I'm studying a poem called "By the Seaside" and I need its summary.it's urgent

This poem is an exploration of the natural beauty Wordsworth sees at a port as he is looking out at calm waters.  The exposition of this poem reveals a pristine and powerful picture rendered.  A sense of calmness pervades as "the sun has couched ans the sea fowl has come to take some rest."  This tranquil beauty is continued throughout the first half of the poem.  The speaker notes how compelling a change this is from the turbulent and intense nature of the waters, as he argues that when ships and traffic make the waters angry and very intense.  This "soothing recompense" is a welcome sight for the speaker.  The poem concludes with a praise and a hope that the calmness in front of the speaker will continue, that a moment in time of beauty will always remains.

What is the tone of "The Raven," and how does it relate to the central idea?

Many teachers, critics, and students have their ideas of "The Raven," especially since it's such a widely read and popular poem.  Even if reading it at the college level, though, don't be intimidated by its popularity or by the overwhelming amount of literary criticism you may encounter concerning "The Raven."

At its core, "The Raven" is a poem about the narrator's lost love, Lenore, and his final realization that not only has the love of his life died, but he will never ("nevermore") be the same.  Like any good poem, the tone changes as the poem progresses.  Though many critics would say the overall tone is "melancholy," step-by-step, the tone progresses from distracting and distracted (the narrator delves into his studies as a means of distraction, and then a sound suddenly distracts him) to curious (exploring the sound), annoyed and angry (at the bird's insistence), then finally, resigned (to the fact that Lenore is gone, never to return, and that he will never get over her).  In a way, the narrator progresses through part of the stages of grief (shock and denial; pain and guilt; anger and bargaining; depression, reflection, and loneliness...though stages five through seven never seem to happen).

I would say that overall, the tone is resigned/despairing, which connects to the central idea that the narrator has realized his life will never be the same without Lenore.  Just remember that the message (central idea) and the tone are always connected.  Determining the message, speaker, and audience of a piece can help you determine the tone as well.

I hope that this information was helpful to you!  Let me know if you have any further questions!

From what point of view is the story of The Chrysalids told; that is, who tells the story?

The chrysalids is told from David's Point of view, Him being the Protagonist - Even if the limelight is later stolen by his little sister Petra.
The significance in this story being told by him is that of HIM, as a child, understanding the biasness of the society. When the adults of the society are blinded by their beliefs that to begin with, were twisted.
As David once said "Ethnics was why you should, and shouldn't do things. Most of the Don't were the same as my father's but some of the reasons were different, so it was confusing. " It shows how the society and ethnics clash with each other and this confuses david to a large extent.
Using Sophie's Toe as an Example, To the society, having an extra toe meant that sophie was a blasphemy and she had to be removed as she was a threat to Waknuk. However, David wonders how one extra toe could cause any harm to anyone at all. Instead of viewing physical deformations as physical handicaps, the town views them as mutations and evil. The town views them as the source of evil instead of how it could be used to bring about productive , positive change.
Seeing things from David's Point of view is extremely advantageous to the reader as it shows the pure picture of the entire story. We can be sure of this as well, as David is the son of Waknuk's self-proclaimed Leader that constantly lectures and harps on purity of the race and how offences should be removed and purified as soon as possible, but David himself does not think like his father. Does not Conform to the society's standards and rules. However much is drilled into David, he still stays unbias-ed. It helps bring out the essence of the whole story, how the residents of Waknuk have been reading excerpts out of the repentences and claiming them to be god's words (repentences =/= bible), how they do not think for themselves. In the sense that they want to build society to how the old people had it, but do not think that because of the way that the Old People had built society, it brought tribulation down on them. It shows how progressive stances are brought to a halt. (Angus morton's Great Horses)
If anyone else in the book told the story, important key points might be left out.
Such as the messages hanging on David's House walls, showing the extremity of Waknuk. And also How making friends with sophie shows deviants are not born evil, they are forced to become cunning and of such because society forces them to be.

What are some figures of speech in "Rip Van Winkle"?

In "Rip van Winkle," Washington Irving employs

• personification as he describes the Katsill Mountains as "clothed in blue and purple" and they "print their bold outlines on the clearn evening skiy"


• simile as the last rays of the setting sun "glow and light up like a crown of glory."


• metaphor as Rip's temper is "rendered plain ant malleable in the fiery furnace of domestic tribulation,....at the hands of "a termagant" wife.)


• simile as Rip van Winkle's children are described, "His children too were as ragged and wild as if they belonged to nobody. His son Rip, "was generally seen trooping like a colt at this mother's heels, equipped in a pair of his father's castoff galligaskins, when he had much ado to hold up with the one hand, as a fine lady does her train in bad weather."


• metaphor as Rip provokes a "fresh volley from his wife, so that he was fain to draw off his forces and take to the outside of the house..."


• metaphor as Rip's dog "sneaked about with a gallows air" (like someone condemned to be hanged).


• metaphor as "a sharp tongue is the only edged tool athat grows keener with constant use."  Another metaphor compares a hot summer day to a "Long lazy summer's day."


• personification as Rip expels "angry puffs" from his pipe, but when he is pleased he emits "light and placid clouds."  Rip looks over the "lordly Hudson" river.  In the evening "the mountains began to throw their long blue shadows over the valleys.."


• simile Rip hears the noise of balls "which, whenever they were rolled, echoes along the mountains like rumbling peals of thunder."


• metaphor as there is "a drop of comfort at least in the intelligence."  Rip had "got his neck out of the yoke of matrimony" and away from the "petticoat government."

What is a coward? I'm doing an essay on Julius Caesar. And I need professional opinions on the meaning of a coward.

Merriam-Webster's dictionary defines a coward as:

"one who show disgraceful fear or timidity"

Opinions on what makes someone a coward may vary depending on who you ask. For some, a coward  may be anyone who is unwilling to stand up for what he believes is right. For others, a coward is any person that runs from an altercation; too meek to stand up for themselves.

In Act II, Cesar has no desire to stay home even after he has received numerous warnings about this day. He tells his wife:

"Cowards die many times befor their deaths; the valiant never taste of death but  once."

 Of course a person can't die more than once, he means this metaphorically. In Cesar's time, a man who was labeled a coward might have died a social death. His friends and family would have lost respect for him. If he were a man of great wealth or power, his social standing may have suffered. Who can reverence a man who is too timid to stand up for himself?

On the other hand, a man who dies fighting, is a man who has died honorably, with his head held high. Mexican Revolutionary, Emiliano Zapata Salazar said it best when he said:

"I would rather die on my feet than live on my knees."

Cesar preferred the latter.

In "A Rose for Emily" when Miss Emily was about forty, what had she done to earn money?

This is one of those questions that can be found through a close reading of the text.  Faulkner does make it difficult to track time though, so it is a bit tricky.  He doesn't write the story sequentially, so it is hard to figure out exactly how old she is in each section.  But, there is only one place in the story where Faulkner mentions Emily doing anything to earn a bit of extra money.  If you look at the text, after the story mentions Homer disappearing forever, almost near the end, Faulkner writes:

"From that time on her front door remained closed, save for a period of six orseven years, when she was about forty, during which she gave lessons in china painting."

So, at age 40, for about 6 or 7 years, she gave lessons on painting china.  It is an interesting thing to do to earn money, and even more interesting that Miss Emily, from wealthy relations and a stubborn sense of pride, would condescend to teaching painting lessons for money.  But, she does it.  I hope that helps!

Analyse the role of supernatural machinery in "Macbeth".

The most exciting & detailed-out supernatural element in Macbeth is the Witches. The three witches & their queen, Hecate, not only contribute to the dark, uncanny atmosphere, they also highlight the problematic of evil--the temptation & the fall. They may resemble the 'fate sisters' in Classical mythology as well as an ironic reminder of the temptation of Christ by three tempters. Macbeth, the admired saviour of Scotland, is Christ gone wrong. By making their proclamations on the heath, they exteriorise the germ of evil in Macbeth. Apart from remarkably adding up to the visual theatre of Macbeth, the witches are responsible for Macbeth's doing; later in the play, the three apparitions conjured by the witches equivocate to his undoing.

The air-drawn dagger seen by Macbeth just before the murder of Duncan, and the ghost of Banquo, appearing at the banquet are two more supernatural elements which illustrate the subjective & psychological version when intense fear & guilt assume the form of supernatural visions.

In Macbeth, Shakespeare uses the supernatural in all possible dimensions--theatrical & psychological, objective & subjective, realistic & symbolic.

From Into the Wild, is it possible that taking the family dog with him would have had any effect on Chris's journeys?

This question comes from second-guessing and hindsight. Chris's sister Carine explains that their parents, Walt and Billie, believe that the presence of Buck the dog would have caused Chris to act in a more cautious manner; since Buck had been recovering from an accident, they believe that Chris would have been more careful and perhaps not gone so far into the wilderness.

"My parents can't help wondering -- and I admit that I can't, either -- how things might have turned out different if Chris had taken Buck with him. Chris didn't think twice about risking his own life, but... there's no way he would have taken the same kind of chances if Buck had been with him."
(Krakauer, Into the Wild, Amazon.com)

This question is entirely up to personal opinion. There is no way to say one way or another if Buck's presence would have affected Chris's journeys. In fact, if Buck was sufficiently endangered, it is more likely that Chris would have left the dog with one of the many friends he made during his trip. Perhaps Buck would have had a grounding effect on Chris, but by the time he left Emory, Chris had cemented his personal philosophies and it is unlikely that he would have changed them for the dog.

On the other hand, one of his favorite authors was Jack London, who wrote tales about man and dog against the wilderness. It is entirely possible that with the dog to "help" him, Chris may have ventured even farther into the wilderness, thinking that he was reliving the sort of experience that created London's famous stories.

Do I have rights to see my granddaughter?Have I got rights to see my granddaughter? My daughter-in-law got mad at me so she won't let my...

It is not possible to give a complete and definite answer to this question because grandparents' rights are a matter of state law and some of the details of your particular situation might affect the answer, no matter what state you live in.  I can give you some general information, though, and a few links to help you.

