What images does she use to describe "The Fish"? Elizabeth Bishop relies on precise imagery in this poem, not only to describe the fish, but to...

Elizabeth Bishop's poetry is descriptive, and in "The Fish" the speaker paints with images. The imagery that describes the fish and the speaker's reactions is mostly visual.

These images are reflective not only of nature, but of the self-referential element of art. For instance, the skin of the captured fish looks to the speaker like peeling "ancient wallpaper"; on the fish's side, there seem to be shapes resembling "full-blown roses" with petals that have become stained while some have fallen off. This old fish has barnacles on him that appear as rosettes with "tiny white sea-lice" while green weeds that look like rags hang from him.

At the end of the poem, the images are conjoined in the visual imagery of a rainbow when the self-referential speaker envisions "victory" filling up the boat because of her catch (the spilled motor oil and water) along with the fish's victory over other fisherman evinced by the hooks in his lip. Seeing these images of a rainbow on the sides of the old victorious fish as well as in the boat, the speaker sympathetically releases him:

...everything
was rainbow, rainbow, rainbow! 
And I let the fish go.

In Fahrenheit 451, when Montag visits Faber, Faber calls himself a coward. Why? In what way has he acted cowardly?

In their conversation, Faber tells Montag that, long ago, he noticed how the authorities (government, firemen, etc.) were beginning to become more oppressive. He says "I saw the way things were going, a long time back. I said nothing." Faber is a college professor. He is/was knowledgeable about dystopian narratives, the ways in which authorities can oppress and/or brainwash citizens, so he would have been able to recognize events shifting towards a more oppressive state. Therefore, Faber (with this knowledge) felt he had a responsibility to speak out and protest this shift toward a more oppressive state where books are banned. Since he did nothing, Faber considers himself to be a coward. He adds that when books started being burned he "grunted" at first but no one would grunt (protest) with him, so he stopped. 

Faber has basically hidden in his home, hiding his open-minded thoughts in his own imagination. While secluded, he has developed the radio device that he will use to communicate with Montag. Again, he calls himself a coward for developing a device that will allow him to stay hidden in his home while someone else can go out into the world to secretly challenge the status quo. He tells Montag: 

Do you hate me for this electronic cowardice of mine? Here I am sending you out into the night, while I stay behind the lines with my damned ears listening for you to get your head chopped off. 

What is allegorical about the girl Santiago meets in Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist?

Fatima is the name of the girl with whom Santiago falls in love in Coelho's The Alchemist. She represents romantic love, future family, and settling down. She is also another of the many teachers who teaches the young shepherd boy about the Soul of the World and everyone's connection to their Personal Legend. Fatima understands that love can wait and if Fate has it planned that Fatima and Santiago are meant to be, then they will circle back around in life and get married. Basically, Coelho is saying that people should discover themselves and their personal legends before they settle down and stay in one place for the rest of their lives. Fatima understands that the Soul of the World connects everyone to the universe; and if their connection is real, then they will find themselves together again after he finds his treasure and accomplishes his life's goals. Fatima explains it perfectly with the following:

"I'm a desert woman, and I'm proud of that. I want my husband to wander as free as the wind that shapes the dunes. And, if I have to, I will accept the fact that he has become a part of the clouds, and the animals, and the water of the desert"(98).

What happens to the yellow sheet of paper in the story "Contents of a Dead Man's Pocket"?

The yellow sheet, which represents hours and week-ends of research by Tom Benecke rises from Tom's desk and whisks out the window when his wife opens the door of their apartment. Throwing caution out the window to accompany the lost sheet, Tom decides to retrieve his plans for a new grocery display. 

 After the yellow sheet of paper whirls out the open window, it lands out on the building's edge, eleven stories in the air. Tom manages to retrieve it, and, after a harrowing experience of balancing himself while he thrusts his hand through the glass of the window which fell shut as he nearly fell and slid against it, he crashes through this window and rather distractedly lays the sheet down on his desk with only a pencil on top of it.
Having pondered the existential absurdity of what he has done, Tom decides to hurry to the cinema where he can sit with his wife; ironically when he opens the door to depart, the draft again lifts the sheet and it flies out the broken window.
This time Tom watches the yellow sheet sail through the air and out of his life. "Tom Benecke burst into laughter and then closed the door behind him."

What rights are claimed to be given to all men, Americans ?

The best answer to this is to say that “all men” have the rights to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” We can also state this by saying that they have the rights to life, liberty, and property.

In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson used the first of these formulas.  He said that “all men” were given those three rights by their creator.  This was an important idea because it meant that people had rights that government could not morally take away from them. Jefferson got this idea from the political philosopher John Locke.  Locke argued that all people innately had the right to their lives, to their liberty, and to their property.  He argued that governments were created to protect these rights, but that the rights did not come from the government.

So, the most likely answer to this question is that all Americans claim the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

What theme does Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird have in common with Tomasz Jastrun's poem "Father and Son"?

As the title of Tomasz Jastrun's poem "Father and Son" indicates, one of the poem's central themes concerns the importance of father-son relationships. Words of the poem make it clear that the father and son do not necessarily agree on all aspects of life; yet, despite their disagreements, they remain close. A similar theme exists in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, which is developed through Atticus and Jem's relationship.

It is clear from the second line of the poem that the father and son in the poem are having some sort of conflict, as, based on the second line, the son is looking at the father "with reproach." Yet, by the sixth line of the poem, the son has decided to set aside his difference of opinion in order to make up with his father, as can be seen by the fact that the sixth line describes the son hugging the father. Though the words of the poem do not clearly spell out what the conflict is between the father and son, we know that neither of them find the conflict important enough to drive a wedge between their relationship; they both value their relationship far more than they value their own separate opinions. The fact that they clearly value their relationship helps develop the theme concerning the importance of a father-son relationship.

We see the importance of a father-son relationship revealed in Atticus and Jem's relationship as well. Atticus and Jem have many disagreements all throughout To Kill a Mockingbird, most of which they resolve. One example can be seen in the fact that Jem really wants Atticus to be the sort of father who can play football with him, like many fathers play with their sons, yet Atticus feels he is too old to be able to play and must let his son down.

A stronger example can be seen when, on the night Jem fears Atticus will be attacked by a mob, Jem goes out to check up on and protect Atticus if at all possible. However, fearing for his children's safety above his own, Atticus disagrees with Jem's insistence on remaining at the jailhouse with Atticus, as seen when Atticus says, "Go home, Jem ... Take Scout and Dill home," but Jem refuses (Ch. 15). Atticus even orders and begs Jem to go home multiple times, but Jem still refuses, showing us that Atticus and Jem have conflicting opinions at this particular moment. Though Atticus fears for his children's safety, it turns out that their being there is a good thing as Scout is inadvertently able to save the day by naively reminding Walter Cunningham, the mob leader, of his humanity.

Though Atticus disagreed with Jem's opinion that he should remain at the jailhouse with Atticus, since the situation turned out well, Atticus and his son make up on the way home. As Scout notes, "Atticus reached out and massaged Jem's hair, his one gesture of affection," similarly to the son hugging the father in Jastrun's poem. Atticus and Jem's ability to make up despite differences of opinion help develop the theme of the importance of father-son relationships, just as events in the poem develop the same theme.

Why can karyotyping only be carried out only when the cells about to divide?

