What is the "scar" that is repeatedly mentioned in Lord of the Flies?

The scar referred to several times in passing while Golding describes the island is the path that the crashing plane tore through the jungle. The first paragraphs mention the scar, but don't go into detail. The reader can imagine how large and devastating the path must look, but Golding understates it. Piggy explains that the plane went down in flames, causing tree trunks to fall as it crashed. Observing the damage to the landscape, Piggy says, "this is what the cabin done." The cabin of the downed plane was washed out to sea in the storm.

The scar is a subtle reminder of the trauma the boys have experienced, a topic which Golding leaves largely unexplored. Although the younger boys are plagued by nightmares and some of the older boys wistfully discuss their missing parents and caregivers, little time is spent describing the horror of the evacuation, crash landing, or possible loss of some friends or acquaintances in the crash. It seems likely that some boys died in the crash or drowned when the cabin was washed out to sea.

This scar on the landscape mirrors a scar in each of the boys' hearts. They have each suffered trauma, and they also have each been damaged by their associations with the outside world and by their contact with "mankind's essential illness." Just as the island is marred by the results of human conflict and violence (the nuclear war taking place in the outside world), so the boys are tainted with humanity, a depravity that they cannot escape because it is a permanent part of them.

Which door did the lover of the princess open in "The Lady, or the Tiger"?

Nobody knows for sure, and we will never know! Isn't that maddening? The surprise, unresolved ending of the story has engendered many conversations about what the young man found behind the door. Did the princess love him enough to save his life by giving him up to another woman, or was she jealous and completely selfish? Would she rather see him dead than married to a beautiful woman whom she despised? The young man's fate depends on how the reader views the princess, in particular, and human nature, in general.

In Chapter 2 of Great Expectations, how does Dickens arouse our sympathies for certain characters?In Chapter 1, what is surprising about the...

In Chapter 2, Dickens arouses the reader's sympathies for Pip and Joe Gargery at the expense of Mrs. Joe.  Mrs. Joe is rough and domineering, while the two males are passive and gentle, "fellow-sufferers" under Mrs. Joe's tyrannical hand.  Mrs. Joe is described as "not a good-looking woman...(who) must have made Joe Gargery marry her by hand".  She wears "a coarse apron" all the time, blaming the fact that she has to wear it on Pip and Joe, because of all the work they cause her.  The apron has a "square impregnable bib in front", symbolic of the suppression of her womanhood and all womanly qualities.  Pip, as established in the previous chapter, is small and insignificant, and Joe is described as "a mild, good-natured, sweet-tempered, easy-going, foolish, dear fellow - a sort of Hercules in strength, and also in weakness".  Before the tempestuous nature of Mrs. Joe, the two try to get by as best they can together (Chapter 2).

In Chapter 1, the narrative point of view adopted by Dickens is throught Pip's eyes.  This is a little surprising, because Dickens goes out of his way to present Pip as an insignificant character.  Pip is an orphan who "never saw (his) father or (his) mother, and never saw any likeness of either of them".  Five of his infant siblings are dead, and he himself is portrayed as a "small bundle of shivers growing afraid of it all and beginning to cry".  Pip is "undersized, for (his) years", and completely "helpless" and terror-stricken in the hands of the convict.  It is a bit surprising that such a weak, completely vulnerable character would be given the important job of providing the narrative point of view of the novel (Chapter 1).

How and why did things fall apart?Identify what you interpret to be major theme(s) and /or messages of Things Fall Apart. grrrrrr, i thought...

The title can be seen as a direct effect of European colonization/ Imperialism in Africa.  Certainly, this holds credence.  The presence of European powers in Africa disrupted much and caused a breakdown of the social structure in Africa.  The Europeans entered the worlds of Africa, Asia, and South America with the belief that they were "bringing" civilization to "the darker regions of the world."  Okonkwo's dismay at the results of Imperialism on his once proud village causes him to respond in the manner he does. 

The fact that the European presence, as depicted in the novel, fails to recognize that an established sense of order, tradition, and honor had already existed prior to their arrival goes to show that the collision of the two cultures resulted in things falling apart for the indigenous people of the region.  However, we can see the protagonist as an individual for whom things had already fallen apart in his own setting.  Poised as separate from generations (seeking to be completely different from a father he deems as lazy and a son he deems to be "not enough man"), Okonkwo is poised in a predicament where things are either close to falling apart or have fallen apart.  The internal drive and demons that drive him to work as hard as he does and accomplish what he does cannot placate the feeling that he is not at peace. 

This might be the underlying cause of his actions that cause him to be banished from the village.  While there is a social level where "things fall apart" when European imperialism comes to Igbo, there is also a personal and psychological dimension to Okonkwo that demonstrates "things fall apart" in his own mind.  The desire to uphold a self imposed view of being a man, the inability to make peace with his own sense of self, and the lack of understanding to make situations work while maintaining his own voice could also constitute the setting where "things fall apart/ the center cannot hold."

I have not been able to identify the tone, mood, and antagonist in "The Lottery".

The tone of the Shirley Jackson short story, "The Lottery" is one of objectivity. The events that transpired are relayed to the reader as if the narrator is a casual observer of the events. The mood is one of festivity with undertones of mysteriousness. The children are laughing and playing, the men are gathered and joking, but no one is laughing. There is a sense of tenseness that seems out of place for the "town picnic" like atmosphere.

