In Chapter 4 of The Scarlet Letter, what two lines indicate the Doctor and Hester knew each other before their prison-house meeting?

In Chapter 4 of The Scarlett Letter, after Hester's public punishment on the scaffold of public shame, she is in such a state of wild distress once she is returned to her prison cell that the jailer is compelled to call in a physician. The physician is the same man from the crowd whom Hester had seen earlier who had riveted her eyes in a fixed gaze of recognition:

appeared that individual, of singular aspect whose presence in the crowd had been of such deep interest to the wearer of the scarlet letter.

Although, by a seemingly careless arrangement of his heterogeneous garb, he had endeavoured to conceal or abate the peculiarity, it was sufficiently evident to Hester Prynne that one of this man's shoulders rose higher than the other. Again, at the first instant of perceiving that thin visage, and the slight deformity of the figure, she pressed her infant to her bosom with so convulsive a force that the poor babe uttered another cry of pain.

Though no direct statements are made, the stranger, calling himself Chillingworth, fits the brief description given in Chapter 2 of the intellectual scholar who was her husband whose aspect floated before Hester's eyes along with that of the long absent visages of her father and mother. With this in mind, Hester's remark to him upon his offer of a medicinal for her baby identifies Chillingworth as someone known before, in fact, it identifies him as her long missing husband.

Hester repelled the offered medicine, at the same time gazing with strongly marked apprehension into his face. "Wouldst thou avenge thyself on the innocent babe?" whispered she.

Along with the fact of his singular physical description marking him as one whom she knew before, Hester's use of the word avenge confirms that he was in fact her husband for it is only her husband who would have cause to avenge himself of her crime of adultery. There is further confirmation of his previously known identity in the narrator's remark that Chillingworth gazed at Hester with:

a gaze that made her heart shrink and shudder, because so familiar, and yet so strange and cold.

How is chapter 11 significant to a theme of the novel?The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Chapter XI of The Scarlet Letter is significant to the theme of the psychological effects of sin in two ways:

1.  In the paradox of Dimmesdale's futile attempts at public confession, he increases his guilt.  For, the more he asserts his own sinfulness, the more the townspeople perceive him as a holy man.  Fully aware that his confessions are misunderstood, Dimmesdale, in his weakness,takes conscious advantage of this misunderstanding:

The minister well knew--subtle, but remorseful hypocrite that he was!--the light in which his vague confession would be viewed."

Here Hawthorne seems to wish his readers' sympathy for Dimmesdale does not blind them to the fact that the minister is, in fact, a true sinner.

2.  Chillingworth, on the other hand, seems even more evil and blacker than ever as, in Chapter X, after having put aside the sleeping minister's garment, he has "violated the secrets of the human heart" and now becomes a "chief actor," controlling the agony of Dimmesdale. However, Hawthorne again establishes a balance for the readers and prevents them from a perception of the physician as pure evil.  For, he describes Chillingworth as a

poor, forlorn creature...more wretched than his victim...

What different feelings does Winston experience during the Two Minutes Hate?

At first, when Goldstein's image flashes on the screen, Winston feels his diaphram constrict. He can't look at Goldstein without feeling "a painful mixture of emotions." The people are so well conditioned to experience fear and rage when they see Goldstein's face that half the people in the room are uncontrollably angry before even thirty seconds are up. The narrator tells us that people can't avoid at least acting as if they are participating, but by the time that they are thirty seconds in, nobody has to act any more because they are all sucked into the moment. It is impossible to avoid joining in. Winston is with the crowd, feeling rage, and "hideous ecstacy" of fear, vindictiveness, a desire to torture and kill. He has joined the others and is screaming like he is crazy. Then Winston shifts--he still feels hatred, but it is not for Goldstein any more, but Big Brother. Then he switches again, and feels connected to the crowd, and hates Goldstein again. In these moments, he loves Big Brother, and feels like he is their saviour and protector. The narrator says that people can shift the object of their hatred by an act of will at this point. So he shifts from hating Goldstein to hating the dark-haired girl behind him. At the end of the two minutes of hate, the people start to feel delirious with joy. Winston shares their joy, but when they start to chant, he feels "his entrails go cold"--that is intense fear. He hides his fear by chanting with the crowd, pretending he does not feel what he feels.

Why doesn't Curley like Lennie?

Curley has a complex about being small and compensates by playing the bully. To "strut his stuff" he has taken up boxing and just looks for an occasion to show what he can do.

Lennie Small (his last name, by the way) might be retarded, but he has the physique of Atlas. Curley is intellectually superior and quicker, which is enough reason for him to take Lennie on. When he sees Lennie smiling in a rather goofy way while the ranch hands are discussing his wife, Curley thinks he is the target of a crude joke and aggresses him. He underestimates Lennie's strength and when Lennie breaks his hand (in self-defense), the other ranch hands have to pry him loose.

Curley is by far the most antipathetic character in this story. When the manhunt, led by Curley, is out to get Lennie (who has accidentally strangled Curley's wife to death in the barn),  just the thought of Lennie being at the mercy of such a beast makes George shoot him instead.

What is a summary for The Boy in the Striped Pajamas?

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas explores the theme of friendship. Two boys meet. Bruno is the son of a Nazi commandant and Shmuel is a Polish Jew who is interned at Auschwitz. The boys quickly learn that despite being separated by a fence, they have quite a lot in common, including their birthday. The two boys, too young to understand why they are not supposed to be friends, come to understand one another and ultimately suffer the same fate despite their different situations. The novel explores the idea that the only fences that exist are the ones we create.

According to the proposal, what is the worst problem of the moment?

The satire is intended to draw attention to the worst problem of the moment which is the exploitation of Ireland at the hands of England.  The English stripped Ireland of all her resources, so much so that there was a famine in the country. While the English enjoyed the crops grown in Ireland, the Irish were starving and struggling to feed their children.

"A Modest Proposal is considered one of the finest examples of satire in world literature. Written in the persona of a well-intentioned economist and published in the form of a popular pamphlet, the tract argues that the problem of poverty in Ireland can best be remedied by selling the children of the poor as food for the wealthy."

So Swift suggests tongue in cheek that the problem of feeding the ravenous English and the taking care of Irish children could be a part of the same solution.

"I think it is agreed by all parties that this prodigious number of children in the arms, or on the backs, or at the heels of their mothers, and frequently of their fathers, is in the present deplorable state of the kingdom a very great additional grievance; and, therefore, whoever could find out a fair, cheap, and easy method of making these children sound, useful members of the commonwealth, would deserve so well of the public as to have his statue set up for a preserver of the nation." (Swift)

Swift writes this satire to expand on the notion of England's exploitation of the Irish to the degree that the Irish children could well become the next English delicacy.  Why not take advantage of this resource, since England has taken Ireland's bounty away from the Irish people, they could benefit financially from the many children that they have and cannot raise properly.

And in doing this, Swift suggests both problems would be solved, the need to feed the English and solve the problem of hunger and poverty in Ireland by getting rid of a good number of the children that the Irish were having a difficult time taking care of under the current economic conditions.

In the book ''Nothing but the Truth" what does the author wnat us to think about the main character,Phillip?

The great thing about Nothing But the Truth is all the different points of view you are given. The author uses Philip's journals as well as how others react to him to give the reader an idea of who he really is.

From Philip's journal you can gather certain facts. Philip loves track. Philip does not like English, he seems to hate it. He thinks his English teacher does not understand him. He thinks highly of himself. He thinks he's funny and fast. He is a good student in some subjects, such as math.

However, when we see others react to Philip we get a different idea of him. Allison likes him at first, thinks he is funny, but he quickly puts her off with choices that he makes and the way he reacts to her. His friends think he is funny to the point that they don't take him seriously. His teachers think he is a 'good kid'. Miss Narwin thinks he has potential but does not get him at all. His parents don't listen to him and his dad thinks he's talented and wants him to run track.

We can combine these different view points together to come up with an opinion of our own about Philip which is exactly what Avi wants you to do. You take how others think of him and react to him, you have how he feels about everything and you put it together like a puzzle. After all no one person is capable of giving you any side other than their own.

In "Fahrenheit 451" how are Clarisse and Mildred similar in either their activites or beliefs?

Clarisse and Mildred are not similar in many ways, and Bradbury most likely did that on purpose.  Mildred was a symbol of their society's mindlessness, and Clarisse was a symbol for what their society is missing, the society of thinking, living, and being happy.  So, to find similarities you have to go down to the basics, like, they are both female, they both play a significant role in Montag's life, and they both act as catalysts for Montag to change (Clarisse to initiate change, Mildred to leap over the cliff into full rebellion as she calls the alarm in on him and abandons him).

In activities and beliefs, they truly don't have very many similarities.  It would be easier to discuss how they are different in those areas, because they are, completely.  They both believe in Montag, though for different reasons.  Clarisse believes he is a kind man, who cares to listen to her, which means he is different, and a good human being.  Mildred believes in Montag's steadiness, and his ability to provide a living to support her lifestyle.  So, the belief in Montag is there, just in different ways.  They both believe in doing things that please them-for Clarisse this is thinking about the why of things, talking with her family, and asking questions.  For Mildred, it is watching t.v. and socializing with her friends.  In that way, their activities are similar in the fact that they do things they enjoy.  They both enjoy driving, although Mildred likes driving when she is upset.  She tells Montag that "I always like to drive fast when I feel" upset.  Clarisse on the other hand, likes watching people drive "on the boulevard" and wonders how they "know what grass is, or flowers, because they never see them" because they are going too fast.

So, there are some ideas for you; it's a tough question, that's for sure!  Good luck!

Who was Shylock in "The Merchant of Venice"? Why was he hated in Venice?

anika22,

In Shakespeare's comedy "The Merchant of Venice," the character of Shylock is a Jewish moneylender who lends money to Antonio, a Christian requiring a bond of "a pound of Antonio's flesh." When Antonio goes bankrupt, Antonio defaults on the loan, and Shylock demands his pound of flesh in a court of law, as revenge for Antonio having previously insulted him. At the same time, Shylock's daughter Jessica, elopes with Antonio's friend Lorenzo and becomes a Christian, further adding to Shylock's anger and resentment.

