Themes in John Steinbeck's The Pearl. I need to know the most important ones.

I think the most
important theme in is Obsession.

In Chapter II, Kino dives for pearls in a desperate attempt to find one of value with
which to pay the doctor to treat Coyotito for the scorpion sting that could kill him. Instead,
Coyotitos condition improves, the result of Juanas treating his wound with an old remedy, and
Kino finds not just a valuable pearl but the Pearl of the World. With these two events, Kinos
life changes dramatically. In the magnificence of the huge, perfect pearl, Kino envisions a
future unlike any he had ever dared to imagine; looking into the glowing surface of the pearl,
he sees dreams formnew clothes for his family, his and Juanas wedding in the church, a harpoon
and a rifle for himself, and most of all, an education for Coyotito. Kinos contentment with the
Song of the Family is now lost in the music of the pearl that sings with triumph in
him.
 
Becoming a rich man changes Kinos life immediately in ways he does not
anticipate as shadowy figures attempt to steal the pearl. He is attacked, his home is invaded,
and he kills a man in self-defense when he is attacked a second time. When Juana tries to throw
the pearl back into the sea, believing that it is evil and will destroy them, Kino beats her
with animal savagery and then is sickened by what he has done to her. For Kino, possessing the
pearl with all its promises has become an obsession; he pursues it until his and Juanas old life
is destroyed and their baby is dead.
 
Despite the initial death and
destruction the pearl brings into his and Juanas life, Kino will not give it up. Rather than
sell it to the corrupt pearl buyers for essentially nothing, he chooses to defy the system and
sell it in the capital for a fair price; after his house has been burned and his canoe
destroyed, he still refuses to sell the pearl in La Paz. This pearl has become my soul, Kino
says. If I give it up I shall lose my soul. Leaving the old life behind, he takes Juana and
Coyotito on a journey to the capital, leaving the trail and fleeing into the mountains when they
are tracked by three men who will kill them for the pearl. Kino prevails over the trackers,
killing them all, but his obsession with the pearl ends only when he realizes Coyotito has died,
the innocent victim of a rifle shot. Returning to the village with Juana by his side, Kino
throws the pearl into the sea.

Discuss the themes of escape in Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.

Stephen
can only understand his own sense of
self through the idea of escape in the narrative.  Simply
put, Ireland is a
land that is filled with more of "yesterdays" than tomorrows for
Stephen. 
His evolution and arc of development takes full shape when the reality of his
escape
from Ireland is evident.  This is not the type of escape from
political repression or religious
persecution.  Yet, it is a type of escape
all the same.  Stephen must escape the world around
him in order to fully
develop his "non serviam credo" and the idea of him being the
author of his
own narrative.  This vision of the artist is one that convinces him to believe
in
the end that escape is the only path in order to develop Stephen's own
artistic sensibilities
and sense of identity:

Old father, old artificer- Stand me
now and ever in good
stead.

The notion in these closing

words is that escape is needed and in order for one to embrace their own true sense of
self
there has to be a point of liberation from what was and what is into
what can be or what should
be.  In this, the theme of escape is something
that becomes evident in Stephen's consciousness
and critical to helping him
embrace his true identity as the artist.

In chapter 2 of A Wrinkle in Time, what does Charles mean when he tells Calvin, "Meg has it tough. She's not really one thing or another"?

Charles
Wallace understands that Meg is torn in understanding who she is.  She is not like her younger
brothers, the twins,  who fit in comfortably at school, or like the other kids in school.  She
is too intelligent and too easily frustrated by the boring rote memorization at school to easily
fit in.  Yet she is not as different from the norm as Charles Wallace, who is so different that
he just accepts his differences and does not even try to fit in with the norm.  Charles Wallace
just accepts the sense of purpose that draws him to Mrs. Who.  Meg can't comprehend this anymore
than she can comprehend the ways of the other kids at school.  She does not fit in in either
place.  Thus she is not "one thing or
another."

Examine how the relationship between Eliezer and his father changes throughout Night.

The
inversion of roles is one way the relationship between father and son changes in Wiesel's
.

At the start of the narrative, there is a clearly
defined relationship between Eliezer and his father.  Chlomo Wiesel is described as
"cultured, rather unsentimental man €¦ more concerned with others than with his own
family."  He is the authoritarian figure in the family whose word is taken above all.  For
example, he is direct in how he insists that Eliezer refrains from his studies in Judaic
mysticism and focus on more worldly matters.  Eliezer recognizes that being the head of the
family helped to create an emotional...

What does RGDP mean?

RGDP stands for Real Gross Domestic Product.
The Gross Domestic Product is the total monetary value of all the goods and services produced in
a given place at a given time (generally given annually for a particular country). So the US
Gross Domestic Product for 2018 is the total market value of everything produced in the US
during that year.

One of the problems with using GDP as a measure of economic
growth is that it includes inflation. If total GDP in a country was 10 trillion dollars in 2017
and 11 trillion dollars in 2018, it looks as though the economy of that country has grown by 10
percent. However, if the country experienced 20 percent inflation in 2018, then the economy has
really decreased in size. To compensate for this effect of inflation, economists divide the GDP
by the rate of inflation to find the RGDP, the Real Gross Domestic Product, which more
accurately reflects the true growth of the economy.

To use the same data the
other way around, the GDP (often called the nominal GDP) is sometimes divided by the RGDP to
obtain an index called the GDP deflator, which tells us the level of inflation in a country.
These calculations are generally published by a government agency of the country in question. In
the United States, they are generated by the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

What are weaknesses that odysseus exhibits and how they effects changes in his character

One of
Odysseus's biggest weaknesses is his pride. This can clearly be observed getting him and his men
into trouble when, after they escape the island of Cyclopes together, Odysseus begins to brag
loudly from the ship, alerting their former captor. This results in their ship being attacked,
and Odysseus and his crew have another near-death encounter. Polyphemus doesn't manage to stop
the men from escaping, but in another display of his pride, Odysseus gives up his name to the
cyclops, eager to take credit for the deed. This is the actions which launches his journey,
because Polyphemus complains of the event to his father Poseidon, causing the god of the sea to
complicate Odysseus's journey home.

Odysseus does manage to learn to swallow
some of his pride. One great example of this is his reaction when Athena turns him into a beggar
later in the story. This event indicates the ways Odysseus has changed because it shows that,
now, Odysseus is willing not only to disguise his true identity, but also to take on the
identity of someone far below his financial status. He also displays his newly learned humility
by taking Athena's advice instead of coming up with his own plan.

is science a boon for human kind or not as science help to know abot the thing which are unkown to us and also makes use of the known materials but...

Human kind has
benefitted more from science than it has lost out, up to this point.This will continue to be
true until we invent something that causes us to finally destroy our planet or ourselves.We are
insatiably curious, so that is a likely outcome.We will never stop discovering.]]>

What is the climax of Fever 1793?

I would say
it's when Mattie's grandfather dies. At this point, she has to decide what she's going to do.
Her life from before is gone, and at first she just wanders the streets of Philadelphia. When
she find Nell, she finds a purpose in life. She joins Eliza in her fight, and Eliza allows her
to become an adult. Mattie rebuilds the coffeehouse, takes care of Nell, and her mother when she
returns. Her grandfather's death was the point where Mattie had to grow up and take
responsibility for herself and others.

What are some cultural rights of passage (For example, Bar Mitzvah, Quinceanera, etc.), and what images or pictures do you automatically think of when...

The cultural
rites of passage that first come to mind for me are the two you listed, both of which can be
classified as coming of age ceremonies. Bar Mitzvah (a Jewish boy who reaches the age of
thirteen) and Bat Mitzvah (a Jewish girl who reaches the age of twelve) are terms that signify
one has reached the age of obligation to serve the commandments of Jewish law, and this can also
refer to a large celebration that coincides with this milestone.

In many
regions, including South America, a girl who reaches the age of fifteen is called a
quincea±era, a term which combines the words quince...

href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/13-amazing-coming-of-age-traditions-from-around-th/">https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/13-amazing-comin...
href="https://www.tripsavvy.com/semana-santa-in-spain-1644106">https://www.tripsavvy.com/semana-santa-in-spain-1644106

Why is the nurse in Romeo and Juliet to blame for their deaths?

No one
individual is responsible for the deaths of the star-cross'd lovers, but a number of authority
figures do nonetheless contribute in their own way to the final, tragic outcome. One such figure
is the Nurse, who singularly fails in her duty to take care of . She knows that Juliet's family
doesn't want her to go anywhere near a Montague. And yet the Nurse actively encourages 's
illicit love affair at every turn, instead of carrying out 's express wishes as she's supposed
to. The consequences of the Nurse's willful disobedience are tragic indeed.

The Nurse is supposed to be a mature, authority figure, yet at times she acts like a
teenager, irresponsibly arranging Juliet's marriage toand its subsequent consummation. And when
Juliet's parents turn against her, instead of offering care and support,...

How does Edgar Allan Poe's "The Black Cat" reveal an unreliable narrator?

The
narrator of the story "" can certainly be considered unreliable due to his alcoholism
and his account of his sudden and drastic change in character. Formerly, the narrator had been
known as an uniquely kind and compassionate man, particularly toward animals. However, as the
narrator admits, his warm heart slowly turned cold and cruel over the years as he sank deeper
and deeper into alcoholism. As the narrator becomes crueler, he seems to be unable to fully
control his impulses or understand where his violent and ill-mannered behaviors stem from. The
narrator does not appear to understand his own thought processes or actions. This lack of
understanding of his own cognitive functioning does not instill confidence that he is a reliable
narrator.