The lottery itself is the antagonist as it represents the villagers reluctance to let go of outdated traditions, and it turns friends against each other such as when Mrs. Delacroix tells her friend Mrs. Hutchinson, "Be a good sport; We all took the same chance."

What is Neo Classical Poery? What are the main features of the poetry of this age?long answer

Neoclassical poetry comes from 18th and 19th century American colonial contributors with conservative values.  It is made up of heroic couplets - two lines of iambic pentameter that rhyme, and each of these couplets is thought to express complete thought and rhyme.  Some features of neoclassical poetry are that man is rational, that man's purpose is to teach and to entertain, and that literature is a craft to be appreciated for its correctness.  This poetry focuses on humans and human qualities.

Why does Pip "embroider" his account of his visit to Satis House? Charles Dickens's "Great Expectations"

Ironically, Pip believes that if he truly relates what occurred at Satis House, he sister will think it too fantastic a tale to be given credibility.  So, he edits the appearance of the inhabitants and the house and the actions that have occurred.  In addition to feeling that no one will understand Miss Havisham, Pip also feels that there is something "coarse and treacherous" about his revealing the truth of her character and appearance.  Interestingly, in this sentiment there is also irony as Pip reveals that he is of a noble character although he perceives Estella and Miss Havisham as superior to him.

Added to the convictions of Pip regarding his report of his visit to Satis House is his repulsion of the preposter, Uncle Pumblechook who hurries to Joe's house to learn the news.

And the mere sight of the torment with his fishy eyes and mouth open, his sandy hair inquisitively on end, and his waistcoast heaving with arithmetic, made me vicious in my reticence.

While Pip fabricates an elaborate story about what he has seen and done, he does tell the truth about the house being lit with only candles, for he realizes that Pumblechook is aware of this fact although he knows nothing of the inside of the house since he must wait outside whenever he does business there.

Later, however, Pip confesses to Joe that he has lied and that he feels very miserable because Estella has made him feel common. In fatherly fashion, Joe instructs Pip that "lies is lies."  But, he tells Pip, lying is no way to get out of being common; besides, Pip is "uncommon in some things," he lovingly comforts Pip.

Discuss the idea of Sophie's Choice and The Reader showing us that the holocaust was not black and white but rather one million shades of grey.

Both works evoke a great deal of complexity within the Holocaust through the narratives of the protagonists.  On first glance, Hanna's story seems straight forward:  A Nazi guard who was responsible for the death of innocents.  Yet, when analyzing her story, the nuances represent complexity and intricacy.  For example, she only takes the promotion as a guard within the Nazi apparatus to conceal her illiteracy.  Additionally, she does not voice or actively advocate Nazi ideology, contributing to the understanding that she lacks a sense of power.  Her story is not one of deliberate cruelty, but rather ignorance.  Finally, she gains literacy through her imprisonment and then gains the moral evolution to understand her role and complicity, and the private sense of guilt that accompanies her function.  In the final analysis, Hanna is not a simple character for whom moral clarity and judgment is an absolute.  Rather, her situation is one where delicacy and qualification replace a sense of dogmatism.

On first glance, Sophie's story is one of straight victimization, another of millions of tales of people who endured immense loss and tragic conditions through the Holocaust. Yet, scrutiny of her situation reveals more nuances.  She is not Jewish, but rather Polish.   This is essential to her character for she does voice anti- Semitic thoughts and hails from an anti- Semitic background from her father and husband.  Additionally, she acts in accordance to the idea of survival, as opposed to direct solidarity.  Sophie is not one who accepts her role as a victim of the Holocaust, thinking that she can conspire to save both herself and her children.  Her desire to see her boy participate in the Lebensborn program is one that perpetuates the thinking which gave rise to the Holocaust.  She is tormented by her feelings of being both victim and perpetrator, self pity and self hate.  Such a rendering is not the traditionalist notion of Holocaust victimization.

Perhaps, the ultimate message arising from both narratives is that the complexity and analysis required to judge individuals is critical in preventing the dogma and absolutism that allowed the Holocaust to develop.

What perspectives do Lady Macduff and her son provide that have not as yet found their way into this play about political intrigue and ambition?

The tender scene between Lady Macduff and her son occurs shortly before they are murdered and ends in their final moments as they both die. This introduces new elements into the play in terms of the human toll exacted by Macbeth's savage tyranny. Here for the first time, we see a mother interacting with her young son; the love between them is obvious as they banter back and forth. Beneath Lady Macduff's teasing, however, her anxiety is obvious. Her husband and their protector has left them to join forces against Macbeth, answering a call to duty so strong that it draws him away from his family during a time of great political unrest in Scotland. Lady Macduff's fear and the sacrifice thrust upon her no doubt mirrors those of other wives and mothers in Scotland. Because we come to know Lady Macduff and her little boy personally, even for a few moments, their murders are then even more abominable.

In "Birches", what does the speaker mean when he comments that he hopes that fate will not "half grant" what he wishes?