Issues that dealt with Jews and Judaism were very controversial during the Renaissance Period because Edward I had them expelled in 1290 but Oliver Cromwell allowed Jews to return in 1656. Jews had to practice Judaism in secret between those years.

In one of the most famous soliloquies in the English language, Shylock explains that Jews are just like "everyone else" when he says:

I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands,
organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions; fed with the same
food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases,
heal'd by the same means, warm'd and cool'd by the same winter
and summer, as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? If
you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die?
And if you wrong us, do we not revenge? If we are like you in the
rest, we will resemble you in that. (iii.1.58-68)

Sarah drove 3 hours more than Michael on their trip to Texas. If the trip took 37 hours, how long did Sarah and Michael each drive?Can you please...

Solution witout Algebra:

If the extra 3 hours are separated from 37 hours of the trip, we get34 hours which is driven equally by Sarah and Michael. So, 34/2=17 hours are equally driven by both out of 34 hours. Now add Sarah's part of extra 3 hours. So, Sarah drove 17+3 =20 Hours, and Michel drove 17 hours.

Method of Agebra:

The driving  hours by Sarah is known in terms of driving of Michale plus 3 hours.. So, the unknown hours of driving of Michale is assumed to be x hrs which is the basic unknown to solve in this word problem. Then Sarah's duration of driving is x+3 hours. So, their total hours of driving (algebaically)=x+x+3=2x+3 hours. Butsthis is equal to 37 hours. The basic requirement of the word problem is to set up an equation. So,the equation of this word  problem is:

2x+3=37

where x is the basic unknown hours of Michale's driving hours. Once you solve for x, you get x+3 as duration in hours of Sarah's driving.

Solving the equation:

2x+3=37

Subtract 3 from both sides:

2x+3-3=37-3

2x=34

Divide both sides by 2

2x/2=34/2

x=17 hours, is the duration of Michel's drive and

x+3=17+3=20 hours is that of Sarah's.

What does Jem in To Kill a Mockingbird do for the high school football team?

The reference to Jem's playing football occurs in the opening of the novel. Scout says her brother's left arm had been broken "at the elbow" when he was twelve, which left it a bit shorter than his right arm. According to Scout, this did not bother Jem at all, once he realized he could continue to play football:

He couldn't have cared less, so long as he could pass and punt.

The implication is that Jem played the position of quarterback on the team. 

In what ways is A Raisin in the Sun a touching story for anyone who has ever felt alone, different, or powerless?

The ideas of feeling alone, different, or powerless clearly are found in the play through the various characters. The Younger family as a whole has been made to feel different in the larger society because they are African-Americans during a time when that heritage was often the subject of derision and racial bias. When their new white neighbors want to buy Mama's new house in order to avoid living with them in the same neighborhood, this insult shows how they are viewed in white society. The Youngers often feel different because they are treated as being different by white society. Anyone who has ever experienced the ignorance of prejudice of any kind would understand this family's feelings.

In terms of feeling alone and powerless, Ruth and Walter come to mind. Trapped in poverty even though they work hard each day, they often feel powerless to change their circumstances. Ruth feels alone and desperate when she realizes she is pregnant again, wondering how she and Walter can support another child when they can barely care for the son they have. Walter feels alone and powerless as he struggles to break out of his dead-end job as a chauffeur. Walter feels that his family does not understand the importance of his dreams and his need to find and feel self-respect. His failed attempt to start his own business is born from his need to succeed in life, to become his own man.

As these characters struggle with their own feelings throughout the play, they come to realize that they are not alone or different or powerless. They find their strength lies in each other, and together they move on to a new life. For anyone who has ever shared their feelings, the conclusion of the play is full of hope and validation.

In chpts. 34-36 of "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" I need a quote showing that Huck becomes more quiet and lets Tom take charge.

Tom is a rather domineering character who is set on having his own way about things. Tom is espcially excited for the opportunity to live out some adventure fantasies that he has, through the situation of Jim being a prisoner, and needing to escape.  So, Tom comes up with a bunch of nonsensical and illogical ways to make Jim's imprisonment and escape more difficult and challenging, which, to Tom, makes it more exciting.  At the beginning of chapter 34, Huck tells Tom that busting Jim out will be super easy, and lays out his plan for Tom.  Tom rejects his idea immediately, giving all of the reasons why it wouldn't work.  Huck's response is this:

"I never said nothing, because I warn't expecting nothing different; but I knowed mighty well that whenever he got his plan read it wouldn't have nonoe of them objections to it."

Here we see Huck being overpowered by Tom and his ideas, and just going along with it.  Later, they have another disagreement about whether helping Jim is right or not, and Tom wins the argument.  Huck says,

"It warn't no use to say any more; because when he said he'd do a thing, he always done it."

Over and over through these chapters, we see Huck's opinion being overpowered and mocked by Tom as being too easy, simple, and uneducated.  And, Huck just goes along with it, to his and Jim's detriment, I might add, as Tom keeps Jim a prisoner far too long just to enact some schemes and adventures.  Tom is definitely the ringleader in these chapters, and Huck just goes with the flow.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, what emotions would Atticus have experienced from the time the mob arrived to the time they left?

Atticus faces the lynch mob in a steady manner. Even after he learns that Heck Tate has been drawn away from the jail on a pretext and that he will be facing the crowd alone, Atticus remains calm. When Scout bursts through the mob, however, Atticus is filled with "plain fear," fear that intensifies when Jem and Dill also appear:

Atticus got up from his chair, but he was moving slowly, like an old man. He put the newspaper down very carefully, adjusting its creases with lingering fingers. They were trembling a little.

While Atticus reacts so slowly, his mind is no doubt racing as he realizes the enormous danger at hand. Besides Tom's life being in jeopardy, he now has three children in deadly peril. The mood becomes even more menacing when one of the mob lays rough hands on Jem, Scout defends her brother by kicking the stranger, and Atticus then is given fifteen-seconds to send his children away.

Atticus knew the mob, some of whom had been drinking, was beyond logic or reason. He no doubt imagined the situation could spiral out of control at any moment. His children could be hurt--or killed--and barring those possibilities, they could see the kind of violence that would haunt them for the rest of their lives. Surely his terror and desperation grew as Jem refused to leave. When the mob disperses, after Scout's innocent conversation with Walter Cunningham, Atticus leans against the jail "with his face to the wall" because he is so weak with relief that the disaster had been averted. We can infer also that he had shed tears of relief since he wiped his face with his handkerchief and then "blew his nose violently."  

What ways is the plot of The Scarlet Letter driven (almost mandated) by the motivations of its main character?

The novel is indeed driven by Hester's motivations. They account directly for the circumstances of the story and the events as they unfold.

First of all, the story could not have happened at all if, after Pearl's birth, Hester had chosen to leave the Puritan community. She could have taken Pearl (as she did seven years later) and returned to England. Instead, motivated by her deep love for Dimmesdale and her desire to be near him, she chose to remain and bear humiliation and punishment.

By keeping Chillingworth's real identity a secret, Hester enabled his quest for revenge. Once he realized he had found Pearl's father, Chillingworth then dedicated himself to torturing Dimmesdale, psychologically and perhaps even physically. (There is a suggestion Chillingworth was poisoning Dimmesdale.) The old physician's relationship with Dimmesdale and the effects of his revenge upon Dimmesdale comprise most of the story, all brought about by Hester's agreeing to meet Chillingworth's demand. Why did Hester agree to never acknowledge Chillingworth as her husband? She was motivated by guilt for how she had betrayed him; she knew the shame and humiliation her act brought to him. Also, Hester keeps Chillingworth's secret to protect Arthur Dimmesdale. Chillingworth threatened he would surely find and harm the father of her child if she revealed him for who he was.

Hester finally reveals Chillingworth's identity to Arthur because she is motivated to save his life and to convince him to leave the settlement with her and Pearl. Hester has watched Dimmesdale waste away; she is aware of his suffering. Meeting him in the forest, she tells him the truth. As a result, they both profess their love and plan to run away. This throws Arthur into his most severe and final test of moral principles and spiritual beliefs. Instead of leaving, he climbs the scaffold, confesses, feels forgiveness, and dies. Thus the main story ends, its major conflicts resolved.

All that remains is Hester's return to Boston many years later, where she lives out the remainder of her life, dies, and is buried next to Arthur. These events, too, result from her motivation. Hester's reasons for returning remain somewhat unclear, although the narrator suggests what they might have been.

Is it true to say that the people of Umuofia celebrate more than one deity?

In short, yes. The people of Umuofia believe in many spirits. Each person is believed to have their own "chi" or personal spirit, but there are also gods of crops, sky, and the earth. Above all these spirits, however, is Chukwu, the supreme god. This belief in a multi-dimensional god is a source of direct conflict between the missionaries and village. Although the outcasts of the Ibo society are drawn to the inclusive tenets of Christianity, the rest of the village is put off by the idea of only one male god.

In Chapter 16, we see the first argument/counterargument presented by both parties. The missionaries argue that the Ibo gods are simply wood and stone. The villagers scoff at this notion, as anyone would whose centuries-old beliefs were challenged. Yet when the church is built in the Evil Forest, the villagers expect everyone to meet a horrible end at the wrath of the gods. When this fails to be, more villagers are won over to the Christian church.

What does Crispin learn about Lord Furnival's home?the page is around 92 to 108

Lord Furnival actually has two homes. The manor home is in Stromford, a small village in the country where the family would come to escape the summer heat and the plague. In Great Wexly is his main home. It is located on the square next to the cathedral. The home is several stories high with a balcony and is squarish-looking. A narrow alley runs down one side, narrow enough that only a thin boy can scale the walls of stone. In the basement area is a dungeon and torture room. The great hall is extremely large and could hold the population of Stromford. There was a chapel next to the great hall that also held weapons. The top floor was mostly rooms for sleeping. Guards kept the wrong people from entering the front door.

