How will the momentum of a body change if we double its kinetic energy? Prove by using equations.

Hello!

For a body having the mass `m` and the speed `V`, its kinetic energy `E` is equal to

`(mV^2)/2,`

and its momentum (impulse) `J` is equal to `mV.`

Doubling the kinetic energy of a body probably is achieved by changing its speed. If originally a body had the speed `V_0,` then its kinetic energy was `E_0=(m*V_0^2)/2,`

and its impulse was `J_0=m*V_0.`

And if we change its speed to `V_1` in such a way that the energy doubles,

`E_1=(m*V_1^2)/2=2E_0=mV_0^2,`

then `V_1=sqrt(2)*V_0.` And the new momentum will be

`J_1=m*V_1=sqrt(2)*m*V_0=sqrt(2)*J_0.`

The answer: if the kinetic energy of a body doubles, then its impulse is multiplied by `sqrt(2).` Note that `sqrt(2)` is approximately 1.4.

P.S. If we double the kinetic energy by changing the mass, then it must be doubled also and the momentum will be also doubled.

What is the one word that best describes Julius Caesar?

Obviously, this question is a matter of opinion and can have a variety of responses. Ambition is defined as a strong desire to achieve something despite the obstacles placed in your way. It would be hard for anybody to argue that ambitious would not be a good word to describe Julius Caesar.

Caesar was born of the patrician class but was not among the most wealthy in Rome. He ambitiously rose through the political ranks utilizing negotiation and political savvy. His ambition as a military general led to the expansion of the territory of Rome, with the victory over Gauls as the hallmark achievement. His socio-political reforms, namely land redistribution for the poor made him incredibly popular with the plebeians. In the end, his ambition became his worst attribute. After declaring himself dictator for life, Caesar was assassinated by members of the Senate, who felt his ambition was a threat to the Republic.

How do adaptations enable organisms to reduce competition for food and other resources?

Competition is reduced any time an organism adapts to survive within a niche that is not being used by others within its environment. A niche refers to the way in which an organism fits into its environment and may include an organism’s habitat, diet, and reproductive processes. Organisms acquire their niches via natural selection. The niche of an organism is largely based on the evolution of an organism’s physiology, behavior, and morphology.

Diet will be used as an example to display how adaptations can reduce competition.

Adaptation and evolution occurs on populations. If there is competition for a food source, individuals that survive will be those that are strong enough to eat the current food of interest. Individuals within the population that learn to eat a different a food or foods will also survive. Since the “alterative eaters” found a niche that was not exhausted within the environment in which they live, they are more likely to survive than the organisms that continue to compete and fight over the original food-of-choice. Many of these “alternative eaters” will, therefore, survive long enough to have offspring. 

What is the tone of the short story The Necklace. What are some examples of imagery, mood, similes, metaphors, irony, satire, symbolism, and...

First off, check this site for examples of explanations of tone and mood in "The Necklace." I've given links below. 

The tone of the story is the author's attitude toward his subject. In this story, de Maupassant is detached from his characters, but the reader never gets the feeling he doesn't care about them. When Monsieur and Madame Loisel find that the borrowed necklace is lost the author shows us the fear and apprehension of his characters and we truly feel their shock:

They looked at each other aghast. Finally Loisel got dressed again.
“I’ll retrace our steps on foot,” he said, “to see if I can find it.”
And he went out. She remained in her evening clothes, without the strength to go to bed, slumped in a chair in the unheated room, her mind a blank. Her husband came in about seven o’clock. He had had no luck. He went to the police station, to the newspapers to post a reward, to the cab companies, everywhere the slightest hope drove him. That evening Loisel returned, pale, his face lined; still he had learned nothing.

We feel bad for the couple but, to their credit, they never sink into despair. They stick to their plan and eventually pay off the expensive necklace. Later de Maupassant even has admiration for Madame Loisel as she goes from being dissatisfied and bored to resourceful and hard working:

Mme. Loisel experienced the horrible life the needy live. She played her part, however, with sudden heroism. That frightful debt had to be paid. She would pay it. She dismissed her maid; they rented a garret under the eaves.

The mood is the way a writer wants the reader to feel about the story and characters. There are a few moods apparent in this story. In the beginning we may feel disdain for Madame Loisel because she is never satisfied. After all, she has a loving husband who is thoughtful enough to get invitations to a fancy ball and buy her a new dress. She also is privileged enough to have a maid.

When Madame Loisel loses the necklace we feel the same shock as her and her husband, and, after they are unable to locate it, we may feel despair. While Madame Loisel is working off the debt we actually feel good for her. She finally has a purpose in life and she is no longer bored and envious.

The story is full of interesting imagery. We can picture the life of the wealthy and privileged as Madame Loisel daydreams about what it would be like to live the life of the rich:

She would dream of silent chambers, draped with Oriental tapestries and lighted by tall bronze floor lamps, and of two handsome butlers in knee breeches, who, drowsy from the heavy warmth cast by the central stove, dozed in large overstuffed armchairs. 

Likewise, the description of the ball paints a picture of a wealthy social gathering. We are also given a portrait of the beautiful Madame Loisel as she dances the night away.

We are presented with a picture of Paris at night as the couple leave the ball:

They walked toward the Seine, disconsolate and shivering. Finally on the docks they found one of those carriages that one sees in Paris only after nightfall, as if they were ashamed to show their drabness during daylight hours.

Finally, de Maupassant paints a picture of what day to day life for the poor would have been like in 19th century France. He describes the work Madame Loisel has to do to pay off "The Necklace":

She learned to do the heavy housework, to perform the hateful duties of cooking. She washed dishes, wearing down her shell-pink nails scouring the grease from pots and pans; she scrubbed dirty linen, shirts, and cleaning rags which she hung on a line to dry; she took the garbage down to the street each morning and brought up water, stopping on each landing to get her breath. And, clad like a peasant woman, basket on arm, guarding sou by sou her scanty allowance, she bargained with the fruit dealers, the grocer, the butcher, and was insulted by them. 

"The Necklace," as presented in its English translation, is without metaphors and similes. 

There are several symbols in the story. Of course, the chief symbol is the necklace, which represents wealth, class and status. It's ironic that this symbol of wealth ends up being made of paste, a sly slap at upper class France. Other symbols of wealth and status include the material objects Madame Loisel describes in the opening section and the fancy ball she attends. Symbols of Madame Loisel's mundane life include the soup tureen her and her husband eat from, and the theatre dress her husband suggests she wear to the ball.

The satire in the story is tied up with the irony. Although the necklace is much sought after by Madame Loisel, and for her represents everything she is missing out on in life, it ends up being false. The Loisels go deep into debt for something that is basically worthless. The author may be saying that the wealthy, such as Madame Forestier, are really fake. Madame Loisel admires Forestier, but in the end, the wealth of Madame Loisel's friend is without merit.

Foreshadowing includes hints and clues that may alert the reader to what may happen next in a story. De Maupassant provides no foreshadowing in this story, probably because he wants us to be totally shocked at the end when the necklace is revealed to be a fake. 

Who goes on a journey with Ponyboy in The Outsiders?

Johnny is with Ponyboy during his journey.

Ponyboy is a greaser, and the greasers take brotherhood seriously.  Pony comments that the value of a gang is in members looking out for each other.  Ponyboy and Johnny are together in the park when they are attacked by Bob and his friends.  They are Socs, and they often attack without provocation.  The two gangs fight each other.  In this case, though, the Socs attack Johnny and Ponyboy because they saw them with Bob’s girlfriend at the movies.

Bob and his friends attack Pony and Johnny in the park.  Bob almost drowns Pony in a fountain. 

I ducked and tried to run for it, but the Soc caught my arm and twisted it behind my back, and shoved my face into the fountain. I fought, but the hand at the back of my neck was strong and I had to hold my breath. I'm dying, I thought, and wondered what was happening to Johnny. (Ch. 4)

Johnny reacts instinctively, taking out his switchblade and killing Bob.  Johnny and Pony then go on the run.  They are afraid that they will be charged with murder if they stay put.

With Dally’s help, Pony and Johnny hide in an abandoned church outside of town.  They adjust their appearance by dyeing and bleaching their hair, and they entertain themselves by reading the Civil War novel Gone with the Wind.

Johnny sure did like that book, although he didn't know anything about the Civil War and even less about plantations, and I had to explain a lot of it to him. It amazed me how Johnny could get more meaning out of some of the stuff in there than I could--- I was supposed to be the deep one. (Ch. 5)

Johnny and Ponyboy’s adventure gets even more serious when a group of kids on a field trip stop by and get caught in a church fire.  Pony, Johnny, and Dally try to rescue the kids.  They all get hurt, but Johnny’s injuries are the most serious.  He dies in the hospital shortly after they return home.

What were the main stages of Hitler's expansion?

There were several parts to Hitler’s plan for expansion. The first part was the rebuilding of the German military in the early 1930s. The military was rebuilt and soldiers were drafted. These actions were in violation of the Versailles Treaty.

