Did the ending of "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce surprise you?

It has
been a long time since I first read the story, but I think it did more than surprise me. That is
putting it mildly! I naturally identified with Peyton Farquhar. I shared his feeling of hope and
possible salvation when he imagined that the hanging-rope had broken and he was being carried
away from the Owl Creek Bridge by the cold, rushing water. I shared his relief when he seemed to
have made it safely to the shore and was running for his life. I shared his growing feelings of
confidence as he made it farther and farther away from that awful bridge and closer and closer
to his home and beautiful wife.

And then when the slack in the hanging-rope
ran out and his neck was broken--I felt that "stunning blow upon the back of the neck"
and saw that "blinding white light...with a sound like the shock of a cannon," which
Ambrose intended his readers to feel, see, and hear, and...

What was the author's purpose in writing "The Epic of Gilgamesh" and who was the intended audience?

alaina1991

has no known author. It is the earliest surviving work of written
literature. It is likely that the epic was originally oral stories, passed down from generation
to generation as a way to entertain as well as a way to teach values and provide explanation and
understanding of the world. Oral stories provided a deep, intimate connection between
storyteller and audience and could change between retellings or based on the storyteller's
skills and interests. The story may have been written down to preserve it in some
way. 

As with many epics and mythologies, stories like the Epic of
Gilgamesh provide explanation for the natural world and teach values through the
stories. One example is Gilgamesh's search for immortality. Distressed about the death of his
beloved friend Enkidu, Gilgamesh seeks out eternal life. Dealing with mortality is a very human
element in this story and provides a narrative to explore human mortality:

Utnapishtim said to Gilgamesh,
"I will reveal...

href="http://www.aina.org/books/eog/eog.pdf">http://www.aina.org/books/eog/eog.pdf]]>

What would be the independent, dependent & constant variables in an experiment based on determining the molar conc. of HCl by titration with NaOH?

Experimental
variables can fall under three different classifications, independent variables, dependent
variables, and constant (or control) variables.  An independent variable is one of the input
variables.  In other words, it is the measurement being tested.  A dependent variable is one of
the output variables.  In other words, it is the effect being measured.  Control variables are
variables other than the ones being directly tested.  They may have an effect on the experiment
but since they are not being tested they are held constant to minimize affecting the
experiment.  In the case of titrating a solution of HCl against a solution of NaOH, the
independent variable is the concentration of the NaOH solution that is being added (the input
factor).  The dependent variable is the concentration of the HCl solution (the variable being
measured).  A constant variable would be the chemical indicator being used (like
phenolphthalein).  Since the effect of this is not being measured, it should be kept the same
throughout the experiment.

What theories are offered for the "scarlet letter" on Dimmesdale's chest?

In Chapter X
of "" whenapparently drugs the
minister and pushes away his vestment, the physician
turns away.  "But with
what a wild look of wonder, joy, and honor!  With what a ghastly
rapture,
...too mighty to be expressed only by the eye...in ecstasy..."  This passage

suggests to many readers that as a result of the insidious mental torture from the
physician and
the agony in his soul from guilt, the Reverend 's scarlet
letter on his chest becomes a physical
manifestation of this guilt(simply
appearing). It seems rather unlikely that Chillingworth would
be as ecstatic
as he is had Dimmesdale merely carved the letter onto his

chest.

However, since he did punish himself by self-flagellation in an
attempt
to atone for his sin, many readers feel that Dimmesdale may also have
made a self-inflicted
letter upon his chest.  And, it is because he has made
this mark himself that Dimmesdale stands
"with a look of triumph in his face,
as one who, in the crisis of acutest pain, had won a
victory."  Dimmesdale
has put the mark upon himself and has stood likeupon the scaffold. 
Scourged
like a Christ-figure, he then dies.

 

What is the point of view of Catching Fire?

The point of view
of the book is first person.  In fact, all three books in the
Hunger Games trilogy are written in first person.  The story is told from
the perspective of the main character Katniss Everdeen.  We are not privy to any information
Katniss does not know.  When a character leaves her presence, we do not follow that character
until they interact with Katniss again.  While this is a perspective that draws the reader into
the story, it is also somewhat limiting.  We can only see what Katniss sees and we can only know
what see knows.  Katniss is often tricked, lied to, or confused.  We cannot know what motivates
other characters nor what they think or feel unless they choose to share this with Katniss.
 

In The Scarlet Letter, what does Chillingworth say to Hester in the prison cell? Explain in great detail

The
meeting betweenandis a pivotal introductory scene in that the reader learns that the two were,
and still are, married, and that the child is obviously not his.  Chillingworth is a doctor
called to tend to Hester and her child, and at first Hester fears he plans to harm her and her
child. Chillingworth has far worse ideas in mind, and the conversation soon turns to other
areas.

They begin by discussing the demise of their relationship. 
Chillingworth admits to being an emotionally and physically absent husband and Hester admits to
marrying him without love:

Nay, from the moment when we
came down the old church-steps together, amarried pair, I might have beheld the bale-fire of
that scarlet letterblazing at the end of our path!"

Chillingworth, as the scorned husband, demands to know the identity of 's father.  
Hester refuses, as she did on the scaffold. Chillingworth vows to discover his identity and take
revenge:

I shall see him tremble. I shall feel myself
shudder, suddenly and unawares. Sooner or later, he must needs be mine!

