What were the Time Traveler's reasons for traveling through time?

The Time Traveller's goal for travelling through time and the reasons why he built it are one and the same.  The book was written in the late 19th century, 1895, when H.G. Wells observed that English society was deeply flawed. 

"However, with the industrial revolution and the mass migration of rural laborers into the cities, the differences between the haves and the have-nots became more starkly visible."  

The character of society Wells observed, was distorted with regard to poor and rich, man's desire to advance technologically and the growing impersonalization and indifference that arose as a result of the effect that the advances of modern technology had on society.

As a great man of science, the Time Traveller is dissatisfied with the time in which he lives.  He fears that technology and all the discoveries of the Industrial Revolution will enable man to literally destroy himself and the earth, what he fears is total annihilation through war.  His world moves too fast, is becoming defined by a growing sense of mechanical power which will arm the strongest nations to intimidate those who are weaker.

Science, for the Time Traveller, has armed man with abilities that he fears.  The weapons of his time and those which the future will provide are terrifying.  

The Time Traveller builds the machine so that he can find a point in time where war, poverty and social inequality exist no more.  He is looking for a social utopia; he is looking for paradise.   The Time Traveller is searching for a point in time, somewhere in the future where mankind has exhausted his desire for war, for destruction, for the acquisition of material possessions.

He seeks simplicity, equality and an environment that is clean and protected from the pollution of modernity.  Wells was, himself, a Socialist, so he imposes this political ideology onto the Time Traveller. 

"Wells was also passionate about history and politics and developed a reputation as a reformer, joining the Fabian Society, a socialist group"

It is interesting that as a result of his longing for this unattainable utopia, Wells projects a future where it will never be possible. 

"Rather, the Time Traveller's experiences showed a future of doom, as his journey revealed a world in which the struggles of the 1890s were not resolved but rather exacerbated. His journeys even deeper into the future revealed a world in which humanity had been extinguished from the face of the earth.

List three important events from Chapters 5 and 6 in From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.Please help!

In Chapter 5, Claudia and Jamie go to the library to look for books on Michelangelo.  Claudia assigns Jamie the task of looking for photographs of Angel, while she herself focuses on reading and remembering as much as she can.

After they return to the Museum, Jamie hides in the men's room to escape detection at closing time.  He overhears workers saying that they would be moving the statue of Angel that night.

Jamie and Claudia bathe in the fountain at night in the deserted Museum.  They discover "income" on the floor of the fountain - coins that people have tossed in while making wishes during the day.

In Chapter 6, Claudia and Jamie study the velvet which had been placed under the statue.  They discover the imprint of an "M" in the soft material, which they believe might be proof that Michelangelo was its creator.

The children go to the Museum bookstore to find out what the "M" means.  They find a book that shows that the symbol they found on the velvet is indeed Michelangelo's stonemason's mark.

On a typewriter displayed in front of a store on Fifth Avenue, Claudia types a letter to the Museum telling about their discovery.  The children plan to mail it the next day, Monday.

In Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, how do the monster and Victor Frankenstein cope with their great deal of loneliness?

Victor can be considered a brilliant scientist who made a great discovery, one that he should be given much admiration for,  or an irresponsible, selfish individual, who in a desire to understand the origin of life created a monster and then unleashed it on the world without warning.

Victor's loneliness is actually caused by his own callous attitude toward the creature that he abandons and then betrays.  As a result of his actions, first by not keeping track of the monster after he is created, and then promising him a female, and then destroying the started project before it was finished, getting rid of the body, the monster targets Victor and kills everyone that he holds dear.

The monster's actions are ignited by his shock at being rejected not only by his creator, Victor, but by society's response to his hideous appearance.  Desiring, more than anything, to be around a family, the monster is not prepared for the reaction that his appearance elicits from humans.  In his desperation to share his life with someone, he begs Victor to make him a female companion.   

When Victor fails to fulfill his promise the monster feels hatred towards his creator and vows to make his life miserable.  Victor's loved ones are systematically killed by the monster while Victor remains silent on his existence.  Driven by rejection and an acute sense of loneliness the monster flees.

Victor chases after the monster on a crusade of revenge, vowing, out of guilt and shame that he will destroy the beast that he created.

Both Victor and the creature end up alone, running away from each other at various intervals and then pursuing each other.  At the end of the story, Victor has nothing left but his need to capture the monster.  The monster, condemned to always be alone, an outsider looking in at others as they enjoy family life, but never included eludes Victor's best efforts.

Victor dies lonely and despondent, leaving the monster feeling the same, left to wander aimlessly in emotional despair.

"Victor’s body is placed in a coffin. A while later, Walton hears a noise coming from Victor’s room. He rushes in and discovers the monster standing over the coffin, uttering “exclamations of grief and horror.” But the creature, too, has suffered terribly. All he wanted was to be accepted by someone who could look past his monstrous appearance and appreciate his inner being."  

In Chapter 9 of Witch of Blackbird Pond, what magic did Hannah Tupper do on Kit?

With simple kindness and a listening ear, Hannah Tupper calms Kit's troubled soul and helps her find the answer to her problems within her own heart.

After the disaster at the dame school, Kit, "scarcely (knowing) where her feet (are) taking  her", runs to the Great Meadow.  Throwing herself upon the grass, she sobs until she can sob no more, after which she rolls over and is comforted by the sight of "the long grasses swish(ing) gently in the breeze...(and) the hot sun press(ing) down on her".  As Kit lies there, she becomes aware that there is a presence nearby.  It is Hannah Tupper, who says, simply, "Thee did well, child, to come to the Meadow...there is always a cure here when the heart is troubled".

Hannah invites Kit to her cottage for corncake and goat's milk.  Through the gentle commiseration of the old woman, Kit is refreshed, and finds herself pouring out the story of her journey from Barbados and her unhappiness in Connecticut Colony.  "Tears (spring) into Kit's eyes" as she realizes that "no one, since she had come to America, had ever really wanted to hear about (her) grandfather", and all she had held dear in her old life.  With infinite wisdom, Hannah shows Kit a strange flower from Africa which she has planted, and which has somehow learned to thrive in an alien environment, and   without pressure or preaching, enables Kit to hear the message of her own heart.  Through the "magic" of Hannah's unconditional love and kindness, Kit finds "a lightness and freedom she had never known since the day she sailed into Saybrook Harbor", and discovers the strength to do what she knows she must to set things straight for Mercy and the dame school (Chapter 9).

What are three different moods and what is the tone in "The Open Window"?

The mood of a story is the feeling it causes the reader to experience while reading it. The tone is the attitude the author seems to have toward the story.

In "The Open Window," the initial mood is matter-of-fact. Saki uses third-person point of view to describe Mr. Nuttel's situation and his arrival at the house. As the story progresses and Vera begins to tell her supernatural tall tale, the mood becomes suspenseful. Once the story is concluded, and the reader is fully aware that Vera has pulled a fast one, the mood is both humorous and ironic.

Saki's tone is ironic without being sarcastic.

In the beginning of Act II, how does the playwright show the audience the strain in the relationship between John and Elizabeth Proctor?

In Scene II, Miller shows us the private life of John and Elizabeth Proctor.  As they share a meal around their table, the conversation turns to what is occurring in Salem with the accusations of witchcraft growing each day.  John makes an off hand comment that there is no witchcraft afoot it is all just innocent fun that the girls were having in the woods. Elizabeth wants to know how he knows this, he says that Abigail told him.

She insists that he go to the court and tell the authorities immediately so that the whole witchcraft court process will stop.  He refuses, she persists, he says he can't go and tell the court because he was alone with Abigail when she said it and that no one else heard her say it. 

Instantly, Elizabeth is suspicious of her husband.  She believes that he has resumed his affair with Abigail Williams.  He becomes very angry with his wife, accusing her of being unable to forgive him.  He accuses her of being unwilling to believe him, now, when he is telling the truth.  She feels a growing distance between then, which is obvious and provides a nice contrast to their emotional reunion towards the end of the play. 

The affair that John Proctor has with Abigail has caused Elizabeth to become insecure, she has a very low self-esteem and easily falls back into believing that her husband is cheating on her again.   

That is why it is so sad that Proctor must hang at the end, because he and Elizabeth have found each other again, they are united.  And in this new union, they agree that it is better for John to sacrifice his life than to be used by the court and admit to witchcraft.   

What is the underlying dominant philosophy in McCormac's book "The Road"?

The starkest impression that I got from this book is how the father illustrates the new world order, which has resulted from the devastation that has occurred due to the advances in technology, shared by many in the world, which results in nuclear annihilation of most of humanity.

The author notes that the father and son have been slingshotted to the past, a period of pre-history where survival dominates their entire existence.  There are remnants of the past lingering in the new world order, reminders, like ghosts of what civilization had become, there are good memories that the father can access, but most of memories are tinged with serious sadness when he remembers his wife and the buildup to the nuclear war that destroys almost everything.

The author, for me, writing this stark dystopian novel, poses a thought process or philosophy that offers the reader an opportunity to consider whether scientific advances or technology will lead to our ultimate destruction.  Modern warfare, now dominated by nuclear missiles and highly potent weapons of destruction if unleashed, as they are in The Road, will lead us to the barren wasteland, back to the past, before man had modern conveniences and a stable life.  The father and son are hunter gatherers, like our ancient ancestors who had to scour their environment constantly looking for food which precluded them from creating stable societies.

McCormack tells us that this is what awaits us, a blast of destruction and we, those who survive, lucky or not, that is up to you, are going to have to start civilization all over again.

In the book Hoot, what did Roy's father help him with?

Roy's father, Mr. Eberhart, helps his son in two very important ways.  First, he helps Roy to decide what he should do about an injustice about which he feels very strongly.  And then, when the decision is made, Roy's father uses his resources to provide Roy with some very important evidence to expose the parties against whom Roy is fighting.

