In Chapter 1 of Great Expectations, how does Dickens contrast the convict and Pip?

The contrast between Pip and the convict in Chapter 1 could not be more pronounced.  The author, Dickens, presents Pip as a "small bundle of shivers growing afraid...and beginning to cry", helpless, frightened, and innocent.  The convict, in contrast, is "a fearful man" who "glare(s) and growl(s)"; he is rough, malevolent, and threatening.  When Pip first encounters the convict, the man immediately establishes his physical dominance over the boy, "seiz(ing) (him) by the chin", then turning him upside down to empty his pockets.  Pip first begs the convict not to cut his throat, then helplessly submits as the convict turns him over and tosses him around and about, hoping that "wittles" or perhaps money will be spilled from his pockets.

Dickens portrays the convict as almost bestial, and Pip as a small and helpless prey.  Pip is "undersized, for (his) years, and not strong", and the convict entertains the possiblity of eating his "fat cheeks", and having his "heart and liver out".  The convict holds the power of life and death over the young boy, and emphasizes this fact by taking him "by both arms, and tilt(ing) (him) back as far as he could hold (him)", as his eyes look menacingly down at him.  Pip is "dreadfully frightened", and "giddy" from being thrown around so, and has no choice but to cling to his tormentor "with both hands" to keep from being sick. 

The convict, exercising his advantage, commands Pip to bring him a file and some food in the morning, and threatens him with a gory death if he does not comply.  The convict says,

"you do it...and you shall be let to live.  You fail...and your heart and your liver shall be tore out, roasted and ate" (Chapter 1).

What is the relationship between ogranizational efficiency and effevtiveness?

Efficiency and effectiveness are two very important facets of an organization's performance. Efficiency refers to the quantity of outputs that it can get from a given quantity of resources. Thus mathematically efficiency may be defined as a ratio of output and input. Thus:

Efficiency = Outputs/Inputs

Effectiveness of an organization is defined as the extent to which it achieves its desired objectives.

Frequently, higher efficiency enables an organization to achieve it's objective better. But this is not always so. We will explain this concept by a simple example.

Let us say an organization manufactures and sells pens at price of $1 each. If the company makes 1000 pen per day at cost of $0.8 each, it will earn a profit of $200 per day.This company can improve its profits by reducing the inputs it uses for manufacturing the pen. Thus if company is able to reduce its cost to $0.7 per pen its daily profit will increase to $300 per day. But the company is not able to reduce its cost below $0.7. Therefore to increase its profit further it mus increase its production and sales. But to do this the company will have to spend extra money on marketing and selling activities. By spending $150 extra the company is able to increase its sales to 1500 pens. Thus for achieving a sale of 1500 the cost per pen has again come to $0.8 per pen. That is the efficiency has come down to original level, but the profit continues to be $300. Thus the company is able to improve its profits in two ways. One way is to improve its efficiency that will cut down the cost per pen from $0.8 to $0.7. The other way is to improve its effectiveness that will increase its production and sales to 1500 pens per day, but the cost will remain unchanged at $0.8 per pen.

Let us also consider a third scenario. The company decides to increase its expenses on marketing and sales by $450 instead of $150, and as a result the sales goes up to 3000 pens per day. In this scenario the cost per pen increases to $0.85, bus because of higher sales the total profit goes up to $450 per day. Thus the efficiency of the company has come down but the effectiveness has improved.

In the "Ransom of Red Chief" what do Sam and Bill need the money of the ransom for?

In "The Ransom of Red Chief," Bill and Sam need $2,000.00 more than the $600.00 that they possess in order to start their land scam in Western Illinois.  Of course, the irony of the opening words about the small town of Summit, Alabama, and the ease with which they will pull of the kidnapping job cannot be missed.

We knew that Summit couldn't get after us with anything stronger than constables and, maybe, some lackadaisical bloodhounds and a diatribe or two in the Weekly Farmers' Budget.  So, it looked good.

As it turns out, Sam and Bill lose $250.00 to buy back their freedom from "Red Chief."  Running out of Summit, Sam has trouble keeping up with Bill, even "as fat as he was."--A most amusing tale!

What is the role of the following minor characters who appear in the scaffold scene in chapter 12 of "The Scarlet Letter"?Reverend Wilson Governor...

In Chapter 12 of "The Scarlet Letter," the Reverend Dimmesdale steps up on the scaffold in the cover of dark in this second of three scaffold scenes, a scene which appears in the exact middle of Hawthorne's novel.  Here several characters are gathered together in a powerfully symbolic chapter.  As the Reverend Mr. Wilson passes by, Dimmesdale, almost insanely cries out unwillingly to him.  His shriek is heard by Governor Bellingham and Mistress Hibbins, the governor's sister.  If any of these three people hear Dimmesdale, his impulse to expose himself will be realized and judgments made.

Beyond the shadow of a doubt, this venerable witch-lady had heard Mr. Dimmesdale's outcry, and interpreted it, with its multitudinous echoes and reverberations as the clamor of the fiends and night-bags, with whom he was well known to make excursions into the forest.

His loud laugh alarms even Dimmesdale as Pearl and Hester hear.  These actions occur as the minister's conscious mind tries to reason through his guilt while his subconscious mind reacts.

It is significant that Governor Bellingham and Mistress Hibbins are themselves hypocrites, since the Puritan Bellingham lives in a British splendor from which the Puritans rebelled, and his sister is secretly a participant in the Black Mass in the forest.  So, the suggestion of Dimmesdale's hypocrisy is underscored by the presence of these two personages.  The Reverend Wilson who passes in contrast to Dimmesdale also points to hypocrisy in the Reverend Dimmesdale.

Of course, the symbolism of the A in the sky cannot be missed.  Ironically, the townspeople interpret the letter as meaning "Angel" for the old governor who has died.  Dimmesdale, of course, finds the A a rather small letter.

In part three of "Fahrenheit 451" what does "Burning Bright" stand for, or mean?

There are four or five possible direct correlations between the title of section three, and events that occur in that section.  They are of Montag's house "burning bright" as it is torched, of Beatty "burning bright" as he dies, of Montag's entire city and society "burning bright" as planes destroy it with bombs, and that of the symbolic Phoenix spoken of by Granger "burning bright" once again as their entire way of living is wiped out and burned, making room for him and Montag and their group of outsiders to come in and rebuild it.  Symbolically, Montag's future is "burning bright" as he moves with his new friends to attempt to build a society that won't make the same mistakes as the past one did.

At the beginning of section three, Montag shows up at his house, only to discover that the firemen have been called there--by his own wife--and that it is going to be burned down to the ground.  Beatty has Montag himself torch it; after he is done, "the house fell in red coals and black ash."  His life as he knew it was gone.  Then, when Montag cracks, he burns Beatty also; Beatty becomes a "shrieking blaze" before he dies.  When the city is burned, it goes up in a large fireball, a "flourish of light."  Granger describes how the Phoenix "burnt himself up" only to be born again, new.

Overall, the burning bright is a symbol, a tie to specific instances, where everything that Montag ever knew is completely destroyed, through fire, burning bright as his life is wiped clean.  I hope that those thoughts help!  Good luck!

What happens in Chapter 18 of "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn"?Details, events, and charecters please!!1

Chapter 18 is the famous chapter where Huck enters the world of the Grangerfords, the highly dysfunctional family that he cannot quite comprehend to be so since he was so bedazzled by the personality of Colonel Grangerford. In the outside, this house and family seemed to be a warm and cozy ideal for Huck.  However, as the narration goes you realize that this is a really cracked bunch. First of all, the family treats Grangerford with the deference that you give a Colonel, not with the warmth of a father. There are 4 children in the household, Bob, Tom, Charlotte, Sophia, an Buck who also catch Huck's fancy. 

Through Buck we realize that the family is feuding with another town family, the Sheperdsons, since he tries to shoot one of them with lots of normalcy in his actions.  He tells Buck that the family's feud is so bad the families go to church together carrying rifles.

The household of the Grangerfords include decorations which are tacky and morbid. The daughter Sophia is obviously disturbed in her behavior, and Huck witnesses a final battle between the families which ended in both Grangerfods kids dead.
Sophia runs away with one of the sons of the feuding family, and helps Jim connect with Huck. At this point Huck is totally bummed out about the family and moves on with Jim.

Dolphus Raymond tells Scout,"Your pa is not a run-of-the-mill man." Explain what you think he means by this.Also, give detailed reference to...

Primarily, Mr. Raymond refers to the integrity of Atticus Finch, who despite the "disease of Maycomb," its racial prejudice, accepts the assignment of defending Tom Robinson against the accusations of a white woman.  He does this knowing that he will be personally subjected to ridicule while realizing that his children will be subject to insults and ridicule, as well.

In all his actions, Atticus displays a sterling character.  Even though Mrs. Dubose insults Atticus, calling him a "n-lover," he is a gentleman to her, speaking to her daily.  He makes Jem repay the old woman for cutting her flowers by reading to her after school and on Saturdays.  When, in anger against Miss Caroline, Scout suggests that she could not attend school just as the Ewell children do, rather than disparage the Ewells, Atticus diplomatically explains that the

Ewells were members of an exclusive society made up of Ewells. In certain circumstances the common folk judiciously allowed them certain privileges by the simple method of becoming clean to some of the Ewells' activities.

Then, Atticus explains that Scout is "of the common folk," and "must obey the law."  Then, the wise and judicious Atticus applies this "agreement reached by mutual concessions" to Scout's situation.  He tells her,

'If you'll concede the necessity of going to school, we'll go on reading every night just as we always have.  Is it a bargain?'

That he is judicious with his own family is evidenced after the "disaster" that occurs when Scout's relatives come for Christmas dinner.  When her cousin Francis hurls invectives at her and about Atticus, Scouts retaliates and is spanked by her uncle Jack.  Scout tells her uncle,

'You never stopped to gimme a chance to tell you my side of it--you just lit right into me.  When Jem an' I fuss Atticus doesn't ever just listen to Jem's side of it, er hears mine, too'....