This conflict sets up the action for the remainder of the novel and
foreshadow's 's demise.

What is the point of view and imagery in Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man?

The limited third person
narration allows the reader to see the thoughts and feelings of Stephen Dedalus alone as the
novel progresses, and these emotions are expressed in the third person, giving the novel a focus
on this centralas the reader is only privy to Stephen's emotions. Thetherefore focuses centrally
on Stephen's developments and how he grows and develops as a character throughout this novel. An
interesting aspect of this text is the way in which Stephen experiences a series of epiphanies
that make him realise certain things about himself and his life. In Chapter 4, for example, he
experiences the following epiphany when he chooses to dedicate his life to art: 

His throat ached with a desire to cry aloud, the cry of a hawk or
eagle on high, to cry piercingly of his deliverance to the winds. This was the call of life to
his soul not the dull gross voice of the world of duties and despair, not the inhuman voice that
had called him to the pale service of the altar. An instant of wild flight had delivered him and
the cry of triumph which his lips withheld cleft his brain.

The imagery in this quote is fascinating as it uses the imagery of a bird of prey in
flight calling out to describe the feeling he feels as he imagines "life" calling out
to his "soul." This epiphany is described as "an instant of wild flight" and
is compared distinctly to the epiphany that led him to consort with prostitutes and the epiphany
that led him to believe that he should dedicate his life to religion. The imagery in this quote
perfectly captures the feeling of transcendence that Stephen is experiencing, as he feels the
emotion is splitting his brain in two.

Ironically, of course, the point of
view, imagery andare tied together with the epiphanies he experiences throughout the novel.
When, for example, at the end of Chapter 3 Stephen experienced his religious epiphany, he never
doubted that he would dedicate the rest of his life to religion, and the point of view that
allows the reader to experience Stephen's emotions as they occur without indicating the future
supports this view. This subsequent epiphany shows that plans change and however firm and
decided one may feel about the course of one's life, it is possible that this can
change.

What was the role of IATA in the development of air transportation?

The
establishment of the International Air Transport Association was a result of the rapid growth of
air travel from the 1930s through the 1940s, the concomitant expansion in the number of cities
and airports from which commercial aircraft operated, and the need to facilitate better
coordination among carriers so as to avoid disasters and to smooth the process by which flights
are scheduled and operated. It was formally established in 1945 in Cuba, but is headquartered
today in Montreal, Canada.

The IATA did not create air travel; it was a
reaction to the growth of the airline industry. To that extent, it played no role in the
development of air travel. What the IATA did do, however, was make air travel much more
efficient and much safer than would otherwise be the case. Especially with the tremendous
post-World War II growth in air travel by Americans and others, the 1950s was a period of
tremendous pressure on airlines to operate safely. The IATA was instrumental in establishing
procedures for the conduct of all aspects of flight operations, including establishing standards
for passenger conduct. Among the IATAs contributions are the three-letter codes airlines use for
identifying individual airports around the world. It also accredits travel agents and maintains
a database (Timatic) containing information on visa, passport and health requirements for
passengers heading to particular destinations.

As positive a role as the IATA
has played in the growth and operation of the airline industry, it has been criticized for its
role in establishing rates for air travel. As the IATA was founded by and is composed of the
airline carriers, it, by its nature, provides a forum within which the possibility of collusion
in the setting of air fares can occur. While price coordination was one of its founding
functions, concerns about price fixing have been around for many years.

In Romeo and Juliet, what does her placing the dagger beside herelf as she drinks the potion signify?

The
dagger signifies 's intention to take her
own life if 's cunning plan doesn't come off. Juliet
has a bad feeling about
all this; she's genuinely worried that she won't be reunited with , the
love
of her life. She'll hope for the best but prepare for the worst. And that means having
a
dagger on standby just in case it all goes south.

Which
of course it does.
Tragically, Friar Laurence's best laid plans come to
nothing as Romeo, believing that Juliet is
actually dead rather than just
sleeping, kills himself by taking the poison he brought with him
from Mantua.
When Juliet wakes from her slumbers and sees her dead
beloved,...

What are the 3 different views of Tom Robinson's trial and its outcome as seen by Atticus, the children, and townspeople?

The town
is, indeed, rather divided over this verdict.  Those who wallow in prejudice think Tom got what
he deserved, of course.  The others, generally those we have met and know by name as outlined by
mwestwood, are distraught by the injustice which has once again occured in their town.  (I would
add Sherrif Heck Tate to the list, as he did what he could to protect Tom before the
trial.)

The kids have a variety of reactions to the verdict. is
visibly shaken by the injustice because he was mature enough to follow the actual arguments and
understand the laws of reason have been violated. 

"'It ain't right, ....  How could they do it, how could they?'" 

Dill understands less, but he has the emotional reaction already
listed--he is hurt by the verdict and really can't explain why.  's reaction is the least
expressive of the three.  Virtually no commentary or emotion.  Make of that what you
will.

Atticus is not surpirsed, but his hopefulness has been diminished. 
He...

Explain the symbolism in the description of Simon's body going out to sea in Lord of the Flies

The passage
where 's body is swept away by the sea describes nature in brilliant detail. There is discussion
of the sun and the moon, the sand and the water. This beautiful scenery belies the rage and
violence the boys have learned and executed there. There is also anto the supernatural. The
moonlight makes Simon glow: "The line of his cheek silvered and the turn of his shoulder
became sculptured marble." (Golding, chapter 9) Also, it characterizes the moonlight as
creatures that seem to gather around Simon and carry him into the water. Nature is, literally
and figuratively, receiving Simon to herself.