Throughout the story, the narrator becomes more and more unhinged
and violent as he becomes tormented by his hideous act against the cat, Pluto, whom he viciously
attacked and then killed by hanging. As the story progresses,...

In To Kill a Mockingbird, what chapter does Calpurnia take Jem and Scout to her church?

Calpurnia
takesandto her church in Chapter
Twelve of . The night before the service,
Calpurnia
bathes both Jem and Scout, and she reviews their clothing (a suit for Jem and a
dress
with petticoats and a pink sash for Scout) and treats the material with
starch the morning of.
Jem wryly comments that with all this fuss, "It's like
we were goin' to Mardi
Gras." 

The church that Calpurnia
takes them to is First Purchase
African M.E. Church in the Quarters; the
building was purchased with the first earnings of freed
slaves and contains
the only steeple and bell in all of Maycomb. 

When the

trio first arrives at the church, the men take off their hats and the women cross their
arms,
which Scout describes as "weekday gestures of respectful attention."
One woman, Lula,
is not amused that Calpurnia has brought white children to a
black church. Jem and Scout want to
leave to avoid causing trouble, but
another church member, Zeebo, assures them that they are
welcome
there. 

Scout and Jem are surprised at the lack of decor,
hymn-books,
or traditional instruments for church music. Despite these
superficial differences, the sermon
is much the same as the one given at
their own church... with the exception of the calling out
of individuals who
have sinned in some capacity. The service closes with continued

money-collecting on the behalf of Helen Robinson, who cannot find work due to
people's
skepticism about her as the wife of Tom Robinson.

This experience is
significant because, as Scout puts it, the
children discover "[t]hat Calpurnia led a modest
double life... a separate
existence outside our household... having command of two
languages." This
recognition of Calpurnia's private life and multidimensional existence as
a
human being is critical; she is no longer viewed by Scout as merely the black woman who
works
in the Finch household. She is a person beyond her housekeeping and the
color of her skin, one
with very real desires, needs, principles, cultural
values, etc. 

In A Separate Peace, what does the tree represent?

The tree is
the central symbol in the novel. It represents the enormous fear in which Gene lived at school,
from the summer of 1942 until the spring of 1943. When he was a student at Devon, the tree
seemed "tremendous" to Gene, "an irate, steely black steeple beside the
river." When Gene does climb the tree, he enters into "a mild state of shock." He
jumps from the tree "[w]ith the sensation that I was throwing my life away . . .
."

When Gene returns to Devon after fifteen years, the tree is the main
focus of his visit. Going to the river, Gene has trouble even distinguishing it from the other
trees. When he does identify it, the tree seems smaller to Gene, "shrunken by age." It
seems "weary from age, enfeebled, dry." The tree no longer looms over Gene as some
kind of lethal threat. The tree has not changed; Gene has changed. As an adult who has survived
Devon and its traumas, he no longer lives in fear.

What is fiction? How does "Hills Like White Elephants" illustrate what is fiction? i am trying to prove that " hills like white elaphant" is the story...

The general
term "" is a form of art or entertainment that is largely derived from imagination,
although it may be based on real events.  Specifically, "prose fiction" as a form of
literature is the more artful of the two.  "" is, therefore, a work of art.  It has
been canonized as a "classic" short story and included in a larger body of work (in
this case, anthologies that continue to be taught in schools).

My favorite
working definition of "fiction" is that is ironically "true," oftentimes
truer than reality.  It is an author's perfect assembly of lies that paradoxically lead an
audience...

How did the continental system influence subsequent events in Europe and around the world?

Napoleon's
hope was that by halting British trade in Europe through the Continental System, he would be
able to cripple the British economy. While British commerce was hurt as a result of this
strategy, its overall results were not as Napoleon hoped or expected.

First
of all, the British had long been the superior sea power in Europe. Their well-equipped and
highly-capable merchant fleet and navy routinely ran the blockade. This forced Napoleon to
stretch his navy thin and overuse French naval resources. This served to weaken the French navy
overall and make it less competitive with the British.

The Continental System
also damaged the French economy. Sectors of the French economy that relied on overseas imports
suffered greatly. Many factories and workshops were mothballed until they could acquire the raw
materials that they needed to run. Furthermore, the price of many staple foods in France and
other parts of the continent skyrocketed due to short supply. This led to a number of French
allies, such as the Netherlands and Spain, to become dissatisfied with their current
alliances.

The Continental System even effected the United States. American
merchants had hoped to stay neutral and continue trading with both France and Great Britain.
However, events in Europe were forcing them to take sides. This led to the passage of the
Embargo Act of 1807 which instituted a general embargo with any foreign nation. Furthermore, the
British need for more sailors to combat the Continental System frequently resulted in the
impressment of American sailors. This, in turn, was one of the major grievances that led to the
War of 1812.

Perhaps one of the most significant results of the Continental
System was Napoleon's disastrous invasion of Russia. The Russians were not willing to comply
with the embargo against the British. Even though Napoleon had threatened them with invasion if
they ignored the policy, they renewed their commercial relationship with Great Britain in 1810.
Consequently, Napoleon followed through with his threat in 1812. This led to one of the most
disastrous military invasions in history, resulting in the near-total destruction of Napoleon's
army and putting the pieces in place for his ultimate downfall.

href="http://www.historyhome.co.uk/c-eight/france/consys.htm">http://www.historyhome.co.uk/c-eight/france/consys.htm
href="http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/government/diplomatic/c_continental.html">http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/government/diplom...

Michelle owned a building which she orally contracted to sell to Colleen, who was to remove it from its concrete foundation, put it on skids, and drag...

This is
a complex legal issue because the resolution depends upon whether the building is ultimately
considered to be part of the real property or defined as chattel.

As your question implies, Michelle, the seller, has justified her repudiation of the
contract because she believes the contract to be for real estate, which brings into play the
Statute of Frauds (the "Statute"), enacted by most states. The Statute, among other
things, requires that a contract for the sale of real estate be written, not oral, and must
contain certain information, the sales price and remedies if one party fails to honor any of the
contract's terms. The Statute applies, of course, to real estate, not to other forms of
property.

In general, real estate is defined as land and any permanently
affixed structures on the land. Within the structures or on the land, there may be items that
qualify as chattel, a tangible thing (lawn decorations, animals, water
troughs) that is not affixed to the land, and fixtures (things like curtain
rods, built-in shelves, a central air conditioner) that are affixed permanently to a structure
which is itself affixed to the land.

In your example, the issue of whether
the Statute is applicable depends upon the status of the building that is to be removed and the
intentions of the parties. Clearly, both parties intend that the building be removed, which, in
Common Law, implies that the seller, at least, does not believe the building to be a permanent
part of the real estate or necessary to the real estate's value. If the building, then, is not
considered by the owner to be a permanent part of the real estate, the building could qualify as
chattel, and the sale of chattel is not governed by the Statute.

Two issues that need to be resolved still exist. If the building's removal causes
damage to the land, then it is likely to be considered a fixture and as a
fixture, it would be part of the real estate. If, however, its removal causes no damage to the
real estate, it may be considered chattel and therefore not subject to the
Statute. Let's assume that the building can be removed without damage to the underlying real
property.

Under most definitions of real property, a building on a property
is considered part of the real estate no matter how it is affixed--with the exception of
specifically-defined "mobile homes." To determine whether the building is real estate,
a fixture, or chattel, Common Law looks to an early Roman law--whatever is attached to the land
becomes part of the land--so the presumption of the law is that a building is either real estate
or a fixture, that is, affixed to the land.

But Common Law also looks closely
at the intent of the parties, especially if the intent is easily discernible as in this case.
Both parties obviously intend that the building be removed--in fact, whatever price Colleen is
paying reflects the price of the building, not the real estate, so the intent is clear on both
sides of this oral contract. If the intent is clear, and there are no other real estate issues
(mortgagee's objections, zoning or tax issues, public infrastructure, creation of blight because
the building is gone) that affect the sale, if this case went to court, Michelle would most
likely not succeed with the argument that the Statute of Frauds applies to this
transaction.

href="https://www.lawteacher.net/free-law-essays/property-trusts/define-fixtures-and-chattels-law-essays.php">https://www.lawteacher.net/free-law-essays/property-trust...

In Lyddie by Katherine Paterson, what job does Lyddie's younger sister get at the factory?

's little
sister, Rachel, becomes a doffer at the Concord Corporation. When Rachel first comes to Lyddie,
Rachel is silent and withdrawn. Lyddie, who has been so intent on saving money so she can
reunite her family at their farm, can't abide the thought of having to put her hard-earned money
into supporting Rachel, especially if she were to go to school. Considering how hard she has
worked since she was Rachel's age, Lyddie entertains the idea of Rachel working as a doffer.
From Lyddie's perspective, being a doffer is an easy job. The children work about fifteen
minutes out of an hour; they simply have to take full spools off the machines and put empty
spools on. Lyddie has been able to see the doffers playing in the mill yard while she herself is
working on her looms. To her, being a doffer seems like a life of comparative ease, and she is
more than ready for Rachel to take that role.