In the poem "Birches", Robert Frost describes a pastime he used to enjoy as a young boy.  He liked to climb high up in the birch trees, then, at just the right point, swing himself over so that the tree would bend, bringing him back safely to the ground.  It required a certain amount of skill to do that just right; he would have to climb "carefully with the same pains you use to fill a cup up to the brim, and even above the brim".  Timing and balance was everything; he would climb as high as he could, then swing over at just the right time so that the tree would bring him gently back down to earth, bending, but not breaking.

The poet remembers the feeling of exhilaration he used to feel, "conquer(ing)" the tree, climbing high to the top to escape the binds of the earth for a moment before returning.  Now that he is older, he longs to have that same feeling of escape when times are tough, when "one eye is weeping from a twig's having lashed across it open".  During these times he'd "like to get away from earth awhile...then come back to it and begin over".  He makes it clear however, that he wants the respite to be only temporary; he does not want "fate (to) willfully misunderstand (him) and half grant what (he) wishes and snatch (him) away, not to return".  Frost has no death wish.  He does not want fate to grant only part of his wish, the part about escaping the hardships of life, without making sure that it will grant the second part as well, the part about allowing him to come back down to earth.  He wants his whole wish, to be able to "climb...toward heaven", but not to stay there yet; he wants to make sure that the tree "dip(s) its top and set(s) (him) down again" when he is done.  The poet believes that despite the fact that it sometimes gets tiresome, "earth's the right place for love:  (he doesn't) know where it's likely to go better", and though at times he wants a break, in the final analysis, he wants to be sure he gets to stay on earth awhile longer.

What is leadership?

Leadership refers to the influence that certain individuals have on other people’s actions in an organizational context. The leader is the person who, because of his formal and / or informal status (power, prestige, influence), mobilizes, influences, organizes and leads groups and activities towards setting and achieving results.

As it can be noticed from the above definition, besides prestige and influence, power has an important role, as it has five sources:

ü      The power to offer rewards (the leader is entitled to reward individuals who achieve certain results);

ü      coercive power, which is the opposite of the first source (it is based on individuals’ fear to receive negative sanctions);

ü      legitimacy (the power exercised by a leader due to his status);

ü      referential power (it is based on the leader’s charisma);

ü      Professional power (defines the leader’s skills in certain areas, being recognized by others.

It should be noted that the definition of the situation has an important role because these sources of power are based on the perception of others, on the way in which the others perceive the leader. If people don’t believe in his power, then he has no power.

There are 10 principles that can increase the honor and power of a leader: the power of persuasion, patience, kindness, availability to learn, tolerance, kindness, sincerity, comprehension, consistency, integrity.

Describe how the Salem tragedy is seen as a paradox.

There are several layers of paradox that are offered through Miller's work.  The most glaring paradox is that the Salem power structure sought to reveal truth through the construction of forced confessions, innuendo, and lies.  An authority that was supposedly committed to exposing the truth exposed more deception.  Another paradox can be seen in Abigail Williams, herself.  She parlays her perception of innocent victim as the critical vehicle for perpetrating acts of complete malevolence and cruelty.  She knows very well how to manipulate people into believing what they would construe as truth and does so through deception.  The paradox is that the victim is actually the perpetrator.  Another paradox is the social setting of fear and paranoia that convinces good people to commit bad acts.  Elizabeth Proctor, by all accounts, is a good person.  Yet, she is forced to lie about her knowledge of her husband's affair.  The paradox is that someone who represents virtue must engage in vice.  John Proctor, himself, is an ordinary man who must assume extraordinary status in a setting where morality and courage are destitute. These paradoxes comprise the play and the development of its themes.

"No word, no expression could body forth the kind of relation in which she stood to me--my more than sister, sine till death she was to be mine...

We also see foreshadowing with this quote. Victor is incredibly possessive of Elizabeth, and in the original manuscript, Shelley intended for them to be cousins. She separated the relationship a bit more in the published version, but there is still an unsettling amount of obsession on Victor's part. this also sets up Victor's devotion to Elizabeth, which comes into play later when he frantically rushes home to escape his monster. Even his decision to create & then destroy the female counterpart to his own monster is driven by thoughts of protecting his love at all costs.

The future hint is seen at the last line "till death she was to be mine only." We know that Victor intends to marry Elizabeth, so we must ask ourselves: What could possibly separate the two by death? Whose death? Who will be responsible? The foreshadowing lets us know death will be imminent, but leaves us in suspense.

What does the liver do?

I really want to say everything, but that would not be correct. After going through the transplant evaluation process for my husband, I was amazed at what I learned.

The liver removes toxic substances from the blood, regulates glycogen storage and secretes bile which is an enzyme used in digestion. The liver is able to remove ammonia from the blood which is a waste product from protein digestion as well as many other amazing processes. The liver regulates blood platelet production. The liver is also part of the thermostat of the body as many persons who are dealing with liver failure complain of being cold all of the time.

The liver affects the processes of many other organs. If the liver is failing, then the kidneys will also begin to fail. In fact there is no way to replicate the processes the liver does, so if a person is in liver failure, the only possible help for that person is a liver transplant. There is no "liver machine" as there is a kidney machine. The liver can rejuvenate and restore itself. It is the only organ that can do this. However, once beyond a particular stage in liver disease, the liver can no longer heal itself. This is called decompensated cirrhoses. Liver disease can be caused by heredity (hemochromatosis), toxin exposure, acetomeniphen (tylenol) overdose, alcoholism, hepatitis and a variety of other factors.

