What are key phrases or quotes from The Boy In the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne?

There are many important quotations from The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. First, let us look at a few that have to do with the characterization of Bruno and the theme of innocence.

What exactly was the difference? He wondered to himself. And who decided which people wore the striped pajamas and which people wore the uniforms?

This quotation shows Bruno (in all of his innocence) revealing true wisdom.  Bruno is speaking about the "difference" between the Jews imprisoned in Auschwitz, the soldiers under Hitler's control, and young Germans like Bruno. The beauty behind Bruno's words here is that there really is not a difference at all. They are all people worthy of love, respect, and friendship.

We're not supposed to be friends, you and me. We're meant to be enemies. Did you know that? 

This quotation is spoken by Bruno to Shmuel.  It reveals Bruno's innocence.  It also contains the realization that, according to Hitler, Germans and Jews are never supposed to be friends.  It is also the reason why Bruno immediately parrots that he is "superior."  

Next we should look a two quotations that reveal the purpose behind the book.  The first looks at the theme of friendship and how this type of love can transcend all boundaries.

He looked down and did something quite out of character for him: he took hold of Shmuel's tiny hand in his and squeezed it tightly.  "You're my best friend, Shmuel," he said. "My best friend for life.” ... Despite the mayhem that followed, Bruno found that he was still holding Shmuel's hand in his own and nothing in the world would have persuaded him to let go.

These are Bruno's and Shmuel's last moments.  The two best friends are holding hands and walking into the gas chamber to their deaths.  Willing to die for each other, the two face death together because of their great friendship.  This power behind this friendship theme is one of the purposes behind this book.  Friendship can transcend all obstacles.

Their lost voices must continue to be heard.

Finally, we come to another quotation that reveals a purpose of this novel:  to give a voice to the lost people of the Holocaust.  Many of these lost people were Jews from Poland, just like Shmuel and his parents.  In writing a book like this, John Boyne makes sure that these lost voices are, in fact, heard.

What are the similarities and differences in the living conditions between Night and Farewell to Manzanar?

Night and Farewell to Manzanar are two memoirs written by individuals persecuted during the Second World War. For an American, it is eerie to see the similarities between a concentration camp like Auschwitz and Manzanar: barbed wire fences, armed soldiers, and long rows of bunkhouses. Yet for the people inside, the living conditions in these two places were widely different.

In Auschwitz, the goal was to exterminate the Jewish race and others the Nazis found unacceptable. Some were immediately sent to the gas chamber and crematorium, while others were worked to death over a series of weeks or months. In Manzanar and other internment camps in the United States, the goal was to contain Japanese residents until the end of the war. Clothes and food were provided, along with education for children.

That is not to say, though, that living conditions in Manzanar were anything close to ideal. Thin shacks provided by the American military offered little protection against the cold desert nights. Restrooms and other sanitary accommodations were poor at the best of times. Also, as Jews in Europe experienced, Japanese Americans were forced to sell their homes, businesses, and other belongings before they were ‘deported’ to Manzanar or other camps.

Though very few people died as a result of internment, the similarities between Nazi concentration camps and American internment camps is an unsettling reminder about the power and destructive nature of racism.

What is ironic about Lady Macbeth's state of mind in Macbeth, Act 5, scene 1?

In Act 5, scene 1, Lady Macbeth is seen to sleepwalk as a result of her guilty conscience.  Ironically, it was Macbeth who -- immediately after he killed Duncan -- feared that he would never be able to sleep peacefully again, and Lady Macbeth found him cowardly and weak.  Now, it is she who cannot sleep peacefully.  Further, after the murder of Duncan, Lady Macbeth had said, "A little water clears us of this deed. / How easy it is then!" (2.2.86-87).  Now, however, she washes her hands over and over and over, believing that "All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand" (5.1.53-55).  She once thought it would be easy to wipe the guilt away from her mind, just as she could wipe the blood off her hands; now, she feels, ironically, that the blood remains on her hands because the crime remains on her conscience.  An additional irony is that, after Duncan's murder, she had told Macbeth that "These deeds must not be thought / After these ways; so it will make us mad" (2.2.45-46).  Now, she is the mad one, hallucinating spots of blood still on her hands, reliving the night of the murder, conflating the murder of Duncan with Macbeth's murder of Banquo.

How did the Enlightenment affect the lives of ordinary people?

Perhaps the most obvious way the Enlightenment affected the lives of ordinary people is the role it played in fostering revolutions in the eighteenth century. While the causal link between the Enlightenment and the American and French Revolutions is not a clear one, certainly these revolutions, which changed the lives of millions of ordinary people, were strongly influenced and justified by Enlightenment thought. The Enlightenment affected ordinary people in other ways. Enlightenment thinkers proposed legal reforms in a number of areas, including penal codes, marriage and inheritance laws, and laws regarding religious establishment. Many of these reforms were actually implemented in a number of places, including the United States, Great Britain, and France, and they affected ordinary people as much as anyone else. The "print revolution" that led to increased literacy throughout Europe in the eighteenth-century is also generally associated with the Enlightenment's push for greater literacy, even if most Europeans were not reading Enlightenment texts. At the same time, some changes that emerged among the people--the religious revivals of the Great Awakening, for example--were in many ways a reaction among ordinary people to the rationalism of the Enlightenment.

In what way do you see the plot and characters in the novel parallel to the Spanish Civil War during the time?

The Spanish Civil War, which occurred from 1936 to 1939, was a series of struggles primarily between the supporters of the preexisting Spanish Republic and the proponents of a fascist military coup, with some resistance by anarchists and communists. The novel Nada, by Carmen LaForet, places its main character, Andrea, within a complicated and interwoven set of family conflicts, leaving her with a feeling of emptiness that mirrors the desolate postwar streets of Barcelona. Her aunt Angustias is controlling towards everyone around her, and her uncle Juan abuses his wife; even her best friend, Ena, soon reveals that the friendship between the two was the basis of a plan for revenge against Andrea's uncle, who had once humiliated Ena's mother. These conflicts occasionally become violent in Andrea's family household, and she finds herself feeling deprived of her freedom due to her reliance on her family. The oppressive nature of Andrea's family, which is often violent, abusive, and controlling, parallels the authoritarian postwar government under Franco. Andrea's feeling of meaninglessness, which the title (Spanish for "nothing") echoes, may parallel the sense of loss Spanish people experienced witnessing their democratic government devolve into fascism. Andrea's nihilism in the crumbling household of her ruined family mirrors her reaction to the crumbling streets of postwar Barcelona, providing a sense of hopelessness applicable to the oppressive political situation in postwar Spain, as well as the oppressive set of family conflicts Andrea finds herself trapped within.

What is one of the themes of William Blake's poem "The Tyger?"

The divine source of creation is a theme in William Blake's poem "The Tyger," keeping suit with Blake's Pre-Romantic aesthetic and simultaneous interest in the Bible and irreverence toward the Church of England.

The poem questions, "What immortal hand or eye, / Could frame thy fearful symmetry?" In other words, the poet is questioning what kind of god could be responsible for creating a creature who is inherently destructive in nature. This is an especially potent question within the context of the Lamb referenced in the fifth stanza. How could a divine creator create two such seemingly opposite animals--one that is the pinnacle of innocence and one that is a killer? Blake does not provide any answers to these questions, but rather simply opens a dialogue for a discussion of this duality.

This poem is ultimately also a reflection of the limitations of human understanding, particularly as we try to discern the moral questions of good versus evil. 

How would you describe Miss Brill as she is presented at the beginning of the story?

At the beginning of the story, Miss Brill is old fashioned but whimsical.  She clearly has a ritual where she walks to the park and listens to the band play each Sunday, and she decides to wear her old fox fur, a very old fashioned accessory.  Moreover, her bygone-era formality is further indicated by her appellation: we aren't told her first name; we can only call her "Miss."  Despite her age, she is somewhat playful, thinking of her fox fur as a "little rogue."  The narrator's descriptions of her perception are also whimsical.  The band's music, the ages of the people passing by, what colors they wear: Miss Brill is thrilled by the colors and conversations and sounds.  She is quite imaginative when she begins to fantasize that they are all in a play. 

However, the narrative begins to shift when it seems that she doesn't recognize this fantasy as a product of her imagination.  Miss Brill seems to actually believe that they are in a play, that she would be missed if she failed to appear one Sunday.  At this point, she begins to seem less whimsical and more delusional, less optimistic and perceptive, and actually rather sad.

From chapters 22 and 23 of To Kill a Mockingbird, what literary techniques are used?

Literary techniques, sometimes called narrative techniques, encompass many different strategies that authors use to tell a story. Some examples of literary techniques include juxtaposition, the use of foils, flashbacks, plot twists, and foreshadowing. Chapters 22 and 23 detail events that take place after the Tom Robinson trial. Jem, specifically, struggles through the painful effects of a bildungsroman--otherwise known as a coming-of-age story. For example, Lee tracks Jem's steps from the courtroom to Miss Maudie's house, then to having discussions with Atticus about what occurred during the trial. Jem is baffled that Tom was not allowed to go free. He describes his disappointment with a simile as follows:

"It's like being' a caterpillar in a cocoon, that's what it is . . . Like somethin' asleep wrapped up in a warm place. I always thought Maycomb folks were the best folks in the world, least that's what they seemed like" (215).

Jem's disenchantment with the people of his town opens up the way for him to realize the realities of life in the South. What seemed like a good life in Maycomb is now destroyed by Jem's experience with the prejudices shown during the trial of Tom Robinson. Jem's naive hope that the world always seeks what's right, or that truth will always prevail, is destroyed. As a result, a boy faces the realities of the adult world and must come to terms with them. Consequently, he will never be able to return to his child-like, naive self. 