When Lyddie first suggests to
Mrs. Bedlow that Rachel could be a doffer, Mrs. Bedlow says that Rachel is too young and too
weak to do that job. However, after Rachel proves herself by nursing Lyddie back to health, Mrs.
Bedlow advocates for her with the factory agent, and Rachel is hired. Rachel herself wanted the
job, even though by the time Lyddie had recovered from her fever, she was leaning toward sending
Rachel to school instead. Unfortunately, despite Rachel's positive attitude about working at the
factory, the job takes its toll on her health. She develops a cough, and Lyddie fears that it
will become a serious health issue for Rachel like it did for Betsy. Lyddie decides to let
Rachel go live with the Phinneys so that she will no longer have to work as a doffer and so she
can go to school.

At the link below, you can see pictures of children working
as doffers in a factory about 70 years after the time period of Lyddie.
Although the machinery in these photographs is more modern than what Rachel would have worked
on, the concept is the same. Child labor was still an issue in the early decades of the 20th
century.

Why does Hyde grow stronger when Jekyll stops using the drug?

In Robert
Louis Stephenson's , Hyde not only grows stronger over time: he becomes
larger, stands more upright, and finally does not need the drug at all to appear. In fact,
Jekyll needed a serum to prevent Hyde from appearing. Over time, Jekyll
would...

Is is possible both like and abhor Oedipus in Sophocles' Oedipus Rex? Is is possible both like and abhor Oedipus in Sophocles' Oedipus Rex?

Oh, yes, of course it
is!First of all, we usually have both sympathy and distaste for the tragic hero.This is because
while we want to like the hero, he has this tragic flaw.The flaw is his downfall.Of course we
both root forand hate him!]]>

How is the grandmother characterized early on in A Good Man is Hard to Find?

The
grandmother, in the first part of the story, is characterized as having anxieties--she worries
about news reports of the Misfit being on the loose and sneaks her cat into the car for the road
trip because she fears he might "accidentally asphyxiate himself." However, she is
anything but a scaredy-cat. She asserts herself forcefully and energetically and does what she
can to get her own way, including using reports of the Misfit to try, unsuccessfully, to get the
family to vacation in east Tennessee rather than Florida. Her anxieties come from her engagement
with the world: she reads the newspaper, knows what's happening in the world, and cares about
her cat. She is also characterized as annoying--the children treat her with disrespect, her
daughter-in-law ignores her and her granddaughter characterizes her as needing to be at the
center of things: "Afraid she'd miss something. She has to go everywhere we go."
There's a pathos in the grandmother too, who has to tolerate a second-hand, dismissive treatment
to be part of this family which tolerates her more than it embraces her. 

Why do you think Laurie reported Charles's good behavior grimly, while he had delighted in telling about Charles's bad behavior?

In the
ironic ending to 's short story " "
Laurie's mother discovers that although her son
has been faithfully reporting
the deeds and misdeeds of a boy named Charles in his kindergarten
class there
is in reality no Charles. Laurie is really Charles, which should come as no
surprise
to the reader in light of Laurie's behavior at home where he
torments his baby sister and often
talks back to his father. Charles is
made...

In Edwards' sermon,what role do you think remorse plays?

I think
that regret and remorse are extremely important to Edwards' sermon.  The primary motivation of
the sermon is for individuals to recognize how intensely angry and disappointed Edwards'
conception of God is with humanity.  Edwards is animated by the idea that God is going to take
action against those who sin.  The idea of "in due time" is something
that...

In Lord of the Flies, how are Simon's and Piggy's deaths foreshadowed?

In
, the struggle to maintain order in the face of a ruthless and unrestrained
instinct, most obvious inand , is almost too much forandto overcome. All of the boys are British
schoolboys, stranded on an island with no "grown ups." Even Jack, at first,
acknowledges that there are certain expectations of them all because "we're not
savages..." (Ch 2), and with Ralph, whose father is a Navy commander, to lead them, they
will have shelter and a signal fire.

However, Jack soon begins to forget
about the rescue, as he becomes more in-tune with his surroundings. In chapter 3, he says,
"Rescue? Yes, of course! All the same, I'd like to catch a pig first." Jack has an
"opaque, mad look" in his eyes and it is apparently not the first time Ralph has
noticed it. At this stage, the reader is increasingly sensing that all is not well and that Jack
has a different agenda in organizing his "hunters."

Interestingly,
Roger only really starts to emerge from chapter 4 which is significant because it is the chapter
where Jack and his hunters paint their faces. Roger can begin to emerge. His presence scares the
"littleuns" as he kicks over their sandcastles and scatters stones. He waits alone and
furtive; watching some of the "littluns," already his "unsociable
remoteness" is turning into "something forbidding." Roger is becoming all too
relaxed in his new surroundings as "the taboo of the old life," which still restrains
him, starts to lose its grip because on the island "civilization...was in ruins." He
can throw stones in Henry's direction unnoticed and even Jack does not perceive the "darker
shadow" that will eventually consume Roger. The reader becomes uneasy, beginning to realize
that Roger is capable of far more than throwing stones and missing Henry. It doesn't take long
for Jack to also begin transforming from a civilized school boy into an "awesome
stranger," whose "laughter became a bloodthirsty snarling," also in chapter 4.
 

Piggy andare representative of the intellectual and spiritual sides of
human nature. Without Piggy's sense of reason, the boys, and especially Ralph, would have been
unable to maintain any kind of order. The breaking of Piggy's glasses is significant because not
only does it affect Piggy but it represents the gradual breaking down of law. Piggy's death is
foreshadowed through this slow, almost unnoticed, eroding of values: from Piggy feeling uneasy
around Jack and playing with his glasses in the first chapter to Roger throwing the stones at
Henry, to Jack's disregard for Piggy and the value of his glasses and finally Piggy clutching
the conch moments before his death.

Simon's death is foreshadowed when, in
chapter one, he and Ralph become a "happy, heaving pile in the under-dusk." Everything
is still new and exciting and Ralph expresses himself by pushing Simon, a seemingly boyish,
harmless prank. The boys cannot envision what will eventually happen. Jack's triumph at killing
the sow and placing its head on a stick and Roger's disrespect and brutality also foreshadow the
point when Simon, anxious to expose the beast for what it is, becomes the victim of the tribe's
frenzied attack, epitomizing for them the beast itself. 

Where does Susie say that an icicle is the perfect murder weapon?

It's
summertime in chapter 10 of . Ruth, Samuel, and Lindsay are attending the
statewide Gifted Symposium, a retreat for bright children from the seventh, eighth, and ninth
grades. In the last week of the symposium, a competition for the children is...

In regard to "A Worn Path," what is the point of the story?

""
is essentially a love story, the story of Phoenix Jackson's love for her grandson. The little
boy is never seen in the story, and some critics have suggested that he is no longer living, but
both of these observations do nothing to diminish the power of the narrative. The point of the
story is suggested by its title. Each time Phoenix makes the journey from her home in the
country into town to get the medicine that relieves her grandson's suffering, she follows the
same path. Even when her sight fails, she can follow the path; she has traveled it so many times
it is worn into her memory.

Phoenix is very old and frail, and the
path...

In "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker, what is different about Dee now that she has returned home?

In s ,
the character of Mama narrates the story
in first person.  One of Mamas dreams is that she would
be on a television
show some day with her daughter Dee.  On the show, mother and daughter would

hug and smile at each other. Dee would pin an orchid on Mama.  In truth, nothing like
this will
ever happen between these two characters.  Dee never liked living
at home.  Nothing was really
good enough for her.  She wanted nice
things.

Does Dee change in the
story?

Dee does not change.  Dee is selfish, attractive, and intelligent. 

Her attitude has impacted Maggie, her sister, and Mama throughout their lives.  She
dominated
her mother with her wishes.  Only when the church and Mama provide
a college education for her,
does Dee show the slightest positive attitude,
primarily because she will be able to leave
home.

When
Dee returns from college, Maggie and Mama await her return with
trepidation.
They hope that Dee will be different.  When she...

Are there similarities between the Thought Police in 1984 and the Military Police that run Guantanamo Bay?

The best way to
address this question is to first establish the roles and characteristics of the Thought
Police.  s is a dystopian novel that explores psychological manipulation
and physical control within a totalitarian society.  Set in the super-state of Oceania, the
novel chronicles the experiences of one man, , as he tries to evade the suppression of the
omnipresent government, who employs surveillance and public manipulation to ensure all citizens
abide by the Partys rules.  The Thought Police are the individuals hired by the government to
monitor all of the telescreens and identify any citizens who are committing crimes against the
Party, whether it be an actual action or a thoughtcrime, which is the thinking of anything
illegal.  And to this end, actions or thoughts are considered illegal if they promote
individuality, for the Party wants all citizens to remain isolated and unable to ban together
and rebel. 

Thus, the Thought Police are not merely enforcers, they are
invasive, as they not only monitor actions and speeches, but thoughts as well.  However, there
are key characteristics that define a member of the Thought Police.  Those individuals often go
undetected in society, which enable them to fully monitor everyone around them.  For example,
once Winston is brought in for questioning, the narrator states, He knew now that for seven
years the Thought Police had watched him like a beetle under a magnifying glass.  There was no
physical act, no word spoken aloud, that they had not noticed, no train of thought that they had
not been able to infer.  Even the speck of whitish dust on the cover of his diary they had
carefully replaced ( 276).  Theof like a beetle under a magnifying glass epitomizes the
invasive role of the Thought Policethey observe and monitor absolutely everything. 

