What are the internal and external conflicts in "The Necklace"?

Internal conflicts take place within the main character's mind. When faced with a dilemma, for example, which choice should he/she make? Whatever the conflict is in the story, the main character will have to make some kind of decision or choice. Those are internal conflicts.

External conflicts take place between

**the main character and another character,

**the main character and something in nature (such as a storm or other natural occurrence), and/or

**the main character and some other force.

For example, one external conflict that both the husband and the wife struggle with in this story is their poor financial situation. Now ask yourself, what effect does this particular conflict have on the action in and outcome of the story?

What is the main theme in "The Snake" by John Steinback?

John Steinbeck denied that "The Snake" has a meaning, which also pretty well excludes having a theme:

John Steinbeck contends that he has told this story exactly as it actually happened in his friend Ed Ricketts's Cannery Row laboratory and denies knowing what—if anything—it means.

However, critics like to analyze the story from the point of view of Jungian psychological literary theory, so according to this approach, the story does have a theme. Briefly, in Jungian theory, the woman represents the Jungian archetype of the collective unconscious universal mind. Snakes are associated in Jungian theory with moments of sudden insight into this unconscious mind.

The snake-woman, who is described as lean with black hair close to her head and lithe movements, seems to have symbolically emerged from the primordial tidal pool that teems with life and when she departs, her almost soundless steps suggest a symbolic return to the same pool. Thus is she connected first with the universal unconscious mind and second with amoral, elemental primordial forces--those of the primordial pool.

The snake-woman and Dr. Phillips are sharply philosophically  opposed to each other. While she wants the snake and rat just for the self-directed pleasure of watching the "hunt," he is repulsed by harming creatures for selfish nonscientific reasons, although he accepts ending animal life for valid scientific purposes. This sharpens her symbolic representation of primordial forces and heightens the contrast between moral choice and amoral enjoyment, which dramatizes a thematic conflict between instinct and moral choice since, in Jungian constructs, snakes are emblematic of human instincts.

Putting all this together, it may be said that the theme is amoral primordial instinct versus higher intellectual moral reasoning. It is interesting to note, in light of this theme, that the snake-woman, representing amoral primordial instinct, never comes back and never compensates Dr. Phillips for the rats and the boarding although she promises she will. In addititon, he thinks he sees her from time to time, but it is never she. This circumstance enforces the supremacy of higher intellectual moral reasoning over amoral primordial instinct.

How did Mrs. Dubose change Jem's life in "To Kill a Mockingbird"?In reading this novel, the reader notices that Jem is getting more mature, and...

In Chapter 11 of "To Kill a Mockingbird," Jem learns Atticus's lesson about not prejudging people.  In anger and "umbrage at Mrs. Dubose's assessment of the family's mental hygiene," Jem destroys her beautiful camellias.  Then, he pays the consequences of his actions as Atticus makes him read to the ailing woman. It is only after Mrs. Dubose dies that Jem learns that she has courageously withdrawn herself from the pain-killing morphine to which she has become addicted.

While he goes to read to her, Jem learns as Atticus has taught him,

[people] are entitled to full respect for their opinions....[but] she's old and ill.  You can't hold her responsible for what she says and does.

As Jem reads he tries to skip words that he cannot pronounce, but Mrs. Dubose catches him and makes him spell it out.  From reading to Mrs. Dubose, Jem learns patience, courage, and tolerance of the idiosyncrasies of others.  That he has learned this lesson is evidenced in Chapter 13 when he urges Scout not to "antagonize" Aunt Alexandria because Atticus "has got a lot on his mind now, without us worrying him." 

When the mob threatens Atticus at the jail in Chapter 15, Jem refuses to leave when told to do so by his father; he courageously insists upon staying in order to try to prevent the men from doing anything to Atticus.  Following his example, Scout speaks to Mr. Cunningham so as to defuse the tension of the angry men.  By singling him out, Scout makes Mr. Cunningham uncomfortable and the men leave on his direction.  Later, when the "full meaning of the night's events hit" Scout, her brother Jem tolerantly

was awfully nice about it:  for once he didn't remind me that people nearly nine years old didn't do things like that.

In Chapter 17 the adults think that Scout should not hear what is being said at the trial of Tom Robinson, but Jem tells the Reverend Sykes that Scout "doesn't understand it...she ain't nine yet."  Then, when the Reverend becomes anxious about Atticus knowing that the children are there, Jem allays his fears by saying, "He can't see us this far away.  It's all right, Reverend."

By the end of Chapter 23, Jem declares that he understands why Boo Radley does not leave his house:  the world is too confusing and too corrupt.

If there's just one kind of folks, why can't they get along with each other?  If they're all alike, why do they go out of their way to despise each other?  Scout, I think I'm beginning to understand something, I think I'm beginning to understand why Boo Radley's stayed shut up in the house all this time...it's because he wants to stay inside. 

Clearly, from his experiences with Mrs. Dubose, Jem has learned to see and listen first and form judgments later; he has also acquired courage.

Where in the cells are vacuoles located and what do they transport?

Vacuoles can occupy up to 90% of a cell by volume due to the stretching property of its selective membrane.

The transport of different substances is performed by vesicles, which are small vacuoles. The vesicles transports materials from one part of Golgi apparatus, to another part of Golgi apparatus or they transport materials from endoplasmatic reticulum to Golgi apparatus.

The vesicles transport the large molecules that cannot move through membranes and the moving direction of vesicles is given by the tubes and rigid filaments of cytoskeleton.

