In "The Crucible" why do Parris and Hale want John to confess to witchcraft?

The answer to this one can be found in the beginning of Act four.  At the beginning of this act, several highly reputable people are set to hang:  Rebecca Nurse, Martha Corey, and John Proctor.  These are people that the townsfolk respect and look up to, who were well-liked and had influence in the town.  Parris is worried that if they hang, the townspeople will rebel and overthrow the courts.  He has already seen the town turning against him; he found a knife stuck in  his door that morning, and Abby had just skipped town.  Things aren't looking good for him.  He is worried that the townspeople will finally be fed up with the hangings and stage a rebellion, which might be dangerous to him.  So, Parris thinks that if Proctor will confess, maybe that will set an example for the others, and they will all confess.  If they do confess, they won't hang, and maybe the townspeople won't get so angry, and he will be safe.

Hale wants Proctor to confess for different reasons; he doesn't care if the townsfolk rebel.  In fact, he wishes it would happen.  Hale has been striving with all of the accused, trying to convince them to confess in order to save their lives.  As he puts it to Elizabeth Proctor, God damns a liar less than one who will die for pride.  Hale simply wants people to stop getting hanged.  He feels responsible for their deaths, and is trying to keep people from hanging because they won't confess.  He feels that if Proctor confesses, his life will be saved, and maybe that will convince the others to confess and save their lives too.

I hope that those thoughts help; good luck!

What is significant about Biddy's response to Pip's request for her to prepare Joe to be elevated to a "higher sphere"?Chapter 19

In Chapter 19 of "Great Expectatations," Biddy, unlike Pip, better understands Joe. When Pip speaks with Joe after awaking from a nap at the Old Battery where Joe has followed him, Pip says it is too bad that Joe "did not get on a little more...with our lessons."  To this Joe replies that he is dull, but only "master at my own trade."  Furthermore, Joe tells Pip that it is no more unfortunate now that he does not "get on" than it was a year ago.

Beacause Joe is "ignorant of my [Pip's] meaning, Pip speaks to  Biddy on the subject.  She asks Pip "Have you never considered that he might be proud?"  Pip becomes disdainful, reiterating the word scornfully.  Now, ironically, it is he who does not understand.  Biddy continues,

He may be too proud to let anyone take him out of a place that he is competent to fill and fills well with respect.

Pip misinterprets the words of Biddy, accusing her of being "envious and grudgining"

You are dissastified on account of my rise in fortune, and you can't help showing it.

Biddy understands what Pip does not--that money and social standing do not make the person.  She demonstrates that she is not envious by telling Pip that whatever he says to her will not change her remembrance of him.  Interestingly, Pip later proposes to Biddy, but she chooses to marry Joe.  And, her words to Pip are true, for when Joe comes to visit in London, he is awkward and foolish-seeming to Pip.  Joe tells Pip that he will return to the forge, for the forge is where he belongs. 

 At this point, Pip experiences some inner conflicts as he wants to be a gentleman with the wealth and social standing that accompany the position, yet he does not want to leave Joe and Biddy and is guilt-ridden as a result.

How should a new company segment the market for introducing a line of precooked food items?

Market segmentation is the process of breaking down the group of people identified as your potential customers into smaller groups.  Precooked food items, which have become very popular in recent years, appeal to many different segments.

"Market segmentation is the process of identifying and targeting groups of individuals who are similar to one another. Markets can be segmented in many different ways: by product or service needs, by sensitivity to price, by geographic area, by demographic segment, or by psychographics and lifestyles. Successful segmentation depends on understanding what consumers need, how groups of consumers differ from one another, and how consumers decide among products."

For example, one segment that should be targeted would be the single person, living alone, who does not have the inclination or the time to cook.  This product serves the needs of this group of customers by providing cooked food that can easily be heated and served with little fuss, and provides the opportunity for the customer to store the food and have it readily available, unlike takeout food, this food is already on hand and easily prepared and ready to eat.

Another segment that this product would appeal to would be the busy mother who doesn't always have time to cook from scratch meals for her family.  This product could fill in the gaps when the busy mother has to take her children to after school activities such as Soccer games, dancing classes, piano or any number of activities that parents drive their children to every day after school.

A full meal could be prepared around the precooked items, or the precooked items could be an ingredient which allows the meal the appear as homecooked and fresh, unlike takeout or fastfood.  The need that is served by this product is that the customer can easily take the precooked, let's say chicken out, put together side dishes and then serve a full meal with little or no fuss or time.

Precooked food also appeals to a population of people who don't know how to cook or season food, therefore, they need a product that provides choice and flavors that can be heated at home.  These precooked foods can substitute for the lack of cooking knowledge of the customer and they often come with recipes that suggest combinations for the precooked foods.

College students who live on campus and have microwave ovens and refrigerators would be another market for precooked food.  It offers them an available alternative to the dining hall, especially to off hours when they get hungry and the food services on campus are closed.

What is the major difference between a voltage regulator and voltage stabilizer?

In India these two terms are used interchangeably. Frequently the voltage of of electric supply by the power utilities tended to fluctuate much beyond limits suitable for some electrically operated equipments such as refrigerator and TV. Such high fluctuations could cause damage do the equipment in addition to poor performance of the equipment. To over come these problem some companies introduced voltage regulators or stabilizers that drew the power supplied by utilities as input, converted this power to electric current of appropriate voltage irrespective of the voltage on the input side, and fed this as output current for running the appliances.

The word stabilizer implies that output voltage remains same. Similarly the word regulator implies that the output voltage is regulated so that it remains same irrespective of input voltage. Theoretically we can say that a voltage regulator should be capable of regulating voltage to any desired voltage rather than giving just one fixed voltage output. But that is not the way this term is used by common people in India. As this is not use of the term by professionals, it is quite possible that other countries may use this term differently.

Can I have the text of "A Horse and Two Goats"?

This story, first published by R.K. Narayan in 1960, is still under copyright, so the text is not available for reading online free of charge. Narayan published a collection of stories under the same title in 1970, so you might want to find a copy for purchase at Amazon or Alibris or some other bookseller. Or look to see if your local library has a copy. Good luck!

Is "Young Goodman Brown" an Initiation Story?Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown"

According to Litweb glossary, an initiation story is "one in which a character--often a child or young person--first learns a significant, usually life-changing truth about the universe, society, people, himself or herself."

While Young Goodman Brown's initial state is somewhat altered by his witness of the Black Mass in the dark forest where he "loses his Faith" and he becomes confirmed in the belief of the depravity of man and his impossibilty for redemption, Brown does not learn a significant truth about either others or himself.  Rather, he is simply initially deluded about himself; then, after his experiences, he continues this delusion. The ambiguity of the conclusion of the experience in the forest underscores the continuing ambiguity in the mind of Brown about himself as a Christian.

Returning to the expostion of Hawthorne's story, the reader will see that Brown is ambivalent in his self-assurance as a Christian.  Brown crosses "the threshold" between himself and Faith, who "talks of dreams" suggesting the unrealistic attitude that Brown has.  Ironically, he remarks to himself ," Poor little Faith!...for his heart smote him....after this one night I'll cling to her skirts and follow her to heaven."  These words certainly suggest his tenuous hold onto faith, at best, as he crosses the threshold into the Puritan concept of depravity.

That he is deluded is in the next lines:  "Goodman Brown felt himself justified in...his present evil purpose."  And, it is not coincidence that the devil/old man who escorts him resembles Goodman Brown.  With his unredemptive attitude, Brown expects evil: 

'There may be a deviish Indian behind every tree....What if the devil himself should be at my very elbow?'

True to human nature, Brown realizes his expectations of himself.  And, true to his deluded sense of righteousness, he does not recognize the sin and depravity within himself,  instead projecting this sin upon the others:

A sad...a distrustful, if not a desperate man did he become from the night of that fearful dream....his dying hour was gloom.

As a result of his dream/experience, Goodman Brown learns no truth about himself.  He is merely confirmed in his delusions and perceives evil around him as he does in the beginning; he sees no redemptive powers and is also confirmed in his Puritan belief in the depravity of man, a belief that leaves his life empty and dark. Although his life may have been altered, Young Goodman Brown learns no truth about the universe, society, people, or himself.

What is the setting in Fever 1793?The setting - where and when the story takes place in the book

The story Fever 1793 takes place in Philadelphia during the post-Revolutionary War years.  Philadelphia was the capital of the newly formed United States at that time, and the events described take place during a four-month period, from August to November, in 1793.  Fever 1793 is historical fiction, meaning that, although the main characters are not real, the story and setting are firmly based on events that really happened.

The author vividly recreates the feeling of eighteenth-century Philadelphia, culturally, topographically, and politically.  The reader is placed in the midst of the bustling city, surrounded by horses and carriages, small businesses, and friendly neighbors (and their pets) going about their daily routine.  From the coffeehouse where Mattie, the main character, lives and works, the State House where Congress meets can be seen, as well as the home of President Washington, and, farther away, the ships on the docks on the Delaware River.  In the coffeehouse itself, citizens and politicians alike gather to talk about the issues of the day, and there are ample references to important people who lived during those times, as well as significant events.  Some of these famous persons include Dr. Jean Deveze and Dr. Benjamin Rush, who held opposing views on how fever victims should be treated; some significant events mentioned, in addition to the yellow fever epidemic of course, are the launching of Blanchard's hot air balloon and the brave activities of the African Free Society.

What is the summary/ critical appreciation of "A Violet by the Mossy Stone" by W. Wordsworth?