The fact that the other
boys are afforded a chance to remain innocent by not having to deal with the harsh reality of
burying a peer is important to the remainder of the novel. They cannot face their actions just
yet, or they will break down as a society entirely.

 

I need to make an acrostic poem for the phrase "Native American." I need to make an acrostic poem for the phrase "Native American."

I don't know
if it will work, but why don't you do a little research and see if you can find a tribe whose
name begins with each of the letters in Native American. For instance: Navajo, Apache, Teton,
Iroquois, etc. Then write something about each tribe. For instance:

Navajo--makers of rugs

Apache--people of
the west

Teton--a band of the mighty
Sioux

Iroquois.....

This idea may be
corny, but maybe it will work. Good luck!

Why does a country's imports not completely measure the market potential for a product?

The imports
of a product into a country cannot provide a very accurate market potential of the product.
There are several reasons why this is the case.

The market potential of a
product manufactured by a firm depends on the total demand of the product and the total supply
of the product.

The quantity demanded of any product by customers is not
constant. It varies with the price of the product; a decrease in price usually increases the
quantity demanded. When a product is imported into a country there...

Compare the themes of "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings" and "The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World."

The
themes in "" and "" are similar in that they both offer optimistic positive
messages about ways to expand life from the soul outward. The themes are different in point of
reference of topic.

One theme of the former (first listed) is that after a
period of decay and despair and marginalized isolation (for whatever reason:...

In Never Let Me Go, how might Ruth's social behavior at Hailsham and later at the cottages be explained? Why is she so eager to seek her "possible"?

The
idea of a possible, the person who had been
the original on which a clone was based, intrigues
the clone characters who
populate s novel, but they generally keep their interest bottled up.
Kathys
memories of Ruthwhich are the filter through which the reader learns about hershow
that
even as a young girl, she was a strong-willed person with a carefully
constructed worldview,
including how other children could earn their way into
her good graces, such as becoming a
member of the guard she created for Miss
Geraldine. Kathy soon realizes that Ruth is a liar
who cannot accept her own
ignorance and invents stories to cover it up. It is only when Kathy
exposes
one of Ruths lies that she gains her respect, which leads to a solid friendship
between
them.

After Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy move from
Hailsham to the cottages, two
veterans tell Ruth that they may have seen her
possible. This is apparently the first such
report Ruth has ever heard. The
details...

What quotes from The Catcher in the Rye show that Holden is depressed about his brother, Allie?

often
refers to , his brother who died several years ago of leukemia. His death, which seems
meaningless and cruel to Holden, has thrown him into a deep depression. Some quotes that speak
to his depression are as follows. In the first one, Holden reacts to Allie's death in a way that
alarms his parents about his mental health:

I was only
thirteen, and they were going to have me psychoanalyzed and all, because I broke all the windows
in the garage....It was a very stupid thing to do, I'll admit, but I hardly didn't even know I
was doing it, and you didn't know Allie.

Even when
Holden get depressed about events that, on the surface, aren't directly about Allie, the state
of being depressed leads him to think about his dead brother. This suggests that the root of his
depression is Allie's death and the survivor's guilt he feels over it. In the quote below,
Holden is trying to relive a scene from the past in which he wouldn't let Allie join him hunting
with BB guns. Now he wishes...

How does Squealer show appeal to fear in Animal Farm by George Orwell?

Appeal to
fear is a technique propagandists use to make people forget about the truth and instead get so
scared that they believe what the person is saying.is s propagandist. That means he is charge of
getting the animals so confused that they do not know what to believe, so they believe him. He
gives speeches to the animals to explain what Napoleon is doing and try to convince the animals
to go along with Napoleon's plans.

Appeal to fear is one of Squealers
favorite techniques. He tells the animals that Jones will come back if they do not go along with
Napoleon. He distracts the animals from what is really happening. A good example of this is when
the other animals discover the pigs are consuming the milk and apples. By way of explanation,
Squealer says,

"It is for your sake that we drink
that milk and eat those apples. Do you know what would happen if we pigs failed in our duty?
Jones would come back! Yes, Jones would come back! Surely, comrades," cried Squealer almost
pleadingly, skipping from side to side and whisking his tail, "surely there is no one among
you who wants to see Jones come back?" () 

Apparently, the animals find Squealer's words and his skipping from side to side and
whisking his tail very persuasive. His body language is also a distraction. Squealer knows it is
persuasive, because it makes him seem innocent. His comments about Jones are pure hogswallop,
though. The pigs are just trying to explain away the fact that they are taking over the humans
role in the farm and taking all the luxuries for themselves. Squealer convinced the animals the
pigs can eat all of the milk and apples because otherwise Jones will come back.

Later, after they runoff the farm, Squealer again uses the appeal to fear tactic to
convince the animals that Snowball is in league with Frederick so the animals will not miss
Snowball (one of the initial leaders of the farm). 

"Comrades!" cried Squealer, making little nervous skips, "a most
terrible thing has been discovered. Snowball has sold himself to Frederick of Pinchfield Farm,
who is even now plotting to attack us and take our farm away from us! Snowball is to act as his
guide when the attack begins ().