In 1936, Germany moved its military into the Rhineland. This was supposed to be a demilitarized area, but when Hitler went in with his army, it not only violated the Versailles Treaty, it now made the area a militarized area.

In 1938, Hitler began to seize land. He took over Austria in what is known as the Anschluss. Then he indicated he wanted a part of Czechoslovakia known as the Sudetenland. This was an area where many Germans lived. The leaders of Great Britain and France made a deal with Hitler that is known as the Munich Pact. Hitler would get the Sudetenland in return for a promise of taking no more land.

The next steps in Hitler’s expansion were to break the Munich Pact by taking rest of Czechoslovakia and signing a non-aggression pact with the Soviet Union. This agreement with the Soviet Union would free Germany from having to fight on both the western front and eastern front at the same time. Shortly after signing this non-aggression pact, Germany invaded Poland leading to the start of World War II.

During the war, Germany expanded its control into several other countries including Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, and part of France. Germany also decided to break the non-aggression pact with the Soviet Union when they invaded the Soviet Union in 1941. This, however, was a fatal mistake, that helped to lead to Germany’s defeat in World War II.

Hitler followed several steps as he tried to expand German control.

What led to the writing of the Declaration of Independence?

There were many events that led to the writing of the Declaration of Independence. After the French and Indian War ended, the British passed laws that upset the colonists. The Proclamation of 1763 prevented the colonists from moving to the new lands we got from France as a result of French and Indian War. The Quartering Act required the colonists provide housing for the troops that would enforce this law. The colonists didn’t want to have to provide housing for troops to enforce a law they didn’t want or like.

As time passed, the British wanted the colonists to pay for some of the costs of running the colonies. When the Stamp Act and the Townshend Acts were passed, the colonists claimed these laws weren’t legal because the colonists didn’t have representatives in Parliament that could speak about and then vote on these proposed taxes. The colonists claimed their rights were being violated.

When events became more aggressive and violent, the relationship between the colonists and Great Britain deteriorated further. Five colonists were killed at the Boston Massacre. When the colonists protested the Tea Act by dumping tea into Boston Harbor, the British responded with the Intolerable Acts. The colonists refused to obey these laws. The colonists also formed their own militias.

When fighting broke out in April 1775 at Lexington and Concord, more people believed independence was going to be a reality. The rejection of the Olive Branch Petition and the publication of Common Sense moved us closer toward declaring independence. Eventually, the Second Continental Congress debated resolutions regarding independence. While this was going on, the Declaration of Independence was being written. It was adopted by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. The United States declared its independence from Great Britain with the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.

Which fairy tale are the kids' names from?

Strictly speaking, the children's names don't come from any fairy tale.

They come from Peter Pan, which feels like a fairy tale because of how Barrie wrote it, but which is very much a modern story.

In Peter Pan, Peter is the boy who won't grow up. He is forever young and playful, almost a living archetype. This may be why he seems like something that might be found in a fairy tale. However, in Peter Pan, Wendy Darling is very different. She steps into the mother's place, being responsible for her brothers. Where Peter does not age, Wendy does. She matures, and leaves Peter further and further behind.

Bradbury's story reverses this. Peter and Wendy use the technology of the nursery to kill their parents, so that they can stay together forever, not having to listen to their parents. It is in many ways the ultimate rejection of parental authority, but also of maturation.

Why does Bright Morning say it is "....a wonderful day?" Describe it and explain why it is wonderful.

In Sing Down The Moon, Bright Moon says that "the day the waters came was a wonderful day".

In Chapter One, Bright Moon remembers the year when spring came early. With the melting of the snow, the waters had flowed freely, meeting at the north of the canyon and flowing south, past Spider Rock and Lost Sheep Mountain. Eventually, the melted water had flowed like a river past Bright Moon's village. Bright Moon remembers hearing the first sounds of the approaching spring waters while she laid awake in bed the night before.

She remembers how wonderful it was to have an early spring because it meant that the landscape would no longer look so bare and the waters would aid the growth of fruit and greenwood trees on her family's land. Also, the coming of an early spring meant that she would be able to redeem herself in her mother's eyes sooner. The previous spring, Bright Moon had left her mother's sheep to fend for themselves on the mesa during a snowstorm. As the new spring approached, Bright Moon found herself anxious to prove that she could be a responsible sheep-herder.

What are some examples of mood in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird?

Mood refers to the feelings writers evoke in their readers through word choices as well as through the setting and themes of the story. Since Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird is realistic in the sense that it strives to portray everyday life as it normally is in Southern towns like the fictional Maycomb, Alabama, Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird also frequently shifts in mood. Furthermore, the novel frequently shifts in mood because it is a coming-of-age story that spans the life of two years of growing children. Regardless of shift in mood, a humorous mood is the most dominant mood since Lee creates characters with a sense of humor who are able to remain upbeat.

A humorous mood is the first mood captured in the first chapter and a mood Lee maintains throughout the book even surrounding moments that are darker in mood. Lee's humorous mood is especially captured in the narrator Scout's playful personality and sense of humor. Humor is especially captured in Scout's sense of irony. For example, Scout opens the book by referring to the moment Jem's arm was severely broken, a moment we learn about in detail by the end of the book. Though Scout begins the opening paragraph by describing the permanent affects of the injury, such as uneven arm lengths and a hand that no longer lays correctly against Jem's side as he walks, she ends the paragraph in a very nonchalant manner by saying, "[Jem] couldn't have cared less, so long as he could pass and punt" (Ch. 1). Scout's nonchalance and her ability to capture her brother's own nonchalance towards the situation helps convey the characters' senses of humor, which further shows that they have learned to view tragic moments with humor, and to paint the humorous mood that Harper Lee created to dominate the story, despite any sorrows or tragedies in the story.

Lee continues to create her humorous mood through Scout when she narrates the debate she and Jem had as an adult about what specific events led up to his arm being broken. Scout argued that "the Ewells started it," while Jem argued it started when he and Dill began trying to make Boo Radley come out of his home. Scout expresses her sense of humor by stating one could really connect the story of Jem's arm to the start of Finch history in Alabama, as we see in her following passage:

I said if he wanted to take a broad view of the thing, it really began with Andrew Jackson. If General Jackson hadn't run the Creeks up the creek, Simon Finch would never have paddled up the Alabama, and where would we be if he hadn't? (Ch. 1)

In this passage, Scout is using verbal irony to sarcastically tie the story of Jem's broken arm to General Andrew Jackson. In other words, Scout doesn't truly believe that one should take the story back that far and is expressing her belief sarcastically. Lee uses lots of verbal and other types of irony throughout the story to develop the humorous mood.

Where can I find examples of firms that uses the market structures: perfect competition, monopolistic competition, oligopoly, and monopoly in the...

Let me give examples of firms from each of these market structures, though there really are not any firms that are truly in perfect competition.

The closest that we come to having firms in perfect competition is probably the farm sector.  In the farm sector, there is really not much to differentiate one farmer’s produce from another.  All wheat of a certain variety, grown in a certain place is essentially identical so there is no way to differentiate between firms.  All eggs that are of a certain USDA grade are essentially identical.  Firms that supply such products are as close as we come to perfect competition.

Monopolistic competition can be seen all around us.  It is not a market structure for big firms with famous names because it is characterized by the presence of many small firms.  The best example of this would be restaurants.  While there are large chain restaurants, there are also many small, locally-owned restaurants that compete with one another and with the large chains. 

Oligopoly is the market structure with the most recognizable firm names.  In an oligopoly, there are only a few firms that control the majority of the market.  The car industry is a good example of this.  There are really very few major auto makers in the world and fewer in the United States.  Another oligopoly would be the makers of operating systems for computers.  There are only two major makers of such operating systems as practically all computers run on either Windows or on Apple’s OS.  A third oligopoly would be airlines, since there are relatively few major airlines in the US.

Monopolies can be found in most American cities.  Typically, there is one firm that enjoys a monopoly on cable TV services, a firm that has a monopoly for providing water, one that has a monopoly on electricity, and so on. Each of these firms has been granted a monopoly by the government and is the only firm that can provide that particular good or service.

What does the judicial branch of government do exactly?

The judicial branch of government, at the federal trial court level and at the state trial court level, rules on cases and controversies when lawsuits are filed by people and/or entities against one another and also rules on the guilt or innocence of a defendant in criminal prosecutions.  In both the federal and state judiciary, there are two appellate levels as well, such that the losing party has an absolute right to appeal to the next level and have a review of the decision and a right to ask the highest court if it will review the decision, which is left up to the highest court to decide.

It is important to understand that no court can rule on anything unless there is an actual case and controversy to rule on. In other words, if someone thinks that a law is unconstitutional, at the federal or state level, that person cannot go to the court and ask for a ruling. There must be a lawsuit or an appeal from a lawsuit before the court, or a criminal prosecution. Additionally, the party filing the lawsuit, the plaintiff, must be able to at least plead that he or she will be harmed in some way if the court does not rule in favor of the plaintiff. This is called standing, and this is another reason one cannot simply ask a court to rule on anything that is not before the court as a lawsuit or prosecution. 

