In Julius Caesar, what devices does Antony use in his speech to the mob in order to instigate them against the murderers?

Antony was very masterful in his oration to the crowd. They are very hostile to him as he begins. First, he establishes a common bond. He calls them his friends and countrymen and reminds them that they and he are all Romans. Since they are expecting him to speak against Brutus and Caesar, he disarms them at once by saying he does not come to praise Caesar. In other words, he further neutralizes their hostility. As a persuasive technique, this is refuting an anticipated argument.

The remainder of Antony's speech is masterful persuasion. At various times he uses rhetorical questions framed to make the point he intends to make. He employs anecdote by telling them of the summer night he first saw Caesar wear the cloak which now covers his corpse in the marketplace. He uses strong emotional appeal. He stresses his friendship with Caesar, thus making Caesar a friend, a human being. He plays upon the crowd's greed by raising the facts of Caesar's will. The will also plays upon emotion in that it makes the crowd feel that Caesar cared for them personally. Throwing off Caesar's cloak to reveal his many stab wounds and then reliving the moment of his assassination is also very emotional. Finally, Antony uses verbal irony (sarcasm) in the repetition of the idea that Brutus and the others are such "honorable" men. And, actually, repetition itself is a persuasive technique. Taken together, these persuasive techniques in Antony's skillful hands very effectively turn the crowd against Brutus and the conspirators.

What is the lifespan of a single virus cell? I realize there may be wide variation, but i am just looking for a ballpark figure. Does a single...

As it is not really "alive," the word "cell" does not really apply for a virus. A virus by itself is inert matter with a sheath, and it only becomes active when it invades and takes over a "host" cell. It needs the nucleus of a living cell to be operative.

The "lifespan" or active cycle of a virus depends on which type it is. Some are very vulnerable and can't "live" when exposed to air (AIDS, for example). But once in their element, they flourish and multiply by ravaging living cells around them by appropriating their nuclei matter as their own.

In a way, viruses multiply like spores, and the explosion of new ones is much like a "hatching out" process in which the host cell dies (Think of "Alien.") That is why when you have a flu virus, for example, you know exactly when you are going to "be sick" again by calculating the lapse of time between trips to the bathroom. Fortunately, in the case of influenza, the virus usually weakens over time and "dies" off. We even speak of a 24-, 36- or 48-hour virus, for example.

Unfortunately, many other viruses gain ground in their host environment and don't recede without a fight. Others remain latent even outside of a host and then "come alive" once exposed to a receptive host. (Scientists found such latent viruses in frozen mammoths's saliva and were able to activate them.)

Another reason (besides being "unlive") a virus is so difficult to get rid of is its ability to mutate. Viruses are able to pick up on the profile of immunity cells attacking them, and since they are recognized by the structure of their surface, they simply change their "topography" and go incognito until recognized as the villain again. Or two different viruses might get "the urge to merge" and construct a hybrid of the two, "Lego" style, thus broadening the spectrum of potential hosts. (The H1N1 virus, for instance.)

As cycles of viruses are as variable as the types of viruses themselves, you need to select which ones concern or interest you the most and then do research on that. But the main thing to remember is that they are so elusive and resistant because of their ability to remain latent (don't need a life support system all the time), to profusely reproduce, and to mutate.

The following references should be helpful in understanding how viruses function in terms of theîr host and how they replicate.

What are Anne Frank's qualities, and how are each of them shown through the events in The Diary of Anne Frank?

Anne was a popular and outgoing girl before the family went into hiding. Her behavior in the secret annex reflects her natural tendency to be inquisitive. Her questions sometimes drive Mr. van Daan and Mr. Dussel to distraction and they yell at her to be quiet. Mr. Frank provides Anne a diary so she will have an outlet for her thoughts.

Anne is a typical rebellious teenager and is rude to her mother; she attempts to secure her father's support of her desire to defy her mother's restrictions. She is jealous of her sister's intelligence although she does love Margot very much. At one point, exasperated, she vents her frustration about being compared to "Margot, Margot, Margot!"

Anne is kind and generous; these qualities are demonstrated when she presents Hannukah gifts to all her fellow inhabitants of the secret annex.

What are some symbols and themes in chapters 7-9 of "The Great Gatsby"?So far I only have the puppy collar as a symbol.

One possible symbol, connected with the smoldering yet unrequited love between Gatsby and Daisy is the weather, which is unbearably hot. On the train to the Buchanans’ for lunch, Nick observes that the day is “the warmest day of the summer”. He describes it as “broiling.” Straw seats “hovered on the edge of combustion,” and the woman sitting next to him “lapsed despairingly into deep heat with a desolate cry.” The conductor complains about the heat, an observation Nick follows with the fragmented and sardonic commentary, “That any one should care in this heat whose flushed lips he kissed, whose head made damp the pajama pocket over his heart!” Thus the heat of the summer in the city and the heat of passion in Gatsby's relationship with Daisy are emphasized. The physical heat of the sweltering last day of summer is no more intense than the fiery emotions—temper, passion, jealousy—of the characters.

Another symbol is Gatsby's car. That Daisy openly prefers riding with Gatsby shocks and appalls Tom, but he acquiesces, insisting that they drive his coupé while he, together with Nick and Jordan, will drive Gatsby’s yellow open car with standard shift. When they stop for gas at George’s garage, Myrtle sees from the upper window and assumes that Jordan, riding with Tom, is his wife. Cynically, Tom allows George to think he can buy Gatsby’s car; he is, thus, led to believe that the car belongs to Tom. On the return trip, however, Daisy and Gatsby drive the big yellow car, “the ‘death car’ as the newspapers called it,” a fact that leads George ultimately to seek information from Tom about the owner/driver. Nick’s statement, “So we drove on toward death through the cooling twilight,” expresses not just the literal truth of the experience but the thematic point as well—the car, a symbol of the driving quality, the recklessness of these people. They could destroy the lives of others and then simply retreat into their money. The images of cars also reflect the restless nature of the characters. This driving nature appears in the repeated images of cars. To notice the kind of car the characters drive is to perceive his or her character. Gatsby drives one of “monstrous length” with “fenders spread like wings,” a “rich cream color,” the interior “a sort of green leather conservatory.” Recurring words, such as restless, brooding, and driving, reinforce the depiction of a restless American society in the 1920s.

Colors also come into play in these chapters. Yellow, and variations of it, play an especially meaningful role. New York City, symbolically through cream colors, comes a little closer to the golden world and lifestyle of the rich. This describes Daisy in particular. She was fresh with “many clothes,” the golden girl, the king’s daughter, “gleaming like silver, safe and proud above the hot struggles of the poor,” always remembered driving her white car. Gold and shades of gold—cream, caramel-colored, yellow—are dual in meaning. Clearly, they pertain to wealth and opulence, but they also associate with waste and decadence and cowardice. In this case, gold represents a sellout of America’s idealism and true character, at least as it was originally perceived.

In chapter III, what does the author do to convey that the gentleman driving the car is drunk?In chapter 5 cite an example of hyperbole and...

In Chapter 3 the guests are beginning to leave the party when they hear a crash.  Upon arriving at the scene the observers see the car half off the road with the wheel broken and in a ditch.  Owl-eyes is looking around and initially people think he was driving but he tells them that someone else was driving.  The driver eventually works his way out of the car.  He is disoriented and the author lets the reader know he is drunk by the dialogue the drunk man uses.  He is slurring his words and hard to understand.

He makes statements like:

"At first I din' notice we'd stopped."

"Wonder'ff tell me where there's a gas'line station?"

He wants to put the car in reverse and back it out even though the crowd continues to try and make him realize the wheel is no longer attached to the car.

In Lord of the Flies, what did Ralph find when he hid in the thicket?

After being chased by the hunters the previous night, Ralph leaves the shelters on the beach and walks toward Castle Rock again, hoping for reconciliation with Jack. He stumbles across Simon's thicket and finds The Lord of the Flies, now picked clean by insects, still astride its spear. He senses the importance of the object, but doesn't understand why he feels this way.

The skull regarded Ralph like one who knows all the answers but won’t tell. A sick fear and rage swept him. Fiercely he hit out at the filthy thing in front of him that bobbed like a toy and came back, still grinning into his face, so that he lashed and cried out in loathing. Then he was licking his bruised knuckles and looking at the bare stick, while the skull lay in two pieces, its grin now six feet across. He wrenched the quivering stick from the crack and held it as a spear between him and the white pieces. Then he backed away, keeping his face to the skull that lay grinning at the sky.

This moment is significant, because it shows that Ralph's inability to understand the situation on the island arises from his own blindness to the beast inside himself. Even as he confronts the face of the beast, he is not a deep enough thinker to understand. He lashes out in anger and frustration, but his attempt to destroy it only results in the skull breaking and appearing larger than before. Suddenly, without knowing why, his instincts for self-preservation take over and he takes the spear. He is now willing to fight and kill to survive. He is now using the beast, but doesn't comprehend exactly what he is doing. He does not see that his actions have caused the beast inside himself to become larger and more powerful just as his striking out at the skull caused it to split into a larger grin.

In "Great Expectations", what news does Mr. Jaggers bring Pip and what are the conditions, etc. of this news?

Please note that you will need to repost your other questions, as only one is to be asked and answered at a time.

It is Mr. Jaggers who utters the words of the title.  For, he approaches Joe one evening at the Three Jolly Bargemen and suggests that they discuss an important matter at Joe's house.  In the parlor, then, Jaggers states that he is there as a "confidential agent of another."  He goes on to say,"And the communication I have got to make is that he [Pip] has Great Expectations"; Pip will come into

a handsome property...and be immediately removed from his present sphere of life and from this pace and be brought up as a gentleman--in a word, as a young fellow of great expectations.

However, there are conditions attached.  He must bear the name of Pip and the name of the benefactor is to remain a secret until this person chooses to reveal it firsthand to Pip, and he must never make inquiries as to who this person is.  Of course, Pip thinks, "Miss Havisham was going to make my fortune on a grand scale."

Please explain the meaning of "buttery-bar"?

