What is the rising action and climax to the story Moby Dick?

The rising action are the points in the plot and the description of characters that lead to suspense and to the climax. In Moby Dick, much of the book contains the rising action, starting with Captain Ahab's appearance on the deck of the Pequod to announce his intention to kill the whale who caused him to have a missing leg. The rising action also includes the part of the book in which other ships cross the Pequod's path, including the Jeroboam of Nantucket, on which a sailor announces that he is the archangel Gabriel. This man issues terrible prophecies to Captain Ahab, such as "Think, think of thy whale-boat, stoven and sunk! Beware of the horrible tail!" The crew of this other ship recount an incident in which the mate of the Jeroboam was tossed into the air and drowned when the white shadow of the whale appeared, while the boat was not harmed. Nonetheless, Captain Ahab pushes ahead in his quest to find Moby Dick. 

Later, continuing the rising action of the plot, the Pequod meets another ship called the Samuel Enderby of London, and a sailor on this ship tells Ahab the story of the loss of his arm to what he calls the "White Whale." The rising action also includes numerous mentions of the word "coffin," as Queequeg has a coffin built for him when he thinks he is dying (later the coffin becomes the way in which Ishmael is rescued from the sinking Pequod). The frequent mentions of the image of a coffin contribute to the rising action, as they foreshadow the death that is to follow for the ship's crew.

The climax to the story is Captain Ahab's final encounter with Moby Dick. This is the resolution of the rising action, as Ahab finally tries to kill the whale who is his nemesis and winds up causing the deaths of himself and all of his crew, save Ishmael. 

According to Major from George Orwell's Animal Farm, what is the source of the animals "misery and slavery?"

The first chapter is based around Major's speech. First, he discusses how terrible the animals' lives are. Then he encourages them to take control of their lives and attempts to inspire a rebellion. In talking about their current living conditions, Major says: 

Let us face it: our lives are miserable, laborious, and short. We are born, we are given just so much food as will keep the breath in our bodies, and those of us who are capable of it are forced to work to the last atom of our strength; and the very instant that our usefulness has come to an end we are slaughtered with hideous cruelty. 

Then, Major eliminates possible causes of their plight. They do not suffer because of poor soil, climate, or anything negative about the land. He concludes by saying that Man is the cause of their misery. Man steals their food, only feeds them enough to survive, and treats the animals like slaves. Major asks why their lives are miserable and then answers his own question: 

Because nearly the whole of the produce of our labour is stolen from us by human beings. There, comrades, is the answer to all our problems. It is summed up in a single word — Man. Man is the only real enemy we have. Remove Man from the scene and the root cause of hunger and overwork is abolished for ever. 

Major adds that the animals do all of the work and Man (Farmer Jones) reaps all of the rewards. Chickens lay eggs and Man takes them all. The cows give milk and Man takes it all. Some pigs are killed before they have lived full lives and the horses are killed when they no longer can work on the farm. Farmer Jones (Man) enslaves the animals. Mankind, therefore, is the root cause of the animals' suffering. In the political allegory referring to the Russian Revolution, Farmer Jones (Mankind) symbolizes Capitalism and the Animal Revolution symbolizes the Communist revolution. 

What was the role of Robespierre in the French Revolution?

Maximilien Robespierre was one of the primary architects of the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution. Once the Revolution had taken over France, its primary goal was to make sure it stayed in power. As the de facto leader of the Committee of Public Safety, Robespierre's job was to crush counterrevolutionaries and anyone else the Committee considered a threat to the Revolution (or the Committee). The "Reign of Terror," as this campaign came to be called, resulted in the ruthless executions of countless individuals, most famously on the guillotine. Robespierre was a Jacobin--the extreme wing of the French Revolutionary movement--and his radicalism coupled with his ruthlessness and lust for power caused many people to resent him. Eventually, the Revolution turned against Robespierre, and he was arrested and beheaded.

What is the "beastie" in the novel Lord of the Flies?