The liver is one organ which weighs about 2-3 lbs. It consists of 2 lobes and lies just under the diaphragm under the lungs.  Directly behind the liver is the gallbladder which takes up unused bile.

What is your first impression of Henry Fleming in Red Badge of Courage? What challenging or stressful situations does Henry face?

The first impression the author gives us of Henry Fleming is that of a youth who is totally untried.  As the soldiers around him give their various opinions about when they will see battle, Henry is silent, listening with "eager ears...to the varied comments of his comrades".  He leaves the company of the others to lie for awhile on his bunk, so that he can ruminate in private "some new thoughts that had lately come to him".  He is in "a little trance of astonishment" at the thought that "on the morrow, perhaps, there would be a battle, and he would be in it".

Henry has no idea about what war is really like.  He has an idealistic view of battle; he

"had burned several times to enlist...Tales of great movements shook the land...there seemed to be much glory in them.  He had read of marches, sieges, conflicts, and he had longed to see it all.  His busy mind had drawn for him large pictures extravagant in color, lurid with breathless deeds".

In a flashback to Henry's homelife before he became a soldier, the author shows that Henry's romantic view of war had been tempered by his mother's practicality.  She countered his fantastic yearnings with "many hundreds of reasons why he was of vastly more importance on the farm than on the field of battle".  The influence that Henry's mother had on him is further proof of his extreme youth.  He was young and inexperienced enough so that her discouragement had a great effect on him; he still believed "that her ethical motive in the argument was impregnable".

Finally, though, Henry made "firm rebellion" against his mother's dissent.  In an "ecstasy of excitement", he announced to her that he was going to enlist, and he followed through on his resolve.  Having met the challenge of making his own decision and acting on it, Henry was disappointed in his mother's reaction.  Instead of the "beautiful scene" he had imagined would take place when he set off for the fields of battle, his mother had responded in a completely practical manner, attending to the details of seeing that he had proper provisions for his journey, and giving him sage reminders about how to behave.

Although his mother bade him leave almost dispassionately, she was in actuality deeply hurt and saddened by his decision.  Henry must deal with feelings of guilt upon leaving, as he looks back to see his mother carrying on with the interminable work on the farm alone, while "her brown face, upraised, (is) stained with tears...her spare form...quivering" (Part 1).

Compare and contrast the poems "Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd" by Sir Walter Raleigh and "The Passionate Shepherd To His Love" by Marlowe.

While these two poems are related (specifically, one is the "answer" to the other) and share many things, they are fundamentally two different types of poetry.  Let us first look at the superficial differences and similarities, and move to the deeper ones.

The meter (that is, the number of syllables and beats per line, and the placement of the stressed syllables) is very similar -- although not exactly so -- in these two poems.  Specifically Ralegh (his name, like Marlowe's, can be spelled several different ways -- Elizabethan spelling is not an exact science!) is copying, with slight changes, Marlowe's "Come (or to or then) live with me and be my love" line (lines 1, 20, and 24 of Marlowe, lines 4, 20, and 24 of Ralegh) for which Marlowe's poem became famous, so the meter would have to match in order to fit this line into a poem with any sort of regularity.  The meter of both poems is a very regular iambic tetrameter (4 beats to the line), with the vast majority of the lines containing exactly 8 syllables (each poem varies only 5 lines out of 24.) The rhyme scheme for both is aabbcc, etc, with first stanza rhymes (aa in Marlowe's case, bb in Ralegh's) repeating in later stanzas.  These are doubtless very similar poems, and each with a pastoral (meaning an imaginary world of rural lovers) setting and speaker.

But beyond these similarities of poetic form and subject, what is different about these poems?  The answer is tone.  Marlowe's poem, written first, is (as far as can be determined) an entirely sincere poem written in the very old and hallowed pastoral style of the entirely imaginary educated Shepherd wooing his beloved (a nymph, or perhaps a maiden) with gifts and promises of an enchanted rural life.  This is poetic form rather than a reflection of reality, for very few real shepherds in Marlowe's day could have provided "coral clasps and amber studs", or any other of the gifts described.  Marlowe's poem, written in an old and codified form, nevertheless expresses a real emotion.  You could compare it to rap music, in which certain slang words and tropes are used that are familiar and repeated in other songs, but can still express a true emotion of the singer. 

By contrast, Ralegh's poem is a satire of Marlowe's.  Ralegh takes Marlowe's sincere poem, and turns it into a realistic rebuttal of the silliness of pastoral love poetry's promises and images (and it is perhaps a satire on the very idea of codified forms of poetry itself -- both ideas would probably have amused Marlowe just as much as Ralegh).  Ralegh takes all of Marlowe's images and, in the voice of the previously silent "nymph" explodes the myth of pastoral love.  It begins "If all the world and love were young" (Ralegh line 1)  -- which the world and love certainly are not -- and she commences to show how all of the Shepherd's promises are either impossible or impractical.  For this, one has to assume that Marlowe thought of his original Shepherd as a real person, and not a poetic expression (which he almost certainly did not) -- it is a bit like addressing political questions to a Sesame Street character.  It is inherently funny, and Ralegh continues this theme, and even gets a little dark at the end of the poem.  Not only, Ralegh says, are formal poetry and buccolic love impossible, but "Had joys no date nor age no heed", bringing up the spectre of death. 

