Why does Montresor adopt a feigned innocence in his account? For instance, he describes encountering his friend as if it were a chance...

Montresor narrates the story with the tone of an innocent man, because he feels no guilt for what he did 50 years ago.  He lures Fortunato into the wine cellar because of some unknown slight against him.  Montresor never states exactly what the insult is, but does state that he must,

 ‘‘punish with impunity. ‘‘Although Montresor's explains that Fortunato has committed a "thousand injuries’’ and a final "insult,"

Montresor has not lost one moment of sleep over this horrible act, because he has justified his behavior through the excuse of avenging his name.  Fortunato had somehow insulted, or committed the "thousand injuries" and Montresor decides to get even.  When he is narrating the story for the reader he tells the events with no guilt and with no pride.  He simply relates the facts.  He is not asking for forgiveness and he is not bragging.  This method, by Poe, makes Montresor seem even more dangerous than he probably is, but as the reader, I didn't want to meet him or cross a character like Montresor.

In "The Crucible" what is John Proctor's last meeting with Elizabeth?

You can find the answer to this question in Act Four of the play.  Unfortunately, the last time that husband and wife meet is right before John Proctor is taken away to be hanged.  The judges let Elizabeth and John out of prison; they are hoping that Elizabeth will talk to John, and convince him to confess to witchcraft so that he won't hang.  Too many people have been hanging, and the townspeople are growing weary and upset with the courts; they figure if they can get John Proctor to confess, maybe other people will too, and then less people will die, and less people will be upset with the courts.

Elizabeth agrees to speak to John, but "promises nothing" in regards to convincing him to confess.  She and John meet, discuss their children, her pregnancy, Giles Corey's death, discuss whether he should confess or not, and most touchingly, they express remorse and forgiveness for the bitterness, coldness and contention that has been in their marriage.  John pleads with her, "I would have your forgiveness, Elizabeth," asking for her to forgive his adultery.  She responds by saying, "I have sins of my own to count," and expresses remorse for being so cold to him.  They have a touching moment of closeness.  At this point, John says that he will confess to get his life, but can't follow through with it.  He tears up his confession and is sent to the gallows.  THe good news is that they were able to speak and patch things up before he died, and he went to the gallows a more confident and reassured man as a result of it.  I hope that helps a bit; good luck!

How did the Sacco and Vanzetti case show that civil rights and liberties may suffer during periods of social unrest?

The "Red Scare" following the First World War and the Bolshevik Revolution was used by elements in the Justice Department (in particular a young J. Edgar Hoover) to bolster their careers.  The two principals in the case were Italian immigrants and had been opposed to the war, and in fact fled to Mexico to avoid the draft.  The facts that they were immigrants, draft-dodgers, and attended meetings of supposedly "Red" political groups were all strikes against them in the minds of the average American citizen of the period.

The two did not have what could be termed perfect command of the English language, and obviously suffered confusion during the trial because of that.  The evidence for and against the two is itemized in one of the links below.  The fact that the witnesses for their alibis were all Italian immigrants weighed heavily against the accused, another example of the post-war isolationism of America.  Since many were also involved in "anarchist" politics, this also played into the hands of the prosecutors.  The entire episode is a rather sad example of American justice at one of its low points.  An ironic note is that although the trial and surrounding publicity was very biased, the truth is that one of the men was guilty, and the other apparently involved to some degree.

In 1977 Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis issued a proclamation absolving the two men, who had been executed 50 years earlier.  Although a popular move, this may not have been wise, since evidence subsequent to their executions indicates that while Vanzetti was innocent Nicola Sacco was guilty.  In 1943 Carlo Tresca, the anarchist leader originally chosen as their lawyer, claimed that to be the case.  Others involved in their defense also stated that Vanzetti was innocent of "actual participation" in the crime, but may have been involved in some way, but that Sacco was guilty in all respects.

Who is Shield Sheafson? How do the Danes feel about him? Name his descendants for three generations?In the epic poem, Beowulf, who is Scyld Scefing...

Scyld Scefling is a revered king of the Danes. He rose to power after fleeing to Denmark as an abandoned child. He ruled a great kingdom (conquering lands anywhere the seas could take his soldiers) and honored his soldiers with glory and rewards. His rule led to peace and prosperity in Denmark, and his reputation increased with each generation.

His son, Beowulf I, rules equally well. Healfdene followed Beowulf I, and then Hrothgar reigned. It was during Hrothgar's reign the Grendel began to terrorize the Danes.

The epic protagonist, Beowulf, is a Geat, and not a direct relation to Scyld Scefling or his descendents, but does rule with the honorable qualities this first great Danish king established.

In this story how does Grendel's status as a monster affect the way he tells the story?

As a self-identified monster, Grendel remains outside the realm of mortals, but constantly observes them. His ideas of life do not match those of the humans, allowing him a view separate from the original poem, yet inextricably bound with the fate of those around him. There's no doubt that Grendel is bloodthirsty, cruel, vicious, and holding no regard for lives of any kind. Yet, at the same time, Grendel feels as passionately as any human he meets. When he is young, he is caught in a tree. He is attacked by a bull, stabbed by men, and essentially tortured. During this ordeal, he frequently cries for his mother. He is also moved by the songs of the Shaper. Although he labels them as lies and illusions, Grendel is as drawn to those songs as the men, wanting to believe in the Shaper's words.

Perhaps most importantly, Grendel uses language to define himself and his world. He has no one with whom to communicate, as his mother cannot speak, and men cannot understand him. This one fragile link, destroyed by the humans' inability to translate his language, becomes what separates him the most. When he tries to join the warriors in the meadhall, he is misunderstood and turned on by fearful men. By telling these events from his point of view, Grendel wins the reader's sympathy and understanding.

Analyze how Ellen and Annemarie are similar and different.

Ellen is a dark-haired Jewish girl. Annemarie is a blond Lutheran. Ellen excels at dramatics while Annemarie is athletic, especially in running. Ellen is more timid than Annemarie. Ellen is an only child whereas Annemarie had two sisters. The girls live in the same apartment building but live on different floors. Ellen wears a necklace with a Star of David on it, but Annemarie doesn't have a necklace. Ellen has never seen the sea other than the harbor while her friend's uncle is a fisherman, so Annemarie gets to see the ocean quite frequently. Ellen is more of a city girl while Annemarie has visited and loved the countryside. Both girls are the same age, best friends, and attend the same school. They both were accosted by German soldiers on their way home from school while running along the sidewalk. Both will be in deep trouble in captured by the Germans; Ellen for her religion and Annemarie for her helping the Rosens escape. Both are Danish.

Is Ender more like Valentine or Peter? What characteristics are more of Valentine's and which are more Peter's? What are Ender's unique qualities?

Ender is not like Valentine and he is not like Peter.  Ender, or Andrew, is a combination of both.  Valentine is a compassionate person.  She will defend her little brother if necessary, but she does not have the terrible mean streak that defines Peter.  Peter is mean, jealous, angry, and sadistic.  He uses people's fears against them and tries to control through fear.

Andrew Wiggins, Ender, is a good mixture of both of his siblings.  He is a third.  The third child in a family is not acceptable in the society in which Ender's family lives.  The world is being attacked by the "Buggers" and the military is looking for young people who can be trained to defeat this cunning enemy.  When Peter doesn't qualify because he is too sadistic and Valentine doesn't qualify because she has too much compassion, the military and government give the Wiggins permission to have a third child in the hopes he will be able to be trained. 

Ender demonstrates his "Peter" personality when he attacks Stilson for being a bully.  He takes advantage of Stilson's being on the ground to beat him to death.  He is determined to show the other children it would be against thier best interest to retaliate.  Immediately following the beat down he gives his enemy, Stilson, he rounds the corner and cries for the need to hurt anyone in the first place.  This is a definite indication of his Valentine side.  When Ender arrives home after school, Peter is first to recognizes that Ender's monitor is missing.  Peter takes the opportunity to be hurtful and mean while Valentine tells Ender she is sorry that he has had the Monitor removed; thinking he has failed.

"Ender is like a combination of the two: ruthless enough to earn total victory, but compassionate enough to hate the methods needed to gain it. He is also different from Peter in that he does not always feel the need to win. He only fights when forced to, and takes little pleasure in his victories. When Valentine explains to him how he can defeat his oldest nemesis, Ender replies: "You don't understand.... I don't want to beat Peter.... I want him to love me."

In the ice cream industry, how does the government influence oligopoly behavior?

Oligopoly refers to market condition where a few dominant firms control the total supply of a particular type of product. Each form in the oligopolisic market has significant influence over the prices of product and the quantity supplied.

The oligopoly lies somewhere between two other types of market behavior, classified on the basis number of dominant suppliers and their ability to influence the prices and supplies. These are free competition and monopoly. In free competition there are a large number of suppliers selling undifferentiated product. None of the suppliers is able to influence the market price. In monopoly there is only one dominant firm wit no effective competition from other suppliers. A monopolistic firm has much greater control over product prices and supplies than is possible in free competition or oligpolistic competition.

Because of their ability to set market price and regulate supplies, the monopolies, in their attempt to increase their market position and profits, can sometimes manipulate market in a way that is against the interest of people. Some dominant organizations in oligopolistic market can also harm the interest of people in a similar way. Therefore most of the government including the ones in the countries considered to be be champions of free market try to regulate the functioning monoplies and ologopolies to protect public interest. These actions by the government applies to all types of industries including ice cream industry.

When it comes to monopolies, the government may insist that a monopoly is broken down in smaller companies. This type of action was taken in USA for telecommunication industry about half a century back.

In case of oligopolies the government action is directed primarily towards two possibilities. Several oligopolistic firms forming a cartel so that they can together act like a monopolistic firm. For example, recently airlines companies were accused of cartelization because many of them increased fare almost simultaneously. Governments also try to prevent oligopolistic firms from using unfair trade practices to overcome competition. For example Microsoft is currently fighting multiple legal cases for charges of unfair trade practices levelled against them.