Wordsworth's poem "She Dwelt Among Untrodden Ways" is one of his lesser known poems about the love of his life, Lucy.  In terms of analysis, the title is fairly powerful.  The speaker, which we can presume is Wordsworth himself, feels that the subject of the poem, Lucy, is someone who is removed from the existence of the social setting, at large.  The fact that she "dwells among untrodden ways," indicates that her existence is one of concealment from the traditionalist social orders.  Along these lines, the use of the term "untrodden" helps to bring forth the Romantic idea that true meaning and understanding can only happen when one seeks to divorce themselves from conventional society and strives to understand elements in a pure and untainted form.  The opening stanza casts Lucy, the subject, in a manner of unappreciated greatness.  She is a character who lives in a realm where "there were none to praise" and where there are "very few to love."  This last verse could reflect both that there are a paltry number who can appreciate her state or that she lives in a realm where there are few around her for her to love.  The casting of her in this light makes the subject of the poem one where Lucy is cut off from others.  The second stanza includes a great deal of images that help to clarify the beauty of this unappreciated wonder of the world.  The "violet by the mossy stone" helps to create a stark and stunning beauty near an element that would be normal discarded.  Another such image would be the star image that compares a night sky with only one illuminating force within it.  The second line of that stanza is also quite strong in its appreciation for beauty that has been disregarded or unrecognized by the world:  "Half hidden from the eye."  This is highly Romantic in its assertion that true beauty is something that must be sought and resides in a form of hiding from the conventional views of human beings.  It must be something sought out for it is there, only up to the individual to seize the effort in to appreciate it.  The last stanza is very direct in the idea that this beauty is something that is dependent on the individual to appreciate.

What does Marx mean "it is not the consciousness of men that determines their existence but their social existence that determines their...

Daniel Novack

210450443

SOSC 1800 6.0 A

Dr Frank Scherer

February 28

Social Constructs and the Individual child

The development of a child into a contributing member of society is an astronomically complicated process. Not only do nature and nurture play a role in this process but the very systems and institutions themselves.  Some people are born with an innate advantage over others, whether it is natural intellect, strength, looks, money etc. Various social institutions can shape a child through means of socialization; the family, the educational system, the governmental system and the media (or propaganda) all can play important roles in a child’s development. Norms and ideals taught to one group of children may be entirely different than those taught to another set of children from a different culture. We can also look at the advantages that members of the upper class can hold over the lower and middle class. Those from the upper class can unfairly have more resources to training whether it is athletic or academic. In order to truly understand how an individual child develops and is integrated into society, we must understand the constructs of the society in which that child was raised. The division of class brought upon by these systems holds a profound effect on a child’s consciousness and development into the individual. By critically analyzing the theories of Karl Marx, and Emile Durkheim, we can explain the way in which these systems effect the development of the individual child. Similar to the enlightenment the works will be investigated in order to find the strongest ideas that can win out over the others.  

When looking at how a child evolves, we must delve into the political systems and social construction of reality that the child is thrust into. Why it that some children have no place to live and are hungry? Why do some children live in mansions with fifty unused rooms? Should these empty rooms be given to people who have nowhere to sleep? All these problems can be identified though one political construction: capitalism. However, despite these problems capitalism is an idea that has been proven and stood the test of time. Marx’s ideas have stood the test of time; however the ideal that Marx set out to accomplish is an impossible one to obtain. With Marx’s ideas the child would not be starving, he would have food and communal shelter. However, it is useful to note that Marx’s ideas and communism are different; this difference is due to the fact of human corruption (Marx’s writings in theory were great). “Marx argued that the whole of human history should be interpreted as an ongoing conflict between two main social groups” (Lee). If we look at medieval times and a noble who owned the land over his peasants, regardless of the noble’s intelligence or ability he holds a powerful advantage over the peasants and the peasant’s children. “Marx insisted that what objectively distinguished exploiters from the exploited were one thing and one thing only whether or not they owned the means of production” (Lee). So how can this effect a child? Regardless of a child’s ability it has very little to do with ones social position. If we look at the education or incomes of various urban areas or ghettos we can see that simply being born into a certain area code can put an individual at huge disadvantage in life. “Marx also insisted that consciousness changes as the organization of productive forces and relations develop” (Wertsch). As all philosophers, the definition of human consciousness was of great importance to Marx. Marx got his basis from his teacher Hegel, who argued that consciousness was a constant process or the dialectic process between oppositions.  To Marx this concept was an economic one between those with money and power and those deprived of it.  Marx believed this conflict theory or economic determinism defined human consciousness, history, and struggle.  To Marx, an individual’s consciousness can’t be separated from that person’s class or socioeconomic group. Marx discusses that all history can be seen as a class war with the sole purpose of obtaining wealth. Therefore, the consciousness of a man or child is that of their social grouping. Where an individual ranks in the social economic ladder greatly impacts the individual’s nature and concept of self.  A person who is born into the lower class will experience a consciousness more similar to another of the same class.  Therefore one could argue that it is not an individualized or isolated consciousness of an individual that determines their sense of self, but it is a social construct or existence based on that person’s socio economic reality. The point is that it’s not our thought that decides our reality; it is our reality that dictates what we are capable of thinking. Connecting to Durkheim, Marx similarly opposed religion and believed the individual should go out and get what they want rather than pray for it. Durkheim expresses that “In a highly role differentiated society, most individuals would arrive at a social position not through some objective test of their aptitudes and abilities, but through a social mechanism.”(Lee). Durkheim was a scientific thinker who saw the child as a weak puny being yet to evolve into an independent being. Durkheim was classified as a functionalist theorist and his focus was on social evolution. He spoke about groups and their aptitude to survive without a strong government or controlling institution. “There is no political reason which can excuse an attack upon the individual when the rights of the individual are above those of the state. If then, individualism is in and of itself, the catalyst of moral dissolution; we should see it here and manifest its anti social essence”(Durkheim).  One institution of great importance to the development of the child or individual is religion. A child is affected in a profound way by the religious institution he or she was born into.  Whilst religion bestows upon the individual child a sense of morality and faith it can also separate and divide individuals.  A child is not given the choice of his religion he or she instead takes on the norms and ideals of his parents. The parents are a construct as well and many of their mannerisms can shape the child into the future individual.  Durkheim speaks and delves into the very concept of religion in many of his works. He expresses that; “sociological theory emphasized two ideas: first, religions had the important social functions of promoting group solidarity and cooperation; second religious beliefs were ultimately founded on reverence for a reality which did exist, the reality of human society. Although he did not believe in the existence of gods, spirits, or totemic ancestors, Durkheim paradoxically wrote that all religions were true because of their foundations in social reality” (Magill). Simply put Durkheim thought of religion as existing for the positive and society driven goals it accomplishes. The human simply cannot exist alone or isolated, and societies continue to move forward and exist even after the demise of the individual. These societies are a collective effort, which takes the effort of all the individuals into a greater force or construct, and the various rules and laws employed by these societies hold a great importance to the development of our children. We can even see religion itself as a clan and that the symbol or totem is similar to that of the flags of the different countries. Essentially, a country can be seen as just a large clan each with their own unique laws, religions, and constructs. To Durkheim “everything human above the level of the manifestly physical or biological begins and ends in society” (Nisbet). On the other hand, when speaking of isolation we can note the effects of isolation literally as well and the deprived human rights on the psyche of a young child. If a child is locked in a closet or a dark space at say age two or three this can have a drastic effect on that person’s psyche. However, if we delve further into Freud’s psychological theories it is revealed that the bigger picture or collective conscience is more important. It is of great importance to note that Durkheim himself was a psychological thinker, and that his sociology was based on the collective psychology of society itself. Furthermore the importance and effect of various constructs and the social construction of reality on the development of the child into the individual will be explored.

