Compare and contrast society's expectations of women in "The Leap" by James Dickey and "Barbie Doll" by Marge Piercy.

Marge Piercy's "Barbie Doll" is aggressive in its critique of the expectations places on girls and women in modern society. The poem's title indicates the extremely narrow confines of what is considered the best way for a woman to be – exactly like a Barbie doll. The girlchild of the poem cannot hope to live up to that, though, and is cut down to her most objectionable physical features: "Everyone saw a fat nose on thick legs" (ln 11). She also has another set of characteristics she must subscribe to in order to be at least acceptable in the eyes of society:

"She was advised to play coy,
exhorted to come on hearty,
exercise, diet, smile and wheedle" (ln 12-14).

Living in such a confusing span of behaviors and attitudes is exhausting, though. In the end, the only way for the girlchild to live up to society's expectations is to cut off her nose and legs. She's dead, but "everyone" comments on how pretty she looks in the casket. 

The only person who seems to be on the girlchild's side is the narrator, who notes, 

"She was healthy, tested intelligent,
possessed strong arms and back,
abundant sexual drive and manual dexterity" (ln 7-9).

The narrator has basically just listed all the qualities that no one in society cares about girls having. Even though intelligence and strength will serve the girlchild better in facing the hardships of life than a cute nose, these are not what society appreciates, so they remain unused by the girlchild. 

In Dickey's poem "The Leap," we still see some of the expectations of society creeping in: the narrator recalls his childhood crush "when she came, / With the hem of her skirt where it should be / For a young lady, into the annual dance" (ln 13-15). Despite some minor comments that hold up a particular societal standard for young women, though, the narrator's respect and admiration for Jane MacNaughton comes from a less ladylike act: her impulsive decision to leap up and touch the end of one of the hanging decorations, to see if she could jump high enough. 

As the narrator thinks back at that middle school dance, he recalls Jane as:

"...thin
And muscular, wide-mouthed, eager to prove
Whatever it proves when you leap
In a new dress, a new womanhood, among the boys" (ln 21-24)

His description of her doesn't exactly fit the expectation of a demure and quietly pretty lady that is the standard convention of beauty. Instead, she is strong and eager, engaged in a act that one typically sees young boys doing, to show off their strength. She is unafraid to demonstrate her athleticism and prove herself strong.

That said, there are still some disturbing cliches about portrayal of women here. First, Jane MacNaughton is viewed from the male gaze: a boy who loved her in grade school. He seems to be glorifying her in a way that one can only do when they don't know someone well – it makes her seem a bit one-dimensional as a character and person. Second, he seems to have a bit of a white knight complex about her. After he learns of her suicide (by another leap, out of a building), he instructs the Jane of his memory to "hold on / To that ring I made for you, Jane--" (ln 50-51), wishing that she could stay safe in his memory, as she was that night at the dance. 

Finally, the fact that Jane went on to kill herself suggests that the carefree ease she appeared to feel at the dance was not something that she could carry into her adult life. Married, with 4 children, she appears to have gotten all a woman would want, according to society. Still, something must have been missing from her life to cause her to commit suicide. Perhaps this too is a recognition that even girls who seem to thrive rejecting societies standards cannot maintain their rebellion. 

Still, the ultimate difference between the narrator's view of Jane MacNaughton and "everyone's" view of the girlchild remains. While the latter is cut down for her deficiencies, the other is lifted up for her strength and carefree love of life.  

Why is the town in the film adaptation of the novel "To Kill A Mockingbird" so much nicer than the description of the town in the novel?

When a director and cinematographer design the setting of the movie, they often have to take some liberties with how things look in order to get the feel or atmosphere of the time period or location.  It may require a directorial interpretation of what the author is describing and means for things to look like. 

Filmmakers will often adapt things, changing things to make the story clearer or more relevant to their audience.  They may take things out of the story, rearrange time and sequence, or may choose actors who may not seem appropriate for characters.  Remember that a movie squeezes a novel’s worth of action, ideas, themes, etc. into a compressed hour and a half. 