Some states do not allow grandparents to sue for custody or visitation unless the child's parents are divorced or separated or one parent has died.  I do not know if that is your situation, or if your son and daughter-in-law are together. There are about 20 states that make divorce, separation, or death a requirement for you to have visitation or custody rights. Some states do not have this requirement, but can still make it difficult for grandparents.  Most of the Supreme Court case law in recent years has limited grandparents' rights.

It is a very sad situation when a parent will not allow children access to their grandparents, but sometimes people can work things out without going to court.  If you cannot work things out without going to court, you will need to see an attorney in your state.  Sometimes county bar associations have a service that allows people to see an attorney for a preliminary consultation at a very low cost, and sometimes there is a local legal services office that can help for free.  What you do not want to do is arrange to see your grandchildren without their parents knowing because that would be wrong and make it difficult for you to get any rights at all if you do have to go to court.

I wish you the best of luck with this situation. 

What is the significance of the scene in which a doctor describes King Edward's power of healing in Act 5, Scene 3?

The conversation between Malcolm, the Doctor and Macduff accomplishes several things. In Act IV, Scene 3, Malcolm and Macduff who have be exiled from Scotland praise King Edward of England, known as "Edward the Confessor".  It was believed he had a gift for healing a disease known as "scrofula" which was a tuberculosis of the lymph glands and usually affected children. Edward would touch people afflicted with the disease and many were supposedly healed. Malcolm refers to this when he says,

"A most miraculous work in this good King,Which often, since my here-remain in England, I have seen him do. How he solicits heaven,Himself best knows; but strangely-visited people, All swol'n and ulcerous, pitiful to the eye,The mere despair of surgery, he cures. . ." IV,iii, 164-169

King James, for whom Macbeth was written, revived the practice of the so-called "royal touch." So by complimenting King Edward, Shakespeare is also indirectly complimenting King James. In addition, his words directly condemn Macbeth, who is not a kingly healer, but a kingly killer. Edward cures evil while Macbeth is evil.

Why does Karana destroy the village in Island of the Blue Dolphins?Please put it in detail.

Karana destroys the village because it reminds her "of all the people who (are) dead and those who (are) gone".  She burns it down so that she will no longer hear "their voices speaking", and so that she can move on.

All the members of her tribe had gone away on a ship with the white men.  Karana had been on board with them, and the ship had been sailing away, but then she had noticed that her little brother Ramo had been left behind, and she had leapt overboard to stay with him.  The two had lived at the village alone for awhile, but since Ramo had been killed by wild dogs, Karana is completely alone on the island.  She stays at the village until all of the abalones stored there are gone, then realizes how the fog "(creeping) in and out of the empty huts...(makes) shapes as it drift(s)".  The shapes remind her of all the people who used to live there with her but who now are gone. 

Karana sits and sees the shapes and hears the voices for a long time, then she decides that she will never live in the village again.  She makes a fire against the wall of her house; when her house has burned to the ground, she does the same to another one.  One by one, she destroys all of the houses, "so that there (are) only ashes left to mark the village of Ghalas-at".

Karana takes only one basket of food away with her.  She travels quickly, and by nightfall arrives at the place where she has decided to stay until the ship should return for her, a place with a large rock "on a headland a half league to the west of Coral Cove" (Chapter 9).

In "To Kill a Mockingbird", what might be the cause of the laughter from inside the house?

As the previous answer states, the laughter from inside the house is probably Boo Radley having a good chuckle as he watches the antics of the children outside his door. Scout never lets on to Jem and Dill that she heard it at all; she keeps it to herself. This is probably because she is too afraid to even mention it. At this early stage in the novel, anything to do with the Radley house scares the children, certainly Scout, who is the youngest. The laughter seems scary to her.

It is not until the end of the novel, when Boo Radley is finally revealed for the eminently decent person that he is in saving the children from the depraved Bob Ewell, that Scout's perspective about him undergoes a sea-change. We get hints before this that the older and wiser Jem is already changing his ideas about Boo: for instance when he remarks thoughtfully that Boo's seclusion inside the house, hitherto such an intriguing mystery to the children, might be simply 'because he wants to stay inside'.

But for Scout, the revelation about Boo Radley is withheld until the end of the story. Then, it happens in a flash, and she comes to understand him and to literally see things from his perspective as she stands on the Radley porch looking down the street. She realizes now that Boo, or to give him his proper name, Arthur, has always been watching them and looking out for them, and that they also unwittingly helped him by affording him innocent amusement as he watched all their games. The laughter that Scout hears from the house earlier is an indication of the happiness that he derives from the innocent children playing in his neighbourhood. Although she doesn't know it then, it is a positive sign.

The Tempest, Act 1 scene 2, lines 350-375: Comment on how this scene belongs in a comedy by paying special attention to the characters here.i need...

The scene in question sees Prospero deploying Arial, and promising him his liberty after two days, and then calling on Caliban. As such, it has several essential functions in the structure of The Tempest and in deploying its comic potential.

First, it shows Prospero's range of instruments. He has both good and evil spirits at his command, and so we can be sure that he will contrive some fitting revenge on the castaways for the situation they helped put him into. The interest of the audience is piqued and their attention is primed for what Prospero will do with his superhuman helpers.

Second, it creates tension by introducing a time limit. Prospero explicitly promises to release Ariel from his bondage in two days. This sets up the temporal pressure that helps intensify some of the farcial situations the characters are involved in later -- the audience knows that things must wrap up quickly.

Third, it introduces a note of lightheartedness. Ariel is clearly overjoyed at the prospect of his liberty. Moreover, we are warned of Caliban's character in advance, so his surliness does not have the dampening effect that it might otherwise have on our spirits. He too is, as Prospero properly notes, an essential part of the action.

The idea of forgiveness comes up throughout The Scarlet Letter. What does Hawthorne seem to be saying about forgiveness?

The lesson about forgiveness is best seen in the life of Roger Chillingworth. When he learns of Hester's adultery, he chooses to devote his life to revenge. His wrath becomes obsession as he spends his days and nights seeking the identity of Hester's partner in sin. When he confirms his suspicion that it is Dimmesdale who fathered Pearl, Chillingworth torments the young minister psychologically and, on one occasion, prevents him from confessing in order to free himself from his sin and guilt. Furthermore, Chillingworth becomes so absolutely morally depraved that he deliberately uses his healing skills as a physician to destroy Dimmesdale's health. As Dimmesdale fails in body and spirit, Chillingworth watches and rejoices in his suffering.

Before he became obsessed with revenge, Chillingworth had been a scholar and a respected physician. By the end of his life, he had become a monster. As he descended into his own spiritual destruction, Chillingworth's physical appearance changes until he becomes an ugly, frightening figure to behold. The townspeople see the striking difference in Chillingworth's physical appearance and are repelled by him. The inference can be drawn that Chillingworth's outer physical appearance reflects his growing spiritual corruption.

When Dimmesdale finally does make a public confession and seek forgiveness, he frees himself from sin and guilt, and he also frees himself from Chillingworth's revenge. The old physician then is left alone, without purpose, and soon dies. Before his death, however, he leaves his estate to Pearl, the one innocent victim in the whole affair. Chillingworth realized at the end of his life that he needed forgiveness for himself.

In Chapter V of The Great Gatsby, what does Nick find unusual when he comes home? How does his description contribute to the mood?

The chapter begins with Nick's describing what he finds when he comes home after leaving Jordan:

When I came home to West Egg that night I was afraid for a moment that my house was on fire. Two o'clock and the whole corner of the peninsula was blazing with light which fell unreal on the shrubbery and made thin elongating glints upon the roadside wires. Turning a corner I saw that it was Gatsby's house, lit from tower to cellar.

The contrast between Gatsby's huge house blazing with light and the darkness that surrounds it is striking. Nick's observation does not end there, however. He continues, his additional description serving to develop the scenic contrast:

At first I thought it was another party, a wild rout . . . with all the house thrown open to the game. But there wasn't a sound. Only wind in the trees which blew the wires and made the lights go off and on again as if the house had winked into the darkness.

Thus Gatsby's glowing empty mansion stands alone in the darkness, surrounded by silence, except for the wind moving through the trees. The mood is one of loneliness and isolation, with a certain sense of eeriness as the lights blink off and on. Gatsby is clearly alone, in more ways than one. This idea is emphasized a few paragraphs later, after Nick has had a brief conversation with Gatsby and ended the evening. Nick comments he does not know how Gatsby spent the rest of the night:

I think I walked into a deep sleep as I entered my front door. So I don't know . . . for how many hours he "glanced into rooms" while his house blazed gaudily on.

The image of Gatsby wandering through his empty mansion, looking into empty rooms, is both moving and symbolic of his life.

In Macbeth how many murderers attacked Banquo and his son?

Although Macbeth had arranged the details of the attack on Banquo and Fleance with two murderers, when the men lie in wait for father and son, we find three murderers on the scene. The first two question the third, asking him who sent him, and he responds, "Macbeth."

The audience is left to speculate about the reason for the third murderer. Does Macbeth add another man to improve the odds by having three men attack two? That thought may well be his reason for the additional murderer.

At any rate, the plan does not succeed because only Banquo is killed. Fleance manages to escape in the darkness; thus, Macbeth is unable to thwart the witches' prophecy that Banquo's descendants will be kings.

Compare and contrast the current threats to world peace with the nuclear threat of the Cold War. you need 5 examples of current threats to...

There are both many parellels and much contrast in today's intenational dangers and the Cold War.  Although the Cold War seemed to threaten total annihilation, in many respects today's situation is worse.

1. Pakistan.  If a militant terrorist organization succeeded in seizing Pakistan and it's nuclear weaponry this could be a serious problem.  This isn't as frightening perhaps as the USSR and US killing everyone on earth in a few hours, but it would be bad.  A nuclear-armed al-Q'uida is an idea the rest of the world wouldn't like.  It could lead to severe sanctions, even land invasion by UN forces or strikes by almost anyone with a large enough air force.  It would not drive a wedge between the Cold War protagonists, though; the Western Allies, China and the former-Soviet countries would probably all cooperate.

2. The Balkans.  A perrenial trouble spot, and there will probably be another war there within the next few years as Kossovo continues its independant course from Serbia.  Kossovo is the ancient sacred heart of Serbia, but is now populated mostly by Albanians.  During the Cold War the ethnic troubles in what was Yugoslavia were kept under control by Tito, but no more.  This is a conflict that has the possibility of the US and Russia taking opposite sides.  Sort of like Vietnam, but more center-stage.