The beastie in the novel Lord of the Flies is essentially a figment of the littluns' imagination that represents the nameless fears on the island. The littlun with the mulberry-colored birthmark is the first to mention the beastie and refers to it as a 'snake-thing.' The 'snake-thing' alludes to the wicked serpent in the Garden of Eden found in the Old Testament and corresponds to the impending evil that will eventually consume the boys. The older boys initially dismiss the existence of the beastie and claim that the littlun was simply having a night terror. As the novel progresses, the littluns' fear increases and they have trouble sleeping. They claim that the beastie comes out of the sea and also mention that they dream about it living in the trees. Ralph and Piggy are concerned about the littluns' well-being while Jack criticizes and makes fun of them for believing in the beastie. Although the beastie is not a tangible being, it represents all of the fears, both physical and psychological, that are found on an island without adult supervision and the comforts of home. Stranded on a deserted island, the littluns are afraid and traumatized. The beastie conceptually encompasses their fears and symbolically represents the wickedness inherent in each of them.

What would Jem like to see in To Kill a Mockingbird?

In the first chapters of the novel, all three children are fascinated with the mythology of Boo Radley, so they develop different schemes to be able to see him. However, it is Dill who really instigates these schemes. In the first chapter, Dill bets Jem that he won't go up and knock on Boo Radley's door. Jem takes the dare and it has little effect. In Chapter 5, the children attempt to give Boo a note attached to a fishing line. 

When Scout and Jem start finding things in the knothole of the oak tree, Jem probably suspects that Boo is the one behind it. When Mr. Radley fills in the knothole, Jem is very upset. He still wants to "see" Boo Radley, and this game with the oak tree at least established a kind of communication with Boo.

Over time, the children's interest in seeing Boo wanes.

When the trial begins, Jem is incredibly interested. Of the three children, he is the most emotionally involved. Using another sense of to "see," he certainly wants to see a victory for Atticus and Tom Robinson. When they lose the trial and Tom is convicted, Jem is devastated. 

It was Jem’s turn to cry. His face was streaked with angry tears as we made our way through the cheerful crowd. “It ain’t right,” he muttered, all the way to the corner of the square where we found Atticus waiting. (Chapter 22)

What choices did Louisa May Alcott make so Little Women was more interesting?

Alcott sends Mr. March away to the Civil War. This choice allows readers to see the relationships among the March sisters and Marmee without the overshadowing presence of a man in the home, a dynamic that is arguably more interesting than the dynamic presented when he returns home. This also adds some suspense because of the danger posed to Mr. March, and thus the welfare of the family. His injuries also take Marmee away for some time, giving the girls a chance to really prove their maturity, especially when dealing with Beth's illness. Her scarlet fever, contracted when she was helping the poor Hummel family, as well as the passing of their baby, also help to heighten tension in the novel and to hold readers' interest.

The love story, of course, between Meg and Mr. Brooke, as well as Laurie's proposal to Jo, help to increase interest in the text. We've become invested in these characters' feelings, especially Jo's and Laurie's, and though we can see her rejection of him coming, he cannot. His proposal, followed by his European exploits, increases interest because readers are left to wonder, for some time, whether Jo's rejection of Laurie will change him for the worse forever. Romances and unrequited love are elements of plot that are often used to retain reader or viewer interest.

What is the tone of "Because I could not stop for death" by Emily Dickinson and "Death Came to See Me in Hot Pink Pants" by Heather Royes?

Both poems demonstrate an unusual tone toward death and personify the normally somber subject of human mortality. In Dickinson's "Because I could not stop," the speaker is lighthearted and whimsical in her attitude toward Death, who stops by in a carriage. When she does not pay him the attention that one would think Death garners, she says that he "kindly" stops by for her. Her curiosity seems to get the best of her; so she willingly steps into his carriage and rides along leisurely with him. Dickinson's use of images such as children at recess on the playground and "Fields of Gazing Grain" help reiterate the truth that the speaker does not appear to be the least bit concerned about riding around with Death. As the poem closes, the speaker admits that when she stepped aboard the carriage, she did not know that the "Horses Heads / Were toward Eternity," taking her to her grave, but even at this point, the speaker's tone does not become grim or solemn.

While Heather Royes' "Death Came to See Me" also possesses an atypical attitude toward the character of death, the speaker is not nearly as complacent about going anywhere with him. Like the speaker in Dickinson's poem, Royes' speaker is fascinated with the mysterious character who shows up in her dream, but she physically fights him when he reaches for her throat. Despite the altercation, the speaker still maintains an admiring, enamored tone toward Death, especially when it comes to his "hot pink pants," laughter, and beauty.

Ultimately, both poems use the speakers' tones to present the idea that perhaps death will not approach one in the expected, dreaded manner. According to Dickinson, it might include a unhurried ride past life's daily treasures, or like Royes' character, death might fancifully fight us while we succumb to a fascination with its appearance.