Atticus Finch proves repeatedly that he is a Christian in the true sense of the word, not like the sanctimonious fundamentalists who quote scripture to Miss Maudie outside her house.  He is a model of tolerance and understanding. He charitably tells the children not to bother the Radleys and metaphorically explains that "it is a sin to kill a mockingbird."    When Tom Robinson, one of the "mockingbirds" of the novel is in prison and the angry mob wants to serve their "justice" upon him, Atticus places himself between the mob and Tom's jail cell, insisting that Tom have a fair trial.  Of course, at the actual trial, Atticus does everything that he can to service justice.  The crowd in the balcony realizes this and everyone stands when Atticus leaves the courtroom.

At the end of the novel, the sheriff, Heck Tate, says, "Mister Finch, hold on...Jem never stabbed Bob Ewell."  To this, Atticus replies,

'Heck it's mighty kind of you and I know you're doing it from that good heart of yours, but don't start anything like that.'

Again, with this sense of fairness, Atticus here asks for no favors for his son, believing that Jem has committed a serious act. He tells the sheriff.

'I don't want him growing up with a whisper about him, I don't want anybody saying, 'Jem Finch ...his daddy paid a mint to get him out of that.'  Sooner we get this over with the better....Heck, I can't live one way in town and another way in my home.

Truly, Atticus Finch is a man committed to his principles.

How is Richard III's character developed throughout the play, referring to specific incidents and language?

Review the teacher's prompt - does your teacher want you to explain how Gloucester / Richard III develops as a character, a leader, or to explain how his "character", his personhood, develops? This might help to focus your answer.

First, read about the War of the Roses and the houses of York and Lancaster to get a feel forthe contextof the play.  You will thus begin to understand the importance of succession, precedence, and order that are so valuable to Shakespeare's period.  Roman numerals are used to designate European monarchs because many monarchies and aristocratic lineages were established in a period when Latin was deemed the language of power and influence.  The use of ordinal numbers indicates a description of the monarch in order of succession, in this case, Richard THE THIRD. 

Shakespeare valued order; his use of its opposites, treason, usurpation, homicide and outlawry indicate this. But there are other aspects of Renaissance life that give Gloucester / Richard III his "character."  For one thing, during this period of religious and political upheaval, mainly between Protestants and Catholics, one could not always look to succession, order and precedence as coming from God but instead see legitimacy as arising from the natural gifts that humans themselves could cultivate - namely, reason, logic, strength and personal courage, and mental fortitude.  The value of these traits in the Renaissance can be seen in the advancement of politics, trade, warfare, sea faring, and the arts and sciences.  

There is a dark side to this and Niccolo Machiavelli's book "The Prince" explains how the good Prince (and by good he means the Prince that can extend his rule) must rely on devious means to retain power thus expressing the Renaissance value called "virtu."  Virtu is a play on the idea of Virtue, a moral quality, but instead of being good and honest and humane, the new Prince of "virtu" must be able to do the opposite.  

This is all very relevant to Gloucester / Richard III as a character.  For instance, what does he do to assert himself to gain control of his own fortune rather than leaving it all to chance? Where does he exercise strength, intelligence, prowess and courage, all requisites of a Prince? What above all other things does he want for his people?   But also remember that a successful Prince can't be too hated because that will lead to civil strife. 

The concepts of self - knowledge and self - mastery might form the basis of an examination of the development of Gloucester / Richard III's "character" as a person.  Sophrosyne, balance and their opposite, hubris were employed by Shakespeare. Does Gloucester / Richard III learn about himself in this play?  If you notice a shift in your sense of how he "develops", then you have a paper. 

Start with your three favorite passages from the play - say his wooing of the wife of the man he just had murdered in the first scene - then go to the end of the play and examine his speeches before he dies and his dreams and state of his conscience.  A good rule of thumb is to come up with three very good examples of what you are trying to proove. 

How does "The Nightingale and the Rose" highlight human selfishness?

This seemingly simple story, when examined closely, develops several meaningful themes in regard to human nature, one of them being that of blind selfishness. The student is selfish in that he is totally focused upon himself--his own feelings, his own needs, and his arrogant security in his own education and intellect. As the result of his selfishness, he is both blind and ignorant. When the story begins, he weeps and pities himself, for he lacks a red rose that would bring the girl he loves into his arms. He lingers upon all that is being denied him, suffering with every detail summoned up in his tortured imagination. He wallows in his pain and rails at the injustice of it all. He, after all, deserves better.

Not even the beautiful song of the nightingale can break his obsession with himself. Hearing the lovely music as she sings for him, he takes out his notebook and arrogantly critiques her heartfelt performance.  He is, after all, a well educated student who knows music. In focusing on his own intellect and revelling in it, he is blind to the beauty of the gift she gives him with her song, and he is ignorant of her devotion. The student is selfish and ignorant.

The same obsession with self is found in the girl the student loves. Carrying the red rose created by the blood of the nightingle, he goes to her and is turned away. She refuses him, scoffs at the gift of the rose, and scorns him in a haughty manner. The rose is the wrong color for her dress, she tells him, and it is only a rose. She has been offered jewels. Noting her selfishness, he calls her ungrateful--surely an ironic moment in the story. In response, she rejects him as being "only a student," and one who lacks silver buckles for his shoes. In her selfish concern for appearances and wealth, she turns away someone who loved her.

Many other themes are developed in the story, but through these two characters, the nature of love is examined. Both of them are too selfish to love. As soon as he is rejected, the student throws the rose in the gutter and closes his heart. Only the nightingale understood the meaning of love and loved truly.

How does the poem "Mending Wall" by Robert Frost, relate to the concept of Belonging?Please give examples from the poem, such as quotes, techniques...

From the beginning of the poem we know that the wall between the speaker and the neighbor has somewhat fallen down and needs to be rebuilt.  This wall has two meanings: one is the physical wall, and the second is the emotional wall that the neighbor has built so that he is not emotionally close to the speaker.  The speaker resents that, and that brings up the concept of "belonging."  There is not sense of belonging if there is either a physical OR emotional wall between the two men.  The neighbor says to the speaker

"Good fences make good neighbors."

He doesn't need or want friendship with the speaker, and that angers the speaker.  He views him differently after hearing those words 'Good fences make good neighbors.' He sees him as a savage.

"like an old-stone savage armed.
He moves in darkness as it seems to me"

There is no friendship if there is a wall.  Neither man can belong with or to the other man if the wall remains (the emotional wall in this case).

How does the clown harass Malvolio as Sir Topas in act 4 scene 2?

In Act 4 sc.2, Maria asks Feste, the clown, to wear a priestly gown & a beard to meet the steward, Malvolio, confined in a dark chamber, impersonating himself as the curate, Sir Topas. Maria, who masterminded the gulling of Malvolio, wants to make the business more delicious. The clown then accompany Sir Toby & Maria to the dark chamber in which Malvolio is confined. The clown uses his gift of voice-modulation to speak as the curate from outside:'What, ho, I say! peace in this prison!' Malvolio responds from within as Feste calls himself Sir Topas, having come to visit 'Malvolio the lunatic'. As Malvolio desparately asks the curate to bring the matter to Lady Olivia's notice, Feste makes a fool of him by calling him names--'hyperbolical fiend', 'dishonest Satan' and the like. Pretending to be the curate, the clown goes on irritating & remonstrating Malvolio, teasingly forcing upon him the impression that he has gone mad and, what is worse, he is possessed by some evil spirit. When Malvolio complaints that the house is dark as hell, the clown dismisses the idea jokingly:'Why, it hath bay-windows transparent as barricadoes, and the clear-stories toward the south-north are as lustrous as ebony; and yet complainest thou of obstruction?' He further tells Malvolio that his sense of being imprisoned in darkness is due to his ignorance, and he is more confused than 'the Egyptians in their fog'. The clown enjoying the opportunity of being mistaken for a learned clergyman, further harasses the much-befooled steward with a reference to Pythagoras and his famous theory of transmigration of souls:

Clown:What is the opinion of Pythagoras concerning

wildfowl?

Malvolio:That the soul of our grandam might haply

inhabit a bird.

Clown:What thinkest thou of his opinion?

Malvolio:I think nobly of the soul, and no way

approve his opinion.

Clown:Fare thee well.Remain thou still in darkness:

thou shalt hold the opinion of Pythagoras ere

I will of thy wits.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of the deconstruction approach?

Deconstruction is one of many methods for reading and interpreting literature. It is a theory developed by the philosopher Jacques Derrida.

The advantage of deconstruction is that the reader is encouraged to question traditional assumptions and prejudices. For example, there are many assumptions regarding binary oppositions. Many of our thoughts and opinions are fixed in these binary oppositions, such as man/woman, white/black, west/east, good/evil, etc. In these binary oppositions, the first in the pair, man, white, etc., is considered to be the norm and therefore superior, while the second, woman, black, etc., is considered deviant and inferior. We tend to think that these oppositions are definite and fixed, whereas in reality they are often blurred and are in fact artificial. The power of ideology is that it puts forward ideas as natural and factual, but deconstruction helps us to see that they are not natural at all.

A disadvantage of deconstruction might be the argument that it makes truth or knowledge impossible because everything can be deconstructed. So, truth and knowledge are only relative and often subjective. For example, a literary text will have a different meaning to each individual reader; it will have no absolute or fixed meaning. However, it is debatable whether this is a disadvantage or not.

What is the literary term for M. Waldman and the effect that his lecture and guidance have on Victor (in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein)?

M. Waldman, a professor at Ingolstadt where Victor attends college in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, would typically be considered a flat and/or static character. In the sense that Waldman fails to change or be defined with great detail, he acts as a static and flat character. This said, the impact he has upon Victor proves to be far more important than a simple static character.

 Although readers are not told much about Waldman himself, they are allowed to infer about the great impact he has on Victor and his desire to re-animate life. In fact, in chapter three, Victor enlightens readers about the true impact Waldman has upon him and his studies: “Such were the professor's words—rather let me say such the words of the fate, enouncedto destroy me.” The professor had been speaking about the power of the philosophers and their ability to perform miracles.

 Therefore, Waldman does not only serve as a secondary character in the novel. He, instead, serves as a literary catalyst to Victor’s actions. Without the “pep talk” given by Waldman, Victor may have never ended up on the path which insured his own destruction.

What is the significance of the title, The Bluest Eye?