In addition to specific provision of these types described above directed specifically against monopolies and oligopolies, their are many legal provision to protect consumers from malpractices by companies, who in general possess much more economic power than individual consumers. Some of these provision relate to product quality, warranties, and guarantees. For example, in case of ice cream, government may specify minimum percentage of milk content in a product  sold as ice cream.

In the late 1800s What were some of the major differences in the lives of western farmers and ranchers?

There were differences because of their trades, but many similarities between farmers and ranchers in this period, especially the responses to technology, increasing population, growing dependance on railroads and difficulties over resources and overproduction of crops and meat production.

I am also assuming you mean the late 19th century, as the term "late 1800s" would in fact mean 1808-1810.  The lives of farmers and ranchers are and were quite different, as the farming of grains and vegetables and the raising of cattle or sheep are very different types of work.  There were in fact great frictions between cattle and sheep rachers and ranchers in general and farmers.  The farmers tended to use barbed wire after 1870 to keep wandering herds of cattle out of their fields, while the free grazing of cattle was a practice which died hard.  It is still, in fact, practiced on some federal lands today.  Free grazers were used to their herds wandering most of the year on vast tracts of land, and resisted the enclosure of land by farmers and small ranches.  There were a number of instances of violence involved.  Sheep and cattle ranchers also had differences resulting in violence especially in Texas, Arizona, Wyoming and Oregon, as sheep tend to crop the grass much shorter than cattle, leaving less for cattle to graze on.  There were even conflicts among cattle ranchers, such as the 1892 Johnson County War, also known as the War on the Powder River, between large cattle barons and smaller ranchers in Wyoming.  In 1883 Texas there was the Fence-Cutter's War, in which free grazers cut the fences not only of farmers but of smaller cattle ranchers who saw the benefits of controlling the movement of their stock and revolving their pasturage.

Life among both farmers and ranchers was difficult, with social isolation a prime factor of life, along with hard labor from dawn to dusk all year long.  Farmers had something of a break in the depths of winter, but stockmen did not. The real problems, however, were the increasing soil exhaustion and over-production. As both farmers and ranchers became ever more dependant on the railroads for the transportation of their goods to market they also became dependant on the railroads for all the goods they needed.  As the production of crops and meat grew, prices declined, but the prices of the goods farmers and rachers needed increased.  This caused economic distress which grew so slowly the problem sort of crept up on people.  The overproduction not only dropped the income of the westerners, but it led to overuse of the soil and water resources, and increasing friction among themselves of access and use of those resources.  Eventually this helped lead to dependance on banks and credit, and helped lead to the Great Depression in the 20th century, and to the Dust Bowl.

What is the significant of the tittle in chapter 10 ("The Shell and the Glasses")?

Chapter 10 opens with Piggy and Ralph lamenting what happened, in the previous chapter, to Simon.  They know that they are losing the battle against order and reason, which is what the conch shell represents.  Piggy's glasses are the means of making fire and they symbolize intellect, or the ability to think intelligently.  In the middle of the chapter, Jack is holding counsel with his tribe of boys, which is the vast majority of the boys.  He does so without the conch shell that Ralph has used in his meetings to democratically let anyone who wishes to speak, speak. The reason Jack doesn't need the shell is because his is not a democracy. Jack is a dictator - what he says, goes.  The shell's symbolism and meaning has been decreasing and it is now nothing more than a shell despite the fact that Piggy will try one last time in chapter 11 to use the shell to speak to order and reason.  At the end of the chapter, Jack's tribe raids the remnants of Ralph's tribe.  They are after one prize.  Piggy says he thought they came for the conch shell because he naively still believes it represents order and reason.  Then Piggy tearfully tells Ralph that it wasn't the conch, after all, that they came for.  It was his glasses.  Now Ralph's group is without the ability to make fire and Jack's tribe has that ability.  So the chapter is about the shell and how it has come to mean nothing and about the glasses that Jack's tribe steals, symbolizing that Jack's tribe, now in possession of fire, are the leaders on the island. 

Why did Bassanio look so pale after reading Antonio’s letter? What fearful tidings did it contain?

In Act III Sc 2. Bassanio has chosen correctly the leaden casket and has won the hand of Portia. Everyone is extremely happy and Nerissa exclaims:

"My lord and lady, it is now our time,
That have stood by and seen our wishes prosper,
To cry, good joy: good joy, my lord and lady!"

But just then, Salerio arrives from Venice with a letter for Bassanio. As Bassanio reads the letter he grows paler and paler leading Portia to remark impatiently that she must know all the contents of the letter:

"There are some shrewd contents in yon same paper,
That steals the colour from Bassanio's cheek:
Some dear friend dead; else nothing in the world
Could turn so much the constitution
Of any constant man. What, worse and worse!
With leave, Bassanio: I am half yourself,
And I must freely have the half of anything
That this same paper brings you."

Bassanio then tells her that his dearest friend Antonio the merchant who has sponsored all his efforts to win her is now bankrupt because all his ships have been lost at sea; and worse Shylock the jew from whom he has borrowed the money for the trip to Belmont is threatening to sue his friend Antonio who had stood surety for the sum of 3,000 ducats. Bassanio then reads out aloud the pathetic plea of Antonio to see him once before he dies:

"Sweet Bassanio, my ships have all
miscarried, my creditors grow cruel, my estate is
very low, my bond to the Jew is forfeit; and since
in paying it, it is impossible I should live, all
debts are cleared between you and I, if I might but
see you at my death. Notwithstanding, use your
pleasure: if your love do not persuade you to come,
let not my letter."

This is why Bassanio begins to look pale on reading Antonio's letter.

In the book Fahrenheit 451, why did Mildred require emergency service? What service was provided?

This answer can be found in the first 20 pages of the book, so if you haven't given the book a shot yet, go for it!   You'll get to the answer really quickly.  To help you out, Mildred, Montag's wife, is a very unhappy person underneath her exterior.  Although in most of the books she seems "normal," and in fact quite happy with her friends, her t.v. shows, and with the way things are running, the first time that we meet her it is revealed just how miserable she is.  When Montag comes home from work at the beginning of the book, Mildred is lying on the bed barely breathing, "not caring whehter [her breath] came or went, went or came."  Before Montag even sees her his foot hits and "object on the floor" which turns out to be a bottle of sleeping pills, completely empty.  Mildred had taken all of them, in a possible suicide attempt, and was now barely clinging to life.

So, Montag has to call in the paramedics who have a snake-like implement that they insert into Mildred that drains all of her tainted blood and replaces it with new, fresh blood.  It's an interesting device that Bradbury goes into quite a lot of detail to describe.  It also gets rid of her blood, which was dosed and damaged with the sleeping pills, and replaces it with new blood.  She wakes the next morning denying anything had happened, and with no recollection of the events.

I hope that those thoughts help--give reading the book a try too, and with my explanations it should be all be pretty understandable.  Good luck!

Discuss the symbolism in "The Shawl" by Cynthia Ozick.

It is hard to believe that Rosa Lubin was able to keep her baby Magda secluded in the concentration camp for almost a year.  Magda was dehydrated and starving despite Rosa giving her most of her own food. The poignant story “The Shawl” by Cynthia Ozick relates one day in the life of  Rosa, Magda, and Stella [Rosa’s fourteen year old niece] who are trying survive the Nazi’s concentration camp.

The shawl seems to have magical qualities because it satisfied Magda when she had no food or drink.  Where Magda went, the shawl went also. Magda watched over her shawl like a hawk; and she would let no one touch it. The shawl had comforted, entertained, and satisfied Magda, particularly when she stuck the corner in her mouth and sucked on it.  

Mysteriously, Magda, about fifteen months old, does not talk or make any sounds.  Rosa has taught her daughter to walk, but Magda is obviously not well with widening eyes and a bloated stomach. It is obvious that she probably will not last much longer.

Stella, jealous of Magda, steals the shawl away. Stella claimed that she was cold and needed the shawl for warmth. Rosa could see that Stella’s heart was cold as well.

When Magda could not find her shawl, she began to hunt for it. Before Rosa knew what was happening, Magda was out in the yard where the soldiers could see her.  For the first time, the baby began to cry out.  Rosa hurried to get the shawl from Stella to get Magda to come back.  When she returned to the door of the barracks, Rosa saw she was too late.

“Magda was high up, elevated riding someone’s shoulder. Above her shoulder, a helmet glinted. Below the helmet a black body like a domino and a pair of black boots hurled themselves in the direction of the electrified fence…”

Symbolism

Before she could think what to do, Magda was flung into the air and her body splayed against the fence instantly electrocuting her and burning her body black.  As her body traveled through the air, it reminded Rosa of a beautiful butterfly that lands on a silver vine.  The beauty was brief, and the horror was lasting.

The time that passed was seconds, but it was life altering. What had Rosa seen in that time? As she looked to find where Magda had gone, Rosa saw the other side of the fence.  Symbolically, the view represented another time and place.  Through the electrified, deadly fence, there was a green meadow with beautiful flowers of assorted colors growing innocently.  In contrast, the barracks held flowers of excrement and the aroma of greasy smoke that covered everything.  Rosa saw butterflies representative of lost summer days.  Where were those happy times?

Rosa could near the hum of the fence.  It was like voices whispering to one another.  When Magda’s body hit the barrier, the voices “chattered wildly.” They sounded like the last sound that Magda made out in the yard…”Maamaaa, maaaamaaa.” This is a sound that would haunt a mother forever.

What were Rosa’s choices? If she went to Magda’s body, the soldiers would kill her. If Magda ran away, they would shoot her. There was screaming welling up through her spine. She took Magda’s shawl and stuffed it in her mouth and sucked up Magda till it dried.

How do imagination and reality interact in "Young Goodman Brown"?I want it in a type of intoduction. Thank you.

arian23iceman,

Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown" is a contrast between imagination and reality. Young Goodman Brown, the protagonist is the title character. The antagonist is ostensibly the devil, the spirit resembling his father (paragraph 13), although the antagonist might also be Brown’s destructive sense of guilt—his projection of his own sinfulness upon others and his consequent damnation of them. The central conflict of the story, which seems lost even before it begins, is within Brown himself: an inner war of love and trust versus suspicion and distrust.