Further, the Thought Police physically and mentally torture any political prisoners in
the Ministry of Loves torture chamber, known as Room 101.  The following two excerpts describe
the horrors of Room 101:

"You asked me once,"
said , "what was in Room 101. I told you that you knew the answer already. Everyone knows
it. The thing that is in Room 101 is the worst thing in the world (Orwell 283).

The cage was nearer; it was closing in. Winston heard a succession of shrill cries
which appeared to be occurring in the air above his head. But he fought furiously against his
panic. To think, to think, even with a split second left €“ to think was the only hope. Suddenly
the foul musty odor of the brutes struck his nostrils. There was a violent convulsion of nausea
inside him, and he almost lost consciousness. Everything had gone black. For an instant he was
insane, a screaming animal. Yet he came out of the blackness clutching an idea. There was one
and only one way to save himself. He must interpose another human being, the body of another
human being, between himself and the rats (Orwell 286).

These two excerpts, although they do not explicitly mention the Thought Police,
illustrate the abuse that occurs in Room 101 by members of the Thought Police.  To wear
prisoners down, the Thought Police use abrasive methods, such as degradation, confusing
conversation, and physical torture, in an effort to make the prisoners accept the ideology of
the Party.  The prisoners are then released back into society, but are promptly re-arrested for
fabricated charges and executed.  Therefore, the Thought Police serve as the main tool of
oppression and destruction within the Party.

Given these roles and
characteristics, there are some similarities between the Thought Police of
1984 and the Military Police that serve at Guantanamo Bay.  First and
foremost, both factions are tasked with providing surveillance and control.  For example, the
Military Police are used to maintain control over large amounts of high-security detainees
during times of war.  It is interesting to note that Orwells Oceania is also in a perpetual
state of war.   Further, the Military Police of Guantanamo Bay have been accused of using
coercive management techniques that are hauntingly similar to those used by the Thought Police,
including starvation, sleep deprivation, prolonged constraint, exposure, and psychological
abuse.  The Military Police had the task of not only controlling the subjects, but interrogating
them to get information for the U.S. government about potential threats.  Therefore, the
Military Police and Thought Police served very similar roles and employed very similar tactics. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

In Romeo and Juliet, what is the importance of Juliet's ring?

's ring is
mentioned three times in . First, in act 3, scene 2, Juliet's nurse offers to find . He has been
banished from Verona for killing . Romeo and Juliet were married, but they have not had their
wedding night together. Juliet's statements hint that she will kill herself: "Death, not
Romeo, take my maidenhead." The nurse knows Romeo is hiding at 's, so she says she'll go
get him and bring him to "comfort" Juliet before he leaves town. Juliet gives the
nurse her ring to give to Romeo. This would serve as a guarantee to Romeo that the nurse is
acting on Juliet's behalf, not on behalf of Lord or , whom she works for. They, of course, would
have other reasons for summoning Romeonamely to take revenge on him. They believed he should
have been sentenced to death, not simply banishment.

In act 3, scene 3, the
nurse arrives at Friar Lawrence's and speaks with Romeo. She gives him Juliet's ring, and he is
cheered by it, saying, "How well my comfort is revived by this!"

In
the scene where Romeo and Juliet spend the night together before he leaves Verona, the ring is
not mentioned. It is very possible Romeo gives it back to her at that point because when he
returns to Verona, to the tomb where Juliet lies, he tellsthat the reason he is entering the
tomb is to have one last look at Juliet's face but also to remove the ring from her finger. It
is possible that this is just a ruse to hide his true intentionsuicidefrom Balthasar.

In these three instances, Juliet's ring has two purposes: first, to assure Romeo that
Juliet wants to see him before he leaves Verona, and second, to mislead Balthasar about Romeo's
true reason for entering Juliet's tomb.

What are the settings in the play?

The
setting for 's ancient Greek tragic play is the same as it is for many
tragic plays of the fourth and fifth centuries BCE, which was, essentially, "in front of
something." The setting for Rex is "Before [in front of] the
Palace at Thebes." The setting for , also by Sophocles, is the
same.

The "in front of" setting for most Ancient Greek plays is a
result of the construction of Ancient Greek theaters.

The theaters were
constructed with three main parts: skene, orchestra, and
theatron.

The theatron is where the audience
sat to watch the play. Before actual theaters were constructed, the
theatron was just a hillside, but it eventually evolved into the rows of
stone seats we see in photographs of the remaining ancient Greek theaters, some of which held up
to 20,000 or more audience members.

The orchestra was a
cleared circle in front of the audience. Thedanced and sang in this area.

In
the center of the orchestra was an altar (the
thymele), wheremight pray to the gods, and around which thedanced and
sang.

Keep in mind that the Ancient Greek tragic plays were performed as part
of religious festivals, and the plays were written to teach a moral or religious lesson to the
audience.

Across the orchestra from the audience was the
skene. This was originally a hut or tent from which the main actors made
their entrances and exits onto a raised stage in front of the skene. (The
chorus entered from the sides of the orchestra area.)

The side of the tent or hut facing the audience might have been painted with a scene
appropriate to the play being presented, or a painted, movable wall might be placed in front of
the skene to show different locations of different scenes.

In time, the skene became a stone building, with a raised area in
front of it, usually with two or three steps leading up to the stage area. This stage area was
later incorporated into the skene building, and was called the
proskenion, meaning "in front of the
skene."

The main actors didn't "act" in
the orchestra, as might be expected, but on the raised area in front of the
skene building. The large masks that the main actors wore, along with
raised footwear called cothurni, made moving around the theater difficult.
The actors stayed on the raised stage area and didn't move around very much, other than to make
their entrances, act out their lines, and make their exits.

As the
skene building evolved, with its stone construction, columns, and large
entranceways, it formed a natural background for many of the ancient tragic plays, which focused
on upper-class and high-born characters like Oedipus and his wife, , the king and queen of
Thebes. It appeared natural for them to make their entrances and exits from such an imposing
building.

As far as scholars can determine, there were no stage directions
about a play's setting in the original scripts of the Ancient Greek plays. Notes about a play's
setting were added much later, in much the same way that setting descriptions and stage
directions were added to Shakespeare's plays long after he wrote them.

In
fact, no stage directions were needed. The audience simply assumed that if a character came out
of the skene building dressed like royalty and wearing a mask denoting that
the character was a king, the setting was in front of the king's palace.

If
it was necessary for the audience to know where the characters were, other than where they could
figure out for themselves, a character would say something much like a character in one of
Shakespeare's plays does: "Here we are in the vasty fields of France," or something to
that effect.

In any event, the main setting of Oedipus
Rex is "Before the Palace at Thebes." References are made to Delphi and
Corinth during the play, but no action of the play actually takes place other than in front of
the palace at Thebes.

What happens at the end of this story?

At the end
of 's short story, "," luck runs out
for the baby dubbed "The Luck" of the
mining camp. After the death of "The
Luck's" mother, the men adopt the baby and grow
to love him. The presence of
the baby inspires the rugged miners, who begin to wash regularly
and keep the
camp tidier. But shortly after the spring thaw begins, a flood roars through
the
camp, drowning Stumpy. Kentuck saves the baby initially, but soon the two
are found: the baby,
Tommy Luck, is dead while cradled in the dying Kentuck's
arms. When told that "The
Luck" is dead, Kentuck drifts down the "shadowy
river" to his own death while
still clutching the
baby.

Who were the leaders and constituents of the Whig and Democratic parties?

The
Democratic Party was born in 1828 as the result of internal divisions in the
Democratic-Republican Party. This division occurred because of disagreement over who would
succeed President James Monroe. Early on, Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren were recognized as
the leaders of this party. They strongly supported and advocated for Thomas Jefferson's vision
of a decentralized agrarian society. The party was suspicious and sometimes outright hostile
towards the power of the Federal government. Given the populist message of the party, their
constituents tended to be farmers, frontiersmen, artisans, and the so-called "common
man."

The Whig Party was born in response to Jackson's rise. It started
as an amalgamation of the National Republican Party, the Anti-Masonic Party, and former
Democratic-Republicans who disagreed with Jackson and Van Buren. Henry Clay emerged as an early
leader of the nascent Whig Party. Daniel Webster, Truman Smith, John Crittenden, and William
Seward were other...

href="http://m.government-and-constitution.org/history-us-political-parties/whig-party.htm">http://m.government-and-constitution.org/history-us-polit...

What are the major points of comparison between Aeschylus', Sophocles' and Euripides' tragedies?

Margarete Abshire

Aeschylus, as the oldest of these three tragedians, introduced several new concepts to
Greek theater. For example, Aeschylus introduced the notion of having more than one character on
stage at a time and the idea that characters could talk to each other, rather than simply to the
. Aeschylus also introduced certain basic concepts of stagecraft, such as the use of elaborate
costumes and headdresses, and the use of scenery, all of which became standard elements of Greek
theater.

Sophocles built upon the innovations of Aeschylus in several ways.
Sophocles introduced the notion of three (or even four) actors on stage at a time, increasing
the importance of dramatic dialogue, while reducing the role of the chorus. Most importantly,
Sophocles perfected how characters are represented on stage; unlike Aeschylus, whose characters
often seem incomplete or two dimensional, Sophocles rendered characters with great attention to
detail. His, as well, marks a move away from Aeschylus's...

