Population is made up of groups that have wide variations within the groups and less variations from group to group.What is the sampling method to...

There appears to be something wrong with your question. In general variation within a group are expected to be less than the variations across the group. Your question states reverse of this.

Anyhow, when a population is composed of identifiable groups, there are two broad sampling approaches possible. In the first approach, the sample of required size is drawn at random from the total population. In the second approach, the size of sample to be drawn from each group within the population is fixed.  The size of the sample is generally related to expected variation within the group. But, when variations within the group are not known, or when it is desired to use a simple method of analysis, the sample size from each group may be proportional to the group size.

Did the books Holdon read influence his intellectual development?

The books Holden read did influence his intellectual development, that is why it is so sad that he keeps failing out of one school after another because he is so capable.  It is not his intellect that is holding him back, it is his emotional trauma and unresolved crisis that keep Holden locked in isolation and unable to participate in school.

Holden does well in only one subject at Pencey, English.  He tell us that he is familiar with the curriculum in English because it is the same as his former school.

"I passed English and all right.  I said because I had all that Beowulf and Lord Randal My Son stuff when I was at the Whooten School." (Salinger)

Holden spends a lot of time reading.  For example, he has taken a book out of the library, and he got the wrong book, but he read the book anyway.

"They gave me Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen.  I thought it was going to stink, but it didn't.  I read a lot of classical books, like The Return of the Native and all and I like them and I read a lot of war books and mysteries and all, but they don't knock me out too much." (Salinger)

As a reader, Holden developed his intellect and was capable of getting really good grades.  The more you read, the greater your comprehension, not only in subjects in school, but in understanding the world.  It is possible that Holden was too smart for his age, too philosophically aware of what life was really about for a boy of 16.

When other kids his age are acting carefree and not paying attention to important subjects like death, Holden is trapped in unresolved grief trying to understand the death of his little brother within the larger question of what is life about anyway?

In "The Crucible" why does Proctor insist that Mary Warren testify in Elizabeth's defense? Why does Marry Warren refuse?

John has promised to come to the courts and "bring [Elizabeth] home."  He feels incredibly guilty that she was arrested in the first place; he blames himself because it was Abby's affections for him-spawned from their affair-that led to his wife's accusation and arrest.  He realizes with full force just how far Abby will go, and that his wife was right:  "[Abby] wants me dead, John."  So, he has a very personal sense of vengeance, and justice fueling his desire to get his wife cleared of any charges.  And, it just so happens that Mary Warren, who has been with Abby from the beginning, knows just how fake all of the accusations of witchcraft are.  Mary was there in the forest, she knows why they started crying people out (so that they wouldn't get in trouble for the dancing), and John needs her to testify to this in court.  If he can somehow prove that Abby is being false, it will nullify Abby's accusation against Elizabeth, and Elizabeth will be set free.

However, when John goes to Mary and insists that she testify against Abigail and the other girls, Mary is terrified and refuses, insisting, "They'll turn on me...I cannot do it!"  What she means by this is that she is afraid that if she goes in to the courts and states that they were all faking it all along, the girls will start pretending that Mary Warren is a witch, and unite against her, and she will end up being on the stand, in jail, and hanged for witchcraft.  She knows what power Abby and the girls hold, so she is terrified that she will be their next victim, especially if she testifies against them.  And, she is right.  Act three will reveal just how right she is.

Edgar Linton is the antithesis of Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights. Discuss.

Three words describe Edgar Linton: civilized, parented, and privileged.  As the only son of a loving family, Edgar not only was the heir to Thrushcross Grange (and therefore had a secure future) he was loved and valued as a human being.  While Heathcliff did get some affection during old Mr. Earnshaw's time, his status in the family was never of the only son and heir.  He was an orphan brought in from the storm, and his parentage was never known.  He was beloved of Cathy, but never had the emotional and social security that Edgar Linton had.  In addition, Heathcliff had to invent himself, while Edgar knew his parentage and what was expected of him.

On top of this, Edgar was never abused; Heathcliff may well have been before he was brought to the Earnshaws, and Hindley certainly made Heathcliff's life a misery after his father died.  This lack of suffering, this utterly secure bedrock of love and unassailed and legitimate place, is possibly the greatest thing that Edgar had that Heathcliff never had -- even when he was he master of Wuthering Heights.

Besides Edgar's enviable status and position in the world, he was bred down the hill in the relatively civilized atmosphere of Thrushcross Grange.  Compared to Wuthering Heights, the Grange had social and educational advantages.  There was less of a wild influence, both from the environment and from the manners of the people living there.  Edgar is a smooth, indoor creature, compared to Heathcliff's wild and windswept outdoor persona.

All of Heathcliff's money had to be made by himself -- and we are led to believe that Heathcliff had to obtain it through less than honest means.  Heathcliff left Wuthering Heights with nothing, and no one.  Edgar never left, and never had to earn any money except managing his own inheritance.  The person who struggles and wins, and the person who has things handed to them, often have very different outlooks on life.  This was the case for Edgar and Heathcliff -- while obtaining wealth soured Heathcliff even more, the effect of secure and inherited wealth made Edgar pleasant, but perhaps a bit willful and complacent.  He believes that Cathy is -- and always should have been -- his by right; he is unwilling to fight for her, while Heathcliff thinks the only way he can be happy is by dominating everyone.  Neither is a perfect character, and they were both damaged by the things which happened to them, but in very different ways. 

Explain the theme of murder in Hamlet or in any of Shakespeare's plays.

In Macbeth and Julius Caesar, murder is presented as the act that destroys political stability and plunges society into chaos. After Macbeth murders King Duncan, Scotland is robbed of its rightful king, Duncan's rightful heir Malcolm must flee for his life, and Macbeth becomes an illegitimate, detested king. The country is thrown into political chaos, civil peace is destroyed, and suffering ensues. Similarly, in Julius Caesar political stability is destroyed by Caesar's assassination and the power vacuum produces a violent power struggle. The forces of Antony and Octavius go to war against those of Brutus and Cassius. After Antony's speech at Caesar's funeral, mobs surge through the streets, burning and killing. Rome is plunged into chaos. In both of these plays, the murder of the ruler and head of government brings enormous and disastrous consequences.

Murder is more than a political act, however, in each play. Caesar's murder, however Brutus might try to justify it, is presented in its horror. An unarmed Caesar is surprised and set upon by a group of assassins who stab him to death, one striking after the other. King Duncan, a wise and just monarch, is also set upon when he cannot defend himself. He is sleeping when Macbeth hacks him to death and leaves the scene of the murder covered in the King's blood. Furthermore, in Macbeth one foul murder follows another. Murder becomes the means of a tyrannical monster (Macbeth) to remain in power. Without pity or hesitation, he orders the additional murders of men, women, and children, all of whom are surprised and defenseless, attacked by groups of killers.

In both of these plays, nothing good comes of murder. Murder results in warfare and further destruction. Brutus and Cassius kill themselves when faced with defeat by Antony and Octavius; Lady Macbeth commits suicide after descending into madness; Macbeth is beheaded by Macduff in battle. When Macbeth, Cassius, and Brutus chose to shed blood, their acts of murder opened the floodgates of violence. As Macbeth himself said, "[B]lood will have blood."

Why do the thought police allow Julia and Winston to carry on their relationship as long as they do?Since the screen in their room was presumably...

Sometimes, you have to give people enough rope in order that they will hang themselves with it.

In the instance of Winston and Julia, the affair was probably not a secret as they hoped, but the trap was set probably to catch Julia more than to catch Winston. He was just an innocent victim in the plot to entrap Julia.

From the beginning of the book, Winston appears to be compliant but somewhat dissatisfied with the whole social order. It is not until he meets Julia, falls in love with her and begins an affair that he realizes that he does not love Big Brother as a good party member ought to.

What is the theme of "The Concubine"?

The central theme of the story is man's potential to manipulate his or her own destiny versus the decree of the mystical cosmos employed through folklore, tradition, and superstition.

This is a story wrapped around a simple scenario: A young widow, trying to make it, a man interested in marrying her, and the tragic circumstances she still experiences emotionally due to the tragic death of her husband. This is quite ok. Yet, when you include all those thematic elements expressed in the first paragraph is when the story takes a completely different tone and shade, and will become more complex.

How does Crooks from the novel Of Mice and Men combat his loneliness?

Steinbeck gives the impression in Chapter 4 that Crooks reads to fight off his loneliness.  In the description of Crooks's room in the barn, Steinbeck writes that

"he had books, too; a tattered dictionary and a mauled copy of the California civil code for 1905.  There were battered magazines and a few dirty books on a special shelf over his bunk" (67).

The condition of the books and magazines--"tattered," "mauled," and "battered" implies that Crooks has mulled over the reading material many times and even has a special place for these possessions when many of his other things are "scattered about the floor."  Also, as Crooks talks to Lennie, he says,

" 'A guy sets alone out here at night, maybe readin' books or thinkin' or stuff like that' " (73).

The reader knows that the reading and "thinkin'" don't satisfy Crooks, but he has no other recourse.  He's not allowed to eat or sleep in the same quarters as the other men, and it seems that only time he gets to communicate with them is when they want to make a bet over him or use him for entertainment.

Of all the characters in the book, Crooks's isolation is the most striking and intense.  Unlike Curley's wife, he has no spouse who even cares where he is or whom he talks to.  Unlike George, he has no one depending on him or listening to him.  Unlike Candy, he has no canine companion.  He cannot even find comfort or companionship with the animals that he tends to, because one of them caused his painful, lasting injury.

How do Brent's parents show the theme of kindness in Whirligig? Support your answer.Give supporting lines about how they are nice and what do they...

Brent's parents love him, but they are very caught up in their own materialistic wants and do not really see who Brent is. While the family eats dinner together, they do it in front of the tv and don't speak much to each other except to comment on the car ads and admire the material items shown on the screen. However, when Brent mentions that he's going to a party, his mother tells him to write down where he'll be so she knows how to reach him. Even though his parents are not very involved in his life (they failed to ask him more about the party, or anything else about his day for that matter), they work hard in order to provide for him materially, which they feel is important. They give him nice clothes and video games and a car. 