The resolution occurs after Brown’s climactic denial in paragraph 68. Brown’s life is changed after this because his faith in others has been shattered, and therefore he alienates everyone around him. The undeniable reality of the story is that Brown’s journey is a dream, or nightmare. In psychological terms, Brown may be schizophrenic, because his view of others is distorted by his nightmarish convictions. It is probably best, however, to stress that his gloom results from religious fanaticism.

What is the role of social science in education?

Social sciences is one of the three main branches of sciences, the other two being (1) natural sciences and mathematics and (2) Humanities.

Social sciences deal with our life and behavior as individuals and and as groups. It includes a very wide discipline of science such as psychology, sociology, anthropology, economics, history and science.

It is very difficult to imagine any field of human activity where social science cannot be applicable. In field of education it plays very important role in many ways as listed below.

1. It helps to understand how people learn and develop. This knowledge id very helpful in designing more effective methods of teaching.


2. It helps us to understand the psychology of students of different ages and types. This helps in better understanding of their capabilities, limitations, motivations and requirements. This is useful to teachers in understanding their students as individuals and dealing with them accordingly.


3. Subjects such as sociology and anthropology help us to understand behaviour of students in groups and effect of cultural variations on their behavior. As most of the education is these conducted for groups of students, this type of information is again very useful for managing the students.

Compare and contrast the moods of the two poems, "To the Daffodil" and "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time."

"To the Virgins" follows the theme of Carpe Diem, which means to seize the day.  Take advantage of what you can, while you can.  He urges youth to do all they can while they are young, because once that youth is gone, there is no going back.  They will never be able to do those youthful things later in life.  They don't know how long they will live, either.  This part of "To the Virgins" is similar to the theme of "To Daffodils." 

"To Daffodils" uses that same theme, but doesn't directly urge the reader to take advantage of the time.  It is assumed.  He simply states that we all don't know how long we'll live, but we all will die.  Of that, we are certain.

"We have short time to stay, as you,
We have as short a spring;
As quick a growth to meet decay,
As you, or anything.
We die"

They are similar in their themes, yet the first poem (Virgins) directly offers words of advice to the youth.

"Gather ye Rose-buds while ye may,
Old Time is still a flying:
And this same flower that smiles to day,
To morrow will be dying."

The second one (Daffodils) doesn't come out directly and tell the reader to take advantage.  It's implied because we all will eventually die.

In Chapter 12, of "The Hiding Place," to what does the "thick clouds" refer?

In chapter 12, of "The Hiding Place," Corrie is being moved from one camp tho another. When she and Bessie arrive at Vught they are given separate work assignments.  Corrie is put to work in the Phillips building soddering wires on to components for airplane radios.  When the guards leave the building the prisoners stop their work and rest, visit, and communicate with each other.

When one of the workers, sitting by a window sees a Nazi officer returning, they yell: "thick clouds, thick clouds."  The prisoners would immediately return to work.  When the officer walked in the room to check on the production for the day they don't have a clue that the prisoners were on a break.

The term "thick clouds, thick clouds," was a code to the prisoners that one of the guards was on  the way back to their building.

What is a work in which sex is SUGGESTED, but not described, and how does the implication of sex affect the theme or develop characterization?

One very good example of a suggestive, but not overtly descriptive, sex scene in a movie occurs in Dracula (with Frank Langella). In the scene Dracula and Lucy kiss and stare deeply into one another's eyes.  There is cheesy music and even cheesier red lighting as the "lovers" float on the screen.  Yet, at no point was there any nudity or the obscene noises often associated with sex scenes today.  As a result of the tasteful, rather than graphic, nature of the scene, the viewer is left breathless with anticipation, and is able to develop a sort of affinity for Dracula.  Because the scene is handled with dignity, the characters are left with their dignity, and the audience can appreciate the genuine affection Dracula seems to have for Lucy rather than being distracted and even conflicted by an onslaught of violent sexual behaviors.

In"The Glass Menagerie," what is the meaning of the lights going out in the middle of dinner and candles being lit to replace electricity?

The lack of electricity is an indication of Tom's irresponsibilty in not paying the bill.  However, the darkness and candlelight afford Tennessee Williams better opportunity for the expressionism of his play, "The Glass Menagerie," thus furthering the theme of illusion.  In such dim light, Laura can overcome her shyness surrounded by shadows.  The expressionistic stage direction states,

Jim lights a cigarette and leans indolently back on his elbos smiling at LAURA with a warmth and charm which lights her inwardly with altar candles.

The "altar candles" represent the unearthly qualities of Laura and of her lack of connection to the real world.  Truly, she is like her little glass animals who merely reflect the light.  At the close of Tom final speech, Laura is seen blowing out these candles, thus ending the play.  Tom says,

'For nowadays the world is lit by lightning!  Blow out your candles, Laura--and so goodbye...'

Who is most affected by abortion?

Abortion is the termination of an unwanted pregnancy and this issue has got so many facets; medical, psychological, social and physiological. It is a wise precaution to adopt proper contraceptive rather than settle for this option. But when abortion is the decision taken one has to go for it in the early stages of pregnancy to avoid complications. The most affected is the mother. She has to face the trauma of snuffing out a life, bear the after effects of the abortion which could even leave her sterile. The future pregnancies are at risk due to any damages to the reproductive system during the abortion. The abortion has to be performed by an experienced doctor to avoid complications. The after effects like excessive bleeding, pain, physiological changes, hormonal disturbances are curable with proper medical care. But the impact on the mind and psychology needs a lot of care.The woman has to undergo sustained psychiatric counselling to ease out the depression, guiltand behavioural problems due to abortion. The changes in the approach to future relationships with males, sexual life and the disinterest in the next pregnancy are some of the various issues likely to affect the woman. The teenagers face a greater emotional challenge as it can change their approach to marraige. The emotional and moral support from the closer circle of family and friends will help a great deal in this critical period. The exact effects can vary a lot from person to person depending on many factors like age, race, maturity, family/ male support, abortion stage ( in which month of pregnancy), psychological profile and the medical aspects.

In "The Cask of Amontillado", is there any particular significance to the fact that Fortunato is a mason?Obviously, it gives Montresor the...

Yes, but only to a point is the mention that Fortunato is a Mason a significant detail. Masons have secret handshakes and codes of conduct relating to other Masons.  It is against the Masonic code to harm or lie to a brother Mason.  When the Montressor failed the "mason test" by producing a trowel, Fortunato should have figured out that he was being lied to and made good his escape.

Fortunato made the secret sign to "ask" if Montressor were a Mason, and he seemed not to understand rather than make the corresponding "reply" sign that yes he was a Mason. Fortunato made the sign because he felt uncomfortable going into the damp and underground catacombs with Montressor.  If Montressor were a true Mason, Fortunato could trust his life in the hands of his "brother Mason".

I think Poe uses an interesting play on words in that the Masonic organization and the brick masons use the same symbols and tools.  Masons meet in secret, and the narrator has Fortunato in a secret place in the catacombs.  Montressor uses brick and mortar to seal up Fortunato because of an insult. Many Masonic symbols deal with stone or brick work.

I find the last stanza of Housman's "Loveliest of Trees" quite baffling and full of ambiguity. What is the poet trying to say?I need the...

In a literal sense, the poet is saying in the first two stanzas of the poem that, since he is already twenty years old, he probably has at best only about fifty more years to live.  That being said, he laments in the last stanza the fact that he will see the cherry trees in full bloom only fifty more times, which "are little room", or not very much.  When looking at the poem literally, the word "snow" can be taken in a literal sense as well.  The poet decides to make the best of the situation by taking the opportunity to enjoy the trees even in the winter, when they are "hung with snow".  The cherry trees do not have to be blooming for him to appreciate them; they have great beauty even in their branches are bare.

Metaphorically, the poet is expressing the ability to appreciate life in all its stages.  Life is of course wonderful and beautiful when it is new, when it is "wearing white for Eastertide", a time symbolic of renewal and rebirth.  The time of freshness for new life, however, is limited, both for the poet as a living being, and for all things in nature.  The poet seeks to convey a message of positiveness and optimism even so.  As he grows older, using up his allotted time of about seventy years, things will not be as easy and lovely for him as they are when he is in his prime.  He will no longer  possess the beauty of his youth, and hardships and ailments, "snow", may beset him.  Still, the poet determines that he will still be able to see the joy and beauty in his life, just as he can see and appreciate the cherry tree in the winter, when it is not in bloom, but "hung with snow".

Check out the link below for a much more in-depth analysis of the poem...

Can you compare and contrast Hamlet, Laertes and Fortinbras from "Hamlet"?I want to compare and contrast them. (I dont want u to do my assignment...

In seven soliloquies Hamlet deliberates with himself over such things as what the meaning of life is, how his mother could be so disloyal to her king and husband, why he cannot bring himself to avenge his father's murder; however, in his final soliloquy, he wonders why he is in such sharp contrast to Fortinbras:

...Now whether it be/Bestial oblivion, or some craven scruple/Of thinking too precisely on th' event--/A thought which, quartered, hath but one part wisdom/And ever three parts coward--I do not know/Why yet I live to say "This thing's to do',/SSith I have cause, and will, and strength, and means,/To do't.  Examples gross as earth exhort me:/Witness this army of such mass and charge,/Led by a delicate and tender prince,/Whose spirit, with divine ambition puffed,/Makes mouths at the invisible event,/Exposing what is mortal and unsure/To all that fortune, death, and danger dare,/Even for an eggshell.(IV,iv,39-53)

Hamlet wonders how he can continue to lack resolve to avenge his father's murder when the "delicate and tender" Fortinbras is willing to die "for a fantasy and trick of fame," for an ideal. The battlefield of Fortinbras and the Polish armies is nearly worthless, yet they are willing to fight and die for honor while Hamlet notes his inaction regarding "a father killed, and a mother stained."