Please discuss the contributions of Chaucer as the architect of Modern English.

After the Norman Conquest of 1066 in which William the Conqueror of Normandy (part of France) and his Norman noblemen eradicated Harold of Hastings and the Saxon nobles, French became the official language in England.  All written works were put in French including literature.  (For instance, the Arthurian Legends are in French). 

Then, Geoffrey Chaucer, whose last name is the French form of the word shoemaker, came along in the second half of the thirteenth century (1343-1400).  Chaucer, who was bilingual, as were many in his time, was greatly influenced with the matter and style of French poetry.  However, when he realized how people of his time delighted in stories, he gave these to them.  Thus, the Canterbury Tales began.  Perhaps because this work is about the pilgrims whom Chaucer had observed so often in England, he put the tale in their language of usage.  Also, there was a bias toward French and an English work could be easily more popular.

According to luminarian.org, Chaucer's influence on the English language is overrated as it was a natural progression for the written language to become English.  Nevertheless, the tremendous popularity of "Canterbury Tales" certainly contributed to this progression.  His assigning of full value to every syllable in the lines in Canterbury Tales had to have had an effect upon the development of Modern English.  Certainly, too, the vocabulary and meanings of words that have originated from French are present in his works; many of these words remain in Modern English (60% of the words in Modern English originate from French).

Chaucer is also known for metric innovation.  It is he who initiated the use of iambic pentameter into popular works.  He also employed rhyming couplets.  His poetry is credited with helping to standardize the London dialect of Middle English, although some linguistics think that the influence of the court was a more powerful influence on the changes made.  The Oxford English Dictionary credits Chaucer, with his ear for common speech, as employing many current English words into his works, thus furthering the development of Modern English by way of Middle English.  Of course, the fact that "The Canterbury Tales" was one of the first books to be published and widely read has contributed to the powerful influence of Chaucer upon the English language.

What do chapters 27 and 28 of "Great Expectations" show about Pip’s snobbery?

In "Great Expectations" Pip receives a letter from Biddy that Joe is going to visit Pip in London.  Pip reacts,

Not with pleasure, though I was bound to him by so many ties; no, with considerable disturbance and some mortification.  If I could have kept him away by paying money, I certainly would have paid money.

While Pip is not so worried about Joe's meeting Herbert, he does not want Joe to meet his enemy Drummle who would use Joe's low stature against Pip. (Pip is here so concerned about his social status.)  At this point, Dickens has his narrator Pip voice one of the many observations on human nature:

So throughout life, our worst weaknessess and meannness are usually committed for the sake of the people whom we most despise. 

When he hears Joe arriving, Pip speaks of hearing his clumsy manner of climbing stairs and the cluncking of his boots that are "always too large" for him.  Uncomfortable in his new clothes and foreign situation, Joe also senses Pip's anxiety over his visit.  He apologies to Pip as they part, telling the new gentleman that he will not visit London again, "I'm wrong out of the forge."

As Joe leaves, Pip realizes his snobbery and regrets that he has treated his once beloved friend in this manner:

As soon as I could recover myself sufficiently, I hurried out after him and looked for him in the neighboring streets; but he was gone.

How does the setting of To Kill a Mockingbird affect the novel?Consider how the setting (time, place, AND cultural attitudes and norms) contributes...

The setting of the story, the deep south during the Great Depression, is very important to the story.  Race relations hadn't changed a great deal from the 1930's to the late 1950's when Harper Lee wrote the novel, so she could write about a past time from a view into her current time.  Blacks in the south were segregated as many southerners, like many people, did things the way their parents and grandparents did them and thought the way their parents and grandparents thought.  In the 1930's, the Civil War was 70 years old, but the grandparents of adults during 1930's would have probably had a clear memory of it.  People didn't travel much in the 1930's due to lack of money and lack of opportunity.  People were much more provincial then than they are now because, in part, we have mass media and easy access to travel.  That provincialism helped maintain the views of southerners from the Civil War through the 1930's and beyond.  All of that information makes it easier to understand why some of the characters in the story acted the way they did, particularly the uneducated ones.  The jury in the Tom Robinson trial was made up mostly of farmers who would have had a very limited education, so their prejudices ran deep.  That doesn't excuse what they did, but it does help explain it.  If the story had been set in a more modern time after the Civil Rights movement, there would have been less chance of a guilty verdict, no matter where the story was set.  Also important to the story's setting is the fact that the story does take place in the rural south.  These people were greatly and negatively affected by the Great Depression.  Many of the small farmers, like the Cunninghams, couldn't make ends meet with what was grown on their farms.  They were angry and bitter and sometimes that anger came out at any convenient source such as when the group of farmers planned to lynch Tom at the jail.  The setting was essential to the story so that the reader could see how ignorance bred prejudice and enlightenment banished it.

In "The Cay", how did Phillip help Timothy and what did Timothy want Phillip to do?In chapters 9 through 12.