In order to understand why karyotyping can only be done on cells that are about to divide, one must first understand what karyotyping is. Karyotyping is a technique used to visualize the chromosomes that are located within a single cell. This visualization allows scientists to examine the size, number, arrangement, and structure of the chromosomes present. This is important because karyotyping can then be used to look for specific genetic conditions, such as trisomy of a chromosome, or translocations of one part of a chromosome to another nonhomologus chromosome, both of which can lead to major physiological complications and consequences. The reason cells must be close to dividing for this technique to be used is because chromosomes are actually found as long thin structures in a non-dividing cell. These structures are to fine to be labeled and imaged. However when the cell is going through the replication process, these structures are wound into a tighter form that is large enough to be both labeled and visualized through microscopy. Typically, in a normal karyotyping test, scientists will analyze and compare the chromosome sets of at least 10 different cells to help confirm their findings. Hope this helps! 

Explain Annemarie's joke about the butter.

Annemarie and her mama are uneasy and nervous because of the plans to help the Rosen family escape. Mama tells Annemarie that Uncle Henrik has saved a small amount of butter for them. Annemarie asks her mama what Uncle Henrik has saved the butter from. Annemarie jokes with her mama, asking if the Nazi soldiers are trying to "relocate butter." This also refers to the fact that the Nazis are relocating Jews from Denmark. Mama then says that the Nazis have been taking the butter from the farmers to feed their army. She jokingly tells Annemarie that they might seize the small amount of butter that Uncle Henrik has set aside. Mama, Annemarie, and Kirsti laugh at the thought of soldiers seizing such a small amount of butter. Essentially, they are laughing to keep their minds off of the troubles they are facing.

What are some examples of imperialism?

There are many examples of imperialism. Imperialism is when a country controls another country politically and/or economically, often against the will of the people of the country. One example of imperialism is when the British established colonies in North America. The British established thirteen colonies in what is now the United States. The British established these colonies for the benefit of Great Britain. The colonies provided British industries with raw materials and resources. The British industries could then sell the finished products to the colonies. The British also made rules, laws, and policies for the operation of the colonies. By having colonies, Britain was able to have more power in the world. Eventually, the colonists didn’t want to be ruled by Great Britain and had to fight for their freedom.

Another example of imperialism is when the United States fought Spain in the Spanish-American War. The United States was looking to become a world power. We wanted to get colonies that we could control. As a result of the Spanish-American War, we got control over Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines. The people of the Philippines wanted to become independent and weren’t happy when we took them over. We were able to use these colonies as places where our navy could stop and dock in order to get supplies and fuel. We also were able to trade with our colonies.

Other countries like Spain, France, and the Netherlands had colonies throughout the world. Spain controlled much of Central and South America for reasons similar to those of Britain. Spain benefited economically, politically, and militarily by having colonies in Central and South America. The French had colonies in North America and Africa. The Dutch had colonies in Africa and Asia. Countries established colonies for their benefit, even if the people didn’t want to be colonized by these countries.

Why does Jimmy want to carry his own suitcase?

When Jimmy Valentine checks into the Planters' Hotel in Elmore, Arkansas, under the alias of Ralph Spencer, he prevents the clerk from calling the bellboy.

Mr. Spencer thought he would stop over in the town a few days and look over the situation. No, the clerk needn't call the boy. He would carry up his suit-case, himself; it was rather heavy.

Jimmy doesn't want the bellboy to realize how heavy the suitcase really is, because it would start the boy wondering and then talking about it. This is a small town where everything gets around. Other people would start wondering and talking about Jimmy's suitcase. It is heavy because it is full of the tools of his trade.

It was a complete set, made of specially tempered steel, the latest designs in drills, punches, braces and bits, jimmies, clamps, and augers, with two or three novelties, invented by Jimmy himself, in which he took pride. 

O. Henry makes repeated references to this suitcase. It is a symbol of Jimmy's high professional status as a safecracker. But it also becomes a terrible burden after he decides to go straight. He happens to have it with him when the little girl gets trapped in the bank vault. He is forced by his own conscience and his fiancee's pleadings to open the suitcase and reveal to everybody that he is a professional safecracker, an imposter, a criminal and an ex-convict. The tools will be incontrovertible evidence against him in court when Ben Price arrests him, because they can be linked to the three bank jobs Jimmy pulled after being pardoned and released from prison.

Jimmy would like to get rid of the suitcase, but he can't. It has become a millstone around his neck. This symbolizes what happens to people when they enter a life of crime. They develop criminal mentalities, and later they develop convict mentalities. We are all shaped by what we do in life. 

O. Henry spent three years in a state prison for embezzlement, and he learned a lot about criminals and convicts. He knew how hard it was to go straight. He saw many men walk out of prison and then be brought back inside. They are called "recidivists." It is hard for them to make it on the outside because they have no respectable trades and they cannot explain what they have been doing for a number of years.

An extreme example of a recidivist is Jean Valjean in Victor Hugo's great classic novel Les Miserables. Valjean tries all his life to be a respectable citizen, but he is pursued relentlessly by his nemesis Inspector Javert. Ben Price is Jimmy Valentine's nemesis, but Price is not such a hard-hearted martinet as Javert. Price is willing to give Jimmy a break after he sees how Jimmy sacrifices his freedom and happiness to save that little girl.

Who discovered the capillaries and how?

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What are some symbols in chapters 3 and 4 in Of Mice and Men?

Candy’s dog is a predominant symbol as individuals who are weak and considered useless by society. Once an excellent cattle dog, it is now toothless, smelly, and old. Candy has had it since it was a puppy, and he is reluctant to put it out of its misery, though Carlson points out that it would be a kindness.

The puppies are also a symbol of vulnerability. Candy is promised one to take the place of his dog, and Lennie is given one as well. Lennie likes to pet it, but he does not realize that it is weak and needs the protection of someone else, in this case its mother. Responding to a perceived aggression, Lennie smacks the puppy and kills it, much as he has done to the mice he has been given in the past. His fear of attack causes Lennie to strike back, which also leads to the death of Curley’s wife.

Both Candy’s dog and the puppy symbolize the position of those who are weak and vulnerable in society, such as Lennie. The world has no place for such individuals, and their death is the most likely solution seen by society.

What were the Peace of Westphalia and Edict of Nantes?

Both the Edict of Nantes and the Peace of Westphalia were agreements signed by multiple parties in order to end conflict or in order to prevent possible conflict. Both documents are also thought to have had results that have lasted past the original parameters of the agreements themselves. In other words both of these documents had an impact that lasted further than the situation that they were original crafted for.

Going in historical order, the Edict of Nantes was signed into law first. In 1598 King Henry IV of France signed into law the Edict of Nantes. The purpose of this document was two-fold. First it was to reaffirm that France was first and foremost a Catholic nation. Second and simultaneously it was meant to grant some religious leeway to the ever increasing Protestant and Huguenot population of France. The Edict gave those groups a greater portion of rights and protections in a nation that was not defined by their religious practices. This may not seem to be a major step for the nation at the time because the edict did nothing to address other religious groups, such as Jews and Muslims, in the same way. That being said it did set the stage for the possibility of France being more open to religious tolerance and secularism later down the line. While this is the reason this Edict is remembered it did not have the effect it was meant to. Inside of opening France up to increased religious tolerance it was actually revoked and Protestantism was declared illegal when in 1685 Louis XIV issued the Edict of Fontainebleau. Nevertheless the Edict of Nantes is an important document when it comes to the history of religious tolerance.

