This story is told by "we"; who do you imagine this narrator or narrators to be?young or old? male or female? or both? thx

In "A Rose for Emily" there are narrators from Emily's town who are older since they are familiar with the past history of her family and the town.  In the introduction, for instance, the narrators remark that when Emily was alive

Miss Emily had been a tradition, a duty, and a care; a sort of hereditary obligation upon the town, dating from that day in 1894 when Colonel Sartoris, the mayor....remitted her taxes....With the next generation, with its more modern ideas....

And, these narrators continue the history of Miss Emily and her family's relation to the town.  At one point in part II, they remark, "We did not say she was crazy then."  Furthermore, the narrators seem involved in this history of Emily as they continue,

At first we were glad that Miss Emily would have an interest, because the ladies all said, 'Of course a Grierson would not think seriously of a Northerner, a day laborer.'

That these narrators are older women seems evident in their "gossipy" recounting of the story of Emily and in their commentary on situations such as

we all said, 'She will kill herself.' and we said it would be the best thing.

They are familiar with Emily's family, as well, expressing gratitude in part III when Emily's cousins come: 

We were glad because the two female cousins were even more Grierson than Miss Emily had ever been.

 Continuing in their older lady, gossipy tone, the story ends,

Then we noticed that in the second pillow was the indentation of a head.  One of us lifted something from it, and leaning forward, that faint and invisible dust dray and acrid in the nostrils, we saw a long strand of iron-gray hair.

When Captain Beatty arrived at the Montag household, why did Mildred run to the parlor?

When Captain Beatty comes to the house, Mildred had been watching her t.v. walls for quite some time.  Montag had even asked her to turn the noise down, because he wasn't feeling well, and wanted some peace and quiet.  Mildred, even though she said she would, didn't turn the volume down.  But, Captain Beatty comes to the house--here is a man who is Montag's boss, making an unprecedented visit to their house.  He walks in and has an air of authority, demanding that Mildred "Shut the 'relatives' up."  It's the first thing out of his mouth, and is done directly, and with force.  It's a bit intimidating, and Mildred was already nervous about him even being there.  So,

"this time, Mildred ran.  The yammering voices stopped yelling in the parlor."

Mildred was nervous; Montag had been acting pretty strangely lately, and that morning had refused to go to work.   This upset Millie's world, and Beatty coming to the house probably made her assume that something was seriously wrong, or that he was going to fire Montag.  So, her fear of the situation, in combination with Beatty's commanding demeanor, prompted her flight into the parlor to turn the t.v. walls off.  I hope that those thoughts help a bit; good luck!

How did George Washington convey his ideas regarding national unity in his Farewell Address?

The largest area of focus in Washington's Farewell Address was his warning of the rise of factionalized politics in the new country.  Washington saw the rise of political parties in America as a means of division, polarizing discourse and creating a sense of politics where there should be legislation present.  Washington saw the emergence of political parties in his own cabinet where Republican values were being embodied by Jefferson and the Federalist values were finding a home in the thinking of Hamilton.  Washington served as the proverbial glue whose charisma and sense of self were able to keep the nation's interests at the center of his Presidency.  He understood very well that if the nation should devolve into partisan politics, few would be able to think outside of their parties. Washington warned that the rise of factionalized political parties would cast a significant shadow over the nation and its leaders, who would pledge greater allegiance to their parties as opposed to the nation.

How do you solve for n? n/33=19

In math x, y, n, or any other letter stands for a variable. A variable is an unknown quantity that represents some actual number (or numbers), but we often don't know what it is yet.

In an equation, both sides of the equal sign represent the same number, once all the math is done. So saying n/33 = 19 is the same as saying 19 = 19; we just don't know yet what number n divided by 33 equals 19.

An equation is like a see-saw: if an extra person gets on one side, then someone who weighs the same has to go on the other side to keep the see-saw level. So you can add, subtract, multiply, or divide any number to one side of the equation as long as you do the exact same thing to the other side.

So, to solve for n in n/33=19, we want to get n all alone on one side.

n/33 = 19

33*n/33 = 19*33            Multiply both sides by 33

1*n = 627                     33 divided by 33 equals 1

n = 627

And you can check: n/33 = 19 --> 627/33 does equal 19

In The Miracle Worker, what is revealed about Annie's background in her conversation with Anagnos?

The reader learns a great deal about our Annie even in the very first lines written about her.  In the original stage directions, Annie is already a great foil to Helen:

The chair contains a girl of 20, Annie Sullivan, with a face which in repose is grave and rather obstinate, and w hen active is impudent, combative, twinkling with all the life that is lacking in Helen's, and handsome; there is a crude vitality to her. (17)

The character of Anagnos is significant as well.  He is Annie's counselor at Perkins Institution for the Blind.  He is a "stocky bearded man" who took Annie in when she was only a self-described "drowned rat" from the home.  We learn a lot about Annie's past here.  For example, we learn that Annie goes from not being able to spell her name to being ready to teach others.  We also learn that Annie has no tact and is quite bold, even to her elders.  For as we learn her eyes hurt from the light, Annie claims that what truly hurts her is "My ears, Mr. Anagnos" because of the words Mr. Anagnos is saying about Annie being tactless.  Although Annie humorously admits that even though it is Helen who is used to tantrums, she says "Well, so am I, if I believe all I hear.  Maybe you should warn them" (18).  We also learn that Annie will be paid $25 a month for this first job.  Those at the center are quite fond of Annie despite all her faults, for she is given a garnet ring (and gets choked up as a result).  She is sad to leave, for it is at Perkins that she "learned to live again" (20).  Now Anagnos sends Annie out into the world so she can, in turn, teach Helen how to live.

What are Willy Loman's ambitions and why is he unsuccessful in life?

Willy Loman, like many others after the Great Depression, bought into the New Deal and the American Dream that said anyone who works well will prosper. What Willy fails to see was the role of ability and talent in success. Willy Loman refuses to see the reality of his salesmanship, and his failure to make the sales he thinks he will make if he just keeps doing the same thing.

There's a cliche that says something to the effect that if you keep doing what you've been doing, you'll continue to get the same result. Willy, rather than evaluate why his sales were not enough to make him "top dog," simply tries harder to sell his wares. Even when his employer cuts his salary and makes him a commission only salesman, Willy fails to take the hint.

Happy follows in his father's idealistic (and delusional) footsteps, saying, "I'm gonna run that department before the year is up." There is no strategy, just a desire to be on top.

Biff, on the other hand, recognizes that he will never achieve the kind of success Willy expects. It is one of the primary sources of domestic conflict when Biff's reality collides with Willy's delusion. The final incident that led to Willy's suicide was Biff's honest assessment:

I am not a leader of men, Willy, and neither are you. You were never anything but a hard-working drummer who landed in the ash can like all the rest of them! ...Do you gather my meaning? I'm not bringing home any prizes any more, and you're going to stop waiting for me to bring them home!

While there is a hope called "The American Dream," it is not an ideal devoid of talent. Working hard at the wrong thing is as much a recipe for failure as is not working at all. Willy Loman nevers understood that lesson.

In "In Another Country", how do the people of the communist part of Milan react to the officer?

The people despise the officers. The narrator recounts his experience with them as he and three other young officers would walk through town:

We walked the short way through the communist quarter because we were four together. The people hated us because we were officers, and from a wine-shop some one called out, "A basso gli ufficiali!" as we passed.

Roughly translated, the Italian phrase means "down with the military officers." The fact that the narrator is hated by these people emphasizes his isolation in this foreign country

In Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, why does the author include references to Paradise Lost and Rime of the Ancient Mariner?

Shelley used this allusion to the three works to illustrate the themes that she is trying to bring forward. Instead of just saying "this is a story about a scientist creating a monster" she brings Paradise Lost, for example, to demonstrate that the themes are closely connected. In Paradise Lost, for example, the figure of Adam shares two things with the Monster 1. They did not ask to be created   b. They either fell from or never got to enjoy Grace.

"Did I request thee, Maker, from my clay 
To mould Me man? Did I solicit thee 
From darkness to promote me?" 

"Remember that I am thy creature; I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel, whom thou drivest from joy for no misdeed." 
 

In the case of the Ancient Mariner,  the character of Walton might be the closest one to the story, as he is an explorer, and the allusion here would be:

I am going to unexplored regions, to 'the land of mist and snow,' but I shall kill no albatross; therefore do not be alarmed for my safety or if I should come back to you as worn and woeful as the Ancient Mariner"

In all, Shelley is using the technique of allusion, or quoting another story, to nest inside the main story and explain both the topics and the background of the characters.

Why can't Harry see thestrals before he saw Cedric dying, because he saw his mum dying?

In the "Chamber of Secrets" Harry can't see the thestrals because he did not actually see the death of his mother.  He was a newborn baby and his mother was covering his body to protect him.  She was struck by Voldemort and killed then Voldemort tried to kill Harry but he was not killed.  He received the "Z" shaped scar on his forehead as a result of the attack by Voldemort. He does not see them until "Harry Potter and The Order of The Phoenix."  This is following "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," which is the book that Harry sees Cedric die.

The ability to see the thestrals occurs only after one actually witnesses the death of another person.  It is the same idea as the petrification of the people who saw the basilisk.  Anyone who saw the basilisk was suppose to die immediately, however, the cat saw it's reflection in water, Colin saw it through a camera, and Hermonie saw it through a mirror.  So no one actually looked right at the basilisk. J.K. Rowling is a master at "spitting hairs" in her stories.  Even though Harry was present when his mom died, he did not actually "witness her death, so he couldn't see the thestrals until after he had seen Cedric die.

“Lily, take Harry and go! It’s Him! Go! Run! I’ll hold him off-”.

The sound of someone stumbling from a room-a door bursting open - a cackle of high-pitched laughter.

“Not Harry! Not Harry! Please not Harry!”.

“Stand aside, you silly girl ... stand aside, now . .

“Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead-Not Harry! Please ... have mercy ... have mercy”. (Rowling, 1999, pp. 134 and 178).

Hope this helps.