3.  International terrorism.  This is the most complex threat in every way.  Such groups have advantages in timing, seeking soft targets and controlling the level of intensity, but are susceptible to military action, police forces, investigations of all types, infiltration, observation by vigilant citizens, etc.  In addition, terrorists are usually considered criminals, not soldiers, and are therefore not covered by the Geneva Convention if captured.  Even if they were considered soldiers, as non-members of recognized national armies they would be treated as mercenaries, again not covered by the Geneva Conventions.  In some ways this situation is reminiscent of the Cold War in that there are two diametrically opposed forces, but the forces are radically different.  The disparity of force means the war must be fought as a series of intelligence and guerrilla engagements, with one side preying largely on the defenceless and the other retaliating in ways which ensure collateral damage too often.

4. Mexico.  One-party rule, inattention to the problems of the poor and the long-term foolishness of politicians in Mexico have combined with the failure of the American "War on Drugs" policy to create chaos in Mexico which is spilling over into the US.  The bankruptcy of American policy has enabled drug syndicates to grow more in terms of firepower and aggression than in business acumen, and Mexico has done nothing about the basic economic inequities in the country.  Illegal and legal immigration has spread Mexican drug gangs across the US, and Mexico itself is approaching civil war.  This is somewhat like the Cuban revolution, but far more dangerous.  This is economic and social conditions approached by criminal gangs instead of an ideological revolt.

5.  Israel.  Same as always, things haven't changed much here.  The US will still back Israel, although not unquestioningly anymore.  The US also must keep cooperation going with Arab countries because of al-Q'uida, etc.  The USSR still largely supports Arab countries.  As for the last 6,000 years, war could come here at any time.

How is the word 'connotation' used in relation to arts and music?in relation to film ,visual and perfoming arts

We must first define what connotation means. According to my English teachers in middle and high school, they taught me that connotation is the association of one thing with another. In other words, when someone mentions one thing, I immediately thing of something that I can relate it with. So in terms of arts or music, I look or listen at the artist/musician's works and I relate it to moments in my life that relate with their pieces. Often times, if a song I listen to was sad, then I think of sad moments. If I look at a work of art and I feel happy, I recollect a memory that made me happy.

Do most of the important scenes in Othello occur at night or in the daytime? What is the effect on the atmosphere of the play?

Quite a lot of the play takes place at night. The play begins at night, with Iago and Roderigo (Act 1, Scene 1) waking up Brabantio to tell him that his daughter has escaped with Othello - and, of course Othello and Desdemona's wedding has already taken place in the middle of the night.

The meeting with the Duke of Venice, Brabantio and Othello (and everyone else) at night, where it is agreed that everyone will go to Cyprus takes place later that same night.

This night-time setting also adds to the feel of Venice as somewhere claustrophobic, uncomfortable, and really quite unpleasant. And that darkness is carried across into Cyprus, in attitude if not in setting. Several of the Cyprus scenes do seem to take place during the day, particularly the persuasion of Othello by Iago: adding, I think, to the casualness of things. It's so off-hand, just another day, and just another comment: 'Look to your wife'. And look at what happens.

Three key scenes do happen at night though. Firstly, the "drinking scene", with the drinking songs and the intoxication and eventual dismissal of Cassio. This interrupts Othello and Desdemona's wedding night - and Othello has to take Montano to dress his wound. Secondly, the scene in which Roderigo is killed by Iago in the dark, and Cassio is wounded. What both of these scenes have in common is Iago, as the puppet-master, running around in the dark, armed, and orchestrating the violence. It's a persuasive image of Iago.

The final scene - of course - which happens at night is the last one, and that dreadful build up to it, as Desdemona sings her "willow" song, and the wind blows outside. It's dark when Desdemona is strangled - she's killed at night. The darkness of Iago (who, of course, is *white* and not *black*: Shakespeare ironising the Venetian's racism) - spreads.

Hope it helps!

In Act III, scene 5 of "Romeo and Juliet", how does Juliet react to Nurse's advice?

Juliet is overwrought and frustrated.  She has trusted the nurse with her secret love of Romeo and even her secret marriage. But, now her trusted companion is encouraging her to commit a grave sin by marrying Paris even though she is married to Romeo.

She feels that the nurse is two-faced and untrustworthy.  So, she leaves to go to Friar Lawrence to make "confession" for making her parents so mad.  But, Juliet is likely to do something rash simply because she is so upset, has not slept, and has lost the trust in her most trusted advisor.

Juliet simply cannot believe that the nurse would agree to her marrying Paris. I think Juliet expected the nurse to tell her parents that she was already married, but then, that would put the nurse's position with the family in jeopardy since she was supposed to be watching out for Juliet.

In "The Scarlet Letter," why has the prison door "never known a youthful era"?

In Chapter I of "The Scarlet Letter," Hawthorne as the narrator mentions that the prison was constructed as quickly as a cemetery was marked out in the new Puritan community:

The rust on the ponderous iron-work of its oaken door looked more antique that anything else in the New World. Like all that pertains to crime, it seemed never to have known a youthful era.

In other words, the prison door seems to have always been in the colony; in fact, it almost seems to have preceded the Puritans.  Hawthorne's striking mention of this "Prison Door" that looms over the community is extremely significant.  For, it indicates the iron rigidity of Puritanism, its unforgiving precepts, and its hardness and cruelty.  There is no innocence--no "youthful era"--in the Puritan community of New England. Sin has always been there; sin has always been punished, according to harsh Puritan law.  The grey men who stand outside with their "steeple-crowned hats," intermixed with the hooded women, both in "sad-coloured garments" indicated the austerity of their culture.  Only the wild rosebush in bloom by the prison suggests, as Hawthorne writes,

let us hope, to symbolise some sweet more blossom, that may be found along the track, or relieve the darkening close of a tale of human fraility and sorrow.

In his first chapter, Nathaniel Hawthorne sets the tone of his novel of the punishment of Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale, of the crushing of their passions and suppression of their spirits.

What is the significance of Lucky's speech in Waiting for Godot?

Lucky's diatribe is an assertion of the paradox of man's existence and his relationship with God. The speech is rich in metaphor and references to the works of scholars on the subject. Throughout his soliloquy, Lucky attempts to provide insight into the human condition – that man has been abandoned by God but that God still has empathy for him. Furthermore, the descriptors used by Lucky make it clear that he does not really know or understand entirely what he is talking about. It is as if what he says has come to him in a moment of enlightenment and inspiration – he therefore babbles away without really knowing what he is saying.

The speech is Beckett's critique of man's desire to convince and impress those less knowledgeable about our deep understanding and insight into the human condition and human affairs. Our so-called intellectuals couch their language in obscure references and embellish it with jargon and bombastic vocabulary to seem intellectually advanced and to indicate that they have a profound understanding of what they are talking about. However, this is all a sham. In the end, we end up more confused and uncertain.

Lucky refers to the fact that man is diminishing in stature in spite of all his achievements – man "wastes and pines," but finds meaning in grandiose exploits and achievements. All this is meaningless. Man seeks purpose, but what that purpose is is not known. Man exists in a world in which he is not truly nurtured for growth and advancement and therefore man seeks purpose but does not really know what that purpose is.

Lucky's speech is the essence of what the play is about. Our two protagonists are "waiting for Godot." Why, no one knows, but it provides their lives with purpose. It gives their existence meaning and, therefore, instead of committing suicide, they will wait for Godot. 

In "The Crucible" in what ways has Mary Warren changed, and what changed her?

At the beginning of the play, Mary Warren is characterized as a bit of a frantic, whiney, cowardly girl who doesn't have much backbone.  As the girls gather around Betty and are talking about what to do, Mary Warren comes in, freaking out.  She is super worried that they are going to get in trouble for the dancing they did the previous night.  She wants them all to 'fess up to the dancing so that she doesn't get into trouble.  She adds, self-righteously, "I never done none of it, Abby.  I only looked!"  First of all, while the dancing was going on, Mercy was to much of a "goody-goody" if you will, to join into the dancing. Then she is the first to wuss out and want to confess their crimes.  At least, this is the impression that Miller puts across.  Abby is seen as the popular ring-leader and Mary is the more annoying pansy of the group.  Abby summarizes it well: "Oh, you're a great one for lookin', aren't you Mary Warren?  What a grand peeping courage you have!"

Later however, in Act Two, we see Mary grow a bit of a backbone.  She is "an official of the court now", all high on her major role in the accusations of witchcraft.  For the first time, probably, she feels accepted, noticed, and important.  People listen to her.  She even confidently declares to John Proctor, "I'll not stand whipping any more" in the face of threats that used to send her cowering.  She demands that he "speak civilly" to her.  This change comes from her acceptance in Abby's "clan", in a sense of righteous duty in the courts, and in her very word being the force that impacts so many lives there.

But then, when Proctor wants her to face Abby, she turns into a quivering mass of fear again, trembling at the thought of turning on the girls. She knows what power they have.  When she gets to the courts she tries to be strong, but eventually turns on Proctor.  It seems that the only time that she can be strong and confident is in the arms of Abby and her clan, and unfortunately, it has devastating results.

How can you tell from an equation whether the relationship between x and y is quadratic?how can you tell from an quation whether the relationship...

An expression in x is said to have nth degree, if the highest degree of the terms of the expression  in x is n. Example: 3x^5+5x^3+5x+7, is an expression of 5th  degree as the degree of the highest term , 3x^5 , with exponent (or degree) ,5 is  5.

A quadratic expression of the variable x is of the form ax^2+bx+c, where a, b,c  are real numbers. It is also an expression of the second degree in x.

Therefore, y(x) < or = >ax^2+bx+c is a quadratic relation between y and x  , where y is depending on x. When the equality holds it is an equation, a particular form of relation.

A relation between x and y  which is not of second degree is not a quadratic relation. Example:

y < or = or >ax^3+bx^2+cx+d is of higher  than second degree . It is not a quadratic relation. It is a cubic relation

y < or = or > ax+b is not a quadratic relation , because ax+b is not of second degree. It is an expression of dgree 1. Moreover it represents a straight line. It is called a linear relation.