The Peace of Westphalia on the other hand was more concerned with ending a detrimental political situation than preventing internal religious strife. The Peace of Westphalia was a series of treaties that worked to ended the Thirty Years War. Signed in 1648 after two years of deliberation, the treaties brought peace to the conflicts that had been occurring between the Holy Roman Empire, the Kingdom of Spain, the Kingdom of France, the Swedish Empire, the Dutch Republic, and various other free imperial cities. The lasting results of this event, aside from ending the conflict within Europe, were also two-fold. One major and lasting result was that this event effectively broke up much of the Holy Roman Empire. Power was returned to individual cities and territories such as Switzerland, which became a sovereign nation, and the Holy Roman Empire was essential no more. The other was that even though all conflict was ended by this peace (Spain and France continued hostilities for the year or so), it did a great deal in the way of establishing lasting nation borders and the overall ideas about what a sovereign nation is and how it should be recognized.

What is a quote that shows how Lyddie is brave in chapters 1-4 of Lyddie?

Lyddie bravely faces danger when a bear comes into her house.

Lyddie demonstrates bravery and quick thinking quite often.  An example of this is when her brother leaves a door open (or doesn’t shut it well enough), and a huge bear wanders into their house.  Lyddie is perfectly calm, and immediately begins giving orders to everyone—including her mother.

"Don't nobody yell," she said softly. "Just back up slow and quiet to the ladder and climb up to the loft. Charlie, you get Agnes, and Mama, you take Rachel." She heard her mother whimper. "Shhh," she continued, her voice absolutely even. "It's all right long as nobody gets upset. (Ch. 1)

Everyone climbs into the loft but Lyddie.  She says she will go last and take the ladder up. She does not get a chance.  Lyddie looks straight into the bear's eyes, glaring and daring him to get her.  She almost seems to have a charm on him.  However, he hears a noise and attacks. Again, Lyddie is quick thinking.  She remains below as the bear thrashes around until he sticks his head in boiling hot oatmeal and runs away.

Lyddie shows daily bravery just by keeping things going in her mother’s negligence.  He has gone off prospecting, and she never expects him to return.  As a result, she has gone “queer” according to Lyddie.  She decides to leave her farm and go to Uncle Judah’s, but Lyddie knows they can’t all just get up and leave.

"I can't stop you to go," Lyddie said, "but I can't go with you. I can't. leave the farm." When her mother opened her mouth to argue, Lyddie went on. "The sow won't fetch enough to provide coach fare for the lot of us." (Ch. 1)

Lyddie is very brave to stay behind while her mother and the younger children leave.  It is a different kind of bravery than the physical bravery of facing down the bear, but she does it for the same reason.  She is trying to protect her family.  She knows that the farm is all they have left, and their financial mainstay. Her mother is not mentally well enough to be of use.

Throughout her journey, Lyddie will remain resolute and strong.  Even when her mother basically sells her into servitude, Lyddie never breaks.  She eventually finds her own way, becoming a factory girl, where she will also always remain brave and strong in the face of difficulties.

My daughter has a math question that says 2 kids looked at a chart and one said purple was 1/4...the other one said 1/10...teacher says both are...

There might be a different type of answer depending on the wording of the question and the context, but assuming the question says each girl's answer is correct, here is a possible scenario:

Imagine a chart of area 40 square units. Within the chart is an area with various colors, including purple, of area 16 square units. Suppose the purple area is 4 square units.

Then the purple area is 1/4 of the colored section of the chart. But the purple area is also 1/10 the area of the entire chart.

When dealing with fractions, it is important to identify the "whole" from which the "parts" are taken. For instance 1/4 of a foot is also 1/12 of a yard. For the scenario I used, the "whole" could be the entire area of the chart or just the colored section.

What evidence is there to support that Scout is an innocent character?

There are numerous passages throughout the novel that depict Scout as an innocent character. Throughout the majority of the novel, Scout is a naive child who lacks understanding. One example that depicts Scout's innocence is her belief in the rumors that surround Boo Radley. In Chapter 5, when she is talking with Miss Maudie, Scout suggests that Boo Radley died and was "stuffed up a chimney." Scout is naive and believes anything her older brother, Jem, tells her.

Another example of Scout's innocence is depicted throughout her relationship with Dill. In Chapter 5, she is upset with Dill because they were "engaged" and he did not pay attention to her, so she beat him up. In Chapter 14, Dill and Scout discuss where babies come from. Scout maintains that God drops them down chimnies. These comments portray Scout's innocence in the subjects of relationships and anatomy.

Scout does not understand certain terms, such as "rape" and "nigger lover." She consults her father, Atticus, who is the wise, moral role-model throughout the novel. Atticus tells Scout that rape is the "carnal knowledge of a female by force and without consent." (Lee 180) Atticus explains what rape is using erudite diction that he knows Scout will not understand. Scout is too young to understand such explicit ideas and does not need to know the meaning of such terms.

Racist characters throughout Maycomb refer to Atticus as a "nigger-lover," and Scout does not know what it means. Scout understands that it has a negative connotation, but does not fully comprehend its actual meaning. Again, Atticus understands Scout is too young to grasp the weight of this term and describes it in a simplified manner.

What is Raymonds health condition in "Raymond's Run" by Toni Cade Bambara?

In Toni Cade Bambara's short story, "Raymond's Run", the narrator's brother, Raymond, has a health condition called hydrocephalus. This condition is marked by too much fluid on the brain causing it to swell. Those that suffer from hydrocephalus are often mentally handicapped like Raymond is in this story. We know that because even though Raymond is older than Squeaky, she has to take care of him and to make sure he doesn't get into any mischief like a much younger boy might get into. Even though Raymond is handicapped, by the end of the story we find out that due to all of Squeaky's training and the fact that Raymond has had to keep up with her, he has become quite a good runner himself! 

Why does the man in Jack London's short story "To Build a Fire" set off in the freezing cold in the first place?

Jack London's adventure story "To Build a Fire," set in the Yukon at the turn of the 20th century, is a perfect example of a "man vs. nature" conflict. The unnamed protagonist is hiking in the extreme cold (London tells us it is 75 degrees below zero with 107 degrees of frost) and in many ways he is unprepared for the daunting conditions. Only his dog seems to understand the danger until the man breaks through the ice and gets wet. His attempts to build a fire fail and he ultimately freezes to death. 

London tells us very little about the man. We do know he is following Henderson Creek, a place where London himself had lived in the late 1890's. London writes:

"He was headed for the old camp on Henderson Creek, where the boys were already. They had come across the mountain from the Indian Creek country. He had taken the long trail to look at the possibility of floating logs from the islands in the Yukon down the river when the ice melted. He would be in camp by six o'clock that evening. It would be a little after dark, but the boys would be there, a fire would be burning, and a hot supper would be ready."

From that passage the reader might assume, from the sentence about logs, that maybe this man is a logger on his way to join men who will be logging the woods.