Why did emergency hospitals send technicians instead of doctors to treat Mildred in Fahrenheit 451?no

One of the main themes of the story deals with alienation. Bradbury's story shows how the society has become detached from one another.  Clarisse says, early in the story as she is talking with Montag, that no one just talks anymore.  She is considered odd, in fact, because she likes to talk and her family likes to talk with one another.  She even has to explain to Montag that at one time, people used to sit on their front porches and converse with their neighbors.  This detachment from one another, which has come about because of the emphasis on having fun, getting things done quickly, and a general emphasis away from thinking, has created a great deal of loneliness.  The technicians tell Montag when he questions why they came and not a doctor that they gets nine or ten of these cases a night.  The implication is that it is very common for people to overdose, whether it is accidental or intentional.  The technicians have a machine that pumps out her blood, filtering it along the way, and then puts it back into her.  The technicians are cleanly efficient, there is no nurturing and it is all over rather quickly.  At the end of the story, Granger tells Montag that the difference between a gardener and a lawncutter is "touch".  The same idea applies here.  The difference between a doctor and a technician, in this story, is "touch".  Mildred was tended to by technicians who didn't really have to touch her or care for her the way a doctor would.  The technicians, like the lawn cutter, merely go through mechanical motions with little feeling involved.  It all comes back to the detachment, or alienation, prevalent in the society of the novel.

How can the Internet affect global language?

A very interesting question. However to answer this question we must first agree on what we mean by global language. To my mind global language signifies a language used by large number of people from different countries across the Globe to communicate with each other. Currently, the language that serves this purpose is English.

Then this question can be re-framed as, "With increasing use of Internet, will English continue to be the global language, and if so what kind of features or changes can be expected in the English used for global communication?"

Currently I do not see even a distant second competitor to challenge the position of English as the global language. There It is quite certain that for a long time to come English will remain to be the global language. However, wider use of English across the Globe in general, and for Internet communication in particular is sure to modify English language in many ways.

As it is, all languages evolve and change with time. Also, all languages have variations used by used by different sets of people. English is no exceptions to these rules. The English of Shakespeare is so different from English of today. Actually I have seen copies of Shakespeare dramas translated in to modern English. Also, there are many different variations of English spoken in by different people. For example we have American English, British English, Indian English, and so on.

Now we have already seen development of what may be called Internet English. I believe this type of Internet English will become more and more popular and, over a period  will replace all different variations of English. No one can predict with certainty the exact nature of this kind of language, but certain trends are clearly visible, which are described below.

• It will be more of the language of young people. This means that a lot of what what we consider the slang of young people will evolve in to the mainstream language.


• It is a language of people in hurry. People are more likely to use short word, short sentences and abbreviations.


• Share of written communication as a proportion of total written and spoken communication will increase. With this the tendency to be more formal in written communication will reduce and there will be less difference between written and spoken language.


• There will be lot of communication between people of different geographical regions. This will result in fewer dialects of English being used by different people.

How are Pip's expectations different from and similar to those of Joe, Miss Havisham, Estella and Pip's benefactor, Magwitch?Discuss how the...

In "Great Expectations" the characters fall into separate divisions based upon their values and expectations in life.  For, there are those whose values are selfish and whose expectations are based upon self-interest while others have true, spiritual values and altruistic expectations.

Among those whose aspirations are not based upon self-interests and whose values are true is Joe. Providing unconditional love to Pip, Joe is a simple man who teaches Pip not to lie and to "have a strong sense of the virtue of industry" and family.  His expectations for Pip do not go beyond the forge; he wishes for Pip to learn his trade and carry on for him after he is gone.  While Miss Havisham provides a sum for Pip to become apprenticed to Joe, she demonstrates her lack of concern for others by dismissing Pip because he has only been a tool for her design to teach Estella to wreak cruelty upon men.

'Am I to come again, Miss Havisham?' I asked.

"No.  Gargery is your master now.'

Then, in contrast to Joe, Pip does not wish to be part of the forge:

I worked with tolerable zeal against the grain.  It is not possible to know how far the influence of any amiable, honest-hearted, duty-doing man flies out into the world, but I know right well that any good that intermixed itself with my apprenticeship came of plain, contented Joe, and not of restless, aspiring, discontented me.

Pip desires to be upper class, a gentleman.  He does not want to work with his hands; rather, he wishes to attain money without too much effort.  For one thing, it certainly does not bother him that he has a benefactor who provides him with an allowance.  He is ashamed of Joe and worries what Estella might think if she were to see him, for he hopes that he can marry her.

On the other hand, it seems that Estella has no expectations at all.  She simply allows herself to be molded by Miss Havisham, whose expectations are of a single path:  use Estella to punish men for her heart-break.  At the end of the novel, Estella tells Miss Havisham that she cannot love the woman because she has been taught to not have a heart.  For this reason, she also cannot love Pip, and, thus, she destroys his expectation of marriage.

It is interesting to note that those who have had selfish aspirations and false values have suffered consequences for which they have not planned.  Estella becomes incapable of loving anyone since she has been conditioned to be heartless; consequently, Miss Havisham herself suffers from punishment she has wished to place upon men.  Pip, too, suffers for his selfishness and loses his integrity as he neglects Joe and Biddy.  He cannot marry Estella and he is a failure as a gentleman of means.  When Magwitch arrives in London and tells him he has been, in fact, Pip's benefactor, Pip is repulsed by the news.

However, Magwitch is elated to know that Pip has become a gentleman, and demonstrates his unconditional love for the boy who helped him one cold, foggy night.  His goodness forces Pip to realize the falseness of his own expectations, and he regains his decency and loyalty to those who are good to him, as he has done as a little boy.  Because of Magwitch, Pip becomes a gentleman in his heart, "a true gentleman in manner," and tries to save his benefactor, tends him in his dying days, and returns to visit all whom he has loved, thereby illustrating that it is the values of love, loyalty, and hard work that are the greatest of expectations.

What is the purpose of Nick's last meeting with Jordan?

In the final chapter, after Gatsby's funer, Nick says he'd had enough of the fast, glittering life in New York and decided to return to the midwest.  Nick knew he had to break if off with Jordan and he was tempted to just leave without a word, but that would have been irresponsible. That would have been too much like Tom and Daisy and their self-centered quality and irresponsible nature.  He was sick of that very aspect of the people he encountered there in New York.  He saw too much of people living for and thinking about only themselves and not about the people they might meet and hurt along the way.  It all ties in with the philosophy that Jordan has about how she doesn't bother to watch out for others because she believes they will watch out for her since it takes two to make an accident.  Jordan knew, from the phone conversation she and Nick had when Nick set up this last meeting, that Nick was breaking up with her. Still, Nick felt it was his responsibility to meet Jordan face to face to formally break up with her.  When Nick left the midwest to come to New York, one of the reasons he left was that people had linked him and another woman to the point where he was afraid that rumor and gossip would have him engaged to the young woman.  He left rather than face up to all that innuendo.  He's learned a lot about life in his short time in the east and he will not just leave without clearing up everything with Jordan first.

What was Buck's life like with Judge Miller?

In Santa Clara Valley, California Judge Miller has a huge home and a great deal of property.  He also owns a beautiful dog named Buck.  Buck is the king of this property and can roam as he pleases.  He is petted, fed, groomed, and treated like the loved and cherished dog that he is.  He has the life of a pampered dog who can hunt, eat, sleep, or play as he wishes.  He had everything he could possibly want until he was stolen from his home and sold into captivity.

"Buck who was Half St. Bernard, half Scotch shepherd lived the life of a sated aristocrat" on his California ranch until he was stolen by the gardener."

In the 60s, what kind of image of women did NOW activists consider "false" and what kind of image of women would NOW have considered "accurate"

The major obstacle that women activists, such as the leaders of the NOW movement, sought to overcome revolved around the social stratification of women.  At the time, women were socially seen as having to assume a role that places them second to men and confined to having achieve a standard that was externally dictated.  This involved women tending to certain roles, looking a certain way, having to feel only certain emotions, and engaging in only certain dialogues.  For example, it was not seen as something appropriate for women to talk openly of political issues or elements of business.  Rather, the conversations women could have were to revolve around family and issues of domesticity.  Women were not allowed to openly criticize government or foreign policy, but rather talk about sewing and problems with the butcher at the local grocery store.  Such social stratification of women proved to be the main elements for which the NOW activists sought to defeat.  This socially dictated and external image of women was designed to keep women locked into defined roles, of which women themselves had little, if any, power in determining.  In demanding a new conception of women, NOW activists felt that it was imperative that women define their own senses of self.  In replacing the stratified image of women, which was determined as a false sense of consciousness, activists sought to see women as capable of engaging in any discussion on any topic, acting in any manner they desired.  If a women wanted to work, she should be able to and be given equal compensation as her male counterpart.  If a women wanted to stay at home, she should be able to do so and be treated with dignity and respect as she does not have to sacrifice her individual and authentic voice.  These images, carved out of women's own sense of definition and genuine voices, are what NOW activists would have considered "accurate."

Why is Peter Corrie's favorite nephew in The Hiding Place?

As "a dutiful aunt", Corrie tries to love all her nieces and nephews equally, but from the time he is a child, Peter stands out in her mind.  Bold and spirited, and a musical progidy as well, Peter, from the age of thirteen, is "the pride of (Corrie's) life" (Chapter 1). 

Peter shares with Corrie a love of music, particularly in playing the piano.  As an eight-year old, Peter first displays his uncanny talent in music, noting matter-of-factly that one of the notes on the piano that is playing a Brahms concerto on the radio is flat.  When the family realizes that he is right, Corrie spends the rest of the afternoon "sitting beside Peter on the piano bench giving him simple musical quizzes, uncovering a phenomenal musical memory and perfect pitch".  Corrie teaches Peter what she knows about the piano for six months, by which time "he had learned everything (she knows) and (goes) on to more expert teachers" (Chapter 4).