Similarly x(y) < or = or > ky^2+ly+ m is a quadratic relation  btween y and x, where x is  depending upon y.

The graph the function  y=ax^2+bx+c,  is a parabola, symmetrical about  the line x= -b/2a which is parallel to y axis and its vertex at  (x,y)= (  -b/(2a),  (-b^2+4ac)/4a.

The general expression of quadratic relation between x and y is  form:

ax^2+bxy+cy^2+dx+ey+f < or =  or > 0 is a form of equality/ inequality, which is in second degree in both x and y. Note that the highest degree terms here : ax^2 of degree 2 in x, bxy of degre 2 for x and y together and cy^2 of degree 2 in y.

Hope this helps.

When Duke Theseus gives Hermia the options of becoming a nun or death if she refuses to marry Demetrius,what does Hermia's response tell us?

In the opening scene of the play, Hermia's father Egeus complains to Duke Theseus that his daughter Hermia refuses to marry the man of his choice, namely Demetrius. He pleads with Theseus to allow him to exercise his right and privilege  as a father according to the law of Athens:

"I beg the ancient privilege of Athens,
As she is mine, I may dispose of her:
Which shall be either to this gentleman
Or to her death, according to our law
Immediately provided in that case."

Theseus being a strict a ruler  however, tones down the harshness of the Athenian law and decrees that if she does not obey her father she will either have to face death or she will have to cut off all her connections with the outside world and join a convent and become a nun:

Either to die the death or to abjure
For ever the society of men.

Hermia boldly asserts that she is ready to face the consequences of her decision to remain single for the rest of her life by becoming a nun and die a virgin:

So will I grow, so live, so die, my lord,
Ere I will my virgin patent up
Unto his lordship, whose unwished yoke
My soul consents not to give sovereignty.

Hermia says that she would rather live and die as a virgin nun rather than yield her most prized bodily possession, her virginity, to someone her heart and soul will not permit to accept as her husband. The word 'patent' means 'to confer sole authority as the owner.' The husband is the 'sovereign' who enjoys sole ownership over his wife. Hermia courageously and firmly tells Duke Theseus that she will not yield her body to a husband whom her heart and soul and mind cannot accept as her ruler.

How did European exploration affect trade and commerce in Europe?

Though trade and commerce in Europe had escalated in the period of the Crusades, it was during the Age of Exploration in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries that it really responded to European encounters with non-European cultures.  First and foremost, contact with peoples in the New World opened the European world to goods completely outside of the European realm of experience.

The novelty of those items brought from the New World created a very strong demand.  Having goods from the New World was a status symbol.  Only the most connected people could have them.  Perhaps the most notable of these goods is tobacco, a favorite at the court of James I.  The popularity of tobacco in England quickly spread elsewhere and it accelerated trade between the New World and Europe.  In addition, the New World proved to be a valuable avenue for gold, a commodity much less valued in the New World than it was in Europe.

The access to new products and new access to known products most certainly accelerated the pace of trade and commerce in Europe.  Possession of and access to these commodities served as status symbols and demand thus increased for them.

Write a detailed description of the 'Parson' in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.

In line 524 of the General Prologue to his Canterbury Tales Chaucer sums up the character of the parson thus: "A bettre preest I trowe that nowher noon ys." He was the best example of a good priest.

The only devout and pious churchman in the company, the Parson is extremely poor, but he is rich in holy thoughts and deeds. The pastor of a medium sized town, he preaches the Gospel and makes sure to practice what he preaches. He is everything that the Monk, the Friar, and the Pardoner are not.

He was a learned person who taught his parishioners sincerely. Although he was poor he was content and happy even in times of adversity. He never coveted the tithes of his parishioners, but on the contrary he would generously offer them help and cash in kind.

He was a very hard working priest who regularly visited on foot all the  houses of his parishioners which were scattered all over his parish even in adverse weather conditions. He was a man who practiced what he preached and preached what he practiced. His conduct was unblemished and he was a role model for his parishioners.

He was not a mercenary who sublet his parish to another priest while he himself was preoccupied with making money in London. He dwelt among his parishioners and personally watched over them diligently like a good shepherd so that his sheep were not killed by the wolf.

Although he was holy and virtuous he was not self righteous. He led his parishioners to heaven by setting a good example to be followed by others. He was not vain or boastful and his teaching was gentle and practical in nature. But if a sinner was obstinate in continuing in his sinful ways, he did not hesitate to rebuke him harshly no matter whether he was rich or poor.

He did not care for pomp or show. His teaching was based on the unadulterated word of Christ, but he practiced it first himself and thus set an excellent example for his parishioners to follow.

I need help with "Homage to My Hips" by Lucille Clifton.How many lines, how many syllables in each line, what is the rhyme, images, and what is the...

I'm not sure why you need to know how many lines and how many syllables are in each line of the poem, but the answer is 15 lines, and you can count the syllables.

The tone of the poem is joyous. The poet accepts the fact that she has big hips, and she celebrates her body. She loves herself just the way she is. Interestingly, almost in contrast to the size of her hips, the words she uses to describe them are rather short: big, free, mighty, magic. She also refrains from capitalizing any words, almost as if they can't compete with her big hips.

She personifies her hips by giving them a mind of their own: "they don't like to be held back" and "they go where they want to go."

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Identify figure of speech (simile, metaphor, personification, metonymy, synecdoche, hyperbole, litotes, irony, euphemism) and interpret its...

1. Irony.  The statement makes the opposite conclusion than what is expected.  You expect to see "more" after working so hard, but here they can expect "less and less".

2.  Personification.  Headlines are not living creatures.  They can not leap in any capacity, much less in a noisy manner in the hopes of attracting the attention of the reader.

3. I'm not sure on this one.

4. I'm not sure on this one.

5.  Euphemism, perhaps?  The definition of this term is the use of an indirect and mild or inoffensive word or expression to replace one that is coarse, unpleasant, offensive or blunt.  In this example it seems that the speaker is avoiding the word "failure" and substituting "biggest man" where the person in question did not succeed in making his goal as president.

6.  Hyperbole.  This is the use of extreme exaggeration.  The ship's movement and action on the sea is exaggerated as if it were, in a sense, a plow.  The ship does not have the power to turn over the water as the plow does to the land.  On a clear day, the ship is in control, but the sea is really the boss.

7. Metaphor.  The comparison is being made between the "they" and the "cattle".  It also personifies the cattle a bit, since it gives them "person-like qualities" of wanting something...in the this case, to be like the "mist of stones".

Synecdoche is where you use a part to represent the whole.  I don't see any examples of that here.  For instance, "Don't let your ears hate my mouth for the news it brings".  The people in this example are not just a pair of ears and a mouth, but those parts are used to represent the whole being.

Check out the links below for more help and understanding.  Good Luck!!

In Frankenstein, how is Victor Frankenstein's appearance defined?I've looked for his appearance, but it only comes up with the monsters appearance.

Mary Shelley offers small clues to Victor Frankenstein's appearance throughout her novel, Frankenstein. The first description is provided in Letter IV.

He was not, as the other traveller seemed to be, a savage inhabitant of some undiscovered island, but an European.

Based upon this limited description, readers can assume that Victor is white, with defined features and brown or blonde hair. He is most certainly not physically unrefined, given Walton fails to define him as a savage.

That said, later in the letter, Walton goes further in physically defining Victor. Victor is emaciated from his search for the Creature. This means that Victor is very thin and, one can assume, his facial features are even more refined given his gauntness. Walton describes Victor's eyes as being both mad and wild. At the same time, his outward disposition speaks of kindness.

Later, throughout the novel, Victor is constantly described as being ill. When working on reanimating life, Victor puts all else on hold. His own health is ignored. Therefore, one can assume that Victor has both a look of one who is educated yet thin from obsessive work.

Like the Creature, Victor's exact physical description is masked. While the missing physical descriptions of the Creature are apparent (Shelley does not want to paint a specific picture of the Creature; instead, she wants readers to create their own mental picture of him), leaving Victor's physical appearance open to interpretation makes him far more curious to us.

One could assume that the only important thing about Victor's physical appearance is that he is thin and uncommonly ill. This sets up the image of the "pale student of unhallowed arts" Shelly pictured in her dream which was the beginning of the novel.

Why is mitosis a form of reproduction?

Mitosis is one part of a cell cycle; the others are G1, S and G2 in that order.  In the first stage (G1) cell growth occurs and the proteins and organelles necessary for cell division are produced.  During the S phase, the DNA is copied within the nucleus (the nuclear membrane does not break down).  Then in the G2 phase the remaining changes needed for cell division occur.  The the cell enters mitosis.  In prophase, the nuclear membrane breaks down, in metaphase the chromatids (two copies of DNA made in S phase) line up on the cell equator, in anaphase the chromatids are pulled apart by the spindle fibres to opposite sides of the cell, and in telophase the two new nuclear membranes are formed.  Only then does cell division occur, and it is called cytokinesis (not mitosis).  So, mitosis is only one stage in cell division, which can be considered a form of asexual reproduction.  Commonly, though technically incorrect, the entire process is referred to as mitosis.

During one of the preliminary "ceremonies" for a hanging, what did Juliek whisper to Elie? What does this suggest?

The quote you are after is one of the key quotes in Night that directly relates to the theme of God and religion in the context of the holocaust. It comes as the prisoners watch a child, beloved of all the camp, being hung. His death is not swift, but is long and agonising. Although many of the prisoners do not cry, having suffered too much, witnessing this event they do cry.

"Where is God? Where is He?” someone behind me asked. ..
For more than half an hour [the child in the noose] stayed there, struggling between life and death, dying in slow agony under our eyes. And we had to look him full in the face. He was still alive when I passed in front of him. His tongue was still red, his eyes were not yet glazed.
Behind me, I heard the same man asking:
“Where is God now?”
And I heard a voice within me answer him:
“Where is He? Here He is—He is hanging here on this gallows. . . .”

This gruesome event clearly indicates the nadir of the relationship that Eliezer has with God. The death of the child could also be said to symbolise the death of Elie's childhood and innocence. Interestingly, before the holocaust, questioning God was obviously something that had never entered Elie's mind. He said to Moshe in response to the question why he prays, “Why did I pray? What a strange question. Why did I live? Why did I breathe?” His experiences of the holocaust clearly challenge and impact his belief about God. One way of looking at this novel is to think of it as a kind of coming of age story, but one in which the innocence and youth of the protagonist are gradually flayed away by the horror he undergoes.