Describe the scene in which the action in Miss Brill occurs?

The scene in Miss Brill is extremely important to the story. Every Sunday, Miss Brill goes to a nearby park to people watch. She is an extremely lonely woman, yet is completely unaware of how sad she is. She escapes the "dark little rooms or even-even [cupboard]" (Mansfield) in which she lives.

To escape her loneliness, she goes to the park and watches other people. The setting is important because it is her escape and also helps her avoid the reality of her life. She sits on a bench and watches all of the people, judging them. "Other people sat on the benches and green chairs, but they were nearly always the same, Sunday after Sunday...and yet there was something funny about nearly all of them" (Mansfield). She sees the same people in this park every week, yet mocks them for being there weekly, and even calls them "funny" (Mansfield). Eventually two younger people mock her for being odd herself.

Another part of the scene that is important is that as she watches people, she sees that most of the people are with someone else. They are mostly couples, and those who are alone she seems to look down upon even though she herself is alone. In this way, the setting further suggests her loneliness.

Finally, there is the music being played on a stage. Miss Brill suddenly decides that she is part of a larger play, and this excites her. She feels part of something, and even thinks that:

"They were all on the stage. They weren't only the audience, not only looking on; they were all acting. Even she had a part and came every Sunday. No doubt somebody would have noticed if she hadn't been there; she was part of the performance after all." (Mansfield)

The setting creates happiness in Miss Brill when she thinks that it's all a play and people would notice if she were missing, yet it seems nobody would notice if she weren't there. This shows how the setting supports the fact that she is truly lonely.

For more on Miss Brill, see the link.

In chapter 9, why does Daniel bring back one of the daggers to the man he has robbed?

In Chapter 9, Daniel is given his first solo job to do for Rosh. He is to ambush a lone man who will be walking on a certain road, take his money, and return to camp with it. Daniel feels "uneasy" about doing such a job, but rationalizes it to himself as he waits. Following orders, he pounces on the man, who claims to be a poor pauper, just as Rosh predicted. Daniel fights with him, and the man tries to stab him with one dagger, then another, but Daniel is able to overcome the man and get the knives away from him as well as his money bag. When he is about to leave the man lying at the side of the road, unconscious, he is struck by how the man resembles his grandfather, of whom Daniel has only faint memories. Daniel cannot leave a man who looks like his grandfather in such a precarious position. He drags him to the side of the road and stays with him until he regains consciousness. When he does, Daniel gives him one of the two daggers so that the man will have something with which to protect himself as he continues on his journey. This action earns Daniel derision from Rosh, who calls him "soft," but it shows that Daniel has a level of compassion that Rosh and the other bandits do not.

What are the steps in the U.S. presidential election process?

There are different ways to set out the steps in this process.  This is because some teachers may say a particular thing is a step in the process while other teachers will not.  For example, is selecting a running mate a step in the process?  What about filing to run as a candidate?  Here are what I see as the important steps in this process.

First, each party has to select its nominee for the presidency.  That is what is about to start happening when Iowa holds its caucuses in a couple of weeks.  There is no limit to how many people can try to get nominated to run for president from each of the parties.  Therefore, there has to be a way of selecting the nominee from each party.  Today, the nominees are selected through a mix of primary elections (where people come out and vote just like in a regular election) and caucuses (where people actually have to go to a meeting, discuss the candidates, and then make their choices).  When voters cast ballots in these elections, they are voting for slates of delegates to a national convention.  Those delegates are committed to vote for a specific candidate.  Usually, the nomination is wrapped up well before the convention, but it is possible for the delegates to go to the convention and have to choose who the nominee will be.  Through this process, each party chooses a nominee to run for president.

Next, there is the general election.  This happens in November of a presidential election year.  Here, the party nominees run against one another, with one nominee per party.  There are no caucuses in this election, just regular voting.  However, when people vote for a candidate, they are technically not voting for that candidate.  Instead, they are voting for people who will become part of the Electoral College.  The president is officially elected by the Electoral College.  When a person voted for President Obama in 2012, they were officially voting for candidates for the Electoral College who had promised to vote for Obama.  The popular vote is totaled in each state and the candidate who gets the most votes in a state gets “their” candidates elected to the Electoral College.  In mid-December, the Electoral College meets and officially elects the president.

Thus, the main steps in this process are choosing the nominee for each party, the popular vote in the general election, and the meeting of the Electoral College in which the president is officially elected.

In Lord of The Flies, who calls the meeting in chapter 8?

Jack is the one who blows the conch but immediately after he does, Ralph takes it back.  There is a brief argument about who should start things off so that they can discuss what to do now that they’d seen the beast.

Ralph feels that he ought to have called it and he tells Jack that all he did was blow the conch. But then he gives the conch back to Jack to allow him to start the meeting proper.

The boys had just returned from their scouting trip up to the top of the mountain to investigate Samneric’s claim that they had seen the beastie. The boys saw the dead pilot and raced back down the mountain and are now trying to figure out what to do about it.

What was Herman Calloway doing when Bud entered the club?

In Chapter 12, Lefty Lewis drops Bud off at the Log Cabin to see his "father." When Bud walks in the doors, he sees six men sitting in a circle talking. Herman E. Calloway has his back facing Bud, and he is telling his band members old stories from when he used to be a boxer. Herman claims that he won the Golden Gloves in the middleweight division. He tells a story about the time he fought Jordan "Snaggletooth" MacNevin, who happened to be a very old fighter. Herman said that he went into the fight trying to knock the old guy out, but got hit so hard that his mouthpiece flew into the crowd. Herman said that he had never been hit so hard in his life. Bud thinks that Herman is his father after he hears Herman say,

"There comes a time when you're doing something and you realize it just doesn't make any sense to keep on doing it, you ain't being a quitter, it's just that the good Lord has seen fit to give you the sense to know, you understand, enough is enough" (Curtis 146).

Bud remembers that he felt the same way when Todd Amos was beating on him earlier in the novel and assumes Herman is his father.

Why does Scrooge change in A Christmas Carol?

It is truly the combined efforts of the three ghosts that bring about Scrooge's metamorphosis.  The Ghost of Christmas Past starts the change process by reminding Ebenezer of the people and places he used to love -- Fezziwig's business, Belle, Fan.  The Ghost of Christmas Present shows that Christmas is a feeling and a state of mind, neither of which have anything to do with monetary expenditures.  He sees the miners and those on the ship having a lively time in spite of their surroundings, and the Cratchit family seeming content with their Christmas, even in spite of the meager rations of food.  Thus, he is taught that money does not necessarily buy happiness.  Christmas Yet to Come drives the point home by showing Scrooge that, although he is rich, he is leaving no legacy for those that follow after him. All three, and particularly Tiny Tim within the Christmas Present trip, have a profound effect on Scrooge and ultimately bring about his lasting personality change.

Where did the blanket that Scout finds around her shoulders come from?

The night when Miss Maudie’s house burns down, everyone in the neighborhood goes outside to watch the fire that was caused by a cold snap and Miss Maudie lighting a kerosene heater to stay warm.  Atticus shuffles Scout and Jem down the sidewalk away from the fire, and they stand to watch in front of the Radley house.  Scout is so engrossed in the fire that she doesn’t feel the blanket draped over her shoulders by Boo Radley.  This action by Boo shows how tender and caring Boo really is.  Not only does he leave gifts in a knothole in a tree for the children, he also protects them and keeps them safe when he can.  Later, his love for the kids is really shown when he fights the vengeful Bob Ewell who attacks Scout and Jem. 

This incident is just another piece of evidence that shows Boo’s true character.  He is not a ghoulish, insane recluse that the town thinks he is.  His gentle nature really makes him a true symbol of a mockingbird.

How many weeks did it take Christopher Columbus to sail from Palos, Spain to San Salvador?

This question refers to the first voyage of Christopher Columbus when he "discovered" America.  The voyage was funded by the Spanish crown in a quest for a western route to India.  Columbus and his crew left Spain on August 3, 1492, from Palos de la Frontera in Spain.  After a stop for repairs and supplies in the Canary Islands, the crew set voyage for the long trek across the Atlantic Ocean.  A sailor by the name of Rodrigo de Triana spotted land in the early morning hours of October 12, 1492.  The land he spotted was in the Bahamas. The indigenous people called the land Guanahani.  From start to finish, the voyage took sixty-seven days or nine weeks and four days.  Columbus would arrive back in Spain on March 15, 1493, making the round trip voyage total 221 days.  

A bullet is fired straight up into the air with an initial speed of 450 m/s. To what maximum height will the bullet reach?

Hello!

This question is relatively simple to answer if we ignore air resistance. But actually in this case it will be a very rough estimate, because such a great initial speed means huge air resistance.