The title refers to the desire of the central character, an African American girl named Pecola Breedlove, to have the bluest eyes in the world. Of course blue eyes commonly occur in Caucasians rather than people of African descent, and many examples are given in the novel of the African American characters admiring physical characteristics associated with Caucasians. These include the Shirley Temple cup (with white skin and blue eyes) owned by one of her friends (Pecola is scolded for drinking so much milk at their house--in truth she just wants to use the cup), the white, blonde dolls given to the girls, and the favoritism (even among children on the playground) granted to a light-skinned African American girl named Maureen while Pecola is constantly told she is ugly because she has dark skin (essentially because she looks African rather than European).

The very unhappy life of Pecola (her father is an alcoholic who eventually rapes her) is contrasted with the happy lives of white characters in the movies (her mother Pauline idolizes Jean Harlow) and in children's books. Eventually she becomes mad as the only way to escape from this world. But it is not only Pecola's particular misfortunes which doom her; she also subscribes to the false values of her community which make her unable to value herself and her own individual characteristics. She wishes to have blue eyes to see her world in a new light, a wish which cannot literally be granted, and she is unable to accomplish the necessary mental adjustments to see the world differently (granted she is a child and is adopting the values of her community).

But Pecola's acceptance of the community's standards of beauty is contrasted with that of Claudia, the novel's narrator, who dislikes Shirley Temple and dismantles a white doll she is given for Christmas.

What is a summary for the short story "The Monkey's Paw" by W.W. Jacobs?

The story begins on a dark and stormy night, foreshadowing the events to come. Mr. White and his son Herbert are playing a game of chess. Mrs. White is knitting by the fire. Mr. White loses the game and becomes frustrated. All in all, a nice vision of a family enjoying each other's company on an eerie night. Suddenly, there is a knock at the door and the Sergeant-Major enters. They share a few drinks and the Sergeant-Major tells them some tales about his trips to India, where he obtained a monkey's paw. He claims the paw is magical, allowing three men three wishes each. He tells them that the first man's final wish was for death, adding to the overall creepy atmosphere of the story. The Sergeant-Major was the next to receive the paw, and he has used up his three wishes. He tosses the paw into the fire, but Mr. White snatches it out and keeps it for himself. The Sergeant-Major tells them that a fakir has put a spell on the paw "to show that fate ruled people's lives." Those who tamper with fate "did so to their sorrow." But the Whites are skeptical, and Herbert coaxes his father to wish for something modest, like 200 pounds. His father does so, while Herbert plays dramatic chords on the piano in accompaniment. They all go to bed for the night.

The next morning, they find their wish came true, but not in the manner they had hoped.

List words which refer to the sea.

There are so many word referring to the sea in this poem.  Let's look verse by verse.   

The first is the word "sea" itself in the first line.  In the second line, we have the word "tide," which must refer to the sea, since, to the best of my knowledge, lakes do not have tides.  In the third line, we have the word "strait" and the word "coast."  A strait is a narrow passage that connects two large bodies of water, and there is an  inference here that these are seas, rather than lakes, because of the rest of the poem.  We cannot really have a coast unless we have land on a body of water, so this word, too, really involves the sea.  Moving along in the poem, in line 5 we have the word "bay," which we need a sea to have, and in lines 7 and 8 there is:

...the long line of spray
Where the sea meets the moon-blanched land

The word spray refers to the water spraying when the waves hit the beach, and then there is the word "sea" again.  Later, in lines 9 and 10, there is:

...the grating roar
Of pebbles which the waves draw back

Have you ever heard this roar on a beach?  While waves could refer to a lake, we know we are at the sea in this poem. 

In the second verse, in line 16, there is a reference to the Aegean, which is a sea.  In line 19, the poet uses the words "ebb" and "flow."  He is using these words to describe human emotions, but these are words about the movement of the sea.  And in line 22, we see the word "sea." 

In the third verse, there is only one reference to the sea, in line 23.  That links together the literal sea that is the setting of the poem and the poem's larger ideas. 

Is Mugo a hero in A Grain of Wheat? Can we consider Mugo a hero for having the courage to confess his betrayal to Kihika and to the mau mau...

Although for most of the novel we are lead to believe that Mugo is a hero, his actions at the end cause readers to question this idea.

Throughout the majority of the novel we see the honorable, noble acts of Mugo: his hunger strike in the British concentration camp, his defense of the pregnant woman being beaten to death. But, wee learn near the end of A Grain of Wheatthat it was, in fact, Mugo who betrayed Kihika and not Karanja. As it turns out this has been the dark secret that Mugo has been harboring for the entire duration of the novel. Mugo was able to save himself from the concentration camp by revealing Kihika as the murderer of District Officer Robson.

Ngugi leaves us to question the exact nature of Mugo's character. His admission at the end certainly helps us to see him in a positive light, but ultimately each reader must make up his or her own mind.

What role does abandonment play in The Glass Menagerie? what are three examples on how they are important to the overall meaning of the play

The first bout of abandonment one knows about in the play is Amanda's husband leaving the family way back and crippling apparently her common sense, the security of the family, and the self-esteem of Laura from what one can gather.

Second, it almost seems as if both Tom and Laura have an issue with abandoning goals, plans, opportunities. Laura left her typing courses due to what one would call social anxiety, and Tom basically has abandoned his responsibilities at work and as a family member in search of a dream that he cannot even concretize.

In the end, Tom does end up leaving the family, and the entrapment he feels from his mother who is overbearing and still lives in her own past world. Leaving the house means abandoning Laura as well. In the same Act, Jim, Laura's life-long fantasy reveals that he is engaged to marry, thus there is another abandonment that Laura feels inside, this time from one of her fantasies. When Tom leaves in the end, Laura blows out a candle as if the uncertainty of each character will not be cleared nor enlightened by any other cues.

How could I describe Mr. & Mrs. Mallard's marriage?

In Desiree's Baby, the couple is Mr. & Mrs. Aubigny, Armond and Desiree, Mr. & Mrs. Mallard are from Kate Chopin's "The Story of an Hour."

For the Aubignys, I would agree that he loved her in the beginning and then betrayed her, rejected her because of a belief that he held that she has African ancestry, as exhibited by the child they had together who appears to have 1/4 African ancestry.

It is a case of altered perception, as if Armond, loved the idea of Desiree, not the real woman, because Desiree, after the child is born and displays 1/4 African ancestry, is the same loving, kind woman, Armond cannot accept his wife because he feels that he has been cheated, even though he knew that Desiree's heritage was unknown.

Armond is revealed to be a racist, a liar, a man of no morals.  He feels superior to Desiree, after the child is born, feeling as if he should be able to return this damaged possession.  Armond views everything in his life as possessions, his wife, his child, he does not really love anyone but himself.

Armond, who marries Desiree with the acceptance of her unknown heritage, claiming that he did not care about the fact that she did not know her real parents, that he, in fact, would give her a new name, apparently was a lie.  He did not really love Desiree, he turns out to be a fraud.

Also Desiree, a mother, really loves her child, as her mother, adopted mother, really loves her, Armond, the man that Desiree was so thrilled to marry and from whom she craved acceptance, rejects her because he believes that she has African ancestry, so like so many marriages, Armond finds out something about his wife after the fact, that alters his perception of her, therefore, he rejects her completely.

Desiree is so insecure about her unknown heritage, having the rug pulled out from under her with the birth of the child and his African ancestry, she feels so responsible for this, and her love for Armond is so great, she feels such shame about her heritage that she doesn't just walk away, she wants to wipe out her existence so that Armond won't have to see her or deal with the child.

She can't bear the thought of her son being rejected by his father, so she walks into the swamp committing both murder and suicide to relieve Armond of the terrible burden that she has placed upon his life.

Armond is the real fraud, it is interesting that everything he accuses Desiree of, he is guilty of, it is he who has contributed the African ancestry, not Desiree.

In "The Reader" what do Hanna and Michael's deception/self-deception reveal about society?

Hanna's deception in regards to her illiteracy--which is the main deception that she fronted--reveals society's lack of tolerance and acceptance of lesser educated people.  To not be able to read in a society where books, education, and access to learning is so available, free, and normal, is an odd thing indeed.  In Germany at this time, Hanna probably felt how many Germans valued education and intelligence as one of the most telling indicators of success and normal living.  It was just assumed that one knew how to read, and if one didn't, one was judged as an idiot, a rural bumpkin who was ignorant and not worth spending time with.  The illiterate were a lower class of people that others snubbed and looked down upon.  For this reason, Hanna, living in the city where most people judged and ridiculed ignorance, kept her illiteracy a secret.  Her shame revealed just how prejudiced and judgmental people were towards the "lower class uneducated."

Michael's deception in regards to not admitting he knew Hanna DURING their affair reveals that he understood a society that did not accept young boys having an affair with an older woman.  That is pretty typical in most societies; he was afraid that if someone found out, they would end the affair and possibly get Hanna in trouble.  So, their society was intolerant of the nature of their relationship.  It also revealed a microcosm of society where the children felt alienated and disconnected from their parents; Michael was not comfortable telling his parents anything, and that was probably pretty common.  His deception during and after the trial in regards to not admitting that he knew Hanna reflected Germany's post-war guilt that was associated with knowing what the Nazis had done, and feeling ashamed about it.  Many Germans turned a blind eye to the Nazi's extermination of the Jews, and once all of the horrors were revealed, were ashamed not only of their country, but of themselves.  Michael realized at that point just how involved Hanna had become, and his rejection of her is a symbol for how many Germans rejected and were ashamed of their own blindness in regards to the atrocities that were committed.  Michael's deception revealed an entire attitude of shame, rejection, and confusion that was associated with thousands of Germans after WWII.

I hope that those thoughts help; good luck!

How is Macbeth relevant to us today/modern time /things reflected in Macbeth? and how can we make a 2009 modern adaption of Macbeth?

The theme of "power corrupts" is relevant in Macbeth as well as modern society.  Politicians from all walks of life and all narratives struggle with the same theme that MacBeth did.  In a recent group discussion, someone noted that the current case of Patti and Rod Blagojevich of Illinois carries some elements of Macbeth in terms of the coveting of power.  This is also seen in the acts of leaders who act against public interest for personal gain.  In American History, the actions of Richard Nixon and his desire to want to solidify power at all costs is reminiscent of Macbeth ideas.  Certainly, we can see smaller examples of people whose ambition knows no boundaries and seek to appropriate more and more in accordance to their own subjectivity.  In the attempt to refrain from excessive moralizing, I will only suggest that you examine situations of people seeking to exercise their own personal ambition with little regard for anything else.  In a modern adaptation of Macbeth, I think there is a Hollywood version that is being made.  In making a modern version, I think that there would be an equal emphasis on a character who seeks money and power, as both are critical elements in feeding a vision of desire.  In the play, the character sought only power, but I think the modern version would have to have the financial element present, in addition to the power component.