In the final act Fortinbras succeeds to the throne of Denmark after Hamlet dies.  Like Hamlet Fortinbras has sought to avenge his father's death, but unlike Hamlet he does not delay.  His entrance at the end of Act V allows him to have his revenge and ascend the throne. 

Also in sharp contrast to Hamlet's melancholic inaction is Laertes's choleric reaction to the death of his father, Polonius.  For, when Laertes returns from France, he bursts into the castle vowing revenge against Claudius whom he calls a "vile king"(IV,v,116).  Claudius swears that he has had nothing to do with the death of Polonius and reveals that Hamlet is the murderer.  And, when the king reveals a plot to kill Hamlet, Laertes readily agrees to be a part of this plan:

My lord, I will be ruled;/The rather if you could devise it so/That I might be the organ. (IV,vii,67-69)

Also, unlike Hamlet, Laertes can be manipulated by the king, who exhorts Laertes to show himself

in deed your father's son/More than in words (IV, vii,122)

Laertes even goes so far as to agree to cut Hamlet's throat in the church.  That he has been swayed by the king into dueling Hamlet is evidenced just before Laertes wounds Hamlet with the poisoned rapier as Laertes says in an aside, "And yet it is almost against my conscience" (V,ii,296).  While this loss of resolve may resemble that of Hamlet, it is in contrast to Hamlet's long deliberation which prevents hasty resolves that one regrets later. 

In the final act, Laertes admits to his villainy and he and Hamlet forgive each other:  Exchange forgiveness with me, noble Hamlet/Mine and my father's death come not upon thee,/Nor thine on me. (V,ii,308-310)  Thus, they both display integrity.  In fact, all three--Hamlet, Fortinbras, and Laertes-display a nobleness of character in Shakespeare's "Hamlet."  

What are the symbols in the novel "Mice of Men," and what do those symbols represent? Thank you very much for your help!

Numerous symbols in "Of Mice and Men" work to express and develop Steinbeck's central themes; some are more significant, perhaps, than others, but each of them makes an important contribution to the work.

The mouse that Lennie carries in his pocket can be interpreted as a symbol for Lennie himself. A mouse is generally of no value to others, and it occupies a low place among other animals. It is frequently reviled as being undesirable, and destroying it generally causes no concern. Much the same can be said of Lennie among his own species. Unlike others, however, Lennie values the mouse he carries in his pocket, just as George, unlike others, finds much in Lennie to value.

The ranch that George and Lennie dream of symbolizes their desire (and the human desire) for a worthwhile life of freedom and independence. Because of their social circumstances and the economic system that imprisons them, their dream is unattainable, always just beyond their reach. Much the same can be said of the many who live on the fringes of American society, the homeless and the hopeless whom Steinbeck championed in this novel and many of his other works.

If George and Lennie's ranch symbolizes the life they dream of, the bunkhouse symbolizes the life to which they are consigned. Bare and utilitarian, it offers no sense of home; it is a stopping-off place for George, Lennie, and the others who will never have homes of their own. The separate quarters where Crooks must live, segregated from the others because of his race, mirrors the racist society at large.

Finally, Candy's beloved old dog can be seen as a symbol of the fate that awaits all of these homeless men. The dog had lived many years, serving Candy well as friend and companion, easing his loneliness. Once the old dog had become a burden, however, the "society" in the bunkhouse determined that he must be destroyed. Candy cannot stand up to the pressure of this attitude, and gives in, feeling the deep pain of having his dog destroyed. The clear symbolic suggestion is that once these men have outlived their usefulness and become a burden, they, too, will receive no sympathy or support from others. Theirs is a grim future.

What is a velic closure and a velaric closure?

In a velic closure, the velum moves up and comes into contact with the rear wall of the pharynx thereby blocking the inflow of air to the nasal cavity. By preventing air escape via the nasal cavity and permitting air escape via the oral cavity alone, oral sounds are produced. This type of closure produces consonant sounds like p, w, v, and x.

In a velar closure, there is a combination of two actions. The velic closure takes place in addition to the back of the tongue lifting and coming into contact with the velum. Consequently, air passage through the nasal and oral cavities is hindered and pressure in the mouth reduced.  This type of closure results in click sounds.

According to Dr. Nadja Nesselhauf, velic closure refers to the manner of articulation while velar closure refers to the place of articulation.

Is the ending of Animal Farm pessimistic or optimistic?

The ending of Animal Farm is extremely pessimistic. The animals have traded a more lenient owner (Jones) for a brutal dictator (Napoleon) and their lives are harder than ever before. All the promises of a brighter future have been betrayed. They work as hard or harder for Napoleon than they did for Jones, and the pigs have become surrogate humans. The pigs now control the animals, and have mostly convinced them that they are being oppressed for their own good.

They were generally hungry, they slept on straw, they drank from the pool, they laboured in the fields; in winter they were troubled by the cold, and in summer by the flies.
[...]
The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.
(Orwell, Animal Farm, msxnet.org)

The implication is that the pigs are now treated as equals by the humans, and since they have a unique insight into the mindset of other animals, they are able to exploit much more work for greater personal profit. Jones ran the farm normally, as a subsistence facility; the pigs run it as a slave plantation, where all the effort is done by the animals and all the benefits go to the pigs. The book does not continue past this point; both film versions showed the eventual collapse of the farm as its policies prove unsustainable.

What are themes in Emerson's "Self-Reliance"?

Polonius's advice to Hamlet includes a famous phrase:

...to thy own self be true/And it must follow,as the night the day,/Thou canst not then be false to any man (I,iii,78-80)

This advice is the theme of Emerson's "Self-Reliance":  Trust thyself, and value thy own experiences, insights, opinions, and experiences above those presented by society and religion.

Rejecting the Calvinism of his father, Emerson felt that everyone has, not depravity, but a divine uniqueness that allows him to be unselfish and productive:

Whoso would be a man must be a non-conformist.....Nothing is at last sacred byt the integrity of your own mind.  Absolve you to yourself, and you shall have the suffrage of the world.

In this passage Emerson also expresses the theme of nonconformity:  "Society is a joint-stock company" in which the members agree to sacrifice the desires of the individual for the safety of the group.

Another theme is originality as opposed to imitation:  "Insist on yourself.  Never imitate."  Emerson perceives society as being in conspiracy against the manhood of all of its members, removing the "integrity of the individual."

These themes are certainly relevant today, with people finding it too comfortable to follow along rather than risk "being misunderstood."

What caused the Civil War?I need a few specific examples but chronology that led to the Civil War

Experts have advanced many causes for the American Civil war between the Southern and Northern states. These causes relate to basic difference between their economies and lifestyles. Southern states relied mainly on agriculture, and led a luxurious life. They believed in preserving their past and present culture. In comparison Northern states relied more on trade and industry. They led a hardy life, were more educated, and believed in adopting new ways of life. However, explicit cause of Civil War was the difference between the two groups over the question of slavery.

Though the Civil War started in 1861, the progressive people in Northern states were opposed to slavery since around 1800. Attempts were made to reach a compromise between the people who opposed and supported slavery by passing some laws that put some restrictions on slavery but did not abolish it completely.

As the opposition to slavery grew, Southern states feared that slavery may be abolished completely. When Abraham Lincoln was elected president in 1860 they felt he might do so in near future. To avoid such a possibility, some of them decided to secede from the rest of the country. The first state to do so in December 1860 was South Carolina. Five other states - Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia and Louisiana - followed in January 1861. In February 1861 they formed a Confederate States of America. Texas joined them in March 1861.

The Confederates fired on Fort Sumter in South Carolina - a Military Post of Union (the undivided USA) on April 12 , 1861. This can be taken as the date of stat of Civil war. The war lasted for four years and ended on April 9, 1965 with surrender of General Lee to General Grant.

There is one and only one circle passing through three non coliner points to proof this through a diagram.We need to proof this it is for 10th std

Let A, B and  C be 3 noncollinear points.

Join AB  and   BC.

Draw the perpendicualr bisector to AB            (1)

Draw the perpendicular bsector to  BC            (2)

Let the two perpendicular bisectors in (1) and (2) meet at O.

If X and Y are mid points of the AB and BC , then XO and YO become the perpendicular bisectors of AB and BC.

Consider the triangles OXA and OXB which are congruent , as

XA = XB .  OX is perpendicular bisector to AB, by constuction.

angle OXA = angle OXB,. Right angles, by construction.

XO =XO , the common side to both triangles.

Threfore OA =OB.                      (3)

|||ly Taking triangles OYB and OYC we can prove that they are congruent.

So, OB=OC   (4)

Therefore, from (3) and (4):

OA = OB = OC =  r  say.

Therefore, a circle  passes through the  A, B and C whose centre is  O and whose radius is  r =OA = OB =OC.

The circle is unique as the point O  is unique and the radius  r is unique.

Now if you join OZ, Z being the mid point of the third side AC, then,by the Circle theorem:The perpendicular bisector of any chord passes through the centre of the circle.

So, ZO is the line on which the centre lies, OA=OC as proved ealier, O is the centre of the circle for the chord AC also.

The circle is unique as centre O and the radius r= OA=OB=OC being unique, i.e, with a fixed centre and radius we can draw only oneand only one circle.

Why is Sam Norton possibly one of the worst Wardens at Shawshank?what is a personality trait makes him even more unlikeable the he already seem to be?

Warden Norton's hypocrisy makes him an extremely unlikeable character at Shawshank.  His claim of revering the Blble and its spiritual conditions is only matched by his sense of larceny and extreme cruelty.  He manipulates his religious beliefs as a mask to conceal his devious ways.  For example, the safe where his embezzled funds remain hidden is covered by a Biblical quotation.  He claims to be committed to the truth, but engineers the murder and torture of prisoners.  In public and for publicity's sake, he claims to be progressive in his attitude of rehabilitating prisoners, yet engages in draconian measures that seek to demean the humanity of the prisoners.  It is not merely that the Warden is "a bad guy," but rather his hypocritical nature and perversion of religious faith, and in particular, the Bible that makes him even more unlikeable.