I hope this is a sample problem about a free fall and that you don't need to use the result in practice.

The simplest method to find the maximum height, denote it `H_1,` is to consider energy (also denote the initial speed as `V_0`). If we measure potential energy off of the ground level, then at the start a bullet has only kinetic energy `(m*V_0^2)/2.`  At the maximum height, when a bullet starts to fall, the speed will be zero, and a bullet has only potential energy `m*g*H_1.`

Because of energy conservation  `(m*V_0^2)/2=m*g*H_1,`  so

`H_1=(V_0)^2/(2g) approx (450)^2/20` =10125 (m). This is the formal answer. In reality it will be much less, when taking air resistance into consideration.

Who is the boy named "Cunningham" in To Kill a Mockingbird? I believe his name starts with a 'y'.

The young Cunningham who appears in the novel is Walter Cunningham, a classmate of Scout's.  He is the son of the older Walter Cunningham, a man for whom Atticus is serving as lawyer.  The Cunninghams are poor, but proud, and Scout takes it upon herself to explain this fact to their new teacher, Miss Caroline.

You mentioned a young character whose name starts with a "y".  There are no characters that match that description, but perhaps you were thinking of Burris Ewell (the last name is pronounced YOO-wuhl, hence the "y" sound).  Burris is another of Scout's classmates -- at least for the first day of class -- and is also poor.  Unlike Walter, Burris belongs to a less proud class of poor.  It is his father, Bob, and his sister, Mayella, who will factor heavily into the trial portion of the novel.

How does the blind man, Robert, give "Bub," the sighted narrator, new vision and new perspective in Carver's "Cathedral"? Describe "Bub's"...

Robert provides the narrator with a "new vision" by uniting with him in the drawing of a cathedral, an act in which they closed their eyes and moved their hands together, connecting in spirit to one another.

Before Robert arrives the narrator is a man who is discontent. He is dissatisfied with his job, socially awkward, lacking in religious faith, without friends and without children. Most of all, he is unable to communicate with his wife with the openness and intimacy that the blind man can, and he is envious of the man's connection with his wife. "It was beyond my understanding" he remarks.
Truly, there is a certain sarcasm to the narrator. For instance, when he first meets Robert, the narrator jokes about the blind man's eyes, saying that one eye made an effort to keep in one place, but the other eye "was on the roam without his knowing it or wanting it to be." For the most part, however, the narrator spares Robert from his sarcasm; instead, he sits passively and listens. That is, until his wife falls asleep, and then the narrator is left to entertain Robert himself. 

The two men begin to drink, and then Robert agrees to "smoke some dope" with the narrator. As the night progresses, there is little on the television, so the narrator watches a program about cathedrals. This sparks the blind man Robert to ask the narrator if he is religious, and he tells Robert, "I guess I don't believe in...anything." Then, as the program continues, Robert asks the narrator to describe a cathedral. But, the narrator refuses, "It just isn't in me to do it." Still, Robert insists, so the narrator goes to his wife's room and finds some pens; he goes to the kitchen and finds a shopping bag. When he returns, the men sit on the floor and Robert puts his hand over the narrator's in an encouraging manner. 
While the narrator draws, he taps into something he has not felt before: his artistic/spiritual side. At first, he draws a box, but then he elaborates by sketching a roof, flying buttresses, and great doors. About this time, the narrator's wife wakes up and asks what they are doing. Robert replies, "We're drawing a cathedral." He tells the narrator to close his eyes, and he does. 

"Keep them that way," he said...."Don't stop now. Draw."
So we kept on with it. His fingers rode my fingers as my hand went over the paper. It was like nothing else in my life up to now. 

The man who does not believe in anything, the narrator, finally finds something to believe in. His spiritual experience with Robert is "like nothing else" he has ever felt. Finally, the narrator connects with the spirit of another; he is in communion with Robert.

What personal choices does the poem "The Road Not Taken" remind you of ?

The poem "The Road Not Taken" is about a speaker who comes to a place where two roads diverge in a yellow wood, and he contemplates what road he should take. Symbolically speaking, this poem talks about the time when we find ourselves at a crossroads and when we must make an important choice which will irrevocably alter our lives. That choice could be related to anything, such as the college we want to go to, or the job we want to accept, or the person we want to be with. Our speaker attempts to look down one road so that he could potentially guess what that road would bring to him if he were to take it:

Long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth...

However, he realizes that we cannot know what awaits us in the future. The poem stresses how we cannot make two choices simultaneously. We must make one choice, which, in consequence, will shape us. And once we do it, we cannot go back to the time when we had another option in front of us:

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

The last stanza suggests that we should always take "the road less traveled by," which means that we should not make the easy and popular choices, but the ones that would make our lives more fulfilling.

What is the fifth part of the Declaration Of Independence?

On July 4 1776, the Continental Congress ratified the Declaration of Independence. This document is divided into six parts and, as a whole, outlines why America wanted to sever all ties with Britain. 

The fifth part of the Declaration is entitled, "The Statement of Independence," and declares that the 13 colonies are now completely separate from Britain and are free and independent states. It also gives the colonies the right to function as an independent nation, for example, with the power to wage war and trade with other countries. It also states that colonists pledge to support each other, under the protection of God, in the move towards complete independence.

Here are the exact words of the fifth part: 

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

Describe the society in which Leonard Mead lives.

The people in the society of “The Pedestrian” by Ray Bradbury have retreated into their dark living rooms to watch television.  They no longer find the need to go outside or socialize with other people as they seem content to be entertained all the time.  Even crime is non-existent in this society; there is only one robotic police car for the three million people living in the city.  Mead is an anomaly in this society as he still enjoys taking walks, breathing fresh air, and enjoying nature.  He doesn’t even own a television which makes him different from everyone else.  Once a writer, Mead hasn’t written anything in years because society doesn’t demand novels, magazines, or any other kind of written print.  They are so obsessed with television that they no longer feel they need the knowledge books will give them. 

Mead seems so “odd” to the robot police because he doesn’t own a television, he claims he is a writer, and he is unmarried.  He is so unusual in this society that the police arrest him and pack him off to the Psychiatric Center for Research on Regressive Tendencies. 

The people and this society are described by Bradbury as lonely and empty, and they are “phantoms” casting shadows on the wall of their “graveyard” homes.  It is a pitiful existence where people have traded entertainment for an active, involved life.

Who is Johnny Dorset in the story "The Ransom of Red Chief"?

The name Johnny Dorset does not occur in the story until the end.  The kidnappers decide to kidnap a child of a prominent citizen for the purpose of getting money.  They chose the only child of Ebenezer Dorset, a mortgage financier.  They figured they could shake down the old man for about two thousand dollars. 

When they kidnap the boy, he puts up a tremendous fight, but as soon as they get him back to the cave where they are staying, the boy starts playing Indians and calls himself Red Chief.  For the rest of the story, he is called Red Chief.  It isn’t until the kidnappers get a response from their ransom note that the name Johnny Dorset is mentioned.  The old man responds,

“You bring Johnny home and pay me two hundred and fifty dollars in cash, and I agree to take him off your hands.“ (pg 7)

That is when we learn that the kidnapped boy is Johnny Dorset.  The kidnappers pay the ransom and gladly leave him with his father. 

My copy of the story comes from the internet.  The page numbers may be different in your copy, but it should give you a basic idea of where to locate the information.  

What is the poem "Caged Bird" based on?

Maya Angelou’s poem “Caged Bird” is based on an earlier poem by an African American author by the name of Paul Laurence Dunbar. Dunbar, who lived from 1872–1906, was the son of parents who endured lives of slavery. He became an influential author, not only through his poetry, but through his many literary works, which included poems, novels, and essays.

His poem “Sympathy,” written in 1899, provided Ms. Angelou with material for her famous poem “Caged Bird” and the title for her book I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. The third stanza of his poem is thought to have been the most inspirational. As the son of slaves, Dunbar knew the restrictions racism put on the lives of oppressed people, and this poem expresses the emotions which resided in his soul.

I know why the caged bird sings, ah me,

    When his wing is bruised and his bosom sore,—

When he beats his bars and he would be free;

It is not a carol of joy or glee,

    But a prayer that he sends from his heart’s deep core,  

But a plea, that upward to Heaven he flings—

I know why the caged bird sings!

In "Beasts of England," from Animal Farm, what and where is the potential foreshadowing for the story?

The main example of foreshadowing in "Beasts of England" is found in the lines "Soon or late the day is coming/Tyrant Man shall be o’erthrown..." (12). This foreshadows the events that occur on Manor Farm, as the animals rise up, drive Mr. Jones from the farm, and take it over, renaming it Animal Farm. The rest of the song could only be understood as foreshadowing in an ironic way. The song speaks of "riches more than mind can picture" and "freedom" for the animals, and of course none of these things happen (13). Rather, the animals find that the pigs, under Napoleon's leadership, become every bit as exploitative and cruel as Jones and the humans. Man is overthrown on Animal Farm, only to be replaced by pigs. So most of "Beasts of England" does not come true, and in fact, the pigs will later ban the other animals from singing it.