The fact that the movie was filmed in black and white gives the aura of a period piece to the setting, the 1930’s.  The opening scenes establish the town as a quiet town, well-ordered and archaic as a horse-drawn delivery wagon rolls along, leading the camera.  There are two significant reasons for this introduction to Maycomb: (1) order is torn down through Tom's arrest and trial; (2) even though the story and themes show the dark side of human experience and nature, it is not a noir film because the three main characters strive, survive and develop positively, not negatively. 

Even though you might have pictured Maycomb a little different than the movie’s portrayal, the film does capture the overall nostalgic feel and atmosphere of this town that is in conflict with its values and beliefs.

Who was the Thane of Cawdor before Macbeth?

We don't actually meet or find out the name of the person who was Thane of Cawdor before Macbeth, because Duncan has him executed pretty quickly as a punishment for his treason.  While Macbeth and Banquo were off fighting the "merciless Macdonwald," who Macbeth "unseam'd from the nave to th' chops," the old Thane of Cawdor had turned on king and country to help the king of Norway invade Scotland.  It makes sense to Duncan to give the title that had been held by a traitor to one of his bravest and most trusted nobles because he would obviously want to install those he feels he can depend on in the positions closest to him.  He also just wants to honor Macbeth for his courageous service to the country.

Why is the interaction a frog's digestive and circulatory system important for its survival?

The circulatory system circulates blood around the body. The blood passes through the lungs, where it loses carbon dioxide and gains oxygen. All cells need oxygen to function and carbon dioxide is a form of waste produced in the cells.

The digestive system breaks down food and absorbs nutrients which the body needs for survival. These nutrients are absorbed into the blood and then circulated to all the cells of the body by the circulatory system.

Thus, the circulatory system and the digestive system interact in two important ways. First, the circulatory system makes the products of digestion (absorbed food) available to the rest of the body. Second, the circulatory system brings the organs of the digestive system the oxygen they need to keep functioning, while also carrying away waste. The frog needs both systems functioning together in order to survive. 

What valuable lessons did Roger learn from Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones?

The lesson of compassion is one of the most important lessons that Roger learns from Mrs. Jones.

To be compassionate means to show sympathy towards another person.  Mrs. Jones shows tremendous compassion towards Roger.  When she catches him as he tries to steal her purse, she could have turned him over to the police. She could have abused him for what he did.  However, she displays a tremendous amount of compassion in taking him home, feeding him, cleaning him up, and teaching him that he should not steal from others. Finally, she gives him the money that compelled him to steal in the first place.  At the end of the story, Roger stands in the hallway and it is clear that he has learned the lesson of grace and compassion from Mrs. Jones.  While we don't know what will become of him, it's logical to presume that she has impressed upon him how important it is to treat human beings with compassion.

Roger has learned the lesson of seeing people as more than they appear to be.  Initially, Roger saw Mrs. Jones as a target for a robbery.  However, when she takes him in, he sees her as something more. He volunteers to go to the store for her, eats her food, and listens to her story.  When she says to him, “I have done things, too, which I would not tell you, son—neither tell God, if he didn’t already know," it has an effect on Roger. As a result, Roger wants to earn her trust:

But the boy took care to sit on the far side of the room where he thought she could easily see him out of the corner of her eye, if she wanted to. He did not trust the woman not to trust him. And he did not want to be mistrusted now.

Roger has learned the lesson of seeing people as more than they appear to be.  Every person has a story and this allows them to connect to other people. Roger has learned this lesson in the way he wants to be seen by Mrs. Jones after he gets to know her.

In The Great Gatsby, what excuse does the mistress use to see Tom?