A better explanation, however, is revealed in a story on a website about Jack London that tells us that London staked a mining claim in Dawson City, Yukon in 1897 and actually lived in a cabin on Henderson Creek at the time (see link to story below). He wrote "To Build a Fire" while living in that cabin. So, the best guess is probably that this man is a miner on his way to meet other men who are hoping to make a gold strike during the Yukon gold rush of the time. The man may be motivated by greed to set off on a very foolish and reckless trek in the worst of conditions, but, of course, this is probably reading more into the story than London wants to tell you.

Are people really free or are they bounded by invisible chains?

It really isn't a matter of our being absolutely free or a matter of being absolutely bound by "invisible chains." We do make choices in our lives but many of our choices are conditioned by our environment and social norms.

To take a fairly trivial example, in many parts of China, slurping soup or noodles and belching can be a way to show appreciation for food, but in the west it is considered extremely rude. While I know in theory that table manners are culturally contingent, the "invisible chains" of social norms instilled in me as a child still lead me to react with revulsion at people who eat noisily and chew with their mouths open, despite the fact that there are really no rational grounds for this prejudice.

There is a strong evolutionary advantage to "invisible chains" constraining on our actions. Take the example of the CN Tower in Toronto. It has a glass floor at an elevation of 1,122 feet above the ground. Despite logically knowing that it is safe to walk across it, many people panic and are unable to even step on it. This fear of heights obviously helps keep us safe, making us draw back from the edges of cliffs. It acts on a level almost prior to conscious thought. 

Often the difference between freedom and constraint is point of view. When we decide for whom to vote, where to shop, how to decorate our houses, who to date, or even what career to choose, we experience ourselves as making free choices. On the other hand, an external observer will be able, in the aggregate to predict the probable outcomes of most of these choices, based on our age, gender, and family background, and thus in that sense we are constrained.

How is A Streetcar Named Desire viewed and understood by readers in our society?

A Streetcar Named Desire is one of the most important plays in American history. Today, the play has significance in many ways. 

The first of these is that it defined an important genre in American theater. This genre is called "lyrical realism." Tennessee Williams pioneered the style of lyrical realism after World War II; previously, American theater had been defined by a style of gritty or dirty realism in the 1920s and 30s, which strove to accurately capture the struggles of working and middle class Americans. In Streetcar, some of Williams' characters use common dialect, and many of the scenes are sordid, involving street scenes and domestic violence. However, his stage directions--which call for soft, ethereal lighting--and Blanche's dialogue, which is poetic and romantic, attenuate this realism and create a layer of poetry that covers the play, as well. This was considered revolutionary at the time. 

The second significance of Streetcar is historical. The play captures the transition of the American South from a planter aristocracy (represented by Blanche, an older, fading beauty who comes from a foreclosed plantation in the country), to an urbanizing, industrializing society (represented by Stanley, a Polish immigrant living in New Orleans and working in manufacturing). What is so interesting about Streetcar is that its attitude towards this transition is complicated: neither Blanche nor Stanley are represented as sympathetic characters. It still begs the question, how should we think about the past? What are the ethics of nostalgia? How do we compare the weight of injustices committed by societies (like Blanche's slave-owning ancestors) and by people (like Stanley, who commits rape)? 

When does Lyddie get the new dress in "Lyddie"?

Lyddie gets a new dress when she arrives at Cutler's Tavern, but has to give it back when she gets fired.  She buys a dress before her interview at the factory.

Lyddie wore a homespun coarse brown dress when she first got to the city.  The term “homespun” means that the cloth and the dress were made by hand (not store-bought).  When Lyddie leaves home, she has two dresses and a nightgown for clothes, and she has outgrown her only pair of boots.

The dress doesn’t really fit Lyddie either.  It is “tight across her newly budding chest” and has a ragged, uneven hem.  This is the better of her two dresses.  She hasn’t had a new dress in four years.  This is how she arrives at the tavern.  She is also embarrassed that she has no bonnet and forgot to put her too-small boots on.

Lyddie has to be presentable as an employee, so she is given a new dress.

As it turned out, Mistress Cutler provided her with a storebought calico gown. It was softer than her rough brown homespun and fit her much better, but somehow it suited her less. How could she enjoy the garment of her servitude? She was fit with new boots as well. (Ch. 3, p. 23)

Lyddie does not admire the dress and boots, even though they fit her better.  She feels like she is enslaved to Cutler’s Tavern because she is working there to pay off the family debts.  She prefers going barefoot because breaking in the new boots gives her blisters.

When Lyddie is fired for leaving work without permission, Mistress Cutler complains about the dress.

"No," Lyddie said quickly. "I know I done wrong to go off when you wasn't here. I'll just collect my things and be gone, ey?

"You're wearing my dress!"

"Yes, ma'am. Shall I wash it before I go or‐?"

"Don't be impertinent!" (Ch. 6, p. 44)

Lyddie leaves the dress, which she never liked anyway, and returns to her homespun dress.  Even though it does not fit, it is “like laying off a great burden” because it represents the tavern and her situation.

When Lyddie tries to get a job at the factory Mrs. Bedlow, the landlady at the boarding house, does not take kindly to her old dress or boots (especially since they are covered in mud).  She tells Lyddie the “dress is only fit now to be burned” (Ch. 8, p. 54) and she will need to look better before she can go to the interview.  Shopping for “a proper dress, work apron, shoes, and bonnet” takes all the money she borrowed from Triphena.  The cost makes it difficult for Lyddie to enjoy them.

Lyddie's dress is symbolic of how she has to grow up fast.  Her dress is fit for a girl, but she is now becoming a woman.  Lyddie admires the city women in their silk dresses, but does not envy them.  She feels out of place even in the store-bought cotton dresses.

Note:  Editions of books will vary, but you have the chapters.

Do you think the act of reading is more accurate or interpretive?

This is a very interesting query that is best served by fully understanding the options it poses.

What is an "interpretive" reading? The word "interpret" has two meanings, the first is to explain something, and the second is to understand the meaning of something. An interpretive reading, then, is one where you have taken in the material through the lens of your own experience and understanding. An interpretive reading is therefore colored by who you are, the life you've led, what you've read previously, etc.

What is an "accurate" reading? "Accurate" is defined as "correct in all details," and it indicates that you have understood something precisely as the author intended.

So whether or not reading is accurate or interpretive depends a great deal on the material you're reading. In the case of literature, however, I think it is safe to say that it is more interpretive than accurate. That's because art of any kind is not created in a void, and a writer understand that their readers are bringing their own personal experiences to the reading of their text.

This is why books move some people and not others, or why you like a piece of music that your friend might not, or why you are not as interested in a certain style of visual art in which others find great meaning. That's because art, including literature, is by necessity a collaboration with its audience. Literature, then, relies on the reader's interpretation. In fact, it cannot exist without it.

How much space would 18 ml of water take up if it evaporated?

When water evaporates, it changes from liquid to gas at a temperature below it's boiling point. The volume this amount of water occupies in the gas phase is much greater than in the liquid phase, and depends on its temperature and pressure. Since you didn't specify the temperature and pressure at which the evaporation is taking place, I will use 25 degrees C and 1.00 atm as an example. We also need to know the number of moles of water, which can be calculated from its mass. Water has a density of 1.00g/ml at 25 degrees C, so 18 ml of water = 18 grams. Water has a molar mass of 18 grams/mole, so 18 gram of water = 1.0 mole.