"Free trade promotes a mutually profitable regional division of labour, greatly enhances the potential real national product of all nations and...

Free trade refers to trading across national boundaries without restrictions. This means that a country imposes any restrictions on importing goods and services from other countries, and at the same time it is able to export its products to other countries without facing any restrictions placed by them.

Free trade permits countries to manufacture and export to other countries the products they are able to make more efficiently and economically then them. In return the country imports other products which other countries are able to manufacture more efficiently and economically. For example, India export ready-made garments to USA and other countries as it can manufacture them more economically than USA can. At the same time India imports computer chips from USA which it cannot manufacture as economically as USA does. If instead import and export of this type, India tried to divert its resources used for making ready-made garments for export to making computer chips within the country, it will not be able to get the same quantity of computer chips manufactured within country. Thus the total goods and services available to Indians will be reduced by eliminating this type of export and import. Similarly USA and other countries importing ready-made garments tried to manufacturing ready-made garments within their respective countries instead of importing, total value of goods and services available to their people will also reduce.

Thus free trade tends to improve the well being and standard of living of all countries that engage in it. However there are some limitation on the logic about about countries exporting what they can make most efficiently and import what can't make or can make least efficiently.

The first of these limitations is the transportation and other transaction costs. import end export involves transportation of goods over longer distances across national boundaries. This adds to their costs. Also trading across national boundaries involves more time and efforts in selling and purchasing activities. this also adds to the cost. Thus the differences in manufacturing costs of different countries mus be large enough to cover these additional costs.

The we also need to consider the the impact of unutilized resources. For example, a country utilizing an old technology may have higher production cost for manufacturing a product, like say textiles, than another country using better technology. But, import from other countries will make the local textile  manufacturing facilities redundant, which cannot be used for any other purposes. Also it may render many people employed in that industry job less. Thus the import of textile will not result in any significant rise in production of other products, and thus total prosperity of the country will come down.

Sometimes, import from other countries can inhibit growth of local industries. A country that is inefficient now need not remain inefficient. It develop and improve its capabilities and improve its prosperity over a period. However, free trade may inhibit such growth and development of local industries.

Thus free trade definitely can contribute to improvement in general standards of living, however totally uncontrolled free trade is also likely to hurt the interest of countries practicing it.

Who are the main characters in Angela's Ashes?

Interesting to see this question at this particular time, since Frank McCourt died just about a week ago.  Angela of the title was McCourt's long-suffering mother, forced to raise her family in poverty in Ireland while her husband bounced around from place to place, largely unable to hold a job and drinking away his paycheck when he actually received one.  The main characters, then, are Angela, McCourt's father Malachy, twins Oliver and Eugene, a sister, Margaret, and two more brothers, Michael and Alphie.  McCourt was born in Brooklyn, as were Margaret and the twins.  The family moved back Ireland shortly after Margaret's death; the twins died about a year later, after which Michael and Alphie were born.

What is the name of the town that Jody and Janie moved to in Their Eyes Were Watching God?

The name of the town to which Jody and Janie moved is Eatonville, Florida.

Joe Starks is an ambitious black man who has "been workin' for white folks all his life".  He had always wanted to be "a big voice", but wherever he has gone, it is the white people who "had all the sayso".  Joe, who likes to be called Jody, has saved up some money, "round three hundred dollars".  He has heard about a place where they are "makin' a town all outa colored folks", and he knows that is where he wants to be.  He wants to "git dere whilst de town (is) yet a baby.  He meant to buy in big.  It had always been his wish and desire to be a big voice and he had to live nearly thirty years to find a chance".

When Jody and Janie arrive in the town, Jody asks, "Whut is de real name of de place?"  The men he is talking to respond,

"Some say West Maitland and some say Eatonville.  Dat's 'caus Cap'n Eaton give us some land along wid Mr. Laurence.  But Cap'n Eaton give de first piece".

Although the town is very small, only about fifty acres, when Jody and Jamie arrive, it soon begins to grow.  Jody plays a big part in this when he buys an additional two hundred acres from Captain Eaton with the money he has saved, and sells it off in lots to Negro families who want to settle there.   "Eatonville" is the name that sticks for this new town.  It is ironic that a town made "all outa colored folks" remains named after the white landowner who sold them the land (Chapter 5).

Can I possibly acquire an authentic autograph/signature?

 Mikhail Bulgakov died in 1940 at the age of forty-eight.  In order to obtain an authentic signature or autograph, you will have to seek it in either signed copies of his published works, in antique shops, or in auctions which may included memorabilia.  I would expect you should save your money...unless you're lucky, this desire is apt to cost you a pretty penny.  Check out the links below for ideas on where to go and how to go about getting your autograph.  You should also check to see if there is an official site dedicated to this author, although, being Russian, it may not be in English.  At any rate, the contact info may lead you to a family member or friend who can get you what you want.  Good Luck!!

A bullet is fired horizontally out of a gun at the same time another is dropped from the end of the barrel. The one to hit the ground first...

They both hit the ground at the same time.  So your answer is C. Gravity works on the bullets just the same regardless of velocity.  The bullets have to be the same calibre and weight for this to work.

Newton was the first person to study gravity seriously, and he came up with the law of universal gravitation:

Each particle of matter attracts every other particle with a force which is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.

The standard formula for gravity is:

Gravitational force = (G * m1 * m2) / (d2)

I need significant quotes from the Of Mice and Men with page or chapter numbers.

dear pepperbabby,

Here are some significant quotes from Of Mice and Men:

"Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don't belong no place. . . . With us it ain't like that. We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us. We don't have to sit in no bar room blowin' in our jack jus' because we got no place else to go. If them other guys gets in jail they can rot for all anybody gives a damn. But not us." (chapter 1, George)

The above quote is a premise for George's -and Lennie's- desire for a place to belong. It is followed up by this next quote, which describes the details of their ideal world:

"All kin's a vegetables in the garden, and if we want a little whisky we can sell a few eggs or something, or some milk. We'd jus' live there. We'd belong there. There wouldn't be no more runnin' round the country and gettin' fed by a Jap cook. No, sir, we'd have our own place where we belonged and not sleep in no bunk house."(chapter 1, George)

In chapter 8 of "Great Expectations," what does Miss Havisham's appearance aptly remind Pip of?

Upon seeing Miss Havisham in the dim light of the candle on her dressing table, Pip remarks that he is reminded of both a "waxwork" at a Fair to which he was taken and an exhumed "skeleton in the ashes of a rich dress" dug out of a vault in a church graveyard.  Likewise, the waxwork was of "I know not what impossible personage lying in state," Pip states.

These images are appropriate to Miss Havisham who is, in a sense, the living dead.  For, her spirit was killed at twenty minutes to nine in the morning of her wedding day when she received the news that the groom would not be present for the wedding.  Since that moment, all progression as a vibrant person has been halted.  She has not even put on the other shoe, and she remains as she was when the news reached her at twenty until nine o'clock.  Thus, she is a shell of what she once was, a wax-like figure near to ashes.  This allusion to ashes is even more pertinent as in Book the Third of "Great Expectations," Miss Havisham is burned as she comes too close to the fireplace.

What makes Daniel Defoe unique?

ashley-f,

Daniel Defoe (1660−1731), has long been considered the father of the English novel, even though he inherited an established picaresque tradition. He is also regarded as a great journalist, with a sharp eye for current events in early-18th-century London. As a “journalist,” Defoe published papers and pamphlets on virtually all the issues of his age: religious controversy, duels, bankruptcy, insurance, care for the elderly, and conditions for the mentally ill.

Defoe’s signature appears to be his plain style and his prosaic—as opposed to poetic—view of life. The writing itself takes on a conversational, unadorned style, with few allusions and few flourishes. It is attuned to modern life. Defoe is a great witness to the emergence of the middle class; he celebrates enterprise, mercantilism, and hard work. His views on industriousness and profit have been seen in terms of Protestantism and the work ethic. The focus in Defoe’s books is on the individual in this life; he doesn’t address religious salvation or transcendence.

For modern readers, his work raises the question: Is there no conflict between fattening your wallet and saving your soul? The commonsensical Defoe is visible in his world-famous "Robinson Crusoe." This story of a man abandoned on a desert island could have been an existentialist nightmare. In Defoe, it becomes a tale of "homo economicus": Get busy and organize the island.

"Moll Flanders" brings all these factors into play, while adding one more fascinating twist: The protagonist is a woman. The story of an innocent country girl corrupted by city life was a familiar topic for the 18th century. London, a thriving business capital, was growing by leaps and bounds.

After her husband’s death, Moll confesses that she never loved him, despite his kindness toward her. Instead, she is obsessed with his brother:

“And I never was in bed with my husband that I wished myself in the arms of his brother…. In short, I committed adultery and incest with him every day in my desires….”

Defoe shows us in this remarkable passage that the world of surfaces (Moll in bed with her husband) is echoed by a world of memories and other relationships (the world that takes place in her mind). We can’t help bringing that world into the world in which we live.

Where is the setting in the book Hoot by Carl Hiaasen?

Coconut Grove, Florida is the base setting for Hoot by Carl Hiassen.  Roy has recently moved to Coconut Grove from Montana, as this is something he has endured quite often.  Trace Middle School is where he attends school.  The setting of Florida allows Hiassen the opportunity to explore the demands of business growth on the environment and examine the tension that exists between both.  Being a native of Florida, the setting allows Hiassen the opportunity to examine where Florida is now as opposed to where it was and how this shift has caused challenges to the natural setting of wildlife and ecological niches, of which is a major presence in the book.

What is the structure of gelatin (explain how it is bonded together, the type of bonds, etc.)?

The common properties of polymeric substances can be found at gelatines. The  physico-mechanical properties of gelatin depends on the molecular structures that can vary from globular structures to fibrillar structures.

