Why was it dangerous for King Priam to ransom the body of Hector?

Achillles was keeping Hector's body and dragging it around the tomb of his friend to show he had avenged his friend in battle.  Achilles was in horrible grief over the death of Patroclus.

...but Achilles still

wept for thinking of his dear comrade, and sleep, before whom all

things bow, could take no hold upon him. This way and that did he

turn as he yearned after the might and manfulness of Patroclus;

he thought of all they had done together, and all they had gone

through both on the field of battle and on the waves of the weary

sea. As he dwelt on these things he wept bitterly and lay now on

his side, now on his back, and now face downwards, till at last

he rose and went out as one distraught to wander upon the

seashore. Then, when he saw dawn breaking over beach and sea, he

yoked his horses to his chariot, and bound the body of Hector

behind it that he might drag it about. Thrice did he drag it

round the tomb of the son of Menoetius, and then went back into

his tent, leaving the body on the ground full length and with its

face downwards. But Apollo would not suffer it to be disfigured,

for he pitied the man, dead though he now was; therefore he

shielded him with his golden aegis continually, that he might

take no hurt while Achilles was dragging him.

Hector was the son of King Priam and as such an enemy of Achilles.  He and Achilles were told by different agents of Jove to go along with the ransom of the body. Achilles' mother came to him and told him that he was behaving badly in regard to desecrating a dead body rather than giving him the proper funeral rites. And, the goddess Iris came to Priam and told him to take a ransom to Achilles for the body of Hector.

It was dangerous because Priam had to literally cross enemy lines, go through enemy gates, and enter the house of Achilles to reclaim the body of his son. Achilles could have easily killed him too.

Elizabeth prides herself on her insightful perceptions, what are some examples that exemplify this pride?Elizabeth at one point prides herself...

Elizabeth Bennet prides herself on her keen powers of observation.  She has become very effective at the study of character of the individuals she meets and believes that her judgement is exceptional.  Of course her judgement is very flawed, or else she would have easily been able to see through the lies that Mr. Wickham told her, not only about Darcy but about himself.  

But in the following passages, Lizzie has a conversation with the older Charlotte Lucas, the subject is Jane's possible union with Charles Bingley.  Elizabeth explains that Jane is not trying to trap him into marriage because he is rich, she is exploring the possibility of a potential love match with him and this takes time and consideration. Most particularly, she has to get to know his personality, his character.

Elizabeth asserts that Jane is not looking for a husband simply out of need of financial security, but she is looking for love. Obviously, Charlotte, who accepts Mr. Collins proposal without even knowing him, does not agree with this process. But Elizabeth is very confident that she and her sister have the right idea about finding a husband.

Elizabeth's pride is illustrated when she rejects Mr. Darcy's first proposal, it is a staggering refusal considering that she knows that her family home is in jeopardy of being taken by Mr. Collins, and that she, having already rejected Mr. Collins knows that marriage proposals don't come along every day, still sees no value in accepting the very rich Darcy's offer. Charlotte Lucas would not have thought twice about accepting him, her other sisters would have accepted, and probably even Jane.  

Near the end of the book, Jane, believing that Charles is lost to her for good, accepts that the plan to have Charles fall in love with her did not work, and I think she would have accepted a proposal from another man because she is practical.   

"Your plan is a good one,'' replied Elizabeth, "where nothing is in question but the desire of being well married; and if I were determined to get a rich husband, or any husband, I dare say I should adopt it. But these are not Jane's feelings; she is not acting by design. As yet, she cannot even be certain of the degree of her own regard, nor of its reasonableness. She has known him only a fortnight. She danced four dances with him at Meryton; she saw him one morning at his own house, and has since dined in company with him four times. This is not quite enough to make her understand his character.'' (Austen)

"Not as you represent it. Had she merely dined with him, she might only have discovered whether he had a good appetite; but you must remember that four evenings have been also spent together -- and four evenings may do a great deal.'' (Austen)

In "Fahrenheit 451" list three things Beatty talks about in his speech to Montag that are true about our world.

1.  "With school turning out more runners, jumpers, racers, tinkerers, grabbers, snatchers, fliers, and swimmers instead of examiners, critics, knower and imaginative creators, the word 'intellectual,' of course, became the swear word it deserved to be.  Surely you remember the boy in your own school class who was exceptionally 'bright,'...and wasn't it this bright boy you selected for beating and tortures after hours?"

In this, Beatty is saying that in their society, being smart is not valued as much as being athletic or daring, or doing action-oriented things for the thrill and excitement.  He relates it to the smart kid that everyone makes fun of.  If you think of your grade, and the super smart kids, don't people make fun of them?  Don't they get picked on?  They are apart, not part of the "popular" crowds.  Being smart simply isn't cool like being a really good football player is.  So, intelligence, reading, and book-smarts are looked down on and made fun of in their society.  This leads to a generalized "dumbing-down" of their society, and pretty soon no one thinks on their own anymore.  I can see that happening in our society too.

2.  "We must all be alike.  Not everyone born free and equal, as the Constitution says, but everyone made equal."

In this quote, Beatty explains the trend that their society has of trying to force everyone to be the same.  In our society, there are many policies and situations where that also happens.  If you make a lot of money, you are taxed more than if you don't make very much money--this "forces" the wealthier to have less money so that they are more similar to the poor in wealth.  So, our society is alike in that way too, in many ways.

3.  "Classics cut to fit fifteen-minute radio shows, then cut again to fill a two-minute book column, winding up at last as a ten-or twelve-line dictionary resumre."

In this excerpt, Beatty is referring to the fact that books were shortened and shortened and shortened until finally no one read the book anymore, they just read a little summary about it in the dictionary, so that they could feel like they read the book without having to go to all of the work of reading it.  So, when is the last time that you know of someone who watched the movie version of the book so that they wouldn't have to read the book?  It happens all of the time.  People don't take the time to read a book these days--they are so long!  They take so much time and effort!  And why bother when you can watch the movie or read the Cliff's notes?

These are just three things that are true about our world; there are many more, but I hope that gets you started.  Good luck!

In "The Scarlet Letter," what is particularly noticeable about Dimmesdale's manner as he walks in the procession in Chapter 22?

After the magistrates in their shining armor and burnished swords passed and are afforded the respect of a community and "distinguished by a ponderous sobriety," the procession of the "divine" follows.

...never since the clergyman set foot on New England shore, he exhibited such energy as was seen in the gait and air with which he kept his pace in the procession.  There was no feebleness of step as at other times; his frame was not bent, nor did his hand rest omniously upon his heart. Yet, if the clergyman were rightly viewed, his strength seemed not of the body....There was his body moving onward and unaccustomed force.

Dimmesdale appears invigorated by a spiritual force or idea.  When he speaks to the community, he is inspired by "a preternatural force."  Thus, he sees nothing, hears nothing, but is propelled by the spiritual force of his mind and its own thoughts.  Hawthorne remarks,

Men of uncommon intellect, who have grown morbid, possess this occasional power of mighty effort into which they throw the life of many days, and then are lifeless for as many more.

In this passage, Hawthorne presages the makedly moving sermon of the Reverend Dimmesdale, the spiritual realm into which the minister is elevated, a realm into which Hester and Pearl cannot enter.  Hester's hopes for their escape to England are dashed when she perceives her paramour as the man "she hardly knew" now.  The etheral Arthur Dimmesdale is taken to the spiritual realm which she cannot enter.  Again Hester Prynne is the object of stares from the crowd; she senses the great gulf between her and Reverend Dimmesdale, and she realizes that she is further alienated as the crowd surrounds the inspired minister.

Having saved Charles Darnay, how is Dr. Manette changed, and how does he now look on his long years of imprisonment?"A Tale of Two Cities" by...

Dr. Manette's heroic return to France in order to intercede for Charles Darnay/Evremonde is in harmony with the theme of redemption in "A Tale of Two Cities."  For, it is because of his having suffered in the Bastille, a political prison, that Manette is respected by the French Revolutionaries.  His suffering--like Christ--is what earns him the respect of the masses; it is this suffering that lends him the opportunity and credibility to redeem both himself and his son-in-law.  And, having redeemed the sins of his imprisonment, Manette can now bury his resentment for Darnay and not have to repress the old memories and resentment.

Since Dr. Manette's intercession for Darnay is a supreme act of charity towards the son of the brothers responsible for his being put into the prison of the Bastille,  Manette's action contributes greatly to another theme, the brotherhood of man.  Dickens suggests here that every evil will be brought to an earthly justice.  In fact, it is no coincidence that Darnay's family name is Evremonde, with the first part suggesting the English word every and the last part, monde, suggesting the French word monde which means world, or all persons. (tout le monde=everyone).  So, Darnay becomes a type of Everyman for Dickens.  In his world, Dickens shows the reader that there is room for grace and redemption as the later act of Carton,an act anticipated by Manette, will show.

Does anyone know in what ways Jimmy Carter failed as president?I'm writing a paper on how he failed.

President Carter meddled in Iranian affairs in such a way that he helped to create the Islamic revolution that still affects the world today.

"Facing an Islamic revolution, the Shah appealed to Carter for help. On November 4, 1978 U.S. National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski called the Shah and said the United States would "back him to the hilt." This would never be the case. Brzezinski insisted to Carter that the U.S. must encourage the Shah to "brutally suppress the revolution".

"State Department officials believed Carter should reach out to the Revolutionaries in order to smooth the transition to a new government. This was a deciding moment in world history. Carter decided not to take either recommendation and to this very day, the world is suffering the consequences of his indecisiveness."

These actions led to the taking of American hostages from the embassy in Tehran. During his presidency, 70 Americans were taken hostage in Iran, and they were held prisoner for 444 days, paraded before the press blindfolded in order to mock them and America in general. Because of his inability to free the hostages, who were released as soon as Ronald Reagan was inaugurated.  Carter was at the inauguration when he was told that the hostages were freed.