Marx had a unique view of society; he believed the way a society was organized was determined by economic production. As discussed the class struggle was a reoccurring point in Marx’s philosophy that originated with changes in the economic base that drastically changed the relationship between social classes into the proletariat and bourgeoisie. The proletariat or the ones who became alienated from control over the means of production were forced to sell their labor and work to survive. This is why the nobility/hegemonic power or sociological distinction between classes was incredibly important to an individual or child being born. As discussed earlier a child born into one of the two classes could have their very reality or consciousness predetermined. The son of a noble would grow up with various advantages and a child born from a family or generation of factory workers could be alienated and usurped of their innate potential. “Consciousness is therefore from the very beginning a social product, and remains so as long as men exist at all. Consciousness is at first, of course, merely consciousness concerning the immediate sensuous environment and consciousness of the limited connection with other persons and things outside the individual who is growing self conscious at this point man is only distinguished from sheep by the fact that with him consciousness takes the place of instinct or that his instinct is the conscious one.”(Connolly). Marx’s philosophy also argued that the very logic of capitalism would lead to the destruction of the bourgeoisie. This ongoing class war that characterized capitalism meant the bourgeoisie would need to use technology, new modes of social relations, and techniques that would go on to alienate the workers from the very value of the physical labor they produced, and would push even more middle class people into the confines of the proletariat. Marx insisted in his work Das Kapital that eventually the proletariat could become so large, alienated, and poor that eventually it would rise against the bourgeoisie. Marx insisted that the proletariat would rise or rebel in order to seize control over the means of production. In order to avoid this conflict Marx would go on to suggest the political system of communism in order to avoid a classless society. Marx hoped to rid society of the social injustice of the class system, however simply put theory and manifestations of his ideas differ greatly. (One could even look to the satire of Animal Farm an Orwellian piece of literature. At the beginning of the novel it is written on the barn all animals are equal, by the end of the novel it is written all animals are equal but some are more equal then others). The alienation of people as mentioned earlier as well as the construct of the family is an important factor that must be taken into account in a child’s development. “With the division of labor, in which all these contradictions are implicit, and which in its turn is based on the natural division of labor in the family and the separation of society into individual families opposed to one another, is given simultaneously the distribution, and indeed the unequal distribution (both quantitative and qualitative), of labor and its products, hence property: the nucleus, the first form, of which lies in the family, where wife and children are the slaves of the husband.”(Connolly). This latent slavery of the family can be identified as the first stage in disposing of the labor power of others. The division of labor and owning of private property are one in the same. Alienation was a very important theme of Marx, for example he speaks about how workers can become alienated through their labor for ex; a worker in the factory who spends his days working on just one part of a machine rather then the whole product can become unhappy and eventually alienated. Marx expressed the need for all people to have their economic needs supplied. Another important aspect to Marx was having each individual doing work that can bring about emotional satisfaction from the labor and for these workers to own the means of production as well as an emotional connection to the work. In the past having children work in factories was common. If a child is thrust into a system of hegemonic dominance and forced day in and day out to do mindless labor he/she can become alienated.  A child who has worked for the bourgeoisie, with unjust pay, unjust working hours, and unjust treatment can greatly have his/her own consciousness altered. This alienation can lead to various physical and mental problems.  If someone endures years of monotonous physically demanding work with a lack of stimuli it can cause changes in a person. Chronic stress has been known to alter a person’s brain specifically in the hippocampus. It is of great importance to note the causation of psychological effects and physical affects that this type of labor can have on a child worker. Whether a child is crippled physically through this work or his psyche is altered this is a very important connection to Marx in regards to the development of a child or person into society. “The parade of Manchester children who used their banners to call for an end to industrial murders also presented a written memorial to the commissioners, challenging them to use their bodies: “indeed, we tell you no lies, when we say that our bodies are wasted, and our strength sinking under our daily tasks look at us, and say if it is possible that we can be disbelieved” (Factory). The use of children in factories was more so common and the owners believed that if the children were given time off that the whole machine could fall apart. “The hours that children worked could not be limited without decreasing the hours of adults since younger workers were required to assist adults and to clean machinery”. “The child was actually part of the machine,” said one factory owner. Workers wages would fall if their hours were cut”(Factory). We can see the connection between Marx’s ideals and the suffering of the factory children; this is why Marx’s writings were powerful as many could identify with the pain of monotonous and damaging labor. The systematic enforcement of this type of labor onto the people simply due to which socio economic class that person was born into can unjustly damage the individual who had no control over where he/she was born. As mentioned earlier both theorists have their views on religion as well. Marx had a view of religion as the opiate of the masses. More so he expressed that religion was a tool to nullify the people.  He expresses that religion was just another method for the bourgeoisie to keep the working people subjugated happy and quiet. Marx looked to find materialist and economic basis for all of human behavior. “Indeed, religion is also, in the deepest sense of the word, the opium of the people, their consultation, a pain killer alleviating human suffering”(Nowak). Durkheim on the other hand looked to social relationships, human behaviors, and he was a more psychological thinker (in contrast to Marx relating institutions/behaviors to means of production). Durkheim believed one could better understand institutions such as religion by analyzing the social organizations from which it emerged and looking for social relationships. Durkheim also looked at the correlation between the individual and society as simply put an individual could not exist alone. He believed conflict originated from differences between individual imperatives and those of society. “ A religion, he writes is a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things, that is to say, things set apart and forbidden which unite into one single moral community, called a church, all those who adhere to them (Fenton)”.  Durkheim was a scientific thinker who personally was not a theist. He thought of religion as a necessary institution to unite people, provide morals and beneficial values to a society. “.  Durkheim also sought to understand human social relationships in nature without a controlling force. To conclude to truly understand how an individual child develops and is integrated into society, we must understand the constructs of the society in which that child was raised. The division of class brought upon by these systems holds a profound effect on a child’s consciousness and development into the individual. The integration of a child and transformation from a helpless being to a contributing member of society is greatly effected by the constructs mentioned. Many complex factors can affect an individual in his/her development and growth.

Bibliography APA 6th edition

Durkheim, Émile. On Morality and Society: Selected Writings. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1973. Print.

Lee, Nick. Childhood and Human Value: Development, Separation and Separability. Maidenhead: Open University Press, 2005.

Wertsch, James V. Culture Communication, and Cognition: Vygotskian Perspectives. Cambridge [Cambridgeshire: Cambridge University Press, 1985. Print.

Magill, Frank N. Masterplots Ii. Englewood Cliffs, N.J: Salem Press, 1989. Print.

Nisbet, Robert. Émile Durkheim: With Selected Essays. Englewood Cliffs, N.J: Prentice-Hall, 1965. Print.

Connolly, W. E., & Gordon, G. (1974). Social structure and political theory. Lexington, Mass: Heath.

Factory lives: Four nineteenth-century working-class autobiographies. (2007). Peterborough, Ont: Broadview Press.

Panasiuk, R., & Nowak, L. (1998). Marx's theories today. Amsterdam: Rodopi.

Fenton, S. (1984). Durkheim and modern sociology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

How can we apply scientific method in solving problems in our daily life?applying scientific method in problems.

As indicated in answer above, meaning of scientific method may be interpreted in different way. At one end of the spectrum, it could mean to be a rather elaborate, step by step way to conduct scientific research, which involves defining and testing hypothesis. One such method is described in the answer above. On the other end of spectrum, scientific method may be interpreted to mean simply a method based on use of rational thinking.

Depending on the nature of task on hand, it may be wise to use different versions of the scientific method. For major decisions of our life like choosing a career, it would be wise to use some structured and elaborate method, however using such method on every occasion will not only become counter productive but also, will be unjustifiable by scientific reasoning.

In management we sometime talk of principle of bounded rationality. Stated in simple words, the principle of bounded rationality refers to the limitation in use of rational approach and the need to limit the use of rational approach in line consideration of time, information and cost of rational approach. For example you would not like to use a very elaborate rational approach in deciding the colour of shirt you wear on a Sunday morning.

Then there are occasions when it is best to just follow your instincts or habit - for example in deciding the brand of toothpaste you buy.

There are still other methods when it is best not to bother about rationality or scientific approach at all. These are matters of personal likes and dislikes. These may also include matters relating to personal relationships and listening to your conscience. Galileo was a great scientist, and it would gross arrogance on my part to imply in any way that his approach in life was not in line with the best scientific traditions. But, I tend to believe that his decision to embrace death rather than accept that his scientific theories, was very much base on emotions and personal beliefs, rather than any scientific analysis.

So in sum I will say that the best way to use scientific approach in life is to be rational, and use information and analysis only to the extent the time, cost and benefit of such approach are justified by the expected benefits. Also, there is nothing wrong in being irrational sometimes. They say:

A little foolishness now and then,

is relished by the best of men.

How do you solve this problem? (-9 x 4) - (8

(-9*4)-(8- -3)*2

There are  two terms here. (-9*4) and (8- -3)*2. The second term is to be subtracted from the first.Each term is simplified by order priority rules: BODMAS Or BOMDAS.

In equal priority operations, go from left to right , 'the first- come- first- serve' way.

First term:

(-9*4)=-9*4= -36.

Second term:

(8- -3)*2= (8+3)*2, as 8--3=8+3, the - -3 equals +3

=11*2

=22.

Therefore, First term - second term = -36-22=-58. The sum of two terms of the same sign is equal to adding them by pure magnitudes and keeping the same sign.

Alternate way by opening the brackets:

Use this method if you are well versed with sign rules and group theory.

(-9*4)-(8--3)*2

-9*4-(8)*2-(--3)*2 , as mutiplication of (8--3) by 2 is ditributive.

=-36-16-(3)*2 as --3 =3 as  3-3 =0 therfore, +3 =--3, being the additive inverse of -3 and 0 being the additive identity.

=-36-16-6

= -58, as lke sign numbers could be added by their magnitudes and the same could be retained .

Is Simon's dialogue with the Lord of the Flies real or in his imagination?It's in chapter 8.

In chapter 8 of "Lord of The Flies," Simon's dialogue with the Lord of the flies, symbolized by the pig's head on a pike, is not a literal conversation. Simon is prone to seizures.  He is also a symbol of the good human beings, yet, he sees the beast too.  He is the "Christ" figure in the book. 

His vision is not real and he is rendered unconscious after the dialogue is completed. 

“The half-shut eyes were dim with the infinite cynicism of adult life. They assured Simon that everything was a bad business....  Simon replies to his interpretation of the head’s mocking expression: “I know that.” He is surprised to have spoken aloud. He imagines the head is telling him to “Run away. . . . Go back to the others. It was a joke really—why should you bother? You were just wrong, that’s all. Go back, child. . . .” Instead of running, Simon looks around and contemplates the beauty of his surroundings in contrast to “the pile of guts [that] was a black blob of flies that buzzed like a saw.”

Golding is using this method of story telling to engage the reader, further define Simon as an outsider and a saviour as well as foreshadow his ending.  This is were Simon realizes the true beast is within themselves and not a "real monster."  Simon then goes into a seizure.

How do the last 4 paragraphs of the book, beginning with “Most of the bigshore places were closed now” connect the main ideas in the novel?

This is a good question, and a close reading of those four paragraphs really does help us gather up the themes of the novel.  Notice how the paragraph begins with images of closed up places and a "shadowy glow" of the ferryboat (189). The images of light are throughout the novel, representing various kinds of beacons in the lives of the characters. The shuttered mansions are the "closing down" of Gatsby's dream. 

Nick moves on then to a description of the "new world," America, and the dreams men dreamt as they discovered it, the last great frontier. The expanse of America promised endless opportunity and the hope of countless immigrants for a world in which class would make no difference.  This is the world Gatsby aspired to, what we call the "American Dream." 

Nick returns to the present and thinks of Gatsby, connecting in his mind, and for us, the "wonder" of Gatsby's dream, as that green light beckons him to Daisy, who represents his opportunity to transcend class and capture his "American Dream" (189). Gatsby believed that love and money could conquer anything, but he was wrong. 