After the accident, his mother tries to protect him by hiding the newspaper that has the article about Lea, who Brent has accidentally killed. His parents hire lawyers and psychologists to take care of him, try to protect him legally and mentally, wanting to help him. Brent secretly wants a big punishment, but his parents do everything in their power to help him so that he is not locked away, and he gets probation instead. In their minds, his parents are helping him not get punished too harshly. They also go with him to meet Mrs. Zamora, and when she suggests his journey to put up whirligigs, his parents protest it because they are worried that it will be too dangerous, too hard for Brent to do on his own. Once again, they are trying to protect him. His father also brings his checkbook, willing to pay the Zamoras money if he has to. Brent's parents do everything they know how to do in order to protect him and help him, but they do it with their money and their material possessions, not with emotional support, which is what Brent needs the most. 

Why is the quote below important? What's the significance of it? Also, how does it develop the plot and characters?“I envied her. Her secret was...

Soraya is the young woman Amir and his father met at the Afghan flea market in California; as Amir, she was in the habit of going there with her father to help him trade goods at his stand. Soraya had run away with a man when she was just a young girl and although she had been brought back under the parental roof, she had been "soiled" since she was no longer a virgin.

When Amir begins to take interest in her, she confesses to him her past, something Amir himself has been unable to do. He admires Soraya for her sincerity, recognizing that she is a cut above him in worth. Amir understands that truth is intrisically related to honour, and by choosing to live in transparency (even if it meant being stimatized), Soraya is at least at peace with herself and others.

Amir manages to win Soraya's love and takes her for his wife after a very traditional courtship.

Why is Okonkwo called the "Roaring Flame" in Things Fall Apart?

Everything about Okonkwo communicated fierceness and passion.  He was called "the Roaring Flame", a "flaming fire".  He was a powerful warrior, and "whenever he was angry and could not get his words out quickly enough, he would use his fists".  He was "tall and huge, and his bushy eyebrows and wide nose gave him a very severe look...when he walked, his heels hardly touched the ground and he seemed to walk on springs, as if he was going to pounce on somebody".  Okonkwo was a formidable presence, not a man to be trifled with (Chapters 17 and 1).

Okonkwo established his fiery reputation at a young age when, as a youth, he defeated the greatest wrestler of the tribe.  His extreme virility hid a deep sense of anger and insecurity, however.  Okonkwo was mortally ashamed of his father, who was the complete opposite of him in temperament and somewhat of an embarrassment to the tribe.  Worse yet, Okonkwo's son Nwoye showed the same perceived lack of manliness as his grandfather, and, in the greatest affront to his father of all, had left behind the ways of his ancestors and converted to the Christian faith.  Okonkwo could not understand how a man such as himself, known as the "Roaring Flame", could have given birth to a son so weak, and in his eyes, effeminate.  He concluded that he was cursed because "living fire begets cold, impotent ash", and resolved that if his male grandchildren should decide to follow Nwoye's steps...(and) abandon their ancestors...while praying to the white man's gods...he, Okonkwo, would wipe them off the face of the earth" (Chapter 17).

Can you please explain the quote "Kids think with their brains cracked wide open; becoming an adult, I've decided, is only a slow sewing shut".

Children are eager to learn about anything at least most of them are. Remember they have little past knowledge stores to build on.

I think the education systems including college, tend to blinder the students after a while. An example was given by a noted science and science fiction writer, it may have even been Isaac Asimov, wherein a group of professionals were tring to decide how best to solve some involved equation. The son of one of them came in who was only in college a year or two, took a look at it and produced the solution immediately.

A few years later as a test after he had graduated his dad asked him to solve the same equations again and he was as stumped as the original group.

I think that as you go on and get involved in your discipline, unless you always keep an open mind, and taking any doctrines as maybe's not as facts you can stay open. But it is obvious from the infighting in the scientific community against any new ideas that most of the "scientists" are as closed minded as say religious fanatics.  They always want to follow the "party line" even after it has been proven to be false.

I know of such a case in the psychiatric community where a very few vocal minorities are attempting to get the new DSM-V written to reflect their erroneous ( in the minds of most of the others) views.

The structure of N. Scott Momaday's The Way to Rainy Mountain is unique.Discuss your feelings about the structure — what you liked about it and...

Your question is subjective, since it calls for your own feelings, but it might be helpful for you to begin by reviewing the structure of the story. First of all, Momaday's piece is a nonfiction narrative written in first person; he is recounting his personal journey when he returned to his grandmother's home after her death, the place where he grew up.

During the course of his narrative, he includes many passages of exposition. He takes several "time-outs" from the story of going home to tell the reader of his grandmother's life and the history of the Kiowa people. (Part of the Kiowa history he recounts is a Kiowa legend about the formation of the Big Dipper.)

Momaday's narrative begins with a beautiful description of the land near Rainy Mountain, then his journey is told in chronological order with the episodes of exposition interrupting the order of the story. It ends with his visit to his grandmother's grave. Within his narrative, Momaday succeeds in telling three stories: the story of his own journey, the story of his grandmother's life, and the story of his Kiowa people. 

In chapter 7 why are Ralph's fingernails bitten?

It is ironic that Ralph does not notice that his nails are bitten until he becomes aware of the hopelessness of his and the boys' situation:  When they stop to eat some fruit--which is all they have been surviving upon--Ralph considers their griminess, wishing that he could bathe and wash his clothes.  Glancing at his hands, he sees that his nails have been bitten to the quick.  Probably, Ralph has bitten his nails out of nervousness or preoccupation with other thoughts.

Ralph ponders the remoteness of their being rescued.  He considers whether they might be able to be saved if they move to the other side of the island.  Tense, Ralph grips a rock, arches his back, and opens his mouth.  At this point, he may feel the pressure of Jack's rivaling him for leadership.  For, later in the chapter Jack mocks and challenges Ralph's leadership:  "Bollucks to the rules! We hunt" he says.  This rivalry, of which Ralph feels the strain, is Golding's portrayal of the struggle of brute force (Jack) against society's rule and order (Ralph).

In Farenheit 451 is there a quote and page number that shows that Montag is brave?

Printings and editions vary so a page number won't do you much good unless we are referring to the same book.  Montag's bravery comes in defying what he perceives as wrong in his society and in trying to fix that wrong.  As soon as he begins to question his society and government, he is on the road to bravery, but his first brave act is to seek out Faber in hopes of finding a way to bring down their oppressive world.  In my book, on page 74, Montag says to Faber, "Maybe the books can get us half out of the cave. They just might stop us from making the same damn insane mistakes!" That's a show of bravery because Montag has decided to take the step to bring books back into society.  Later, when Montag is floating down the river toward the unknown, he realizes that the burning has to stop.  On page 141, "One of them had to stop burning." This realization that burning - such as what Montag did to Beatty - wasn't stopping the problem.  It was only changing the shape of the problem. This realization is another step in Montag's enlightenment and in his bravery.  He knows he has to try a new approach and the unknown is always a little frightening and requires some bravery to face.  When the group of book people set off toward the city that has just been destroyed; that too, expresses bravery.  On page 163, Granger says to Montag, "And hold onto one thought: You're not important.  You're not anything."  Again, Montag realizes that his cause is more important than he is and that what he must do now is more important than he is.  To realize that and still go forward requires a great deal of bravery.

Around what era, or year did "The Ransom of Red Chief" by O. Henry take place??

The story itself never states directly what year it was.  So, we have to do a bit of research, and inferring from the text, to try to guess what time period it took place during.  All of the evidence seems to point to the time period of the late 1800's.

If you look up information on O. Henry, his life span was relatively short.  He lived from 1862-1910.  Most of his stories seem to be set in around this time period, so we can probably assume that this one was also.  It was a time period where cars weren't really around too much, as they "drove in a buggy" to go kidnap the little boy.  Also, if you look at the money figures; Bill and the narrator needed only $2600 to set up a "fraudulent town-lot scheme in Western Illinois."  $2600 isn't very much money, but in the late 1800's, it would be quite a bit, and enough to pull off a scam.  Also, in the late 1800's, Illinois was still a pretty unsettled, "Western" frontier town, and so they were headed out to start a fake town, and ask for investors to put money into it.  So, the west wasn't that settled yet, which fits the time period of the late 1800's.

Also, the trio set up camp outside of town; nowadays, that wouldn't be possible as everywhere is settled, or land is owned.  So, the land was still uninhabited and people could find a good place to hide in.

Using all of this evidence to support you, you could probably safely assert that the story occurred sometime in the late 1800's.  I hope that these thoughts helped a bit; good luck!

Give critical analysis of "Poppies in October."quotations

"Poppies in October," is part of a collection of poems that Sylvia Plath wrote in 1962 toward the end of her life, she committed suicide at the age of 30. The writing of this period in the poet's life is dominated by anger, bitterness, hopelessness and violent images.

Even the sun-clouds this morning cannot manage such skirts. 
Nor the woman in the ambulance 
Whose red heart blooms through her coat so astoundingly -- 

A gift, a love gift 
Utterly unasked for 
By a sky 

Palely and flamily 
Igniting its carbon monoxides, by eyes 
Dulled to a halt under bowlers. 

O my God, what am I 
That these late mouths should cry open 

In a forest of frost, in a dawn of cornflowers. 

Considering Plath's depressed state and her thoughts of suicide, this poem flashes with despair, with mention of the ambulance and the messy unmanageable life she lives.  It was likely that the red heart that she refers to is the fact that she was always struggling with emotional pain, and bore a deeply wounded heart for her entire life.  

First when her father died when she was eight and she never felt like she had ever pleased him and struggled with this guilt all her life, then when she married Ted Hughes and he cheated on her with another woman, this plunged her into a deeply desperate state of isolation and rejection feeding into her feelings of inadequacy that were already there, planted by her father.