Unfortunately for Carter, he became obessed with the hostage crisis, and during the last 18 months of his presidency, he could think of nothing else.

In addition to the debacle in Iran, which dominated Carter's final months as president, immediately after inauguration, he slashed defense spending, doing away with vital programs, believing that diplomacy would work exclusively, the Soviet Union looked upon Carter's actions as showing weakness on the part of the United States.

"President Carter’s economic genius created the situation that, by 1980, interest rates stood at 21 percent, inflation at 13.5 percent, unemployment at 7 percent, and the “misery index” he coined during the 1976 campaign reached 20.5 percent."

President Carter's presidency was a domestic disaster as well, with unemployment rates skyrocketing, a growing oil crisis caused gas prices to soar, long lines at the gas pumps was a common sight, people were allowed to purchase gas on specific days according to license plate numbers.  There was gas rationing which caused long lines to assemble as customers waited to purchase gas on their designated day.

" Average gas prices more than doubled during Carter’s presidency, reaching $1.25 a gallon by election day 1980, or roughly $3.00 a gallon today. Carter’s price controls gave us gas lines, shortages, and rationing."

I was a young twenty-something when Jimmy Carter was president, and I can tell you that the feeling was that everything was wrong with America, there were no job opportunities, gas was rationed, the overall feeling was that things were bad and getting worse everyday.  It was a time when there was no hope of getting ahead economically, it seemed that every day of his presidency people feared what would happen next.  The hostage crisis was a dominant force that was closely followed by the  news media, it felt like we were all being held hostage.

I can tell you, that when Ronald Reagan was inaugurated, it felt like the whole country was being freed from prison.  It was such a breath of fresh air, a joy a sense of exhilaration when Carter was defeated.  Reagan brought life back to the gray, dark desperate America Carter created.

What is the theme of "After Twenty Years" written by O. Henry?What are the emotions of the characters of the story"After Twenty Years" by O. Henry?

I think it could be argued that the theme of "After Twenty Years" is a simple and familiar one: "Crime does not pay." The character who is most affected by the events in the story is the man called "Silky" Bob. (His last name is not given, possibly because he has changed his last name so many times over twenty years that nobody knows what his real name is.) As far as Jimmy Wells is concerned, he only appears at the beginning of the story and then vanishes into the night. And even then he is not identified to Bob or to the reader. He is just another uniformed policeman walking his beat. At the end Jimmy is only represented by a note to Bob. Jimmy himself never reappears. So it is Bob's story, and therefore the theme must apply to Bob.

"Silky" Bob has obviously been pursuing a criminal career. He is a materialist, a hedonist, and an exhibitionist. He wants to get a lot of money and spend it on luxuries, including diamonds and expensive cigars. His life of crime has forced him to keep on the move, one step ahead of the law and one step ahead of the people he has exploited. As a result he has never had a home or a family or any friends. "A rolling stone gathers no moss." And in the end he is taken off to prison, where he may be incarcerated for many years. He may have been in prisons before. Superficially he is successful, but in reality his life has been wasted and he ends up a failure.

In contrast, Jimmy has followed a straight and narrow path all his life. He is not wealthy, but he is secure and respected. He probably has a wife, a home, and a family. The contrast between the careers of these two friends seems intended to illustrate the old truth that crime does not pay. It is an intentional irony that the young man who turns into a crook is turned over to the law by the young man who turns into a cop. This would never have happened if they hadn't made a date to meet each other after twenty years on the spot where the story takes place.

The story is appealing partly because of its strange premise--that two young men could make an agreement to meet each other again after twenty years and that they should actually remember the agreement and keep the appointment at almost exactly ten o'clock on the appointed night. "After Twenty Years" is vaguely similar to Anton Chekhov's story "The Bet," because two men also make a preposterous agreement. One of them will remain the other's prisoner for fifteen years and will receive two million rubles if he can manage to endure solitary confinement for that length of time. Such a bet is just barely believable, just as the agreement between Bob and Jimmy is just barely believable, because of the great length of time involved. How can anyone plan that far ahead?

In Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, is Julius Caesar really as ambitious as the conspirators think he is? If yes, why? If not, why not?Please provide...

In Julius Caesar, as in Roman accounts of Julius Caesar's life, the extent of his ambition is an ever-present question.  In his play on the life of the Roman emperor, Shakespeare makes his answer to the question of Caesar's ambition apparent from the very first scene.  In the first scene, Julius Caesar announces his intention to be crowned as emperor (and dictator - though Shakespeare uses the term "king"), the highest authority.  Becoming emperor, an absolute ruler, is the highest possible ambition. At this point, it is clear that Caesar can talk the talk, but whether he can walk the walk still remains a question.  Based solely on his admission in the opening scene of the play, the conspirators would require more justification for their concerns.

Julius Caesar's assassination occurs before the midpoint of the play, so he does not really offer much tangible evidence of his ambition.  He has not had the time to "walk the walk" by the time he is assassinated.  Since Caesar has not had the time to really fulfill his political ambitions, at least those ambitions the conspirators have built up in their mind as Caesar's true goal, one cannot really estimate the extent of his ambitions.  While Caesar does become emperor, the absolutist aspect of his ambition fails to be realized.

From these two circumstances, it would seem that the extent of Caesar's ambitions are overstated.  It stems more from the ambitions of the conspirators than Caesar's own ambitions.  When Julius Caesar declares his goal of becoming emperor at the Feast of Lupercal at the opening of the play, the conspirators are already plotting his assassination, suggesting the extent of Caesar's ambitions is a mere aid to the conspirators fulfilling their own.  The conspirators talk much more of Caesar's ambition than his ambition actually manifests itself.

Who is Messala in Julius Caesar and why is he an important character?

In "Julius Caesar," Messala is a friend to Brutus and Cassius and an officer in Brutus's army who brings Brutus news from Rome, confirming for Brutus his letters that

young Octavius and Mark Antony/Comd down upon us with a mighty power,/Bending their expedition toward Philippi (IV,iii,167-169)

Also, Messala informs Brutus that the triumvirate have put to death a hundred senators, with Cicero as one of the political victims.  When Messala asks Brutus if he has received any letters from his wife, Brutus replies that he has not.  It is left to Messala to inform Brutus that, tragically, his beloved Portia "is dead, and by strange manner" (IV,iii,188).  Caring the burdens of her husband's actions, Portia cannot bear up and commits suicide.  While Brutus does not at first react to this news except to say

Why, farewell, Portia.  We must die, Messala./With meditating that she must die once,/I have the patience to endure it now. (IV,iii,,189-191)

his words seem to echo those of Caesar when Calpurnia begs him to not go to the Senate: "The valiant never taste of death but once.(II,ii,33) and stir his guilt as he, shortly thereafter, sees the ghost of Caesar.  Then, in Act V, at the battle in Philippi as informed by Messala, Brutus himself commits suicide.

Besides the border, what is another symbol in Luis Urrea's book The Devil's Highway?

The Devil's Highway, by Luis Alberto Urrea, is the true story of twenty-six men who attempted to cross the United States-Mexico border. Because of the tragic events of their journey, the entire group is now known as the Wellton 26, and those who lost their lives in the crossing are now known as the Yuma 14. Each of them wanted something more and was willing to work hard for it; this promise of something better is why they crossed the border and why the border serves as an excellent symbol in the book.

Twenty-three of the Wellton 26 are walkers; the other three are guides. In the illegal border-crossing world, these human smugglers are known as Coyotes. Coyotes are a symbol of exactly how illegal immigration works. The Coyotes are the men who have direct contact with the walkers and are ultimately responsible for them. In the animal world, coyotes are aggressive, nocturnal, opportunistic, predatory, and carnivorous; each of these attributes also applies to human Coyotes.

Coyotes are mercenary and Urrea calls them "stone-cold pragmatists" (chapter 3). These men, often much younger than the walkers they are leading, are merciless in their treatment of the illegals in their groups. Because they travel illegally and through the desert, they primarily travel at night. If a Coyote sees a chance to make more money, he does not hesitate to capitalize on it. (In this story, Mendez takes money from all his walkers, promising to buy water and bring them help; instead, he walks away and clearly has no intention of returning or sending help.) Figuratively, Coyotes are carnivores who feast on the illegals they transport by such acts as stealing, raping, and callously leaving walkers behind to die in the desert. Coyote is a perfect symbolic term for these mercenary human smugglers. 

"Three guides [Coyotes] led the Wellton 26 into the desert: one will forever remain anonymous [because his body was never recovered], one is only known by a code name [he died of hyperthermia], and one became infamous in the borderland." The lone surviving Coyote, known as Mendez, is in an Arizona jail for the rest of his life. Despite the cautionary tale provided by this story, Coyotes still roam the border looking for prey. 

Personality of Scout, Jem, Tom Robinson, Bob Ewell, and Boo Radley.what are some traits that each character has? and how can you conclude that...

I'm not going to tell you, but I am going to explain how you can find out.  Take a character and ask these questions:  1.  What does the author say about him/her, 2. What does the character say about him/herself? 3.  What does the character say to others about him/herself or about things in general? 4.  What does the character do or not do?  5. What does someone or something do TO the character?  Choose one of these questions for each character and answer it.  You can't go wrong with these types of characterization.

Why will the ruling class live on while earlier tyrants fell?

There is no dissidence possible, therefore no context for rebellion. The very structures for critical thinking have been obliterated along with the complexities of language, having been replaced by Newspeak. History is written and rewritten. There is no provision for limitation or definition. Even opposites merge in meaning as the Ministry of Truth becomes the vehicle to disseminate lies, and fear of the state become obsessional adoration. Brainwashing has led to the annihilation of the intellect.