Hence, vesicles (small vacuoles) perform the transport, while the large vacuoles give rigidity to the plant,store the waste product and separate large molecules in small pieces that could be transported by the vesicles.

How can I avoid having to pay back reimbursed tuition to my school district, if I resign at the end of my contract?What can the district...

This question cannot be answered definitively without a review of the actual contract.  Does the language of the contract provide that you must reimburse the school district whether or not the contract is renewed? If it does, then I see no way out of having to repay the tuition costs.  I would advise you to have an attorney review the contract for you.  Sometimes local bar associations make attorneys available for a reduced cost for one initial consultation.  If the terms of the contract are written as I suspect they are, you can certainly be sued by the school district.

As a practical matter, it is probably inadvisable to skip out on your obligation.  Whether the school district sues you or not, it is unlikely to provide you with a favorable reference, and even if you do not rely on this employer for a reference, bear in mind that people in school districts exchange information routinely, and you are likely to be placed on a "Bad Hire" list in your area.

As an ethical matter, do you really want to avoid your obligation?  It is ultimately the taxpayers whom you are cheating, and if teachers did this routinely, there would be terrible consequences for teachers, students, and taxpayers. 

How does Empire of the Sun convey Jim's discovery of the nature of humanity?

The biggest way in which this novel presents key truths about the nature of humanity is through the transformation that occurs within Jim from the pampered, somewhat spoilt boy that the reader is presented with at the beginning of the novel to the war-weary, prison camp and street-smart teenager that is able to survive in the face of tremendous opposition. Jim faces tremendous hardship, and starves and sees sights that leave an indelible impact on his psychology. As a result of these experiences, he changes irrevocably, and learns certain truths about the nature of humanity and man's inherent fragility in the face of death, war and suffering. Note how this is conveyed in the following quote that comes towards the end of the novel after Jim's quest for his parents is nearly over:

To his surprise he felt a moment of regret, of sadness that his quest for his mother and father would soon be over. As long as he searched for them he was prepared to be hungry and ill, but now that the search had ended he felt saddened by the memory of all he had been through, and of how much he had changed. He was closer now to the ruined battlefields and this fly-infested truck, to the nine sweet potatoes in the sack below the driver's seat, even in a sense to the detention center, than he would ever be again to his house in Amherst Avenue.

Now that he is abot to reunited with them, he is struck by the horror of all he has endured and becomes suddenly aware of how far he has travelled and how much he has matured. The pampered, sheltered upbringing he experienced in Amherst Avenue belongs now to another world, and he is more defined by the "ruined battlefields" and the carnage of war with all of its want and suffering than he ever was by the luxury and comfort he once enjoyed. The nature of humanity is thus expressed in its fragility through the carnage of war and how it irrevocably changes Jim.

Who is Tobe, and what is the significance of his role in "A Rose for Emily," especially its historical perspective?

Tobe is Miss Emily's manservant.  He is similar to a butler because he opens the door to "guests" and lives in the Grierson house.

Because "A Rose for Emily" heavily discusses the conflict between tradition (especially traditions of the Old South) and more modern thinking, Faulkner uses Tobe as one of the elements of the town's "traditions." The author refers to him most often as "the Negro" instead by name, implying that Miss Emily and even other members of the town have not eliminated their problems with discrimination and the dehumanization of other races.  One might expect this of Miss Emily because she is eccentric and obviously living in the past, but the narrator of the story, who is a member of the town, also chooses to refer to Tobe by the term more often than by his proper name.

Likewise, Tobe represents the barrier between not only blacks and whites during the time but also between old and new ways of thinking.  He continues to work for Miss Emily, possibly when she can no longer pay him.  Faulkner does not give a reason for Tobe's loyalty, but it seems that Tobe possesses a protective attitude toward Emily Grierson.  He keeps her secret for many years and even stays around after she has died, but only long enough to let "visitors" into his dead employer's house.  Then he

"walk[s] right through the house and out the back and was not seen again."

His action is his last "duty" for Emily.  He could have stayed behind to watch the townspeople's reaction to her room, but it is almost as if he wants to know nothing of their gossip and likely criticism of her. He would not think of himself as her friend because his and her sense of tradition dictated otherwise, but it also influences him to practice loyalty toward someone who had for so long been a part of his life. Even his exit (through the back door) implies that tradition has been so deeply ingrained in him that he does not know how to act apart from it.

In "Hamlet" why does the queen tell lies to the king about Hamlet's madness?

Hamlet has just murdered Polonius.  Murder is a pretty serious charge, and Polonius was a rather important man in the kingdom.  His death will not be taken lightly--they can't just try to hide it, or pretend that it didn't happen.  If Hamlet was sane, rational, and in his right mind, the repercussions of that murder would probably be pretty severe.  Gertrude realizes this.  She realizes that Hamlet is going to be in serious trouble for what has happened.  So, to downplay Hamlet's role in the murder, she tells the king, who has the most authority to decide what will happen, that Hamlet is mad.  If Hamlet was not in control of his actions because of his madness, then the repercussions will be less severe.  So, she tells the king that Hamlet is

"Mad as the sea and wind when both contend
Which is the mightier...
O'er whom his very madness, like some ore
Among a mineral of metals base,
Shows itself pure. He weeps for what is done." (IV.i.7-29)

In this passage she relays the fact that she feels Hamlet is mad, out of his mind, and so not responsible for his death.  Then, she softens Hamlet's role further by claiming that despite his madness, Hamlet still "weeps" for the fact that Polonius is dead.  So, he is mad, but still upset over the death of the old man.  She is acting to protect Hamlet, and it's not like she herself doesn't actually believe in Hamlet's madness--he has just attacked her in her room and talked to imaginary (in her mind, imaginary) ghosts wandering about the castle.  So, she might just believe what she says about Hamlet's state of mind, but, for sure, she did exaggerate it to the king in order to protect her son from harsh treatment as a result of his actions.  And, it works.  The king decides that they must "ship him" away so that he isn't around when everything is found out.  That will keep Hamlet safe from the law and people's anger for a time.