Timothy helps Phillip in a great many ways. Indeed, without Timothy's help, Phillip would not have survived the attack on the ship, made it to the cay, or managed for himself on the island. In chapters 9-12, Timothy weaves a rope from vines for Phillip to use to guide himself around the island (since he is blind). Timothy also makes a cane for Phillip.

What Timothy wants Phillip to do is to become more independent. He foresees, perhaps, a time when he will not be able to help Phillip, and wants his friend to have the skills necessary to survive on his own. To that end, he insists that Phillip weave palm fibers into sleeping mats for their hut. He also encourages Phillip to climb into the palm tree to get coconuts. Phillip does these things, although at first he is angry at Timothy for pushing him.

In the end, it does become important for Phillip to have the skills and confidence to survive independently. These are some of the greatest gifts that Timothy of Charlotte Amalie bequeaths to his friend.

How can managers use the concepts of the bureaucratic viewpoint to increase the efficiency of their operation?

Bureaucratic viewpoint refers to the model of management developed by Max Weber (1864-1920). Weber developed a system of management he called bureaucracy, which literally means management by departments. Bureaucracy, as proposed by Weber relies on methods such as:

• Division of labour: Dividing the total work of an organization in clearly defined positions.


• Hierarchy:arranging the various position an organization having a clear hierarchical structure.,


• Formalized rules: Developing formal rules and procedures for all work to be performed and decision to be taken. It was envisaged that these rules will identify and prescribe the best way of doing every job in the organization.


• Impersonality: subjective discretion to be eliminated totally. Irrespective of the person occupying a position, the work will be performed in the same way as it will be dictated by the formal rules and procedures rather than subjective judgements. Further the authority of person should be based entirely on the position occupied rather than on personal charisma.


• Selection and promotion base on ability:It is supposed that there is one best person for every job, and the management mus try to find such best person for every job.

The bureaucratic model of management is found to be very effective for managing simple and repetitive activities under stable environment. However this style of management also tends to promote rigidity, and therefore is not very suitable for organization operating in changing or uncertain environment. Also it is not suitable for businesses requiring high degree of innovation.

What contributes to the feeling of Thornfield Hall having a very Gothic atmosphere?

Several components contribute to Thornfield Hall having a very Gothic quality.  As each is listed, pay attention to the text to see how Bronte substantiates such a description.  The hall itself, is very large, and gives way to mystery.  Jane is initially struck by its larger than life form and its very enigmatic nature.  Jane's descriptions of it lends it to be seen as supernatural of another world.  This initial description would enhance its' Gothic feel.  The circumstances surrounding Rochester and his insane wife also add to this feel of Gothic caricature.  The idea of a "locked wing," or a section of the house that lies unknown to the curious and thoughtful Jane also adds the particular feeling of something that lies beyond explanation of cannot be explained.  The reverberations of the laughter in the hall's echoes also cause a great deal of Gothic feel.  Finally, Bertha's burning of the hall gives the Gothic feel of curse and condemnation.

I need some quotes from act 1 in The Crucible.

The following quotes come from Act I of The Crucible, they are spoken by Abigail Williams, the first one concerns her relationship with John Proctor, which we learn about from this comment that she makes.

"I look for John Proctor that took me from my sleep and put knowledge in my heart! I never knew what pretense Salem was, I never knew the lying lessons I was taught by all these Christian women and their covenanted men! And now you bid me tear the light out of my eyes? I will not, I cannot! You loved me, John Proctor, and whatever sin it is, you love me yet!" (Miller)

Abigail, in conversation with John Proctor, makes it clear that she was in an adulterous relationship with him and that she is still very much in love with him.  She reminds him that he participated in this relationship with her, fully and that she knows that he loved her, and that if what they did was sin, then so be it, but she defies him to admit that he no longer loves her.  Proctor won't admit that to her, but he tells her that he won't continue to have a relationship with her because he is devoted to his wife.  He won't turn from his wife again, even if he loved Abigail, it does not matter, he is committed to making his marriage work.

This really angers Abigail, who feels compelled to find another way to get Proctor back, so she becomes involved in the witchcraft hysteria, actually leading the other girls to testify, falsely, against people, who are convicted and later executed.

Abigail throws herself into the whole witchcraft hysteria for two reasons, first to get out of trouble, because her Uncle saw her in the woods dancing with the other girls and Tituba, and to access the power that turning to the devil and then being saved back to God holds.  In the following passage, Abigail makes a startling confession to get attention at the end of Act I.

"I want to open myself! . . . I want the light of God, I want the sweet love of Jesus! I danced for the Devil; I saw him, I wrote in his book; I go back to Jesus; I kiss His hand. I saw Sarah Good with the Devil! I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil! I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil!" (Miller)

With this confession, Abigail sets in motion the first accusations against the fringe elements of society, Sarah Good, Goody Osburn, Bridget Bishop, will all be executed as witches because of Abigail's testimony.

Explain the relationship between Hally and his parents, and Sam's role and his influence in Hally's life in "Master Harold"... and the Boys?