Why glucose cant be stored in human body?

Glucose can't be stored in the human body because it is a carbohydrate.  Carbohydrates have to be converted to another form before they can be used as fuel for the body.  The cellular respiration equation uses glucose, combined with oxygen to produce energy in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate), along with carbon dioxide and water vapor as waste products.  As is the case with most things in nature, excessive ATP is stored in the liver until needed.  If the body continues to have excessive ATP, at some point it is converted into fat cells, which is the body's way of saving excess energy.  Fat is in the form of lipids and has twice the calorie count of carbohydrates.  One gram of fat has 9 calories, while 1 gram of carbohydrates has 4 calories.

What does Polonius say to Ophelia regarding her behavior with Hamlet?

When Polonius inquires of Ophelia what she had been discussing with her brother, Laertes, she tells him that they spoke about Hamlet. Polonius then states that he had heard that Hamlet had been spending some time with Ophelia. He then suggests:

... in way of caution, I must tell you,
You do not understand yourself so clearly
As it behoves my daughter and your honour.
What is between you? give me up the truth.

He tells Ophelia that she must be careful since she is not yet old enough to have even a clear understanding of herself as much as she should, being his daughter and for the protection of her honour (chastity). She is still immature and therefore naive. He demands that she provide him full details of her liaison with Hamlet.

Ophelia confesses that Hamlet had made a number of offers to her and proposed love. Polonius rejects the suggestion of Hamlet's affection with contempt and emphasizes how inexperienced Ophelia is, so much so, that she took Hamlet at his word. He asks her if she believed Hamlet's proposals and she replies that she does not know what to think.

Polonius then extends some fatherly advice to his daughter and says that she should see herself as an innocent baby who has taken Hamlet's offers as the truth. He says that she should value herself more highly or else she would create the impression that he is a fool for not having raised her properly. Clearly, the focus here is not entirely on Ophelia, but on himself.

When Ophelia tells him that Hamlet had actually made sincere promises of his love in an honourable manner, her father says that she must not talk nonsense. He uses the word 'fashion' to mean that it is something of short duration. He is implying that Hamlet is not sincere. His so-called passion for Ophelia is of a fleeting nature and will not last. 

When Ophelia tries to convince her father that Hamlet's utterances were truthful since he had vowed to heaven about his sincerity, Polonius rejects this by saying that it is a scheme similar to those used to trap woodcocks, birds which are deemed idiotic. His daughter would be foolish to fall for Hamlet's trap and become ensnared. He suggests that being young, Hamlet is ablaze with passion, but it is a fire that will soon burn out. Ophelia must not see these heartfelt promises as true passion, for they die even as they are made.

Polonius advises Ophelia not to make herself so easily available to Hamlet and must therefore treasure her time and see less of him. She must place a greater value on herself and not seem so easily available. He implores her not to believe Hamlet for what he says is only to fulfill his lust (unholy suits). Hamlet's vows are not sincere and can be broken as easily as they have been made. Hamlet's promises are mere tools to mislead her. He then commands her:

This is for all:
I would not, in plain terms, from this time forth,
Have you so slander any moment leisure,
As to give words or talk with the Lord Hamlet.
Look to't, I charge you: come your ways.

Polonius is quite direct and tells Ophelia that in truth, she must not henceforth waste any moment of her free time to talk to or discuss anything with Hamlet. He therefore forbids her to have such contact with him. She must obey his instruction and behave appropriately.

It is ironic that Polonius is so strict with his daughter at this point, for later in the play he will do a complete about-turn and use his daughter to glean information from Hamlet. He will actually encourage her to lead Hamlet on and essentially spy on the young prince so that he can report the details to Claudius.

How can adults be naive? Give examples from The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.

According the Webster, naiveté “implies a genuine, innocent, simplicity”. The adults in this book may not be naïve, but instead they know what is happening but CHOOSE not to recognize it, or they justify certain actions as patriotism.  One of those adults would be Bruno’s grandfather.  When Grandmother starts to bring up the subject of Ralf’s position, Grandfather says,

“Now, Mother…..You know this isn’t the time.” (pg 90)

He knows what Grandmother is going to say, but he CHOOSES to avoid the topic.  To get Grandmother off the topic, he reminisces about the day that Ralf, Bruno’s father, enlisted.  He is proud of his son, not for what he does but for what position he has attained. 

“It makes me so proud to see you elevated to such a responsible position.  Helping your country reclaim her pride after all the great wrongs that were done to her.” (pg 91)

His son is killing thousands of Jews, but he hides the terrible actions under the term “Patriotism”.  They are fighting for their country and terrible things happen in war.  He is choosing not to deal with the issue.  Grandmother, on the other hand, is ashamed and doesn’t hide her shame at all.

Bruno’s mother sometimes seems unaware of what is happening.  That is far from the truth. She is torn between the role of the Commandant’s wife and her conscience.  She is trying to protect her children from knowing what is going on at Auswitz.

At the end of the book, Bruno hears his father and mother arguing.  Mother says,

“It’s horrible…..Just horrible.  I can’t stand it anymore. “(pg. 187)                                                                              

His father justifies the killing of Jews when he says,

“We don’t have a choice.  This is our assignment and ----“(pg 187)

When mother wants to return to Berlin, father remarks,

“And what will people think….if I permit you and the children to return to Berlin without me?  They will ask questions about my commitment to the work here.” (pg 187)

He sees the extermination of the Jews as a job, and others allow him to continue it.

What is the climax of the book Crispin: The Cross of Lead?

In Crispin: The Cross of Lead, a boy must flee his village to save his life. The story is set in the Middle Ages, and Crispin has spent his whole life in Stromford village, helping his mother and the other peasants to serve the Manor House of Lord Furnival. When Crispin's mother dies, he is left with nobody and nothing to call his own. To make matters worse, he stumbles across a mysterious encounter in the woods between the Steward of the Manor and a stranger. When Crispin is discovered, the men chase him down, and the next day he is declared a Wolf's Head, an outlaw who may be killed on sight. At the advice of the priest, Crispin runs away and becomes friends with a wandering bard called Bear who is headed for Great Wexley. 

Together, Crispin and Bear travel to the city of Great Wexley for a festival. While there, Bear is captured for conspiring against the King. Crispin dares to rescue his friend, but is only able to work up the courage after a kind innkeeper tells him that the inscription on his only possession—a cross of lead—reveals that Crispin is the son of Lord Furnival. Knowing this, Crispin heads into the Lord's Palace and faces Steward Aycliffe one-on-one. He promises to hand over his cross of lead, the only evidence of who his father is, in exchange for safe passage for himself and Bear out of the city.

Steward Aycliffe fears that Crispin will claim his role as the new Lord Furnival and seek retribution for the cruelty Aycliffe has shown him all his life. Crispin and Aycliffe confront each other inside the palace and negotiate that when Bear is freed from the dungeons, Crispin will hand over the cross. It is a very tense moment, rescuing Bear and half-dragging his injured body out of the Palace. When they are almost out of the city, Aycliffe goes back on his word and his guards begin to attack Crispin and Bear. His plan fails, and Aycliffe himself is impaled, leaving Crispin and Bear to walk freely out of the city.

Who are the characters in "The Last Holiday Concert?"

There are two main characters in Andrew Clement’s children’s novel “The Last Christmas Concert.” Hart Evans, the protagonist in the story, is a popular, likable, sixth grade student who inadvertently has to take over the direction of the school Christmas concert. Although his classmates identify with him as a leader, they have a difficult time with his “teaching skills.”

The other prominent character in the book in Mr. Meinert, the chorus teacher who is supposed to direct school’s Christmas concert. He generally runs the class with an orderly manner which is the direct opposite of what happens when Hart takes over the Christmas concert. When Hart inadvertently hits him with a rubber band, Mr. Meinert loses his temper and decides to stop directing the students in the rehearsals for the performance. The story revolves around how these two characters resolve the issues surrounding the success of the show.

Other characters include Hart’s younger sister, Sarah, and two of his friends Alex and Zach. The school principal and the rest of Hart’s classmates are also included in the plot. Mr. Meinert’s wife, Lucy is another character who plays a role in the story.

Compare and contrast Stephen and John Kumalo.

Stephen Kumalo is at first glance a rather simple man. He is a minister among his people, the Zulu, and totally unfamiliar with the city and the way of life that is so different from the one he knows in the country. He is thoughtful and loving and is driven to go to the city to try and find his son Absalom. Through his journey to the city he learns a great deal and returns to the countryside changed. He is more aware of the injustice facing his people and also has a greater understanding of the obstacles and problems they face. Yet he still maintains a powerful and pure hope for what might be. His journey into the city and the unknown for him did not change his hope for redemption for his people.