The gelatin has the following distinct properties, such that:

- the gelatin macromolecules contain basic functional groups and acidic functional groups

- gelating interacts with water, the sorption capacity of gelatin solidly depending on pH

- gelatin can form, at low temperatures, the triple-stranded helical structure

If heated, gelatin changes its physico-chemical properties, hence, at temperatures over 140^o C, because of chemical bonds between gelatin macromolecules, gelatin becomes insoluble in hot saturated urea solutions.

Hence, gelatin's behaviour depends on the conformation of its macromolecules, that can be coiled or helical, but in absence of water, gelatin acts like a brittle material, without any reference to its molecular structure.

Discuss the various aspects of creating goodwill in business communication.this is a ques 4rm business communication and this ans must be in...

Goodwill in a business refers to the the positive feelings and assessment about a company and its products among its customer, suppliers, shareholders and other stakeholders. Goodwill enables a company to increase the volume of its business at more favourable terms. Goodwill implies a feeling of trust people have in a company, its products, and its dealings in general.

A business firm with high goodwill is in a better position to increase its business and its profit, therefore the amount an investor will be willing to pay for acquiring the business is like to contain a premium over and above the value of its tangible assets. In accounting terms, goodwill refers to this additional worth of a company.

The goodwill of business develops out of its past performance in terms of its product and its dealing with stakeholders. Goodwill relates to the business as a whole and not separately for different activities such as communication. Therefore it will not be entirely correct to talk of goodwill in "business communication".

Basically goodwill is created by business performance. Communication can help to a limited extent by presenting the company in a better light. However, communication by itself cannot create goodwill for a company with poor product quality and untrustworthy business dealings.

Communication can help to enhance the goodwill of a company in several ways described below>

• Increase the awareness of the company and its products.


• Create a favourable image of company's product and services in terms of quality and reliability.


• Create a positive image of the company as a whole. This may include emphasizing several aspect of the company and its dealings - for example, honesty, social responsibility, concern for its customers and other stake holders, fair dealings, and technological leadership.

Effectiveness of communication depends on many factors such as number of people exposed to communication, how well the message has been presented, and the timing of communication.

What does the executive branch do?

I believe this question relates to the division of functions of governments.

The answer posted above gives a fairly good coverage of the executive branch of the government of USA. However, I think it will be useful to elaborate on some of the points.

First, divisions of government in legislative, executive, and judicial branch is common in many democratic countries of the world. Though the exact organization structure and procedures adopted for performing these functions may differ from country to country, the basic function remain quite similar.

Second, the division of government in the three branches is not limited to the elected representative, but it covers the entire machinery of the government included regular government employees.

Third, implementing the laws is just one of the functions of the executive branch. Though, the executive branch, has to work within the frame work of law of the land, it will not be quite correct to describe that as its sole or even main function. The core function of the executive branch is to preform all the function required to safeguard common interest of the company. For example, providing civic services is one of the many services performed by government agencies in most of the countries. It will not be appropriate to to describe this as work of implementing law.

Fourth, though many people in government perform only executive functions, there are others, particularly the elected representatives that perform a combination of legislative, executive and judicial functions. For example the President in USA is not only the head of executive branch but also of the other two branches of government.

What does the wrist watch symbolize in 'The Kite Runner' by Khaled Hosseini?

In Chapter Nine, Amir uses the wristwatch he gets for his birhtday to frame Hassan. He hides it, along with some cash, under Hassan's mattress, then complains that it is missing. When it is found Hassan is naturally presumed to be the thief. His father, Baba's faithful servant, chooses to leave the household rather than bear the shame of such incrimination. From this point on, Amir and Hassan's destinies are forged in different directions. The time of their complicity and friendship is over.

It is only until much later that Hassan learns that Hasssan's real father is Baba, and that Hassan is indeed is half-brother. This moment of awakening comes too late to make ammends to Hassan (who has been killed), but Amir goes to great lengths to save his son Sohrab from Assef's clutches.

The wristwatch taken as a universal symbol evidently represents time, and with that time running out. More specifically in the context of the story, it represents Amir's act which once done cannot be undone, as there is no possibility of going back. For Amir the wristwatch also represents his privileged status as a legitimite son but also treachery. For Hassan, it represents discrimination, favouritism, and Amir's treachery.

In Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged," who is John Galt?

Literal answer:  The enigmatic key character in Ayn Rand's book "Atlas Shrugged."  He is a genius who invented a motor that functions with revolutionary technology, that would have entirely changed all of the industrial world as it was known at the time.  However, a genius caught up in an increasingly collectivist society that touted proclamations that genius is evil, mankind's mind is immoral, and all people should immolate themselves to the common good of their brother, he abandons his motor and "disappears" from society.  Throughout the course of a decade, he also prompts many other great inventors, thinkers, workers, scientists and industrialists to leave society also.   He refuses to live by the standards that his society were preaching at him, and, also refuses to lend them his own logic and mind.  He claims that this is because he is just giving society what they asked for--a world without great minds that stand above "average minds".  In part of an address he gives to his society near the end of the book, he claims of his own personal philosophy and the reasoning of those that left with him,

"I have removed the source of all those evils you were sacrificing one by one...I have deprived your world of man's mind...we are on strike against self-immolation.  We are on strike against the creed of unearned rewards and unrewarded duties.  We are on strike against the dogma that the pursuit of one's happiness is evil."

In the end, it is the theories that Galt stands against that does indeed "stop the motor of the world," and it is left to Galt and some of his closest friends to attempt to rebuild the world as they feel it should be.

On a more symbolic level, the question "Who is John Galt" becomes a catch-phrase that everyone in the novel uses as a sort of "who knows?" shrug-of-the-shoulders at things that they cannot explain.  If one were to ask, "Why is the world the way it is?" the response would be, "Eh-who knows?  Who is John Galt?" as a sort-of "nobody really knows" answer.  The irony in this catch-phrase is that as soon as the world learns who John Galt is, the answers to all of those questions of why the world is was as it was are exposed.  Galt reveals society and the politicians for who they really are, answering how the world came to be as it was.  He strips them of their veneer of virtue and exposes them as power-hungry politicians who use the world to achieve their own ends.  So, answering the question of who John Galt is also ends up answering the original question that prompted the catch-phrase.

Literally and figuratively, John Galt represents Ayn Rand's ideal philosophy of human happiness, and that is that reliance on one's own mind and genius to improve the world and quality of living is the path to true success and innovation.

In The Great Gatsby, why does Gatsby tell Nick about his life?Does Nick believe him?

In Chapter IV when Nick and Gatsby ride together into New York, Gatsby tells Nick about his past, in Gatsby's words "something about my life." He then tells Nick of his wealthy Midwestern family background and his Oxford education--a family tradition, he said. When his family died, he inherited "a good deal of money" that allowed him to travel throughout the European capitals where he collected jewels, hunted big game, painted, and tried to escape a sad, sad memory. His story continued as he recounted his military service in World War I and his decoration for heroism, a medal presented to him by Montenegro.

Throughout his recitation, Nick found Gatsby's speech and manner to be laughable; in fact, he had to make an effort to keep from laughing aloud. Nick found Gatsby's story to be beyond belief, including his birth in that famous Midwestern city, San Francisco. Nick was convinced that Gatsby's whole story was one lie upon another, until the end of it when Gatsby showed Nick two of his souvenirs: a photo of himself at Oxford and the medal from Montenegro. Both seemed very authentic, to Nick's complete astonishment, and convinced him that Gatsby's story was "all true." We find later that parts of it were true, at least.

Gatsby shared information about his life because he wanted Nick to think well of him. As Gatsby said, "I don't want you to get a wrong idea of me from all these stories you hear." As Chapter IV continues, we find out why. Gatsby wants a reunion with Daisy Buchanan, and he wants Nick to arrange their meeting.

What is connection between The Scarlet Letter and Transcendentalism?

The novel lends itself to many interpretations, of course, but the influence of Transcendentalism is certainly evident, primarily through the characters of Hester and Pearl. Emerson wrote in "Self-Reliance" that "[s]ociety everywhere is in conspiracy against [the individuality] of every one of its members" and that "[t]he virtue in most request is conformity." Hester represents the life of one who rebelled against her society and who only conformed, for a short period of time, out of necessity. Her spirit remained unbroken by the forces of the theocracy in which she lived. Pearl also lived an individual life, dressed in bright colors by her mother to distinguish her from those who wore the Puritan gray.

Another element of Transcendentalism is reflected in the symbolism of the novel's natural setting. For the Puritans, the forest was a place of darkness and evil where Satan himself reigned. For Hester, however, it was a place of beauty and freedom where truth could be realized. In the forest with Arthur and Pearl, away from her repressive society, she could be the person she really was, free to express her love and take pride openly in her beautiful child. Arthur himself, as soul sick and tormented as he was, found joy within the natural environment and dared to hope again that life would not always be one of pain and loneliness. Arthur's dream of happiness ends when he leaves the forest and returns to the settlement. The beauty, peace, and freedom experienced by Hester and Arthur in the forest seems consistent with Emerson's words in "Nature." He wrote that the woods was a place where "sanctity reign[s]," a place of "uncontained and immortal beauty."

Is Little House on the Prairie the tv show all based on actual events or is some of it made up for the program?I have recently seen a short series...

Beyond character names and relationships and a few incidental events, the television series was a large departure from the books.  Some instances in which the TV show was factual:

The Ingalls family did have an infant son that died (Charles Frederick Ingalls).

Mary did go blind (though she never married).

Eliza Jane Wilder was indeed Laura's teacher for one term (but did not return because of an inability to control the students).

Almanzo and Laura also had an infant son that died.

Most of the action in the series after On the Banks of Plum Creek takes place in De Smet, South Dakota, where the Ingalls moved when Laura was around 12.  That is where she met and married Almanzo.

The Little House on the Prairie mini-series you mention was truer to the book, but still revised for TV.  Another movie and its sequel, Beyond the Prairie, was a more accurate account of Laura's life from The Long Winter on, into their move and early years in Mansfield, Missouri.

What changes did Pax Romana make in government, laws, census, army and roads?