To whom does Piggy explain to Ralph that Jack is dangerous in "Lord of the Flies"?it is in chapter 5 but where?

Close to the end of chapter 5, Piggy tells Ralph that if Jack were chief, they'd all be hunters, there'd be no signal fire, and they'd all be on the island until they died. He tells Ralph that Jack hates him because Ralph is chief and Jack isn't.  Piggy goes on to tell Ralph that Jack can't hurt him (Ralph), but if Ralph were gone, Jack would hurt him (Piggy).  Piggy says that Jack is a threat to everyone on the island because he wants to be the supreme dictator, not a democratic leader such as Ralph is.  Piggy says that Jack is especially dangerous to him, Piggy.  Piggy sees, before the naive Ralph does, that Jack wants complete control and that Jack is dangerous to all of them.

Can anyone tell me what the central theme of Ralph Waldo Emerson's speech he wrote regarding "The Fugitive Slave Law"?This article from the book...

Ralph Waldo Emerson's speech regarding The Fugitive Slave Act was delievered in accordance with his transcendalist beliefs. The Transcendalist Philosophy fostered the idea that American society needed to re-evaulate itself by returning to a natural state of being. Emerson and other transcendalists, such as Henry David Thoreau believed that only with a reconnection with God and nature would American society be able to see the errors of their ways.The Futigive Slave Law Speech supported Emerson's argument that society was on the edge with regard to America's slave issue, and the dangerous legislation being passed in its defense. The central theme of Emerson's speech suggested that man made legal laws fall into two categories, 'just' and 'unjust' laws. Emerson argued that for a law to be 'just', it must be in sinc with 'moral law'. If the law disregards its moral counterpart it is an 'unjust' law and as such must be broken by those governed by it. In order for a law to be moral it must be applied to everyone equally. The law must not counter any other law in order to survive. In his speech Emerson argued that there was potential danger making it Constitutionally legal to kidnap or otherwise kill escaped slaves for a reward. Just as horrible was the notion that 'free blacks' from the north were subject to capture and passed off as escaped slaves for the reward. This speech has had an impact on the philosophies of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as well as the nationalistic leader of India, Gandhi.

In "Fahrenheit 451" what is Faber's attitude toward books and writers?I have to either defend him or challenge his thinking and explain. Could you...

I will leave the defending or challenging up to you; only you can know your opinion on the issue.  But I can help you to more clearly understand Faber's stance.  Faber believes that books and writiers were the key to a happy, thinking, real society that was filled with people who actually cared about life, had opinions on issues, and had depth to their souls.  He says that books actually had three main results or purposes. The first is quality, the second is leisure, and the third is the ability to act on what you learned from the first two.To elaborate, quality means that a book has "texture...pores...features...[it] can go under the microscope" and show life's many different angles and meanings.  It has meaning, depth, profundity, and thought-provoking ideas.  It is rich in information, concepts, ideals, and ponderous messages.  And when one ponders all that a book has to offer, one is really pondering all that life has to offer, and you are able to sort out what is truly meaningful, and what makes happiness possible.  For leisure, it simply means that with a book, you have the "time to think" about the messages in a book.  With other types of media, it is very difficult to think, because it is so overwhelming.  A movie has lights, sights, sounds, music, everything, and it is so overwhelming it doesn't allow for thought. The movie does the thinking for you.  It conveys the arguments it wants to convey and leaves you unable to argue.  With a book, you can put it down, process the information, put your own spin on it, reject it or accept it.  Then the third reason is that once you have the ideas, have had the leisure to ponder them, books prompt action.  You are motivated to change the world, or the things around you.

Those are the reasons that Faber says books are valuable; to decide whether you agree, try to think about whether books do that for you or not.  If they do, then defend Faber's position.  If you don't think that they are that great, challenge him, and present other things in life that do the same thing as books, but in a more effective way.  I hope this helps a bit; good luck!

Does my mom have the right to keep me in homeschool without teaching me the things I should be taught, like in public school?What should I do? Who...

One of the most important movements in education right now is standards based instruction and assessment. The laws changed during the Bush administration that required proof of progress for each student to be assessed annually. There is probably a state achievement test that you are required to take at or near the end of each school year. Based on your scores on that test, you will either be considered to be progressing at an average, advanced or below average rate for your grade and age group. Talk to the testing site administrator where you test and find out where you stand with regard to your class/age mates.

There are pros and cons on both sides of the education settings. Many parents and educators feel that a cookie-cutter education is not the answer to today's problems, and that young people are being cheated regarding education in favor of socialization.  Many teachers feel that they are sacrificing creativity and thinking skills instruction to focus on the standards which will be tested on a bubble in multiple choice test. Young people who excell in the public school setting usually have extra-curricular activities that go along with school such as band, sports, or cheerleading.

So, based on your achievement test scores, and your "high stakes" test results which you will have to pass in order to get a regular high school diploma, you may have a valid argument.  If on the other hand, your test scores are adequate, and your parents have kept careful records of your time in class, grades on projects etc, you may simply not have an argument.

The best thing to do is have a rational discussion with your parents based on your views as to why you feel you are not getting the best education at homeschool. Avoid an argument as that simply won't encourage your parents to let you attend public school. Most parents who homeschool want their children to be safe from violence, sexual predators, and ideas that contradict their personal beliefs.

If you feel your education is less than what it should be, try a side-by-side comparison of some of your work with a similar age/grade friend who is attending public school. Have a mediator sit down with you and your parent to discuss each of your views both pro and con as to public/homeschool.

Create a plan of action since you are in 10th grade and soon will be out of the house and on your own either in the workplace or at college.  What are your future goals in life? How will you get the training you need to achieve your goals? Can your homeschool curriculum provide specialized training, or will you have to go someplace else for that? Is your parent an expert in what you want to pursue as an adult?  These are the hard questions that you must be ready to ask in front of an objective mediator who can adequately assess both your views and your parent's views. Ultimately, until you reach age 18, your parent has the final say.

The bottom line is that your parents most likely feel that your education in the homeschool setting is superior to what you will get in public school as one of the masses.   You have to show them what you need that they cannot provide you in the homeschool setting. And, you must justify why you need this extra instruction.

As a last resort, you might contact the child abuse agency in your state. However, if you do this, understand that you may create division between you and your mom that is irreconcilable and long lasting.

In The Odyssey, how long did Penelope deceive the suitors?

Penelope tells her suitors that she will marry when she has completed weaving a shroud for her father-in-law, Laertes. Each day she works on it, and each night she unravels her work. Consequently, the shroud would never be completed. Penelope fools her suitors for three years until they finally learn of her deception.

How has “Maycomb’s usual disease” affected Jem and Scout? Although Jem and Scout are portrayed to be symbols of childhood innocence in the...

It has affected them a bit as we all know, Jem and scout grow up in the story and therefore learn to overcome "Maycomb's usual disease". However, notice how it was atticus who quoted racism as a disease. He said he was afraid the children would catch it. I feel that his fear came as a result to one part of chapter 5. When he found out about his children putting Boo's life story on display for the edification of others.

And he was right to be afraid as if you were to look at some of scout and Jem's reactions, they have in fact been affected by the disease as it is in one way or another, and whether hey realise it or not, ingrained in them. It is more of scout than jem really who has become so influenced by the prejudices of the society that she doesn't even realise it when she's saying it.

Some quotes of the instances when she/they show(s) prejudice is;

"'She is supposed to go around the back' I said. Jem shook his head. 'Don't make any difference now,' he said. Calpurnia pounded on the door in vain. No one acknowledged her warning; no one seemed to have heard it." - Chapter 10

Here, she is so used to observing the social standing that is blacks are to go through the back door only because they are not as worthy as a white person and are therefore not allowed to use the front entrance (stated in the book somewhere, sorry but i'm not sure where i think chapter 1 when they describe boo's house...) that she applies herself upon Calpurnia, not realising that if she were to go through the back, she would be putting herself and the Radley's in more danger. Also, instead of realising the courage it took Cal to run out to the Radley's while the Mad dog was on the streets, she only noted the fact that Cal was going the wrongh way.

Another example would be when Calpurnia wanted to warn the Radley's of the Mad dog, "'Radley's got a phone?' Jem looked in the book and said no.'They wont come out anyway, Cal'" Jem does not care about the Radleys well being as did Calpurnia. This is probably a result of the prejudice he is so used to having toward the Radleys.

There is one from the trial scene. When especially scout does not find it at all wrong to be blaming Tom Robinson for his actions beause he is after all black.

and when she asks Calpurnia why she 'talk nigger-talk' (chapter 12) when she "know better". I feel that here she is implying that the way whites speak is more superior than that of "nigger-talk". Although to us, we know for a fact that proper english is what some of the educated whites use, the fact that Scout says that by talking like a white is better she seems to imply her beliefs that whites are better than whites as after all, that was what her environment instilled in her; Maycomb's usual disease.

Atticus Finch has been described as a true American hero. Discuss the reasons for this description.

Atticus is often considered one of the greatest heroes in American literature, and Gregory Peck's portrayal is continually voted one of the top in film. Atticus appeals to all our better natures. He fights where no one else will, and stands resolute in the face of tradition, racism, violence, and ignorance.

Atticus represents the moral backbone of Maycomb in the novel, but he awakens the same sense of righteousness and justice in every reader. The audience cannot help but be moved by his passionate defense of Tom, his stoicism in the face of a lynch mob, and his tender yet mature relationships with his children. Atticus, refuses to change his attitudes at any point in the novel, although he does admit when he is wrong, and takes steps to remedy the situation. He takes on Tom Robinson’s case, determined to give the man a chance at a fair trial. In doing so, he brings his family under the public scrutiny, a scrutiny which directs disapproval on him and on his children. Despite this, Atticus is unwavering in his determination to stand up for his beliefs. He is able not just to oppose injustice, but to see good in the very people who despise him. He continues working with the Cunninghams after Mr. Cunningham has threatened him, and he holds no grudges, even against the Ewells.