Peter's audacity and boldness endear him to Corrie's heart, but his devil-may-care approach to life frustrates her, even as she is charmed by his practicality and straighforwardness.  Peter is the organist at the Ten Booms' church, but, to his Aunt's consternation, most often pays little attention to the sermons during the services, regarding them as interesting "only to venerable relics like his mother and (Aunt)".  One day, he makes a bravely defiant but dangerous gesture in church, playing "without preamble...(at) full volume", the Dutch national anthem, against specific German prohibition.  Although many consider him to be a hero for his action, Corrie thinks of it as a risky "moment's meaningless defiance".  In truth, Peter is arrested and imprisoned a few days later, and spends "two months in a concrete cell".  When he finally is released, he comes home with the irrascible spirit which so endears him to his Aunt Corrie unbowed; he is "thinner, paler, and not a whit daunted" by his incarceration (Chapter 6).

Did Shakespeare run away from home? If so, why?What were the conflicts in his life?

According to such sources as Mark Eccles' exhaustive account, Shakespeare in Warwickshire (1961), there is no evidence other than some late and probably unreliable stories that Shakespeare ran away from home.

A story attributed to a William Castle, parish clerk at Stratford, asserts that Shakespeare had been bound apprentice to a butcher but had escaped from this by running away to London to become a player (story dated to 1693). However, this seems to be merely an expansion of an earlier account by John Aubrey that Shakespeare's father was a butcher, which is clearly incorrect.

Between 1688 and 1708, a tale became current that Shakespeare had had to flee to London because he had been caught stealing deer and rabbits from the park of Sir Thomas Lucy. This account was improved around 1703 by an alleged "bitter ballad" that Shakespeare was supposed to have written and posted on the gate of Lucy's park. The problem with these stories is that Sir Thomas Lucy didn't have a deer park in Stratford, and so they must all be late inventions.

Instead of running away from home, Shakespeare may have joined a company of traveling players that took him to London. Any concrete evidence of this is long lost, though.

Another possible source of conflict is Shakespeare's marriage in 1582. However, the details of this are often misinterpreted. His marriage was carried out in some haste and his wife was older than he was, but neither of these circumstances were particularly unusual. They may, for instance, have contracted a so-called "handfast" marriage that would have rendered any children born to them legitimate even without a further ceremony. Lingering hostility is alleged because of his later bequest of the "second-best" bed to his wife, but in fact that would have been the bed the couple had slept in, the best bed being reserved for guests.

In short, we cannot identify with certainty any conflicts in Shakespeare's personal or family life that might have affected his career or work, though as always, "absence of evidence is not evidence of absence."

I disagree with this analysis of "The Storm" because it portrays Calixta and Alcée as having a necessary tryst. Do you agree or disagree?Chopin...

The great thing about analyzing literature and forming opinions about its themes is that you are free to disagree about what the author is trying to say--literature is a way for us to shape our opinions and help us to meditate and ponder our own beliefs.

The critic's opinion above does reflect what can be found in the actual text of the story--the tryst does nothing but have a positive impact in the lives of all of the characters.  It makes Calixta, normally an "over-scrupulous housewife" that is filled with dissatisfaction and anxiety, relaxed, happy, and filled with laughter.  She treats her husband and son with love and affection, and Alcee goes away from the tryst "beaming," and happier than he has been for a long time.  So, Chopin is definitely making a point there, and that point is that for Calixta and Alcee, and possibly for many other women, fulfillment and happiness can be found in a situation like that.  The fact that Chopin makes that point does not mean that you need to agree with it, however.  I personally disagree with it; I feel that if you are discontented with your lot, make your lot better within the confines of morality and goodness.  So, you are free to disagree with her point.

Also, your question stated that it was a "necessary" tryst.  I do not agree with that premise. Maybe it was a "helpful" tryst, or a "satisfying" tryst, but it was not necessary.  No one required it of the two characters, no one forced them to do it, no one made them.  It was their choice.  If she was unhappy, she could have done other things to find satisfaction, she just didn't.  She chose to have the affair as a way to find relief.  Necessary implies force, or having to do something for survival, like eating or drinking, and that is not the case with the tryst--there have to be better ways to describe it.  I hope that those thoughts helped; good luck!

What is meant by the policy of "Containment" and why was it important during the Cold War years?

During the latter stages of the Second World War, the United States and Soviet Union, ultimately victorious allies, began their long descent and transformed into polar adversaries in the Cold War.  "Containment" was advanced by the US as a remedial policy to the "Domino Theory," whereby a non Communist or Socialist state, influenced by the Soviet Union, would turn Communist, and prepare the transition to its bordering neighbors.  Communism would then continue to spread around the world.  George F. Kennan (1904 - 2005) both a diplomat and adviser on Soviet affairs, suggested a policy of Containment in lieu of overt conflict with the Soviets, or a "Hot" War.  The competing ideologies of Soviet and American were fought instead within the world's countries, each side seeking political and economic influence within the country and supplying it militarily.  One manifestation of this policy came in the form of "foreign aid" under the Truman Doctrine of 1947;  the first two US beneficiaries were Turkey and Greece, where Communist influence had been growing since the conclusion of World War II.

Later in the Cold War, the term began to be applied towards areas where hostilities had broken out; "Containment" of the Communist threat became the byword during the early days of the US involvement in Vietnam.

In "A Separate Peace" what is revealed as each boy assumes that the attention he attracts is meant for the other one?Chapter 3

Throughout this book, we really only get Gene's perspective of things, and so we have to guess at the other characters' thoughts and feelings.  Up to this point in the novel, we can sense that Gene is incredibly jealous of Finny--so much so that the jealousy is tinged with a bit of bitterness and dislike.  Finny is the fun guy, the popular guy, the one that "gets away with everything."  And, Ginny is a bit resentful, and definitely jealous.  We don't really get Finny's take on their relationship, and he is so laid-back and friendly with everyone that it is hard to separate his feelings for every person he meets as being different from those he has for Gene.

However, as they are strolling on the beach, Gene notices that "people were looking fixedly at [Finny]"  He takes a look at Finny to see why, and notes that he radiates health and looks good.  But then, here is where Finny jumps in and says,

"Everybody's staring at you...it's because of that movie-start tan you picked up this afternoon...showing off again."

Here, we all of a sudden realize that Finny might be jealous of Gene too!  They both see people staring, and automatically assume people are staring at the other person.  This reveals how much Finny really does admire Gene also, and that their relationship might be more reciprocal and balanced than previously thought.  Finny also remarks almost bitterly, although he says it as a joke, that Gene is "showing off again."  So, both boys admire each other, are a bit jealous, and assume that attention and positive affirmation are being given to the other.  It's a rare glimpse into Finny's feelings for Gene, and John Knowles uses that attention-filled walk as a tool to reveal it.  I hope that those thoughts helped a bit; good luck!

In the book The Odyssey, why did Odysseus refuse to take Cyclops things and leave? Why couldn't Odysseus and his men get out of the cave?

Odysseus had a deep desire to see the Cyclops, which overrode his common sense.

When they saw all this, my men begged me to let them first steal some cheeses, and make off with them to the ship; they would then return, drive down the lambs and kids, put them on board and sail away with them. It would have been indeed better if we had done so but I would not listen to them, for I wanted to see the owner himself, in the hope that he might give me a present. When, however, we saw him my poor men found him ill to deal with. (Book IX)

Odysseus' pride and curiosity get the best of him in this situation.  He wants to meet this lawless and primitive Cyclops, Polyphemus, and have the honor of claiming a guest-gift from him.  The text doesn't explain, but it was probably something that Odysseus would want to boast about later.  Also, Odysseus may have been trying to set a good example for his men.  He would have preferred to take the food from the Cyclops as a gift, rather than steal it as his men suggested.

When the Cyclops returns he throws down his firewood with such a loud noise that Odysseus and all his men hide in a corner of the cave.  While they are in the back of the cave, Polyphemus milks his goats and rolls a huge stone in front of the doorway of the cave, in order to keep his livestock inside.  Since Odysseus and none of his men can move the stone, they are effectively trapped.  The following day, the Cyclops keeps the men trapped in the cave by letting himself out and then quickly rolling the huge stone back over the doorway.

Odysseus gets Polyphemus very drunk, and he and his men drive a heated stake into his eye.  This wakes Polyphemus, and he yells for the other Cyclops to help him, but Odysseus has told him that his name is Noman.  Therefore, when Polyphemus yells to his friends, who have gathered outside the stone in front of the cave door, they think that he has been hurt by "no man" and therefore must be ill.  They leave, and Polyphemus, in his pain and anger, rolls the stone away.  Odysseus and his men escape by clinging to the bottom of sheep, so that the blinded Cyclops cannot feel them as they depart, only the wool backs of his own livestock.

Odysseus exhibits significant immaturity in this episode.  If he had not shown such curiosity and bravura in the Cyclop's absence, he and his men could have gotten away easily. 

Why did the Germans form an embargo around Curacao in The Cay?What did Phillip's mother do when he was officially listed as lost at sea?

The Germans form an embargo around Curacao to prevent petroleum products from being sent from the island to Allied forces fighting in England and Africa.  Crude oil from Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela is brought to refineries on the islands of Aruba and Curacao, where it is made into gasoline, kerosene, and diesel oil.  These products are then transported "to England or to General Montgomery in the African desert".  The islands of Aruba and Curacao are thus among "the most important islands in the world...victory or defeat (for the Allies) depend(s) on them" (Chapters 1 and 2).

When Phillip is officially listed as lost at sea, his mother returns to Curacao to be with her husband, Phillip's father.  Against the advice of Mr. Enright, Phillip's mother had insisted that she and Phillip be allowed to return to the United States after German submarines blew up the S.S. Empire Tern, "a big British tanker...(with) machine guns for and aft, one of the few armed ships in the harbor" at Curacao.  Her plan had been to remain with family in Virginia until the danger should be over.  Mr. Enright had finally given in to his wife's demands, and secured passage for her and his son on the S.S. Hato, "a small Dutch freighter...(with) a long stack and (which) always puff(s) thick, black smoke".  Soon after it sets sail, the S.S. Hato is torpedoed and sunk.

After Phillip is declared lost at sea, Mrs. Enright, who had been rescued, has a complete change of heart.  She goes back to her husband on Curacao and no longer has thoughts of leaving the island, and when she is reunited with Phillip, she can only keep saying, "I'm sorry" (Chapters 2 and 19).

What is the theme of A Boy at War by Harry Mazur?