Based on the conversations that Hally has with his mother over the telephone regarding is father's condition, the audience gathers that Hally has a strained, distant relationship with his parents.  It is apparent that Hally's father has a drinking problem, one likely brought on by his inability to properly cope with his physical disability.  Hally's mother does not stand up to his father, and instead she tries to appease Hally's father and to make him comfortable.  Hally appears to be ashamed of his father's lifestyle, and he is angry at his mother for "allowing" this to continue.  Sam recalls times when he took Hally out to play because the father was unable to do these things with Hally.  Sam serves as a father-figure in many ways for Hally--he tries to teach him the life lessons that his father is unable to teach him.  Near the end of the play, Sam reminds Hally of all these times and he makes Hally aware of the realities that he never noticed because he was too small (i.e. Sam not being able to sit on the bench with Hally because it was a "whites only" bench).  Sam wants to teach Hally to be a better man and to resist the injustices of their society.

I need help with a line by line analysis of the poem, "Love Poem for My Country" by Sandile Dikeni. Can you help me understand this poem?I need...

The refrain, "My Country," at the beginning of each stanza emphasizes the national ethos of the poem. These are substantiated by attributes of love, peace, joy, health and wealth, and, finally unity.

Thus far, summarized like this, there is hardly anything remarkable about the poem.

But when you notice HOW these characteristics are described, that's where the poetic merits come in. Love is associated with the valleys and ancient rivers flowing the full circle of life; peace is spoken for by the SILENT and open grassland (veld). The juxtaposition of "spoken" and "silent" itself is intriguing. Nature is praised, even the traditionally ugly reptiles "carress" the surface, "glittering" with elegant motion."Health is equated with the sea, life giver to myriads of animals; and fish are described as "jewels. Finally, unity; probably the most important aspect of this patriotic poem. Whereas love, peace and joy are expressed by the plant and animal world of South Africa, unity is expressed by "millions in their passion...hands joined together, hope in their eyes."

Poetry, like the rest of literature, is essentially self-referential; i.e., while it has a message, like this poem is a clarion call for hope, peace and unity for South Africa, IT IS THE WAY IT EXPRESSES THESE FEELINGS which are most important for us the readers. Think about it: many people can and do love their country. But can they express their love in a way that draws our attention to it? If they can -- as this poet obviously does -- they are poets. The rest of are just patriots.

The main figure of speech in this poem is metaphors: because it makes valleys SPEAK love; velds declare peace SILENTLY; fish are jewels deep under the earth. Notice also that jewel fish are cleverly juxtaposed by the GOLDEN voice of the miners -- another metaphor.

Why do poets use metaphors? The easy answer is to make the poem attractive to others, to say it in such a way that is unique. A more complex answer lies in the way languages work in human thought formation. Metaphors, a famous linguist recently said, is of the flesh. Our ability to join disparate things together to create metaphors -- valleys speaking, silently declaring, the mountains talking, golden voices -- all lie latent in our desire to be effective when we speak. It is the human ego. When we speak with other people we use metaphors: Dikeni's poem goes OVER MY HEAD would be a good example. But when we write, especially when we are a Dikeni, we employ these types of poetic technique consciously, strategically so that people read our poetry and appreciate it.

What is Yeats's poem, "An Acre of Grass" about?

"An Acre of Grass" is from Yeats' "Last Poems" (1939). The poem graphically describes the plight of the old and aged W.B.Yeats. He realises that he has come to the end of his life and reveals to us the loneliness and joylessness of his sad situation "at life's end."

He first bemoans his weakened and restricted physical state. He is confined to "an acre of grass" which serves as an exercise ground. He has only a few books and pictures to look at. He has no human companions. His only companion is the mouse which keeps him company during his insomnia.

But worse, Yeats feels saddened  that the intellectual frenzy and fire has been completely extinguished and pleads that somehow he become like King Lear, Timon of Athens, William Blake or Michael Angelo who even in their old age asserted their individuality and were creative and productive:

"Grant me an old man’s frenzy,
Myself must I remake
Till I am Timon and Lear
Or that William Blake
Who beat upon the wall
Till Truth obeyed his call."

The single common characteristic of all these great men was their misanthropy. In their old age all of them realised their foolishness in trusting their friends or family members who abandoned them in their old age.

In "Lord of the Flies", what does the description of Simon's body being carried out to sea represent about him?I need a short and sweet answer.

Golding's use of light imagery in this scene leads to a tone of gentleness. He describes how the water "dressed Simon's coarse hair with brightness" and the "moving patch of light" made by the phosphorescent creatures. Then Simon's body essentially becomes art:

The line of his cheeks silvered and the turn of his shoulder became sculptured marble. The strange attendant creatures, with their fiery eyes and trailing vapors, busied themselves round his head. The body lifted a fraction of an inch from the sand and a bubble of air escaped from the mouth with a wet plop. Then it turned gently in the water.

Some have suggested that this is Christ imagery as well. whether or not you agree with that, there's definitely a sense of Simon becoming more than a dead body. He is lit up by the "strangely attendant" creatures, implying that they recognize he should be taken care of in some way. Also, the movement in the water may suggest a transcendence of death.

What is Karren Hesse's style and technique in writing Out of the Dust?What writing style does Karen Hesse use in her book Out of the Dust?

Out of the Dust is a first person narrative, meaning the protagonist  (main character) tells the story in his or her own words.