In Shakespeare's time the word 'butt' referred to the casks in which wine was stored and 'buttery' was the room in which the 'butts' or the casks of wine were stored. The 'buttery-bar' was a shelf attached to the lower portion of the door of the 'buttery' which was split horizontally. The person who dispensed the wine to those wanted a drink placed the full cups of wine on top of the shelf, the 'buttery-bar.'

In Act I Sc.3, Sir Toby Belch the uncle of Olivia brings home Sir Andrew Aguecheek to be introduced to Olivia. He advises Sir Andrew to befriend Maria the maid of Olivia so that he can gain access to Olivia. Maria knows fully well that Andrew is an impotent fool and she mocks at him when he fails to comprehend and respond immediately to Toby's command to "accost" her, meaning to make love to her. It is then that she teases him in the following manner when he challenges her:

Fair lady, do you think you have
fools in hand?
MARIA:Sir, I have not you by the hand.
SIR ANDREW:Marry, but you shall have; and here's my hand.
MARIA:Now, sir, 'thought is free:' I pray you, bringyour hand to the buttery-bar and let it drink.

Maria teases the impotent Sir Andrew by placing his hands on her breasts (in medieval slang, "buttery-bar" referred to a woman's breasts) knowing fully well that he is incapable of any sexual advances and insults him by telling him to go get himself a drink at the "buttery-bar"of the house.

What are three symbols in "Hunters in the Snow?"

The first symbol is the snow; Tub is introduced while standing in the snow, waiting for the others. Throughout the story, the snow is both an obstacle to the hunters and a representation of their minds; it is both hostile and uncaring, and entirely too large to deal with alone.

The second symbol is the "No Hunting" sign.

They followed the tracks into the woods. The deer had gone over a fence half buried in drifting snow. A no hunting sign was nailed to the top of one of the posts.
(Wolff, "Hunters in the Snow," classicshorts.com)

This sign is the boundary where the story takes its darker turn. Had the men given up, Kenny wouldn't have played the joke that resulting in his shooting; the sign warns them back and is ignored.

The third symbol is the dog. It serves the purpose of a dog, running and barking, and apparently it is infirm enough for the farmer to want it put down. It represents the innocence that is lost by the men on the hunting trip; the dog expected love or playing from humans, not death, and so too does the hunting trip remove any vestiges of innocence that Tub and Frank have built for themselves.

Nick thinks he's one of the few honest people he knows, why? Do you think he is honest?

In Chapter 1, Nick Carraway describes himself as honest and objective because he has established the reputation of being a non-judgmental listener.  He gives the example of hearing the woes of his college cohorts and not only being discreet about them but also not judging the storyteller for whatever he might have done.  This attribute of objectivity, according to Nick, allows him to offer his honest opinion and to narrate the novel without bias.

Of the major characters in the novel, Nick is honest.  However, he does assist Daisy in deceiving her husband (regarding Gatsby).  Nick is most guilty of dishonesty by withholding the truth.  He does not tell his cousin that her husband has a mistress and that he has met her.  He does not correct Myrtle's sister Catherine when she spreads rumors about Daisy, and most importantly, he tells no one that Daisy was driving when Myrtle was killed.

Considering all that Kino gained and lost in The Pearl, was he wise to toss the pearl back into the sea?

I can think of nothing Kino gained from finding the pearl, except for some momentary impossible dreams. He did, however, lose almost everything of value to him. By the conclusion of the novel, Kino has lost his home, his canoe, his life in his village, and his freedom to live in peace. He has killed men and beaten his wife. His baby is dead. All that is left of Kino's old life is Juana. Holding her dead son in his bloody shawl, she walks with Kino back to their village and to the water's edge to throw the pearl back into the sea.

Kino realizes, too late, that his happiness had not lain in the pearl and the wealth it promised. His happiness had lain in the Song of the Family that had filled him with peace:

Sometimes it rose to an aching chord that caught the throat, saying this is safety, this is warmth, this is the Whole.

Kino had said that the beautiful great pearl had become his very soul. When he returns it to the ocean, he sees it as a thing of evil:

He looked into its surface and it was gray and ulcerous. Evil faces peered from it into his eyes, and he saw the light of burning. And in the surface of the pearl he saw the frantic eyes of the man in the pool. And in the surface of the pearl he saw Coyotito lying in the little cave with the top of his head shot away. And the pearl was ugly; it was gray, like a malignant growth. And Kino heard the music of the pearl, distorted and insane.

By throwing the pearl back into the sea, Kino seeks to save his soul and find his way back to the man he once had been. This is an act of wisdom, the wisdom Kino had gained through profound suffering and loss.

What would you say are the "pinnacle moments" for Ms. De Winters?

I assume you are referring to the second Mrs. DeWinter (who is never given a name in the book...did you notice that?). A "pinnacle moment" is simply a high point, or important moment. For our unnamed heroine, her first pinnacle moment comes in her whirlwind courtship and marriage to Max DeWinter. She is suddenly liberated from her life as a "companion" to the overbearing Mrs. Van Hopper and feels, for the first time, desired as a woman.

The next pinnacle comes in her introduction to Manderley, specifically the breaking of the china cherub and its aftermath. This incident exemplifies how "over her head" our heroine is in her new life. She is completely overwhelmed by Manderley, and has no idea how to carry out her responsibilities. Further, she is frightened by the sinister Mrs. Danvers, who seems more the "woman of the house" than our heroine could ever be, and who personifies the lingering presence of Max's first wife, Rebecca.

The third pinnacle is the dance at Manderley, when our heroine falls prey to Mrs. Danvers and hurts her husband without knowing why. She feels that her marriage is a failure, without understanding her husband's reaction.

The moment when Mrs. Danvers urges our heroine to jump out of a window is a pinnacle in that it nearly causes our heroine to despair entirely. But she is saved by the next pinnacle moment: The discovery of Rebecca's boat and Max's confession. It is in this moment that she discovers that Max really loves her, and never loved Rebecca. She finally comes into her own as a woman, wife and mistress of Manderley.

The last pinnacle is the revelation of Rebecca's trickery (she conned Max into killing her) and the burning of Manderley. In many ways, she has lost everything, but she has finally fully gained Maxim as her partner and husband.

How does Tom Buchanan explain, "civilization going to pieces"? What does this imply about his character?

In Chapter one of “The Great Gatsby”, Tom makes a comment about “civilization going to pieces” during a dinner party with himself, Daisy, Jordan, and Nick.  The conversation begins after Daisy explains to her company that Tom hurt her finger; she then goes on to call him “hulking”.  After this, Nick responds, seemingly joking around, by telling Daisy that she makes him feel “uncivilized.”  Then Tom says, “Civilization's going to pieces.”  The comments that follow explain what Tom means by this.  He continues by talking about his pessimistic attitude and asks Nick if he read a book entitled “The Rise of the Colored Empires” which he explains to be a book that advises “the white race” to look out for themselves only and not let anyone control them and, according to this book they need to “produce all the things that go to make civilization.”  Tom’s comments during his conversation on this subject do reveal a few things about his character.  First, it the reader that he is racist and believes that he is of the dominant race.  Secondly, it tells us that he feels that he is superior over others.  These two personality traits do dominate Tom’s character throughout the novel.

Who has betrayed the man being hanged?

Peyton Farquhar, the man being hanged, was betrayed by a Federal scout.  Farquhar and his wife met the scout, who was disguised as a Confederate soldier, when he approached them one evening and asked for a drink of water.  Because Mr. and Mrs. Farquhar believed that he served in the Confederate army, they were pleased to be able to assist the man.  Unfortunately, they provided the spy with information regarding the Owl Creek bridge, which support railroad tracks and was a valuable asset to whichever side (Union or Confederate) possessed the power to control it.

What are the problems generally faced by the companies going for multibranding?

The strategy of multibranding has both advantages and disadvantages. As the advantages suggest, multibranding by companies offer the consumer more choices from one central location where, let's say in the fastfood industry, where multibranding is actually going on in real time. Fast food operators expands their operation to include more than just the fast-food count, but adds a diner with a menu where all kinds of foods can be ordered.

This is actually a strategy that McDonalds is using.

"The time appears to be now, as McDonald's began in 2003 to experiment with new concepts in existing restaurants. Eleven units in Indiana have added a diner, and one unit in Nebraska has a three-in-one concept with a McDonald's traditional menu, an upscale sandwich shop, and a separate treats area with baked goods and desserts." (21)

One problem that could occur is if sales don't increase dramatically, which is what is needed in order to operate a multibrand facility, and the results are flat, operating the multibrand facility becomes unsustainable financially because it does not provide an increase in sales revenue.

Characterize the poetry of Emmeline GrangerfordWhat is Twain seeking to criticize about her work and Huck's reaction?

One of the underlying currents throughout Huck Finn is Twain's disillusionment with the idea of Romanticism and Transcendentalism. He was a realist in every way, and greatly ridiculed the idea that man could perfect himself or that society would get better over time. Throughout the novel, he inserts elements that mock the views of Romanticism and Transcendentalism, and provides contrast between the way the Realist exists and the way the Romantic exists. (Contrasts between the personalities of Huck and Tom are one example).

Emmeline Grangerford's poetry is reflectant of Romantic lyrical poetry. Specific, the style and the subject matter (elegizing the death of loved ones) is similar to that of Emily Dickinson. Whether or not Twain was purposely mocking Dickinson is unknown and unlikely, but the writing of Emmeline shows his opinion of Romantic writers. Huck's reaction is very much a Realist's response. He enjoys it, what he can understand, but he is unsure as to why she is writing it when there are other things, such as feuding families, to focus on.

What was Johnny's favorite part of Gone With the Wind? Of whom did it remind him?

In "The Outsiders," chapter five, Ponyboy and Johnny Cade have run away to Jay Mountain after accidentally Bob.  While they are "hiding out" Johnny asks Ponyboy to read out loud from "Gone With The Wind."  Johnny's favorite part of the novel involves the Southern Gentlemen.  He thinks they are very "gallant."  He says he especially enjoys the part where they prepare to ride off to war, facing certain death.  Johnny thinks that these guys really remind him of Dally.  He considers Dally to be gallant.

How does Conrad suggest the character of Arsat by his answers to the white man Tuan's questions early in the story of "The Lagoon"?"The Lagoon" by...