Nick concludes with the idea that this dream eludes all of us, but that we nevertheless keep running toward it, in our hopeless American optimism, although it is constantly moving away from us, lost in the past and in the inevitable nature of mankind, whether in the old world or the new, lost in our inability to live in the present, either dragging the past behind us or dreaming toward the future. 

Explain why anhydrous HCl is a poor conductor of while aqueous HCl is an excellent conductor?

To answer this question we must recall that electrical conductivity is a measure of how many charges are moving, and how fast. For HCL, the answer comes down to how fast the charge carriers can move.

For HCL the ionization constant is very high, which means that for reasonably dilute solutions, HCL is completely dissociated. So there are a lot of charge carriers, which is necessary for high conductivity. When HCL dissociates in H2O, the H+ proton diffuses to the free electron pair in H2O and becomes a H3O+ cation. In the presence of an electric field, the H+ proton will "hop" from water molecle to water molecule, much like an electron would in a metal.

In anhydrous HCL, there is no such "hopping"; the charge carrier is not just the H+ proton, but the entire solvent molecule, which must be physically transported by the electric field. This is a much slower effect.

What is the central/main idea of The Pearl?

John Steinbeck recounts the story of an indigenous native fisherman of Mexico in his non-fiction work, Sea of Cortez, and describes the tale of a man who finds a pearl of great value only to have his life ruined. In that brief telling, the story of The Pearl would seem to be mainly concerned with the ironies of material wealth versus non-material wealth (like emotional well-being, stability, family, etc.). 

However, in the narration of The Pearl Steinbeck offers a pointedly different take on the meaning of the story. 

“For it is said that humans are never satisfied, that you give them one thing and they want something more. And this is said in disparagement, whereas it is one of the greatest talents the species has and one that has made it superior to animals that are satisfied with what they have.”

This statement suggests that Steinbeck is less concerned with the notions of learning to value non-material forms of wealth and more concerned with ideas of relativity as regards an individual's perspective on his or her own limitations. 

Kino finds a pearl of great worth in The Pearl and his life is ruined. This is the story parsed down to a single line. Yet this line does not communicate some of the essential elements of the narrative because it leaves out the fact that Kino was once denied health care for his ailing child because he is seen as being too poor. When he finds the pearl and becomes wealthy, materially, he begins to see greater possibilities for his family. He envisions schooling for his child and other things that can only be seen as credible and empowering aims. 

Thus the central idea of the text is connected to the shifting sense of what is possible and also what is desirable. It is a story about changes perspectives and expanding horizons, while at the same time exploring the political/social limitations that govern life in the region and which serve to destroy a fledgling hope for a better life. 

What repetitions of words/phrases in "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place" seem particularly effective, and how do these reflect Hemingway's vocabulary?

Hemingway is often referred to as a minimalist; his understated manner of expression in objective and terse prose characterizes his desire to describe without frills, and without the imposition of an attitude. His repetition of words and phrases establish order in a world of nothingness.  If a person exposes himself to the vicissitudes of life, Fate will overcome him; however, if he can find rules to live by, he will survive.

In "A Clean Well-Lighted Place," the older waiter understands that the old man needs a clean and pleasant cafe to stave off the emptiness of his life; he needs "a light for the night."  After the other people leave, the waiter stays, turns off the light, and converses with himself,

It is the light of course but it is necessary that the place be clean and pleasant.  You do not want music.  Certainly you do not want music....What did he fear?  It was not fear or dread.  It was nothing too.  It was only that and light was all it needed and a certain cleanness and order....he knew it all was nada y pues nada y nada y pues nada. Our nada who art in nada....nothing, nothing is with thee...

A "clean well-lighted place" order is all that man can establish to keep from "nothingness." When the waiter goes home, he lies in bed until daylight comes; then, he can sleep.  As Hemingway writes in another story--"Now I Lay Me,--the narrator expresses the feelings of the waiter:

If I could have a light I was not afraid to sleep, because I knew my soul would only go out of me if it were dark.

The waiter, like Hemingway, is a man of few words and few regrets; he accepts pain, anguish, and regret with stoic dignity.  The repetitions of "clean, well-lighted place," "nothing," and "nada" convey the nihilism, the dark of Hemingway, that is held back by order.  The wait tries to convince himself that the awful void he feels inside himself is nothing to worry about, only something he fears when he is alone.  But, Hemingway's terse prose also implies something else.  He once wrote,

All stories, if continued far enough end in death and he is no good storyteller, who would keep that from you.

At the end of chapter 14, Scout wonders why Boo Radley never ran away. What does this statement reveal about her new perceptions of Boo?

In Chapter 14 of "To Kill a Mockingbird," Dill arrives after having run away from home because he now has a stepfather.  When Scout asks him why he has run away, he tells her that "they [his parents] just wasn't interested in me."  Either they are gone or when they are home, they sequester themselves in a room by themselves, Dill tells Scout.  To make Dill feel better, Scout tells Dill that she was about ready to run off herself.  Besides, she says,

You don't want 'em around you all the time, ....Dill, you couldn't do anything if they were.

Pondering his words as well as what has occurred with Dill in his home, along with his wish to "get a baby," which the maturing mind of Scout deduces that Dill lacks real love despite the gifts his parents bestow upon Dill. Realizing the similarities in Boo Radley's home where there is no love, either, and neglect of Boo's needs as well, Scout gives voice to her thoughts:  "Why do you reckon Boo Radley's never run off?"  She questions why Boo would not do as Dill as done since their situations are somewhat similar.  But, Dill responds that perhaps Boo has nowhere to go.

Why does Dolphus Raymond "drink" in "To Kill a Mockingbird"?I need help getting inside his head escpecially his background and reasons for using...

First, we will establish that he actually doesn't drink.  The bottle in the brown paper bag that he has is a bottle of Coca-Cola.  However, he uses the brown paperbag to maintain for the town the image that he is a drunk. 

Dolphus goes head first against society in his personal life choices.  In a segregated and racist society, he has chosen to live with and have children with a black woman.  He is like Atticus in the sense that he is deliberately challenging social standards.

However, he doesn't have Atticus' courage.  He can't stand in front of the mob like Atticus did in front of the court house and fight the town belief structure.  He pretends to drink so that others will avoid him.  Believing him to be a drunk, they assume that his "poor choice" in his relationship is a result of his drunkenness.  The town leaves him alone.  This is how he wants it.  He is trying to avoid what he himself calls,

"the simple hell people give other people—without even thinking.”

You could say he is a coward, or you could just say that he is trapped in a system that won't let a man make his own choices.

How does Orwell compare Animal Farm under Napoleon's leadership to its exploited state under Farmer Jones's rule?

I agree. It's much worse especially since the propoganda that was used by the pigs to convince the other animals that they were being mistreated, abused, etc. is the same things that they themselves are doing to their own kind. In fact, that is the exact definition of irony. The outcome is expected to be different because of the change that was brought about but it was more tyrannical and hypocritical than before.

Broadly describe the significance of the grave digger's scene.

The grave digging scene in Shakespeare's Hamlet serves several dramatic purposes in the play.  First, it's about the only comic relief to be found in an otherwise unremittingly heavy, tragic play.  The two grave diggers tell a few jokes and their dialogue is full of puns and wordplay.  That's the most humor to be found in Hamlet.

The scene also serves to allow a philosophical reflection on life and death--right before most of the actual deaths in the play.  These observations serve as a foreshadowing and a contemplation on the brevity of life.  The skull of Yorick, the discussion of Alexander the Great, and the discovery that this is the grave of the young Ophelia all serve to remind Hamlet (and therefore us) that life is fleeting, and whatever is gained or achieved here on earth is quickly gone and buried and decomposed.  Death is the great equalizer. 

How does the duke describe Fra Pandolf's activities in "My Last Duchess" and why is this important?

As the artist, Fra Pandolf, paints the Duchess, the Duchess flushes (blushes), which is apparent in the artist's rendering, the portrait, and Pandolf may have said that his work could not truly capture the beauty of the Duchess. However, the Duke has no evidence that the painter flirted with the Duchess;the Duke is insanely jealous and arrogant, and it is this arrogance that, more than likely, leads to the death of the Duchess. The Duke also believes the Duchess flirts with every man: "Her looks went everywhere." Unfortunately,a good artist must capture the personality of his subject, and in this case, ironically, by capturing "the depth and passion" of the Duchess, Fra Pandolf contributes to the Duke's unavoidable jealousy. Thus, paradoxically,the Duchess is immortalized and owned by the Duke as art. At the close of this poem, the Duke elevates himself to become, metaphorically, Neptune, and the poor Duchess, a sea-horse: "Notice Neptune, though, taming a sea-horse."

How do you would put in contrast the city and the countryside in the book Fahrenheit 451?

When reading this book, you get a definite and distinct feeling about each of these settings.  We follow Montag in the story, and in the city, he feels closed in, smothered, and restricted.  This is because of the book burning, the mechanical dog which sniffs out the books, the loss of those whose books are burned, and the reaction of others in society when anyone mentions books, reading, or thinking.  With the exception of Clarisse and Faber, Montag isn't able to really think out loud or discuss how he feels about his job and what he really wants to do--save the books and read and think.  It is against the law, and the law is creating mindless buffoons like Montag's wife, Mildred, who sits and watches the TV walls of their house all day.

When Montag flees into the country, he does not have the comforts of home, but he is free to discuss, think, and share in the books these people know.  They have each memorized a book to be put down on paper at a later date.  They are intelligent people who are forced to camp in the wilderness to uphold the free thinking society values which were in place before books were burned. 

In essence, the city is filled with fear, restriction, and the weak minded who allow these things to happen rather than stand up for justice and what is right.  It is a dark place, where virtually no one is happy.  They are policed by mechanical dogs and firemen who burn the books they own-- if they dare to own books.