The Ideal Gas Equation PV=nRT, can be used to calculate the volume:

V = nRT/P

n = 1.0 mole

R = ideal gas constant = 0.0821 L-atm/mol-K

T = 25 degrees C = 298 K

P = 1.00 atm

V = (1.0 mol)(0.0821 L-atm/mol-K)(298 K)/(1.00 atm)

V = 24.5 Liters

The molar volume, 22.4 L, is the volume of one mole of any gas at standard temperature and pressure, 273 K and 1.00 atm. If we used 272K (0 degrees C) for temperature the result of this calculation would be 22.4 L. You can substitute a different temperature and/or pressure into the ideal gas equation to find the volume under other conditions.

How might the way Scout tells the story bias the reader towards or against other characters in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird is written from Scout's adult voice as she remembers her childhood experiences. The adult perspective pieces together many of the holes she may have from her memory in order to create a solid story. As a result, the adult Scout might project more mature conclusions or biases about people that might have been different from what she actually felt or experienced at the time. With that said, Scout could also have demonized people she didn't understand while she was a child and carried those feelings into adulthood. One example of this possibility is Scout's feelings about Aunt Alexandra. The reader might see Aunt Alexandra as a wicked witch based on Scout's assessment and portrayal of her, as shown in the following passage:

"Aunt Alexandra was fanatical on the subject of my attire. I could not possibly hope to be a lady if I wore breeches; when I said I could do nothing in a dress, she said I wasn't supposed to be doing things that required pants. . . furthermore, I should be a ray of sunshine in my father's lonely life. I suggested that one could be a ray of sunshine in pants just as well, but Aunty said that one had to behave like a sunbeam, I was born good but had grown progressively worse every year. She hurt my feelings and set my teeth permanently on edge" (81).

The above passage shows Scout resisting Aunt Alexandra's attempts to teach her to be a lady. Aunt Alexandra wants Scout to wear dresses, help her father, and not beat other children up, but that doesn't mean she hates her. On the contrary, it's because of her love for her family that she wants to train Scout to behave properly. The friction between the two women, though, probably never really healed and Scout ends up carrying those feelings over into the storytelling. Hence, the story presents only Scout's side of her feelings for Aunt Alexandra, which might give the reader the same biased feelings as well.

For an example of how Scout describes someone to make the reader like another character rather than despise him is with Dill. Scout loves Dill, so descriptions surrounding him will be more positive, as in the following passage:

"Summer was on the way; Jem and I awaited it with impatience. Summer was our best season: it was sleeping on the back screened porch in cots, or trying to sleep in the tree-house; summer was everything good to eat; it was a thousand colors in a parched landscape; but most of all, summer was Dill" (34).

Contrast the above passage with the one about Aunt Alexandra and the reader can completely see that Dill is a positive character in Scout's story. She places Dill in front of a backdrop of colors, good food, and sleeping outside--all the things kids love about summer! With such love flowing through wonderful language as this, the reader can certainly appreciate Dill.

Which cave formation is formed along the walls of the cave where water flows and calcite is deposited?

In talking about the floor of the cave, where water is flowing in a stream-like fashion, it is a structure known as a rimstone dam.  This is a structure that has a slight upturn, similar to an outer rim on a soup bowl.  It is formed as a result of calcite deposition in areas where the water flow slows enough for the calcite to precipitate out of solution.

Other structures that are the product of calcite deposition are the stone icicles that descend from a cave's ceiling, called stalactites.  These are formed as a result of calcite in water, dripping through cracks in the cave's ceiling.  Over time, the calcite builds up layer by layer, and forms a stone icicle.  These stone icicles can generate from the cave's floor as well.  These are called stalagmites.  Sometimes, the deposition will be sufficient enough to generate a stalactite formation from the ceiling and a stalagmite formation from the floor.  When they join in the middle, this is called a column.

Why is it important for a teacher to understand human growth and development?

I can think of two reasons why it might be important for teachers to study and understand human growth and development. First, if a teacher intends to teach a course on such a subject, it would be wise for him or her to have a thorough understanding of human growth and development before teaching others. Secondly (and more importantly, in my opinion), knowledge of growth and development is vital to creating appropriate lessons. Knowledge of physical, mental, and social development in humans is important for teachers to consider when developing their lesson plans.

Let's consider the importance of understanding physical growth and development. Teachers either should not have students perform exercises they physically cannot do, or may choose to alter the exercise so it is appropriate for the student. Children and adolescents are in a period of development where they are still "getting the hang of" their bodies. The development of fine motor skills is especially important for academic tasks like writing, typing, and crafting. Activities should be appropriate to the student's skill level. It would also be prudent for a teacher to have an understanding of human growth and development and problems which may arise in exceptional circumstances. If a child suffers from pain in their legs during or after a physical education course, teachers should have some understanding of the possibilities of fractures or nutritional deficiencies.

Mental development is similarly appropriate to creating lessons which meet and challenge a child's skill level. Children may be in varying stages of development which hinder or allow them to practice abstract thought and object or personal permanence. Abstract thought is especially important to subjects like math and science, which may involve lessons about things which are intangible. Children typically do not study physics both because they do not have foundational knowledge of the subject and because their brains may not be entirely capable of the functions necessary to understand the laws of physics.

Of the three of these, I think social development needs the most additional attention in educational settings. Young people may be maturing at different rates or have different experiences with socialization, and teachers should have a good understanding of social development and how it affects education. For example, if one student has been lacking in their socialization and experiences anxiety at school, the discomfort they feel can impede his or her ability to learn. 

What is comparative politics?

Comparative politics is, as the name implies, the field of study in which scholars compare the political systems of various states.  When scholars do this, they are trying to look at the major ways in which various states’ political systems are similar and different.  By looking at these similarities and differences, they hope to understand how politics in general works across different contexts and they hope to understand how to improve any given state’s political system.

Comparative politics exists as a discipline because the world is a diverse place.  There are hundreds of different states in the world, each with its own political system.  There is no one way of running a political system that every state in the world agrees on.  Instead of having a world where every state runs in the same way, we have a very diverse world.

Because we have diversity, we also have questions about what is best.  The diversity of political systems in the world means that have many different ways that we could potentially choose to do things.  We could, for example, have single-member legislative districts, proportional representation, or a combination thereof.  As human beings, we naturally want to know which of these systems is best for us.  This is where comparative politics comes into play.

Comparative politics looks at the different political systems of the world.  It asks how they came to be different.  It tries to understand how the differences in the political systems affect how well they work.  For example, it might look at the different electoral systems mentioned in the previous paragraph and try to determine what effect each has on the types of political parties that arise in a given state.  It might then look at what effect there is on a state when it has many small political parties as opposed to two or perhaps three major political parties.  In other words, comparative politics looks at the differences between political systems and tries to understand why they exist and how/why they matter.

Comparative politics, then, is about the differences in political systems around the world.  It examines the differences (and similarities) and tries to determine how they came about and how they affect the states in which they exist.

Create a dialogue between George and Slim just after George has shot Lennie. Express the thoughts and feelings of both characters on the event, as...

Slim: You hadda, George. I swear you hadda. Come on with me.

(Carlson has a puzzled look as George and Slim walk back up toward the road)

George: It's the hardest thing I ever had to do, Slim.

Slim: I know it George, but it had to be done. They'd a locked him up and treated him like a dog. He didn't deserve none a that.