Tuan, the white man in "The Lagoon," asks Arsat three questions early on after arriving at Arsat's clearing. These questions are "Why? Is there sickness in the house?" and ""Has she been long ill?" Arsat's replies are short and to the point, but they do reveal information suggesting what Arsat's character is like. In addition, Arsat's actions, which accompany his replies, confirm the suggestions about his character that are implied by his answers.

Arsat's first reply to a question asked by Tuan is, "Enter and see." This is short, to the point, yet dramatic and visually rich. Arsat doesn't answer directly nor does he use the typical language of an invitation to enter. Instead, he bids his guest act by entering and bids him see what Arsat himself sees; he invites Tuan to action, two actions precisely. From this readers may understand that not only is Arsat open and genuine but also a man of action who respects the actions of others, indeed invites the actions of others. This is in keeping with Arsat's description and role as a warrior.

Arsat's next response is very different from the first in length. While Arsat again doesn't answer the English question, "Has she been ill long?" in a direct manner such as English speakers would use, which would reflect the question's Subject "she" in the answer (She has been ill for five days), he does answer openly and candidly, saying, "I have not slept for five days." This is unique because Arsat answers by using his personal experience as a marker of Diamelen's suffering. This suggests that Arsat is deeply feeling and measures his life by hers, which suggests the profound tie of deep love reciprocated between them.

This suggestion of profound and deep feeling is confirmed by the rest of Arsat's answer in which he continues to describes her experience of illness with a reflection from his own experience: "against me who held her ... she hears not me ... she sees not me ... ." This portion of Arsat's answer is constructed so that a statement about Diamelen is mirrored by a statement about Arsat, thereby binding them equally and inseparably. This suggests an unbreakable union between them and is a critical foreshadowing of the ending of the tale. On a final note, his repetition of "me!" makes an emphatic statement of the meaning they have for each other.

What is the difference between a continent and an island?

I was intrigued by this question and did some research for myself, too.  A review of several geography books, including Geography for Dummies, not a very flattering title, and Don't Know Much About Geography, by Kenneth C. Davies, as well as several websites, left me quite dissatisfied.

What I have learned is that a continent is a large land mass surrounded by water.  Any land mass not large enough to be considered a continent is an island.  Hmmm.... What does that mean?  There are no scientific criteria whatsoever.  We cannot say that anything over X number of square miles is a continent and anything under X square miles is an island.  There are no geographical features involved except for the requirement of a land mass, which is required for both. 

I did learn that in the ancient world, there were three landmasses considered to be continents, which were Europe, Asia, and Africa (Davies).  But even though we have discovered the other four, I am not sure our geographic concept of this distinction is any less primitive than that of the ancient world! 

Compare and contrast the relationships between the mother and each of her daughters, Dee and Maggie, in "Everyday Use."

Dee and Maggie are both loved in a way by their mother, though she clearly starts out favoring Dee. Dee is the independent, strong daughter who has gone away to make something of herself. The mother loves the stories that she can tell and admires her ability to pursue she dreams and do something different with her life. Their relationship is based on a sense of pride and awe that her mother receives from the life that Dee lives. As the story progresses her mother realizes that she has put Dee on a pedestal unjustly, and that Dee's exciting life has made her superficial and vain.

Maggie is the constant daughter who is always there. Her mother knows that she can rely on Maggie to be there, and takes advantage of that fact. Maggie is simple and open, and her mother treats her as if she is bored with her. In the end, her mother realizes that she has overlooked Maggie's love and loyalty, mistaking her constant presence for simplicity rather than love and devotion.

How does each of the main characters in "The Lute Player" prove to be heroic?

The King in the story is a hero in the classic sense of one who fights with courage against cruel and evil enemies. The King gathers an enormous army and sets sail for a foreign land, after bidding his wife goodbye. He is a man of action who had felt "restless" without a cause to pursue. Once he engages the enemy, the King's army conquers all in sight, but the enemy masses beyond their lines and then attacks with great ferocity. The King's army is defeated, and he himself is captured and imprisoned. Even in defeat, however, the King displays his strength. He endures three years of captivity, as well as hard and demeaning physical labor, never giving up hope of being freed. He cleverly sends a message to his Queen with a plan to free him.

The Queen acts as heroically as her husband. Realizing his plan for delivering a ransom will not work, she devises her own plan. Disguising herself as a wandering minstrel, she embarks on a long and arduous journey, alone, to make her way to him:

She traded her songs for passage on ships and journeyed to the foreign lord [who held her husband].

When she arrives at the castle of the "dark lord" who has imprisoned her husband, her courage carries her through. She charms him with her music for three days, earning his favor. When he grants her one wish, she asks that one of his prisoners escort her in her travels. She, of course, chooses her husband from among the prisoners to leave with her. Together they return to their home. She is as brave and heroic as the King. He went into danger with an army to fight for right. She went into danger alone, armed only with a lute, to secure his freedom and save his life.

briefly trace the process of german unification.

After the Franco-Prussian War, the princes of the German states gathered together and proclaimed Wilhelm of Prussia the new emperor of the German Empire.  The states had similar language, culture, and religion, so it was inevitable that these states would come together.  The final part of unification was after the Naploenic Wars, at the Congress of Vienna, it was decided that Austria would be its on country and Germany was completed as its own country.

In "Fahrenheit 451" what is the symbolical meaning of the following description of Clarisse's house?"The house that was so brightly lit this late...

In Montag's society, everyone is living in intellectual darkness, and in blind distraction from things that matter.  Mildred, Montag's wife, is so miserable under the surface that she tries to end her life; during the day, she drowns out her sorrows with over-entertaining herself.  She gets nervous without her seashells in her ears distracting her from her thoughts, or without the t.v. walls constantly pulling her into meaningless and empty "relationships" to keep her busy.  Everyone in their society does not talk to one another in meaningful ways anymore; instead, they just go smash things up or plug into entertainment or noise.

The light of people's minds in Montag's society has gone out.  At night, no one has the lights on, because they are all sitting around the t.v. walls, staring, silent, not interacting.  Clarisse's house is bright--her family is talking, they are connecting, forming real and meaningful relationships.  And, they are one of the few left in their society, so, they stand out.  The lights on in their house symbolize the light that is in their eyes and minds; intelligence, connecting, questioning, enjoying life and all of the small things.  Pretty soon however, that light is noticed, and is snuffed out, just like any person that stands out and attempts to search out happiness in ways not encouraged by their society is not-so-gently reminded to conform, or else.  Their society snuffs out the bright ones who question things early.  Beatty states,

"You can't rid yourself of all the odd ducks in just a few years.  The  home environment can undo a lot you try to do at school.  That's why we've lowered the kindergarten age year after year until now we're almost snatching them from the cradle...Luckily, queer ones like [Clarisse] don't happen often.  We know how to nip most of them in the bud, early."

If they can't "nip them in the bud" while they are young, they send the firefighters to be a bit more persuasive.  So, one by one, person by person, house by house, anyone who has the light of intelligence, independence and thinking left, is darkened.  And, their entire society, in the dark, is left to destroy itself.

I hope that those thoughts help to point out the symbolism a bit; good luck!

In "All Quiet on the Western Front", what does Kantorek pressure the men to do?In Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front, what is Kantorek's role?

Kantorek is the schoolmaster whose inflammatory speech stirred such patriotism in his students that all (but one) joyfully volunteer to fight "for the Fatherland." Kantorek is a small man with a big voice whose, "Won't you join up, Comrades" persuades the boys (for they weren't men yet) that war is a noble cause.

Paul sees the irony in Kantorek's words (since Kantoreck himself did not volunteer to serve), but philosophically observes:

There were thousands of Kantoreks, all of whom were convinced that they were acting for the best--in a way that cost them nothing.

In "A Rose For Emily," what would be different if this story were told from Emily’s point of view instead of the third person point of view?

mollyclark,

The style of “A Rose for Emily” is unusually conventional for Faulkner. There are no elaborate periodic sentences or stream-of-consciousness narration. The simple and direct style reflects the particular speaker Faulkner chose to tell the story. The unnamed narrator is a townsman of Jefferson, Mississippi, who has for some years watched Emily Grierson with considerable interest but also respectful distance. He openly describes his perspective as average; he always uses we in the story, never I.

His tone and manner are informed but detached, and surprisingly cool given the horrific conclusion. He mixes his own observations with town gossip to provide a seeming reliable view of Jefferson’s opinion of Miss Emily. (The story would be radically different if it were told from Emily Grierson’s point of view.)

While the narrator notes and reports many things about Miss Emily’s history and personality, he is not the man to analyze or ponder their significance. The careful reader, however, soon understands several important factors affecting her. Miss Emily’s father has somehow kept her down—dominating her life and driving away suitors.

She also has difficulty accepting loss or change. She will not, for example, initially admit that her father has died or let the doctors or minister dispose of the body. Miss Emily seems starved for affection and emotionally desperate enough to risk censure from the town when she takes Homer Barron as her lover. At the end the reader also sees her determination in killing Barron, though her motives are open to question. Did she want to exact revenge for his apparent refusal to marry her? Or did she want to keep him with her forever?

Given the following: 1. Common Law 2. Civil Law 3. Socialist Law What are the differences between the three?

This question can be answered with books upon books of literature.  I will try my best to distinguish the three through operational definitions- how they function.  Common law is the accepted practice of law throughout the United States.  Common law is the practice of law where the government is the initiator of proceedings against a defendant (http://www.lectlaw.com/def/c070.htm).  In common law situations, accepted legal practices are substantiated through decisions and laws that have been codified and ruled upon by judges within the bounds of the legal system.  There is a legal punishment rendered if the defendant is found guilty with a judgment of a legal fine paid, incarceration, or execution. There is a burden of proof that the prosecution must meet in a common or criminal law case that ensures that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Justice is defined as "guilty" or "not guilty."   In civil law cases, the government, in the form of a judge, is asked to settle disputes between two parties, where one has initiated a lawsuit against another (http://www.rbs2.com/cc.htm#anchor333333).  The parties are usually compensated monetarily in a civil law case.  There is no government prosecution of a defendant in a civil case.  Civil cases have a lesser burden of proof and the issue of monetary compensation is invoked to ensure that the term of "guilt" is not so clearly defined, but is addressed through money.  Socialist law is the official name of the legal system  used in Communist nations:

"It is based on the civil law system, with modifications and additions from Marxist- Lennist ideology. The most important of these modifications is providing for most property to be owned by the state or by agricultural co-operatives, and having special courts and laws for state enterprises"  (http://www.economicexpert.com/a/Socialist:law.html)

A primary difference in Socialist Law is that the government assumes the responsibility of almost combining civil and criminal courts, especially in the compensation of property, which goes to the state.