This poem signifies to me another work that illustrates a male dominated society's disapproval of women like Sylvia, in the early 1960s, who were talented writers or chose to pursue professional careers while wanting to have families at the same time, were ordered back into the kitchen or marginalized and mocked.    

"Plath's relationship with her husband supplied her with material for poems containing similarly violent imagery, where women are discussed as dolls and other objects of men's whimsy." 

The final lines of the poem cries out for recognition from this male dominated society as to what offense the poet is guilty of committing.  Why do they see her as such an abomination? She was, unfortunately, born too soon, had Sylvia Plath been a woman born 50 or so years later, she would have had a much different experience.

In "Brave New World" what do characters close to John learn about themselves as a result of his presence?

Bernard, who, in the first part of the book, fancied himself as completely anti-social, and disgusted with the people and society around him, discoverse that he actually just hated being an outsider, and actually craved the approval of his society and peers.  Before meeting John, Bernard sought out solitude, was bitter about life and his society, and wished that things were different.  However, after he brings John "the Savage" back with him, he is all of a sudden the popular guy, the guy to be seen with, and experiences a spike of adoration and fame.  The novel states,

"Success went fizzily to Bernard's head, and in the process completely reconciled him...to a world which, up till then, he had found very unsatisfactory."

He revels in this acceptance; it reveals that all along, he didn't despise his community, he despised not being accepted by his community, but just passed his ostracized status off as his own personal choice.

Lenina changes in the fact that she discovers what deep, passionate emotion feels like; she experiences the torture of unrequited feelings for someone, to a depth that she had never even been aware of.  Before, life was sunshine and lollipops, a lot of warm-fuzzy fun for her.  But then she falls for John, and she experiences

"a sense of dreadful emptiness, a breathless apprehension, a nausea"

as she awaits signs from John as to whether he likes her or not.  She realizes that she is capable of deepr feelings.  She is rejected by him in a sense, and that throws her world upside down for a bit.  So the shallow and beautiful Lenina discovers that she can in fact feel at a deep level.

Hermholtz only has confirmed what he has suspected all along, and through John, has the courage to more vocally and actively pursue some of his beliefs and thoughts.  With John he is able to take a stand against the society that he has come to question.

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

In The Scarlet Letter, Dimmesdale was the one who committed adultery, but he is seen as a better character than Chillingwoth. In what ways?

Unlike Chillingworth, Arthur Dimmesdale was an introspective person who continually examined the state of his own soul. Betraying his spiritual beliefs and moral principles caused him great shame, grief, and guilt. Dimmesdale came to loathe himself, not only for his initial sin but also for his weakness in not acknowledging it before God and his parishoners. Arthur longed for salvation and blamed no one but himself for his suffering. He bore no malice toward any other human being. He felt a special contempt for his sins because he was a minister, always aware of his spiritual responsibilities to his congregation. 

We can infer that Chillingworth examined his own sins and attempted to atone for them at the end of his life because he left his lands in England to Pearl before he died. However, throughout the novel he sought to salvage his wounded ego as Hester's humiliated husband by revenging himself upon her partner in sin. His revenge was cold, deliberate, and obsessive. He took joy in Dimmesdale's suffering. And unlike Dimmesdale, Chillingworth felt no responsibilities to his vocation; he violated without hesitation the most basic principles of being a physician. He used his skills not to relieve pain, but to inflict it--not to heal, but to destroy. Dimmesdale was morally weak, but Chillingworth was morally corrupt. He chose to violate "the sanctity of the human heart."

In Chapter 9, why does the narrator refuse grits and pork chops at the breakfast counter?

In Chapter 9 the narrator is still trying to establish a new identity that is different from the one he had a southern college student. In New York he is eager to be seen as sophisticated, to fit into a metropolitan society, instead of being categorized immediately as a southern black. The counterman offers him the special of "pork chops, grits, one egg, hot biscuits and coffee" because he believes this combination will "excite" his customer. The narrator is dismayed and asks himself, "Could everyone see I was a southern boy?" Trying to establish that he isn't a "pork chop man," he "coldly" orders what he believes to be a typical New Yorker's breakfast.

As the novel unfolds, the narrator will undergo a number of experiences that will help him to determine his true identity.

After seeing the public celebrating Caesar's triumph, what do Flavius and Marullus do? Why do they respond in this manner?

The two tribunes Flavius and Marullus, are angry and upset with the commoners who have gathered to celebrate Julius Caesar's triumphs and they try to drive them home: "Hence! home, you idle creatures, get you home."

Marullus chides them and reminds them of the time they waited to see Pompey returning in triumph. He angrily rebukes them saying how can they be so fickle and ungrateful and celebrate  Caesar's victory over Pompey:

"And do you now put on your best attire?(50)
And do you now cull out a holiday?
And do you now strew flowers in his way
That comes in triumph over Pompey's blood?
Be gone!
Run to your houses, fall upon your knees,(55)
Pray to the gods to intermit the plague
That needs must light on this ingratitude."

Flavius instructs Marullus to remove all the robes and decorations on the statues which adorn Rome even though it is the feast of Lupercal and asks him to disperse the crowds which have gathered to greet Caesar:

"let no images(70)
Be hung with Caesar's trophies. I'll about,
And drive away the vulgar from the streets;
So do you too, where you perceive them thick."

The reason why he does is this to keep in check the growing popularity and fame of Caesar. The tribunes are frightened that if Caesar becomes too popular and famous then he would become all powerful and rule over every one in a brutal and dictatorial manner:

"These growing feathers pluck'd from Caesar's wing

Will make him fly an ordinary pitch.
Who else would soar above the view of men
And keep us all in servile fearfulness."

How does the meaning of Montresor's name in "The Cask of Amontillado" relate to what "makes" him seek revenge upon Fortunato?

While most studies of irony focus on the ironic meaning of Fortunato's name in "The Cask of Amontillado," the symbolism in Montresor's name is often overlooked.  In the Romance languages, Montresor's name literally means "to show fate."  At the beginning of the story, Montresor states why he desires Fortunato's downfall.  He tells the reader that

"the thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge."

This is the only clue that Montresor offers in regards to his motive in killing Fortunato.  If a family feud truly existed between the two men, it was so long ago that Montresor doesn't mention specifics, or so one-sided that Fortunato does not even recognize the danger that Montresor presents. Montresor seems to be keeping track of Fortunato's supposed insults against him and sees it as his fate to cause Fortunato to meet his fate. 

Montresor is obviously another one of Poe's unreliable narrators, and Poe might have chosen the name to demonstrate that mentally unstable people often view themselves as more important than they are--Montresor must lead another to his fate just like the narrator of "The Black Cat" must destroy anything that bothers him and then "outsmart" the police.

What kind of impression does Sophocles give of Creon as a father, husband, and relative in Antigone?

Sophocles paints Creon as a very stubborn, unyielding, and self-interested father and relative.  When both of his nephews kill each other in battle, he treats only Eteocles as a nephew and gives him proper burial rights.  But he refuses to see Polynices as anything more than a traitor to the state.  He refuses to relate to how the last two of Oedipus’s remaining children, Antigone and Ismene, would feel toward their brothers’ deaths and the refusal of burial rights for Polynices.  When Haemon appears, at first Creon appears to be a loving father and to want what is best for him.  But when Haemon informs him that the people of the state are questioning Creon’s decision and believe Antigone to be innocent, Creon, afraid of losing authority over the state, puts his authority above all else and turns Haemon away, spurring Haemon to take his own life.  Creon’s actions are no better as a husband.  Creon’s stubbornness that kills his son and niece also leads to his wife’s suicide.  Eventually Creon sees that the gods are angry with his decisions and repents, but it’s too late.

Can anyone describe 3 political-party systems of the USA through the Reconstruction era?I would like to find out some information about...

The Federalists were the first political party of the new American state, and came into being over the expressed opposition to parties of many founding fathers. Washington accepted two terms as president hoping to avoid party politics entirely, without success. To a large degree the Federalist, Whig and modern Republican Parties have been actually the same party with changes of name.

The Federalists believed not only in a strong central government but in the rule of a small economic and political elite. In many respects they were more oligarchical than democratic or republican in outlook. The party coalesced around Alexander Hamilton, whom they believed would be highly influential because of his long association with George Washington as a staff officer during the Revolution. Their platform of tight economic control and the doctrine of "implied powers" given by the Constitution to the central government ensured the opposition of the majority of the signatories of that document, including Madison, Jefferson, etc. But as time passed the Federalists became a "state's rights" party and the Democratic-Republicans used the argument of implied powers to legitimise the Louisiana Purchase. Opposition to the War of 1812 spelled the end of the Federalists.

The Whig Party, established 1834, took their name from the anti-royalist party in Britain, who have since become the Conservatives.  The Whigs in America were largely opponents of Andrew Jackson's policies. Henry Clay and Daniel Webster were the best known members. Harrison and Zachary Taylor were the only Whig candidates elected president, Taylor after his victories in Texas during the Mexican-American War. The party line was essentially the same as the Federalists' had been.

The Republican Party began in the 1850s, from remnants of the Whig and Free-Soil Parties and disgruntled Democrats. The Democratic Party, of course, was Jefferson's old Democratic Republicans, and the "new" Republican Party took their name in an attempt to drape themselves with the legitimacy of the older party. They were also called the G.O.P., or "Grand Old Party" to connect their history with that of Hamilton and Adams, etc. The party grew out of the struggles involving the Missouri-Kansas border war and the Kansas-Nebraska crisis, ostensibly about the issue of slavery. The depredations along the borders were actually carried out by bandits using pro- and anti-abolitionist propaganda as a cloak for their activities, but it did make slavery a burning national issue.

Oddly enough, although Abraham Lincoln was the first Republican president he was also the only third-party candidate to be elected president in the US. He ran for reelection on the "New Republic" ticket, with a Democrat (Andrew Johnson) as his running mate. Lincoln had become disenchanted with the Republican Party while president, much like Eisenhower in the 1950s.

How do ribosome and golgi bodies assist each other by working together?

