Why did Martin Luther leave the Catholic Church?

Martin Luther, who lived from 1483 to 1546, was one of the champions of the Protestant Reformation. He was a German monk and professor of theology. Through his studies and work, he came to disagree with some of the ideas and practices of the Roman Catholic Church. He founded the Church of Lutheranism (another sect of Christianity) and taught that only the Bible may be considered an authority on the word of God. (This was a big snub to the Pope!) He wrote in his Ninety-Five Theses that the Catholic Church had become corrupt, primarily because of its practice of "indulgences." A person who committed sins could donate a sum of money to the Church in order for a priest to pray on their behalf. Essentially, Luther believed this meant people bought the forgiveness of God, and Luther disagreed with the idea that a person's redemption could be bought or earned through good deeds. Instead, Luther believed that the only source of salvation was faith in Jesus Christ. 

In 1521, Luther was officially excommunicated by the Catholic Church. Because his teachings were contrary to those of the Catholic Church, he had to go into hiding or face punishment. He continued to preach and write after excommunication, and in the following years his ideas and criticisms of the Church swept across Europe in the form of the Reformation.

What jobs did the women take on during the Civil War?

Women were largely influenced by "the Cult of True Womanhood" in the years prior to the Civil War--the idea that a woman's work was at home, firmly rooted in domesticity and the cultivation of a nurturing household for their spouse and children. The Civil War, however, radically shifted women's roles outside the home in various capacities. Women served in ladies' aid societies to fundraise for, clothe, and feed Union soldiers. They worked as nurses (sometimes more specifically, as "matrons," a movement which aimed to employ plain women for nursing duties in order to not distract soldiers), cooks, laundresses, and war relief workers. Some 400 women even disguised themselves as men in order to join the armed forces in secret, while others acted as spies.

In addition to the tasks that were directly related to supporting their husbands, fathers, brothers, and friends at war, women were responsible for maintaining the livelihoods that were left behind by the men; they worked in factories and on farms, cared for livestock, delivered goods, taught classes, and held positions in government agencies. 

Although many were forced back into their previous subservience once the war had ended, many other women continued to advocate for their independence and retain these positions external to home life. This era marked an unprecedented change in how the country viewed female capabilities. 

Who is Van Gogh?

Vincent Van Gogh was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who lived from 1853 to 1890. He is considered one of the world's most famous painters, and you are likely to recognize some of his work, such as the painting Starry Night. Van Gogh's life story is a bit tragic-- he struggled with mental illness and though he conveyed great emotion and beauty in his paintings, he was very poor and not well known as an artist until after his death by suicide. 

Over his lifetime, Van Gogh's art styles transformed, with changes often reflecting his mental and physical health status. In his early years, Van Gogh was very inspired by earlier impressionist "peasant painters." Later, he was influenced by the Japanisme (Japanese-influenced art) which had a hold on Paris, as well as the bold brushwork of artists like Paul Cezanne. It has been suggested that some of the changes in Van Gogh's own color choice brushwork were a result of retinal disease, which would have impacted the way he literally saw the world. Another possibility suggests that he sustained a visual disorder from either eating his paints (which likely contained lead) or from having been prescribed a slightly toxic foxglove medication during one of his stays in a hospital.

Van Gogh's art continues to work its influence in art and pop culture today. 

In Walk Two Moons, when Phoebe's father reads the note, Sal says, "I had a sinking, sinking feeling." What does the note say, and why does Sal...

This happens in Chapter 20, “The Blackberry Kiss.” It seems as though Phoebe’s mother has left the family, at least for a short time. She left notes for Phoebe, Prudence, and their father. Phoebe’s note says to keep all of the doors locked. Prudence’s note has instructions to heat up the spaghetti for dinner. Mr. Winterbottom’s note says “I had to go away. I can’t explain. I’ll call you in a few days.”

Sal gets a sinking feeling in her stomach because this scene is an all-too-familiar one. Her own mother left her, too. Although she sent Sal postcards from her travels, she never physically returned home. Sal was afraid this would happen to Phoebe and her sister, just as it happened to her. Phoebe immediately fears the worst: that her mother has been kidnapped by that “lunatic” they keep seeing on the street. When Sal goes back home, she tells her father about Mrs. Winterbottom and the notes. “She says she’s coming back, but I don’t believe it,” Sal adds. Her father replies, “People usually come back.” His answer gives Sal a bit more hope that her own mother will somehow return someday, too.