Who is the tragic hero in "Othello"?help me please

A tragic hero typically is a human with an excess of a particular virtue or other quality. Often, the quality is hubris, or pride. One can have too much of a bad thing, or, conversely, too much of a good thing. The problem for the tragic hero is that this hamartia is like a fatal flaw--it causes the hero to make choices that bring about his downfall and the downfall of everyone else around them.

The beauty of Othello is that so many of the characters are tragically flawed. Othello is the most obvious. He is blinded by his love and his trust in the honesty of his men. He is a general, a man who is astute in battle, and who is not likely to be outwitted on a battle field, but he knows little about the workings of people. It is ironic that a man who is most frequently misjudged on the basis of his moorish appearance is also tricked into judging Desdemona on superficial appearances.

Another possible tragic hero is Iago. He is smarter than most, and more cunning. He has a way with people, and is able to trick most people into thinking he is honest. His skill is in knowing people's weaknesses and using that weakness against them--with Othello, he uses his absolute faith in Desdemona, with Cassio his weakness for wine, with Roderigo his infatuation. He even uses Desdemona's kind hearted nature to work his evil. His flaw, his weakness is his insecurity. He is jealous of everyone and considers people guilty without asking for proof.

In the aftermath of WWII when the British Empire reconstituted as the commonwealth, the geopolitical picture was shaped by the USA & USSR.In the...

The concepts of a "superpower" and "the world's mightiest power" are ideas that easily go to the heads of people who wish to use that power. Even if they mean well it can be difficult to see clearly the ends and means, and given the interests of power blocs in government, industry and capital meaning well may not always be the case.

The problem with great power is how to apply it. We've had nuclear weapons for well over half a century, but in wars like Viet Nam and the current problems with terrorism these weapons are inapplicable. Even against the USSR they were only valid as threats, their use would have been irredeemable disaster. Economic pressures, moral pressure, blockade, international cooperation and use of international credit to control the behavior of states are better weapons than the military in most cases. The vagaries of chance in warfare are too unknowable; almost any other approach is preferable.

Unfortunately, the victory of World War II to some degree blinded the American government and military to the use of these other strategic means. Impatience and a belief that our power is overwhelming has led to an overrealiance on the military. The most competent use of our military since WW II was the Clinton administration's handling of the Balkan crises in the 1990s. The political leadership assessed the situation, and essentially told the military "This is what we want to accomplish, this is how much of the money, materiel and lives of Americans we are willing to pay, can it be done?" The military made a plan and carried it out in a situation that could easily have led to a third world war.

But the real problem is that not only the leaders but much of the population of the US has fallen into the trap of believing that our military supremacy in the past must extend into the future. The world is far different now.

Most Americans believe we have the capability to surmount any odds, and that's good. But we need to keep a closer watch on our leaders, and that is a lesson we have learned over the past eight years. We have alienated the rest of the world by continuing our policy of being "the World's Policeman," a role the world did need us for during the Cold War but requires no longer. We have to see that we are one of the world's countries, not necessarily the most important. We can help other countries, but then again they might not need the kind of help we think, or they might not want our help at all.

I certainly hope that President Obama's administration will reassure the world that we have their best interests at heart, not only those of our largest corporations. Exposing the abuses of American power is one thing that must be done to show the world we are not descending to the level of the Nazis. Focusing on the real threats to our security is another, instead of targeting situations a few major corporations can make a fortune on. Repairing our economy will repair the world's economy, since the world's economy basically is driven by ours.  Leading the way into a greener future by pouring manpower and research into new technologies is yet another. Perhaps most importantly, we have to do something about the debt crisis hanging over the heads of every nation on earth, with all governments owing enormous sums of money. Most of the debts have been accumulated in ways which only benefited the ruling elites, and the regular citizens are the ones who must suffer through the shortages and price raises caused by the situation.

How did the author create the tone in Sonny's Blues?

James Baldwin effectively creates a blues/mournful tone in his story of "Sonny's Blues" by having the disappointed brother read about Sonny in the paper "trapped in the darkness which roared outside."  He narrates that a "great block of ice got settled in [his] stomach as he read about Sonny's

trouble in the spring.  Little Grace died in the fall...she only lived a little over two years.  She died of polio and she suffered.

Then, like in a blues song, memory crashes in upon the narrator as he see a "boy standing in the shadow of a doorway, looking just like Sonny...a boy from around the block" who has come to talk with him about Sonny.  His tale is morose as he says he feels responsible for Sonny's misfortune.

After an awkward conversation with this person, the narrator recalls a letter from Sonny in which he tells his brother how much he needed to hear from him.  This sadness of distance between the brothers continues as the narrator writes of Lenox Avenue in Harlem as "a hidden menace which was its very breath of life."

Into this dark area Sonny returns.  But, while the nephews remember him, the narrator remains full of "that icy dread."  Memories of his dead father emerge along with the "darkness" until the mood is broken as Sonny returns home and he and his brother talk.  Sonny invites his brother to the jazz club where he is to play that evening.  In the dark corner where he sits emerges the moral truth to the narrator:  Sonny is a sensitive man who needs the ear of his brother; he needs the love of his relatives; he needs them to listen when he plays the blues.  As the narrator explains this moral truth:

And even then, on the rare occasions when something opens within, and the music enters, what we mainly hear, or hear corroborated, are person, private, vanishing evocations.  But the man who creates the music is hearing something else, is dealing with the roar rising from the void and imposing order on it as it hits the air.  What is evoked in him, then, is of another order, more terrible because it has no words, and triumphant, too, for that same reason.

What would be the call, the threshold, the challenges, the abyss, the transformation, the revelation, the atonement, and the return of this story?

These are some great ideas. Below are my initial responses, but I should point out that there are probably many other possible examples.

THE CALL.  Amir gets the call to become a writer after Hassan tells him his own original story is better than the others he has told him. Baba, however, is not impressed. 

THE THRESHOLD.  Amir finds himself on the threshold of personal greatness when he wins the kite-flying contest, but he reaches a new low that same day when he stands idly by as Hassan is raped. 

CHALLENGES.  The greatest challenges in Amir's life seem to come after he moves to California. He make a new life for himself, goes to college, meets a girl, writes successfully, and enjoys a true father-son relationship with Baba. 

THE ABYSS.  Three examples come to mind: (1) Amir regrets his decision to not come to Hassan's aid when he is raped.  (2) He further regrets his traitorous and underhanded planting of the "stolen" birthday gifts under Hassan's bed. (3) Their departure from Kabul and the harrowing trip through Afghanistan in the vile tank of the oil truck is a true example of the hell they face.

TRANSFORMATION.  Amir turns his life around in California, becoming a successful writer and marrying a woman he truly loves. His relationship with Baba also improves dramatically. 

REVELATION.  Amir discovers Hassan is his half-brother, fathered by Baba. Hassan also has a son somewhere in Afghanistan. Baba's life has been a lie, Amir decides.

ATONEMENT.  Amir returns to his Taliban-held homeland, locates Sohrab, and escapes with him to Pakistan and then California, where he makes the boy a part of his family.  

THE RETURN.  This relates to his atonement (above), but more importantly, it marks the return of Sohrab to a civilized world with a family who cares for him. It also marks the reunion of the kite running, this time with Amir running for his old friend's son.

Where is Halley's Comet currently? How do you know?

Haley's comet visited us in 1986.

The periodicity of this comet is around 76 years.

The motion of the comet is retrograde or apparently from west to east to our eyes. Hence it looked approaching the sun during early morning before surise during the last visit in1986.

When the  comet goes away from the sun from its nearest (perihelion) position,  visiblity for our eyes is after sunset.

Haley was at the  nearest postion (called perihelion) to its focus (that is the sun) in 1986.

By calculation the this comet has to be at its farthest from the sun (that is at aphelion) after 76/2 = 38 years

Now, by John Keplers's 2nd law of planetary motion, the radius vector , line 'comet-sun'  covers equal areas in equal interval of time. You can interpret now that the speed of the plannet is more when it is nearer to the sun than when it is away from the sun.

Now it is 2009 year = 1986+23. The time that elapsed after prihelion postion of the comet is 23 years is nearlly 61% of the semi orbital period. From the above para, we can guess that comet has finished very much longer than 61% of the semi orbital distance. Again, the speed of the comet is more when it is nearer to the sun during the 61% of the time than that in the other farther half.

Therefore, the comet on its path away from the sun ,   is approaching its aphelion postion. The ascending postion of the comet maybe  after midday  but hours before sunset.

Hope this helps.

In the poem, "Harlem," what does the poet mean by "does it dry up like a raisin in the sun" and "does it stink like rotten meat"?

The poem about a "Dream Deferred, " or "Harlem," or "Montage of a Dream Deferred" represents Langston Hughes' exploration of the results of dreams that are set aside or dismissed.  The poem explores the different and varied results of this deferral, or denial of one's most sacred of visions, their dreams.  In a world which encourages individuals to dreams, and outwardly professes the benefit of dreaming, there is an opposite message sent to some members of that society when their dreams are either denied, put aside, or dismissed.  The results are the images in the poem.  For example, when a dream dries up "like a raisin in the sun," the image connotes a picture of something that was once succulent and full of life, like a grape off of the vine, subjected to the harsh and brutal sun where it can only wither away into a wrinkled shell of what it once was.  In another image, Hughes creates the image of such dismissal of dreams as becoming something awful, terrible to others, casting such a negative sensation that it becomes a blight on a social order, or "stink like rotten meat."  For Hughes and other writers in the Harlem Renaissance, America of the 20th Century battled between professing progress and opportunity for all under the shadow of discrimination and denial of opportunities for African- Americans and people of color.  In a land where immigrants come to pursue their dreams, Hughes examines the result of the flip side to that coin, when dreams are deferred.