No one will question
Snowball's departure once they have been told he was in league with the humans the entire time.
This is another appeal to fear. Squealer tells the animals Snowball has betrayed them. The
animals believe this because they believe everything Squealer says.

href="http://changingminds.org/disciplines/argument/fallacies/appeal_fear.htm">http://changingminds.org/disciplines/argument/fallacies/a...

Why is Nick made the narrator?

is the
thirty-year old narrator of because of his ability to be the truth-teller
of the story. He knows all of the mainand is able to tell us about them without conflicting with
the story or having a reason to lie. Nick isn't involved in any of the great drama, meaning he
can simply retell what has happened, albeit from his point of view. Still, we watch as Nick
evolves throughout the story. He represents what we see as the average American, although we do
see that Nick is (as most people are) deeper than he appears on the surface. We can relate to
him because we believe that we are like him: honest, practical, and rational. Whendies and most
of the characters are not affected, we can see that Nick is. He internalizes Gatsby's death,
learns from it, and tells us its impact in a way that no other character could have. We learn
about Gatsby what we never could have fromor any of the other characters in the book. This makes
what Nick tells us more believable. He learns, better than anyone, that money can break as much
as make a person.

How has Tennyson portrayed death and old age in the poem "Ulysses"?

To me, one
of the major themes of this poem is that the speaker () wants to keep experiencing and learning
new things.  He thinks that a life spent in one place, doing the same thing over and over again,
would be terrible.

This is,...

In The Metamorphosis, how does Kafka manipulate time to create tension?

At the
beginning of Kafka's , Gregor wakes up and realizes that he has failed to
hear the alarm, and so he is late. He must get up and go to work, for his family depends on him
for their survival.

He saw the alarm clock over there,
ticking on the chest of drawers. Good God! he thought. It was half past six, and the hands
were going quietly on. It was past the half hour, almost quarter to seven. Shouldn't the alarm
have sounded? One could see from the bed that it had been properly set for four o'clock.
Certainly it had rung. And was it even possible for one to sleep quietly through the noise that
made even the furniture shake?

Gregor is frantic about
the time. He has overslept by two and a half hours. The idea of being late increases a sense of
anxiety related to time. That feeling is heightened even more as Gregor describes the sound of
the clock as something so loud that it makes "the furniture shake." A sense of urgency
related to time is found again as Gregor tries to decide what he must do:

The next train left at seven o'clock. To catch that one, he would
have to make a mad dash...

Using time, the mood of the
story (in addition to the curiosity of Gregor's change into a giant insect) promotes a feeling
of tension. At the beginning, references to time are precise. Time is a specific measure in
Gregor's life. As he lies in bed, he bemoans the fact that he has no time to himself. In working
so hard for his family, all of his timeand his very lifehave been stolen away from him. He has
been powerless to change it.

As the story goes on, Gregor begins to lose
sense of the passage of time. Whereas it completely controlled his life at
the start, the reader notices that with his advancing metamorphosis, the concept of time becomes
unfamiliar to him. "Vague hopes" refer to things he once was concerned with, but the
passing of time make these hopes distant and difficult to recapture. This seems to apply to all
aspects of his life.

There he remained the whole night,
part of which he spent dozing, always waking with a start because of his hunger, and another
part of which he spent in worry and vague hopes€¦

A
schedule of sorts is established, but specific times are not used: only generalizations in
keeping with the activities of the family. Instead of a time, there is a general reference to
morning and after€¦lunch.

In this manner, Gregor now
received his food daily: Once in the morning while the parents and the maid still slept, and a
second time after the common lunch€¦

At the story's
outset, Gregor may refer time in minutes or hours, but soon he recognizes only days and, then,
only months passing.

Oncea full month had already gone by
since Gregor's transformation€¦

Other terms that vaguely
refer to time can be found in the story:

Gregor's wish to
see the mother was soon fulfilled. 

We have no specific
referent point as to how long it takes for Gregor to see his mother; we know only that it
happens soon.

Gregor fills his days climbing the walls, and the evenings
listening to what he can of his family's activities. The alteration in his concept of time
coincides with his growing disconnect from humanity. The days become an endless stream of
Gregor's wandering about and casual wondering about his situation, but more so concerned about
his family and their circumstances. 

Gregor is unable to maintain his grasp
on time or the human world; and his family is also changing. His father has started to work
again, and there is even some money the older man had hidden away when his business went
undermoney that could have eased Gregor's burden. But the knowledge of money was kept hidden
from him, despite his struggles and sacrifices for his family. 

Kafka seems
to use the element of time to promote Gregor's feeling of alienation, as well as a sense that
the world is moving along at a rate with which Gregor can no longer keep up.

The physical changes in Gregor and his inability to provide support for them any more
have widened the chasm between him and his family. The tension created by
Gregor's inability to navigate time may well be used to prepare the reader for the ultimate
separationGregor's death. Manipulating time in this way makes the reader feel that time is
actually running out for Gregor, as he cannot measure it any longer. Making use of and living
for time was once the thing that controlled every moment of every day of Gregor's life. Now,
however, it moves steadily forward with little recognition of its passing and no chance of
controlling it, not even to recognize it in connection to a clock.