As Winston surmises, "If there is any hope at all, it is with the proles."  These outcasts at least have an indentity and the possibility (however remote) of thought and expression whereas those within the Party, the bubble, are lost unto themselves.

What happens if air that is included in a prefilled syringe suspension for injection is not expelled prior to intramuscular injection?

The simple answer to your question, "What will happen..." is nothing will happen.  The danger of the "air bubble" is not in intramuscular injections, the danger occurs if the injection is intravenous.  If too much air is injected into a vein or artery it can cause an "air embolism" or "gas embolism."  Most experts agree that even if you injected a whole syringe of air into your system it wouldn't do any harm.  It would take more air than a syringe can hold to cause a fatal embolism. 

"Gas emboli result from the compression of respiratory gases into the blood and other tissues due to rapid changes in environmental pressure, for example, while flying or scuba diving."  The amount of air a person would get in their system with pre-loaded syringes is so minor that it is not considered dangerous.

Which adjectives best describe the tone of "Barn Burning"? What style are these passages written?

ninja28,

Faulkner's “Barn Burning,” is narrated from an objective third person point of view.The protagonist of “Barn Burning” is a poor ten-year-old boy with the name of Colonel Sartoris Snopes (called Sarty by his family). His father, Abner Snopes, is a primitive and vengeful man who divides the world into two opposing camps—blood kin (“us”) and enemies (“they”). He is the poor, ignorant, and vicious patriarch of an impoverished family. Symbolically Abner could be linked to the devil.

The main psychological story of “Barn Burning” is Sarty’s growing awareness of his father’s depravity and the boy’s internal struggle between blood loyalty to his father and a vague but noble ideal of honor suggested by the aristocratic Major de Spain. The boy loves his father but he also understands his immoral destructiveness. Sarty sees himself as an individual different from his father and kinfolk. By the end of the story he has achieved a difficult and tortured moral independence from his father.

From the opening paragraph, we can tell that the tone of the story will be excited and impassioned—at least in the moments when we see through Sarty’s eyes. Even his view of canned goods in the general store (where court is being held) is tinged with intense emotion. Fear, despair, and grief sweep over Sarty because his father is on trial as an accused barn burner.

The boy’s wonder and dismay are conveyed in a suitably passionate style. Whenever Sarty is most excited, Faulkner’s sentences grow longer and more com-plex and seem to run on like a torrent. The second sentence of the story is a good
illustration, as is the sentence in which Sarty jumps out of the way of Major de Spain’s galloping horse and hears the barn going up in flames at the climax of the story.

How does Shakespeare glorify his friend in Sonnet 18?

Shakespeare glorifies his friend in two ways, as evidenced in the structure of the poem. In the first six lines, he compares his friend to a summer day and explains how summer is less perfect and desirable, which glorifies the nature of his friend:

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?

Thou art more lovely and more temperate:

Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,

And summer's lease hath all too short a date:

Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,

And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;

Summer is too short a season, its days subject to "rough winds." Summer days are sometimes "too hot" and frequently the sun is "dimm'd" by clouds or inclement weather, it suggests. Shakespeare's friend, however, is "more lovely and more temperate." Metaphorically, then, we could infer that Shakespeare's friend is a pleasant person (lovely) with a "temperate" nature, reliable and trustworthy, one not given to emotional outbursts or dark moods.

In the remainder of the sonnet, Shakespeare emphasizes that nature is transitory, but his friend will be immortal, living within the lines of the sonnet as long as the sonnet can be read:

And every fair from fair sometime declines,

By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd;

But thy eternal summer shall not fade

Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;

Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,

When in eternal lines to time thou growest:

So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,

So long lives this and this gives life to thee.

Everything "fair" in nature "declines." Nature's course is one of change. His friend, however, "shall not fade" or become less fair, or even die. Shakespeare glorifies his friend by preserving his life in Sonnet 18:

So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,

So long lives this [sonnet] and this [sonnet] gives life to thee.

Perhaps Shakespeare was correct. More than four centuries later, we are still reading Sonnet 18 and talking about his friend.

Why is Maniac upset with himself for crossing the finish line backwards when racing with Mars Bar in Maniac Magee?

Maniac is upset with himself for crossing the finish line backwards when racing with Mars Bar because in doing so, he is rubbing his victory in the face of his opponent.  It is bad enough for Mars Bar that he loses to Maniac in a race in which he, Mars Bar, had issued the challenge, but when Maniac crosses the finish line backwards, Mars Bar's loss is accentuated, and he is truly disgraced in front of all his friends.  It's kind of like in baseball, when a person hits a home run and stands there at home plate to admire it while the opposing pitcher stands, embarrassed, on the mound, or in football, when a player makes a touchdown, then slams the ball down and goes into an elaborate dance of victory right there on the field.  Such behavior is not considered to be good sportsmanship, and, at its worst, is insulting to the opposing team.

Maniac had not meant to exhibit unsportsmanlike behavior.  He had simply been caught up in the moment, "feeling...sheer, joyful exuberance, himself in celebration".  Even so, "that didn't make it (an) any less stupid or rotten thing to do".  Maniac holds no ill feeling towards Mars Bar, and he regrets having acted in a way that embarrassed the other boy.  It is true that Mars Bar had been going out of his way to cause trouble for Maniac because, as a white boy, Maniac had dared cross over into the East End of the city, which is inhabited predominantly by black people, but Maniac had still never meant to get back at Mars Bar in this way.  Although there is a moment in which Maniac questions his own motivations, it is generally totally out of character for Maniac to act in a way that is deliberately demeaning to others under any circumstances (Chapter 38).

How are women represented in The Sun also Rises?

Hemingway is often considered by feminists to be a misogynistic writer. While I think this label might be a bit severe at times, in this novel Hemingway portrays his few female characters as predators in one way or another. First of all, there is Georgette the prostitute, who Jake eats with out of boredom. She is determined to get the best meal possible in Paris for her time. There is Frances Clyne, Robert Cohn's woman, who first wants to control Robert and then insults him terribly when Robert breaks up with her. The only complex female character in the novel is Brett, or Lady Ashley, whose behavior is more male than female. She prefers the company of men, prefers to be called "Brett" rather than "Lady Ashley," and wears her hair "brushed back like a boy's." Most of all, Brett's sexual behavior is might be considered more like that of a "playboy" rather than a lady, as she has a series of sexual relationships with men she does not love. Brett, who is sexually attractive yet "unfeminine" in so many ways, is the only woman who is treated sympathetically in the novel.

What do each of the following three parts mean? "The slave went free; stood for a brief moment in the sun; then moved back again toward slavery."

In tracing the development of Black consciousness in America, DuBois focuses on the period of slavery, which helped to create the stigma or problem of "color," the Civil War with Abolitionists and Lincoln, and the challenges of Reconstruction.  With the ending of the Civil War, the North's victory, and the official end to the institution of slavery in the South, the "slave went free."  Slavery was over and there was a feeling of freedom being present.  This represented "a brief moment in the sun."  The establishment of the Freedman's Bureau helped to "make the Negro a ward of the nation."  Noting its successes in the South, in particular educational opportunities and the expansion of health care and other government services, this would be the moment where the sun' moment was felt.  The brevity or shortness of this moment was valid and real as there was no political power for people of color (14th Amendment not yet passed), social inequality still continued in that many Southern Whites were not willing nor comfortable with full social recognition of African- Americans, and this translated to a lack of economic empowerment opportunities.  Both of these components- the lack of a political and economic voice- represented the "move back again towards slavery."  The quotation reflects the complexity in achieving a valid conception of freedom, a complexity that was manipulated to ensnare African- Americans in the wake of the Civil War.

How does the author in "Of Mice and Men" bring out the differences between Lennie and George?Thanks =)

There are several methods of characterization that authors use.

1. through a physical description of the character


2. through the character's action


3. through the character's thoughts, feelings, and speeches


4. through the comments and reactions of other characters.


5. through direct statements giving the writer's opinion of the character.

The first 4 are indirect methods, while 5. is direct characterization.

Of course, the most obvious difference between Lennie and George is their physical size and strength. In the first pages of "Of Mice and Men," John Steinbeck masterfully describes Lennie who goes through the bushes "as silently as a creeping bear":

Lennie dabbled his big paw in the water and wiggled his big fingers so the water arose in little splashes; rings widened across the pool to the other side and came back again.  Lennie watched them go.  'Look, George.  Look what I done.'

Not only does the reader become aware that Lennie is crudely large ("paw"), but he/she also realizes that Lennie has a simpleness about him like an animal and a child.  For, he plays with the water and then asks George to look at what he has done much like a child addressing a parent.  The incorrect verb usage is indicative of childishness and/or lack of education/intelligence, as well.

Lennie's name is wryly ironic:  Lennie Small. For, he is a huge, strong man ("creeping bear"), yet he is mentally handicapped.  Dependent upon George after the death of his aunt, Lennie is doomed to be a migrant worker.  And, he has only survived because of the intelligence of George, who has helped him elude retaliation after he wanted to feel a girl's dress and she screamed in fear.

Although Steinbeck describes them as dressed alike, the men differ greatly in both physical mental qualities. George, is "small and quick, dark of face with restless eyes and sharp strong features," and Lennie is offish, "shapeless of face with large pale eyes, sloping shoulders...dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags its paws." Unlike Lennie, George is able to assess a situation.  He scolds Lennie for talking to Crooks, the alienated black hustler, telling Lennie to leave him alone.  He warns Lennie to not bother Slim or Curley or Curley's wife.  While playing cards one night, George asks Lennie is the girl was in the barn when Lennie went in to talk to Slim, "You sure that girl didn't come in like she come in here today?"  When Lennie replies "no," George remarks that a woman in a whore house is less trouble:

A guy can go in ...and get ever'thing outa his system all at once, an' no messes...Thee here jail baits is just set on the trigger of the hoosegow.