John, on the other hand, is really out for himself and himself alone. He lacks the compassion and wisdom of Stephen and when Stephen comes to the city he finds it difficult to understand his brother. John selfishly finds a way to keep his son free while his nephew is executed even though John's son was with Absalom when he committed the murder. John represents the cold and cynical approach to the world and the lust for power and influence that is so foreign to Stephen.

With close reference to the language and dramatic action of Act 3, Scene 1, comment on the way an audience might react to Shylock’s character.

In this scene, Salarino and Salanio mock Shylock. Though Shylock is hard on his daughter, who has eloped with a Christian and stolen some of his money, the audience may sympathize with him in the face of such taunts. The men have no sympathy for him: “There is more difference between thy flesh and hers than between jet and ivory.” When they ask Shylock about Antonio, Shylock repeats, “let him look to his bond.” This repetition is like a mantra, conveying to the audience Shylock’s desire for vengeance and possibly his instability.

In a powerful speech, Shylock describes why revenge against Antonio is justified. He lists the ways in which Antonio has hurt him, effectively gaining the audience’s pity: “He hath disgraced me, and hindered me half a million; laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends, heated mine enemies.” Shylock says this is all because he is Jewish.

He systematically notes how similar Jews and Christians are, comparing their ability to bleed, to get sick, and to laugh. His logical conclusion is that Jewish people have every right to revenge themselves as Christians do: “If a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian example? Why, revenge.” The monologue is extremely convincing if not wholly sincere: Antonio appears to hate Shylock’s moneylending more than his status as a Jew. Still, the limited opportunities of Jews in Venice at the time make it so Shylock’s occupation and his religious and ethnic identity are directly intertwined.

Shylock loses some sympathy by stating, “I would my daughter were dead at my foot, and the jewels in her ear!” However, his grief over Jessica’s stealing and trading of his wife’s ring depicts Shylock as a character with genuine pain. It is difficult to know how people would have reacted when the play was first performed, but now, especially after the Holocaust, audiences tend to feel sorry for the dynamic, wronged Shylock who fights against the antisemitic society in which he lives.

What is the main goal of science?

The main goal of science is to further our understanding of the processes taking place around us and to study their impacts on us and the environment (and on each other). Making beneficial uses of this knowledge is part of technology (many people may also term it as applied science). For example, millions of people die every year from various diseases. The mail goal of medical sciences is to study the origin of these diseases, how they spread and what can be the effective remedy against them. Scientists at pharmaceutical companies, then determine the best ways to counter these diseases (by direct injections or pills, etc.). Similarly, environmental scientists study the environment around us and how various processes are interlinked. They also study which processes, especially anthropogenic, are causing harm to our environment. This knowledge is then used to counteract the negative effects by improvements and legislation, say by more efficient devices and effluent discharge norms, respectively.

Hope this helps. 

How is the narrator's younger brother different from other children when he is born? How does the narrator come up with the name "Doodle?"

Doodle is born with physical disabilities and limitations. Brother, the narrator, describes how he looked when he was born. "He seemed all head, with a tiny body which was red and shriveled like an old man's." When Doodle began to crawl at age two, he could only crawl backwards. The narrator notes that this made him look like a "doodlebug" and this is where he got the name "Doodle." Because of his birth defects, Doodle progressed much more slowly than other children. His parents wondered if he would ever learn to walk and do other things. 

From birth, Doodle's physical limitations continued. However, with Brother's help, Doodle did finally learn to walk at age five. Brother is embarrassed that he has an "invalid" brother. He admits this. This story is basically a confession of the guilt Brother feels for some of the ways he treated Doodle. Although Brother pushed Doodle to learn how to walk and become more like the other children, he did so for selfish reasons, and in the end he pushed too much. Brother wanted what he would call a "normal" brother. He was helping Doodle more for his own sake than for Doodle's. Brother also admits that he trained Doodle out of pride: 

It seemed so hopeless from the beginning that it's a miracle I didn't give up. But all of us must have something or someone to be proud of, and Doodle had become mine. I did not know then that pride is a wonderful, terrible thing, a seed that bears two vines, life and death. 

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

The relationship between Jem and Scout starts out in the beginning of the book as a typical sibling relationship, the typical brother/sister "I love you and I hate you" at the same time.  Scout is a tomboyish sort, following Jem in their playful exploits at home as they play in and around their house in Maycomb.  With the introduction of school, Scout enters first grade and experiences the first change in their relationship where Jem tells her to "Leave him alone," not talk to him or play with him at school.  With the introduction of Dill, a neighbor boy who visits from Mississippi in the summer, their relationship grows more strained, as Jem tells her on more than one occasion "You are starting to sound like a girl," which was insulting to Scout.  At one point, Scout was spending more time with Miss Maudie, an older neighbor lady, than she was with Jem and Dill.  While still together, it would be fair to say both Jem and Scout were experiencing some "growing pains" within the first seven chapters of "To Kill A Mockingbird."

How is the time and location of the story "Aunt Granny Lith" significant to the meaning?

"Aunt Granny Lith" by Chris Offutt is set in a remote area in the Appalachians. The very remoteness of the area is an essential part of the plot structure and meaning. For example, Beth needs to walk home and get a mule to pull the pickup out of the creek rather than simply calling a towing company on a cell phone, as most of us in more urban areas would do. This places the context of the story back in a world in which the modern clashes with the primitive and folkloric elements are not only credible but part of people's self understanding.

The cave inhabited by Granny Lith serves as an emblem of the mythic caves which are associated with the "crones" of the folkloric tradition, ancient wise women who can be good or evil but are always awe-inspiring and terrifying and who have mysterious powers and knowledge.

The story uses time in a mythic way, showing the past and present (Casey's youthful promise, his journey to the cave, his present marriage) as intimately connected and part of an endlessly recurring cycle of life linking childhood, adulthood, and old age.  

What does placebo mean?

The word placebo comes from the Latin and means I shall please. The placebo effect is a positive response to the placebo (their condition is improved) despite the fact that the placebo is inert. (Often the placebo is a sugar pill or a saline solution.)

To ascertain if a medical treatment is helpful, researchers run an experiment. In the experiment the subjects are divided into two groups -- the experimental group which receives the treatment and the control group which does not receive the treatment. 

When working with humans, the subjects in the control group know they are in the control group if they do not receive any form of treatment. In order to control for this, the control group is administered an inert substance (which is sometimes referred to as a placebo.)

A related effect is the nocebo effect (I shall harm) where the subject has an adverse reaction despite the fact that what is administered is inert.

What is April's nickname given to her by Ken and Toby?

Melanie is worried about starting school because she fears that April will not make friends easily in sixth grade. April is quirky, and although Melanie gets along well with her because they both have creative imaginations, she doesn't think the other sixth graders will accept April's idiosyncrasies. When Ken and Toby gave April the nickname "February," Melanie "knew everything would be all right." Some nicknames are teasing and have a hurtful tone to them. This nickname, however, isn't a belligerent way of calling someone by an unfriendly name; rather, it is an innocuous—even friendly—way of rubbing April the wrong way without meaning to be unkind. It's like the greetings Melanie's father gives April when she comes over, saying that "the cruelest month is here." It acknowledges April's unique name and personage without calling out any of her quirks in an unflattering way. The nickname Ken and Toby give April shows that they accept her—at least, as much as they accept any girl their age.

What was the outcome of the Trojan war?

According to ancient historians (including Herodotus, a Greek, and Livy, a Roman) and poets (such as Homer and Virgil), the Mycenaean Greeks defeated the Trojans after infiltrating Troy by hiding inside the famed "Trojan Horse." The Greeks razed and plundered the city and killed the remaining members of the house of Priam (Troy's king). The Greeks then returned home.

Menelaus returned to Sparta with Helen. Agamemnon returned to Argos, where Clytaemnestra, his wife, murdered him (as portrayed in the Oresteia). Odysseus' journey lasted 10 years as he experienced many setbacks (his journey is portrayed in Homer's Odyssey).

According to Livy, Aeneas led a group of surviving Trojans to Italy, where Aeneas became king of the Latins. One of Aeneas' descendants, Romulus, founded the city of Rome and became its first king.

How were civil liberties challenged in the 1920s and during World War I? How did the people respond?

During World War I and the 1920s, civil liberties were challenged. It is not unusual during times of war that the government restricts the civil liberties of its citizens. During World War I, the Sedition Act was passed. This made it illegal to publically criticize the government, the president, or the war effort. The Espionage Act punished any anti-war activity. German-Americans faced discrimination. Schools stopped teaching German, and German foods like hamburger and sauerkraut were renamed Salisbury steak and liberty cabbage. In 1919, the Supreme Court ruled in the case of Schenck v the United States that free speech can be limited if the use of words presents a danger.

There are additional examples of the challenging of civil liberties after World War I. People were worried that the communists were trying to take over our country. The FBI was created to investigate groups that were deemed as radical. The Palmer raids led to the deportation of some immigrants and foreigners even though those raids violated the civil liberties of these people as the raids occurred without search warrants. Often, the deportation orders came without hard evidence suggesting the immigrants or foreigners should be deported.