The period known as the Pax Romana, or "peace of Rome," began in the year 27 BC when Octavius took the throne as the Emperor Augustine, ending the period of civil wars and beginning the age of the emperors. In many respects this initiated a long period of incredible accomplishment, as the Empire expanded and was knit together by an amazing system of roads not equalled until the post-World War II era, and through the census, first introduced by Augustus. Roman cities boasted water systems, sewage systems, public transport and many other "modern" advantages. The Pax encompassed the era of "the Five Good Emperors." Unfortunately, at the same time the ideals of the Roman Republic died a hard death, with increasing tyranny by the emperors, corruption in the government, and a general decline in the ability and desire of the citizens to take responsibility for their society.

Law and order was an essential ideal of the Pax, and an increasing prosperity accompanied the advances of the Empire. In general, in the 200 years of the Peace, things went well for the Empire as a whole and for Roman citizens generally. The Senate still functioned fairly well, and it was not until late in this period that things began to slip badly. The Great Fire occurred in AD 64, but Rome was rebuilt as a city of epic architecture. The Colosseum was completed in 80, the Pantheon in 130 and the Empire reached its greatest extent by 138. But the Peace of Rome was actually a period of war and conquest on the borers of the Empire, and the very success of the Roman military led to unrest on those borders. By 235 the Period of Anarchy had begun, and the long decline of Rome was underway. Today the Pax Romana is generally defined as having ended by the year 180.

Art, architecture and culture was greatly influenced by Greek culture, but the laws were originally firmly based in the Roman Republican tradition. That unfortunately changed as corruption increased, and the public was generally used by the ruling elite as a source of political power through manipulation rather than appeals to good citizenship. After the Pax the decline of Rome accelerated, and although much has been made of the decline of public morals the real cause of Rome's collapse was the decline of the interest of the citizens in service in the Roman military.  By the period of anarchy the Roman armies were dependant on mercenaries, largely from the Germanic lands. Their acquaintance with Roman military methods and the state of the empire generally led eventually to the attacks of Germanic peoples on the Roman lands, and the eventual collapse of the Western Empire.

Discuss the relationship between Esperanza and her mother in The House on Mango Street.Do they share any similarities on how to live their lives? ...

Both Esperanza and her mother have dreams of a better life; both want something more than the house on Mango Street.  The house on Mango Street is "small and red with tight steps in front and windows so small you'd think they were holding their breath...the house has only one washroom...(and) everybody has to share a bedroom".  Esperanza is ashamed to admit to the Sister at school that she lives in this house, and Mama insists that this house is only "for the time being".  Mama dreams of a house that is "white with trees around it, a great big yard and grass growing without a fence", and Esperanza shares this vision of the house that will hopefully one day be theirs ("The House on Mango Street").

Mama once had hopes of "be(ing) somebody" like Esperanza does.  She speaks two languages, and can sing and draw, but she quit school because she was ashamed because she could not afford nice clothes.  Because of poverty and cultural restraints, she never left the city where she was born.  As expected, she married and had lots of children, and now she spends her days "tak(ing) care (of) all (her) own".  Mama is sometimes disappointed in how her life turned out, but, unlike Esperanza, she is accepting of her role.  Like her "comadres", she expects little else ("A Smart Cookie").

Esperanza shares the dreams her mother has of becoming something more in her life than what her culture seems to ordain, but unlike her mother, she will accept nothing less.  She is a storyteller, and wants to be a writer, and she says "I am too strong for (Mango Street) to keep me here forever".  Esperanza acknowledges that she is "an ugly daughter", but while her mother assures her that she will become prettier as she matures, with the implication that then there will be a man who will love her and give her a family, Esperanza determines that she will "not...grow up tame like the others who lay their necks on the threshold waiting for the ball and chain".  Esperanza will not do what is expected of her; she will not fall into the trap of having children early and raising them in poverty and want.  Esperanza will continue her education and maintain her independence; she "will say goodbye to Mango...will go away", to a bigger world and a life with endless possibilities ("Beautiful and Cruel", "Mango Says Goodbye Sometimes").

Is Oedipus' 'hamartia' hubris, or is it something else?

People will tell you incessantly that 'hamartia' (an Ancient Greek word) should best be translated as 'tragic flaw'. This, in turn, has given rise to a complete misreading of Aristotle's Poetics, one of the most important works of literary criticism ever, which has a very famous section on tragedy, using Sophocles' 'Oedipus Rex' (the play in which the Oedipus story - though Sophocles didn't invent it - seems to first appear).

This theory goes as follows: tragedy is about a man in good fortune who comes crashing down to bad fortune (and often death) because of a tragic flaw in his personality.

This theory is nonsense. 'Hamartia' translates as mistake if read correctly in the Ancient Greek, and it makes far more sense to be read as such.

What brings about Oedipus' eventual downfall? It's because he killed a man, not known to him as his father, at a crossroads. And he did it at a point when, in fact, he thought he had escaped his parents - and was fleeing away from Corinth (what he thought was his birthplace) towards Thebes (his real birthplace). He thought he was safe.

What 'personality flaw' caused him to do this? What 'fatal tragic flaw' brought about his tragedy? Well, exactly. Short-temperedness? That's about as near as I can get, and it's not quite the same as 'pride' (the usual 'flaw' cited). And it's not very moving: a man whose temper brought him crashing down.

It makes far more sense to say that Oedipus is a man who made a mistake. One day, at a crossroads, because he thought he was safe from the curse that he would kill his father and marry his mother, he made a mistake, over-reacted to a passing aggressive traveller and killed him. And that mistake, though it's not until the very end of hte play that he realises, tracks him through his life until, finally, it destroys  - and ultimately blinds - him.

Hope it helps!

Please explain Wallace Stevens' "The Planet on the Table."

The poet assuming himself as spirit [later to be] presents the greatness of the poems as a testimny f the immortality of the verses.  He avers that the good verses would outlive the creation of the Sun [preumably the god the creator].  He is the creator of the nature around us.  The man in his own capacity creates many things on this Planet Earth like some superb architecture or some evergreen literature works as poems and verses.  The poet is the man created by the God but he perishes one day but the verses created by this man go on to live to the eternity.  He accords immortality to some of the creations of the man which some of those created by God do not enjoy.

The Summary

The spirit of the poet was glad for it had written some poems about the times he remembered and the sights which he had seen and liked during his life time.

The spirit of the poet is not ready to consider the creation of the God to be of superior order for what he creates are prone to perish due to the affects of decadence and soaking.  The matured man or the ripened plant gets deformed through aging and would perish one day.  He considers himself not to be less but equal to this creator and the poems he creates are not inferior to the things created by him.

The survival of his poems is not a matter of concern to his spirit but he wishes that they bear some distinguishing characteristic to be reconganised by the forth coming generations.

The spirit of the poet is ready and prepared to accept that his expression through the verses may not be understood in their entirity by the upcoming generations may be due to the dearth of words he suffered.  He is ready to be content even if the half of his abundant flow of expression through his verses is half understood by the generations to come and if he stands out to be considered as one among them who lived on this same planet.

What Can the reader learn about Milne through his personal essay?Read the text below form A word from Autumn: Yet, I can face the winter with...

The writer is "Zen", relativizing 'good' and bad:

I had been thinking of the winter as a horrid wet, dreary time fit only for professional football. Now I can see other things-

*                     *                     *

The end of the summer is not the end of the world.

The writer is optimistic, anticipating the best:

Now I can see other things-crisp and sparkling days, long pleasent evenings, cheery fires. Good work shall be done this winter. Life shall be lived well.

The writer is epicurian, taking the best of life while he can:

Here's to October (evidently a toast)-and, waiter, some more celery.

What is the past life of Mrs. Sommers like in "A Pair of Silk Stockings"?

This is a great question. Chopin cleverly does not explicitly state what the past life of Mrs. Sommers was like but we are left with enough clues and hints to infer that in her past she had enjoyed much more material wealth than she does at present. Firstly we have in the initial paragraph the sense of "importance" that carrying around a large amount of money gives her, "such as she had not enjoyed for years." Then we are given other tantalising glimpses of her former life from the narrator, who tells us what the neighbours think of her before giving us the view of Mrs. Sommers herself on her lot in life:

The neighbours sometimes talked of certain "better days" that little Mrs. Sommers had known before she had ever thought of being Mrs. Sommers. She herself indulged in no such morbid retrospection. She had not time--no second of time to devote to the past. The needs of the present absorbed her every faculty. A vision of the future like some dim, gaunt monster sometimes appalled her, but luckily tomorrow never comes.

Note how this description emphasises the sad state of affairs that Mrs. Sommers faces now. She literally has no time to dwell on past circumstances, or to focus on the terrifying vision of the future that is compared to a "dim, gaunt monster." Survival of today takes up her every waking moment, giving her no time to dream or worry.

Lastly, we are given another hint as to her past circumstances when Mrs. Sommers buys two magazines:

Mrs. Sommers bought two high-priced magazines such as she had been accustomed to read in the days when she had been accustomed to other pleasant things.

Thus we can infer that either Mrs. Sommers came from a family that had money but made a disadvantageous marriage, or that she and her husband once had money before suffering some kind of economic collapse. Either way, understanding her past makes appreciating her desire to have a day of luxury once again more comprehensible.

Choose four award-winning quotations that are excellent examples of imagery from Macbeth. Choose 4 award-winning quotations They must be...

Will all great oceans wash this blood/ Clean from my hand? No, this hand will rather/ the multitudinous sea incarnidine,/ making the green one red. 2.1.72

This is visual imagery. I like it because it shows how incredibly guilty Macbeth feels. He feels such guilt that if he were to try to wash his hands in the ocean, not only would they not come clean, but they would taint the very ocean. It works so well because his crime is against nature.

Oh, full of scorpians is my mind, dear wife. 3.2.42 Macbeth says this after he has realized that he has destroyed his soul for a fruitless crown. After killing Duncan, he is unable to rest ever again. He fears everyone, Banquo and MacDuff especially. He is tormented by his thoughts. This is touch or sense imagery. We can imagine the scorpians, with their poisionous sting crawling around inside his skull, and it gives us shudders.