Lennie, on the other hand, is incapable of any such perception.  Like a child, he wants to have a puppy to pet and looks to George for direction.  When the hostile Curley confronts him, Lennie waits until George tells him it is all right to strike the man.

Yet,while George's acumen in assessing people and situations is in sharp contrast to Lennie's, they both understand how important it is to have a friend; they both know the vulnerability of the soul:

Guy like us, that work on ranches are the loneliest guys in the world.  They got no family...With us it ain't like that.  We got a future.  We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn.  We don't have to sit in no bar room blowin' in our jack jus' because we got no place else to go.

With all the differences among men, Steinbeck masterfully utilizes the marked contrasts between Lennie and George to communicate that there is a yearning in all that is universal.

How did the War affect Miss Franny Block's great-grandfather in Because of Winn-Dixie?

Miss Franny Block's great-grandfather, Littmus W. Block, was only a boy when he fought in the Civil War.  He discovered the truth "that war is hell", and came home "a changed man".

Littmus was only fourteen when the first battle of the war occurred, but he was determined to enlist.  His father was already serving in the Confederacy, and Littmus, who was "strong and big", lied about his age and was accepted also.  Miss Franny explains his insatiable desire to fight, saying,

"Men and boys...are always looking for a reason to go to war.  It is the saddest thing.  They have this abiding notion that war is fun.  No history lesson will convince them differently".

Littmus Block "went off to be a hero...but he soon found out the truth...about war".  He was

"...hungry all the time.  And he was covered with all manner of vermin...and in the winter, he was so cold...and in the summer...there's nothing worse than war in the summertime...and the only thing that made Littmus forget that he was hungry and itchy and hot or cold was that he was getting shot at...quite a bit...and he was nothing more than a child". 

When Littmus Block finally returned home, he found that "there was no home there".  The Yankees had burned his house to the ground, his mother and sisters had died of typhoid fever, and his father had died on the battlefield (Chapter 16). 

Littmus had lost everything that he had loved because of the war, and "he missed his mama and he missed his daddy and he missed his sisters and he missed the boy he used to be".  Littmus Block decided then and there that "the world was a sorry affair and that it had enought ugly things in it and what he was going to do was concentrate on putting something sweet in it".  He started a candy factory and invented the Littmus lozenge, a special hard candy, sweet, with just a touch of sadness in it (Chapter 17).

What does this quote mean from "The Little Prince"?: "Love does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking outward in the same direction."I...

I agree that one point of this quote might be that people who are in love tend to be consumed only with one another, which is, as the last response indicated, a form of selfishness, since gazing at the object of one's love is satisfies one's needs.  But another point might be that this is a kind of love in a vaccuum, not taking into account the rest of the world in which the lovers must exist.  Are we put on this earth merely to satisfy ourselves and those with whom we are in love, or are we meant to take care of others in the world, our family, our friends, our community, our nation, and our planet?  If I and my loved one are looking outward, to the world around us, we are united in a goal that is greater than just ourselves and one another.  Should not the power of love energize us and motivate us to help the world around us? 

What is the oppression of women in "The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin?

mustangjbj,

A more precise term for Chopin's "The Story of an Hour" is repression and not oppression.

The first sentence of the story proves to be essential to the end, though during the middle of the story the initial care to protect Mrs. Mallard from the “sad message” seems almost comic. It is usually assumed, too easily, or possibly incorrectly, that Mrs. Mallard’s “storm of grief” is hypocritical.

If you notice that the renewal after the first shock is stimulated by the renewal of life around her

“the tops of trees . . . were all aquiver with the new spring of life”

and that before she achieves a new life, Mrs. Mallard first goes through a sort of death and then tries to resist renewal: Her expression “indicated a suspension of intelligent thought,” she felt something “creeping out of the sky,” and she tried to “beat it back with her will,” but she soon finds herself

“drinking the elixir of life through that open window,”

and her thoughts turn to “spring days, and summer days.” Implicit in the story is the idea that her life as a wife—which she had thought was happy—was in fact a life of repression or subjugation, and the awareness comes to her only at this late stage.

The story has two surprises: the change from grief to joy proves not to be the whole story, for we get the second surprise, the husband’s return and Mrs. Mallard’s death.

The last line

“the doctors . . . said she had died . . . of joy that kills”

is doubly ironic: The doctors wrongly assume that she was overjoyed to find that her husband was alive, but they were not wholly wrong in guessing that her last day of life brought her great joy.

The text clearly says “she had loved him—sometimes.” The previous paragraph in the story calls attention to a certain aspect of love—a satisfying giving of the self—and yet also to a most unpleasant yielding to force.

Kate Chopin's stories of women who lead contradictory and somewhat unsatisfying lives are wonderful lessons for students to choose friendships, loves, and acquaintances carefully.

Can you help me find 3 quotes in chp. 12 that show a change in the relationship between Scout and Calpurnia?

Chapter 12 is the chapter in which Calpurnia allows herself to be better known by Jem and Scout.  This is the first time the children have been to church with her, and this leads to many questions and Calpurnia's honest responses.

One quote that shows a change in the relationship between Scout and Calpurnia show Scout's new ideas about Calpurnia:

That Calpurnia led a modest double life never dawned on me. The idea that she had a separate existence outside our household was a novel one, to say nothing of her having command of two languages (125).

This is Scout's first real awareness of Calpurnia as a separate person with her own existence. The reference to languages is about Calpurnia's ability to speak the Standard English of the household she works in and to speak the African-American English of her own race.  This  reference to language leads to another passage that shows the changing relationship between Scout and Calpurnia, in which Scout gains further insight into Calpurnia's character.

Scout, in discussing Calpurnia's capacity to speak Standard English and her not doing so among African-American people, says to her, "But Cal, you know better (126).  Then Calpurnia goes on to explain that people do not like

...to have somebody around knownin' more than they do. It aggravates them (126).

I think Calpurnia's response gives Scout even more respect for Calpurnia, as Scout realizes that Calpurnia makes sense.  This leads to another quotation that demonstrates the changing relationship.

Scout asks, "Calpurnia, can I come to see you sometimes?" (126).  Calpurnia responds that Scout sees her every day.  But then Scout expresses her desire to visit Calpurnia at Calpurnia's house and Calpurnia agrees.  We can see from this section, too, that Scout is able to see Calpurnia as an individual, not someone who just takes care of Scout and Jem, someone whom she would like to get to know better in a different way, by entering Calpurnia's world instead of Calpurnia just entering her world.

Interestingly enough, Calpurnia's changing her speech to conform to the peope around her is an ability that people didn't think about very much when this book was written.  Today, we call this "code-switching," and finally understand how important it is to be able to do this.  After all, what is communication for if no one around you understands what you are saying?

Could you give me some suggestions on writing an essay on To Kill a Mockingbird's epigram--"Lawyers, I suppose, were children once"?

You can apply the quote to several characters in To Kill a Mockingbird, and I would suggest mentioning those characters in your thesis statement and then using your body paragraphs to apply the quote to each of your chosen characters.  See examples below.

1. Atticus--At the novel's beginning Jem and Scout have a difficult time seeing their father, a lawyer, as anything but a decrepit old man who is good for nothing (at least nothing that they're interested in). As the novel progresses, the children begin to identify with their father more and to learn things from his past that prove that he was young once, is not as old and useless as they thought, and that he is actually a town hero.  Use examples such as Atticus's shooting the rabid dog, his defense of Tom Robinson, and his buying the children air rifles (after all, he remembers when he was a child and had a gun).

2. Jem--Jem is profoundly affected by watching his father during Tom Robinson's trial.  He is a child before the trial begins and a young man who has lost his innocence after the trial.  Lee seems to imply that Jem might be a lawyer when he grows up.  Jem's discussion with Atticus about rape being a capital offense and the makeup of juries demonstrates that he is now thinking of weighty adult topics.  As the reader witnesses Jem's maturation, he gets a picture of what Atticus might have been as a child.

3. Scout--the novel's precocious narrator learns much from her father and also from watching her father's opponent, Mr. Gilmer. She realizes that people do not become cynical or wise overnight and that there must be events from their past that cause them to view the world in the way that they do.  She talks to Dolphus Raymond outside the courthouse, and she listens to Miss Maudie's description of her father's reputation.

All of these examples demonstrate that children--even those who become lawyers--lose their innocence at some point and must begin to view the world as adults.

Chapter 7 opens on a blistering hot day in the days before air conditioning. How is the behavior of the characters linked to the weather?

Near the beginning of the chapter, Fitzgerald incorporates heat imagery to mirror the explosive situation that Nick is about to witness.  As Nick rides the train, he comments that the

straw seats of the car hovered on the edge of combustion (120).

The image lends itself well to the situation with Gatsby, Daisy, and Tom.  It is just a matter of time before someone "explodes."

Likewise, as Nick, Gatsby, and Tom linger at the Buchanan household, Fitzgerald contrasts Tom's stifling, overheated personality to Gatsby's effortlessly "cool" one.  He is "astounded" when Daisy praises Gatsby right in front of him and immediately suggests going into the city (125).

The heat has made Daisy and Tom irritable with each other, and the change of setting to the confining nature of the hotel room does not help.  In the end, the broiling nature of not only the day but also of the overheated room imitate Tom's rising, uncontrollable temper and drive Gatsby to a confrontation when he otherwise might have remained calm.

What changes does Napoleon make immediately after the expulsion of Snowball?

Napoleon knows that Snowball could conceivably return so all blame is shifted to him. Little by little, everything that has gone wrong-including the re-writing of some of the history in minds of the animals- is blamed on Snowball.

Immediately, the day to day operations change. Perhaps most important is the abolition of the Sunday meetings. The meetings are now only a listing of the week's upcoming duties. Since this is where Snowball and Napoleon argued, the elimination of the meetings will keep another Snowball figure from rising up to challenge Napoleon's power.