On the other hand, in the woods are the free thinkers.  The professors and the educated ones.  The strong minded leaders of society have fled to live in happiness among like-minded people.  They refuse to allow ideas to die, because they know that from conflict and debate comes the birth of still greater ideas. They are determined to preserve that for the future society, when it is again legal to own books and to read them freely.  So, even though these people are outcasts of the city, they are happier, more free, and much more optimistic than those still living in the city.

Can Amir be called a hero? How does he (or does he not) fit this role? Chapter 19- 25

A hero is a person who displays courage or makes a sacrifice.

Initially, Amir doesn't appear to be a hero. He doesn't defend Hassan when he is being attacked by Assef and his thugs. And, he even convinces his father that Hassan is a thief, causing the boy to be sent away in shame.

However, over time, Amir comes to regret his decisions and  and his inactions.

Amir becomes a hero when he returns Afghanistan and seeks to make amends with Hassan. Amir discovers that Hassan was killed, leaving a son named Sohrab. Facing great danger, Amir travels to Pakistan to get Sohrab. Ironically, Amir discovers that Sohrab is being held by Assef. Amir fights with Assef and takes the boy.

By finally facing Assef, Amir shows himself to be a hero.

What is the total number of atoms represented by the formula 2CO2?

The answer's 6.

O2 (the 2 is usually written smaller and slightly below the line of the O) represent two oxygen atoms. And the C in front is a single atom of carbon.

This is because a number AFTER the atom refers only to the atom directly in front of it. A number before refers to EVERYTHING that goes after it.

So CO2 is 3 atoms (2 x O, 1 x C).

And putting a 2 in front of it multiplies that number by 2.

2 x (CO2)
2 x (3)

= 6 atoms.

Hope it helps!

What is the point of view of "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place?"

vrgabbuda,

This celebrated story is a study in contrasts: between youth and age, belief and doubt, light and darkness. To the younger waiter, the café is only a job; to the older waiter, it is a charitable institution for which he feels personal responsibility.

Of course, he himself (the older waiter) has need of it: it is his refuge from the night, from solitude, from a sense that the universe is empty and meaningless, expressed in his revised versions of the Hail Mary and the Lord’s Prayer.

The older waiter feels kinship for the old man, not only because the waiter, too, is alone and growing old, but because both men are apparently atheists. Willing to commit suicide, the old man (unlike his pious daughter) evidently doesn’t think he has any immortal soul to fear for. 

At the heart of the story is the symbol of the café, an island of light and order surrounded by night and nothingness. Contrasting images of light and darkness begin in the opening paragraph: the old man, not entirely committed either to death or to life, likes to sit in the shadow of the leaves. Every detail in the story seems meaningful.

The story has been much admired for Hemingway’s handling of point of view. The narrator is a nonparticipant who writes in the third person. He is all-knowing at the beginning of the story: in the opening paragraph we are told how the old man feels, then what the waiters know about him. From then on, until the waiters say “Good night,” the narrator remains almost perfectly objective, merely reporting visible details and dialogue. (He editorializes for a moment, though, in observing that the younger waiter employs the syntax of “stupid people.”) After the waiters part company, for the rest of the story the narrator limits himself to the thoughts and perceptions of the older waiter, who, we now see, is the central character.

What is Holmes's opinion of the abilities of Jones, the Scotland Yard agent, in "The Red-Headed League"?

Holmes and Jones do not seem to think highly of one another.  Holmes is unimpressed with Jones, and Jones is unimpressed with Holmes.

Holmes calls upon Jones when he needs police muscle.  Basically, he just needs someone there in an official capacity so that he can arrest John Clay for the bank robbery.

Jones does not seem thrilled to be working with Holmes.

He has his own little methods, which are, if he won't mind my saying so, just a little too theoretical and fantastic, but he has the makings of a detective in him. (p. 15)

Holmes has an interesting view of Jones.  While he does not think he is smart, he is glad that he is brave.  He appreciates his bravery, not his methods.

He is not a bad fellow, though an absolute imbecile in his profession. He has one positive virtue. He is as brave as a bulldog and as tenacious as a lobster if he gets his claws upon anyone. (p. 15)

In the end, Holmes needs Jones to arrest Clay, and Jones needs Holmes to catch him.  They both help one another and everyone wins.  Holmes may not be impressed with Jones’s methods, but he gets the job done.

The rabbits in Watership Down treat "Hraka" (excrement) like humans would treat it, so what does it mean when they eat "pellets"?

Rabbits do not entirely digest all of their food the first time it passes through their bodies. Some other herbivores have more than one stomach, in which the tough fibers of plants are ground up, and some regurgitate and rechew their "cud." A rabbit's pellets are similar to a cow's cud, except that they pass through before they are eaten again; they are essentially undigested pellets of food, and differentiated from feces. The rabbits can tell by smell which pellets are feces and which are edible. Richard Adams, in the Acknowledgements, mentions Lockley's The Private Life of the Rabbit, where he got much of the scientific information about rabbits and their habits. 

Anyone who wishes to know more about the migrations of yearlings, about pressing chin glands, chewing pellets, the effects of over-crowding in warrens, the phenomenon of reabsorption of fertilized embryos, the capacity of buck rabbits to fight stoats, or any other features of Lapine life, should refer to that definitive work.
(Adams, Watership Down, Google Books)

This is a natural part of rabbit biology, and is not an example of coprophagia; the rabbits simply eat their food more than once in order to extract the maximum nutrition from it, and because they do not possess the extra stomach of a cow. These pellets are called cecotropes, and are essential to a rabbit's health, as they also contain various bacteria and enzymes that are produced by the cecum, a pouch where undigested matter is compressed and affected by unique bacteria. These bacteria may also help to sustain a rabbit's immune system.

How does the setting of The Great Gatsby influence the behavior of the characters?

Critics agree that no American novel captures the Roaring 20s as well as The Great Gatsby. The setting is integral to Fitzgerald's theme in regard to the corruption of the American Dream, and the characters are products of their times. In his essay, "Echoes of the Jazz Age," Fitzgerald wrote that during the 1920s, the country went on a "spree." This can be seen vividly in the parties Gatsby threw in the summer of 1922. His guests, most of whom show up without invitation, descend upon his estate, drink, dance, argue, fight, wreck their cars, put on personal performances, and, as Nick observed, "conducted themselves according to the rules of behavior associated with amusement parks." The excess of the times determined this conduct.

The Roaring 20s was also a time when the traditional social structure collided with new money. Great fortunes were made seemingly overnight. Gatsby illustrates this social phenomenon, building his fortune through bootlegging and other criminal activities. Tom tells Daisy that Gatsby's money came from his "drug stores" which sold alcohol, outlawed during Prohibition in the 1920s. 

Those who enjoyed inherited wealth looked with disdain upon those who had wealth without family background. Tom Buchanan feels smug and superior to Gatsby who drives a "circus wagon" and doesn't understand how Gatsby came to know Daisy, "unless [he] brought the groceries to the back door." 

Not everyone in the Roaring 20s, however, enjoyed wealth. Another element of the time can be seen in the Valley of Ashes, a place of grinding poverty and ugliness. These surroundings and her life there motivate Myrtle to engage in her affair with Tom as a way out of the life she has lived with George Wilson for eleven years, her home an apartment over a dingy garage. When she first meets Tom on the train into New York, she goes with him at once, thinking "You can't live forever, you can't live forever."

Whether Fitzgerald's characters came from old money or lived with new money or no money, all were influenced by their time and place in American history.

In the book "1984", Winston asks Julia what attracts her to him. What does she answer?

It is in part 2, chapter 2 that Julia and Winston get together alone for the first time and they get to talk freely with one another.  Winston asks Julia why, despite the 10-15 year age difference, she would be attracted to him.  She responds that it was something in his face.  She goes on to tell him that she is good at "spotting people who don't belong", or fit in with the Party and the general attitude of the masses.  She tells Winston that she could tell by looking at him that he was against the Party.  She goes on to severely denigrate the Party even though, she explains, that she goes through the motions of going along with the Party because that's the only way to survive.

Why do the characters arrive at the Annex wearing layers of clothing?

Though the Franks have been planning for a move to the Annex for a while, and have been transferring belongings and supplies there in small quanitities, they have not been able to complete their preparations when the notice of Margot's deportation arrives.

The Franks and the others know that they will be in the Annex indefinitely, so they must bring us much as they can with them to last for the duration. They wear as much as they can, in anticipation that this is all the clothes they will have. The purchase of additional clothes will be possible through Miep, but requiring frequent trips to buy clothes will arouse suspicion.

Carrying luggage for clothes will also cause suspicion from the Nazis. So many people were trying to escape being deported to the concentration camps that they were constantly on guard of anyone who is carrying luggage. Being stopped would require presentation of papers, which would then identify Margot as one who is supposed to be deported. Thus the Franks are trying to avoid as much attention as possible.

In what order did the conspirators stab Caesar?

In Act III Scene 1, all we have to go by to answer your question is the line “Speak hands for me!” from Casca, followed immediately by the stage direction "They stab Caesar." Simple enough, and hardly detailed. We can only assume that Casca was the initial stabber, his spoken line being an indication that he got the onslaught rolling. And Caesar’s last words—“Et tu, Brutè?—Then fall, Caesar,” do not necessarily indicate that Brutus was last to lend his knife to the cause, but it is generally assumed that he was.  Having Brutus stab last is a very symbolic gesture, Brutus being one of Caesar’s closest friends and confidantes; his betrayal strikes both Caesar and the audience all the more strongly when he comes last in line, and leaves the door open for Brutus's psychological anguish in later scenes.

As for the rest of the conspirators—and there are many—Cassius, Cinna, Trebonius, Decius Brutus, Cimber, Caius Ligarius—there are no specifications as to the order in which they fall upon their leader. And, indeed, it is hardly important, the deed itself being greater than the men who commit it.

Explain the poem "Lament" by Gillian Clarke.