I hope that those thoughts help; good luck!

Why should we repair the USS Missouri? (urgent) opinion (Battleship Missouri Memorial)

The same reasons we repaired the Statue of Liberty, or keep up the Lincoln Memorial or the site of the Battle of Waterloo apply.  Historical monuments, sites and momentoes are important in keeping the facts of the past in mind, rather than either forgetting the past or mythologizing it. Documents, works of art, and old things of all types tell us about our past, our culture and ourselves.  We keep the Declaration of Independance and the Constitution, in part simply to preserve our culture but also so we can guard against claims that they say something they don't.  We'd all like to forget about the Nazi death camps, but the sites are memorialized so we won't forget-  not to celebrate them, but to guard against a recurrence.  I spent half my life living in a plantation house built in 1830, with a log cabin from 1794 in the yard, both of which are now on the National Historic Register because the past is worth remembering.

It could be argued that the cost of keeping up these memorials and buildings and documents could be spent on other things.  But would they be better things?  If the money spent on restoring and cleaning Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper had been spent feeding the poor that would have been great, but would it have actually helped end poverty?  It would take a lot more money and a concerted effort on the part of humanity to do that, and I'm not sure it's not beyond our capability.  One reason to keep the Missouri Memorial is not to celebrate the War, but to remind us how America once united against aggression, and to help us guard against our own militarist impulses.  In other words, not to glorify war, but to remember the sacrifice and terror of such a thing.

What evaluation tools can I use as the students guide to make a book review with the theme moral good behavior

It seems to me that with a book like this one, the best approach as an evaluation took about behavior would be in a reflective form.  To get students to reflect about characters' actions in the book and how they would be similar or act differently is critical.  Dahl writes the book to be one where kids interact with the text, so it is a natural extension for them to comment on how characters are in the book and how these individuals' actions represent "good behavior" or something that can be expanded.  A journal entry prompt about how students find themselves similar or different to the characters would be an effective way to generate reflection.  Another form of this would be to have students divide a sheet of paper into two columns.  The first column is entitled "Things I know about how ________ behaves in the book."  The second column is entitled "How I feel about how this behavior."  Essentially, students activate both their cognitive and affective understandings simultaneously.  When engaging in behavior based reflection activities, it seems to me that it is essential for students to draw comparisons between characters in books and how they perceive these characters' actions in terms of representing good behavior.

Which methods are most accurate in making forcasts?If weather was 64 degrees Fahrenheit and overcast, There is a storm moving 500 miles north,...

More information would be needed to give an appropriate forecast 3 days in advance.  Meteorology often gets a bad rap for being so inaccurate because most people do not understand the intricacy and many geological influences at play in these scenarios. 

In the above scenario, 64 degrees F is of little help if the geographical location is not known.  In southern FL this temperature could indicate a possible cold front moving through the area while the opposite would be true for Ontario, Canada. 

However, the fact that the sky is overscast indicates there is a low front currently over the area which is always a solid indicator of possible precipitation.  Precipitation cannot occur in a high pressure area because the atmosphere is too 'heavy' to allow water vapor to condense in to clouds. 

The speed of the storm is also way too high for authentic conditions.  The average speed of a moving thunderstorm is about 20 mph.  As you can see, a thunderstorm moving at a rate of 250 mph is unheard of.  Also, if the storm is only 500 miles away and is moving at a rate of 250 mph, the storm will move past you in about 2 hours which does little to help us predict the weather in that area 3 days in the future.  A speed of 250 mph sounds more like the speed of the jet stream (which is another factor that affects the direction of storm, front, and air mass movement as the jet stream moves during different seasons).   

If we remove the thuderstorm's speed from the equation we can then make a more accurate prediction of the weather conditions in the area in the immediate future.  We know for sure there is a low pressure system in the area and a warm front is moving in.  The current temperature is 64 degress F which is neither exceptionally cool nor exceptionally warm.  In absence of other information (location, geographical landforms, proximity to urban areas, etc) it is perfectly reasonable to assume that the area is going to experience at least some form of precipitation, most likely rain, for at least a day or so.  How long this precipitation will last depends on other factors such as the intensity of the current low pressure system and the possibility of other air masses. 

The most accurate method of predicting weather is to consider the stability of the atmosphere in the location being considered.  Low pressure systems, warm and cold fronts, ocean currents, cloud cover, land forms, buildings, and much more all figure in to the equation.  Below are some excellent links that might help you along the way. 

One of the titles for this novel considered by Dickens and later rejected was "Buried Alive." In what way might this have been an appropriate...

In Charles Dickens's "A Tale of Two Cities," several characters follow the motif and are "buried alive."  First of all, Mr. Lorry is "buried alive" in Tellson's Bank, a parody of the Bastille, as he works in the darkened space in which "young men enter and old men depart," figuratively "buried" under the paperwork and darkness of the teller's cells.  Then, Mr. Lorry is called upon to rescue Dr. Manette in France. On his rescue trip with the Dover Mail, Mr. Lorry, like the other passengers, is "buried" in his thoughts, locked in his own skin and mind, vulnerable and mortal.  Later, when Lorry reaches France he looks upon the physician has been "buried alive" in prison for fourteen years so he cannot identify aristocratic brothers who commit murder.  Dickens writes of Dr. Manette: 

Only his daughter had the power of charming this black brooding from his mind.  She was the golden thread that united him to a Past beyond his misery, and to a Present beyond his misery.