What is the effect of the man on the straits?

The sea is calm to-night.
The tide is full, the moon lies fair
Upon the straits; -on the French coast the light
Gleams and is gone; the cliffs of England stand,
Glimmering and vast, out in the tranquil bay.
Come to the window, sweet is the night-air!

The "straits" are the narrow channel between England and France, at Dover Beach in the southeast of England.  This is where the poet, presumably from the window of a house or inn overlooking the sea, is looking out towards the beach at night.  This is not a tropical or sandy beach; it is rocky, and the moonlight is reflecting off the famous white cliffs of Dover.  While the straits are an enchanting image, it is the beach itself which is important.  Possibly the dimly-seen shore of France could represent the desires of humanity for the divine; but this seems a bit of a stretch. 

So the "straits" themselves, which is simply the narrow channel, is not what is important to the poet.  It is the view of the beach, and, specifically, the movement of the waves on the beach, which has larger significance to him.

The poet goes on to show how Sophocles had found the futility in human life expressed in the constant motion of waves hitting a beach.  This is a desolate "rasping" sound, and does not evoke the sometimes calming or meditative emotions that the motion of waves on a beach create for many people today.  Arnold hears the sound and thinks of the futility of the motion, and its age-old pattern of individual waves breaking, and having their death (like every human being since the beginning of time) on the rocky beach.  Each wave is slightly different than the other, and has a slightly different effect on the pebbles of the beach, but every wave, like every human life, is ephemeral, and any effect it has is quickly obliterated by the wave that follows it.

This existential crisis is coupled with another ocean metaphor; that of the Sea of Faith (line 21) which

Was once, too, at the full, and round earth's shore
Lay like the folds of a bright girdle furl'd.
But now I only hear
Its melancholy, long, withdrawing roar,
Retreating, to the breath
Of the night-wind, down the vast edges drear
And naked shingles of the world.

Arnold is further depressed by the thought that not only is human life like an ephemeral and death-bound wave, but the Sea of Faith, which once girt the world with its comforting influence, is receding from humanity at an alarming rate.  This means, to Arnold, that not only is the brevity and fragility of human life frightening and distressing, but humanity no longer has the comfort of faith in God anymore to assuage it.  This is how Arnold comes to the humanist idea of creating meaning in human life by focusing on human love:

Ah, love, let us be true
To one another! for the world, which seems
To lie before us like a land of dreams,
So various, so beautiful, so new,
Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light,
Nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain;
And we are here as on a darkling plain
Swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight,
Where ignorant armies clash by night.

While the image of the meaningless waves crashing on the beach has reduced the poet's vision of his own, and others', lives to a futile brief struggle, he clings to the idea that only true human love and faithfulness can give meaning to human life.  The effect of each life is essentially nothing, and there is no God to cling to any longer (he says), so we must find our meaning in each other. 

Can anyone rephrase this assignment so that I can better understand it?Write a 3-5 page critical analysis paper focusing on cultural stereotypes in...

"You will choose a cultural group" seems to imply that you must write on only one group (a=one).  So, perhaps you may wish to examine how the media in America has portrayed one group at different times in history.  For example, Russians were depicted as brutish and backward in culture.  When the Hotel de Paris opened in Monte Carlo at the turn of the 20th century, the Czar rode his horse into the hotel!  Then, during the Cold War,the Russians were stereotyped as the babushka-wearing heavy women who seem simple and ignorant and the men cride, heavy vodka drinkers.  This image has been shattered in recent times by the beautiful models who have come from Russia as well as some of the professional tennis players. 

Also, anyone who has lived during this time period remembers the crude Nikita Khrushev who took off his shoe and pounded it upon the table at which he sat at a conference during the era of John F. Kennedy.  Nowadays, the Russians are typed as the brutal crime organization that is in the Easter part of the U.S.  These images have been preserved in political cartoons throughout the years.  If you search for political cartoons, you will easily find the stereotypeds that you seek.  Many of these can be found in the archives of large city newspapers and news magazines such as Time and Newsweek. Also, during the Cold War, movies were made about the communists, and recently there have been movies involving the Russian mafia in the plot.

What evidence supports the fact that Hamlet actually thinks too much and thus causes the tragic ending of Hamlet?

Hamlet "thinking too much" certainly supports my theory of Hamlet's tragic flaw being inaction!  There are many examples of times when Hamlet over-thinks a situation.  For instance, early on in the play, Hamlet is brooding over his mother's new marriage to his uncle (claiming it incestuous) often right in front of their faces:

A little more than kin, and less than kind! . . . O God, a beast that wants discourse of reason / Would have mourned longer--married with my uncle, / My father's brother, but no more like my father / Than I to Hercules.  Within a month, / Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears / Had left the flushing in her galled eyes, / She married.  (1.2.65,150-156)

Also early on in the play, Hamlet, realizing that Claudius is trying to find out why Hamlet is acting strange, decides to "put an antic disposition on" to confuse his uncle (1.5.172).  This certainly exacerbates the situation and, some say, leads to Hamlet's true insanity.

Next, there is the famous scene in the church where Claudius is praying and Hamlet over-thinks his revenge so much that he doesn't go through with it:

Now might I do it pat, now 'a is a-praying, / And now I'll do't.   And so 'a goes to heaven, / And so am I revenged.  That would be scanned. / A villain kills my father, and for that / I, his sole son, do this same villain send to heaven. . . . No.  (3.3.73-78,87)

Finally, Hamlet's famous monologue (where he basically contemplates suicide and rationalizes why he is unable to avenge his father's death) is probably the most famous instance of over-thinking this world has ever known:

To be, or not to be:  that is the question: / Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer / The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, / Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, / And by opposing end them.  To die, to sleep--/ No more-- . . . Thus conscience does make cowards of us all. (3.1.56-61,83)

Of course, all of these things indirectly cause the tragic ending of Hamlet.  If Hamlet hadn't obsessed over his mother's new marriage, the play would have ended before it began.  If Hamlet hadn't pretended to act crazy, he wouldn't have become crazy in reality.  If Hamlet had killed Claudius in church, the finale would have been in Act 3.  If Hamlet had killed himself when he was contemplating suicide, there would have been no Hamlet to participate in the rest of the play.  Each instance has the same result:  no final fencing match, . . . and no bloodbath.  But then again, what fun would that be?!?

In To Kill a Mockingbird, what reason does Walter give Atticus for not being able to pass first grade?At the Finch's for lunch, what reason does...

Walter Cunningham tells Atticus that he has not been able to pass first grade yet because he has "had to stay out ever' spring an' help Papa with the choppin'".  Walter thinks that things will be better this year, however, because "there's another'n at the house now that's field size" (Chapter 3).

The Cunninghams are poor but extremely hard-working, and very proud.  As Scout explains to their new teacher, Miss Caroline, Walter never brings a lunch to school because there is not enough food at home to go around, and he cannot buy lunch because "he (has) probably never seen three quarters together at the same time in his life".  Still, the Cunningham children are brought up with a fierce sense of dignity; "they don't have much, but they get along on it" (Chapter 2).  The Cunninghams' sense of stubborn independence results in the reality that, in order to make ends meet as best they can, the children must help their father with the crops at a young age, at the expense of their own interests and education.  The task of "choppin'", which must be done in the spring, has fallen upon the shoulders of young Walter for the past few years, as he is apparently the only child big enough to be able to do the job.  As a result, Walter has had to miss much of the spring term at school, and has as yet been unable to pass first grade.  This year, for the first time, the Cunningham child who comes after Walter in age is big enough to take his place working the fields with their father.  Knowing this, Walter is hopeful that this time, he will be able to complete a full year of school and be passed on to the next grade level (Chapter 3).

Why was the narrator back at Pency at 2:30 instead of around dinnertime in Chapter 1 of Catcher in the Rye?

The narrator, Holden Caufield, is back at Pency at two-thirty instead of at around dinnertime as had been planned because the fencing match which he was supposed to be attending could not be played that day.  Holden is the manager of the team, a "very big deal", and as manager he had failed in a very important duty.  He is in charge of the equipment for the team, but he had forgotten "all the foils and equipment and stuff" on the subway on the way to their destination.  Because of his error, the fencing team had been unable to have its meet with McBurney School in New York.  Needless to say, the whole team was angry at Holden for his inefficiency, and "ostracized (him) the whole way back on the train".

Throught this incident, the reader is given an insight into Holden's personality in the very first chapter.  Holden has a hard time taking responsibility for the things he does, and this incident is no exception.  He says that his failure to make sure the fencing equipment made its way to McBurney School is not all his fault.  He uses the excuse that he had to keep gettin up from his seat on the subway to refer to a map so that they would all know where to get off.  Holden blames his blunder on this distraction, taking the full responsibility for the fiasco off of his own shoulders, at least in his own mind (Chapter 1).

In "To Kill a Mockingbird" why did Jem and Scout not leave the school until almost everyone else had gone?

The passage that you are looking for can be found a couple pages into chapter 28.  It is after the pageant, and Scout is mortified that she had fallen asleep and missed her cue to come on stage.  She was dressed as a ham, and was supposed to come on stage when Mrs. Merriweather called out "Po-ork!" but since she was asleep, Scout missed that cue, and instead came on at the very end, running to make up for lost time.  Everyone in the audience laughed, and laughed.  They were just entertained at her tardy entrance, and probably thought it was cute, but Scout was horribly embarrassed.  She was so embarrassed that she wanted to wait until everyone left so that she didn't have to face anyone in her shame.  The book states,

"not even Jem could make me go through that crowd, and he consented to wait backstage with me until the audience left."

So, they just hung out backstage so that Scout didn't have to face anyone in her embarrassed state.  She didn't want anyone making comments or poking fun at her.  Someone even offered them a ride, and Jem declined, respecting Scout's wishes.  So, they set off for home, in the complete dark, after everyone else has left, which means that as they do walk home, there isn't anyone around to hear what is going to happen next.