What is the significance of the title Lord of the Flies?

The title is important because as the story progresses, the boys succumb to their inner beast and allow it to rule their thoughts and actions. In chapter 8, Simon sees the pigs head that Jack has left on a stake. This becomes the "Lord of the Flies," and it speaks to Simon, foreshadowing the sadistically evil events that are to occur. The "Lord of the Flies" is a demonic character that reveals that everyone is susceptible to the evil within. Although the "Lord of the Flies" is only mentioned this once, it is extremely significant because it refers to the inherent evil that all are prone to unleash, and it is one of the major themes of the novel.

In the novel A Separate Peace, are there any frequent questions asked by the author?I've thought hard about it and have confused myself. I think...

A Separate Peace focuses on the relationship between Finny and Gene and the question of each of the boys individual identity.  The boys deal with insecurity, competition, friendship, jealousy, maturing, innocence, guilt, and war.

There is a co-dependent nature to their relationship, the boys depend on each other too much, especially Gene, who seems to be unable to make a decision without thinking how Finny will react.  His identity and his maturity is delayed because he is stuck in a cycle of needing Finny's approval.  Although this behavior is common among teenagers, who seek out peer approval and acceptance, Gene's personality is overshadowed by the stronger personality of Finny.

There is also the question of guilt that Gene has to deal with regarding Finny's injury and his eventual death. Gene's hidden feelings of jealousy erupt in a silent act of revenge when the boys are both on the tree limb waiting to jump.  Gene finally admits to himself and to Finny that he shook the limb ever so slightly which resulted in Finny losing his balance and falling, breaking his leg.

The two boys also have to deal with the war.  World War II, is part of their world, even though they successfully keep it in the background, believing that it will remain distant and not interfere with their lives.

The story also examines the effect of loss, particularly losses that Finny experiences as his accident and secondary injury change his life, removing his ability to play sports or go into the army.  Finny's character is seriously challenged by the leg injury, he is defiant in his denial of the limitations that it has placed on him.  Finny is somewhat reckless in his behavior, refusing to accept the disability that the injured leg demands he acknowledge.

Gene struggles with loss as well, the loss of innocence that he observes once Finny is permanently injured, and the world as they know it is changed forever.  Gene also must deal with the loss of his friendship with Finny and eventually the loss of his friend to death.

What is the difference between cartilage and bone?I need comprehensive answer but that should cover all the features.

Cartilage is a type of dense connective tissue. It is composed of specialized cells called chondrocytes that produce a large amount of extracellular matrix composed of collagen fibers, abundant ground substance rich in proteoglycan, and elastin fibers.  Cartilage is used as protection in between bones and discs in the spinal cord.  It is very pliable and perfect for insulation.  Cartilage’s absence can be quite painful, as bone on bone contact causes a great deal of discomfort.

Bones are rigid organs that form part of the endoskeleton of vertebrates. They function to move, support, and protect the various organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells and store minerals.  Bones have a thick and strong exterior and a soft interior.  There are about 206 of them in the body, with the most (26) being found in the hand, alone.

The two distinct settings are Salem and the woods. What are the differences between these settings?What significance does each setting have in the...

Salem is the seemingly ideal Puritan community in which Young Goodman Brown lives. Salem is populated with such characters as "the good old minister," "Old Deacon Goodkin," "Goody Cloyse, that excellent old Christian," Goodman Brown himself, and Faith, Goodman Brown's pure and pretty wife.

As their names imply, the inhabitants of Salem are "Good" - they are upright Christians and morally spotless. Their seemingly pure natures, however, bely their true devilry. When Goodman Brown investigates the woods near Salem, he discovers that the seemingly Good people of Salem are not as Christian as they appear. In the woods, all those Good men and Good women engage in frenzied Devil worshipping and dastardly acts that embrace evil and forsake God himself.

The two settings contrast each other directly. Salem represents the outer appearance, what may seem pure and Christian but really isn't. The woods represents people's true natures, the Devils inside of them.

Is there any scientific process behind imagination?

Imagination is a process of the intuitive mind.  Much research has been discussed to unravel the link between humans and their creative mind.  It is truly personally and humanistic.

Imagination is considered "a power of the mind," "a creative faculty of the mind," "the mind" itself when in use, and a "process" of the mind used for thinking, scheming, contriving,remembering,creating, fantasizing, and forming opinion.  The term imagination comes from the latin verb imaginari meaning "to picture oneself."  This root definition of the term indicates the self-reflexive property of imagination, emphasizing the imagination as a private sphere.  As a medium, imagination is a world where thought and images are nested in the mind to "form a mental concept of what is not actually present to the senses."  In the sense of the word as a process, imagination is a form of mediation between what is considered "externalized" reality and internalized man (with regard to Manovich and Lacan).  The term is considered "often with the implication that the (mental) conception does not correspond to the reality of things."  Finally, imagination is a term that circulates forms of mass media when the "internalized" private imagination is presented as public, or expressed in a media form, such as film or in virtual reality technology.

Katharine Perdue

SOURCES FOR READING:
The Language of Psycho-Analysis.  LaPlanche, Jean.  W.W. Norton & Co.  NY, NY, 1973.

The Encyclopedia of Philosophy.  Vol. 3 Edwards, Paul, ed.  Macmillan, Inc.  NY, NY, 1967.

Encyclopedia of Aesthetics.  Vol. 2  Kelly, Michael, ed.  Oxford University Press.  New York, NY, 1998.

Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics.  Preminger, Alex, ed.  Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, 1965, 1974.

The Language of the New Media.  Manovich, Lev.  MIT Press.  Cambridge, MA, 2001.

Gramophone, Film, Typewriter.  Kittler, Friedrich A.  Stanford University Press.  Stanford, CA, 1999.

"The mirror stage as formative of the functions of the I."  Lacan, Jacques.  Ecrits: a selection.   Norton.  NY, NY,  1977 p.1-7.

How does Lady Macbeth's will break down her husband's?

"My dearest partner of greatness" is what Macbeth calls his wife in the letter he writes her to tell her of the witches' prophecies. Yet as your question quite correctly implies, it's famously Lady Macbeth who wears the trousers in that particular relationship. You can probably find good quotes and examples for this across much of the early part of the play (and certainly make some interesting comments about when Lady M's influence fails to persuade her husband - during, for example, the famous Banquo/banquet scene).

I'll focus on in one scene to show you her in action. Macbeth has decided that they are not going to kill Duncan - his good angel has won the argument, and his conscience has prevailed.

MACBETH
We will proceed no further in this business:
He hath honor'd me of late, and I have bought
Golden opinions from all sorts of people,
Which would be worn now in their newest gloss,
Not cast aside so soon.

LADY MACBETH:
Was the hope drunk
Wherein you dress'd yourself? Hath it slept since?
And wakes it now, to look so green and pale
At what it did so freely? From this time
Such I account thy love.

He says they're not doing it, and she goes for him full-on. Did you dress yourself in a sort of drunken mood, she asks? Why are you so cowardly, so 'green' and 'pale'? If you're a coward in this instance, she says, your love must, like your bravery, be pale and wimpy and not good enough.

She goes straight for his masculinity to break down his will and over-ride it with hers. "You're NOT a man", she's saying, 'UNLESS you do what I say".

MACBETH:
Prithee, peace!
I dare do all that may become a man;
Who dares do more is none.

LADY MACBETH:
What beast was't then
That made you break this enterprise to me?
When you durst do it, then you were a man...

It's all there in that last line: when you dared to do it, then you were a man. Unless you do what I want, you're not a man. And she even mentions what (we presume) must be a child that the couple have lost:

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 pluck'd my nipple from his boneless gums,
And dash'd the brains out, had I so sworn as you
Have done to this.

He breaks. And he consents: "if we should fail?". He's not got as much resistance as she's got determination. Her will wins the day.

Hope it helps!

For what 3 professions is Shakespeare famous?

William Shakespeare was an actor, a playwright, and a poet, and, possibly, a soldier.  Born in the country, Shakespeare was the son of a farmer, who was the son of a farmer.  Determined to make his way in the world, William Shakespeare found a career in the entertainment business in London, where he was first an actor. However, he soon realized quickly that he would never be a comedian like Tarlton, a professional clown who played "the country innocent," that appears baffled by the ways of the city, but whose outsider's eyes "pricked the bubble of pretension and follies of the times" (Bate, Jonathan, and Rasmussen, Eric, eds. William Shakespeare: Complete Works. New York: The Modern Library, 2007, xiv).

This ousider looking in, the countrymen in the city, became a kind of model for Shakespeare who turned his talents to writing.  At the royal court of Queen Elizabeth I there was a new demand for sophisticated entertainment; so, Shakespeare turns his talents in this direction; he retained the common touch of the spirit of Tarlton, but also paid close attention to the university-educated dramatists who were writing history plays and tragedies for the public stage.  With his great talent for learning and mimicry, Shakespeare realized that he could do it all.

After his marriage to Anne Hathaway, Shakespeare had three children.  In addition to having to support his family, Shakespeare's father, John, having overextended himself, incurred much debt.

It is at this point that Shakespeare disappears from the historical record.  Conjecture is that he possibly went to seek his fortune as a soldier in the Dutch wars. For, William Shakespeare then wrote a memorable scene in 2 Henry IV, revealing his knowledge of the process of recruitment, while play after play is steeped in the technical language of warfare and military life (Bate and Rasmussen,xv).

What is the theme of Paradise Lost Book 1?

The beginning of Paradise Lost is similar in gravity and seriousness to the book from which Milton takes much of his story--the book of Genesis, the first book of the Bible.He opens Paradise Lost by formally declaring his poem's subject, human being's disobedience towards God and the consequences that followed.The first words of Paradise Lost state that the poem's main theme will be “Man's first Disobedience.” Milton narrates the story of Adam and Eve's disobedience, explains how and why it happens, and places the story within the larger context of Satan's rebellion and Jesus' resurrection. Raphael tells Adam about Satan's disobedience in an effort to give him a firm grasp of the threat that Satan and humankind's disobedience poses. In essence, Paradise Lost presents two moral paths that one can take after disobedience: the downward spiral of increasing sin and degradation, represented by Satan, and the road to redemption, represented by Adam and Eve.

