the story is that Okeke will eventually see his son's family. While tradition is obviously important to Okeke, his family means even more, and in the last line of the story he worries that "he might die without making it up to them."

What difficulty does Tiresias predict for Odysseus's journey in The Odyssey?

In Book 11 of The Odyssey, Tiresias tells Odysseus in the Kingdom of the Dead that Odysseus will have a difficult trip home. Tiresias, the prophet, says, "a god will make it hard for you--I know--/you will never escape the one who shakes the earth" (lines 113-114; Fagels translation). Tiresias knows that Poseidon, the god of the sea who makes the earth quake, will make Odysseus's trip home difficult because Odysseus blinded the Cyclops, who is Poseidon's son. 

Tiresias says that Odysseus and his crew might still reach home safely if they leave the cattle belonging to Helios alone on Thrinacia Island. However, if Odysseus and his men hurt or take these cattle, Tiresias predicts that Odysseus's men and ship will be destroyed. Tiresias says, "And even if you escape, you'll come home late/and come a broken man" (lines 128-129). Tiresias says that when Odysseus comes home after a long and arduous journey, he'll find "crude, arrogant men" (line 133) eating all his food and wooing his wife. Once Odysseus slays these suitors, he will have to travel to a land where no one knows about the sea and make sacrifices to Poseidon. Only then will Odysseus be able to die in peace. 

Write and solve the differential equation that models the verbal statement. Evaluate the solution at the specified value of the independent...

The rate of change of N is the derivative of N with respect to t, or `(dN)/(dt)` . If the rate of change of N is proportional to N, then

`(dN)/(dt) = kN` , where k is the proportionality constant. This is the differential equation we need to solve.

To solve it, separate the variables:

`(dN)/N = kdt`

Integrating both sides results in

`lnN = kt + C` , where C is another constant. This can be rewritten in exponential form as

`N = e^(kt + C) = N_0e^(kt)` . Here, `N_0 = e^C` and it equals N(t) when t = 0.

When t = 0, N = 250, so

`N(0) = N_0 = 250` and `N(t) = 250e^(kt)` is the solution of the differential equation above with the initial condition N(0) = 250.

To find k, we can use that when t = 1, N = 400:

`N(1) = 250e^(k*1) = 400`

`e^k = 400/250 = 8/5 = 1.6`

k = ln(1.6)

Plugging this back into N(t), we get

`N(t) = 250e^(t*ln(1.6)) = 250*1.6^t` .

Then, for t = 4, `N(4) = 250*1.6^4 =1638.4 `

So, the solution of the equation modeling the given verbal statement is

`N(t) = 250*1.6^t` and for t = 4, N = 1638.4.

Is the violent society of Verona the main cause of the tragic events in Romeo and Juliet?

I do believe the violence in Verona, violence that is the result of the long-standing feud between the Montague and Capulet families, is the main factor that contributes to the tragedy of the play.  First, if Romeo's and Juliet's families had not been so at odds with one another, it seems likely that they would have sanctioned the marriage between the two teenagers since the families were "alike in dignity" (Prologue, line 1).  They would not have had to hide their feelings for one another if there were not such a violent grudge between their families.  If they'd been able to be open about their relationship, then Juliet's parents never would have tried to force her to marry Paris, she would not have been made desperate, and events would not have led to her own and Romeo's deaths.

Furthermore, without the history of violence between the families, Tybalt never would have challenged Romeo, he would not have killed Mercutio, and Romeo would not have killed him.  Romeo, then, would not have been banished, and he and Juliet would not have been made desperate by being kept apart.  In short, the violence in the community that resulted from the feud between the Montagues and Capulets caused the tragedy of the story.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, why does Tom run after Mayella jumps on him, even though it is a sign of guilt?

Tom runs because he is afraid of being seen with a white woman. 

Tom Robinson never did anything to Mayella Ewell. He felt sorry for her because she was alone and had a lot of younger siblings to take care of, so he tried to help her. During the cross-examination when Tom Robinson testifies, the prosecutor Mr. Gilmer tries to convince the jury that Tom Robinson ran because he had done something wrong.

Robinson admits Mayella Ewell kissed him and he ran, but he says he never did anything to her. He certainly never raped her. Atticus establishes that Robinson could not have caused the injuries to her face because he had no use of his left arm and the injuries were done by a left-handed person. 