Roy gets himself in deep trouble when he allows Mullet Fingers to check into the Emergency Room at the hospital using his identity.  When Roy is caught and must explain to his understandably angry father, he tells Mr. Eberhart the whole story leading up to what happened at the hospital.  Mr. Eberhart listens to his son "without interruption", and seriously considers what Roy tells him about the endangered owls whose habitat will be destroyed if the construction of Mother Paula's Pancake House is allowed to proceed.  Seeing that his son is involved in a very serious situation, he reprimands him for when he has acted irresponsibly, but also takes very seriously his son's concern for the injustice that is about to take place.  Mr. Eberhart recognizes that his son is growing up, and that the problems he is facing do not have easy solutions.  After giving his own perspective on different aspects of what is going on, he acknowledges that he himself does not know the right answers, and suggests that they both "spend some time thinking seriously about all this".  Mr. Eberhart treats his son with respect.  He trusts Roy to make reasoned decisions, and will support him in whatever course he decides to take (Chapter 13).

Once Roy has committed himself to stand up for the preservation of the owls, Mr. Eberhart helps in more practical ways.  He writes a note to get Roy out of school so that he can attend the protest that will take place at the groundbreaking of the construction project, advising Roy only to "be careful...and be smart" (Chapter 19).  And finally, Roy's father, realizing the validity of the cause in which his son is so passionately involved, taps his own resources and does some research of his own.  It is Mr. Eberhart who discovers the important evidence - the missing Environmental Impact Statement - that exposes the illegal actions perpetrated by the people behind the construction of Mother Paula's Pancake House and saves the endangered owls (Chapter 21).

How does the graveyard scene contribute to the audience's understanding of Hamlet's character?explain what – and how – it contributes to the...

That's a complicated question and I fear I can only touch on part of it.  For one, it shows that the common man (non- royalty) is aware of Hamlet's madness as the Grave Digger and the clown discuss Hamlet's madness.  That opens up a whole other can of worms.  What happens when madness goes public?  In a noble, that's bad, but in a fool, who is to say?  Yorick was the King's jester, a sacred fool; perhaps the only person in a king's court who could act mad and suffer no reprecussions. In a member of the royal family the consequences are far more dire.

But that's from a literary perspective; a perspective that has all the time in the world to dwell over the scene and break it down line by line.  I think it plays very differently in front of an audience.  We get some much needed comedy, not only from the two grave diggers but from Hamlet as well.  We get Hamlet conversing with a skull which may lead us to believe he's really mad, and finally we get him fighting with Laertes in a rage.  That serves the purpose of finally confirming for us that he truly loved Ophelia, because consider the circumstances in which they last met.  It also gives Laertes further cause for hating Hamlet.  And finally, it may lead to a further clouding of Hamlet's reason as far as the audience goes.

Another thing that strikes me in this scene is that the Gravedigger also acts mad in his own way and uses word-play the same way that Hamlet does when dealing with the likes of Polonius and Rosencrants and Guildenstern.  Again, it gets a pass with the lay-man, but not with the nobility.

Finally he gets in the fight with Laertes.  This is one of the few moments in the play where I believe Hamlet is actually mad as opposed to feigning lunacy.  The other places being where he decides to go with the ghost, when he kills Polonius, when he confonts his mother, when he confronts Ophelia and when he finally kills Claudius.  And I don't mean mad as in he's crazy, but as in he's enraged; he's lost his reason.  Note the difference between how he speaks in the fight and where he's feigning madness.  He's not playing with words here, his language is visceral.

Finally we're confronted with real madness.  We see the end-result of Ophelia's lunacy.  She ends up dead.  I don't believe she committed suicide, as I don't believe a person not in their right mind can make that decision, but dead she ends just the same.  And there are consequences to that just as there are to lunacy.

What is the theme of "London 1802" by William Wordsworth?Milton

Wordsworth dedicates this poem to Milton--London has gotten completely out of hand.  He sees London in need of a leader who can lead them from the "fen of stagnant waters."

"We are selfish men;
Oh! raise us up, return to us again;
And give us manners, virtue, freedom, power.
Thy soul was like a Star, and dwelt apart;
Thou hadst a voice whose sound was like the sea"

He longs to be what London used to be--a place of virtue and freedom.  I often talk to my seniors about how different the freshman class acts compared to what they were like when they were freshmen.  They can't believe some of the things that they do and say.  This is just like the poem.  Society is getting worse and worse.  The theme is moral decay--and our need of a leader to get us out of such a mess.  (keep in mind this is 1802! not 2009!)

In the play "The Crucible", what are the consequences of Abigail and John Proctor' affair?

One disasterous consequence is that because Elizabeth kicked Abby out of the house for the affair, Abby grows a violent hatred for her that eventually leads to her accusing Elizabeth of being a witch.  We see Abby's hatred in act one.  She calls Elizabeth a "bitter woman, a lying, cold, sniveling woman...a gossiping liar!"  She is mad at Elizabeth for kicking her out of John's bed and home, and also for simply being John's wife when Abby herself wants to be with John so badly.  Later when John comes in she says to him, "I'm waitin' for you every night," expressing her desire to be with him, and then she says, "I marvel how such a strong man my let such a sickly wife" determine what he will do.  Abby's hatred and jealousy lead to a direct accusation of witchcraft. She uses the needle in the poppet to her advantage, and Elizabeth is arrested.  In fact, the entire reason the accusations of witchcraft started in the first place was to cover up the fact that Abby had gone out in the woods to drink "a charm to kill Goody Proctor."  So, Miller arranges it so that almost the entire witch hunt is because of Abby's hatred and jealousy of Elizabeth, because of the affair.

Another consequence of the affair is a lot of tension and bitterness between John and Elizabeth.  In act two, seven months after the affair, they are still fighting about the situation.  The entire opening scene is them being awkward and stilted, then breaking out into a fight, over the affair, essentially.  John expresses bitterness at her cold heart that doesn't forgive, saying, "Your justice would freeze beer," and Elizabeth queries about him going into town,

"if it were not Abigail that you must go to hurt, would you falter now?  I think not."

One last consequence is John's hatred of himself, and his belief that he is not a good man.  As he is trying to decide whether to confess at the end, he admits,

"I cannot mount the gibbet like a saint.  It is a fraud.  I am not that man.  My honest is broke, Elizabeth; I am no good man."

Because of his low opinion of himself from his sins, he decides to confess.  He does change his mind, but at the beginning he feels like he isn't good enough to pretend integrity at the hangman's noose.

Those are some consequences of the affair; they are pretty severe and dramatic, and drive much of the play's conflict.  I hope that helps a bit!

How many times Lord Krishna showed vishwaroopa in Mahabharata?

At a critical moment in the Mahabharatha, Arjuna, the great warrior, is tired of fighting.  He has reached the point where he questions the value of fighting, the purpose of it, and whether or not he has the strength the continue.  This doubt is almost paralyzing for Arjuna as fighting is a challenge, but fighting against his family is almost an insurmountable entity for him.  His doubt, his questioning, his reticence to continue represent the moment where Krishna, as the universal lord Vishvarupa, appears and guides Arjuna.  Krishna, being Arjuna's charioteer, rises to the heavens and answers Arjuna's query.  Krishna reminds Arjuna that what needs to be done is not something that has to be examined for its own reward, but rather should be done because it is one's duty.  The fruit of the labor holds no importance as opposed to the labor itself.  Arjuna's dharma, his duty, is something that has to be done.  To prove this, Krishna manifests himself as the ultimate essence of being as the Vishvarupa.  Arjuna beholds the vision of Krishna being everything at once:

Having spoken thus, Lord Shri Krishna, the Almighty Prince of Wisdom, demonstrated to Arjuna the Supreme Form of the Great God, the Universal Form, Vishvarupa. The colossal and unimaginable form of the Lord was a true vision, comprising countless eyes and mouths and mystic forms innumerable, with glistening ornaments and blazing celestial weapons. The visionary form was crowned with divine garlands, clothed in shining garments, anointed with divine unction; Krishna demonstrated Himself as the Resplendent One, Marvellous, Unbounded and Omnipresent. "Could a thousand suns blaze forth together it would be but a faint reflection of the radiance of the Lord-God." In that lifetime vision Arjuna witnessed the universe, with its manifold shapes, all encompassed within One, its Supreme Lord.  The universal form of Krishna, Vishvarupa was without beginning, without middle and without an end; He was infinite in His prowess, His arms all-embracing like the sun and moon and His eyes, His face was as if radiating with the fire of sacrifice, inundating the whole universe with light. Krishna alone had filled all the quarters of the sky, earth and heaven and the regions within.

At this moment, Arjuna understands his dharma, his purpose as he has beheld something that few others have and comprehends his purpose in an "other worldly" manner.  This infinite level of comprehension allows Arjuna to see things as they truly are.  Krishna appears as the Visvarupa once and this becomes enough to drive Arjuna, and Krishna's conception of justice and ethics, to victory.

In Chapter 7, what did Corrie call her group?All the Jews and family? I know its 2 words and that it 15 letters w/ no space.

Corrie called her group "God's underground" (Chapter 7).

The Jews who were hiding in the Beje and the members of the Ten Boom family who were helping them were part of a larger underground network which had developed to protect Jews from Nazi atrocities.  At the time that Corrie identified them by their informal name,

"eighty Dutchmen - elderly women and middle-aged men along with (the) teenagers - were working in God's underground...most of these people never saw one another...face-to-face contacts (were kept) as few as possible...but all knew the Beje...it was headquarters, the center of a spreading web...the knot where all threads crossed".

Holland had fallen to Germany in the spring of 1942.  At first, the presence of Nazi troops had appeared to be relatively innocuous, but as time passed "each month the occupation seemed to grow harsher, restrictions more numerous".  The "true horror...came over (the people) only slowly", beginning with minor exclusions and sporadic attacks on Jews.  Before long, however, people began to disappear.  Some had been "spirited away by the Gestapo", while others had gone into hiding before that could happen to them.

A year and a half after the invasion, Corrie had witnessed a group of German soldiers forcing their way into the home and shop of a Jewish neighbor.  Although they did not harm the man at the time, it was evident that his life was in danger.  The Ten Booms arranged for the neighbor and his wife to go to Amsterdam to stay with son Willem, and discovered that Willem and his own son Kik were actively involved in an active underground movement there.  As the German threat intensified and more and more Jews feared for their lives, the Ten Booms became increasingly involved in the underground network in Haarlem, sheltering several exiles in the "hiding place" created in the labyrinthine upper level of the Beje (Chapters 5-7).