While Adam and Eve are the first humans to disobey God, Satan is the first of all God's creation to disobey. His decision to rebel comes only from himself—he was not persuaded or provoked by others. Also, his decision to continue to disobey God after his fall into Hell ensures that God will not forgive him. Adam and Eve, on the other hand, decide to repent for their sins and seek forgiveness. Unlike Satan, Adam and Eve understand that their disobedience to God does not know that their disobedience will be corrected through generations of toil on Earth. This path is obviously the correct one to take: the visions in Books XI and XII demonstrate that obedience to God, even after repeated falls, can lead to humankind's salvation.

In The Cuban Swimmer, by Terrence McNally, which relationships were significant and why?

ceeravy,

Do you mean "The Cuban Swimmer" by Milcha Sanchez-Scott?

If you do, The Cuban Swimmer is an experimental play in both form and style. Its construction requires innovative devices, and the play’s cumulative impact is considerable. "The Cuban Swimmer" creates three distinct but inter-dependent worlds—the swimmer in the water, her family in the boat behind her, and the radio newscasters in the helicopter.

None of these worlds can be presented realistically on-stage. They must be stylized in some way by the director and the designer. This factor highlights the symbolic—almost allegorical—atmosphere of the play, a quality the author both indulges and satirizes. 

The most interesting aspect of The Cuban Swimmer is the bilingual texture of the dialogue. Sanchez-Scott creates two separate linguistic worlds—the mixture of Spanish and English spoken by the Suárez family and the cliché ridden media English of the newscasters. These two “dialects” also differ in
another crucial sense—one is the private language of love, duty, and tradition; the other is the public language of hyperbole and manipulation.

Although "The Cuban Swimmer" employs the visual potential of theatrical spectacle, the play centers on language. Significantly, one does not need to know Spanish to enjoy the play (although a sizable portion of the text is in Spanish). Sanchez-Scott carefully positions the Spanish so that an English-speaker can guess most of it from context while still experiencing the cultural richness of the characters’ bilingual existence.

There is so much family drama going on in The Cuban Swimmer that a sharp reader might meaningfully examine almost every relationship—across generations, across genders, across cultures. At the center of the family drama is Eduardo Suárez, whose driving ambition is for his daughter Margarita to achieve athletic fame and success. As both her coach and father, he projects his own complex set of needs and desires (as father, immigrant, and exile) on Margarita.

The ending of The Cuban Swimmer is greatly symbolic. The play has flirted with symbolism from the opening (in a dozen details from the generically named Abuela to the religious prayers and oaths said by the family), but now it unfolds into a sort of Magic Realism. Pushed by her father past endurance, Margarita seems to drown. She certainly disappears. But, shemiraculously reappears on the breakers off Santa Catalina to win the race. 

The Cuban Swimmer explores the fundamental question of
identity; one’s own image of “self,” how that “self” is defined and how that self-identity is tested. It’s about the loss of dignity and confidence in oneself and how that affects self-image. The play is driven by the emotional, physical, and spiritual survival of a family whose hopes and dreams have been undermined by a callous external world. Despite the dangers and hardships of the open sea, the real battle lies within the family itself; especially when their image of “self” is shattered.

How does the play The Crucible relate to belonging, and what are some quotes that show that?please help me....

Miller uses The Crucible to show that humans often prey on those who are considered outsiders, especially when the accuser is motivated by greed or fear.  In the play, several circumstances and quotes relate to the theme of being an outsider or not belonging.

1. Circumstances: The first three women accused of witchcraft are town outcasts. Tituba because of her race, culture, and impoverishment; Sarah Good because of her strange mumblings and ways; Sarah Osbourne because of her strange personality and her disregard of Puritan customs (she has lived with a man who is not her husband).

Mary Warren, one of the accusers, is an outsider.  She is a servant to the Proctors and lacks family members who can support her.  Her situation makes it impossible for her to fit in with the other girls; thus, the girls turn on her as she tries to tell the truth about them not only because she is endangering them but also because she is easy prey.  In the end, Mary finds it easier and safer to belong to the girls' group than to stand apart from them.

John Proctor does not truly belong to the Salem community.  He chooses not to attend church regularly; he speaks openly against what he views as wrongdoing, and he does not pander to the Putnams as many others do.  His behavior and refusal to compromise simply to belong make him an easy target for the girls and judges to accuse of witchcraft.

2. Quotes: In Act 1, Abigail threatens physical consequences for any girl who chooses not to belong (who chooses to tell the truth).  She warns,

"Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you."

In Act 3, Judge Danforth reinforces what happens to those who do notbelong.  He states,

"A person is either with this court or he must be counted against it, there is no road between."

What is the difference between tabloids and broadsheet newspapers?

As the above answer states, tabloids are smaller in size than broadsheets and generally tend to emphasize different subjects: subjects that might be regarded as being lighter, or less taxing, than those dealt with by broadsheets. However, that is not to say that tabloids don't tackle more serious topics also, but their approach tends to be different (as discussed below).

Furthermore, broadsheets will tend to deal more with goings-on in the wider world whereas tabloids will mostly stick with topics closer to home. Tabloids would focus more on, say, a national murder case while broadsheets would place more emphasis on international politics.

There is another, very important difference between tabloids and broadsheets generally: the use of language and tone. It is fair to say that tabloids use much more colloquial, emotive and even provocative language than broadsheets, and generally come up with more sensationalist and lurid headlines. They want to appeal more to readers' emotions, whereas the broadsheets use a more objective and formal style designed to appeal more to reason and intellect.

What is the significance of the poem "London 1802"?

teardrop,

William Wordsworth's poem London, 1802, is reproduced here:

MILTON! thou shouldst be living at this hour:
    England hath need of thee: she is a fen
    Of stagnant waters: altar, sword, and pen,
Fireside, the heroic wealth of hall and bower,
Have forfeited their ancient English dower
    Of inward happiness. We are selfish men;
    O raise us up, return to us again,
And give us manners, virtue, freedom, power!
Thy soul was like a Star, and dwelt apart;
    Thou hadst a voice whose sound was like the sea:
    Pure as the naked heavens, majestic, free,
    So didst thou travel on life's common way,
In cheerful godliness; and yet thy heart
    The lowliest duties on herself did lay.

Wordsworth’s apostrophe (speaking to inanimate object or non-existent object) to John Milton (MILTON!), has the effect of appealing to one of the greatest figures in the English literary tradition. It is likely that Wordsworth is thinking as much of Milton’s connection with the causes of freedom developed during the revolution and interregnum (1642–1660) as of Paradise Lost.

Wordsworth's claims that the church (altar), the military (sword), the intelligentsia (pen), home and family life (fireside), and the legal establishment (hall and bower) have all lost the sense of meaning and direction that is their heritage (have forfeited their ancient English dower).

The overstatement (hyperbole) of the "fen / Of stagnant waters" and the broad brush leveled against the institutions  are clearly designed to show Wordsworth’s general political alarm, not to describe each individual in the country. He therefore dramatizes his point that the country needs new thinkers, and new guidance, in the tradition established by Milton.

The claim Wordsworth makes for Milton is that the great poet was a special person, in tune with God and Nature, but that he was also a person who lived in “life’s common way.” Therefore he combined the intelligence and compassion necessary in a national leader. The metonymy of soul and heart refer to Milton’s spirituality and humanity.

The poem is a forbidding political sonnet to one of his greatest themes: there is a need to discover new and thoughtful leadership.

Do you think that the message of Shakespeare's Macbeth is as relevant today as it was in Elizabethan Times?

Lord Acton once said, "Power tends to corrupt.  Absolute power corrupts absolutely."  This idea that there is a corrosive element to the acquisition of power and within the concept itself is highly relevant in Macbeth, and is very meaningful in modern setting.  MacBeth's ambition, the influences on it, and the lengths to which he goes to realize it represent some very human elements when we examine how power can feature a morally and spiritually rotten element.  All types of leaders have to struggle with the fundamental element of how to control one's ambition.  We have seen multiple examples of business leaders and corporation executives make decisions where ambition was unregulated and material desire unchecked.  These decisions might have been beneficial in the short term, but featured economically tragic conditions.  There have been numerous examples of elected leaders assuming power and acting on their own sensibilities of unchecked ambition.

Even on a personal level, MacBeth's downward spiral to moral oblivion is relevant.  One of the most powerful elements of the play is how the main character finds himself on a type of ethical slippery slope, where moral degradation becomes more evident with each passing act.  There are many situations where individuals in their own lives face such scenarios and must either prevent their own participation, or try to stop the syndrome from greater escalation.  One interesting component in all of this is how we, as individuals, accept and take counsel from those with whom we share the most intimate of bonds.  The relationship between MacBeth and Lady Macbeth, where the latter plays a role in instigating much of the former, is something that is also relevant.  The idea of accepting counsel, but also engaging in reflection to decide if this is actually the right or correct form of counsel is essential.  Here again, we see through the play, that the decisions are one's own, and while other factors may influence it, the individual has to assume sole responsibility for their actions.  Certainly, MacBeth does, and we do also.

In "Fahrenheit 451" how does Montag feel as he burns his own house. Why does he feels this way?

If you look closely at the beginning of section three of the book, Bradbury has a very descriptive passage about Montag's feelings as he is forced to torch his own house.  Montag feels a strange detachment--you might think that he would be super upset about having to burn down his entire house, and everything that he knew, but he almost seemed relieved.  Bradbury writes:

"he wanted to change everything...that showed that he had lived here in this empty house with a strange woman who would forget him tomorrow, who had gone and quite forgotten him already...and as before, it was good to burn,...[to] put away the senseless problem."

This passage indicates that Montag actually felt good as he burned his house.  It was getting rid of an empty life that meant nothing to him, of a house that no longer represented how he felt about living.  It burned the entire past, including Mildred, who he realizes doesn't really love him, and gives him a fresh slate to start new with.  He has changed so much from the first time we met him, and everything that his old life represented means nothing to him now.  So, burning it is a sort of cathartic experience, unanchoring him from the "senseless problems" of his past.  And, just like in the beginning of the book, burning was a pleasure, but this time, for different reasons.  In the beginning, it was because he enjoyed the pure fantastic thrill of it; now, it is his symbolic phoenix going up in ashes, and he is free to rebuild.  He is now free from it all, to act how he desires.  I hope that those thoughts make sense; good luck!