In Siobhan Dowd's The London Eye Mystery, where did Salim get the girl's clothes from? What has the weather to do with the Coriolis effect? Does...

By chapter 36 of Siobhan Dowd's The London Eye Mystery, Ted figures out Salim purposely disappeared from the London Eye, and he worked with an accomplice to do so. All clues point to the strange man who offered Salim the ticket and the girl in the pink fluffy jacket standing in line as being involved in the mystery. Soon enough, Ted realizes what they thought was a shot of the girl waving to the camera in the souvenir picture was actually a a shot of "somebody changing" (271). Ted then realizes the "girl in the pink fluffy jacket was Salim's accomplice" (271). Ted further deduces she and Salim switched identities in the pod of the London Eye. Salim put on her jacket and sunglasses and possibly a wig he had with him.

In the next chapter, Detective Inspector Pearce reads aloud the statement Marcus gave him earlier explaining his involvement in Salim's disappearance from the London Eye. It's during this statement that we learn exactly where Salim got the girl's clothing from while in the pod of the London Eye. Marcus tells a story about when he and Salim took a drama class together. Marcus was cast in the role of Miranda in The Tempest because his "voice hadn't broken then," meaning his voice still sounded high-pitched (281). While playing the role of Miranda, Marcus acquired a wig and became very accustomed to playing a girl. Therefore, as part of their scheme for disappearing to prevent Salim from moving to Manhattan with his mother, Marcus thought of the idea of showing up in the queue of the London Eye as a girl and swapping identities with Salim. Marcus showed up at the London eye dressed in the wig from his Miranda costume, a pink jacket belonging to his sister, and sunglasses. When the people in their pod turned to get their souvenir photo taken, Marcus and Salim had a chance to swap identities:

He laughed and took the wig off my head and stuck it on his. I took off the jacket. He put it on. I straightened the wig, popped on the sunglasses. It took seconds. Nobody saw us. They were all looking the other way for their souvenir shot (285).

Hence, as we can see, Salim got the girl's clothes from Marcus, who showed up at the London Eye wearing a wig and his sister's jacket.

What were the domestic policies put in place during World War II?

There were several domestic policies put in place during World War II. We needed to respond to the attack on Pearl Harbor. Our government was ready to act.

We need to get our industries geared up for the war. The Reconstruction Finance Corporation helped provide loans to businesses. The Reconstruction Finance Corporation also helped businesses convert from peacetime production to wartime production. Businesses were guaranteed a profit with the establishment of the cost-plus contract. The War Production Board set production priorities and production goals. The Office of War Mobilization settled disputes between agencies.

Our people made sacrifices also. The passage of the Selective Service and Training Act allowed for the drafting of soldiers in 1940. Prices were controlled, and some products were rationed. The Office of Price Administration controlled prices of non-farm products while the Office of Economic Stabilization controlled farm prices. The War Labor Board mediated disputes between workers and business owners in order to prevent strikes. People were encouraged to grow Victory Gardens, buy Liberty Bonds, and be careful to whom they spoke about the war. Women went to work in the defense factories. Japanese-Americans were forced to relocate to internment camps because the government considered them a threat to our security.

There were many government policies that impacted people who stayed in the United States and didn’t fight in the war.

What is Gatsby's dream?

Gatsby's dream is nothing less than turning back time. He left his beloved, Daisy, to go fight in World War I. In the interim, she married Tom Buchanan. Gatsby returned, made his fortune and bought his mansion across the bay from her in order to woo her back, for to him Daisy represents the wealth and financial security he has always craved, as well as his youth. He believes he can convince her to leave Tom and marry him. He dreams of erasing the time since she married Tom, so that they can start over as if Daisy's marriage had never happened. Nick tries to tell him this is impossible, but Gatsby dismisses Nick. Gatsby shows a bit of shock over Tom and Daisy's young daughter, Pammy, who is impossible to erase, but he seems determined to overlook that. Nick proves right that it is impossible to erase time, as Gatsby learns when Daisy shows she is unwilling to deny a recent past that is real and potent for her. As Tom says, he and Daisy have shared things that nobody else can understand. Daisy says she can't do what Gatsby wants and say that she never loved Tom.

Nick ties Gatsby's dream of starting over to the American dream of Europeans as they stood on the cusp of the New World, dreaming of starting afresh, creating a new world as if the past had never happened.