'Yes', I said, 'for the love of God!' What does Montresor mean by these words in "The Cask of Amontillado"?

It is to be noted that Fortunato does not call Montresor by name except at the end when he cries, "For the love of God, Montresor!" Poe's main purpose for writing this line was to show that Fortunato understood what was happening and who was responsible. Montresor specifies that one of the requirements for perfect revenge is that the victim know the identity of the "avenger."

A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser. It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong.

Fortunato has been drunk ever since Montresor encountered him on the street, and Montresor has kept him drunk by giving him two bottles of French wine. But once Fortunato is tightly chained to the granite wall, the author wants to fulfill Montresor's specifications for redressing a wrong. Montresor explains:

I had scarcely laid the first tier of the masonry when I discovered that the intoxication of Fortunato had in a great measure worn off. The earliest indication I had of this was a low moaning cry from the depth of the recess. It was not the cry of a drunken man.

This is merely to show the reader that Fortunato understands where he is, what is happening to him, and who is responsible. Perhaps Fortunato even understands why it is happening to him. So the following exchange between victim and captor can be interpreted as intended to show that Montresor has made "himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong," as well as Montresor's expression of complete satisfaction at the success of his revenge.

"Yes," I said, "for the love of God!"

This reply probably means that Fortunato, who is begging for mercy, is well aware of his captor's identity and is saying exactly what Montresor wanted to hear him say. Montresor wanted to hear the proud, scornful man begging him for mercy. Montresor could not be there to observe what happened to his prisoner over the following days and weeks. Evidently Fortunato was in for a long, lingering death. But the action ends with

"Yes," I said, "for the love of God!"

What is Paris's personality in Romeo and Juliet? What happens in the play as far as his perspective is concerned?

Paris is a young nobleman, related to the Prince, and has Lord Capulet's approval to marry Juliet at some point in time. Paris seems to be accustomed to getting his way because he pressures Lord Capulet on the subject of marriage right at the beginning of the play. For example, in Act I, Juliet's father reminds him that she is only 13 and needs to wait a couple of years before becoming a bride. However, from Paris's perspective, he's got her father's approval, so all he needs to do is be patient. Unlike Romeo, though, he follows the rules of propriety by first going to Juliet's father for permission to court and marry her. He is also conscious of the whole family's feelings when Tybalt dies because he backs off from courting Juliet to respect the family's grieving process. For example, Paris says that following after Tybalt dies:

"These times of woe afford no times to woo.

Madam, good-night; commend me to your daughter" (III.iv.8-9).

On the other hand, once Paris has Capulet's word to marry Juliet right away (to stop her tears for Tybalt), he seems insensitive to what she thinks about the forthcoming marriage. He prematurely calls Juliet his wife in front of Friar Laurence, and when she says "that may be, sir, when I may be a wife," he counters directly with, "That 'may be' must be, love, on Thursday next" (IV.i.20-21). It's as if Paris's only concern is what Juliet's father thinks and feels rather than what she thinks or feels. This is normal behavior at the time for arranged marriages, though. The men making the deal don't care what the woman thinks.

Finally, in Act V, Paris seems to truly be a man in love because he is grieving at Juliet's tomb. He is insulted that someone would interrupt his grieving, too, when he hears his Page whistle. He says the following:

"What cursed foot wanders this way to-night,

To cross my obsequies and true love's rite?" (V.i.19-20).

This quote shows that he believes that he is the only one who truly loved Juliet and the only one who should be there at her side. After Romeo kills him, he also asks to be placed by her side in the tomb; so it would seem that even though he used his power and influence to wed her, he may have actually loved her. Unfortunately, Paris's perspective is that of a clueless outsider who does not know Juliet's true feelings and dies in ignorance.

What is the significance in Oedipus the King?What are the significant themes or ideas in the play?

One of the most profound characters in all of literature, the evolution of Oedipus' character is probably one of the most significant aspects of the drama.  His evolution in character from who he is at the start of the play to who he is at the end of it reflects much of the essence of dramatic depictions of character development and evolution.  His intelligence and faith in his own sense of self as well as his immense sense of pride give way to a different understanding of self.  The sight he gains about his condition in the world is only heightened by his blinding at the end of it.  Through Oedipus, we learn the truth behind the idea of knowledge being a form of suffering and the blissful condition of ignorance.  Oedipus demonstrates how the quest for truth is a necessary part of the human condition, and in the process how its suffering causes inevitable hardship and emotional turmoil.  Another significant element in the drama is the idea of human freedom vs. fated destiny.  When Oedipus seeks to overcome the fate that has been destined for him, we see a fundamental theme that underscores so much of literature.  How does human freedom fit within a cosmic design?  Are our actions in accordance to our own will or some larger scheme of which we are a small part?  If there is a destiny, can we overcome it? If this is true, is there such a thing as freedom within the human condition or is everything predestined?  What becomes the purpose of possessing freedom if destiny will triumph over it in the end?  These questions all strike at the heart of Sophocles' work, making it extremely significant.

In "To Kill a Mockingbird", why would Atticus want Jem to take the blame for the murder of Mr. Ewell or Bob Ewell?

Atticus is most concerned with Jem's personal accountability. He doesn't want his son growing up with some kind of dark past that people are constantly talking about either directly or behind his back.

By using his knowledge of the legal system, he begins to formulate ways that Jem could easily escape charges, like the plea of self-defense. However, Sheriff Heck Tate assures Atticus that Bob Ewell "fell on his knife," despite evidence that Boo Radley stabbed him in defense of the Finch children.

Why did Shakespeare sometimes write prose instead of blank verse?

First, lets define the difference between the two.  Prose is defined as "ordinary language".  It is the language that people speak in, and doesn't contain any of the metrical structure of poetry.

Blank verse is specifically a type of poetry.  It does have meter (Shakespeare stuck mostly to iambic pentameter), but it doesn't have rhyme. 

To answer your question - authors just whichever writing style best suits their purpose.  The benefit to blank verse is that it give emphasis to certain lines.  It is easier to remember a line that is is a certain beat - which is why we remember the lyrics of songs, whether they rhyme or not.  Verse also suggests more formality.  So, if you have two kings addressing each other about going to war, you might as an author want to use verse to give the exchange more importance.

In a similar way, you might as an author want to use prose when you are giving the language of common people, or maybe when you are deliberately trying to make a situation or scene seem less important. 

The answer will be different depending on the text of Shakespeare we are discussing.  Let me give you one example from Macbeth, however.  Consider these two lines from Lady Macbeth:

Come, you spirits

that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here

This is a noble woman who wants to be queen, and who is asking the spirits to help here have the manly strength and courage to follow through on a murder plot.  If you read the lines out loud, you can hear the beat of iambic pentameter following along with her request.

However, in another scene, a few unnamed men have come together to murder a friend of Macbeth.  A murderer is discussing where and when to expect the victim.

Almost a mile, but he does usually -

So all men do - from hence to the palace gate.

Here, there is no supernatural or overly thematic purpose to the spoken words.  It is plot driven in nature, and so verse is not needed to emphasize what is going on.  Just remember that all authors have purpose for the style of writing they choose - define the style of writing, and you should be able to explain why it suits the particular theme or text.

Calculate the sum s=cos1+cos2+cos3+...+cos179

this problem  is very easy ....for beginning ......you have to write  the sum: S=cos1+cos2+.......+cos179

and now you have to write this sum in reverse way :

like that:

S=cos179+cos178+........................+cos1

S=cos1    +cos2   +.........................+cos179( you have to gather)

-------------------------------------------------

2S=(cos179+cos1)+(cos178+cos2)+................+(cos1+cos179)

and now you can see that:

cos 179+cos1=2x((cos179+1):2) x(cos(179-1):2)=0

cos 178+cos2=0

2S=0   S=0

In "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock", at what point in the poem do you realize that Prufrock will not declare his love?

The entire poem seems to reveal his hesitation, his fear, his insecurities, and the excuses that he gives himself for NOT asking his question.  He vacillates back and forth, but most of the time expresses his trepidation at asking.  His hesitancy and fear are a palpable presence in the poem.  He questions himself over and over, "do I dare?"  He gives all of the reasons he shouldn't, talking about the trivial nature of the conversations at these parties, about how they will reject him, about how they will laugh at and mock him, how they will over-analyze him and "pin" him under their scrutiny.  The entire poem is an expression of doubt.  So, it is easy to guess or hypothesize that he's probably going to chicken out.

That feeling becomes a bit more concrete when he says his head is brought in upon a platter and that he has felt death (the eternal footman) waiting for him.  When he starts asking "and would it have been worth it after all" to ask the question, here his decision materializes more solidly.  He is weighing the cons of asking, worrying if it will be worth it.  At this point, we can probably guess.  His excuses are more solid and tangible.

The actual declaration that he will not ask her the question though comes around line 125-ish, when, asking several times if it would have been worth it, he declares with emphasis and finality, "No!"  He states the answer right there.  He has decided it is not worth asking his question.  After all, he is no "Hamlet" who is profound, princely, and inspiring.  He is "a bit obtuse", a "fool", and ridiculous.  He decides at this point to not ask, to let it go, to feel sorry for himself, and to write long poems about his longing.  :)  I hope that helps!

Consider the opening details about the season. Why would spring make people "long to go on pilgrimages"?

The evocation of Spring at the beginning of The Canterbury Tales places Spring and the seasons in a cyclical time frame. The lyricism with which the narrator evokes the sights and smells of Spring are really stunning, which is why we might be slightly surprised when the narrator breaks out of this mode to talk about pilgrimages - a love story might have been a more fitting evolution for this tale! However, a link is made between nature which follows a set cyclical route and humans, who want to experience freedom after the confinement imposed upon them by the harshness of winter and so therefore go on pilgrimages in Spring to enjoy the weather. Of course, going on pilgrimages was also a holiday, not just about penance, so there is also a vivid, lively, profoundly social side to the decision to go on a pilgrimage.