In Chapter 18 of "Frankenstein", what is different about Victor's solitude from when he first created the monster?

In the beginning of the novel, Victor prefers solitude to pursue his studies. His love of knowledge and scientific discovery exceeds all other interests: his family & Elizabeth come second to his pursuits. He shuts himself in his apartment to experiment, & only emerges from fear of the monster he created.

When we see him in solitude again, he is much changed. The experiences he has had since he left the university have weighted him down with worry and despair. He no longer shares Clerval’s intellectual curiosity and excitement; his life is filled with fear and regret. He faces guilt for the deaths of William and Justine, and is haunted by the memory of the creature, no matter where he goes. Instead of the enthusiasm and ambition he had only a few years earlier, horror has driven him to a barren island where he must complete a dreaded task. He forces himself into solitude to protect others, to keep the creature from the rest of humanity. It is an ironic comment on Victor’s youthful quest, an ambitious pursuit filled with hope and promise that has now resulted in Victor’s present state of loathing and misery. He isolates himself, not only to set up a new laboratory, but also to wrestle with his personal demons. He chooses a remote, barren island as the place to begin work on the new creature, a place surrounded by wild seas and jagged, rocky cliffs.

Instead of finding comfort, alone, in this desolate place, Victor knows he is being watched. He grows increasingly “restless and nervous,” a feeling compounded by “a solitude where nothing could for an instant call my attention from the actual scene in which I was engaged.”

Why does Johnny Tremain have to hide his work from Mr. Lapham in Chapter 1 of Johnny Tremain?

Although Johnny does not show his work to Mr. Lapham in Chapter 1, I am not certain that he is actually hiding his handiwork from his master.  It is true that he hopes to finish mending a buckle before the old man comes down for breakfast.  Although it is not clear whether the buckle is his own or part of a job he is doing for Mr. Lapham, if it is indeed his own, he may be hiding the work he is doing because he is not supposed to be working on his own projects on his master's time.  As an apprentice, Johnny is technically

"little more than a slave until he (has) served his master seven years...he (has) no wages...the very clothes upon his back belong(s) to his master".

Later in the Chapter, when Johnny is working on the sugar basin ordered by the illustrious Mr. Hancock, he never gets around to showing what he has done to Mr. Lapham because he is not satisfied with the quality of his work.  Johnny knows that something is not quite right with the handles and the winged woman decoration he has replicated, but he does not consult with his master because the old man's abilities have declined to the point to where Johnny doesn't believe he will be able to help.

The one thing that Johnny does purposely hide from Mr. Lapham, and everyone else except Cilla, is a silver cup left to him by his mother.  This cup is not Johnny's work, but it has on it a distinctive mark that identifies it as having been made by the wealthy Lyte family.  Before she died, Johnny's mother had told him that only in the event that "there is not one thing left for (him) and he (has) no trade and no health, and God Himself has turned away His face from (him)", is he to take the cup and present it to Merchant Lyte.  The cup will prove that Johnny is kin to him, and in pity, the rich man may help his desperate relation (Chapter 1).

What is an astrologer?

Following the etymology of the word, "astrologer" literally means "one who studies the stars."  More specifically, an astrologer studies the stars and their influence on human affairs.  An astrologer examines the alignment of the heavenly bodies and makes predictions from it.  While an astrologer is concerned with the big picture, his/her understanding of the stars and their influence did not have to be general; astrologer could and did cast individual horoscopes based on the circumstances of the individual (their date of birth, for example).

The reasoning behind astrology is predicated on the idea of a microcosm/macrocosm.  The human body was perceived as a system in and of itself.  Mapping the solar system over the figure of the human body, it was believed that the head was positioned in the Empyreum, the place of God, suggesting that the head can contemplate the nature of God. At the same time, the bowels, the dirtiest part of the human body was mapped over the center of the earth, believed to be the location of Hell (in the geocentric model).  Since astrologers (who were not distinct from astronomers until the seventeenth century) saw this correspondence, the actions of the heavens should also correspond with the actions of the human body.

An astronomer, on the other hand, does not infuse the heavens with this connection.  He/she is more concerned with the structure and nature of the heavens; an astronomer does not preoccupy him/herself with the question of how the heavens relate to humans and/or human activity.

Comment on the relationship between a barbarian girl and the magistrate in Waiting for the Barbarians.

The magistrate's relationship with the barbarian girl is complex, symbolic and troubling. This relationship also provides the magistrate with an opportunity for catharsis and expiation.

In his reflections in the narrative, the magistrate recognizes the complexity of his relationship to the young woman:

The girl lies in my bed, but there is no good reason why it should be a bed. I behave in some ways like a lover—I undress her, I bathe her, I stroke her, I sleep beside her—but I might equally well tie her to a chair and beat her, it would be no less intimate.

Much older than the barbarian girl, the magistrate relates to the girl in some ways as a father would. He cares for her and comforts her. Yet he is also her lover. She has been left behind and is effectively orphaned, though she is no longer a child.  She is a representative of her people, but she is effectively silent and does not speak the magistrate's language.  

By taking possession of the young woman, who is injured and orphaned, the magistrate has a chance to undo some of the damage that his society has inflicted on the barbarians. Relatedly, she figures into his contemplations on his relationship to his society, its evils, and its indifference. 

...he is, at his age, increasingly concerned about what makes life worth living, about how and if one can resist torture or evil or complicity with evil.

In an act that becomes a self-sacrifice, the magistrate returns the woman to her people. This leads to his own punishment, torture and ostracism. The penance he had already paid in comforting and caring for the barbarian woman proves too little. 

The woman becomes an even more complicated symbol when the magistrate is punished for actions taken to return her to her people. She is no longer a puzzling sufferer but is part of the machinery of his own punishment. Despite his efforts to understand the barbarian woman, the magistrate fails, even after his own incarceration. 

She resists both the torturer’s and the lover’s efforts to know her “secret,” perhaps because she has no secret.

The insight that the magistrate seeks, finally, can only come from himself in a realization of humility; a realization that he cannot remove the aura of enigma even from himself. He ends as he begins, with the same unanswered questions. 

Describe the speaker, tone, and mood of the poem "Piano" by D. H. Lawrence.i need to know every hting because i have to write it in a essay form

keabetswe,

Piano, means softly, in musical vocabulary.

The poem “Piano” by Lawrence isn’t a perfect poem by any means. The strained juxtaposition of clamor and glamor indicates a discomfortness for finding rhyming words. Still, glamor is an accurate word in its context: the mature man knows that the child’s eyes endowed the past with an illusory beauty.

The quality of Lawrence’s poem may be seen in the specificity of its detail: “the boom of the tingling strings,” “the small, poised feet.” Lawrence enters into the child’s perspective, while able to criticize it from outside. The speaker is resisting his urge to cry, as the connotations of his words indicate (the song is insidious, it betrays). But at last he is unable to hold back his tears and, sensibly, yields to them.

The subject of “Piano,” is a stock source for poems. Yet the
poem strikes us with something fresh. Its language is vivid, unconventional; its words insidious and betrays add a coiled spring effect; it sets up an energetic tension between present and past.

The tone is soft reminiscing with a tense mood.

What does Lady Macbeth give up in order to be strong enough to convince Macbeth to kill Duncan?

She relinquishes her femininity through her "unsex me" speech. In Act 1, Scene 5, Lines 30-44, she pleads:

"Come you spirits

That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here,

And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full

Of direst cruelty. Make thick my blood.

Stop up the access and passage to remorse,

That no compunctious visitings of nature

Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between

The effect and it! Come to my woman's breasts,

And take my milk for gall, you murd'ring ministers,

Wherever in your sightless substances

You wait on nature's mischief. Come, thick night,

And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell,

That my keen knife see not the wound it makes,

Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark

To cry, 'Hold, hold!"

Lady Macbeth believes that it is not in a woman's nature to plot and help carry out the murder of someone else, especially to gain power.  Shakespeare's audience most likely would have had the same view of women.  So, when Lady Macbeth asks to be unsexed and requests that no "visitings of nature" convince her not to go through with Duncan's murder, she is asking that her womanhood (her nature) not take over her emotions and prevent her from carrying out what she considers a masculine act.  She is even afraid that once she carries out the deed that the reality of the murder will be too much for her to handle.  The men of her day are used to seeing gruesome battle wounds, so at the end of the speech she again requests to be more masculine in her reaction.

Shakespeare's portrayal of a woman in this sense is not unusual for him, but Lady Macbeth's speech is his most overt portrayal of his view of the differences between male and female natures.  He often portrays women as manipulative and cunning or more insightful than men (i.e., Portia from Merchant, Calpurnia from Julius Caesar), but the women often are not physically involved in what they are trying to get others to do.  Lady Macbeth believes that she is so close to this act that she must be able to respond to it as a man would.

In the short story "The Rules of the Game" what are three ways that Waverly Jong is a victim of her parents or of time?

1.  Waverly is a victim of her mother's cynical view of life.  Admittedly, her mother has not had it easy making her way as an immigrant in an unfamiliar culture and country.  She bitterly explains to Waverly that in America

"Every time people come out from foreign country, must know rules."

She goes on to say that people have information that would help immigrants, but they make newcomers learn on their own.  This is Waverly's mother's excuse for making Waverly "learn the hard way" instead of trying to help her daughter avoid the mistakes that she has made.

2. Waverly also knows that her mother is very concerned about her children bringing shame upon the family.  As a Chinese immigrant, Mrs. Jong wants very badly to make a good impression only and to represent China in a good light.  This puts undo pressure upon Waverly because everything she does or does not do is tied back to how she is making her culture appear to America.  An example of this is when Waverly wants to play in the chess tournament but knows that her mother will not let her play among "strangers."  She is forced to use a little reverse psychology on her mother and pretends that she does not want to play in the tournament in order to get her mother's permission to play.