I hope that helps a bit; good luck!

How does meiosis promote varying traits in organisms?

Another aspect to consider is that once chromosomes pair off, some genes are more dominant than others. For this reason, a particular trait might not show up on the phenotype (physical appearance or trait showing up on a child born) but be carried latently, only to show up again in a following generation (when not "outdone" by a dominant gene). This latent or invisible genetic code is called the genotype.

Sometimes (eye colour being an example) there is not an arbitrary "all or none" principle at work but a sharing of the two traits going on. For this reason, a blue-eyed (recessive gene) man and a brown-eyed (dominant gene) woman may have a hazel or green-eyed child.

Other traits are known to be sex-related or sex-linked. For example, baldness is usually a masculine trait but is inherited by the phenotype's mother. Other traits more prevalent in (but not always so) the male sex are colour-blindness, haemophilia, and even dyslexia. This is because the X chromosome (carried by the female)is physically more "complete" than the Y(carried by the male).

We have the points A(2,-1),B(-1,1),C(1,3). Find the coordinates of D point, knowing that ABCD parallelogram.

ABCD is a parallelogram. The coordinates of D is not known. Let us find it.

Since in the parallelogram AB||CD, slope of AB=slope of DC.

Slope of AB=(BY2-Ay1)/(Bx2-Ax1)=(1-(-1))/(-1-2)=2/(-3)

Slope of DC = (y-3)/(x-1) . Equating the two slopes we get(y-3/(x-1) =-2/3=>y-3=(-2/3)(x-1)--------(1)

Similarly, equating the slopes of the other two parallel sidesAD and BC we get  (y+1)/(x-2)=(3-1)/(1+1)=>y+1=(x-2)---(2)

From the equations (1) and (2) , by subraction:

-4=(-2/3-1)x+2/3+2=>  (5/3)x=6+2/3=20/3=>

x=20/5=4. Substituting in (2) , y+1=4-2=2 or y=1

Therefore, the coordinates of D is(4,1).

Check:

You can verify whether AB=DC and AD=BC:

AB^2=(-2-1)^2+(1+1)^2=13, CD^2=(4-1)^2+(1-2)^2=13.cheks OK.Check yourself the other two sides.

Why does Mrs. Johnson visit the Youngers in A Raisin in the Sun?

Part of the reason behind Mrs. Johnson's visit to the Youngers is out of plain nosiness and a sense of intrusion.  She is jealous of the aspirations of the Younger family and displays a certain sense of resentment towards them.  She raises the fears of the Youngers in telling them about the hate crimes that have been committed in Clybourne Park, the neighborhood to which the Youngers are moving.  Her presence in the play is meant to display another set of obstacles that the Youngers face.  Indeed, they are beset by the challenges of race and class.  Through Mrs. Johnson, they are also challenged by some of the members of their community, who privately covet the opportunity for success that is presented to the Youngers.

How does Tennesee Wiliams gradually reveal Tom's character by things he says or does or by how other characters relate to him.(Three specific scenes)

That Tom is dominated by his mother is obvious in the Scene 1 of "The Glass Menagerie."  It opens with his mother calling him to dinner, "We can't say grace until you come." Having come to the table, Tom is then criticized by Amanda for his eating habits.  Tom responds to all this criticism,

I haven't enjoyed one bit of this dinner because of your constant directions on how to eat it.  It's you that makes me rush through meals with your hawk-like attention to every bite I take."

There is obvious tension between him and his mother.  This tension increases in Scene 3 as before the stage is lighted, "the violent voices of TOM and AMANDA are heard."  When Tom curses, Amanda become very offended and calls Tom an "idiot."  He tells Amanda that he has nothing "in my life here that I can call my own!"  Amanda has taken a novel by D.H.Lawrence that Tom has been reading back to the library because she is offend by its contents.  Irate at her actions, Tom says that he is going out.  Amanda insists that he will listen to her.  Tom returns and tells her that he, too, is at the end of his patience.  He has been doing what she wants him to do.  Revealing that he is unhappy at his job, he tells his mother,

I'd rather somebody picked up a crowbar and battered out my brains--than go back mornings! I go. Every time you come in yelling that God damn ' Rise and Shine!' I say to myself, 'How lucky dead people are!'....Why listen, if self is what I thought of, Mother, I'd be where he is--GONE! [He points to his father's picture.]

In Scene 4, the tension between Tom and his mother increases after he stays out late.  The next morning his mother will not speak to him.  In the stage directions,

TOM glances sheepishly but sullenly at her averted figure and slumps at the table.

When Tom apologizes to his mother, she justifies her overbearing behavior because she has

had to put up a solitary battle all these years.  But you're my right-hand bower!  Don't fall down, don't fail!

Tom gently tells her that he does try. Amanda then tells Tom that Laura has cried and said that her brother is not happy in the apartment with them.  She urges him not to take after his father's ways.  Tom replies that he has much that he cannot "describe" to her, but he loves adventure and so he goes to the movies because he cannot get any excitement at the warehouse.  When Amanda resumes her querulous attitude toward him,Tom retaliates,

Man is by instinct a lover, a hunter, a fighter, and none of those instincts are given much play at the warehouse!

Amanda mentions that she has seen his letter from the Merchant Marine; she warns him against what he is dreaming of:  "But until that time you've got to look out for your sister."

Tom asks "What can I do about it?" and Amanda tells him to "overcome selfishness."  Tom gets up, grabs his coat, and says, "I'm too late to--"  However, when Amanda insists that Tom find a man at the warehouse who can call for his sister, Tom calls back, "YES!" as he leaves again.

Although Tom appears to be caring about his sister, the responsibilities of being the only man of the household and the dismal job he has are too much for him; he simply wants out of his confining situation. 

I need the character sketch of "The Duke" in the poem "My Last Duchess" by Robert Browning

The Duke is used to being catered to and almost worshipped  for who he is and for his very old and respected family name. He speaks to the Count's representative in an authoratative, almost condescending tone, and hints that he will not tolerate anyone who does not treat him with the respect he feels he deserves. He speaks of the look on his last duchess' face:

Sir, 'twas not
Her husband's presence only, called that spot Of joy into the Duchess' cheek; ...She had
A heart—how shall I say?—too soon made glad, Too easily impressed: she liked whate'er She looked on, and her looks went everywhere.

This quote indicates that he perhaps thought she was cheating on him, or that she found joy in many things--simple things in life--which didn't deserve the same joyful look she gave him.  He demands to be treated in a special way.

Somehow—I know not how—as if she ranked
My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name
With anybody's gift. Who'd stoop to blame
This sort of trifling? Even had you skill
In speech—(which I have not)—to make your will Quite clear to such an one, and say, "Just this Or that in you disgusts me; here you miss, Or there exceed the mark"—and if she let Herself be lessoned so, nor plainly set
Her wits to yours, forsooth, and made excuse, —E'en then would be some stooping; and I choose Never to stoop.

He can not understand how she treated everyone as she treated him...her husband with an old and respected family name.  How could she be so dense?  He says, "Of course, I could have taught her; told her how she offended me, but that would be stooping beneath my stature."  The Duke expects others to know how he expects to be treated, and he doesn't care enough about them to correct mistakes or direct them so that they could behave more to his liking.  He just..."stops smiles altogether." 

Notice Neptune, though,
Taming a sea-horse, thought a rarity,
Which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me!

The last lines in the poem follow his intent to marry the Count's fair daughter.  All of this poem and the discussion of his last duchess' mistakes are fair warning for the next duchess--she had better act accordingly or her smiles will be stopped altogether, also.  The Duke is an unforgiving, intolerant, and belligerent man.  He bullies others into doing his bidding.  He treats people as objects to own and admire (this is why he mentions the rare statue of Neptune cast in bronze just for him by Claus of Innsbruck)--remember that his last duchess is behind the curtain, standing "as if alive" (he had her murdered?), only for his eyes to see. He shows it to the Count's representative to open the conversation about the next duchess and his expectations for her. 

If you were the Count's representative, would you recommend allowing the girl to become the Duke's next Duchess?  Why or why not?

What are the trifles that the men ignore and the two women notice, and why does this happen?

Some of the "trifles" that the men miss are the arrangement of things in the kitchen, such as the breadbasket.  The emptiness of the bird cage is another "small" thing that the men in the play, the detectives, actually discard.  The cross stitching pattern that was disjointed and crooked, reflecting a sense of fear and a broken notion of attention span, was something that was dismissed.  Additionally, the sewing box, and not paying attention to it, was a minor detail that the men discarded.  These are but a few.  The largest "dismissive trifle" is, of course, the women's conversation.  The men see the women's discussion as gossip, or idle chatter.  They feel that the women's discussion of small or "trivial" matters could in no way lead to a discovery about the murder.  Part of this is myopic vision as both men and detectives.  As men, they feel that women focus on small and mindless matters, contributing to a traditionally narrow focus of women.  This is myopia that also reflects a sense of blindness as detectives.  The women talk about the crime!  They discuss the relationship between the husband and wife, the friction, the problems with both of them and the circumstances that might have led to the murder.  The women also talk about the murder itself, and retrace the steps of how the murder could have happened.  They do this through conversation and discussion.  This is what detectives are supposed to do:  Re-imagine the crime scene and hypothesize as to what could have transpired.  The women do this through conversation and discussion and in doing so, their "trifles" result in a greater detective analysis than the supposed male experts.

What is a critical analysis on the poem, "To His Love", by William Shakespeare?