Some of the main themes of the book "Boy at War" include war, coming of age, friendships and family, and racism.

Adam Pelko comes from a military family.  He has always thought of the military as "all the spit-and-polish stuff" (Chapter 2), and war as "exciting...action...ships, planes and guns...being faster and smarter than your enemy...defending your country" (Chapter 5).  After experiencing the bombing of Pearl Harbor, however, Adam discovers that war is not "clean...fair...the best man (wins)".  It is "stink and blood and dying" (Chapter 13), and it doesn't "make any sense" (Chapter 22); there are "no bands, no banners, and no waving and cheering", and although there may be heroes, "it only hurt(s)" to think of them (Chapter 24).

Adam must make some hard decisions in the story as he experiences his coming of age.  He finds that, although he understands his father's reasoning when he forbids his son to associate with his friend Davi because he is Japanese, he feels that his father is wrong.  Lieutenant Pelko tells Adam that "what (he) (does) reflects on (his) family...on (his father) and...on the United States Navy", and since the United States appears to be "very close to war with Japan", he should not be seen with his Japanese friend (Chapter 7).  The day Pearl Harbor is bombed, Adam realizes that a lot of things are different than what he had always believed.  The hard decisions of life, such as the task of reconciling the differences between the demands of friendships and family, are his and his alone to make (Chapter 24).

Lieutenant Pelko, although well-meaning, is planting the seeds of racism in his son when he commands him to think about "who he is and who you are" in reference to Adam's Japanese friend Davi (Chapter 7).  Adam himself discovers that racism can occur as a visceral response, when his first impulse at seeing the Japanese bombers raining destruction on the American fleet is to attack Davi in the rowboat they are sharing (Chapter 11).  By following his own rational instincts instead of succumbing to the temptation to stereotype whom the enemy might be, Adam is able to keep things in perspective and escape the pitfall of racist behavior.

What do the incidents of the plot for chapter 6 illustrate relative to the Seven Commandments and Major's Speech in the first chapter?

Old Major has given the animals a set of rules or commandments that define the theory known as Animalism which is at the heart of how the animals are expected to behave.  Old Major is very specific about what they should and should not do, so in Chapter 6, when Napoleon announces that he is going to start trading with the humans, this behavior goes against Old Major's directives, "whatever goes on two legs is an enemy."  

"I have little more to say. I merely repeat, remember always your duty of enmity towards Man and all his ways. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy. Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend. And remember also that in fighting against Man, we must not come to resemble him." (Orwell)

The animals learn that the pigs have started sleeping in beds, in violation of Old Major's instruction to not become like man. His speech is very specific about beds, tobacco, alcohol

"Even when you have conquered him, do not adopt his vices. No animal must ever live in a house, or sleep in a bed, or wear clothes, or drink alcohol, or smoke tobacco, or touch money, or engage in trade. All the habits of Man are evil. And, above all, no animal must ever tyrannise over his own kind. Weak or strong, clever or simple, we are all brothers. No animal must ever kill any other animal. All animals are equal." (Orwell) 

Old Major's warning in the beginning of the book is actually prophetic, once the pigs start behaving like humans, they become more abusive and tyrannical than the farmer.  Old Major's vision of a world where all animals could be equal included a specific instruction on the vices of man, as a way to protect the animals from the worst kind of creature, according to Old Major, humans, little did he know, that the worst kind of creature, worse then a human, is a pig. 

He could not have known at the time that he was actually warning the animals against the horrors that awaited them as a result of being "equal,"  but then that commandment is changed as well, "all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others," is the revised version.

And the pigs prove this to be true, while the rest of the animals serve their needs that far exceed the demands that Farmer Jones ever made on them.  

Attempt a critical analysis of Seamus Heaney's "Digging."

This poem "Digging" is in Heaney's first collection of poems called "Death of a Naturalist" (1966).This poem is the first poem of this collection. It is a free verse poem written in first person narrative, with eight stanzas containing two couplets. The free structure of this poem allows Heaney to freely express his respect of the Irish tradition as well as his pride and dignity towards his ancestors.

The poem starts and ends with the same lines "between my finger and my thumb/The squat pen rests" but the first stanza ends with "as snug as a gun" and the last stanza ends with "I'll dig with it." Thus, Heaney foregrounds the importance of the writer's profession and craft by breathing new life into the cliched idiom "the pen is mightier than the sword." Heaney affirms that he has decided to choose his own career path, as a writer. It is clear that Heaney feels confident that he is very skilled with a pen and demonstrates and proves that he is an accomplished poet by writing this very thought provoking poem.

The title "Digging" is usually interpreted as an act of hard labor. It awakens our curiosity for we want to know the reasons why he is digging and what he is digging for.

The poem basically describes his father digging potato drills and the grandfather cutting turf:

"By God, the old man could handle a spade,

Just like his old man."

However the poet does not praise their strength as diggers. But the act of digging is associated more with the passing on of special values from generation to generation. There is also an extended metaphor of digging and roots in the poem, which shows how the poet, in his writing, is getting back to his own identity, and where his family comes from: "Digging....through living roots awaken in my head."

Heaney realizes that in choosing 'the squat pen' over 'the spade' he is in fact 'digging' up memories of his ancestors, and thus enabling the process of the historical past giving meaning to the present. So all in all, he draws the conclusion that whilst we must not forget our roots,we must pursue our own passions and dreams in life. For Heaney, it is his chosen calling as a writer in which he finds solace, which enables him to transfer memories onto paper, giving old thoughts the power to transcend time.

Is there any comparison between Benazir Bhutto and Indira Gandhi?Is a comparative study of their eras and lifetimes possible or not?

Benazir Bhutto and Indira Gandhi, who have been prime minister of two neighboring countries, Pakistan and India respectively, do have some similarities in trivial matters, but not much similarities in their personalities or their political achievements.

The similarities are mostly limited to the facts that both were daughters of prime ministers of their respective countries, and both were assassinated by terrorist groups within their countries.

Beyond the above referred similarities, which have no bearing either on their personal abilities or their achievement as politicians, the two are quite different. Indira Gandhi Has been highly successful Prime Minister, and took many bold decisions and actions that have helped India move against path of progress. Major achievements of Indira Gandhi include, abolition of privy purses and special privilages of erstwhile princes of independent states that existed under British Protection, and nationalization of major banks and industries. Indira Gandhi's actions in imposing emergency rule in India, definitely smacks of attempts to impose totalitarian rule, which cannot be condoned. However the action definitely illustrates the boldness of Indira Gandhi. Further, By restoring democratic rule after the emergency, she cleared herself from the suspicions of dictatorial ambitions. In contrast, Benazir Bhutto has no such major achievements to her credit.

In response to "Brave New World," why is it so important that we are allow so suffer from pain, to be a sinner, etc.?

The book itself has a great quote about this:

You've got to be hurt and upset; otherwise you can't think of the really good, penetrating X-rayish phrases. (Ch. 12)

Being able to experience the full range of human emotions, being able to try and to fail... these are the things that promote understanding and that lead to invention.  When people are complacent - like the people in the book - than they are ignorant.  They do not seek out new ways of doing things.  They do not try to create and to be different.  They just exist.  This is, of course, is what Huxley is showing us through his dystopia. 

Our world is not the same as Othello's world. You can't make flivvers without steel-and you can't make tragedies without social instability. The world's stable now. People are happy; they get what they want, and they never want what they can't get. (Ch. 16)

This world that is described may sound appealing, but as we see, it leads to a lack of individuality, a lack of meaningful connections.  Who wants to live in a world without tragedy?  Tragedy is what reminds us that we are human, and it is what makes comedy so special.

Actual happiness always looks pretty squalid in comparison with the over-compensations for misery. And, of course, stability isn't nearly so spectacular as instability. And being contented has none of the glamour of a good fight against misfortune, none of the picturesqueness of a struggle with temptation, or a fatal overthrow by passion or doubt. Happiness is never grand. (Ch. 16)

Huxley encourages us to believe that misery is as important, if not more important, than happiness in our experience as humans.  It leads us to grow, to improve, and most of all, to feel in a way that nothing else can.

Describe Nick Carraway briefly and his apparent role in the novel.

Nick Carraway, the novel's narrator, is a young man who was born into a conservative, well established, but not wealthy, Midwestern family. After attending college and serving in World War I, Nick comes back home, but he finds the Midwest seems out of the mainstream of life as he has come to know it out in the world. With his family's financial backing for one year, Nick goes to New York to learn the bond business and establish a career in the East. Nick's work ethic is strong; he works hard, but he also becomes involved in the lives of his mysterious neighbor, Jay Gatsby, and his distant cousin Daisy Buchanan and her husband Tom (whom Nick had known in college).

In addition to functioning in the novel as the narrator who observes and reports, Nick plays another important role. Through Nick, Fitzgerald establishes and develops a sharp contrast between the East and the Midwest. It is through this contrast that the novel's major theme is developed: the corruption of the American Dream in modern society. Nick becomes Fitzgerald's voice of moral authority.

When Nick moves to the East, he is a young man with an open mind and a non-judgmental nature. He is also a young man who was shaped by his family's Midwestern values. Nick leaves the Midwest never intending to return; however, even though his family had financed him for a year, Nick leaves New York to go back home after only a few months. Once he is back home, after many months he is still dealing with all that he experienced and observed in the East, and he is no longer a man who reserves judgment.

Nick makes strong moral judgments as a result of his time in New York. Primarily, he rejects the amorality and corruption of the Buchanans. The last time he sees Tom, after Gatsby's death, Nick does not want even to shake his hand; he does shake Tom's hand because he knows that Tom is so morally bankrupt he wouldn't even understand the gesture. Nick is a decent person; he is sickened by the "foul dust that floated in the wake of [Gatsby's] dreams."

Fitzgerald began the novel with a discussion of the Midwest, and in the novel's final chapter, he included a beautiful passage in which Nick talks about "my middle-west," a place where dwellings are still called through decades by a family's name." By turning his back on the East and going home, Nick makes Fitzgerald's moral statement.