Ribosomes are tiny protein factories within a cell.  Ribosomes are most abundant in protein producing cells, such as those in the brain and pancreas.  Some of the proteins are for use within the cell; these are produced by free-floating ribosomes and by those attached to the rough endoplasmic reticulum (ER).  Some of the proteins produced by ribosomes on the ER will be sent to other cells.  Ribosomes are made up of about 60% RNA and 40% protein. Ribosomes account for about 90% of the RNA within the cell.

Golgi bodies (also called the golgi apparatus or golgi complex) package the proteins produced by ER ribosomes with lipids and surround them with a membrane.  These packets are then ready to be exported from the cell.

How do I explain, with some examples, Sophie's humiliating death as the final statement of pathos to her life in The Chrysalids?I want to show that...

As you say, in literature pathos is a scene or passage that is designed to arouse deep and genuine feelings of pity, sympathy and sorrow in the reader. An explanation of how Sophie's death is the final act of pathos in a pathetic life requires that you establish (1) the deeply sorrowful and pitiful nature of Sophie's death and (2) the earlier events that make hers a lifetime of pathos.

I might suggest that in establishing point (1) you address and dispel the conflicting idea that Sophie's death beside the man she loved was an act of ironic mercy in a life that had known no mercy previously. This argument says that since she could have no hope of a happy life following the destruction wrought by the battle between the Fringe and Waknuk, and since she can never have her dream of bearing children, and since she sees the man she loves lying dead in front of her, and since she had no anticipation of being rescued with the telepaths by the Sealanders, her death was a merciful release from an unkind life.

To establish the pathos of Sophie's death, you must establish the irony of her death at the hands of her enemies after all her heroic deeds to save David and help the telepaths escape (regardless of her private motives). After having proved her worth and value—her humanity—she is shot down by the ones who denied recognition of her humanity because her body did not conform to the Definition of Man: “…and each foot five toes.”

Further, after having proved her ability to transcend perceptions by understanding and loving Spider-Man, her life is ended by the ones who caused Spider-Man’s anger and hatred by their limited perceptions and their fears and inability to love all humanity. With this you must also acknowledge that the Waknuk definition of humanity and rigid restrictions on what constitutes acceptable life, though reprehensible now, had a valid foundation in the immediate aftermath of the holocaust that left unidentifiable mutations outside the borders of Waknuk, as Uncle Axel describes to David.

Then, to establish the pathos in Sophie’s life, you must establish that her life did inspire deep sorrow, pity and sympathy. You can do this by describing what her family felt; that she was not free to socialize with her peers; that she lived in such terror that she was willing to suffer injury to her foot--at a very young age--rather than to expose herself to discovery.

Further, you can describe how David felt after talking to Mrs. Wender in Chapter 1 and describe the nightmares that he had as a result. As the son of the presiding Magistrate responsible for purges of Deviations, David’s reaction carries a great deal of weight because the reader is aware that David knows the true import of having a deviation. Additionally, you can describe Sophie’s misery after being dehumanized further by being deprived of her right to bear children through enforced sterilization at the time of her banishment.

What decisions did Kumalo make in Ezenzeleni?

Ezenzeleni provides Stephen Kumalo a moment to reflect.  The chaos of Johannesburg has confused the unfundisi and without the hopeful environment of Ezenzeleni, Stephen's epiphany would not have occurred.

Msimangu quotes from the Bible during his sermon to the blind: "I the Lord have called thee in righteousness . . . To open the blind eyes to bring out the prisoners from the prison / And them that sit in darkness of the prison house."

Obviously, Msimangu is speaking directly to Stephen.

Now that Kumalo has seen Johannesburg first-hand, he can face its threats in a knowledgeable and therefore more successful manner.  Kumalo was blind, but know he sees why the tribe is being destroyed.

Stephen will return home with insight which will help strengthen his people.

Has the outcome of the battle between Beowulf and Grendel already been decided? Explain.

If I were your teacher and you gave me the following answer I would mark it correctly, because it is an interpretation that strongly connects to the facts, yet, this could not possibly be  a fact-based discourse simply because the story does not present such an opportunity.

I would say that it IS a pre-ordained and expected outcome for a simple reason: This is an epic story where the protagonist is some sort of tragic hero who, in the end, will succum to his weaknesess and, in the way, he will demonstrate how every human being, leader or follower, master or servant, can equally succumb to demons that would have the power to destroy all their good deeds.

The background validity of Beowulf is complex, because this debated piece of literature  was transcribed by early scribes AFTER it was transmitted orally through folkloric means. Its epic nature entails that it will be a story where many things may, did AND would have taken place but we can only assume they did depending on how strongly we choose to accept the information.

The characters in Beowulf, at least most of them, were also mentioned in other epic stories, which leads us to believe that Beowulf is a generalized, yet patriotic attempt to bring a nation together in times of war with Saxons in Scandinavia. (I.E, these were very rough times, and the Scandinavians needed to reaffirm their status as citizens and soldiers).However, bringing Beowulf as an antihero or as a tragic hero leave us to wonder exactly why the Danes chose to portray their own story in such a dramatic way. It is not a unique case: The Spanish did the same with countless chivalry novels in the late Spanish medieval literature and early Spanish Renaissance. So we might see a literary trend that may lead us back to the scribes who may have added (or not) elements of modern guilt-ridden religious nature to the former "super" heroes of ancient lore.

One thing is for sure: The outcome of Beowulf and the pre-ordained tragedies that would surely define him as a character are part of the richness of this epic novel, and are ultimately what connects a reader from any generation to it, making it universal, enduring and maybe even a bit magical.

Could I please have a critical appreciation of "Aunt Jennifer's Tigers?"

Adrienne Rich’s poem “Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers” is a poem of conflict.  The conflict is what takes place within Aunt Jennifer; the desire to break away from the society in which she lives.   The poem is compelling because of the struggle between what Jennifer wishes her life to be and what it really is.  The narrator engages the reader with the description: “tigers prance across a screen,”   and sets this image against the image of Aunt Jennifer’s fingers with “the massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band.”

This is a direct correlation between rebellion and repression, between the individual and the social, between the personal and the political.  This is also the beginning of Rich’s life- long theme of feminism.  This poem cries out for a resolution; for Aunt Jennifer to throw off the repression of social and political chains which held women in their homes and tied to husbands they no longer wished to serve.

“Aunt Jennifer's Tigers,” which appeared in Rich's first collection of poems, is typical of her early work, illustrating the modest poetic ambitions for which she was praised by Auden."

"Aunt Jennifer's tigers prance across a screen,

Bright topaz denizens of a world of green.

They do not fear the men beneath the tree;

They pace in sleek chivalric certainty.

Aunt Jennifer's fingers fluttering through her wool

Find even the ivory needle hard to pull.

The massive weight of Uncle's wedding band

Sits heavily upon Aunt Jennifer's hand.

When Aunt is dead, her terrified hands will lie

Still ringed with ordeals she was mastered by.

The tigers in the panel that she made

Will go on prancing, proud and unafraid."

Why do you think Montag vomits?Why does Montag want to skip work?

Montag has begun to realize what their society has become.  Clarisse started him thinking when she asked him if he was happy.  Then when he witnessed the woman who burned herself with her books rather than give up her books, the realization of what he and everyone else has allowed their world to become sickens Montag.  He is shaken to the core by this new knowledge and this is what makes him vomit and this is what makes him decide to stay home from work.  Beatty has picked up on this feeling from Montag and that's why he comes to visit Montag at Montag's house.  Montag knows that he has been part of the problem by simply being a fireman and burning books.  Mildred is also part of the problem with her love of her TV and her TV "family" as well as her empty-headed friends.  When Montag witnesses the woman who would rather die a horrible death than live in the society in which Montag, Mildred, and all the others live, he sees how empty and awful their society is.

Discuss the illusions and truths related to Amanda, Tom and even Jim through Tom's saying at the beginning of the play. How do they convey the...

Amanda is an abandoned wife, that is the truth.  She talks about her youth in Blue Mountain when she had 17 gentleman callers in one day, that I think is illusion.  The fact that she married Mr. Wingfield, who she says was a charmer, instead of one of the other suitors she claims to have had leads the reader to believe that maybe there were not as many callers as she likes to remember she had.  Her illusion, her inflated memory of her youth helps her deal with her present, which is dim and lacks hope of any kind for herself, Tom or Laura.

Tom is an angry young man who feels trapped by his responsibility to his family.  He both resents and admires his father for escaping the incessant nagging of his mother, but feels abandoned just the same.  

Tom's illusion comes in the form of his belief that he could actually find peace and a happy life if he just walked away from his nagging, overbearing mother.  Even though he walks out on them at the end of the play, he is never rid of them, the illusion that he thought would rescue him has only created a spectre of his suffering sister ever present in his mind and heart.  

He lives a life consumed by guilt and shame, he cannot go back to see his mother and sister because of his mistaken belief in the illusive behavior that his father modeled and he imitated. 

Tom pretends to be a part of his family when in fact he loathes his mother and I think cares very little for his sister in any genuine way.  If he cared for Laura with sincerity, he would have given more respect to his mother's request for him to bring home a gentleman caller for Laura, instead, he mocked the request put no effort into finding out anything about the man he invited to dinner and then made excuses when he found out from his mother that the man was engaged to be married.

Everything with Tom is an illusion, he pretends to work at the warehouse, when his mind is miles away longing to be a poet. The only honest and truthful thing he does is leave at the end of the play, instead of complaining about leaving, he really does it.

For me the most genuine person in the play is Laura, even though she lives through the glass menagerie that fills her world, she is what she is, she does not suffer, she is content with her life, it is her mother who fears for her.  

Jim, the only link that the Wingfield family has with reality, brings a fresh realistic approach to the apartment when he comes over for dinner.  He is a well grounded individual who accepts a dinner invitation without ever knowing that he is intended to be introduced to Tom's sister.  Jim is innocent, Tom only uses him to get his mother off his back, to get her to stop nagging him, so he can leave the family, so he can become like his fathernd walk out the door and desert his family.  