For the green turtle with her pulsing burden,

in search of the breeding ground.

For her eggs laid in their nest of sickness.

For the cormorant in his funeral silk,

the veil of iridescence on the sand,

the shadow on the sea.

For the ocean’s lap with its mortal stain.

For Ahmed at the closed border.

For the soldier in his uniform of fire.

For the gunsmith and the armourer,

the boy fusilier who joined for the company,

the farmer’s sons, in it for the music.

For the hook-beaked turtles,

the dugong and the dolphin,

the whale struck dumb by the missile’s thunder.

For the tern, the gull and the restless wader,

the long migrations and the slow dying,

the veiled sun and the stink of anger.

For the burnt earth and the sun put out,

The scalded ocean and the blazing well.

For vengeance, and the ashes of language.

Cormorant, tern,  gull and wader –types of seabirds

Iridescence-a surface of shimmering colours

Fusilier-rifleman

Dugong-large aquatic mammal

She is sad that the animals are being abused by humans and our rubbish, and the world seems to be rebelling against the animals and hurting them when they're in their own environment. They should be safe when they are in their homes, but the humans are destroying the world around us with pollution and rubbish

Who is a small, slimy, dark creature?From 'The Hobbit' and 'Lord of the Rings.'

You've got to be  referring to Gollum, the first keeper of the ring. Possession of the ring over time warped both his mind and body, and his one obsession is to get it back. He finally does manage to wrest the ring from Frodo's hand but in doing so loses his balance and plunges headlong, along with the ring, into the firey pit of Mordor. The way the story is presented suggests that this was Gollum's predestined fate and role - to  bring about, though unwillingly, the destruction of the infamous ring.

What is the whole explanation for the poem, "The Road Not Taken"?

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

The two roads symbolize, obviously, the choices that the speaker faces in life. He cannot take both, as much as he would like to, so he spends time in comtemplation and observation. He cannot see far, not far enough to make a confident decision as to the better nature of one over the other. The fact that it is a "yellow wood" perhaps indicates that, as fall is often a symbol of the waning years of one's life, the speaker is past his youth, when he can make a choice with the confidence that it is correctible at a later time. The choice he makes will be permanent, highly impacting the rest of his fast-disappearing days. As one approaches middle age, he comes to grip with the fact that his time for hopes and dreams is past; he must come to grips with the reality created by the choices he has made.

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

Here the speaker seems to be contradictory. He has made a choice, but is still unsure about it. It is "just as fair" yet it has "the better claim."  Then again, there is no appreciable difference as the "passing there / Had worn them really about the same." He is still trying to convince himself that either choice would have been acceptable (just in case this path proves ill-advised). He cannot quite make up his mind about the wisdom of his decision.

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

The speaker is still in the process of convincing himself, even to the point of self-delusion. He tries to tell himself that, should this road proves not the right one, he will have the chance to go back to take the other road. Yet, in a road of complete honesty, he knows that life will probably not allow him the choice to return, even if he should wish to. He has transitioned to the point where he realizes that his youth is past and he must take up the responsility and reality of adulthood.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

He has come to the decision that, for good or ill, the choice he has made will be permanent and highly effecting of his life.  He looks ahead to to time when he can look back and tell that the choice he made, whether wisely or unwisely, was the point at which his life's path was set.

How are the protagonists relationships in The Beauiful an Damned and Tender is the Night comparable?In both novels the relationship deteriorates....

In both novels, the main romantic relationship is one that hinges on extreme and flawed notions of romantic love, and both sets of characters harbor unrealistic expectations of what married life will be like for them. As well, the male characters show great professional and social promise while young but gradually their prospects diminish and their character tarnishes through decadence, disillusionment and loss of ambition. The two women are portrayed as being spoiled, vain and manipulative, but both also undergo transformation as they are forced to deal with the deterioration or their husbands. Of course, both relationships also somewhat parallel Fitzgerald's own idealistic and troubled relationship with his wife Zelda.

Explain the charater of Raghu in Games at Twilight by Anita Desai.

Raghu is a minor character in this short story, featured briefly at the beginning.  The story is about a group of children that are allowed outside to play hide and go seek.  Raghu, since he is the oldest, is nominated to be "It", to which he protests, starting a scuffle.  A mother has to intervene and they play a game to determine who is It, and Raghu ends up being It anyway. When he is forced into being It, he whines, "You cheated—Mira cheated—Anu cheated—," weedling off assorted reasons as to why it wasn't fair that he was it.  Then, in a fit of petulance, he insists that everyone stay on "the porch—Ma said—Ma said to stay in the porch!" He wants to make his job at seeking easier, and falls back on the "Mom told us to" argument to try to get his way.  Later, when he is finished counting and sees the small and frightened Manu, he "charged after him with such a bloodcurdling yell" that Manu trips and weeps at being caught, to which Raghu just kicks him.  The last telling description is when he goes off to hunt other kids,

"whistling spiritedly so that the hiders should hear and tremble. "

So, all being said, Raghu is a pretty unlikable kid.  He whines, starts fights, picks on the little kids, and enjoys striking fear into the hearts of people.  Raghu is a bit of a bully, and a whiney, petulant one at that.  He complains when he doesn't get his way, physically assaults those smaller and weaker than him, enjoys making people feel afraid, and under all of his macho bravado, is a bit of a snivelling mama's boy.  :)  I hope that those descriptions help; good luck!

What happens to Shadrach Yale at Gettysburg in Across Five Aprils?

Shadrach Yale is critically injured at the Battle of Gettysburg.

The Battle of Gettysburg occurred during "three hot July days" in 1863.  It was "a battle of unbelievable bravery and unbelievable ruthlessness"; an incomplete but decisive Union victory, but one that came with a tremendous cost.  Shadrach Yale was a part of that battle, and one of the casualties on the Union side.  He was brought from Gettysburg to a hospital in Washington with "serious wounds which became gangrenous before his arrival".  He was found by a "spinster aunt" who happened to be serving as a volunteer nurse at the location, and it is she who writes to the Creightons, telling them of his condition.

Shadrach's aunt writes to Matt Creighton, imploring him to let his daughter Jenny come to Shadrach's side.  She says that "he has had short periods of consciousness during which time he has begged (her) to write to Jenny Creighton...he calls for her constantly in his delirium".  Shadrach's aunt offers to pay Jenny's expenses and give her shelter in her own home if Matt will allow her to make the trip.  She emphasizes that Shadrach's condition is "very critical".

Matt does allow Jenny to travel to be with Shadrach.  The two are married, and with her loving help and support, Shadrach recovers from the injuries he sustained at Gettysburg and eventually returns home with his young wife (Chapter 10).

What is ironic about the conversation in "The Lottery"?

In Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery", the conversation takes on an ironic tone in at least two places.  One is the commonplace tone of the talk of taxes and everyday life when a death is imminent.

Perhaps more ironic is that Mr. and Mrs. Adams casually suggest that it may be time for the community to quit lotteries with one of them even adding that some communities have already quit. They are, of course, opposed by Old Man Warner who says there has always been and should always be  a lottery. Ironically, the text points out that both the Adams couple and Old Man Warner are up front participating in the communal stoning of Tessie.

In Shakespeare's tragedy "Romeo and Juliet," what is the character of Friar Lawrence?

If anybody were full of good intentions in this story, it is indeed the friar.  However, he doesn't forsee the eventual consequences of his plans - such as the possiblilty of the timing going awry - which leads to the eventual suicide of Romeo, then Juliet. He is not held to blame for their deaths, though, and the Prince who had warned the feuding families in the first place puts the guilt of their children's deaths upon them instead.

Note that for the "holy man" he is called, Friar Lawrence turns to schemes involving both stealth and deception to help Juliet "escape" a loveless marriage with Paris. He also plays around with strange concotions, much as a witch doctor or medicine man. His compassion supercedes his wisdom, as his scheme to have Juliet feign an untimely death foils up in the end.

See the eNote reference below for a further character study of the friar.

In "To Kill a Mockingbird" what are four words to describe Bob Ewell's action and quotes or passages for each?

1.  Prideful:  When Bob Ewell walks up to the stand to testify, Lee describes him as "a little bantam cock of a man," which is comparing him to a strutting rooster, who is there to prove his territory, to stake his claim, and to proudly declare the courtroom his-just like a rooster who struts around the henyard declaring his is the master of that realm.  He confidently answers most questions, even being disrespectful, calling his lawyer "cap'n".  He is so confident and prideful that he will win the case, that he knows he can do or say what he wants.

2.  Lazy:  in the second paragraph of chapter 27, we find out that Bob

"acquired and lost a job in a matter of days...and he was the only man I have ever heard of who was fired from the WPA for laziness."

He couldn't even hold a job that was given to him out of pity.

3.  Vengeful:  since his pride was wounded in court, because Atticus made it quite clear what a scoundrel he was (even though he won the case), Bob's pride was wounded.  In the beginning of chapter 23, Bob walked up to Atticus and "cursed him, spat on him, and threatened to kill him."  So, he is vengeful and threatening to Atticus, and later follows through on these threats when he attacks Jem and Scout.

4.  Drunk and Abusive:  through Mayella's testimony in chapter 18, even though she tries to hide it, it becomes quite apparent that her dad is a lousy drunk, and abusive to the children.  She almost slips up and says that Bob is "tollable, 'cept when-" and was probably going to say, "when he's drinking, because then he gets mean and beats us," but she stopped herself in time.

I hope that those words and quotes can get you started.  Good luck!

In Act 4 of The Crucible, what purpose is there in Miller introducing Rebecca Nurse in this scene?