Sydney Carton is "buried alive" in his dissipation and his being "shouldered around" by Mr. Stryver for whom he works.  Carton's burial in self-imposed misery finds him later resurrected in the novel through his becoming a sacrificial victim for Charles Darnay, whose "buried" name of Evremonde is uncovered after the Revolution begins in France.  Darnay's imprisonment is effected by the evil heart of Mme. DeFarge whose one desire in life is to avenge the death of her brother "buried alive" at a young age because of the evil of the Evremonde brothers. 

Charles Darnay is arrested by the sans-coulottes  of the Revolution and would have been "buried alive" in prison if not for Carton's becoming the sacrificial victim.  Carton's death serves to render life to Darnay and his family and to him as one of the Darnay children are his namesake.

What is the main problem in That Was Then, This Is Now, and how was it solved?

The main problem in the book That Was Then, This Is Now is the growing rift between Bryon and Mark, as Bryon begins to "grow up" while Mark does not.  The two boys have been raised together since Mark was left homeless after the violent death of his parents, and until this time, they have been as close as brothers.  Both boys have been scrappers, enjoying hustling at pool and frequent fights with their neighborhood enemies.  Mark especially has led a charmed existence during the past few years, seemingly being able to get away with just about anything.

Now that they are sixteen, however, Bryon has started to think more deeply about life and responsibility.  When their friend Charlie is killed while trying to defend them after they hustle some guys at the pool hall, Bryon is overcome with a sense of guilt, and when Bryon himself is brutally beaten by the Shephards, he refuses to allow Mark to retaliate for him, telling him, "I don't want to keep this up, this getting-even jazz.  It's stupid and I'm sick of it and it keeps going in circles" (Chapter 8). 

Mark, on his part, would prefer to continue living a carefree, unexamined life.  Unhappy at the changes that he sees Bryon going through, he tells him, "You can't keep trying to figure out why things happen, man...You gotta just take things as they come, and quit trying to reason them out" (Chapter 7).

The growing rift between Bryon and Mark is never really solved, which illustrates the central theme of the story.  The process of growing up is a difficult thing, because one must leave behind the certainties of childhood and face the complicated and oftentimes unsolveable dilemmas of adulthood.  The story ends after Bryon turns Mark in to the police for selling drugs, and there is no happy resolution.  Mark is chillingly embittered by what he considers to be Bryon's betrayal and seems headed on a downhill spiral of ever increasing antisocial behavior.  Bryon, on his part, is bewildered and consumed by guilt, "too mixed up to really care".  In the last line of the story, he can only say, 'I wish I was a kid again, when I had all the answers" (Chapter 11).

What is the climax of "Nothing but the Truth"?

This is a tough one but I would say the climax of the story is the point where Philip breaks into tears because he can not sing the National Anthem and confesses he does not know it. At that point the conflict reaches the peak and ends. What the novel does not have is a resolution. That is the beauty of it, though, because it raises some great discussions in the classroom. It's tough to pinpoint the climax in this book since it's written documentary style so you are not getting a flowing story but bits and pieces.

Why would people support assisted suicide?

There are many reasons why people would support assisted suicide. Let me give you a few possible reasons.

First, they may argue that assisted suicide is the most merciful thing to do in view of suffering. For example, say you have a friend who is about to die and is suffering tremendously and he or she asks you to help take his life, would you? It is not an easy answer.

Second, there is also the issue of freewill. Some people believe that people have the absolute right to make decisions, even decisions over life and death. From this philosophical point, they may help.

Finally, there might be economic motives involved. I hate to say this, but sometimes people may help, because they do not want to be burdened by the potential financial strain and other potential hardships.

In chapter 28, why does Pumblechook take credit for Pip's situation (fortune)?In chapter 28

Pumblechook, Pip's uncle, arranged for Pip's first meeting as a boy with Miss Havisham.  Of course, Pip and his sister's hope was that a relationship with Miss Havisham would lead to her sponsoring his training as a gentleman.  One thing that Pumblechook does not dwell on, however, is that Pip is not the only boy who sometimes goes to Miss Havisham's.  So, Pip's uncle really has no reason to gloat on his "successful" match.

In Chapter 28 when Pip learns from Mr. Jaggers that he has a mysterious benefactor who wishes to remain anonymous but who wants to sponsor Pip's becoming a gentleman, Pip and Pumblechook both assume that Miss Havisham is the benefactress.  So, Pumblechook thinks that he deserves Pip's gratitude and recognition because he originally set up the meeting between Pip and Miss Havisham.  Of course, the reader discovers later that Pip has no reason to thank Pumblechook since Miss H is not the unknown sponsor.

What are the ambiguities of Magic Realism with special reference to Salman Rushdie's novels? What is the structural design?

The sense of magical realism presented in the novel is not one that operates in a fantastic and dazzling type of manner.  Saleem's powers are unique and demonstrate a capacity for the traditional type of magic.  However, their uses are either flawed or ineffective.  Saleem, in connecting with the other children of midnight, creates the Midnight's Children Conference, hopes to create some type of unity predicated upon the special powers endowed to the children of the midnight hour.  The Conference, itself, is disbanded and undermined Shiva.  Saleem's powers are strong enough to understand the need for change, but cannot bring that change about. 