What is the theme of the short story "Clay" by James Joyce?character of maria

I'm  not surprised that this question has remained unanswered for so long because 'Clay' is possibly the most difficult story in Dubliners to interpret with any degree of certainty. I personally am not even sure how seriously to take the story, my main reason being the insistently cartoonish way in which the central character Maria is presented. Joyce tells us three time that the tip of her nose nearly reaches her chin, an anatomical impossibility for most human beings: the only way I can visualize it is by imagining a witch in an animated film or a children's book. If that's how Joyce wants us to see her, it is hard to work out any theme from that basis. Yes, it is Halloween - or Hallow Eve, rather - and there are cauldrons in Maria's workplace, but Maria is otherwise associated with goodness and religion, so where does that take us?

Another mystery for me in the story is the number of things lost or mislaid, the nutcracker, the corkscrew, one of Maria's cakes, the verse of the song, and of course the objects hidden by blindfold in the game. This seems very deliberately done on Joyce's part, but to what purpose?

To see how carefully and deliberately the story is written, look at its structure: 19 paragraphs, eight each at the two main locations and three consisting of the journey to and from the centre of Dublin and the purchase of the cakes. It is very symmetrical and interesting but again, to what purpose?

Finally, there is the title and the meaning of the clay in the story. I have read some fanciful interpretations seeing the clay as Ireland being moulded by England and the quarrelling brothers representing the fractious, divided Irish but I haven't been very convinced by anything I've read about 'Clay' and in fact I think I quite like it that way:I still read the story from time to time and enjoy its mystery.

Sorry to have written a non-answer rather than shed light on your query, but if I've managed to give you something more to think about maybe it's worth it. Good luck. 

Why is Patty's own lawyer upset with what she did for Anton in Summer of My German Soldier?

As a Jew, Patty's lawyer, Mr. Kishner, feels that by having put herself in a situation where her own loyalty to the country is called into question, Patty has embarrassed Jews everywhere.  Because her loyalty is questionable, by extension, in the current atmosphere of wartime hysteria, "every Jew's loyalty is in question".

Feeling as he does, Mr. Kishner had originally declined to take Patty's case.  He had suggested that since the case wouold be tried in the Arkansas courts, "it would be much better to hire a local, non-Jewish attorney...who knew all the local judges and wouldn't be afraid to speak out".  Mr. Bergen, however, had especially wanted Mr. Kishner to defend his daughter because "he was known as a really big Memphis lawyer", and as a Jew, was "one of them".  Mr. Bergen prevailed upon the President of Mr. Kishner's synagogue to put pressure on him, and the lawyer reluctantly took the case.

When he interviews Patty, Mr. Kishner tries to get her to say that she aided Anton because she was afraid, because he perhaps had threatened her well-being or that of her family if she did not do what he wanted, but Patty steadfastly maintains that she "was never afraid".  He then attempts to get Patty to confess that she was too young to understand that Anton was an escaped prisoner, but she will not admit to that either.  In the eyes of the law, which leaves no room for consideration of the human aspect of the situation, it is clear that Patty had known exactly what she had been doing when she sheltered her German soldier.  The fact that she had perceived him as simply a person in need rather than the enemy is immaterial, and it is clear that Mr. Kishner, who is not comfortable with the case to begin with, will have a tremendously difficult time acting in Patty's defense in before the court (Chapter 19).

What passage highlights a setting & how does that setting establish the atmosphere & mood of the scene?Besides the valley of ashes. I was thinking...

Many places in chapter 3, the first chapter that describes one of Gatsby's parties, indicate that people had fun at Gatsby's parties. About midway through the chapter, Jordan and Nick have just bumped into the elusive Gatsby who is called away almost as soon as he introduces himself to Nick.  Nick is still pondering his host when Jordan says, "Anyhow he gives large parties."  This begins a passage that shows the people enjoying themselves.  It is shortly after that passage, that Jordan is summoned - alone - to speak with Gatsby and Nick is left alone.  People at Gatsby's party in this chapter speculate endlessly on their host and it is clear they know almost nothing about him other than the fact he is their generous host.  He makes very few appearances and calls no attention to himself at his parties.  It is after Jordan speaks with him in this chapter that we begin to discover the purpose of his parties.

What are my rights are as a renter when I am trying to sublet my place?I have a year lease with my place, I want to sublet my place from June 15th...

Subletting an apartment is tricky.  The laws are different from state to state, but one thing is true in all states; even if you sublet a property, the person's name on the lease always remains responsible for the property.  Think carefully before you decide to to this and make sure you have references and a credit report from the person you choose to sublet to.  The next step is to get the landlord's permission, in writing, to sublet.  Do not ever make a verbal agreement.  Have everything in writing from the Landlord and from the person to whom you sublet.  Any damage, or problems which could occur during the period you are out of the apartment can still be held against your original lease. 

Finally, most lease agreements have a sublet clause in them so be sure to read your original lease carefully.  The landlord may have the right to increase the amount of the original deposit, or refuse to sign an agreement to approve a sublet.

Hope this information is helpful

What is the role of the witches in Macbeth?Some have seen them as being pure evil using Macbeth as a play thing if you will, while others see them...

The witches function on several levels in terms of their dramatic function. First of all, they allow the creation of a mystical and superstitious atmosphere, which is not only dramatically interesting but helps to underscore the dark motivations and trouble psyche of Macbeth himself. The fact that the witches claim to have knowledge of the future helps serve as a justification to Macbeth's actions, as if his acts are somehow fated or pre-determined. One central theme of the play is that Macbeth is himself not strong-willed enough to act on his own initiative, and thus is influenced by his wife and the witches. So the witches act as agents of influence, goading Macbeth to commit murder, but also reminding him that his status of king os a very fragile thing and this his actions will reap the appropriate reward or punishment. The supernatural quality the witches impart to the play also emphasize the obsessions with death and evil expressed by many of the characters.

Describe Julius Caesar's character.it should be described very well. if not give the most you know.

Julius Caesar is described as ambitious by his enemies. Whatever may be said of him, he wants to be well thought of by everyone.  He is vain and perhaps self-centered.  It. is not necessarily clear that he is indeed, ambitious. He does work hard, as he refuses to stay home from the Senate because of Calphurnia's dream (athough it is because a "friend" has interpreted the dream in a way to appeal to his vanity, making the horrible dream into one that honors him throughout all of Rome).  He refuses the crown not once, but three times.

He also suffers from the "falling down" sickness or epilepsy, which could concern Caesar as appearing weak in the eyes of his fellow Romans.  He seems to be always alert as to outward appearances.

Caesar is also seen as a superstitious man who views Cassius as one with a "lean and hungry look".  He doesn't trust very many, and the ones he does trust--Brutus--betrays him.

He could also be seen as hard and unfeeling since he treats Calphurnia with such disregard when he openly requests that Mark Antony touch her during the Feast of Lupercal to heal her barrenness.  It is not unusual that he wants a son, but it is insensitive to request it in this manner for his wife.

Is Pearl's behavior really unnatural for a child, or does Hester just imagine that it is?"The Scarlet Letter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne

In "Scarlet Letter," Pearl is more of a symbol  that she is a real child. The reader may recall that in Chapter VIII she tells the Reverend Wilson at the governor's mansion that she

had been plucked by her mother off the bush of wild roses that grew by the prison door.

This allusion to the roses at the prison suggests the symbol of passion that was in Chapter I.  Hester reaffirms that Pearl acts as a symbol:

She is my happiness!--she is my torture, none the less!  Pearl keeps me here in life! Pearl punishes me too!  See ye not, she is the scarlet letter, only capable of being loved, and so endowed with a millionfold the power of retribution for my sin? 

This representation of Pearl as symbolic of the passion between Hester and Arthur Dimmesdale is underscored in ChapterXXIII as the three stand on the scafforld.

As this symbol, therefore, Pearl is truly an unnatural child.  She does, as Hester says, remind her mother of the sin.  When they are at the governor's mansion, for instance, Pearl delights in how large the scarlet letter appears when reflected in the suit of armor.  At play she surrounds the A on her mother's bosom with flowers.  When her mother casts off the A onto the other side of the brook, Pearl refuses to cross and return to her mother until Hester again dons the letter.

A perplexing mix of strong moods, Pearl is given to uncontrolled laughter at one moment and at another she is silent or fiercely angry with a capacity for the "bitterest hatred that can be supposed to rankly in a childish bosom."  In fact, her behavior is so unusual that she is often referred to as "elf-child," "Imp," and "airy sprite."  Of course, the child has not had a normal life since she is isolated with her mother.  Nevertheless, there is something that is "other-worldly" about this child of such a quick mind and intuitive nature.  It is not until the events of Chapter XXIII that Pearl is brought fully into the world of humanity as she kisses her dying father. 

Critics perceive part of Hawthorne's design to not attempt to develop realistically a normal girl.  For, throughout the novel, Pearl acts more as a symbol than as a mere child:  she is the symbol of the illicit union, a symbol of passion, the warfare of Hester's and of Dimmesdale's spirits, a symbol of torment for Hester, and the embodiment of Hester's conscience. As symbol she is Hawthorne's greatest contribution to American literature.

What are each of the five daydreams Walter Mitty has during "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty?"

Walter Mitty first imagines himself flying a Navy airplane through a terrible storm; his men are scared and his bravery gives them hope and courage.

Mitty then imagines that he is a surgeon of great skill, overseeing an operation; when an anesthetic machine breaks, he is able to fix it, and the other doctors ask him to step in when the surgery becomes difficult.

After that, Mitty imagines himself on trial for murder. Although he has an alibi, he is the world's greatest pistol shot and could have committed the murder with either hand; this admission results in a courtroom commotion:

...suddenly a lovely, dark-haired girl was in Walter Mitty's arms. The District Attorney struck at her savagely. Without rising from his chair, Mitty let the man have it on the point of the chin. "You miserable cur!" . . .
(Thurber, "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," bnrg.cs.berkeley.edu)

Next, Mitty dreams of being an ace fighter pilot, the only one left after all the other pilots are taken sick with fear. Mitty prepares to fly alone into a hail of anti-aircraft fire, the only hope of the Allies.

Finally, Mitty tries to relax with a cigarette, and his subconscious places him on the wall of a firing squad. To his mind, he will never escape his tepid, ordinary life, and so he is doomed.