3.  Waverly is most definitely a victim of her time.  She grows up during a time when women are still not considered the equal of men; so she must push her way into a man's world (chess).  Moreover, her family emigrates to America with a host of other Chinese immigrants who escape the revolution.  One can infer that Mrs. Jong felt the responsibility to prove that she deserved to be in America and that she would be a contributor to its society instead of a pity case that America had taken in.  Thus, Waverly bears that responsibility, too, because her mother uses her to present a positive view of a Chinese female to the world.

What is the climax of "Trifles"?

The climax of the play comes when the women find the body of the bird in the sewing box.  It represents the culmination of all their discussions, such as the reasons for the cage door being opened and the nervous style of stitching on Mrs. Wright's quilt.  Upon finding the body of the bird, the women were able to piece together all their prior discussions and envision the murder and why it happened.  Glaspell's description of their look of realization and subsequent "horror" make this climax.

I am reminded of "The Usual Suspects," when the Inspector realizes that everything Verbal told him, all those random stories, were phony, and suddenly, it all comes together.  The two moments are similar:  Unimportant, trivial, and almost "trifle" detail leads to something larger and vitally essential.

In Julius Caesar, how are Marullus and Flavius characterized?

Flavius and Marullus are two Roman tribunes who appear in the first scene of the play. Their characters are similar in that both men have remained loyal to Pompey in his defeat and detest that the commoners have filled the streets to celebrate Caesar's return after his victory over Pompey's sons.

Marullus seems especially emotional in his attempts to drive the crowds from the streets, reminding them of their former love for Pompey and of the manner in which they once cheered him, so loudly that "Tiber trembled underneath her banks." He holds Caesar in contempt:

Wherefore [do you] rejoice? What conquest brings [Caesar] home?

What tributaries follow him to Rome,

To grace in captive bonds his chariot wheels?

Marullus feels bitterness that Caesar's return has become a holiday in Rome.

Of the two, Flavius assumes leadership and authority. It is he who organizes a plan to diminish the celebration of Caesar's return. He tells Marullus they will go their separate ways to take down any decorations they might find. When Flavius questions if they may do that, considering it is also the feast of Lupercal in Rome, Marullus dismisses the his concern: "It is no matter." He is adamant in his resistance to Caesar: "[L]et no images / Be hung with Caesar's trophies." Marullus considers Caesar to be a political threat to freedom in Rome, someone who would "keep us all in servile fearfulness." He is bold in his actions to prevent that from happening, and Marullus follows his lead.

What potential advantages can employees gain from unionizing? What are the risks and disadvantages of forming a union?

The trade labor unions are prospectively groups of laborers who bind together in search of a common vision and mission for the welfare of its members. They agree as a group on what benefits and rights the workers can enjoy such as salary, vacation, and special services.  The by-laws and stipulations of a union are negotiated with the organization leaders, and compromises are reached that cannot be replaced or amended unless another negotiation takes place. That way, the leadership group must abide by the negotiated agreements.

The benefits of this are the creation of benefits for the laborer within the negotiations reached with the organizational leaders. the establishment of rules and regulations, and the solidification of the employer/employee relations using a legal process.

The drawbacks of this are the potential over-blow of power from one group against another, passive retaliation as a result of negotiated agreements (for example, you obtain your benefits but your employer treats you like crap and you cannot prove it because it is a perceived behavior), or simply the abuse of any laborer in summoning the union for petty things that would indeed slow down and break apart any good employee/employer relationship

There is never a disadvantage in forming a union. In fact, it is encouraged in many working environments just so that the employer can have a written set of rights, wants, and needs from the employees that can be negotiated rightfully and fairly without having any doubt as to what is at stake when working there. In fact, allowing a union might save an employer the headache of "misread contracts" or "perceived ideas" that employees might come up with once they become employed.  Anything contractual and written is always a good thing. It is evidence, documentation, and bound by law if done properly.

What are the atomic models?

Atomic mass
Determination of the mass unit volume (which is a size called density) for different gas allows direct comparison of molecular masses of these gases. Considering the oxygen standard, with the  value of 16 atomic mass units (AWU), then it is found that the helium has 4003 UMA, fluorine and sodium 19 UMA.

The periodic elements system
In the mid-nineteenth century,a few chemists believed that  similarities between the chemical properties of several items, were involving a regular basis that could be demonstrated by ordering elements in a table or periodical.Russian chemist Dimitri Mendeleev proposed a map of the elements, called "periodic table", in which elements are arranged in rows and columns so that elements with similar chemical properties to be grouped.Under this arrangement, each element has a number (atomic number) starting from 1 for hydrogen to 92 for uranium. Since that time, not all chemical elements were known,so there were left blank spaces, each corresponding to an unknown element. With this table, subsequent research led to the discovery of lack elements.

Atom size
Consequently, a large number of ingenious experiments were aimed at determining the size and weight of the atom. The easiest atom, the hydrogen has a diameter of 1x10^-8 cm and weight of 1.7x10^-24 g. An atom is so small that a single drop of water contains more than one million of millions billions atoms.

Radioactivity
The fact that an atom is not the smallest particle of a substance, became evident with the discovery of radioactivity. In the year of 1896, the French physicist Antoine Henri Becquerel discovered that certain substances, like salts of uranium, emit penetrating rays of unknown origin. With only a year before, german scientist Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen announced the discovery of rays that could penetrate the layers of graphite, which are called X-rays.

French scientists Marie Curie and her husband Pierre Curie contributed to deeper understanding of radioactive substances.
As a result of researches English physicist Ernest Rutherford and his contemporaries, has proved that uranium and other heavy elements as breadwinner and radios, transmits three different types of radiation, called alpha, beta and gamma (α, β, γ).It was revealed that the first two types of rays were composed of particles of electrically charged matter, and have kept the original names. Gamma radiation have been identified as electromagnetic waves, similar to X rays, but with wavelengths less.

Rutherford model

Knowing the nature of radioactive emissions allowed them to elucidate the mystery of physicists atom.
It was found that, far from being a solid particle of matter, the atom is more of a spatial structure. In the center of this structure is located a "heart" small kernel called. Rutherford established that the mass of atom is concentrated in the nucleus.He also found that satellites, called electrons, moving around the nucleus, on the trajectory called orbit.

Bohr model
To explain the structure of atom, the Danish physicist Niels Bohr in 1913 developed a theory known as "atomic theory of Bohr. He assumed that electrons are arranged in layers or quantum levels, at a considerable distance from the nucleus. This type of arrangement is called a electronic configuration . The number of these electrons is equal to the atomic number.

What are the consequences of poor planning and poor control in business?

Why is there such an emphasis on proper business planning and controls in today’s marketplace?  What could happen to your organization and bottom line absent an intelligent plan on how to run your business?  Let’s take a quick look at why these areas are so important.

Without a plan on how to intelligently operate and grow your business, you’re almost sure to fail or, at the very least, not grow your company.  Planning is at the core of business operations and absent a measured strategy, your bottom line will be adversely affected.  You must know what it takes to operate your business and that encompasses staffing, Human Resource support, effective management and facilities planning among other important areas.

For example, you’re planning your weekly operations and your competition has specials on that are drawing away your customers.  Because you didn’t anticipate the situation by keeping tabs on what your competitors are doing, your cash flow takes a serious hit for the week and there’s no recovering from a loss like that.

The same can be said of business controls that you put in place to control various aspects of your business.  Without accounting controls, you will hemorrhage cash.  Without proper timekeeping procedures, employee costs will spiral out of control.  And absent favorable property and equipment leasing agreements, your budget will collapse.

For example, your timekeeping procedures for staff are based on the honor system.  Some of your staff are leaving or returning 15 minutes off schedule which has now created a morale issue with the staff who are being honest about their time reporting.  Had you put in place a reliable timekeeping protocol, you would not be faced with this situation.

Taken together, proper business planning and controls will point your organization in the right direction and help you to succeed.  Without them, you’re setting yourself up for failure.

What is the significance of Trinity High School being an all boys school? Why do you think there is a lack of female characters throughout the book?

There are several reasons Trinity must be an all-boys' school for the plot of The Chocolate War to work.  A few of them are historical -- at the time of Cormier's writing, there were co-ed Catholic high schools, to be sure, but the tendency for them to be single sex, especially those devoted to college preparatory like Trinity, was strong.  Some of the oldest and most established schools were single-sex, and they still are. Part of Trinity's prestige was its college preparatory atmosphere and its academic rigor; these were buttressed, at that time, by its being single-sex.

Secondly, the atmosphere of violence and oppression is increased by the single-sex atmosphere.  Not only are the boys at Trinity persecuted by the activities of the Vigils, the culture of violence and coercion would be much easier to enforce in an all-male environment.  Also, the collusion between Brother Leon and Archie from the Vigils would probably have been impossible to sustain if the Vigils were persecuting female students.  It is possible, too, that parents would have been more involved with the bullying atmosphere if the students at Trinity would have been their daughters, and not just their sons.  The boys themselves, too, might have been much less under the thumb of the Vigils if there had been girls in the school.  High school boys are interested in impressing girls, and there may have been backlash from female students if things were too violent.  If the Vigils had become unpopular with a majority of the girls, the status of the members (such a Carter, the star football player) might have been hurt.  It would have become a marginalized group; it would have been made up of lower-status boys, rather than the leaders of the school.  It might never have existed in a co-ed environmnent.

Finally, the final fight between Emile and Jerry probably wouldn't have taken place in a school with female students.  Afraid of he consequences, or, possibly, just more horrified by the violence, female students would have alerted their parents or the school's teachers to the planned fight between the two boys.  It seems difficult to believe that a plot like The Chocolate War would have happened in a school with both boys and girls.

What would your dominant impression be after reading act 5 sc 5? What elements other than the context leads you to this dominant...