Whereas
time meant everything to Gregor at the start of the story, it has no hold over him now, for
neither can he use time to measure what is required of him or calculate his accomplishments.
Tension is created using time in that large chunks disappear, as well as those days when the
family shared some connection. It creates tension as we realize Gregor has no
time. While the family's circumstances change, Gregor's do not. Certainly there will
be no accommodations made for Gregor. In having no time, and no time left, Gregor
dies.

 

Why did Arthur Miller write The Crucible?

wrote his
second play, , as a response to his distaste of McCarthyism during the 1950s. Miller believed
that people were getting worked up and blaming others without any real reason or evidence. He
wanted to show how irrational the large fear of Communism was and demonstrate that people were
getting to the point where it becomes violent and destructive. He wrote the play as a means to
set up a mirror in which the public could see that what the Puritans did in the 1600s, pointed
fingers without evidence, let their long-standing feuds be a basis for false
accusations, let boredom, ignorance, jealousy, and money become sufficient for sentencing and
murdering, was being repeated in the modern day with accusations of Communism.

Miller was accused of being a Communist but never actually joined the Communist
party.

In 1984, why does Winston say "we are the dead"?

This is a very
important statement in the novel.  Whenstates that "we are the dead," it follows a
statement that speaks more to Winston's above assertion.  Winston insists that "She did not
understand that there was no such thing as happiness, that the only victory lay in the far
future, long after you were dead, that from the moment of declaring war on the Party it was
better to think of yourself as a corpse."  On the surface of it, it would seem that
Winston, having decided to take on the Party, has already come to see himself as a corpse -
perhaps not immediately, but soon, and it would be permanent.  What efforts he andmake in their
struggle against the Party will not bring about effect they themselves will enjoy.  It is for
later generations to see the benefits of their works.

Furthermore, from early
on in the novel Winston realizes that being convicted of thought crime is tantamount to a death
sentence (or vaporization sentence, I suppose).  What he and Julia are contemplating will surely
lead to their capture as thought criminals - which ultimately it does. 

When
taken into a larger context, however, "we are the dead" could reference the death of
the individual self.  That is, the death is not a physical death; it is a metaphorical death. 
All that defines them as individuals will be taken away, as it is through the process of 's
interrogation of them in the Ministry of Love.  In this sense, Winston's statement is a definite
instance of .  Winston and Julia (and the rest of society) are the dead...and the Party has
killed them, or at least their will to individuality.

Explain Ad hominem circumstantial philosophy.

Ad hominem
circumstantial philosophy is one of several ad hominem arguments. It is also referred to as
Ad hominem circumstantial fallacy because it does not truly address the
issue at hand but rather skirts around it by making assumptions based on an individuals personal
circumstances. Circumstantial arguments are very common and appear in a variety of situations.
What you have to remember, however, is that ad hominem circumstantial philosophy is not the best
approach to solving an issue, however common it may be.

Circumstantial
arguments function by putting the focus on the individuals situation and not what that
individual says or proposes. For example, in politics, a politician may say something like, I
will raise taxes on the richest one percent. Then, an opponent might counter that claim by
saying, So show us how much you earn, and how much you pay in taxes, so we can see where you
would stand with this new tax plan. In this case, the opponent is attacking the politician based
on his or her personal circumstancesincome, in this example.

A stronger
argument would be listing reasons why it is or is not productive to raise taxes and separating
those reasons from the politician who proposed the change.

href="https://philosophy.lander.edu/logic/person.html">https://philosophy.lander.edu/logic/person.html

Why did the Boston Massacre contribute to the American Revolution?

contributed to the start of the American Revolution. The colonists had been unhappy with
previous British actions. They didnt like that the Proclamation of 1763 that prevented them from
moving west of the Appalachian Mountains. The colonists wanted to get this new land, and this
law prevented that from happening. The colonists also didnt like that they had to provide
housing for soldiers to enforce this unpopular law.

The colonists were also
unhappy with the new taxes created by the Stamp Act and Townshend Acts. They believed these
taxes were illegal and violated their rights as British citizens because the colonists had no
representatives in Parliament who could vote on these taxes. In Britain, the citizens have
representatives in Parliament that can vote on proposed taxes.

While the
colonists were unhappy with these British actions, there had been no death associated with the
protests of these unpopular laws. That changed with the Boston Massacre. For the first time, the
British had killed colonists during a protest. For some people, this changed the dynamics of the
dispute. There were now some people who believed independence was needed. As more actions
unfolded in the future, more and more people felt this way. With the passage of the Intolerable
Acts and the fighting that occurred at Lexington and Concord, more colonists believed
independence was needed. The desire for independence gained support as a result of the Boston
Massacre. It really gained support with actions that occurred in the years that followed the
Boston Massacre.

What is the difference between fixed costs and variable costs?

In economics,
fixed costs and variable costs are the two main kinds of costs associated with production of a
good or service.

Fixed costs are costs that do not vary with the level of
production.  They are the same if a firm produces one unit of their product or one million
units.  Fixed costs typically include such things as the rent on the building in which the firm
produces its product.

Variable costs are the costs that do vary with the
level of production.  For example, a restaurant's fixed costs will include the cost of the food
they prepare and serve to customers as well as the cost of the labor of wait staff and
cooks.

What is the significance of the phrase "white elephant" in the story "Hills Like White Elephants?"