In each fantasy, Mitty is the hero and the center of attention; in reality, he is entirely normal, and other people barely notice him.

What does "Take nothing but pictures. Leave nothing but footprints. Kill nothing but time" mean?

When I went camping in the Adirondacks, these phrases were placed every few miles on signs. I am not sure of the literary work that these are in, but the phrases refer to not stealing anything in the park when you take pictures, do not leave any personal refuse or garbage other than your footprints, and do not harm any wildlife or other nature's creatures.

It basically means to treat the outdoors with respect, and nature in return will provide you with many wonderful moments.

This is a very good quote that one can live their life by. For example, if you are invited over to a person's home, you shouldn't disturb anything of theirs and hopefully, you won't accidentally take something home with you. If someone loans you something, you should try to return it in its original condition. That doesn't mean that you have to deprive yourself of the value of it. It just means to respect other people's property.

What happened to the narrator of "The Pit and the Pendulum" as he slept?

The first time that sleep overtakes the narrator is during his effort to circumnavigate the walls of his dungeon and thus find out how large it is. When he wakes up, he finds a loaf and a jug of water beside him, which indicates that he has been observed or inspected as he slept, and shows us how carefully his keepers are watching him.

The second time he sleeps is after he discovers by accident that there is a hidden pit in the center of his dungeon, but escapes falling into it when he accidentally trips before reaching its edge. Again, when he wakes up, he finds a loaf and water beside him. However, this time, the food and drink appear to be drugged, so that his keepers can manipulate him freely while he is unconscious. They bind him to a "low framework of wood" which is intended to hold him in a fixed position as the pendulum slowly descends from the ceiling and cuts him in half.

The intervals of sleep thus serve as punctuation to the narrator's ordeal, allowing the narrator's keepers to first challenge him with the pit, and then with the pendulum.

What are the themes of Love's Labors Lost by William Shakespeare?

In Love's Labour's Lost, Shakespeare explores love, but from a very different perspective than earlier comedies.

As the play opens, Ferdinand, the King of Navare, has proposed that he and his friends, Berowne, Longaville, and Dumain live a secluded life of study for three years.  Part of this agreement is to forswear the company of the opposite sex.  His idea is that they should commit all their energies to academia.

It isn't long before the Princess of France, attended on by Rosalind, Cathrine and Maria arrives on business.

The men and women know each other have in the past flirted with each other.  The men, of course, are bound by their pact.  The women, of course, find the pact to be rather silly.

Under these cirumstance the women and men flirt.  Like Orlando in As You Like It, the men try to woo their respective ladies with poetry, bad poetry.

It is only at the end of the play when the Princess receives word that her father has died that the play and relationships take a turn.  Basically, the women tell the men that are leaving but will return and they each charge their men with a lesson they need to learn before they will be taken seriously.

In other words, the women tell the men to grow up and stop acting like adolesent fools.

In Shakespeare's Hamlet, what are three words to describe Claudius?

Of the many words that could be used to describe Claudius, the best might be the one that is used several times by Hamlet himself after his interview with his father's ghost. Hamlet says:

O villain, villain, smiling, damned villain!

My tables--meet it is I set it down

That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain;

Shakespeare is giving instructions that the actor playing Claudius should be constantly smiling. He smiles to conceal his villainous motives and intentions. He smiles because he is pleased with his success. He smiles to show everyone what a kind a gracious monarch they have acquired. He smiles to hide his guilt and fears. Even in tense situations Claudius would act perfectly at calm, reasonable, and friendly. He would have discovered that a smile can be the most effective way of dealing with practically everybody in every sort of situation. For instance, when Hamlet is brought before him after killing Polonius, Claudius would not roar and threaten but would treat him the way a loving father might treat a naughty boy. He would smile and say in a confidential tone, "Now, Hamlet, where's Polonius?" Claudius would pride himself on his coolness, his "grace under pressure," to use Hemingway's phrase. Even though he is a treacherous murderer, Claudius shows himself to be a very competent king. This may be one of the reasons that Hamlet seems reluctant to assassinate him; he feels that Claudius makes a better king than he would make himselff. (Malcolm seems to have similar feelings about Macbeth which he expresses to Macduff in that play.)

So one good word for Claudius would be "smiling." Not all villains--in plays or in real life--are smiling villains. Another good word, of course, would be "villain." I would suggest that a third good word would be "drunkard." Claudius is usually shown drinking wine in large quantities. This is not because the liquor makes him happy but because he has a terribly guilty conscience. He not only feels guilt and remorse, but he feels that, like Macbeth, he has condemned himself to eternal damnation. Furthermore, he is eaten up with fear. Having obtained the crown by murder, he realizes that someone else could obtain it from him by the same means. He suspects that that person could be Hamlet, since his nephew has the most obvious motivation along with a genuine right to be king. Throughout the play Claudius is trying to pry into Hamlet's mind, keeping him a virtual prisoner and under continuous surveillance, using Polonius, Ophelia, Gertrude, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, and no doubt many other courtiers and household servants to spy on the Prince.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, how does the fact of not having a mother affect Jem and Scout?

In the beginning of the novel, a few pages in, Scout directly addresses this issue.  She states of herself, "our mother died when I was two, so I never felt her absence."  So, Scout doesn't really feel that her mother dying impacted her very negatively; she didn't remember her enough to feel a loss.  However, with Jem, Scout says that she thought Jem missed their mother, and that

"he remembered her clearly, and sometimes in the middle of a game he would sigh at length, then go off and play by himself behind the car-house."

Scout feels that when he did that, he was missing his mom, and needed some time alone to think about her.

Indirectly, we see other impacts in the novel.  Aunt Alexandra constantly comments on how Jem and Scout "run wild" and need the influence of a mother in the home.  Atticus is not too concerned, since Cal has pretty much served as a replacement mother.  And, she has, to a certain extent.  Scout tells us how Cal disciplined her, taught her, and even showed her softness on occasion.  But, they didn't have that steady, loving, soft side that a mother might have provided.  Even when Aunt Alexandra moves in, it is more to reign in the kids than to show them affection and love.  So, they grow up a bit more adult than they might have been otherwise.  With only the ideal and moral Atticus to teach them, they grew up fast, with adult ideas and codes of behavior.  They also probably did have a bit more freedom to go play games and romp about than they would have without a mother; however, this fostered their creative imaginations, and helped them to lead full lives.

I hope that those thoughts get you started a bit; good luck!

What technique did the writer used while composing "Loveliest of Trees"?

Much of the techniques Houseman uses in the poem concerns his playing with imagery.  The opening stanza depicts a tree in full bloom with language that illuminates this such as,  "the cherry" hung in bloom along "the bough," and the look of the tree in comparison to "Eastertide."  In the second stanza, the poet uses the metaphor of human age to reflect the potential change in the tree.  In applying age and its effects to the life of the speaker, the reader can only envision what is going to transpire with the tree.  Rather than create the image of winter being one of decay, the last stanza brings to light that the beauty represented by the tree can be brought out when  it is "hung with snow."  This picture helps us construct a vision of the tree where its beauty is present in both winter and spring.  Such a vision of snow is not one of decay, but another element that highlights the beauty of the tree, and allows the speaker another opportunity to revel in its loveliness.

What is the simile that Hawthorne uses to describe the emotions on the face of the stranger as he spots Hester in Chapter 3 of The Scarlet Letter?

Actually, there are two pertinent similes here.  A simile, of course, is a form of figurative language that makes a comparison using the words "like" or "as."  There is one simile when Chillingworth first spots Hester; however, there is a different one when he recognizes Hester.  Here is the first:

At his arrival in the market place, and some time before she saw him, the stranger had bent his eyes on Hester Prynne.  it was carelessly, at first, like a man chiefly accustomed to look inward, and to whom external matters are of little value and import unless they bear relation to something within his mind. (Hawthorne 67).

This is an interesting simile indeed because before we are even introduced to the true evil of Hester's husband, we learn that he has little compassion for anyone in any horrible situation (such as a nameless woman being ridiculed on a scaffold) unless that person somehow pertains to him.  In my opinion, when he describes Chillingworth "like a man chiefly accustomed to look inward," Hawthorne describes Chillingworth as totally and absolutely selfish.

Here is the second simile (found immediately after the first):

Very soon, however, his look became keen and penetrative.  A writhing horror twisted itself across his features, like a snake gliding swiftly over them, and making one little pause, with all its wreathed intervolutions in open sight. (67)

Ah, here the true evil nature of Chillingworth is revealed.  What better symbol to use within this simile than the symbol of the snake (the most common symbol of evil).  What a disgusting image!  He recognizes his wife and his features twist in a snakelike horror.  This is a character meant to be despised from the start!  Heck, just look at his name!

Who is telling the story in The Friends, by Rosa Guy?

Young teenager Phyllisia Cathy is the narrator of the novel The Friends by Rosa Guy. It tells the story of the Cathys, a West Indian family who relocates to New York City's tough Harlem neighborhood in the 1960s. Phyllisia has trouble adjusting to this new world, and most of her classmates hate her because she becomes the "teacher's pet." Although Phyllisia eventually makes friends with Edith Jackson, she is ashamed of Edith because she is the poorest, worst dressed student in her class. Phyllisia's life hits a new low when her mother, Ramona, reveals that her breast cancer has returned and eventually dies; this leaves Phyllisia and her older sister, Ruby, under the strict rule of her father, Calvin, who is not afraid to use violence to make his point.

In Keats' Ode, why is autumn season called "mellow fruitfullness"?

The first stanza of Keats' ode To Autumn is replete with sensory images that seek to illuminate the spirit of life found in the season of autumn.  The opening line of "Seasons of mists and mellow fruitfulness" indicates a rich tapestry of natural life present.  Mellow fruitfulness is an opening that develops Keats' imagery of ripe apples and orchard of vines with fruit ripening.  There is a life spirit that is present in the first stanza's description of autumn.  The "close bosomed friend of the sun" brings to mind the sun drenched fields of the autumn sun as an almost inevitable partnership between the season and the sun.  Filling all the fruit with "ripeness to the core" as well as the description of autumn as a season that is to "swell the gourd" help to bring life to autumn.  The opening description of "mellow fruitfulness" helps to highlight autumn's nature as a season that can facilitate and embody growth and emergence, a description that is an integral part of Keats' ode.