What does this story tell about assumptions concerning husbands and wives?

There is an assumption that the institution of marriage brings with it love and devotion, and that these bonds are enough to fulfil women. However, Louise discovered that her love for freedom was greater than that which she held for her husband -

'And yet she had loved him--sometimes. Often she had not. What did it matter! What could love, the unsolved mystery, count for in the face of this possession of self-assertion which she suddenly recognized as the strongest impulse of her being!' (Chopin) 

Louise feels compelled to hide her joy with the mask of grief. The irony of her death -brought upon by the 'shock' of her husband being found alive - is deep. Her passing is attributed to 'the joy that kills' but it is not the joy of reunion, it is the unassailable pressure of emotional constriction which stops her heart.

Characters are tested in the conflict in Salem. What do we learn about the kind of people they are?

What the reader learns from the conflict that occurs in Salem is that there are two kinds of people who live in the village, those who have a true belief in morality, ethics and are real Christians, and those who pretend to be honest, moral Christians, but are really phony, vengeful, angry people who feel hatred toward their neighbors.  Certain members of the community are not living according to the Puritan belief system, they are not real Christians in their hearts

For example, the truth about John Proctor, Elizabeth Proctor emerge, regarding John's affair and Elizabeth's sense of duty to her husband and her marriage.  The conflicts reveal the character of Abigail Williams to be a disturbed, unstable young woman who does not adhere to the Puritan faith or its principles, she has an adulterous affair with a married man, a serious sin for a young woman to commit.

Rebecca Nurse emerges as a true Christian woman, one who chooses to die for her principles, her faith, rather than participate in the evil doings that are going on in the town.  And, because of the vendetta of Ann Putnam, Rebecca's accuser, who is revealed to be a pathetic, angry woman needing to blame someone for the loss of her infant children, these two women are in direct contrast to each other.

Reverend Hale and Reverend Parris, both men of God, one comes to realize that he should be working to save people, Hale, while the other, Parris, is more concerned with saving himself.  Reverend Parris is a man more concerned with his material wealth, rather than the welfare of his congregation. Reverend Hale, also consumed, at first, with the power that he has tapped into as an authority on witchcraft, learns a lesson about what he should be doing as a servant of God, saving people from the evil nature of man.

Overall, the reader learns that the Puritan community was struggling with the same concerns that any other group of people encounter, regardless of their severe form of religion.  They had wayward children, teenagers who disobeyed their parents, scandal, gossip, and all the negative aspects of what it means to be human in any time period in history.

How are radio waves used to create radar maps?How does reflectivity help meteorologists figure out the weather shown on radar maps?

Reflectivity of an object helps indicate the amount of water that a cloud may carry.

The stronger the reflected signal from the radar signal sent out, the easier the meteorologist will be able to tell what to expect. These signals have been calibrated against actual visual and location readings for the amount of rain falling and cloud water content.

The computer is very good at allowing colors to be assigned to values generated by the returning radar signal. Thus the computer generates a visual image according to the reflectivity of the amount of water in colors on a map.

This in turn is interpreted by the meteorologist from past experience as what to expect in the future.

Towards the climax of The Tempest, why does Prospero forgive all?

Great question. My initial response was that he shouldn't have. That it was hard to believe he could forgive his brothers for shipping him and his daughter off to an island so they could usurp his power. But upon reaching the island he soon reigns as master over all who are there. So, in this sense, he never really gives up his identity as a ruler. Further, he is successful in achieving the best kind of revenge. Instead of just inflicting pain and misery on those who have wronged them, he makes them (Ferdinand's father) come to really realize that what they've done is wrong. And Prospero does inflict some pay-back on his brothers, for sure. But he never lets on that he has really deep-seated anger or resentment. Before his brothers arrive on the island, it seems like Prospero and Miranda are already living in a kind of dream world utopia where his magical powers enable him to rule. I think Prospero also has an epiphany that relates to the boundaries or limitations of power as they relate to the master/servant relationship. He has the ability to totally abuse his dominion over Caliban, Ariel, and all of his brothers who accidentally end up on the island. In a sense, he's like God and everyone is in the palm of his hand. But he has the sense to know that he must not abuse his power. What it seems like he really wants is for his daughter to be happy and to be at peace with others and to be a good ruler back home in Milan.

In a character analysis of the boy of "Araby," what is a good thesis statement with three points?

First consider the adolescent mind confined to a blind alley, the North Richmond Street, a mind which is nostalgic and imaginative, and searching for something adorable and liberating.

Secondly, you should comment upon the boy's 'confused adoration' for Mangan's sister, the brown-clad image of the girl symbolising the holy chalice to be protected from the vulgarities of the mundane market-dominated  hard realities of life.

Thirdly, comment on how the passion for the girl converts to a passion and excitement for the exotic as suggested by Araby, and how the boy's journey to Araby gets aborted with the adolescent dream shattered.

You can prepare your write-up on the following motif:

ADOLESCENCE--TRANSITION--ADULTHOOD.

REALITY--LIMITS OF IMAGINATION--BACK TO THE REAL.

What is the internal conflict Santiago experiences?

The Old Man says, "A man can be destroyed but not defeated."

Santiago decides to take a great risk to prove to himself that he still possesses the skill of a great fisherman after not having caught a fish for eighty four days.  Once he meets a much more powerful opponent, the marlin, he questions his ability to conquer this noble and beautiful fish. He is old. He is tired. He is in pain. He is weak. Many self doubts creep up.

This is when Santiago draws on his inner resources for strength and hope: he thinks about his hero, DiMaggio, who played great despite the agonizing pain of a bone spur; he remembers his youth glory days when he won an arm wrestling match and earned the title of El Champion; he dreams of the young lions on the beech, wishing to regain the strength and vitality of his youth; he even prays. 

What does Santiago mean by saying a man can be destroyed but not defeated? He is talking about something human beings possess that makes us, hopefully, rise above the animal world--the indestructible  human spirit, courage, and determination.  After a super-human battle with the marlin, Santiago still has to fight off the despicable sharks that relentlessly try to destroy the results of his hard labor.  Though he realizes that his efforts are futile, and they keep coming all night, Santiago continues to spear, stab, club and mercilessly kill them.  He refuses to admit defeat.

Another inner conflict is Santiago's guilt for destroying the noble and powerful marlin.  While Santiago did need to fish in order to live, he admits that he went too far into the marlin's territory, and, in essence, tricked him.  He refers to the fish as his brother and shows great respect for his beauty and innocence.  The fact that the sharks destroy the meat and have him return to shore with no more than a skeleton, makes Santiago feel very remorseful for going out too far just to soothe his own wounded ego.  He destroyed a noble creature only for pride. What a waste. 

What insights about the Puritans do you gain from reading The Crucible?What insights about the Puritans do you gain from reading the Crucible-...

A few statements about Puritan society are revealed through Miller's play that might not be present in a History textbook.  One such idea is the inherent danger in any society that embraces only one notion of the good.  Miller examines the Salem Witchcraft Trials as a failure of society's responsibility to assert the right of fairness to the individual.  He is able to make this claim because of the Puritans highly dogmatic view of religion and its pervasive effect in all aspects of society.  In the Puritanical sense of the world, the ability to be pure and aligned with God's wishes is the singular notion of the good that governs this social setting.  This means that individuals must be act in accordance to their hierarchical institutions, and in the Puritan's case, the church.  Individuals who were deemed as "unholy" or "inferior" by ordained members of the church were subjected to excommunication, ostracizing, and, in the case of Salem, death.  Miller makes the critical point that when social orders are governed by singular notions of the good without any sort of safeguard for protection, the rights and liberties of all persons are placed in perilous danger.

Another point Miller makes about Puritanical society that might not be readily stated in a textbook is the danger of individuals who profess to be "pure", yet operate with ulterior motives.  When Reverend Parris acts in the interests of the social order, he does so with the attempt to consolidate his own power.  When Abigail comes forth with her accusations, she covets John Proctor, and has little, if any, interests in the social notion of the good.  There is a danger present in any social order when individuals who advocate the notion of purity and singularity actually seek to advance ulterior or self serving agendas.  This is not to indict the Puritan notion of spirituality, yet it does shed light on the idea such an idea could be easily manipulated for individualized agendas.

Please discuss how Lord of the Flies represent, or mirror, reality?

In short, literature is the recording of human experience.  So, ipso facto, it must reflect, or mirror life. (This is the cliche of "art imitating life.")

In his novel, "The Lord of the Flies," Golding writes an allegory in which the characters represent "types."  His island on which the boys land is a type of Eden, but because its inhabitants have been exposed to "civilization," they are not as pristine as Adam and Eve.  Instead, the boys represent two types; the "Apollian" and the "Dionysian" in a somewhat mythologial story.

Nonetheless, there real applications to "Lord of the Flies" and it characters.  The "Apollo," Ralph, represents the law-abiding citizen who realizes the need for order in a society, while the "Dionysius" is represented by Jack, who satiates his carnal desires and baser nature.  Thus, the society of the novel is a bipolar one in which the more humane side is in conflict with the baser, more savage nature of man.  Without the restraints of a civilized society, the Rogers, who are only controlled by rules and laws, give reign to their savage nature, and dominate and ultimately destroy the others.

In the present-day world, there are examples of what happens when the restraints of an orderly society are removed. As Golding writes of Roger:

[His] arm was conditioned by a civilation that knew nothing of him and was in ruins.  [On the island he] is liberated from shame and self-consciousness.

With the acceptance of violence in movies and other media, many are now "liberated from shame and self-consciousness," and commit acts that are of a savage, not civilized, nature.  Certainly, the deterioration of societies today is mirrored in the novel, "Lord of the Flies."

Paragraph : How is the theme of loneliness developed in this chapter? (Think about the characters: Lennie, Crooks, Candy and Curley's wife).Use...

Loneliness is certainly one of the key themes of this novel. George introduces this theme early in the novel when he tells Lennie that their job as ranch hands is one of the loneliest jobs there is.