The hills in
"" are an area of raised ground which is symbolic of the raised stomach of the
pregnant woman. They are also described with more vitality than the surrounding
landscape. 

They were white in the sun and the country was
brown and dry. 

Theof "white elephants" being
like the hills is an odd one. An elephant is large and being white rather than the typical gray
makes the image more striking. This could be interpreted as the colloquial "elephant in the
room," a phrase which refers to something everyone is aware of but everyone is reluctant to
talk about it. This fits with the story because although the American and Jig are talking about
a possible abortion, they are doing so in veiled speech. 

"Well," the man said, "if you don't want to you don't have to. I
wouldn't have you do it if you didn't want to. But I know it's perfectly
simple." 

In addition, the phrase "white
elephant" means a valuable possession that is also a burden. And this burden is one that
you cannot get rid of. This is an obvious reference to the unwanted pregnancy and the couple's
discussion about possibly "getting rid of" the baby. The American dwells on the burden
more than the value of the baby. The girl, Jig, is concerned about what having an abortion will
do to her outlook on life. Still speaking in veiled terms, she suggests no matter what her
decision is, something will be lost. 

"No, it isn't.
And once they take it away, you never get it back." 

What is the narrator like in the beginning?

The
unnamed narrator tells the story in retrospect from a prison cell on the eve of his scheduled
death by hanging. In the story, the narrator recounts his life and how his mental state slowly
began to deteriorate after succumbing to alcoholism. As a child, the narrator was a completely
sane, docile individual with an affinity for animals. He describes himself as having a tender
heart and mentions that his favorite pastime was feeding and caressing his pets. As the narrator
grew older, he remained a pleasant, gentle individual and retained his love for animals. The
narrator also mentions that he was fortunate enough to marry a woman with the same disposition
and love for pets.

The happily married coupled owned birds, a goldfish, an
obedient dog, rabbits, a small monkey, and a cat. The narrator proceeds to elaborate on the
appearance and behavior of his beloved cat Pluto. Out of all the pets the narrator owned, Pluto
was by far his favorite and would accompany him wherever he went.

After
several years of marriage, the narrator began drinking excessively and loses control of his
alcoholism. Poe personifies alcoholism by referring to it as the Fiend Intemperance, which
dramatically transforms the narrator's disposition and mental state. The narrator transforms
from a pleasant, compassionate individual into an irritable, violent man who begins mistreating
his wife and animals. Eventually, the narrator cuts out Pluto's eye, hangs the cat from a noose,
and murders his wife before burying her corpse in the basement wall.

what are the character traits of romeo? the characteristics of romeo?

This
question has already been answered.  Here is a...

What are the effects and meaning of upon its coming in the dying flame leaped up

The
quote in question appears in Stave 1, and is found on page 18 of my edition. The quote comes
just as Scrooge sees Jacob Marley's ghost come up the stairs and enter the room that Scrooge is
sitting in. Scrooge is a miserly fellow, so his house is not well lit. He uses as few of candles
as possible, and the fire that he is currently keeping is as low and miserly as Scrooge himself.
When Jacob Marley's ghost enters the room, readers are told that the dying flame of the fire or
candle leaped up as if it were crying out it recognized the ghost as Jacob Marley. The flame
then falls back to its normal, low state.

The leaping flame is a nice image
that further highlights how Scrooge probably initially reacted at seeing the ghost. Scrooge is
momentarily shocked by the sight of the ghost. There is probably a wonderful mixture of fear,
surprise, and excitement. Medically speaking, Scrooge probably got a nice dose of adrenaline as
his body prepared for fight or flight; however, Scrooge is a tough old guy. His surprise is
momentary and his heightened emotions are quickly quelled in the same way that the flame died
down. Scrooge returns to his normally cold self just like his fire returned to a state of barely
throwing enough warmth for his body.

. . . he was still
incredulous, and fought against his senses.

How now! said Scrooge, caustic
and cold as ever. What do
you want with me?

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What is Reverend Parris's relationship with the community in act one of The Crucible? Where do you learn this information in the play?

Part
of this answer does depend on whether or
not you are allowed to use the narrator's information
given in the opening
overture of the play. If you are reading this play, the narrator
immediately
gives key information about Reverend Parris and his relationship to the town
and
people. The information that we are given paints a picture that Parris
does not embrace and love
his community, and his community reciprocates that
same feeling. He feels
persecuted by the community, and
that tells readers that for whatever
reason there is definite tension between
him and the people in the community.

He
believed he was being persecuted wherever he went, despite his
best efforts
to win people and God to his side. In meeting, he felt insulted if someone rose
to
shut the door without first asking his permission. He was a widower with
no interest in
children, or talent with them.

If the answer to this
question has to be limited to Act 1 dialogue
and stage directions, then the above information
can't
be...

Where does the theme of colonialism come into play in Robinson Crusoe?

As others
have noted, the chief way colonialism is exhibited in this novel is through Crusoe's treatment
of Friday, the native whose life he saves.

Crusoe has unquestioned feelings
of superiority over Friday and evaluates him by European norms, approving of his physical
appearance, for example, because his features and darker coloring conform to a European notion
of intelligence and attractiveness. Crusoe also fails to show an interest in Friday's culture or
religion but assumes Friday should and will conform to his culture as more "advanced."
Like a typical colonialist, Crusoe gives this native a European name, converts him to
Christianity, and makes him his slave (although his rule is benign and friendly). Crusoe never
interrogates whether it is right to treat Friday as an inferior: the idea that Friday might be
an equal or have something to teach him never seems to even remotely cross his mind. (The 1960s
retelling of the story by Michel Tournier, called Friday , is a fascinating
take...