In chapter 2, Fitzgerald writes that the mistress, Myrtle, tells her husband, George Wilson, that she is visiting her sister, Catherine, in New York City when she is actually meeting up with Tom Buchanan.  It is not until chapter 7 that Wilson starts to figure out the truth, though he never suspects that Tom is his wife's lover.  Wilson informs Tom and Nick in chapter 7 that he is going to move West with Myrtle, something they have been planning for the last two years, but with Wilson's new understanding, something he is going to act on immediately.  Nick notes the irony of the two men meeting at that moment:

He [Wilson] had discovered that Myrtle had some sort of life apart from him in another world, and the shock had made him physically sick. I stared at him and then at Tom, who had made a parallel discovery less than an hour before — and it occurred to me that there was no difference between men, in intelligence or race, so profound as the difference between the sick and the well.

To put Wilson, a low-class gas station owner, parallel with Tom, a high-class playboy, degrades Tom the most, who thought that he had power and control over everything in his world.  

How often is the lottery held in "The Lottery"?

The lottery is held every year in the summer.

Every surrounding village has a lottery.  The village in the story is so small that the lottery can be held in one day. It is held on June 27.  Every year it is held in the summer at the same time.  Tradition is very important to the people of this village. They would never consider not having the lottery, just as they do not even want to change the box that is used!

Every year, after the lottery, Mr. Summers began talking again about a new box, but every year the subject was allowed to fade off without anything's being done.

You notice that no one needs to be told what to do.  Even the children are aware of the exact procedure and help gather stones.  Since everything is done the same way every year, there is no reason to tell people what to do.  They just accept what is happening.

The lottery being held in summer just adds to the irony.  In fact, there is a mention of children being out of school for the first time that year.

The children assembled first, of course. School was recently over for the summer, and the feeling of liberty sat uneasily on most of them; they tended to gather together quietly for a while before they broke into boisterous play…

The concept of liberty is in stark contrast with what is really going on here.  The children, and their families, are in fact being held hostage by the lottery.  They are enslaved to tradition.  As we find out, the “winner” or loser, if you will, is just an innocent housewife.  No one can escape the lottery.

Jackson slowly builds suspense as it becomes clear that something is wrong in this village.  The fact that the lottery is held every year is a closely guarded tradition.  Even as barbaric and immoral as the lottery is, they are forced to continue it by peer pressure and the absence of anyone willing to stand up for what’s right.

How did the three presidents of 1920s reflect the general mood of many Americans?

The three presidents of the 1920s, Presidents Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover, reflected the mood of the American people. After the Progressive Era and World War I, the American people were tired of dealing with problems both internally and externally. We had been focusing on problems within our society with the Progressive Movement since the early 1900s, and we were dealing with world issues, especially with World War I, also since the early 1900s. By 1920, Americans wanted to stop worrying about internal and external issues. They wanted to focus on living a normal life, having a good time, and enjoying prosperity.

 When Warren Harding campaigned on a slogan of a return to normalcy, Americans loved the concept. Harding wanted to focus on the United States. He wanted the economy to grow and businesses to prosper. While he was president, the economy did grow and prosperity increased.

The trend continued under President Coolidge. President Coolidge reflected the phrase “The business of America is business” with his policies and actions. He believed in laissez-faire, or hands off, approach to the economy. Under his administration, the government had little involvement in economic matters. The economy really grew during this time as the country became more prosperous.

President Hoover got elected to the presidency with policies similar to President Coolidge. President Hoover expected the economy to continue to grow. He also expected Americans to be prosperous. When the economy collapsed with the stock market crash in 1929, President Hoover took little action. His laissez-faire attitude was very evident. President Hoover believed things would work themselves out without much government involvement.

The actions of each president during this decade reflected the mood of the American people. This mood was to let business do its thing and keep the government out of business activities. At the same time, our people wanted to enjoy life and not worry about dealing with many internal or external problems.

What main advantage does the written version of "Jabberwocky" have over a cartoon, film, or video?

The main advantage of the written version of Lewis Carroll’s poem “Jabberwocky” is that it lends itself to the imagination of the readers. This is true of many written works as changes are made in various formats such as films and cartoons.