When Mr. Gilmer asks Tom Robinson if Mr. Ewell ran him off, Robinson responds that he “didn’t stay long enough” for Ewell to run him off. He says he ran because he was scared. Gilmer tries to use that against him. 

“If you had a clear conscience, why were you scared?”

“Like I says before, it weren’t safe for any nigger to be in a — fix like that.”

“But you weren’t in a fix — you testified that you were resisting Miss Ewell. Were you so scared that she’d hurt you, you ran, a big buck like you?”

“No suh, I’s scared I’d be in court, just like I am now” (Chapter 19).

Mr. Gilmer tries to take Tom Robinson’s running away as a sign of guilt. He asks him if he was actually afraid of facing the court. Robinson responds that he was “scared I’d hafta face up to what I didn’t do.” Mr. Gilmer calls him impudent. He can’t get Robinson to admit that he raped or assaulted Mayella, because he didn’t. 

Dill is sickened by this exchange and has to be removed from the courtroom. He is upset Mr. Gilmer is patronizing Tom Robinson and calling him “boy.” Gilmer focuses on the fact that Robinson is black, and implicitly arguing that should be enough evidence for the jury. In fact, it turns out it is. Despite the fact that there is no evidence, Robinson is convicted.

How did life and landscape change on the Great Plains by 1900?

There were many changes that occurred in the Great Plains by 1900. One change was the status of the Native Americas. The Native Americans had been able to roam the Great Plains since they were relocated there in the 1830s. However, by 1900, the government policy toward the Native Americans had changed. They were placed onto reservations and didn’t roam throughout the area as much.

Two additional changes to the life and landscape of the Great Plains were the growth of the population and the emergence of farming. Many people had viewed the Great Plains as a vast wasteland. However, after the Civil War, people began to move there. With the use of sod houses and the development of new technology, people could live in the area and farm the land. New machines like the steel-tipped plow and the use of the seed drill made it easier to plant crops and farm the land. The mechanical reaper made it easier to harvest the crops. Thus, the population of the area grew.

People also moved to this area to find minerals and to raise cattle. As word spread about the discovery of gold and other minerals, people moved to the Great Plains. As it became more profitable to raise cattle, more people went there to do this. During the Civil War, the demand for meat increased. This helped to make cattle ranching a more profitable economic pursuit.

Another change was the growth of businesses. As more people moved to the Great Plains, businesses began to move there also. Transportation improved allowing businesses to be able to get supplies to the region and to ship products from the region. It also was easier for people to get to and from the Great Plains.

As more people moved to the Great Plains, the number of states in our country increased. Nebraska, Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota are examples of states that entered the Union after the Civil War.

There were many changes that occurred in the Great Plains by 1900.

How did Paul's visual impairment help him adjust to the tough students at Tangerine Middle School?

There are two possible answers to your question.

Erik, Paul’s despicable older brother, is responsible for Paul’s visual impairment. Because Erik suspected that Paul told Mr. and Mrs. Fisher about one of Erik’s minor misdeeds, Erik and his sidekick spray-painted Paul’s eyes. Paul compares the Tangerine Middle School tough kids, who burn off steam by karate chopping each other and making inappropriate jokes,  to Erik, who unleashes his cruelty and sadism on Paul whenever their parents aren’t looking. Even though an adult  would likely disapprove of the Tangerine Middle School kids’ hijinks, Paul knows that the Tangerine kids aren’t true bullies like Erik. They are loud, exuberant, and full of life; however, unlike Erik’s profound cruelty , their mean behavior is only a show.

Paul’s satisfaction with Tangerine Middle School relates to one of Tangerine’s themes. Throughout the novel, characters learn that danger often lurks beneath a perfect surface. Things aren’t as they seem! Therefore, the Tangerine Middle tough guys eventually help Paul overcome his fears and face his brother. In contrast, Erik and Arthur, the ostensibly perfect football players, hide several dirty secrets.

Additionally, Paul’s visual impairment makes him more flexible and accepting. He says that his blindness makes him constantly feel like an outsider. He certainly feels excluded  at Lake Windsor Downs, where he is given an IEP and forced off the soccer team. Since Paul is often excluded from his community, he has a soft spot for outsiders. For example, you can see Paul’s love for outsiders in the freak show scene. Paul instantly connects with the characters behind the glass. Likewise, Paul connects to the Tangerine Middle School students since they are stereotyped and shunned by the wealthy families in the area.

In Hatchet where does Brian sit in the plane?

Brian sits in the copilot seat of the small plane. 