What are Okeke's objections to his son's marriage in "Marriage is a Private Affair"?

Okeke
objects to his sons engagement because (1) she is not the wife he has chosen for himOkeke had
negotiated Nnaemeka€˜s engagement to a neighbors daughter, who has been trained to be a good
wife by living with a Pastor; (2) Nene is not of the Igbo tribenot only is marriage outside the
tribe forbidden, it has never occurred before; and (3) there is a sense that Nene, as a teacher,
is less Christian since, as Okeke puts it, St. Paul commanded that women be silent.

On a more basic level, Okeke objects because his sons disobedience is evidence of how
his city life has made him more worldly and cosmopolitan. His choice of wife is also
a...

Describe Chris's relationship with his father and whether you think it had something to do with his behavior in Into the Wild. This is the topic of an...

Chris
McCandless's relationship with his father, Walt, was the strained relationship of two people who
are innately alike yet reject one another's principles. That said, part of Chris's desire to
reject his stereotypical life and go out on his own seems to be uniquely him: his sister,
Carine, stated: "Even when we were little...he was very to himself."

From a young age, Chris witnessed the grueling work his father and mother put into
their consulting firm, and Krakauer notes, "it was a stressful experience," first due
to the difficulties of earning enough to support Walt's children from both his first and second
marriages and, second, due to Chris's parents' extraordinarily stubborn personalities. His
parents were able to stay afloat and then make enough money to afford modest luxuries, which
embarrassed Chris. 

In my opinion, Chris greatly resented the grueling work
and arguments that eventually afforded his family these luxuries, and thus he was someone driven
by his parents,...

What are the issues Stevenson mentions about the place and way Walter was held in Just Mercy?

s
review of Walter McMillans case includes the numerous irregularities of his detention before and
after McMillans trial. One key problem was that McMillan was incarcerated on death row in
Alabamas Holman Prison. However, McMillan had not been convicted of...

href="https://books.google.com/books?id=egdxAwAAQBAJ&source=gbs_navlinks_s">https://books.google.com/books?id=egdxAwAAQBAJ&source=gbs...

What are the themes of "Fishing for Jasmine" by John Ravenscroft?

The main
themes of John Ravenscroft's short story, "Fishing for Jasmine," are empathy, beauty
and loss. The narrator is fascinated with the comatose Jasmine because she is able to empathize
with her. Both have experienced life at sea, and both have endured loss. The comatose Jasmine
has, at least temporarily, lost the life she once had, and the narrator, also called Jasmine,
has lost a child. The narrator feels as if she and the comatose Jasmine "are almost
one," such is the empathy that she feels for her.

The comatose Jasmine
is also very beautiful, which perhaps makes the loss that she has suffered all the more tragic.
Her beauty, the narrator says, is such a "rare thing" that people in the hospital
"invent reasons" to walk by so that they can see it. The narrator says that she
catches people staring at Jasmine, "drinking her in, feeding on her (beauty)." She
calls these people "Roaming visitors with greedy eyes." The disparaging way in which
the narrator describes these people perhaps suggests another theme, namely jealousy. The
narrator seems to want the comatose Jasmine all to herself, and becomes jealous whenever other
people try to take some of her for themselves.

What were the main events during World War 1 in chronological order?

The first
important event of course would be the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife
Sophie in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914.  The following are important events thereafter:

• The Austrian declaration of war against Serbia on July 28, 1914.


• Russian mobilization against Austria and Germany on July 29, 1914, followed by the
  German declaration of war against Russia.
• Germany's declaration of war
  against France on August 4, 1914.
• Britain's declaration of war against
  Germany for violation of Belgian Neutrality on August 5.
• Implementation of
  Germany's Schlieffen Plan which would allow it to fight a war on two fronts; but which failed
  when German troops were stopped short of Paris.
• British Blockade of
  Germany's North Sea ports, followed by Germany's attempt to blockade the entire British
  Isles.
• Sinking of RMS Lusitania in May, 1915 by a
  German unterseeboot. Outrage in the United States led...
  

Who does he meet first in the woods?

Goodman
Brown leaves his house in Salem Village at sunset. His wife, Faith, is not very happy with the
idea that he has business to attend to in the night. She begs her husband to postpone his
business until sunrise, but he is determined to complete it in the night. She watches him as he
walks away until he reaches the corner of the meeting house.

Goodman walks
into the forest. He chooses a dreary path that is quite dark, so he is filled with fear as he
thinks of what might be...

Is there any formula that can calculate how many 4 letter codes can be created using only the 26 letters of the Alphabet? For example, a code would...

We are asked
to find the number of 4 letter "codes" that can be created using the 26 letters of the
alphabet.

There are a couple of considerations. Are we allowed to repeat
letters (e.g., is AAAA a viable code?). Also, does order matter (e.g., is ABCD different from
ACBD?) Next, do we differentiate between upper and lower case letters? Since you indicated 26
letters, we will assume that all letters are upper case and that order matters.