In chapter 23, discussions at the Finch house become more serious in nature. Jem's brain is filled with questions as he seeks answers while going through his rite of passage. Jem doesn't understand why Tom Robinson would get the death penalty for a conviction of rape. This leads Atticus to teach his son that the problem lies with the prejudices against African Americans, not the law. Atticus gives Jem a lesson on the following clarifying truth:

"As you grow older, you'll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, but let me tell you something and don't you forget it--whenever a white man does that to a black man, no matter who he is, how rich he is, or how fine a family he comes from, that white man is trash" (220).

Thus, Atticus teaches his son about the realities of the adult world in the South. Jem must face these facts and make a decision about what type of man he will become. Therefore, the primary technique used in chapters 22 and 23 is a bildungsroman because the focus is on explaining to Jem about what actually happened during the Tom Robinson trial. Once Jem accepts these new realities, he will enter the world of adults.  

One other technique used in chapter 23 has to do with creating foil characters with Atticus Finch and Bob Ewell. Foils are two characters who are complete opposites of each other. They are pitted against each other to show the difference between two different thoughts, philosophies, or agendas. For example, Atticus represents everything good, wholesome, proper and fair. On the other hand, Bob Ewell is disgusting, uneducated, ill-mannered, and a liar. When Bob Ewell challenges Atticus to a fight, he is disappointed that Atticus's response is that he's too old to fight. As a result, Atticus comes off looking like the better man on so many levels. Not only is Atticus kind and compassionate, but he doesn't hold a grudge towards one of the meanest men in Maycomb, either. For instance, Atticus tells Jem the following about Bob Ewell:

"Jem, see if you can stand in Bob Ewell's shoes a minute. I destroyed his last shred of credibility at that trial, if he had any to begin with. The man had to have some kind of comeback, his kind always does. So if spitting in my face and threatening me saved Mayella Ewell one extra beating, that's something I'll gladly take" (218).

Not only does Bob Ewell spit in Atticus's face, but he also calls him derogatory names in public. Atticus doesn't respond because he can't be provoked to lower himself to Ewell's level. By pitting an evil man against one of the kindest, most loving, and self-contained characters, Lee creates an excellent example of the use of foils to drive her plot forward. The discussions about Bob Ewell in the Finch home after the threatening public display center around protecting themselves from future attacks. These family discussions, and subsequent worries about Ewell by the children, foreshadow the attack on Jem and Scout later on in chapter 28. The following exchange between Atticus and Alexandra can be viewed as a foreshadowing:

"We don't have anything to fear from Bob Ewell, he got it all out of his system that morning.'"

"'I wouldn't be so sure of that, Atticus,' [Aunt Alexandra] said. 'His kind'd do anything to pay off a grudge. You know how those people are'" (218).

Aunt Alexandra's words ring true in the end; therefore, this is a foreshadowing of things to come from this point in the story.

`f(x,y) = x^3 -4xy^2 + y^3` Determine whether the function is homogenous and if it is, determine its degree

Given,

`f(x,y) = x^3 -4xy^2 + y^3`

to check whether it is homogenous or not

`f(tx,ty)=(tx)^3 -4tx (ty)^2 + (ty)^3 = (t^3)(x^3 -4xy^2 + y^3)`

so this is of the form

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

and so the function f(x,y) is homogenous,

`f(tx,ty)= (t^3)(x^3 -4xy^2 + y^3)`

and the Degree `n =3`

What attitudes distinguished the points of view of Mrs. Mallard and those who are concerned about her welfare?

After she receives the news of her husband's death, Louise Mallard understands that she is actually much better off, emotionally, than she ever was when her husband was alive.  Though she knows that he loved her, she can only focus on the fact that she is now "'free, free, free!'"  Despite the fact that their relationship seemed relatively happy, she felt that her will always had bend to his; the Victorian wife had no real identity of her own, and she was forced to allow her husband to make all decisions for their family and livelihood.

Louise's sister and friend, however, are more concerned about her physical well-being.  They are concerned, especially, when she locks herself in her room.  They believe that she has a heart condition, and they are most concerned that the news that her husband has died could kill her as a result of this condition.  Richards even attempts to shield Brently Mallard from his wife's view because he worries that shock of seeing him after she's been told he's dead would kill her; ironically, he's right, but not for the reason he believes. 

Do people talk the way they do in Shakespeare's plays?

No. Most of Shakespeare's plays are written in what is known as blank verse. Blank verse is an unrhymed line of speech written in iambic pentameter. Iambic pentameter is a line of poetry or verse that contains ten syllables (two syllables equal one foot; you may hear this expressed as five feet in future study). The first syllable in a line of iambic pentameter will be unstressed and the second will be stressed and continue in this pattern until the tenth syllable.

o ROmeo, ROmeo! WHEREfore ART thou ROmeo?

Note the lines will often have either nine, ten or eleven syllables but will still follow blank verse.

For the most part, in real life, we speak in various patterns. Occasionally, that will include a blank verse line, but in general, people do not speak this way. Shakespeare's language employed a great deal of puns (word play hinting at two or more meanings to any given word or phrase). Yes, we do speak in puns in day-to-day language, especially when speaking casually or employing common slang with peers. However, Shakespeare’s use of puns was deliberate and measured, and therefore it is likely that we are not quite as deliberate as Shakespeare was when selecting specific speech for his characters. Therefore, though we may find examples of human speech that mirror Shakespeare’s language, we do not, on the whole, speak as Romeo, Juliet, Macbeth, or Lear do.

How does Macbeth destroy what Duncan built up during his reign? Scotland goes from thriving under a just and caring king to being ruined by a...

When Ross visits Lady Macduff, just prior to her murder, he tells her,

cruel are the times when we are traitors
And do not know ourselves; when we hold rumor
From what we fear, yet know not what we fear,
But float upon a wild and violent sea
Each way and move [...]. (4.2.22-26) 

He means that, during Macbeth's reign, people are accused of treason and have no idea why. In times like these, people believe every terrible rumor but don't even know what to really be afraid of; he says that it feels like being thrown around in the ocean and never actually getting anywhere.  This is what it is like to live in Scotland under Macbeth's reign.

When Lennox is speaking to another Lord in Act 3, scene 6, he says that Macduff has gone to England to meet with Malcolm and

warlike Siward,
That by the help of these—with Him above
To ratify the work—we may again
Give to our tables meat, sleep to our nights,
Free from our feasts and banquets bloody knives,
Do faithful homage and receive free honors.
All which we pine for now.  (3.6.36-42)

Lennox is hopeful that, with England's (and God's) aid and Malcolm on the throne, there will once again be enough food to feed everyone, that Scots will be able to sleep peacefully, that their dinners will be free from violent murders, that they will be able to once again respect and revere their king, and that subjects will again be rewarded for their loyalty and service to the crown. They have none of these while Macbeth rules.

How does imagination overcome reason in "The Fall of the House of Usher" and create fear?

Isolated for years inside the Usher house, Roderick's imagination overcomes reason as his seclusion creates a confining and unnatural environment. This bizarre environment engenders his imaginative and hallucinatory attribution of strange occurrences to that of preternatural causes. 

After his twin sister Madeline dies, Roderick is left with his only personal friend from his school days, the narrator. With a terrible sense of isolation now, the crack of the house, like the crack between the living and the dead twins, seems to widen. In fact, Roderick's troubled mind seems to create a pathetic fallacy--the attributing of human feelings and actions to inanimate things--with the decaying mansion and family home. Where there was once a "similitude between brother and sister," now there seems a "similitude" between Usher and his environment. For instance, one night he knocks on the door of his friend (the narrator) and appears to have "restrained hysteria in his whole demeanor." This behavior matches that of what occurs outside the mansion; Roderick opens one of the casements [windows] and exposes a tempestuous night that is

...wildly singular in its terror and beauty. A whirlwind had apparently collected its force...and there were frequent and violent alterations in the direction of the wind.

The narrator closes the casement and urges his disturbed friend not to subject himself to the fury of Nature. In his effort to quiet his friend, the narrator reads aloud to Usher about a medieval knight; however, the narrator now believes that he hears "the very cracking and ripping sound" which Sir Launcelot had so particularly described in the book that he reads aloud. Further, as he continues to read, the narrator is disturbed by a real sound that matches the description of the sound of Launcelot's shield which fell from a wall at his feet. Unnerved by this sound, the narrator jumps up; however, Roderick Usher shudders. He tells his friend that he has also heard this sound. But, with his acute sense of hearing, he has identified it as the sound of Madeline making feeble movements in her casket. Usher tells his friend that rather than being the 

"...breaking of the hermit's door, and the death cry of the dragon, and the clangor of the shield!"

It is, instead

"...the rending of her coffin, and the grating of the iron hinges...and her struggles within the coppered archway of the vault!"

As he has listened to the story along with the accompanying noises in the house, Usher has become increasingly distraught. He insists that Madeline is standing right outside the door. When the door is opened and Madeline does, indeed, stand there in bloody robes, she utters a moaning cry and falls upon her brother as he, too, dies from his shock and fright. In terror, also, the narrator flees.

To "work like a slave" is a well-known expression for working very hard. What significance does it have in terms of the following quotation from...

Since the animals are compared to slaves in this simile, let’s begin by defining slavery. Vocabulary.com states that “Slavery is the brutal practice of forcing someone to work hard without paying them a fair wage, sometimes without paying them at all.” Sound pretty much like the situation the animals find themselves in?

They are tricked into servitude for the pigs under the notion that after the revolution, the farm will belong to all of them.  Yes, they will need to work to produce food, but it is supposed to be a system of true socialism—with all goods they produce being equally divided up among them. Yet Orwell is demonstrating how difficult is is to maintain true socialism, since someone must always take a leadership role, and it is rare (impossible?) to find someone with the wits and talent to lead others who will not eventually become corrupted by their own power. So it is with the pigs.  

They work the animals harder to make up for the work they and their guard dogs aren’t contributing, to make up for the increasing amounts of extra food and supplies they take, and to make a profit they can spend on the luxuries they wish to buy for themselves. To further make ends meet, they must reduce the working animals’ food rations more and more. Finally, like true slaves, the animals receive almost no "pay" for their labor.