As a father, Atticus is caring and compassionate, but also firm. He expects his children to be polite and considerate, but builds these qualities through guidance and example. He does not expect either less or more from his children than he expects of himself. His personality and actions always stand as representations of ideal character. For example, his ability to remain calm when cross-examining Bob Ewell sticks with Jem and Scout long after the trial is over. The lessons they learn from the incident with Mrs. Dubose, and from watching Atticus in the courtroom help them grow into adults very similar to Atticus himself.

Describe the character of Mercutio and the role he plays in this work. Why is he an audience favorite, and why is his death so important to the...

Despite his only lasting through the first scene of Act III, Mercutio serves several purposes in "Romeo and Juliet."  First of all, he is a foil [a character who by strong contrast underscores the distinctive qualities of another character] to Romeo who also provides comic relief.  It is ironic, then, that he dies since he poses no real threat to anyone.  It is this irony, however, that serves to advance the theme of fate throughout the rest of the play.

In the early part of the play--to the enjoyment of the audience--Mercutio banters with Romeo:  "Nay, gentle Romeo, we must have you dance (I,iv,3).  His light-hearted and playful language is in sharp contrast to Romeo's heavy oxymoron's about love.  While Romeo speaks of "brawling love" and "loving hate" and "heavy lightness" and "serious vanity" (I,i,149-150), Mercutio builds an entire monologue about a little fairy queen, Mab, who tickles lovers' brains and makes them dream of love until Romeo angrily bids him to be silent because he "talk'st of nothing (I,iv,73). Still, Mercutio teases Romeo in Act II after Romeo has fallen in love with Juliet:

Alas, poor Romeo, he is already dead!  Stabbed with a white wench's black eye, shot thorough the ear with a love song, the very pin of his heart cleft with the blind bowboy's butt shaft [Cupid's bow]. (II,iv,12-14)

Likewise, his gestures are as exaggerated as his speech.  When the Nurse arrives with her servant, Peter, attending her by holding her skirts up, Mercutio runs and shouts "A sail! A sail!" (II,iv,27).  But, his exaggerated gestures with Tybalt are misunderstood by Romeo  who seeks to stop what he believes is a serious fight, and Mercutio is stabbed.  Yet, even then he retains his sense of humor as he puns, "Tomorrow you will find me a grave man." [grave=serious, grave=dead in the grave]  Even in death, Mercutio dominates the scene that he is in as  his quick wit draws the attention to him.  More importantly, his death effects Romeo's killing of Tybalt which sets the wheels of Fate in motion.  

How does each of the following religions reflect the importance of revelation: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam?

Each of these three religions trace their origins back to Abraham, who became a nomadic tribal chieftain living in Southwestern Asia. Abram received a message from God to leave his homeland, Ur, and move into a land called Canaan. Here Abram changed his name to Abraham. God revealed himself to Abraham in a series of messages and visitations.

The 10 commandments were given to Moses on Mt. Sinai directly by God who carved the stone tablets during a 40 day period while Moses was sojourning on the mountain with God in a cloud that covered the mountain. The 10 commandments given by God to the Hebrews while they were wandering in the desert between Egypt and Israel for 40 years is the basis of the Torah and the 613 Jewish laws.

Christianity traces its origins back to Abraham and prophecies in the Jewish books of the Old Testament. Jesus is the promised messiah that was sent by God to earth.  God is revealed to Jesus' followers through parables and miracles. Jesus' death on a Roman cross and resurrection on the third day are the basis of the Christian religion. According to Christianity, Jesus ascended to heaven to be with God and sent the Holy Spirit 5 weeks after his ascension to be with the Christian believers until his triumphant return to earth on the Last Day.

Islam traces its origins back to Abraham through Hagar and her son Ishmael. The prophet Mohammad received the revelation from the angel Gabriel which is contained in the text of the Koran.

The concept of revelation is that God reveals himself to humanity through self-disclosure or revelation of himself to human beings. God has revealed himself to the various prophets of each of these monotheistic faiths through direct contact. The historical narrative or dictations of these encounters with God are known as "the Book". The Jews have the Torah, The Christians have the Holy Bible, and the Muslims have the Koran.

I have to write a thesis statement for Johnny Cash report. it needs to have betrayal, choices/consequences and a man's death brings people...

You might want to incorporate how Cash's choices yielded consequences such as betrayal.  This experience helped him form a voice whereby after death, people were brought together through his music.  It will be a challenge to incoporate all of these concepts into one paper because there are two different elements of his life ongoing here:  1)  The choices he made in his life and 2)  The legacy after his life.  I think it can be done, but I would emphasize that we have two different set of circumstances happening here.  Perhaps, having a two sentenced thesis statement is the way to go.

Why does Poseidon despise Odyssueus?

Poseidon, Greek god of the sea, despises Odysseus because of what Odysseus did to his son, Polythemus, otherwise known as the cyclops because of his one eye. Odysseus and his crew land on an island and find a cave full of lifestock that they proceed to kill and eat, little knowing that Polythemus owned them. Polythemus returns and blocks the cave with a huge rock that cannot be moved by man and then eats two of them each day. Wily Odysseus organises a plan for them to escape. They turn a huge branch into a spear which they use to blind Polythemus, then they strap themselves to the underside of his cattle, so when he opens the cave to let his sheep out to graze they can escape and go back to the ship and flee. Odysseus, having escaped, reveals what he has done to Polythemus who becomes enraged and throws rocks at the ship. However, because he is blind they miss. Finally, Polythemus raises his hands to the air and begs his father Poseidon to curse Odysseus, asking him to not permit Odysseus to return to Ithaca. If he did get back however, he must return by himself, his crew having been killed, and in a stranger's ship. Thus begins the animosity between Poseidon and Odysseus.

How is Gothic literature reflected in the major theme of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson?

First, we need to identify the major theme of Stevenson's novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, then second, pin point central features of Gothic literature to see which might be reflected in the theme. It is good to note that Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is recognized as Romantic Gothic literature.

The central theme of Stevenson's story is how identity is affected by the duality of good and evil. Jekyll is fully aware of the duality within himself. Jekyll, on the one hand, loves the respect of his peers and friends and, on the other hand, enjoys a little wickedness in behavior. If this duality were known about, it would sully his reputation. The deeper duality ("deeper trench") came in Jekyll's need to appear to have only one side to his nature, not two:

from the high views that I had set before me, I regarded and hid [my irregularities] with an almost morbid sense of shame.

Since his struggle with shame over the appearance of a divided self affected his happy participation in either good or evil, he dreamed of a way to operate as two separate people.

I had learned to dwell with pleasure, as a beloved daydream, on the thought of the separation of these elements. If each, I told myself, could be housed in separate identities, life would be relieved of all that was unbearable

It is to the fulfillment of this dream that his research in metaphysical and transcendental medicine eventually led, resulting in the birth of Mr. Hyde.

Gothicism was originated with Walpole in England in 1765, a little ahead of the origination of Romanticism with Goethe in Germany in 1774. [It is of interest that Goethe later renounced the Romantic movement and the first Romantic novel The Sorrows of Young Werther when he saw a young woman pulled from a watery grave in a semi-frozen river with a copy of Young Werther in her skirt pocket.]

Romanticism's dark side embraced Gothicism as is evidenced by Romantic era works like The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (Coleridge), Jane Eyre (Bronte) and Frankenstein (Shelley). As these titles illustrate, two prominent features of Gothic literature are the duality between good and evil along with death and dying.

Therefore, the features of Gothic literature reflected in the major theme of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are the Gothic consciousness of humanity's inner battle between impulses of good and evil and a fascination with the process of dying and the possibly judgmental nature of death as seen in Hyde/Jekyll's demise.

Where did Melba first experience racism in Warriors Don't Cry?

Melba first experienced racism at birth.  There was a problem with her delivery because she was a good-sized baby; the doctor who delivered her used forceps and injured her scalp.  A few days later, Melba developed an infection at the forceps site.  At the white hospital in Arkansas which "reluctantly treated the families of black men who worked on the railroad", a doctor operated to insert a drainage system beneath the infant Melba's scalp.

Twenty-four hours later, Melba's condition had not improved, but Melba's mother could not find any medical personnel who would take her concerns seriously.  Melba soon developed a high fever and began convulsing, and her mother and grandmother believed she was going to die.  Just by accident, Melba's mother learned from a black janitor who had been present during the baby's operation that the doctor had told his white nurse that Melba's head must be irrigated with Epsom salts and warm water every two or three hours after the procedure.  Mother confronted the nurse, who admitted that what the janitor had said was true, but rationalized her negligence by muttering, "we don't coddle niggers".  Melba's mother performed the Epsom salt treatments herself, and the infant Melba survived (Chapter 1).

Raised in Little Rock, Arkansas, Melba continued to live in an atmosphere of racism.  As a toddler, she could sense the fear that her parents and other adults in her life experienced whenever they were among white people.  By the time she was four, she "was asking questions neither (her) mother nor grandmother cared to answer", about why "all the ugly drinking fountains, the dingy restrooms, and the back of buses" were reserved for 'Colored'" (Chapter 2).

What does this story illustrate about human beings?

kko,

Ambrose Beirce's "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" takes place in northern Alabama during the Civil War. Union forces are in control. In Section II, we infer that Farquhar, almost the only character, was lured or even entrapped into an attempt to blow up Owl Creek Bridge. He was then caught, tried, and sentenced to death by hanging from the bridge which he had tried to destroy.

This story is Bierce’s subject in contrasting the real passage of time with our human perception of time. It is centered in the consciousness of the central character, Farquhar. As the narrator moves into Farquhar’s mind the reader is led to believe, at least temporarily, in the details of the escape. 

The imagined time of Farquhar’s escape is an entire day, from earliest daylight to night. That his “escape” is so lengthy permits an enormous amount of imaginary action to take place within no more than a few seconds of his last time on earth.

First we learn of the slowing of his watch, followed by his dream or belief that he is actually escaping. (This same perception persists once he is actually being hanged.) In paragraph 37, the narration becomes abruptly and cruelly dramatic. There is no more looking into Farquhar’s mind, because he is dead.

Hasn't this discrepancy of time happened to everyone? Imagining what a different life would be like, all in the matter of seconds?

How is Scrooge affected by seeing the Cratchits in A Christmas Carol?