The surface meaning of the poem is about a person, presumably a man, who is in love with this other person, presumably a girl.  Obviously, the speaker has strong feelings towards the subject of the poem.  The speaker compares the subject of the poem to the natural conditions of weather and then a brief comparison to death.  However, the speaker believes that the subject of the poem is more beautiful, more consistent, and more radiantly powerful than either.  The symbolic meaning/ theme of the poem reflects a deep love the speaker has for the subject, almost to say that it is the type of affection that transcends natural conditions such as meteorology or death.  It is the type of true love and reverence that anyone who "can breath" or "can see" would understand.  The poet employs several devices to assist in evoking this devotion.  The first would be his use of the metaphor in comparing the subject of the poem to weather.  The opening line heralds in this link: "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?"  In this first line, we see the metaphor introduced, and the poet will continue and expand this comparison throughout the poem.  The poet employs several examples of "figurative language" in lines 2-4 with the imagery of "temperate" and "darling buds," which create a mental picture of natural beauty in one's mind.  This natural picture is complemented with the subject of the poem when he says in line 2, "Thou art," which means that the subject is more lovely than such images.  In the second stanza of the poem, the speaker explains how weather can represent some discomfort, such as line 5 with "too hot the eye of heaven," meaning that it is too hot during summer at times and the clouds that build in line 6 ("And often is his gold complexion dimm'd).  Finally, in the last two lines, the speaker talks about how seasons change.  He employs these examples of figurative language and imagery to bring out in the third stanza how the subject of the poem is so radiant that the subject represents more consistency and strength in beauty than the weather.  The speaker claims that "thy eternal summer shall not fade."  (Line 9).  In this, one can see the enhancement of the nature metaphor, for death is a part of nature and fading flowers are essential to the growth cycle.  However, this apparently will not happen to the subject of the poem.  In lines 11-12, the speaker goes as far to suggest that the subject will outlast death in their beauty and radiance.  Age, indeed, will not wither her.

The closing couplet brings to light the universality of this beauty.  This is significant because the couplet reflects that any individual would share the same feelings that the speaker has "so long as men can breathe, or eyes can see."  This is effective because it highlights the theme of the poem.  It makes a subjective, or personal, emotion, a universal one, applicable to everyone.  Thus, the title of the sonnet, "To his love," is now something that we can say to everyone, "To our loves," if you will.

In The View from Saturday, why did Bella Dubinsky draw a noose on the T-shirts?Whom did Bella echo when she told Sadie that "less is more"?

When the Souls beat the eight-grade team to achieve the unprecedented feat of becoming the first sixth-grade team to represent a school, they went on to face Knightsbridge for the district championship.  The day before the contest, the principal of Knightsbridge approached Mrs. Olinski and condescendingly said that he had told Knightsbridge's coach "that she could expect to be hung if she let (Mrs. Olinski's) sixth grade grunges beat (them) out".  Mrs. Olinski spiritedly replied that, much as she respected their coach, Knightsbridge's principal might want to start buying rope.

As a result of Knightsbridge's challenge, the noose became a symbol of the prowess of the Souls, playfully tying in with Knightsbridge's principal's comment that his coach would hang if his team lost to Epiphany.  Epiphany Students wore small pieces of rope pinned on their shirts to show their allegiance, and when the Souls beat Knightsbridge, one student placed a noose over the antenna of Mrs. Olinski's van (Chapter 8).  When Epiphany supporters discovered they needed money to charter buses to take them to Albany to watch the Souls compete in the prestigious Academic Bowl, Century Village came up with a fundraising idea to help raise the money.  They commissioned Bella Dubinsky to design a T-shirt; fittingly, she adorned the shirt with a picture of a noose, the implication being that the Souls had caused the demise of their district opponents, and would do the same to all other comers.  When it was suggested that she at least put the name of the school under the picture of the noose, Bella refused, saying "Less is more".  With this statement, she was echoing one made earlier by Nadia, when the Souls were trying to settle on a name for their group (Chapter 3).  Just as "The Souls" said all that needed to be said about the four friends, so the noose spoke for itself; there was no need to add words to explain its significance (Chapter 9).

Where was Magwitch living during Pip's becoming of a gentleman?

In the novel "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens, the convict Magwitch who has been in trouble since he was a child, has been banished to New South Wales which is Australia.  From 1788 to 1823 the colony of New South Wales was officially a penal colony comprised of convicts, marines, and wivves of marines.

As the inhabitant of such a penal colony, Magwitch is forbidden passage to England, so he forwards money to Mr. Jaggers to give to Pip.  Of course, his identity remains secret untill he later appears at Pip's apartment.  Magwitch risks being hanged to see Pip and find him a gentleman.

List and define three reasons why companies perform market research.

Companies carry out market research for a variety of reasons. Some of these purposes and types of market research are described below.

Test marketing: This type of market research is done to understand the consumers acceptance of a new product introduced in the market. A market research of this type help to take decision on whether or not a product will be successful in the market, and to identify the specific features of product and the marketing approach substantial impacting the acceptance of product by customers.

Market demand estimation: This kind of research is done to estimate the potential demand for a product an a specific market segment. This type of research is conducted to take decision on developing and introducing a new product in the market. Unless there is sufficient demand for a product for the market, it does not make sense to invest in introducing a new product in the market.

Consumer motivation research: This type of research is done to find out the reasons or motivations behind customer decision to buy a product. Insights collected from such studies can be used in design of products as well as advertising campaigns.

Distribution channel research:This type of channel is used to find out the structure and effectiveness of existing distribution channels for a particular type of product.

Mystery buyer research:In this type of research researchers visit retail stores posing as common customers to study how the store personnel treat the customers.

Advertisement effectiveness research: This type of research is carried out to assess the effectiveness of a company's advertisement program.

Competition research:This type of research is carried out to collect information on various aspects of competitor operations including, product quality, prices, and sales.

In "To Kill a Mockingbird" why do you think people decided that Boo Radley killed Bob Ewell and that Bob Ewell didn't just fall on the knife?I...

People conclude that Boo Radley killed Bob Ewell because the evidence seems to point in that direction.  If you look really closely at the evidence and facts that we DO have (even if we don't have a clear statement of guilt), all of it points logically to Boo Radley.  Look in chapter 28, at the actual scuffle that occurred between Bob and the children.  It is written through Scout's perspective, and she was blinded by her costume, but through sounds, we know that the man squeezing Scout to death was "suddenly jerked backwards."  Scout thinks Jem had done that, but we learn later that Jem's arm was too badly broken to have pulled anyone away.  Someone else must have been on the scene, which, we conclude later, was Boo.  So Boo jerks Bob off of Scout, and then she hears "scuffling noises" and a man wheezing as if out of breath.  He

"leaned heavily against [the tree].  He coughed violently...[then] began moving around, as if searching for something.  I hard him groan and pull something heavy along the ground."

After this, Scout hears that same man "walking heavily and unsteadily toward the road." Then, Scout feels around and feels a man on the ground, a belt buckle, and a face.

So, to interpret all of that information, using inference and what we know of Boo, Boo pulled Bob off of Scout, they fought, and then there was silence except for Boo's heavy breathing.  Boo was out of shape, used to being indoors, and later on, coughs a lot.  So, it must have been Boo coughing and trying to catch his breath.  Bob was silent. Then, we hear Boo dragging what must be Jem towards him to pick him up, then walking "heavily" away, which means he had Jem in his arms.  Then, Scout feels what must have been Bob on the ground--and his is face up.  That is key, because they later concluded (in order to protect both Boo and Jem from accusations of murder), that Bob tripped onto his knife. If he had done that, Bob would have been face down on the ground, not face up.  So, someone must have stabbed him.

So, you're right--the novel never specifically says that Boo stabbed Bob, but if you look very closely at the details in chapter 28, and put them together with what we know of Boo and what comes afterwards, then the logical conclusion is that Boo did indeed kill Bob.  I hope that those thoughts and explanations cleared things up for you a bit; good luck!

Explain the characteristics of Managerial works?

Management is the work concerned with improving the effectiveness of any work or operations. It is possible improve the effectiveness of any type of work by managing it appropriately, however methods of management are particularly important for work performed by groups of more than one person. We can look at the characteristics of management from many different ways. One widely used way for understanding characteristics of management is to understand the basic constituent functions of management. Theses are:

1. Planning or Decision Making


2. Organizing


3. Leading and Motivating


4. Control

Planning involves decision on what needs to be done and how it is to be done. Among other things it it also involves objectives to be achieved by the work being managed.

Organizing involves designing the structure of the group performing the work in terms of who will do what and the relationships between the group members. It also involves finding and putting in place suitable people to perform the jobs identified in organization structure.

Leading is mainly concerned with motivating and guiding the people in the organization to work in accordance with the plans or decision taken.

In real world, thing rarely move exactly as planned. Thus there is need to regularly monitor how exactly the work is being performed and what results are being achieved. Based on such monitoring information, suitable action may be taken to solve the problems encountered and to adjust to changing situations.

Explain the organization of In the Time of the Butterflies in terms of narrative structure.What does Alvarez accomplish by organizing the novel...

Julia Alvarez begins the novel from the sole surviving sister's (Dede's) perspective.  Alvarez talks about herself as the "gringa Dominicana" coming to visit Dede to talk about the Mirabal sisters, so she puts herself, the author, out of the narrative structure as an outside "reporter", if you will.  This serves to distance the reader from the author, and make it much less "her" story of discovery of the history of the Mirabal sisters, and much more a story told by the sisters themselves.

Alvarez uses a pattern of switching between the sisters, narrating (fictionally, for three of them are dead and Dede's narrative was not written by her) each in the first person -- that is, from their own point of view.  The stories are like diary entries (and sometimes, such as in Mate's case, are written as journalling) and tell their own stories themselves.  Their narratives usually talk most about what happened to each of them respectively, but we learn much about events which happened to all of them (such as Papa's dead, in Mate's narrative) in these narratives.

Of course, the "I" narrative (first person) gives many advantages, emotionally, to the author.  Each first-person narrator can talk about their own thoughts and feelings, and put their own personal spin on events.  This draws the readers in and, in many cases, makes the reader sympathetic to the narrators.  It also makes it easy to contrast different people's reactions to the same events; each one of them, often, gets to comment on their own thoughts and actions individually.

Since this book was not set up to be true history (far too much of it is fictionalized to be even considered historical fiction, even though many real and true historical events are recounted in it) the switching first-person narrative structure makes each character of the sisters real and alive for the reader in a way that omniscient narrator (or non-fiction history) never could.  Alvarez wasn't attempting to write history; she was attempting to write a novel about real people, but from point of emotional meaning rather than historical.  This means the imaginative work of having each sister write the things that happened to her (something which did not occur in reality) can be used to create a work of art, rather than a work of history.  The truth of the work, then, is emotional or dramatic truth, rather than the truth of past events -- the history serves as the context rather than the end.