George: But he didn't do it to be mean. He never done nothin' mean Slim. I wisht we could just all get along and ain't nobody hurt nobody ever again. I feel bad for Curley's wife. I guess deep down I knew somethin' like this was goin' to happen. I tol' Lennie to stay away from her so I think she musta started somethin' with him.

Slim: She was always trying to talk to us guys. I wisht Curley coulda kept her in that house. The ranch ain't no place for a girl like that.

George: Yeah, she was trouble, that's for sure. Whadda ya think the sheriff is gonna say about it?

Slim: We'll talk to Al Wilts. He's the deputy. He's a pretty nice fella. I think you should just tell him it was self defense. You'll be ok. Curley and Carlson ain't gonna say anything different. What you think you want to do now George?

George: Oh, I dunno, I guess I can work a week and take my pay and go sit in a poolroom or a buy some whiskey or even go to a whorehouse. Nuts! I don't wanna do none of that. What if you and I take off Slim and look for some work up north?

Slim: Maybe George. I'm pretty tired of this ranch. Curley might not be so bad now though. I hope maybe he learned his lesson but I doubt it. You know of someplace we could get a good job.

George: Well, maybe up by Auburn where I grew up. There's a good ranch we could work on. Guy that owns it says I should come back and work for him if I wasn't with Lennie anymore. He had a run-in with Lennie and wouldn't let him on the property. We could save some money and buy a farm up there that some old folks own. We could even take Candy. I told him we wasn't gonna do it but maybe we should. If you was to come along we could get the money pretty quick. How's that sound?

Slim: Ok, George, that sounds fine. Now let's go into Soledad and get a drink.

In the story "Shooting an Elephant," what does the narrator symbolize?

We are never completely certain of the extent to which the story "Shooting an Elephant" is autobiographical. Orwell was actually an imperial policeman in Burma, and he uses the first person and an autobiographical tone throughout. So the narrator, in some sense, at least, is Orwell himself. Beyond that, the narrator represents the corrupting effects of British imperialism on the colonizers themselves, as well as the colonized. The narrator is placed in a situation where he is forced, as he sees it, by his relationship with the Burmese people to shoot the elephant, which he does not want to do. But they expect him to, and he does it to avoid, in his words, "looking a fool." He feels insecure and hated (he discusses this at length in the beginning of the story) and the only way he can avoid looking foolish is by living up to their expectations of him. Imperialism is, at the end of the day, a violent enterprise, and the narrator, insecure in his power in the face of a mob, must satisfy them by behaving violently and against his wishes. 

How is the character of Mrs. Dubose in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird a paradox?

Mrs. Dubose is a paradoxical character throughout the novel To Kill a Mockingbird because she displays both positive and negative personality traits. A paradox can be defined as a situation, statement, or person that displays contradicting elements or qualities. Harper Lee juxtaposes Mrs. Dubose's personality by portraying both her unbridled racism and hatred, as well as her integrity and courage. Mrs. Dubose hurls derogatory comments and racial slurs at Jem and Scout. She is indignant and controversial when Jem reads to her, which makes the audience view her character with contempt. After she dies, Atticus explains her courageous battle against a terminal illness and morphine addiction. Mrs. Dubose shows her compassion towards Jem by giving him a white camellia as a token of her forgiveness. Lee displays Mrs. Dubose's integrity and courage which contrasts with her rude, ignorant personality. Harper Lee uses Mrs. Dubose's paradoxical qualities to illuminate the duality of human nature. Throughout Chapter 11, Scout and Jem experience that humans can have conflicting character traits and cannot be generalized as exclusively good or bad. 

How does Shakespeare present the idea of mortality in Act 5, scene 1 and how does this relate to Hamlet's character in the rest of the play?

Throughout the play, Hamlet has been meditating on death or mortality. Was his father's death murder or did he die a natural death? How should revenge take place? So far, most of Hamlet's thinking has been from the point of view of the afterlife. In his "to be or not to be" soliloquy, for example, his thoughts about suicide hinge on whether it will lead to oblivion--in other words whether he will melt away or evaporate like dew, which is what he would like--or if their actually is an  afterlife that might lead to hell. That fear of an afterlife keeps people from suicide, Hamlet thinks.

The afterlife is uppermost in his thoughts about killing Claudius as well: for example, he refrains from killing him while he is in prayer, because he doesn't want Claudius to go straight to heaven. 

In Act V, scene 1, Hamlet meditates on death from the point of view of how the dead are remembered by the living rather than from the perspective of the afterlife. He and Horatio stumble across a gravedigger digging a fresh grave, and Hamlet wonders, as he picks up a discarded skull, who it belonged to. The gravedigger tells him it's the skull of Yorick, the court jester. Hamlet remembers Yorick carrying him about on his back when he was a child and is shocked at the idea that Yorick now is reduced to this smelly skull. Hamlet thinks about death as the great leveller or equalizer of people ( a common trope of the Middle Ages and Renaissance)--and Hamlet muses that even someone like Alexander the Great is no more than dirt and dust now. 

Hamlet realizes in this scene that from the point of view of the living, we are all destined for the same fate, whether beggars or kings: to become a pile of bones that decay into dirt after a few short years. When he discovers the grave being dug is for Ophelia, and when the mourners arrive for her burial, he mocks their words and gestures of grief with his own hyperbole: they are not really going to do anything for her, no matter what their words: in reality her death means very little. 

All of these thoughts are in the mind of this most contemplative of men as he heads to the final confrontation with Claudius and Laertes. When he warns Laertes that there is something dangerous about him: "I have something in me dangerous,/Which let thy wisdom fear," he may be alluding to his lack of fear of death, for he knows we all end up as dust. 

Why does Montag think books will make him happy in Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury?

In Fahrenheit 451, during a conversation with Faber, Montag reveals why he thinks books will make him happy:

We have everything we need to be happy, but we aren't happy. Something's missing. I looked around. The only thing I positively knew was gone was the books I'd burned in ten or twelve years. So I thought books might help.

In other words, Montag believes books can bring him happiness because everything else in his society has failed. Neither his marriage to Mildred nor his job as a fireman nor his access to a wide range of entertainments make Montag happy. As such, Montag idealizes books as his last hope of achieving happiness. 

Reading books also provides an opportunity for expression and creativity, two things Montag desperately craves. He tells Faber he just wants "someone to hear" what he says. He realizes his society is not interested in listening to the thoughts and opinions of its citizens and this provides Montag with another reason to believe in the power of books. 

What explanation does Gertrude offer for Hamlet's murder of Polonius?

Gertrude has to tell her husband Claudius about the murder, but she wants to attribute it to her son's madness, which she now realizes is all a pretense. So she leaves out the important details that she was crying for help and Polonius, behind the tapestry, was also calling for help. This is what she tells Claudius at the beginning of Act 4:

Ah, mine own lord, what have I seen tonight!

What, Gertrude? How does Hamlet?

Mad as the sea and wind when both contend
Which is the mightier. In his lawless fit,
Behind the arras hearing something stir,
Whips out his rapier, cries 'A rat, a rat!'
And in this brainish apprehension kills
The unseen good old man.

When Claudius asks, "Where is he gone?", Gertrude tells him:

To draw apart the body he hath kill'd;
O'er whom his very madness, like some ore
Among a mineral of metals base,
Shows itself pure. He weeps for what is done.