What does "the voice" in Chapter 1 of "Lord of the Flies" represent? To whom does it refer?no

Here's the bit from the novel you need:

... a bird, a vision of red and yellow, flashed upwards with a witch-like cry; and this cry was echoed by another.
“Hi!” it said. “Wait a minute!” The undergrowth at the side of the scar was shaken and a multitude of raindrops fell pattering.
“Wait a minute,” the voice said. “I got caught up.”
The fair boy stopped and jerked his stockings with an automatic gesture that made the jungle seem for a moment like the Home Counties.
The voice spoke again.
“I can’t hardly move with all these creeper things.”

Don't worry too much about the significance of the "voice" in this first chapter. All it is Piggy: the voice becomes the "fat boy", when he appears out of the creepers, then eventually "Piggy". "The voice" is just Piggy's voice, before Ralph knows who Piggy is.

It's a narrative technique that Golding uses throughout the novel: narrating from one (or all) of the boys' points of view. We're seeing and hearing Piggy through Ralph's ears: first he's just a "voice", then he's the "fat boy", and then, as Ralph finds out his name, he's Piggy.

Hope it helps!

How is Rip Van Winkle changed by the events of the story?

Rip Van Winkle is a well liked but lazy man in the beginning of the story. The townspeople enjoy his personality, but his family suffers because he doesn't work at keeping their farm in working order. His wife is a very bossy, domineering woman who constantly gives him a hard time about not working hard enough. However, Rip Van Winkle is a person who enjoys life and does not think that money is important. When Rip Van Winkle returns to the village from his twenty year nap, it can be argued that his character does not change or grow very much, other than physically growing older. He is shocked by what he finds has happened in the past twenty years, but he remains a man who likes to relax and enjoy life. By this time, his wife is dead and he is allowed to relax in his old age as he lives with his daughter and no one nags at him. 

What seems to be the point of the story that Virgil tells about Laocoon?

You could approach this from a number of angles. At its simplest the episode heightens the drama of what is probably the most dramatic book in the Aeneid. It is a scene of great power and graphic imagery, very swift and chilling in its execution and extremely affecting, even for the modern reader. However, I have always viewed the episode from a psychological perspective. At this point the Trojans are experiencing very mixed emotions. They are exultant at the apparent departure of the Greeks but also still fearful and divided about how to take in the story that the devious Sinon has been telling them about the gift horse. Then Laocoon appears dramatically on the scene. He has been selected by lot to act as priest to Neptune, a fact that can only add to the Trojans' confusion because of the past history of Neptune in relation to Troy's foundation and perhaps also because of Neptune's connection with horses. When Laocoon physically assaults the wooden horse with the spear, we might well feel we have reached the height of drama and tension but then the snakes appear and, within seconds it seems, Laocoon and his sons are destroyed. This is what drives the message home to the Trojans: now at last one thing at least seems clear, namely that the gods are punishing the one man who has dared not to just to challenge Sinon's story but to desecrate the gift which the Greeks have left. When the snakes finally slither under the statue of Pallas, Troy's protectress, the psychological impact is driven further home. The Trojans' relief at knowing at last how to act is then emphasised by the triumphal and joyous manner in which they drag the horse into the city, unaware that Neptune's revenge is about to be completed.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, why doesn't Alexandra want Scout playing with Walter Cunningham?

Alexandra is a strong believer in Southern tradition; one of the traditions of the Old South she continues to uphold with great zeal is that of social class distinction. Put simply, Alexandra is a snob. She is enormously proud of her family heritage as a member of the Finch family, one of the oldest and most respected in Maycomb County. As a result, she looks down upon any family that is not as old and accomplished (or as financially comfortable) as her own. It is from this frame of reference that Alexandra explains to Scout why she cannot be friends with Walter Cunningham, a classmate who comes from a poor but proud family:

The thing is, you can scrub Walter Cunningham till he shines, you can put him in shoes and a new suit, but he'll never be like Jem. Besides, there's a drinking streak in that family a mile wide. Finch women aren't interested in that sort of people.

When Scout persists, Alexandra speaks as plainly as she can, showing her ignorance and arrogance about Walter, a respectful little boy who cannot help the circumstances of his birth:

Because--he--is--trash, that's why you can't play with him. I'll not have you around him, picking up his habits and learning Lord-knows-what.

Her Aunt's contempt and cruelty reduce Scout to furious tears. Jem leads her sobbing from the room.

How does the narrator create dramatic tension in her presentation of the Tim Johnson incident?

This is a great question.  Notice how the story of the dog begins with very short pieces of dialogue and little information.  The dialogue is casual.  Scout says, "Whatcha looking at?" (92) as though nothing very important is happening, and Jem's reply does not indicate any kind of concern.  But as the scene goes on, the reader can see that whatever is wrong with the dog is more serious than a cut on the dog's paw. Once Calipurnia sees the dog, Scout relates to us that Calipurnia starts making phone calls, shouting into the phone. We can feel her panic.

Once Atticus arrives, things get quieter.  The street is silent, and the dog is moving slowly.  This quietness actually increases the tension, just as a scene in a movie might get very quiet right before the killer strikes. 

The tension increases as Heck Tate and Atticus talk about who will shoot the dog because once the dog turns the corner, there could be any number of people the dog could attack, and time grows short as they argue.  Finally, Atticus shoots the dog, which at this point is heading down his street, placing his own children at risk.  There is a kind of letdown in the scene because Atticus shoots with sadness, so there is no triumphant ending.  There are really no "bad guys," just an old, sad dog with rabies.

The use of the rising action, then the "quiet before the storm," and then the final shot make the scene very tense, don't you think?

Of course, as a follow up to this scene, the children learn something they did not know about their father's shooting skills. But that is another story!

In Animal Farm, how is Boxer hardworking? What does he do to make him a hard worker? What other traits does Boxer have?

Boxer is a horse, and on a farm a horse has a lot of jobs to do.  In the first chapter, we get a description of Boxer:  "he was not of first-rate intelligence, but he was universally respected for his steadiness of character and tremendous powers of work" (p. 3).  So Boxer isn't all that smart, but he works hard and has strong character traits that earn him respect from the other animals. 

When the revolution begins, Boxer is one of the most faithful followers.  He accepts the teachings of the pigs with dedication, and even throws his own hat into the fire to ensure that he goes naked like all animals should.  Once the animals begin to be self-sufficient, Boxer is the hardest working one of all.  "He had been a hard worker even in Jones's time, but now he seemed more like three horses than one; there were days when the entire work on the farm seemed to rest on his mighty shoulders," (p. 25).  Of course, his motto for when times got tough became, "I will work harder."  That was his solution to any problem:  the idea that hard work would bring the desired result, and if he wasn't getting the desired result, he would simply work all that harder.

What is the "Graveyard School of Poetry"?

The 'Graveyard School' refers to a genre evolving in the domain of 18th century English poetry.Perhaps the earliest example would be Thomas Parnell's 'A Night-Piece on Death'(1721). The so-called school of poetry dealing with death, bereavement, the grave, the physical manifestations of morbidity etc was chiefly modelled on Robert Blair's long popular poem, 'The Grave'(1743). Edward Young's blank-verse poem, 'Night Thoughts'(1742-45) was a more celebrated example. Thomas Gray's famous work, 'An Elegy Written on a Country Church-Yard' reflected the more meditative aspect of this pre-Romantic school.

What is the nature of literature?

The nature of literature is quite an open one.  It does many things and accomplishes many purposes.  One such end is that it helps to articulate conditions within human beings that can find relation in the lives of others.  It seeks to relay such narratives so that bonds can be formed with characters, predicaments, and ideas in the hopes of sensing more about our own senses of self.  Literature's nature can take on many forms in the accomplishment of these purposes.  Yet, the idea present is that within all literature there is some level of articulation of a predicament that can be appreciated by many and help more to understand more of themselves, their worlds and settings.  Sometimes, the nature of literature can have a moral purpose, yet other times it might not.  However, its primary nature is to "simply connect" with others in its attempt to detail more of ourselves and our world.

In The Great Gatsby, Gatsby knows Daisy didn't have a good time at the party. What's Nick's advice? How does Gatsby react? Chapter 6

When Gatsby despairs that Daisy doesn't understand his feelings as she once did, Nick advises him to not ask too much of Daisy because the past can't be repeated. Gatsby reacts with disbelief, almost in panic at the idea:

"Can't repeat the past?" he cried incredulously. "Why of course you can!"

He looked around him wildly, as if the past were lurking here in the shadow of his house, just out of reach of his hand.

Repeating the past with Daisy had become Gatsby's reason for living, the dream he had pursued for the past five years. The idea that no one can repeat the past was completely foreign to him--the denial of the possibility of his dream being realized--and to hear such an idea from Nick was frightening.

What is a good thesis statement for the following topic from The Great Divorce? Characters struggle, and in some cases, suffer with the aftermath...

Almost all of the ghosts from Chapters 2-10 in The Great Divorce suffer because of their poor choices.  Choose two or three of those characters and focus on them.  If you try to address too many characters, your paper will not have depth.  Here's an example:

"In C.S. Lewis's The Great Divorce, characters such as Pam, Robert's Wife, and Frank the Tragedian face bitterness, loneliness, and an eternity of disatisfaction because of their poor decisions."

Describe Moche' the Beadle from "Night".

Moche' the Beadle is the first character we are introduced to in Elie Wiesel's "Night."  He was the janitor, or the man who did everything, at the Hasidic synagogue.  Physically, he is described by Elie on page 1:

"Physically he was as awkward as a clown.  He made people smile, with his waif-like timidity. I loved his great, dreaming eyes, their gaze lost in the distance."

He was very poor but still liked by everyone. He did not have shoes. He dressed and lived humbly. He sang a lot but didn't speak much.  He had a way of making himself "insignificant.  As Elie states, he did not embarrass anyone and they were not uncomfortable in his presence.  He was Elie's first teacher of the Hasidic traditions because Elie's father told him to read the Talmud instead of studying Hasidic dogma.