Why is Geoffrey Chaucer called "The Father of English Poetry"?

Read the following passage by John V. Fleming

By any sensible assessment, Chaucer is among the greatest of world poets -- by turns funny, solemn, deeply religious, and ribald. He is among the most technically varied and accomplished of English poets -- meaning that it is possible to learn a great deal about poetry from relatively short passages of his text. He is preeminently the master of the greatest neglected genre in our literature -- narrative verse, poems that tell stories.

Although the question of language is not the only or even principal question that needs to be addressed, it is obviously an intimidating one for students and teachers alike. Chaucer's English is very different from ours, but any intelligent student will, with a few moments' patience, recognize it as English. The same cannot be said of the language of Beowulf. The Course Description describing the AP English Language and Literature course does suggest that some knowledge of the historical development of our language is a necessary part of literary study, and while we cannot expect high school students to become Germanic philologists, we can expect them to comprehend that "April" might once have been spelled "Aprille." It is possible, of course, to read Chaucer in a modernized text, just as it is possible to take a bath with your socks on.

Can anyone give a summary of the poem "No" by Thomas Hood?

This poem by Thomas Hood associates the month of November with a lack of positivity. (The poem does not exactly associate the month with negativity, not explicitly, but instead only implies that November can be seen as a negative or dark period because it lacks certain positive elements of humanity, sunshine, growth and the like.) 

The poem's central themes are social isolation and a sort of disorientation that results from a lack of reference points.

        No indications where the Crescents go—
        No top to any steeple—
No recognitions of familiar people—

Of the many things that are stated to be absent or lacking, we can argue that the idea communication connects many of them. The poem presents an idea of being cut off from humanity and from nature too. 

        No mail—no post—
        No news from any foreign coast—

       [...]

No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,
No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds

Formally, the poem is constructed as a series of negations. Almost all the phrases that make up the poem are noun phrases without a verb. (The verbs all appear as gerunds, essentially transformed into nouns, as in the phrase "No traveling at all.") 

These negations are grouped by theme and move from broad statements of "No sun - no moon!" to more idiosyncratic or colloquial statements like "no 't’other side the way'" and back again to observations on people, movement/travel and nature. 

The poem's twist, as it is, comes in the final one-word line, "November," completing the poem with a conflation of all its negations with the winter month. Too playful to be regarded as a serious dirge or a real lament, "No!" stands instead as a somewhat light-hearted expression of the isolation one might feel when winter sets in. 

The free-form layout of the poem contributes to its (surprisingly) contemporary feel and indicates a sensibility that strives to entertain as it engages the reader, creating an open invitation to the reader to enjoy the poem and to fully understand it (as opposed to being dense or obscure or puzzling.) Thus, the poem may be superficial in its playfulness but satisfying as a verbal/literary performance. 

What is the effect of time on return on assets?

Businesses invest money for creating assets of various kinds like land, equipment, stocks, and other types of working capitals. They do this to be able to earn a profit. How attractive an investment in a particular business or particular type of assets is directly linked to the amount of profit earned.

But the absolute quantity of profit is not a satisfactory measure for comparing attractiveness for different type of investment. Same amount of profit earned on two different type of assets with considerable difference in investment is not equally attractive. An investment that gives same return with lower investment is definitely preferable. Therefore, to compare attractiveness of investments with different level of investment we can use the concept of rate of return. Thar is we can measure the profits in terms of percentage of the investment made. Thus, for example, a profit of $500 on an investment of $2000 comes to rate of return of 25% which is better than profit of $600 on investment of $3000, which is equal to rate of return of 20%.

The rate of return also is not a very satisfactory measure of attractiveness of investments. Typically, an investment made in business continues to give returns for many years. The distribution of profit along the time line is also very important. A profit of $100 today is definitely more attractive than same profit next year or distributed over few years. This preference for having money earlier can be attributed to several reasons. One very clear advantage of having money earlier is that we can then earn interest on it or invest it in business and earn profit. This if we earn interest of 10%, the amount of $100 is as attractive as $110 after one year. This concept of money now being more attractive than some time in future is called time value of money.

We can assess attractiveness of rate of return on different investments by discounting them by a suitable factor representing the time value or a notional interest rate. Let us say this discounting rate is 10% per year then the discounted present value of $100 dollars received today is $100. But the present value of $100 received after one year is only $90.91 ($100 dividedby by 1,1), and that after two years is $82.64 ($100 divided by 1.1^2 or 1.21). In this way we can calculate present value of any stream of returns over a period using appropriate rate of discounting.

Thus we can say that effect of time on rate of return is that the effective rate of return on any assets over a period of time gets reduced by a suitable factor representing time value of money. This techniques of adjusting rate of returns for effect of time is often called the technique of discounted cash flow. Another variation of this technique is internal rate of return, which expresses the total amount of return received over a period as a compound rate of interest on the initial value of investment.

What evidence could a prosecutor use "against" Stalin to prove that he was mostly responsible for the the bombs on Hiroshima/Nagasaki?

Arguing in favor of Stalin’s responsibility for United States dropping atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is a tricky issue, specifically because Stalin’s responsibility in the matter, insofar as it can be determined, does not rest in his direct involvement in the events. That is not to say that Stalin is not at least partially responsible for the actions of the United States against Japan in August 1945.

The most revealing factor in this equation is the generally uneasy relationship between the Soviet Union and the United States during World War II. Since Russia had pulled out of World War I after the October Revolution in 1917, the United States was cautious in its dealings with the Communist government that had replaced the Czar. This uneasiness and caution was exacerbated by Stalin’s actions near the end of World War II. As the Allies began to retake those lands to which Germany had laid claim in the years leading up to the war, the Soviet Union seized the opportunity to create satellite states from the countries of Eastern Europe. The United States, perceiving Stalin’s actions to be a repeat of Hitler’s aggression, feared that Communism would spread throughout the rest of Europe. It has been argued that this fear prompted Harry S. Truman to drop the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Detonating the bombs was a show of force meant to send Stalin a message: if you keep doing what you are doing, this could happen to you! The Soviet Union being the central source for American fears prompted the United States to commit these two acts.

A less compelling argument for what transpired is that the Soviet Union failed to commit to armed action against Japan until Germany was defeated. The United States, forced to fight on separate fronts and not receiving adequate military aid from the other Allies, could not wait for the conclusion of affairs in Europe; the loss of life in the fight to take Japan had simply taken too much of a toll. Fearing that they could not hold out for Soviet aid, Truman perceived the use of the atomic bomb as the only viable option left open to him. If the Soviet Union had committed to aiding the American campaign against Japan, the use of the atomic bombs may not have proven necessary. While Stalin did not push the button to drop the bombs, his actions, or perhaps his lack of action, certainly affected American military action against Japan.

What is the theme of the poem "Snake" by Theodore Roethke?

Of his childhood in Saginaw, Michigan, where his German grandfather and father kept greenhouses, Theodore Roethke wrote that this greenhouse world represented for him "both heaven and hell, a kind of tropics created in the savage climate of Michigan, where austere German-Americans turned their love or order and their terrifying efficiency into something truly beautiful."

In his poem "Snake," Roethke does just this:  He turns something terrifying into something beautiful.  As one of his nature poems, "Snake" explores some of the anxiety that was with Roethke since his childhood.  But, the power of Nature to revive the spirit of an adult life in self-realization is the theme of this poem.

The sight of the young snake gliding "Out of the mottled shade," which can be a metaphor for Roethke's anxieties, halts the poet, who watches the reptile.  This snake is perceived as "a thin mouth and a tongue" that is "stayed" in the still air.  But, after its limp pause upon a stone, it turns, draws away, and quickly is gone.

The sensuousness of the snake--the poet's "slow blood...longed to be that thing"--revives the man, giving him encouragement that he, too, can have relaxation and enjoy life:  "And, I may be, some time." The poet realizes that he can experience release from his anxieties. 

What do Benjamin Franklin, Olaudah Equiano, and Mary Rowlandson have in common with their pieces and how do they relate to Amercanism?

The narratives of Franklin, Equiano, and Rowlandson all share the common theme of articulation of voice.  Each expresses the protagonists' notion of identity in the midst of different experiences.  Hardship and challenges seem to play a formative role in each of their evolutions of identity. They all relate to Americanism because each separate narrative helps to explain a different aspect of what it means to be "American."  Each of the voices contribute to a distinct component of the diaspora of American Identity.  For Franklin, the self made narrative component of America is heard. In this voice, we hear of America's strength and the ability to redefine oneself away from a socially stratified setting that defines identity.  Yet, this growth is met by challenges, conflict, and threats.   For Rowlandson, her story speaks to the fear of "the other" which is present in America, and has been present for some time.  America's relationship with the dialectical "other" has been a challenge.  Rowlandson's "captivity narrative" helped to crystallize the understanding that conflict is an inevitable part of American identity.  The result of this "fear" is Equiano's.  As America fights through this conflict, its victory must be met by a countervailing force of defeat.  Though he did not plan it that way nor did he have a hand in it, the subjugation of a group of people has been the result of this conflict, this fear, and worry of "the other."  Examining all three narratives reflects an understanding of the varied understandings of America.

What is chapter 4 about in the book City of Ember?

Lina has been a messenger for several weeks when she notices that Granny is acting strangely.  She is stripping the cushions from the couch, searching for something which "is lost", but she doesn't know exactly what it is that is missing.  Most significantly, Granny is so wrapped up in her nebulous search that she has forgotten the baby, having left her downstairs alone in the shop. 

Lina is given a message to deliver to Clary, the greenhouse manager.  The greenhouse is where the food for Ember's citizens is produced; it is located at the farthest edge of the city near the trash heaps.  Recently, an official job called "trash sifter" has been created.  Trash sifters search through the trash looking for anything that might be useful, leading Lina to wonder if it is true that Ember is running out of everything.