]]>

What techniques does William Stafford use in order to get across his point of view in his poem "Five A.M."?

The two
primary techniques William Stafford uses to create meaning and express his point of view in the
poem "Five A.M." are sensory images and details. This poem captures a peaceful, early
moment, as the title suggests; it is a snapshot of the sights, sounds (sensory images), and
details of a pre-dawn walk.

In the first stanza, notice the sights and
sounds, both explicit and implied, which the speaker encounters on his walk.  

still dark, the early morning breathes
a soft sound above
the fire. Hooded
lights on porches lead past lawns,
a hedge; I pass the house
of the couple
who have the baby, the yard with the little
dog; my feet pad and
grit on the pavement, flicker
past streetlights; my arms alternate
easily to
my pace. where are my troubles?

The "morning
breathes a soft sound" (probably a slight wind) and he can hear the grit beneath his feet
as he walks. The porch lights shine but are not glaring (they are "hooded"), and he
sees the streetlights only as a flicker. It is easy to imagine an early-morning-dew scent for
the hedge and yard, as well. These sensory images are added to the details of his swinging arms
keeping pace with his stride and the family, with a baby and a dog, who are nowhere to be seen
at this moment but certainly part of the speaker's memory and experience. The overall effect for
him is to ask himself, rhetorically, where his worries (presumably the reason he is out walking
this early in the morning) have gone.

The speaker's positive reflections
continue in the next stanza as he considers the many things in the world that do not go
wrong:

There are people in every country who
never
turn into killers, saints have built
sanctuaries on islands and in
valleys,
conquerors have quit and gone home, for thousands
of years farmers
have worked their fields.

His attitude of tranquility
continues with these specific details. While serial killers exist, they are rare (though he has
problems, they are not the only thing in his life); saints serve even in isolated places (good
can be found anywhere); "conquerors have quit and gone home" (trials do end, often
inexplicably); and life and productivity have gone on forever and will continue to do so
(despite the problems which inevitably arise).

Finally, in this more tranquil
state, the speaker wends his way home.

My feet begin the
uphill curve
where a thicket spills with a birds every spring.
the air doesn't
stir. Rain touches my face

The sensory images continue:
the ache of walking uphill, a thicket of remembered bird sounds, air which does not move, and
the feel of rain on his face. In this short walk, the speaker has made peace with himself, and
the world rewards him with a refreshing rain. 

Stafford's use of
sensory images and details depict this journey from a troubled mind to a soul refreshed and
renewed. 

What is the major theme in the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave?

Douglass's
work has many themes, but perhaps the most important is the corrupting influence of slavery. It
is important to remember that the Narrative was very much a document of the abolitionist
movement, and Douglass is searing in his indictment of an institution that, he says, corrupts
everyone involved. It gives nearly unlimited power to evil men like Mr. Covey, and even infects
good and generous people like Sophia Auld with hate and a sense of their own superiority. It
perverts Christianity, which is put into service providing ideological justifications for it.
Perhaps worst of all is the effect it has on the slaves themselves. After working under the
brutal Mr. Covey for a year, Douglass describes himself as a shell of a man:

I was broken in body, soul, and spirit. My natural elasticity was
crushed, my intellect languished, the disposition to read departed, the cheerful spark that
lingered about my eye died; the dark night of slavery closed in upon me; and behold a man
transformed into a brute!

But Douglass's story is also a
story of strength and redemption, and he resists this terrible dehumanization first by fighting
back against Mr. Covey and then by running away to freedom. 

What is the moral of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling?

One of the
morals of the story is that you never know what you are capable of until you try. Harry was
faced with extraordinary circumstances, and he was able to rise to the challenge.  He found
reserves of bravery within himself, as well as special abilities.

Harry
Potter had no idea that he was a wizard, of course.  When he was eleven years old, he found out
he was a wizard and was whisked off to wizarding school.  That was pretty unusual.  Until then,
he had no idea he was The Boy Who Lived or that he had famous parents.

From
the beginning, Harry exhibited traits of bravery and curiosity.  He saw Hagrid take something
from a vault at Gringotts, and he wanted to protect it.  He thought that it was Snape who was
after it, and about that he was wrong, but at least he tried to protect Hogwarts.  Harry made
friends based on their character traits and not prestige.  He discovered that he had talents he
never knew he had, including an aptitude to play the sport Quidditch.

Harry
risked his life to follow the Sorcerors Stone deep into the castle to stop anyone from taking
it.  He thought it was Snape, but it turned out to be Quirrell. Harry was brave enough to fight
off Quirrell, even though he was harboring Voldemort.

Harry jumped to his feet, caught Quirrell by the arm, and hung on as tight as he could.
Quirrell screamed and tried to throw Harry off €“ the pain in Harry's head was building -- he
couldn't see -- he could only hear Quirrell's terrible shrieks and Voldemort's yells of,
"KILL HIM!... (Ch. 17) 

Harry is later told by
Dumbledore that he saved the stone because he wanted to rescue it, and not use it.  In this way,
the person who took the stone had to have good intentions. Harry had good intentions, whereas
Quirrell and Voldemort did not. 

You see, only one who
wanted to find the Stone -- find it, but not use it -- would be able to get it, otherwise they'd
just see themselves making gold or drinking Elixir of Life. (Ch. 17) 

Voldemort got away, but he did not get the stone.  This was
directly a result of Harrys bravery.  He found that he had many traits he did not realize he had
before he went off to wizarding school.

Why are institutional investors important in today's business world?

A legend
surrounding the late bank robber Willie Sutton has the by-then-incarcerated criminal responding
to the question why he robs banks as replying, because thats where the money is. This is not
to suggest that institutional investors are criminals; they are not, except in rare
circumstances in which they are investigated for violations of securities regulations. The
purpose of including the quote in this answer is to highlight the role of institutional
investors in funding projects in todays business environment. Institutional investors are
usually, but not always, groups of investors, often pension and mutual funds, commercial banks,
money managers, etc., who control very large amounts of money seeking investment opportunities
for further growth and protection against taxation. Institutional investors are important today
because thats where the money is.

There is often a level of financial
stability surrounding many institutional investors that may not exist among...

Susie Salmon

No, but
who really knows whatbases her novels
on, with the exception of "Lucky" which is the
story of her rape as a
teenager. Alice Sebold likes to begin her novels with fantastic
"grabbers."
This is evident in "" as she describes in first person as Susie
Salmon, her
basic stats and then, almost casually mentions "I was 14 years old when I was

murdered" mingled in with verbal folly. This technique of a shocking opener is also
the
case with her novel, "The Almost Moon." Sebold has an intriguing
technique. A lot of
people are waiting and wondering: "What's next, Ms.
Sebold, the world is
waiting."

How does T.S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock" exemplify Modernism?

This poem presents the
story of a man and his
terrible fear of rejection, his fear of being judged by others, and his

ultimate choice to live alone rather than make himself vulnerable in love (it is, after
all, a
"love song"). Prufrock's horrible feeling of alienation from everyone
around him and
his sense of being unable to construct a real and lasting
connection with anyone help to situate
this poem within the Modernist
tradition. At the party to which he takes the woman for whom he
cares, he
says that "the women come and go / Talking of Michelangelo." In other words,

no one talks about anything personal or truly meaningful; they only talk about things
that will
make them seem intelligent or cultured. No one forges real
connection; people are only concerned
with appearances (another Modernist
move). He imagines what the watchers are saying about him,
talking about how
thin his hair is getting, how thin his arms and legs are. He imagines that he

is an insect, "pinned and wriggling on...

How did the Sumerian civilization begin?

The
Sumerian civilization is the first civilization to develop on Earth. To understand how the
Sumerian civilization developed, it is first important to take a look at how humans existed
before the development of Sumer. For much of human history, people were nomadic
hunter-gatherers. This meant that they roamed from place to place to hunt animals and forage for
food. Eventually, humans discovered farming in what would become known as the Agricultural
Revolution or Neolithic Revolution.

When humans discovered farming, a few
significant changes occurred. First, in order to farm, people had to remain in one place to tend
to the crops they hoped to grow. This helped lead to the development of civilization in Sumer,
because people were able to build more permanent structures. Another big impact that came about
from the Neolithic Revolution was the fact that more food could be produced with less effort
from all of the individuals within the society. This meant that instead of focusing all human
efforts on hunting and foraging for food, a few people could farm, while others focused on other
productive activities. This led to the development of new jobs, responsibilities, and technology
that would change how humans existed. Finally, farming allowed for population growth, which
meant more people available to make efforts to advance society.

Another
factor we must take into account when considering the rise of Sumer is its location. Located in
modern day Iraq, Sumer was founded in the Fertile Crescent, near the Tigris and Euphrates
Rivers. Much like many other ancient civilizations, the location of Sumer near rivers helped to
ensure its survival. The rivers provided water for crops to grow and allowed for the effects of
the Neolithic Revolution to take hold for the Sumerians.