What are the themes of Shoeless Joe?

I would assert that the thematic link present is that reality is largely defined by the ability to see what can be as opposed to what is.  The driving force in the novel is Ray's desire to transform his reality through imagining what can be as opposed to what is.  Mowing down his crops to spend three years in building the field represents a sense of imagination that allows him to transform his reality.  In an almost dream like pursuit of Salinger, Ray again seeks to make his reality in alignment with his own sense of imagination.  To observe the players on the field, one has to learn to "see." 

This ability to see is the possession of imagination, something that Mark lacks.  It is also something that Ray's brother lacks until Ray teaches him how to use his imagination.  The expansion of a moral imagination allows reality to mirror dreams, as evidenced in how Ray's brother and father emerging with connection.  The end of the story, where Ray becomes the active force behind others' dreams and their imagination, helps them to transform their reality, as well.

in "Street Car Named Desire,"what is Blanche's attitude about money? How does she react when Stella offers her pocket money?

Since Blanche's family fell from the upper crust of Southern society, her nostalgia over times gone by has turned her into a money-hungry and calculating woman who uses sex to attract possible rich suitors, but without success. She is very desperate for money, especially since she has none, and her tricks are not working anymore.

In that scene when her sister offered her money, she basically exploded in a rant of how low her sister has fallen and what a low life her sister's husband is. He heard the whole thing, but he pretended not to have heard her. Which, in turn, added to the fuel of anger that he was harboring towards Blanche.

In The Giver, why was Jonas' number skipped during the assignment ceremony?

Jonas's assignment was unique and special; it wasn't a typical job like his classmates were getting.  They skipped him because they needed to explain a little bit more about his job, and because it was a somewhat historic event since they only choose a new Receiver once in a lifetime or so.  When Jonas got his assignment, they apologized for confusing him, and explained that he was being given a very special job.  They talked about how he had been specifically chosen for this job because they knew his talents and personality would be a good match for it, etc.  So his assignment took a little longer than the others, and required a little more explanation.  Instead of just throwing it in with the rest of the assignments, they skipped his number and kept his assignment until the end.

What was the effect of British Imperialism in the colonized countries?

Their push to take over places such as Burma was a major culture clash.  The result was plain resentment.  There was much resentment shown from the Burmese towards the British.  Here they were completely powerless and controlled by a country that was located nowhere near their own homes--but thousands of miles away.  British officers walked around with their guns to keep the appearance of control, and Orwell was the object of much of that resentment. 

The Burmese lived a life of hard labor and had no use for technology.  They were a pre-industrial civilization.  England was so much further along than that, so the clash was very obvious to both sides of the issue.

In "Fahrenheit 451" how would you describe Beatty didactic methods?

When the word didactic is used, it is typically referring to one's style of teaching, or instructing other people.  Beatty is an interesting teacher, who employs interesting didactic methods to "teach" Montag.  There are a few key words that I would use to describe Beatty's didactic methods.  I'll list them below, with examples.

1.  Aggressive and threatening.  Beatty, after Montag returns to work at the end of section two, nearly attacks Montag, aggressively quoting book after book at him, to make the point that books can be used to serve anyone's argument, no matter what it is.  As a result, books are "traitors."  Beatty wants Montag to learn this lesson, probably because he has felt betrayed by books himself, and because he wants Montag to drop his pursuit of books and conform.  He knows that Montag is hiding books (Mildred and her friends alerted him to that), and is upset that Montag has chosen this path.  So, he aggressively stuffs the lesson that books are worthless down Montag's throat, in a pretty threatening way.

2.  Logical, and sarcastic.  When Beatty comes to Montag's house to lay out the history of firemen and book burning, he is pretty open, frank, and inclusive.  He logically lays down the facts for him.  He presents the history with many, many details that help Montag to understand how they got to where they are today.  He sarcastically puts himself into the shoes of society and how they have responded to each event with such offense, laziness and outrage.  He uses that sarcasm to point out how things progressed, and to point out the rather illogical and silly ways of people.

3.  Subtle.  Beatty likes to drop hints that alert Montag to the fact that he is aware of Montag's curiosity with books, and that he would like him to expore it briefly, then get back to normal.  At the end of his history lesson, Beatty hints,

"Well, then, what if a fireman accidentally, really not intending anything, takes a book home with him?  A natural error.  Curiosity alone...we let the fireman keep the book twenty-four hours."

Here he is letting Montag know that he knows what is up, without directly stating it.  He is teaching a valuable lesson:  I'm on to you.  Satisfy your curiosity, then get with the program.  Beatty later admits to sending the hound to Montag's door to indirectly scare Montag into stopping his quest.

I hope those thoughts help; Beatty's an interesting character with a dynamic teaching style.  Good luck!

How are the 3 subplots of the Merchant of Venice interconnected?

Most critics believe that there are three subplots to Merchant. 

1. The casket plot for Portia's suitors.

2. The bond/contract plot between Antonio and Shylock.

3.  The ring plot between Portia and Bassanio and Nerissa and Gratiano.

The plots are interconnected not only through characters but also through themes.

1. Portia wants Bassanio to choose the right casket so that she may marry him.

2.  Bassanio's connection to the casket plot links him to the bond plot.  If he did not need to borrow money from Antonio to impress and woo Portia, Antonio would not have entered into the bond with Shylock.

3.  The ring plot does not develop until Act 4 (the trial scene).  Portia argues for Antonio's and Bassanio's sake against Shylock and in saving Antonio's life eventually requests her ring back from Bassanio. 

Through Bassanio, the subplots are connected.  Thematically, the plots share a connection.  The casket plot expresses the truth that appearance does not always equal reality.  The ugliest and seemingly worthless lead casket possesses the prize.  This theme of misleading appearances continue in the bond plot.  For example, Shylock believes that his bond is airtight, that Antonio has no escape, but Shylock doesn't look below the surface of his "pound of flesh" request. Likewise, Portia disguises herself as a man to resolve the bond plot.  Everyone believes her to be a young, gifted lawyer, but the audience knows who she really is.  Finally, the ring plot also demonstrates appearance versus reality.  Portia, dressed as a man still, manipulates Bassanio into giving her the ring that he promised never to remove. In the end, Portia teachers her new husband that all is not as it appears by disclosing her involvement in the trial and her repossession of the ring.

What is the difference between Absurdist Fiction and Absurd Realism?

Hi!

Absurdist fiction is a genre where the action does not need to follow a sequential order, neither does the plot need to begin and end. The characters do not have to be concise, nor represent anything nor anyone. The theme in an absurdist fiction is mentioned, elaborated, but not sequentially worked. It is most commonly seen in theatre and poetry rather than plain narrative, but it is also found there.

If you see any theatrical piece of absurdity what you will find is maybe a character which starts saying something and may not end it, then the action quickly switching to another time and place, and maybe even other characters showing up and similarly disappearing throughout the action for no real reason. In other words, it is very similar to those Obsession commercials from back in the 80s.

Absurd realism is also an existentialist-based genre. It also abandons most rules of traditional storytelling in that the characters may use free dialogue, themes might not be fully explained, and there may or may not be a "lesson to be learned". The thing with this one is that sometimes there might be a realistic central theme, but all that occurs around it is quite, well, absurd.  The actions that take place are not as wild as with absurdist fiction, but also follow a trend of weirdness. An example of absurdist realism is said to be the story Catch 22.

The link provided might be of some help to you.

This was a hard one- hope it is of some help.

Where did the first cultures exist?

There were cultures whenever humans got to the point of teaching things from one generation to the next, I suppose.  In terms of what are usually termed 'civilizations', that is a culture with "writing" of some sort and some form of urban organization, the first would be the early Mesopotamian cities in the Middle East, in what is today the Gulf of Persia.  "Mesopotamia" is Greek for "land between the rivers," specifically the Tigris and Euphrates.  These cities are properly termed the "Uruk culture," named for Uruk (or Erech), their earliest known capital city.  These cities began about 6000 BC, in what are today the countries of Iraq and Iran.

The area did not receive much rainfall, but was watered in the east by the two rivers.  By cutting vegetation and building up swampy areas the earliest farmers, a people known as Ubaidians, created more fertile soil.  These people, originally from the Caucases, built the first cities of the world, in the lower part of the plain, called Babylon.  Later they intermarried with newcomers called Sumerians.  Babylon was divided in two, Akkad in the north and Sumer in the delta to the south.  These cities included Babel, Ur, Lagash, Nippur, and eventually Ninevah and many others.

The Sumerian language is unrelated to any other known toungue.  Akkadian, a Semitic language which became the lingua franca of the Sumerian world, is the language many early records are written in, including the most complete copy of the epic of Gilgamesh.  Their cuneiform or "triangle-shape" form of writing remained standard for two millenia, even though alphabetic writing existed well before 1800 BC.

The earliest historic document, or earliest record made of a contemporary event, was found in 'Obeid, just west of Ur, in 1923.  It is a three by four inch marble slab laid in a cornerstone of a temple, inscribed "Annipadda, king of Ur, son of Messanipadda, has built this for his lady Nin-Kharsag," she being a mother-goddess.

How and why is the sentence '"The importance of keeping the pigs in good health was all too obvious" an example of Orwell's use of irony?=)

Another irony I find in the line is that, given the goals of socialism, the equality of all people (animals), there is absolutelly no reason why the health of pigs is any more important than the health of any of the other animals.  Of course, the irony is between what is said and what is meant.  This is a hint that the pigs are going to be something "special" on the farm, that the dream of the Old Major is going to come to naught, that the situation of the other animals will not improve, but only move from one sorry situation to another.

Explain how the Reeve and the Pardoner from Canterbury Tales are the same and how they are different.

They are different in terms of social standing: The pardoner works for the Pope (remember the time of the story and the importance of the clergy) whereas the Reeve would be deemed a "commoner" b/c he is a sort of under-butler.

They are similar in terms of wit: They both steal from the hands that feed them- The pardoner keeps a bag full of junk he passes as relics so that he can make a quick buck for himself whereas the Reeve plain out steals from his boss. So, they are both thieves.