To what extent does social class influence the relationship of Darcy and Elizabeth?make reference to chapters where the influence of social class...

sparta,

Austen's Pride and Prejudice reveals a society based on manners:  In this society, the well-being of everyone relies on people maintaining their proper places and behaving according to a strict code of manners. For the Bennet sisters, their chances of marriage depreciates with every show of impropriety.

From the opening scene, it is important to understand the very real danger that faces the Bennet sisters if they do not marry. Upon Mr. Bennet's death, the sisters' cousin, Mr. Collins, will inherit the small Longbourn estate. That means that the family will have no source of income and no place to live. A marriage of one of the girls to a wealthy man is one of the few remaining options for the family, though the girls suffer from having an incredibly small dowry to attract a man with.

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife."  Chapter 1-- signifies that a man's role is to secure a family after acquiring support for that family.

If a woman is partial to a man, and does not endeavour to conceal it, he must find it out. Chapter 6--again on the roles of a woman.

"Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance. If the dispositions of the parties are ever so well known to each other or ever so similar beforehand, it does not advance their felicity in the least. They always continue to grow sufficiently unlike afterwards to have their share of vexation; and it is better to know as little as possible of the defects of the person with whom you are to pass your life." Chapter 6 further reveals the roles of people in the society in which Austen wrote.

Jane Austen's most famous work portrays a society fixed in social class, fixed in gender identity, and fixed in familial relationships with the patriarch as head of household, of course.

In "The Pocahontas Incident", what is the setting of the story?

The setting of the interactions between Pocahontas and John Smith take place in the rural and uninhabited parts of Virginia.  In the incident in question, Smith and two other colleagues were captured by the Native American tribe that killed the two and took Smith to their Chief and were about to kill him until the intervention of Pocahontas saved Smith. The exact location of the incident was outside of Jamestown, Virginia.  Pocahontas was born an Algonquin in the Tidewater Region of Virginia:

The one she found most likable was Captain John Smith. The first meeting of Pocahontas and John Smith is a legendary story, romanticized (if not entirely invented) by Smith. He was leading an expedition in December 1607 when he was taken captive by some Indians. Days later, he was brought to the official residence of Powhatan at Werowocomoco, which was 12 miles from Jamestown. According to Smith, he was first welcomed by the great chief and offered a feast. Then he was grabbed and forced to stretch out on two large, flat stones. Indians stood over him with clubs as though ready to beat him to death if ordered. Suddenly a little Indian girl rushed in and took Smith's "head in her arms and laid her own upon his to save him from death." The girl, Pocahontas, then pulled him to his feet. Powhatan said that they were now friends, and he adopted Smith as his son, or a subordinate chief. Actually, this mock "execution and salvation" ceremony was traditional with the Indians, and if Smith's story is true, Pocahontas's actions were probably one part of a ritual. At any rate, Pocahontas and Smith soon became friends.

What makes Dexter "newer and stronger" than the "careless" wealthy people he meets in "Winter Dreams"?

For Dexter, seeing himself as "newer and stronger" than the wealthy people to whom he compares himself is in reference to Judy Jones.  As he recognizes the "men who had already loved Judy Jones," Dexter rationalizes that he can succeed where these men have failed.  In his mind, Dexter will be more successful in his wooing of her due to his stock of strength.  He understands that these previous suitors were wealthy, reflective of "old money."  Dexter, though, sees himself as a form of "new money."  With his growth and emergence into wealth from humble beginnings, Dexter believes that he is "newer" and "stronger" in comparison to the traditional wealthy people that have failed to capture Judy Jones' attention.

For Dexter, this rationalization is the basis of why he thinks he can hold onto Judy.  He believed himself to be made differently, offering her something that previous men could not.  In this, one can see the optimism that Dexter has towards his "winter dreams."  This hope and unbridled sense of opportunity serves as his motivating force, rooted in the idea that he, Dexter, is "newer and stronger." 

I need a summary of "A Child Called IT" by Dave Pelzer. This is for my AP English 3 Summer Assignment!!! Thanks!

"A Child Called "It" is the account of terrible abuse experienced by the author, Dave Pelzer, when he was a child.  Pelzer begins his story detailing the physical hits he is taking from his mother while doing dishes and contemplating on where he can acquire some food.  After finishing the dishes he is rewarded with the leftovers from one of his brother's cereal bowls.  When he arrives at school he finds social workers there who have to interview him, and he is removed from his home.  He has been rescued.

David then begins on a journey through his childhood.  He recalls some good times when he went with his mother to a park and had some frightened moments thinking that he might fall into the pond.  She had comforted him by taking his hand.  One day during kindergarten he had also felt her hug him from behind and he had felt great pride security and love.

David's life began to change.  He had become the child that seemed to behave the worst and had a voice that carried.  His mother's discipline went from punishment to verbal, mental, and physical abuse.  His mother's physical appearance had also changed.  She looked rough and would spend time on the couch in her robe and seemed very unhappy.  She yelled at the kids a lot, but targeted David.

David was finally reduced to living in the basement of the house.  He was given very little food and spent most of his time going through trash cans in search of food.  The physical abuse increased significantly.  The more his father traveled at his job, the worse the abuse seemed to become.  David came to realize that he was not wanted.  He no longer received Christmas gifts nor was he included the family events or holiday activities. 

For David, school was not much better.  He was mocked by other students and had no friends.  He was isolated from others and had no where to turn.  Finally, he was freed from his life and taken to a better life where he could be free from abuse.

David ends his story telling about the loving relationship he now has with his son and his pride at being a father. 

In "Hills Like White Elephants," why do the characters and the narrator refrain from speaking about the operation explicitly?

The characters refrain explicit discussion of the operation, aside from the man's brief discussion of it, mainly because it is an ongoing discussion, one the details of which they are both well versed.

"It’s really an awfully simple operation, Jig," the man said. "It’s not really an operation at all."

The girl looked at the ground the table legs rested on.

"I know you wouldn’t mind it, Jig. It’s really not anything. It’s just to let the air in.’

The girl did not say anything.

"I’ll go with you and I’ll stay with you all the time. They just let the air in and then it’s all perfectly natural."

It is not the first time the discussion has been aired, and it is probable from Jig's comments ("Would you please please please please please please please stop talking?") that she has said it is a conversation she is not interested in pursuing, which is part of the difficulty: She seems finsihed with the conversation, but the man hasn't given up his optimism that he might yet persuade her ("But I don’t want anybody but you.").

The narrator, penned by the autor but different and distinct from the author, doesn't speak of it because the narratorial intent is to, first, set the scene at the railway station, with fertile land on one hand and barren land on the other, and then, second, give the reader entrance into Jig and the man's private conversation; to let the reader eavesdrop so to speak on their conversation; to let you hear just like you would if you were sitting at the table next to the couple.

Sitting at a table next to them, everything you heard in person would be cryptic and unexplained. You'd have to infer from what you saw and heard what the true meaning of the conversation and the true state of the relationship was. The distant objective narrator in"Hills Like White Elephants" provides a portal to the reader to be the eavesdropping occupant of the table next to the couple, thus allowing the reader the same confusion, suspense, curiosity, and intrigue you'd have in person.

Why are the warning of "horrible things to come" from Moshe the Beadle not taken seriously? Are there other warnings?

One of the reasons why Moshe's warnings are not taken seriously is because of the community's indifference to Moshe.  He is not entirely respected by the community, despite his role as a spiritual adviser.  This dismissing of what he sees and what he predicts will happen identifies a critical theme that Wiesel emphasizes throughout the work.  The sin of indifference and silencing voices is morally reprehensible.  He argues that this becomes the lasting sin of the Holocaust:  The behaviors of the abusers become replicated in the actions of the abused, completing a dehumanizing cycle.  The silencing of voices that the Nazis perpetrated was demonstrated in how the people of Sighet silenced and "banished" Moshe the Beadle.  While Wiesel is understandably condemning of the Nazis, he also is very quick to point out that there were individuals of Jewish faith who committed similar abhorrent acts to one another.  Similar behavior can be seen with the silencing and abuse of Madame Schachter, who suggests the terminal fate which awaits them all.  Part of this silencing of voices was done out of denial of the horrific truth that confronted those who were victimized through the Holocaust.  However, Wiesel's adamant belief that silence and indifference empowers the aggressors in all forms is represented through the treatment of characters such as Moshe.

In Act 1 of "The Crucible" what are some of the clues that the devil has invaded Salem?

In Act 1 of "The Crucible" there are quite a few things that take place that make the people of Salem believe that the devil has invaded their village.  First, Bety Parris and Ruth Putnam are in some sort of a coma in which they can not move or talk.  Both girls lie in bed motionless and speechless; Ruth also will not open her eyes.  Then, Parris finds out that the girls were dancing in the forest -- for a Puritan this would most definately be a sign of the devil.  Betty also begins to scream and says that she is going to fly to her mother.  Giles Coret tells Rev. Hale that his wife reads books that prohibit him from sleeping or parying in the house.  Finally, Tituba and the girls reveal that they have seen certain people of Salem making compacts with the devil. 

I would like to have a brief summary on Sarojini Naidu's poem "The Soul's Prayer"

As the title suggests, the poet's idea is a discussion between the speaker and God about the nature of existence, questions that would be most likely offered during a prayer.  The speaker is searching for "the inmost laws of life and death," seeking answers to questions that strike at the heart of living and consciousness. The answers received from the divine force reveal the nature of suffering, love, and pain.  The poem concludes with a belief that life and death are interlinked between one another, reflecting eachother.  The imagery featured in the responses such as " love burn like a fire" and "pain cleanse like a flame" suggests that interlinked pain and joy within being.

What is foreshadowed when Squealer tells the animals they will eventually learn that Snowball's heroism in battle was "much exaggerated"?

With Squealer, Orwell is foreshadowing that eventually anything and everything will blamed on Snowball.  Squealer apparently realizes that the animals have short memories and often question their own memory when they are told differently.  At the point where Squealer states that Snowball's heroism will come to be seen as exagerrated, he knows that he cannot say a lot at that moment because the animals remember seeing Snowball grazed by the gun shot by the farmer.  While he cannot erase that memory, he knows that time is on his side and that he will eventually be able to get the animals to see history the way he wants them to see it.

Solve for x: 4(3x+7)=7

4(3x+7)=7.

To solve for x, multiply by 4 to each of the terms inside the bracket in the left side:4*3x=12x. 4*-7=-28. The right side is retained as it is:

12x+28=7.