Can you explain how Hamlet explores the idea of existence and what it is to be human?

explores the idea of existence by contemplating his humanity at various times throughout the
play and musing on his mortality and life after death.is a remarkably realistic, complex
character who experiences extreme melancholy after the sudden death of his father and 's quick
marriage to his immoral uncle . Hamlet continually contemplates suicide and questions if a life
full of suffering is worth living at all. In his famous , Hamlet contemplates his existence by
saying,

To be, or not to be? That is the questionWhether
tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms
against a sea of troubles, And, by opposing, end them? To die, to sleepNo moreand by a sleep to
say we end The heartache and the thousand natural shocks...To sleep, perchance to dreamay,
theres the rub, For in that sleep of death what dreams may come When we have shuffled off this
mortal coil, Must give us pause. Theres the...

Why Does Boo Radley Stay Inside All The Time

never
explains this to the reader, so we have to make a few assumptions about why his character stays
inside all the time. The assumed reason he stays inside also changes throughout the
novel.

The first reason we hear that Boo Radley stays inside is that he is
forced to stay inside, first by his father, and then by his brother, Nathan.Boo was labeled a
"bad kid" when his was in school.He got caught up with the wrong crowd and his father
chose to punish Boo himself by keeping Boo locked up inside the house so he wouldn't be able to
make any trouble.

However,comes to the conclusion after the trial and after
witnessing the injustice and hypocrisy of the town that perhaps "Boo Radley wants to stay
inside."Jem considers the idea that Boo can see what's going on in their town--the
prejudices, the gossip, the hypocrisy, the judging--and, being a topic of much of the gossip and
judgements, Boo chooses to stay inside rather than subject himself to that type of
environment.

What are some examples of paradox in Saki's short story "The Open Window?"

Ais defined as
anyone or anything that is self-contradictory. A paradox can also be something that seems absurd
but might express a possible element of truth. 's short story "" has a few examples of
paradox when a nervous man named Mr. Nuttel meets a clever young trickster named Vera. One
example of a paradox can be seen when Vera first mentions her aunt's "" to Mr. Nuttel,
and he thinks to himself, ". . . somehow, in this restful country spot, tragedies seemed
out of place." Mr. Nuttel feels as though a tragedy taking place in a peaceful spot is
contradictory to its nature and purpose

Finally, Vera is a paradox because
she exhibits a contradictory nature. For example, she seems like a sweet, innocent girl who is
concerned about her aunt's welfare. She also seems to be interested in telling Mr. Nuttel about
the "tragedy" so he will be sensitive to her aunt's state of mind when he meets her.
On the contrary, Vera's true intentions are to deceive her guest and make a fool out of him. As
a result, she reveals the truth about herself, which is the fact that she is more of a trickster
than just a young, sweet, innocent girl.

What were the causes of the American Revolution?

With strong
commitment and backing from Great
Britain, the British colonies won the French and Indian War in
1763. This
removed France from the borders of the thirteen original colonies and thus took
away
the threat of France conquering the North American seaboard. This
victory, ironically, removed
Great Britain's chief value to the
colonists.

Because they no longer needed
the British army
(to repel another power near their borders), the American elite began to see

the British control of the colonies as a problem. The British, naturally enough, wanted
the
Americans to help pay for a costly war that was fought, as far as the
British were concerned,
mostly for the benefit of the colonists. The
colonists, however, deeply resented the extra taxes
that the British started
to impose.

The colonists also feared that taxes,
such as
those on tea or stamps, would set a precedent for more taxation. They resented as
well
British intrusions into American affairs, such as the refusal to allow
the...

In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, in what ways does Romeo fit the description of the tragic hero, and how does he not fit the description?

In Aristotle's
Poetics, the author indicates that the tragic hero is a relatively virtuous
person who moves from a state of good fortune to a state of bad fortune.

The change of fortune should be not from bad to good, but,
reversely, from good to bad. It should come about as the result not of vice, but of some great
error or frailty... (S. H. Butcher translation)

This is
certainly true of. He is no saint, but he is certainly not a depraved sinner. At the outset of
the play, he is in relatively good fortune, although he is unhappy about the way his love life
is going. This unhappiness, however, is...

What happens in Chapter 2 of the book Lyddie?

Chapter 1 introduces the reader toand her plight through much of the novel.  Lyddie is
fiercely independent and brave.  The bear incident alone is enough to prove that to readers.
 Unfortunately for Lyddie and Charlie, Lyddie's mom doesn't have Lyddie's determination and
fortitude.  She leaves Lyddie and Charlie to take care of the farm on their own.  Surprisingly,
the two of them manage quite well.  It doesn't matter though, because by the end of chapter 1,
Lyddie's mom has sold the farm to pay off debts (a reoccurring theme in the novel) and has sold
Lyddie and Charlie as indentured servants.  

Chapter 2 is far less exciting
than chapter 1, but it is necessary to explain how Lyddie and Charlie finish up on the farm and
get to their new jobs.  Chapter 2 begins with Lyddie and Charlie completing preparations before
leaving the farm and house to the new owners.  Part of those plans are to sell the calf and keep
the money.  They sell the calf to Farmer Stevens who also...

I'm writing an essay on how the Alliance system was the main cause of World War I, but I'm having trouble with coming with my three main body...

and the
alliances that precipitated it can only be understood if we look at what happened in Europe in
at least the hundred years or so prior to 1914.

Europe had not seen a
massive, continent-wide war since the final defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo in June, 1815. The
victorious powers at that time then did their best to turn back the clock and restore the
status quo ante bellum as it had existed in 1789, prior to the French
Revolution. But this proved impossible. Apart from the fact that liberal social changes had been
introduced throughout continental Europe by the French armies when they had been victorious, a
major change in the overall balance of power was the emergence of Russia as a near equal to
Britain and (restored monarchical) France.

At the same time, the dissolution
of the old Holy Roman Empire that had constituted the German states meant, ironically, that the
Germans, spurred on by the nationalism animating all of Europe, were in a better position to
attempt unification, which had been an on-and-off dream since the Middle Ages. Once Germany did
become unified in 1871, the British and French now saw this new power as
the principal threat to the stability of Europe.

By the end of the nineteenth
century all the major powers of Western EuropeBritain, France, the Netherlands, Germany, and the
also newly unified Italywere scrambling to colonize as much of Asia and Africa as they could get
their hands on. Russia was not participating in this "great game" but was nevertheless
in continued conflict with the Ottoman Empire. Russia's partly genuine effort to liberate the
non-Muslim people of the Ottoman Empire (as it was) was accompanied by their desire to free the
Slavic peoples who were still under the thumb of Austria-Hungary, which of coursefor historical
and ethnic reasonwas allied with the new Prussian-dominated Germany.

Fear of
Germany brought about an alliance, known as the Triple Entente, between Britain, France, and the
previously feared Russia. Germany was seen as the greater danger. Especially because the Germans
had now formed an alliance with the Ottoman Empire, Britain felt its routes to the exploited
Asian continent threatened. In addition to cynically propping up the Ottomans in their continued
oppression of non-Muslims, the Germans in their new colonial activity were carrying out
massacres of indigenous people, such as the Herrero in Southwest Africa. Russia was against the
Germans and Austrians both because of the Ottoman connection and because of its wish, as stated,
to liberate Slavic peoples such as the Serbs, who were (partly) still under Austrian
rule.

If all of this seems enormously complex, it is. The basic fact that
emerges, however, is that principally because of their own ambitions, by 1914, alliances had
been created with Britain, France, and Russia on one side and Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the
Ottoman Empire on the other. These powers were waiting for a fuse to be lit that would set off
the explosion they needed in order to settle their differences through war. That explosion
occurred in June, 1914, when a Serbian nationalist assassinated the heir to the Austo-Hungarian
throne. Within weeks, the Great War had started that would result in the deaths of millions.
When an armistice was finally made four years later, nothing had really been settled, and
instead, the seeds of the next World War were planted.

How does the relationship between Jem and Scout change in the first seven chapters of "To Kill A Mockingbird?"

In the
first few chapters,has a typical sibling relationship withand includes her in the games he plays
throughout their neighborhood with Dill. Jem genuinely enjoys playing with Scout and feels like
it is his job as the older brother to teach her certain things. Despite their amicable
relationship, Jem criticizes Scout for acting like a "girl" when she demonstrates her
reluctance to play games that focus on . Essentially, Jem views Scout as a tomboy and does not
mind including her in games and educating her on neighborhood matters.

By,
Scout mentions that Jem begins to spend more time with Dill and excludes her from their games.
Scout feels left out and is forced to spend time with Miss Maudie on her porch instead of
playing with the boys. As Jem...

How does Jared Diamond define "east€“west axis" and "north€“south axis" in Guns, Germs, and Steel?

Among the
many claims that Diamond makes in is the argument that the development of
agriculture occurred first in Eurasia because those continents lie on an east-west axis instead
of a north-south one. He directly addresses this issue in Chapter Ten. Looking at a world map or
a globe, it is easy to see what Diamond means by this:

The
Americas span a much greater distance north-south (9,000 miles) than east-west: only 3,000 miles
at the widest . . .That is, the major axis of the Americas is north-south. The same is true,
though to a less extreme degree, for Africa. In contrast, the major axis of Eurasia is
east-west.

Diamond argues that this had major
consequences for the spread and development of agriculture. Because Eurasia has a longer
east-west axis than north-south, much of its expanse lies within similar latitudes that
therefore have similar climates. Therefore they had similar wild flora and fauna (Diamond cites
the example of flax, which grows wild from...

Help with Outline on Topic of Race for "Robinson Crusoe" Could you suggest to me a good outline of a research about race in 'Robinson Crusoe'?...