Act 5, sc. 5 is where Lady Macbeth dies, Macbeth is told about her death, and Macbeth is told about the trees of Birnam Wood apparently advancing on Dunsinane Castle.  The impression is one of impending doom and sure defeat for Macbeth.  There is nothing positive occurring in this scene. After Lady Macbeth dies and Macbeth is given the news that the scream heard was from his wife (who presumably killed herself because she was driven mad with guilt), Macbeth laments her death, but does so briefly.  He gives a speech that says he wishes she'd have died when he had time to mourn her and laments life because people might feel like they are important but, in reality, they are just going through the motions and their significance is miniscule.  Macbeth is very depressed in this speech; remember that he truly loved Lady Macbeth.  Right after he says this he is told by a messenger that it appears Birnam Woods is moving toward the castle.  Macbeth yells at the messenger, saying he will kill him if he isn't telling the truth, which indicates that Macbeth is desperate and paranoid.  He sees that the witches have tricked him and he says that he will not give up willingly, he will fight to the end.  As a man who just lost the love of his life and who is now desperately trying to hang on to what he gave up everything to get - his crown - he is, nonetheless, valiant to the end.  Even though Macbeth has become despicable in his ruthlessness, as evidenced by his order to have Macduff's family killed, he is still somewhat sympathetic.  He loved his wife and he will not just curl up in a ball and give in; he will continue to fight for what he wants.

What can the reader infer about Montresor's social position and what evidence does the text provide that Montresor is an unreliable narrator?

One can infer that Montresor is a wealthy man, judging by his many servants and large palazzo. He also seems well educated, speaking eloquently and using Latin and French phrases in his speech. While not as knowledgeable in wine as Fortunato, he knows enough to feel at ease discussing its virtues. His family is clearly an established name, judging from the catacombs filled with generations of Montresors. He also speaks at length about his coat of arms, suggesting that he comes from a well-respected clan. He himself seems well-known in the community, and he is familiar enough for Fortunato to follow him without question.

There is much evidence suggesting that Montresor is unreliable. He reveals in the first sentence that he intends to have revenge from Fortunato. Yet he never explains why, stating only "a thousand injuries" and "insult". If the narrator cannot even reveal why he is motivated to kill, he is untrustworthy. He tells the story to an unidentified "you, who so well know the nature of my soul,’’ but this "you" does not appear to respond in any way as Montresor delivers a long monologue. Is he addressing a random audience? A specific friend? Since we can't be sure to whom he is speaking, we can't be sure he is telling the truth.

The most striking thing about Montresor's voice is his outright confidence and determination. He tells the story from beginning to end with no diversions, no explanations, and no emotions. This sense of detachment is in itself unreliable. Of course, he is relating an event which occurred over 50 years ago, and we cannot be sure if he is correctly recalling his state of mind. In fact, we have no insight into his current state of mind, for he gives no reason as to why he might be telling this story now. If he is celebrating the anniversary of gaining his revenge, or if he feels guilty about his crime, he does not speak of it directly, and his language does not reveal it.

By presenting the story in the first person, Poe avoids responsibility for any interpretation of the action. Montresor is in control, deciding what to tell and what to leave out. As an audience, we are left at the mercy of this clearly unhinged character. A third-person narrator would have presented a more balanced story. An objective narrator telling a terrible story objectively might be frightening, but even more frightening is a man telling without emotion the story of his own terrible crime.

Describe Ralph's physical features and also his reaction to being on the island. List at least 3 attributes.

Ralph is described early on as being an attractive boy with sandy hair and the build of an athlete.  His initial reaction to being on the island is one of excitement.  He does not seem overly concerned about there not being any grown-ups and in fact continuously does headstands to express his joy concerning this.  A little later on, h's excitement doesn't necessarily relinquish, but he does become concerned about organizing some sort of societal structure (this is mostly brought on by the finding of the conch and by Piggy urging him to take charge).  Ralph is soon elected leader of the group.

How does Donne develop the theme of love in "The Good Morrow"?What are the different stages of love we find in "The Good Morrow"?

John Donne's Songs and Sonnets vivify Donne as a poet of love . The poems  express a wide variety of emotions and attitudes, as if Donne himself were trying to define his experience of love through his poetry. To Donne love can be an experience of the body, the soul, or both; it can be a religious experience, or merely a sensual one, and it can give rise to emotions ranging from wooing a mistress to the physical union of ecstasy .

John Donne (1572-1631) reacted against the monotonous convention of the Elizabethan love poetry and established what has become known as the Metaphysical style in 17th century English love poetry .While the Elizabethan love poets were busy in dressing their mistresses with rare beauties of a goddess, and faltering them with magnificent praises, Donne in that case enjoys the lady love, experiences her love and tells his readers about the nature of that experience.

.Donne’s The Good morrow is out and a love-poem .Here the theme is on the experience of physical union and there by speculations and reflections of the ecstasy .The poet begins to advocate on the depth and intensity of the new passage of experience .Previously he could not know what love was. Now he has tasted it. As a lover, the poet with the help of a number of far-fetched images displays his realization of the experience.

How would you describe Miss Maudie in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Miss Maudie Atkinson is a such a strong and supportive character in this novel!  She is the Finch's neighbor from across the street who is not prejudiced at all and delights the children by talking about Atticus when he was a child.  Miss Maudie absolutely never talks down to either Scout or Jem and, as a result, earns their ultimate respect.  Quite simply, Miss Maudie tells it like it is with very little frills involved, . . . a perfect way of speaking so even young children can understand.  Miss Maudie also has a profound connection to the title of the novel because of the following excerpt:

That was the only time I ever heard Atticus say it was a sin to do something, and I asked Miss Maudie about it.

"Your father's right," she said.  "Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy.  They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us.  That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird." (Lee 90)

In addition to being respected by the Finches, Miss Maudie is also respected as a strong Christian by the community.  Any reader must add the quality of bravery to the character sketch of Miss Maudie because of her reaction to losing her home due to fire.  Miss Maudie uses the situation to rejoice in building a new home with more gardening room instead of lamenting the loss of her things.  Because Miss Maudie shares Atticus' passion for justice, she remains one of my favorite characters in the book.

Why is there intense competition for space in the CBD?CBD-central business district

It will be more appropriate to call it demand for space rather than competition for space.

Also the reference to CBD (Central Business District) may be to one existing in some specific city, but in general all cities have areas with with high concentration of business related establishments such as offices, banks, and retail outlets. and restaurants. Some of such areas are explicitly called Central Business District by the local people. In other cities it may not be so. But the fact remains that in all such parts of cities characterized by high commercial activities the demand for space, and consequently property prices and rentals are high as compared to other locations in the city.

The property prices and rents of property in CBD are high because business establishment find it more convenient to do business from such locations, and also they expect higher business turnover operating from such location. Some, types of business establishments are also able to charge premium prices for their product because of being located in such places. Various ways in which being located in CBD helps business are described below.

1. Fist and foremost reason is that such locations develops as CBD because of some locational advantage they offer to the businesses located there.


2. Once a location has developed as a business district, it develops additional advantages because of having many establishments located there and becomes even more attractive location.


3. Because many different business establishments are located in close proximity, people find that many different business establishment they need to visit in course of their business are within easy reach. Thus less time and effort is wasted in transportation.


4. Because of concentration of many commercial establishment, there are many employees travelling to such places, and to cater to them good transport facilities to such locations develop.


5. Similarly other facilities required by the businesses and the employees working there develop. These includes establishment like banks, post offices, restaurants, and stationery shops.


6. Over a period such places acquire a prestige value. Thus a business having an office in such location is likely to be enjoy better reputation because of that.


7. A well established business district has lot of people visiting it. This includes the employees working there as well as business visitors. Therefore, retail outlets there are likely to to get good business from all these people. Some retail establishments such as fast food joints do particularly good business in such places.

What fantastic elements does "There Will Come Soft Rains" contain, and what visions of the future does it present?

By fantastic elements I am going to assume you mean elements of fantasy. The elements are ones of the house as a human. The entire story is a wonderful representation of personification. Examples of this are embedded throughout the story, such as "It quivered at each sound, the house did." In fact, it is a unique story in that the house is the main character. It is the house that changes through the course of the story, experiences conflict and a sad resolution. There are robots that run the household. These are things we do not have in the modern world but Bradbury saw for the future. From the mice that come scurrying out to clean everything to the wildlife that comes alive in the nursery, all of the elements in the home are invented by the writer and therefore fantastical.

The vision of the future, as presented by Bradbury, is that nature will go on, as it always has, and that man and his creations will fall away and be forgotten. This is reflected in the Teasdale poem that the story was titled after,

And not one will know of the war, not one Will care at last when it is done.

Not one would mind, neither bird nor tree, If mankind perished utterly;

And Spring herself, when she woke at dawn Would scarcely know that we were gone.

This is the irony of the story. Man built this fantastical home to take care of all it's needs. Yet, man was destroyed by a nuclear bomb and nature took over, eventually, destroying the house. It could not save itself or the humans whose shadows were burned into the outside wall.

Please write about Emma's education in Emma.

Though Emma Woodhouse is doubtless well-educated by the standards of her day, there is a certain indifference in her moral education which shows up in her character and actions. Any father who could afford it (and Mr. Woodhouse could) would educate his daughter in his own home by employing a governess.  There were schools for girls, but they were not desirable for the upper class (country gentlemen) (unless they were Catholic, in which a convent school, probably in France, would be chosen -- but this was not the case for Emma.)  It was considered the very best situation for a girl and young woman to be educated in her home; in the case of Emma, since her older sister had married, she was lately the only pupil of Miss Taylor.

The qualifications for governesses were primarily that she be appropriately educated (like Jane in Jane Eyre) and have ladylike manners, and, most important of all, a "good character" (meaning that she was free of any stain on her social or moral character).  Governesses must speak French, and have education in music and the sciences and mathematics apart from literature and history, these were equally important with her "suitability" and good manners.  Governesses must speak without any regional or lower-class accent, as their accent would be acquired by the daughters (and the sons, until they went off to public school, unlike their sisters).