Act 4 begins with the town in total disarray.  Orphans and cattle roam the streets; fields are left unplowed, and people are afraid to go out. Abigail has absconded with her uncle's money, and the judges are forced to supply some validity to their decisions. Rev. Hale is now completely against the court, and even Rev. Parris is working to reverse the judges' sentences (if only for selfish reasons, this is still a complete turnaround for him).  At this point in the play, two of the town's stalwart leaders Rebecca Nurse and Martha Corey are still imprisoned and sentenced to hang.  The judges know that they will never be able to convince Rebecca or Martha to confess; so they focus on John Proctor.  Miller includes Rebecca in this act as one of the victims who will die with John for a couple of reasons.

First, in Miller's previous description of Rebecca's words and actions, it is credible to the reader that the judges would not even consider asking her to confess to save their own reputations. Rebecca has never swayed from her beliefs and will not blacken her soul for their account.  Thus, this sets up the scene nicely for the conversation between John and Elizabeth and the confession decision.

Secondly, John's sense of guilt causes him great conflict.  He does not feel worthy to die in the company of Rebecca Nurse.  He knows that she will not confess because she believes it to be wrong.  Up until his signed confession, John has not confessed because he is proud and will not give the judges and Parris the benefit of seeing him break that pride.  When John does decide to tear up his confession and go to his death, he demonstrates that he has forgiven himself for his adultery and now feels that he can stand with Rebecca and do what is right as an example to the town.  He, like Rebecca, can keep his good name.

Thus, Rebecca mainly serves as motivation for the tragic hero's final decision.

Discuss the meaning of the poem "Those Winter Sundays" by Robert Hayden. Please include details.

“Those Winter Sundays” by Robert Hayden recalls a missed opportunity along with bone-chilling cold on a Sunday morning.  The narrator is first person; however, the reader does not know the name or sex of the speaker.  The poem is told in a flashback, but there is no way of knowing the distance between the actual event and the narrator’s recollection.

The poem written in three stanzas does not rhyme.  The poet uses metaphors to help the reader visualize the cold:

I’d wake and hear the cold splintering, breaking

His most important metaphor refers to the people inside the house:

And slowly I would rise and dress,

fearing the chronic angers of that house.

The child dreads the start of the day because there are angry people inside this house.  Who they are the poet does not say? It could be that the father and mother no longer get along and fight.  The speaker himself could be arguing with the mother or father.

 1st Stanza

The speaker sees his father in his memory and recalls this particular Sunday morning. The word too implies that the father gets up early every day…He dresses in the biting cold.  His hands are cracked open from the weather and hard work that he does every day.  The father lights the stoves and fireplaces to warm the rooms for his family. 

The most important statement in this stanza comes from the speaker. It is a present reverence for his father.  No one thanked his father for getting up and making the house warm. The speaker feels regret for the lack of gratitude expressed to his parent.

2nd Stanza

When the speaker woke up, he hears the house reacting to the warmth from the fires. His father calls out to the child.  Slowly, the child would dress dreading the “chronic angers of that house.” This phrase reflects the tone of the poem.  Initially, the poem seems to be only about the speaker remembering that no one said anything to the father about his warming up the house.

Now something new enters the scene.  The house holds strong, angry feelings.  The poet gives no more information, but the words that he choses help the reader to understand the meanings.

The word chronic means long-lasting, continuing, enduring, and persistent.  This anger has been an on-going problem in the house.  Instead of saying the home or this house, he uses is “that house.” This phrase also emphasizes that the child and the present speaker divorce themselves from the house that holds all of this wrath, rage, or resentment.

The child does not just dread the habitual rage, but rather fears it indicating that there may be violence involved or screaming.  The poet leaves it the imagination.

3rd Stanza

The child shows no emotion toward his father when he speaks to him.  The man warms the house and even polishs his shoes for him.  The parent obviously loves the child. 

The speaker of the present almost cries out:

“What did I know, what did I know

Of love’s austere and lonely offices?

Another important phrase comes from the last line of the poem.

Again the poet’s word choice suggests that the narrator regrets that he did not understand the somber but solitary job of a parent.  The speaker apparently now understands what a small “Thank You” might have meant to his father.  The poem has an “If only…” tone; however, the anger in the house may have prevented the child from relating in a positive way to his father.

Why does Scout forget what Atticus told her about fighting in "To Kill a Mockingbird"?

Scout did her very best not to let Atticus down, but once  the sniveling, bratty, spoiled Francis referred to her father as a "nigger-lover", she lost her temper and went after him.  Her uncle whipped her for it, but afterward, when Scout had a chance to tell her side of the story, Uncle Jack was angered and promised to punish Francis immediately.  However, Scout asked him to let it go; it was important to her that Atticus not know that she had let him down by fighting with Francis.  He had warned her that people were going to say ugly things as the trial date approached, and that she was not to fight, no matter how angry she might feel.

What feelings does Jody have and what is his personality and behavior like?

Jody is often fearful of and intimidated by his father. He has a quiet, mild personality and is usually very curious about his surroundings. He is very easy to teach and eager to learn, and he spends a lot of time with the ranchhand, Billy Buck,  on his family's ranch in order to learn the things that he knows.

Jody does appear to have a mean streak in that he oftentimes takes out his aggression on animals nearby; this is not entirely unexpected--after all, he is just a kid and does not always know how to properly vent his feelings.

Jody is also very sensitive. When his horse dies, when Gitano leaves the ranch w/out warning and when he learns how sad his father makes his grandfather, Jody responds with tender concern and passion.

How is euphemism used in "The Great Gatsby"?

Nick uses euphemisms quite a bit in the story because he's had a genteel upbringing.  He tells us on the first page that he's had "advantages" growing up.  That's a euphemism for having had money as he grew up.  A little later, as he's describing where he lives, Nick says he lives on the "less fashionable" of the two landforms known as East Egg and West Egg.  He's being euphemistic rather than saying that he lives on the side of the bay that is where the people with less money than those who live in East Egg have.  Part of Fitzgerald's style is to use long descriptive passages that sometimes employ euphemisms because the euphemisms give more of a feeling of the sophistication and privileged background that Nick and some of the other characters have.  Also that style serves as a contrast to Gatsby who, though he has wealth and has worked hard to smooth some of his rough edges, still has some of those rough edges on him.

Why is Circe an important character in The Odyssey? Why does Odysseus have only one ship at this point in the journey?

Circe is important because she is the one who tells Odysseus where he must go in order to reach home.  Without her help, he would not know how to get home.  She is also important because she is a witch/goddess and Odysseus is able to "defeat" her powers (with the help of the god Hermes).  It shows how blessed he is with the gods' help and it shows the strength of his overall character.  He is the hero of the epic, and this book proves his physical and mental powers.

The reason there is only one ship left is because of the Laestrygonians.  He landed there before he made it to Circe's island.  They were giant cannibals who killed all of Odysseus' men and destroyed their ships except for his own crew and ship.

Explain why communicating cross culturally is important within the business communication spectrum.

Communicating cross culturally is important to business communication for several reasons.  The first reason is that it is a way to clearly broaden a company's reach and effect to another group of people.  This enhances the opportunity to reach into new and emerging markets which can increase profitability, and add a new dimension to company growth.  Communication across cultures is critical to this.  Another reason why it is important to communicate cross culturally is that it allows the business to control its own perception.  When businesses and organizations do not communicate across cultures, one of two things seem to happen.  The first is that the business is largely ignored by a group of people.  This is not good for anyone, as potential consumers lose out on products and services and businesses lose out on potential consumers.  Communicating cross culturally increases competition, and this benefits everyone concerned  The second is that other elements (competitors, media, social groups) might be able to define the business in a way that it chooses.  For example, if Company A and B are in competition with one another, and Company A does not communicate in, for example, Polish, and Company B does, not only can Company B define itself to a new group of customers, but it can also define Company A in a disparaging light because it is not communicating, at all.  Communicating cross culturally avoids this in that it allows companies to control their own sense of selves and their own images.  I suppose the last reason why cross cultural communication is important is that it enhanced the idea of the global marketplace.  Is important for businesses to demonstrate ethnic/ racial tolerance and acceptance, not because it is good for profit, but because it is the responsibility of businesses to advocate shared valued and belief systems.  One of those values is that the global marketplace demands an extension in as many realms as possible, communicating in as many ways as possible, and bringing in as many people as possible.  Cross cultural communication does this.

What is the setting for Of Mice and Men and why is it important?

The setting is Salinas Valley in California during the Great Depression.  Salinas Valley was the home of many large farms during the Depression.  This is important because large farms employed large numbers of workers, often up to hundreds.  Farm workers with no steady employment, known as migrant workers because they traveled to find work, would head to these communities.  George and Lennie are migrant farm workers, and so it is logical that Salinas Valley would be their destination.

The reason that Steinbeck makes them migrant farm workers is because these type of men were perfect highlight the lonliness and alienation created by the Depression.  These men had no home, no place and few belongings to call their own.  They were constantly at the mercy of the farmers, and of the weather - in bad conditions, they could be homeless again in moments.  Besides being homeless, they would quickly be friendless.  It was impossible to develop lasting relationships in this transient lifestyle.

This is why George and Lennie - and later, Candy - dream about getting a home with a little vegetable garden, etc..  They don't want much, they just want to be settled and to have permanancy in their lives.

In "A Separate Peace" what does Finny admit he has been doing all winter? What has been the result? Analyze Finny's behavior.