What sets this narrative apart from others is that Hesse's protagonist, Billie Joe, doesn't specifically tell the story, but rather reveals it as her journal entries. Most diaries are private tings, but Billie Jo's journal is intended to be reach, so she is careful to add descriptions and explanations of things. However, her perspective in her telling of the story is her own view of the things that happened, so they may or may not be completely accurate. This makes Billie Jo an unreliable narrator.

The other things that sets this novel apart from others is that the chapters aren't necessarily connected thematically. Billie Jo tells about events in her life, but she doesn't really put the together with a beginning, middle, and an end. It's almost like glimpses into her head from time to time. As you read all of them, you get a good sense of the storyline without it being told to you word for word.

What does the dead parachutist symbolize? Does he symbolize something other than what the beast and the lord of the flies symbolize?

The beast and the lord of the flies are both symbols of man's savage instincts and evil itself. The dead parachutist does not seem to suggest these dark connotations, but perhaps the distinction is not as defined as it seems.

On one level, the parachutist might symbolize the civilization from which the boys have been cut off. He comes from the world outside, the world wherein they used to live before becoming isolated on the island. He might be interpreted as a symbol of the world as a place of sophisticated technology and progress far removed from the primitive conditions of the island. The parachutist is an adult, perhaps symbolizing order, mastery, and authority in contrast to the boys' immaturity. He may be seen, therefore, as symbolizing all the boys have lost. Simon seems to view the parachutist in these terms as he attends to his body with gentleness and respect.

On a deeper level, perhaps the parachutist symbolizes the essence of the beast and the lord of the flies, savagery and evil in action. His remains are the result of battle; his body is a product of warfare. The war raging in the outside world is rooted in the same primal instincts that have created war on the island. Civilization exists nowhere, and no one is safe from what lies within.

Please explain Shakespeare as a sonneteer.

Shakespeare was such an amazing sonneteer that there is actually a type of sonnet today that we refer to as a "Shakespearean Sonnet"!  Even though Shakespeare isn't the inventor of the Shakespearean sonnet, he was certainly the master of this kind of poem.  Quite simply, a Shakespearean sonnet contains fourteen lines of iambic pentameter.  It has three quatrains (four lines each) and a final rhyming couplet (of two lines).  Therefore, the rhyme scheme is always abab cdcd efef gg.  Most often a problem is presented in the first 12 lines or so with a solution following by the end of the poem.

During the Elizabethan period, writing groups of sonnets with similar themes (called a "sonnet sequence") became very popular.  Shakespeare wrote the best of these sonnet sequences, in my opinion.  His contained a full 154 sonnets.  They focus on a handsome young man, a rival poet, and sometimes even a "dark lady."  These subjects often cause scholars to disagree upon the truth behind Shakespeare's life and sexuality. 

In "To Kill a Mockingbird," what qualities makes Atticus an outstanding lawyer?Any references from the book are welcomed. Please provide your...

A worthy lawyer must be observant, objective, unbiased, and evaluate a case solely upon the evidence.  In addition, "To Kill a Mockingbird," Atticus Finch practicing these precepts of his profession in his personal life; he literally "practices what he preaches."  For instance, in Chapter 2, an objective Atticus explains to Scout that the Cunninghams and the Ewells are different from one another and, as such, must be examined with their values in mind, not solely by Finch values.  Also, he explains to Scout that she should not generalize in judging people such as the Ewells. For example when Scout says that Mr. Ewell should not drink away their relief checks, Atticus replies,

Of course he shoudn't, but he'll never change his ways.  Are you going to take out your disapproval on the children?

This principle Atticus consistently applies to others, such as the Radleys.  For, he scolds the children for pestering Boo Radley because the father has made him a recluse:

What Mr. Radley did was his own business....What Mr. Radley did might seem peculiar to us, but it did not seem peculiar  to him.

With his respect for the individual, Atticus questions Jem about putting Boo's life on display "for the edification of the neighborhood," implying that the children must respect others.  That Atticus is a clever lawyer is also evident in this episode as he has returned from work for a file "he had forgotten to take...that morning."  Jem realizes "he had been done in by the oldest lawyer's trick on record (pretending to forget something so that he can catch the children "in the act").

As he does with the families mentioned, Atticus applies his close powers of observation and objectivity to others in the town.  He chides the children for disliking the irascible Mrs. Dubose as they do not understand her illness and addiction.  For punishment he assigns Jem the task of reading to Mrs. Dubose after school so that Jem himself can observe and learn who Mrs. Dubose really is.  This method of allowing someone else to observe on his/her own is effective as a parent as well as a lawyer who allows his jury to observe without previous opinions being suggested to them. 

When he is assigned the case for Tom Robinson, he is unbiased in his treatment of both Tom and the despicable Ewells.  When an angry mob comes to the jail for Tom, Atticus places his life in danger to do his job as defender, and he does not back down. Later, at the trial, his close powers of observation assist him in this case, also, as Atticus points out that Tom could not have committed an action since it would have required him to use his wasted arm.

Charitable, Atticus finds redeeming qualities in nearly everyone.  To his own sister, Alexandra, he loyally defends Calpurnia for her loving ways with the children, telling his sister,

She's a faithful member of this family and you'll simply have to accept things the way they are...We still need Cal as much as we ever did.

  Atticus is able to balance his emotions against his rational side, and for this ability and his other sterling qualities such as integrity and loyalty, he is an excellent lawyer.