In the first stanza of the poem, Carroll creates the setting using nonsensical words. Even if you do not read Humpty Dumpty’s explanation of the words in his discussion with Alice in Wonderland, readers creates their own image of a magical place with imaginary creatures. This allows for readers to be enthralled by the slaying of the Jabberwocky creature which they have created in their own mind. When the “Jabberwocky” is portrayed in a cartoon or film, it becomes the figment of someone else’s imagination, which creates a preconceived notion of the fairy tale-like setting and characters. Allowing readers to create the likenesses of the characters and setting in their own minds lends to the wonderment that the poem provides as part of the larger work Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There. This can be seen when groups of children are asked to illustrate the poem after hearing it read to them. No two images are alike.

How did James Watts improvement of the steam engine spur on the Industrial Revolution and change forever the way that people lived?

James Watt and the steam engine he invented are regarded as one of the biggest influences on the Industrial Revolution in Britain in the 18th and 19th Centuries. His invention meant that the transport of goods, raw materials and people caused society to change from one that depended on Cottage Industries to one where cities grew at astronomical rates as they supplied growing industries with the workforce they needed.

Indeed, it was this growth in urban centres that was one of the more significant social changes in human history. Prior to the Industrial Revolution, Britain was predominantly a rural dwelling country. The Lord of the Manor would control his land and allow those who lived on his land (peasants) to farm a small section of it in return for completing work. It was the result of the Feudal System that had developed centuries before. Industry was undertaken in the home. If a good needed to be manufactured it would be completed in the homes of many of these peasants. Their finished goods would be collected and dispersed to the market. There was no factory, no heavy machinery and no industrial workforce that is characteristic of our society today.

Once technology was developed such as Watt’s Steam Engine, Jethro Tull’s Seed Drill as well as the Power Loom this allowed tasks to be completed at a faster rate and with fewer workers required. In rural areas especially, this meant that workers who initially relied on their “strip” of land to feed their families now had no land to farm and were forced to move to urban areas in an attempt to get jobs in the growing number of factories that were enjoying the benefits of the improved technology. Similarly, existing cottage industries ceased to exist as production was now undertaken centrally in factories in big cities. In cities, they could take advantage of the improved transport systems, the over supply of labour as well as a growing market for their products.

The social impacts were significant. Urban areas grew without check and without the proper construction of buildings, waste removal systems or disease control mechanisms. Food was hard to get, especially if one was not employed. Some resorted to crime and the result was a very strict legal system that only resulted in the growth of the number of prison inmates rather than solve any issues.

The initial uncontrolled growth of industry also caused many environmental problems. Waterways became lifeless as they were polluted by industries and skies became darkened with smoke from the growing number of factory smokestacks.

From this point, our society has made many changes. Urban area planning, Environmental planning, Public Welfare and building legislation – to name but a few, but it was the initial technological breakthrough from inventors such as James Watt that began this “Revolution” in the 18th and 19th Centuries.

Act ll:i What are three things Brutus and Cassius have disagreed upon so far?

Over the course of the conspirators' meeting in Act II, scene i, Brutus ends up supplanting Cassius as the leader of the conspirators. Their first disagreement occurs right at the beginning of the meeting. Cassius suggests to Brutus that the conspirators all make an oath to one another, but Brutus disagrees, saying that their motives and purpose for the conspiracy are strong enough to bind them together.

As the meeting continues, the conspirators, Cassius included, suggest bringing the persuasive orator Cicero into their conspiracy, in order to gain positive public opinion. Again, Brutus disagrees, saying Cicero "will never follow any thing / That other men begin."

The third disagreement comes to whether or not they will kill Antony. Cassius thinks this is the wisest course of actions, as Antony is a known supporter of Caesar and will likely cause trouble after the assassination. Brutus, however, fears their "course will seem too bloody" if they kill Antony as well. Brutus, haunted by the fact that he will soon be a murderer, is reluctant to get more blood on his hands, despite the fact that Cassius's plan is safer in the long run. 