Compare and contrast the Victor Frankenstein to his creation. Which of these characters is the hero of the book? Was that Mary Shelley's...

1. As the novel progresses, Victor becomes more like his creation. At first, he is horrified at the Monster's appearance and his own "handiwork."  However, as the killings multiply, Victor comes to view himself in a horrific light.  He realizes that he, like his creature, is a monster because of what he set loose upon the world. At the beginning of Chapter 9, Victor craves isolation just as the Monster does, away from the probing eyes of mankind.  He states,

I shunned the face of man. . . . solitude was my only consolation--deep, dark, deathlike solitude.

When the Monster kills Elizabeth, Victor becomes even more like his creation--he is fueled by revenge.  As he visits his father's, brother's, and wife's graves, he promises,

For this purpose will I preserve my life: to execute the dear revenge will I again behold the sun and tread the green herbage of earth (Chapter 24, page 190).

The Monster wants revenge upon Victor for abandoning him, and Victor wants revenge for the loss of everything dear to him. In the end, Victor and the Monster change roles; Victor, once the pursued, pursues his creation.

2. Many would argue that the Monster is truly the book's protagonist.  Almost all of the novel's conflict is centered upon him, and the two pivotal moments in the book--the destruction of the female creature and Elizabeth's death--are generated by the Monster.  However, Victor does represent a true tragic hero and a Romantic hero.  He falls from a high position (noble birth, well respected, etc.); he possesses a tragic flaw--hubris and an insatiable thirst for knowledge; and he demonstrates a tragic realization while on his deathbed on Walton's ship.

3.  I personally believe that Shelley intends for Victor to be the novel's protagonist, but also for the reader to see the creature not as her work's antagonist but as a mirror character for Victor.

Where is the theme of growth/change present in Great Expectations?-why is the theme of growth/change important? -why is the theme of suffering...

Obviously, since the novel is the story of Pip's maturation, the theme of growth/change are all important.

-As Pip visits Miss Havisham during his preteen and teen years, his views of society change.  Miss Havisham and Estella make him feel that he is not good enough by society's standards, thus planting the seeds of discontent with his situation in life. This change in his self-image causes him to become judgmental of Joe and other characters from his hometown.  In contrast, when the reader first meets Pip, he worships Joe and looks up to him.

-When Pip goes to London to become a gentleman, he learns the difficulty of managing money, fitting into a class-focused society, and choosing confidants wisely.

-Finally, after Pip learns the identity of his benefactor and begins to see the errors of his ways, he returns to those whom he knows he can trust such as Biddy, Joe, and Herbert.

The theme of suffering, not just by Pip, but by almost all of the novel's major characters, illustrates Dickens' theory that people must suffer to mature and to find satisfaction in life.  Suffering for some of the characters is a consequence of their poor choices.

What are some millitary innovations of the ancient Greeks?Please include the Athenian and Spartan accomplishments.

That's an excellent answer.  Of course Greek Fire is probably the most famous of their innovations, although the exact formulation(s) has been lost through the years.  The development of the phalanx as a formation in combat maximized the advantages of their armor, helmets, and shields, and worked well in close combat with the spear (the primary offensive weapon) and the straight and curved short swords, the xiphos and makhaira.  The blades of their weapons, of course, made from bronze were prone to bend, and quite different from the iron weapons of later times and those iron weapons used earlier by such cultures as the Hittites, and others in the areas of Palestine and the Levant.

Interestingly, some of the most innovative of Greek developments were in the areas of tactics and strategy, especially in their uses in naval warfare.  The naval victory at Salamis was perhaps the best example.  I suggest study of The Peloponessian War, an eyewitness account of the first "great war" of history, the 23-year struggle between the Athenian and Spartan alliances, written by Thucydides, a general during the war.

Can I please have a detailed explanation of the poem "The night Of the Scorpion" Line by line explanation please...This is a poem we are currently...

The poet goes back to when he was a child. When he was young, his mother was stung by a scorpion, which was hiding underneath a sack full of rice due to non-stop 10-hour rain. This happened at night.

He stung the mother in a second with his 'diabolical tail' and went out in the rain again.

On hearing the shouts of pain from the mother, a lot of peasants came in and kept on chanting the name of God so that they can stop the scorpion (Evil one). Notice how he says that the peasants were like swarms of flies and he elaborates by saying that they 'buzzed' like flies do.

The scorpion was still in the room, so when the peasants brought in candles and lanterns, enlarged shadows of the scorpion was thrown on the walls. They were searching for the scorpion because they believed that 'with every movement that the scorpion made, his poison moved in Mother's blood', so if they killed it then Mother's suffering would stop. When they couldn't find it, all they could do was click their tongues.

They prayed that the scorpion would sit still. They told the mother that with all the suffering she receives now, the sins of her previous birth will be removed and the misfortunes in the next birth decrease. With this suffering, the balance of evil and good is maintained. The poison will purify her of 'desire' and 'spirit of ambition'. They had made a circle around her with expressions of understanding (i.e. of her pain). With more people coming in, there were more candles and lanterns, and more insects came in, but the rain didn't stop.

The mother was on a mat groaning and twisting about. The narrator's father was a man of science and probably a doctor. However, he was so tensed at that time and with a lack of proper aids, he was doing everything the villagers told him to. He tried every curse and blessing, powder, mixture (medical solution), herb and hybrid. He also put a bit of paraffin wax on the bitten toe and put it on fire. (This is a very old method of removing pain. If anyone suffered a cut of some sort, they would put paraffin wax on it and set it on fire. This was a convenient method curing cuts and bruises, before bandages.) He saw the flame move around the affected area.

It went up to such an extent that a holy man/priest/guru came and performed a religious ceremony to remove the poison. it was only after 20 hours, the pain stopped.

His mother was thankful to God that the scorpion bit her and spared her children. 

Hope this was helpful :)

What 2 passages/quotes from chapter 6 describe Pearl, and what is the symbolic meaning of these quotes?

The opening of Chapter 6 of "The Scarlet Letter" is beautiful prose:

that little creature, whose innocent life had sprung, by the inscrutable decree of Providence, a lovely and immortal flower, out of the rank luxuriance of a guilty passion.  How strange it seemed to the sad woman, as she watched the growth, and the beauty that became every day more brilliant, and the intelligence that threw its quivering sunshine over the features of this child!

More than a child, Pearl is a symbol of the love and passion between Hester and the father of the child.  In addition, she is the outpourings of the repressed heart of her mother.  All outpouring of the passions of the woman imprisoned by grey and a mark upon her bosom are manifested in Pearl:

Man had marked this woman's sin by a scarlet letter, which had such potent and disastrous efficacy that no human sympathy could reach her, save it were sinful like herself. God, as a direct consequence of the sin which man thus punished, had given her a lovely child, whose place was on that same dishonored bosom, to connect her parent for ever with the race and descent of mortals, and to be finally a blessed soul in heaven.

In Chapter 8, Hester herself explains that Pearl is the scarlet letter only "capable of being loved and so endowed with the million-fold the power of retribution:  "She is my happiness!....She is my torture!"  In a criticism of the harsh punishment of the Puritans. also, Hawthorne writes that God has given Hester a lovely child to connect the isolated Hester with the human race and to provide her with the prospect of reparation through her caring love for her child.

How does Austen portray Georgiana Darcy and Miss Bingley?

Austen portrays these two women of the upper class by contrasting their personalities.  Georgiana Darcy, Mr. Darcy's younger sister is an innocent, refined, polite and kind young lady.  She is shy and unsophisticated, this is evidenced by the fact that she was completely fooled by Wickham.

Wickham convinced Georgiana that he loved her, whisking her away at the tender age of 15 to elope.  It was through the efforts of her brother, Mr. Darcy, that Georgiana was saved from the cunning con man that Wickham had become.  He was carefully cultivating Georgiana in order to steal her fortune.  He did not care for her, Wickham only wanted to use her.

Georgiana is a kind and gentle girl, who when she meets Elizabeth Bennet immediately sees the character of the woman is belongs to a lower social class than she.

"She was less handsome than her brother, but there was sense and good humour in her face, and her manners were perfectly unassuming and gentle." Elizabeth Bennet expects that she will dislike Georgiana just as much as she initially dislikes her brother, but she turns out to be favorably impressed."

Caroline Bingley, the unmarried sister of Charles, is depicted as an upper class snob, incapable of a kind word or thought, prejudiced in her attitudes toward the Bennet sisters, pretending to befriend Jane and Lizzie, while, behind their backs, she mocked their commonness and their simple clothes.

Caroline has another reason to dislike Lizzie Bennet, she has set her sights on Mr. Darcy, except he does not pay much attention to Caroline.  Then, when Darcy sets his eyes on Lizzie, Caroline becomes more pompous and obnoxious in Darcy's company attempting to make Elizabeth feel uncomfortable and to distract Darcy's attention away from the common girl in the simple dress.

Caroline is well dressed, but possesses a caustic personality, she is petty and small minded, and easily boasts of their family fortune. Caroline and her sister try desperately to control their brother, Charles.  In the early part of the book, Caroline shares the same arrogant pride and prejudiced attitudes that Darcy displays toward Jane Bennet, which results in the Bingleys leaving the country in a great hurry without any explanation.

This leaves Jane to imagine that Charles did not really care for her at all, which is not true.  But Caroline, even when Jane is in London, does nothing to help her "Friend, Jane" reconnect with her brother.  She acts pleasant, and tries to be policy but more often than not she ends us being sarcastic and sour in her conversation. Caroline Bingley is depicted as a bitter woman, controlling her anger and contempt for a woman, Lizzie, who she feels is beneath her and who has succeeded in securing Mr. Darcy's attention, something that she has failed at.

"Caroline and her sister are willing to go to great lengths to prevent his marriage into the poorer Bennet family. It is Caroline who reveals to Jane Bennet her plans to have Charles marry Fitzwilliam Darcy's sister Georgiana."

What are the industrial uses of aluminium? State the reason why.Give a detailed description about aluminium and the extraction process of the metal...