The ambiguities of his power lies in their impotence, a theme reaffirmed when magical, or any, powers cannot compel him to impregnate Parvati, and Shiva must do so.  In the final analysis, the vagueness of Saleem's powers lead him to want to create the greatest of pickles and chutneys at the factory.  He has embraced a life where the extent of his magical powers is only seen in a factory setting, and has become resigned to the fact that his magical capacity will not impact history, will not impact national consciousness.  The best it can do is impact the making of spicy pickles and chutney. 

The structural design of this magical realism starts out with a youth where Saleem is seeking to understand his sense of magic, an adolescence and post adolescence, where he hopes to bring his magic into a setting to impact positive and profound levels of institutional change, and a middle age where he firmly understands his limitations and ambiguities of his magic.  In this setting, Saleem's magic is no different than anyone else's capacity to be unique and different, as there are conditions placed on us that prevent full realization of our own magical possibilities. 

The structure of Saleem's magical capacity might be able to find some paralells with India, post Partition, where the initital brust of success and optiimism became replaced with challenges to its own sense of power (both self created and inflicted upon), and a disillusionment of the power of its own exceptional magic (Emergency period), only to be resiged to do what it can with what it can (Post Emergency economic and political growth of India.)  If one accepts this premise, than we see that Saleem's magic was truly magic, after all, as his fate parallelled the Indian nation's.

How did Mr. White phrase the second wish in "The Monkey's Paw"?

His phrasing, "I wish my son alive again" is particularly important, because it affects how the monkey's paw will grant the wish. Because the paw is cursed, it is designed to grant your wishes, but not in the manner you intended. Thus, by wishing his son "alive again," Mr. White seals his fate. Herbert does indeed come back alive, but as some sort of zombie or monster. Mr. White recognizes this, and to save his wife, he uses his last wish to return Herbert to the grave.

Had he worded his wish differently, the results may have been different as well. However, since the paw was cursed, nothing good could come of its use.

What is the purpose of the discussion to convince Charles to take Madame Bovary to the opera in Rouen?What is the significance of the discussion?

The discussion between Homais and Bournisien over the morality of the theatre represents Flaubert's attempt to display the battle over traditional and modern notions of the good.  The pharmacist, the supposed epitome of rationality advocates the opera.  He may believe this from the enlightened stance he possesses, but he might also be advocating this because these are elements that represent wealth and the growing emergence of the middle and upper classes.  Going to the opera is seen, in this light, as a sign of social mobility.  The priest is representative of the traditional view, that such experiences like the opera is a moral distraction from the true notion of spiritual worship.  He might believe this form of the spiritual stance, but he might also be advocating this because the priest is aware that as material wealth is increasing, spiritual fervor is on the decline, resulting a lesser base of power for people like himself.  Flaubert does not take a side in this debate.  Observe his language in the text, as reporting the debate in a "realist" manner.  The other reason he doesn't take sides in this is because Flaubert is going to end up calling both sides as wrong, for both really seek to create a more conformed view of the individual.  Notice that both of them are fighting over what Charles should do.  Charles is a tool between both that pharmacist and the priest.  Flaubert understands that neither totalizing vision can cure the pain that lies at the heart of nothingness, and understands the propensity for abuse in each singular vision.  The discussion between both religion and rationality is one that is present within the mindset of the modern individual, the audience for which Flaubert is writing.  He shows both sides, if nothing else, to depict them and show how both will not assist human beings.  Charles decides to take Emma to the the opera, but nothing good comes out of it.  At the same time, Charles pursues a faint hope that taking her to the opera will help her health.  This means that like the modern individual, Charles uses his freedom and is disappointed by it.

What explanation is offered for the minister's strange behavior by those who denied seeing any scarlet letter?"The Scarlet Letter" by Nathaniel...

In Chapter 24 of "The Scarlet Letter," after the minister has expired upon the scaffold in the arms of his beloved Hester Prynne, conjectures arise about the scarlet mark upon his bared breast.  There are those who have denied that there is any mark upon the minister's breast.  Nor do they feel that the minister has professed any guilt:

According to these highly respectable witness, the minister, conscious that he was dying,--consious, also, that the reverence of the multitutde placed him already among saints and angels,--had desired, by yielding up his breath in the arms of that fallen woman to express to the world how utterly nugatory is the choices of man's own righteousness. After exhausting life in his efforts for mankind's spiritual good, he had made the manner of his death a parable, in order to impress on his admirers the mighty and mournful lesson, that, in the view of Infinite Purity, we are sinners all alike.

In other words, as indoctrinated Puritans, certain spectators interpret what has happened as a dying Dimmesdale's attempt to underscore the depravity of man by dying in the arms of the disgraced woman, to show that good deeds are of no worth,  His death is a parable that proves the "phantom of human merit," the illusion that one can earn grace.

Hawthorne includes this interpretation of the events in Dimmesdale's death to again point to the narrow obstinacy of the Puritans who are so sanctimonious in their interpretation of natural events.

How is the poem "The Tyger" romantic? (Not love but in the romanticism era.)

Blake's work often falls into its own category; he was a philosopher, a spiritualist, a visionary. His work, however, is clearly romantic in the tradition of Romanticism as it developed in Europe and then in the United States. "The Tyger" reflects Romanticism in its basic subject and content. Blake raises and explores a primary spiritual question: the very nature of God. Romantics turned away from conventional thinking, rejected the conventional teachings of the Church and State, and focused instead on the individual and his relationship to the universe around him. In "The Tyger," Blake does not define God according to Church doctrine, but instead examines and questions the nature and the mystery of God. The poem also emphasizes beauty, although it is a fearsome kind of beauty. "The Tyger," then, is an example of Romanticism for its elements of spirituality, mystery, and beauty.