1. If you are not allowed to repeat letters, we can use either the multiplication
principle or the permutations formula. A permutation is a way, especially one of several
possible variations, in which a...

href="http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Permutation.html">http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Permutation.html

What causes the Loisels' financial situation?

At the
beginning of the story, the Loisels are relatively poor. They are poor because Madame Loisel was
"born ... into a family of clerks" and had "no dowry," and because her
husband is only "a minor official at the Ministry of Education." Madame Loisel is said
to "suffer ... because of the poorness of her house." The walls of the house are
"dirty" and the chairs are "worn-out." Nonetheless, the Loisels still have a
"little Brenton girl" to do their "housework," so as poor as they may be,
they do not seem to be desperately poor.

In the second half of the story,
however, the Loisels are reduced to a more abject poverty. Madame Loisel comes to know "the
horrible life of the very poor." She is forced to dismiss the "little Brenton
girl," and take upon herself "the drudgery of housework." At the markets she has
to "fight ... over every miserable sou." Her husband, meanwhile, "work[s] every
evening ... and often, late into the night."

The case of this more
miserable, more desperate financial situation is a diamond necklace that Madame Loisel borrowed
from a friend earlier in the story and then lost. She and her husband live a life of abject
poverty for ten years to pay for the replacement necklace. Tragically, at the end of the story,
the Loisels discover that the diamond necklace was only an imitation.

What is the theme of Ralph Ellison's "Battle Royal"?

"" is part of 's novel
in
which Ellison likens being black to being invisible to white race.
 There are
several themes running through this short story, but perhaps the two most
important
are 1) a very tragic version of the "coming of age" experience and
2) the realization
that personal accomplishments mean nothing for a black
person in a society dominated by
racism.

At the beginning
of the story, the narrator is happily anticipating
the speech he has been
asked to give in front of the leading (white) citizens of the town.  In
this
sense, he is a typical naif, that is, he is too inexperienced
to
understand his true position in this society.  Because he is to give his
speech in front of the
most important people in the town--political leaders,
religious leaders, school leaders--he
assumes this affair is going to be a
dignified and positive recognition of his achievements, but
after he arrives
at the meeting, he discovers that he is part of the Battle Royal: "I

suspected that fighting a battle royal might detract from the dignity of my speech."  As
he
will learn, unfortunately, dignity is the last thing the white "leading
citizens" are
interested in.

In an incredibly demeaning
sequence, he and the other
teenagers are forced to watch a naked white woman
dance, threatened by the white men if they
look away.  This is, of course, an
incredibly dangerous time for these black teenagers because
they are set up
to violate perhaps the most serious taboo in a racist world--being sexually

attracted to a white woman.

After this horrific experience, they are
forced
to fight each other, and if they don't fight as the whites think they
should, they begin hearing
threats from the audience like "I want to get at
that ginger colored nigger," an
indication that these white men, despite the
fact that they are the town's leading citizens,
think nothing of killing a
black.  Even when the narrator attempts to bribe his black opponent
to
"throw" the fight between them, his opponent, behaving exactly the way the
white
audience expects him to, attacks the narrator with renewed vigor.  He
understands, of course,
that the only safe way out of this situation is to
behave as he is expected to behave.

The final insult in
the fight sequence consists of the white men tossing fake coins
onto an
electrified mat so that can watch the teenagers react to the electricity as they
attempt
to pick up coins.  The narrator, at this point, fully understands the
he is a puppet in the
hands of some perverted puppeteers.

By this point in the story, the narrator
has come of age or, more to
the point, come of race.  He has, however, one more important fact
to learn
about his place in this society.  When he finally gives his speech and
mentions
equality of the races, the reaction of the white men is, not
surprisingly, negative.  They make
sure that the narrator understands that
equality is not the appropriate goal--the appropriate
goal is to know one's
place in this society, and that place is not equal--"you've got to
know your
place at all times."  The narrator finally understands his grandfather's
dictum:
"Keep this nigger-boy running."

 

 

Explain the following comment from "A Clean Well Lighted Place":"He did not wish to be unjust. He was only in a hurry."

In 's
"," the young waiter at the cafe where the solitary old man drinks is in a hurry to
have this cafe close so that he can go home.  Therefore, he tells the other waiter, the
"unhurried waiter," that the old man can buy a bottle and drink at home.  But, when
the older, unhurried waiter remarks, "It is not the same," it is then that the younger
one realizes the callousness of his words,

"No, it
is not," agree the waiter with a wife. He...

Why did General Sherman march across Georgia during the Civil War?

There were
two main purposes for
General William T. Shermans March to the Sea through Georgia.  One was a

traditional military purpose while the other was more of a total war
purpose.

Total war is a term that refers to conflict in
which all parts of a society are seen as
fair game.  Armies do not simply
attack other armies or military objectives.  Instead, they do
things like
destroying civilian infrastructure that could be used to support the enemys
war
effort.  In Shermans case, the goal was to wreck everything in his path
so it could not be used
to help the Confederate army.  For this reason, he
destroyed railroad tracks and factories and
either consumed or destroyed
crops.

There was also a more traditional
military aspect
to the march.  General Robert E. Lee of the Confederacy was under siege in

Virginia.  If Sherman marched to the sea, he could turn up the coast and put more
pressure on
Lee.  At the very least, he could occupy Southern troops that
might otherwise come to try to
lift the siege of Lee.