Give a summary of Mark Antony's speech in Julius Caesar, mentioning some persuasive techniques found in it.

Antony's funeral oration shows the power of persuasive speaking as he turns a hostile audience into true believers for his own purposes. Antony employs several persuasive techniques in his speech, including emotional appeal. After first claiming that his intention is not to praise Caesar, he says, "He was my friend, faithful and just to me." Antony's love for Caesar is an emotion with which the audience can identify. From that point forward, Antony's speech points out many of Caesar's acts that had benefited them as Roman citizens. He reminds them of their former love for Caesar. He tempts them by mentioning Caesar's will, hinting that Caesar had been generous to them.

Antony then employs another persuasive technique, anecdote. As Antony stands beside Caesar's body, he recalls the first time he saw Caesar put on the mantle that now covers him, ripped and shredded by the assassins' daggers. In this anecdote, Antony mentions it was the day that Caesar had defeated one of Rome's fiercest enemies. Using Caesar's body as a dramatic prop, Antony points out the tears in Caesar's cloak, relives the assassination from Caesar's point of view, and finally pulls away the cloak to reveal Caesar's mutilated corpse. Playing upon the crowd's new pity for Caesar, Antony then directs them to mutiny.

Throughout this speech, Antony very effectively uses rhetorical questions, repetition, and verbal irony to sway his audience. His insistence that "Brutus is an honorable man" takes on a tone of powerful sarcasm when juxtaposed against Caesar's good deeds and Brutus' betrayal of him. Antony returns again and again to this increasingly sarcastic observation. Antony's masterful use of the rhetorical question can be seen in this passage from his speech:

You all did see that on the Lupercal

I thrice presented [Caesar] a kingly crown,

Which he did thrice refuse. Was this ambition?

The answer to Antony's question within this context clearly is understood, driving home his contention that Caesar was slain for no good reason. As a speaker, Antony demonstrates he is a master of persuasive techniques, including emotional appeal, anecdotes, repetition, verbal irony, and rhetorical questions. He also employs figurative language to greatest effect: Brutus, he points out with irony, was "Caesar's angel."

In "Animal Farm", what is a list of ideal ideas outlined by Old Major that should occur after the rebellion?Old

In Animal Farm, Old Major is the visionary behind the revolution.  It is Old Major's dreams and views that inspire the animals to actually rebel against the farmer and his men. In a speech he gives to the animals, he outlines what he believes the future of the farm should be and how the animals should live together.

"Major identifies man as the cause of all the problems for the animals. It is man alone who consumes without producing. Get rid of man, he says, and animals will be rich and free. Jones abuses his animals. Old Major predicts that even Boxer will be sold to the knacker to be boiled down for glue and dog food “the very day that those great muscles of yours lose their power.” (Orwell)

After the rebellion, and out of Old Major's speech, the animals develop the belief system known as Animalism and the seven commandments that are painted on a sign that represent the foundational principles that are to govern their behavior after the rebellion.  The seven principles are:

"1. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy.
2. Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend.
3. No animal shall wear clothes.
4. No animal shall sleep in a bed.
5. No animal shall drink alcohol.
6. No animal shall kill any other animal.
7. All animals are equal."

Which figure of speech is used in the following speech made by Brutus in "Julius Caesar"?"There is a tide in the affairs of men, Which, taken at...

These famous lines from "Julius Caesar" exemplify an extended metaphor of the sea.  (A metaphor is a figure of speech in which one thing is spoken of as though it were something else. An extended metaphor carries the figure of speech through several lines.)

This passage is particularly significant for its interplay between fate and free will.  While fate presents the opportunity before them of winning a battle, Brutus speaks of choice that man has when presented with this act of fate. In Act IV, scene 3, as he urges Cassius to meet the advancing armies in Philippi.  Arguing against Cassius's position that they should remain where they are and let their enemy come to them, Brutus says that their forces are in unfriendly territory, at the peak of their strength, and they must seize the opportunity before they weaken.  He tells his brother-in-law that in men's lives there is a "tide" that will carry one out to the sea of success, greater adventure, power, etc. if one will ride this tide.  But, if one allows this tide of opportunity to escape him, he will live a different life--one of mediocrity and regret,

Omitted, all the voyage of their life/Is bound in shallows and in miseries. (IV, iii, 219-220)

Not only are these lines metaphoric, but they are also an example of dramatic irony as the battle at Philippi becomes the nemesis of the forces of Brutus and Cassius.  His decision to "ride the tide of affairs" is a fatal mistake for Brutus, who has exercised his free will with error, not properly recognizing the force of fate.

What are Hester's feelings toward the stranger that appears as she stands on the scaffold?"The Scarlet Letter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne

In Chapter III of "The Scarlet Letter" as Hester clutches her child "fiercely to her breast" and realises her shame, she then looks outward and discerns a familiar form with one shoulder lower than the other.  And, when this distorted figure dressed in Indian garbs makes eye contact with her, he places his finger on his lips to communicate silence to Hester.  As humiliated as Hester is before the throng, she yet dreads the moment when "its protection should be withdrawn from her" and she be in the presence of this man alone.

Finally, when Hester is returned to the prison, the jailer is followed by this stranger "of singular aspect."  His experiences "in alchemy" enable him to tend to the nervous child, but Hester repels the medicine, fearing that he will do harm to her little Pearl; however, he convinces her that his intentions are harmless.  When he provides Hester a calming drink, she hesitates again. The stranger speaks to her while touching the scarlet letter:

Live, therefore, and bear about thy doom with thee, ...in the eyes of him whom thou didst call thy husband....And, that thou mayest live, take off this draught.

As he takes a chair, Hester senses his "refined cruelty."  Revealing his real reason for visiting her, Hester's husband demands that she reveal who her lover is; Hester replies, "That thou shalt never know!"

With chilling cruelty, the man declares, "Sooner or later, he must needs be mine!"  Frightened, Hester answers, "But thy words interpret thee as a terror!"  As the interview continues, Roger Chillingworth, as he calls himself, asks Hester if she is not afraid of nightmares.

'Why dost thou smile so at me?' asks Hester. 'Art thous like the Black Man that haunts the forest round about us?  Hast thou entice me into a bond that will prove the ruin of my soul?'

'Not thy soul,' he answers with another smile. 'No, not thine.'

With terror, Hester realizes that Roger Chillingworth's words "He will be mine" denote that he will claim the very soul and psyche of the father of the child.

In Macbeth, what are five metaphors in Macbeth’s speech in Act 5, Scene 5, lines 21–30? What do they mean?

This speech is surely one of the most quoted in Shakespeare. Life, in Macbeth's tortured view, is described through a series of metaphors, one quickly following another. 

Life is a candle which, in the past, has "lighted fools the way to dusty death." Macbeth sees himself among this company, as he faces his own death, the result of his own foolish decisions. For him to say "Out, out, brief candle" suggests that he is ready to die.

Life is a "walking shadow" and a "poor player." It "struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more." Macbeth refers to his own life; it is he who has strutted and fretted during the short time he wielded power in Scotland, a bad actor on the stage of his country's history and one who will not live in its collective memory.

Finally, life is "a tale told by an idiot." Again, Macbeth assesses life in terms of his own. His life has been full of "sound and fury," but it signifies nothing at all. He leaves behind him nothing of value.

Life is a candle, a shadow, an actor, one brief hour upon the stage, and an idiotic tale. Macbeth's bitterness and despair are communicated strongly through these metaphors.

Explain the theme of "The Bluest Eye."

There are probably multiple themes of Morrison's "The Bluest Eye."  One that is most prevalent concerns the role appearance plays in society,  Pecola Breedlove is described as ugly not because she necessarily is, but because all the Breedloves see themselves as ugly; this is the role they see themselves playing in society.  Arguably, this could be because they are darker skinned African Americans, and there are many sectionso f the novel where Morrison pays attention to the segregation within the African American community of darker skinned and light skinned blacks, the latter believing they are "better" presumably because they more closely represent the white majority.

This is not the only theme in the novel by any means, but it is the one I always come back to with each reading of the piece.

Why did national industrial productivity rise in the late 1800s?

It was at this time that the Industrial Revolution came to America.  For several decades England had been growing in industrial might, but England worked hard to keep this technology from getting to America as they wanted to keep the US in a subservient, raw goods producing position. However, thanks to the efforts of a few men who managed to sneak technological information out of England – particularly Samuel Slater and Francis Cabot Lowell, both in the textile industry – the United States joined the industrial revolution. In fact, Lowell was the first to process bales to finished fabric under one roof.

The industrial revolution completely changed the relationship between people and work – for the better and the worse.  Previously, people had mostly been farmers or craftsmen.  Now there were factories with machines and the huge increases in productivity that came with them.  This vastly increased the availability of goods that were affordable by average people, and made people more mobile. On the other hand, people had less ownership of their work, and became more vulnerable to economic swings.

How did the medical practices of Dr. Benjamin Rush and Dr. Jean Deveze differ?

In 1793, a yellow fever epidemic wracked Philadelphia, leaving many of the doctors in the city wondering how to treat the spreading disease most effectively.  Benjamin Rush, a well-respected physician in the city, came to the fore as a fighter of the disease.  Rush, however, was not alone in his efforts.  At the same time, Dr. Jean Deveze, a refugee from Haiti, joined the fight.  Though they fought to further the same cause, they conducted their campaigns against yellow fever differently.

Benjamin Rush, unlike Deveze, refused to believe the disease was not contagious.  Viewing the disease in this way helped to dictate his methods for curing it, specifically the aggressive attitude he brought to his treatments.  His preferred methods of treatment were drastic purgation and blood-letting, measures consistent with the idea that the disease was blood borne.  While these were accepted courses of treatment, the fact that Rush would call for the treatment upon the slightest onset of the disease alarmed many of his contemporaries (and contributed to the number of casualties he witnessed).  In addition to these measures, Rush also advocated the use of mercury (by way of calomel) in his treatment.  Rush used calomel because he believed the liver to be the focal area of the disease.  Rush's copious use of the treatment often resulted in mercury poison, but also seemed to effect the cure of a number of his patients.