How would one explain the situational irony in "Richard Cory?"

Situational irony is when information is hidden from the audience and other characters in the story. In Richard Cory, both the townspeople and the audience are unaware of how unhappy Richard Cory is until he takes his own life. The audience experiences the situation through the townspeople's perspective. The townspeople are jealous of Richard Cory because he seems to have everything. They don't realize that despire his wealth and prosperity he is unsatisfied with life. When the speaker very bluntly says that he put a bullet through his head, it is shocking to the audience and townspeople, creating situational irony.

What is the theme of Doctor Faustus?

One of the overriding themes of Marlowe's work is the inherent danger in appropriating the world in accordance to one's own subjectivity.  The element of Faustus making a pact with the devil in order to maximize his own sense of power on Earth heightens this.  Faustus makes this agreement not out of a noble sensibility, or out of a mission driven by benevolence to others, but rather does so in the hopes of controlling more of the world in line with his own vision of self.  Reflective of the exaltation of the powers of the individual, Marlowe's work reminds us that human beings are finite, and their capacity for power has limitations.  In making his agreement with the devil, Faustus denies such boundaries, and seeks to exert his sense of individual identity without such constraints.  In the process, every act of creation leads to another act of destruction.  The stress for understanding limits, accepting natural boundaries, and comprehending that human power has an end that cannot be subverted represents the themes Faustus either learns or demonstrates to the reader via his own experience.

In O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi," of what two possessions are the James Dillingham Youngs most proud?

This sweet short story is about how a young couple loves each other so much that they are willing to part with their most treasured possessions in order to purchase a meaningful gift for the other person.

Della, the wife of Jim, has really beautiful hair, that she treasures above all else.  O. Henry describes it as

"rippling and shining like a cascade of brown waters. It reached below her knee and made itself almost a garment for her."

Well, Della, because she doesn't have any money, decides to cut it off and sell it, in order to get enough money for a chain for Jim's watch.  And, speaking of Jim's watch, that is their other prized possession.  Jim loved the gold watch "that had been his father's and his grandfather's."  He loved that watch, and because he did, Della wanted to get him a chain to put it on, so that he can proudly wear and use it.  Unfortunately, he sells the watch to buy her hair combs for her hair.  So, they sell their most prized possessions to supplement the other's pride possession.  It's an unfortunate twist, but doesn't reduce the sweetness of their love for each other, that they were willing to  part with their most prized material possessions in order to make the other one happy.

I hope that helps a bit; good luck!

In To Kill a Mockingbird, what lesson is Calpurnia imparting to Scout when she tells her that Walter Cunningham is her company?Calpurnia takes...

Calpurnia is trying to teach Scout to behave honorably, no matter what the circumstances.  At the foundation of this lesson is that a person can only control how he or she acts, and that maintaining personal honor and dignity are not dependent on the way others go about their business. 

In the case at hand, Calpurnia is speaking to Scout about the virtue of hospitality.  Scout has been raised according to a certain standard, and when people such as the Cunninghams are her guests, she is responsible for treating them in a certain way, making them feel welcome and affording them an attitude of politeness and respect.  How they respond in return is immaterial; the Cunninghams are poor, and for whatever reason may not live up to the same standard of behavior that is expected of Scout.  Walter, specifically, seldom has enough to eat, and pours syrup on his food in a way that, to Scout, is crude and unmannerly.  Calpurnia is trying to teach Scout that it is not her place to pass judgement on others, no matter how they act, especially in her own home.  Even if Walter Cunningham should display such bad manners as "eating the whole tablecloth", it is still Scout's responsibility to be polite and welcoming, and keep her censure to herself.  In this way, Scout is showing herself to be a person of dignity and integrity, because in the final analysis, all she can control are her own actions.

It is significant that this lesson comes from Calpurnia, because, as a black woman in the South, she herself has to put up with the rudeness and abuse of white people constantly, every day.  In the social climate of the times in Maycomb, black people were looked upon and treated as a lower class by virtue of the color of their skin, and forced to evidence an attitude of subservience towards whites at every turn.  Calpurnia understands the conditions in the society in which she lives, and does what she needs to in order to survive, but she acts at all times with a sense of dignity which makes her untouchable in spirit.  She holds herself to a strict standard of behavior, and never allows herself to sink to the level of those around her who do not behave to her standards.  She is a formidable woman, and at the end of the day, nothing anyone can do can take away her honor and dignity, not to mention her sense of kindness and decency.

What factors contributed to hunter-gatherers becoming farmers?

This is one of those questions that is purely speculative in its answer as none of us were there at the time to observe the process.  That being said, I will take a stab at an answer.

Humans had waste pits or dung heaps where their excrement and food scraps were thrown out of the dwelling. Any raw seed would have had the opportunity to sprout and grow at the edges of the dunghill. This would have made it easier for people to get food. Depending on the type of seed, it may have been barley, wheat, or even a type of legume. The people would have seen this and perhaps had an "ah ha!" moment of discovery.  Perhaps they should save some of each type of seed they gathered and plant it. They may have discovered "farming" through observations to their gods and goddesses by burying part of their harvest in the earth as a gift back to the gods, they "invented" farming.  At any rate, around 3000 BCE to 1000 BCE , we see evidence of farming practices in several places near rivers all over the ancient world.