Many Americans supported these actions. They believed our country was in danger of a communist takeover. They joined groups like the Ku Klux Klan that terrorized African-Americans and other minority and religious groups. They supported the passage of immigration laws such as the Emergency Quota Act and the National Origins Act that restricted immigration to our group, especially immigration from South and East Europe. There was a fear in the minds of many Americans that our country was in danger because of the presence of immigrants and foreigners.

What causes Macbeth's downfall in Macbeth?

Macbeth’s downfall came from allowing others to influence him and his paranoia.

Macbeth was too easily influenced by others.  The witches lead him around like a dog on a leash, and his wife pushes him over the edge.  At the beginning of the play, Macbeth is a war hero.  By the end, he is a maniacal tyrant whose paranoia leads him to make enemies left and right.

Macbeth was influenced by the witches from the very beginning.  They knew what buttons to push.  Using his ambition and pliancy against him, they fed him prophecies that he would be great someday soon.

SECOND WITCH: All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee,

Thane of Cawdor!

THIRD WITCH: All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be

King hereafter! (Act 1, Scene 3)

The witches fill Macbeth’s head with delusions of grandeur, and convince him that it is his right to be king.  Using the promotion he was just about to get was a subtle but effective trick.  It made him believe that if he got the first promotion, he would get the second.  He became Thane of Cawdor, so of course he would be king.  When Duncan chose his son as his heir instead, Macbeth’s ire was up.  He was angry at not being chosen for a rank he never deserved.

Macbeth wrote to Lady Macbeth and told her of his new fortunes, or supposed fortunes.  She latched onto the chance for Macbeth to be king and wouldn’t let it go.  Macbeth returned home not sure that he really did want to challenge Duncan, and Lady Macbeth convinced him that if he didn’t he wasn’t being a man.

We fail? But screw your courage to the sticking-place,

And we'll not fail. When Duncan is asleep—

… —his two chamberlains

Will I with wine and wassail so convince,

That memory, the warder of the brain,

Shall be a fume and the receipt of reason A limbec. only … (Act 1, Scene 7)

She is so convincing that he goes along with it, and kills the king.  She has every detail planned out, even scolding him for not leaving the knife behind when he stabs Duncan.  Macbeth is stuck.  Once he kills Duncan, he has gone down a road he can’t come back from.  He wasn’t sure whether he should do it, since Duncan had done nothing wrong.  His wife gives him no choice.

Macbeth’s doubts crystalize into paranoia.  He becomes concerned that his friend and fellow noble Banquo knows too much.  He has Banquo killed and tries to kill his son too, because the witches prophesized that Banquo’s heirs would be king.  He also has Macduff’s family killed, worried that he is suspicious.  Macduff escapes, and has become an even greater enemy to Macbeth.

Macbeth was ambitious; there is no doubt about that.  However, he was also very easy to persuade.  The witches used their influence over him to destroy him.  By telling him that no man born of woman could kill him, they made him susceptible to Macduff’s influence.  Told to beware Macduff, Macbeth did not know what to believe, and Macduff was able to manipulate him into basically giving up the fight.

What did Lennie do in Weed that caused him and George to run away?

In John Steinbeck's novella Of Mice and Men the author tells us that George and Lennie had been working in the small northern California town of Weed. They are itinerant farm workers traveling around the state. In Weed, Lennie saw a girl in a red dress and reached out to touch it. George describes the episode to Slim in chapter three:

"So he reaches out to feel this red dress an’ the girl lets out a squawk, and that gets Lennie all mixed up, and he holds on ‘cause that’s the only thing he can think to do. Well, this girl squawks and squawks. I was jus’ a little bit off, and I heard all the yellin’, so I comes running, an’ by that time Lennie’s so scared all he can think to do is jus’ hold on." 

Lennie is obsessively drawn to soft things which he likes to touch and pet. The girl accuses Lennie of raping her and the men of the town chase George and Lennie, who have to hide. George goes on with his explanation:

“Well, that girl rabbits in an’ tells the law she been raped. The guys in Weed start a party out to lynch Lennie. So we sit in a irrigation ditch under water all the rest of that day. Got on’y our heads sticking outa water, an’ up under the grass that sticks out from the side of the ditch. An’ that night we scrammed outa there.”

The scene in Weed also serves as foreshadowing for chapter five when Lennie is alone with Curley's wife. While Lennie is stroking the girl's hair she tries to break away and, as in Weed, he holds on. Eventually her struggles scare Lennie and he accidentally breaks her neck. His obsession with soft things and his powerful strength finally contribute to his downfall.

What caused scrooge to feel sad for Fred when the Ghost of Christmas Past visits him?

We first see Fred, nephew of Scrooge, in Stave One, when he arrives at Scrooge's work on Christmas Eve to invite his uncle to a Christmas party.  Not being thrilled with the prospect of celebrating Christmas, Scrooge, of course, refuses to attend the party.  In fact, he goes so far as to criticize the partygoers, who should be using the day to work off their debts.

Flash forward to Stave Two.  In it, as Scrooge is taken on tour with the Ghost of Christmas Past, he sees, among other things, a vision of his sister.  His sister, Fan, was kind and generous, and it is obvious that he misses her.  It becomes clear that Fan has since died.  At that point, Scrooge feels sorry for his nephew (Fan's son), as he now sees Fred in the context of a young man without a mother.  He regrets the way he acted in refusing to attend the party.

When it comes to The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Julius Lester wrote a critique on the black morality and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn....

Julius Lester’s analysis of the way Twain characterized Jim as a black slave is his main argument in his critical essay. Lester believes that if Twain was writing an anti-slavery book and using satire to point out the racist behavior of white Americans, he could have made Jim more human than just a caricature or stereotype prominent in literature of the time.  Lester feels that Twain made Jim appear “child-like” and ignorant even though he was an adult with a family, and he basically led Huck down the river.  Lester also says that Jim was portrayed as ignorant when he seemingly didn’t know that Illinois was a free state, when he fell prey to superstitions about witches, and when he was duped by Huck’s pranks along the river. 

Lester also finds issues with Twain’s comparison of Huck’s enslavement by his drunken father and the institution of slavery shown by Jim.  Lester maintains that these were two very different experiences and should not have been made to seem as if they are the same.  Although Huck is locked up by Pap in the cabin, Huck still has the freedom and privilege that slaves during that time did not have.  Lester feels that Twain was making light of the profound hardships of slavery. 

Lester also feels in his criticism of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn that Twain failed in telling a moral story that treated slavery in the serious way it should have been presented in the novel.  Slaves were characterized as immature, clownish, and as a source of entertainment for the reader, a caricature found in the minstrel performances of the time in the form of the happy slave stereotype.  Lester feels that Jim was not presented as a human being whose life was marginalized and who was fighting valiantly for his freedom and family.  He therefore criticizes Twain for not clearly presenting the moral issue of slavery in the novel.

There are a lot of interpretations of the way Jim is treated in the novel.  Some say that Huck learning to love Jim and see him as a friend he will go to hell for shows what can happen when someone opens their heart and mind and accepts others.

This is a very debated topic, and one only a reader of the book can decide for himself.  Although I can’t help you with how you personally feel, I hope I have given you some guidance in helping you make a decision.

How do clast sizes affect transportation of sediments with different size clasts? How are sediments of each clast size deposited?

The fundamental concept here is quite simple: Bigger things are heavier. The clast size tells us how large the individual pieces of rock are, and thus how heavy they will be.

Therefore, a sediment with large clast size (such as gravel) will require more energy to transport than a sediment with a small claster size (such as sand). Small clast sediments can often be carried simply by the wind (sand dunes are actually sediment being transported by wind). Large clast sediments are more likely to be spread by water.

Small clast sediments will generally be carried further than large clast sediments. This creates an effect called sorting, where long periods of erosion will tend to separate out sediments by their clast size, with larger clasts being dropped first or left behind, and progressively smaller clasts being dropped further away until the very smallest clasts are carried the furthest.

If this were the only process, clasts would all be separated by now. There are other processes which can mix them back together, including volcanoes, glaciers, earthquakes, and landslides. These occurrences are much rarer, but have large, catastrophic effects; erosion, by contrast, is very slow but very steady.

What position does Carlson have in the hierarchy in Of Mice and Men?

This is a very good question. There is obviously a definite hierarchy on the ranch. The Boss would be at the top because he has the power to hire and fire, and he controls the purse strings. Curley would probably be next because he is the Boss's son and acts as a sort of straw boss. Slim would rank next. Steinbeck stresses the fact that all the men respect Slim because of his personality and his status as a skilled worker. When they are all working in the fields, it is Slim who tells everybody else what to do. When Curley's hand gets crushed in the fight with Lennie, it is Slim who immediately takes charge. Carlson would probably rank just below Slim in the hierarchy, although he is only a relatively minor character. He would rank high because of his age and his "gravitas." He owns a Luger, which suggests that he served in World War I and brought the German handgun back as a souvenir. He is the one who suggests killing Candy's dog and then gets everybody to support his suggestion. He doesn't talk much, but he walks when he wants to talk, and everybody listens. He is the one who takes the old dog out and shoots it. Nobody objects, and Slim's approval makes the dog's demise inevitable.