Unlike Rush, Jean Deveze did not believe yellow fever to be contagious.  That being said, Deveze did employ methods that Rush himself practiced.  Though he did so in a much more limited sense, Deveze did bleed his patients.  Deveze, unlike Rush, had experience treating yellow fever in his native Haiti, which perhaps explains the relative calmness in his treatment methods.  Rather than focus solely on the administering of medications and direct treatment, Deveze emphasized the necessity of cleanliness, only dispensing quinine and stimulants in limited doses.

Deveze's treatment, in the overall scheme of things, proved the more effective, primarily because it tended to be less lethal - the number one requirement for successful treatment.

In Jonathan Swift's essay "A Modest Proposal" What is he proposing to solve this over population problem?Role of reason

It is a modest proposal to do about the problems in Ireland. Swift wrote this pamphlet in 1729 right after James II abdicated the throne of England.

Swift gives a whole range of satirical solutions involving letting the Irish starve or letting the Irish use each other as food in the form of cannabilism by fattening up the children and selling them on the meat markets.

I have been assured by a very knowing American of my acquaintance in London, that a young healthy child well nursed is at a year old a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled; and I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricassee or a ragout.

Swift's "modest proposal" is ironic and satirical meant to point out the unfair and hypocritic way that the British government had dealt with the famine in Ireland.

Swift is pointing out that the British landlords are the ones who are causing a lot of the problems that are forcing the people out of their homes.

I grant this food will be somewhat dear, and therefore very proper for landlords, who, as they have already devoured most of the parents, seem to have the best title to the children.

Swift is ridiculing the Irish for their Roman Catholic religious practice which encourages childbearing. However, he is also ridiculing the British landlords for their iron fisted greed regarding rents and taxes.

Secondly, The poorer tenants will have something valuable of their own, which by law may be made liable to distress and help to pay their landlord's rent, their corn and cattle being already seized, and money a thing unknown.

By saying that the Irish sell their children for meat, he is leveling the harshest criticism against the British government for allowing the situation in Ireland to become so dire that such a thing might even be considered even in satire.

The irony here is that Swift's use of the word modest is a gross exaggeration. There is nothing "modest" about Swift's proposal in dealing with the Irish problem.

Who is Orlick? Why is he upset at Pip's half-holiday? Why does Mrs. Joe become upset?

Orlick is Joe's journeyman. He works for Joe at the forge. While working there, he feels that he should get the same privileges as Pip. Pip wants to take a half day off to run to Miss Havisham's to thank her for her generosity.  Orlick feels that's unfair, and voices his opinion at once.  He says that Joe is favoring Pip over himself.  Because of this confrontation, Joe allows Orlick to leave as well, so it's fair. 

Mrs. Joe overhears this and begins yelling at both Joe and Orlick. She doesn't want anyone getting anything for free.  When Orlick starts calling Mrs. Joe names, like "a foul shrew," Mrs. Joe demands that Joe stick up for her.  Joe was just telling Orlick to watch what he says.  She wants Joe to show Orlick physically who is truly the boss.  So Joe fights Orlick and takes him down with one big punch.  This satisfies Mrs. Joe and only angers Orlick more towards Mrs. Joe.

What "civilized" customs disgust John in Brave New World?

It is clear that John in the novel is an outsider in every sense of the word. Huxley uses the character of John to comment on the so-called "advances" that civilisation has made in his future dystopia. It is clear that in their desire to stop war and conflict, the makers of this world have done all they can to suppress freedom of choice and human emotion, and this is something that John protests against, ultimately exercising his free will in his choice to commit suicide as a response to life in this "brave new world".

One aspect that John cannot understand is how death is treated. He is rebuked for crying at the death of his mother, in case the children who are visiting the hospital begin to realise that death isn't actually a fun event. His perfectly normal and human emotions of grief at the death of his mother have no place in this world.

Secondly, the promiscuous attachment to relationships is something that he cannot comprehend or understand. His outlook on life comes from Shakespeare, and so the promiscuity that is encouraged in this novel is something that disgusts him, and arguably is a factor that leads to his decision to commit suicide out of self-disgust after the orgy he has been involved in.

Lastly, the world of this novel is rigidly stratified, with 5 genetically engineered classes. The top class, the Alphas, are physically attractive and light skinned. The bottom class, the Epsilons, are dark skinned and ugly. However, because John has not been conditioned to accept this social system, when he sees a dark-skinned person from this group, he associates him with Othello, who was both dark-skinned and noble. He is able to see people for who they are rather than being blinded by social class.

Therefore the character of John in this novel is used to expose the weaknesses and failings of this future dystopia in robbing people of emotions and freedom of choice. To live in this world, it is therefore suggested, is not to really "live" at all.

What are millibars on a barometer?can you show a picture of a barometer with numbered millibars?

Barometer is an equipment to measure atmospheric pressure, and millibar is a unit used for measuring atmospheric pressure.

The millibar is derived from another unit of measuring atmospheric pressure, bar, which is equal to equal to atmospheric pressure under standard conditions. Among others, these standard conditions include pressure at mean sea level and atmospheric temperature of 0 degree centigrade. 1 millibar is equal to one thousandth of 1 bar.

Another unit used for measuring atmospheric pressure is height of column of mercury. In this unit the atmospheric pressure at sea level is about 760 millimeters of mercury, which is equal to 1.013 millibars.

In The Great Gatsby, why does Fitzgerald leave the sentence "And one fine morning--" unfinished?

This reference to "one fine morning" appears in Fitzgerald's beautiful coda to the novel. Here it is in context:

Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that's no matter--tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther . . . . And one fine morning--

The implied conclusion to the thought is that on "one fine morning" our individual quests will end, and we will achieve our dreams. By not completing the sentence, however, Fitzgerald emphasizes the hope of achieving our dreams rather than the reality of it. The following, and final, sentence of the novel bears this out:

So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.

Dreams are not to be realized because they already have been ended, without our recognition, by forces beyond our understanding. This theme is realized in Gatsby's fate, as Nick interprets it:

. . . his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him, somewhere back in that vast obscurity beyond the city, where the dark fields of the republic rolled on under the night.

Although Gatsby's dream of Daisy was over even before he formulated it, he continued to pursue it. He dies waiting for Daisy to call . . . one fine morning.

Explain the major differences among the four basic types of growth opportunities. Give an example for each type of growth opportunity

We can increase the business in two basic ways increase the sales of existing products or increase the range of products. Such increase in sales can be within the existing market segments serviced by the company or in new market segments. Combining these two dimensions of ways of growth or increasing sales, we can identify following four distinct types of growth opportunities for any company.

1. Increasing sale of existing product in existing market. For example a car manufactures selling one model of car within a country can increase the sale of the same model within the country by various means such as advertising, price cutting, promotion schemes, and the like.


2. Selling the existing product in new market segments. For example the company may try to export its cars in addition to selling in within the country.


3. Introducing new products in existing market. For example developing a small car in addition to the existing model of car and sell it within the country.


4. Introducing a new product in new market. For example developing a new model of car for export to other countries.

In the "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass", what was his pathway to freedom?

We can answer this question in both a symbolic manner and a literal manner.  I will try my best to lead you through both, and examining the text in these lights will be able to illuminate much in this powerful text.

In a symbolic manner, we can see education, literacy, and self awareness as Douglass' pathway to freedom.  Only when Douglass understands who he is through education and matches it with the horrific nature of slavery is he able to establish the mindset of freedom.  Douglass' awareness of himself allows him to begin the process of establishing a mental emancipation from the bondage of slavery.  This is highlighted in his understanding that it is illegal for he, or any slave, to be taught how to read and write.  When understanding the denial of a fundamental right to an education, Douglass establishes the mental paradigm of freedom.  Through this, we understand that slavery is both a social condition and a psychological one.  The liberation of the latter for Frederick Douglass set the stage for his path to freedom.  The more literal reading allowed him to walk the pathway to freedom by borrowing the papers of a freed slave and impersonating an American serviceman in boarding the train North, and with it to freedom.

Why does Dee come to visit in Everyday Use? What does this tell you about her character?

Dee's main reason for coming home isn't immediately revealed in the story. After she has been in her mother's house for a few hours, however, it becomes clear. She has come home to lay claim to some of her mother's possessions, to collect them and take them back to her home in the city. She wants her mother's old butter churn. Then she discovers the quilts. Dee wants the quilts, too, not for their sentimental value or their usefulness, but because she thinks they are valuable antiques and will look beautiful as decorations in her home. Dee cares little about her mother and her sister, she cares nothing about their feelings, and she cares nothing about her family heritage. Her coming home to take what she wants from her mother's house shows that she is vain, materialistic, and selfish.

-2(x + 5 × 7 + 3)

Simplfy -2(x + 5 × 7 + 3).

Or Simplify -2(x+5*7+3) . The editted form is due to me please.

To simplify we apply the BODMAS( Bracket, Order(means degree or exponent), Division or Multiplication with equal prioriy, Addtion or Subtraction with equal priority), the rule of priority  here.

In the given problem, Bracket is first.Inside the bracket Multiplication is first:

So, in the expression,-2(x+5*7+3), take the bracket first. And in the bracket ,inside, Multiplication  of 5*7 is first:

-2(x+35+3).

Simplify inside the bracket: 35+3 =38:

-2(x+38).

Multiply by -2 of outside the bracket each of the terms  inside the bracket. This is to say to distribute the operation of mutiplication over the two terms inside the bracket, keeping in mind the rule of sign of two terms with different sign(+or-) in multiplication  returning a negative product.

-2x-76 and this is the final simplest form.

Hope this would help.

Why does Cassius refer to Caesar as "Colossus"?

Cassius is making an allusion (literary reference) to the Colossus of Rhodes, a famous statue that was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. This allusion occurs during Cassius's famous discussion with Brutus during which Cassius states his case against Caesar and argues that Caesar has no more right to become king than any other nobleman. Cassius is speaking sarcastically about Caesar by comparing him to such an enormous and famous icon. What Cassius really means is that Caesar is no more important or capable than any of the Senators in Rome.

What is the relationship between Macbeth and the weird sisters in Act IV Scene I?