The
best way to handle this topic would be to
read the novel from a colonial angle. If you read the
novel thoroughly you
will find how colonialism has been dealt with throughout the novel and how

race...

Eavan Bolands Anorexic: describe the poems form or structure. Consider stanzas, line length, rhyme, and meter.

There
isn't too much about the form and structure of "Anorexic" which is consistent
throughout the poem, but one feature which is consistent is the stanza length. All of the
stanzas are tercets (stanzas of three lines), except for the final stanza, which is a quatrain
(four lines). Arguably, the short stanzas, especially when combined with the enjambment running
throughout the poem, create a fragmented, blunt tone, echoing the voice of the speaker. The
final stanza being four lines, rather than three, helps to echo the sense of accumulation and
excess implied by the listing within the lines "and breasts / and lips and heat / and sweat
and fat and greed."

In terms of the rhyme scheme, there is some rhyming
in the first two stanzas (the first two lines of stanza one rhyme, as do the last two lines of
stanza two), and there is rhyming again in stanza twelve ("so . . . grow"). In most
stanzas, however, there are no end rhymes. The fact that the poem begins with a rhymingin the
first...

What is the central theme in Nature by Ralph Waldo Emerson? Is this theme stated or implied? Explain.

In
"," Emerson ties together two themes that are dear to his heart: individualism and
nature. A person can find his (Emerson addresses an imagined male) best self, his individual
destiny, and his spiritual/creative path through the world by immersing in, contemplating, and
developing a harmonious relationship with nature.

Emerson rejects what he
calls the "sepulchers" of looking to the past and old tradition for wisdom. All
natural things, he argues, are fresh and can teach us with newness and vigor in the here and
now. We can get everything we need to guide our lives through a communion with nature in the
present moment that will lead us inward to our souls. In nature, we will become in touch both
with ourselves as individuals and with the divine spirit of the universe that should be our
central guide. Emerson repeatedly exalts nature in the essay.

Like
Wordsworth, Emerson believed the child was born with the inward light and capacity to perceive
truth that comes from the divine....

What literary element seems to be most prevalent in "Girl" by Jamaica Kincaid?

The most obvious
literary element of this short story is the point of view and narration, which is noteworthy
because it is so different from any other story. "" distinguishes itself because it
presents a dialogue rather than a plot. There is therefore no narrator in the sense normally
associated with literature, as there are no events narrated by either a character or an external
narrator. The story takes the form of a(mostly) by the mother, that is delivered to her
daughter, who is only allowed to contribute once or twice. The mother refers to herself in the
first person, using "I," which is shown when she talks about "the slut I know you
are so bent on becoming." However, this very different form allows the speech to be
directed at "you," which is the mother's daughter, who is the "girl" refered
to in the title, as the mother gives her a whole list of orders, instructions and bits of
advice:

...this is how to make a pepper pot; this is how
to make  agood medicine for a cold; this is how to make a good medicine to throw away a child
before it even becomes a child; this is how to catch a fish...

This monologue does contain two lines uttered by the daughter, and these serve to
reveal some of the tensions and the interesting dynamics that occur between these two
characters. As the above quote indicates, however, the point of view allows the reader to see
the mother's concern to properly educate her daughter, in every way, including sexually and how
to conduct herself.  

How does Scrooge feel when he sees the Crachit family in A Christmas Carol?

Scrooge is a miserly, cruel employer who
treats the father of the Crachit family cruelly everyday but particularly on Christmas Eve.
After finally allowing him to leave for the night, Scrooge heads home. Along the way he shouts
angrily at poor people and at his nephew who invites him to dinner. Once home, he falls asleep
only to be awakened by the spirits of Christmas past, present and future who torment him with
visions. It is the Ghost of Christmas present who takes Scrooge to view how the Crachit family
celebrates Christmas. Here Scrooge sees how despite the family's poverty, they enjoy celebrating
Christmas as best they can with joy and love for one another. Scrooge appears both baffled by
the family's happiness and to soften at this point, remembering some of the things he has said
to Crachit and how he has treated him. Scrooge sees frail, sickly Tiny Tim and asks the spirit
if Tim will live. The spirit warns that unless his life changes and he has better conditions, he
will die. This appears to bother Scrooge a great deal. He is obviously distressed by it and
protests the spirit's words. The spirit reminds Scrooge that in the past, he has wished that the
sick would just die and decrease the population. As they move on with the spirit of Christmas
future, the image of the Crachits and Tiny Tim remain with Scrooge who continues to be
distressed by what he has seen of Tim's illness.

In Oedipus Rex, Oedipus suffered from a lack of knowledge; in Shakespeare's Hamlet, Hamlet suffered from a surfeit or surplus of knowledge. Oedipus felt...

In
Shakespeare's Hamlet and , the action and/or inaction
of theis not based upon their knowledge as much as the circumstances surrounding the death of
each man's father.

Hamlet is struggling with his father's death from the
start. He has not yet been called to action at the start of the play, but still he is suffering
from a deep and overwhelming grief at his father's passing. His reaction to his mother's
remarriage so soon after Old Hamlet's death to a man he finds disgusting (I.ii.132-162), as well
as his repugnance with the manner in which the members at court and the new king drunkenly
celebrate, are things about which Hamlet feels strongly (I.vi.9-13). However, there is nothing
to be done, and he is left for a time to attempt to come to terms with his father's passing. The
audience understands his depression. His feelings are fueled by the greatness of his dead father
and the baseness of his uncle. It is this very difference that he throws in Gertrude's face in
Act Three.

It is not until Hamlet learns that his father was murdered that he
is called upon by the Ghost to avenge his sire's slaying. It is not his father's death that
requires Hamlet to act, but the manner in which Old Hamlet died.

GHOST:

I am thy
father's spirit,
Doom'd for a certain term to walk the night,
And for the
day confined to fast in fires,
Till the foul crimes done in my days of
nature
Are burnt and purged away. (I.v.13-17)

And...

List, list, O, list!
If thou
didst ever thy dear father love (27-28)

€¦Revenge his foul and most unnatural
murder. (29)

[€¦] The serpent that did sting thy father's life
Now
wears his crown. (44-45)

Hamlet struggles for the
remainder of the play to act, for several reasons; and with these reasons, perhaps he knows
"too much," because having all the facts forces the young prince to face the greatest
dilemma of his untried life. The Elizabethan audience (for whom the Bard wrote) believed that it
was a mortal sin to kill a king. In this case, Hamlet must know for certain that the Ghost is
speaking the truth. People of the time also believed in all kinds of supernatural beings, such
as ghosts, witches, etc. In this case, Hamlet cannot be sure that the Ghost is truly his father
and not an evil spirit trying to damn his eternal soul by convincing him to commit regicide. It
is for this reason that Hamlet arranges for the "play-within-a-play," re-enacting his
father's murder in the orchard. When Claudius reacts so violently to the murder scene, Hamlet
has his proof.

Even now, however, Hamlet is not free to act. The Ghost told
Hamlet that he had to suffer a period of
torment because he was not able to confess his sins before he died. When Hamlet has his chance
to kill Claudius, the man is in a pose of prayer, and Hamlet refuses to
send him to the next world free from his sinsbecause Claudius' murder had sent Old Hamlet to
suffer in purgatory.

And so, with all this information, Hamlet (truly his
father's son) weighs the wisdom of his actionsfor losing one's soul to the devil for all
eternity was the worst price a man could pay for his misdeeds on earth.

On
the other hand,is a man of action not because he does not know that his
father is dead, but because he does not know that he murdered his father.
It is this knowledge that freezes him in his tracks. If that were not enough, he discovers that
in marrying , he has committed incest by sleeping with his own mother.

As the
story goes, a plague has befallen Thebes, and , Oedipus' brother-in-law, has traveled to the
temple of Apollo to discover what they must do to end the sickness and death. When he returns,
Creon speaks of the previous king, Laius, who was murdered by an unknown hand, and the man
responsible has never been brought to justice.

CREON:

He died, and the god now orders
us clearly
to take violent vengeance on the murderers. (117-118)

Oedipus promises that he will not stop until he has discovered who
the murderer is because he loves the people of Thebes and suffers himself because
they suffer.

OEDIPUS:

Then I shall reveal these
things anew,
for justly did Phoebus, and justly did you
assign me this case
on behalf of the dead,
so that you will rightly see me as an ally,
avenging
both this land and the god together. (143-147)

, the
blind prophet, tells Oedipus the truth he seeks:

That man,
whom you have long sought,
threatening him and naming as the murderer
of
Laius, that man is here.
An immigrant in theory, soon he will be
revealed a
native Theban, though he will not be
happy to learn it; for blind instead of
seeing,
a beggar instead of rich he will travel
foreign earth, tapping it
with his staff.
He will be revealed to live with his children
as brother and
father both; and to his parents
he is both his wifes son and lord and his
fathers
fellow-sower and slayer. (472-483)

Oedipus at first cannot believe what he has heard, and suspects a plot on Creon's part.
Upon speaking to Jocasta about a prophecy Laius (her murdered husband) had once heard about his
death, and the circumstances surrounding it, Oedipus finally suspects that Tiresias' words may
be true. However, he has Jocasta send for the servant that survived the attack on Laius to have
him confirm Oedipus' new suspicions. 