All this about Hamlet's remorse is a pure lie. Her son dislikes Polonius. As he exits his mother's room at the very end of Act 3, he says:

I'll lug the guts into the neighbour room.
Mother, good night. Indeed, this counsellor
Is now most still, most secret, and most grave,
Who was in life a foolish prating knave.

What really happened was that Hamlet frightened his mother and she started calling for help. The loyal Polonius, who couldn't see anything, started echoing her cries for the guards. Hamlet thought he had walked into a trap, because he didn't understand why his own mother was acting with such alarm. At that time she thought he was mad and believed he intended to kill in a horrible manner. He is wearing a sword and has just told her:

Come, come, and sit you down. You shall not budge.
You go not till I set you up a glass
Where you may see the inmost part of you.

She takes his metaphor literally because she believes he is insane. She thinks he intends to set up a big looking-glass and make her watch herself while he disembowels her with his sword. Maniacs do things like that, and they often attack their own parents. So she starts screaming for help, and Polonius starts echoing her. Hamlet at this point doesn't trust his mother. He suspects she was in collusion with Claudius when he murdered her first husband. Now Hamlet suspects that this is a set-up--that she he has summoned him to her chamber with the intention of having him arrested and thrown into a dungeon, where he will be at her husband's mercy. With a woman crying for help in front of him and a man crying for help somewhere behind him, he is bewildered, suspicious and apprehensive. He takes immediate action and kills the unknown person behind the tapestry who would be blocking his getaway. It is characteristic of Hamlet that he cannot act decisively when he thinks about what he is doing but that he can act very effectively when he acts spontaneously. Obviously Hamlet's chief tragic flaw is that he thinks too much and his thinking inhibits his ability to act.

Hamlet's tragic flaw seems to be Shakespeare's way of indirectly criticizing too much education. In other words, Hamlet thinks too much because he has spent too much time at the university and has read too many books. Shakespeare himself had a limited education, but he learned plenty in the so-called School of Hard Knocks. Like many self-educated men, he probably felt a little disdainful of "book learning."

In Animal Farm, what is an example of the social context?

One example of the social context of Animal Farm is rooted in the early-20th-century history of Russia, particularly its October Revolution of 1917. The roots of this revolution begin in the early part of that year when the Russian monarch, Tsar Nicholas II, abdicated. In the wake of his abdication, the country formed a provisional government which was led by Alexander Kerensky who became the first prime minister.

In October of that fateful year, however, Kerensky was ousted and the Bolsheviks seized control of Russia. They were headed by Vladimir Lenin who became the Chief Commissar. The Bolsheviks were Socialists who promised "Peace, Bread and Land" to the Russian people - much like the message of Old Major's speech in Chapter One - and abolished private poverty in a bid to redistribute Russia's wealth.

While Orwell was a committed Socialist himself, he did not believe that the Russian Revolution promoted the true spirit of Socialism nor did it bring peace and prosperity to the Russian people. We see this directly through the Stalinist Purges of the 1930s in which murder and violence became commonplace throughout Soviet Russia, much like Napoleon's cull of the animals in Chapter Seven. 

This is only one example of Animal Farm's social context but it is an important one because it demonstrates Orwell's message and transforms his novel from a simple story to a socio-political allegory. 

How do I write a persuasive essay on Lady Macbeth's motivations?

To write a persuasive essay on Lady Macbeth's motivations in the play Macbeth, you will need to start with a thesis statement that clearly posits her motivation for taking part in the murder of Duncan. After you have developed a thesis statement, consider the points of argument that you will use to support your thesis statement. These points of argument will form the basis of the topic sentences in your essay. As you develop your argument in those body paragraphs, you will need to include relevant textual references (quotations) to support your points. And since you are writing a persuasive essay, you need to be mindful of including your perspective on Lady Macbeth's motivations so that you can convince the reader to adopt your perspective. For example, are Lady Macbeth's motivations in the play justified? As you pose your perspective, you can use persuasive techniques to convince the reader. Appeals to ethos, pathos, and logos are effective in persuasion.

Why does the author characterize and describe the crowd going to the trial in such detail in To Kill a Mockingbird?

By characterizing the crowd on the day of the trial, the reader gets some more insight into the social makeup of Maycomb County. People from both sides of the issue arrive to either show support for Tom Robinson, or simply to witness a very important social and legal event for their time and for the history of their county. In a way, it's as if Lee shows the reader what type of people would send an innocent man to his eventual death. As for the black community, Lee shows that they all come out respectfully and peacefully to support Tom Robinson.

As far as those who Jem chooses to introduce to Dill, they are as follows:

"As the county went by us, Jem gave Dill the histories and general attitudes of the more prominent figures: Mr. Tensaw Jones voted the straight Prohibition ticket; Miss Emily Davis dipped snuff in private; Mr. Byron Waller could play the violin; Mr. Jake Slade was cutting his third set of teeth" (159).

But the most interesting characters Jem announces are X Billups and Dolphus Raymond. X got his name probably because his parents couldn't read or write, so they signed his birth certificate with an X and that was the end of it. Raymond, on the other hand, is introduced as a drunk with mixed-race children--a symbol for another type of person looked down on by the community. Later, Scout and Dill find out that he's not a drunk, he just lets people believe that so they will leave him alone with his children and way of life. Dill asks Jem why a well-off man like Raymond would sit with the colored folks and act the way he does. Jem explains further as follows:

"That's just his way. . . They say he never got over his weddin'. He was supposed to marry one of the--the Spencer ladies, I think. They were gonna have a huge weddin', but they didn't--after the rehearsal the bride went upstairs and blew her head off. Shot gun. She pulled the trigger with her toes" (161).

The scandal is entertaining and the twist in the end, that he only drinks cola, makes it an even better story. The Raymond story shows another type of person who is ostracized in the community for living differently than the white majority. Jem's introductions of that majority helps the reader see what type of people make up the community. Again, as said before, Lee must have cataloged the community this way to show what types of people would support convicting an innocent man for rape simply because the accuser is white.

What are three strategies to build confidence in yourself and others?

Self-confidence is--as its name suggests--a very individual thing. What boosts my self-confidence may be entirely different from what boosts yours! That being said, there are a few different strategies I've come across that can help build confidence in oneself or in someone else. They work best when personalized and adapted to the situation.

1. Pay attention to the way you talk to yourself. Often, people will say nasty things to themselves: "you're a failure" or "you're incompetent" or "you'll never get this job." If you notice that you talk to yourself in a negative way, try to reverse the trend by imagining that you're talking to a valued friend. Try to be positive, and focus on the good aspects of a situation, and on your good qualities. Positive self-talk can go a long way! Researchers have found that if you talk to yourself in the second person ("Charlie, you've got this!") your brain responds even more positively than if you talk to yourself in the first person ("I've got this!")

2. Pay attention to the position of your body. Exercise regularly! This is a two-pronged strategy. First, there are certain positions that project confidence to an onlooker, and also signal to your body that you are powerful. Holding your shoulders back and keeping your arms at your sides when you deliver a speech, for example, can make you look and feel more stable and confident than clasping your hands in front of you and crossing your legs. The second part of being aware of your body is exercise! When you exercise you not only feel better about your body, but your body releases endorphins, or neurotransmitters that block pain signals and cause pleasure, even euphoria. Paying attention to how you use your body is key to self-confidence.