What was Stephen Hawking's nickname in Black Holes and Baby Universes?

The brilliant astrophysicist writes in his opening chapter "Childhood" that what some saw as his early academic shortcomings, especially his deficient handwriting ability that exacerbated his teachers, could not conceal thet promise that this young student possessed: " . . . my classmates gave the nickname Einstein, so presumably they saw signs of something better." 

Hawking was born in 1942, the Second World War already well-underway in Great Britain and across Europe and Asia. His earliest memories, therefore, include the horrors inflicted on England's population by Germany, including the destruction wrought on London by Hitler's V-2 rockets. Not all of Hawkings earliest memories, however, are bad. He also relates his first train set and intense desire for an electric train, and his teenage love of building model airplanes and boats.

That Hawking would be given the nickname "Einstein" by classmates in elementary school is certainly propitious and prescient, as he would grow up to be among his generation's preeminent experts in the kind of physics studied by Albert Einstein, including in the formulation of scientific theories to explain the most fundamental developments in the history of the known universe.

What is the definition of environment uncertainty, with examples?

Environmental uncertainty is the degree to which an organization lacks factual or competent information concerning the internal and external operating environment for the organization.  Simply, it is the unknown in the organization and in the field of business relevant to company operation.

External environmental factors for an organization form the structure for how businesses operate in their market.  Factors include customer demand, product availability, resource availability, political influence and competition.  Some environmental factors are ubiquitous while others are more unique to a specialized environment.  For example, construction companies often deal with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) when building or proposing new sites.  An internet based company will not have the same concern, but will deal with other regulatory agencies.  However, both must be concerned with resource management and competition.

Organizations can address environmental uncertainty in a variety of ways.  Simplifying their operation is one method.  The more complicated an organizational method is, the higher degree of environmental uncertainty because there are more external and internal factors to manage.  Organizations can also manage their growth to control costs and diversify risk.  There is no single best way to address environmental uncertainty.  The best defense is information which is not always available (or poorly analyzed) or simply cannot be known. 

What is the difference between Pasteurization and Sterilization?

Pasteurization and sterilization are two methods of prolonging the life of food items by inactivating or killing microbes that would otherwise cause spoilage of food. However, there are a number of differences between the two.

Pasteurization is named after Louis Pasteur and is commonly used for food products, especially liquids. This method does not completely kill all the microorganisms, rather it makes them inactive and thus reduce the microbial load. The liquids, such as milk, are heated to a certain temperature (below the boiling point) and immediately cooled and sealed. 

In comparison, sterilization can be used not only for food items, but also for surfaces, medication, growth medium (for experimentation), etc. This method completely kills all the microorganisms (including bacteria, fungi, viruses, etc.). In this method, the material (to be sterilized) is heated to a high temperature, thereby killing all the microbes. This is a much harsher treatment than pasteurization. Apart from heat, sterilization can also be achieved by use of chemicals, radiation and pressure. 

Hope this helps. 

I need at least three principal reasons for and against Obamacare 2016. For each issue, I need pros and cons.

Three pros are that the uninsured will get healthcare regardless of preexisting conditions, Medicaid expansion, and young adults can stay on their parents plans until age 26.  Three cons of the bill are the individual mandate that requires one to have health insurance, insurance providers sometimes increase the cost of coverage in order to cover sick people, and increased taxes on high-earners and the healthcare industry.  Higher costs for insurance has been a key campaign issue pertaining to the bill, but then again less people are having to go through the emergency room due to a lack of coverage.  People who claim that personal liberty is at stake chafe at the idea of mandating coverage for all, but many states already make one insure motor vehicles.  The hope is that by making everyone carry some kind of insurance, the cost will eventually drop for all as more healthy people (especially young people) enter the system.  