What we do know is that at some point people began growing crops in an organized manner in a part of the world known as the Fertile Crescent, the Indus Valley, and the  Huang River in China. These had a consistent source of water and favorable climate conditions for the practice of farming crops. The silt from the rivers provided excellent fertile soil in which to begin the practice of farming.  The earliest crops were wheat, barley, rice, peas and lentils.

What are the consequences of poor control in the business?no

Control is one of the four main function of management - these are:

1. Planning: including decision making and objective setting.


2. Organizing: including recruiting.


3. Leading or Motivating


4. Control

The control function consists of monitoring how the work being managed is being carried out, comparing it with the plans and objectives set in the former three function and taking corrective action in case need for the same is detected. Corrective action may be required because the work is not progressing as planned, or because the plans may have been faulty.

Poor control in business means one or more of the following:

1. Managers do not know adequately how the work is progressing, or what results are being achieved.


2. There is inadequate or no comparison of actual performance with plans, objectives, targets and expectations. Thus managers have no way of judging if the work is being carried out satisfactorily.


3. There is inadequate or no investigation in to causes of deviation from plans and expectations.


4. Managers do not take corrective action to improve performance.

The primary consequence of poor control is failure to achieve business objectives and overall poor business performance. Managers are unable to anticipate problems or identify them in early stages of development. As a result they are unable to take corrective actions in time and find themselves busy solving immediate problems all the time. Thus they are too busy in fire fighting to be able to take action for fire prevention.

Likewise managers are unable to spot budding opportunities and are therefore unable to profit from it. Another major characteristic of organization with poor control is frequent ad hoc changes in plans and priorities. These create uncertainties for the all stake holders such as employees, customers, and suppliers. Also, the organizational culture in businesses with poor control is that of blaming each other, rather than cooperating. It becomes difficult to differentiate between good and sincere workers from other and morale among the employees is generally low.

What are the characteristics of Ulysses in Tennyson's poem?

Tennyson's characterization of Ulysses is a bit different from the Homeric vision.  The traditional texts present Ulysses as a character who seeks to be home with Penelope and Telemachus, an individual whose final destination is his home in Ithaca.  However, Tennyson casts a modern revision on such a notion in presenting him as not very content with the domesticated life.  Tennyson's analysis is reasonable in that if Ulysses was such a passionate and cunning warrior, one who battled forces that would intimidate other mortals, it seems that he would not be very content with a life devoid of challenges, obstacles, and hurdles that would test the character of most men.  In this light, the restlessness is not seen in battle, but rather in peace, in boredom, in domesticity.  Tennyson uses the dramatic monologue through his poem to explore this aspect of Ulysses, who returns to Ithaca not to settle down and establish roots, but rather as a transit stop for yet another challenge.  Tennyson casts Ulysses in the light of not being content with the mundane details of day to day life, and one who seeks adventure, purpose, and the life of the soldier.  The implication here is that like Ulysses, human beings must seek out challenges, and must be poised in conditions that test their own sense of fortitude for it is these moments that make life worth living.  The closing lines of "to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield" reveals a portrait of an individual who will only be content when he is immersed in situations that most would be running from, but he covets.

What is Lady Macbeth's reaction to her husband's letter?

Lady Macbeth is very gratified by Macbeth's letter, and she does not doubt for a moment that the rest of the Weird Sisters' statements will come true. She says, "Glamis thou art, and Cawdor; and shalt be / What thou art promised." However, she fears that Macbeth is too kind, too compassionate, and too loyal to Duncan to take the fastest path to the throne: killing the current king. She says, "Yet do I fear thy nature; / It is too full o' th' milk of human kindness / To catch the nearest way [...]." She admits that he is ambitious, but she feels that he lacks "the illness" which would compel him to privilege that quality over the others.

In light of this lack, she determines that she will need to plan and execute Duncan's murder herself, and when she learns that he is on his way to their home, she is terrifyingly ecstatic. Lady Macbeth is already resolved to regicide, as she refers to Duncan's arrival as his "fatal entrance" into their home. Like Macbeth before her, she addresses the sky and prays for darkness so that nothing and no one will be able to see her actions. She says, "Come, thick night, / And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell, / That my keen knife see not the wound it makes, / Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark /To cry 'Hold, hold!'" Such a coincidence helps to show us how well-matched this pair actually is for one another.

Why was the Great Wall of China built? Who built it?Please cite your sources.

The Great Wall of China is said to have sprung from the Spring and Autumn Periods, when seven powerful states emerged at the same time.  In order to defend themselves, they all built walls and stationed troops on their borders.  Even at that time the wall stretched more than 3,000 miles.  Then, in 221 B.C., the Emperor Qin absorbed the other unified states and become ruler of the first unified kingdom in China.  When the Huns began their attacks, Qin suggested connecting the walls and adding some sections.

During the Western Han Dynasty, construction on the wall increased, especially in the west and in the north.  In addition to the construction of the Han Dynasty, the Northern Wei, Northern Qi, and Northern Zhou Dynasties are built their own sections, although on a lesser scale. The powerful Tang Dynasty saw mostly peace, so little construction was done on the wall.  However, when the Ming Dynasty came into power and fell subject to many conflicts with tribes such as the Dadan, Tufan, and Nuzhen, the walll continued to be built.  Besides additions to the length of the wall, the wall was also strengthened and made wider.  Construction was increased so much that time was not even taken to bury a worker if he died.  Instead, his body was simply walled in with material.

In the early Quing Dynasty, double lines were even made and repairs were made.  However, engineering stopped at this point in history.  Now, there is concern that parts of the Great Wall are deteriorating, and groups are urging for action to protect it.