As with many corrupt governments, this process gradually evolves. The animals are all in at first, thinking they are working for themselves, but the pigs are smarter and more adept at manipulation. Soon, without even realizing it, the animals are under the full control of their leaders. Chapter six clearly demonstrates this, following the opening line of, "All that year the animals worked like slaves." We are told that they don't begrudge the hard work because it is to "benefit themselves...not for a pack of idle, thieving human beings.” The irony of this is lost on the animals; they truly can't see that they have replaced Mr. Jones with a pack of idle, thieving pigs. Further dramatic irony occurs when their last day of rest, Sunday, is turned into a work day.  Napoleon tells them it is voluntary; however, anyone choosing not to work loses half of his/her already minimal food rations. Like everything else, the animals simply accept this.

Slavery is a heinous condition, and historically, most slaves have been aware that their circumstances are unfair and inhumane. The citizens of Animal Farm, except for Benjamin, are not even able (or perhaps not willing) to understand that they've been tricked into accepting another form of slavery.  Herein lies Orwell's message: think for yourselves and hold your government accountable for supporting the natural rights and freedoms of all citizens, and never let yourself become a slave to the greedy oppression of another.

How did western civilization develop the values that came to dominate the world after the year 1000? Give details.

I'm honestly not sure it's fair to say that there are "values of Western Civilization" that start as early as the year 1000. If you compare the values of modern Western nations like the US, France, Germany, or the UK, they have a lot in common with each other, but little if anything in common with the values they had in the year 1000. Equal rights for women and racial minorities would be seen as absurd in the Medieval Era, and tolerance for anything except the most orthodox Christianity was literally punished as heresy. Instead of gay people getting legally recognized marriages as they do in First World countries today, they were burned to death for their "crime" of sexual deviance. People were even burned at the stake for "crimes" as petty and absurd as believing that Jesus was nailed to the cross with three nails instead of four.

Even democracy, widely regarded as a core Western value, was not at all the norm in European society in the year 1000. Only the Nordic states (such as Sweden, Finland, and Denmark), which at the time were known as the Vikings, had anything remotely resembling democracy during that time (and really it was more like constitutional monarchy), and the rest of Europe regarded them as lawless barbarians (they were not; in fact in many ways, especially with regard to the treatment of women, they were the most progressive culture in the world).

That's not even getting into the enormous technological and economic changes since that time, without which concepts like "sweatshop worker rights" and "Internet neutrality" can't even be formulated.

What I can tell you is the values that were prevalent in Europe during this time, and where they came from---which was mostly from Christianity, specifically a very narrowly defined orthodox Christianity that would eventually become Catholicism. On the upside this meant that values like justice and charity were very important to Europeans; on the downside it meant that values like obedience and orthodoxy were equally important. Anyone who was not Christian was despised or worse, and the Pope held almost absolute power because he was literally believed to be infallible.

It wasn't until centuries later, starting in the Renaissance with the recovery of Classical Greek and Roman texts that had been preserved by Muslim scholars in the Middle East, that Europe began taking on the modern values we now recognize. So the main catalyst for what we currently call "Western Civilization values" was actually Greek culture, as transmitted through Muslim culture, and then applied by Christian culture.

Even then this was a slow process; first innovation came to be valued over orthodoxy in the Renaissance, then rationality was valued over faith in the Enlightenment, and it wasn't until the 18th century and the dawn of the Industrial Revolution that Western cultures began believing in such things as democracy and universal suffrage. We recognize the values of 18th century thinkers like Adam Smith or Thomas Jefferson as broadly consonant with our own (other than being mind-bogglingly racist and sexist); but we don't feel the same about Medieval thinkers like Avicenna and Averroes.

As for why Western values came to dominate the world, there were really two reasons, one good, one bad.

The good reason is that they were better, for the most part; democracy really is better than monarchy, rationality really is better than faith, liberty really is better than obedience. Values that work better at improving human life are values that people often like to adopt.

The bad reason is that they were forced upon everyone; by their technological, economic, and military superiority, European nations were able to conquer and colonize almost every other country in the world. They then pressed those they conquered to adopt their values, with levels of force varying from missionaries spreading Christianity to those who will listen to people being literally kidnapped and forced to attend schools where they will be taught European languages and history.

What are some ways to work with underachieving students to help them perform to their maximum potentials and encourage them to move in a positive...

Students fail in school for various reasons.  Many school buildings have a student team of concern available for teachers who notice students exhibiting at-risk behaviors.  This team will gather information and determine a plan of action for the child.  One of the first steps to moving the student back on track is to have a discussion with the child and his or her parents regarding the recent academic decline.  Determining the reason will help the school team create a plan to assist the student.  Common reasons for students to fall behind include the following possibilities:

1. Learning disability


2. Emotional issue (depression, anxiety, etc.)


3. Drug or alcohol use


4. Issues in the home

If a student is suspected of having a learning disability, the concerns should be reported to the school counseling office so they can begin the referral process for special education services.  The student would then be assessed and a team would decide if the student is exhibiting a disability.  If the student is diagnosed with a disability then an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) would be developed for the student to address his or her academic needs.

If it is determined that a student has an emotional issue or an addiction problem, the school team may refer the family to the school counselor and/or a school social worker.  If the student receives a diagnosis from a mental health professional, he/she may qualify for a 504 plan which allows for educational accommodations and extra support. 

Many students struggle academically due to issues occurring outside of school.  The child may have a parent struggling with a mental disorder or addiction that is affecting the child.  Financial difficulties within the family may result in a high school student working late hours to help pay family bills and often missing school or sleeping in class.  If the family cannot afford child care, older siblings may stay home to take care of their younger brothers and sisters. The school may provide a list of community resources to assist the family. 

No matter what the reason is behind the student's stuggles, resilience and success in school are often linked to positive role models and relationships.  Teachers building relationships with students is one of the best ways a school can get students to attend and to achieve academically. 

The school district should also have in place alternative options so that even if a student falls behind, they have a way to catch up and still graduate.  Credit recovery programs and online course options are available from many schools. 

How does The Scarlet Pimpernel's historical setting change the lives of Sir and Lady Blakeney?

In Baroness Orczy's The Scarlet Pimpernel, the historical backdrop of the French Revolution affects everything about each character's life, especially the lives of the novel's main characters—Lord Percy Blakeney and his wife Marguerite St. Just. One might argue that the couple would have never met if it had not been for Sir Percy's secretive activities which prompted his many travels to France during the Revolution. As part of the British nobility, Blakeney could have simply avoided France until the turmoil there died down. However, he entangles himself in French affairs by leading a ring which rescues French men and women from the guillotine.

As for Marguerite, she had just risen to the height of Parisian society

"at the very moment when the greatest social upheaval the world has ever known was taking place within [Paris's] walls" (Orczy, Chapter VI).

With the help of her beauty, wit, and ingenuity, Marguerite has made a place for herself in the Parisian theatre at just eighteen years of age. Orphaned and having only a brother to watch over and support her, the tumultuous times in France have forced young people like Marguerite to summon their ambition and make a life for themselves. The French Revolution also places Marguerite in the unique position of being able to overcome the traditional discrimination that would have resulted from her "common" birth. Her philosophy is that

"'money and titles may be hereditary . . . but brains are not,' and thus her charming salon [is] reserved for originality and intellect, for brilliance and wit, for clever men and talented women" (Orczy, Chapter VI).

This propensity to surround herself with witty intellectuals essentially leads to Marguerite's being able to appreciate Sir Percy's clever persona even when he plays a fop in front of everyone else. The Revolution also erases the social class barrier that might have once existed between Percy and Marguerite and enables them to marry quickly, move to England, and be "mostly" accepted by British society.

As the novel's plot continues after the Blakeneys' wedding, the historical events of the era continue to generate conflict in their relationship, for Sir Percy is leading a double life which includes deceiving his wife. Ultimately, though, Marguerite realizes that her husband is involved in a noble venture, and his actions in the face of perilous historical events draw the couple closer to one another.

Overall, Baroness Orczy uses her novel and its sequel, Eldorado, to illustrate that no class in society is entirely evil or good. Many of the French aristocrats most certainly abused their power at the expense of the common class, but so, too, did Robespierre and the Jacobins when they begin their Reign of Terror. This difficult setting is one which the Blakeneys and many like them who sought moral justice had to navigate during the Revolution.

How do the Little Rock Nine connect to the Cold War?

The standoff at Little Rock Central High School occurred in 1957, at the height of the Cold War. To understand its significance, it is important to understand that the Cold War was as much an ideological conflict as a military one. The United States wanted to project an image of itself as a beacon of freedom, one which they hoped the world would see as fundamentally opposed to Soviet communism. Racial segregation in the American South was, in this context, a real embarrassment to President Dwight Eisenhower and his successors. When angry crowds gathered to stop the planned integration of Little Rock Central, news cameras sent images around the world that undermined the image that American policymakers hoped to project. Eisenhower, recognizing the damage that these images were doing to American prestige abroad, made the decision to nationalize the Arkansas National Guard (which had been used by governor Orval Faubus to keep the students out) and to send in the United States Army to restore order and enforce a federal court order requiring integration. Civil rights leaders were fully aware of the issues raised by the Cold War, and sought to use the tension between American rhetoric and Jim Crow realities to create momentum for change.

What less traveled paths do people follow in life, as mentioned in "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost?

People have to choose between a number of different paths in their lives. Some people must choose between doing something they love (one path) or doing something that will pay the bills (another path); sometimes those two things do not coincide. Some people must choose whether or not they want to have a family or how big a family to have; financial considerations often play into this decision as well. One might prefer to have a large family (one possible path), but may make the decision to have a smaller family due to financial concerns (another possible path). Further, one might have to make a more general decision, applicable in so many circumstances, about whether to do some unique thing that they really want to do (one path) or do whatever is considered more socially acceptable or responsible (another path). Some must choose whether to break a law they feel is unjust and accept the consequences (one path) or abide by the law they find unjust and deal with their conscience (another path). 

Explain how you would use assessment and planning to best support this student with her goals upon graduation: Charlita is a senior at Kelsey High...