When all things are confirmed, Jocasta,
realizing that she has married her son, kills herself. Oedipus blinds himself with the pins from
the broaches (jewelry) his wife wears. His last wishes are to be led out of the city so that no
one will ever see him again, and that the children of his incestuous relationship with Jocasta
not suffer because of his sins.

Oedipus' lack of knowledge supports the old
clich©, "Ignorance is bliss." As long as Oedipus is unaware of what he has done, he
acts for the good of Thebes. He loves his wife and the people of the city and tries to be a
worthy leader. With the news of the murder of a man (Laius) that he never knew, he feels
required to act to spare the citizens of Thebes the suffering they are experiencing because
Laius' murder has gone unpunished.

Not having enough information drives
Oedipus because he believes that he must put right the wrong that has been committed. It is not
the knowledge of knowing that his father is dead that causes the dilemma for Oedipus. (He is
adopted and does not know this.) He has left his father's house so he never kills him, as was
prophesied about him. Oedipus is proactive. When he hears that his [adoptive] father is dead, he
believes the accusations of Tiresias are false. However, it is the knowledge of how his true
father died (at Oedipus' hands) that is the turning point in Oedipus' life.

So with both of these men, Hamlet and Oedipus, it is not the knowledge of the death of
their father that drives them, but the knowledge of how each father died
that controls each son's behavior.

How is heroism portrayed in The Odyssey?

In
, heroism is presented in the traditional ancient Greek manner, as
consisting in acts of macho bravado imposed by male warriors upon the world. There's nothing
remotely humble or quiet about the heroism on display here; being a hero involves big and bold
statements that let everyoneboth mortals and immortals alikeknow who you are and what you're
capable of.

That's not to say that heroes are depicted as all brawn and no
brain; Odysseus certainly doesn't fall into that category. Whether it's having himself tied to
the mast while his ship passes the Sirens or devising a cunning plan to help him and his men
escape the clutches of the deadly Cyclops, Polyphemus, Odysseus's heroism involves a great deal
of thought and planning.

Yet...

What is the Ancient Near Eastern cosmology of ancient cultures in general historically, apart from Genesis? In other words, what did ancient...

This is a
fascinating question. From what I've read (I am drawing from the analysis done by Barry B.
Powell, as found in Powell, Classical Myth, Upper Saddle River: Pearson
Prentice Hall, 2004), it does appear as if a fair number of these Near Eastern creation stories
tend to share a lot of common ground with Hesiod's Theogony (the famous
Greek creation story). They seem to reflect many of those same themes of cosmic warfare, by
which divine rule changes hands through way of conquest.

In the Hittite
creation story, for example, as it is told in Kingship of Heaven, there is
an entire succession of gods, who give way to one another by way of conquest: Alalush loses
power to his servant, Anush, who in turn loses power to Kumarbi, who will himself, in turn, be
overcome by his son. (A far more detailed account on these Hittite creation stories can be found
in Powell, pp. 102-104)

Meanwhile, there is also the Babylonian creation
story, which also has striking comparisons to Theogony. Originally, there
are the primordials Apsu and Tiamat, the original progenitors from whom the later gods are born.
However, after Apsu determines to kill his children for being noisy, he is put under an
enchantment by one of his would-be victims, Ea, and killed. Ea will later father Marduk. Later,
Tiamat herself will turn against her children, gathering monsters to aid her. Overwhelmed at her
advance, the gods are forced to turn to Marduk, offering to give him supremacy if he would
defeat Tiamat. In so doing, he emerges as ruler of the world. (The Babylonian creation myth is
recounted in Powell, 98-102)

As Powell writes of the Mesopotamian tradition,
drawing parallels between it and the Greek creation story:

Mesopotamian and Greek myths alike report a cosmic history that begins with mighty
powers of nature and ends in the organization of the universe as a monarchic, patriarchal state.
Both mythical traditions make use of the motifs of succession and dragon combat. (Powell,
106)

He likewise sketches out powerful similarities
between the Hittite stories and the Greek creation myth (106-107). In each of these traditions
(Hittite, Babylonian, and Greek), there is a very different understanding of creation and the
cosmos than what can be observed in Genesis.

What is the central conflict, and is it resolved in the end in Interpreter of Maladies?

One
possible central conflict is the internal conflict that exists within Mr. Kapasi, the character
whose perspective guides "The ."

Mr. Kapasi is the driver hired by
the Das family while they are traveling in India from America. He experiences firsthand a clash
between traditional Indian family life, like his own, and the less familiar patterns of American
Indian families like the Das family.

Mr. Kapasi himself feels drawn to the
Das family, especially to Mrs. Das, but his attraction exists only in his imagination. He has a
difficult and frustrating life, and he is burdened by worry about his son and his own unrealized
potential as a man who has a gift for languages. Perhaps the Das family, with their bad manners
and loose morals, represent to Mr. Kapasi a kind of freedom that enables an individual to live
as one likes. This kind of freedom is totally inaccessible to Mr. Kapasi, which intensifies the
internal conflict as he struggles to figure out how he really...

What were the Sons and Daughters of Liberty?

The Sons of
Liberty and the Daughters of Liberty were two related groups of Americans in the time leading up
to the American Revolution.  These were Americans from the patriot side who opposed the
British.

The Sons of Liberty formed in response to the imposition of the
Stamp Tax.  They were involved in...

In Pygmalion,why does Shaw attach the labels rather than names to the characters, and what is the social class of the three main characters? The three...

As
part of Shaw's intent to instruct while he entertains, he introduces the three principle
characters by labels rather than by names, as well as introducing Mrs. Eynsford Hill and Miss
Clara Eynsford Hill by their labels of The Mother and The Daughter. The minor characters are
also introduced by their labels, such as "Bystander," but it is not an uncommon
practice to have minor characters designated as Girl 1, Girl 2, Shopkeeper, etc. The only
character to get a name in Act I is Freddy, and perhaps he gets a name because he misbehaves by
treading underfoot some of The Flower Girl's flowers then running off without paying for them.
Perhaps Mrs. Eynsford Hill and Clara go without names because they provide the benchmark
comparison to Liza's inner qualities and future achievements.

It may be that
The Gentleman, The Note Taker (who are both upper class), and The Flower Girl (who is lower
class) go without names at first so that the character development that occurs over the course
of the play will be more dramatically pointed out and to emphasize their roles in life so that
associations between them will be put into sharper relief (given sharper contrasts) . For
instance, when Higgins changes from a note taker to an interacting human as he notices Liza for
her true qualities and then falls in love with her, his development is more pronounced because
all he was at first was just The Note Taker, nothing more human than that. A similar principle
holds for The Gentleman but points out the idea that the supposed noblest in the land turn a
blind eye to the humanity of the individuals in classes lower than their own. The Flower Girl is
so called to point out how society views her--just a girl who sells flowers--and to emphasize
the dramatic changes that unfold in her as the play progresses.

What are the values of an European Citizen?` `

Citizens of
modern-day Europe value peace above all. European integration began after the end of World II in
1945. That conflict, and its predecessor, World War I (1914€“1918), were terribly destructive.
Although the fighting spanned the globe, no continent suffered as much human or material
destruction as Europe. After the carnage had ended in 1945, sagacious European states-men
decided that future wars could be best prevented by economic integration. If the
economiesespecially those of France and Germanywere intertwined, peace might be
attainable.

European citizens value multilateralism. They nations of Europe
work in concert to solve common problems, such as that of immigration. Each member nation
accepts a quota of immigrants. They also have a common foreign policy: several agreed to the
Iran nuclear deal of 2015.

Freedom and democracy are important values. Many
Europeans lived under Fascist and/or Communist regimes in the twentieth century. Today, they
enjoy suffrage, freedom of expression, and freedom of the press. In addition, freedom of
movement is valued by European citizens.

Most Europeans also believe their
governments have a responsibility to provide a social safety net. Because of this expectation,
Europeans typically receive generous jobless benefits and other government-provided largess.

The European Union and its people face daunting challenges, however. These
include Brexit, and the unwillingness of Hungary and Poland to follow EU rules.

What quotes show Friar Lawrence has kept Romeo and Juliet's marriage a secret?

In agrees
to marrydespite the fact that they
are the son and daughter of families who are involved in a
bitter and violent
feud. He hopes that such a union will cause the families to make peace

("rancor to pure love"). He marries them in secret the same day and tells no one.
In
fact, the only individuals privy to the information are the friar and 's
nurse. One quote from
Friar Lawrence which suggests that he has kept the
marriage a secret appears inwhen he is
attempting to convinceto heed 's
declaration that he be banished to Mantua. He claims that once
tempers have
quieted he will announce the marriage and beg forgiveness from the

Prince:

But look thou stay not till the watch
be
set,
For then thou canst not pass to Mantua,
Where
thou shalt live till we can
find a time
To blaze your marriage,
reconcile your friends,
Beg pardon of the
Prince, and call thee
back
With twenty hundred thousand times more joy
Than

thou wentst forth in lamentation.

Another
quote
implying his secrecy comes at the beginning of Act IV as he is speaking
to Count . Paris has
come to ask the friar to marry him to Juliet. Of course,
Juliet is already married, by Friar
Lawrence. When Paris asks if the friar
believes the marriage should be delayed, Lawrence, in an
aside (not spoken
directly to Paris but for the audience), "I would I knew not why it
should be
slowed." He is basically saying he wishes he didn't know why the marriage
between
Paris and Juliet cannot occur.