Lennie- no one really understands him

Crooks- Being the only black man on the ranch, has made Crooks have a hard personailty. He has no friends, or anyone to talk to. The owner forces him to work with the animals instead of people. He doesn't want to be friends with Lennie because he thinks he will get hurt in the process.

Candy- After his dog dies, Candy grives and wants his dog back. His dog was his only friend. Plus, unlike the other men, his dog cared for him.

Curley's wife- She just wants attention. The guys call her a 'slut' because she isn't loved. If Curley loved her the right way, she wouldn't bother the men. Curley's wife is the only women on the ranch, and isn't treated right. This makes her act like a slut, because she just wants someone to talk to.

I have an essay to do and I need some ideas on the following question:What makes the boy and his father so powerful and poignant? What do they feel...

I would think that the best way to answer this question is to examine the dynamic and connection between both father and son.  In a world where all signs of life have been eradicated, I would pay attention to the moments where McCarthy illuminates their relationship.  Obviously, a level where this connection is enhanced is how the boy learns what his father models. His resourcefulness and usefulness in the face of overwhelmingly negative odds helps to forge the relationship between them.  It seems as if the boy looks at his father with even more reverence for the protection and stewardship he gives to both of them in the face of such a trying condition.  This predicament, devoid of anything good, creates a haven in a heartless world in the relationship between both father and son.  Consider the trying nature being presented.  All of civilization has been obliterated,  the father is sick, his wife is no longer with them, with the dual difficulties in the struggle for survival and protection are all situations where the bond between them are enhanced.  I would pay attention to how McCarthy describes these situations, and in particular, the relationship between them.  McCarthy felt that his own son was an inspiration for the boy in the novel.  I think that in paying attention to the descriptions of the moments when the father's responsibility to his son transcended the conditions of struggle and difficulty, one can see how the relationship between father and son is so strong and poignant.

Please analyze the third stanza of "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" and show the figures of speech used?

William Wordsworth's "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" is so rich in language that it would not be possible to go over all of the elements in the poem within the space limits here. But I will surmise a few things about stanza three here.

          The waves beside them danced; but they
          Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
          A poet could not but be gay,
          In such a jocund company:
          I gazed--and gazed--but little thought
          What wealth the show to me had brought.

Iambic tetrameter can warrant an entire hour of discussion. It reveals a simple image, a simplistic understanding, of which something is sudden, and an epiphony. Alliteration of g (glee, gay, gazed, gazed) obviously serves a purpose for a hard consonant sound.

By the end of the third stanza, it appears that the something (remembering) that is happening to the narrator is economic from the word "wealth," as if he is making a deposit in the bank of his memory. And he is going to derive interest, the rewards, from an investment after the initial experience is over.

"Sparkling" continues a pattern of "twinkling" and of glistening like a flash. What does "show" do to the poem? It is a performance that he is watching and the daffodils are performing that show.

"A poet could not but be gay" is not stated as "I felt happy" or "I felt gay." He identifies himself as a third-person poet, not with I (not likely to be everyone) with an understatement --a negation of fact, not "a poet was gay" or "I was gay."

This doubt could lead to him not being gay or happy because it is sated in a negative way. But with repetition of motifs such as the four elements: air, earth, water (waves in this stanza), and fire.

"Danced" is repeated in all four stanzas. A past tense of stanza two is mirrored to stanza four. The reposition of being together, and in this stanza the word company, brings him together with nature, with the experience,a bonding if you will that can never be separated.

The richness of this poem is vastly understated. It provides for an abundance of investigations in language.

In chapter 4 of Great Expectations, why does Pip feel apprehensive and miserable?

Chapter 4, describes the Christmas lunch to which Mrs. Joe has invited all her friends.  Obviously, Mrs. Joe had been making elaborate preparations for this grand occasion for a very long time. At the end of Ch. 2 when Pip raids the pantry we read of that the pantry was "far more abundantly supplied than usual" because it was Christmas season. One choice item which Pip stole and gave to Magwitch was the pork pie. So throughout the Christmas lunch in Ch.4 Pip feels guilty that he has stolen from his own sister's house and given the food to a convict and worse he his scared of the terrible consequence once he is exposed.  To make matters worse throughout the lunch Mrs.Joe and her friends constantly harass and bully poor Pip and give him only scanty bits to eat, and hence he feels guilty, frightened and miserable throughout the Christmas lunch and he compares himself aptly to "an unfortunate little bull in a Spanish arena."

Why was it a pity that Bilbo didn't kill Gollum? How does Gandalf reply to this statement and what does Frodo learn from Gandalf's comments?

Though Frodo meant this in a negative sense, Gandalf spins his comment to a higher, more literal level. Pity was what stayed Bilbo's hand, a deeper sense of morality. Frodo believes that much evil could have been prevented by killing Gollum, yet Gandalf views  Gollum's death as the loss of opportunity to do good (as the end of the novel proves).

When Frodo says that Gollum deserves death, Gandalf replies, "Deserves death? Many that live deserve death, and many who die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too quick to deal out death in punishment, for even the very wise cannot see all ends."

Perhaps on a deeper level, Tolkien is making a statement about capital punishment, but in this particular case, he is speaking more about a transcendent Cause in the realm of Middle Earth. As a staunch Roman Catholic, Tolkien had a deep belief in Grace, in which God works in human life beyond what humans are capable of themselves. Premature death, like Frodo's wish for Gollum, does not give way to Grace, to what God (or Iluvatar, as Tolkien names God in "The Silmarillion") can do through an individual life. Bilbo's show of pity by not killing Gollum connected to this higher purpose, this grace.

This answers the question of why Tolkien chose to destroy the Ring in the manner in which he did. It was not by Frodo's effort, though his effort got him to the point where Grace could take over. This is Tolkien's point: that human action can take one only so far. If Frodo had intentionally destroyed the Ring after all, it would have left no room for Grace.

And this is what Gandalf meant by his reply to Frodo's regret that Bilbo did not kill Gollum. Without Gollum, the Ring would not have been destroyed but would have been taken by Frodo, creating a new Dark Lord. Grace stepped in in the unlikely form of Gollum and prevented this from happening.

From this Frodo learns that human (or hobbit) effort is valuable, but not indispensible. There are more forces at work in Middle Earth than just what is seen. As Bilbo was "meant" to find the Ring, so Bilbo was "meant" to let Gollum live. Gandalf's message is that, in order to destroy evil, the forces of good will need to show a "passive activity," in which they step back and look at the larger picture. There is a limit to what the inhabitants of Middle Earth can do, but still they must do what they can. As Elrond says, "The road must be trod, but it will be very hard. And neither strength nor wisdom will carry us far upon it. This quest may be attempted by the weak with as much hope as the strong. Yet such is oft the course of deeds that move the wheels of the world; small hands do them because they must, while the eyes of the great are elsewhere."

What do George and Lennie think of Curley's wife in Of Mice and Men?

In Of Mice and Men, George and Lennie have completely different reactions to Curley's wife. While George calls her a "tramp," Lennie's says, "She's purty." George immediately senses the danger Curley's wife presents and commands Lennie to stay away from her. He is vehement with this telling Lennie, "Don't you even look at that bitch ... I never seen no piece of jail bait worse than her."

Lennie, despite his instant attraction to her (George says, "[W]hen she was standin' in the doorway showin' her legs, you wasn't lookin' the other way, neither."], also recognizes the danger of the situation and begs George to leave the ranch saying, "It's mean here." 

In fact, Curley's wife leads to all of the trouble Lennie has on the ranch. It's her fault Curley enters the bunkhouse when Lennie crushes the small man's hand. And it's her who tells Lennie to feel her soft hair, which eventually leads to Lennie snapping her neck on accident.

Why do you always give use so much homework to do?Somtimes we can't do that much homework in one day.

I understand your frustration.  Homework is given to assess whether or not the students in the class understand the concepts introduced.  In some cases, for instance, math class, this can be shown by doing the odd problems 1-20 (ten problems) rather than all 20 problems.

It's a little harder to assess writing in English without having you do the writing.  Perhaps you could write just the introduction or just the conclusion or just the outline of the paper to show your organization skills and thought process.

Much of what I find as a teacher is not that too much homework is given, but that students do not always use their time wisely while at school.  Especially younger students, whose maturity level has not yet met with their physical and intellectual capabilities.  If this is not true for you...if you feel you are organized and use your time wisely at school (balancing both the social and academic aspects) then perhaps you should discuss the issue with your teachers?  It might be that they do not know other teachers are assigning so much work or that there is a test scheduled in two classes on the same day.  It doesn't hurt to ask!

Don't give up!  Get organized, take good notes, form study groups, and get help when you need it before you find you're struggling to keep up.  You will do fine, and I think you'll find that most teachers are willing to work with you if you approach them in a sensible, non-accusatory, mature manner.

Good Luck!

How important was fate in the everyday lives of the Romans?

The concept of 'Fate', the idea that ones' life experiences are beyond their control, was held with great respect to the ancient Romans. At the founding of Rome the 'numina', a formless divine manifestation found in all nature was anthropomophized from the influence of the ancient Greek and Etruscan peoples. Known as the 'Di Consentes' the ancient Roman pantheon consisted of 12 Gods, each possessing the power to influence the life of a Roman. Romans naturally paid homage and sacrifice to these deities in return for their favor regarding a Romans life experience. For example, if a Roman soldier was boarding a ship he would give an offering to Neptune (Posiden in Greek mythology) God of the sea for a safe journey. Every aspect of a ancient Romans' life was governed by fate, fertility, childbirth, sickness, weddings, economic ventures, etc. Whatever experience they had the ancient Romans' believed that fate was responsible for it.

How does Shakespeare target his Elizabethan audience with Act IV in "Hamlet"? I need to find a speech to show 3 ways that Shakespeare targets his...

A prevailing motif of Act IV of "Hamlet" is Hamlet's mockery of  hypocrisy.  In light of the fact that his father John had once been very popular with civic positions of favor, and then fell out of favor, Shakespeare could be targeting his Elizabethan audience in this respect.