Deeply moved by the love and warmth in the home of his clerk, Scrooge also notices that Bob's voice "was tremulous" when he tells the family about Tiny Tim's visit to the church where he tells his father that he hopes others see him so that they will remember that it was Christ who made beggars walk and blind men see.  With this in mind, Scrooge asks the Spirit what will become of Tiny Tim in the future.

'I see a vacant seat'replied the Ghost,'in the poor chimney-corner, and a crutch without an owner, carefully preserved.  If these shadows remain unaltered by the Future, the child will die.'

When Scrooge protests against this future, the Spirit mocks him by retorting with Scrooge's cruel remark about the need for the poor to die, anyway, as they will "decrease the surplus population."  In "penitence and grief," Scrooge hangs his head.  Then, the Spirit reminds Scrooge that it is not for him to decide who is "surplus."  Perhaps, the Almighty may decide Scrooge to be "surplus," less worthy to live than "millions like this poor child."

Thus chastised, Scrooge, "bent before the Ghost's rebuke," lifts his head as he hears his name.  Bob Cratchit then makes a toast to the health of Mr. Scrooge, "the Founder of the Feast."  This toasting is "the first of the proceedings which had no heartiness" since no one else feels anything but resentment toward Scrooge.  Their sentiments are not missed by the miser who realizes he is the "Ogre of the family."

This part of the story begins to effect the change of character in Ebenezer Scrooge.

Can anyone describe the main factors that contributed to separate North and South into two sectional identities by the eve of the American Civil...

The main and explicit and most obvious reason for division between Southern and Northern states of America that ultimately led to the civil war was the issue of slavery. People in Southern states depended heavily on slave labour for their agricultural activity, and believed that their economy would collapse without slave labour. Also they believed that whites are superior than blacks. Therefor they supported slavery. In contrast the people in the northern states, who believed in hard work and dignity of labour pressed for abolition of slavery.

However there were other issues also involved that separated Northerners from Southerners. The southern economy was based mostly on agriculture. People led luxurious lives, avoiding hard work. They were proud of their past heritage and present lifestyle, and they wanted to preserve it.

In contract, Northern economy depended more on trade and industry. The people there valued hard work and education. They were progressive minded and valued education. They supported modernization and accepted change in heir lives readily.

Thees differences between Northerners and Southerners may not have caused explicit conflicts between them but, experts believe that they did contribute substantially to the distrust between the two factions.

How many plays did William Shakespeare write?

William Shakespeare wrote 37 plays and 154 sonnets, as well as some longer poems. The plays are in the best chronological order available: Henry VI, Part One, Henry VI, Part Two. The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Henry VI, Part Three, Richard III, The Comedy of Errors, Love’s Labour’s Lost, Titus Andronicus, The Taming of the Shrew, Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer-Night’s Dream, Richard II, King John, The Merchant of Venice, Henry IV, Part One, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Henry IV, Part Two, Much Ado About Nothing, Henry V, Julius Caesar, Hamlet, Twelfth Night Or What You Will, Troilus and Cressida, All’s Well That Ends Well, As You Like It, Othello, Measure for Measure, Timon of Athens, King Lear, Macbeth, Pericles, Prince of Tyre, Coriolanus, Antony and Cleopatra, Cymbeline, The Winter’s Tale, The Tempest, The Two Noble Kinsmen, Cardenio Henry VIII.

In Sophie's Choice, should we feel empathy/sympathy for Sophie? Why?

Hang on, the only reason Sophie decides against joining the resistance is because she does not want to endager her children. Her motive is NOT Nazi sympathism. The reason why she turned against her father and husband was because she was mortified at their hatred for the Jews; that was what started it.

Also, he Sophie did choose to sacrifice her daughter BUT it wasn't cold or pre-mediated. The soldier suddenly started for both of the children and it just so happened the girl was easier to grab as she was in her mother's arms so Sophie just snapped.

I think that Sophie was without a doubt weak and made a mistake in getting involved with the Resistance in the first place (her connection to the freedom fighters featured in the film was also heart-wrenching as she did NOT help them yet got sent to the death camp anyway; I think she should at least have translated the documents for the group and perhaps achieved something for them) but why is your analysis of her so unsympathetic? She was neither an evil Jew-hater not an uncaring mother. She was put in an IMPOSSIBLE situation. Can you really put her in the same category as the real-life Jewish mother featured in This Way for The Gas Ladies and Gentlemen (for those who are unfamiliar with this work, the author describes in his memoires an incident when a young woman deliberately abandoned her six-year-old son on arrival in Auschwitz to better her chances of being selected for the queue which were sent to the worker's camp. Her child followed her, asking where she was going and why she'd left him and she still tried to get rid of him. When this drew the attention of one of the Nazi guards, he publicly declared her to be an example of Jewish swinery and then put them both on a van destined for the gas chamber).    

I have no children myself but of the people I've asked who do, the general consesus as been that they would insist all three of them be sent off for gassing there and then rather than make that choice and live with the all-consuming guilt afterwards. But Sophie was not given much time to decide.

I think the other thing to remember is the surviving child was unlikely to survive the place anyway - it was, after all a death camp; fatal disease and starvation were rife and medical attention deprived. Those factors worked in conjunction with the gas chambers. It was a miracle Sophie herself survived.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, why does Uncle Jack tell Scout the story about Lord Melbourne?

This a humorous incident from Jem and Scout's visit to Finch's Landing at Christmas. After Scout tells Uncle Jack her side of the story in regard why she had hit Francis in the mouth, he takes her into the bathroom to gently clean and bandage her split knuckle. While he comforts her, Scout suddenly asks him, very innocently, "What's a whore-lady?" Taken completely by surprise and at a loss for words, Jack does not answer her question directly; instead, he tells her a very long story about nineteenth-century British Prime Minister Lord Melbourne, whose personal life was rather colorful. When Jack shares this episode with Atticus later, Atticus gives him a piece of advice in dealing with children:

Jack! When a child asks you something, answer him, for goodness' sake. But don't make a production of it. Children are children, but they can spot an evasion quicker than adults, and evasion simply muddles 'em.

Atticus was right. Scout said that she thought her Uncle Jack was trying to give her an answer, "but he made no sense whatsoever."

Before dying, Romeo speaks of the bodies of Paris and Tybalt, what do his words show about his personality at this point in Romeo and Juliet?

Romeo's address to both Paris and Tybalt shows Romeo's willingness to commiserate with his enemies about fate and death in addition to reiterating his passion for friendship and love.  I am reminded of Romeo's attempt to end the fray with words before being coerced into the final fight with Tybalt.  Romeo, then, stays true to his personality to the end.  In the tomb, first Romeo talks to Paris as Romeo himself lays Paris in the tomb.  Paris, right before he dies, asks Romeo to place Paris' body by Juliet.  This is the meat of Romeo's reply:

In faith, I will. Let me peruse this face. / Mercutio's kinsman, noble County Paris! / . . . [Mercutio] told me Paris should have married Juliet. / . . . I bury thee in a triumphant grave. / A grave?  O, no, a lantern, slaughtered youth, / For here lies Juliet, and her beauty makes / This vault a feasting presence full of light. Death, lie thou there, by a dead man interred.  (5.3.74-87)

Romeo, then, does Paris a great kindness:  Romeo lays Paris by the "lantern" of his love that will light Paris' tomb.  Romeo then notices how fair Juliet looks (making the audience wish like hell she would go ahead and wake up already), but immediately turns to Tybalt:

Tybalt, liest thou there in thy bloody sheet? / O, what more favor can I do to thee / Than with that hand that cut thy youth in twain / To sunder his that was thine enemy? / Forgive me, cousin!

Romeo, then, also does Tybalt a great kindness:  he kills Tybalt's most loathed enemy (Romeo) and calls Tybalt "cousin."  Any audience member who has seen the deep friendship that existed between Mercutio and Romeo should have expected nothing less from him here.

In regards to his personality, Romeo is of such a melancholy humor that he commiserates with his dead enemies in a discussion about their "sour" fate.  It shows that, in the face of death, there is no reason for hate.  (Although, I had to laugh when I found that Romeo devoted a full 13 lines to Paris and only 4.5 to Tybalt.)  This mirrors the end to the feud that is revealed at the culmination of the play.  This episode also shows Romeo's continued admiration for Mercutio, since he is so highly spoken of in Romeo's speech here.  Finally, as Romeo speaks to Paris, his vast love for Juliet is still evident as it has been from the very first moment he saw her.  Love, of course, is Romeo's true calling.  Furthermore, Romeo has never departed from these aspects of personality and, even though he is prone to mood swings, has remained steadfast throughout the play.

I'm suppose to write a speech to be deliver to world leaders to persuade them to deal with one or more of the world's problems.Can you give me some...

The first thing you should do is figure out what world problem you would like to address. You could choose the economy, the genocide in Sudan, current Russian conflicts, the Gaza assult, or any one of many world problems. Once you decide what problem you would like to address, make sure you understand the problem, brianstorm some possible solutions, and figure out how your audience can effect those solutions. You should come up with three main points. First: what is the problem? Second: What is a solution? Third: Call to action (Why will this solution work?)

After you have your three main points, you will write an introduction to your speech which will include an attention getter. An attention getter is a shocking statistic, quote, story, anecdote, or unusual statement that will get your audience's attention. You will then 'road-map' your speech.

Good luck.

In Act III, scene ii of Macbeth, Macbeth says "O full of scorpions is my mind... thou knowst that Banquo and his Fleance lives." What does this...

In Macbeth, Macbeth is deeply influenced by a prophesy the witches make when he and Banquo are returning from battle. In Act I, scene iii, Macbeth comments on the day being "foul and fair" (line 38). They have been victorious against the enemy (fair) and so Macbeth is cheerful and yet the weather is so stormy (foul). Of course, this foreshadows later events when the seemingly noble Macbeth will plot to kill his king and anyone who stands in the way of his kingdom - including Banquo. The witches tell Macbeth that not only will he be Thane of Cawdor, but he will be king. This unsettles Macbeth when, due to his valor in battle, Duncan does give him the title, leading Macbeth, with Lady Macbeth's help, to further his "vaulting ambition" (I.vii.27).  