Several kinds of assessment are relevant to helping Charlita define and achieve her transitional goals. First, formal and informal assessments from her classes and special education teachers are critical to understanding her academic strengths and weaknesses. What will she still need support with when she's out of high school (for example, it sounds like she's improved in her reading, but may need more help with math)?

Second, vocational assessments (again, both formal and informal) will help determine what jobs Charlita would be best suited for. It's critical to take her interests into account here. It's also important -- and legally mandatory -- to consult with her family, but Charlita is old enough that unless her abilities are impacted to the point that she needs significant support in multiple areas, she should be able to take a lead role on her planning team. 

That said, you can also note to her family that the goal of special education is for Charlita to be as independent and participate in life activities as much as possible, and that includes work/financial independence. There are a lot of jobs out there that could incorporate the office skills she's learning now with the community outreach she enjoys doing. The planning team could draft a plan to identify these jobs, the strengths to highlight on applications and areas of weakness she may need support in, and a timeline for achieving employment. 

What are some important quotes from Act 5, scene 3 of Shakespeare's play Macbeth?

When Macbeth is alone on stage, he delivers a soliloquy that reveals his innermost feelings at this point in the play.  He says,

My way of life
Is fall'n into the sere, the yellow leaf,
And that which should accompany old age,
As honor, love, obedience, troops of friends, 
I must not look to have, but in their stead
Curses, not loud but deep, mouth-honor, breath
Which the poor heart would fain deny and dare not.  (5.3.26-32)

He means that he has begun to age, and all the things that typically come with old age such as good friends, respect, and love, he doesn't have.  Instead, he is cursed by others, not loudly (because they fear him) but deeply (from their hearts), and the only honor he gets is from people's mouths rather than their hearts because no one is loyal to him.  People would want to speak against him from their hearts if they were not so afraid to do so.  In other words, we see some regret here, a little remorse that Macbeth's reign, and life, have not turned out the way he thought they would.

Further, when Macbeth speaks to the doctor about his wife, he asks,

Canst thou not minister to a mind diseased,
Pluck from the memory a rooted sorrow,
Raze out the written troubles of the brain,
And with some sweet oblivious antidote
Cleanse the stuffed bosom of that perilous stuff
Which weighs upon the heart? (5.3.50-55)

By this, he means that he's surprised the doctor can do nothing to help his wife.  He knows that she's tormented by her guilt, and so he tells the doctor to find a way to get inside Lady Macbeth's brain and get rid of the memory that bothers her.  He wants the doctor to unburden her somehow, but that is not what medicine does (as the doctor tells him).  This quote really helps to show how distant Macbeth and his wife have become, especially given that they thought of each other as "partner[s]" before they committed the murder of Duncan together.  Now Macbeth can hardly be bothered with her and her regret.

What is the realization that Cole has during the storm in Touching Spirit Bear?

Cole realizes that he is small and insignificant in nature, and all alone. 

Cole is a very angry young man.  He blames everyone else for his shortcomings and his mistakes.  When he agrees to Circle Justice, he does not really plan to change.  He thinks the whole thing is a joke.  

The experience of being alone on the island is a wake-up call for Cole.  He is left there to fend for himself, and he is expected to reflect.  He acts out at first.  He tries to swim away.  He burns down his cabin.  Worst of all, he attacks the Spirit Bear. 

Trying to swim away is an awakening for Cole.  He is unsuccessful, and ends up in pain on the shore.  He has failed, and he is trapped. 

Then he became aware of another feeling. Stronger than any burning in his arms and belly, more haunting than the darkness that surrounded him, was the realization that he was alone, totally alone with himself.

And it scared him. (Ch. 5)

When Cole attacks the spirit bear, he is acting out of his usual anger.  Cole thinks that the bear should be afraid of him.  He is angry that it isn’t.  When the bear casually mauls him, it is a shock to Cole.  He realizes that the universe does not answer to him.  He is actually very small and insignificant in the grand scheme of things.

Badly injured, Cole assumes he will just have to stay there until he dies.  During the storm, he ponders the meaning of his existence.  He watches some baby birds die.  The world continues, and nature rages on, and Cole is unimportant. 

Eventually, Cole is rescued.  He becomes a different person after he recovers.  It is still a long road to recovery, because Cole has far to go, but he becomes less angry and more reflective.  He really does change because of the Circle Justice lessons.

How does Jane Austen demonstrate that 'romantic' love should be privileged over other types of love in the novel? What are some examples of this?

The main problem with this question is that Jane Austen is not a Romantic, and Pride and Prejudice is not Wuthering Heights or one of the Gothic novels. In fact, if one reads Northanger Abbey, one can see that Austen has a certain degree of contempt for Romantic writing, which she considers silly and hyperbolic. Instead, she is a writer whose style and narrative interventions elevate reason and self-restraint in opposition to untrammeled expression of emotion.

Perhaps the most Romantic figure in the novel is Wickham, but rather than turning out to be a hero, he is a villain. Lydia, the impulsive sister whose acts bear the greatest resemblance to romantic love on the surface, is a self-centered, spoiled teenager. On the other hand, while Austen condemns impulsiveness and extreme emotionalism, she is also not a crass pragmatist or materialist. Charlotte Lucas is a case in point. Although Elizabeth is revolted by the possibility of marrying Collins, and Austen's narrator supports that decision, the narrator is somewhat sympathetic to Charlotte's choice, not condemning it to the extent that Lydia's rash elopement is condemned, but agreeing with Charlotte's assessment of her own situation and temperament. 

What Elizabeth and the narrator value in a marriage is not so much an intense romantic crush, but rather mutual respect and esteem, with husband and wife being good friends, not just passionate lovers, and being compatible in a way that lends itself to a durable life partnership. Elizabeth initially rejects Darcy out of both prejudice and pride, but accepts him when she comes to understand that he is a man of good moral character she can respect and admire and with whom she shares interests and values, something she discovers as she realizes how he is seen at Pemberly.

To what extent does Scout understand the hypocrisy in Chapter 24?

In Chapter 24, Scout participates in Aunt Alexandra's missionary circle. It is her first time experiencing an exclusively female social event, and she is quite nervous. Luckily, she has Miss Maudie to support and comfort her. Throughout the gathering, Scout listens intently as Mrs. Merriweather displays her prejudice towards foreign cultures by taking pity on the Mrunas in Africa. When Mrs. Merriweather comments, "Thing that church ought to do is help her lead a Christian life for those children from here on out," Scout asks if she is talking about Mayella Ewell (Lee 310). Grace Merriweather responds by saying, "No, child. That darky's wife. Tom's wife, Tom---" (Lee 310). Scout continues to listen to Mrs. Merriweather elaborate on how the community's African American population was bitter after Tom's trial. Merriweather then tells Gertrude that nothing is more distracting than a "sulky darky," and claims that she had to tell her maid, Sophy, that Jesus never went around grumbling and complaining. Scout is tired of hearing her talk and mentions, "Mrs. Merriweather had to run out of air..." (Lee 311).

After Mrs. Farrow comments that there is no lady safe in her bed, Mrs. Merriweather indirectly criticizes Atticus for defending Tom. Miss Maudie subtly accosts Grace by saying, "His food doesn't stick going down, does it?" (Lee 312). Scout notices Alexandra acknowledge Maudie by giving her a look of "pure gratitude." Scout is intrigued for the first time by the female world but feels more comfortable around men. Scout mentions that Atticus and the men she knew were not hypocrites like the females in Maycomb.

Scout if fully aware of the hypocritical nature of the females at the missionary circle. She tries her best to daydream about Finch's Landing and the river so that she doesn't have to listen to Mrs. Merriweather elaborate on the African American community. She understands that Grace's Christian persona is hypocritical because she is prejudiced towards African Americans and even refers to them individually as "darky." Scout also realizes that Merriweather's critical views of Atticus are considered hypocritical. After all, the missionary circle is being held at Atticus' home.

How do you write good English essays? I have trouble doing well on compositions.

The key to writing a good essay is to understand audience and purpose.  There are many types of essays.  If you keep in mind these two things, you will do well. 

The audience of your essay is important.  Is this an essay for class that only your teacher will read?  Are you writing an essay that is intended for public consumption, like a Letter to the Editor?  Is there another, wider audience for your essay?  You need to understand who will be reading your essay in order to gear your writing toward that person or group. 

The purpose of the essay is very important.  There are many different types of essays.  For example, if you are writing an autobiographical essay, you are writing about yourself.  This essay requires a lot of detail.  This kind of essay focuses on your experiences.  If you are writing a persuasive essay, you are writing to convince someone of your argument.  You need to back up your points with evidence.  A response to literature essay is written about a book, and you need to provide evidence from the book to support your points. 

When you write an essay of any kind, you need to know what you are supposed to be writing about.  You will be given a purpose, including a topic or a prompt.  Narrow topics are better as long as they do not get so specific that you have nothing to say.  It is best to read the prompt your teacher gives you very carefully.  Make sure that if the prompt has multiple parts you address all of the parts.

If you are writing an essay outside of school it is best to use a word processing program.  That way, you can easily check your work for mistakes.  Wherever you write your essay, always be sure to proofread.  Make sure your sentences make sense and you have no errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation.  If you cited sources, make sure you used the proper format and did not plagiarize anything.

The word explicit means "clearly stated." In "The Cask of Amontillado," does Montresor make his plans explicit to Fortunato as they descend into...

No, Montresor does not make his plans for Fortunato totally explicit before they descend into his family's vaults.  He plans, of course, to murder Fortunato by walling him up alive near the bodies of Montresor's ancestors, and he never clearly states his intention to Fortunato.  He lies about the cask of Amontillado, the uncommon Spanish sherry wine, saying that he's anxious to get a true connoisseur's opinion on his recent purchase.  He is honest, on the other hand, about the niter in the vaults, and he warns Fortunato about the effect this will have on him and his terrible cough.  He is honest, as well, about his family's motto, Latin words which translate to "You will not harm me with impunity."  Thus, Montresor does, in many ways, give Fortunato some warning that he should not accompany him into the vaults, that Montresor might have some score to settle and that it could be dangerous for Fortunato.  However, he knows that Fortunato's pride will not permit him to remain above when a chance to embarrass Montresor lies below.