I have given suck and know how tender tis to love the babe that milks me./ I would, while it was smiling in my face,/ Have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums/ And dashed his brains out had I so sworn/ As you have done to this. 1.7.59

Lady Macbeth is guilting Macbeth over breaking his promise to her. She is saying she would rather bash her smiling baby's brains out while she was nursing it than break a promise to Macbeth. This is visual imagery. We can see her ripping the babe from her breast. It is also powerful because she says she is willing to go against nature for her man.

Out out brief candle! Life is but a walking shadow, a poor player/ that frets and struts his hours about the stage. 5.5.25

Macbeth has just heard that Lady Macbeth is dead. He compares her death to the snuffing out of a candle, and says that life is not real--it is like a shadow or a play that walks on the earth. All of these images make us realize that he is on the earth but not truly alive. We can picture the flame of her spirit going out like the flame of a candle that burns out quickly.

How did Henry of Navarre end the crisis and restore order?

Henry of Navarre was the King of France from 1589-1610. In 1598, Henry, a Catholic who had converted from Calvinism, signed into law the Edict of Nantes, which guaranteed religious freedoms for Protestant Calvinists (aka Huguenots). By allowing for amnesty and the restoration of their civil rights, the minority religions in Catholic-dominated France were appeased and effectively ended the civil wars which had plagued the nation during the late 1500s. A popular ruler, Henry IV--fondly referred to as Henry the Great--was assassinated by a Catholic fanatic in 1610.

What does Doodle lie about in "The Scarlet Ibis," and what does he picture his perfect future to be?

Brother, the narrator of the story, says that Doodle's lies are twice as crazy as his, but Doodle's "lies" are not really untruths; they are imaginary stories of how he wishes life could be.  All of his stories include "birds" and people who can fly.  Obviously, Doodle wishes that getting around was not so difficult, and the wings are a solution to his pain and efforts that he encounters when learning to walk and run.

When Doodle and Brother discuss their future, they talk about living out near the swamp with swamp birds as their chickens.  Even in this "realistic" story, Doodle wants them to be able to

"swing through the cypresses on the rope vines,"

negating the need for him to walk or touch the ground.

Why is Montresor carrying a trowel under his cloak in "The Cask of Amontillado"?

In Edgar Allan Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado" every detail has a logical explanation because the author worked out the plot with such care, although he does not explain everything to the reader. A good example of Poe's craftsmanship concerns the very obvious question: Why is Montresor carrying a trowel under his cloak? Montresor plans to lure Fortunato to a specific location deep under the ground where he has already gathered stones and prepared mortar for walling his victim up in a niche where there are two short chains attached to the granite wall. The chains have probably been there for centuries and have been used by noblemen to dispose of enemies in the same way that Montresor plans to dispose of Fortunato. But why doesn't Montresor leave the trowel with the stones and the mortar?

A trowel is a rather delicate and sensitive tool made of steel. If left in that dank underground environment it would quickly become rusted. He counted on the extreme dampness and the covering of moist human bones to keep his mortar soft, but he can't leave a fine steel trowel in the same dripping environment. He wants it to be in good condition because he is planning to do a first-class job of entombing  and concealing his victim. After he has constructed the wall, he covers the rough stones with plaster and smooths the entire surface to make it look as if it is only part of the entire granite wall. This is how Poe describes the finishing touches.

I hastened to make an end of my labour. I forced the last stone into its position; I plastered it up. Against the new masonry I reerected the old rampart of bones. For the last half of a century no mortal has disturbed them.

Montresor did not want to leave the trowel underground, but he wanted to have it handy when he brought Fortunato to the niche. He could hardly have kept it upstairs in his palazzo and gone to fetch it when he brought his victim home. How did he know he would encounter Fortunato that night? He didn't. But he was out looking for him. And finding him drunk and reveling on the streets was not at all surprising.

As far as his showing Fortunato the trowel as "proof" that he was a Mason, this was unanticipated. Montresor had to be a little tipsy himself because he had to drink with Fortunato--although certainly not as much. Once he has his enemy under the ground he feels relieved, elated, jubilant. He makes zany gentures. He invents a ludicrous coat of arms and Latin motto to go with it. He exposes the trowel and claims to be a Mason. The hardest part of his plan is behind him. He can kill Fortunato any time he wants. He has a rapier under his cloak. It was not necessary to say that Fortunato was unarmed because the man was wearing a tight-fitting jester's costume with which a sword would be completely inappropriate and impossible to conceal.

So Montresor was carrying his trowel under his cloak because he wanted to have it instantly accessible and in perfect condition. He didn't know for certain that he would encounter Fortunato on that particular night, but he had good reason to hope so. If not, the carnival would last for more nights and Montresor could continue to search for his victim with his trowel in readiness.

In Beowulf, who is Wiglaf, and what is his relationship to Beowulf?

Wiglaf is the old King Beowulf's most loyal warrior. In Beowulf's last battle as he attempts to slay the dragon, all of his warriors desert him except Wiglaf. Together they slay the dragon. As Beowulf is dying from his wounds, it is Wiglaf who retrieves the dragon's treasure and brings it to Beowulf, as Beowulf had asked him to do. Wiglaf revives and comforts the dying king. Beowulf then gives Wiglaf his own gold necklace, helmet, rings, and mail shirt and makes his final requests of the young man: to lead and help his people and to build a tomb for Beowulf by the sea. Wiglaf mourns the loss of his king and honors these requests faithfully.

In regard to his personal background, the text identifies Wiglaf as the son of Wexstan whose family had been of Swedish descent. At various times, Wiglaf refers to Beowulf as his lord, his king, his cousin, and his kin. 

In "Fahrenheit 451", why does Bradbury have Montag memorize the book of Ecclesiastes and Revelation?

Montag has a very significant role in the new society, he carries the memories of these two important passages from the Bible he will be the new prophet, he has emerged from the darkness a changed man, he will spread the new message that he holds in his memory to more people, sharing the message of life after the days of destruction.  Montag takes on a symbolic representation as both a Jesus-like, prophet-like figure very important to the future of society.

The passage from Revelations talks about the tree of life, very significant to the circumstances that Montag, Granger and the other book people are experiencing.  It speaks of healing, Montag memorizes these important passages to help people to remember that they should never give up hope. If Montag is experiencing the end of the present world, the Bible reminds him and the others of God's promise and to keep the faith.  It reminds them to remember that after the darkness comes the light.

"Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever"

Bradbury introduces religious symbolism into the book by suggesting that the war that takes place as Montag and Granger and the other book people are walking is the fulfillment of the Book of Revelations coming of the apocolypse.  But it also represents hope for the future, both Revelations 22:2 and Ecclesiastes 3:1, speak of a future that is filled with newness and life.

"1There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: 2a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, 3a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, 4a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, 5a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, 6a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, 7a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, 8a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace."

The above passage talks about how everything has a season, to allow the reader to understand that Montag's world will change, it will emerge from this darkness into a new season.  And also to make the reader understand, in the context of history, that things in life are cyclical, nothing lasts forever, but the earth and sky, all other things pass away, they come and go.

What is the role of race and religion in "The Great Gatsby"? Specificly how is it viewed?

Overall, the characters in The Great Gatsby scream "WASP"-ish behavior, both in physical appearance and in their judgment of others.  Every major character is white and presumably Protestant.  The attitudes of two characters in particular, Tom Buchanan and Nick Carraway, reflect general attitudes during the Roaring Twenties.  Therefore, it is not a far stretch to believe that the events of the novel occur in 1922.

One of the most memorable moments of racism is at the Buchanans' dinner table, when Tom, during "normal" dinner conversation, mentions:

It's up to us who are the dominant race to watch out or these other races will have control of things...[t]his idea is that we're Nordics.  I am and you are and you are and -- and we've produced all the things that go to make civilization -- oh, science and art and all that.  Do you see?  (17-8)

Most of my students identify Tom as the most obviously racist character in the novel, often using this statement alone as evidence.  Nick, however, also has his prejudices:

As we crossed Blackwells Island a limousine passed us, driven by a white chauffeur, in which sat three modish Negroes, two bucks and a girl.  I laughed aloud as the yolks of their eyeballs rolled toward us in haughty rivalry.  (73)

Reading in context, we can see that Nick suddenly adopts a judgmental and somewhat sarcastic tone.  Certain words and phrases ("modish" used sarcastically, "bucks," "haughty rivalry") give us clues that Nick is expressing his distaste here.  In no other place in the novel, for example, does Nick use the word "buck" to describe another male; his use of the word here insinuates that he equates African-Americans with animals.

Nick also reserves stereotypical judgment for the "Jew" Meyer Wolfshiem.  Here, Nick uses "Jew" more as a cultural descriptor than as a religious reference, but he still uses words that express distaste for Wolfsheim's cultural background as well as his overall personality.  For instance, Nick immediately describes Wolfsheim's nose.  Sadly, many of my students remember Meyer Wolfsheim simply by the beginning of Nick's description of the man as a "small, flat-nosed Jew" (73) (though in jokes of poor taste, Jews supposedly have large noses).  Later, Nick again describes Wolfsheim's nose: "His nostrils turned to me in an interested way...." (75).  Nick makes assumptions about Wolfsheim based on appearance alone -- even before he begins talking to him.

Finally, though we might describe most of the characters in The Great Gatsby as typical white, Anglo-Saxon Protestants, their lives are full of decadence, not overtly religious zeal.  Characters party and drink.  By the end of the novel, Nick describes Tom and Daisy in particular as:

...careless people...they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made....(188).

When Catherine spreads the rumor that Daisy and Tom will not get a divorce because they are Catholic, Nick denies the rumor, but does not attack the Catholic faith (38), unlike some earlier comments characters made about those who are "different."

Overall, most of the characters in The Great Gatsby view race and religion as non-negotiable.  The "white is right" mentality certainly permeates the novel, though some characters are more judgmental than others.