The plane Brian takes to Canada is a Cessna 406, a very small “bush-plane.”  He is the only passenger.  The pilot is not very talkative either. 

He was thirteen and the only passenger on the plane … [Since] Brian had come to the small airport in Hampton, New York to meet the plane—driven by his mother—the pilot had spoken only five words to him. "Get in the copilot's seat." Which Brian had done. (Ch. 1) 

Brian finds sitting in the copilot’s seat exciting.  After all, he has never flown a plane before and sitting there makes him feel like he is helping fly the plane.  He can see how it works. 

He had never flown in a single-engine plane before and to be sitting in the copilot's seat with all the controls right there in front of him, all the instruments in his face as the plane clawed for altitude, jerking and sliding on the wind currents as the pilot took off, had been interesting and exciting. (Ch. 1) 

Later, the pilot even lets Brian fly the plane a little, teaching him about autopilot and how some of the controls work.  Brian is nervous about this at first, but it is thrilling and interesting.  He will need these skills later when his pilot has a heart attack and Brian has to land, or crash, the plane himself. 

During the plane ride, Brian is not in a very good head space.  He is upset because his parents are getting divorced, and he knows why.  He knows about the affair that his mother had.  He finds it hard to say good-bye to her, because he does not even know what to say or how to be around her.  He is very depressed about the secret he is keeping.

What role does the Internet play in international competitiveness? How can managers protect the proprietary technology of their firms?

The internet has a profound impact on the way businesses market and distribute their products. With the internet, intellectual goods and services can be produced in one part of the world and distributed in a completely different part of the world. Additionally, the spread of information both helps and hinders the producers of intellectual property—although intellectual goods can easily span the globe and earn the producers more revenue, controlling those properties is extremely difficult and can lead to a loss of money over time.

First, it is critical to address how the internet plays a role in international competition. Due to online sales and marketing, intellectual properties such as songs, videos, literature, and other art forms can be accessed instantly from almost anywhere in the world. The ease of access to information can be a great thing for people who want to sell their properties to the widest consumer base possible. This also means a property that may have only existed in one part of the world can now exist elsewhere and enter the international market.

Consider a short story written in Hindi. Imagine this short story were to be published online in its native language in India. With the internet, that same story can be shared in France (or any other country). In fact, that story can be easily translated online, which allows the author to reach a much wider audience and earn more money for the product. That also means the story, once only marketable to an audience in India, can now compete within an international marketplace! On the other hand, anyone who has access to the short story can (illegally) take the initiative to translate it into any other language. If, for instance, the story is translated into Spanish by a third party, the author may not know and won't be able to collect revenue for their work. Additionally, the author is likely to lose control of their property as soon as it hits the web.

This story brings up another important point: how managers can protect the proprietary technology of their firms. No matter the source, the people who produce and own intellectual goods reserve the right to control the distribution of their own properties. With the internet, however, control for something like a short story is very difficult. With written properties, some managers choose to put the product behind a paywall with a third party service such as Amazon or Bluefire. These services make products more difficult to redistribute because they prevent readers from downloading, printing, or copying the product. These services may even watermark a digital version of the product so that, if an illegal version does pop up somewhere, the managers can locate the source of the copyright violator. Similar to written words, songs and videos are protected online. Publishers can use third party services like YouTube, Vimeo, and iTunes to host their intellectual work while maintaining some control over the content. Additionally, art pieces and photographic images can be published with low-quality version previews (to prevent downloads) or screen blocks (to prevent screen shots). Despite these and other ways to attempt to protect intellectual property, the internet still makes it very easy for people seeking to violate copyright to do so.

The “Corrupt Bargain” during the Election of 1824 indicates that the following was most central to the presidency at that time: A.) The...

The Corrupt Bargain during the Election of 1824 indicated the importance of the Secretary of State as a precursor to the presidency (Answer D). Let's consider why this is:

The Election of 1824 involved five candidates running as Democratic-Republicans after the Republican-Federalist model failed. No one received a majority of the votes in the Electoral College, and so the House of Representatives chose between two candidates. The House was led by the speaker of the House, Henry Clay, who chose John Quincy Adams for the presidency. Clay was then given the position of Secretary of State by Adams as thanks for this maneuver.

Ultimately, this election was labeled as corrupt due to the fact that Andrew Jackson, who had received ninety-nine votes in the Electoral College, was widely considered the stronger choice for the presidency; Clay, thus, did not receive a warm welcome to the office.