Several of the major characters obviously have low status in the hierarchy. Crooks is the lowest because of his race as well as because of his crippled body. He can't do the same work as the others, and he probably gets paid considerably less than the others. He can't even play cards with the white men in the bunkhouse. The next in rank above Crooks would be Lennie because of his weak mind. Lennie, however, has some status because he can do more work in the fields than any of the others. Candy plays an important role in the story, but he has low status because of his missing hand, his age, and his inferior job. They gave him $300 compensation for losing his hand, but at the same time they are probably paying him a lower wage. He would rank just above Crooks, and he seems to know it. Above Crooks, Lennie and Candy would be George, who would rank low temporarily because he is a new guy. He would rise in the hierarchy if he stayed. He is obviously smart, articulate, assertive, opinionated, experienced, and a lot of other things. He seems to be well-liked already. Slim likes him, and that automatically gives George hierarchical status. Curley's wife would not be ranked at all in the hierarchy because she is a female and an complete outsider. There are some other men in the work force, but the author uses them only to fill up space, so to speak. He has to show there are more men employed on this big ranch, but he focuses on those already mentioned here.

The women suffragettes cookbooks were also created to fight against those who portrayed women as what?

Between 1886 and 1920, American suffragettes published around a half-dozen cookbooks. This may seem a strange choice of subject for women who were dedicated to achieving the vote but these books had an important political message.

Those in the anti-suffrage movement, who opposed giving women the vote, often argued that, if enfranchised, women would neglect their domestic duties in the home. They portrayed suffragettes as masculine, unable to find husbands and generally useless at keeping a house. 

By releasing cookbooks, then, suffragettes directly attacked this message. It demonstrated that they were perfectly capable of attending to their domestic duties and caring for their families. Suffragettes wanted to show the doubters that good housekeeping and having a political voice went hand-in-hand.

To quote the Washington Women's Cookbook (published in 1909):

"Give us the vote and we will cook

The Better for a wide outlook."

How do Scout and Jem change their behaviors in the middle of the novel To Kill A Mockingbird?

Jem grows apart from Scout, and Scout develops empathy.

At the beginning of the book, Scout and Jem are both young and behave like children.  By the trial, which is roughly the middle of the book, they are both behaving more maturely.  The trial demonstrates that Scout has learned how to empathize.  Jem also behaves in a more grown-up way, paying less attention to Scout.  Both of them have moved on from the kids’ games they used to play, acting out books and neighborhood gossip.

The relationship between Jem and Scout changes around the middle of the book.  Jem enters adolescence, and Scout can no longer understand him like she used to.  An example is the fact that the two begin to drift apart.

Jem was twelve. He was difficult to live with, inconsistent, moody. His appetite was appalling, and he told me so many times to stop pestering him I consulted Atticus: “Reckon he’s got a tapeworm?” Atticus said no, Jem was growing. (Ch. 12)

Jem wants to behave in more adult ways, and is less interested in playing with his little sister.  He wants to be grown up.  Scout is hurt by his actions, because she is still young enough to want to hang out with her big brother.

The fact that Scout and Jem are growing up is evident during the trial.  Both of them have to face hard truths about life.  Scout realizes that people are more complex than she thought, and Jem learns that the world is not fair.  However, throughout the trial Jem understands the process (or thinks he does) better than Scout.

Jem turned back to Dill, explaining, I suppose, the finer points of the trial to him, but I wondered what they were. (Ch. 18)

Scout and Jem are both affected by the trial on a person level, because their father is the defense attorney.  The trial is the talk of the town, and they are trying to understand their father’s part in it.  Scout's behavior also changes because she is capable of appreciating Mayella Ewell's situation, and Dolphus Raymond's, as well as her father's.

Scout and Jem both undergo a kind of coming of age throughout the novel.  However, while Scout is younger and has to mature a great deal throughout the course of the book, Jem also grows up.  By the end of the book, Jem is twelve and practically a teenager.  The events described in the book had a meaningful impact on both of their lives.

What do the owls in the book Hoot symbolize?

The owls in Hoot are symbolic on at least three levels. Most obviously, the owls symbolize wildlife and natural habitats that are at risk of extinction or harm from residential and commercial development. Of course, this is literally true of the burrowing owls on Mother Paula's property, but it represents the larger issue of beautiful and unique creatures that are threatened by loss of habitat. After Roy's family goes on a Sunday outing to the Everglades, Roy gets an idea of what the crusade to save the owls represents. He reflects, "It wasn't just about the owls, it was about everything—all the birds and animals, all the wild places that were in danger of being wiped out." 

The owls also represent Mullet Fingers, or Napoleon Bridger, himself. Like the owls, Mullet Fingers is associated with nature. He feels at home in nature and has a love for and an ability to connect with wild creatures. He is small, but he is unique and special, just like the owls. Yet, like the owls, he is considered a nuisance by those in authority. His mother sends him away because she doesn't want him; Curly continually curses the owls because of their burrows, and Chuck Muckle is ready to ignore the owls' fate. Mullet Fingers identifies with the owls so fully that he digs himself into an owl burrow on the day of the grand opening, and Hiaasen completes the connection between Mullet Fingers and the owls by having an owl land and perch on his head. 

Finally, the owls represent the children in Roy's community whose natural habitats are threatened, that is, who don't belong to loving families as each child deserves. Mullet Fingers and Beatrice's parents are both dysfunctional and either neglectful or abusive. Although she is a school guidance counselor, Garrett's mother seems to put all her effort into her job and none into properly raising her son. Dana Matherson's family is as violent as he is; his mother gives Dana a fat lip. Only Roy seems to enjoy the nurturing environment of a loving family.

The symbolism of the the owls in the story advocates not just for the protection of animals, but also for providing a proper environment for young people as they are growing up.

What are the complex traditions of the Igbo clans?

In Things Fall Apart, there are many complex traditions in the Igbo clans. Some traditions are hard to understand. One tradition involves the murdering of innocent twins at birth. The birth of twins is considered an evil omen so the twins are placed in earthen pots and left to die in the evil forest. This is a complex tradition that Okonkwo's son Nwoye has trouble understanding.

Another tradition that is complex is the involvement of the Oracles or the Earth Goddess in the affairs of the tribal clans. The earth is worshipped and the Earth Goddess Ani has the authority to banish Okonkwo when his gun accidentally explodes and kills the son of an elder during that elder's funeral. Okonkwo is exiled for seven years. 

Other complex traditions are founded in the power of the priestess and medicine man. Okonkwo follows a traditional ceremony to assure his daughter will survive in spite of her destiny to die and be repeatedly reborn.

He loves his daughter Ezinma, who is an ogbanje, or a changeling child who seems to die continually only to return to her mother’s womb to be reborn and die again. In an attempt to break the power of the ogbanje, Okonkwo follows his wife Ekwefi, the priestess Chielo, and his daughter Ezinma on a journey to the oracle Agbala. Okonkwo also assists a medicine man locate and destroy his daughter’s iyi uwa, or the sacred stone that links the child with the spirit world.  

When a daughter of Umuofia is murdered by a neighboring tribe, Ikemefuna is sacrificed for the crime. Ultimately, Okonkwo participates in the killing of Ikemefuna even though it is a sin to kill a kinsman. Ikemefuna has become his adopted son and calls Okonkwo father. The Mbaino tribe had given the young boy to Umuofia to keep the Umuofia clan from declaring war on the tribe of Mbaino. Ikemefuna is sacrificed and killed after living with Okonkwo for three years. This is another complex custom to understand.  

What does it mean to be human? Is Matt just a clone, or animal? Can a clone truly experience feelings?

I can offer you some interesting background information that might help inform your decision and provide you with some reasons for your decision. 

What does it mean to be human?

This is a question that has preoccupied scholars, philosophers, and scientists for an incredibly long time. Some people define humanity as a biological genetic sequence; some as an ability to reason; some through means of communication; others by still more reasons. I've attached a link to a TED talk debate that contains many different opinions that you could peruse. Try and see which one you agree with best. 

Is Matt just a clone, or an animal? 

Again, this depends on your definition of humanity. It goes without saying that Matt's genesis was through cloning, but then the question becomes whether or not he should be considered human despite this fact. For the past century or so, the ethics of cloning - and whether or not clones would be considered humans - has entered the scientific and religious worlds. I've attached a link that presents you with the debate on human cloning; as you can see, people have many different reasons that justify their opinions. 

Can a clone truly experience feelings? 

A clone is, by definition, an exact genetic replica. The question is: do humans experience feelings because of our biology, or because of something more ethereal, like a soul? I've attached more information on clones in general to help you formulate an opinion.