Lina delivers the message to Clary.  The message is a request for extra crates of cabbages and potatoes from Arbin Swinn, who runs the Vegetable Market.  Clary responds that she can provide the cabbages, but not the potatoes, as the potatoes have been stricken with a new disease.  Unless a cure is found for the disease, there will soon be no more potatoes in Ember.

Just before Lina leaves the greenhouse, she hears the sound of wailing.  Clary urges Lina to go, but Lina witnesses Clary encountering Sadge Merrall, a clerk in the Supply Depot.  Sadge has apparently made an attempt to penetrate the Unknown Regions, the completely lightless area surrounding all of Ember.  People have always wondered if anything lies beyond their city, but no one has been able to get very far into the Unknown Regions because a portable method of lighting has not been invented, and the Unknown is characterized by complete darkness. 

As supplies of one sort and another begin to run short in Ember, more and more people are looking to the Unknown Regions, in hopes that there might be something there that can help them.  Clary and Lina talk about questions that have troubled both of them, and many others, for a long time - the mystery of life, and the origin of life.  They wonder if the answer to their questions might indeed lie in the Unknown Regions (Chapter 4).

What are the vernaculars and dialects in the novel "Of Mice of Men" and their meanings?

1. Vernacular pertains to the language of a special group


2. Dialects are linguistic groups that vary from Standard English in pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar.

In "Of Mice and Men," by John Steinbeck, the vernacular is the language of the ranch hands.  Such words as bunk house are vernacular, as is booby-hatch

Since the men who work in the ranch house are itinerant workers, they come from different parts of the country, they possess differing regional dialects.  However, some of their words are similar since they are of a similar social  class.  For instance, when George speaks, most of the time his words are examples of a lower socio-economic dialect.  Any number of men from various parts of the country who are itinerant workers may say these words:

You ain't gonna put nothing over on me...You get a kick outta that, don't you?  Awright, I'll tell you ....

Carlson, too, has this dialect:

If you was to take him out and shoot him right in the back of the head...why he'd never know what hit him.

But, Carlson's other words many be reflective of an expression that is vernacular:

He don't have no fun (still dialect)...And he stinks to beat hell (vernacular)....

Crooks, the black stable worker, has a dialect more typical of many Blacks.  He scolds Curley's wife,

Now you jus' get out an'get out quick.  If you don't, Im gonna ast the boss not to ever let you come in the barn no more.

The Kite Runner suggests that maturity can only develop with independence.Discuss using close textual references and features of text to support...

When writing your essay, you will want to bring out the fact that Amir had a chance to show loyalty but did not do so when he abandoned Hassan at the mercy of Assef and his gang. He was also particularly treacherous when he framed Hassan for the theft of his wristwatch, after which Hassan and his father decided to move away. Both of these scenes as well as the incident at the pomgranate tree happen during their late childhood and early adolescence, long before either Amir or Hassan are independent. It is evident that Amir could have chosen to behave otherwise, so I don't see why your teacher supposes that "mature" choices cannot be made while growing up but have to be an "adult thing" to do. If that were the case, then Amir could not be held responsible for how he acted when he was young.

But as circumstances go, Amir has a chance to learn from his mistakes.  A rather spoilt child while growing up, he faces both precarity and hardship in America and seems to learn certain lessons from his experiences. He draws closer to his father, and he accepts Soraya for her true worth despite social stigma. Later he searches out and defends Hassan's son from the clutches of Assef, brings him back to America, and adopts him. In short, Amir makes ammends for all the bad things he did to Hassan by showing loyalty to Sohrab. The scar he gets when fending off Assef and the kite-running scene at the very end of the story symbolize the bond of friendship between Amir and Hassan re-established through Sohrab and Amir's redemption from former ways.

It would be good for you to find some quotes or excerpts from the text which you find particularly appropriate; below are two references to help you develop your ideas.

What is the meaning of the three slogans, "War is peace", "Freedom is slavery", and "Ignorance is strength"?

Each of these sayings seems contradictory and that feeds into the themes of the novel: freedom and enslavement, loyalty and betrayal, appearances and reality.  All of those are somewhat contradictory, too.  Orwell's book is meant to show what happens when absolute power corrupts absolutely which is what has happened in the world of the story.  The government has so much power over the people they can create their own reality which they have done.  The government of the fictional Oceania has a different interpretation of the slogans however.  For them, "War is peace" means that as long as they can keep the war machine moving, there is peace.  As long as they can keep people fighting the war and making implements with which to fight the war, then the people have no time to fight the government.  Therefore, for the government, there is peace.  "Freedom is slavery" is a bit more complex.  The Party (the government) is doing all it can to enslave the people, but it doesn't want them to think they are enslaved.  So, they brainwash the people.  They try to convince the populace that what some perceive as "freedom" is really nothing more than being tied to a doctrine which enslaves them.  Of course, the irony is obvious.  They are the ones with the doctrine that ties people to it. "Ignorance is strength" means that if the Party can keep the people ignorant of the truth then the Party is strong.  One of the main and one of the worst qualities of the Party is that it constantly rewrites history to suit its purpose.  That is, in fact, Winston Smith's job.  They keep people ignorant of the facts, they pump propaganda at them 24/7 and that keeps the Party strong. The Party wants people to see the slogan, however, as a way of consoling them to the idea that they, the people, don't need to be aware of all information.  They want people to see the Party as one who looks out for them and in doing so, takes on the burden of knowing what is good for them so the people don't have to be burdened with this information.  There is much more to each of these three slogans, I've only brushed the surface.  They are key to the novel and bear looking into further on your part.

In Brave New World, why is it ironic that the Director of Hatcheries and Conditioning becomes a father?

The irony lies in his title and personality. Remember that this is a society where concepts of "birth" and "mothers" are obscene beyond anything we could imagine. Life is created artificially; children are "hatched" and "conditioned", rather than "born and raised". When we first meet the man in charge of this aspect of society, he is overconfident, arrogant to the extreme, and enjoys shocking those around him. This is evident in his lecture to the boys in the first few chapters, as well as his planned public humiliation of Bernard, which is of course interrupted by his own, much more shocking revelation.

Linda confronts him in the Fertilization room, where they first met. The farce has come full circle, as it also the Director who has caused his own downfall by "fertilizing" Linda. The whole of his life was built around avoiding this very scenario, and the casual ease with which he slept with women has now been cast in a different light. He has committed the ultimate sin in this society (although they certainly wouldn't phrase it in religious terms) and must now live out his days in shame and alienation.

How does Scout make sense of an earlier remark of Atticus's as she stands on the Radley porch?Chapter 31

At the conclusion of the novel, after Scout has walked Boo home and seen him safely inside, she stands for a moment on the Radley porch and looks at her street from a new viewpoint. As she pauses, she remembers the many events that had transpired there throughout the many months that had elapsed. Standing where Boo lived and reliving events as he must have seen them reminds Scout of what Atticus had once tried to explain to her and Jem:

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

Scout has grown up a great deal throughout the course of the story. She has come to realize an essential truth about understanding and accepting others, especially those who seem so different from ourselves.

Why did Pip marry Estella when Biddy was much better than her?

In Ch.39 Magwitch returns to England and shocks Pip by claiming that he is his benefactor and asserts, "Look'ee here, Pip. I'm your second father. You're my son more to me nor any son."

In Ch.50 Pip makes the startling discovery that Magwitch is Estella's father: "and the man we have in hiding down the river, is Estella's father."

This would make Pip and Estella almost brother and sister, and for Pip to marry Estella would be incestuous - something which the contemporary Victorian readers would have found impossible to accept. And that is why in all the standard editions of the novel Pip and Estella do not marry at the end of the novel and both of them part as friends:

"We are friends," said I, rising and bending over her, as she rose from the bench.

"And will continue friends apart," said Estella.

It should also be remembered that Dickens' friend, the novelist Edward Bulwer Lytton pleaded with him to unite Pip and Estella, and after much persuasion on his part Dickens did so. This version of the ending in which Pip and Estella are united in marriage was used only once by one maverick editor, namely, George Bernard Shaw in his 1937 edition of the novel.

However,most importantly in Ch.17 we find Pip struggling with his feelings concerning both Biddy and Estella. Pip confesses to Biddy that he wants to become a gentleman and when Biddy asks him, "do you want to be a gentleman, to spite her or to gain her over?" Pip is confused and replies "I don't know." This is because he has become foolishly infatuated with Estella and is unable to free himself from her power even though she is always rude to him and torments him both physically and emotionally. Pip himself admits that, "Biddy was immeasurably better than Estella" but is unable to decide to marry her or not because of his infatuation for Estella, and Pip confesses and acknowledges this fact: "All the while knowing the madness of my heart to be so very mad and misplaced." Finally, he pleads with Biddy in the follwing manner:

"Biddy ... I wish you could put me right ... If I could only get myself to fall in love with you ... that would be the thing for me." To which Biddy replies very sagely, "But you never will, you see."

Why do teaching and organizing chores fall to the pigs, and what is the first indication that they will use this to set themselves apart?

Because the pigs are smarter than the other animals (they can read), the other farm animals readily accept the fact that they take on a leadership position. Also, they have already a place of respect because of Old Major, the boar that incited the farm to rebellion against Farmer Jones. Indeed, many of the pigs were the offspring of Old Major. In his speech in the barn he declares:

I feel it my duty to pass on to you such political wisdom as I have acquired. I have had a long life I have had much time for thought as I lay alone in my stall, and I think I may say that I understand the nature of life on this earth as well as any animal now living.