Who is the family and what are some citations that describe them in Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451?

Mildred, Montag's wife, refers to the characters on the parlour wall shows as her "family." She is more emotionally invested in these shows than she is with her own husband. This is one of the ways Bradbury shows the dangers of technology. Mildred's obsession with these shows and her dependence on sleeping pills has made her a thoughtless, obedient citizen of oppressive authority figures like Beatty. In other words, the government and authorities love for their citizens to be like Mildred. 

Near the end of Part 1, Mildred informs Montag that Clarisse has been killed. The next morning, Montag claims that he is sick and wants to stay home from work. Mildred doesn't like this because he is interrupting her "family." He asks her to turn it off. She replies that she will turn it down but does not turn it down. She can't live without them. 

At the beginning of Part 2, Mildred tries to tell Montag how her "family" are more real than things he finds in books: "my 'family' is people. They tell me things; I laugh, they laugh! And the colours!" In Part 1, Montag asks Mildred to describe some of her family and she gives this similarly vague response: "Well, they-they had this fight, you see. They certainly fight a lot. You should listen. I think they're married. Yes, they're married." With simplistic descriptions such as "colors" and "fighting," it sounds like mindless entertainment. 

The morning after her overdose, she gives Montag a summary of the latest interactive show: 

"Well, this is a play comes on the wall-to-wall circuit in ten minutes. They mailed me my part this morning. I sent in some box-tops. They write the script with one part missing. It's a new idea. The home-maker, that's me, is the missing part. When it comes time for the missing lines, they all look at me out of the three walls and I say the lines: Here, for instance, the man says, `What do you think of this whole idea, Helen?' And he looks at me sitting here centre stage, see? And I say, I say --" She paused and ran her finger under a line in the script. " `I think that's fine!' And then they go on with the play until he says, `Do you agree to that, Helen!' and I say, `I sure do!' Isn't that fun, Guy?" 

This show makes Mildred feel like she is a part of her family. Note, however, that she is scripted what to say. This underscores the idea that Mildred is generally brainwashed. Her lines in the interactive show are scripted. And her daily life and behavior have been similarly scripted by her thoughtless obsession with the shows and her inattention to her real family: Montag. 

In To Kill a Mockingbird, who broke his arm at the elbow the summer before he turned thirteen?

Scout begins the story by discussing the events that led up to her brother, Jem, breaking his arm at the elbow when he was nearly thirteen years old. Throughout the entire novel, Scout retells the story in retrospect of how her father, Atticus, valiantly defended Tom Robinson against a prejudiced jury. Bob Ewell accused Tom of raping his daughter Mayella. Although Atticus and Tom lost the case, Bob's reputation was permanently ruined when it was revealed he actually assaulted his daughter. Bob vows to get revenge against Atticus following the trial, and in Chapter 28 he attempts to murder Atticus's children. When Jem and Scout are walking home from Maycomb's Halloween festival, Bob Ewell viciously attacks them. During the struggle, Bob Ewell throws Jem to the ground and begins to wrestle with him. Scout says,

"We were nearly to the road when I felt Jem’s hand leave me, felt him jerk backwards to the ground. More scuffling, and there came a dull crunching sound and Jem screamed" (Lee 161).

While Bob is wrestling with Jem, he breaks Jem's arm. Fortunately, Boo Radley intervenes and saves the children. Jem fully recovers from his injury, but Scout mentions that his left arm hangs slightly shorter than his right. She also says Jem isn't self-conscious about his injury because he can still pass and punt.

What are the major changes Russel goes through in Dogsong by Gary Paulsen?

There are many ways that Russel changes throughout Dogsong.  In short, Russel learns to value the old Inuit ways, to respect the value of his sled dogs, and to preserve life through the character of Nancy.

First, Russel learns to value the old Eskimo ways of the Inuit tribe, mostly through the character of Oogruk.  Russel’s own father is so immersed in modern ways that he can only point his son to the town elder, who can help Russel.  When Russel arrives, he learns a lot just from how Oogruk is living.  Even though he lives in the same type of small home that the others do, he continues to observe the old ways.  Oogruk doesn’t have electricity and uses animal skins for insulation.  Hunting tools line his walls.  Oogruk uses seal-oil in his lamp and wears only a breechclout. Oogruk teaches Russel to hunt using bows and arrows and tells him to direct them “to the center of the center” of his prey.  Oogruk truly becomes the instrument or the catalyst for Russel’s change when he sends him “north” with only his sled dogs to learn their “song.”  Oogruk instructs Russel that songs are different than words in that songs are always true.

Next, Russel changes in learning the value of his sled dogs.  His sled dogs are what keep him alive on his esoteric journey “north” and become characters themselves.  Russel learns to trust the instinct of the dogs over his own human thoughts.  For example, when he hides under the ice ledge and decides to set out in the wrong direction, the dogs’ reluctance to follow Russel’s lead and their correct judgment in direction lead Russel home.  On his “dreamrun,” Russel brings down four caribou only with the help of his dogs.  Russel is sustained by them fully and knows now that he would die without them.  The dogs continue taking Russel north until he runs into Nancy, the next person who allows Russel to change.

Finally, Nancy helps Russel learn the value of life.  Nancy is an unwed mother who has been told she has “sinned” by the western missionaries, and so has run off into the wilderness to die.  The sled dogs lead Russel directly to Nancy and, through her care, Russel learns to preserve human life.  Due to his knowledge of the old ways, Russel is able to kill a polar bear whose meat sustains both Russel and Nancy.  Even though Nancy has a stillborn child, Nancy remains alive due to Russel’s intuition and ingenuity.  Because of Nancy’s worsening condition (due to the stillbirth), Russel instinctively knows he has to get her to a settlement.  Nancy has great pride for Russel with all of his new-found knowledge.  The dogs lead Russel and Nancy to an isolated settlement where medical help can be found.

Thus, Russel has learned the value of the old Inuit ways, the importance of his dogs, and the need to sustain life.  Through these changes (and by the end of the novel), Russel has truly learned his “dogsong.” 

What quote would best describe how Gatsby is materialistic in The Great Gatsby?

There is a scene in Chapter Five in which Jay Gatsby invites Daisy and Nick over to his house with the intent of showing Daisy all that he has acquired since becoming wealthy. He starts by showing off the exterior of the house, then its rooms, then all of the objects within, including "a toilet set of pure dull gold" (Fitzgerald 91).

However, his materialism is best displayed when he opens

"two hulking patent cabinets which held his massed suits and dressing gowns, and ties, and his shirts, piled like bricks in stacks a dozen high" (Fitzgerald 92)

This image gives us the impression that Gatsby has amassed far more clothing than anyone is likely to need. His purpose in doing this is to cultivate an image of wealth and sophistication, particularly because that image would appeal to Daisy.

What he does next with the clothing is particularly interesting:

He took out a pile of shirts and began throwing them, one by one, before us, shirts of sheer linen and thick silk and fine flannel, which lost their folds as they fell and covered the table in many-colored disarray. While we admired he brought more and the soft rich head mounted higher... (Fitzgerald 92).

Daisy's reaction to such sartorial splendor is to weep. This passage indicates that it is not, in fact, Gatsby who is materialistic -- that is, he places no value in these things, but instead places value in the love and prestige these objects can afford him. His action of "throwing" the neat pile of shirts, causing them to "[lose] their folds" indicates that he does not really care about them. Instead, he enjoys watching Nick and Daisy "[admire]" his ability to acquire so many luxurious goods. 

Reference: Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Scribner, 2004. Print.

How does Mlle Reisz react to Edna?

Mademoiselle Reisz likes Edna, as she feels that Edna is the only one to truly appreciate her musical talent.  There is something about Edna, her honest emotionality perhaps, that sets her apart from everyone else in this Creole community.  Further, Mlle. Reisz seems to understand the love shared by Robert and Edna, and she allows Edna to read his letters.  However, once Edna decides that she wants to be an artist, Mlle. Reisz doesn't seem to believe that she has the strength to go against society.  A female artist such as Mlle. Reisz really can have no other occupation, such as motherhood.  Edna would simply not be considered socially acceptable if she abandons the care of her children to pursue her art.  Mlle. Reisz tries to speak with her about how she will need "strong wings" if she's really going to attempt it.

In "Harrison Bergeron," were they successful in creating an equal society?

In my opinion, they were not successful in creating an equal society in Kurt Vonnegut's short story, "Harrison Bergeron." In an effort to create an equal society, they destroyed a functioning one. 

The opening paragraph lets the reader know the purpose of the society that's been created in the year 2081. 

The year was 2081, and everyone was finally equal. They weren't only equal before God and the law, they were equal every which way. Nobody was smarter than anyone else. Nobody was better looking than anyone else. All this equality was due to the 211th, 212th, and 213th amendments to the Constitution, and to the unceasing vigilance of the agents of the United States Handicapper General.

Although the Handicapper General's office met the definition of "equal" by handicapping everyone so everyone was equal in physical and mental qualities, the very equality which they sought to achieve caused the functioning society to cease to exist. Equal is defined by Merriam-Webster as "A person or thing considered to be the same as another in status or quality." By using radio alarms to send out sharp signals, people with above-average intelligence weren't allowed to use their intelligence to its full capacity. Graceful dancers were burdened with weights to inhibit their abilities. Beautiful people had to wear masks so they wouldn't stand out.  

The problem is that no one is allowed to contribute their gifts to society, which is what is required in order to have a well-functioning society that meets the needs of its citizens. The Handicapper General, Diana Moon Glampers, focused on handicapping those who have abilities that might make other, more average people, feel badly about themselves. This led to the entire unraveling of society, in which nothing is particularly excellent, inspiring, or meaningful. Hazel and George are examples of this unraveling. They watch television, but do not find enjoyment in it. They don't seem to contribute to the world around them in any way. George is constantly burdened by the radio signals interrupting his thoughts. He also wears a forty-seven-pound bag of birdshot around his neck as a burden meant to equalize him with everyone else.  