Once Duncan, the king, has been murdered and Macbeth, initially tormented by his own remorse, has realized that, although he is now king, the witches foretold that Banquo's sons would also be kings, Macbeth feels that he must act against Banquo because, as the witches prophecies have been true thus far, then he (Macbeth) is not safe, saying that Banquo has the capacity to spoil everything: "Under him, my Genius is rebuked" (III.i.55). Macbeth is angry that he has possibly murdered "the gracious Duncan" (65) for the benefit of Banquo's heirs. 

Macbeth elicits the help of two murderers and convinces them that they should murder Banquo. He tells them that he would do it himself if he could. He also tells them to be sure to kill Fleance, Banquo's son who must also "embrace the fate of that dark hour" (136). Lady Macbeth notices that Macbeth is preoccupied and tells him not to worry because "What's done is done" (III.ii.12). She has no idea that he is plotting his next murder although he does tell her that the matter is not closed because "We have scotched the snake, not killed it" (13), indicating that his kingdom is in jeopardy. Lady Macbeth encourages Macbeth to "leave this" (35) and not worry; this is when he advises her that his "mind is full of scorpions" (36), knowing that Banquo and Fleance are alive. 

Macbeth is trying to tell Lady Macbeth that he cannot rest or enjoy his kingdom because his mind is unsettled. Just as a scorpion sting would hurt and make a person restless, so too do Macbeth's thoughts. Scorpions inflict much pain and therefore the reference to them is two-fold. They cause Macbeth pain but they also give him the courage to cause others pain in the pursuit of absolute power. So, for Macbeth, the scorpion reference is indicative of how he confuses his quest for power with pain - his own and others.

Why do the boys plan on raiding Ralph's camp?

Jack plans a raid on Ralph's camp to get the one thing that they don't possess:  Piggy's glasses.  The reason that they don't "ask" as Ralph later yells at Jack, is because Jack and his tribe are too far gone into the lifestyle of savagery.  They no longer possess any civilized qualities. Jack wouldn't just ask for them or to borrow them; he needs to exert his "power" over the others in his tribe and go raid the other camp and steal what he needs. That is who they have become, and they will no longer be playing "nicely" together. This is he chapter that follows Simon's murder/death.  Next will be Piggy's death, which is why Jack and his tribe are in the position they are in.

Why does John hate Popé so much?

John disapproves of his mother's status as the tribal whore, and he cannot understand her when she tries to explain that that is the way things are done where she comes from in "the Other Place" because that's not what he knows, having been born and reared on the reservation.  He looks at Pope as an intruder into his world with his mother, too.  And Pope also brings Linda mescal (think mescaline, from the peyote cactus), which Linda takes in excess in an attempt to get that soma holiday back, and John despises seeing her that way.

Ironically, due to Linda's attachment to Pope, he's almost like a father figure to John, and with John's disapproval of their relationship, it makes for a pretty dysfunctional family!

In "Fahrenheit 451" is Faber a coward?I know that Faber was initially afraid to hide the books in the firemens' houses when Montag first suggested...

Faber calls himself a coward when he is speaking to Montag, even before the planting books scheme came up at all.  He states,

"You are looking at a coward.  I saw the way things were going, a long time back.  I said nothing...and when they finally set the structure to burn the books, using the firemen, I grunted a few times and subsided...now it's too late." 

So, back when the trends started changing to where firemen were burning books, Faber was a coward because he said nothing about it; he didn't fight, he didn't start a resistence movement, and he didn't rebel.  He cowered at home, doing nothing, in order to save himself.  Also, when Montag met him at the park the first time, he was super suspicious and in denial about anything in regards to books; later, when Montag calls him he also cowers and hangs up the phone denying knowing anything about the bible.  So, Faber has had a history of backing down and playing quiet for survival's sake; he feels a coward for it.  However, it is that background that primes him perfectly for action when Montag steps into his life.  He is ready to act and vindicate himself from his past acts of cowardice.

In the book The Hiding Place what did the Lieutenant mean when he said “I am in prison, dear lady from Haarlem, a prison stronger than this one”?

The Lieutenant is in a position of power at the prison at Scheveningen, where Corrie Ten Boom has been held prisoner for endless weeks.  Yet when the Lieutenant summons Corrie before him, it is she who possesses an unconquerable inner tranquility, while in his soul he exists in torment.  After questioning Corrie, the Lieutenant is amazed at the strength of her faith.  He reveals to her the nature of his condition, telling her, "there is great darkness...I cannot bear the work I do here...what can you know of darkness like mine?" 

The Lieutenant tells Corrie about his wife and children in Bremen, and how every morning, he asks himself if they are still alive.  He says to Corrie, "it is possible that I appear (to be) a powerful person...I wear a uniform, I have a certain authority over those under me".  Despite his seemingly advantageous position, however, the Lieutenant struggles with questions about the existence of God and the condition of man.  He cannot reconcile how a loving God can allow his people to suffer, and yearns earnestly to understand what is true in the universe.  He is tormented by what he must do as an instrument in the German Army, and laments his situation to Corrie, saying ,"I am in prison, dear lady from Haarlem, a prison stronger than this one" for which he is an administrator.

Corrie, on her part, does not understand the hard questions with which the Lieutenant wrestles either, but she has a sense of acceptance and a tranquility drawn from her belief that God will help her to understand in His own time.  She remembers a story her own father told her about this exact dilemma when she was a child, and resolves to share it with the Lieutenant when she is called before him the next time, but as it turns out, she does not see him again (Chapter 11).

How might Piggy's death be equated to the slaughter of the pigs?

The first pig was killed to provide meat, but then the killing became more of a power trip for Jack and his tribe.  When they kill the mother pig, they are foolish because they are killing what could be a future source of food.  Rather than look for another pig, the killing is done because they CAN kill. It is senseless.  The killing of Piggy is senseless, too, for the most part.  Piggy represents intellect and killing him is therefore killing intellect on the island.  In the aspect that it was essential to kill intellect on the island so that the evil could fully emerge, then killing Piggy was essential just like killing the pig for food was essential.

In Macbeth, how does Duncan describe Macbeth?

In the first act of "Macbeth," King Duncan of Scotland describes Macbeth as "noble" (I,ii,66).  That he proves to be a poor of judge of character is one of the situational ironies of the play.  For, of course, he is slain by this "noble" Macbeth who aligns himself with witches in his evil desire for power.

Earlier in Act I some of Macbeth's savage tendencies are even foreshadowed as the captain describes how Macbeth fought the Irish foot soldiers and heavily armed soldiers (the "kerns and gallowglasses"):

Disdaining fortune, with his brandished steel,/Which smoked with bloody execution,/Like valor's minion carved out his passage/Till he faced the slave;/Which nev'r shook hands, nor bade farewell to him,/Till he unseamed him from the nave to th'chops,/And fixed his head upon his battlements (I,ii,17-23)

It is evidence of his poor judgment of character that Duncan responds to this knowlege with "O valiant cousin!  Worthy gentleman!" (I,ii,24), for it seems that Macbeth has brutally slaughtered a man, decapitated him and impaled the head for all to see.  After this, the king bestows the title of Thane of Cawdor upon Macbeth, who has killed this "traitor." 

The dramatic irony of Duncan's line "What he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won" cannot be lost upon the audience as it is the traitorous Macbeth who later slays King Duncan who with loving comments ("we love him highly" (I,vii,29) has just been a guest at Macbeth's castle.

In Across Five Aprils, how do I describe the veiws of Matt, Wilse, John, and Bill during the dinner conversation in Chapter 2?

In the heated conversation amongst the men in Chapter 2, Wilse Graham is the most passionately devoted to the Confederate cause.  He says the root cause of the conflict is that "half of the country has growed rich...but still jealous and fearful that the other half is apt to find good fortune too...the North has become arrogant toward the South...the high-tariff industrialists would sooner heve the South starve than give an inch that might cost them a penny".  Although he is not completely comfortable with the idea of slavery, he owns a few slaves himself.  He justifies his actions by pointing out the slavery has been around "from the beginnin' of history", and rightly asks what the North plans to do with all the slaves if they were suddenly set free. 

Like his cousin Wilse, Bill Creighton sympathizes with the South, but not as passionately.  He is wrestling with doubt, but he believes that "it's greed, not slavery, that's stirrin' up this trouble", and he agrees with Wilse that, being from the South, he would not want men like John Brown, William Lloyd Garrison, and Charles Sumner telling him how he must live.

Of the four men, John Creighton is the most ardent in support of the Northern position.  He is unequivocably against the institution of slavery, the idea of "one man ownin' the body - and sometimes...the soul... - of another man", and he argues that though poverty exists and conditions might be tough for white men living in the North, or even the South for that matter, "there ain't a white man, lean-bellied and hopeless as so many of them are, that would change lots with a slave belongin' to the kindest master in the South".

Matt Creighton, acknowledging the family's roots in Kentucky, sympathizes with the Southern position, but is most adamant that the Union not be sundered.  He says, "this separation...it won't do...we're a union; separate, we're jest two weakened, puny pieces, each needin' the other".  It appears that if he had to choose, he would support the Northern factions, in the interest of preserving the Union (Chapter 2)

How are the Samanas described in Siddhartha?

The Samanas are a part of Siddhartha's early life.  Actually, Siddhartha began life as a Brahman, but felt unfulfilled and, therefore, decided to seek enlightenment.  Along with a friend, Siddhartha leaves home and joins a group of severe wanderers called the Samanas who are known to many as "wandering ascetics." 

The life with the Samanas is described as a life of complete self-denial.  They dislike everything sensual.  As a result, Siddhartha tries to get rid of his desires, but he is unable to and remains dissatisfied.  The Samanas are described as being interested in both yoga and asceticism; however, those two things seem to be leading Siddhartha away from his own truth. 

Wisdom cannot be imparted. Wisdom that a wise man attempts to impart always sounds like foolishness to someone else ... Knowledge can be communicated, but not wisdom. One can find it, live it, do wonders through it, but one cannot communicate and teach it.

Through this experience, Siddhartha decides that the Samanas are looking for enlightenment just as much as he is.  As a result, it is Siddhartha's decision to JOIN the Samanas, but it is also his own decision to LEAVE the Samanas after three years and listen to the teachings of Buddha.