The first sign of an oligarchy taking shape is when the pigs move into Farmer Jones' house and start adjusting the rules to fit their own comfort; for example, "No animal shall sleep in a bed" becomes "No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets." Then Squealer, appointed to represent Napoleon, explains to the rest of the animals that the extra portion of milk and apples set aside for the pigs is to enhance their thinking abilility so that their intelligence will be opitmal for running the farm (and so that Jones will not come back).This kind of rationalization shows how the animals can be duped because of their basic ignorance.

On the side, Napoleon has also taken away Bluebell's puppies, that have been put in the barn to receive a "special training." Later in the story the reader learns that they have been conditioned to be killer dogs and function as Napoleon's secret police (hitherto, no longer a 'secret' to anybody!) By the time some of the animals wake up to what is going on, it is already too late to intervene.

Why weren't the boys rescued in "Lord of the Flies"?

The boys were rescued in the final chapter of the book.  The reason it took so long is, as pointed out by Piggy in the first chapter, there is a war going on.  Piggy says that no one knows where they crash landed and that there was an atom bomb dropped in the country they are from that killed many people.  There is no way for the boys to communicate with the outside world and there are no adults alive to help them in any way.  The boys range in age from about 12 down to 6 or so.  With no information given to the authorities about where the boys' plane crash landed and with the interference of the war going on and taking people's attention away from the missing plane of boys, it takes several months for the boys to finally be rescued by the English authorities.

What is the meaning of the party slogan "War is Peace"?

The answer rests with the paradox of the Party itself. Its propaganda says one thing, but it controls the population in the opposite way. The concept of "doublethink" is the heart of Party slogans, which Emmanuel Goldstein (in the excerpt from his book in chapter 9) explains through the word "blackwhite":

But it means also the ability to believe that black is white, and more, to know that black is white, and to forget that one has ever believed the contrary. This demands a continuous alteration of the past, made possible by the system of thought which really embraces all the rest, and which is known in Newspeak as doublethink. Doublethink is basically the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one's mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them.

Thus, according to the Party, "war is peace" means that they continually "fight" wars in order to keep peace at home. It is a paradox, but one which the citizens of Oceania don't think too closely on. During times of war, nations generally unite. Of course, if the people are focused on a common enemy, they are much less inclined to notice how unhappy they are in their own lives. So they make less trouble for their government. Thus, if you're always fighting a common enemy, you won't be inclined to turn against your own government.

Aunt Alexandra thinks Scout is "dull" (not clever). Why does she think this, and is she right?

Aunt Alexandra and Scout clash right away. Aunt Alexandra thinks that Scout is dull because she hasn't had a woman's influence in her life. Scout knows nothing of the way a lady should act in society. She disapproves of the way Scout acts and the things she says. Aunt Alexandra thinks she is dull because of the ways she passes her time. Scout has a hard time with her at first. She doesn't want anyone coming in and trying to tell her what to do.

"Aunt Alexandra was fanatical on the subject of my attire. I could not possibly hope to be a lady if I wore breeches; when I said I could do nothing in a dress, she said I wasn't supposed to be doing things that require pants. Aunt Alexandra's vision of my deportment involved playing with small stoves, tea sets, and wearing the Add-A-Pearl necklace she gave me when I was born; furthermore, I should be a ray of sunshine in my father's lonely life."

Scout is actually very clever. Atticus has treated her like an adult, so she understands things that Aunt Alexandra might think is not good for young girls. Aunt Alexandra was also raised in a time when women had a certain place in the family. She wants Scout to be raised with the ideals she was raised with, but Atticus wants more for his daughter. Scout and Aunt Alexandra come to care about each other, and to appreciate the differences in the two of them. 

Who are the characters in the story "Moonlight" by Guy de Maupassant?

There are four characters in the story, but two of them are developed only in exposition. The primary characters are two French sisters, Julie Roubere and her older sister, Henriette Letore. Although she is the older of the two, Henriette is only twenty-four. "Moonlight" is a story within a story, since the plot includes a dramatic experience Henriette shares with Julie. The story Henriette tells her sister includes two men, her husband and a young lawyer she met while on a trip to Switzerland. These two characters appear only in her story to Julie; they are not part of the action of the primary story which begins with Henriette's arrival at Julie's home and ends with Julie's response to Henriette's tale.

Henriette is developed as a sensitive and emotional woman, trapped in a loveless marriage. Her husband is "perfect," except for his emotional insensitivity toward Henriette and his lack of passion. Henriette's young lover is the antithesis of her husband, seeming to feel and speak all that Henriette feels but cannot share with her husband. Finally, although Julie is younger than her sister, she seems to be the wiser of the two in matters of the heart.

What do you see as the theme in They Cage the Animals at Night?

Numerous themes are developed in the book in regard to society, family structure, human nature, and the treatment of powerless children by adults, but the primary theme is one of courage in overcoming adversity. Even though the narrator experienced loneliness, cruelty, emotional deprivation, physical abuse, and terrible insecurity during the formative years of his childhood, he not only survived, he survived with his spirit intact. His courage, endurance, and resiliency in the face of such forces serve as a testament to the strength of the human spirit itself.

Surely what kept him from being destroyed or damaged beyond healing was the love and companionship he found along his way. Although he suffered at the hands of cruel or simply insensitive adults, he also found comfort in the kind acts of other adults; also, the children in this story, all powerless in their common situation, found that they were not truly alone so long as they had each other. The strength he found in these others, both kind adults and supportive peers, affirms the idea that humanity is capable of goodness, as well as selfishness and cruelty.

How did the Scopes Trail, Elvis and the Civil Rights Movement change American culture?

In the Scope Trial, a high school teacher named John T. Scopes was indicted for teaching evolution. The trial embodied the clash between science and religion in America. New scientific advances were bringing to light new knowledge that clashed with Christian doctrine. The Fundamentalists in America were devout Christians opposed to the teaching of evolution in schools. Although Scopes was found guilty, the Fundamentalist cause was weakened significantly by the reasoning of Scope's attorney, Clarence Darrow. Darrow called William Jennings Bryan, attorney for the prosecution, to the witness stand. A philosophical argument between Darrow and Bryan made Bryan and his Fundamentalist beliefs appear foolish. The Trial represented the clash between religion and science in America and Americans' increasing willingness to reconcile religious beliefs with scientific information. 

Due to the Scopes Trial, American culture became less Fundamentally religious and more willing to accept scientific knowledge, even that which seemingly contradicted religion.

Elvis Presley was a singer who revolutionized American music in the 1950s. He combined black and white elements in his music, creating a whole new genre called rock and roll. His work helped to bridge the gap between black and white music. Presley became wildly popular amongst millions of younger people, but more conservative Americans  disapproved of Presley's sexually suggestive way of dancing and teenage girls' reactions to such dancing. 

Elvis Presley changed American culture by combining black and white musical traditions in one American style of music. He also helped to sexually liberalize America.

During the Civil Rights Movement, activitists to outlaw racial discrimination against African Americans and regain the black vote. They fought for the desegregation of jobs, public facilities, education, and politics. Sit-ins, boycotts, and rallies were effective, especially because they appeared on national television, bringing civil rights issues to national attention. After decades of struggle, civil rights activists were successful in making many gains for racial minorities. Legislative achievements of the Civil Rights Movement include the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed discrimination by employers and in public places and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which restored the African American vote.

The Civil Rights Movement, especially the Black Power Movement that was part of it, helped integrate American culture with its African American elements. African Americans began to feel proud of their culture and heritage. They expressed that pride, adding a cultural element to the Civil Rights Movement and bringing African American cultural creations to prominence.

The Scopes Trial, Elvis Presley, and the Civil Rights Movement all helped to liberalize American culture. The Scopes Trial represents a religious change, while Elvis Presley and the Civil Rights Movement were changes related to music and race.

What is the historical significance of the Lowell System?

In the early to middle part of the nineteenth century, the emergence of the Lowell system in Boston significantly changed the course of textile manufacture.  Before the Lowell system, named for the manufacturing center at Lowell, Massachusetts, textiles were manufactured on a much smaller scale - often done by individuals.  Immediately prior to the Lowell system, the "putting-out" system of manufacture served as the most efficient means of production.  The Lowell system, rather than requiring individuals in different locations to be responsible for parts of the process, made it possible for the whole process of textile manufacture to be housed in one place, greatly improving what was really an inefficient system.  By streamlining the process, the Lowell system contributed a great deal to American textile output and served as an exemplar for the other industries in the United States in subsequent decades.

What is the relationship between Stargirl and the students at Mica High?Did everyone start to like Stargirl in the end?

Stargirl was an outcast in normal High School society, because she was unique and not afraid to explore her freedom and creativity. However, she changed herself for Leo, to spare him embarrassment and to become someone that he would like and appreciate. The High Schoolers at Mica High made fun of Stargirl and did not appreciate her creativity, because so much emphasis was placed on being "cool" in the social scene at the school. However, Stargirl began to change to try to fit into the crowd, and she did receive some acknowledgment in her new, more normal persona as "Susan". However, she eventually realized that no one really appreciated her for who she is, especially after she returns after the competition to find that no one cared. So she returned to being herself, her amazing, creative, interesting self -- Stargirl. Even if it meant losing popularity or even Leo, she had to stay true to herself. 

How is the poem "burning bright" and the dark ages allusions to Fahrenheit 451? What is the effect of these allusions on the novel?How do...

In one thing everyone who reads Fahrenheit 451 must agree: Ray Bradbury knew literature! From the Bible to British poetry to modern American books, Bradbury carefully chose to highlight texts that supported his message in an unobtrusive and clever way.

William Blake, who wrote "The Tyger", was considered insane during his lifetime, yet his poetry endures as imaginative, creative, and memorable in its word pictures. Interestingly, Bradbury uses many of the same types of word pictures throughout Fahrenheit 451. The Mechanical Hound and the Tyger share a "fearful symmetry" and a terrifying aspect in creating terror.