So why are these facts important when we talk about Emma's education?  By knowing what was typical at the time (for Emma is a fictional character), we can guess at what kind of education a girl like Emma would receive.  What is important to note here is that governesses were not broadly educated in the sense a man would be.  They would speak well, and be able to do fine sewing and to speak French, and be able to teach their young female charges music, literature and history, with current the sciences and mathematics.  Since the role of governess was considered, for even the poorest gentlewomen, a comedown in the world, few gentlewomen relished the necissity of working at the profession.  Specifically, the "excellent Miss Taylor," now that Emma is twenty, has the more important task of geting engaged and married to Mr. Weston, and thus freeing herself from the profession of governess and entering the same class as Emma herself.  This is because Miss Taylor's service in Emma's tuition was completed.

How did the crusades change life in the Middle East?

Although the Crusades are often spoken about today as European or Christian religious oppression of the Islamic world, the effects of the Crusades on both Europe and the Middle East were actually largely positive economically and socially.  One of the major causes of the Crusades was the oppressive behavior of the Turks, who had recently seized control of the Middle East.  They not only brutally treated European pilgrims, but were at least as bad to Arabs, both Christian and Muslim, as well as Jews.  Another major cause was economic, the inflation in Europe caused by money flowing to the Middle East in trade but not bringing back returns.

The Crusades led to massive increases in banking and credit in Europe, the Middle East and the entire Mediterranean area.  Increased trade became more equitable between the regions, and increased the standard of living of  the upper classes, merchants and the emerging banking industry.  Work was provided for laborers, sailors, and tradespeople of all types.  Except for the poorest peasants, the economic increase benefited all classes.  The rise of the great Italian banking houses and merchants of Genoa, Verona, Venice, Milan, etc. was directly attributable to the Crusades, and the same things occured among the population of the Middle East itself.

Socially, the defeat of the Turkish forces released the Arabic population from their oppressive rule.  The rise of the great medeival Islamic culture was made possible by the European victory in the First Crusade, and the locals' freedom from the Turkish regime.  The Seljuk Turks were not driven out, and continued to be an important part of the culture, but were no longer an oppresive and dominant force.  The great leaders such as Saladin could never have arisen under Turkish rule.

There were certainly negative effects.  The Western Europeans did not get on well with the Byzantines and other powers along their way.  Warfare in general is not a pleasant experience for anyone, especially the innocent bystanders.  The nature of European war during the preceeding centuries had not made the knights merciful opponents.  Jews were not necessarily treated well by the Crusaders, who often treated them worse than the Arabs.  Although Muslim military expansionism long predated the Crusades, the Islamic world has often blamed the Crusades for nearly every cultural friction since.  Taxation to provide not only military force but increasing opulence of the European ruling classes led to both an increase in the efficiency of governments and to oppresive taxation.  Much the same happened in the Islamic countries.

The First Crusade succeeded because of the terrible suffering of the European forces.  The vast majority died on the journey, and those who survived had adapted to the prevailing conditions.  The heavy horses were gone, and they walked or rode smaller local steeds.  Much of the heavy chain mail and impedimenta of European warfare were abandoned.  The later Crusades failed not because Islamic armies improved or changed their tactics, but because European chivalry became less capable.  The rise of the ritualistic pseudo-combat of jousting and the increasing affluence (in part caused by economic improvements caused by the Crusades) of the nobility led to a decline in martial competence, and a neglect of strategy.  The mental flexibility necessary for military competence was slowly lost between the 13th and 15th centuries.

'lady macbeth is moved primarily by personal ambition nd not by love 4 macbeth or an unselfish desire 2 help him become king' comment on her character

Lady Macbeth is driven by ambition and a desire for power, she is a stronger personality than her husband, Macbeth. She is consumed with the idea of becoming queen, once she discovers the witches prophecy and discusses with her husband the plot to murder Duncan when he comes to their home that evening for a visit, she is crazed when Macbeth tells her that he has decided not to kill the king.  She accuses him of being disloyal, unfaithful to his promise to her.

"Lady M. What beast was't, then, 
That made you break this enterprise to me? 
When you durst do it then you were a man;
And, to be more than what you were, you would 
Be so much more the man. Nor time nor place 
Did then adhere, and yet you would make both:
They have made themselves, and that their 
fitness now 
Does unmake you. 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." (Shakespeare)

In this speech, she tells her husband that if she had made a promise to kill her own child, she would rip the child from her breast, while it smiled at her, she would kill it, if she had promised Macbeth that she would do it.

The relationship that the Macbeths have borders on odd obsession, the type of love that requires extreme commitments to declare love, to prove love.  Lady Macbeth is driven by both personal ambition and by the need to have her husband complete the task that will elevate him to the throne.

Even though she wants to be queen, I believe that a big part of the reason that Macbeth goes ahead with the murder is to prove to his wife that he loves her.  In this regard, I feel that Lady Macbeth demands this proof from her husband, she requires him to commit this act of murder to prove his fidelity and love for her.

What is really tragic and interesting if you analyze the question in this way is that once the Macbeths become the King and Queen of Scotland, their relationship becomes fractured and they lose their connection with each other.

"But the union between Lady Macbeth and her husband has disintegrated under the weight of the evil that they have done and of the further evil that Macbeth does for their sake."

By the time Lady Macbeth throws herself off of a building, committing suicide, you would expect that, based on the deadly love that they shared, that Macbeth would fling himself off the same rooftop to follow his love into death, but he doesn't.

Highlight the events from the plot which may have led you to a particular theme from "A Good Man is Hard to Find". using language of literature...

angela21,

First start with some simplified definitions.

Round--a character with many facets and traits evenly proportioned.

Flat--a character with one dominant trait. (As opposed to a stock character that has only one trait, e.g. evil stepsister, handsome prince.

Dynamic--a character that grows, changes and develops. (Either positively or negatively.)

Static--a character that does not change throughout the story.

Flannery O'Connor's short story "A Good Man is Hard to Find" centers on a grandmother and her eventual meeting with a killer. It is the story of her long overdue moral and spiritual growth. She causes things to happen; the Misfit (killer) merely reacts to her. She persuades the family to depart from the main road to see the old plantation. She causes the accident by letting the cat out of the basket. She dooms the family when she recognizes the Misfit. Her final gesture incites the Misfit to murder her.

In “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” the grandmother dies loving (and presumably forgiving) the Misfit. In the course of “A Good Man Is Hard to Find,” the grandmother grows and changes--she is round and dynamic. At first, she seems a small-minded biddy, selfish or at least self-centered, capable of stupid remarks like “Oh look at the cute little pickaninny!” (18) and “People are certainly not nice like they used to be” (36), capable of blaming Europe for “the way things were now” (45), of regretting that she hadn’t married Mr. Teagarden “because he was a gentleman and had bought Coca-Cola stock when it first came out” (27).

In the end, when “her head cleared for an instant,” the grandmother becomes newly perceptive. She reveals—and offers to the Misfit (flat and static)—her vast, compassionate heart. There is no reason to doubt the Misfit’s shrewd remark, “She would have been a good woman . . . if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life.” In killing her, the Misfit has done her a tremendous favor: he has made a martyr of her. For one moment just before she dies, the old lady doubts Jesus, or at least feels forsaken: “Maybe he didn’t raise the dead” (134). It is an understandable reaction, after the colossal shock she has undergone: she knows that her family has been massacred. But this moment of confusion passes. The grandmother is headed straight to heaven for her final Christ-like act of love the moment before she dies.

Symbolically, in death the old woman’s body lies with legs in the form of a cross, a look of childlike sweetness on her face. The Misfit, naturally, is glum, having just declined a chance for his own salvation.

The scene at Red Sammy’s Barbecue heightens the suspense and enforces the foreshadowing hint that the much talked-about Misfit is bound to show his face. In his highway signs, Red Sammy boasts of his uniqueness: NONE LIKE FAMOUS RED SAMMY’S. He considers himself a hard-to-find good man. In calling him a good man (36), the grandmother first introduces the theme. The barbecue proprietor agrees with her, even declares, thinking of how many bad characters are on the loose these days, “A good man is hard to find” (44). In the end, the title leaves us thinking: yes, a good man (a saint) certainly is hard to find. We find, at the end, a serenely good woman whose salvation has been achieved only through traumatic suffering and the amazing arrival of grace.

What happened in Chapters 9,10,11, and 12 of The Cay?

Timothy begins to make a rope that will stretch down the hill to the beach and fire pile.  The rope is for Phillip to use as a guide to get around the island on his own.  While he works on the rope, Timothy asks Phillip to help out by weaving sleeping mats, but Phillip petulantly refuses to work.  When Timothy insists, Phillip screams insolently at him, and Timothy slaps him.  As he sulks, Phillip realizes that the rope Timothy is making is for him, and with this realization, "something happen(s) to (him)...he (has) begun to change".  Phillip tells Timothy he wants to be friends, and asks the old man to call him Phillip "instead of young boss" (Chapter 9).

On their seventh night on the island, it rains, and Timothy and Phillip discover that the catchment they have made works, and they have drinking water.  That night, the two of them talk; Phillip tells Timothy about his mother and father, and Timothy talks about his own childhood.  Phillip tells Timothy that his mother doesn't like black people and wonders why, and Timothy replies wisely, "I don' like some white people my own self, but 'twould be outrageous if I didn' like any o' dem...I true tink beneath d'skin is all d'same" (Chapter 10).

Phillip is beginning to learn how to get around the island despite his blindness, and Timothy is proud.  Though he doesn't like to think about it, Phillip knows Timothy is working hard to make Phillip independent so he will be able to survive on his own in case something should happen to him.  Timothy becomes frustrated that they haven't been rescued, and decides "d'islan' mus' 'ave a jumbi", or a curse.  He begins to believe Stew Cat is the problem, and, since Phillip will not let him get rid of the cat, he temporarily removes the feline from the island by putting him on the raft offshore.  Timothy then performs a ritual to rid the island of the cat's evil "jumbi", and when it is done, he feels confident that their luck will change (Chapter 11).