For instance, in speaking with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in Scene II, Hamlet caustically mocks their hypocrisy to him as well as their sycophancy to King Claudius:

But such officers do the king best service in the end.  He keeps them like an apple in the corner of his jaw, first mouthed to be last swallowed.  When he needs what you have gleaned, it is but squeezing you and, sponge, you shall be dry again. *IV,ii,13-18)

Shakespeare's disgust for the political manipulations of the time that allow so many men to die without justification are evident in Scene IV:

Witness this army of such mass and charge,/Led by a delicate and tender prince,/Whose spirit with divine ambitions puffed,/Makes mouths at the invisible event,/Exposing what is mortal and unsure/To all that fortune, death, and danger dare,/Even for an eggshell.... (IV, iii, 47-53)

Throughout this act, the political manipulations of Claudius are evident.  Perhaps, here, too, Shakespeare offers a criticism of hypocrisy as Claudius manipulates situations in order to get Hamlet to England and be rid of him.  Knowing the truth, Hamlet yet writes Claudius:

'High and mighty, you shall know that I am set naked on your kingdom. To-morrow shall I beg leave to see your kingly eyes, when I shall, first asking your pardon, thereunto recount the occasion of my sudden and more strange return. (IV,vii,42-45)

In Scene VII, he certainly manipulates Laertes in order to steel him in his resolve to avenge himself against Hamlet.

Who is the protagonist in To Kill a Mockingbird?

The protagonist is a character, usually a main character, who changes or learns a lesson as a result of the events of the story. The protagonist also must resolve the main conflict of the story.

Jean Louise Finch, also known as Scout, is the protagonist of the story.  She is also the narrator of the story and so the reader understands all of the characters and events through Scout's point of view. This means if she likes a character, we would mostly see the positive traits in that character. Likewise, if she fears or dislikes a character such as Boo Radley or Mrs. Dubose in the beginning chapters, then we see mostly the negative traits of this character.

When a story is told from the first person (using "I"), then it is a good indication that the narrator is the protagonist. This is because we are experiencing how an important character in the story experienced the events and changed because of them, a key trait of a protagonist. The story is also a story of maturity as Scout grows in age throughout the novel.  This is known as a "coming of age" story. It is narrated by Scout as a child (through flashbacks) and occasionally from Scout as an adult.  The adult Scout fills in information that Scout learns to help us understand the events.  As an adult narrator, Scout gives us information that the young Scout simply could not express to the readers because she is a child.

Scout must resolve several internal conflicts of morality presented in the story. Scout struggles with the conflict of seeing her town's prejudice and the injustice in the Tom Robinson trial because an innocent man is convicted for a crime he did not commit.  Her father, Atticus Finch, wants her to learn to make her own decisions instead of relying on the gossip she hears from adults in the town. She learns the lesson that someone should not be judged until you see their actions through their perspective.  Scout does this and eventually changes her opinions about several people in the town including Tom Robinson, Walter Cunningham, Mrs. Dubose, and Boo Radley. Most importantly, Scout recognizes that Boo Radley, her neighbor, is NOT an evil man as the town believes.  She comes to realize that he is a lonely man who wants friends.

Finally, the events in the story are based on Harper Lee's own childhood and a similar trial to the Tom Robinson trial known as the Scottsboro Trial.  I have included a link to a website that explains the Scottsboro trial and includes actual documents relating to the trial.

Explain the process of researching and writing a research essay, succinctly yet thoroughly, to an imaginary person who has never written one...

A good research paper begins with the actual research on the topic. We need to, in effect, become "experts" on our topic and review the various ideas, opinions, facts, etc. that are relevant and appropriate. As we are reading the research we find, we are also taking notes and documenting the important ideas we find. These notes become the prewriting for our own piece of writing.

Our research paper, then, is our synthesis of all that we have read, distilling everything down and eliminating the extraneous into a new piece of writing that credits the ideas and words of others who have informed our opinions.

Intermixed without own ideas are the ideas and words of others. Whether we choose to summarize, paraphrase, or quote directly those ideas, we need to create proper citations and references to document to attribute that work properly.

In Hope Was Here, are their any characters in the story whose names represent or symbolize their lives or attitudes?

The author of the book has made many of her characters' names correspond to their lives or attitudes.  Braverman, who is called only by his last, is a case in point.  Braverman comes from a poor family and has had few opportunities in life.  Still, he faces each day bravely, working tirelessly to support himself and save money to go to college, fighting to prevent the town's corrupt mayor from winning reelection, and standing up to thugs who physically attack him with an unfair advantage of numbers.

G.T. Stoop's name is Gabriel Thomas.  Considered Biblically, his first name, Gabriel, might be a reference to the angel Gabriel, who brought a message of hope to the world through Mary, the mother of Jesus.  Thomas is the name of the disciple of Jesus who doubted the veracity of the risen Christ.  G.T. is a man who has obviously examined his faith and made his life a living testament to his beliefs.  His faith is not just a religion to which he gives lip service; it is rather a lifestyle, guided by principles of kindness and integrity.  G.T. overcomes adversity and doubt by making the most of every day.  At his death, it can truly be said that hope triumphed in his life, and that he lived each day "to the fullest measure" (Chapter 21).

Hope Yancey's name, chosen by herself, is indicative of her philosophy of life.  Despite having been abandoned by both her parents and being forced to leave the home she loves, Hope forges on, refusing to let go of the belief that better things lie ahead.  Hope thinks "hope is just about the best thing a person can have", and knows that it is a name that will be hard to live up to.  As she says,

"People expect things from Hopes that they don't expect from Pattys and Lisas and Danielles.  People expect Hopes to be cheerful and positive".

Hope considers carefully the significance of her name before she commits herself to it, and, feeling up to meeting the expectation it implies, finally makes it official (Chapter 1).

Other character names which represent something about the characters themselves include Addie, Mayor Eli Millstone, Miss Pittypat, and Mr. Sage.  Mr. Sage is a teacher, and as such is supposed to be wise; Miss Pittypat is a dance teacher, her name a marvelous example of onomotopeia, the sound of it suggesting the noise of her trade.  Mayor Eli Millstone brings to mind the Biblical idea of being thrown into the water with a millstone around one's neck, his corruption potentially leading to destruction, and Addie, with her eternally optimistic outlook, cannot help but be a positive addition in any situation.

What aspects of ancient Greece can be found in the United States?

Many important principles of American government can be traced as far back as 2500 years ago, originating in the civilizations of the ancient Mediterranean civilizations of Greece and Rome. To answer your question I will respond to the Greek influence. The word democracy is derived from the Greek word demos meaning the people and kratos meaning rule. Translated  is defined as a system of government where by political power rests with the people. Having said that it must be understood that this political philosophy had nothing to do with equality.

The idea of democracy began in Athens as an 'oligarchy' where a few people held political power for the majority. In ancient Greece the oligarchy was made up of a council of the wealthiest male citizens. Women were not considered citizens, therefore were not permitted to participate in the political process. However, the demos-kratos that developed in Athens did plant the seeds of the democracy we understand today in the United States.

In chapter 4, what does the hanging of the child who looks like a sad angel symbolize for Eliezer?

The hanging of the child represents the ultimate statement regarding the absence of God.  Even for those who are in the camp, have seen death with an almost regular occurrence, and have seen nearly every unspeakable atrocity, the hanging of the child represented a new low.  Wiesel says that the boy was well liked in the camp and to see him executed visibly shook the Jewish people in the camp.  The torture and hanging of the boy, who remained silent throughout, symbolized the death of innocence, the true statement of God's absence.  There was the constant cries of asking where God while observing the boy's death.  The symbolism of the young boy, essentially representing childhood, being summarily executed pleads the question as how a merciful or benevolent God would allow this to happen.  The haunting reality is that either God is absent, or God is "on the gallows."

Give a critical appreciation and brief summary of Browning's "My Last Duchess."

"My Last Duchess" by Robert Browning has only slight design.  The lines follow each other without formal grouping; the only breaks are dictated by units of meaning, much in the manner of paragraphs in prose.  However, there is some pattern as "My Last Duchess" adds regularity of rhyme, for it is written in rhyming pentameter couplets.  These couplets suggest the next step that the duke takes as he descends the stairs in his opulent home.

As he descends the stairs continuing his monologue, the duke directs an emissary to "glance" at the portrait of his late wife.  This emissary is sent by a wealthy man, whose daughter the duke intends to marry.  With aritocratic arrogance, the duke indicates that others have wondered about the "depth and passion of its earnest glance."  No, he tells, the emissary, the look was not inspired by himself, but by the painter, Fra Pandolf--her lover.  For, his wife had

A heart--how shall I say!--too soon made glad,/Too easily impressed; she liked whate'er/She looked on, and her looks went everywhere.....She thanked men--good! but thanked/Somehow--I know not how--as if she ranked/My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name/With anybody's gift. 

Here the implication by duke is that he did not mind that she bestowed her looks and favors on other men, so much that he was insulted that she "smiled" and displayed such lack of respect for his name and social position.  For this, she was punished:

I gave commands;/Then all smiles stopped together.  There she stands/As if alive.  Will 'please you rise?  We'll meet/The company below, then.

After implying that the last duchess departed the world because she insulted the family name and did not obey "the commands" given by him, the duke does not miss an iamb as he nonchalantly dismisses the portrait and brings the emissary back to the business at hand.

As they finish their descent of the stairs, the duke points to a statue of Neptune taming a sea-horse, a treasure that suggests both the duke's wealth and his cruelty as he, too, "tames" his duchesses.

What philosophical perspectives on life are presented in "Beowulf"?

Beowulf also demonstrates an interesting mix of Christian belief with pagan views of the world.  Throughout the text Beowulf and others talk about wyrd which is the Anglo-Saxon view of fate.  They are very aware of their actions and the glory they hope to gain from their choices in the actions they take, but over it all, they see fate as being a dominating force.  It is fate that Beowulf learns of Grendel; it is Hrothgar's fate to accept the help from Beowulf; it is fate that Beowulf dies after a fatal wound from the fire breathing dragon. 