See the site listed for dates and more history on the Great Wall.

Explain the symbolic wall between Montag and Mildred.Part I- The Hearth and the Salamander

Montag and Mildred are married, and are not happy but function together as a unit. Mildred's existence is centred around the television, a screen that takes up an entire wall. Her desire is to have television screens in all four walls. This would completely box her in. It would symbolize her total separation from the world outside of the television. Mildred's television characters are more real to her than her relationships in real time. However, she is unhappy. Montag comes home to find that she has tried to kill herself. It is as if the television has created her alienation but she has no way to articulate the pain she feels. In fact, she is so numb, she herself seems to be only remotely aware of it.

Montag, on the other hand, faces a breakdown of the walls that keep him within the bounds of his society. When he starts to read, he starts to question the value of book burning.

The wall between the two of them is most apparent here, when Montag tries to share his thoughts with his wife. She feels threatened and afraid and closes herself off from him completely.

The physical walls in their house, and the television screens that fill them represent the isolation,emptiness and alienation of the society. There is no real intimacy between Mildred and Montag, because all of Mildred's love and care goes to the imaginary characters on television, all of whom are more "real" to her than people or characters in books. The only chance for intimacy in this relationship is the absence of the fourth wall. When that is filled, no hope remains.

In theatre, the fourth wall refers to the imaginary wall between the actors and the audience. The actors are supposed to maintain the illusion that the fourth wall exists, and to act as if they are on a contained set. Breaking the fourth wall occurs when the actors speak directly to the audience. To do this is to acknowledge that they are aware that they actors acting a role.

Mildred wanting the fourth wall suggests that she wants to be contained in the world of the actors, and does not want to interact with the "audience"--in this case, her husband and other people in her society that do not share her involvement with her fantasy world.

What Mildred doesn't know, and what Montag slowly discovers, is that their entire society is built on a carefully constructed fantasy in which all potentially threatening ideas are banished (burned) before they can infect society.

Relate "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" to "Macbeth" with quotes.I need help on writing an essay that has to do with the poem 'Rime of the ancient...

Did your teacher give you this as an assignment? I find it a bit like mixing up apples with oranges.

Anyway, here goes....

• Both are written in metered verse.


• Both have supernatural elements, including disturbances in weather as signs of disapprobation from Heaven.


• Both deal with guilt and remorse and the need for atonement.


• Both borrow elements of Greek tragedy.


• Both are classics, with universal appeal.

What is the setting and point of view of "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy?

The setting is a very  unique and interesting one.  It is set in the future, at some indeterminate time.  The novel occurs after a nuclear holocaust has wiped out nearly all of the inhabitants of the earth, and most certainly most of civilization and all of its comforts.  So, the two main characters in the novel, the father and his son (we never learn their names), travel amidst a nuclear winter, where ash from the nuked matter constantly falls from the sky, making it gray and slushy.  It rains and is cold all of the time, there is hardly any plantlife or clean water left, and certainly most animals and food is gone.  Humans have become barbaric and cannibalistic as a means to survive, so the father and the son live in constant fear of running across these barbaric crowds of people, and wander from place to place, looking for food.  It's a pretty depressing scenario overall.

The point of view of the novel is a third person narrator, meaning, the novel is written from the point of view of "he or she" and not "I," and it is written mostly from the perspective of the father.  However, it is a very interesting perspective--very limited, and dry.  We only get the father's perspective, his thoughts occasionally, and then just their actions and travels through the wasteland.  As a result, the writing is very stark and yet, poetic in moments as the narrator describes the landscape, or the emotional trauma of the father.

I hope that these thoughts helped a bit; good luck!

"Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous ...... than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will...

In answer to your first question, Victor's quote is a desperate request to turn Walton from his ardent quest for knowledge and recognition before he becomes like Victor, someone who has lost everything, including hope.  Victor knows that by telling Walton his story that Walton will see that man can discover formerly unimaginable truths, but Victor wants Walton to see that his precepts--beliefs--and his acting upon those precepts have produced disastrous results.  The last part of his statement almost promotes a provincial philosophy. Victor says,

"How much happier is the man who believes his native town to be the world. . ."

Victor truly believes that if he had been satisfied with living a relaxed, almost "country" life in Switzerland that he would not be in such dire straits.  The last part of Victor's statement shows what Victor's true motivation was in creating the monster.  He was not seeking to make some great contribution to human science for the benefit of others; rather, he--like Walton--wanted to make a discovery that would bring him admiration and fame.  This arrogance on his part is unnatural, and so nature has to put Victor in his place.

Secondly, Victor wants to tell Robert the whole story of his creation, but he does not want to do so briefly.  By relating all the events leading up to and following Victor's "successful" creation, he hopes to prove to Walton that he was once just as Walton is when Victor meets him.  If he tells Walton too early that he was able to create life, he is afraid that Walton will "run with" that, and not heed the warning that Victor is trying to impart.

Finally, the middle of the quote is an example of inversion or emphatic structure.  Shelley reverses our normal subject-verb order by writing "how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge." She starts with an adverb and adjective, then adds the verb, and lastly the subject.  She does so to emphasize the horrific nature ("danger") of seeking too much knowledge.  Notice that she does not begin with the subject (acquirement) as Victor mistakenly did.  He focuses first on gaining knowledge rather than the dangerous consequences of his quest.

The last part of the statement is also a good example of antithesis (parallel structure of opposing ideas).  Shelley contrasts two different types of thinking by using the same word order and structure.