Which of the following concepts did NOT contribute to the crash of the stock market during the fall of 1929? A. Excessive regulation of the stock...

The correct answer to this question is Option A.  There were many factors that contributed to the stock market crash of 1929, but excessive regulation of the stock market was certainly not one of them.

The basic cause of the stock market crash was the fact that prices of stocks went up much higher than they should have.  This is typically called a “bubble.”  People buy and buy some kind of investment property, causing its price to rise.  They expect that its price will continue to rise so they will be able to make money by selling it.  Eventually, people realize that prices are too high and they start to sell.  This can cause a crash, as happened in 1929.

Options B and D clearly fit this pattern.  Uneducated speculators bought and bought, thinking prices would never go down.  This caused prices to rise faster and faster.  Option C also made it easier for prices to go up because margin buying helped people buy stocks more easily.  All of these factors caused the bubble to inflate and helped bring about the crash.  Option A, by contrast, did not.  The stock market was not heavily regulated and regulation would not be a factor that would be likely to cause a bubble to inflate.

What are some similarities and differences between teenagers today and those in the 1520s (the time of Romeo and Juliet)?

One of the aspects of Romeo and Juliet that makes it a staple in many high school English classrooms is the fact that it is relevant for even modern teenagers.  The love story in particular -- the fact that Romeo and Juliet fall for each other so quickly -- is something to which many teenagers can relate.  Many teenagers fall hard and feel strong feelings early in a relationship.  The friendship between Mercutio, Romeo, and Benvolio also echoes many friendships that we see portrayed in modern movies.  Finally, the discord felt between Juliet and her parents, and the fact that she feels misunderstood by them, gels with the feelings of many modern teenagers.

Yet, there are clear differences between Romeo and Juliet's world and our own.  That Juliet's faked death goes awry is predicated on the fact that the plan is not delivered to Romeo on time.  In this day and age of Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other instantaneous communication, that breakdown likely would not have occurred.  The issues surrounding Juliet's marriage are out-of-step with a modern setting as well.  That Juliet was due to be married off at the age of 13 is hard for most of us to imagine.  Most states in the US would prohibit marriage at that young an age.  Likewise, the fact that Juliet's father is arranging her marriage does not gel in a culture that primarily marries for love.

In the end, however, despite the obvious differences between the time periods, there are definitely aspects of the play to which modern students can, and do, relate.

How many protons does a hydrogen have?

A hydrogen atom has one proton. The atomic number of an element is its number of protons. 

You can use information from the periodic table to determine the number of protons, electrons and neutrons in an atom.  A neutral atom has the same number of electrons as protons, so the number of electrons also equals the atomic number. The mass number of an atom equals the sum of protons and neutrons. (A periodic table usually gives the average mass of the isotopes. When rounded to the nearest whole number it's usually the mass of the most abundant isotope.) 

Here's an example:

The periodic table tells us that the atomic number of lithium is 3 and the mass is 6.94. A lithium atom has 3 protons and 3 electrons. The number of neutrons in the most abundant isotope is 7-3 = 4.

What is rumored to be buried in the swamp?

The story begins with a prologue, which was probably intended to provide the story with elements of the Romantic genre as well as a distinct "American" quality. The prologue establishes that Captain Kidd, a legendary pirate who was familiar to New Englanders, had buried a treasure in the swamp. Kidd was rumored to have buried treasures in real life, and this tale is probably playing off of the popular culture and myths of its time.

Kidd is supposed to have buried the treasure with the help of the Devil, who now presides over it. This is an element of foreshadowing, suggesting that the Devil will interfere with, harm or corrupt anyone who goes after the treasure, and contributing to the overall dark tone of the story. 

The treasure's origin and nature don't factor into the story again, lending weight to the idea that it was described for purposes other than contribution to the plot itself. Ultimately the treasure itself is irrelevant to the story; what is important is the effect it has on the characters and the subsequent decisions they make, although the material wealth it provides does figure into Tom's life once he attains it.