Hazel and George have a conversation about the handicapping where they decide if they didn't have it, society would go back to the "dark ages" with everyone competing with everyone else. They say they would both hate that, but then their thoughts are interrupted again. They can't have a normal conversation. The society may have equality in ability, but they have sacrificed inspiration, meaningful relationships, and the unique contributions of its members as a result. They are no longer even capable of processing emotions. 

Hazel and George's son, Harrison Bergeron, is seven feet tall and gorgeous. He is the strongest and most intelligent, and wears three hundred pounds of handicaps as a result. He decides to throw these away and express his unique abilities. He calls himself the Emperor and chooses an Empress. He and the ballerina dance extraordinarily. Diana Moon Glampers shoots them both, as Hazel and George watch the scene unfold on television. They both state that they are sad, but can't process why. The death of their own son doesn't even penetrate the handicapping and resultant dullness.

What are the underlying and immediate reasons for World War II?

There were several causes of World War II. Some of them were underlying causes while others were immediate causes.

One underlying cause was the anger that was created by the Versailles Treaty. Germany was furious they had to accept responsibility for World War I. They also weren’t pleased with the reparations they had to pay to the Allies. Italy felt it didn’t get enough land from the Versailles Treaty. Hitler in Germany and Mussolini in Italy vowed to get revenge for this poor treatment.

Another underlying cause was the Great Depression. Things were really bad economically in Germany after World War I. They were willing to listen to a leader who was promising to bring prosperous economic times back to their country. When the Great Depression hit Great Britain, France, and the United States, these countries were so preoccupied with trying to deal with the Great Depression that they ignored the actions of Germany, Japan, and Italy. When Germany, Japan, and Italy began to invade other countries, nothing was done about this. This is a third underlying cause. Since the Allies were dealing with such a severe depression, they couldn’t afford to worry about the actions of other countries. When nothing was done to initially stop the aggression of Germany, Japan, and Italy, it encouraged them to continue to try to take more land.

When the Allies eventually did try to deal with the repeated invasions by Germany, they followed a policy called appeasement. This policy was doomed to fail. When the Munich Pact was signed, all Hitler had to do was to promise to take no more land in order to get the Sudetenland. Trusting Hitler was a mistake.

There were a few immediate causes of World War II. After Hitler broke the Munich Pact by taking the rest of Czechoslovakia, the Allies warned Hitler that if he took any more land, it would lead to war. When Hitler invaded Poland, the Allies declared war on Germany.

For the United States, the immediate cause of our entrance into World War II was the attack at Pearl Harbor. We had been having issues with the Japanese expansion in the Pacific and in Asia. We stopped selling them oil and scrap metal, and we froze their financial assets in our banks. Japan decided to attack Pearl Harbor in the hopes they would cripple our military presence in the Pacific. This would allow Japan to take more land. Once Japan attacked us, we had no choice but to declare war on Japan and enter World War II on the side of the Allies.

Which aspects of the prioress would Chaucer most likely find disagreeable?

In order to understand Chaucer's attitude toward Prioress Madame Eglentyne as he depicts her in the General Prologue to The Canterbury Tales (ca. 1380-1392 CE), we need to understand the Tales is both an example of satire and the frame narrative. The frame is the pilgrims' journey to visit the tomb of Thomas Becket in Canterbury. More importantly, the poem is also an example of Medieval Estates Satire; that is, satire aimed at the three estates, roughly equivalent to social classes: 1) the Church and clergy; 2) the nobility (those who fought to protect society); and 3), everyone else, which included the peasantry and, later, the middle classes.

As your question implies, Chaucer finds the representatives of the First Estate—beginning with the Prioress—to be less-than-perfect representatives of their class. Chaucer's opening description of the Prioress begins his damnation of her by faint praise:

Ther was also a Nonne, a Prioresse

That of hir smylyng was ful symple and coy;

. . . And she was cleped Madame Eglentyne.

(There was also a nun, a prioresse, who smiled simply and quietly, and her name was Madame Eglentyne)

This begins Chaucer's description of a woman, the head of a convent, who seems to be part of the Second Estate, the nobility, rather than the Church. Rather than taking a name typical of nuns, the Prioress has a name one associates with women of the nobility, and her title—Madame—is not appropriate for a Prioress.

Madame Eglentyne also speaks French, although Chaucer makes it clear she speaks dialectal French (French as it is learned and spoken in England) rather than the preferred French of Paris, poking fun at Madame Eglentyne's pretensions to nobility. By this time, when English had become the language of common speech, speaking French was an affectation, not a necessity. Chaucer's portrait is of a church representative who seems to be confused as to which estate she represents.

In addition to having impeccable table manners, Madame Eglentyne travels with lap dogs:

Of smal houndes hadde she that she fedde

With roasted flessh, or milk and wastrel-breed.

But soore wepte she if oon of hem were deed,

Or if men smoot it with yerd smerte (ll 146-148).

(She had lap dogs that she fed with roasted meat or milk and white bread. And would cry bitterly if one should die or if a man struck one with a stick.)

Chaucer points out that the Prioress is soft-hearted when it comes to her dogs, the implication being that she lavishes inappropriate attention on the dogs to the exclusion of people, who should be her real concern as a Prioress. The fact that she cannot stand to see one of them hurt is yet another example of her refined sensibility, an attribute we would associate with a woman of the noble class.  

Although Chaucer couches his satire in seeming praise of Madame Eglentyne's table manners, personal grooming, speech, and sensibilities, we have the portrait of an important representative of the clergy who is much closer to the nobility than to the church. She is, like the Friar and the Monk, a fraud.

What are ethical reasons for the active pursuit of diversity and, conversely, ethical reasons for a more passive approach? Assume the type of...

Workforce diversity is a good thing. The question is how to achieve it, and to what ends. If we believe a company has a moral obligation to help society move towards gender and racial justice, we might think something along the lines of quotas or active recruitment would be the appropriate approach. If we believe a company has no explicit duty to society in this way, a passive approach that emphasizes candidate worker skills and experience would be the logical path forward.

Affirmative action, in the broadest sense of the term, is supposed to break apart the stratification and de facto segregation of both society-at-large and local communities and neighborhoods. By making it a matter of company policy to proportionately represent women and racial minorities in the workforce, any disparities in access to education, work experience, or capital that might exist for a marginalized population can be compensated for, enabling upward mobility in communities previously limited by cultural circumstances.

But a major criticism of affirmative action is that it goes against the meritocratic ideals of an industrial society. Qualified white, male, or white male candidates are given an additional barrier to employment because of a statistical assumption they have more 'privileges' and cultural advantages than female and non-white candidates. Every person is born into the world without any say about their gender or race, and each person finds him- or herself working his or her own path through the world. A consistent ethical lens would have us observe the many impoverished and underprivileged white males that statistically-based quotas could easily ignore.

Instead, such arguments often go, we should encourage diversity in other venues and in other ways, but should take a less hands-on approach when it comes to hiring policy. That way, the most qualified candidates will rise to the top regardless of their race or gender, and we'll hopefully get closer to a race- and gender-neutral world through the merit of hard work.

The right answer seems to lie somewhere in between these two poles. Privately-held companies cannot reasonably be expected to solve the long-standing and deep-rooted injustices of our culture. They also cannot reasonably be completely absolved of responsibility to the culture they depend upon for their existence. Privately-held companies did not create the conditions that led to the under-representation of women in STEM fields, for example. Large tech firms are in a position to address this problem on behalf of society, though, and to benefit from the side-effects that will come from affirming and supporting women's futures in math and science.

The ethics of this question are complicated enough, but there's an entirely different discussion to be had about the natural benefits of diversity to any given company and its already existing workforce. Having diversity on paper and by quota doesn't guarantee the maximal effects of true diversity, but it certainly guarantees some kind of beneficial well-roundedness in the workforce that can make the company culture more interesting, resilient, and balanced. These benefits are mostly intangible and unquantifiable. A business can't be completely reduced to numbers, after all.

In The Pedestrian, why does the police car take Leonard to the Psychiatric Center for Research on Regressive Tendencies?

In the story, Leonard Mead is out walking. He encounters no one on his walk, but this is not unusual for his city. This is because all the inhabitants of his city appear to be glued to their televisions. Leonard Mead exists in a classic, dystopian world, where everyone must conform to the status quo. No one seems to sell newspapers, books, or magazines any more. Similar to the totalitarian world in Fahrenheit 451, reading is unheard of.

When Leonard responds that he is a writer, the robotic police car notes that he has no profession. Since no one reads, there can be no such thing as writers. This is a dehumanizing assessment of Leonard, but he shrugs it off. When questioned as to why he is out alone, Leonard responds that he has enjoyed a daily evening walk for years. Sadly, this is enough to incriminate Leonard.

So, the police car takes Leonard to the Psychiatric Center for Research on Regressive Tendencies because he has not conformed to the expectations of the law. It is apparent that everyone is expected to be enthralled by the television programs that have been especially tailored for public consumption. Failure to comply is accounted as rebellion and a sort of societal heresy. In this sense, Leonard has 'regressed' or reverted to the old ways, when individuality was still tolerated. In a totalitarian society, any deviation from the norm is unerringly punished, and this is what happens here. The police car does not tolerate any argument from Leonard in defense for his actions; it merely whisks the bewildered man away.

At the beginning of Act III, Scene 1, why does Benvolio think there will be a fight?

At the beginning of Act III, Scene 1, Benvolio thinks there will be a fight because it is a hot day. He thinks hot days lead to "mad blood stirring."

Essentially, Benvolio worries the hot day will make people ill-tempered and prone to engage in conflict. He tells Mercutio they should both go indoors to avoid running into any Capulet men. His fear is that, if they do run into any Capulets, a brawl would be very likely, considering the extreme heat of the day. Benvolio equates the sun's heat to the tempers of hot-blooded young men.