Blake's poem opens:

              Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
               In the forests of the night...

By just knowing these two lines of the poem, Bradbury's intent is clear. Firemen burn at night. No one knows who the next target may be, but the result of the attack is devastating. Fire burns brightly in the dark, so fear escalates with the stark contrast of a dark, cool night and the flash of the orange fire that burns.

As far as the Dark Ages are concerned, that reference is perfectly in tune with Bradbury's message that censorship of any kind decimates a society. The Dark Ages were a time of widespread illiteracy (up to 95% of the population) and only a few select people determined what the public knew. It was also a time of chaos and famine and poverty. While illiteracy cannot cause famine or disease, an uneducated populace is less capable of dealing with natural disasters. Literature is one of the keys to education. If books are removed from the populace, the society will follow soon after.

What did Tom and Becky do during recess in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer?

During recess, Tom and Becky get engaged.

Tom had actually only just met Becky that morning during classes.  Becky had been interested in what Tom had been drawing, and Tom had offered to teach her how to draw if she would meet him during the lunch recess.  Becky agrees, and the two manage to get together back at the school without anyone else knowing.  Tom teaches Becky how to draw a house, and then "the two (fall) to talking", and share a piece of chewing gum.  The conversation switches to the subject of circuses, and Tom asks Becky if she has ever been engaged.

Tom explains that being engaged is when "you...just tell a boy you won't ever have anybody but him, ever ever ever, and then you kiss and that's all".  He whispers to Becky that he loves her, and goads her into saying it back.  Tom then tells Becky that all they need to do now to seal the deal is to kiss, and after a brief struggle, Becky submits.  Now that they are engaged, Tom tells Becky that she "ain't never to love anybody but (him), and...ain't never to marry anybody but (him), never never and forever...and always coming to school or when (they're) going home, (she's) to walk with (him), when there ain't anybody looking...because that's the way you do when you're engaged".

Tom and Becky's moment of bliss is short-lived, however, when Tom inadvertently reveals that he and Amy Lawrence had once been engaged.  Becky is aghast that she is not the first girl in Tom's life, and she begins to cry.  Unable to console her, Tom leaves, and when Becky realizes he is not going to return, she resigns herself "to hide her griefs and still her broken heart" (Chapter 7). 

In Things Fall Apart who are the following characters?Nma, Mgbafo, Okagbue Uyanwa, Nwayieke, and Ojiugo

Nma is short for Ezinma, Okonkwo's daughter by his second wife, Ekwefi.  Ekwefi has borne ten children in her lifetime, and all but Ezinma have died in infancy or early childhood.  Ezinma, who is ten years old at the time of the story, enjoys a special relationship with both her mother and her father.  Ekwefi treats her only child more as an equal than as a subordinate, and Ezinma has an unusually close bond with her father as well.  Okonkwo's only regret about Ezinma is that she is not a boy (Chapter 5).

Mgbafo is the wife of Uzowulu.  She has run away from her husband because he beats her, and when Uzowulu demands the return of the bride price he paid for Mgbafo, her family refuses.  Mgbafo is brought to trial before the ruling body of the tribe to settle the dispute (Chapter 10).

Okagbue Uyanwa is a medicine man.  He has "a striking figure, (is) tall, with a full beard and a bald head...he (is) light in complexion and his eyes (are) red and fiery".  Okagbue Uyanwa is consulted by Okonkwo after Ekwefi loses her third child (Chapter 9).

Nwayieke is a woman who lives four compounds away from Okonkwo and his family.  She is "notorious" in the village for "her late cooking"; the noise of her pounding with her mortar and pestle is a familiar sound in the night (Chapter 11).

Ojiugo is Okonkwo's third wife.  She is the youngest, and tends to be irresponsible.  Her absence at dinner at the beginning of the story enrages Okonkwo, and causes her to "beat her very heavily" in violation of the requirements of the Week of Peace (Chapter 4).

In act 2, scene 4, what warning does the Nurse give to Romeo?"Romeo and Juliet"

In this scene of comical relief in "Romeo and Juliet," the Nurse enters, followed by her servant Peter, who must carry some of the excessive material of her dress. Mercutio shouts that a sail is following. When the nurse asks for Romeo, he jokes about the Nurse.  To this jest, she replies rather crudely,

An a' speak anything against me, I'll take him down, an a'were lustier than he is and twenty such Jacks; and if I cannot, Ill find those that shall.

The nurse warns Romeo against leading Juliet into

a fool's paradise, it were a very gross kind of behavior, as they say. For, the gentlewoman is young, and therefore if you should deal double with her, truly it were an ill thing to be offered to any gentlewoman and very weak dealing. 

She tells Romeo that Juliet is very young and should not be deceived as it is most ungentlemanly.  Fiercely protective of Juliet, the nurse does enjoy learning that Juliet is in love, however; she relishes the marriage plans, and she is a very important messenger for both Juliet and Romeo.

What is 'prisoner's dilemma', a non cooperative game?

This is a scenario posed that helps to understand how individuals should act in regards to self interest.  The situation is that the police have two suspects for a crime in custody.  They are housed in different rooms of the stationhouse, and the police do not have enough evidence to charge them with the major crime.  They have enough for a minor crime, but the only way the police can exact the greatest amount of punishment is if one of the prisoners incriminates the other one.  The dilemma is as follows: The first outcome is that neither prisoner confesses; if this happens they will both spend three years in prison. Hence, being independently silent carries with it the same penalty for both.  The second outcome is that both of them confess, in which case they both receive four years. This means if both speak, if both take action not against one another but separately, the result is greater jail time than if they remained silent.  The third outcome is that one confesses and the other does not, in which case the prisoner who confessed receives two years and the one who did not has to spend twelve years in prison. This heightens the self interest angle over the other one.  The answer to this dilemma is dependent on your point of view and its stress.  If one stresses solidarity and acting in concert with one another,  the best outcome for both of them is for neither to confess, thereby receiving just three years in prison. If one, however, stresses the importance of their own self interest,  they can reduce their sentence to two years by confessing. At the same time, if they believe that the other will act in self interest,  they must also confess in order to avoid getting twelve years.

In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, what would you say is Huck's self-image in Chapter 1-3? Do you think it is accurate?

Huck’s assessment of himself in the first three chapters is Twain’s humorous use of an unreliable narrator. Huck is uneducated and is only thirteen; nevertheless, the inadvertent truths that he reveals in his unwitting descriptions are both funny and insightful. For example, the Widow Douglas has been doing her best to “sivilize” Huck, only to drive him further into the conviction that he prefers to be uncivilized. Huck does not pass judgment on Miss Watson, religion, table manners, or other aspects of civilization. However, he assesses them as things he just would rather avoid; the humor frequently comes from Huck deciding that it is he who is defective, although the reader’s conclusion is exactly the opposite.

Who did Agamemnon leave to look after Clytemnestra?its in book 3

"There was a bard with her, to whom Agamemnon had given strict orders on setting out for Troy, that he was to keep guard over his wife;"

Agamemnon gave orders to a serving person, probably a storyteller or singer. The word "bard" means poet or songster. So, this person was given charge over Clytemnestra until Agamemnon's return.

However, "Aegisthus carried this bard off to a desert island and left him there for crows and seagulls to batten upon—after which she went willingly enough to the house of Aegisthus." Aegisthus had different plans and basically removed the bard who was watching out for Clytemnestra and took her off to his own house after he courted her with incessant flattery.

You will find this in the middle of book 3. But, you will not find it in any summary materials, so you have to read the text to find it.

Discuss the short story "The Happy Prince" by Oscar Wilde as an moral and a social allegory?

The Happy Prince, by Oscar Wilde, is a wonderful allegory, typical of 19th century English fiction.  Social injustice, the redemptive power of love, and the loss of innocence are themes addressed by both Dickens and Wilde.

Here we have a statue who, at one time, was a real prince.  He was happy when alive, because he was kept ignorant of any sadness or suffering outside his palace walls.  His life was one of joy and fulfilled desires.  And then he died.  Upon his death, a statue was made depicting him which was covered in gold, had beautiful sapphires for eyes, and a ruby attached to his sword-gilt.  Because of the value society places on gold and jewels, he was thought to be quite beautiful.  "Useless," remarks a Town Councilman, "but beautiful."  He is adored by all who see him.  Unfortunately for the statue, his placement atop a high hill allows him to witness, for the first time, the pain and misery experienced by the poor of the city, of whom he had remained ignorant.

The statue, once happy, now weeps with sadness to learn the  plight of so many who have so little.  A self-serving swallow arrives to take shelter beneath this statue and eventually becomes touched by the statue's kindness and desire to help others.  He becomes the statue's messenger and agrees to remove the jewels and the gold from the Happy Prince in order to bring contentment, badly needed financial security, and compassion to the masses.  In an allegory, the characters stand for ideas or for people in history.  In this story, the swallow can be seen as Socialism -delivering necessities to all so that all are on equal footing.

As the statue's gold and jewels are taken and redistributed among the poor, he is no longer able to see the impoverished around him.  He knows it is there, and he is not blind to the sufferings of others as he once was.  Even without eyes to see, he knows that it exists.

Eventually, the little swallow lies at the feet of the statue and dies from exposure and exhaustion.  He never made it to Egypt because he exchanged his dream of warm climates and comfort with a bigger dream -to bring help to those who are in need.  The sculpture cracks with sadness at the loss of his friend, and his heart is exposed.  The most beautiful part of the statue -the kind and giving heart- could not be seen on the outside.

Upon seeing the statue in such disrepair, the powerful people of the city -the Town Councilors and Mayor -decide that he is no longer useful, because he is no longer beautiful.  Much like the poor, who were exploited and tossed away by the rich,  the statue is taken down. Arguments are begun to determine whose likeness will replace the superficial shell that they called The Happy Prince.