On the other hand, the characters talk about God, and pray for God's good providence in their lives.  These comments seem to be in opposition to the concept of wyrd, but when we consider that the story of Beowulf is a pagan story, but was only passed by oral tradition until it was first written down, in a then Christian culture, it makes sense that the Christian views of God find their way into the story. 

Both of these philosophies of life are presented throughout the text, both before battles, during battles, and after them.  The audience of original story would have understood the idea of wyrd's role in life, and the later Christian audiences understood a blending of fate and God.  Even a modern audience can appreciate these philisophies.

Could someone please describe these characters: Carlson Candy (and his dog) Slim Boss Crooks

Most of Steinbeck's characters in Of Mice and Men represent stereotypes, not just from his time period and the migrant worker arena, but from life in general.

Carlson--He is a big bully.  While Curley is also a bully, he picks on others because he is insecure about his short stature. Carlson is simply cruel and likes to use his prized possession--his Luger--whenever he gets an opportunity to do so.  He lives during a time when few men had personal possessions of any value; so he represents how those possessions gave people power and a sense of pride during such harsh times.

Candy and his dog--Candy is an old ranchhand who was injured on the job.  He has lost his hand and only able to do handyman work around the ranch.  Steinbeck uses Candy to illustrate what happens to a man when he feels useless.  Candy and his dog roam the outskirts of the worker societal structure; they're merely spectators.  Candy's dog is killed simply because he's old, and Candy wishes that someone would put him out of his misery when he's "useless."

Slim--Slim is a quiet leader.  He does not desire attention, but he commands respect because of his discretion, tolerance, and kindness.  He gives Lennie a puppy, offers a puppy to Candy to replace his dead dog, and provides comfort and advice to George.  He is the only "pure" character in the novel.

Boss--The boss remains nameless and aloof throughout the book. Steinbeck chooses to portray him in this manner to show the alienation between the migrant workers and those in authority.

Crooks--Crooks is a black stablehand.  He is completely isolated from the other men and lives in the barn.  Steinbeck demonstrates what loneliness and racism can do to a human's soul.  Crooks has become thoroughly disillusioned with life because of others' treatment of him.

The setting is Soledad, California, on the Tyler Ranch during The Great Depression. The individual chapter settings come full circle by the novel's end.  The first chapter is set near the river, the second and third in the bunkhouse, the 4th and 5th in the barn, and the sixth at the same spot near the river.

What is the setting of Ellen Foster and the tone?

While I can't write a book report for you, I'll be happy to assist you with the setting and tone of Ellen Foster.  Overall, the novel occurs in the South, specifically in North Carolina.  The year is 1971 -- by the end of the novel, when Ellen is living in a foster home and has therefore named herself Ellen "Foster," it is Christmas of 1971.

When Ellen "speaks," or narrates, it is evident that she is a Southern girl with a sarcastic, yet endearing attitude.  She endures many traumatic events and moves (her father's abuse, her mother's death, living with incompetent/uncaring relatives, etcetera), but her distinctively humorous and mature tone helps make her an endearing protagonist.  The opening sentence of Ellen Foster, "When I was little I would think of ways to kill my daddy" (1), is definitely not a humorous sentence, but one that immediately informs the readers that this narrating girl is not here to play.  Later in the novel, when Ellen has to move in with her grandmother, or her "mama's mama," Ellen makes the comment that "[h]er power was the sucking kind that takes your good sense and leaves you limp like a old zombie" (68).  Quotes like this one are where we see more of Ellen's personality as a likeable narrator who makes even unpleasant situations bearable -- and sometimes even humorous.  Later, as her grandmother is dying, Ellen whispers in her grandmother's ear:

It would humble you I whisper to her sleeping if you for one time stood by something stronger than yourself.  (79)

Here, all of Ellen's past humor is gone, and she emerges with an extremely profound statement, especially considering Ellen is only ten years old at this point.  In this scenario and in others (such as in her mother's death, when she remains at her side, even after she stops breathing), we as readers can fully grasp Ellen's astounding maturity.

Ellen Foster is one of those novels that serves as an excellent example of how setting and tone contribute to overall plot.  We can "hear" Ellen's Southern accent when she narrates, which sometimes makes her narration grammatically incorrect (e.g. "[...] a old zombie"), yet Ellen is a brilliant narrator.  We immediately detect, because of the nature of her narration, that Ellen is a very strong-willed character, yet we also realize that determination, for her character, is both a strength and a weakness (she almost matures too quickly and doesn't get to experience what we might call some of the "joys of childhood").  Overall, the Southern, rural setting of this novel, as well as the distinctively humorous and mature tone of this novel, drive the plot.

What does Aunt Alexandra request that Atticus try to convey to the children in "To Kill a Mockingbird"?

It is very important to Alexandra that the children realize that they are Finches, and to be proud of the name.  Alexandra seems to need some sort of validation that her family is respectable and better than some of the folks of Maycomb.  Jem theorizes at one point that the reason it's so important to Alexandra to focus on the family name is because no one in the family has any money.  Alexandra upsets Scout after the trial when she refers to Walter Cunningham's family as "trash" and tells Scout not to play with him. This is in stark contrast to Atticus's general outlook about humanity, which he demonstrates when he tells his children not to judge anyone until they have climbed in the person's shoes and walked around in them.  This noble outlook looks more like naivete in light of Bob Ewell's vicious attack on Scout and Jem, but Atticus does raise his children to be tolerant and compassionate human beings, and unlike his sister, he is not the least bit interested in making them feel superior to others.

In Chapter Nine what is the "separate peace" that Finny has established in A Separate Peace?

One of Finny's most creative undertakings is Devon's Winter Carnival. As Gene pointed out, Devon did not have a Winter Carnival, which did not deter Finny at all in putting one together to break the monotony of the gray New Hampshire winter. After smuggling materials out of their dorm (including some jugs of hard cider), the boys established the site of Finny's most recent adventure in the small park beside the Naguamsett River.

Once the Winter Carnival was underway, the boys lost themselves in fun and games, literally, with some help from the cider. All thoughts of war were banished for the afternoon as they simply enjoyed the freedom of being young and alive. Gene remembered what he felt that afternoon, and his feelings were shared by the others:

It wasn't the cider which made me surpass myself, it was this liberation we had torn from the gray encroachments of 1943, the escape we had concocted, this afternoon of momentary, illusory, special and separate peace.

Finny's Winter Carnival creates for himself and the others an illusion of peace; for a little while, it takes them away from the reality of war, death, and ever-present fear. Very symbolically, it is Leper's disturbing telegram that brings the boys' joy to a sudden, sobering, and unexpected conclusion. They cannot escape reality for very long. 

From the conversation between Hector and Andromache, choose details which show great love between the two. What qualities in each are revealed?

From the conversation between Helen and Hector at Alexandrus' house: "I must go home to see my household, my wife and my little son, for I know not whether I shall ever again return to them, or whether the gods will cause me to fall by the hands of the Achaeans.” We can see that Hector is a family man. He cares for the home life and the lives of his family. He could just as easily have turned around and left the city to return to the battle, but he really wants to see them.

“Dear husband,” said she, “your valour will bring you to destruction; think on your infant son, and on my hapless self who ere long shall be your widow—for the Achaeans will set upon you in a body and kill you. It would be better for me, should I lose you, to lie dead and buried, for I shall have nothing left to comfort me when you are gone, save only sorrow.

Andromache is the first to speak when they meet on the city walls. She is concerned that she will be a widow with no help. Her family is already dead at the hands of Achilles. She would rather die than lose Hector.

Andromache urges Hector to stay near to her even if the battle should come to the city.  He is all she has left in the world.  And, she is concerned about the safety of her baby. She feels safe in Hector's presence.  She is also comfortable enough with Hector to speak her mind rather than be submissive.  Andromache is after all the daughter of a king and a princess in her own right.  Andromache speaks to Hector as an equal not as a "submissive wife".

Nay—Hector—you who to me are father, mother, brother, and dear husband—have mercy upon me; stay here upon this wall; make not your child fatherless, and your wife a widow; as for the host, place them near the fig-tree, where the city can be best scaled, and the wall is weakest.

Hector reveals his worst fears to Andromache and the main reason he continues to go out and fight. He fears that she will be enslaved and made a plaything among the Achaeans. He speaks to Andromache his true feelings and does not hide behind macho bravado. He is truly human in this section of Homer's epic.  We see a man...not a godlike hero. He is afraid for his family, and even a little for himself. He does everything to comfort his wife and prays for his son.

", but I grieve for none of these—not even for Hecuba, nor King Priam, nor for my brothers many and brave who may fall in the dust before their foes—for none of these do I grieve as for yourself when the day shall come on which some one of the Achaeans shall rob you for ever of your freedom, and bear you weeping away...May I lie dead under the barrow that is heaped over my body ere I hear your cry as they carry you into bondage.”

Hector can bear death even the deaths of all of his family easier than he can bear the thought of his wife as a slave to his enemies.

Hector tries to comfort Andromache by telling her that he won't die before his time is up. He tells her to make herself busy doing her normal daily tasks.  Hector explains to her that because he is the son of Priam, it is his duty to go out and fight for the city and for his family.

“My own wife, do not take these things too bitterly to heart. No one can hurry me down to Hades before my time, but if a man's hour is come, be he brave or be he coward, there is no escape for him when he has once been born.

What are the practical applications of the different gas laws, especially related to nursing?at least 3 applications each gas law please

I think of nitrogen narcosis and/or the solubility of gases in the human body using Boyles Law. Pressure is inversly related to volume. As one goes from areas of low pressure to high pressure, gas bubbles in the body will expand or contract accordingly causing, for example, embolisms, membrane expansion or discomfort (ear drums, flatualism, labored breathing etc). Temperature and pressure are directly proportional as related by Charles law. Heated air is less dense and affects oxyen, nitrogen and water content in air. The above discomforts and fixation of the gases in the bronchaiel tubes of the lungs and blood could be unbalanced, as a result.