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.