For his part, Mercutio contends that Benvolio is as hot-tempered as any young man in Italy and that he's more prone to anger than even he would admit. He mentions Benvolio has picked fights before, and basically chastises Benvolio for being hypocritical in this regard. Mercutio maintains that Benvolio's "head is as full of quarrels as an egg is full of meat" and that he's even quarreled with a man whose coughing woke up his dog.

Mercutio accuses Benvolio of falling out with his tailor "for wearing his new doublet before Easter," and he also mentions the time Benvolio quarreled with someone for "tying his new shoes with old ribbon." In citing these examples, Mercutio contends that Benvolio has no right to accuse him of a hot temper when he's just as guilty of it himself.

What are some different difficulties Skeeter faced when she returned from college?

Although some of Skeeter’s female friends had also gone off to Ole Miss with her, all the others went to college only to find and land husbands. They didn’t stay to earn degrees. Skeeter wants to be a journalist and to have her own career. When she comes home, she discovers she doesn’t have much in common with the others anymore. She doesn’t want to find a husband, settle down, and start raising a family. She’s not as interested in the Junior League as she used to be. She’s also begun to scrutinize Jackson society with regard to the traditional relationships held between the white employers and the black employees. She’s begun to accept the black maids as being valuable individuals in their own right. She doesn’t think they need their own bathrooms, like Hilly insists upon. She likes talking to them, even though she has to sneak around to do it. Skeeter’s character represents the movement toward equality in civil rights and women’s rights in America in the 1960s. 

A lamp is rated at 12V,6W. What does this mean? How much current is passing through the lamp when it is connected to a 12v supply?

V (stands for volt) is the units for voltage and W (stands for watts) is the unit of power. A lamp that is rated as 12 V, 6 W will draw 6 W of power when connected at 12 V supply. The lamp will work most efficiently at 12 V supply. If connected across a higher voltage, it may get damaged or may have lesser life. If connected across a lower voltage, it will provide lesser brightness.

Power, voltage and current are related by the following expression:

P = V x I

where, P is the power, V is the voltage and I is the current.

In this case, P = 6 W and V = 12 V

thus, I = P / V = 6 W / 12 V = 0.5 A or 500 mA

Thus, a current of 0.5 A or 500 mA will pass through the lamp when it is connected to a supply of 12 V.

Hope this helps.

What is the conflict in Toni Cade Bambara's "Blues Ain't No Mockin' Bird"?

One of the most dominant conflicts in Toni Cade Bambara's "Blues Ain't No Mockin' Bird" is character vs. character.

Granny Cain has discovered that two men are filming the fields around her property and approaching her house with the purpose of filming her house and its surrounding grounds. Granny is instantly insulted because she feels they are violating her family's privacy and rights as human beings, as she implies when she comes out onto the porch and tells the young narrator, "Go tell that man we ain't a bunch of trees," meaning that if the Cains were only emotionless trees, the men would have every right to film them as much as they wanted.

The conflict between Granny and the two cameramen intensifies when the men approach, explain they are filming for the county, and ask permission to film her home. When Granny denies permission, the men reveal their true intentions. They are filming for the "food stamp campaign" and have noticed that Granny has her own vegetable garden. One of the men asserts, "If more folks did that, see, there'd be no need--." Though the man never finishes his sentence, the reader knows he is trying to say that if more people of Granny's socioeconomic class grew their own vegetables, then there would be no reason for the county to spend the money on food stamps for the poor. In other words, the men are there to not only exploit the impoverished suffering of people like Granny but to distort it so it no longer looks like suffering.

The character vs. character conflict continues to escalate as the men still refuse to leave and stop filming. The conflict resolves when Granddaddy Cain comes home, opens their camera to destroy their film, and orders them off the property.

If you were at the party hosted by the banker, what arguments would you have put forward? Why?

What is important for you to do with this question is to state your opinion and support it.  Whether you agree with the lawyer or the banker is not so important.  The banker argues that the death penalty is a more humane punishment, while the lawyer argues that life in prison is more humane.  

"Which executioner is the more humane, he who kills you in a few minutes or he who drags the life out of you in the course of many years?"

It is an interesting question, because neither man is arguing that the prisoner should ever get out of jail.  Both the banker and lawyer agree that the prisoner will die in prison.  The banker simply believes that getting the death over with sooner is more merciful than letting the prisoner slowly waste away.  On the other hand, the lawyer argues that living any life is better than no life at all. 

I guess my own personal argument would change based on which situation I might be in.  If I were the prisoner, I would want life in prison . . . I think.  Life in prison would allow me time to read and learn, which is what the lawyer did.  Also, I just can't see myself wishing for an immediate death.  

If I were the state/government/system/etc., I might argue for a speedy execution.  This is going to sound cold, but if the prisoner is guaranteed to die no matter what, a quick execution frees up more jail space and no money is spent feeding and caring for that prisoner for 50 years.  

What are the differences between lakes and oceans?

Though both lakes and oceans are water bodies, there are a number of differences between them. These differences are listed:

• Lakes, while fairly large, are smaller in size than oceans.


• There are a large number of lakes in the world, but only four oceans (Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Arctic Ocean, and Atlantic Ocean). 


• Lakes usually contain freshwater, whereas oceans contain saltwater. 


• Lake water has lesser buoyancy as compared to salt water of the oceans.


• Lakes have less diversity of life forms, while oceans have a larger diversity of life forms, in part because they are larger and can support more plants and animals.


• Lakes can be artificially created, while oceans cannot be.


• Lakes can dry up during part of the year (not all lakes do this). Oceans, on the other hand, always contain water.

Hope this helps. 

What examples from To Kill a Mockingbird provide evidence that Atticus Finch taught his children that prejudice was wrong?

Once Cecil Jacobs antagonizes Scout in chapter 9 about her father defending a black man, the prejudiced comments seem to build and increase towards the Finches as the trial nears. Atticus doesn't tell Scout that these are prejudiced comments, but he does advise her to be aware of them and to fight against them by not allowing them to hurt her.

“You might hear some ugly talk about it at school, but do one thing for me if you will: you just hold your head high and keep those fists down. No matter what anybody says to you, don’t you let ‘em get  your goat. Try fighting with your head for a change . . . it’s a good one” (76).

At this point, Atticus knows that these comments may hurt Scout's feelings. That's enough of a lesson in and of itself. By Scout experiencing what it feels like to be the brunt of prejudiced comments, she may learn on her own that being prejudiced is wrong. However, Atticus is still concerned by Christmas when he speaks about the upcoming trial with his brother Jack, as follows:

“You know what's going to happen as well as I do, Jack, and I hope and pray I can get Jem and Scout through it without bitterness, and most of all, without catching Maycomb's usual disease. Why reasonable people go stark raving mad when anything involving a Negro comes up, is something I don’t pretend to understand" (88).

With this passage, Atticus refers to "Maycomb's usual disease" which is prejudice and racism. He hopes that his children won't turn into the same type of people he's fighting against by defending Tom honestly and honorably. When adults like Mrs. Dubose start throwing obscenities at his children, he is given another opportunity to teach his daughter how to fight it, as follows:

“Scout. . . ni****-lover is just one of those terms that don't mean anything--like snot-nose. . . ignorant, trashy people use it when they think somebody's favoring Negroes over and above themselves. It's slipped into usage with some people like ourselves, when they want a common, ugly term to label somebody. . . baby, it's never an insult to be called what somebody thinks is a bad name. It just shows you how poor that person is, it doesn't hurt you" (108).

Atticus's main focus is to teach his children to ignore people who are prejudiced and not allow these people to hurt their feelings. In addition, he calls these people "ignorant" and "trashy," thereby letting Scout know that they are not behaving appropriately towards others. He does it in such a kind way, though, that Scout doesn't know that she's learning about the word "prejudice." Even though Atticus preaches passivity to people's prejudiced comments, that does not mean that he condones them. 

Which scenes in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream contain the most use of dramatic elements such as voice, movement, costume, or scenery?

Acts 2 and 3 of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream are generally known to contain the most elements of drama since these are the acts in which the climax and resolution occur. In addition, these are the scenes that take place in the mysterious woods with the fairies. Shakespeare uses the woods as a complex symbol to represent an escape from moral corruption in the city of Athens, while at the same time the woods are a wild, mysterious, and dangerous place full of its own corruption.

In act 2, we learn a great deal about what the costuming might look like based on the dialogue spoken by the characters. The elements of drama include literary elements, technical elements, and performance elements; costuming is considered a technical dramatic element ("Elements of Drama," English Language Unit, Gulf University for Science and Technology). One example of a line of dialogue that reveals information about costuming is seen in the opening speech of the unnamed fairy Puck converses with. In the final lines of the speech, the unnamed fairy realizes he recognizes who Puck is and asks him to confirm his identity, ending with the following comment:

Those that Hobgoblin call you, and sweet Puck,
You do their work, and they shall have good luck.
Are not you he? (2.1.40-42)

The word hobgoblin is particularly revealing because, according to folklore, a hobgoblin is a small, hairy man that helps out with household chores while the family of the house is asleep and is very fond of practical jokes. Hence, the word hobgoblin indicates to the director what the character Puck might look like.

Also revelatory in terms of costuming and scenery, both technical elements of drama, is the following stage direction:

Enter Oberon at one door, with his Train, and Titania, at another with hers. (2.1)

Since Oberon and Titania are the fairy king and queen, this stage direction informs the director that the two characters should be all dressed up in full regalia accompanied in full attendance.

Symbols can also be important literary elements that function as dramatic elements as well as technical elements since props can be used as symbols. One important symbolic prop for acts 2 and 3 is the magic flower that is used to create the love spells that generate the central conflict of the play. Oberon describes the flower as once having been "milk-white, now purple with love's wound," because Cupid once missed his aim with an arrow, which hit the flower rather than the maiden he was aiming for (2.1.167). The flower not only represents the mystery and magic present in the two acts but also the instability and fickleness of love, a major theme in the play.