It is important to see this scene as a repetition of what has already happened in the play between the witches and Macbeth. Macbeth's destiny is in question again - he receives another three prophecies and has to decide how to respond to them. And crucially, once more, he fails to identify the powers of fate and how inevitable they are, no matter how you act.

Macbeth approaches the witches with great boldness. When he demands that they speak he matches their spell with a curse of his own if they do not reply. His most shocking act is to demand that he hear the prophecies not from the witches themselves, but from their "masters", whom the witches represent as mediums.

In response the witches conjure up a series of apparitions. Crucially here we can see that they are the result of the witches' spells, but also we see that Macbeth is very blase and nonchalant in his responses to these apparitions, bordering on arrogance, even punning in response to the second apparition ("Had I three ears, I'd hear thee"). Having rejected the second two predictions, Macbeth asks for one last favour, which results in a vision of Fleance and his children, which forces Macbeth to realise that he might die without an heir. This vision takes away all of his confidence and arrogance. The witches confirm that this is fate and this will come to pass, yet interestingly, when Macbeth exits the cave he composes himself and plans further villainy against the family of Macduff.

What did Elizabeth do that impressed Melanie and April so much in The Egypt Game?

Although Melanie, and especially April, are a little resentful at first at having to share the secret of the Egypt Game with Elizabeth, who has just moved into the neighborhood, they quickly discover that the little fourth-grader is a delightful child and a welcome addition to the group.  For one thing, Elizabeth is quiet and unassuming, and completely appreciative of everything the older girls do.  Her "pretty tilted eyes (become) wide with wonder at almost anything (they tell) her", which is a great boost to their egos (Chapter 7), and she does "everything April and Melanie (do), only softer" (Chapter 15).  Not only that, but April and Melanie notice immediately that, in profile, Elizabeth looks exactly like the ancient Egyptian queen Nefertiti - "Elizabeth's ponytial pull(s) her hair back away from her face and neck, and there (is) certainly something about her delicate, slender-necked profile that (is) very like the statue of Nefertiti" (Chapter 7).

In addition to looking the part and being a completely amiable playmate, Elizabeth is creative, and very "artistic with her hands".  It is she who delights everyone with the idea of costumes for the Egypt Game.  Elizabeth makes herself "a Nefertiti headdress out of a plastic bleach bottle with the top cut off", inspiring Melanie to get some old curtains from her mother to make "sheer flowing robes for everyone", and April to go around to all the ladies in the apartment asking for old junk jewelry which they can use to decorate their robes, or use "just as they (are)" (Chapter 8).

Write a note on G.M. Hopkins as a religious poet.

Gerard Manley Hopkins was brought up in a very religious home. In particular, his relationship with his father was key to his religious focus within in his poetry. One of the major beliefs that his father transmitted to his son was the belief that nature was a book written by God which leads its readers to a thoughtful contemplation of him. Hopkins therefore wrote poems which not only encapsulate the Romantic approach to nature but also hark back to an older tradition of explicitly religious nature poetry.

Much of Hopkins' poetry can be described as following the model of a "Hymn to Creation", which we see in Psalms such as Psalm 148. Poems that clearly fit into this mould are "God's Grandeur", "Pied Beauty", "Easter" and "Hurrahing in Harvest." In all of these poems, man and nature are linked by love in one joyous hymn of creation, although often nature is depicted as being the more faithful worshiper. Consider these lines from "Easter":

Gather gladness from the skies;

Take a lesson from the ground;

Flowers do ope their heavenward eyes

And a Spring-time joy have found;

Earth throws Winter's robes away,

Decks herself for Easter Day.

Nature's example, then, is meant to be an impetus to spur mankind on to faithful worship of our creator God.

I know that imagery is a type of style used in writing. But what exactly is writing style and what does it include?

A writer's style is the particular way that a writer uses words and language to express their ideas.  Authors tend to have a very distinct style to their writing.  For example, the poet Emily Dickinson uses a lot of dashes, unusual capitalization, dense quatrains and slant rhymes.  You can almost tell a poem is hers just by looking at its style-how it is written, and with what techniques.  Henry James, an American writer, uses very long, long sentences that are full of flowery descriptions and detailed commentary.  Ernest Hemingway often wrote short stories that were stark and dry, with little emotional or narrative content.  So, each author writes in their own unique way.

Imagery is a technique that can be used quite a bit by an author to make their writing seem more active, alive, and descriptive.  Imagery is when the writer includes descriptions using the five senses-taste, touch, sound, sight and smell.  So, for example, instead of saying, "Autumn was here," the author might describe autumn through the five senses:  the smell of fireplaces, crackling logs from a bonfire, the crunching of dry leaves under your feet, the misty fogs of a cold night, the hazy moon and brilliant colors of leaves on the trees.  Describing autumn using imagery, or the five senses, makes the reader feel like they are actually there, tasting, touching, hearing, seeing and smelling the scene that the author is describing.  It is a great technique to have in your style, if you want to bring the reader right to the scene you are describing.  On the other hand if you want the reader to be more imaginative and more in charge of creating the scene themselves and adding their own perceptions to it, leaving imagery to a minimum is another technique that you could use.

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

What is the purpose of the prologue in Romeo and Juliet? Why is there a prologue?

Romeo and Juliet may seem to lack the complexity often associated with Shakespeare's other plays because of its apparent simplistic themes and flow and the foregone conclusion, as indicated in The Prologue to the first act. However, The Prologue ensures that the audience is not fooled by circumstances or appearances, immediately setting out that the lovers will "take their life" (6). The audience is then under no illusion as to the extent of the damage that an "ancient grudge" (3) can do and The Prologue also quickens the pace, revealing how fast matters can spiral out of control, almost unnoticed, until it is too late. It also reveals that Romeo and Juliet become the sacrifice, as if some greater good can be achieved by ending "their parents' strife" (8). The Prologue is also intended to point out that anything that is not clear from the Prologue will become increasingly clear as the play unfolds, which is what Shakespeare means when he says, "our toil shall strive to mend," (14).  

Staging a play with a predictable ending requires action and passion from beginning to end. The Prologue to the second act is the only real interruption to that flow. It gives the audience a chance to prepare itself for the foregone conclusion. However, this prologue also serves to build suspense and reveals how the clash between the "extremities" (Prologue.II.14), being the two warring families, actually fuels Romeo and Juliet's love and strengthens it so that "passion lends them power" (13). This adds irony reiterating and confirming that the "grudge" is responsible for the tragic end. 

Interestingly, there are no further prologues to the subsequent acts as the play requires no further explanation and the series of events completes the cycle. If any member of the audience has any doubts, he or she need only consider the Prologue to Act I and the confirmation of events in the Prologue to Act II to remove confusion. The audience could even get so involved in the events as to wish to shout out to Romeo at the end in order to save him from his fate. The audience is completely absorbed and their own powerlessness makes it even more dramatic.

What does the clothing Huck and Jim wear on the raft convey about the theme of civilization versus nature?

They don't! Generally they go naked! Remember that they are in the deep south and it is extremely hot and there is intense humidity! In several chapters, Huck says that he and Jim swim and lay out on the raft while floating along. In one scene, a wave washes over Huck while he is asleep and he nearly gets swept into the river, but he says he didn't mind because he didn't have clothes on anyway! Having no clothes on puts the two at their base elements--they are purely natural and at one with nature when they are in this state. In civilization they must be clothed and it is in civilization where the two meet with the most trouble.

Please tell me in what way poems can be studied.Mostly, I feel it is very difficult to undersand the themes of the poems.

It can certainly be difficult to analyze a poem, but the strategies previously suggested are certainly helpful.  One problem some of us have is that we get nervous when someone says "poetry."  So we should talk about what poetry really is. 

A poem is big idea or a big picture in a tiny package.  The poet selects his or her words and ideas very carefully, because he or she does not want to use as many words as a person writing a story or novel would write. This means that when we read a poem, we should realize that probably every word is very important, that every word has a reason.  If you have ever used Twitter, or read Twitter messages, you are seeing exactly the same idea in action.  The writer cannot use too many words but must convey a big picture or big idea in that small space.  So, in Twitter, as in poetry, every word counts!

One good strategy described in the previous response is to try to understand the meaning of the lines you are reading.  Sometimes the best way to do this is to take each line or a few lines and write next to them what the meaning is in your words.  That is often particularly useful with older poems written in styles you are not accustomed to reading.  Once you paraphrase, which is what you are doing, you can focus on the surface meaning first.

Another aspect of poetry that you will want to focus on is imagery.  Imagery is just a way of talking about the "word picture" the poet is trying to paint for you.  Of course, there is more than a picture in many poems.  A poet might want you to experience a sight, a sound, a smell, a taste, or a touch.  The words the poet chooses to help you experience these sensations are called imagery. 

If you are able to "translate" the surface meaning of the poem and understand the "picture" the poet is trying to paint, then you can start to think about deeper meanings.  Ask yourself some questions about what the poet wants you to see and feel.  At that point, you are well on your way to becoming a good analyst of poetry.  Good luck! 

Who is the originator of the conspiracy?

Cassius is the one behind the conspiracy. He is jealous of Caesar's rise to power, especially since Caesar is physically weaker than Cassius. Cassius explains to Brutus that several times he had to save Caesar's life. Cassius uses the "good of Rome" as his reasoning behind bringing other Senators and leaders together to kill Caesar. He knows that Brutus has more influence due to Brutus's unwavering loyalty to Rome, which is why he needs Brutus to help led the conspiracy.

How much did the monks who wrote "Beowulf," change the story to fit Christian views?

Think about it this way:  The monks were the scribes...the printing press of the time period.  Since they were religious, they would change anything they considered not worthy of attention by readers--current or future.  This means all dirty jokes, anything vulgar or obscene, and anything they considered too common.  So, since they were the recorders of the oral literature of the time (since so many were unable to read and write for themselves, the songs, poems, stories, riddles, jokes, etc. were recorded by the monks), they chose what to write down and keep for posterity and what they would ignore.  Much was lost because of this, and it stands to reason that of the written literature we do have, much was changed.