3. Write down a list of things you're good at. Everyone, no matter how bad they're feeling about themselves, has some things that they are skilled at. Maybe it's something as simple as making really delicious scrambled eggs! Maybe it's that you're always willing to lend an ear when a friend needs to talk. Far too often we overlook or downplay our strengths and focus on our weaknesses. This hurts confidence. Taking time for some positive self-reflection is a good way to counteract negativity and boost confidence.

Why did Anne Frank begin to write a diary?

Anne Frank was trapped in very small spaces with her sister, parents, another family, and another man for around two years. She was thirteen years old, which means she was entering adolescence. This is a time when most children would experiment with makeup and talk with their girlfriends about crushes. Anne was instead stuck in a tiny space with no privacy. She sought relief in what she had, and what she had was a little autograph book she had gotten for her birthday. Here, writing in the form of letters to an unknown friend, she could admit her secret thoughts, fears, hopes, and dreams. This was the only privacy, the only thing that belonged solely to her, that Anne had in her life for two years, as she grew from a little girl to a young woman.

`4x + 3y + 17z = 0, 5x + 4y + 22z = 0, 4x + 2y + 19z =0` Solve the system of linear equations and check any solutions algebraically.

You may subtract the third equation from the first, such that:

`y  - 2z = 0 => y = 2z`

Replace 2z for y in equations 2 and 3, such that:

`5x + 8z + 22z = 0 => 5x+30z = 0 => x + 6z = 0 => x = -6z`

`4x + 4z + 19z = 0 => 4x + 23z = 0`

`4x + 23z - 4x - 24z = 0 => -z = 0 => z = 0 => x = 0 => y = 0`

Hence, evaluating the solution to the homogeneous system, yields x = y = z = 0.

Describe the personal conflict Jonas feels regarding his upcoming training.

Jonas is "startled" by some of the rules he is given as the Receiver of Memory, and they conflict with the way he and other members of the community have been raised. Specifically, he is conflicted by the rules that exempt him from rudeness and always telling the truth. 

In Ch. 9 it says about his reaction to the exemption for rudeness,

"He was so completely, so thoroughly accustomed to courtesy within the community that the thought of asking another citizen an intimate question, of calling someone's attention to an area of awkwardness, was unnerving" (Ch. 9).

We can see from his reaction that he is genuinely conflicted about having the ability to be rude. It has never occurred to him to do so intentionally, and he realizes that while he is allowed to be rude, the rules do not "compel him" to be. So, he decides he simply won't be, thus avoiding the personal conflict.

He is truly bothered by the final rule that allows him to lie. He is bothered for two reasons: this has been "an integral part of the learning of precise speech," and so any small transgression has quickly been punished, but also Jonas realizes that others may have been given this same exemption at some point as part of their own assignments. What if others had also been told they were now allowed to lie? How many liars might there be in the community? This really shakes Jonas and what he thinks he knows about his community. If he were to choose to lie, it would be a great personal conflict for him because honesty is so deeply engrained in his character.

Is the science described in the city of Ember accurate?

The science described in the City of Ember is accurate.  In the description of the generator, a modern hydroelectric device is described, capable of generating electricity.  This generator has been in service for the last two hundred years and has supplied the energy needs of the sequestered underground City of Ember to this point. 

The generator is powered by the force of the river, moving the wheel, which turns magnets within an electrical wire encasement.  As is the case with most mechanical devices, the generator has seen better days and is now starting to experience some physical degeneration, resulting in power outages in certain parts of the city. 

One would also think, however, if the builders of the City of Ember were smart enough to construct a massive electric power generator, they would also have been smart enough to realize it had a realistic longevity of service.  Spare parts, skilled technicians, and even a standby generator would have been smart thinking for the future.

What is the most important event that occurs at the Maycomb Halloween Pageant in To Kill a Mockingbird?

In Chapter 28, the community of Maycomb County holds a Halloween festival in the high school auditorium. Mrs. Merriweather decided to compose a pageant entitled Maycomb County Ad Astra Per Aspera where the children would be dressed in costumes that depicted the county's agricultural products. Scout has to wear a cumbersome "ham" costume made out of chicken wire and cloth. When Mrs. Merriweather calls out "Pork!" Scout has to walk out onto the stage. The most significant moment of the Halloween Pageant happens when the time comes for Scout to walk out onto the stage. Mrs. Merriweather announces "Pork!" and to her displeasure, Scout does not walk out onto the stage. She shouts "Pork!" even louder and Scout never comes out. Scout fell asleep backstage and missed her cue to walk out. During the grand finale when Mrs. Merriweather stands in the center of the stage with the Alabama flag, Scout clumsily walks out onto the stage. The entire crowd cheers and Judge Taylor laughs so hard that his wife needs to give him a glass of water to calm down. Mrs. Merriweather tells Scout backstage that she ruined her pageant.

What happens to a liquid when it releases enough energy?

When a liquid releases enough energy, the liquid will freeze and turn into a solid.

Phase changes are what causes one state of matter to turn into another. All phase changes are physical changes. Phase changes occur because of changes in the amount of kinetic energy obtained by the particles that make up a substance. Kinetic energy is the energy of movement. Kinetic energy can be gained or lost by the particles.

As kinetic energy is lost to the environment, particles slow down. The particles come closer together. Volume decreases and the shape of the substance becomes more definitive. Freezing, condensation, and deposition are caused by the loss of kinetic energy.

As kinetic energy is gained, particles begin to move apart. When this occurs, a substance’s volume increases and shape is lost. Melting, evaporation, and sublimation occur due to increasing amounts of kinetic energy.

What is the time period of this story and what evidence shows it?

To Kill a Mockingbird takes place in the 1930s.  There are several references to the Great Depression in the story.  The Great Depression began in 1929 and lasted throughout the 1930s.  Atticus tells Jem and Scout why so many people in Maycomb are poor, including them:

Atticus said professional people were poor because the farmers were poor. As Maycomb County was farm country, nickels and dimes were hard to come by for doctors and dentists and lawyers (To Kill a Mockingbird, Chapter 2).

Atticus also tells his children that "the Cunninghams are country folks, farmers, and the crash hit them hardest."  Everyone in town is suffering from the Depression, from the poor farmers to the educated professionals.

The WPA is also mentioned in the story.  The WPA was the Works Progress Administration.  It was a nationwide program created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to provide jobs for the unemployed. Those employed by the WPA did work ranging from building roads and bridges to creating art and writing.  Bob Ewell is the only person Scout knows of "who was fired from the WPA for laziness" (Chapter 27).

What was the purpose of the gladiators in Ancient Rome?

It seems like every culture needs a hero to worship.  In Ancient Rome, gladiators filled the role of hero in much the same way that professional athletes are revered in American society.  The gladiator games were the ancient equivalent to the modern-day Super Bowl.  Romans attended the events by the droves.  While the "major leagues" of gladiator games were played in the Coliseum in Rome, there were smaller venues throughout the empire.  Gladiators had to earn their way through the smaller games to reach the Coliseum.  The purpose of the games was  for entertainment for the masses.  Emperors used the gladiators to keep the citizens happy, particularly the lower class plebians.  It can also be said the gladiator games kept the plebians distracted.  In times of crisis, the emperor would host gladiator games to improve the general mood of the city.