How does one determine and summarize the plot of Victor Hugo's Les Misérables?

Jean Valjean, after spending nineteen years in jail and in the galleys for stealing a loaf of bread and for several attempts to escape, is finally released, but his past keeps haunting him. At Digne, he is repeatedly refused shelter for the night. Only the saintly bishop, Monseigneur Myriel, welcomes him. Valjean repays his host's hospitality by stealing his silverware. When the police bring him back, the bishop protects his errant guest by pretending that the silverware is a gift. With a pious lie, he convinces them that the convict has promised to reform. After one more theft, Jean Valjean does indeed repent. Under the name of M. Madeleine he starts a factory and brings prosperity to the town of Montreuil. Then he met Fantine, a worker in his factory who has an illegitimate daughter who’s she have left in the care of Thenardier. Fantine soon turned into a prostitute and was caught by a inspector Javert, but through the help of M. Madeleine, she was send out of jail. She catches a fever, however, and her health deteriorates dangerously. Death is imminent and M. Madeleine promises to bring her daughter, Cosette, to her.

One night, Madeleine have faced a serious problem that he have to confess his true identity as Jean Valjean. After his confession, he was been arrested by Javert in front of Fantine who is suffering and this shocking event causes the death of Fantine. Valjean have escaped and people believe that he have died because of drowning. He was then reached Montfermeil where Cosette, daughter of Fantine, lives. He saves Cosette and takes her away from the guardianship of Thenardier.

In Paris, he lives like a recluse in a dilapidated tenement, the Gorbeau House, in an outlying district. In spite of his precautions, however, Javert manages to track him down. Valjean is forced to flee abruptly. After a hectic chase and imminent capture, he finds a miraculous refuge in a convent. With the cooperation of the gardener, Fauchelevent, a man whose life he has saved in the past, Valjean persuades the prioress to take him on as assistant gardener and to enroll Cosette as a pupil. Valjean and Cosette spend several happy years in the isolation of the convent.

Marius Pontmercy is a young man who lives with his wealthy grandfather, M. Gillenormand. One day, Marius sees Cosette at a public park. It is love at first sight, but the protective Valjean does his utmost to prevent Cosette and Marius from ever meeting. After Valjean leaves, Thénardier announces a plan to rob Valjean when he returns. Alarmed, Marius alerts the local police inspector, who turns out to be Javert. The ambush is foiled and the Thénardiers are arrested, but Valjean escapes before Javert can identify him.

Why does Lennie wander into Crooks room? Why is Crooks rude to Lennie? What does Curley's wife suspect about Curley's injury?Chapter 4

After George and the other farm hands have gone out for a night on the town, Lennie sees Crooks' light on and door half open and pays him a visit.

Because of his race and handicap, Crooks lives apart from the other men, setting up a place by himself in the old harness room. He is not used to "company" and is only invited to join the other men at special times, such as Christmas. So when Lennie shows up, it takes him by surprise and he considers the "visit" an unwelcomed intrusion. He snaps at Lennie, then asks him what he would do if George ever went away, never to come back. Because of his own handicap, Lennie panics at the very thought. Crooks sees his distress, takes pity on him, and tries to calm him down. After having given the other men the sour grapes treatment for so long, he admits to Lennie that he is indeed a very lonely man.

Briefly describe the theme of murder in Hamlet.i have got an english assessment which is due this friday and i need to make a poster , on which i...

Well, you've got the most obvious example--the murder of King Hamlet by his brother, Claudio.  This is done for ambition...the desire for the crown and perhaps even the Queen.  You might include pictures of brothers, a crown, poison in the ear, royalty, or ghosts.

There are several other murders in Hamlet, though.  There is the murder of Polonius which is a case of mistaken identity since Polonius is hiding behind the tapestry in the Queen's bedchambers and Hamlet thinks it is Claudius.  Polonius is guilty of brown-nosing and being nosy in general.  You might include a photo of a nosy neighbor or a court jester (Polonious is portrayed in the play as sort of an idiot).

There are the murders of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in England.  This is carried out by the King of England on the orders of King Claudius, but it was supposed to be Hamlet who was the victim.  R & G are also bumbling idiots who have their noses in business where they don't belong.  They are Hamlet's friends from school, so you might have photos or pictures of school friends (maybe in school uniforms?) or school books to indicate their deaths.

Don't forget the murders of Gertrude (she drank he poisoned wine with the pearl in it...she tells Hamlet it was the wine and she realizes it was Claudius' doing), Laertes (he is stabbed with the poisoned sword and he confesses his treacherous plan with Claudius) and Claudius (Hamlet stabs him with the fateful sword and makes him drink the poisoned wine).  You might choose a sword, a wine goblet with a pearl, another crown, perhaps?

Of course, there is also Hamlet's murder.  He has fallen victim of the poisoned sword as well, but not before he has suffered the deaths of his beloved mother and friend, Laertes, and exacted his revenge on Claudius.  It might be neat if you could find a skull and crossed bones to represent all the greed and death which takes place in the final act. 

I've included some links to pictures associated with the play.  Good Luck and have fun...sounds like a neat project.

http://school.discoveryeducation.com/clipart/category/lang.html

Explain "so the animals trooped down to the hayfield...that the milk had disappeared" from Ch.2 of "Animal Farm."

In Ch.2, the animals revolt and to their surprise successfully take over the farm from Mr.Jones:

"Now, as it turned out, the Rebellion was achieved much earlier and more easily than anyone had expected."

After the initial euphoria the animals organise themselves in order to manage and administer the farm themselves and especially to harvest the ripe grain:

"Now, comrades," cried Snowball, throwing down the paint-brush, "to the  hayfield! Let us make it a point of honour to get in the harvest more quickly than Jones and his men could do."

Just then the cows whose udders had been full and not been milked for the last twenty four hours demanded that some one milk them and relieve them of their discomfort. Soon, the pigs milk the cows and five pails of milk were got. Everyone was curious as to what to do with the milk. The hens said that Mr.Jones would sometimes mix some of the milk with their food.

At this juncture Napoleon becomes impatient and tells the other animals  that he would look after the pails of milk and asks them  to go quickly to the field and harvest the grain:

"Never mind the milk, comrades!" cried Napoleon, placing himself in front of the buckets. "That will be attended to. The harvest is more important. Comrade Snowball will lead the way. I shall follow in a few minutes. Forward, comrades! The hay is waiting."

However, when the animals return in the evening after a hard day's work harvesting the grain, they find all the milk pails empty. The obvious reason being Napoleon who was supposed to guard the milk had actually drunk all the five pails of milk!

This incident is symbolic of Napoleon's greed and paves the way for all his future megalomaniac actions which result in his becoming a complete dictator who takes over the entire farm and rules over it with an iron hand. 

Who is Hilda, and how is she connected to Minerva in the book In the Time of the Butterflies?Why is the connection between these two important to...

During her last year at Immaculada, Minerva befriends Hilda, a  "really rude" young lady who "wears trousers and a beret slanted on her head like she is Michelangelo".  Hilda lives in town but often spends time at the campus.  Minerva had met her "at one of her secret meetings at Don Horacio's house.

Hilda is deeply involved in the revolutionary movement.  She is coarse and outspoken, an atheist, and thinks nothing of making outrageous and sacreligious comments at the Catholic boarding school to students and the Sisters alike.  Because of her behavior, she is eventually "asked to leave and not come back".  Sor Asuncion explains the expulsion by saying that Hilda "has a very poor attitude...and (Minerva) and her friends are catching it".  It is clear that Hilda, with her extreme politics, has a strong influence on Minerva, even though she is already inclined in that direction herself.

Despite her banishment from Immaculada, Hilda returns awhile later looking for a place to hide.  She is wanted by the authorities for her activities in the underground, and, in looking for help, she seeks out Minerva.  Minerva, in turn, consults with Sor Asuncion concerning Hilda's predicament, and surprisingly, the Sister agrees to hide Hilda, allowing her to stay on the premises disguised as a nun.  Hilda is eventually caught leaving the convent, however, and Minerva and all those who are involved in aiding and abetting her move quickly to destroy any evidence implicating them in the situation.

The connection between Minerva and Hilda is important to note both because of the influence Hilda has on the comparatively callow Minerva, and because of the fact that, through their association, and by helping Hilda escape capture, Minerva first becomes actively involved in the Revolution to the extent that she could get in serious trouble with the authorities (Chapter 3).

Who is Thomas Hobbes and why is he a notable philosopher? What philosophical ideas influenced him?

Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) is one of the most influential moral and political philosophers of the early modern period.  His most famous work, Leviathan (1651) most clearly and thoroughly elaborates his ideas concerning the nature of society and the role of government in the success of a society.  In addition, he made significant contributions to the realms of epistemology (theories of knowledge) and metaphysics.  He is notable because, like very few of his contemporaries (Descartes may be an exception), he is able to synthesize these different philosophical strands into a consistent system.

Hobbes begins his argument by suggesting man seeks his pleasure above all else.  In his most primitive state, the state of nature, man could pursue his savage egoism without any recourse to others; however, with the formation of societies, man's egoism must be steered by an external body, a government, especially since war would be continual and an unavoidable consequence without a governing institution.  A governing body ensures peace, and in doing so allows for the pursuit of maximum pleasure.  To accomplish this, commoners in society cede their natural rights to an absolutist ruler.  Hobbes's line of argument says a great deal about how he views human nature.  Humanity needs to be guided by an absolute monarch; without such a monarch's guidance, the maximum good for society cannot be realized.

Beyond his political ideas, Hobbes has very clear perspectives on epistemology, which for his rests in a combination of empiricism and rationalism.  His theory of knowledge derives a great deal from the nominalism he had learned while at Oxford.  Empiricism is important for an understanding of society, but it is the rational faculty that develops the elements of experience.  The concepts devised in the process do not have an explicit connection with the external world, but they do serve to describe the world well.