In Shakespeare's Othello, what are the factors that drive Othello to murder his wife Desdemona?

In Shakespeare' Othello, the tragic hero Othello is driven primarily by jealousy, confusion, and a sense of inferiority to murder his wife Desdemona.  Iago sets up a ruse to get Othello to believe that Desdemona has been having an affair with Othello's new lieutenant Michael Cassio.  When Othello asks for "ocular proof," and Iago is able to set up the handkerchief as the tangible symbol of the affair, Othello is driven into a jealous rage.  Othello's inner sense of inferiority and the general public's implicit racism set the foundation for Othello's jealousy:  Othello believes that Michael Cassio is a more worthy man for Desdemona because he is young, handsome, and educated--plus, he is the right "complexion."  Before marrying Desdemona, Othello made himself vulnerable to her by sharing with her all the special tales of his past hardships, and he felt that she truly loved him for the man he is.  So when Desdemona appears through Iago's trickery to be false, Othello becomes over-emotional and irrational.  He murders her so that she cannot play false any longer to him or to any other man.

In The Story of my Life, how is Hellen Keller's main purpose to inform others about what life is like for people with visual and/or hearing...

The story is an autobiography in which Helen Keller tells people about the experiences she has had being blind and deaf and the difficulties she has faced. 

This story is nonfiction, meaning it really happened.  Helen Keller’s objective for writing the story of her life was to let people know that a person with disabilities may have challenges others do not face, but can still accomplish things that people without disabilities can do. 

The story serves its purpose because Helen Keller lets us into her mindset and emotions from a very young age.  She was a courageous and sensitive person, and very intelligent.  Her intelligence allowed her to overcome several years of darkness when as a child she could not see or hear, and therefore had trouble learning to talk. 

When you read about someone else’s experiences, you develop empathy for that person.  We may look at the blind and deaf differently when we realize that although they experience the world in a different way than we do, they are just like everyone else.  Helen Keller wanted to support awareness for people with her condition. 

Helen Keller often shares how she worked hard to become a part of the regular world, and to be able to communicate with people effectively.  Even as she got older she continued to try to learn new skills to make it easier to function.  She shares how, for example, she tried to learn to read lips. 

It was my ambition to speak like other people, and my teachers believed that this could be accomplished; but, although we worked hard and faithfully, yet we did not quite reach our goal. I suppose we aimed too high, and disappointment was therefore inevitable. I still regarded arithmetic as a system of pitfalls. (Ch. 17) 

Despite being blind and deaf, Helen Keller worked to learn French and German.  She went to college and studied multiple subjects alongside seeing and hearing students.  At that time, there were few resources for the blind or deaf.  Her schoolbooks were not even available in braille, and she had to have them spelled to her.  Yet she persevered, and her legacy is an inspiration to all of us to be more inclusive to people with different abilities.

What are three topics addressed by The Night Circus, and what theme do they portray?

I believe that the question wants three motifs/symbols/etc. that illustrate a single theme.  That's definitely doable with The Night Circus.  The book is a visual banquet, and it's loaded with themes.  

Three topics that the book addresses are power, magical reality, and eternity.  All three of those topics are used for various events during the book, but all three of them do help illustrate the book's theme of true love.   

Celia Bowen and Marco Alisdair are both apprentice magicians who are supposed to battle each other to the death.  Fortunately, they fall in love with each other and find a way to both survive despite the rules of the magical bet placed between Alexander and Hector Bowen. 

Both Celia and Marco have the power to destroy each other.  However, instead of using their magic for death, they use their magical powers to bring surreal fantasy images into reality.  They do this as a form of courtship.  Celia and Marco both use the confines of the circus in order to dazzle and delight each other.  As long as both characters are alive and take care of the circus, the night circus will continue.  In other words, as long as the two of them remain in love, they will not age.  Their relationship is eternal. 

At the end of the book, Celia and Marco find a way to continue being in love forever outside of the circus.  Marco, Celia, and their actions illustrate the theme of love and some common beliefs about love.  Beliefs like the following which come from the culture studies course that I teach.

• True love is the height of existence


• True love is eternal


• True love is a powerful and unstoppable force


• There is only a single "one and only"


• Love transcends all boundaries


• Love survives all problems


• Love is mysterious

What is similar about Tom Buchanan and George Wilson's troubles with women?

Both Tom Buchanan and George Wilson have wives who are cheating on them.  In Chapter VII, just before Nick, Tom, Jordan, Daisy, and Gatsby leave to go to New York City, Tom overhears Daisy talking to Gatsby and puts two and two together.  Then, on their way, Tom, Nick, and Jordan are all riding in Gatsby's car (while Gatsby drives Tom's car with Daisy), and they stop at Wilson's garage for some gas.  George Wilson reveals that he "just got wised up to something funny the last two days." In other words, he's realized that his wife, Myrtle, is having an affair, although he does not realize that it's with Tom.  In this moment, Nick realizes the huge coincidence of the fact that both of these men -- one rich and one poor, one who also cheats and one who is faithful, one who has everything and one who has nothing -- have just recently learned the same thing about their wives.  

In Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, what figures of speech are used in Act 1, scene 1?

Figures of speech are tools that authors use to help readers, or in this case, audience members, identify with real world situations, objects, or senses in order to relate to the what the characters are experiencing. In the first act and scene of Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, there are many metaphors, idioms, similes and allusions to find. A few of the many figures of speech that can be found in the first act are shown below.  

In the opening scene of the play, Antonio tells his friends that he is sad, but he can't figure out the reason why. Salerio provides his friend with a metaphor to show how his sadness forces him to suffer: "Your mind is tossing on the ocean" (I.i.8). Salerio then extends this metaphor for his friend, but also to let the audience know that Antonio has a lot riding on the ocean by way of merchant ships, literally. Since all of Antonio's money is invested on his ships currently at sea, he is probably more anxious about their success than he is sad. 

Next, Solanio agrees with Salerio by saying that if he had so much invested on ships at sea, he would also be worried. To illustrate to Antonio what anxiety feels like to him, Solanio uses an idiom:

"I should be still

Plucking the grass to know where sits the wind

Peering in maps for ports and piers and roads, 

And every object that might make me fear

Misfortune to my ventures out of doubt

Would make me sad" (I.i.17-22).

Salerio then uses a comparison between his breath cooling his soup and the winds at sea that might threaten his ships, if he had any:

"My wind cooling my broth

Would blow me to an ague when I thought

What harm a wind too great might do at sea" (I.i.22-24).

When Antonio tells his friends he isn't worried about his merchandise at sea, and that he really doesn't know why he is sad, Solanio says he just isn't happy. Then he uses a simile and an allusion to show that Antonio simply isn't laughing, which can make one sad:

"Some that will evermore peep through their eyes

And laugh like parrots at a bagpiper

And other such vinegar aspect

That they'll not show their teeth in a way of smile

Though Nestor swear the jest be laughable" (I.i.52-56).

Solanio explains that some people "laugh like parrots," while others may refuse to smile even if someone great like Nestor tells them a joke is funny. With this simile and allusion to Nestor (a great Greek hero from The Iliad) Solanio means to say that happiness can be a personality trait. Someone simply is or isn't happy sometimes and it is unexplainable. 

Why does Antinous, leader of the bridegrooms, say that Telemachus has scored first? What does he plan to do to Telemachus?

Antinous is angry and feels that Telemachus has scored against him and the other suitors for Penelope's hand because Telemachus has taken a ship and crew and departed Ithaca to go in search of information about his father, Odysseus.  Antinous says, "'We said it should not be; and here in spite of all of us this young boy simply goes, launching a ship and picking out the best men of the land."  He feels that Telemachus has been rebellious and impudent, and he is angry, in part, because Telemachus disobeyed has what the suitors told him to do; he is also angry, I think, because this very young man has basically outsmarted them, going behind their backs to do what they told him he should not.  It's embarrassing to Antinous!

As a result, Antinous plans o get his own ship and a crew of twenty or so men, and he "'will lie in wait upon [Telemachus's] way, and guard the strait between Ithaca and rugged Samos.'"  In other words, he will lie in wait for Telemachus to return and then capture and kill him before he can return home.

Can you give some examples of how perspective played an important role in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Atticus continually tries to teach Jem and Scout to consider the perspectives of others. In Chapter 3, Scout learns that people have different perspectives on things. And since Miss Caroline was from out of town, she couldn't be expected to know the families, social structure, and codes of Maycomb right away: 

Atticus said I had learned many things today, and Miss Caroline had learned several things herself. She had learned not to hand something to a Cunningham, for one thing, but if Walter and I had put ourselves in her shoes we’d have seen it was an honest mistake on her part. 

In Chapter 16, we have this recurring idea of putting yourself in another person's shoes again. In Chapter 15, Scout, Jem, and Dill put themselves between Atticus and the mob outside of the jail. Scout's persistence in befriending Walter Cunningham Sr. makes Walter think of his son, and this makes him think of Atticus' own relation to his children. In Chapter 16, Atticus explains how this helped Walter come to his senses: 

Hmp, maybe we need a police force of children... you children last night made Walter Cunningham stand in my shoes for a minute. That was enough. 

The "shoe" theme is repeated in Chapter 23. Bob Ewell has confronted Atticus and spit in his face. Atticus does not retaliate. When Jem asks why, Atticus says: 

Jem, see if you can stand in Bob Ewell’s shoes a minute. I destroyed his last shred of credibility at that trial, if he had any to begin with. The man had to have some kind of comeback, his kind always does. So if spitting in my face and threatening me saved Mayella Ewell one extra beating, that’s something I’ll gladly take. He had to take it out on somebody and I’d rather it be me than that houseful of children out there. 

Atticus considers Bob's perspective on things, but more importantly, he considers Mayella's as well. 

At the end of the novel, Scout recalls all of these "shoe" lessons: 

Atticus was right. One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them. Just standing on the Radley porch was enough.