After Timothy and Phillip have been on the island about a month, Timothy is stricken with a bout of malaria.  Although there is not much he can do, Phillip tries to nurse him through the fever and delirium.  Timothy recovers, but "never really regain(s) his strength" (Chapter 12).

What did McCandless expect this "greatest adventure" to accomplish?

Because the novel is written in third person point of view, the reader can only make assumptions of what McCandless expected to accomplish on his adventure "into the wild".  Through his journal writings and the interviews that Krakauer makes reference to, it is clear that McCandless was or was trying to become a transcendentalist like Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson, for example.  A transcendentalist looks to transcend himself through nature and to become one with it, using everything that the land has to offer.  In doing this, a person would be able to live a peaceful and spiritual life relying on nothing but himself and nature.  It seems that this is what Chris was after.  If you look at his family history, it is clear that Chris was not happy with his life or his parents and he wanted to break free from the materialistic and self-centered people that he was surrounded by.  This seems to have been what he expected to accomplish.

In a "Death of A Salesman" how does the cycle notion of family patterns affect this story"Cycle notion of family pattern affect

I would also add the enabling issue in this particular family.

Linda enabled Willy's infidelity by not questioning her husband enough, not getting to know exactly what was going on on his trips. After so many years of marriage, you must question exactly how ignorant she was on the situation. She is still enabling Willy, as she still has not stood a firm ground on getting help for him. Instead, she pretends that all will pass, and that those episodes of insanity she has to just put up with. She also wants to continue enabling Willy by asking the boys basically to "work around him". Linda also chose to basically blame Biff for everything instead of opening her eyes to see what was going on. She didn't set the record straight with Biff, nor Happy- it was all a matter of not facing the elephant in the closet.

Happy is also an enabler: He was tapping around the issue if Willy's illness and each time Biff tried to bring his father back to reality, Happy would just giggle-it-up, or say something positive to cool off the situation and pretend all is OK. This was not helping Willy, nor Linda, land on what the real issues were.

Biff, for the fact of not being an enabler, just ran away from that enmesh situation altogether. Because he was not willing to enable Willy's infidelity, he broke ties with everyone- However, he did not face the situation either, and in the end it all ended in Willy's imminent death- all because nobody took the first step to say "enough".

In The Tempest, how does the apparent fate of the ship at the and of the first sence in Act 1 differ from its actual fate?

When this amazing play opens we are presented with the unforgettable scene of a ship in the midst of a massive storm. The crew and passengers all fear the worst, and indeed are forced to leave the ship to try and escape destruction. However, in Act I scene ii we learn that this is a storm that has been created by Prospero for his own purposes of bringing his former enemies on to the island, and in spite of appearances, that even take in his daughter Miranda, none have perished. In response to her worry and distress at having witnessed the supposed death of the passengers, he consoles her:

Be collected.

No more amazement. Tell your piteous heart

There's no harm done.

Prospero has used his magical arts to separate the various passengers of the boat for his own purpose - to confront them with their past misdemeanours and of course to bring Ferdinand and his daughter Miranda together. So although the various individuals believe that others have perished, all are actually safe, protected by the magic of Prospero and brought securely on to the island.

How did events after World War I lead to intolerance?

Because World War I led both directly and indirectly to poverty in European countries and elsewhere after the War, it also led to intolerance.  There's a close link between the two.

When the German economy crashed, it caused widespread misery and economic dislocation.  Unemployment, hunger, and civil strife became common, and crime rose.  In conditions such as that it is easy to look for scapegoats - someone to blame - and Hitler and the Nazi Party, among others, sought to provide the public with that scapegoat.  In that case it was Jews and Communists.

In the book Hoot what were handed to Chuck Muckle and the other dignitaries to dig up scoopfuls of sand?

In Chapter 20, at the groundbreaking ceremony of Mother Paula's Pancake House, Chuck Muckle and the other dignitaries were given gold painted shovels to scoop up the sand, "Gold-painted shovels were handed out, and on Mr. Muckle's signal all the dignitaries smiled, leaned over, and dug up a scoopful of sand" (Chapter 20, pg 262). This occurs right before Roy calls out to everyone about the owls, and the protest to protect the owls from the construction begins. 

In chapter 8, how does Estella criticize Pip, and what does his reaction to her criticism reveal about Pip?"Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens

In Chapter 8 of "Great Expectations" Pip arrives at Satis House after having been brought by Uncle Pumblechook at the request of Miss Havisham.  He is there to play with Estella, who haughtily refuses,

'With this boy?  Why, he's a common labouring boy!'

Estella ridicules him further:

'He calls the knaves jacks, this boy!...And what coarse hands he has!  And what thick boots!'

For the first time in his life, Pip feels inferior and is ashamed of being "common" and now he is even ashamed of Joe. Pip remarks that his "coarse hands and common boots"

...had never troubled me before, but they troubled me now.  I determined to ask Joe why he had ever taught me to call those picture cards jacks, which ought to be called knaves.  I wished Joe had been rather more genteelly brought up, and I should have been so too.

Pip even cries afterwards, having been so easily affected by Estella's cruelty and his peremptory assumption that she is  superior to him.  This reaction demonstrates Pip's ingenuousness and foreshadows his desire to become a gentleman, hoping to, thereby, become a better person.  Clearly, the motifs of the deception of appearances and false values are introduced in this early chapter of Dickens's novel.

I want to know why it is called "The Ultimate Safari" by Nadine Gordimer.

Being a Native South African, Gordimer is mindful of the disparity within the concept of "safari."  The idea of the "hunt" or "safari" in Africa has the connotation of wealthy individuals who hunt animals for sport.  Their behavior is for leisure, for entertainment, and a reflection of human beings desire to be in control.  Africa had always been seen as as "the ultimate safari" for those who were purveyors of wealth, privilege, and excitement.  This image is set in stark contrast to the genocide that has happened on the African continent in the last century.  In this depiction, the notion of hunting  and killing in cold blood is not evident in people against animals, but in people against people.  With civil wars, tribal antagonisms, ulterior motives from those in the position of power, the people in many parts of Africa have become "game" in this twisted version of the safari.  In terms of its application in Gordimer's novel, the tribe of bandits who have occupied the girl's village and, essentially, "hunted" people such as the girl's mother and father are involved in a safari- like situation where the hunted are the village townspeople who must wander the plain in search of shelter, food, and hope.  It is not accidental that the path the girl and her family must take to leave their Mozambique village and cross borders takes them though Kruger Park, a setting for safari game and hunt.  The image is quite stark:  Wealthy tourists hunting for animals, punctuated by refugees walking through, stealthily, trying to dodge both the bullets from elitist foreigners as well as from indigenous people engaged in brutal slaughter. As tourists dine on their hunted animals, refugees starve for lack of food.   Such an image makes for "the ultimate safari," a statement on what Africa has come to represent and what it has become.

What is Stargirl's old name in Jerry Spinelli's book Stargirl?

Stargirl's old name is Susan Caraway. 

Although "Susan" is the name her parents gave her, Stargirl has changed what she is called many times.  She first renamed herself "Pocket Mouse", then "Mudpie", "Hullygully", then finally, "Stargirl".  Stargirl says that she changes her name when the old one "doesn't fit anymore".  She explains,

"I'm not my name.  My name is something I wear, like a shirt.  It gets worn, I outgrow it, I change it".

Stargirl reveals her original name while she is being interviewed by a panel of her peers on the Hot Seat, a student-run video show.  Although in typical fashion, she does not seem to notice, the questioning from the panel has a hostile tone.  One of the students asks accusingly, "What was wrong with the name your parents gave you?", and another demands, "So what do your parents think?  Are they sad you didn't keep Susan?"  Stargirl's parents, however, are apparently comfortable with her attempts to express her individuality in this respect, and she replies,

"No.  It was almost their idea.  When I started calling myself Pocket Mouse when I was little, they called me that, too.  And we just never went back" (Chapter 13).

Discuss the presentation of childhood in any two poems of William Wordsworth.

The most famous poem in which William Wordsworth makes a powerful statement about childhood in general is his lyric "The Rainbow."  Wordsworth was a Nature poet who worshipped Nature as his God. For Wordsworth, Nature was his main source of spirtual comfort  and escape from all the cares of this world. His association with life giving and life sustaining Nature began even when he was only a child and remained with him till his death.

In this short lyric, the 'rainbow' symbolizes the life sustaining and life nourishing goodness of Nature. The sight of the beautiful rainbow which he saw when he was only a child is deeply etched in his memory and the same joy that he experienced when he saw it as a child continues to remain with him through his adulthood. He desires that this same childhood joy should continue to sustain him even in his old age. Wordsworth says that he would rather die than not being able to experience the same joy that he experienced when he saw the rainbow when he was a small boy after he becomes an old man.

The memory of the beautiful rainbow and its pleasant associations form the link between his childhood, adulthood and his old age:past, present and future. Wordsworth concludes the poem by expressing the desire that each day of his existence be linked with the next by beautiful and simple natural sights like the rainbow.

The childhood experiences become the foundation for all adult experiences. It is the childhood of a person which shapes and thus 'fathers' or creates the mature adult.  So, "The Child Is the Father of the Man."

Another famous poem in which he discusses the theme of childhood is "Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood."Although Wordsworth has entitled his poem 'ode' its actually a combination of both the qualities of the ode and the elegy. Even though he says, "Heaven lies about us in our infancy!" the entire poem is suffused with an elegiac strain:

"But yet I know, where'er I go,

That there hath pass'd away a glory from the earth."

However, Wordsworth is careful enough not to allow the poem to become maudlin and concludes by reconciling both the elegy and the ode:

"What though the radiance which was once so bright

Be now for ever taken from my sight,

Though nothing can bring back the hour

Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower;

We will grieve not, rather find Strength in what remains behind."