Aluminum is used extensively in almost countless application because of its high strength combined with low density. Also it is corrosion resistant to the atmosphere as a thin film of aluminium oxide forms over aluminium surfaces which protects it from further corrosion. Also, aluminium is non-toxic making it suitable for application involving contact with food products.

The most extensive and biggest use of aluminium is in packing. It used for packing in various forms such as cans, foils, tubes, and bottle tops.

Second biggest use of aluminium is in transportation it is widely used in most transport vehicles. It is particularly suited for aeroplanes. A modern aeroplane contains about 80% aluminium by weight, A Boeing 747 contains about 75 tons of aluminium.

Electrical transmission is another very big application area for aluminium. It has about 63% of electrical conductivity of copper but only half the density. That makes it a very attractive substitute for copper in electric cables and transmission lines. Particular for bare conductors of transmission lines, aluminum is is the only choice.

Aluminum find very big application in construction industry in form of window and door frames, cladding, and roofing. Aluminium is also used for painting other surfaces.

Aluminium is also used extensively for making stylish and light weight furniture. It is particularly popular for folding and other type of furniture which is intended to be shifted and stored away frequently.

IN addition to these major areas identified there are so many other applications that together account for a large quantity for aluminum, For example it is used for making utensils, golf clubs and tennis rackets.

For more detailed description of uses of aluminum consult the websites referred below.

Divide the face of the clock into three parts with two lines so that the sum of the numbers in the three parts are equal.

Let P be a point between 10 and 11

Let Q be a point between  2and 3

Draw the chord PQ.

Let R be a point between 8 and 9 and S be a point between  4 and 5, Join the chord RS

Now the face of the clock has 3 regions.  The sector bounded by the chord PQ and its arch ,  the region PQSR   ,  and the region enclosed between the chord RS and its arch  containing numbers respectively: (2,1,,12,and 11) , (3, 4, 10 and  9 )  and (8, 7, 6 and 5)  in each regions so divided. The sum in each part or region is  26.

If the the clock has 12 not marked , then it could be treated as  zero and then clock face contains 1 to 11 and a  no number or zero. Under this situation,  [1, 0 (or no number),  11  , 10] , [3,  2,  9,  8] and [7,  6,  5   4] are the  numbers in the 3 regions separated by two chord PQ ( P in between  9 and 10 ,  Q is in between 1 and 2)  and RS (R is in between 7 and 8,     and S between  3 and 4). In this case the total of numbers in each region is 22.

Who captured Mexico City during the Mexican War?

While the early battles of the Mexican-American War were won by a all-professional army under General Zachary Taylor, it was Winfield Scott who took Mexico City on September 14, 1847.  His conquest of Mexico was accomplished with a mix of professional and volunteer units, including the finest field artillery in the world at the time.  In addition, he accomplished this against what on paper looked like impossible odds, and in fact was a difficult campaign.

His base was at Vera Cruz, and to travel to Mexico City he had no chance with his limited manpower of occupying the country.  Instead he cut his army loose from a fixed line of supply, and only held a few major outposts between the coast and Mexico City.  By his aggressive tactics and the unusual freedom of initiative by his subordinates he mentally outmanuevered Santa Anna, who also had political opponents in his own army command.  When he entered the Mexican capital Scott only had about 6,000 troops left.

After he took Mexico City Scott, who had been a general officer since the War of 1812, only held Vera Cruz, the capital and four other intermediate points.  He could not actually conquer Mexico, but once he was reinforced to 24,000 troops there was no way the Mexican government and army could drive him out, and they were forced to accept the independance from Mexico and unification with the US of Texas, and the loss of California and New Mexico.  In return Scott left Mexico and the US paid the country $15 million for the ceded territories, and assumed some three million dollars in debts from Mexico to US citizens in those areas.

Ironically enough, President Polk's administration had offered Mexico $25 million in exchange for the same areas before the war, and Santa Anna had refused.

What is ironic about Colonel Graff taking Ender's hand in Ender's Game? How does Graff blaspheme God?

The act of holding someone's hand means the person loves and will protect the one he is holding hands with. Graff does not love Ender, and he has no intention of protecting him. Graff wants to take a sweet little boy and turn him into a manipulating, vicious little monster. This little monster is supposed to save mankind from the evil buggers. Instead of protecting Ender, Graff will expose him to isolation, loneliness, and hate to see if Ender can take it and thrive. Hand-holding is also a symbol of trust, and Graff is not one to be trusted.

As for Graff blaspheming God, I didn't find a reference to that in the book. I did see Ender sending embarrassing messages over the desk system about Bernard, a bully who made people miserable. Ender says, "Cover your butts, Bernard is watching" and signed it God. Bernard had made a public snide comment about Shem twitching his butt when he walked. Of course God would send no such messages, but it made Bernard, who wanted to be the god of the Launchers, quit his persecution.

What is Crooks' initial evaluation of Lennie? How does Crooks taunt Lennie? Why does Crooks relent in his taunting of Lennie?Section 4

At first Crooks jeers at Lennie, evidently because he is intellectually limited, but the real "stab" he makes is when he suggests that George could go away and never come back. Lennie can't make the difference between a hypothesis and a fact and  thinks Crooks is telling him that George will indeed not return that evening or ever. He begins to panic at the thought, and then it is Crooks turn to calm him down.

Up to this point, Crooks has not considered anyone's misfortune other than his own, and suddenly he sees another person's vulnerability and despair. He softens up to Lennie, and even lets his own guard down as he talks honestly to Lennie about his own solitude.

Where are examples of figurative language in "A Separate Peace"?

Every version of the book will have different page numbers, so if I give you one it most likely will not be accurate.  However, I can tell you as close as I can where the passages are.

For great examples of figurative language, look to Leper's description of the events at the tree.  Leper is brought from his house to be on Brinker's "court" that he assembles, to figure out what happened at the tree.  These descriptions come in at the very end of chapter eleven.  Leper describes the scene at the tree using several figurative language techniques.  One is a simile; he says that the sun looked "like golden machine-gun fire" as it shone past Finny and Gene on the branch, and that their profiles were "as black as death".  A simile is using like or as to compare two things, and this description helps you to see the dark profiles with the bright sunbeams striking out around their bodies.

Then, he describes Gene's motion that knocks Finny out of the tree with another simile, saying that they "moved like an engine."  He clarifies that it is two-part engine, a piston moving.  With this, it is easy for use to visualize Gene bending his knees down, and the resulting wave that knocks Finny off. Using similes to describe what happened on the tree gives it a poetic edge that helps the reader to visualize in their mind the entire scene, as seen through Leper's eyes.  So, there is one part in the book that uses figurative language, specifically similes.

What is the theme in "The Young King" by Oscar Wilde?

One of the main themes in The Young King is self-transformation. This young king who lives in opulence and extravagance has an ephiphany through a dream, realizing that the golden and expensive robe he is to wear for coronation was paid for by the sacrifice of the poor, and with money that could have gone somewhere neccesary. Hence, like a born-again Saint, the young king decides to wear robes instead of the kingly cape, and adopt a martyr-like pose for his coronation. Bringing shame to those around him, he is nearly killed until an apparent miracle occurs and what seems to be the presence of Christ in the church shines through his jewels, and makes all bright up. This, is a symbol of the confirmation that this man has taken a vow of poverty and sacrifice, and that he has indeed changed.

And lo! through the painted windows came the sunlight streaming upon him, and the sunbeams wove round him a tissued robe that was fairer than the robe that had been fashioned for his pleasure. The dead staff blossomed, and bare lilies that were whiter than pearls. The dry thorn blossomed, and bare roses that were redder than rubies. Whiter than fine pearls were the lilies, and their stems were of bright silver. Redder than male rubies were the roses, and their leaves were of beaten gold.
     He stood there in the raiment of a king, and the gates of the jewelled shrine flew open, and from the crystal of the many-rayed monstrance shone a marvellous and mystical light. He stood there in a king's raiment, and the Glory of God filled the place, and the saints in their carven niches seemed to move. In the fair raiment of a king he stood before them, and the organ pealed out its music, and the trumpeters blew upon their trumpets, and the singing boys sang.
     And the people fell upon their knees in awe, and the nobles sheathed their swords and did homage, and the Bishop's face grew pale, and his hands trembled. 'A greater than I hath crowned thee,' he cried, and he knelt before him.

Why do you think the narrator dreams about his grandfather after the fight? What do you think his dream means?

indeedboy,

“Battle Royal,” 1947, was Ellison's first chapter of Invisible Man, which is introduced by the first-person narrator’s explanation of how as a black, he is considered so unimportant by white society that he is virtually non-existent (invisible).

A major strand of the speaker’s consciousness is his grandfather’s advice to consider kindness and submission as a subversive activity (paragraph 3). We may construe the narrator’s dream (paragraph 106) as a description of his circumstances in the face of racial discrimination. In the dream, empty envelope after empty envelope indicates the hollowness of white promises for black improvement, and the final words, “Keep This Nigger-Boy Running,” vitiate the sincerity of whites (paragraph 107.)

He has been asked to give the same speech before a meeting of town dignitaries, and goes to the meeting expecting to be received warmly and sympathetically. Instead of such friendliness, he is shown the very worst and most discriminatory vindictiveness of the members of the town’s white power structure.

The beast is first described as a "snake-thing." What do you think is the significance of this? Where else do images of snakes appear in the novel?

The motif of snakes in Lord of the Flies refers to evil, the serpent in the Garden of Eden. The author, William Golding, imagined this novel as an allegory, a story in which characters, events, and objects stand as symbols for an idea or theme. The allegory of Lord of the Flies may represent the Biblical story of the Garden of Eden. The snakes in the jungle then would symbolize the serpent in the apple tree who tempts Eve to commit sin. According to religious belief, the Devil sent the snake to defy the wishes of God. In the same way the Beast, a representative of the Devil, is identified with the snakes.

The image of the snakes appears another time in Chapter Two when the boys light a large signal fire on the mountain.  As the fire grows more and more out of control the littleuns scream "Snakes! Snakes! Look at the snakes!"(page 46). Their vision makes sense in terms of the allegory as the appearance of the devil in the flames of hell.