Subtract 28 from  both sides to retain the unknown term 12x on the left and the known term or the numbers on the right:

12x+28-28=7-28.

Now 28-28 on the left cancel out.On the right 7-28= -21:

12x=-21.

Divide both sides by 12.  On the left 12x/12 becomes x.On the right -21/12, which is reduced to -7/4 in the lowest equivalent fraction form.

Therefore, x=-7/4  .

Convert 7/4 in decimal form and attach the minus line at last.

7/4=1+3/4 =1.75.

Therefore,x=-1.75 is our solution.

Tally:

Put the solution, x=-1.75 in the original equation and see whether the equation is satisfied, in the sense the value on the left becomes equal to the right.

Left side :4*[3(-1.75)+7]=4*3(-1.75)+4*7=4*-5.25+28=-21+28=7.

Right side:7

Both sides are equal in value after putting x=-1.75. So the solution is verified.

What are 3 conflicts and 3 resolutions in Lord of the Flies?please hurry!!

There are many conflicts within the novel, but to point out three, they should be major conflicts.

The biggest conflict is between Ralph and Jack.  This is an external conflict that exists between two characters.  Ralph represents civilization while Jack represents savagery.  The resolution to that occurs when the officer arrives just in time.  Although it appeared that savagery won out, because of the officer, civilization won by rescuing the boys from killing themselves.

Another conflict was Piggy's conflict of fitting into the tribe.  This could either be an internal conflict that he had--knowing that he would never fit in with Jack and the others of his tribe, or it could be looked at as Piggy against the entire hunting tribe of Jack's.  That resolution was clear.  Roger released the rock that killed Piggy.  So Piggy lost.

The last conflict that stands out is Simon's conflict.  He represents morals and values and realizes that the "beast" is really within them--not a physical threat somewhere in the forest.  His conflict seems to be internal as well--or perhaps like Piggy's it is against all of the boys of Jack's tribe.  None of them really seem to understand what the "beast" really is.  Only Simon has a full awareness of what is happening on the island.  This resolution also has a bad ending.  But it is clear.  Simon is killed while trying to explain that the "beast" was just a dead man on a mountain.  Simon also loses like Piggy did.

If Macbeth was totally and completely ruined, why is he still considered a hero in Shakespeare's Macbeth?

William Shakespeare is an outstanding dramatist who had used the principles of" Poetics" by Aristotle.In Poetics, Aristotle describes about the character of a hero. Hero should be related to aristocratic society so that his downnfall might teach a lesson to others.

Of course, Macbeth is ruined completely, but he is the character to whom the plot revolves. Really he is central figure of the drama.

At last but not least, he is a good warrior and commonder but his over ambitions are responsible for his downfall.

Abopve all, he is the hero of the drama,Macbeth.

Can you analyze the second stanza if "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" and show the figures of speech in the poem?

William Wordsworth's poem "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud", 1804, is a favorite among students and teachers because of its timeless themes of remembrance, the longing of people and things to be together, and the fondness to remember significant or inconsequential events in our lives.

The second stanza, rich in language and context is as follows:

          Continuous as the stars that shine
          And twinkle on the milky way,
          They stretched in never-ending line
          Along the margin of a bay:                                  
          Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
          Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The force of simile: the poem serves as an introduction to some simple (and other, not-so-simple) modes of poetic figuration. The second stanza begins with a simile (Continuous as the starts that shine) and moves into other kinds of comparisons such as "twinkle" and "line."
Wordsworth is solitary, but he is also part of a group.
In personification, he makes the daffodils dance as if an invitation (tossing their heads.)

The role of syntax in the the line "ten thousand I saw..." rather than "I saw ten thousand..." emphasizes the quantity and de-emphasizes him.
The role of personification: Wordsworth chooses to humanize (or personify) his daffodils, and we may wonder why. There is a continual exchange between him and his flowers, as he surveys his position by comparison with theirs.
Importance of repetition and variation: One thing we notice is that many of the poem's opening details are repeated, though with variation, in subsequent stanzas, and we must determine the force of such repetition.
Wordsworth also includes—and in some cases repeats—references to the four classical elements: air, earth, fire,
The words "dance" or "dancing" appear in all four stanzas.
Overall unity: the poem not only recounts, but also dramatizes, the workings of the human mind (one of Wordsworth's great themes) and makes an important statement about memory.

In '' The Fish'' why does the speaker let the fish go at the end of the poem?Elizabeth Bishop's "The Fish" --Please defend your answer

"The Fish" is a poem in which the speaker, as a respecter of life, becomes sympathetic to the fish.  In line 34 the speaker says she

looked into his eyes/which were far larger than mine/but shallower...the irises backed and packed/...seen thruogh the lenses of old scratched isinglasss

It is at this point that the speaker perceives the old fish as a venerable character from whose lip hang

five old pices of fish-line...Like medals with their ribbons/frayed and wavering,/a five-haired beard of wisdom/trailing from his aching jaw.

That this old fish has beaten five other fisherman causes the speaker to revere the fish.  She thinks, she "stares" and "victory filled up the little rented boat."  Who is she to reel in this venerable fish, who has survived for so long against five other adversaries?  Out of respect and sympathy for the fish who has won these previous battles, she throws him back.

In her calm, understated tone, Elizabeth Bishop moves from the ordinary description of a fish similar to a ling or cod to a philosophical insight.  As the speaker states and "victory" fills the boat, she remarks that "everything was rainbow, rainbow, rainbow!" before she lets the fish go.  It is at this point that the speaker realizes the wisdom of revering life, especially the life of one who has struggled to live and endure. 

Based on how others at Authur's court respond to Perceval, what prediction can you make about how successful he will be as a knight?In the...

In most Arthurian accounts, knights have certain qualifications that allow for them to be successful in their endeavors.  While some of them are qualitative, others are more quantitative.  In the account, the first issue Kay the Seneschal has with Perceval is that he does not "look" like a knight.  He does not ride a horse worthy of a knight and he carries shoddy weapons, both of which bring on him the ridicule of those in attendance at Arthur's court.  While this gives the reader an assessment of how the knights of Arthur's court perceive the chance of Perceval's success at court, it is often not a good indicator of his actual success.

The fool and the damsel, however, see something more qualitative in Perceval, and they surmise that his success will depend on it.  From their assessment, the reader can assume that Perceval will be a very successful knight.  Generally, the  most humble and most apparently unknightly of knights turns out to be the one most worthy of the title.  The fact Perceval is so quickly dismissed by the other knights serves as the best indicator of his success.

In the book "Angela's Ashes", why did they throw water in front of the funeral procession?

There has been much speculation since Frank McCourt's book Angela's Ashes was adapted for film regarding the scene in which water is poured in front of a funeral procession.  MCourt's book does not include the scene, so no explanation is provided there, and the filmmakers do not seem to have fully understood the purpose of the "tradition."  Research into funeral traditions, especially those born of Catholicism in general and Irish Catholic history in particular, offer an explanation.  To some Catholics, crossing water is an integral part of a soul's crossing into the next life, with the water preventing its return.  In other words, the water guarantees a one-way journey for the spirit. [See "Funeral Feasts and Processions," http://www.sacred-texts.com/etc/fcod/fcod09.htm].  The best explanation, however, comes from the film's co-producer, David Wimbury, whose explanation was provided in a Los Angeles Times column:

". . .the picture's co-producer, David Wimbury of Dirty Hands Productions. Their London-based Irish prop man had suggested the scene based on a practice of the past. The water used to wash the corpse before placement in the coffin was traditionally kept to be thrown in front of the hooves of the horse drawing the funeral carriage. Later, this developed into the symbolic act of neighbors and family throwing buckets of water as a mark of respect for the dead."

McCourt's family history is obviously heavily influenced by Catholicism, and traditions common to such orthodox practices as those described in the lower-income Irish Catholic community at the core of Angela's Ashes allow for creative liberties such as those employed in the movie version of the book.

I need questions with answers about how The Crucible relates to society or personally.

Arthur Miller's The Crucible is one of those wonderful/terrible works of literature with countless levels of meaning. Certainly the story itself stands as one level. It is mesmerizing, suspenseful, mysterious, and shocking.

The historicity is an accurate representation of what happened in Salem, MA between 1692 and 1692. People decried common sense and rational evidence as a reaction to fear of something they didn't understand.

Miller, as you may know, actually wrote the play during the years when people in the US had an deep-abiding fear of communism. The Cold War was a terrifying time in US history because no one really knew what may happen if the Soviet Union determined to attack the US. As a result, anyone who showed any kind of sympathy toward communists or who held ideals that might have been construed as "communist" were labled as "un-American" and often lost their livelihoods. Senator Joe McCarthy was the de facto leader of the movement which, like the with trials of Salem, relied on rumors and fears rather than reason and facts.

At this point, you may see just how this play still relates to society. How many current events are inflamed or even caused by someone's irrational fears, rumors, or false assumptions?  Political, sports, and entertainment figures are frequently victims of rumors that cost them both money and reputation. (See rumors of "doping" by cyclist Lance Armstrong as one example of how hard it is to redeem a reputation sullied by false accusations.)

In current society, people are quick to react rather than thoughtfully and rationally respond. Whether it is a political vendetta or an accusation of wrong-doing, emotional reactions are often quick and powerful. With a 24 hour news corps, emotions are often reported as fact in order to "scoop" other media. Once reported, "news" is spread quickly (Michael Jackson's recent death is an example) via Twitter, Facebook, and other similar newtworks. Whether the news is accurate is rarely verified. Retractions are usually buried (if they are published at all.) People then respond with a mob mentality before all the facts are truly understood. Of course, the Salem trials often led to execution, which allowed for no redemption.

Since society is made up of individuals, it follows that, even without the influence of a mob mentality, it is easy to react first and think about it later. Visceral emotions are tied to fears, usually of the unknown or unfamiliar. When a thing is unknown, the reasonable and rational response is to stop and gather information. Fear, however, often causes individuals to lash out emotionally, sometimes causing irreparable hard to others.

Miller understood humanity's need to understand as well as he recognized humanity's fear of the mysterious. Whether the reaction is related to historical events of the 17th century, political fears of the mid-20th century, or personal insecurities about the unknown, it is far better to respond to the facts rather than react to the fears.