The passage that you are looking for is a couple pages from the end of chapter 12.  Finny admits, for the first time, that has desparately wanted to be a part of the war.  He had been submitting his application to every single branch of the military, hoping that they would accept him into the war to fight.  Unfortunately, because of his leg, he was rejected everywhere.  He states, "I'll hate it everywhere if I'm not in this war!"  Then, he explains why he had been coming up with the entire "there is no war" scenario that he had been touting all winter.  It was because if he couldn't be in the war, then there just simply couldn't be a war.  It was a form of denial for him; the truth that he couldn't be accepted into the military because of his leg was just too harsh to deal with, so he invented an alternate reality that helped him to cope with it.  He said that

"two seconds after I got a letter...saying 'Yes, you can inlist with us'"

he would have finally dropped the pretense and admitted that there was a war.  This denial is a characteristic of Finny's; when Gene tries to tell him about what happened at the tree, Finny denies that too, and instead comes up with more acceptable versions of what had happened, that suit his world better than the harsh reality that his friend could have done that to him.  Finny shows a tendency to side-step any truth that is hard to deal with; he does this with the war, and with the truth of what Gene did to him.  His nature is to focus on the positive side of life, and of human nature.

I hope that helps; good luck!

What is the Lacanian notion of the Real? What is Julia Kristeva's notion of the abject? Basically in simple explanation, what was Jacques Lacan's...

Lacan's notion of the Real order is deeply informed by the poststructuralist notion of an extra-linguistic order of Das Ding or The Thing, in its unnamability. Lacan sees the psychical world of each individual as constituted with three orders--Real, Symbolic and Imaginary and the three are interrelated in a Borromean knot so that if one ring gets disconnected, the rest will fall apart. While the Symbolic order is the order of language and the Imaginary houses the Ego, the Real is what is excluded from our symbolified reality. Lacan calls it the missing centre of reality. It resists linguilization and lies beyond the Symbolic as a pure and originary loss. Lacan says, the Real is ungraspable, impossible, unknowable and always silent, always in its place.

Kristeva's notion of the Abject combines the psychoanalytical and the sociological. The term is used to refer to the socially oppressed groups like the women, the blacks, the homosexuals. The abject is located beyond the symbolic order, almost into the Real. They are not amenable to language or better put, they are excluded from the socialized language of reason. A possible example can be the mouth in Beckett's play Not I. In kristeva's terms, trying to evoke the voice of the abject can be traumatic and melancholic, as she says in Black Sun. The term germinates as a play on Subject and Object. It breaks the S-O binary and focalizes the object, desolate and exiled. The 'a' of the 'abject' might well come from Lacan's idea of an a-object or the Objet petit-a that is the impossible object-cause of desire.

Compare and contrast Benvolio with Tybalt. What are the differences and similarities among these two characters? I would appreciate it if you...

While their differences seem more obvious, the characters of Benvolio and Tybalt do share some similarities.

As others have mentioned, both Benvolio and Tybalt are cousins to the main characters of the play. As a Montague, Benvolio is Romeo’s cousin, and as a Capulet, Tybalt is Juliet’s cousin. This is an important similarity to consider when looking at their other similarities and differences.

As a Montague and a Capulet, both Benvolio and Tybalt, respectively, tend to be loyal to their family and friends. As I’ll discuss later, even though Benvolio usually tries to keep the peace, he will fight to protect his family’s honor. For example, in Act I, Scene I, Benvolio tries to break up the fighting, but he ends up joining in anyway because Tybalt provokes him. Tybalt says (Act I, Scene I):

What, art thou drawn among these heartless hinds?

Turn thee, Benvolio, look upon they death.

This happens again to Benvolio in Act III, Scene I. While he wasn’t as involved in this deadly fight, he shows his loyalty to the Montagues by being with Mercutio when he dies (one of Romeo’s best friends) and telling Romeo that he needs to go before the Prince finds out that he killed Tybalt.

This willingness to step up and keep the peace or draw his sword demonstrates Benvolio’s loyalty to his family.

Tybalt, too, is loyal to his family, but he demonstrates it through drawing his sword, which will be discussed further.

When I think of the name Benvolio, the word “benevolent” always comes to mind; if someone is described as benevolent, it means that they are well meaning and kind.

We see examples of Benvolio’s benevolent disposition throughout the play. For example, upon discovering the fight in Act I, Scene I, Benvolio pleads the families to stop (Act I, Scene I):

Part, fools!

Put up your swords; you know not what you do.

Just before the deadly fight breaks out, Benvolio attempts to convince Mercutio and Tybalt to take it elsewhere (Act III, Scene I):

We talk here in the public haunt of men:

Either withdraw unto some private place,

And reason coldly of your grievances,

Or else depart; here all eyes gaze on us.

From his benevolent attitude, Benvolio gains a reputation of being trustworthy. In fact, the Montagues seek his side of the story to the fight in Act I, Scene I as well as help with dealing with Romeo’s melodramatic mood. Not only do family members trust Benvolio, but so does the Prince. The Prince trusts Benvolio enough to ask him for clarity regarding the deadly fight in Act III, Scene I. The Prince asks (Act III, Scene I):

Benvolio, who began this bloody fray?

His response shows the true valor of his character. While Romeo is his dear cousin, he still tells the truth.

On the other hand, when I think of the name Tybalt, the word “ill-tempered” always comes to mind; this is someone who is extremely irritable and tends to act upon their emotions.

In the same scene where Benvolio attempted to break up the fight, Tybalt responded, ready to fight (Act I, Scene I):

What, drawn, and talk of peace! I hate the word,

As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee:

Have at thee, coward!

His lack of being able to control his temper is again revealed at the Capulet party where Lord Capulet must scold him to prevent him from fighting Romeo. Lord Capulet even recognizes that Tybalt is “saucy” (Act I, Scene V).

Even though he promised not to start a fight at the party, his temper got the best of him in Act III, Scene I, in which he acted hastily and fought Mercutio as well as Romeo. His hasty actions lead to his death, as Romeo killed him.

What are the themes in the story Tuck Everlasting?

The theme?  There isn't one. There are quite a few themes in the book Tuck Everlasting.  It's actually kind of amazing how many themes are packed into such a short book.  It's only 139 pages long, and in those 139 pages can be found themes on life, death, time, choices, love, and friendship.  

The theme of love is demonstrated in a few ways.  There is a budding romance between Jesse and Winnie for sure, but there are other examples of non-romantic love too.  For example it's clear that the Tuck family loves each other and loves Winnie as one of their own.  It's also obvious that Winnie loves the Tuck family back.  It's why she is willing to help out with the escape near the end of the book.  

Remember that a main plot of the book is whether or not Winnie is going to choose to drink the spring water or not.  It's her choice, but it's not an easy choice, because it forces her to wrestle with very real questions about life and death.  

What were treatments for yellow fever in 1793?

Yellow fever is incurable and can only be prevented via vaccination. In 1793, those who could afford to left the cities to avoid outbreaks. For the unfortunate victims of the disease, treatments included bed rest, efforts to purify the air, and quarantine. Dr. Benjamin Rush recorded his unsuccessful efforts to treat yellow fever, which included:

administering shaved tree bark with wine, brandy, and aromatics such as ginger or cinnamon, as well sweating the fever out by coating a patient's body with a thick salve of herbs and chemicals, and he even tried wrapping the whole body in a blanket of warm vinegar.

What is some information about Garoghlanian family? no

The most amount of information we have about the Garoghlanian tribe is that they come from Armenia and are poor.  We know that they are a family which lacks basic amenities and is not overwhelmingly wealthy.  This is not that different from many immigrant groups who found sanctuary in America at the start of the 20th century. We can see through the descriptions of their lifestyle in the story that they are of limited economic means, but possess a great deal of love and devotion within the home.  They are trying to wrestle with both life in the United States while maintaining some semblance of connection to their homeland. We can presume they come from Armenia primarily because this is the focus of Saroyan, himself as the writer, and Northern California, specifically Fresno, was a major hub of Armenian settlement in the United States.  Whether or not the Garoghlanian tribe actually existed is questionable.  We do know that many tribes or sects of people were wiped out by the Turkish Army in the Armenian Massacre, one of the first genocides of the 20th century.  Millions of Armenians were obliterated, and records were not kept of such atrocities.  There could have been a Garoghlanian tribe amongst the victims.  Rather than conclusively state that they didn't exist, the Turkish Army's actions serve as way to question if this group was murdered.  Such an event could have served as a significant push factor for  emigration to the United States.

Andy starts to talk about Zihuatanejo and tells Red about Peter Stevens. What does this say about life in Shawshank and Andy's attitude?How does...

Zihuatenejo represents a world without bars, without borders, and without confinements.  When Andy starts to talk about this place, he speaks of a world where freedom exists and limitations and constraints are absent.  Andy speaks of a world of freedom and hope, which is the diametric opposite of Shawshank.  Andy's attitude about his time in prison was that, while he was not guilty of murdering his wife, he was guilty of being a bad husband and his realization of this is his reason for his penance in Shawshank.  Unlike Red's belief of how the cruelty of the penal system is that "they give you life and that's exactly what they take from you," Andy believes that his life is not going to be claimed by Shawshank or the Warden.  He believes that while he had to do his time for penance, it is done and he is ready to leave.  His description of Peter Stevens is this world of hope, of promise and possibilities, of freedom.  The fact that Andy has made plans for Mr. Stevens and his new life under such a name only proves that he has seen this time for a while.

Andy is not "an institutional man" like Red is.  When Andy asks Red if he would be interested in working at Zihuatenejo because Andy could use "a man who can get things," Red scoffs and reveals how he, at that moment, is an "institutional man."  At this moment, we can see the difference between the two is the difference between having hope and being devoid of it.  Andy believes in his hope, has made plans to accomplish it, and envisions a world that is replete with it.  Red feels that hope is dangerous because it allows for dreams and with such promise comes inevitable heartbreak and disappointment.  At the moment when Red hears of Andy's articulation of a future, we see that Andy has grown too large for Shawshank, and grown weary of life on the inside.  He never lost his penchant for hope (Perhaps being the reason why he "is the only innocent man at Shawshank.")  By contrast, Red is mired in his situation and has become so accustomed to it that his paralysis of action has become a part of his character.  He cannot conceive of a life outside of the walls of Shawshank, which is why he doesn't understand the full extent about which Andy speaks.