Hobbes's ideas have varied origins.  His nominalism, the idea that the concepts of the mind (including language) do not have more than a descriptive connection with the external world, comes straight out of the late Middle Ages - particularly the philosophy of famous Oxford scholars such as Duns Scotus and William of Ockham.  Hobbes's political ideas spring from the political ideas of the Renaissance and early modern period.  Like Hobbes, Machiavelli indicates the need for an absolutist ruler to ensure society's success.

In his metaphysical thought, he follows much of Descartes's ideas concerning extension - at least the extension of material substance.  Unlike Descartes, Hobbes endows matter with motion.  It is active rather than passive.  This idea has much more in common with Aristotelian thought (potentiality v. actuality), which he would have learned at Oxford.  For Aristotle, matter has the potential to move, though it does not mean that it will actualize that potential.  It is a purely internal view of the material world.  External forces are not the motivating factors.

How do you find the area and perimeter of a circle and semi circle?

Definition: The perimeter or the circumference of the circle is 2pir or 2pi times the radius of the cicrle. It is Pi timies the diameter or pid. Where radius is the constant distance from the centre of the circle to its circumference. Pi is a constant (not rational number) which is like 3.141592654.... For rough calculation, we use it near two .14decimal place value ,3/

Area is pir^2 or pi times the square of the radius. Also in termes of diameter, the area of the cicle is pi(d/2)^2 =pid^2/4.

Therefore, given the the radius or diameter you can find the

area of the cicle.

The semicle : Its perimeter = diameter+(1/2)the circumference =d+(1/2)pid=d(1+pi/2) =2r+pir=r(2+pi).

If a  just  picture of a cirle is given  without giving radius or diameter, and you are required to find its perimeter: Then follow like this:

Draw two non parallel chords AB, CD.  A,B,Cand D will be on the circumference of the cicle.

Draw perpendicular bisectors to AB and CD. Let them meet at O. Now O is the centre of the given circle. Then measure OA or OB or OX, where X is any point on the circumference. You will find thar OA=OB=OX = radius. Use the radius in the above given formula to find perimeter or area of circle or semicircle.

What are some examples of satire from Pride and Prejudice, and how does Austen use satire to influence the reader's attitude to the characters?

As you know, Pride and Prejudice is a social satire; so it is difficult to narrow down one's answer to just a couple of examples, but I will try!

First, Austen uses the novel to satirize her society's view of a woman's role during the time period (late 1700s).  Mrs. Bennet, Elizabeth's mother, is the epitome of the stereotypical lower aristocratic woman of the era.  She is most concerned about making the best match for her daughters, feels that she has nothing else to worry about but seeing her daughters married, and relies upon her husband for all needs. Jane, while much more likable than her mother, falls into this category as well.  She wants to marry for love, but she also sees her society for what it is and realizes that she might have to marry for position.

Austen also satirizes the arrogance of the extremely wealthy aristocrats toward the country folk.  Darcy, Ms. Bingley, and Lady Catherine all play a role in this part of the author's satire.  Mr. Darcy and Ms. Bingley disdainfully critique the country dances and culture while making smarmy comments that they think the "country folk" are too ignorant to understand.  Lady Catherine believes that her position and wealth entitle her to control others' lives, including ordering Elizabeth not to marry Mr. Darcy.

In answer to your second question, Elizabeth is most often the "voice" of Austen's satire.  Through Lizzie's eyes and mocking attitude and words, the reader sees the characters as Austen wants them to be perceived.  Elizabeth treats Mr. Collins as a silly, awkward, cowering little man, and thus, the reader views him that way too (Austen uses this to satirize the control that the wealthy had over poor religious "leaders" of her day). Likewise, Elizabeth condemns Darcy for his condescending attitude toward her friends and family, and the reader tends to think that the country characters are mistreated. So, for your second point, you can use Elizabeth for almost all of the other characters to determine what Austen satirizes about her society and why she does so.

What are the connotative meaning of plots in the poem "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost?

A connotative meaning is an applied or secondary meaning.  A denotative meaning is the literal or surface meaning.

In this poem, the denotative "plot" is that there was a yellow wood (an autumn wood) in which two roads went in different directions.  The speaker is standing at the point where they diverge and trying to decide which one to take.

If we look beyond the literal, then the autumn wood can represent the autumn of life.  The road represents too separate paths in the speaker's life.  The speaker is trying to decide which path to take.  One path seems "less-traveled" than the other, although the speaker admits he can see little difference.  However, he implies that his "less-traveled" path is not the one usually taken by adults.  It seems mysterious and exciting.  The speaker is trying to decide - do I follow what everyone else has been doing, or do I try something different?  The speaker decides to try something different; he "took the road less traveled."  He says with a sigh that this "has made all the difference."  We are left to feel that this decision was a wrong one.  The speaker makes sure we understand that he can't go back and change the path he chose, and the solemn nature of the poem suggests that the path was a poor choice:

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference

We are finally left with the sense that life is full of decisions which must be made, and that "somewhere ages and ages" in the future, we may look back and regret or blame our choices.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, how does the shooting of the dog by Atticus lead to changes in Jem's perception of his father?

Although Jem loved his father deeply, he had never been very impressed with his skills, especially since Atticus was "too old" to play football, Jem's passion. Jem thought he knew all there was to know about his father, until the day Atticus took down the rabid dog with one shot in a very dangerous situation. After Atticus killed the dog, Jem was reduced to a state of "numb confusion." When he could finally speak, he remained in awe of what he has just witnessed:

'd you see him, Scout? 'd you see him just standin' there? . . . 'n' all of a sudden he just relaxed all over, an' it looked like that gun was a part of him . . . an' he did it so quick, like . . . I hafta aim for ten minutes 'fore I can hit somethin' . . . .

Jem was further amazed that Atticus never shared the fact that he was known as "Ol' One-Shot" when he was a boy; he also wondered why his father did not hunt. It is Miss Maudie who explained to Jem that Atticus took no personal pride in his skill because it was a gift and that he would not hunt because he felt he had "an unfair advantage over most living things." Scout could not wait to go to school and let everyone know that her daddy was "the deadest shot in Maycomb County," but Jem told her to say nothing. He understood his father's character in a new way.

Jem's respect for Atticus had deepened immensely, not because his father was a good shot, but because he did not need to brag about it or capitalize upon it. Also, in watching Atticus face the rabid dog, Jem saw a type of courage in his father that he had not known existed. Jem's perception of Atticus became much truer; his father was a man of unusual character and courage. This change in Jem's attitude is shown clearly in the conclusion of Chapter 10:

Atticus is real old, but I wouldn't care if he couldn't do anything--I wouldn't care if he couldn't do a blessed thing . . . . Atticus is a gentleman, just like me!

Jem is filled with joy by what he has discovered about his father.

When the Reverend Mr. Wilson, who is at Governor Bellingham's mansion, asks Pearl who made her, what does she reply? Hawthorne's "The Scarlet...

In "The Scarlet Letter," Pearl, who has a "freakish, elfish cast" is unpredictable in her behavior.  When "the old minister seated in an arm-chair" asks Pearl, "Canst thou tell me, my child, who made thee?" she refuses to answer with what she has learned in her catechism.  Instead, the child who "could have borne a fair examination in the New England Primer, or the first column of the Westminster Catechisms," refuses to respond, putting her finger to her lips. Finally she announces that

she had not been made at all, but had been plucked by her motehr off the bush of wild roses that grew by the prison-door.  This fantasy was probably suggested by the near proximity of the Governor's red roses, as Pearl stood outside of the window; together with her recollection of the prison rose-bush, which she had passed in coming hither.

Of course, this passage is significant because it points to the symbolism of the roses as passion, as well as the close connection of Pearl as a child of Nature, free of the hypocrisy of society. Of course, Mr. Wilson is appalled that the child does not know, appalled that the child's Christian education is being neglected:

Without question, she is equally in the dark as to her soul, its present depravity, and future destiny!

The minister feels that Pearl should, indeed, be taken from her sinful mother.  Clutching the child to her breast, Hester explains that God has given her this child to remind her of the sin of adultery.  Also, Pearl is her punishment to effect her retribution for her sin.  She pleads for Pearl according to her "mother's rights."

Fortunately, Rev. Dimmesdale intercedes upon her behalf, reinforcing what Hester has declared:  "There is truth in what she says...and in the feeling which inspires her!...Therefore it is good for this poor, sinful woman that she hath an infant immortality, a being capable of eternal joy or sorrow, confided to her care,--to be trained up by her to righteousness,--to remind her, at every moment of her fall,--but yet to teach her...the child also will bring its parent thither!

The rose, the passion of Hester humanized in little Pearl will wilt and die unless this mother and child remain together.

What has George told Lennie about that he always remembers even when he forgets everything else?

George reminds Lennie to "hide in the brush 'til I [he] come[s]".  This order foreshadows that Lennie will inevitably get in some sort of trouble apart from other incidents in the novel.  George and Lennie constantly must run from different ranches and authorities because Lennie gets in trouble due to his childlike mind and superhuman strength.  Lennie repeats this order to himself throughout the text, which is important because he is unable to remember most things. Finally, Lennie does hide in the brush, waiting for George tp rescue him yet again.

What is Jerry's purpose in Edward Albee's The Zoo Story?

Edward Albee's "The Zoo Story" is a darkly humorous examination of two people's existence. The entire drama is an interaction between a middle aged family man and a misplaced, lost, man who is trying to "get to the zoo" through an internal examination of his soul. Jerry is necessary to the play because it is Jerry who plays the Christ-like figure to Peter, who becomes an "apostle" of truth at the play's end.

Jerry is an everyman. He represents all of us who are unhappy with the circumstances of our lives. Jerry demonstrates the inability of communicating with people and it is not until the final moments of the play does Peter really "hear" what Jerry has to say. For Jerry is a prophet of sorts, dispensing his views on existentialism, life, sexuality, his parents, the interaction of people, on literal and symbolic "zoos", etc. One could say that the reader is privy to the happenings in this one cage of a zoo. Jerry is the wild, aggressive animal, and Peter is the more reserved one.We study Jerry and his message as we would study a different sort of creature in a zoo.