How does Shakespeare explore the misuse of power in Macbeth?"when power is misused everyone suffers." How does Shakespeare explore the misuse of...

Macbeth and Lady Macbeth greatly abuse and misuse their power in the play. Because of the confidence that they both have in the witches prophecies, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth basically go on a killing spree to ensure that they maintain the new positions they have received. It starts with the killing of Duncan, and continues to snowball with the killings of Banquo and Macduff's family. Furthermore, the innocent are the ones that suffer the most. Macduff's family, Banquo, and Banquo's son (who they try and fail to kill) are all innocent parties caught in the crossfires. Duncan's soldiers are put to death because Macbeth and Lady Macbeth frame them for the murders, and his sons have to flee to keep from being killed themselves. Everyone in the play is directly impacted by the power-hungry Macbeth family, and everyone suffers from his ambitious rise to power. Truly, the misuse of power affects everyone in the play.

What does Wiglaf do to the dragon? Then, what does Beowulf do?In the epic poem, Beowulf, how do Beowulf and Wiglac work together to slay the dragon?

Wiglaf was the one Geat to stay with Beowulf in the battle with the dragon. He was a hero in that his loyalty his king never swayed. He approached the dragon while shouting encouragement to Beowulf, which distracted the dragon briefly. The dragon burned Wiglaf by over heating his shield so that Wiglaf was forced to take cover behind Beowulf.

When the dragon strikes Beowulf (after Beowulf's sword broke), Wiglaf used the opportunity to stab the beast in the belly, the only soft part of his body. That injured the dragon enough that Beowulf was then able to finish the task of killing the dragon.

Beowulf's wound, however, was a fatal one. Wiglaf stayed by Beowulf's side, brought him water, and showed him some of the dragon's treasure, but to no avail. Beowulf gave Wiglaf his armor and his authority, making the loyal Wiglaf the next king of the Geats.

Why are Jim and Dave arguing in the store in Chapter 6 of Their Eyes Were Watching God?

Jim and Dave are arguing over which of them is more in love with Daisy.  The boys are "act(ing) out their rivalry", and although their argument is for the most part light-hearted, "everybody (knows) they (mean) some of it" too.

Daisy is an attractive woman;

"she is black and she knows that white clothes look good on her, so she wears them for dress up...she's got those big black eyes with pleny shiny white in them that makes them shine like brand new money and she knows what God gave women eyelashes for, too".

When Daisy arrives, Jim and Dave, who are hanging out on the porch, begin a repartee, with each declaring that his love for her is greater than the other's.  Dave starts the contest by asking Jim how much time he is willing to make for Daisy, to which Jim quickly responds "twenty yeahs!"  Dave makes a joke out of his rival's offer, illustrating humorously that he himself "wouldn't take nothin' less than life".  Jim, then, takes a turn at demanding a test.  He challenges Dave to declare what he would do for Daisy "if she was to turn fool enough tuh marry (him)".  Dave says he would buy Daisy a passenger train, but Jim one-ups him by saying that he, in turn would get her a steamship, with some men to run it for her.  Dave offers to top that, telling Daisy that he would "take uh job cleanin' out de Atlantic Ocean...anytime (she) say(s) (she) so desires", to which Jim counters by saying that he would step off "uh earoplane way up in de sky", just to walk her home.

The crowd gathered on the porch and in the store get a kick out of Jim and Dave's "argument", laughing raucously as each man tries to outdo the other.  They know "it's not courtship...it's acting-out courship and everybody is in the play" (Chapter 6).

Describe factors of competition and location one should consider for setting up small retail store specializing in high price children clothing.

For the sake of clarity we will discuss this question in two parts. First we will look at the factors that affect location decision for any retail store. Next we will take up issues specific to retailing of high price children clothing.

In retailing, the location of retail store is very important as the customers have to physically visit the store to buy from the store. In addition there considerations of cost, legal requirements and technical feasibility.

To increase more customer visit the store it is necessary to choose a location that is convenient to prospective customers. Also the location should have high visibility. When more  people  notice the presence of a retail, chances are that more people are likely to visit the store. We can improve the customer convenience of visiting the store and the visibility of store by paying attention to the following.

• The store should be located at place where the target customers live, or at places regularly visited by customer for other purposes such as on work, pleasure, or shopping.


• The store should be easily approachable from roads regularly frequented by customers. This increase the chances that the customer Will stop by and visit the store while on way for some other work.


• There should be sufficient and convenient parking place for customers.


• The store should have a pleasant and healthy environment. Places with unpleasant environment such as foul smell or dirt and filth is likely do discourage customers from visiting the store.


• The location should have high visibility. Customer are more likely to see and notice stores that are on main road, particularly when it can be seen from a distance while driving by.


• Locations where lot of people pass by is likely to have more customers entering the shop.

These factors need to be examined in light of the type of customers buying high price children clothing and their buying behavior.

What is Greg's neighborhood like in the story Slam!?His neighborhood is full of crimes. But there`s more to it. Please help me! =(

Greg lives in inner-city Harlem.  His is a working-class neighborhood where good families struggle to get by in an atmosphere filled with challenges.

Gang activity is a fact of life in Greg's neighborhood.  His brother Derek is unable to go to the store to get some cold cuts because "they had a drive-by on 141st Street" in which "a little girl got nicked".  Crack cocaine is easily accessible and drunks sit around Garvey Park drinking from bottles in paper bags.  At night, mixed in with the sounds of "car doors and people talking and boom boxes spilling out the latest tunes", Greg hears bottles breaking, people fighting, and sirens "bringing their bad news from far off and making you hold your breath until they pass so you know it ain't any of your people who's getting arrested or being taken to the hospital".

Despite the crime and the threat of violence, however, Greg's neighborhood is characterized by good citizens trying to make a living and get by day by day.  In the morning the sirens are gone; "it's like all the shooting and chasing is over for the night and the neighborhood is getting ready for a new day...people who got work are starting off downtown to their jobs...you hear mamas yelling for their kids who go to school to wake up".  Greg's home reflects how unemployment and lack of socioeconomic opportunity affects the family structure and contributes to alcoholism and crime.  His father is always struggling to find steady work - when he is employed, things are good, but when he is out of a job, he is sullen and angry, and turns to the bottle.

There is a sense of community in Greg's neighborhood.  People sit out on their stoops when it is warm, and over at the park guys play dominoes and basketball.  In December, "the block (is) jumping", with peddlers selling their wares from pushcarts, and "everybody...trying to get some money together...with Christmas coming" (Chapter 1).

In the story "Games at Twilight" what are the internal and external conflicts?

A lot of the external conflict arises from the situations that the characters find themselves in, and from the main bully of the story, Raghu.  At the beginning of the story, the children are bored and clamoring for something to do, so the parents let them outside.  At this point, we are introduced to some of Raghu's "techniques".  He chases one kid "with such a bloodcurdling yell" that the victim starts crying.  Raghu is then seen "superciliously kicking him with his toe" and finding great "satisfaction" in it.  He walks around "whistling spiritedly so that the hiders should hear and tremble."  So, a lot of conflict comes from Raghu's bully status:  who wants to be found by him?  Fear is inspired in all of the children, which prompts further hiding and furtiveness on the part of Ravi.

The other external conflicts come when Ravi needs to find a place.  He realizes that next to the garage isn't good enough, so goes into it, overcoming his fear of bugs to do so.  Then, at the end, when he realizes that he was late, the time factor becomes a conflict because it forces him to realize that the children didn't care about him.

Internally, the conflict arises from Ravi's desire for recognition and triumph. He wants to be rewarded and seen as neat and cool amongst his friends.  He wants to win.  And, because of his daydreaming in regards to this internal desire of his, he stays too long, and loses his chance.  The major internal conflict, stemming from that desire, comes when he realizes that actually, the opposite is true.  He realizes, with devastating force, "the ignominy of being forgotten," and by the "terrible sense of his insignificance."  He is conflicted--he wants recognition, and realizes that he isn't going to get it.  He's just another person, to be forgotten as time moves on.

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

What is the significance of the poem, "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud"?

The charm or attraction of this poem for me is its simplicity. One need not dig deep into meaning between the lines to understand or enjoy the problem. It is a description of a natural scene that the poet may have actually seen or he has just imagined.

The way this scene is described, the poem creates an atmosphere of vibrancy and joy. For example, expressions like:

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance,

or

They out did the sparkling waves in glee.

And the final line,

They flash upon the inward eye, which is the bliss of solitude,

serves the purpose of imprinting the scene on minds of readers also forever.

In Black Boy, did Richard quit selling newspapers because he couldn't make enough money?

Richard quit selling the newspapers when he became aware that the particular paper he was selling was preaching Ku Klux Klan doctrines.

Richard had no idea what was in the papers he was selling.  He had gotten the job through a friend, another black youth like himself.  Both boys enjoyed reading the magazine supplement included with the paper, but never bothered to read the paper itself.

Richard sold his papers in "the Negro area, slowly building up a string of customers who bought the papers more because they knew (him) than from any desire to read".  One day, "a friend of the family...a tall, quiet, sober, soft-spoken black man, a carpenter by trade", took Richard aside when he called at his home with the paper.  He made Richard sit down and look at the previous week's issue, and as he expected, Richard was shocked at the virulent racism and violence against Negroes which it espoused.  The friend told Richard, "if you sell (this paper), you're just helping white people to kill you", and gently advised him to "find something else to sell".

Richard went home wondering how he could have made such a grave mistake.  He "tossed the (remaining) papers into a ditch", aghast that he had "unwittingly" been duped into being "an agent for pro-Ku Klux Klan literature.  As it turned out, the father of the boy who had originally encouraged Richard to sell the newspapers had also discovered "their propagandistic nature", and had forbidden his son to continue to sell them as well.  The two boys, ashamed, never really discussed the matter again (Chapter 5).